Winter Jacket

Kinda diggin' this long contrast jacket from Gap. Retails at $168 and is an online exclusive item.

In addition to the many many many coats and jackets I already own, I just bought a new jacket for this year ... Do I really need another jacket?

Current Obsession

I am currently addicted to dips!

My favorite for the time being is Trader Joe's Spinach Sour Cream Dip (the one on the right)

photo: runeatrepeat.com

With Trader Joe's Raisin Rosemary Crisps (alternating with baby carrots)

photo: collegecooker.wordpress.com

NC Hot Air Balloon Festival

A couple of weeks ago I took Jenny and Jason to the NC Hot Air Balloon Festival in Statesville
Everything was so beautiful! I have never seen so many hot air balloons in one place.

I overheard some people saying they sent up over 40 balloons

We even met a Ghostbuster

The is the view of the field from the top of the hill

Up close and personal ...

with the Lake Norman Monster.

Happy Halloween

Cheese Balls, Renaissance lady, Alphabet

Halloween Movie Night

Sophie & Matt had a Halloween Movie night at their place last night. Everyone was required to bring goodies. Everything was soooo yummy. I have a happy belly-ache :)

Sophie's snack table - How festive!!!

Jenny's skull punch

Sophie made green cupcakes with Halloween sprinkles

There were so many yummy snacks - deviled egg eyeballs, brain jello, skull punch, cupcakes, google-eyed cheese ball, hummus dip, lots of cheese dishes(!) and more.

I made witches fingers - chocolate covered pretzel rods

and Red velvet cake pops covered in white chocolate

I also made Halloween cupcakes - devil food cake with chocolate frosting, oreo dirt and gummy worms and body parts.

The cake pops were surprisingly simple to make. The most time consuming part was covering the pops and decorating.

First you bake a cake (any flavor) as directed. After the cake is cooled you crumble the cake into a large bowl then add 1/2 tub (or a full tub) of your choice of frosting into crumbled cake.
I used red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting.

Roll pieces of the cake mixture into balls and place on a tray lined with wax paper.
Place tray in the freezer for about 15 mins to firm up.

Next you'll want to melt down your white chocolate.
Take your lollipop sticks and dip it in a little melted chocolate then immediately stick it into your cake balls (about half way through).
Then take your cake stick and coat it in the melted chocolate.
Shake off any excess chocolate then place on a sheet of wax paper to harden.

After your cake pops have set you can paint on the red veins in the eyes.
Melt down some green chocolate and squeeze them in the center of the eye, after the chocolate has dried you can paint the center black for the pupil.

NOW YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SCARY EYEBALLS!

Coming soon...

I just spent the last hour watching trailers on IMDB.

My picks are:

The Artist

Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

Director:Michel Hazanavicius

Stars:Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman

&

HUGO

Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

Director:Martin Scorsese

Stars:Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee