Wrapping The Week

Well, I was slowed down a little this week by a hideous allergy episode Wednesday night. But onward, ho! I must prepare for Halloween. Tonight after work, a quick dinner trip to the local Mexican joint. Audrey enjoys so much the guitarist, who is used to us requesting "You Are My Sunshine". We love that place. Ah, a Friday margarita!

Now I have a Crack Pie in the oven, along with brownies for Brownie Balls. I think I'll be up late, but that's ok. I have a stinky honky tonk playlist going and my best apron on. Below is a little sample of my country cookin' mix. 

In the Summertime

Love the fall. But I'll be missing summertime soon enough.

Walken Is The Bomb

Romance and Cigarettes is one of my favorite movies of all time. Walken is so great in it. The guy

Wrapping The Week

{Flickr}

The beach house is a go. Yipeee! We’ll be spending at least two nights of our Thanksgiving holiday at a beachfront home on Emerald Isle. Audrey will want to play in the sand, no matter how chilly the weather might be. 

This week:

• I thought these Painted People were amazing (Cup of Jo and The Sense of Five).
• The Slits version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. RIP Ari Up.
• This was blogged all over the place this week, but still YES to the mamas! Please consider joining Moms Rising, which works to raise awareness for family issues (paid maternity leave, flex time, quality childcare, healthcare, etc.). Look at the U.S. Maternity/Paternity Benefits vs. the rest of the world. Really?!

Etsy Finds This Week

• Girly Clothes & Accessories: Citron Leaf Rounds Scarf, Frida Earrings, Stacking Rings , Long Shirt Happiness Flower (the description on this is so funny)
• Pink and Gold Cups (so cute)
• Any of the dictionary prints from MemoryDust 

Rainy weekend in store. Stay cozy. Love.

Chicken List

{marthastewart.com}

Today I am going to try to tackle:

1. Audrey's Halloween Costume. See above.
2. Switching out my summer/winter clothes. I hate this seasonal chore. Someday I hope to have a huge closet or a tiny inventory of clothes--warranting this task obsolete. Dragging tubs of clothes up two flights of steps, unpacking, packing, and then back down. Ugh. Not my idea of the glamorous life.
3. Washing windows. We recently had our house tuckpointed and part of the process involved an acid wash which pummeled my windows with spots of crud.
4. Some shopping for a few fall/winter clothing items for the family. I need some new sweaters. My baby needs pants. My hubby needs shirts. Look out...I got coupons.
5. Family Night Dinner. Pork Tenderloin, mashed potatoes and the like for my brother, nephews, mom. 

I wouldn't be attempting any of this if my FANTASTIC mom weren't coming in to watch Audrey today. Oh, happy day!

A Day At The Seashore

I don't want to jinx anything, but we may have access to a beach front home at Emerald Isle, NC for a couple of days over the Thanksgiving holiday! I blogged about this earlier this fall and can't believe that the stars are aligning. I will follow up with more details as they become available. We just got Audrey the Little Golden Books classic A Day At The Seashore. She loves the story (?) and I'm in love with the vintage illustration. It will be chilly in November, but I am so excited I can't see straight.

Chili Cook-Off Results

Well, my Pear and Chocolate Tart did not win the Golden Cupcake award at this year's Chili Cook-Off. I'm going to share the recipe anyway, because it was quite lovely. I think there were about 18 chili entries this year and hardly a dud in the bunch. It was a goreous day. The belt turned out more amazing than I imagined. Audrey had a fantastic time and clapped like crazy for the winners. Her silver pants were a big hit.

Wrapping The Week

Saturday is the tenth year of the annual Dewes Chili Cook-Off (COO). This family affair is hosted every fall by our remarkable friends Mike, Jess, and Sylvie (family portrait below) and it gets bigger and better every year. This will be our sixth year as guests. In addition to the chili contest, there is a Golden Cupcake award for best dessert. I just finished a couple of hours of prep work tonight. I have my pate sucree in the fridge along with my meat and peppers marinading for chili. Most of tomorrow I will be cooking. I find the planning and preparation almost as fun as the event itself. They are upping the ante this year and instead of the sagging, homemade, but entirely loveable chili can trophy, a wrestling-style belt will be awarded to the winner. Our friend Carmelita Nunez, made the medallion for the belt (below). Isn't it incredible?! We have such stellar friends.

Hope your weekend is as chiliriffic as ours will be. Tums to you.

Shoe Love

Those Sweeping Stitch Heels (bottom left) are causing some series sleep issues. Anthropologie, why do you torment me so?

Photos I love.

Elisabeth "Bessie" Holmes Moore (1876-1959), a young tennis champion who won her first U.S. title in 1896.

An awesome little 365 mixed media project and this one titled Suspect and Fugitive is really great too. More lovely flickr finds: Hannah and Jams photostream and Kharied's photostream, especially her Jumpity Jumptastic set.

Random

Print Is Not Dead from Anthology Magazine on Vimeo.

Justin Vinesky's Gram series is so beautiful.
I love these tiny pies baked in a jar.