Chocovine (Yes...Chocolate + Wine)

As I wander the aisles of the wine and spirits store this past weekend (yes, in Pennsylvania you can currently only by wine and liquor at state run stores. Which are not open near me on Sundays. Which is terrible when you are craving a mimosa or Bloody Mary at home and it cannot be done. Anyway, I ended up buying an it. ChocoVine's website describes it as "The great taste of Dutch chocolate and find Cabernet wine". At $10 for the bottle, my girlfriends and I were giving it a shot.

It's an interesting taste. It tastes more like chocolate milk or melted chocolate ice cream than wine. It's definitely a dessert wine and not something you would pair with a meal (unless that meal is a PB&J). Although tasty, one glass was enough for me. We drank it straight from the bottle, but after exploring the ChocoVine website today, I'm wondering if it is meant to be more of an ingredient in a cocktail than a stand-alone drink! Here is the cocktail I am going to make next time I buy ChocoVine!

Midnight Rush

2 oz ChocoVine
1 1/4 Espresso vodka
Served chilled in a martini glass

Have you ever heard or tried ChocoVine?

Wardrobe Wednesday

With the cool weather of fall setting in, not to mention the rain that we have been getting in Pennsylvania for the past few days, I've been wearing my wellies pretty consistently.

Considering that my Hunter Wellies have been a lifesaver lately, I decided to look up the background of the company.

North British Rubber Company (now Hunter Boot Ltd) began in 1856 by an American (shocker!) entrepreneur with a staff of four. During World War 1 the company produced more than 1.185 million boots in order to meet army demands. With success as a function boot during wartime, the company was again asked to produce boots for WW2.

Hunter Boot Ltd continues to keep the feet of the Royal Household of the UK dry (along with many others around the world! From the original Green wellington that was first made in the winter of 1955, to the variety of colors and styles available today, I just love this classic item!

One of the greatest accessories that I love to pair with my wellies are the welly socks! It fits the boots perfectly and cuffs over the top of the boot- so that the sock doesn't fall down and start to "puddle" around your ankles. Available in a ton of colors, the leg part of the sock is fleece and the cuffs are fleece, regular knit or cable knit!

With so many sororities going through Fall recruitment (including the gals I advise), its a hectic time for many out there.

Recruitment can be a time of high-stress, low-sleep and amazing excitement! With Fall recruitment over my for my girls, I want to provide a special treat for a chapter meeting!

I found great Greek letter cookie cutters online at shop.bakegreek.com. This is the Gamma one that I am going to order (kappa one not pictured).

Their website also features a tutorial on baking and cookie decorating- perfect for a girl like me who isn't so blessed with kitchen skills. I plan on making a batch of these super-cute sugar cookies decorated with either light blue or dark blue icing!

Any tips on making the best sugar cookies?! I would really like to do a great job for my girls!

A new nickname

I was just talking to a girlfriend on the phone and she called me a pint-sized Lilly Pulitzer Barbie.

It made me smile :)

Sometimes a call with a friend is all you need to turn your day around!

For a rainy day...

The Northeast is a giant rain cloud right now. I've broken out my wellies for the first time in a while, but realized this AM that I am in desperate need for a new umbrella.

I currently have a Coach umbrella- its a light blue print with the 'C' pattern all over. Although, I have to admit, I'm a little beyond Coach. Not to put down any Coach-lovers out there, but I associate it with the wristlets that teenagers wear. The items that I do have from Coach tend to not include the monogrammed pattern.

Here are some options for new umbrellas that I am loving. It's important for me that the umbrella be small enough when compacted that it fits in a tote bag- easier to travel with!

Option One: Lilly Pulitzer $25
I love this for the price and the fun pattern! It would certainly brighten up a rainy day.

Option Two: Burberry $125

I had the classic Burberry Nova Check pattern in college, and decided to go a bit of a different direction with my next umbrella- if it ends up being Burberry. I chose the black and white pattern for its classic look and that it won't show dirty (because we all know how much time a wet umbrella can spend on the floor!)

Option Three: Etsy seller $60

Monogrammed Umbrella from Etsy seller PoshDesignsbyMarilyn

I love this umbrella because a) its pink and b) the monogram! The best part is that there are a ton of font styles offered for the monogram.

Option Four: Gucci $430

...just kidding. Like I have $430 dollars(!!) to spend on a umbrella!

Which one do you think I should get?

All photos courtesy of google images or Etsy website

Humble Pie- The Bicycle Edition

I live in a city and there are a lot of people who commute on bicycles. Although I wish I could do the same (I have to drive to work due to the location of my office), I sometimes get annoyed by these bikers. I get annoyed when they ride in the middle of two lanes of traffic stopped at a light, nervous when they don't signal that they are turning, scared when when they aren't wearing helmets (safety first!) or horrified the one time that someone grabbed my bumper to pull him up a hill. Or when there isn't enough space to pass and I get stuck going 15 miles below the speed limit.

This morning on the way to work I saw a guy on a bike (no helmet) riding in front of me. It is a tight street with a row of parked cars on each side and a lane of traffic in each direction. He was holding up traffic in one area of the road and, once it was safe, I went around him and continued on my way. Well, the biker caught up to me at the next red light and came over and knocked on my window.

My stomach fell to the floor. I was pretty sure he was going to yell at me for something I had done- passing him? Riding too close to the parked cars so that he couldn't get through and slow down traffic again?

No...what he said next really surprised me.

"Your back driver brake light is out. Just thought you might want to know!"

I believe in...

That when in a hurry, painting only the toes that you can see in peep-toed shoes is completely acceptable

Giving the children's book Olivia to every baby girl that comes into my life

Still having my favorite childhood stuffed animal on my bed at my parents

Pulling the comforter over the messy sheets is as good enough as making the whole bed sometimes

Sometimes you have to go for the full-sugar, full-fat version

Reading a book that will make you smarter every once in a while (sorry shopaholic series!)

Taking the scenic route sometimes

Pushing yourself sometimes...whether it be a difficult recipe, a new hobby or a physical activity. The reward is so much sweeter!

Talking to my mom every day :)

That whoever said sunshine brings happiness never danced in the rain (love that quote!)