Seasons Changing

 

     This year I feel the cool breath of fall a little more abruptly than I remember of years past. The morning it became cold I actually remember exclaiming out loud that “Fall is Here!”.  I love the idea that when I go out at the crack of dawn to leave for work and the gym that the cool air energizes me for my morning “run” on the elliptical.

I love the way the light changes with the fall. Becoming a less harsh, more brilliant light that lasts a little longer, and when it begins to diminish does so with a flourish of temperatures that beckon for the likes of heavy knits and flannels.

I love the events of fall. Pumpkin carving and Halloween. Turkeys and Thanksgiving. The apple crisps and hayrides, the football and friends that come around for tailgates. I love when the wind is just a touch too brisk and the cuddling gets a little closer. I adore putting the house through it’s different holiday paces, and I love feeling a little closer and offering thanks for those things that usually seem more mundane. I love re-discovering my fall clothes missed, but not forgotten, in the closet – my long sweaters and the cozy big shirts. I love the jackets in the closet coming out after their own hibernation. I love my boots, making a long awaited burst back onto my walks into the office.

 

I enjoy the colors of fall, but sometimes think we forget about the blues and cooler colors until winter is in full swing. A good pop of teal shouldn’t be forgotten the seas of reds and rusts. I love the crunch of leaves under foot and the taste of graham cracker crust beneath the perfect apple raisin pie. I think the sound of people outside is warming, watching families play in a pile of leaves, or a school game being attended by kids swathed in letter jackets. The good ol’ school days look is in full swing at this point – plaids and knee socks with cardigans.

I think the smells are what take me there most. The smell of fires burning for the first time. More grilling outside before the weather makes us stay in. The smell of stews and soups bubbling on the stove or of pumpkin bread being baked. I love the way a morning smells, almost with a bit of motivation to make the day better than it was planned to be – a bit of a challenge, but not so much given the wonderful environment to make happiness. I’ve fallen for fall, I’m off to go make happy.

Touchdown!

 

I hope you’ve had a great week and this finds you gearing up for the tailgate. Ralph’s jersey has been set aside and I can almost smell the wonderful football air alive with the buzz of an impending game and great tailgate food! Can’t wait to hang with friends before the match and even have a great road trip before and after!

Looking forward to cool weather and laughter and fun, here’s to you finding the same!

Blogs I hope you’ve enjoyed this week:

Football For Girls Style

Football Stuff for the Home

Ralph’s Jersey

Football Food: Buff wings, blue cheese

Gridiron Grub

Buffalo Wings & Blue Cheese Dressing

5 lbs of chicken wings – split into drumettes and wings

2 sticks of butter

1 bottle of Frank’s Hot sauce

1 bunch of celery, leaves removed and cut into 2 inch pieces

One Recipe of Ruthie’s Blue Cheese Dressing 

Spray two large cookie sheets and place naked wings on sheets. Bake at 350 until juices run clear. Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan on the stove (this amount makes it difficult to melt in the microwave unless you’d like your microwave to be splattered!) and mix with hot sauce. Remove from oven and toss with buttery hot sauce. Serve with dressing and celery.

This recipe is an easy one, but pretty messy. You can also grill them on the grill if you are a true master at using tongs and moving quickly. That said, they are the quintessential football food. Please note these aren’t breaded and I preferred them that way – breaded tends to be heavier on grease and plus I feel like it personally supports those “family” establishments with the buxom women! ;)

If you have any leftovers strip them and use them next day on a great buffalo chicken salad if you chop up any remaining celery and add the dressing in. I usually serve this with kettle chips or a potato salad. Also enjoyable are some fried pickles or mushrooms in a good beer batter.

Now, a word about Franks Hot Sauce. This is an institution. I know there are many religions on hot sauce brands. and I know that I use many different ones for many different purposes. Being from Texas, Salsa on it’s own has it’s own time and place. So please, for me, try Franks. It sticks the best, and has the best buffalo flavor. Well worth the switch if you’re a die hard on another name. Like Dr. Seuss says…”Try it…you’ll like it.”

Gig Em!

Ralph’s going to a tailgate! When the OU Sooners take on the Texas Aggies, Ralph is going to be wearing this fantastic piece of team wear! Found it on Amazon for 19.99 and while the price is steep for me, I think that the fun is worth it and it’s obviously something he’ll be wearing as we cheer on our Ags through a less than stellar season.

That said, I’m a big dog clothes person. I know, laugh now. It started off as a joke with friends and quickly became a hilarity that I liked sharing. I have fishing clothes, pjs, doggles (yes, dog sunglasses!) and whilst I’ve never gone so far as to get dog boots, I know they exist and would like a set should I ever decide to move up north.

I think this little jersey will make a big splash at the party and I’m excited to see how much Ralph likes the busy-ness of an Aggie tailgate. So here we go Ags! Got another little guy with a big bark to scare those Sooners!

Scoring the Touchdown

 

What a better way to get a tailgate started off right than to get all your theme ware up and ready to go! An easy choice that can be used in the day to day before and after the game is Walmart’s Anchor Hocking 4-piece Grand Pilsner Barware Set. At $19.99 it’s a great basic set, and shh, ladies, I use these as vases for flowers sometime, they’re too easy!

Getting into the spirit is easy with Target’s selection for your buffet table. I found these, the Touchdown Snack Bowl $19.99, 3- Section Server $24.99, Chip & Dip Set $19.99. I thought these were cute ideas to keep your theme up without having to buy paper plates each year – plus it’s much more eco-friendly!

  Now, for me, personally, I’ll get into the baking mood when it’s game time. Which means you’ll find me in the kitchen so that the cupcakes are ready by half time. I found these cute picks and papers at  Party City for $2 and $4, you can’t complain! It’s theme and icing all at once! :)

But let’s just say the game gets good and I don’t have time for cupcakes…nothing beats Wilton’s football pan in a situation. I even love their bread sandwich idea – how cute! For $12.99, I normally do not get into shaped pans, but I could see these being used for alot of creative ideas!

Finally, somewhere to store the refreshments. I like to keep it generic here, the Clear Acrylic Party Tub $21.99  is large and unbreakable – easy to clean and goes with anything. I love a multiple use item and I could see this being reused time and again.

And finally, if the game is terrible and you’re still looking for smiles, might I suggest going to Amazon.com and picking up the Excalibur NF07-08 NFL Vibrating Football game for $44. This could save your party should your team come up short!

Here’s to the touchdowns this season!

Cozied up for the Big Day

 The Thought

When you’re dashing from oven to table, you have to look and feel good! I adore the plaid shoe with the somewhat masculine hoodie. I think it’s all about playing the girl next door here with a little sex appeal. The knee high sock can be pulled off with shorts even, given it’s not freezing! You want the hoodie to fit in a feminine way, this is not a man’s hoodie and shouldn’t be a schlumpy addition to your closet. Think “hanging out WITH the guys”….not being one of them!

 

 

The Inspiration

The Gear

Forever 21: Cleveland Hooded Jacket  $22.90

Old Navy: Women's The Flirt Trouser Jeans $39.50

ViciousStyle.com:  Black Tube Socks with Red Stripe $8.99

Payless Shoe Source:  Kicks Lo Plaid $24.99

10-51, Red 22, Hut!

  It’s full swing into football season. I figured this week would be dedicated to the All American Past time of eating and burping and throwing around the pig skin.

I’ll admit it, I was never a big football fan. I liked playing what I thought was football as a kid. Which generally meant, being the tom boy, I that I would come home full of bruises from playing in the park. We never had alot of kids and I”m sure at times that I was the entire defensive line, but that said, it was cold outside, my nose would be dripping, the street lights would come on and I would head home, tired and happy from playing with friends.

This was generally accompanied by my father who is what I’d like to think is the world’s biggest Steelers Fan. I honestly believe no one has yelled at a t.v. more. Every football season a descent of anxiety would fall upon our home. In the hopes that each week the Steelers would win and advance up the ranks to attend the Superbowl. Being born in 1979 was a good thing, they had some gusto then. God bless the house though, if they lost.

Later in high school I was a member of the drill team. Being in Texas, this is a deep rooted tradition of spandex and skirts and high kicks. I have fond memories of being in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, but as for football season, I remember standing up quite alot and having our team lose. Although, still to do this day, I adore the sound of a marching band’s drum cadence, it brings back the memories of bus trips and going out after games with friends. I suppose it was all the events surrounding the game that made the game itself tolerable.

College brought on the Texas Aggies and their football. I was blessed to see the game from the band section each week as a sophomore and junior. My entire junior year it rained. Every time. Every home game. and not just a sprinkle.  It like…was….torrential. We’d do our Midnight Yell Practice the night before – practicing our menacing yells to fill the stadium against whatever formidable opponent would come our way. It’s a unique experience, and Aggie or not, is something anyone visiting Texas should attempt to take in.

And now. Well, now I’m happy to watch it with friends – at the game, on TV. I’d prefer to be enjoying the fall weather, or grilling for them at a tailgate. I wouldn’t even mind taking a nap with the announcer’s play-by-play softly buzzing in the background. But that said, it’s still a fall fixture and I’ve dedicated this week’s posts to it’s place in the season. Enjoy!