One Lady's Old Sweater is Another's Treasured Statement Piece

The nest hosted a clothing swap over a Saturday morning fireside potluck brunch. The idea was this: bring all the clothes you love but don't wear anymore, one dish for brunch and as many bags as you wanted to donate to a charitable cause. The results: full tummies, fun and fabulous additions to all attendees' wardrobes. It's safe to say the event was a success! In fact, I was so excited about my treasured pieces I wore one Saturday night, Sunday and to work today!

Clothing swaps are AwEsOmE because they give you the opportunity to feel like you went on a shopping spree but you don't pay a dime and you get the added satisfaction of giving back to those less fortunate. Nest neighbor Dana offered to take all items donated to her mama bird's center for disadvantaged youth. (Thanks again, Dana!) Actually, a lot of the girls thought that no one would want the items they offered the swap but after a couple rounds of picks they found themselves surprised that their items were chosen among the most coveted (and Beans and I were like, "SEEEE?")

The girls that participated can't wait to come to another swap during the next season and the girls that came just for brunch are chomping at the bit for a piece of the action. There were a couple keys to success that I would like to share:

1. Set up the area for the swap items as professionally as possible: we used a rolling rack and hung the dresses/jackets and skirts. Sweaters, shoes and jewelry were laid out in neat rows so they could be easily browsed.

2. Draw numbers out of a hat for the order of picking. after everyone has had the chance to choose during a round, return the numbers and select at random again so everyone has a chance to choose first, last and somewhere in the middle.

3. Open up the floor after a few rounds. (you really had to be there to hear the howl of excitement when we decided all bets were off and we could go for whatever was left. It was straight from a movie script!)

4. Make sure guests have something to do while they're waiting for their turn at the loot. I think it would have been pretty boring in the meantime if we didn't have the brunch, fireplace and movies to keep us preoccupied.

Speaking of brunch I gave this recipe a try for the very first time and it was a very very very easy and a very very very yummy addition:

1 can of premade buttermilk biscuits

shredded cheddar cheese

eggs, beat with milk

cooked turkey bacon, chopped

• preheat oven to 350, grease cupcake pan


• remove biscuits from can one at a time and separate in half. place one half of biscuit in the place for one cupcake spreading the sides around forming a small bowl. repeat for each cupcake place


• beat approx 4 eggs with milk and pour into biscuit bowls until the egg just reaches the brim of the biscuit.


• fill with cheddar cheese and cooked turkey bacon to taste


• bake for 15 minutes or until edges of the biscuits turn golden brown and your egg center resembles a souflee.

serve warm and get 'em while ya can!

Simple Pleasures

This week hit me like a tornado. What was supposed to be relaxing, day-to-day week, without a lot on the schedule turned into a fury of events, classes, work, more work, cleaning, cooking, drinking, laughing, working. Somewhere along the lines I found myself trying to look behind at the week. Like many of you, I am astonished at how I find the time to do anything nor do I know how I do what does get done. It's a lifestyle, I suppose. It is a blessing that we manage to fit a few moments into every day that we can enjoy a simple pleasure: something that doesn't cost much, requires little energy, and reminds us what is important. Simple pleasures are the moments that slow us down while we move at the speed of light.

Here are some of my favorite simple pleasures:

1. Beauty Berries

2. $1 Natty Boh's accompanied by good company, even if the band playing at the local watering hole is awful

3. Stolen unauthorized hugs from your roommate/best friend

4. Clean kitchens

5. Matt Costa and looking forward to his show tonight in D.C.

It was IN-TENTS.

Oops, this post is a whole week late. Sorry! Whatever, you're still reading it aren't you? :)


Well, last weekend I went camping in WV with 17 friends. T'was tons o' fun. We camped, ate, hiked, climbed, ate, drank, danced, explored caverns, and ate. It got pretty chilly at night--not to be confused with CHILI, which we didn't get any of because it was all gone by the time we arrived at the Chili Cook-off. 


Staying on the topic of "lessons learned" (refer to Bologna's Halloween post), here are some lessons I learned from the trip and tips for your next camping trip:

1) Don't leave your car keys at the top of the mountain.

2) Don't bring your pet coyote with you.

      

3) DO travel with a doggie, so he can protect you against bears, bugs, mothman, etc.

(...or so that other climbers' dogs can stay entertained while their owners are too busy to watch/control their pet)

4) DO keep your helmets on at all times while inside the caverns (ahem, Erin...)

5) Do NOT feed the West Virginian wildlife.

This little kid actually came up to me and my friends, with an empty styrofoam cup in his hand, and asked for beer "for his daddy"...hmmm...

6) Invest in a nice, quality sleeping bag. While many of my fellow campers complained of their cold sleepless nights, I was warm, comfy and cozy inside my goose down mummy bag from L.L. Bean. I love it.

7) Get a headlamp. Although you may be confused for a miner or a giant lightning bug, you will find that headlamps are useful for so much more than just camping trips.

8) For cold feet, do NOT layer socks. Layered socks tend to be tighter on your tootsies, limiting circulation, and causing your feet to actually be COLDER! So get one good pair of wool socks and keep your piggies warm. I wore my SmartWool snowboarding socks.

9) Good snacks/drinks to bring for hiking/climbing: jerky, Smartfood popcorn, nuts, Clif bars, apples, Gatorade, lots of water.

10) Choose a tent partner who doesn't snore.

Tricks, Treats + Some Scary Good Costumes

Beans and Bologna: "Boo!"

Artist Source

This year I felt a little weird about Halloween. I think it started with the fact that it was recognized in stores during the months of August and September only. Earlier than ever in my books. The weird feeling carried over into the month that it actually occurs and got weirder when a coworker explained to me that she doesn't recognize Halloween because she's Christian. I consider myself pretty open-minded about religious preferences, but I will admit that I must have looked at this particular individual like she had put a mask on a couple weeks early. "Hold on... you don't, like, dress up? Why? What about All Hallows Eve? All Saints day? No? Really? Did something happen?"

Her answer was: "No."

I'm still confused...

Anywho, all weirdness aside, this year turned out pretty well. I got to dress up twice, I handed out candy to children (like a real adult), and my family reunion Halloween party was hands down the BEST yet.

Halloween can teach you lessons, too. This year there were several lessons learned along the way including:

1. lollipops can be used as a tool to get your friend to shut up and stop whacking you with your own costume.

2. cab drivers do not appreciate you asking them to stop and wait for your friends to get in.

3. narwhals are actually real animals.

4. dressing up like a scary vampire is more fun than dressing up as a sexy anything (boo, whores!)

5. just because you don't remember taking that shot of whiskey does not mean you won't pay the price for it the next day. oh, and you paid a $10 price for it last night, too.

6. wearing a strip of spandex across your tush does not count as an outfit.

7. there is a real, live, Zack Morris look alike and his name is Jeremy.

These may not be lessons learned just last night but they are lessons it never hurts to remind yourself of. As the age old saying goes Halloween is truly about the toss up between "Trick or Treat!"

Party People

What did you dress up as for Halloween? Was it skanky or scary?