PBJ - Detour

Yes, I took a detour an decided to skip the pumpkin beer again. Apparently I'm lousy at promises but THANK GOD because my off-the-beaten-path mentality has landed me in a land of fun, new beer! Okay, okay...technically this is cheating but hear me out. A friend brought over some Sam Adams Cream Stout last week and this lonesome straggler has piqued my curiosity over the past few days. I mean it was all alone on the top shelf, just staring, every time I opened the fridge. 

For starters, I'm not usually a fan of anything Sam Adams but it was new and I'm open to try anything once. I was pleasantly shocked by how much I enjoyed it. It was thick and rich, far as beers go and, sadly, I had to pour half out so I could drive to meet a friend...but I totally would have finished it if I could! It definitely wouldn't taste awesome with everything but I'm glad I tried something unusual and enjoyed it. 

Your regularly scheduled Pumpkin Beer Journey will resume tomorrow...

PBJ - Pumpkin Porter

I can't believe this used to be my my favorite pumpkin beer! After trying all these other options the Starr Hill Boxcarr Pumpkin Porter has left me disappointed. It's a little bitter, sort of watery and has this weird, mustardy aftertaste.  I know this post has been short and sweet...so let's just say I'm happy to have found a few new favorites!

Day Off Design Time

I wasn't feeling very well tonight so instead I want to celebrate Fall in a different way! First, I had water instead of pumpkin beer and then I decided to whip out all my Fall decor. 

Finally, cool weather and warm colors!

(I made this wreath myself! First fall DIY project and I couldn't be happier with the results!)

(Dollar Store plates, TJ Maxx napkins, and Michaels home decor for centerpieces! Oh, and the window was a thrift find from a reclaimed home on the Eastern Shore! Design on a budget!)

(Target's dollar spot, y'all! AND it's cute!)

(The plates were a dollar each and the center pieces were from Michaels' AMAZING Fall clearance section!)

(More craft store clearance. Have I mentioned I love a good bargain?)

It makes my heart happy to have a festive home! 

Happy Fall, y'all!!

PBJ - Two in one

I worked yesterday so once I got home, Adam and I camped in front of the tv to watch our recorded Gator game from earlier that day. I was distracted by our epic win (Suck it, UT!) and forgot to post about my Pumpkin Beer Journey. So today, you get TWO. (Try to contain your excitement.)

Shiner's Marzen-Style Oktoberfest was my next delicious, malty option. Technically it was a seasonal brew since there was no pumpkin flavor involved but it had a festive colored label and I'm a sucker for visual stimulus. We're huge fans of Shiner in this home so I'm glad this house lived up to the hype. 

This evening I tried  SouthamptonPublick House's Pumpkin Ale. THIS is what I expect of a classic pumpkin beer! You taste the pumpkin. You taste the spice. You even get a little hint of vanilla. While this amber ale is only 5% alc/vol, I was pleasantly surprised! Thanks, Long Island for today's tasty treat!

 

(And thank you, Adam, for the gorgeous "just because" flowers in the background. After a long week, it's nice to come home to a little color an a lot of love!)

Pumpkin Beer Journey - Pumpkick

IT's beginning to cool off here in Virginia which can only mean one thing...

Tis the season for pumpkin EVERYTHING. 

In the spirit of fall, I'd like to take you all on my pumpkin beer journey. After a quick yet expensive trip to Total Wine, I bought over a half dozen individual bottles of various Seasonal/pumpkin beers. Naturally, my first thought was to SHARE my opinions...

The first I tried was the New Belgium's Fall/Seasonal Pumpkick. This is from the same brewery that makes Fat Tire, one of my favorite beers but I'm sad to say I'm not crazy about this little guy. The label boasted the beer is 6% alcohol by volume (a decent start, I suppose). It's brewed with pumpkin juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice but it was the cranberry juice that left me with a sour taste in my mouth...literally! The beer is a little "hoppy" with a tart, lingering flavor. 

Usually I'm a fan of actually cranberry juice but I think I'll stick to Fat Tire and try a new pumpkin brew tomorrow.  

Feel free to share YOUR favorite pumpkin beer and let me know what you think! 

Good Reads

I'm only on chapter 12; however, The Paris Wife is a book I strongly recommend. It's set mostly in Paris, written from the point of view of Hadley Hemmingway, Ernest's first wife. I actually read the prologue twice because I loved how the book is written. I only hope the rest of the book lives up to the beginning. 

I've also started using GoodReads. 

Finally...Key West Blog!

We've been SO busy, it seems like our little anniversary vacation to the keys was such a long time ago. In reality, it's been one short month and MAN, what I wouldn't give to go back! We had an AMAZING time and I'm excited to share some photos and stories. 

After driving from Virginia to Key West in November 2012, we vowed NEVER to do it again. This vacation we opted to fly in which took a fraction of the time. We started our vacation in the airport, drinking at the Barcardi Rum bar while waiting for our tiny plane to take us from Ft. Lauderdale to The Keys. 

When we finally arrived, we checked into The Parrot Key Resort, our gorgeous home for the next week. 

Over the next few days, we did all sorts of water excursions. Adam was sweet enough to book a Rum & Reggae Sunset Sail. We had a BLAST. I snorkeled (until I noticed a small floating colony of moon jellies) then swam back to the boat to enjoy the weather, music, and...of course, rum!! Being on the sailboat reminded me of how much I miss living in Florida. I love being in the sun, on the water, enjoying life. 

We didn't stop there; (it's vacation, after all) so we took our new sailboat friends and headed to Duval Street to soak up that crazy, vivacious Key West lifestyle. When they say "anything goes" in KW, they don't lie. 

Saturday was our 3rd anniversary so we decided to take it back to where it all began. Adam asked me to be his girlfriend in 2006 after a day at the Gainseville Butterfly Gardens so it was only natural that we visit the Butterfly Conservatory in Key West. This might make me sound like a nerd but it was so gorgeous. Not only is the conservatory fluttering with all types of beautiful butterflies but there were all types of birds in the trees and on the ground. There were turtles and fish and the air was full of classical, peaceful melodies. I could have spent all day there. Of course, more adventures were waiting to be had.

  

We swam in the resort pools and sat on our balcony, drinking, overlooking a canal. We snorkeled a ton (despite the jellyfish), went parasailing, and spent a day jet skiing and sailing. We watched the sunset from the top of La Concha, an old hotel. It was a lot more quiet and secluded than the typical Mallory Square shenanigans. 

We went sightseeing in Islamorada and ate at Sunset Bar and Grille, right off the Seven Mile Bridge. Actually, over the course of our vacation, we ate so much delicious food: Hot Tin Roof had Latin inspired seafood and Better Than Sex was a dessert restaurant that surely lived up to its name. The Stoned Crab had some of the most delicious, fresh crab legs I've ever tasted! Mmmm. 

Our last day in paradise, we hopped on a 2 hour ferry to the Dry Tortugas. The ride was long and a little rough but worth it. Adam snorkeled while I laid out in the sun then we toured Fort Jefferson. It full of history and interesting detail. Not to mention, the seclusion is pretty cool! People are able to camp there overnight and I would really be interested in doing that one day. 

It feels like the vacation passed too quickly but Adam and I adored every minute. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together and I'm grateful we had that opportunity.