The Butcher

Well, its official. The butcher is no longer technically, a butcher. For the past eight years he has been cutting meat and the last two of those years has worked as the meat manager. But Publix knows a good thing when they have it so they didn’t waste any time promoting this hardworking youngster to bigger and better things. Last week he was promoted to Assistant Store Manager. There are a lot of pros to this position, of course higher pay and bigger bonuses, a less physical workload and not being in a freezer all day. I’m especially excited about the prospects of not having to wash blood off his shirts anymore! His new store is a little further away so sadly no more coming home for lunch during the day. But he’s happy and is loving his new position (and the authority that comes with it I think). Someone asked me though, “Is this the end of beauty and the butcher?” And the answer is no! Adeptly cutting meat is a skill I know he will never lose and even though he might no longer be able to package up the meat for his mother’s Sunday gravy, get you a good discount on a turkey, or pick out a nice roast for his mother in law, he’ll still be there to pick up the phone when you call asking about the funny smell coming from your hamburger meat, he’ll readily clean all the fish you catch every morning in the Outer Banks, the endless but cute meat themed shop talk between he and his butcher father will I’m sure continue, and he will always, always, get stuck carving the turkey. So no matter what he goes on to do in this company, in my heart, he’ll always be my butcher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Style

Although not one of my most favorite Gwynnie Bee looks, this SPRUCE & SAGE Butterfly Bow Tie Dress was comfortable and a bit shapeless (hence my added belt) but it got a big nod from the butcher due to it’s “batman colors”. Boys.

The Adult Sippy Cup

We all know that mason jars have become the new trendy thing. They are “green”, dishwasher safe, bpa free, and most importantly, adorable. But drinking out of them can prove to be a bit of a challenge. Well spill no more my friends! What do you give a child who’s too old for a bottle but too young for a regular glass? A sippy cup! So Ball, the original mason jar company, has created travel lids and straws that fit inside the screw top of different sized mason jars to make, essentially, an adult sippy cup! I got mine at target but couldn’t find them on target.com so check them out here instead. Not only that but they also now make a taller wide mouth jar that fits perfectly in a car’s cup holder, also a problem in the past. So forget starbucks and make your coffee at home, my sippy cup is sporting a delicious iced latte, compliments of my trusty nespresso!
{side note: not sure how I feel about this nail polish shade…thoughts?}

Yankee Chic

Just because you’re going to a baseball game, or any sporting even for that matter, doesn’t mean you have to look frumpy. I also find all the athletic and team logo shirts to be very unflattering for women and really targeted specifically for men. So when I saw this Mossimo for Target maxi dress in Yankee blue & white, I knew it would be perfect for the game!

Nespresso Nespresso, how I love you so…

Earlier this year the butcher bought me a nespresso machine for our 7th anniversary. I am absolutely in love with it and it has upped my level of “coffee snobbery” to an all new high, I won’t even look at a keurig, let alone drink from one! I prefer a rich strong cup of coffee or even better, espresso. So the watered down weak flavor of most keurig k-cups doesn’t suit me. But to each his own, it’s kind of like the difference between an iphone and an android, each user clearly thinks theirs is superior. Check out this interesting article for an eye opening comparison of the similarity between to the two coffee rivals to the apple vs Microsoft software war! What is a nespresso you ask? First off, I recommend you go immediately to the nearest William Sonoma to sample it’s deliciousness. Built and designed by Swiss engineers, Nespresso coffee machines offer the best of two worlds: advanced innovation and extreme simplicity. Every detail has been carefully considered so you can enjoy the ultimate coffee experience.
My machine, the Nespresso VertuoLine, is their newest model which makes an 8 oz cup of coffee as well as espresso in comparison to their former espresso only models. This machine offers a revolutionary, intelligent coffee extraction system that recognizes each capsule to deliver the best result for freshly brewed Coffee with crema (the rich hazelnut-colored foam which forms naturally when mixing air with liquid coffee. It helps liberate aromas from the cup just after extraction and then creates a lid over the coffee that keeps aromas in) as well as authentic Espresso. Only 1-2 % percent of all the coffee in the world is of the exceptional quality, taste and aroma standards required for Nespresso’s Grand Cru collection. Growing and preserving such high quality coffee is I’m sure challenging, but Nespresso believes that it is only by starting out with the best raw materials they can finish with a great cup of coffee. The coffee itself is fantastic and my favorite is the “Altissio”. It’s a full bodied creamy espresso made with Arabicas from Costa Rica and South America. The hint of Robusta contrasts with smooth cereal notes. The addition of milk complements its natural full body. Which is exactly how I like it, in a nice smooth latte form! Though all aromas are present in unroasted green coffee, they are only expressed fully once coffee is roasted. During tasting, light, floral and fruity notes are followed by heavier, roasted, woody or spicy notes and all of this truly stands out with Nespresso’s coffee. Now I know what you’re thinking…am I getting paid by nespresso to say all of this? No. But if anyone out there wants to, I’ll take it!

Double take…

Ever see a picture of yourself and at first you’re absolutely convinced that it’s someone else in your family? I was going through some photos from our trip to Pa this past winter and I came across this shot of me in my pjs sipping coffee and eating delicious pumpkin pancakes at my BFF’s house. But before I remembered all that I just stared at it thinking, “Where did this picture of my sister come from?!” It looks exactly like her. Maybe it’s because my hair is straight in the photo and she often wears hers that way, perhaps it’s the coke bottle glasses due to our inherited awful eyesight, or it could be the raised eyebrows, a signature move of her’s. But nonetheless, for a second I would’ve bet money it was my big sis. Not that this would be a bad thing. She’s pretty easy on the eyes; with a much better hairline than mine, high cheekbones, and a waistline that never changes. But that’s just the outside stuff. Due to a bit of a tough exterior, the insides are harder to get to but it’s pretty worthwhile when you do. She is sweet and kind yet inherently cynical, she always makes you laugh, and she takes a little gasp of air every time she begins to speak or especially sing. That last one wasn’t really a personality trait but it’s cute. When we were little she taught me how to tie my shoes and I, in turn, always went up to the counter at Wendy’s to ask for extra bbq sauce for her chicken nuggets because she was too shy. She never wanted me to hug her when she cried and she could hang with the boys like the best of them. She has a nervous little laugh and when she gets the hiccups the sounds that are emitted cause great hysteria. She doesn’t come to visit often and we’re not very good about staying in touch and I wish that were different, but we’re always able to pick up where we left off. I’ll never forget when she got too old to take baths with her baby sister or when we slept in her bedroom for the last time the night before her wedding. She’s generous with her love and has opened her home to many a wayward child. I think she’s still mad at me for moving to Florida even though it’s been almost 10 years, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since I’m pretty sure she’s still holding a grudge about me drawing a bikini (and also chicken pox?) in blue ink on her favorite baby doll, Baby Lou, when I was six! She has dimples in her cheeks when she smiles and a walk that makes you want to shout things behind her like, “You got a porch for that swing?” or, “You want fries with that shake?” She is a talented seamstress and makes one mean latte. Despite being very different in many ways, we share an affinity for shopping at Target, sarcasm, Gilmore Girls, and dark haired Italian men with a “J” name. She despises onions and used to, when eating dinner together as a family years ago, put her fork down in disappointment upon finding a piece of onion, look at my mother and say, “Do you hate me?” I still chuckle thinking about it. We don’t say it often enough so I’ll let Jo March from Little Women say it for me, “I could never love anyone as I love my sister.”

Sunday Style

Behold, the power of the peplum! I am loving this v-neck floral top made by New Look that I purchased immediately from where else, Gwynnie Bee! That’s what I love about that site, when you get something you really love and can’t bear to part with it, you can buy it at a discount! This beauty was only 15 bucks! I paired it with nude heels and my orange scuba skirt from Lane Bryant!

Casual Saturday

Out and about in this super comfy cotton pink keyhole number from Lands End. Another gem from Gwynnie Bee, this one came with a matching fabric belt but I opted to add my own brown leather belt for a little change up. Even the puppy got in on the action!

Crazy for Caprese

For many of us, summer is almost over. Hopefully though you still have a few remnants remaining, namely, tomatoes. To me there is no salad more refreshing than a traditional Caprese. Italians call it “Insalata Caprese”, meaning “Salad of Capri” and it’s a simple salad, made of sliced fresh mozzarella, seasonal tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil. It was made to resemble the colors of the Italian flag: red, white, and green. In Italy, it is usually served as an antipasto (starter), not a contorno (side dish) like most salads. For extra flavor, I like to add some balsamic vinegar or better yet, a balsamic glaze {made from reducing the vinegar over heat until it thickens and becomes slightly sweeter}. Mangia!