Halloween

Finally the plans are coming together...I'll give you one c l u e ...

Martinis and Pizza

Is there a better way to cap off the weekend? I think not.

Since Ross decided to pull 72 hours at work last week, and it was his birthday on Friday, and he got the Jamie Oliver Italian cookbook as a present, we decided homemade pizza was in order tonight. And really, nothing goes better with pizza than martinis.

Tonight is "The Big Chill" night.... another step in our effort to pick up on all of the AFI 100 movies we've missed.

Shoe Belly

Danskos,


meet Ophelia.

But be careful, don't get too close, she might eat you.... twice.
She won't enjoy it for too long though, she'll be sick for days, and won't get out of bed...

Let me introduce you to the craziest sport I have ever witnessed, and our newest weekend pastime: Cyclocross. Just because running and cycling wasn't hardcore enough on their own, some crazy europeans created cyclocross where participants ride round and round a 2 mile course as many times as they can in 45 minutes. Oh, and there's obstacles they have to jump over, mud pits they have to ride through, and stretches of sand and tall grass that they have to run through with their bikes thrown over their shoulders. And to top it all off this is just a fall/winter sport, so they get extra excited when it is cold and rainy out, like it was this morning...I think it's because they get extra muddy and feel tough. This morning was Ross's first race, and as far as entertainment value for spectators, cyclocross is hard to beat. My neighbor Emily (our other neighbor Paul was also racing today) and I split our time between the mud pit and a certain log in the road where more than one cyclist took the jump a little too steep, resulting in nose-diving forward flips.

Paul and Ross finished 35th and 37th respectively, not bad for a first-timer.

It feels like fall has arrived, for reals now. I made my first batch of chai for the season yesterday, and just because I couldn't resist, I made some cookies to go along. Yum!

AND...the latest addition to the liquor cabinet arrived yesterday. Our dear friend Elliot designed the label for the new Roundhouse Gin bottle (along with some creative collaboration and design workshops with Ross). Way to go guys, I think it turned out great!

Ross is busy busy making a big pot of chili...perfect to go along with gin and tonic!

I made these cute little business card holders the other night. I'm loving the purple and green right now...and the little orange button is just the right touch. Best of all these took all of about 10 minutes - I can't wait to make more with even more colors and embellishments.

Things I like about today:

• It was nice and crispy fall this morning when I took Ophie out, which inspired me to wear my mocassins and new 80's school boy striped cardigan
  
• I just made a date with Julie to take a walk on Friday...yes we have to make dates for these things, very lame... although she did use the word  "autumnal" in her acceptance email to the walk date, not-so lame
• It's now 5:43 and I think I am going to leave early (shock and surprise all around, I know), and I bought a new jar of cherries last night which means there's a really good chance that a manhattan is in the very near future
• A rep brought in some of the really good candy apples today to wish us "happy fall". You know the ones, they have about an inch of caramel on them and lots of goodies stuck on, yum!
• I started a new bag last night, I am using a big chocolate linen fabric memo from the library at work and my old bathroom curtain for the lining, which means the bag is either totally free or recycled (which is just as good right?) I can't wait to get home and rev up the sewing machine!