Top 5: Thanksgiving Food

Hey Y'all!

 

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love Thanksgiving. I love spending time with family, watching football, having a day off and most importantly - I love the food. I love to cook it and eat it. Over the last couple years, my mom and I have done all the cooking together. This year my mom and I are doing most of it, but we invited a few more people and they are all bringing a couple dishes which I can't wait to try. 

 Here are my Top 5 favorite food items from Thanksgiving!

Turkey 

The main star of the show. I love cooking the turkey. I know it takes forever, but I still love to do it and this year I will be adding a few new flavors so I can't wait to see how it turns out!

 

Gravy

So I know gravy isn't really a dish, but it is necessary and delicious.

 

Green Bean Casserole

I think this might be my favorite dish. I love the leftovers and I have even eaten it for breakfast the next day. Don't judge, its good!

 

 Deviled Eggs

When I was younger we used to spend a lot of our holidays at my cousins house and her grandmother taught us how to make the deviled eggs. It was the first holiday dish I learned to make so that makes it one of my favorites. Plus they are super yummy!

 

Pumpkin Pie

Last, but certainly not least, PUMPKIN PIE. I loooveee pumpkin pie and wait all year for it! It is the best dessert in the world.

I will share some of my receipes after the big day. :)

What are your favorite dishes?

xo
bre

Catching Fire

Hey Y'all!

 

Unless you have been sleeping under a rock, you know that Hunger Games: Catching Fire came out this past weekend. I was able to see it on Thursday at 9 PM and it was amazing. I honestly loved every minute of it.

 

(If you didn't tear up at this moment then you have no heart)

 

I even loved this butterfly dress! The movie was so well done and Jennifer Lawrence is the perfect Katniss. I was so excited to meet Finnick, Johanna, and Mags - and they did not disappoint.

 

The only thing I missed from the book that they didn't show was Haymitch's games. I really wanted to see the 50th Hunger Games, but that is just a minor complaint.  

 

Have you seen it? What did you think?

 

xo

Bre

A Blair Waldorf Thanksgiving

Hey Y'all, it is confession time.

 

I once truly obsessed loved Gossip Girl. I read through all of the books while in high school and when I found out they were making it into a show, I moved on to that. Blair Waldorf was my hero. She was pretty, smart and little crazy. Well, more than a little. But I loved her, flaws and all. I started wearing headbands, tights, and I even got that orange phone she had in season 1. But about half way through the show, I stopped watching. *GASP* Life just got a little crazy, it was around the time I was getting married, so Gossip Girl and Blair fell to the side.

 

But don't worry, I will finish the series. I actually just started watching again, picking up around the time I left off and I am already sucked back into all their drama. It's great.

 

Earlier today I watched "Gaslit" from season 4. It is the Thanksgiving episode of the season, which makes it one of my favorites. I love the Thanksgiving episodes. Thanksgiving is Blair's favorite holiday (and mine), but unlike me, their Thanksgiving is served with a side of crazy.

 

My absolute favorite thing about each Gossip Girl Thanksgiving episode is Blair's fashion.

 

(Season 1)

(Season 2)

 

(Season 3)

(Season 3)

 

(Season 4)

 

(Season 6)

 

I am pretty much in love with with her dress from season 4, but I honestly love all of her looks. And if any one can pull of patterned tights it is Blair Waldorf - look at the bows in season 1 and the flowers in season 2!

 

xo

bre

 



Top 5: Thankful List

Hey Y'all!

 

It is time. Thanksgiving is just over a week away, so I thought it was time to be a little mushy and let you know the Top 5 things that I am thankful for.

Family

(My Mom, Me and Ken)

(My Brother, Me and My Dad)

I love my family. My parents are awesome and I'm lucky to have a great relationship with each of them. My brother, Brandon, and I didn't go up in the same household and we are 8 years apart, but as I have gotten older I am very grateful for him and our relationship. Ken is probably my favorite person in the world and my best friend. Above everything else I have in my life, my family is the best and I am so thankful that I have them to be there for me.

 

 My Job

Towards the end of the college I started to panic about what I was going to do with my career. I majored in English Literature and minored in Religious Studies...yeah, not a lot of choices. So during my junior year I started an internship with a wedding coordinating company and I fell in love with the event industry. I didn't care what part is was, I loved it all. So I finished my internship and stayed with the coordinating company for another 6 months. During that time an awesome opportunity came up to work for an amazing hotel that I love. So I took it. And now I get to work with an incredible hotel and see pretty events every weekend. It's perfect for me.

 

My puppies

So they aren't actually puppies anymore, but they will always be puppies to me. The one on the left is April (13 years old, 14 in January!) who I get as a birthday present when I was 10. The one on the right is Jaidyn (2 years old, 3 in February) who I get as a birthday present when I was 21. I love them both and they bring me lots of joy. They each have very different personalities and I am uber thankful for them.

 

Texas

More specifically - where I live. I love the part of Texas that I call home. I love that if I want to go to the beach its only a 30 minute drive or if I want to be in a big city its only a 30 minute drive. Also, thanks to my dad, I can hop on a sail boat and be in the middle of the Gulf. I also love that my area has a small town feel without actually being a tiny town.

 

Harry Potter

Y'all knew this was coming right? As many of you know, I love Harry Potter. I love that I grew up with Harry Potter. I am thankful that any time I feel sad or upset I can put on a Harry Potter movie or pick up one of the books and I can escape into an amazing world that will brighten my day.

 

Well thats what I am thankful for, what about you?

 

xo

bre

Currently Craving: Sweaters!

Hey Y'all!

 

A cold front has recently come through Texas making it cool enough to finally breakout the sweaters! Even though it will be back to the 80's by the weekend, I now have warm, cozy and cute sweaters on my mind. Here are the ones I just adore!

 

{J Crew Factory}

 

{J Crew}

 

{Forever 21}

{Forever 21} {Francesca's Collection}

xo

bre

Top 5: Coming of Age Books

Hey Ya'll!

 

I think it is time for another Top 5 book list. These are my Top 5 favorite "Coming of Age" books or series.

 

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares:

I read this series back in early high school and I loved it. It is a great story of four friends who are all incredibly different but their differences help one another. The story spans over 4 summers, starting when they are high school sophomores and ending in college. I have seen that there is a 5th novel in the series that picks up with them years later as adults. I haven't read the 5th but I certainly want to. This series is one that will make you cry but is also incredibly heartwarming as you watch the girls grow up together.

 

Sarah Dessen Novels:

So I couldn't just pick one. Sarah Dessen has many novels that are all coming of age stories and I love them all. Her stories typically are about a young high school age girl who is dealing with a tough situation. All of those situations vary but are each very interesting. Many of the stories involve dating, family dynamics, friendship, abuse, and growing up. Two of my favorites are Lock and Key and Just Listen, both of these stories handle very tough situations that the characters grow through when dealing with. Two other stories that aren't as heavy (but just as good) are Keeping the Moon and Along for the Ride.

 

Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan:

Pearcy Jackson uses Greek Mythology to tell a new and exciting story. When the first book starts Percy is only 12 and by the last story he is 16. The whole story is a fun and exciting read, but it is a great coming of age story because you are able to watch as Percy is forced to make choices that not only affect his life, but the lives of all of his friends, family and even mankind.

 

Looking for Alaska by John Green:

I almost wanted to put all of John Green's books on this list, but I decided to just go with this one. This story starts with a young boy who goes to a boarding school where he learns so much about friends, bullies, girls and life. His relationships that he builds at boarding school change him and force him to grow. But just as a warning - it is a bit of a heart breaking story.

 

 Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky:

I know, I've already mentioned this book on my Top 5 Young Adult book list, but I can't help it! It really is the perfect coming of age story. It follows a freshman in high school named Charlie. He is a bit of a shy kid. Well, a little more than a bit. I think all of the shy/quiet kids can relate to him and his high school experience. He comes in nervous and trying to fit in. He finds a group of friends that are seniors that help him to come out of his shell. Through his experiences as a freshman, he is able to deal with some harboring emotions and feelings that he has kept bottled up. By the end of the novel he is able to grow and come to terms with some tough events in his life. This story has lovable characters but if definitely for a more mature audience.

 Those are my favorite coming of age stories, what are yours?

 

xo

bre

Book Review: Allegiant (Divergent Trilogy)

 

Hey Ya'll!

 

I just finished Allegiant yesterday I feel like I must tell you about it. So MAJOR WARNING - I will be giving out SPOILERS, so if you haven't finished the book or the series you should stop reading after this paragraph. I will say, if you haven't read it, I would give the trilogy a try, many reviews I have seen hated the ending, but I honestly kind of loved it.

 

Here we go. When I first picked up Allegiant I wasn't sure what I even expected from it. I went in not sure of what I wanted, I only knew I wanted a conclusion. I loved Divergent. I loved the factions and loved reading about Dauntless (even though I probably would have picked Erudite). I also enjoyed Insurgent, but didn't love it as much. It always seems that the first book in a series is so much more exciting than the second, but I liked where the story was going. And then we come to Allegiant.

 

Even though I enjoyed the book, I was a bit disappointed by the world outside of their city. It just wasn't what I expected. I think I was picturing that the world would be much more destitute. I also thought that their city would be the only experiment. So the world wasn't what I pictured, oh well.

 

 Moving on - (here comes the big spoiler) Tris dies. I know. It's sad, (I almost cried while walking on the treadmill at the gym while I was reading this part). Of course I didn't want her to die, but about half way through the book I had a feeling she would die. Plus, as soon as Caleb volunteered I knew she would take his place because there was a chance she could survive but not a chance for him. I also thought her death was a perfect representation of who she was. She was brave, smart and selfless and the way that she sacrificed herself to help the greater good because of the people she loved showed all of those qualities.

 

In the epilogue I was still sad for Four but I really liked that he ended up reconnecting with his mom and working with Johanna as a politician.

 

The tribute to Tris on the zip line was perfect.

 

Other parts of the book I really enjoyed: getting to know Tris and Caleb's mom through her letters, seeing Tris and Caleb mend their relationship (even if only for a short time), and watching Four and Tris grow in their relationship.

 

Have you read it? What did you think?

 

xo

bre