Fall 2012 Bucket List

'Tis the season for creating Autumn bucket lists...or so I've gathered from the handful of blogs I read! So, I decided to make one, too. I'm not putting a lot of major things on this list simply because I'm a busy grad student and I already have lots of things to do. But I figure it's a good idea to make a "to-do" list of fun things to do that will bring me joy and satisfaction. So without further ado:

Adventures:
- Take a daytrip to Apple Hill
- Go kayaking
- Go wine tasting in November (Jeremy Wine Co. is releasing a new wine in early November and I can't wait to try it!)
- Take a daytrip to the beach and have a fire to roast s'mores


Delicious Things:
- Make pumpkin bread (I'll probably use the mix from Trader Joe's)
- Make apricot bread
- Eat mashed potatoes (Thanksgiving!)
- Drink apple cider

Social Activities:
- Host a classic movie night
- Go to dinner with friends
- Go to a pick-up ultimate frisbee game
- Go to an open mic night


Miscellaneous:
- Paint toes with Essie's Head Mistress
- Wear pearls casually
- Make painted ornaments
- Decorate my apartment for Christmas

Fall is for Wine Tasting (but Wine Tasting is for Any Season)

For the month of September, the wineries in Lodi, CA offered a special deal called the Roadtrip Passport to Lodi. For $15, you purchased this booklet that gave you complimentary wine tasting at 27 wineries and access to numerous winery events, some of which are normally only open to wine club members. I took advantage of the deal and went wine tasting in Lodi three times over the past couple weeks. It was a blast! Here are some of the photos from the trips:

First stamp in the passport!

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Michael David makes my favorite red and white wines

Grapes hanging from an arbor at Borra Vineyards

Went wine tasting with some of the girls from church

Also went wine tasting with my friend Leslie

And ALSO went wine tasting with my friend Kelsey. It was a busy month!

Especially when "all" involves wine ;)

Literary Baby Shower Gift

One of my sister's and my favorite gifts to give to babies and young children is books. At baby showers, especially, people seem to receive lots of clothes and toys - both of which are important, but the first won't last long because babies grow so fast and we prefer books to toys because we're both bookworms :). Recently, I visited my sister a few days before she was to attend a baby shower for a woman at her church and we put together the shower gift together.

First we went to the store and bought some classic baby books. Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar were two of our personal favorites growing up.

Then we went to Marshall's and tried to find a basket that would look cute with all the books in it. We failed. But then we were walking down the aisles and I had the brilliant idea to buy this metal "S", which happens to be the baby's last initial, and stick it on top of the books, all tied up with a bow. Ashton loved it so we bought the letter. It was only $6, totally gorgeous, and about as decor-neutral as you can get with it's lovely dark silver finish.

Ashton had some ribbon at home that we used to tie the books and letter together and I think it turned out really cute!

I talked to my sister after the shower and she said her gift was a total hit. Success!!!