Style Musings: Boots and Shorts

(Don't worry Mom, it's parked!)

The other day I was hanging out over at my friend Kristen's house with her and her sister Erika. Erika mentioned to me that my blog post about shower beers changed her life (her words) and why did I not write in my blog more? Considering I thought no one read my blog at all, learning that I CHANGED HER LIFE and outlook on shower beers seemed like a good enough reason to try to write here more!

I love clothes, but generally wouldn't classify myself as "stylish." However, my friends sometimes think I am (they are sweet), and I guess I do have sort of a random and eclectic personal style. So we decided maybe I should write a post that had something to do with that. I just happened to be wearing something that day that has in the past been a point of contention for me, so I figured why not tackle that as a first post in a new segment called Style Musings (not a great name I know, but I couldn't come up with anything better). And so, ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Boots and Shorts.

New Pup!

Well, we have a new pup! I was hoping to adopt from the corgi rescue, but they didn't have any dogs that were right for us for some time and when I randomly saw this guy who was available through another rescue I had that feeling. You know the one, where your gut just tells you that something is right? Anyway we moved forward with adopting him and are now the proud forever home of Dallas!

Sad Things And Happy Things

There has been a lot of change around here lately and possibly more to come. But let's talk about the sad things first, you know to get it over quickly, like pulling off a bandaid.

This Is My Jam: This Is Not My Jam Edition

So, do you know what is NOT my jam? Moving. I mean, it is the worst am I right?

Where Am I, Where Are We?

Well it has been a really long time since I have posted (as usual), but I wanted to stop in because if I wait much longer I would have to say that it had been a year! Not writing for a whole year is ridiculous.

A Fanciful Halloween Party

Well here we are, the annual Halloween party hosted by A Fanciful Twist.

Oktoberfest

This weekend I went to the annual Oktoberfest up on Mt. Lemmon. It was cloudy, and foggy, and downright chilly. Oh hallelujah! Finally a taste of real fall and some photos of my own to add to the Pinterest board in the last post.

Woodsmoke Over Misty Mountains

                                                                               {Harvest Moon}

Well here we are, the first day of Autumn. Not that you would know it here in Tucson where it is still in the 90s. Lately (okay, so almost the whole summer actually) I have been quite homesick. I yearn for forests and mountains, rain and the sea. Oh Oregon, how I miss thee. But being trapped in the desert all I can do is turn up the AC and dream of cooler days.

Grand Teton

Well this summer has been super crazy busy, what with Comic-Con, and roller derby, and work trips, and whatnot!

We're All Mad Here (As Usual)

Welcome little girls, red queens, and the maddest of hatters! This year's annual Fanciful Twist Mad Tea Party is a bit different than usual here at Buccaneers and Ball Gowns.

Muffins and Tea

Muffins are pretty good right? I like a nice lemon poppy seed or chocolate walnut as much as the next gal, but I never truly loved a muffin until now. Enter the rosemary strawberry buttermilk muffin from Local Milk!

Friday the 13th

 Happy Friday the 13th everyone! How 'bout that moon huh?

This Is My Jam: READING RAINBOW

If you were ever a kid then you probably watched and loved Reading Rainbow! Okay, maybe not EVER, but a lot of us did. It is a show that I enjoyed and remember fondly. Now, as an information professional, I see the importance behind the enjoyment more than I ever did before. Reading Rainbow isn't just about helping kids learn to read, it is about fostering a LOVE of reading and books in children, and I think that is a pretty dang good cause to support.

New House Tidbits: Our "Yard"

So one of the great things about our new house is there is a ton of planting space. Flowers, and veggies, and trees, hooray! There is also a large "yard" space which was obviously once lawn (the strategically placed sprinklers give it away). However, lawns and Southern Arizona don't go so well together, so now it is just a whole lotta dust.

This Is My Jam: Actual Jams Edition

Hello and welcome to another edition of This Is My Jam. Or perhaps more appropriately, These Are My Jams. This time my jams are, wait for it, actual jams! In the musical sense I mean, not the fruity spread sense.

I am currently on a work trip in Utah to Golden Spike National Historic Site. It is actually a pretty awesome place where the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads met up to make the first transcontinental railroad (it's history people, look it up)! Anyway, I am there to do archivey things and am staying in nearby Brigham City, whose most notable feature in my eyes are the AMAZING lilacs everywhere. Lilacs are my favorite flower, but do not grow so well down in hot, dry, Arizona, so I haven't seen the lovelies for ages. I am so jealous of all the huge lilac bushes they have here! That combined with the cold, rainy, weather actually makes me a bit homesick for Oregon. Weird.

So, due to my current lack of time and photos, here are a few jams that are really making my day on this trip.

The Shower Beer - It's Legit

Today is not a pleasant day to be in Tucson, AZ. At least not for those of us with allergies. The wind is insane and the air is filled with dust and pollen. Since I am basically dying here I wanted to talk about something that I find relaxing and awesome, and which gets no credit. The shower beer.

This Is My Jam: The Parish

I think a new goal for this blog, or possibly old goal that I have just remembered again, is going to be writing shorter and/or more focused posts.

I always get bogged down by really long posts. I go to write something and there are like a hundred photos I want to share and then it always takes for freakin' ever. That leads to me never feeling like I have time to post, which leads to longer amounts of time between posts, which in turn leads to a million things/pictures to share the next time. It is a vicious circle.

I am also going to start a semi-regular segment called "This Is My Jam." This will be a (relatively) short post on a place or thing that I really enjoy. Sort of like a "hey you should go check out this totally rad thing because I think it is totally rad" kind of post. These will of course be based only on my own opinions. No one is paying me to say nice things about them, that would require businesses actually knowing about my blog.

So let's combine the lots of short/focused posts idea and this new segment right now (yay!).

Where Have We Been?

Being back in blogland after a long break feels good. Yes my blog has a fresh new look, but my life kind of does too. New car (my old one was totaled after the accident back in the fall), new house (still in Tucson, but much closer to town and walking distance to lots of places), new hobby/sport (I joined roller derby and am currently in the training phase), many things have changed.

Well, Here We Are

Well I am back. Again.
Part of the reason I was gone is I have been insanely busy, part of the reason is I was just feelin' down on my blog and didn't have much interest in writing in it. While I tried valiantly (at least that's what I tell myself) to revamp it to a state of awesomeness, sometimes you just gotta call in the pros. 

Thanksgiving

This year Mister B's parents were in town for Thanksgiving (they live here, but are generally gone this time of year), so we had a full out Thanksgiving instead of our traditional Thanksgiving pizza (which I am pretty sure I have talked about in past blog posts, but you are likely to see it here around Christmas this year I think). That meant that his parents made all the major components, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and I got to contribute whatever I wanted. And what I wanted was sweet potato pie and buttermilk biscuits.