Sara's Simple Pleasures: Red Cups

It doesn't take much to make me laugh or smile. Really. A surprise piece of chocolate, last minute coffee runs, a random smile, an Orioles win (or Red Sox loss)... I could go on and on.

Even on a bad day, it's nice to try and find that one little thing that makes it a little better.

And so I bring you today's bit of happy: Starbucks' red cups.

Seriously. That's when you know it's Christmas time. And I love it. I also love the peppermint mochas or peppermint hot chocolates inside those cups.....

♥Sara

Photo by Sara

Technology Tuesday?

So, this is the unofficial official Technology Tuesday... I promised myself I wouldn't do this, but I just can't help myself.

Courtney introduced me to this app called "Cartwheel by Target" and it's pretty awesome. You can search categories and find a deal on tons of products.

Then, when you go to check out, have the cashier scan the barcode on your phone, and if you have an eligible product, the register takes off the discount! Pretty cool, huh?



I shop at Target SOOOO much, so I like to check the app every so often to see what new deals there are, since they change a lot. Check it out and see what you can find!

Have fun and happy shopping (and saving!)!

♥Sara

I'm not affiliated with Target, the Cartwheel app, or any products, I'm just a loyal customer. :)

 

Let's Catch Up.....

How was your October?

Mine felt like August! I should be wearing boots in this picture! The weather finally turned chilly towards the end of the month, but it's like we skipped autumn and went straight to winter! But I like my nose pink and a cup of hot cocoa in my hand, so I'm not complaining. 

I sewed a skirt from a large, men's dress shirt! The skirt needs a few more tailoring tweaks before it's photography worthy, but it IS wearable! This was a huge accomplishment for me, as most of my garment sewing ends up in the scrap bin. I also discovered that a white crayon is a fantastic substitute if your dress maker's pencil decided to go on vacation without permission.....

My favorite barista is back! She is so incredibly nice, and makes each customer feel like they are number one. Plus she makes the best cappuccinos — extra foam, every time!

My Dad had a birthday! I always bake him a fancy-smancy cake or pie. This year I baked Boston Cream Cupcakes from this recipe. There were a lot of steps, but they were fairly easy to make. 

The finished product! They were promptly devoured. 

I've been on a tea kick lately. It's a fall thing. 

Sara surprised me with this amazing trail mix! It's addictive. And those innocent looking chocolate-covered coffee beans? They pack quite the caffeine punch!

Sushi! So. Good. 

Coffee and cookie runs with Sara are always highlights in my week. They usually result in laughing until my sides hurt. 

Lattes and letter writing: a perfect way to spend a chilly, autumn afternoon!

What were some highlights of your October? What are you looking forward to this month?

♥ Courtney

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone!

 

I hope you guys have a spooky day and get lots of fun treats!

 

Be safe out there and eat LOTS of candy (I know I am!)!

 

 

What are you guys dressing up as??

 

♥Sara

The Serving Spoon

I just got back from another trip to Wisconsin — this time on a happier note! One of the greatest things about visiting Marinette, WI, is that you are a five minute drive from Michigan — two states for the price of one! Menominee, MI, sits right on the water with the most wonderful, historic downtown.

On chilly mornings, one of the best things to do is head to The Serving Spoon — a wonderful coffee shop/cafe in a quaint, old house located in the middle of First Street.

You'll be greeted by a vibrant, warm atmosphere — buy your coffee at the counter and head to the back room with a good book, or let them seat you for the most fabulous, homey breakfast!

Start with some of the best coffee I have ever had. I drank a minimum of three cups. Every. Time.

The prices are extremely reasonable. My usual was coffee, one egg and toast, and an order of hash browns or bacon.


The Serving Spoon is full of decor that makes it truly welcoming and unique: the giant silver spoon above the coffee counter, the rough and well visited wooden floor, tables made from antique, iron sewing machine bases, a collection of vintage percolators on a shelf, the sugar and cream bar from a repurposed desk, and local artist's painting and jewelry available for purchase.

Be sure to grab a fancy coffee drink to go — because they are AMAZING! The baristas truly take their time to handcraft your drink. You will have to wait longer than 2 minutes — which makes me wonder what I've been consuming at a well known coffee chain . . .

"Like" The Serving Spoon of Facebook for menu updates and news. A truly wonderful cafe — I guarantee you'll be in love after one visit!

♥ Courtney

All photos taken by Courtney.

Sara Is: October 2013

Drinking: Starbucks Nonfat Lattes. Hazelnut macchiatos are also a current favorite...

Eating: Harvest Snap Snapea Crisps and Wegman's vegetable sushi. Try them. You'll love them.

Listening to: ARMY OF 3 (featuring Ingrid Michaelson) EP. 

Loving: Revlon's Brilliant Strength nail polish in "060 Allure". I am LOVING this polish. It's a really nice, neutral pale pink. Perfect for any occasion, any season. (Don't mind the healing gash on my finger... That's just what I get for trying to open a box with scissors instead of a box cutter at work...)

Not loving: Bad drivers. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but when you see a stop sign, you should probably..... Oh, I don't know, stop?

Reading: Pretty Little Liars: Crushed. Yes, I do know this is a teen girl book. Thanks.

Wanting: That we actually got fall! One week of fall weather, and then straight to frost advisories. I'm not prepared to pack myself in scarves and coats in October!

Watching: The World Series. Yup. I'm a baseball girl. I wish I was watching my Orioles, but I'm a bandwagon Cardinals fan since 2011, so it's good enough. And no one likes the Red Sox anyway... ;)

Wearing: Sweaters. Slightly over sized sweaters with jeans and boots are my go-to this fall and winter.

What are you guys into right now?

♥Sara


All photos taken by Sara with the iPhone 4S.

Sara's September

Wow you guys. It's the end of September. Like. It's October. Crazy!

I know I've completed neglected the blog the past month, and I have no excuse for it. I've been working a lot lately, but that's not really your problem, is it?

I have managed to take some pictures through out the month though, so I thought I'd share them with you. Let you know what I've been up to (not that it's much).

September 1 started out the month and was also my birthday!

The AMAZING package of 25 gifts for my 25th!

Of course, we had to celebrate with cake!

Whenever I make a special sushi run, it's necessary to also run to Flavor and pick up some cupcakes.

Introducing Ghost, our neighborhood friend.

In downtown Baltimore, it's normal for a gorilla to offer you a banana while driving to an Orioles baseball game.

It's also pretty normal to see people of all sorts when there's a convention in town.

A momentous ocassion - a black iced coffee. How I've grown from my mochas...

I finally got rid of my summer highlights! I've washed a lot of the black out already, but it feels good to be dark for the winter.

Sushi and Starbucks... How preppy of me.

Again, living in Baltimore, you see some things. Not necessarily the safest, like this "ice cream truck," but still makes for interesting stories.

And another cupcake. I'm not ashamed.

So, with the holidays coming up soon (sooner than you think!) I certainly hope and will try my hardest to post more. Pictures, food posts, fun DIY projects, whatever!

Until next time,
♥Sara

By the way--- is anyone else loving iTunes Radio?? Probably my favorite feature of iOS 7...

*All photos are my own, taken with the iPhone 4S, and were edited with the Pixlromatic+, Beautiful Mess, and/or Instagram apps.*