Welcome my fellow winos and foodies and everything in between. My name is Kim and I may become your new best friend. I am just throwing that out their into the universe. I want this to be a safe space and positive space. I am so excited to be doing this and to share all things wine and lifestyle with you. Thank you for joining in and following me along on this journey.
Happy November everyone! And welcome to this months StitchFix. I can’t promise this fully but I definitely want to step up my game with my photos when it comes to my StitchFix boxes. I am going to try to actually make a few outfits out of what I get in the box or use previous pieces with new pieces. Its time to step up my blogging game. But for November I am sticking with my standard screen shot of the items I kept.
I kept everything in my box this month and per the usual I am pretty pumped about every piece. The first piece is denim jacket by Liverpool. I love this brand. When I tried on this coat it felt really good and its heavier so its perfect for Texas weather right now and to pair with the jumpsuit that was sent in this box.
The next item is a hoodie. Well a hooded pullover lol. I am so excited to wear this Monday morning to work. It fits good, looks good, has a great texture/feeling to it. It is a great hoodie. It will be well warn.
The next item is one of my favorite brand of jeans Liverpool. They are dark washed jean and I love them because they will be perfect for my surprise weekend getaway for my husband to San Antonio next month. I want to dress these up with a top I got from FabFitFun’s style box that they just released.
The next item is a necklace by Nakamol. I love it. It is so pretty and will go so well with the jumpsuit as well. Its a longer necklace and this is actually only the second time I have received jewelry from StitchFix because I am picky and I normally wear the same pieces over and over. But I really like this necklace.
The last item is the jumpsuit by Skies are Blue. Another brand I love. I love this jumpsuit. It is comfy and fits really well. I am going to wear it to the fancy dinner for my husbands birthday next month. It is a gorgeous jumpsuit.
Thanks for stopping by for this quick read! Cheers!
https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/kimberlyschwarting?som=c&sod=w
I was super honored when someone from The Wine Hook reached out and offered me a wine hook to review. umm ABSOLUTELY! I actually had my eyes on this company for a few months and I was about to order one once we got moved to Texas and out of the blue someone contacted me and I was so excited. The wine hook was invented by 3 brothers from Green Bay Wisconsin. Go Packers!! At least I hope they are Green Bay fans…
After one wine hook got lost in the mail the second one arrived and I was so excited! I started attaching it to random stuff in my apartment just to test it out. I know its supposed to be used for camp chairs or out door patio furniture but I really wanted to put it to the test. I was even thinking I could use it on my counter top while I cook and just have it chilling there and my glass of wine be out of the way.
This is definitely a great item for any wino. It actually would be really good as a stocking stuffer if you needed an idea. The company makes other products as well like a dock to hold your drinks and phone, and a satchel to hold your bottle of wine on your camp chair.
I am proud to be an advocate for the wine hook. Its a genius idea! How many times have you been at a family gathering, camping, bonfire or your kids soccer game with your chair and you had no where to set your wine glass? Yes, I did use your kids soccer game as an example because if I have kids that will be me. It is the perfect item to add to your camping list or add to your bag for a family reunion. It would fit on a picnic table for sure. I am all for supporting small businesses and I hope this turns out really well for these 3 brothers. Way to go guys!
Link is below go grab yours now!
Bibliography:
“The Beverage Dock.” The Wine Hook, http://www.thewinehook.com/collections/all.
Bloopers from the photography session with my husband thanks to our pup Brooke….
If you take the drive to Mount Rainier you will pass the road to this gem of a place. We saw it on our drive out to Mount Rainier and I looked it up on yelp and saw the 4 stars and I told my husband we are stopping on our way back.
When we pulled up we saw the small building where the wine tasting is and the nurseries where you can buy your plants. It was so cute. There is an epic view of Mount Rainier from their property.
My husband and I shared a tasting and ill cut to the chase… we shipped 6 bottles home we liked it so much. I tried everything from dry to sweet. The one I really enjoyed was the Glacial Blend they make. Its blue wine!! I couldn’t believe that I found blue wine. I am not a Chardonnay fan but I tried their dry Chardonnay and I really didn’t mind it. It was one of the better Chardonnay’s that I have had. It had peach notes to it. Their fruit wines like the strawberry and marionberry tasted like a handful of that fruit. They were really good. I couldn’t get over the range of wines they had. Everything I tasted was great. The Riesling, Merlot and red blend. I think I tried more than that but I lost track because the owners wife was so kind and was sharing so much good information with us. She sat with us and explained each wine and we just had nice conversation. The server that was coming with the wines was actually from the Norfolk area in NY so it was even nice to talk to her about the vineyards out that way where she grew up.
At this point the owner himself had stopped and introduced himself. I can’t get over how kind, personable, and wonderful these owners were. They are husband and wife. The husband learned how to make wine in Germany when he was in the military and stationed over their. How cool is that? I would love to learn to make wine from Germans or Italians. He told us a story about how when he first created the Glacial Blend and was testing out how to make it blue. Well he used actual food dye at first and some girls stopped by and drank it and they went out with blue mouths and weren’t too happy about it haha. I wouldn’t be either but it makes for a good story!
The owner was kind enough to give me one of his boxes with the Styrofoam in it that could hold 12 bottles. As well as a wine opener since mine got confiscated at TSA because I was forgetful and didn’t realize I never took my wine opener out of my purse… I am sure TSA thought I was crazy. I bought 6 from Rainier view and then 3 more at a winery on Bainbridge Island in Seattle. So it worked out perfectly.
If you are ever in the Seattle area you need to go to this place. It is homey and beautiful. I felt so welcomed by this couple and just had a great time while we were there. They have live music and events during the week. Its a great spot to stop at.
Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
I love this bar so much I had to leave a review. It’s located in Downtown Buffalo NY. It is such a unique place. I love the vibe there. They have so many cocktails to pick from. This is going to be quick for what I have to say about this place because I can’t come up with anything else besides this is one of the best bars in Buffalo in my eyes. The first time I went there I ordered a bramble. If you like gin and you like black raspberries, this is a great cocktail for you. I never took a picture of it. I can’t figure out why. But this was awhile ago. I tried look for it on my Instagram and regular photo album on my phone but no such luck. That cocktail was delicious. I keep going back and when I do make my way back to Buffalo that will be one of my first stops back. The 2nd time I went I had a Bellini. It was a little too sweet for my liking but that is a Bellini after all. I still found it really good. The last time I was at Angelica’s tea room I had a mojito because it was national mojito day and then I had there cocktail called Eastern Promises. At this visit they changed there menu around from doing your basic cocktails to putting there own creative twists on cocktails. They described Eastern Promises on the menu as “Gin. Cool melon and citrus, brisk and refreshing, like a skinny dip in the Baltic. Now I have not skinny dipped in the Baltic before but if this cocktail is anything like skinny dipping in the Baltic then it has to be fabulous. If you live in the Buffalo area and you haven’t made your way to Angelica’s you need to add that to your list of spots to visit.
Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
Bibliography:
Queenseyes. “Angelica Tea Room Comes to Life!” Buffalo Rising, 25 Apr. 2017, http://www.buffalorising.com/2017/04/angelica-tea-room-comes-to-life/.
I have been thinking a lot about this post because there are so many options I feel for Halloween. I am not sure if you are expecting this post to take a crafty route to this and pick out some wine or wine/cocktail recipes that have creepy names or creepy vibes to them but I am going to take a more simple approach to this for my fellow wine lovers that want to have some simple fun. I like to keep things simple and minimal ingredients to buy.
If you are staying in and watching scary movies with a friend or friends and or even your significant other. I highly recommend the 19 crimes wine. This wine has such a fun twist to it. They have an app that you hold in front of the label and the criminal on the label tells you there story through the app. It is so freaky to see the wine label move through the app but it is by far the coolest thing. I wish they would come out with another line. Download the app and give it a whirl with your friends and family! I think it is brilliant that someone came up with this. If you have ever wanted to try this wine and the app this is a great opportunity.
For the people that are handing out candy to kids for a few hours and you need something to help you get by you definitely need to make a pot of red wine hot chocolate.
Here is a simple recipe that I have used Red wine hot chocolate
If you were invited to a party or to a friends house to hang out and you want to bring a bottle of wine I would definitely go with the 19 crimes. 19 Crimes has a red blend, and I feel like you can’t go wrong with a red blend when it comes to dry wine drinkers. It wont be too heavy like a cab. Unless you know your host is a sweet wine drinker then stick with what you know about this person or go with a Riesling. I will never recommend anyone to gift moscato to a friend that likes sweet wine. To me, that’s the cheap way out. Unless they are a die hard moscato fan, I would go the Riesling route or! you can try and find a sweet red. White Zinfandel is a decent option. A local winery in NY called Bully Hill makes some sweet red wine. I know my sweet wine lovers love Red Cat but again I think its so cheap unless they are die hard fans of it. Do not be afraid to just stick with what you know about your host. I know I have said that twice but I have my set wines I know my friends/family like that I just get for them unless its something new that I tried and I know they would like it. Don’t over think it.
Also, don’t be afraid if you like sweet wine to use a dry red in the hot chocolate because the recipe has 2 tablespoons of sugar in it which was plenty sweet enough for me but you can always add more sugar.
Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
Mentions:
I am so excited it is fall! It has been fall for a few weeks now and I have been putting together a list of things I like during the fall time. Candles, clothing, matte lip gloss, face toner and more. I have a wide arrangement of things to keep you cozy, healthy and stylish this fall.
I am definitely not your typical girl with scary movies and TV channels that have Halloween movie marathons. Yes I love a decaf pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. I just hate scary movies lol. When I live in NY I love to go apple picking at a orchard near Syracuse called Beak and Skiff. They make awesome hard cider, apple wine and liquor. They also make some great apple fritters. It is by far my favorite place to stop at during the fall season. I wish I was more into pumpkin carving. I have been begging my husband to do it with me for the 5 years we have been together. I want to go to an actual pumpkin patch and pick a pumpkin out. I have actually only carved I think 2 pumpkins in my life. It wasn’t a thing for me growing up. But I would like to make it a thing. Fall is definitely my favorite season.
I will start out with candles. I bought one from Sephora that is pumpkin/chai scented candle. It is so strong but in a good way. It fills your home with the delicious smell that it is. I am not your typical bath and body works fiend during the fall time. Or honestly really anytime. I think the candles from DW homes are better and I liked the selections for scents. Bath and body works smells too fake to me or way too sweet for some of there scents.
My esthetician back home in Buffalo used this pumpkin toner after one of my microderm appointment and I was like oh my gosh I need this for fall because it smells so good. I really like it after I bought it. It tingles so it makes me feel like its doing something to my skin. I find my skin softer after using it for a few weeks. This may be a toner I will use all the time. Pumpkin smells year round!
I was on Sephora hunting around for some fall scented masks. So pumpkin, apple, chai maybe. Who knows what they make nowadays when it comes to fall scented beauty products. I ended up finding sheet masks and a pumpkin enzyme mask. The sheet masks are just down right fun and smell good. Definitely leaves a nice glow on your skin. I really like the pumpkin enzyme mask because its a quick mask and my face smells like a pumpkin pie. Its a good exfoliating mask.
I subscribe to Grove Collaborative for my cleaning supplies. I think its awesome. I prefer online shopping over in store big time. I will do it but it is not my favorite. Grove Collaborative carries Mrs Meyers products and they released fall scents. They smell so good. The scents are apple cider, pumpkin and mum. I smelled all of them when I got them and I was super impressed by the smell of them. I started using the mum scent right away. I love Mrs Meyers products for cleaning.
I have a favorite matte liquid lipstick that I like using through fall and even into winter. It is by bare minerals and is in the shade Bo$$. My husband compliments me every time I wear it. Its one of my favorites. I don’t find it super drying like some matte lipsticks. I love this shade. I want to get more into wearing lipstick/lip glosses. I have so many from bare minerals. Bare minerals is one of my favorite makeup brands to use.
It is boots season!! I love all boots haha. Ankle, tall, over the knee, and cow girl boots. I just bought a new pair at a western store here in Texas called Cavenders. You can order from this store online which is super cool. That was the first time I stepped foot into a Cavenders and didn’t buy cow girl boots. I bought a pair of booties because I thought they were so cute. They could go with jeans or even a dress. I like the pattern on the heel of them. It gives them an added flare.
Fall is normally when I switch over to red wines. I couldn’t start as soon as I like here in Texas because of the heat. I don’t like to drink reds when its super hot out. But it has cooled off a little bit here and its the perfect time for red wine. I love Pinot Noirs. That is normally my go to or a Malbec. When it is super cold I go for something a little more intense in taste like a Cab. Here are 2 of my favorites. I visited Ponzi when I was in Oregon in June and they are known for their Pinot Noirs. The other wine is a cab from Naked Winery. If you follow me on instagram it is one of my favorite wineries. Definitely look for Ponzi in your local liquor store. You can order Naked wine off of their site.
I have talked about this company a lot. They are definitely up and coming and being talked about from a lot of influencers. Four Sigmatic is an awesome company. There products taste so good and they make you feel good. And are just down right good for you. Don’t be scared of mushrooms or it tasting like mushrooms. You really have no clue its made with mushrooms. Four Sigmatic is expanding in so many ways and I am so excited to see what else they come up with. There hot chocolate is delicious and so is there chai latte mix. These 2 are perfect for fall.
The last item is cuticle oil. I have been using this pumpkin cuticle oil for my nails. It smells so good. When I was on NCLA’s website I saw they make a ginger bread scent as well so I am really curious how that one is too. If you haven’t used cuticle oil before I recommend it. It makes your nails look good and your cuticles look nice and aren’t so dried and cracked.
Thanks for stopping by and giving this a read. I hope you enjoyed it! Cheers!
I linked a few clothing items I love below as well with everything else.
Here are some of my current favorite shopping boutiques or sites that I am loving for fall clothing.
Here are some of my favorite fall recipes:
Chicken Piccata Spaghetti Squash Boats
Sheet Pan Sausage and Root Vegetables
Sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash
Pot Pie – I use pioneer womens thyme pie crust Thyme Pie Crust and then this skillet recipe to cook in a cast iron pan Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
Roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons
My Pinterest: Pinterest Boards
Products mentioned:
Fall is here! I can tell the weather in changing in Texas because it is getting cooler. I am so ready for some cooler weather to wear jeans, boots, booties, sweaters and plaid button ups. I am headed out of town in less than 2 weeks and its going to be much colder there so I am going to need some items for this trip.
I am definitely packing the items I got in this box for my trip. They were all great pieces for fall. I actually can wear them in Texas too because surprisingly it is cold and we are currently getting a cold front. The locals keep saying we may see snow!! I was hoping to not see any snow and get a break from it. But this cold weather is making me feel right at home.
I received 3 shirts, a pair of jeans and a poncho. I loved every single item!
The first item was by Lulu and it is the montgomery plaid poncho. I really liked this poncho when I tried it on because it was lighter than ones I have. It goes great with 2 of the tops I received too which is cool. I actually could put an outfit together with 3 of the pieces.
The next item is the pair of jeans I got. They are by Blank NYC. They are a gracen distressed frayed hem skinny jean. I was not sure honestly when I pulled them out but once I tried them on I fell in love with them. They fit great. They are comfortable and stylish. I love the edgy look with the ripped knees.
The first shirt I received was by one of my favorite brands Stitch Fix carries and that is Papermoon. Its a jaynie Black detail knit top. Its maroon and crazy soft! I love the back of the shirt because its casual but has a cool added effect to it with the fun cut out back. This shirt, the black jeans and the poncho look super cute together.
The next shirt was another try on and fell in love with sort of thing because I was hesitant as well. But it is another great top that is comfortable and stylish. Its made from another favorite brand that Stitch Fix carries and that’s Kut from the Kloth. Its a benter mixed material top.
The last top in my box was by Honey Punch and its a tanty criss cross neckline pullover. I thought the criss cross was going to be annoying because its connected to the back of the shirt instead of the front but it actually is not. It fits really well and is comfortable.
I lovveeee Stitch Fix! I am obsessed as you can tell since I get the box monthly. My dream would be able to go to there head quarters and just see the back end. I hope one day I have that opportunity.
Feel free to use the link below if you want to try it out! You’ll get $25 off your first box.
https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/kimberlyschwarting?som=c&sod=w
Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!!!
