Welcome my fellow winos and foodies and everything in between. My name is Kim and I am so excited you are here! Click over to my about page to get a look as to what my blog is about and what to expect. I hope you enjoy it! Cheers!
Our Plank & Mill Accent Wall!
Hello my Grapeful Fam! It feels so good to be back and posting something! 🙂
It’s been a bit… And some things have been kind of whacky in the world, but I am here to bring you a blog post and a how to on the accent wall we completed in our master bedroom. Â This is not sponsored, we bought everything from Plank & Mill on our own. Â I wanted to make this blog post to show you how cool this stuff is and how quickly you can upgrade any room.
It did take my husband about a month to complete it.  He did all the “heavy lifting.” Between our normal full time jobs, the pattern we chose and getting back home to Buffalo we were busy!  Kurt did his research on Plank and Mill and we decided to go with their reclaimed wood paneling. If we hadn’t had anything else to do it definitely only would have taken us a week to do this.
We ordered 140 sq ft because our wall is 16 ft wide and 8 ft tall. Â They suggest buying 10% extra for any room if you are doing a herringbone pattern. Â Which is the pattern we chose. Â We also did not subtract the area of the windows which provided us with some extra waste. Â Once our order arrived we had to open everything up and put it in the room it was going to be in for 48 hours so the wood could acclimate to the temperature and humidity of the room for the best outcome and longterm ware of the wood. Â Before we started installation there were a few recommendations. Â The first was one that we found during our research or planning that recommended painting the wall a dark color to help hide if there were any gaps caused by the rustic or weathered nature of the boards — fortunately for us our wall was already a dark grey. Â We found that Plank & Mill addresses this issue by putting a black paper on the back sides of their boards where there are holes. Â The next recommendation that Plank & Mill makes is to ensure that the wall is cleaned with warm water prior to starting.
After 48 hours it was time to get to work!
Kurt measured and marked the center of the wall. Â After that we marked the center of the board ends on 2 boards. Â Then we lined the 2 boards up on the wall matching the center of the boards to the center of the wall. Â We used a speed square to ensure that these first boards met at 90 degrees. Â Next we continued to add boards on the first line of the pattern to the edges of the wall. Â Please note that Kurt was using a compound miter saw to cut the boards to size and the angles. Â In using a herringbone pattern the majority of your cuts should be 45 degree angles depending on the length of the boards you have. Â With Plank & Mill, the boxes of boards come in lengths of 1 ft, 2ft, 3ft and 4 ft.
After we completed the first we began installing the pattern row by row moving up the wall. Â We filled in the lower portions and corners with the cut ends which reduced some of our waste.
Thanks so much for stopping by and giving this a read! Cheers! 🙂
Resolutions are over rated
Nothing like sipping on rose bubbles the day after NYE. I made it till 9:30 and I was out. This tends to be the norm for my husband and I on NYE. But we are going to be in our house this year for NYE and I plant to have an epic party. Kind of like how Amy Landino does her parties. You need to look that girl up! She’s the guru for morning routines.
Anywho!
Resolutions…. ugh, yuck and fuck that. Let’s set intentions people. Resolutions are like trying to find the resolution to a problem that you have. YOU are not a problem! So why do we year after year try to find this solution or resolution to what ever problem is apparently in our lives! So I really encourage you to set intentions instead.
The definition of intention is a thing intended; an aim or plan. I find this more achievable and honestly more motivating for the new year. 9 times out of 10 your resolution involves the gym right? Working out? Getting fit for summer? Getting fit for that trip in the new year? I am right aren’t I? and 9 times out of 10 that fails. I AM just as guilty girl, I am right there with you, I have failed year after year except for last year because I made this whole getting fit thing a little less scary by having the intention to move more. Thats just an example for an intention. We put these crazy goals that aren’t achievable at the beginning of a new year and it’s all thus pressure and its go go go right now get that goal and eventually we explode. Kind of like my anxiety. It builds and I don’t talk about it and then boom!
So what are your intentions for the new year? Self care? Have the intention for a little more “me time?” Move more? One of my intentions is to walk more with my dog. I know to work out I want to work out. I have an accountability partner in my life. But the intention to just get my body moving outside of the hard core exercising sounds wonderful. I have the intention to meditate more because I know its success when I am consistent. I want to check in with loved ones more because I find I don’t do that enough. My intentions for the year are in the main image above if you would like to see them. I am not shy. Also, read the messages I have scattered in here because this has motivated me so much for a more enjoyable and powerful year. I really hope you ditch the resolutions and find your intentions instead.
How I fight off or get through the flu/head cold
It is unfortunately that time of the year. I dread this time of year because I struggle keeping the flu or head cold away. But I have a few things I like to do to try to prevent it or help me get better faster. Luckily I have only had one head cold so far and it only lasted for about 4 days. I kind of like to think I have this whole cold thing down to a science but thats probably not the case because everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. But I wanted to share and talk about the flu season and what you could discuss with your doctor on what to take to prevent or get through the flu season.
DISCLAIMER!!!! I am not a doctor, please consult with your doctor if you chose to use any of the following products I mention. This is just what works for me and this could give you some ideas on what you could do for flu time. If you chose to use any of them.
What I do every other day to prevent getting sick I take a shot of fire cider, a spoonful of elderberry syrup, take a ginger supplement and I also take a good form of vitamin c. I take a probiotic every day. As well as a probiotic drink called Body Bloom. It is mainly for hair, skin and nail health but I feel like it has helped me prevent a lot of sickness going around. When I first get the signs of a head cold, it is normally a sore throat. I grab my cough drops right away. I like to use elderberry cough drops or thieves cough drops from young living. I used the thieves cough drops this year when I had a head cold for about 3 days, 4 weeks ago. They don’t taste the best but I think they really work. I also take inner defense from young living when I am getting sick. I was thinking of taking it a couple of times a week as a preventive if that would help. I swear it helped me stay above the wellness line and keep my most recent cold from getting worse.
I then focus on tea. Cold 911 from Davids Tea is my favorite kind of tea to have while I am sick. It helps build your immune system and makes breathing a little easier. Unfortunately I don’t think they sell it anymore but they have a great section wellness, I linked it below. Warm water, lemon and ginger are also another drink I like to consume while sick. Ginger has so many good flu fighting properties. Lemon also has a high dose of Vitamin C. I take a Ningxia red packet every day. I think its good for all year round care. Give me all the antioxidants!
Stay Hydrated and drink a lot of water. Rest is a must so if you can take the day off totally do it. Now if corporate America could give us PTO and sick days so we don’t have to lose out on all our time off that would be great. But I understand life is tough with work and kids too. Last but not least, if things don’t get better or things just feel off, or not normal, please go see your doctor. The flu is not anything to mess around with. I personally don’t get the flu shot but if you feel that it is necessary please do so. Listen to your body and what you think is best for yourself. You run the ship (a.k.a your body.)
Mentions:
Dear Grandpa
As I think about the last 10 years I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. This has been a hard week for me to handle. I didn’t think your 10 year anniversary of when you left us would be so hard. The past few years have been “easy” and I use that very lightly, they just have not been as emotional. I think because time truly heals everything. I have broken down countless of times this week because I can not believe that it has been 10 years since I last saw you. The only time I get to see you or get close to you is in my dreams or my hypnotherapy appointments. But I truly feel you around all the time. I can sense it and feel it to my core because even though you are not here in the flesh you are here in spirit. And as a strong spirit.
I wanted you here for so many things that I have been through. I lost myself after you left. You were my rock, my hero, my best friend and the person I considered a father figure. I miss the days when we used to joke around. I miss wanting to walk down to your house from mine to see you every day. I just really miss you. It took about 3 years for me to feel like myself again and to not let the grief of you being gone hinder my life. That’s when things became “easy.” You were gone and I had to learn that and stop dwelling on the past. But then I met Kurt. My husband. The man that I married. I used to feel guilty for anyone I dated after you passed away because the person I was with or you thought I was with, we were actually broke up but I didn’t tell you because everything was so stressful at the time that I didn’t want to worry you. You loved the person I was with and accepted him and felt comfort in knowing I was with him but such as life, things don’t always work out. But I felt guilty for the other people I dated after you were gone. I wanted your acceptance and your approval of the person I was with. Thankfully your son, my Dad came to the rescue and actually helped Kurt and I get together. I sometimes wonder if you were working through my Dad to bring me a man that would sweep me off my feet and become my husband. Do you know he takes me to visit you? No questions asked, I say “hey can you take me to my grandpa?” I have visited you a lot. It took a long time for me to come to your grave site. But I actually like going now because I know you are there.
I think about the last few weeks we had with you. How we were able to celebrate your birthday and just be around you as much as we could. I have never forgiven myself because when it was the end I saw you every day up until about 3 days before you passed. I couldn’t come see you because I had a cold. I will never forget the gut wrenching feeling I had when my Mom told me you past away. I fell to my knees and I didn’t even know what to do. My Mom thought I was crazy because I wanted to go down and see you one last time. As scary as it was to see you after you had passed I just had to see you, and tell you how much I loved you. 10 years later and I feel like I am going through that day all over again. You were such a huge part of my life that is why this is so hard.
I had pictured for the longest time that you would actually have been the one to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. You were there, I felt your presence and you were pinned to my bouquet of flowers. And now you hang from my rear view mirror in my car. I wonder how you and Kurt would have interacted. I wonder how you would have liked our dog Brooke. I wonder how you would have been when I went to prom. I wonder how you would have been when I graduated High School. I wonder how you would have been like when I graduated College and went to Italy for the first time. I wonder how you would have been on my wedding day. I wonder how you would have been when I moved to Upstate NY for my husband and then Texas and now Washington. I feel like you would have visited me while I was in Texas and now Washington. You were my supporter and someone who believed in me. Your little girl. I so badly wish I could hear that one more time and hug you. I remember surprising you and visiting you at Cleveland Clinic after you had your Liver transplant and how happy you were to see me. I was with you through thick and thin with your sickness.
Things have not been easy since you have been gone for us as a family. I think if you are watching over us you see it all. It feels very divided and I am actually disappointed to see where we are with out you 10 years later. I wish we felt more together since you have been gone. I didn’t realize how much of a glue you were for us. It didn’t seem like it because you pissed off a lot of people. But I saw a bigger and better side of you. So I understand how you were the glue for our family.
I can’t wait to see you again one day. But I can wait. I still have a long life to live and live with you still by my side. I found comfort in a medium who connected me with you as well as a hypnotherapist. I could feel the hug and you that I experienced in the hypnotherapy appointment and I could feel your presence and support when I went and saw a medium because I needed to connect with you some how. Things have changed Grandpa. I just wish you could have been here to see it all. Keep watching over all of us. Tucker, Lauren, Ryan and myself. As well as your own kids. You also have some grandkids too now from my sister and Ryan that you need to watch over. You would love them all so much.
I hope and pray I have done right by you. I hope you are proud of me even with my mess ups in life. I wish I could have the confirmation but I just need to pray for the signs from you to show me that. I miss you and I love you. XOXO Love your little girl. ❤
RIP Grandpa 9.28.1936 – 11.7.09
Thank you to anyone that read this. Grief comes in waves. It can be gone for a few years and then it can come right back. Dealing with the death of my Grandpa at 17 was very hard for me and confusing. It was probably one of the hardest things I have dealt with. I am so thankful I was able to know this man and that he made the impact he did on my life. A very positive one.
Wine and Candy pairing for Halloween!
Happy Halloween!!!
Last year I did a blog post on a bottle of wine to have while you passed out candy or stayed up watching scary movies. As well as a recipe for red wine hot chocolate. Which I still recommend to have. It was delicious. I never thought I would like hot red wine. But the right red wine with chocolate is fabulous.
This year I decided to finally try a candy and wine pairing. I realized when I was trying the candies and wine together that I should have made this a YouTube video for my channel because it would have been hilarious because my first tasting did not come out the way I wanted. So next year I am definitely adding this to the list of videos to film in the month of October. I think it would have been so good and hilarious.
This is my honest opinion of these wine pairings. I am not going to lie and just say everything was great. This is the point behind this blog post and or why I started my blog. I would like to think I am a relatable wine drinker. I went off of a candy and wine pairing diagram I found on pinterest and then picked out my favorite candy. From their I found the wine that would pair with this candy. What I didn’t understand was how Starbursts paired with Pinot Noir. But it got even more weird when I tried a Reese cup with Pinot Noir. This first tasting as a total fail. It was what led me to my great idea for a YouTube video. I am sure other pairings fail as well. But thankfully I had great success with the rest of my pairings. I do not think peanut butter and wine go well together. Maybe its my inexperience of tasting wine and understanding the complexities and how pairings work or maybe it was the Pinot Noir I picked out? All and all I did not like either of the candies I had with the Pinot Noir. The wine tasted amazing it just didn’t taste good with candy mixed with it. The Pinot Noir I had picked out was from the winery Ardiri. It was their 2016 California Pinot Noir. Its a robust and fruit forward Pinot. I promise this wine is so good. I would buy this and drink it again.
Twix and Snickers pair so well with Malbec. I used Naked Wineries Perfect Match Malbec. They do not sell it anymore online unfortunately. I was so happy to be able to enjoy the candy with this wine. The Snickers was my favorite but the Twix was super good too. It was interesting how it brought the flavors of the wine out more. I have gone to a food and wine pairing before and that is some amazing shit right there. When it is done so perfectly it is a whole new world that your taste buds have been invited to. One big party in your mouth.
The Sauvignon Blanc and Prosecco blew my mind away. The Sauvignon Blanc and Skittles was my favorite pairing. That Sauvignon Blanc from Winc is a crowd pleaser. Oh my gosh it tastes so crisp and tropical. Which paired insanely well with the skittles. I bet the starbursts would have been good with the Sauv Blanc I should have tried that. The Sauvignon Blanc is from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. My favorite Sauvignon Blancs are from that area. This is now on my list of favorites. So thank you Winc. Tasting notes of grass, green apple, guava and lemon make it for a delicious wine.
The last pairing is a Prosecco with nerds. I think any Prosecco would be good with nerds. It kind of reminded me of pop rocks in my mouth. I preferred the strawberry flavor with the Prosecco but the grape was good as well. I think I liked the strawberry because strawberries and Prosecco pair very well together and makes a great garnish when serving Prosecco.
Hopefully your kids will share some candy with you so you can try some pairings together with what ever wine you are drinking. Or go out and buy the candy and give it a try and let me know what you think! Or what ones you have found that taste great together. Thank you for reading this if you have made it this far. I am really looking forward to next year when I can film a live tasting. Maybe I can get some friends to join me too! Cheers and Happy Halloween!
Wines Mentioned:
Union Wine Co. Rose!
Rosé season never ends for me. I am sure others can agree with me when it comes to that. I figured this post was fitting for this time of year because we are all in the Fall spirit but we still want to carry on all the rosé we can into the Fall season. Union Wine Co. spoiled me when they sent me this package. I was expecting a bottle of their rosé and I would have been just as ecstatic about that as well but when these goodies showed up to my door I was over joyed and honored that they were willing to do this for me.
I wanted to do a break down of their 3 rosĂ©’s that you can get bottled or canned. Union Wine co. is one of my favorites for wine. Canned or Bottled. They do such a great job when it comes to design, packaging, taste and even how they ship the wine. They have so many canned varieties. You should check it out and you can order the wine online. I have ordered a few of their canned wines before. Website will be linked below. I discovered Union Wine Co. 2 years ago at a burger restaurant back home in Buffalo NY and that’s where my love for them and canned wine started.
The first rosé is their bottled rosé. With tasting notes of strawberry, ruby red grapefruit and apricot. It is a rosé that can be enjoyed at any time. When I had this rosé for the first time I immediately added it to my go to bottles that I can always count on for a good glass and it would be a crowd pleaser.
 “Straight from the RosĂ© City! Drinkable, unpretentious and travel-ready, this is the perfect wine for action lounging, such as poolside shindigs, outdoor music festivals, backyard BBQ’s with friends or anywhere that calls for serious lounging. It’s set to become your favorite spring and summer staple.”
The next rosé is their rosé bubbles. With tasting notes of wild strawberry, fruit cocktail and tart cherry. It was an easy rosé to drink and delicious. I really enjoyed the flavors of these bubbles. This is definitely my go to for rosé bubbles. It is bottled as well. It is a great option for mimosas, bridal showers, or the just because moments.
“It’s hard to keep your pinky up when you’re drinking wine from a 375 mL can. These are the most approachable and ready-to-travel anywhere wines we produce. Whether you’re sitting in a hot tub after a good day of riding or heading where other wines dare not travel, we have you covered without sacrificing the craft taste Union is known for.”
#pinkiesdown
Last but not certainly least is their rosĂ© in a can. It has different tasting notes from their bottled rosĂ© but it is just as good. With tasting notes of Strawberry, Watermelon, and Peach. I would honestly say this is my go to for canned wine in the summer. This is the one that never fails, tastes good and is travel friendly in a cooler. As Union Wine Co. says, “Good wine should be able to go anywhere.”
#pinkiesdown
Thanks for stopping by for this blog post. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you try Union Wine Co. If you do, let me know what you think! Cheers!
Bibliography:
“2018 UNDERWOOD ROSÉ WINE.” Union Wine Company, shop.unionwinecompany.com/collections/underwood/products/2014-underwood-rose-wine.
“UNDERWOOD ROSÉ.” Union Wine Company, shop.unionwinecompany.com/collections/underwood/products/underwood-in-a-can-rose.
Root Cause Book Review
A world without wine would be a scary place, and Corvina Guerra is investigating who is trying to harm vineyards all over the world. That is what Root Cause by Steven Laine is about. An experienced traveling winemaker and her passion for wine and finding out who is poisoning the vineyards all over the world.
I loved reading this book because I felt like I was right their with Corvina, tasting wine, traveling to different places and trying to figure out who was to blame for the Phylloxera outbreak. The book travels to many parts of the world from Italy, to London, Spain, Ontario Canada and more. It is a thrilling book for any wine lover or some one who just needs a good read. When Corvina discovered the Phylloxera on vines in a vineyard in Italy her and her friend Brian were immediately on the job of finding out who caused this to happen. They want to put a stop to this to protect the vineyard and many others. And what a ride it was reading the book and watching the story unfold. The action in the book starts right away. You don’t have to get through 10 chapters to finally get to some of the parts that have action. This book will not disappoint. This book has me wanting a sequel.
About the book:
“Can you imagine a world without wine?
Corvina Guerra is a flying winemaker who dreams of one day settling down in her native Italy on her family’s vineyard. On a visit to a vineyard in Italy, Corvina makes a startling discovery: Phylloxera, a menacing plant louse that devastated vineyards in Europe more than a hundred years ago, has infested the vines.
After reporting her findings to her company, Universal Wines, Corvina is charged with investigating the spread of the bug. Nicknamed Philomena by the media, the aphid is soon discovered in vineyards around the world. To aid in her investigation, Corvina recruits a wine expert in London, Brian Lawless. In pursuit of its origins, Corvina and Brian embark on a thrilling globetrot on which they uncover that Philomena is a genetically modified strain of Phylloxera and is being intentionally spread.
The deeper Corvina and Brian search, the more they become convinced that Universal Wines holds the answer to everything, and the harder they pursue their investigation the more surprises pile up for both of them.
In spite of devastating consequences, Corvina and Brian vow to continue their investigation and do what they can to contain the spread of the infestation – but time is running short and they always seem to be a step behind. Unless they can find a way to stop the Philomena – vineyards around the world will be ruined for decades; potentially causing the collapse of the wine industry. Can Corvina and Brian get to the root cause and save the international wine industry from ruin?”
About the Author Steven Laine:
Steven Laine is from Ontario, Canada and has dual Canadian and British citizenship. He has travelled the world working in luxury hotels for international brands including The Ritz, Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, Jumeirah and Pan Pacific. When he was Beverage Manager of a five star hotel in London, he learned all about wine and has since visited over one hundred vineyards and wineries in Napa, Sonoma, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Lebanon, Australia, and South Africa. As the only North American ever invited to be a Member of the Champagne Academy, he had the privilege to visit and learn from the major Champagne Houses in France. His circle of friends is made up of winemakers, Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, restaurant managers, and wine lovers and distributors from all over the globe.
Steven’s debut novel, Root Cause, will be released on February 19, 2019, published by Turner Publishing. Steven currently lives in Singapore and is now working on his next novel Dragonvine.
Bibliography:
Laine, Steven. “Root Cause.” Google Books, 2019, books.google.com/books/about/Root_Cause.html?id=3fjStwEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description.
Laine, Steven. “BIO.” Stevelaine 1, 2019, http://www.stevenlaine.com/bio.
