Winter Shorts New Fashion Look

It was forced upon me during my visit to the cooler temperatures of the northern part of the states-make my summer/spring clothes survive through winter’s chill. My wardrobe consists mostly of a spring and summer outfits, winter meaning light wraps, scarves, cute gloves and other accessories that are cuter than they are functional or incredibly warm. They are simply warm enough to keep you comfortable during the slight chills experienced here in the South.

I have my large coats of course, for when I travel. But they are for even cooler temperatures and are a pain to pack if they aren’t completely necessary (some of my furs, especially my coats, are quite huge and obnoxious to carry if not being worn the whole time. Some coats which are layered in wool are just simply too heavy.

Seattle’s temperatures were not dreadfully cool or warm- it is that funny temperature in between where a light coat isn’t enough and a heavy one can be too much. I had a big coat with me- one that keeps me very cozy, but then there are the parts of the day where it becomes too warm and the outfit underneath needs to be fairly warm on its own so that it can be worn alone.

I didn’t have many options in my wardrobe as it was, so I did what I could- wearing shorts with some nice and warm tights. Who ever said shorts couldn’t make it for winter- it worked perfectly for me! I wasn’t sure what to think at first, but I rather like it now. It isn’t something I have to do very often, so I enjoyed it while I could. I even received some friendly compliments on my tights and shorts look- I love when accidental things turn out to be lovely and fun experiences.

TINI Bigs With Finlandia Love

It was our last night in Seattle and it turned out to be one of those nights that is so perfect you couldn’t have ever attempted to plan it. Just one of those, wow- really nights.

It began simple enough- we did the tourist thing and took lots of photos, eating our way throughout the city (yum yum oh incredibly yum on another note!). On a great recommendation from a particular cigar smoking man, we decided to end our visit with a night at the famous TINI BIGS Lounge.

We had a red eye to catch back home, so it would be a night at the bar, some walking around, and then on to the airport for the flight back home. We walk in to this lovely little bar fairly early at about 5:15 in the afternoon or so. It was already dark, the time change does some wonders on that doesn’t it? So we were ready for some drinks. The bartenders were very friendly and introduced themselves as they welcomed us in. One of them asked if we would like to order, but if that we decided to wait five minutes drinks would be free.

… excuse me?

That’s right… apparently, and for this evening only, they were celebrating their official sponsorship of Finlandia Vodka. The international ambassador for Finlandia had flown in for the event and everything- so from 5:30 until about 8:00 any drink with Finlandia Vodka in it in any way was complimentary. Wow, how beautiful is that!

I must admit, when I first walked in and saw the drink list there were numerous bourbon and gin based drinks that had caught my attention- but how could I refuse complimentary drinks especially when there was a celebration to be had for the bar itself? It would be just rude.

The drink above was the favorite of the evening, the Pop 5. It contains Finlandia wild berries, midori, white grape juice, sweet n’ sour, and sparkling wine. It has quite the refreshing twist and pop- lovely drink! The Grapefruit-Tini pictured just below was also quite scrumptious with Finlandia Grapefruit vodka, campari, Cointreu and orange juice. These drinks were the features of the evening and so we felt it was appropriate to order them. Yum.

I will have to venture into the other drinks the next time I visit, and there will certainly be a next time.

As for their food menu- the mac and cheese is heavenly- crisped on top and creamy in the center- cheesy perfection. Definitely a must for the evening as well!

Next time I am going to go for La Bicylette and for the Aloe Martini (Bombay Saphire, Aloe juice, lemon and lime- yum).

Some Aussie Love

Okay, so this lovely cookie somehow was only just introduced to me. Oh how yummy and delightful of a treat- we have much catching up to do.

We are still in Seattle, and some of our friends here with us are from Australia. They were missing the tastes of home, when one of them discovered a pub that seemed to serve authentic food and beer of their homeland. Well, we decided to give it a go and see for ourselves.

And one of the things we discovered upon entering the place was that they offered Tim Tam cookies- sounded interesting enough on its own to me, but our friends were ecstatic! And I can see why now- these cookies are so fluffy and moist and light… simply heavenly! Completely new to me, and I am quite thankful to have been introduced to them. How fun!

So next on the list for us was food- if we were going to be drinking then we first needed some food in our bellies. It had been quite the long day and we were all starving. Well, our Australian friend- one of them in particular, was more focused on the beers… returning to the table with 24 bottles in his arms of this..

Basically, he went ahead and ordered all the beers they had chilled… lol- not kidding. We asked him if he had bought them out, to which he answered “no, don’t worry, they are putting more in the chiller now.” Nice… I think the first eight disappeared rather quickly to him. Bottoms up. It isn’t my usual style of beer (I like mine black or Belgium for the most part) but it was pretty alright.

So then came a matter of ordering the food. I ordered an Aussie Floater, a meat pie served upside down on top of split pea soup. Meat and peas- thought it was a safe order as how could that be bad. And it wasn’t bad at all- quite delicious, I would order it again.

It was an incredibly fun and delicious experience- not to mention entertainment as our Aussie friend continued to drink and dance about the table. I had one bite left of the meat pie in the soup left- I was full as I was snacking all around… and he refused to let it go to waste, by digging his hands into the soup and finishing what was left of my plate- lol. Very entertaining indeed.

If you ever get the chance, do take a taste! You will love it and love the experience. Let’s look at those cookies again, shall we? I saw them again the next day while making a quick shopping stop, only they were being presented by Peperidge Farms cookies. Will have to look for them again once I am home.

Pike Place, Fish In Hand

We are now in Seattle, spending some time on business and pleasure- truly a delight. Above is a gorgeous view from the plane; you can actually see snow blowing off the top of the mountain, too. Very pretty.

So, a visit to Seattle to me also means a must visit to Pike Place! The oh so famous fish market is even greater in person- too delicious also- sooooo yummy, wow the size of some of those beauties.

Soooo, we are having an absolute great time here. They even let me go behind the counter- too cool. They are all very nice and you can tell they have fun doing what they do.

Here are some photos from Pike Place More to come, soon!

Kobe Burger, Fois Gras, & Trufles I Love You

Mmmmm.. so heavenly! One of my favorite things to indulge upon is a kobe burger topped off with fois gras and truffles!

Be still my heart- the look of it alone is beautiful. The photo above is from the Wall Street Burger Shoppe in New York, and it looks divine.

In Miami, I would always go to Prime 112 to satisfy my cravings (oh, also the fries are made in truffle oil). They also made my beloved Lychee Martinis there, what else would I need.

Actually, at Prime 112 they also have a Kobe hot dog, its a big one, too. Kinda awkward for some, haha. Its fun to watch the reaction when someone sees it for the first time. Definitely something to behold. If you go and want to simply enjoy a meal, I would recommend lunch time. Its much more pleasant if you aren’t trying to do the whole “just to be seen” sort of thing. Gets overrated and crowded wherever you are under those circumstances. But I have always found lunch to be perfect there. (That or an extremely late dinner is nice too).

Nom Nom- Yum. Anyway, wherever you are I would recommend hunting one down, it is well worth it. If you travel make sure to indulge in one along the way.

Lifestyle Luxury From An At Home Income & Someone Dear To Me

An answer to the old… “So what do you *do* anyway” question. What I do has more to do with why we do anything- to achieve the luxury of a certain lifestyle.

“A luxurious lifestyle” and “the comforts of home,” we may say the phrase casually but it does hold a meaning to us all. We all yearn for it and after all is said in done there is nothing as luxurious as having all the time you wish to spend in your very own little place. It is all about having your own quality time.

I don’t think I have formally introduced him so here he is, someone very dear to me and someone who has allowed me to live this lifestyle that I cherish.

He is my fiance, Timothy Black. Together through his experiences and knowledge we are able to live the lifestyle that we do. Oh, and by the way, neither of us work. And in case you are wondering, there was no inheritance or trust fund or anything of that sort involved! We don’t have any bosses, or schedules, or meetings.. we pretty much do whatever we want to each day, it’s really great.

Sometimes I think I take it for granted and don’t share enough about it to you, and I want to. Especially as it is something that is open to anyone who wants our lifestyle, too.

It doesn’t matter how much you earn if you work until you are so tired you have no time to yourself. There are more important things in life and nothing should keep that away from you.

Enjoying a great dinner with friends, Timothy is on the right and I am in the braids.

So we travel, and shop (he has a great eye for style, I seem to have rubbed off on him nicely), and eat, and drink wine, and spend time with family and make great new friends along the way. He is great at what he has created for the brilliant thing is that it is all from home. He shows those who want to discover an income at home how to do it and do it well, too. He is a great coach- he taught me and I couldn’t believe how easy it was, or how fun it could be especially when you are in control.

It brings me great new shoes, dresses, jewelry, spontaneous trips, and most importantly the time to do what I want when I want with the people I want.

It really rocks, lol.

For his birthday I took him skydiving in Lake Wales- what a great time. We were delayed a day though since there was a tornado warning or watch in effect- not something you want when you are jumping out of a plane! The next day was beautiful and I would do it again in an instant.

When I first met Timothy (over six years ago) and found out a bit about him, I also found out that he shouldn’t be alive by the opinions of many doctors. Getting into a relationship, that isn’t something you want to hear, let alone throwing him out of an airplane like this.

We’ve come a long way, and I wanted to share our story with you. I think it is important.

You can find out more about why he “shouldn’t be alive” and then visit http://www.concealedcash.com

And it is an amazing story, just take a look and see for yourself. You can also see how it is that we make a living at home and have the lifestyle that we do.

This is something I want available to you since it can improve your life no matter where you are.

Much Love and Best Regards,

Bombshell Beauty

Barbecue Capital Of TEXAS Is Lockhart

This is the reason we drove 150 miles west out of Houston; Kreuz. It is worth it every time. We had sat around the house with no power or water for a day when we and the neighbors began talking of warm food and instantly we all agreed to drive to Kreuz before they closed for the night (which meant we had to leave right away if we wanted any chance).

We made it in record time and enjoyed the magical experience of what is Kreuz. The smell of the building when you walk in is like nothing else- Oh how I love it!

The rub is perfect and the rule of the house is “No Fork No Sauce.”

It doesn’t need it either. (Sauce is thought to hide the lack of quality in a meat). It just melts and falls apart lovely- especially the fatty brisket pieces. So yum. (Shhh, secretly, this place is my favorite)

(Less photos though, simply because the meat did not last in front of us- too delicious. We had limited timing too!)

So the next day (Sunday, and Kreuz is not open) we visit Smitty’S, the rivalry of Kreuz. When it all began they were both Kreuz, and then a man by the name of Smitty’s joined the family in business. After the passing of the father, the children argued and eventually one kept the Kreuz name to a new building while the other kept the original building and called it Smitty’S.

Three of the number one barbecue best are all located very near each other, two being in Lockhart and the third being in Lulling (only minutes away really).

All three use the same technique of having a fire with the smoke traveling a slight distance to the meat- it requires much patience and attention and so very few continue this style of barbecue but the results go extremely far. It is well worth it.

Next, finally, is Monday’s visit to Lulling’s City Market. I cannot recall the name at the moment, but the editor or one of the writers for Gourmet Magazine named this their favorite meal ever (stating even though you would think it would be something fancy and expensive, the meat was so true and divine nothing has been better).

It comes very close to Kreuz in my opinion, VERY close. In fact I absolutely love them all. Just look at it in its divine beauty- oh so perfect. Yum!

This is barbecue done to perfection and with love. It is always the same people you see working at these places, too. I love that. They know and truly love what they do and do it extremely well.

They have been doing this for years and years, and it shows. Even the cash register has soaked in the smoke throughout the years, lol. What a lovely place to be.

So Where Have I Been, Anyway?

Okay- I know I have been gone for far too long, and it was never as I intended. Aside from spending quite some time in an airport and have attended many wonderful events, the good news is I have some great posts to come! I will be more than making up for the days I missed- so worry not, loves

Ooh, so much has been happening and I have much to report. I am actually in an airport about to board again as we speak (yes, my schedule has been that tight). Be expecting posts soon- more when I land and return home.

Much love,

xx Bombshell Beautiful

Hello Kitty Is Watching You >(^..^)<

That’s right- she has her eyes on you.. or Rather, she’s on your eyes. Hmm.. I don’t know about this one, I am going to have to pass and say: No.

Hello Kitty is everywhere, and I am okay in small doses- very small doses where it is unique in its surrounding (and not the actual surrounding itself).

The adorable kitty has its place with accessories and small children. The occasional piece of stationery, charm, or jewelry item in fashion I am also quite fine with and admit some involvement, myself. But when I do it is subtle and in good taste (as would any other character of such style would be).

Toasters, Ovens, Televisions, Cell Phones, and everything you can imagine- is too much for me. Its not special anymore- its overdone and abused in that state.

The contacts are a bit creepy- and unfortunately for the wearer no one can tell what it is. Only someone gazing into your eyes for a long enough period of time “might” recognize it- and let’s hope you don’t wish this of the common stranger you pass by. Ick on all accounts.

Hello Kitty isn’t completely dead. There are still the occasional cute surprises. I’m all for this adorable contact case (and its mostly just for you, not the public eye which I like even better). It is subtle and cute and great for travel. Easy to tell which case is yours when with others, too.

Let’s keep the volume down with this craze, or it will lose its value completely if it hasn’t already. It still has a place with me, but I must admit it has diminished from what it once was. I’ve always preferred chococat and the others  anyway.

Little Bunny Fashion Find

Bunnies and kitties and puppies are delightfully cute, and speak volumes to my inner child. So when I came across this little find, I couldn’t resist the chance to indulge.

It is a sweater dress that is incredibly cute and cozy. The hood has little ears attached that flop on the side-when I purchased it, it was said to be a bunny, however my friends and I argue whether it looks more lie a bunny or a puppy. Either way I am pleased with it, but I like the idea of a bunny a little better.

Anyway, I think it is fun without being too childish or what have you. Its rather subtle at first, too, since if you are not wearing the hood the ears just dangle on the back. The only clue is the little bunny/puppy cloth pin on the front pocket. You can move it wherever you like, but I think it is cute there.

I wore it out to the Grand Canyon a little while back, mind you it was unexpectedly cooler than I was prepared for, and though it is a “sweater” it is not the warmest for this cool of weather.

Being on vacation means a limited wardrobe, and so a quick trip to an inexpensive shop and thus you have the strange mix of tights and scarf (haha).

That strangeness aside- you can get a better idea of the dress. I’ll be looking for more of the same, maybe a kitty next time?

Let me know if you see one before I do.

Much love, xx!