Five Wines Under $5.99!

TGIT! Is it just me, or does Shonda Rhimes Thursday get you excited about your couch and wine too? Scandal and HTGAWM have me the most invested in a show I've probably ever been since Grey's, which I don't watch anymore sadly (Teen Mom and the Bachelor are runners up, judge me. But also Jane The Virgin). Anyway, wine. I love wine. I'm no wine connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but I can appreciate good-tasting wine. While I might "splurge occasionally" (and by splurge I mean like $20) on my favorite Kendall Jackson Chardonnay or the likes, I'm typically aiming for the bottle under $10. 

I've found a few faithful bottles that don't make me feel like I've been hit by a cement truck the next morning and surprisingly, they're all under $6! Yes, it is in fact possible to down a bottle of $6 wine and be able to be a fully functional adult the next day. 

Here are my favs. And of course, let me know if you have others!

1. Pacific Peak Chardonay

A friend of mine told me about this brand a while back. She told me a story about a friend who brought a bottle of this stuff to a wine tasting and her wine snob friend was so impressed and thought it was a $30 bottle of wine. Little did she know. The Pacific Peak brand will run you $1.97. No really. One dollar and ninety seven cents. Again, I promise you won't die the next day. You can purchase it at Total Wine & More.  

2. Pacific Peak Merlot  

While we're still on the $1.97 bottles of wine, go ahead and pick up a bottle of the Merlot while you're at it.  

3. Almond Creek Almond Sparkling Wine

If you're into bubbles, you can pick up this bottle for $5.99 at Trader Joes. It's sweet but not overbearingly sweet (I hate sweet wine). It's my favorite to mix in a mimosa and gives it a nice almondy twist.  

4. Green Fin Rosé 

I hesitated to include this one because they recently started slacking in their packaging. This used to be sold in a corked, glass bottle, but is now a twist off, plastic bottle. I know, I know, kind of takes the fancy out of "faux fancy." But, I'm certain that was a sacrifice that had to be made for producing a $4.99 bottle of wine. Nonetheless, this is a tasty rosé. Find it at your local Trader Joes. 

5. $2 Buck Chuck Sauvignon Blanc

Charles Shaw is probably an obvious, but let's be clear that they aren't all created equal. I will typically forgo a bottle, but on occasion, if I do go that route, I pick up the Sauvignon Blanc. It's my personal fav out of the bunch. I've used it in summer sangrias and of course straight up. $2.97 at Trader Joes, duh! 

Happy Almost Friday! 

Cheers, 

Aquia

Homeownership: The Joys, The Woes and the In-between

Fact: I've been a homeowner for approximately 2 years and 5 months (and some change) and it has been nothing short of rewarding, expensive, frustrating and exciting...all at the same time. 

2 years and 5 months ago, I knew nothing about purchasing a home (there's still a learning curve if we're being honest). That was my now-husband's jam. He owned and had owned several properties before we met, and pretty much schooled me on all things real estate. He knows his stuff, I have to give it to him. 

Back then, he was a serial open house attendee. We'd see a sign for an open house and he'd talk me into popping in just to be nosy. With our current house, he "surprised" me (aka wouldn't tell me where we were going until we pulled up) by taking me to the open house. In my head, it was just another house we were looking at for fun...you know, because we did that often. It wasn't until we started talking numbers and serious adult stuff that I was like "oh, shit. He's serious this time."

I love/d this house. 2 years ago, I could imagine me in it and I still imagine me in it 10+ years from now (with some new additions, of course). But what I didn't realize about homeownership before, was that...shit's expensive. Like, really, stupidly expensive. There are parts of our house that are still unfurnished...2+ years later. Within the first month of us being here, one of the A/C units died. We called our warranty company out to fix it, and they found a gecko that had apparently chewed on the wrong thing and blew both himself and a transmitter up. Thank God for home warranties, right? Wrong. Not when it's the gecko's fault... because warranty companies don't cover "nature." See? Expensive. 

There's so much I dream of doing to this house, so many remodeling projects I've saved on hidden Pinterest boards, that just haven't come to fruition yet because...again, shit's expensive (and I probably married the most frugal man on this side of the Mississippi). 

I was hesitant to share my home on the internet because, well, compared to most other blog-worthy homes, mine should take a back seat. But, comparison is the thief of joy. I want to be transparent in showing you that in reality, it takes time. No matter the size of the house. My living room, bedrooms and other rooms are incomplete. There are major(ish) renovation projects I want to start. But it will come. So in the meantime, I will count my blessings. 

I think I'll make this a "thing"... that is, if anyone cares to hear about it. A home tour of such -- broken into pieces. I'll show you a part(s) of my home, things I want do to it, and someday (when the time comes) show you the progress. I'm also always open to ideas, inspiration and all those good things because I am certainly no interior designer. 

Today, we'll start with one of my favorite rooms (what we call) "the fish room" and my kitchen. 

This little room is probably the most intriguing parts of the whole house. We have a 560 gallon salt water aquarium! The previous owner has an exotic fish/aquarium business and basically built this house around the tank. It shares a wall with our dining room and can be viewed from either side. Pretty neat. But inheriting it = maintaining it and that's definitely not a cheap thrill.

I have grown to hate brown cabinets. So the plan in the future is to paint  both the walls and cabinets white and replace the french doors with white ones as well.  

My kitchen is the first thing on my "re-do" list. To me, it's becoming an eye sore after seeing a million white kitchens with marble counter tops and gold fixtures. The textured paint (which I admit I used to like) is overwhelming and combined with the dark granite and cabinets, makes the whole kitchen really dark. So, this is first on my list. We are currently gathering quotes for cabinet refacing and wall painting. The chandelier has got to go as well. I can find some patience with the backsplash, but I'm hoping that too is only temporary. 

So there's that. We'll call this the "before". I really can't wait to start the process of making things a little more pretty. If there's anything I've learned from this experience that I could share with anyone else potentially going through the same struggle is...patience. And, to stop allowing Instagram and Pinterest posts to deter you from that patience.... because in real life, it doesn't happen over night (for the majority). 

Xo, 
Aquia

Giving Thanks

I've never actually written down the things that I'm thankful for. I think them an awful lot, but don't think I've ever written them down. So, with the Thanksgiving Holiday upon us, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to do so. 

We are hosting this year. This is the second time since we've been in our house. My parents will be here this week and Patrick's family will join us as well. I don't go home (to San Antonio) often, but having my family here feels home enough for me. So, before I ramble any more, here is a short, non-comprehensive list of things that I am so incredible thankful for this year. 

1. Health. For myself, for my family. In an age where brushing your teeth and doing everyday activities "causes cancer", and families across the world are plagued with undeserved illnesses that shorten loved one's lives, I can't help but to thank God that as of now, mine and my family's health is intact. 
2. My husband. Lord knows I'd be so lost without him. I can't ever thank him enough for all that he has taught me about myself, about love, about life... and all that he continues to teach me -- indirectly or not. I'm thankful for his patience (because he HAS to have some dealing with me) and for just being my partner as we both navigate this sometimes crazy life. 
3. Lennox. Yes, my dog. In such a short amount of time, he as completely stolen my heart. He has given me a sense of patience that I have only dreamed of having. He forces me to be selfless, putting his dinner and potty breaks above my occasional after-work happy hours. 
4. Friendship. True, endless friendship. The type of friendship that doesn't keep score. That's remorseful. That doesn't hold grudges. This year has put that into perspective for me. I temporarily lost one of my closest and dearest friends. She went from being my matron of honor, to not being invited to my wedding. It was rough. Though things aren't necessarily 100% back to normal, I feel the unfaltering love when we do get together  -- and I couldn't be more thankful for that. I have some pretty permanent friends. :) 
5. Time. As much as I take it for granted, when I stop and think about it, I'm so grateful for the time I've been given. Some people aren't afforded such a luxury. While I hope I'm blessed with more of it (yo, God, you hear me?), I'm thankful for every minute of every day that I've had thus far. 
6. The good in the world. There is no shortage of mean-spirited, ill-willed, and frankly evil people in this world. We hear about them and their attack on humanity everyday. Often times more than we hear about the good-spirited, kind people of the world. But I'm thankful for those people. The people that let you over in traffic and smile at strangers in Hobby Lobby. 
7. An internet connection. Yeah, whatever. If it wasn't for the internet, I would likely have to read magazines on the toilet or count the dots on the ceiling. Just saying. So as much as I hate to love it, it's a necessary evil. And adult life would just be so much more difficult and I wouldn't be full of nearly as much useful information (i.e. best happy hour spots in Dallas, or where you should have your birthday dinner).
8. Justin Bieber's new album. Judge me. But not before you've heard it. 
9. Snail Mail. It's a lost art. I'd forgotten how awesome it was to get actual mail until I received a letter recently from my best friend in basic training. It was the most simplistic, hand-written, front-and-back note that chronicled a few experiences she's had while away. I cried real tears by the end of it... and I was so grateful to have heard from her and to know that she's doing well. I unfortunately haven't written back yet... well, because... it's a lost art. *Sigh*
10. Good food. Like amazing, orgasmic, well-prepared and presented good food. The kind served at restaurants with 5-stars on Yelp. Because everyone knows there are like 5 of those tops. 

Again, not a comprehensive list, but a few things to mull over while eating my weight in mac-and-cheese and drinking ALL of the sangria. Happy Thanksgiving, yall!

• Sleeveless trench - Boohoo (ton of other inexpensive options here)
• Shoes - JustFab 
• Jeans - Target
• Shirt - Zara (old)

Happy Thanksgiving, kids!

Xo, 

Aquia

Hostess with the Mostest - Wine Club

I love hosting. I get kind of excited any time I can get people to actually make the drive out to suburbia. However, the unsettling thing about my love for hosting is my personality. I'm very Type A. Very meticulous. I'm an over-thinker, an over-planner, an over-buyer and I'm senselessly indecisive. All unreasonable characteristics of a hostess, I know. I believe things should be presentable and look a certain way before inviting people over. I spend entirely too much time thinking about the nitty gritty details that no one would likely appreciate (nor notice for that matter) -- like, cute napkins and Texas-shaped cheese boards. I mean, they might notice, but likely not enough to justify the hoops I jump through to ensure there are cute theme-appropriate napkins and Texas-shaped cheese boards. 

Anyway, a while back, when I was at a point where I felt like my adult circle of friends was depleting and realized how hard it was to make friends as an adult, I joined a couple of Meetup groups. I've gone to no more than three of these meetups, but I met enough people that I actually wouldn't mind spending a few hours of my Saturday with, and just fell off. One of the girls I met started a monthly wine club through Meetup. These ladies-only wine nights are pretty exclusive in that they're limited to 10 (not including the hostesses) people, first come, first serve. The host will sometimes text me right before she posts the event, and literally within the hour, it's completely full. Needless to say, I've never actually attended one. But when she asked me to host, I was really excited to. 

Hosting a large group always seems like a fabulous idea until I've committed and am forced to start planning. That's when the "what type of cheese should I buy?" "how should I display it?" "I need some cute serving plates/trays" "wait, this is $40 at Z Gallerie...that's technically 'cheap' right?" questions start keeping me up at night. 

This month's theme was Spanish and Portuguese wines so half of the girls bring a bottle of wine and the other half bring an appetizer. Me being the over-doer that I am, settled on two bottles of wine, a cheese board and salmon cakes. 

I found the cutest cutting/serving board from Bed Bath & Beyond shaped like the state of Texas and of course HAD to have it. So I dusted off one of several wedding gift cards and made it happen. They have every state, I believe.  

The girls are usually encouraged to bring their own wine glass because sometimes the hostess won't have enough to accommodate everyone. Not on my watch, honey. I in fact did not have 14 wine glasses on hand, but Bed Bath & Beyond did. A 12-count for $19.99 to be precise. 

All was right in the world until Z Gallerie sent an email featuring a marble serving platter with gold gilded edges and made me stop what I was doing and impulsively ordered it to be picked up at the nearest location. I justified it by reminding myself that I'm hosting Thanksgiving so I would use it twice in the next two weeks. I used it for my cheese spread and I think it was worth it. By the way, it makes no sense to get cheese from anywhere other than Trader Joe's. But you knew that already. 

I used the Texas shaped board for my meat spread (I got Spanish meats to go along with the theme) and also made salmon cakes. 

We had about 9 bottles of wine total, eight from Spain and one from Portugal. I'm the furthest thing from a wine snob, let me tell you. Give me a bottle of Two Buck Chuck and I'm golden (I am however oddly particular about twist tops. Particular = I can't and I won't). But learning about it is pretty interesting. Tiffany (the organizer) knows a thing or two about wines. She arranged them from lightest to heaviest and read the description and paid tribute to the grape before pouring sample-size portions in everyone's glass. We briefly talked about if we loved or hated it (but drank it either way) and carried on side conversations before the next one was poured. This was a great group of women. Like, I hadn't laughed like that with a group of women in some time. And I only knew three of them personally. It was a great night. 

Fun times were had. I've already committed to hosting a mixology party, next. Wine is fun, but few things compete with a well crafted cocktail. I'll definitely share the fun (and recipes)! 

Xo, 

Aquia