Giving Thanks

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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!

Happy Thanksgiving, kids!

Xo, 

Aquia

Hostess with the Mostest - Wine Club

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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

Meet Lennox!

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We got a puppy! Not gonna lie -- as much as I liked the idea of having a fur baby, and wanted to jump on the opportunity before my husband changed his mind -- I wasn't actually ready. But I guess the saying holds true for actual babies and fur babies alike...you're never actually ready. And if you wait until you are, you'll never have/get one (though, I guess you can't accidentally get a dog... never mind). 

We purchased our Goldendoodle puppy from DFW-based Lonestar Doodles after a few days of research and Instagram stalking. They've bred some pretty famous pups including Nelson (the Vespa-riding standard doodle from Dallas). After a couple of months on the waiting list, we finally got to pick out of little dood. 

We named him Lennox (aka Lenni) and while he is quite the rambunctious little thing, I absolutely adore him. 

Here are some pics from Lenni's little photo shoot. 

 I couldn't resist. He will be a lion for Halloween. And he will hate me for it. But it's okay. Because he's an adorable lion. 

Lennox's photos were taken by my super-talented sister-in-law, Nolita. You can check out her website and book her for all of your photo needs!

xo, 

Aquia