Divatosity

This photo was snapped last month during the midst of the chaotic Christmas season. I hosted my first Christmas in my apartment. I purchased my first Christmas tree and cooked the holiday meal. Strangely, I did not feel an ounce of stress. In fact, I was excited and honored to host the festivities at my place. There a couple of mishaps but, overall it was a great day.  

Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net This Christmas will be a little more festive than ones in recent years. Mostly, because I am buying a Christmas tree and making a good faith effort this weekend to decorate my apartment.  Last year, my apartment was sparsely furnished and we spent Christmas huddled around a folding table and chairs. The only Christmas decoration hanging up was a wreath. My lack of furniture did not prevent my guests from enjoying great food and lively conversation. This year, I have a couch, coffee table chair,  and TV stand. Word on the street is that an ottoman will soon grace my living room as well. But, most importantly I feel more at home here in this apartment than ever before.

 Earlier in the week, a couple of friends and I attended a Third Eye Blind concert. We stood in line for what seemed like forever. The icy November winds whipped around us and caused momentary lapses in our conversation. An hour later, the Texas based opening act Hydra Melody took the stage and I was impressed with their energy and the clever lyrics of their songs. Most notably, their haunting song entitled: "California" struck a chord with me. It made me think of the relationships which I had to break off during the early 2000's because of  my decision to move to California. The auditorium is on the chilly side and we spend a majority of the evening singing and dancing whilst wrapped up in our winter gear. Still, I had a blast singing along to the classic Third Eye Blind songs such as: "Jumper" , "Never Let You Go", "Semi-Charmed Life" amongst others.

I spied these flowers just a few weeks ago during an afternoon stroll in my neighborhood. I was surprised at the resilience of these flowers. Still hanging in there in the midst of autumn.

I first spied this lovely kimono about a month ago during our local Japanese festival. I was struck by its simple yet, ornate appearance. I recall years ago, wearing kimonos as dressing gowns and for date nights.  You can find kimonos on eBay , Etsy , Japanese specialty shops, thrift stores, and even flea markets.

 One of my favorite aspects of early autumn is sitting outside and watching the sunset with a mug of hot peppermint tea. Within a few minutes, the day's earlier stresses melt away. I am left with this feeling of quiet elation.

Temperatures are dropping and perhaps so is your bank balance. Colder weather can bring with it higher heating costs, more expensive grocery bills, and of course, the unexpected expenses of the holiday season. Cold weather sandwiches provide a versatile and low-cost meal option. You can make a sandwich using bread, tortillas, egg roll wraps, hoagy bread, flatbread, naan bread, or ingredients rolled in lettuce leaves. Yet another option is to prepare the ingredients as a stand alone meal. This evening I am going the more traditional sandwich route. I am preparing a chopped pork sandwich on a standard hamburger bun with chopped Baby bella mushrooms, green onions,  and a half slice of Havarti cheese. I marinated the pork in garlic oil and lemon juice. Afterwards, I slow-cooked the pork in vegetable broth on a low heat for about an hour or so. Next, I lightly sautéed the Baby bella mushrooms and green onions in basil oil. I lightly baked the hamburger buns in the oven for a...