Happy Howloween!

 Happy Halloween...errr...I guess Howloween! It's raining right now in San Francisco, but that didn't stop this crazy pug lady from forcing her pug to take multiple photos in costumes. A certain little pug was not amused because I was depriving him from his precious sleeping time, but HEY! I HAVE PHOTOS OF A PUG WEARING RIDICULOUS COSTUMES for your enjoyment!  We're heading over to Fremont tonight for a house party and I made some dark chocolate peanut butter marshmallow treats and a spiced pumpkin rum drink. Hope your weekend is happier and less grumpy than these photos of Finnegan!

Finnegan's Costumes:
Pirate + Peg Leg (Toilet paper roll) : Target
Bumble Bee : Nordstrom Rack (gift)
Mummy : Extra fabric scraps
Ghost : Extra fabric scraps
Punk Skull Sweater :PetSmart

Flora and Fauna

I've been missing the pretty red and orange leaves from our trip to Massachusetts, so I decided to wear this floral headband I had ordered previously from Mod Dolly.  The headband itself has an deep orange velvet ribbon band with some darker red, pale orange, and green flowers. Some of the flowers have pearl-beading in the center adding just enough detail to make me feel so fancy fine wearing it. I guess I am trying to trick myself into thinking that the weather is cool, despite the fact that it is so warm right now in San Francisco. I never really know what to wear when the weather is hot. Fall/Winter fashion always seemed more interesting to me since it takes a bit of skill to layer patterns and clothing together for a cohesive ensemble.

After taking tons of bathroom-mirror selfies because I had annoyed my boyfriend to the brink of breaking up with me that he refused to take photos of my outfit, I forced my poor little pissed off pug to model the headband along with me. It kills me sometimes that he knows what to do when I take out a camera and instantly begins looking at it with such an sad apathetic gaze. What a pug! I think I was able to capture his good side, yes?

Outfit Details:
Headband: Mod Dolly
Dress: Forever 21

Babies and Beer

Last weekend, I visited my cousin who just recently returned from a trip to Australia. I spent some time with his little baby--who is rapidly growing right before my eyes! His face gets more expressive each time I visit. My aunt was also visiting and she had made some Filipino food for dinner: pancit, lumpia, and beef kaldereta. I was in heaven!  It was great to catch up with everyone and I can't wait to see them for Thanksgiving later next month!

Next, Z and I went to a birthday party in San Jose at a German Restaurant and Beer Garden called, Teske's Germania.  Since it was the last week of Oktoberfest, there was live music in the beer garden and many lederhosen-clad lads. SO MUCH BEER SERVED IN LITERS THE SIZE OF MY HEAD.There were also sooo many bros (being that we were in San Jose), and I felt terribly out of place. Z and I shared some beer, schnapps, pretzels, and salmon topped-potato pancakes. Below are some horribly blurry photos from the evening (what happens when you drink beforehand):

Hope your weekend was great!

Newburyport, MA.

Newburyport, MA wins hands-down for the award for cutest town around. The entire downtown was decorated with pumpkins, flowers, scarecrows, bales of hay, and banners in preparation for October 31st festivities. I felt like I was in the middle of the 1998 Disney Channel movie, "Halloweentown". We stayed at the Essex Inn, a charming, historic Inn nestled on a tree-lined street in the heart of downtown where we could walk to various little shops and restaurants along High Street. Unfortunately due to all the wedding activities planned for us, we went from event to event with little free time in-between. Z and I had a couple hours or so to explore the town before a cocktail event and we managed to find a little shop with the tastiest bagels ever! Zane got a breakfast sandwich and I ordered a Lox bagel. We are definitely missing out on good bagels here in San Francisco. After breakfast, we wandered down over to the Merrimack River and took in the sights. (I kept humming the Dawson's creek theme...Sorry Z!) I'd love to come back and visit again and make time to visit the near-by Plum Island--known for its wild beach-plum shrubs growing on its dunes. Here's to that great New England charm!