Hello there, all, we made it to Sunday!  Hopefully, you all survived Irene unscathed (or only barely scathed…)

We managed to get through it without having to deal with anything too crazy, a power surge or two, a lot of wind, and a temporary cable and internet outage (TORTURE!) This particular weekend was supposed to be spent with 50 of my cousin’s closest friends and loved ones hosting a wine tasting in Ocean City. Alas, due to a mandatory evacuation, the only wine tasting was my mom and I with a classy bottle of Riesling (ending that Summer of Riesling on a high note.)

There were all sorts of parts of this weekend that weren’t according to plan.  But it ended up turning into something wonderful, so thanks Irene, but no thanks.

And so, in honor of that classless broad, Hurricane Irene, I’d like to honor this Six Pack Sunday with the distinction of being the Best Laid Plans edition.

1. I said goodbye to the beau.
   

   Best roomie ever.

   He moved to Manayunk in Philadelphia to begin a super smart PhD program. However, 10 hours later, guess who I found in my home in Pennyslvania?

   

   Beer-friend! Like a boyfriend.... with beer!

   Since his new place didn’t have a bed yet, he spent some of the weekend with my family. It was like weaning a child off of bottles, and I got to be surrounded by family when I finally said goodbye. It was the best surprised of the weekend.

2. Ever wonder what garlic looks like when you just let it grow?
   

   Vintage garlic.

   Sometimes, in my home, we forget that we have garlic. So we buy more garlic. and then, a few months later, VOILA! baby garlic plants. These didn’t make it into dinner, though. But they did make a beautiful science experiment.

3. No one looks cute when they cry.
   

   But, least of all, me.

   I promise, I cleaned up my face before I got on a plane. I wouldn’t want to scare the children who get on between groups A and B.

4. Pumpkin Beers are HERE!
   

   omgomgomgomgomg

   This is, quite literally, my favorite time of the beer-year. On the beer-calendar, this is my Christmas. And the presents are wrapped in oranges, browns, and gourds.  Yumbo.  I’m hoping that at the next Girls’ Pint Out event, or maybe sooner, we get a hold of some Big Boss Harvest Time, my favorite local pumpkin beer. Can’t even wait.

5. Weirdy Beardy
   

   The apple doesn't fall far from... the other apple.

   So the thing is, when I was a little lady growing up, I always used to make a beard out of my looooong hair by braiding it.  And today, I found out that my sister Kiley, 9 years my junior, does the same thing. Like sister, like sister.  But NOT like Sister, Sister. Did you know Tia just had a baby? My, how the times have changed….

6. Double Denim Damage

   I did something today that I hadn’t done in maybe 5 years. I went into an Abercrombie & Fitch… and looked for myself.  When I started putting weight on, I stopped fitting into their tiny sizes, and wouldn’t even try anything on. Also, when you walk in, the music blaring added to the aromatic barrage of their combined fragrances made me feel an instant headache in a perma-rave.  But, when shopping with the little sister for her newest skinny jeans…. I grabbed a pair myself. AND THEY FIT!

   

   Super Skinny and Semi-Short!

   Feeling my newfound denim-daring, I picked up a pair of Paige jean shorts, an article of clothing I’ve been trying to find all summer with no luck (everything’s either too short, too tight, too long, or too dowdy looking). These are JUST right and I feel like an all-American gal rocking em. I LOVE Paige jeans, they’re always long enough and I can frequently find them on RueLaLa deeply discounted (in FACT they’re on sale tonight in the Sunday Night Styleathon!!), and the quality is impeccable. In addition: they make my booty look incredible.

I will happily say that this weekend was a surprise hit, despite the best efforts of Mother Nature. I’m off to soak up the last few hours with the people I love the most. And, in honor of my sexy new butt-huggers, here’s a shot of my family with me WEARING SOME!

What’s your favorite brand of denim?

What was the highlight of your weekend?