Fall Apple Cocktail

My maiden name is Redd and I have been wanting to try out an apple cocktail, so of course I had to use Redd's Apple Ale in this recipe. At first I was going to pair it with Fireball Whiskey, but that stuff is just too sweet for me. So, I decided to try to take matters into my own hands and create my own cinnamon infused liquor. Since I had never infused booze before, I stuck with something budget friendly, which actually the Scotch/Whiskey blend from Trader Joe's is pretty decent and a great deal. 

At first I poured about half the booze into a decanter and dropped in 3 cinnamon sticks and let it sit over night. Tried it the next day and there really wasn't much of a cinnamon-y flavor, so I added ALL the cinnamon sticks and let it sit for 2 more days. Welp, that did work...so well, that I had to add the rest of the booze to cut it a bit. 

Now that the cinnamon booze was ready all I had left to do was pour some of it(1 part) and the apple ale(3 parts) over some ice, stir and garnish with an apple if you choose. FYI...this cocktail is strong...it will warm you up quicker than that burning fire on a cool crisp day.

Enjoy! 

xo, Jess

Skull Wreath

OMG...it has been a cray cray week, so I am excited for a weekend to get our place into full HALLOWEEN/FALL effect. Whoop whoop I am pumped for some pumpkin carvin, apple spiced cocktails...and maybe a bonfire. What up Midwest, the Southwest can hang with your Autumn lifestyle too! 

To start the weekend off I have a fun DIY Halloween project to share. A few weeks ago at a Goodwill 50% Off Saturday sale (my favorite day) I found a wreath that was in pretty good shape, a bag of skulls and an impulse buy...a rubber rat. 

Oh how fun does this look right?!?!  So to start, I pulled off all the plastic shit from the wreath, which like I said was in really great condition. 

I know...I debated keeping this pretty lady all natural, but ended up dressing her up in a little black glossy dress. At first I didn't plan on alternating the skulls, but got a bit spray paint happy and decided to make those dead heads silver. 

Welp, loved the silver dead heads...but they had lost all definition...who knew that happens when you become a skeleton. My lil guys need some glam and glitz, which was easily taken care of with some sparkle infused black paint. 

Then came out the guns...the hot glue gun that is. I originally planned on doing a all skull wreath, but I quickly changed my mind when I was like...this is so boring I need some color up in here! Well remember those fake ass flowers I ripped off in the beginning...a few of them made the cut. 

And remember the impulse buy...the rat...she ended up the star of the show! 

See...I told you it would be fun! 

What fun Halloween decor are you all doing? 

xoxo, Jess

Sparkle Pumpkins

I have held out long enough, but now that it is October, and the temp as dropped to under 100 I can officially start FALL & HALLOWEEN decorating! This fall I plan to do some legit decorating, because this is the first year that we live in a single family home rather than an apartment complex for the season...and I am so so so excited to get my craft on for it! 

Fall Decorating Phase 1: Pumpkins Sparkle Pumpkins
I usually do some sort of Sparkle Pumpkins around this time of year, and this year I am starting with some small ones for indoor, but plan on doing some larger ones for the front porch area. 

In the past I have used loose glitter to decorate the small pumpkins, but that gets real messy, even for this glitter lover...I draw the line when it is all up in my throat and eyeballs. This year...sequins! I initially started out hot gluing the sequins on, but that did not work well with the pumpkins waxy surface, so I quickly switched to Elmer's Craft Bond clear dual tip glue pen, which worked great.

I had picked up some roses from Trader Joe's and arranged them into clear vases, added the pumps and a couple gourds and wha lah...sparkly fall centerpiece. Oooohh how I love fall! 

And if you want to add a Halloween-y touch, throw in some skulls...or spiders...or zombie eyeballs....or blood sucking vamp fangs....what ever tickles your halloweeny! 

Happy October & decorating to all! 

xo, Jess

Grandpa's Chili

The hardest part of living in Arizona for me is not the heat, but the lack of seasons. Yes, it cools down in Fall & Winter, but there are no crisp Autumn days surrounded by beautiful trees with leaves in every warm color tone. I MISS MIDWEST FALL!!! I just want a damn crisp Fall day! Since that is not going to happen anytime soon I decided to just pretend it was a cool crisp day...inside by cranking the AC, putting on a sweater and cooking up some chili. 

The only chili I ever had growing up was my Grandpa's Chili. I never met my mom's dad, he passed away while my mom was pregnant with me. I always feel like when I make his chili that I did meet him and it is really special to me. It really is the best chili and my mom may kill me for sharing his secret recipe, but I think the world deserves to have a taste! So here it is world, you're welcome! 

I hope you enjoy as much as my family and I do! 

xo, Jess