Nesting - my new hobby

Alas, I have completely moved my life and belongings into life's next chapter ({young} adulthood). Let's review some of the finer parts of this transition: salaries, routine schedules, office gossip and last, but certainly not least - my very own homestead. My new home - not to be confused with some ordinary-everyday-millions of people live in one-apartment. The best part of my residence is that it is exactly that - mine. It is in my name and therefore decorated just as I please. Thus the title of this blog posting - 'Nesting - my new hobby.' I find the act of purchasing things for my apartment and finding the perfect place for them absolutely exhilarating. Not only that, but I enjoy coming home from work and simply relaxing in my own space, on my own furniture with my own glass of wine or frosted beer mug. I assure you - should any of of my readers choose to visit there shall forever be one in the freezer awaiting your presence. Oh! And I almost forgot...thus far this move has been quite lovely. Apparently the people who lived here before me had dirty feet because the carpet was not up to par and thus I got all new, fresh carpet for my bare feet. Well that's all for now - more to come on additions to the a.p.t..

Cheers to all!

EMPLOYED BLOGGER!!!!

For those of my readers who did not receive an ecstatic phone call today - I got a job! I am officially employed and an adult! I wish that I could say it was because of my grand blogging and uber sarcastic remarks or my amazing people watching(judging) skills, but alas no, I owe my new employment to my incredible interviewing skills, etiquette and organization. Thank you Emily Post, Ms. Snodgrass (my former Cotillion teacher) and my mother for such great personal/personnel traits. More to come with the blog because I suspect my new job (that I only work so many Fridays with) will lead to more wine, friends and fabulous findings. Love to all and Cheers!!!

Be a Patriot - Drink Domestic!

After discussing this topic at length with a friend of mine today, I'd like to say a fellow blogger, but alas she does not have an online medium to rant and rave about life's little things. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, it is with our great freedom bearing country in mind that I encourage all of you to drink domestic this weekend in order to celebrate our nation's independence. No matter what you poison, I advise you to choose Miller Light over Corona, Ozarka over Fiji or a mature Napa Valley Merlot over an Italian Reserve Du Chateau Merlot.

RIP The King of Pop

Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

HOT HOT HOT

For those of my readers that do not live in Central Texas, I thought you would like to know what we are suffering through at the moment. We are under a heat advisory until Saturday evening and The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has asked to turn off large appliances and turn ACs up due to the fact we are nearing record amount of megawatts being used. I also saw on the news today we are a mere 5 degrees away from setting the hottest day on record, since 1845 in Austin - which incidentally is the first year they started keeping track of this nonsense weather. And to think it's not even July yet....Don't miss out on my blog about Freeze Pops I posted yesterday, for some reason it got put out of order, so please scroll down and salivate over them for a while!

Fabulous Findings - Coffee & Cabernet

Coffee & Cabernet...After a recent trip to Crate & Barrel, I fell in love with this (of course, over priced) coffee table that allows you to display whatever your heart desires in the middle of your living area. My mom and I being together, and both having quite the wine cork collections, we believe the best thing to place in such a piece would be your corks, outlined with bottles. Bottles with pretty labels or from good times with friends, or special dates.

Here is another fabulous table I found online. The base serves as the actual wine rack for full or empty bottles...

If nothing else these tables definitely serve as conversation pieces.

Fabulous Findings - Booze Bra

Yet another chapter of Fabulous Findings...."The Wine Rack" (think about it....) I'm not sure how I actually feel about this, but I assure you I have been in some social settings where I could have used it. This sports-esque bra is actually filled with the vino of your choice and then conveniently at your disposal via attached straw. I suppose the material is good for keeping white wine chilled, not sure how reds would work out. Do let me know if you ever come across someone using this, as I find it much better than the typical Camelback situated on one's backside - as it doubles its use for helping you survive unfortunate social surroundings and also supports the female's two God granted gifts requiring some support.

Cheers!

Weekend Success

Well, if you haven't heard already..."Fake Life" previously referred to as The Austin Social Club had quite the reunion this past weekend as we all got together to celebrate a beautiful wedding! Only because I love all of my friends dearly and wish to brag on them, here are some of our accomplishments of the weekend: we took approximately one decent (almost entire) group picture (see pic - also note that this was taken at the church, immediately following the ceremony), one of us gave the best man speech, 6 of us managed to take one cab and recreate a currently hilarious TV commercial (sung to the tune of...."ohhhh babyyyy...youuuuu), and we ALL managed to take over The Cabins. Note to self: if you are not quite sure what The Cabins are, do yourself justice and don't find out, for they are forever ruined. Oh well, that is really all I have to say about that. Once again, I advise each of you to reunite with some old friends!

Freeze Pops

Freeze Pops, Flavor Ice, Kool Ice...call them what you wish, but it has come to mind after approximately 21 summers that the Freeze Pop is the pinnacle of the summer season. This simplistic and delicious frozen treat comes to us in various flavors and colors that we shall all pretend are all natural juices and colors. On those hot summer days when there is no relief in sight of shade and personal fans with misters (wouldn't that be nice during an August summer in Texas), Freeze Pops' convenience yields themselves to the be the perfect summer snack. Now if only we could start making wine ones socially acceptable....a Pinot Pop if you will, or a Cool Chianti?

Cheers to you and yours!

Fabulous Findings

I have big dreams for this portion of my blog, so let's all just hope I can fulfill them! From now on whenever I come across interesting, crazy, useless things I shall be showcasing them on Red, Wine & Blue as the Finer Things (in someone else's) Life. This someone else is undoubtedly the inventor of the item, as the are clearly the only person really benefitting from such.

The first item is this wonderfully convenient wine glass-holder-necklace. To me, this is parallel to fashion's fanny pack....While very utilitarian, it just looks stupid and almost more trouble than it's worth....Let me know your thoughts....

Next item: Instant wine bottle cooler. This item however has no downfalls, as it is pure genius. Simply keep it in the fridge to freeze and bring it out when you need to quickly chill a bottle of vino. It wraps around the bottle to act like a sort of wine bottle koozie. I was lucky enough last night to receive one from a dashingly chic friend who just traveled abroad and informed me they are all the rage in Spain. I plan on using it this evening and will report back.....

Enjoy & Salud! (Cheers in Spanish)

Summer Reunions

So, now that high school and college have come and gone, times with close friends seem to be shorter and more spread out. Luckily summer is upon us and will allow for poolside afternoons, happy hours and late nights. This weekend is sketched to provide for quite the reunion as my very close knit group of friends from high school (scratch that, middle school) "The Austin Social Club" if you will, will rendezvous to celebrate a wedding of one of  our dear friends. Although we have been very good about keeping in touch and getting together whenever possible throughout college, this could prove to be quite the weekend as EVERYONE will be in town. Another reunion has already taken place this summer has I have been reunited with my hometown, Austin, and am already enjoying all the things I have missed over the past 4 years. 

Might I suggest that each of you spend some time of your own this summer and reunite, reconnect and rekindle with someone or something that hasn't been around in a while.

(Picture: The Austin Social Club a few years ago celebrating the end of summer)

Cheers!

Summer has arrived!

First and foremost, my apologies for the lack of blog updates...who knew that graduating from college and not having class and homework everyday would be so time consuming. Anyway, the finer things in life these days...summer has begun and the weekends are packed full of fun agendas. This weekend for example allowed for multiple happy hours, friend get togethers and the inaugural Beer Olympics hosted by a lovely couple whose backyard should be kept in your prayers after a downpour of rain during the festivities and 30 people trampling it. Each team was to consist of two males and 1 females - my team, The Lagers (yes, it was a lumberjack theme) made it to the Final Four. Which, if you were wondering was as good as being the champion, due to the games' inability to be completed as a response to some unfortunate events. Let me tell you that Beer Olympics Landmines - if you don't know what this is, you shouldn't be playing did its job. Other team names included: Nascar Nation, The Red Stripes (think Jamaican) and The Miller Knights. Pictures will be added soon, don't despair. This week will provide yet another finer aspect in life (mostly Fort Worth) as the Colonial Golf Tournament takes over the city with professional golfers and spectators. So tune in, as I will be in attendance multiple days....Picture: classic summer motto....

Cheers!

TGIF

Fridays - I have decided are the best days of the week. With a Friday you are granted so many things; an opportunity to get your life back together after Thursday's night of debauchery, a chance to sleep in (if you are without class or employment), and the ability to cross off so many lines on your to-do list (things I have/will cross(ed) off today: bank, laundry, clean bathroom). The remaining days of the week, if you are like me are monotonomous and boring, for lack of a better word. Not to mention Fridays allow you to welcome in the weekend with just as much fun as the last! This Friday, I shall be welcoming in family traveling both Northbound IH-35 and from the West Coast to celebrate my entering of adulthood after my college graduation!

Oh well, just a quick thought! Enjoy the day! TGIF! (historical reference of 'TGIF':http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGIF)

Cheers!

Girlfriends

After a high school career of having mostly guy (best) friends, college - let alone my private, female dominated college, has taught me that girlfriends offer so many things that the males species simply cannot. This past weekend three girlfriends and I set out on what was sure to be a bonding 24 hours away from the rest of our group. Friday night we enjoyed a wonderfully long dinner in Dallas over two bottles of wine and a make-shift birthday celebration. Of all the things we chatted about, we decided that it is true - you can in fact judge many venues by their bathrooms. After dinner, we watched the chick flick of all female flicks that shall remain nameless, just so I don't give away our utter pathetic-ness. (Side note: one girlfriend, a fellow blogger, entitles such a movie as Wedding Porn so use your imagination) Oh well, Saturday morning came quickly and off we went to Canton, Texas to antique our little hearts away. Only with girlfriends is one able to evaluate each individual that passes (let there be no mistake, both the trailer park residents and the Tiffany & Co wearing women attend such an event), consider investing a pet, and persuade you into making frivolous purchases. The ride home proved to be yet another bonding sanctuary as two of us rode in one seat with a chest of drawers and trunk in the back. I wouldn't have traded it for the world! Oh well, silly thoughts, yes, but still valid - no one can take the place of your girlfriends! -especially when they help you celebrate your last day of school (ever)!

The print is from an Austin artist that I adore, Kathy Womack. She has an entire collection of "Women & Wine" that I love and encourage you to take a look at on her website (kathywomackgallery.com).

Cheers!

P.S. Some of the finer things I acquired from our little trip: two silver trays, a wooden dough bowl to decorate with and a large brown bucket with a wrought iron handle to display my collection of wine corks in.

Red, Wine & Bluebonnets

Being from Texas and knowing that my state has the finest, most fabulous state flower there is gives me a whole new sense of pride! This time of year, when bluebonnets are in full bloom, there is nothing better than taking a long drive on a windey road and taking in all the wildflowers. As a child in Texas you learn from an early age that to mow over or even pick just one little bonnet is illegal. In Texas this is essentially treason - so beware Lone Star State visitors. Visit us yes, and feel free take a piece home with you (we specialize in Don't Mess with Texas paraphernalia), but please DO NOT pick our state flora. We have enough trouble from year to year hoping they will make it - what with too much or not enough rain. The precious blooms, are beautiful yes, but growing them to perfection is just about as difficult as getting the kiddies to smile when you put them in the middle of a field on a hot summer day when cars are rushing by in order to take the obligatory annual bluebonnet picture (see pic). With these pictures comes another one of the finer things in life in my opinion - little girls with big bows, but that is for another day. So, enjoy the pictures of the bluebonnets and forget about the rainy weather (and the swine flu).

Cheers!

Merrill

The Finer Things

Hello there! My name is Merrill and this is my blog dedicated to the finer things in life. In a little over two decades, I have decided these finer things are found in family, friendships, silver bracelets and wine. Thus, the topic of my blog and what I hope to share with you - the finer things. I am a native Texan (hence the blog title) who enjoys all things about my state, including its grapes. Join me in this online adventure as I explore the world of blogging as I share with you the wonderful, and sometimes not so great, things in life.