Things Loved in September

1. A weekend of fun in the sun with some pretty damn fabulous women.

Back Row (L to R): Steph, Kelly, Marcia, Allison, Aly, Beth, and Kent
Front Row: Emily and me

In mid-September, some of my favorite girlfriends and I got together in Ft. Myers, Florida for a long weekend of talking, sunning, drinking, talking, eating, drinking, dancing, beaching, more drinking, more talking...and very little sleep. If more fun had been had it would have been illegal. (In fact, I'm not entirely sure some of it wasn't.)  I look forward to our weekend get-together all year, and this year was one of the best yet!

2.  This charming necklace, snagged from Charming Charlie for just $1!

This picture was taken with my cell phone, looking into a mirror. I will not be adding "Professional Blogger" or "Professional Picture-Taker" to my resume anytime soon.

3. Trader Joe's sea salt brownies.

I don't have a picture of these because:

1. I didn't have my cell phone on me.
2. I also didn't have a mirror on me.
3. I ate them before acquiring items #1 and #2. 

I'm not a sweets person, and I'm really not a chocolate person, so imagine my surprise when this tub of bite-sized brownies fell into my cart and soon thereafter my mouth.  I blame the large "Sea Salt" scrolled across the front of the label?

What?  Salt??

Yes please.

They were so good I'm never buying them again.

4.  My birthday boot at the Essen Haus!

About to make this boot my bitch.

If you're ever in Madison, WI and not sure what to do for fun--check out the Essen Haus and order yourself (well, your whole table, actually) a boot of beer. 

Commence fun-having. 

The Essen Haus boot is two liters (early 68 ounces) of German brewed goodness, served in a large glass boot to be passed around and shared with your tablemates. Rules for the boot-drinking game include things like the boot must never touch the table, and the last person to drink from the boot before the person who finishes it must buy the next boot.  If it looks like you're going to finish the boot, everyone you're with starts pounding on the table (at which point people at the tables around you stop what they're doing and join in the table-pounding) to cheer you on in your chugging...which is exactly what happened seconds after the above picture was taken as I drained that sucker. 

And that, my friends, is how you celebrate a birthday in Wisconsin.