My Annie has a thing for bags of baby carrots, it seems. Two nights in a row now she has licked, caressed, nuzzled, and cuddled with the bag (no interest in the carrots themselves, however.) She’s an odd little duck!
(Taken with Instagram)

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I just love the way Annie chirps goodnight before curling up in her usual spot right at my side, purring softly all the while. It’s so calming… So therapeutic. Great way to end a long day.

So, I’ve got a snuggly kitty on one side – cuddly hubby on the other. I’m one lucky girl! But I will say that Annie’s noises are nicer… 😉

Apple & Brown Sugar Soy Chicken

Fall dinner. Apple and brown sugar soy chicken from the crockpot. Apple crisp for dessert. All courtesy of the millions of apples we picked in Charlottesville the other week! The house smells decadent 🙂

The meal itself was super easy to make. Chicken breasts. 1 cup of apple juice. A few tablespoons of lemon juice. 1/2 cup soy sauce. 1/2 cup brown sugar (or to taste.) Toss in a few apple slices, if you have them. Cook on low in the crockpot for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice!

The apple crisp was good but not worth sharing yet – I have a better recipe Ill try later!

(Taken with Instagram)

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Instagram

I discovered that if I add hash tags to my photos (legitimate ones that people would actually search for), my pictures get a LOT more exposure. It’s kind of exciting! Especially since Instagram is a good bit more anonymous than Facebook. It’s also a little sketchy, though. I tagged one photo with “girl friends” and another with “feet” and “pedicure”, and as it turns out – Instagram has weirdos. They need to update the app so we are able to delete comments… or is that already possible and I’m just missing it?

Anyway… I use hash tags all the time here on Tumblr, but it doesn’t seem to work for me quite like it did for Instagram. Maybe it’s better that way 🙂 Sometimes it’s better to lay low, but it’s also nice to have a random audience that enjoys what you have to share. So long as they’re nice! And totally not sketchy… ha!

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Lovely Virginia

           

This past weekend, Chuck and I went to Charlottesville – home of Monticello and the University of Virginia – to join some friends and family for Top of the Hops Beer Festival. Although the festival was a great time, I am not particularly a fan of beer, so we made it a point to go apple picking as well.

      

It turned out to be the most beautiful weekend, and we got to roam apple orchards and farmer’s markets in warm golden sunshine. We were able to picnic alongside old Virginian architecture and browse the orchard’s country shop. It’s fun to go back to my “home state” and get a taste of mountains and hills in comparison to the endless flat land of Coastal Carolina!

       

As I type, I’m actually enjoying one of the crisp, juicy apples that I hand-picked myself. We got so many – I’ll have to make a cinnamon apple crisp this weekend! Yummm. 🙂

       

Every morning when I open my eyes, there’s Annie sharing my pillow with me. I mostly get the back of her head or even her butt, but this morning we were practically face to face. This was moments before I pulled her under the covers with me! Such a warm and cozy lil’ fluff ball ❤

(Taken with Instagram)