Happy November 1st! A new month has arrived! Time to look back over my favorites from October. I think it’s a pretty good mix of events, products, food, and people this time around.
Favorite #1
Yes! I scored cheap tickets to Phantom of the Opera while it was playing at Bass Hall in Ft. Worth! Starting on Sunday Sept. 29th, Broadway Direct hosted a daily raffle. If you entered and had your name selected, you got $25 tickets. The cheapest regular-priced tickets were a little over $75. I entered every day and finally had my name selected on Wednesday the 2nd to attend Thursday evening’s performance!
First Big Eagle and I had dinner at Pizzeria Uno. Then we walked to Sundance Square and had time to sit and stroll around the fountain there before walking over to Bass Hall.
Bass Hall is such an elegant venue! I am in awe whenever I attend an event there.
It was a gorgeous evening to be outside in downtown Ft. Worth. I only brought along a sweater in case it was chilly inside the theater.
Speaking of inside the theater…it was just breathtaking! I would have taken more pictures of the inside, but I could tell the pictures weren’t doing it justice. The set was amazing, too! If you know the story of Phantom, then you know about the legendary chandelier. This thing was spectacular, especially when it was all lit up and the music was pulsing through you.
It looks small in this picture, but it was HUGE! I can only imagine what it must have been like for the patrons who were sitting directly under it! Yep, Phantom was definitely a favorite of October. We LOVED it!
Favorite #2
My friend and former colleague Lynn introduced me to this snack mix. She use to bring a portion of it to each teacher on our team every fall. Since we retired back in 2010, I’ve made it myself every fall. I used to make it from October 1st until Thanksgiving. And I would always save some to take to our granddaughters, or I would make it with them. Last year I didn’t make it at all, because we were really watching our waistlines, and the girls are in Nigeria now. This year I made one batch, and it’s just about gone. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and the easiest thing to make. Just equal parts of candy corn, dry-roasted peanuts, and M&M’s.
Helen made her own this year in Nigeria! 😍 It is a definite October/fall favorite!
Favorite #3
A few months ago with the help of my daughter Cara, I discovered a new clothing store that I love. It’s called Atlar’D State. They had a big sale earlier this month, and I ordered two items.
This blue top was originally $59.95 marked down to $34.99, and I bought it for $17.49! The earrings were originally $17.95, and I got them for $4.99. I was so impressed by the packaging, too!
Inside was this beautiful bookmark and lovely scented potpourri bag, neither of which I ordered. Such a nice touch! Receiving these items was an October favorite happening!
Favorite #4
This is an October favorite that just made my heart SING! On the first Friday of the month the mailman delivered this:
A letter from each of my granddaughters! There is pretty much no better way to make my day. I loved reading the words they wrote. I read both letters a few times. Then I made sure to quickly write them back.
Favorite #5
Our trip to Florida to attend Big Eagle’s 50th high school reunion was a favorite of October, too! It was so great to see his mom and sister and my sister and niece while we were there, as well as his high school buddies and their wives. In case you missed it and are interested, I blogged about it here.
In this picture are our friends Scott & Linda, me, Big Eagle (seated), and Al & Luci at the Friday night Meet & Greet. Scott, Al, and Big Eagle all were in high school together. Btw, I’m wearing that Altar’D State top in this shot.
Favorite #6
I ordered 3 spider lilies from Southern Bulb Company about 5 years or so ago. They did fine the first year, and then I slacked off and let the weeds overtake them. Haven’t seen them again. I was sure they were gone for good, but then…
…one popped up this October! It was a foot or so away from where I had planted the originals, too. What a pleasant surprise!
Favorite #7
Gotta keep up with the honeymooners, right? Here’s my favorite picture that Danny & Erin texted me in October.
They were in Albania when they took this picture. I love seeing them so happy!
Favorite #8
Be still my heart! Cara put this picture in her photo stream with the caption, “All girls want to marry their daddy!”
And this picture of both granddaughters in their Halloween costumes is a solid favorite. 😍😍
Favorite #9
I actually purchased this selfie stick back in April, but I misplaced it and couldn’t find it for the last few months. In late September, I finally unearthed it.
The two things I love most about it are how compact it is and that it has a built-in tripod for hands-free use. You can click here to see it on Amazon. I’ve been practicing with it this past month.
Here’s one pic I took with it that I used in a previous post. I’m trying to get more comfortable with posting pictures of myself in case I decide to participate in some of the style link-ups fellow bloggers are hosting.
Favorite #10
Last, but not least! We’re FINALLY having enough cool days to start making soups, stews, and chili … YAY! One of my favorite soups to make all winter long is this Sausage Minestrone Soup.
I made a BIG pot of it a couple of weeks ago. I’ll be posting step-by-step directions for making it in the near future, so that’s something to be watching for.
Good-bye, October! What a great month! November is going to have a hard time living up to it’s predecessor. What were the highlights of your October? I hope it held lots of favorites for you, too. If you’d like to share about them or anything at all in the comments, please do!