Food for Fashion and Amethyst Jeans

Yesterday, Denim Therapy Blog posted a snippet about Amethyst Jeans on their "Daily Dose". Amethyst Jeans is a Connecticut based denim company specializing in junior jeans. They are known for their innovated marketing such as the Jean Machine Truck. This holiday season they are taking the philanthropy one step farther. Partnering with Big-Y Supermarkets, they are partaking in the Food for Fashion. Amethyst Jeans will be giving away a new pair of jeans in exchange for money, perishable food, or the Sack Hunger Bags. Their hopes is that people will not only donate money or perishable food but will also in turn give their jeans to charity as well. Keep an eye out at your local Big-Y in Connecticut for the Amethyst Jean crew.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Just one year ago I was in Paris experiencing one the most amazing Thanksgiving celebrations I have ever had. I got to experience the American tradition in Paris, France with my API family. I am still thankful for that experience everyday.

Early this week I was granted "backstage" access to Thanksgiving Mayhem at A Little Something Bakery. (It helps that I am related to the owner, but still.) Preparing for a holiday, such as Thanksgiving, takes weeks of planning, preparation, and multiple sets of hands. A Little Something Bakery successfully completed their third Thanksgiving just a few short weeks after loosing power for 5 1/2 days in Winter Storm Alfred. This devastation did not stop bake shop owner Beth Bolton who still has much to be thankful for this holiday. Local newspaper, West Hartford News, even wrote a lovely article about the bakery. Read it here!

Baking for Thanksgiving at a bakery is very different from baking a few pies at home. Instead of using a recipe that yields one pie, one uses a recipe that yields 8-10 pies. A Little Something Bakery's Thanksgiving menu was not short of sweet treats. There was the traditional pumpkin, apple, and southern pecan pies. Other flavors and desserts were thrown into the mix such as a Pumpkin Cheesecake and a Caramel Brownie Puddle Tart. I snapped a few photos of the hard working employees baking away...after hours mind you. Baking is not all to preparing for the holiday either. There needs to be plenty of room to display the product, boxes need to be made to put the pies in once they are sold, and orders need to be put aside and assembled.









My favorite photo? The turkey cupcakes, how adorable!

I Love Couponing

There is a newpaper vending machine near my office. I noticed a few weeks back that the Hartford Courant machine had an "I Love Coupons" ad. Everytime I happened to walk by I forgot to take a picture. Once I did remember, it was replaced. How sad! BUT, last week I noticed it was back. Yay!! I snapped a photo with my Blackberry and just had to post it here!

Day 4: No Power but still Couponing!

Today is the fourth day that I have no power at home. Saturday night the Northeast got hit with a wicked snow storm causing more than 800,000 homes to be without power. Fortunately, at my house we have gas hot water and a gas cook top. We are still able to to cook hot meals and take hot showers. Using firewood from trees that have fallen down, out fireplace is being used to its full potential. The only downside for my family is that my mom's bakery has no power. As of day four, 94% of my town is without power, BUT the center of town has generator power therefore I have work. I am very lucky that I can go to work, have heat, and electricity because without, I would not be able to write this blog post.

Despite the troubles I have still found a way to coupon this week at CVS. There is a CVS in the center of town that still has power. Hooray! Sunday night I made my list the 'old fashioned' way with the newspaper ad, my coupon binders and a pad of paper: no online forum to help this week! It did not take as long as I anticipated and still turned out great. This week I tried the spend $30 (pre coupon) on selected products and receive a $10 gift card. This was not hard because it included staples such as toilet paper, paper towel, and batteries. I actually spent $45 pre-coupon (I received a CVS coupon for Covergirl Lipgloss so I stacked it with a manufacturers coupon). Therefore, yesterday I went back to spend the last $15 towards a second gift card and used the first one to help pay for it.

I left work early yesterday so that I could shower before it got too dark. However, before I did so, I went around and took pictures of the aftermath. Note that all these pictures are within a 1/2 mile radius of my house.