Fave Rave: The Fall Festival, Pt. 2

 I'm back, (yay! Internet service!  Verizon sucks btw)

And nearly a month later I can finally bring you the second half of that Fall Festival Fave Rave. 

Part 2 consists of 

the PEOPLE, the PRIZES, and the PARTY 

(er, lack thereof...this is Evansville we're talking about).

First up, the typical festival goer....be it a ponytail or a tattoo showing some love for their fellow hoosier.

These two types, they fit right in.

You've also got your food booth friends.  

Although, um....this lady just flat out scares me.  I don't like where her gaze is going.

(and I was oblivious to it the whole time...should've known something was up; she was selling turkey testicles for goodness sake)

And lest we forget the favorite fetch of all festivals:

BEHOLD THE CARNIE!!!

Phew!  Thank goodness for my lil' partner in crime, 

Sew Me Some Love,  

to take me back to a fashionable place.

Next up...what I call a PARTY!
A party on my wrist....
in the form of a wristband equalling unlimited RIDES!
CARNIVAL RIDES (w/no hands)=INSTANT PARTY

And clowns...clowns are at parties, right?

(but please creepy-clown man, leave my friend outta this)

And THE PRIZES!

What's a carnival without winning some loot?

Especially the uber cheap quality stuff that wayyyyy too many people spend wayyyyy too much money on trying to win for their silly girlfriends.

You gotta play to win...

So someone tell me where my fave game, Elvis the Racing Mouse was this year?

Yeah, crap...I had to settle for this mouse instead, soooo not Elvis the Racing Mouse.

Yeah I played alright, about $10 later I walked away empty handed.

As if I was expecting to walk away with a real prize or something...

No way in heck is/was anyone ever going to win a bounty of a prize like a Brown Bear.

I should've known to stick to the "Winner Everytime" crap.

Ummmmm like the poster/dart toss game.  EASY!

I was a bit wiser than the winner everytime game, though.  No need to waste my money on a Taz and Bugs shoot'n hoops poster when I can charm a carnie with my smile...
enough so that he's fooled by my age.

muahahahhahahahaha!

And yay!

Kelly and I left the Fall Festival with prizes in hand.

I suppose since this is a personal style blog, you all might be slightly interested in what I'm sporting other than a stuffed yellow accessory, right?

Wearing (on 10/8/10):

Yellow stuffed banana-Fall Festival

Black faux leather vest-Beacon's Closet 

(found $2 in the pocket upon purchase btw)

Ivory gauzy tunic-H&M

Skinny Jeans-Uniqlo

Black booties-Steve Madden

Black printed scarf-Express

Silver purse-Cole Haan

And lets not forget the SCORPION BUTTON, presented to me upon purchase of my scorpian pop as seen in previous post.

And that folks....that's what I call my FAVE RAVE in terms of my hometown of Evansville, Indiana.

Nothing quite beats the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival as is apparent in both pt. 1 and pt. 2.

So if ever you're in southern Indiana come the first full week of October (also known as my birthday week) 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE witness this spectacle for yourself!

And friends, a big fat huge MUAH!  Thanks so much for standing by patiently while my internet service got all its kinks worked out.  I have my fingers crossed we're back up and running here at home for good.  Which means I hope you all come back and frequent my pages once again.  I'm working on a little giveaway of sorts to show my appreciation for all those that didn't leave me just because of a few technical difficulties over the past month and a half.

But I'm back...hopefully for a while...and this little giveaway I mention, well I already got a part of it, and let's just say I'm having a hard time parting with the goodies myself.

Yeah, keep checking back, once I get it all together, the details will be here!

xoxoxo

FAVE RAVE: the FALL FESTIVAL, Pt. 1

Ok, remember how I mentioned on the Nashville leg of my vacation there was some weight gain going on? 

Well below, you're about to witness, how it was possible for me to gain a whopping 10lbs in one week!

I present to you the one and only cool thing that ever happens in my hometown:

The Evansville West Side Nut Club Fall Festival!!!

A fave rave for sure as I grew up going to this festival every year.  And somehow 12 years had gone by since I made it back home for the annual festival.  I knew this year, I couldn't let an opportunity to attend pass me up.  Oh and I made the most of it...going on average 2x/day for lunch and dinner.

And let me add, the Fall Festival is pretty much just a freakin deep fried food festival. 

(sure there's rides and games, but we all go for the fried fattiness and novelty foods they offer to townies that call Evansville home.)

The Fall Festival took up 7 of my 10days of vacation, so naturally I have to seperate the fun into a two parter blog post.

So part #1 of this fave rave: THE FOOD!

Taking in the food-y fun with me were my hometown blogger girls (and my psuedo lil' sisters),

Sew Me Some Love (on the left) and Alex's Wonderland (on the right)

As well as their friends, Lalalaurynnn (on the left) and MondoMandy (on the right)

It seems one of the main goals of the Fall Festival is to offer up interesting deep fried treats.  I keep mentioning "deep fried" because seriously, no joke, about 95% of the edible goodness is just that:

DEEP FRIED!

Every year they try to outdue the year before by introducing the Evansvillians to regular foods just FRIED.

Such as the case was with the Deep Fried Greenbeans shown below.

-I should mention, these were eaten by Alex's Wonderland who also has a wonderful food blog known as Wonderland Kitchen

So I'd like to think she knows a thing or two about good tasty food considering she appears to be quite the chef herself.  I believe she took a liking to these green beans.

Not being a huge veggie lover myself, and definitely not a fan of green beans, I opted out of sampling.

I cannot tell you what I think of them.

Something I have always, and will always, munch on when attending the Fall Festival would be the

GIANT TEXAS TENDERLOIN!

Sooooooooooooooooo good!

-The one shown here was ingested by Lalalaurynnn, she can attest to its tastiness I'm sure.

And then there's the medly of deep fried mixed veggies

-Again I did not partake in samplings of these.  No thank you!

But apparently they're not so bad. (Unless you ask my highschool BFF, Abbey, who would tell you differently as she tasted them earlier in the week).

But readers, just when you thought the deep fried goodness couldn't get any better...I present to you the "REAL DRAW" of the Fall Festival this year:

DEEP FRIED TURKEY TESTICLES!

In an attempt to gross you all out, I did try to purchase these, and I was going to show you all photos of me shoving testicles in my mouth.  (remember, I'm classy like that...uhhhh)

-Unfortunately, come Friday night, they had sold out of all 600lbs of testicles!

Yeah, 600lbs!!!!!!!!! 

Evansville, YOU ARE GROSS!

yet, I was completely willing to partake in this too now that I think of it.

With turkey testicles not being an option, Kelly and I went for the next grossest thing we could find.

I chose a lollipop with a Scorpian in it!

I was rewarded with a button that looks exactly like this sign--of course to prove how "tough" I am, I promptly added the button to my gang vest's flair once I was back in NYC.

Now here's the real kicker, while the scorpian itself was nothing other than "crunchy" his legs did keep getting stuck in my teeth! 

hahahahahaha, are you vomitting yet?

(SideNote added 10/27/10: Kelly reminded me of the best part of the scorpion lolli....I can't believe I forgot to mention this...but at one point, after biting off a few legs, I flung my sucker around surely when talking which leads to me making flamboyant gestures with my hands,landing it smack dab in a townies' hair!  Poor girl...I ripped out a strand of long blonde locks.  Kinda funny to me of course...she was probably thinking otherwise.  I promptly threw my sucker away after that.  Damn!)

Kelly opted for a Creepy Crawlie.

Essentially the same thing as my sucker, only with a worm inside!

She was rewarded with a button looking like the sign below.

So for $3.00 a pop, it was well worth grossing you guys out!  Scorpian pops are rad!

(Let it be known, the last time I was at the Fall Festival 12yrs ago, I ate a chocolate covered cricket--notice they were sold out according to the price list below)

Oh West Side Nut Club Fall Festival...thank you for the 10lbs I gained, and then had to work off when I returned back to NYC (I felt disgusting to say the least)!

Good food, good friends, and good times!!!!!!!

xoxo FAVE RAVE GIVEAWAY xoxo

Just in time to show all my lil' followers how much they're appreciated...

a very long awaited, perhaps anticipated (??)

GIVEAWAY!!!

I thought a little surprise goodie bag filled with some of my favorite things will make Valentine's Day just that much better!

So forget about...

THE CRUSH

A ROSE

AND CANDY GOODNESS...

'CAUSE MY FAVE RAVE GIVEAWAY IS

THAT MUCH SWEETER!

Rules for Entry:

*Make sure you are following this blog

(click "follow"-located on right side bar)

*Leave a comment on this post

Simple as that--You'll be entered for a chance to win.

And don't forget to check out my FAVE RAVES !!

____________________________________________________________________

(Winner will be chosen on Sunday, Feb. 14th, 2010 @11:00pm eastern time)

FAVE RAVE: DARKROOM

9 out of 10 manicures I get, result in using

SEPHORA by OPI's DARKROOM

(See Sephora.com for details)

My fondness of dark colors started when I had my first bottle of Wet N Wild's classic BLACK.

(As I'm sure you've all owned at one point or another as well).

Then in college I got my first real manicure,

(I know, right? Forget what my nails looked like before then....YIKES!)

for my sister's wedding. I chose O.P.I.'s BLACK TIE AFFAIR; and it was love all over again.

Then a few years ago, we all feel for Lincoln Park After Dark, in fact I still use it. And then the following autumn brought RUSSIAN NAVY, MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW, etc etc etc...

But of all those colors, while tried and true, I have yet to fall for them quite as I have DARKROOM!

I love the deep, almost black shade, with the undertones of green and teal.

In real life it comes out so dark that you almost have to do a double take at times to realize it's true color.

Shown below, the lighting (not my hand or picture by the way)must be hitting in all the right ways because the dark green of it all is really showing.

It's a classy and chic, yet maintains a girl's need to sometimes look like a "bad-ass".

(And it looks pretty cool when it starts to chip too!)

As we gear up for spring, I'll of course opt for some bright cheery colors here and there.

But I'm certain I'll somehow manage to keep Darkroom in my usual mani/pedi routine.

Just because the weather eventually will warm, doesn't mean I have to rid my life of my favorite nail polish shade! Season appropriateness be damned!

So Darkroom...you're alright by me!

______________________________________________________________

Putting together these quick pics, I came across some awesome nail blogs.

And once again my curiousity and secret love for nail art is ready to come out and play.

(On occasion I've been known to take sides with the chicks who're rockin' some crazy get-up on their nailbeds. Sometimes it just beats a boring solid color like those uptown lassies, no?)

Right now, I'm particularly fond of what I saw on NailArtWorld's Dec. 30, 2009 post:

"Happy New Tiger Year"

You might notice her leopard print/tiger stripe nail-art.

Well I was inspired to whip out my Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen and go to work.

Unfortunately, Sally Hansen has let me down...and I have to give a big

THUMBS DOWN

to her Nail art Pen.

It blows!

So sorry, no leopard print nails for me, so no picture for you :(

FAVE RAVE: Marcia Brady

I've always been a fan of the Brady Bunch, particularly due in part to Marcia's style

--it was always my favorite.

I used to watch it in syndication around the time I was in junior high, that's when I first took notice. But it wasn't until about the age of 16 that I REALLY started to desire the contents of Marcia's closet. Even though that was the mid-nineties for me, I knew owning something like she had on would just make my life "so much more exciting and bright"

(CUTE DRESS ALERT!!!! )

Although it can be argued, Jan certainly gave Marcia a run for her money style-wise as the series came to an end. But c'mon, from the start, Marcia had a covetable wardrobe:

As for Cindy and the boys,

The verdict is still out.

(and from personal experience, I can tell you Greg Brady needs to dress A LOT better before he can act like the jerk he was the day I met him, and let's keep this in mind--I obviously did not meet him when he was cool; see above-where I mention "watching in syndication.")

Regardless, it's possible that after my little trip to Buffalo Exchange (a consignment shop in a nutshell for those not familiar) today, I can give Marsha a run for her money too!

Looks like I just need a belt and there you have it!

Although, sorry Marcia, I like my dress better.

It's certainly going to be a "SUNSHINE DAY" this summer when I wear my new cute dress.

So tell me, which one of you is having the backyard BBQ? I'd love to come over!

FAVE RAVE: Benetint Lip Balm

Ok, so I'm curious, what's your most fave rave of a make-up item?  

Or anything for that matter?

Although I've been in a long love affair with Bonne Belle Dr. Pepper flavored chapstick,

sometimes I cheat...

I've got to admit, I've got a thing for Benetint Lip Balm!

It's perfect for an inexperienced lipstick wearer as myself.

I'm no Gwen Stefani, so her signature red lips are not for me.

(I'm rarely even seen with full-fledged lipstick on this pout, guess I'm more of a gloss gal.)

Sooooo, when a girl wants a little more than a clear glossy shine, yet not an in-your-face hue, 

Benetint Lip Balm comes to the rescue...

-a sheer wash of color

-SPF 15

-a not so sticky/non-goopy formula

Really, what's not to love?  

(Especially when you're convinced all lipsticks just get all wierd in the corner of your mouth and create extra chapped, flaky-like lips

--oh wait, is that just me?)

Now, let's not forget about the Lip Balm's older, initial hit of a sister...

Benetint's Rose Stain.

While this is a more potent punch of color, great for lips or cheeks, I'll keep to my lip balm.

Although, I strongly suggest you try it if you're of the braver sort

(and really,unless you're living under a rock, seriously, who hasn't "sampled" it at Sephora?)

So yes.....clearly a FAVE RAVE in my life.

(now remember, tell me yours!  I want to rest assured I'm not the only one that gets overly giddy about gloss and girl stuff)

BTW, I'm almost out of my first pot...Yikes!

Lucky for me, back in the day, I scored a new one in my loot bag when I was at the IFB party.

Happy Day for me!!!!

Oh my gosh--I just realized I totally forgot to mention one of the very best aspects, 

The slight Rose Fragrance/and hint of rose-tinged flavor

(I know, who wants to taste roses?  Believe me, it's quite interesting-in a good way).

Fave Rave-TWO FOR THE ROAD

Much inspiration and many memorable moments are found in movies.  I've probably never been more taken by fashion in a movie moreso than when I saw my beloved Audrey Hepburn movie.

While most would assume it's the regular choice, Breakfast at Tiffany's, let me just inform you now; YOU'RE CLOSE, BUT NOT QUITE.

Of course Breakfast at Tiffany's has many iconic fashion moments, but to think it's at the top of my list, is to not have seen my ultimate movie FAVE RAVE:

TWO FOR THE ROAD

starring:   Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney

With costume design by: the one and only

PACO RABANNE!!!!!

Never before have I fallen in love with a movie for so many reasons:
-the storyline, classic
-the back and forth between past and present-awesome how it's shot and told
-the FASHIONS!!!

I warn you, my photo findings here do no justice to the eye candy and fashion frenzy in the actual movie.

It's Paco Rabanne doing what he's known for. I beg you.....SEE THIS MOVIE! See what I mean....you will not regret it, I promise!

And here, I present you my most favorite scene of the entire movie, it's at the end of the movie:

I could just DIE to OWN THIS DRESS! This image has never left my brain since the first time I saw the film. It's just simply stunning. I have no more words to describe it, or my feelings.

All I can say is this is by far, one of my top 5 all time FAVE RAVES!
Watch it this weekend, report back on your thoughts.

You can thank me later!