Life Lately: November 2016

I’m not sure how it’s possible today is the last day of November. As much as I love sharing my travels, fashion picks, and favorite reads, I realized I haven’t shared anything about our life lately on the blog in the last month. Today, I wanted to share some highlights of our month.

November was such a fun month filled with family and friends. The month started out with two fun parties: a make-your-own pizza party with the residents in Christopher’s program, and a girls’ lunch put on by a friend. Isn’t this cake from the girls’ lunch adorable?

Date nights with Christopher are my favorite. I am always looking up Groupons and other restaurant deals, so we can go as much as possible. Some favorites this month were Village Burger Bar, Café Madrid, and Peggy Sue’s Barbecue.

When we aren’t going on dates, we have been cooking together from the new Skinnytaste Cookbook. We love that Skinnytaste Fast and Slow features both quick recipes and delicious crockpot meals. Our favorite meal so far has been the baked fish and chips with slow cooker strawberry and peach cobbler for dessert. When I was flipping through the categories, there were so many unique dishes I wanted to try. We are slowly going through the cookbook, but I can already tell it will be one of my favorites!

I received a free copy of Skinnytaste Fast and Slow through Blogging for Books, but all opinions are my own.
We loved going to a focus group for new brunch items at Taco Diner. It was so fun to try ten different options and share our opinions. My favorite was their new eggs benedict.

After the focus group, Chris and I went on a blate with Emma and her husband, who were visiting from London! It was so fun to get to know them, and I can’t wait to visit them in England sometime!

Christmas came a little early for us this year when we decided to go to ICE! at the Gaylord Texan. A full recap of our visit is here, but we had the best time seeing all the stunning ice sculptures.

Thanksgiving was the best this year. I loved seeing all my Red Army girls and my little brother (more on that here) at our big Russian Thanksgiving. On Friday morning, we headed out of town to visit my in-laws. We had Thanksgiving with them on Friday and had a family Thanksgiving with his dad’s side of the family on Saturday. Chris was able to get Monday off work, so we stayed till Monday afternoon. It was the best to have an extended amount of time with them and not have to rush home quickly!

What was your favorite part of November?

Linking up with Kristen and Gretchen.

Thanksgiving Fashion Inspired by Happiness Boutique

Companies with social initiatives are my favorite. There’s nothing better than buying something and feeling like you contributed to a great initiative. When Happiness Boutique contacted me for a collaboration, and I discovered that not only do they sell gorgeous jewelry, but their social initiative is to spread happiness, I couldn’t say yes fast enough!

I love how jewelry can completely transform your outfit. When I searched through Happiness Boutique’s extensive inventory, I was on the hunt for two statement necklaces for the fall: one to wear with casual outfits and another one for going out. It was seriously so hard to narrow my choices down to two when there were so many gorgeous pieces. I even asked Chris for help! With the two necklaces I picked out, I put together three looks perfect for Thanksgiving.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them, I get a tiny commission!
Casual Thanksgiving
I love putting together casual outfits and dressing them up with a fun necklace. For a casual Thanksgiving, I picked out this gorgeous honeybee statement necklace.

I love how it looks with my mustard boatneck tee from Loft (currently on sale!) and my Old Navy Rockstar skinny jeans in glorious pine. I was a little worried because the necklace felt heavy when I first picked it up, but I didn’t feel it at all when I put it on!

Formal Thanksgiving
Russian parties are always on the formal side, so I wanted a sparkly necklace to go with the dress I picked out for this year’s Russian thanksgiving. Since my houndstooth dress (similar) is a little busy, I went with the vintage jewels statement necklace.

I love how the necklace brings a little sparkle without clashing with the dress.

Casual Thanksgiving with a Formal Twist
Thanksgiving at my in-laws’ house is the complete opposite of our Russian Thanksgiving. They prefer all things casual, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with that! One of my favorite things to do is to pair a fancy necklace with a casual outfit.

I love how my dainty statement necklace looks with the rust-colored top from H&M (sold out) and olive green pants from JCPenney.

Happiness Boutique is based in Germany, but it offers free shipping worldwide. I was impressed by the quality of the necklaces, and I love that they have a customer reward program (who doesn’t like earning free stuff?). If you want a gorgeous necklace of your own, Happiness Boutique is currently offering my readers 10 percent off with the code thesiberianamerican.

I received two complimentary necklaces from Happiness Boutique, but all opinions are my own.
What are you wearing to Thanksgiving?

Friday Favorites: The Mountains Are Calling

We leave for our Tennessee and North Carolina road trip early tomorrow morning! We have been really looking forward to this trip. With everything that has happened this year (and the trips we have had to cancel), we are so ready to relax together and see a beautiful part of the country. I’ll be snapping our trip, so follow me on SnapChat (SiberianOlya) if you are interested!

One.
We were worried that we wouldn’t see any fall color since the only time Chris could get off is early in the season, but I checked a park camera today and did see a little color! I know it won’t be the spectacular fall foliage that happens later in the month, but I will take what we can get!

Two.
Christopher’s schedule is slowly getting harder and harder, so we are taking advantage of the time we do have together. Now that the weather is cooler, we love walking to dinner dates at places close to us or if he gets home late, we spend a longer time walking the dog. It’s been so nice to make time once a week to hang out together while it’s still possible.

Three.
Speaking of possible, I was worried we wouldn’t make it to the State Fair of Texas this year because of our trip. Chris had to switch the weekends he works to make the trip happen, and I figured getting out of town was more important than the fair. It turns out, though, that Chris is only working till noon on the last weekend of the fair, so we are going on a double date! I’m so excited it worked out since I know the next few years will be tougher.

Four.
I talked about it a bit in my Currently post, but after not buying anything for months, all I want to do lately is shop. I think knowing it’s fall and it being my favorite season for clothes, I want everything I see. Plus, there have been some amazing sales lately! Anyways, I am trying hard to put myself on another spending freeze until Black Friday, but who knows if I stick to it.

Five.
When I wrote my post on five reasons I love fall, I didn’t mention the food. I love that it is finally cool enough in Texas to eat soup and chili. We had chili this week, and I basically want to eat it every day now. (If you are interested in our favorite chili recipe and other fall favorite, check out last year’s post).

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! 

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Five Reasons I Love Fall

Like most of my blogger friends, I am obsessed with all things fall! I can’t help but feel giddy when the season is approaching, even when Texas hasn’t decided to get with the program yet (It’s currently 93 with a “real feel” of 98. That is not OK.) I could make a list of 100 things I love about fall, but for your sake (and mine), I decided to stick to five for this post.

The chill in the air

In The Great Gatsby, Jordan says “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” I know that feeling so well. That first chill in the air feels like a renewal. A new beginning. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.

Fall color

Hi, my name is Olya, and I am obsessed with fall color. We went on a fall color cruise for our fifth wedding anniversary, and everyone called us “the young couple” because we were the youngest there by about 30 years (there was actually a few more people our age, and they sat us all together at dinner). I didn’t care because I got to eat lobster rolls and see these amazing colors at Acadia National Park. Last year, I planned day trips on Christopher’s days off to see fall color. (If you are in the Midwest, I recommend both Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois.) This year, we are going on a road trip in October to the Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains. I think fall color is magical, and I hope that never changes.

Apple cider

Here’s where we probably have a difference of opinions. Apple cider is by far my favorite fall drink. Give me a back porch, a good book, and some apple cider to drink, and I’m the happiest girl in the world. I’m not a huge coffee drinker (crazy, I know), so I can’t get behind the pumpkin spice latte. I must admit I do love a white peppermint mocha during the holidays, though.

Clothes

I think fall is the best season for clothes! You get to wear light sweaters, plaid, boots, and cute cardigans without having to cover everything up with a jacket all the time.

Texas State Fair

For me, The Texas State Fair and fall go hand in hand. I love everything about it, especially the crazy food. I’ve been to many fairs and festivals and think nothing else compares. I missed it when we couldn’t go last year, so I am really looking forward to going this year. If you are ever planning a trip to Dallas, try to make it during the state fair!

What's your favorite thing about fall? 

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Six Books I Read This Fall

I mentioned recently that I have changed my 2015 reading goal to 100 books, so I have been reading every chance I get. Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite reads so far this fall.

The Weight of Feathers by Anne-Marie McLemore 
c/o NetGalley 
This book was a modern-day Romeo & Juliet with two rival traveling performer families who hate each other. It was so well written, and I loved both Lace and Cluck.

Morning Glory by Sarah Jio 
I love Sarah Jio, and Morning Glory was no exception. I didn't love it as much as some of her books, but Penny and Ada both appealed to me as strong women going through tough times. I loved the houseboat setting, and the mystery was well done.

The Bollywood Bride by Sonali Dev 
c/o NetGalley
I was honestly surprised by how much I loved this book. The writing was beautiful, and the characters were well developed. I loved learning more about Indian-American life, especially the wedding rituals. I loved both Ria and Vikram. The intensity and tension was so evident between them that I felt it while reading. Though parts of the book were dark, the plot was unique, and I finished the book wanting to know more about the future of the characters.

The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Block 
c/o NetGalley
This book grabbed me at the first page and didn't look go. The plot was interesting-a catatonic girl arrives at the psych ward who does not know her identity, and Dr. Goodman becomes obsessed with finding out who she is. The plot twist at the end was fantastic. I can usually figure out what is going to happen before it happens, but this twist blindsided me. I loved this book and can't wait to go back and read Little Black Lies!

Wherever There Is Light by Peter Golden 
c/o NetGalley
Wherever There Is Light is a beautiful historical fiction romance about a Jew and an African-American who fall in love even though society forbids it. It takes you on a journey from the 1930s to post-war Paris as Julian and Kendall grow up to figure out who they areas individuals and whether they can be together. The writing is beautiful, the characters are well-developed, and the story kept me interested. I didn’t love the ending, but I still think the book is worth a read.

Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams 
c/o NetGalley
I can't say enough about how much I love Beatriz Williams. This is the third book she has written about the Schulyer sisters, though each book can stand alone. I thought Vivian was my favorite Schulyer sister until I read about Pepper. I loved her spunk and strong attitude as she faced being pregnant after an affair with a powerful politician. She finds an abandoned car, helps restore it, and sells it to Annabelle, the woman who used it to escape Germany in the 1930s. This book is told in a dual-timeline format with Annabelle's story (1930s) and Pepper's story (1960s) intertwining. Each section was so interesting that I couldn't stop reading and only didn't finish it in one night because I didn't want to be delirious for the ending. The ending was just as great as I thought it would be. Along the Infinite Sea is a beautiful story of love, loss, heartbreak, and hope. I can't wait to read what Beatriz Williams writes next!

What have you been reading lately? I love reading suggestions!

Our Fall Adventure at Starved Rock State Park

We have been on a mission to see as much fall color as we can this year, so on one of Christopher’s days off, we decided to go on a fall color tour at Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby, Illinois, about two hours from Chicago. The tour included a lunch, a fall colors trolley tour, and a guided hike to Council Overhand and Ottowa Canyon.

When we do day trips, I usually look for boat or trolley tours, so we can see as much of the area as we can. The trolley tour gave us a nice overview of the park and gave us an idea of which canyons to visit when there are waterfalls in the spring. It was relaxing to sit back and enjoy the beautiful weather and fall foliage all around us.

The guided hike to Ottowa Canyon was easy (though I almost slipped on the mud a few times) but it was worth doing for the beauty. The sandstone and the size of the canyon was striking, and it was interesting to hear that the Council Overhang got its name because they think Native Americans used to meet in that area.

After our tour, we hiked over to Starved Rock and Lover’s Leap for stunning views of fall foliage and the Illinois River. The trail is mostly paved, but it does require many steps to get to the top of the overlooks. The views from the top are worth every step.

Chris and I had so much fun exploring Starved Rock State Park that we hope to have a chance to come back in the spring to see all the waterfalls.