This weekend, I hosted a viewing party of one of my absolute favorite films, Valley of the Dolls.

It was everything I hoped it would be. Only Jamie and I had seen the film before, and we loved living the camp and high drama through these VOTD virgins. We applauded Neely’s cross-your-heart necklace:

…laughed uproariously when Neely and Tony Polar sang the duet in the kook house, and recoiled in disgust as a mascara-streaked and overserved Neely invoked God by the dumpsters in the climactic near final scene.

And let’s not forget the food! Our friends really deliver in this area. Most notably, Jamie made awesome cake and Dan made wonderful pumpkin cookies — along with the rest of the spread provided by Beth, Sarah and Eric. After all, nothing goes better with campy cautionary tales than some sugar and salt. Pictures below:

The “dolls.” (Or, rather, Mike and Ikes.)

Jamie teaches us all a lesson: don’t get between a woman and her cake.

Dan and Eric watch Neely in the kook house:

Today, we kicked fall into high gear with our semi-annual trip to a festive farm-like locale. Last year it was Didier Family Farms, and two years ago it was Dollinger Family Farms.

This time it was off to Ziegler’s Apple Orchard in Grayslake. My first apple orchard! $1 to pick and all-you-can-eat when in the orchard. And believe you me: I ate my weight’s worth in apples.

We kicked things off with breakfast at Lincoln Restaurant:

And then to the farm: