See Suzy Spin

My "Mr. Bomgardner"

2010-03-11T15:37:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it, check out my guy on the NY Times blog! I'm so seriously proud of who he is and what he does. I don't think you could find a more smitten girl. Anyway, World Vision has really been the perfect fit for Tim (and vice-versa, I believe). This is a great article about the NY World Vision Storehouse and some of the things they do for the community in the South Bronx and surrounding area.

The thing I really like about World Vision (that isn't always true about other humanitarian orgs) is their dedication to the communities that they are planted in. Of course, WV helps out during any major national and international crisis, just like the other big organizations, but the day-to-day happenings are just as important in communities such as the South Bronx. Did you know that it is the poorest congressional district in the country? One of my favorite Arrested Development songs is based on a Confucius saying "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll eat forever." I'm really proud of the involvement that WV has in doing just that. Not only do they work at alleviating some of the material needs of the community, but they also offer workshops and education programs, and even community networks. Poverty is not just about a lack of funds, it's a whole lifestyle. And I am really proud that Tim can be a part of something that is really working to help make people's lives fuller.

Philly Flower Show

2010-03-06T16:44:00.002-05:00

Ahh... Whenever I think of this event, it brings a smile to my face. My amazing hubby takes me to Philadelphia Flower Show every year, even though it's a two hour drive (one way) and he isn't a big "flower" person. But he knows that he married himself a girl-flower who wilts all throughout the winter and that this show is like my spring preview. Seriously, it is just what I need in the blahs of not-winter/not-spring. (This is my LEAST favorite time of year.)

We spent the day in Philly, me snapping photos of beauty and him corralling the little guy and pumping him full of Cheerios until boy-wonder finally fell asleep. (Did I mention my hubby is my hero?!?) The theme this year was "Passport to the World" with incredible displays from everywhere. My favorite one was the bike shop display from Finland (I think... well, it was one of those tulip-bearing countries. Maybe it was the Netherlands?) I also loved the giant moss-covered elephant in "India" and all the "miniature" garden displays.

There was one display in miniature of the children's book character Eloise and her bedroom. It was so amazing! I'm including a pic here because this was just too detailed to NOT look at. (Click on the picture to see it larger - it's worth it.) The designer even did Eloise's bathroom with the black tiny hand prints and footprints! I was speechless.

And then, when my camera battery finally died (yes, literally) and Oscar couldn't handle one more flower, we headed over to Pat's for some world famous cheesesteaks. Oz had his first taste. He was less than impressed, unfortunately. Oh well, more for mommy and daddy.

I've got the pictures I took here on my flickr page, if you are interested in checking them out. And here's a little animoto video for your viewing pleasure... (If you don't see it pictured here, you can view it here too.)

Oscar Videos

2010-03-01T18:57:00.002-05:00

Well, I just posted a ton of videos over on my YouTube page if you are interested. They are all Oscar vids, naturally. He pretty much is the center of my universe. Hopefully, that doesn't make me a narrow person. Here is one of the featured videos...

Yessiree, that would be my 17 month old COUNTING. I'm fairly proud of that.

Uncanny

2010-03-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

I took this color test that a favorite blog of mine posted and my results were so crazy accurate! You really ought to try it if you have a few seconds. It's a college career thing that determines what line of business you should be in, based on the colors you prefer best and least. Wacky. My results? Here they are... and I promise I didn't rig this or anything!

You're an Organizer!
Keywords : Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate
Your very careful, conscientious, conservative nature gives others the confidence to trust you with handling money and material possessions. Structured organizations that have well-ordered chains of command work best for you.

And my second best match was Social Manager. "This very social type enjoys working in groups, sharing responsibilities, and being the center of attention. Fields of interest are instructing, helping, nurturing, care giving and instructing-especially young people. They discuss and consider feelings in order to solve problems, lead, direct, persuade, guide, organize and enlighten others."

So, I guess I really AM a Children's Librarian. What are you, reader?

The Blue Nile

2010-02-22T15:46:00.004-05:00

Or, the day I ate Ethiopian food...

The three of us went down to Virginia two weekends ago to help celebrate my dad's sixtieth birthday. It's a big one and all, so I'll save that for another post. Anyway, we were there during Valentine's Day, so mom and dad offered (and of course we accepted) some free babysitting so hubby and I could have a date night.

Tim planned to take me to Harrisonburg (the local college town) to a cool little brewery restaurant and then to see The Lightening Thief (the book series he's been reading to me for bedtime stories). Well, long story short, he never made reservations and we walked all over town looking for a place to eat that was not a part of a mass chain. (I'm no Red Lobster girl, okay?!?) Finally, we found a place. It was The Blue Nile, Ethiopian Cuisine. "Hmmm," I thought. "This could be very interesting." And not wanting to stress hubby out even more, I accepted the challenge.

I'm not a super adventurous person when it comes to food. In fact, I recently made a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days, making #68 a "try a new food" challenge. I don't like seafood, not into spicy tastes, and I don't eat a whole lot of meat. So, diving into a plate of this (see picture below) took pure courage.

Mmmm... Look good? Well, surprisingly, yes it was! But I am getting ahead of myself.

When we arrived at the restaurant, our waiter hadn't given us much time to figure out the menu so I ordered us some tea to buy time. Holy man, that was maybe some of the yummiest tea I'd ever had! It had cinnamon and cloves and just tasted like Christmas. Score for me! I think that made me a bit over-confident. We also ordered some hummus with Ethiopian butter (instead of olive oil) - another risk. Again, delicious.

So far so good we thought, as we ordered up a mixed platter of "Zilzil Tibs" with "Shiro Wat" and "Atkilt Alicha." Tim also ordered a side of some "Awaze" (which he thought was a side dish of cottage cheesy stuff to help ease the spiciness for me, just in case...). Thankfully, we ordered fairly well. It was a mix of lentils, potatoes, carrots, sun-dried peas and other veggies with some marinated beef. The weirdest part though was that there was NO SILVERWARE. Like none. And our waiter brought us these rolled up spongy pieces of bread. Turns out Ethiopian food is "finger food," as in, you break off pieces of that sponge bread and scoop up chunks with it. Bizarre.

My first two bites were full of confidence after having such good luck thus far and after figuring out the correct way to eat all this stuff. Foolish me. I scooped up a huge bite of the "Shiro Wat" (cause it was pretty...) and had a mouth full of fire. Then to cool off, I grabbed another huge bite of that "Awaze" jive Tim ordered. It was like squeezing a tube-full of Wasabe sauce into your mouth. I almost quit eating right then and there.

Our waiter let me know (after the incident) what items were made with "Berebere Sauce" - the hot stuff - and I stayed away from those things. The rest of the food was good, though. And no day-after repercussions, if you know what I mean.

So, I'm not going to say that I completely loved it, but it was pretty decently delicious and I'd probably go again. The sense of adventure and not knowing what I was eating was pretty hot, too. Like, spicy hot!

More Inspiration

2010-02-22T13:43:00.001-05:00

I liked posting my current inspiration the other day and figure ya'll may find it a bit inspirational too. (At least my kindred spirit Christie will. These are for you, doll face.) Also, it will help me archive some fun projects to try. I have a ridiculously full bookmark page. Maybe I'm into bookmarking because I'm a librarian. Heh.

Making postcards from vintage book covers - how great!!!
Seriously, I want to do this.

I love it. Making a play kitchen from an old dresser or night stand.
Go get inspired over at odeedoh.com!

While we're on the subject of things I want to make for Oz, check this out! I LURVE it (that is one step up from love, just so you know). I saw it first here... Does someone want to buy me this book?!? Button and Stitch: Supercute Ways to Use Your Button Stash by Kristen Rask.

Oh, I SO need a patron.

Okay, one more Oscar thing... I want one of these. He is fascinated by Uncle Andy's watch. I think I could just die if I saw Oz wearing one of these.

And as for me, I'd settle with just owning this sweater.

My Que

2010-02-20T21:46:00.006-05:00

According to my list (#93), I need to watch 10 films from the year I was born (1979). Hmm... So, I went to IMDB (Internet Movie Database, which I heart) to find some of the top movies for that year and here is what I came up with. These are now currently on my Netflix que. (Don't judge me for never seeing these before now! I'm working on culturing myself.) If you have any other suggestions as to movies I might enjoy circa 1979, I'd love to hear them. Please leave me a comment!

In no particular order (summaries are lifted from IMDB, btw...)

Apocalypse Now : "During the on-going Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade Green Beret who has set himself up as a God among a local tribe." I'm kinda stoked about seeing this one. It has great reviews.

Mad Max : "In a dystopic future Australia, a vicious biker gang murder a cop's family and make his fight with them personal." Isn't this supposed to be kind of a classic? Early Mel Gibson?

The Jerk : "From rags to riches... to rags. A complete imbecile struggles to make it through life on his own, until a strange invention makes him unbelievably wealthy." I am a old school Steve Martin fan, not so much his recent stuff though. What was up with the whole Pink Panther thing? Really?

Escape From Alcatraz : "The true story of Frank Morris, a convict who was sent to Alcatraz, the most feared prison in the world. Although nobody had ever escaped from Alcatraz, Frank did it." Featuring good ole Clint Eastwood. Oh I'm ready for this one.

Nor ma Rae : "The story of a woman with the courage to risk everything for what she believes is right." Okay Sally Field. Did you know that my hubby thinks she is "classy?!?" I can't tell if he has the hots for her or what. I think that's kinda gross.

Time After Time : "H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period." Sounds interesting. I'm always up for some sci-fi and some good ole H.G.

The Black Hole : "A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole. A journey that begins where everything ends!" Nice! I like it already.

Being There : "Getting there is half the fun; being there is all of it! Chance, a simple gardener, has never left the estate until his employer dies. His simple TV-informed utterances are mistaken for profundity." We'll see about this one. It could be a total cheese fest.

Stalker : "Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, an alien place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers. Over his wife's numerous objections, a man rises in the dead of night: he's a stalker, one of a handful who have the mental gifts (and who risk imprisonment) to lead people into the Zone to the Room, a place where one's secret hopes come true." Creepy.

The Tin Drum : "Oskar Matzerath, son of a local dealer, is a most unusual boy. Equipped with full intellect right from his birth he decides at his third birthday not to grow up as he sees the crazy world around him at the eve of World War II. So he refuses the society and his tin drum symbolizes his protest against the middle-class mentality of his family and neighborhood, which stand for all passive people in Nazi Germany at that time." This sounds a bit artsy-fartsy and sub-titled. I'll need to be in the zone for this one.

Like I said, any suggestions as to favorites from 1979 would be greatly appreciated. And if you think that any of these really were rotten, let me know! I'd appreciate saving 2 hours of my time, yo. Speaking of older flicks, tonight I finally watched Parenthood. I really enjoyed it!

Inspiration

2010-02-19T23:30:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, when I feel drained, I like to look at things that inspire me.

Lately, with hubby being out of town and having to play "single parent," I've been a bit tapped out. Everything that could go wrong has kinda done so, and I'm just sorta blah. Literally, within minutes of Tim leaving for his trip, I broke the hand towel bar in our bathroom. Then I managed to almost break a body part with a spectacular fall out of sheer clumsiness. (I survived, but have a nasty rug burn and three hyper-extended toes. Ouch.) Our new fish got into a quarrel and the little one, Seamore (Oscar named him, sort of), almost got eaten. My bathroom faucet now leaks for some reason. Everybody (cats, little boy, and mommy) woke up last night at 3:30am and then I had a beast of a time trying to get back to slumberland. Oz has been WAY clingy and my arms are sore from carrying around a 22 pound toddler for two days straight. He also has a nasty diaper rash and is ridiculously hard to change because of his angst for "goose grease." And yesterday, I managed somehow to get covered in baby food. It's been awesome.

Well, enough of the sucky. Here is some happy.

This is so perfect... I want to live here. (from Mimi K.)

I want these! (from fredflare.com)

from A Beautiful Mess (one of my fave blogs...)

I really want a copy of this book for Oscar's library!
(I'd also like a copy of Manners Can Be Fun.)

I love macro images... This guy is great.

I'd like to take a trip here. (Sacred Grove of Bomarzo)

Okay. Well, I know those were pretty random, but that is how I feel today. I'm signing off because my cat just filled his litter box and he doesn't know how to cover his tracks, if you know what I mean. And this smell is certainly not inspiring.

List, Oh List...

2010-02-19T22:28:00.002-05:00

Progress, my friends. I have made a bit of headway on my massive list. Here is my report:

#27 - Still a pretty regular attendee at library story times; I even branched out and had an impromptu play date with another mom right after (which would also be #15 - meet some new mommies). It was weird. I probably won't do that again. But I did it. I'm just saying.
#12 and #21 - So far, I've skyped with my folks and been in touch a few times this month with my big sis. Concerted efforts have been made to let fam know how much I love them long distance.
#35 - Bought some of the felt for Oscar's future playhouse...
#46 - Picked out a paint color for my bedroom and have started working out a plan of action as far as redecorating goes... Go me.
#56 - Made 2 felt food bananas, 6 felt strawberries, and 6 felt cookies (3 chocolate chip and 3 sugar cookies with sprinkles), all of which are super cute and will be photographed very soon. Green felt apples are next.

#58 - Did a baby food jar craft! Found it on Jill's blog. (Thanks Jill!) They are lids with fun shapes on the flip side... I made two sets for a future game of matching. Pretty cute. Oz loves to stack them and to put them one by one into his little drawstring bag. Very meticulous, he is. Anyway, it's a great little craft and super easy. Just a bottle of spray paint, a printer, and some scissors.

#68 - Try a new food. Oh yeah, I totally did this one. Tim and I had our Valentine's date at an Ethiopian restaurant! Whoa Nelly. Now if that isn't different, then you don't know me. Funny thing, I actually quite enjoyed myself! Who knew that Ethiopian butter was so rad?!? (You can't go wrong by adding brown sugar... Take that, Paula Deen.)
#71 - Speaking of butter, so far I've shed 6 of the 20 pound weight loss goal. Small victories, baby. And those don't come from eating butter, dang it.
#92 - I now drink twice as much water/Crystal Light as I drank prior to making this list. I plan it according to the mini master's snack/meal schedule... I force myself to consume a glass of something between his meals, bringing my glass total up to at least 4. This is also a victory for me. I really never drink anything except at my meals - I just never think about it. I must have been seriously dehydrated!
#94 - Puzzle night! Tim and I had one a couple weeks ago and it was loverly. I love that man.

Baby steps. I know that I still have some gigantium items on my list still (buy a house, spend a week at sea, have another baby) but I just wanted to post some progression and let everyone know that I'm still alive. Thanks for lending me your eyes.

V-Day

2010-02-14T18:25:00.000-05:00

Well, I couldn't resist posting a few of my favorite Oz pictures... This time last year, my baby boy was only 4 months old. Sheesh. Time is a funny thing. Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll.

Right about now, we are having fun down in Virginia (I set this to post while we are out of town). My daddeo is having the big 6-0 birthday on Monday and we are celebrating him this weekend. I'll be sure to post some fun shots of the celebration ASAP. Let's just say that this year, we're rolling three holidays into one... dad's birthday, v-day, and CHINESE NEW YEAR!!! Wahoo!

Ben And Me

2010-02-08T14:38:00.006-05:00

Round two! As promised, here is the second installment of the book club saga.

For this week's book club I chose the classic tale by Robert Lawson, Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by his Good Mouse Amos. Amazon describes it as such:

In A New and Astonishing Life Of Benjamin Franklin As Written by His Good Mouse AMOS, young readers will discover that while the good Mr. Franklin got considerable credit, many of his most important contributions really originated with Amos, a less-than-humble rodent. Oh sure, his manuscript was found by author-editor Robert Lawson and published first in 1939, but discerning readers ever since have figured that it's the mouse who's the fellow with the ... tale.

Cute. Anyway, the book is full of silly events (loosely based in history) that involved Ben Franklin and his mouse. Last night, I cracked up at the way my third graders pronounced "Amos." I guess none of them ever met anyone named that? They kept saying "A-Mouse" until I finally lost it and cracked up. They didn't quite see the humor. (Amos is a mouse, okay?!?)

Disney made an animated short of it, back in 1953, which can be viewed here (and then get the second half here). It's pretty entertaining.

For this book group snack, I chose to do something Franklin inspired, rather than more mice cookies. I made lightning bolts. (Which I might add would be a fun snack for a Lightning Thief movie opening party!) But let me just say, the next time I make sugar cookies, I will ALWAYS make sure I have a cookie cutter. Flying solo just doesn't work out right. I basically used a knife to cut these out, then after they baked and got all plump and rounded, I had to cut them up again. Yes, mathematicians, that would equal TWICE the amount of work. I was inspired by this. Hers turned out better. Regardless, here is a picture. Of course, they were promptly eaten up, so I know they at least tasted good.

On a side note, I never knew until just recently that you could pipe the frosting first around the edges (then wait about 10-15 min.) and then fill in with the same color. I was so much happier with the clean lines it made. Hooray for online tutorials! Frosting sugar cookies will never be the same for me. I have "upgraded."

What is Your Furniture Name?

2010-02-05T20:39:00.002-05:00

So, if you were a piece of furniture at IKEA, what would you be called? Check out this awesome name generator and let me know what you really are. Apparently, I'm a ...

Yeah. A dresser. At least I'm not a chair like Tim and Oscar.

Ragweed

2010-01-30T15:44:00.005-05:00

I'd like to start blogging more frequently. It's just when I sit down to do it, I think of all the way cool things I've just read on my RSS feed (Google Reader is either a wonder or it is my bane...). Anyway, I sit down to post and I feel like I really have nothing to add. So I've been thinking about something that is unique to me, something that I do that you probably wouldn't read on any of the cool crafty-mom network of blogs, something that I could contribute. And I think I've come up with a solution. I'm gonna do a by-weekly post on my little book clubs and the funky themed snacks I bring! (As long as the book and snack is worthy of writing about and as long as I have the drive to keep at it, that is.) It's something that I have a fabulous time doing, plus I always put a lot of research into it, so who knows? It may be helpful to someone else doing a book club. Hope you think it is a fun as I do!

So, I host two book groups at a local library - a third grade club and a fourth grade one, too. (They used to be combined, but it just got too big - like 28 kids at a time, big. SCARY.) I do one every two weeks, so that I don't lose my mind.

My last group was this past Monday, the fourth graders, and the book we read was Ragweed by Avi. It's the prequel to the famous Poppy series and is a cute little story about a country mouse who leaves the nest and goes to the city. (I can identify with him!) This story starts off a bit slow, but eventually you get introduced to a funky green-haired skateboarding chick mouse named Clutch, and the party begins. The evil villain is a fat white cat who wants things to "return to the good ole days" and has plans to exterminate the rodent problem in her city. Well, la dee-da! This is a decent read for fourth graders; they all seemed to enjoy it once they got into it. Who doesn't enjoy skateboarding mice that play in a rock band?!?

Onto the snack... This is a big part of the fun. I always try to made something wonky for them as a special reward for reading the book and for coming. It's kinda a big deal and it seems to make their day, too. At my last group, we read The Chocolate Touch and I made some chocolate-covered bananas and some fudge. One boy was biting into his banana and he gasped and looked at me and said, "Amazing." I think I almost cried. Let's get one thing straight about me, NOBODY ever says that about my cooking. This is why I go overboard for these kids. They make me feel like a million bucks.

And so, without further ado, here is what I served my fourth graders. They went nuts. I didn't have any leftovers. Not even cheese. The mice are peanut butter cookies with M&M ears, tiny semi-sweet morsel eyes, and candy sprinkle noses with licorice tails. I got the recipe here and if I was to make them again, I'd want to think of ways to maybe make them somehow creamier. (To any of you seasoned cooks out there, any suggestions?) Otherwise, they turned out pretty decent. Here's to another success.

Busy Bee

2010-01-29T18:58:00.002-05:00

Here comes a brag post. (Sorry, but I need some place to showcase this jive. I live with a bunch of boys and they could care less, know what I mean?)

I have been getting some great thrifted denim lately from my momma and have been at work putting together some cool things. I made a couple of marker rolls for some of my favorite little people... yeah, my own pattern but based loosely on this one. These made for great Christmas gifts! Let me know if you are interested in the measurements.

Also, I made some fabric toy boxes for Oscar's bookcase! These I'm quite proud of.

I went through several needles and loads of patience before coming up with something that works. It really cleans up the clutter, too. I got my inspiration for this project from these two creative bloggers - Jodie and Jill - Jodie has a great tutorial. I altered it a bit and came up with some soft denim cubes. I just couldn't seem to find anything that would fit into this space and hold all the extra books and toys, so I decided to make EXACTLY what I needed. Now I wonder why I wasted so much time searching!

My cubes are 10 inches all around, with extra fabric at the top to fold down and give it a bit of extra stability. What I did, because I wanted my cubes to be 10 inches wide and tall, was basically quilt strips together. I say "quilt" because instead of using interfacing, I used a thin batting between the layers. This gave the cubes the extra thickness it needed, but fraking killed me on the sewing machine! I swear, I must have gone through 3 or 4 denim needles on this one project. I don't do "breaking sewing needles" in a pretty way, either. Oh well. I like the way these turned out, so I guess it was worth the drama.

101 Things in 1001 Days

2010-01-21T18:50:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I'm going to throw down the gauntlet and issue myself a public challenge. (This is in no way prompted by the last good movie I saw, Julie and Julia - wait... who am I kidding? It totally is. I'll admit that want to be Amy Adams when I grow up. Uh oh - aren't we the same age?) Well, I was inspired by the Day Zero Project and my love for making lists, so I figured I should really go for it. Anyway, I figure if I POST a somewhat yearly "to do" list, I'm far more likely to at least do one or two of the things I've got written down. So here it goes... my list of things I want to get done in 1001 days. Notice I'm giving myself more time than just a measly year... Day Zero says it's best to include more than one season so you can realistically get your jive done.

*** EDIT***
I've been a long time in creating this list and posting this (about 4 days), so please note that I have completed some of these tasks. Go me. They are starred.
***********
1. study 6 different cultures per year; have a themed weekend for each with food, music, culture and geographical info for the family.
2. make a quilt
3. buy a house
4. go fly a kite
*5. get a new pair of shoes (got me some funky brown boots)
6. make a first aid kit for my car
7. learn to make crepes
8. create a dance mix for me and Oscar
9. go through my closet and get rid of or refashion my old clothes
10. share/conquer my biggest fear
11. make a stranger smile
12. call my sister at least once a month
13. watch all of the star trek movies
14. re-read a favorite novel
15. meet some new mommy friends
16. plan a weekend getaway
17. finish Oscar's baby book
18. throw a fancy party
19. learn how to edit movies
20. handwrite someone a letter
21. skype with the grandparents at least once a month
22. get dirty and plant some veggies!
23. make business cards for "the purple peachicken"
*24. find a good church (in process...)
25. get rid of at least two boxes in storage in VA
*26. eat/drink a pomegranate (did this on 1-19-10! it had an interesting texture)
*27. take my kid to story time regularly (so far, so good - 3 in a row!)
28. watch an old tv series (like mork and mindy or something)
*29. check off 5 things on my NYC list (Project Runway Day was 1 of my things... 4 more to go)
30. finish my european trip scrapbooks
31. grow some flowers from seeds
32. create my own crafty pattern and a tutorial for my blog
33. organize the guest room closet
34. play with a yo-yo
35. make a felt playhouse for Oscar
36. post a blog entry about each of my family members
37. work on building my etsy site
38. visit Mystic, CT
39. have another baby (!!!!) yes, really.
40. tour a working factory
41. learn to cook at least three new meals (successfully)
42. write up a living will
43. make a recipe cards and copy down/organize all of our recipes
44. compile a "year one" oscar video
45. reorganize the storage in the basement
46. redecorate/paint our bedroom
47. take a class with Tim
48. make a slipcover for the bedroom chair
49. go on a road trip to at least 4 different states
50. update/redesign my blog and oscar's blog
51. sew up Oscar's car play mat (bought some super cute material at Purl Patchwork...)
52. go through all my magazines and save only the good parts - recycle the rest
53. get a new bicycle and start taking family bike rides
54. learn to make some jewelry
55. learn to do wool felting
56. make lots of felt play food for Oscar
57. get caught up in my photo editing/posting
58. figure out some crafty things to do with my millions of baby food jars
59. reorganize my craft cabinet and reconfigure my crafty space altogether!
60. learn more about different types of fabrics and how to use them
61. get a real (non-point-and-shoot) camera
62. purchase (and learn to use) a serger
63. do my first cartwheel
64. visit 5 different museums (that I've never visited before)
65. clean out my (scary) garage
66. rent 26 movies (I've never seen before) each starting with a different letter of the alphabet
67. create a font out of my own handwriting
68. try a new food, regardless of how frightening it is...
69. go camping with the boys (Andy can come too.)
70. read a classic novel that is over 500 pages long
71. lose 20+ pounds and keep it off
72. floss my teeth every night for a month
73. buy a stunning little black dress and go out on the town
74. learn how to fold 25 different papercrafts
75. watch all of the James Bond flicks, from start to finish (currently on the netflixs que...)
76. memorize one of my favorite poems
77. watch 10 movie "classics" that I've never seen before
78. visit Seattle with Tim
79. write and illustrate my very own children's book
80. use the GPS to try geocaching
81. go for a ride in either a helicopter or a hot air balloon
82. reconnect with an old friend
83. clean out my filing cabinet
84. make Tim take me to Cape May for Victorian Week
85. go skinny dipping, preferably some place warm
86. learn how to build a good camp fire
87. research our family tree
88. learn how to cut my kid's hair
89. walk in a marathon of some sort
90. weed my book collection
91. figure out how to use my stupid cell phone
92. drink more water daily
93. watch 10 movies from the year I was born - 1979
94. put together a giant puzzle with hubby
95. win a giveaway or a contest of some sort
96. create something using iron-on printer fabric sheets
97. learn how to properly use chopsticks
98. go see a hockey game
99. read a biography, 100+ pages, at least...
100. host my very own cocktail party, dresses and all
101. spent a week on the sea

So did you actually read the whole list? If you did, thanks. I appreciate it. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to put on this bad boy. And reader, if you create a list, I'd love to read what you have on your itinerary. Leave me a comment. And don't judge me for watching too many movies.

Project Runway Extravaganza

2010-01-17T21:19:00.004-05:00

Oh, I'm what you might call a Project Runway fan... maybe even an addict. I'm thrilled whenever I can immerse myself in a season. I also know enough to recognize that I'd stand a better chance competing on Survivor than to attempt getting on this show, but it's so fascinating to watch. (Alas, I am such a voyeur.) Anyway, my friend Emily and I have been talking about having a girl's day for the longest and we decided that this would be a fun way to spend a Saturday - taking a fashion walk Project Runway style! And since I'm such a tourist, I made sure we took cheesy pictures. Here is where you can enjoy them at your leisure... but I also made a video for your enjoyment! And be sure to note the music. If you are a true fan, you should recognize it. (Word to the wise, if you are viewing this on FB, the video may or may not show up... you may actually have to physically GO to my blog. Oh the humanity!)

What's My Type?

2010-01-11T12:14:00.004-05:00

Saw this on one of my favorite blogs and gave it a whirl... it is surprisingly accurate! Give it a try right here. It's easy. He'll ask you four questions about your preferences and diagnose you (P.S. - the password is "character").

My resident psychiatrist says my typeface is "Archer Hairline." It's "a modern type face with a straightforward appearance but one that has tiny outbreaks of elegance and tiny dots of emotion, only apparent on closer examination." Excellent! He said that I'm "outwardly composed but will occasionally run into the bathroom for a quick laugh or a quiet cry, only to reemerge outwardly composed again." Yes. It's true. He knows me!

Merry Merry

2009-12-24T16:22:00.007-05:00

Happy Christmas. I hope you have a delicious time with family and friends - whoever and however you choose to celebrate this time of year... Here we are in front of our tiny tree. Optical illusion. It's actually a 4 ft. tree on a table so Mr. Dennis the Menace doesn't completely destroy it in his fascination with "LaLaLa Lights." (And yes, his current unicorn bruise has been fashionably photoshopped out. So sue me - this is a picture of Christmas as it SHOULD be.)

I still have things to do before tonight; some cookie baking, present wrapping, stocking making (oh time crunch!)... It's the usual last minute rush-about. But at least we made our annual pilgrimage to see Santa today. We did that this morning and I just have to say that our little photo elf kinda sucked. There were tons of moments of cuteness, but she didn't seem capable of capturing them. Oh well. I did get a video of the fiasco. (And at least my kid didn't scream bloody murder like the preceding children and the ones that followed us. Holy Excedrin Tablets!) Here is Oscar meeting Santa. Watch for the "wow" and then followed by the terror of the "who the heck are you, creepy man holding me?!?" then chased by a polite wave.

Our photographer elf left us with this charming picture that seems to says "Santa is infectious and I now need to wash my hands." What a wonderful way to capture a memory. Anyway, Merry Christmas.

A New Favorite Song

2009-12-09T13:48:00.005-05:00

Here is Kristin Andreassen singing "Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes." Is she not the cutest?!?

Vader

2009-12-04T10:21:00.003-05:00

So, I don't have a real post today cause I'm not really in the mood to write anything, but I wanted to post these funny pictures that Tim and I created. We got a Darth Vader costume at a thrift store around Halloween and played dress-up with Oz a little while back. The legs were too short, but we managed to squeeze him into the outfit for a couple of fun shots. Oscar tolerated it for a bit, long enough for us to get a few good pictures. Tim mounted them on some images I found online. I think they turned out so well! This one below is my favorite - he doesn't quite look like an evil Sith Lord, though.

Happy Turkey Day!

2009-11-26T10:06:00.001-05:00

So, I didn't make another turkey costume for Oz. I know that was not received well last year. But come on... It was stinking cute. And Oz didn't mind. (He might later on, true.)

I chose another route this year - something that I can preserve and keep forever. See, I'm sentimental that way. I saw the idea on Wee Wonderful's blog and fell in love... (She has an Oscar, too!) Here is my end result. You like?

The gingham one is for me and the other is for Tim's amazing grandma who is hosting us this year. I can't wait to give it to her! Can I just say that it was crazy hard tracing the hand of an ACTIVE 14 month old. And sewing up something this tiny was no walk in the park either. (There is a reason I don't make doll clothes.) Anyway, happy turkey day. Hope all ya'll are stuffing your faces with something delicious today and that you are surrounded with family who love you even if you unbutton that top button on your jeans after dinner.

Sleeping In

2009-11-21T12:15:00.003-05:00

This illustration is so perfect for today... (It's from one of my favorite blogs - A Print A Day by Yasmine Surovec. She's so talented.)

Anyway, Tim let me sleep in today, which really means not getting up until 7:30, and it was heavenly. After a long-ass week of yuck and sick and Tim having SO MUCH WORK and not having any Suzy time whatsoever because I'm a glorified babysitter, I really needed it. It's not that I resent being a stay-at-home-mom or anything, but sometimes it kinda sucks. Like this week. Whoa momma. In his defense, Oz is getting molars and has a cold that makes him very annoyed. On the up side, he has learned where his nose is and even how to "blow" it! So, I guess my glass is still half full. But yeah, it wouldn't be had I not gotten some sleep.

Suzy Cupcakes

2009-11-17T14:12:00.003-05:00

I do a book club for 3rd and 4th graders at my library, and while I love picking out books for them each month, I REALLY love surprising them with yummy (and wacky) treats. It's sometimes difficult coming up with a great book when I tend to want to figure out a funky snack to go with it. (Yes, I know. It's a bad way to choose a book. I can't help it.)

This month, in honor of Thanksgiving, I chose The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Pinkwater. It's a story about a boy who went out to get the Thanksgiving turkey and came home with a 266 lbs. chicken named Henrietta. It's a funny little book. Anyway, Henrietta really enjoyed the Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, hence my silly snack for the group...

They are white cake cupcakes with butter cream frosting and caramel sauce on top, with a pad of Starburst. Nice, eh? I got the idea from a book called Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. So cute.

Anyway, I kept the cupcakes hidden until the end of our group meeting, whereupon the kids begged to see what the caramel smell was... I gave them a clue and said it was Henrietta's favorite food. They said "Potatoes?!?" and asked if I had caramel-covered potato chips. I was like, "Do what?!?" Third graders totally crack me up. And I have to admit, I laughed at their initial responses to the final reveal. Most of them looked horrified. But when they sank their teeth into the cupcakes, I had some very gratified kiddos. Any ideas for my next book club? I'm doing The Fantastic Mr. Fox (in honor of the upcoming flick).

Leaf Love

2009-11-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

It's crazy what happens when time passes. To me, it looks a little something like this:

And this...

And also this...

All is Love.

2009-11-02T23:34:00.005-05:00

Here is a little animoto of our "wild thing" dressed for Halloween... (if you're viewing this note via facebook, go to my blog - animotos don't post right on that jive.)