Thirty-Five, Forty

Another DIY Martha Stewart Advent Calendar

2011-11-22T23:54:00.001-06:00

This is another great advent calendar idea from Martha Stewart. Rather than spend $78 on this calendar from Garnet Hill, get yourself some inexpensive kid's socks at Target, apply number stickers to the socks, attach them to a pretty ribbon with clothes pins, and make yourself an adorable calendar for dollars less.

You can find Martha's instructions for the calendar here.

I have one more calendar that I want to share with you, but since I am having trouble loading more than one picture at a time, I will have to share it with you in tomorrow's post.

Love, 40

Another Inexpensive DIY Advent Calendar (or, Martha Stewart is the best)

2011-11-22T23:44:00.000-06:00

As you can probably tell by now, I have advent calendars on the brain. Traditionally, my family and I use a felt calendar that has a tree to which we add ornaments every day of December. But over the years pieces have gone missing, and we always wind up with a few days at the end of December that are advent calendar-less. Last year, I filled the gap with store bought chocolate advent calendars for each of the kids. This year, I wanted to do something different. Something more special than the store bought calendars, but that doesn't cost a lot of money. Enter Martha Stewart. (Of course). Her November issue is full of great, inexpensive advent calendar ideas. My favorite is the Gift Chain Calendar. All you need to do to have a festive, cute calendar that will get the kids excited is to wrap your gifts and attach them to each other in a long chain. The number of gifts remaining is the number of days left until Christmas. To be extra Martha-esque, attach numbered gift tags or stickers to each gift.

To find Martha's instructions, you can go here.

I hope this inspires you to go out and create your own advent calendars.

Love, 40

DIY Pottery Barn Advent Calendar

2011-11-21T20:21:00.000-06:00

Do you remember this advent calendar from last year's Pottery Barn catalog?

The calendar was a crowd favorite, but for $299, the price tag left a lot to be desired. Lucky for us, the crafty blogger over at the Feminist Housewife found a way to get the Pottery Barn look for less. A lot less. Like $270 less. Check out her tutorial over at davidandcarolineblogspot.com.

Love, 40

Hermes Bangle Paradise - Color Your Own Bangle Bracelet!

2011-11-21T19:54:00.002-06:00

We just adore Hermes bangles - don't you?

If you love all things Hermes like we love all things Hermes, you should check out Paris Mon Ami. I plan to follow the bangle paradise, and color my very own bangle bracelet. Enjoy!

Love, 40

Inexpensive and Easy Martha Stewart Christmas Ornaments

2011-11-13T19:01:00.000-06:00

Generally, I am a major procrastinator. So I am very proud of myself for having started to think about Christmas before I have sat down to my Thanksgiving meal. Now, I know for some of you I am late to the party. And I have one thing to say to you people - OVER-ACHIEVERS! Anyway, I have long admired Martha Stewart's Christmas ornaments, and for many years now have planned to make one or two of them. Unfortunately, I tend to be more of a thinker and planner than an actual doer. But this year, I have promised myself that I will make at least one ornament. At first, I had set my sights on Martha's paperclay ornaments. But, if I am honest with myself, they may be above my crafting ability/capacity. So I was happy to stumble upon her button ornaments on her website. Aren't they cute?

And they look easy enough that even the craft-impaired like me could whip a few out in an hour. If you are interested, you can find the instructions here.

I am officially declaring that I will make at least one ornament this year. Please don't hold me to this!

Missoni for Target, I Love You

2011-08-21T11:28:00.001-05:00

I know that the new Missoni for Target line is all over the blogosphere already, but I just had to say how much I love, want and need the Missoni bicycle. I also saw a pink Missoni pouf I want, but can't locate the picture anywhere. Anyway, isn't the bike bee-you-tee-ful?

Love, 40

Really?

2011-08-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

Well, I must be on to something because today I went to the Walgreen's near my work and the Pssst! was locked up. Oh, sure, there were other dry shampoos that were on the shelf and accessible without having to get a store employee to retrieve it for me and then take it to the checkout to prevent stealing- but I am feeling awfully brand loyal to Pssst! right now. Apparently, so are other people. But come on, is there really a rash of people shoplifting Pssst! and leaving all the other dry shampoos? I have to admit, since I have an unspoken rule that I don't buy things that are locked up (which has been broken from time to time for diapers), I left empty-handed. I couldn't bring myself to buy any of the others, and I suppose other, including thieves feel the same. Pssst! really is that good.
-35

Me, Stacy, and Clinton on the Go with Psst!

2011-08-07T10:09:00.001-05:00

Do you watch Stacy and Clinton?

This is what Stacy and Clinton would look like after seeing me on the street.

I must admit that I have become a little obssesed with Stacy and Clinton and What Not to Wear. Their ability to dramatically transform the way a person looks by merely changing their wardrobe truly amazes me. The hair and makeup is amazing, too, but Stacy and Clinton are able to make chubby women look thin, hip-heavy women look proportionate, women with boyish bodies look like they have hourglass shapes - you get my gist. Anyway, the last few shows I have watched, Stacy and Clinton have referenced a style I have never heard of - mom on the go. Now, their version of mom on the go is a little different from mine. Their version does not include yoga pants, oversized t-shirts, or even gym shoes. Nope, their version generally includes a cute dress (they love a microfiber wrap dress!), adorable shoes, an awesome bag, and a "completer piece", i.e. structured jacket or sweater. It is a very put-together look that is supposed to be easy for the mom to throw on in the morning.

I have been thinking lately that I should buy some cute "on the go" outfits, but the whole process is very overwhelming to me, a person who has worn my own version of the style for over ten years. I had no idea where to start. But I had a lightbulb moment reading 35's post. What could be more "mom on the go" than unwashed hair?

I'm buying myself a can of Pssst!

Sorry, Stacy and Clinton! I tried, I really did!

Big Hair

2011-08-04T23:50:00.001-05:00

I should have seen this coming. With the Mad Men craze combined with the "no-wash" hair trend hitting all the beauty/fashion blogs and magazines, it was only a matter of time that hair was going to get big and retro. Right?

Well, I just looked through the August Anthropologie catalog. It is, of course, beautiful. And of course, I want everything in it. You can view it here. But more importantly, I think I am going to start wearing my hair like this:

According to Anthropologie, this style goes with every outfit. For example:

Sexy Secretary

and casual

I think it will be possible to achieve this hairstyle because I have spent the better part of my summer perfecting my new "no-wash" style. For some reason, I now get a sense of accomplishment in seeing how many days I can go without washing my hair. Three? Four?? Oooh, imagine the money I am saving on real shampoo! Never mind that I have probably gone through ten cans of dry shampoo since I started this. Note to those who are selling the no-wash hair trend by saying you save on shampoo: uh, no you don't. And as my boyfriend so kindly pointed out, I may be saving my hair but I have poked a new hole in the ozone layer. Anyway, all that aside- I have found that this is my favorite (and also the cheapest!) dry shampoo:

And, as an added bonus, it is sort of fun to say. Try it- "pssssst!"

And thank you, 40 for that lovely picture of MJ. You know I love all references to him and Leos. But I wonder if he is still a Leo now that they have "realigned" the signs? Must look into that.......
-35

For 35, A Little MJ Love

2011-08-04T09:14:00.001-05:00

35 just told me about a blog that has great pictures of my first and forever love, Mick Jagger. As a thank you, I would like to give this to you, 35, my favorite Leo:

Love, 40.

Love

2011-08-03T20:00:00.001-05:00

Maybe I am a little late to the party but my Poppy King for J. Crew lipstick just arrived today. And I love it. It is quite possibly the perfect summer color. Summer '11 anyway. There are still enough hot days left, you can buy this here.

-35

Square Foot Gardening - Seedlings!

2011-05-18T14:56:00.002-05:00

Look at what I have growing in my garden!

Seedlings!

I've never grown vegetables from seed before. I can't tell you how exciting this is for me.

This picture shows six of my 32 square foot squares. From left back you can see radishes, lettuce mix, and black seeded simpson lettuce. The middle row has a mix of radishes and carrots, lettuce mix and black seeded simpson lettuce. Not pictured are two squares of carrots, two of arugula, two of broccoli and two where I planted spinach. the spinach is giving me a hard time. Nothing sprouted after my first planting. I planted a second time, and I think I see a few tiny seedlings beginning to emerge. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

In the coming weeks I will plant a zucchini plant, which takes up 9 squares! Luckily, zucchini is generally prolific, so the planting will be worth the space. I haven't decided what I will plant in my remaining 9 squares. I may just plant more squares of lettuce and carrots to extend my harvest. I have another 4x8 bed that I plan to dedicate to tomatoes and peppers. A third bed is in partial shade. I am going to plant beans, peas and cucumbers in that bed.

Hopefully, 35 will share her garden here at some point. She lives in a condo, but has been able to do great things with a bunch of containers on her balcony.

Love, 40.

Vintage Movie Star Chic

2011-05-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

I don't think I have mentioned this before but the sun is not and never has been my friend. I am pale. Very, very pale. So when summer comes, I start the hat search. It is nearly impossible to find hats that keep my delicate head covered and look normal. There is just always something so dorky about summer hats. Or maybe just on me. This winter I became obsessed with knitting a turban. I just wanted something different- I have a cloche, I knit a few slouchy berets. So, after a short search, I found a vintage pattern on Ravelry. I was very pleased with my knit turban, it is oh so very vintage movie star. But now I need a warm weather head covering. After many unsuccessful attempts at tying a scarf turban-like around my head, I began to wonder if I could sew one (stop laughing at me, 40!). But then I found these on Urban Outfitters website:

You can buy them here. See you at the beach!

Spring Planting/Square Foot Gardening

2011-04-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

I haven't written in a while. I didn't feel like I had anything interesting to write about. Then I realized that I have been spending an inordinate amount of time planning my vegetable garden, learning how to compost, and building raised beds. Which I find pretty interesting. So I thought I would write a little about that.

This is a picture of our garden mid-summer last year. It was our first vegetable garden. We had one raised bed with peppers and tomatoes. And a hanging planter with strawberries. I also planted some broccoli, but I don't really want to talk about that. Anyway - it was SO exciting to watch our veggies grow, and to watch the kids actually eat the veggies we had grown, that we decided to expand our garden this year.

We plan to have at least three raised beds. I am still playing around with my planting configuration, but I know that one of the beds will be dedicated to peppers and tomatoes. In the other two beds I hope to grow lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, bush beans, corn, zucchini and maybe eggplant and broccoli. We are also growing sunflower seeds. It sounds like a lot of planting for only three beds, but you can squeeze a lot more plants into a raised bed than you can a traditional garden bed. Also, this year I discovered square foot gardening, which tells you exactly how many of each kind of plant you can plant within a square foot of a raised bed. I had no idea I could plant SIXTEEN carrot plants in one little square! There are charts explaining square foot gardening all over the internet.

We live in zone 5. This means that we need to wait to plant many of our plants until Memorial Day. But I have planted seeds for some cold-tolerant plants. I hope to see lettuce, spinach, radish, arugula and carrot sprouts coming through the dirt in the next few days! Fingers crossed! Last year, the only seeds I planted were spinach seeds, which yielded me a great big NOTHING.

Okay, I am off to read more about composting!

Love, 40

Hello, Spring!

2011-03-30T11:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not a fan of nail art, really I'm not. But sometimes I find myself bored and at Walgreen's simultaneously. It can be a dangerous combo for me- as in, "really, hair dye for only $7??". Well, this fantastic find is Sally Hansen and costs about $10. With short nails like mine, there is enough for two full applications. That's only $5 a "manicure" and it is supposed to last TEN DAYS!! The 12 year old girl in me (the same one that loves all things Hello Kitty) is just thrilled!

Just keep pinning, pinning, pinning

2011-03-20T10:08:00.001-05:00

As thirty-five says - "Time waster alert!"

Have you heard of pinterest? It's amazing. It's a website where you create virtual bulletin boards where you can "pin" cool things you find while surfing the web. You can also search topics that interest you and view other members' pins for inspiration.

If the site is still in beta when you attempt to become a member, don't worry, it took less than two weeks for me to get an invite to join.

Happy pinning!

Forty

You're Either On The Bus or You're Off The Bus.....

2011-02-11T22:32:00.001-06:00

Back when I was in high school and college- I fantasized about being a hippie in the sixties. The Summer of Love and Haight/Ashbury and so on... it all seemed so romantic to me. Naturally, I went to as many Dead shows as possible (without actually ever touring because I am not particularly adventurous like that). I was fascinated with all that surrounded the whole hippie culture (or counterculture, perhaps?). Of course, I read up on all things related, including Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters (though come to think of it, I never completely read the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test- how odd. Must add to my "after grad school reading list"). Any how, as we all know, the Merry Pranksters traveled America in a painted bus, living the bohemian life which consisted of dropping acid and whatnot. This led to Ken Kesey famously saying, "You're either on the bus or you're off the bus...." Meaning of course, either you "got" their lifestyle or you didn't, you were with them or you weren't. And as an aside, was I ever excited to learn the Neal Cassady drove the bus(THE Neal Cassady and by that I mean Dean Moriarty from my beloved On The Road- is everyone still with me?)! Oh, the irony of course that Jack Kerouac was none too fond of the whole hippie movement- but never mind that right now. Continuing on- my point is that to me saying that someone was "on the bus" meant that most likely they were a fried acid casualty. Until this happened....

My son has a security blanket that he loves to drag around and sniff. He calls it noo noo. And in an unfortunate event recently, on the way home from the babysitter's, we accidentally left noo noo on the bus. Of course I panicked but noo noo never turned up in the lost and found (what a surprise, that tattered thing?) But it actually turned out okay- I replaced it with a new one (stupid me but that is a different story...) and we talk about the old one occasionally. For example, the other day he told me that our cat smelled like noo noo on the bus. But then yesterday my poor son couldn't find his favorite Thomas train and he was growing increasingly frantic as we looked for it. Finally he grabbed my hand and said "Where is he? Did we throw him out? Is he in the garbage?" and then after a short pause his eyes widened, his voice got a little more quiet and he said, "Is he....on the bus?" It broke my heart a little but still I had to laugh to myself and say, "No,Thomas the Tank Engine is most definitely not on the bus! I think I can say for certain Thomas is off the bus!"
-35

Valentine's Day Gift - Part II

2011-02-06T10:08:00.000-06:00

Oh my, 35 is funny, isn't she? I may have to buy that cute little teddy for my hubby.

I have been thinking about Valentine's Day gifts, too, which is kinda sad, since my valentine never gives me anything. Anyway, my idea is not as a funny as 35's teddy bear, but I promise your loved one will love it for years to come.

Curious? Get your valentine one of these:

Or one of these:

35 gave me a clementine tree for my birthday this year. It definitely ranks as one of my top ten favorite gifts EVER. I am hoping for a lemon tree next year.

Buy the trees here.

Man, I hope I get this for Valentine's Day.....

2011-02-04T21:12:00.001-06:00

If you are not lucky enough to get this as a gift this Valentine's Day (or you want to give it to a loved one) you can buy this lovely little teddy bear here.

-35

Fabulous Sixties

2011-01-30T18:53:00.001-06:00

I finally watched A Single Man. I don't know what took me so long, considering the imaginary, torrid love affair I am having with Tom Ford. The whole movie was gorgeous (naturally) but this girl was my favorite. I love the way all she did was stare and smoke. And she has a fabulous (albeit a little trite) sixties look.
-35

My Couch Fantasy

2011-01-11T21:51:00.000-06:00

Ha ha, funny. Because I have been having my plaid couch fantasy again. I love plaid. I have always loved plaid. I am sort of partial to plaid pants but I'll take any item of clothing in plaid. Really, makes no difference to me. Of course, it has to be a good plaid- not any old cheap looking plaid will do. And no more Burberry check, please- I'm tired of it. But lately I have been dreaming about a plaid couch again (the need comes and goes)- how fantastic would that be? But good ones are not easy to come by. In fact, I haven't found a single one I really like. I mean there is this one from Anthroplogie. But, well, it sort of, um, misses the the mark (Sorry, Anthro- no offense).

But why don't these other two lovelies come in plaid? Is it too much to ask? Surely, I am not the only one who has a plaid couch fantasy.

-35

p.s. to 40- yes, I did recently change my ultimate dream couch from the DWR Theatre to the DWR Bantam. I don't know why, I just did. And blue velvet is nice, but wouldn't it be a pet hair magnet? Just saying......

Urban Outfitters

Design Within Reach

Dreaming of Blue Velvet Couches

2011-01-09T14:29:00.000-06:00

I am dreaming of blue velvet couches.

Any one of these would be more than welcome in my home.

What do you think?

Yummy Kahlua Pound Cake Recipe

2011-01-07T11:09:00.001-06:00

I made this cake this week.

You can add frosting, too.

There are a few steps to the recipe, but the end result is worth the extra effort.

Try it. You'll like it.

Kahlua Pound Cake:
Kahlua Fudge
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
1/4 cup water

Cake
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda

Kahlua Glaze
4 oz semisweet chocolate
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp coffee-flavored liqueur

1. Make fudge: In saucepan, over low heat, mix ingredients. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring. Cool.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour 10 in. tube pan.
3. Make cake: In small glass measure, mix milk and vanilla. In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter and sugar 3 minutes or until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour (in fourths) alternately with milk mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour. Spoon one third of batter (about 2 1/2 cups) into medium bowl. Stir baking soda into fudge; stri into batter in medium bowl. Pour half of remaining plain batter into tube pan. Top with fudge batter; add remaining plain batter. Bake 1 hour and 40 minutes or utnil tester insesrted in cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 15 minutes; invert onto rack.
4. Make glaze: In food processor, chop chocolate. In saucepan, heat butter, cream and liqueur to boiling. With motor running, pour into chocolate; process until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool completely; drizzle over cake.
Makes 20 servings.

Notes: I baked this in a bundt pan and it turned out fine. Also, when making the glaze, I chopped the chocolate with a knife and poured the chocolate into the saucepan of cream and liqueur. I was too lazy to take out my food processor.

You Know Me Too Well, 35!

2011-01-07T10:40:00.000-06:00

In fact, I bought those glasses for myself last winter when I first saw them at Target. But, true to form, I repeatedly washed the glasses in the dishwasher despite the label's clear instructions to not do so, and my glasses no longer wear the Stones logo. So - perhaps I will make a trip to Target today (my third this week!) and buy myself another set of glasses, which set I may or may not put into the dishwasher.

As for my baby doll, she was very well taken care of, thank you very much. She just looks like that because it was Christmas day, and she had had a long day of partying and had spent the previous night lying awake because she could not fall asleep under the tree. Sure, she wasn't as well cared for as your dolls, but to imply that she was NEGLECTED is just cruel.

Love, 40

Will 40 buy these?

2011-01-04T22:50:00.001-06:00

I just found these at Target online. On clearance for $4.98. I wonder how fast they will sell?

-35
p.s. 40, that is hilarious about the Toy Story/ profile picture connection. Is that why I love that baby in the movie? It must of reminded me of your doll. Lord knows, my dolls were far too well cared for to ever look like that!

Toy Story Three Has Invaded My Brain

2011-01-03T20:27:00.002-06:00

For Christmas, my parents gave my #3 the Toy Story 3 DVD. It has been on a constant loop ever since.

This evening, as I was preparing to write a post for this blog, I glanced at the picture of my sister and I that we posted for our About Us section. I got so distracted by the creepy resemblance that the doll I am holding bears to "Baby" in Toy Story 3 that I am no longer fit to write a post. You fans will have to wait.

Love, 40

Perfect Christmas Morning Breakfast #1

2010-12-22T16:01:00.001-06:00

I love to have a big, festive breakfast on Christmas morning after all of the presents have been unwrapped. But I don't love to prepare a big, festive breakfast on Christmas morning after all of the presents have been unwrapped. That is why I love this recipe. I can put the pre-assembled casserole in the oven when the kids first sneak down to get a peak at the tree, and breakfast will be ready when the last gift is unwrapped. If you want, slice some bananas and strawberries the night before and have them waiting in the fridge, too. This recipe turns out beautifully and has always gotten rave reviews.

Oven Puffed French Toast (serves 6 to 8)
Toast:
8 slices French bread, cubed
6 eggs
1/6 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinammon
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups half-and-half

Topping:
1/2 cup firm butter, cubed
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts

Place bread slices in a single layer in a generously buttered 9x13 pan. In a large bowl, combine eggs, spices, vanilla and half-and-half, mix well. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Before baking, baste unabsorbed liquid over bread. Combine topping ingredients with pastry knife just until the mixture has a coarse texture. Sprinkle over bread slices and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degress for 40-60 minutes.

Note: I assemble the topping ingredients the night before and save the mixture in the refrigerator until I am ready to put the casserole in the oven.

Enjoy!

Love, 40

A Great Christmas Eve Tradition - The Gift of Matching Holiday Children's Pajamas

2010-12-19T14:19:00.001-06:00

Though I have never been organized enough to follow it, I love the tradition that many families have of gifting each child a pair of holiday-themed pajamas on Christmas Eve. Allowing the children to open this gift the night before Christmas gets the holiday off to a kick-start, satisfies the little ones' desperate pleas to start opening presents, and makes for picture-perfect photographs the next morning.

You can deck the kids out in anything from perfectly matching flannel p.j.'s to adorably coordinating longjohns. There are styles for everybody in your family - from the youngest babe to Mom and Dad. And, if you are like me and don't like to sport Santa and his reindeer after the 25th, there are options available that will look perfect on Christmas morning AND on the wintery morings to come.

Here are some of my favorites:

From stripes to snowmen to pefectly gift-wrapped presents, Garnet Hill has it all.

Hannah Anderson has an adorable selection of Christmas and seasonal-themed pajamas for big and small alike.

I also like the striped pajamas at Crew Cuts and the flannel snowflakes at Land's End.

Sweet Dreams!

Love, 40

It's Here! My NiceRink Ice Skating Rink!

2010-12-13T23:24:00.001-06:00

My husband surprised me (after many e-mails to him that not-so-subtly hinted that I really, really wanted an ice rink) and bought the family a NiceRink ice skating rink! The rink is being constructed as a type.

Cool Find! A Wall-Mounted Fishbowl

2010-12-13T23:19:00.002-06:00

I was reading The Selby recently, and came across the cool and fun digs of Keith Abrahamsson and Kate Young. When I saw the picture of their wall-mounted goldfish bowl, I knew I had to have one. I mean, how cute is this?

Perfect for a child's room, I can also see one mounted in the kitchen or family room or even in the powder room for a little humor and entertainment.

You can buy one here.

Love, 40

Disappointing....

2010-12-06T22:15:00.000-06:00

I know I am going to get a lot of sh*t from 40 for this, as she is no fan of Angelina (and that is the most polite way to put it)- but I am going to post this anyway. I think that Johnny (my all-time favorite favorite) and Angelina are the two best looking people EVER. Absolutley beautiful. Both of them. As in when I heard about this movie, I wondered if I could even handle watching it, they are that pretty. (I am so sorry 40). So, what the hell is going on here? Why does neither one of them look all that attractive? Is it possible they somehow cancel each other out?

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2010-12-01T10:12:00.002-06:00

I'm still here, blog! I haven't forgotten you again, I promise. It's just that I have been so busy working on my final projects for school. I am currently wrapped up in a project improving an intersection near my home. That's right, an intersection. Hours and hours of work on an intersection. Doesn't it sound fascinating? The sad thing is, it is fascinating to me. I am a transporation nerd. A complete and total geek about it. I came to this realization slightly later in life. I don't know how I missed it before because looking back the fascination was always there. As a suburban kid, I used to love to ride the commuter train or the L into the city (made me feel "urban"!) and as a college kid, I loved road trips. Absolutely LOVED them! Read On the Road a million times. (Well, also because I love Jack but we're talking about transporation right now). Yesterday, in the midst of an insane day that involved my son's first day at a new daycare/preschool and meeting with my school partner among other things, I took four L rides and three bus rides, some with my son and some alone. It was the best part of my day. No joke. Well, more about all that later..........
So anyway, I am just checking in. Sorry to be so neglectful. You're welcome, 40, for the virtual birthday card. I knew you would like it! I love the square wreaths you posted but I think I'm more a circle person today. Which is odd because usually I prefer squares.

By the way,if you like this picture, you can buy the poster here.
-35

Week 3 of FOOD+FOTO

2010-11-30T12:42:00.002-06:00

cranberries, originally uploaded by susan736.

I am in week three of Miss B.'s FOOD+FOTO class. I have to admit, it has been more difficult than I anticipated. I have never staged a photograph before. (Other than trying to get my children to sit still!). Staging and lighting food so that it looks like something you would want to eat is proving to be a lot more challenging than it looks.

Martha Stewart's Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-11-29T22:10:00.000-06:00

I have never met a Martha Stewart cookie recipe that I didn't like.

The cookies in my FOOD+FOTO pictures are from Martha. And they are (well, were) as delicious as they look. And, they have oatmeal and raisins in them, which, in my book, qualifies them as both healthy and a breakfast food.

If you would like to eat cookies for breakfast without feeling guilty, make this recipe. Now.

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 sticks (16 tbsps) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until ight and fluffy.

2. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add dry ingredients; beat just until combined. Add oats, raisins and chocolate chips; beat just until combined.

3. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies have spread and are golden brown but still soft to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: I accidentally used quick cooking oats and the recipe turned out fine. The recipe says it will make 32 cookies, I had about 48. Also, I used salted butter rather than unsalted. I always use salted butter.

Obsessing Over Square Boxwood Wreaths - and another DIY Wreath

2010-11-28T09:35:00.003-06:00

I am in love with square wreaths this season, especially ones made of boxwood. How can you resist these?

available on Etsy

I absolutely love this one against the red door.

available at Williams Sonoma

You can hang the wreaths inside, if you prefer.

Me, I plan to hang mine inside AND outside, with a ribbon through the center and a bow at the bottom.

Since no wreath posting would be complete without a DIY idea - go to Better Homes and Gardens for the DIY tutorial for the wreaths above.

Enjoy!

Love, 40

Best Birthday Card Ever!

2010-11-28T09:05:00.001-06:00

Thank you, 35, for the best birthday sentiments I have ever received! Only Mick Jagger appearing in the flesh on my doorstep could have topped those awesome pictures!

xoxo,

40

Happy Birthday, 40!

2010-11-23T12:59:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Big Sister! I really wanted to get you this, but I was afraid it might gross everyone out. Instead, I decided to just give you some nice things to look at.
I love you-
35

Souvenir Foto School FOOD+FOTO Week 2 Submissions

2010-11-21T16:55:00.000-06:00

These are the images I submitted for week 2 of the Souvenir Foto School. I couldn't decide which image I preferred, so I submitted several, hoping that members of the group would give me feedback on what they do and do not like about each image.

Playing with the depth of field.

Just cookies.

More cookies

Bagels and ceam cheese

To take take the cookie photos, I ventured out of my comfort zone. Generally, I like to take pictures of things as I find them. This time, I created the background and manipulated the items for each picture. I generally like the way the pictures turned out, what do you think?

Love, 40

Still Dreaming of Backyard Skating Rinks

2010-11-21T12:46:00.001-06:00

Until recently, my husband did not share my enthusiasm for a backyard rink. He thought a rink would be too expensive, too hard to put together, and too much work to maintain. Well, I found something that finally changed his mind - a backyard skating rink kit! There are many kits online, but I like this one. In fact, my husband is so on board with the idea that he even talked a co-worker into buying a kit for his home!

Now, as far as maintenance of the rink is concerned...that's what the children are for!

Backyard Skating Rinks

2010-11-19T12:49:00.004-06:00

I have been dreaming of my very own backyard skating rink.

Something like this would be nice:

Our afternoons would be filled with the kids and their friends gliding around the rink.

Afterwards, we would all sip hot chocolate:

While doing this:

Wouldn't that be fun?

Love, 40

Vinyl Wall Decals

2010-11-18T13:19:00.002-06:00

Funny you should mention that quote, 35, as I just came across the magnet with that quote on it that I bought with you many years ago. It is a great quote, for sure.

I also lust over vinyl wall decals. The trouble is, there are so many great quotes and pictures to choose from that I just can't make up my mind. Of course, you can never go wrong with a monogram... This one had me at hello:

Another great source for vinyl decals is wall words, which I believe used to be wonderful graffiti. And don't forget etsy!

Can't wait to see your new decorations!

Love, 40

Keep on truckin'

2010-11-18T00:11:00.001-06:00

"It is never too late to become what you might have been"

-George Eliot

I have always liked this quote but it always just served as a vague reminder to me that I still had time to figure it all out. Now more than ever it has taken on new meaning for me. As someone who has gone back to graduate school slightly older, with a small child and that ever present goddamned mortgage knocking on my door every month, I am often disheartened by the twenty-somethings that I am surrounded by. I need more than ever to remember this. Read it every day, shout it from the rooftops, WRITE IT ON MY WALLS. Keep pressing on, move forward, you don't want to get dragged down by the "shoulda, coulda, woulda's". It serves no purpose. And with that, I think I really might write it on my wall- a Sharpie would work but how about this instead? And while I am ordering that, I might order this:

P.S. I want to mention, when I searched this online to confirm that quote was George Eliot, there is some debate whether she really wrote it or not. I hate giving out incorrect information and must add this disclaimer.

No, You Are Not Twiggy

2010-11-17T12:45:00.005-06:00

But I bet you could pull off that hairstyle. In fact, I think you are right, you already wore that style - in 7th grade. But that was very much part of Twiggy's appeal, wasn't it? That she looked like a child, a young boy, to be exact, much of the time. And weren't you mistaken for a boy several times in your youth? You were high style and didn't even know it!

Anyway, I say go for it, if you really want to. You only live once. Hair grows back. But you have to promise to wear your eyelashes like Twiggy, too, if you do the hair.

So, all this talk of Twiggy had me searching for other 60's hairstyles. Which, of course, lead me straight to Marianne Faithful. She was one cool chick. I just had to share this picture of her and Mick Jagger. Isn't it sweet?

I don't know who looks prettier, Mick or Marianne. Well, yeah, I do.

Love, 40

Great Gifts for Shutterbugs

2010-11-17T12:12:00.006-06:00

Have you heard of Photojojo?

They have some really cool stuff for photographers and photography buffs.

I need this:It's not a new lens...

It's a stainless steel coffee mug! So cool. It even has a lid in the shape of a lens cover. They have Nikon and Canon cups. And the zoom feature on the Nikon cup really zooms. Fun.

Enjoy!

Love, 40

I am not Twiggy

2010-11-16T22:11:00.005-06:00

I am supposed to be writing a paper- three papers by December 9th, to be exact. Which is why I am currently cruising the Web for anything to distract me. This is also why I am currently seriously considering a new hairstyle. One like this:
Please, 40- STOP ME!!! Doesn't it look suspiciously like the haircut I had in 7th grade? It sure looks good on Twiggy, though. The more I look at it the more I like it. What do you think, 40? How very sorry would I be? (And how very ugly would I look??) Wow- I love it though!

A Note to 35 About Christmas Wreaths

2010-11-15T23:30:00.004-06:00

I am not ignoring your challenge, my dear sister. In fact, I went to Michael's this weekend intending to buy the materials for our cheap wreath. But, I just can't do it. My heart belongs to the wreath of felted wool balls, not its cheap imitation cousin. I am now trying to determine just how guilty I will feel if I use some of my X-Mas fund money to buy the more expensive balls.

Serendipity and Vintage Fisher Price

2010-11-15T18:33:00.008-06:00

On Friday, I took my two boys to an estate sale. I was worried about how the outing would go -my 12-year old was not too keen on the idea when I first suggested it, and, well, with the 3-year old, you just never know.

It turned out that both boys had a blast. For a treasure hunter and collector like my 12-year old, the estate sale turned out to be a wonderland. The woman who owned the house was a collector, too. There were bags and bags of beautiful shells and sea glass she had collected throughout her years of travel. Old urns, pieces of fences, and architectural pieces greeted us at every turn. My son went home with a PS2 game system, 14 games, and a ziploc bag full of "rare" blue sea glass.

My 3-year old amused himself by playing with the house dog and old toys, talking to everybody who crossed his path, and running through every room of the rambling house.

As for me, when I saw a tub full of vintage Fisher Price toys, I knew I had to buy them. I had recently read on Sarah's blog that she buys vintage Fisher Price toys for her children. I loved the idea of buying some vintage FP, and searched for some on ebay. I really wanted the amusement park series, but all of the toys offered on ebay were either too expensive or in poor condition. Now, right in front of me, in a plastic tub on a dirty basement floor, were the toys I had been lusting after on ebay, in perfect condition and for less money. Serendipity.

I bought a merry-go-round:

A circus train:

Seven little people:

And a ferris wheel.

The cost for everything was $25. Watching my boys play with their treasures for hours after we returned home - priceless.

It was a great day.

Love, 40

Souvenir Foto School Photo #1

2010-11-14T12:49:00.003-06:00

Sneaky Baby, originally uploaded by susan736.

I am participating in Tristan's Souvenir Foto School this session. This time, the theme is food. The students will be posting their pictures to the Flickr group FOOD+FOTO by midnight Sunday of each week. This picture is my first submission. Head over to Tristan's blog, or Flickr see all of the great pictures that have been entered.

Love, 40

I must be getting old

2010-11-13T20:27:00.002-06:00

I should have titled this post- "No really, I'm serious". I love this! I can't stop listening. Honestly, how about that Julio? I mean, Willie has always been Willie and he's great. When we were young, our dad certainly went through his Willie Nelson phases. We even saw him at the State Fair once. But I am developing a new fascination for Julio. I actually think that this is the only song I have every heard by him. But I am thinking I need to invest in some more of his music. I want to have a dinner party and play only Julio. For real. I'm not kidding. And anyway, I had to distance myself from all that Christmas talk, I can't take it this early in the season.

-35

P.S. Who doesn't love some good old fashioned cheesy pin-ups? Your welcome.

Or take the lazy route

2010-11-11T21:51:00.005-06:00

You can get this wreath here, at Anthropologie for $148. A bit pricey, yes. But I find being lazy always costs more in the end. And actually, I must say it is still not as pretty as the one with the felted balls. But even if you don't love the wreath, it is worth a peek at their website just to see the animated ornament catalog. So cute it makes me want to puke.
And with that, maybe I'll throw down a challenge to 40: in the next few weeks, let's try to make the cheap pom pom wreath. After all, surely ours will be beautiful!
-35

More Cute and Easy DIY Christmas Wreaths

2010-11-11T09:17:00.009-06:00

Here is a cheaper, though not quite as cute, version of the pompom wreath I posted earlier:

Instuctions for making it can be found here: http://www.cozylittlecave.com/2009/12/diy-pom-pom-wreath.html.

This wreath is also really cute. And it would be very cheap, fast, and easy to make. I would replace the flowers with some cute buttons or large pompoms. (The other kind, not the kind on the wreath above.)

Instructions on making this wreath can be found here http://calebdanielle.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-yarn-wreath-with-felt-flowers.html.

Love, 40

Pretty DIY Christmas Wreaths

2010-11-11T08:57:00.007-06:00

I am thinking about making this wreath for Christmas:

image via Pickles

Instructions on how to make it can be found here http://http//www.pickles.no/wonderful-wreath/.

quote of the day

2010-11-09T21:34:00.003-06:00

"Till there was rock, you only had god."

I always loved this one.

Well, 40 and I were talking the today and we said, "hey, whatever happened to our blog? Is it still out there??". Sure enough, here it is.

Okay, fine, we're slackers. We never denied that. We were very upfront about it, actually. We're always honest, atleast. But we might just give this a whirl once again. Watch out world.

We're back.

-35

Pot Roast from the Joy of Cooking

2010-02-02T08:32:00.007-06:00

A friend of mine recently had a baby - the sweetest little baby girl you have ever seen. She is only two weeks old and she is smiling! Adorable. But we all know that such adorableness comes with some other not-so adorable qualities that make a new mother's life difficult for the first few weeks after the baby's birth. To help ease my friend's household burdens a smidge so that she could have more time to enjoy her new little bundle, I decided to bring her a meal. Because I have been craving pot roast, have been on a quest to find the ultimate recipe for it, and wanted to bring my friend a dish that was a meal in a pot - you guessed it - I made pot roast.

Honestly, it was a little brave of me to cook a pot roast with the intention of feeding it to someone else. Pot roast is one of those meals that always disappoints when I cook it at home. The gravy is runny and the meal is bland. My default way to cook pot roast is to throw everything in a slow cooker, wait six hours, then eat. Since this hasn't been garnering the results I want, I was ready to try a different method. Following the instructions from The Joy of Cooking, I first seared the meat in hot oil in a large skillet, then added veggies and broth and cooked everything over an extremely slow flame for several hours. When everything was cooked, the result was not all that different from those I had achieved prviously, and I was thinking I would have to have a pizza delivered to my friend's.

But wait - what is this? A step AFTER everything is cooked? Yes! Rather than enjoy your now cooked but bland meat and veggies in broth, Ms. Cunningham instructs you to remove the solids from the pan and add 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp flour for every cup of liquid. This thickens the broth into a wonderful gravy and adds that depth of flavor that only butter can bring to a dish. People, let me tell you, this is what I have been missing in my pot roast cooking life. Try this recipe, you will be glad you did.

Beef Pot Roast (Basic Recipe)from the Joy of Cooking

1 beef chuck or rump roast (3-5 pounds), neatly tied if boneless
Season with: salt and black pepper to taste

Heat 2-3 tbsps vegetable oil, rendered beef fat, or lard in a heavy Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat.
Add the roast and brown on all sides, about 15-20 minutes. Maintain the heat so that the meat sizzles but does not burn. Remove the meat to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tbsps. of fat from the pan and heat over medium high heat. Add:

2 cups finely chopped ojnions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, just until they begin to color, about 5 minutes. Add:

1 cup beef or chicken stock, dry red wine, or water

Bring to a boil and add:

1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsps fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Return the roast to the pan and cover. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cook the roast slowly so that the liquid just barely simmers. Turn th roast every 30 minutes or so. Make sure there is always some liquid in the pot and add more as needed. When the meat is tender, (Flat roasts will take 1.5 to 2.5 hours, round or oblong roasts may take as long as 4 hours), remove the roast to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Skim off any fat from the surface of the liquid. Strain the liquid. To thicken the sauce slightly, bring the liquid to a boil. For each cup liquid, stir together and whisk in:

1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1tbsp butter, softened

Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Note: I did not tie my boneless cut. Also, I roughly chopped the vegetables, did not add a bay leaf, and did not strain my liquid after cooking. My flat, 2 pound roast took 3 hours to cook.

Still Thinking about the Green Bathroom

2010-02-02T08:23:00.004-06:00

If I am going to keep the green fixtures, I need to find a new tank cover for the toilet and a green (or black) toilet seat that matches the color of the toilet. The tank cover is cracked, and I don't like the way the current white toilet seat looks. (I wouldn't keep the old seat, but it allows me to see what a white seat looks like against the green.) On a related note, I think I've said/written the word "toilet" more in the past several days than I have in my life. Toilet. It's a funny word.

Last night I found a great site - retro renovation - that is dedicated to providing information about how to renovate your home while staying true to its retro origin. The site is full of great tips and resources and is truly inspiring. After spending some time clicking around on the site, I didn't feel so crazy for liking my green bathroom. (By the way, did I tell you that when the plumber came to give me a quote on installing a shower he said "You're gutting this, right?", as if it was a foregone conclusion?) The best part is that through retro renovation, I found two other sites - one which sells toilet seats in every color of the rainbow, and one that specializes in vintage toilet parts. The downside is that, depending on the exact shade of green of my fixtures (Mint? Ming?) the cover I need can cost between $300 and $900. I can buy a brand new toilet for that!

I'll leave you with a picture of my toilet: You can see the white toilet seat in this shot. It's also interesting to note the color of the bowl. The previous owners claimed to have the place cleaned on a regular basis. I think they need to ask for their money back from the maid service.

Our (Not So) Minty Fresh 1940's Green Bathroom

2010-01-31T22:02:00.007-06:00

There are two full baths on the second floor of our house. You will have to trust me when I tell you that the one I am about to show you is the lesser of two evils. Here is our green bathroom in glory:

The light above the mirror is actually hardwired into the medicine cabinet electricity. Big no-no, apparently.

The lovely green wallpaper covers the ceiling, too, as you can tell by looking at the corner above the bathtub.

Now, I don't know which is more sad, the state of this bathroom, or the fact that I actually wanted to salvage it. Honestly, I did. For several weeks after we bought the house, my plan was to keep the green fixtures and work around them. I found the green charming, and I like to preserve vintage details when possible. This house was built right after World War II, and I thought of the woman who chose the green, so excited to have these fresh, fun, fixtures after years of worry about the war. Sappy, I know.

Anyway - back to reality. You may have already noticed, but this bathroom is missing a shower. No big deal, I thought. We'll "just" put a shower in. (You will find that I like the phrases we'll "just" do something, and "how much could it cost?" - phrases that generally get me into trouble.) Of course, I did no research on what needed to be done to put in a shower until after we had already bought the house. I figured it would cost about $1,000 and take a day of work.

Enter the plumber. Sure, he could put a shower in, but he would also need to tile the surrounding walls. (Mental head slap). And, oh, by the way, the surrounding walls are old plaster and can't hold the weight of all that tile. We would need to take down all the walls and rebuild them with cement board. And, on further inspection, there are no risers behind the tub, so we need to install risers, too.

In my head, I hear the ringing of a cash register. But I am also thinking about that green tub. Because by now I have noticed that the green fixtures are not all the same shade of green. The tub is darker than the toilet and sink. I have decided it might be a good idea to replace the sink and toilet and refinish the tub. But with all the walls around the tub needing to come down, this would be the time to replace the tub if I ever plan to do so. Of course, I have not budgeted for a total bathroom remodel, and there are oh so many more things that need to be done in this house.

I need to sleep on it...

Starting Over

2010-01-31T21:49:00.002-06:00

A lot has happened since we last posted. I put my house up for sale, sold it, bought a house, moved to a new suburb, and helped to acclimate my school-aged children to a new school and new friends. It has been three months since we moved, and the dust is finally beginning to settle.

Thirty-five has also had big changes in her life She has gone back to school to get her master's degree. In addition to going to school almost full-time, she is raising a two-year old and working full-time. She definitely has her hands full!

Anyway - all this is my way of apologizing for our not being more consistent in our postings. But we plan to mend our wicked ways, we promise.

As I mentioned, I recently moved. The house my husband and I bought is in need of alot of TLC, and I plan to document our progress on the house as we go along, for your enjoyment as well as so that I have a place to look back to when I feel disheartened. I also plan to use this blog as a place to store links, ideas, and great finds that I may want to use in the house in the future.

Also, I have once again challenged myself to cook at least one new recipe a week for the next year. I will share each of these recipes with you.

Susan

Still Here

2009-07-08T13:32:00.003-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been almost two months since our last post. Believe it or not, I have been busy for months organizing and decluttering my home. After twelve years and three kids, I had/have a lot of decluttering to do! I wish I had more before and after photos, but my before was so embarrassing, I probably would have never posted photos of it, anyway. But I have made a TON of progress, and have learned alot along the way, so I plan to share my experience with you over the next several days.

See you soon!

In the Interest of Full Disclosure

2009-05-23T10:20:00.006-05:00

I have something to confess. I also bought one of these while shopping at Target last week:

This is the green multi-colored flower mug from Orla Kiely. It doesn't make me smile every time I see it like the Orla Kiely bowl does, but I do like it.

Cute, isn't it?

-40

This Makes Me Happy

2009-05-23T10:06:00.003-05:00

I bought this Orla Kiely bowl on a whim while shopping at Target this week. I rarely buy anything on a whim these days. Every dollar I spend is scrutinized to the last penny to make sure I am buying something I really need. So I felt very guilty buying this bowl, as it cost $20+ and I don't NEED it. But oh, I do so LOVE it.

The bowl makes me happy every time I look at it. Really, it makes me smile inside.

Perhaps I needed it after all.

-40

Inspiration?

2009-05-22T22:46:00.008-05:00

In the midst of my attempt at order and home organization- I saw this. It is the apartment belonging to MoMA curator Klaus Biesenbach. It takes the concept of minimalism in home decor to a new level. Yes, he actually lives here. One blogger questions is he a minimalist or just boring? BORING? Uh, I'd say boring would be more like, "Gee, I don't know how to furnish my apartment so I'll just get a beige couch and a Monet poster". This is not boring, it is something else. Extreme, maybe? Obsessive? Dare I say, crazy?
But I have to say that while I find this apartment a little lonely, I do think it is slightly inspirational to see how little one can live with. As I try to cram all my crap into my tiny home, I look at these pictures and think, "can't I part with just a few more things?" I mean, Apartment Therapy's Home Cure is pretty convincing when it comes to clearing out the junk but nothing like this! And honestly, some mornings I wish my closet looked like that. What a time saver!

-35

This Makes Me Sad

2009-05-16T21:13:00.007-05:00

I have been a really bad co-blogger, I haven't contributed in I don't even know how long. And this is how I return-- with a picture of a neon scrunchie. Now, don't get me wrong, I live in a neighborhood full of slackers, hipsters and too-cool college kids; so it's not like I haven't noticed the return of bad '80s style. It's been back for quite some time. But I just wasn't prepared yesterday when I went on American Apparel's website to find scrunchies for sale! I guess this is payback for my love for all things '60s when I was in high school. Now I know how my mom felt. Old. And maybe a little bit sad.
-35

Ewwww!!!....And a Great Kitchen Cleaning Tip

2009-05-15T12:46:00.003-05:00

Did you know that your kitchen sponge is the dirtiest item in your kitchen? The small crevices of the sponge are the perfect breeding ground for millions of bacteria. When you use your sponge on a surface, you are wiping those bacteria all over whatever you are "cleaning". But don't despair, Sara Ellington and Stephanie Triplett, authors of The Must Have Mom Manual, have a great tip for killing those gross germs. Simply wet your sponge and pop it into the microwave for one minute. You should do this at least once a day, more if you can find the time.

Love, -40

Boys Adrift - A Must Read for Anybody Who Knows and Loves a Boy

2009-05-14T22:36:00.002-05:00

As the mother of two boys, this book has scared the hell out of me. In the book, Dr. Sax states that we are raising a generation of unmotivated, underachieving, disinterested and disengaged boys. Even more frightening is the fact that Dr. Sax cites studies indicating that boys today have half the sperm count that boys did in the 1940's, and that they are going through puberty much later than earlier generations. There are many reasons for this, according to Dr. Sax, but the factors he discusses that hit closest to home were changes in the educational system, video games, and BPA in our food.

According to Dr. Sax, the acceleration of our educational system, resulting in kindergarten being what first grade was decades ago, has harmed boys immensely. Most five year old boys are simply not ready or able to sit quietly and learn to read as they are expected to do in today's society. As a result, the boys are placed on the slow track. The boys pick up on the fact that they are not in the "smart group" and start to dislike school. This dislike of school carries through the grades and results in disengagement and a lack of motivation. (Interestingly, the Finnish educational system has consistently ranked as the best in the world. Finland does not start to formally educate their children until the age of seven.) Dr. Sax also points to the abolition of competition in schools as significantly harming boys, as the lack of competition has taken away one of the main forces which drive boys to succeed.

Another factor causing boys' disengagement from, and disinterest in, the real world is video game playing. The chapter on video games is dense and full of facts, so I won't delve to deeply into it here, but one fact that I found alarming is that studies have found that video games containing violence have the same effect on a boy's brain as do the drugs commonly prescribed for ADHD, which drugs Dr. Sax also blames for the problems boys are experiencing today. One thing to note, Dr. Sax mentions that there is no distinction between "good" violence, i.e. where the player is a policeman killing a bad guy, and "bad" violence. Violence is violence, pure and simple, and all violent video games have the same effect on a boy's developing brain.
The chapter that scared me the most and has kept me up several nights this week is the chapter about the presence of BPA in our food. According to Dr. Sax, BPA, which is found in plastics such as those used for water bottles, acts like the hormone estrogen in males. Needless to say, estrogen in a young boy's body wreaks havoc on his system. BPA has even been found in the bloodstream of newborn males, indicating that pregnant and nursing mothers who ingest BPA are passing it on to their offspring. And the problem cannot be solved by merely quitting your bottled water habit. Look around, and you will realize that plastic touches most of the foods we eat. Cardboard milk cartons? Lined with plastic. Deli paper used for meats? Ditto. Most canned foods are housed in cans that have a plastic liner containing BPA. We use plastic containers at home to store leftovers. Our children drink out of plastic sippy cups.

So what do we do? I have not yet worked out what to do about the state of our educational system. Dr. Sax advocates for same-sex schooling, which really isn't an option for our family. But as for video games, I am going to keep a much closer eye on what my 10-year old is doing on the computer and completely ban those games that contain the slightest hint of violence. I find the plastics issue much more difficult to deal with, but what I have done so far is I have thrown away all of our plastic cups, plates and bottles. I plan to buy glass food storage containers. Absolutely no microwaving food in plastic is allowed. No more water bottled in plastic bottles. And I plan to drastically cut the amount of food we buy in cans and research those companies that use BPA-free linings.

For more information on Boys adrift, visit http://www.boysadrift.com/.

Love, -40

Boxes, Boxes Everywhere!

2009-05-14T15:46:00.007-05:00

First, let me just say that I have noticed something here in blogging land. And that thing is this - most, if not all, of the bloggers are Type A, motivated, over-achievers who have always been great cooks, photographers, organizers, etc. Don't get me wrong, this is not an insult. Some of my favorite bloggers are those perfect overachievers that know whereof they speak. But I also like to read posts from ordinary folks, those who are not perfect and are just finding their way. Folks like me. Those bloggers make me feel like there is still hope for me. Hope that I will one day wake up and my house will be clean, the children will all have matching socks to wear, I will be able to find the school form that needs to be turned in that day, and there will be milk in the refrigerator for the baby's bottle. Oh yeah, I dream big.

Anyway - you get the point. I am an underachiever. And I am just starting out in my home organization journey. Much of what I will write about will be things that many of you have been doing or have known for years. But, there may still be one or two of you that have not yet made it even to my level. (You poor, poor souls.) It is for you two that I am writing this blog.

Okay, having reiterated my sheer cluelessness, I will now share with you my newest home organization epiphany. Boxes. Shoeboxes, plastic boxes, boxes with handles, boxes without handles. I don't care what type of box you use, just use them! My only requirement is that the box has a lid. I will get to this in a minute.

Boxes make corralling all of your little stuff a breeze. Before I discovered boxes, I didn't know what to do with my kids' miscellaneous STUFF. Bakugan, Pokemon, plastic animals, markers - where to put them all? Boxes, that's where! What about adult miscellaneous stuff? Light bulbs, batteries, toiletries? You guessed it! Boxes are great for several reasons. First of all, they allow you to group like collections and groups of things together. This one is pretty obvious. Secondly, they allow you to corrall items that are not easily corralled, and items that were once not stackable are now in a stackable container. This is my favorite aspect of boxes, and also why you need to have a lid for your box. Last, but not least, once you identify your like items and create a box for them, picking up becomes much easier because you already know where everything belongs.

I have found boxes to be most useful in my kids' bedrooms, but I am also using them in the linen closets, the dining room, my bedroom - once you get going you will want a box for everything.

My system for boxing items is simple:

1. Completely clean out an area.

2. Identify like groups of items

3. Determine what size box these items will need and create a box for them

4. Label the box

5. Find the best place to keep the box

My current favorite boxes are the Kassett boxes in white from Ikea

and the clear plastic storage boxes from the Container Store Both of these boxes come in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Now go forth and divide and box!

Love, -40

My New Best Friend

2009-05-14T15:34:00.008-05:00

The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser has become my new best friend. Have you tried this thing? It is amazing. Amazing like "How does it DO that?" amazing. I have gone through six of these so far - four in my kitchen and two in the dining room. It is so easy to use - just wet it slightly and wipe it on whatever you want clean. The sponge was magic on the exterior of my painted cabinets. Magnificent on my filthy mudroom walls. Amazing on my stainless steel stink. Fabulous on my laminate countertop. (Yes, I said laminate countertop, don't get me started.) Seriously, I have not seen my twelve year old kitchen sink shine in at least three years. It now shines! And the great part is that no elbow grease is required from you. Mr. Clean does all the work. I love Mr. Clean. The only thing limiting your use of this product is your imagination.

Love, -40

Still...Organizing...

2009-05-12T15:10:00.003-05:00

I've never claimed to be perfect, and by now I'm sure you've noticed that I am far from it. Case in point, I promised that I was going to organize and clean my dining room sometime last week and I have yet to check in. I am actually working on the dining room, but it is harder than I thought it would be. Here's the problem - each room builds on the other. When I cleaned the kitchen, it was easy to take items out of the kitchen and say "oh I'll put these in the dining room." Now that I'm in the dining room, I not only have to organize what is already there, but also the new items I've moved from the kitchen.

Making my task harder is the fact that we use our dining room for everything. Our dining room is where we eat, play, create, study - everything but sleep. I am trying to find a way to incorporate into the dining room storage all of the things that go along with these activities.

So please bear with me!

Love, -40

I Love my Lollia Candle

2009-05-09T22:55:00.003-05:00

I cannot get enough of THIS:

It is THE BEST smelling candle EVER. Perhaps the best thing I have ever SMELLED. Pricey, but so worth it. I plan to spend my children's college funds (well, if they had funds, I would), get a second mortgage, and hock my engagement ring so that I can fill every room in the house with Lollia candles.

Love, -40

Apartment Therapy 8-Step Home Cure

2009-05-09T22:39:00.003-05:00

The book that started it all. I don't know if I love it or hate it, but I have fallen under its spell.

Smoothies!

2009-05-09T22:09:00.005-05:00

I know, I know. Who needs a recipe for smoothies? Well, I do, for one. I have repeatedly try to replicate at home smoothies I have had out, and always fail.

It is important to me to be able to whip up a good smoothie at home because my kids love smoothies and I find them to be a great way to get a bunch of nutritious ingredients into my kids quickly and easily. They may not always want to eat their broccoli, but my kids have yet to pass up a smoothie.

I found these recipes in Perfect Recipes for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Pamela Anderson. I really appreciate Pamela's no-nonsense approach to cooking and the fact that she offers variations at the bottom of each recipe. I made the Vanilla Fruit Smoothie recipe as written, but omitted the 1 cup of frozen fruit in the Chocolate Fruit Smoothie recipe. The verdict: My kids finished both smoothies and asked for more. A+ in my book.

Chocolate Fruit Smoothies
1 cup frozen fruit (strawberries, dark sweet cherries, raspberries)
1 medium peeled frozen banana
1 cup light chocolate soy milk
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Optional flavorings

Drop fruit of choice and banana into a blender. Whisk soy milk, cocoa powder, and optional flavorings in a 1 cup measuring cup. With blender on high, add soy milk mixture through feeder tube, stopping and stirring as necessary, until mixture is smooth. Pour into a glass and serve. Makes 2 cups, or 1 serving

Optional Flavorings:
Chocolate-Raspberry-Orange Smoothie
use raspberries for fruit and whisk 1/4 teaspoon finely granted organge zest into soy milk.

Black Forest Smoothie
Use frozen cherries for fruit and whisk 1/2 teaspon almond extract into soy milk.

Vanilla Fruit Smoothies

1 cup frozen fruit (strawberries, dark sweet cherries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pineapple, mango) - I used Trader Joe's frozen mango chunks
1 medium peeled frozen banana
1 cup light vanilla soy milk
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Optional flavorings

Follow same directions as for Chocolate smoothie

Optional flavorings:
Raspberry-Orange Smoothie
Use frozen raspberries for fruit and whisk 1/4 teaspoon finely grated oranzge zest into soy milk.

Pina Colada Smoothie
Use frozen pineappple for fruit and whisk 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract into soy milk.

Next Up - the Dining Room

2009-05-06T12:49:00.002-05:00

I was supposed to clean and organize the dining room yesterday, but I had my 10-year old home sick from school and then I went to work at the library last night, so I got nothing accomplished. So - today I want to get through the dining room and reduce my mountain of laundry to a mere ant hill. Doable? We will see. Cleaning the dining room will mean - clearing off the table so that I can once again see the top of it, cleaning the walls, vacuuming and mopping the floors, emptying, decluttering and organizing the two built in cabinets, emptying the freestanding armoire that I have hated ever since I bought it and finding a home for everything in the armoire so that I can get the ugly thing out of my dining room, finding a home for everything that constitutes the piles laying around the room. (I think there are three piles).

Feel free to join in whenever you'd like!

Love, -40

Kitchen Cleaning

2009-05-05T10:22:00.003-05:00

For phase one of my home cure, I decided to clean and organize my kitchen. This meant emptying all of the cabinets and throwing out old or expired food, getting rid of kitchen gadgets that I don't use (I plan to take them to the Salvation Army), wiping down the inside and outside of the cabinets, rethinking the use of my cabinet space, scrubbing the dishwasher, oven, microwave and refrigerator, (inside and out), washing the walls, emptying out a kitchen island that I plan to move out of the kitchen and finding new homes for the five years' worth of accumulated stuff the island was housing, cleaning the countertop, scrubbing the sink - you get the picture.

Suffice it to say that I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started my "little" project. I wanted to quit halfway through, but couldn't because the kitchen looked like a bomb had exploded in it. If I had thought about it, I would have realized that it would take me more than an hour to clean and organize twelve years' worth of kitchen clutter. But I never would have imagined that it would take me one whole weekend and three Mr. Clean sponges. By the way, if you have not familiarized yourself with Mr. Clean sponges, you need to do so AT ONCE. These things are AMAZING. A few swipes of a Mr. Clean sponge on the outside of my very dirty painted cabinets, and they looked better than I had ever thought possible. I have never gotten my kitchen so clean using other cleaners and sponges. Anyway - I now know why Apartment Therapy gives readers weeks to accomplish their kitchen cure, rather than days.

Next time, I will know better.

As if there will be a next time.

Love, -40

P.S. I will post pictures later. I would have done a before and after, but I was too embarrassed to showcase my before.

Apartment Therapy's Seven Week Cure

2009-05-02T10:47:00.003-05:00

Apartment therapy is currently running its eight step home cure challenge. With seven weeks done, and only 1.25 weeks remaining, I am a little late to join the bandwagon. Truth be told, I don't even want to join the bandwagon, per se. The cure is a little to extensive and intense for the likes of me. However, I have been following along on AT's site and have been inspired by the progress that so many have made. AT has many, many, many good ideas about how to organize your stuff, declutter, decorate, and otherwise make your house a home. So - I have decided to start my own private home cure and see if I can once and for all organize the madness that is my home.

Hopefully, 35 will soon find time to join us again. She has been very busy with her little one, working, and her own home challenge. She has made great strides in decluttering and organizing her home. I plan to bully her into sharing her progress on this blog. I AM the BIG sister after all!

Love, -40

Confetti Cakes Cookbook

2009-05-02T10:34:00.003-05:00

I have been drooling over the beautiful Confetti Cakes and Confetti Cakes for Kids cookbooks by Elisa Strauss. Ms. Strauss runs an incredibly popular bakery in NYC called - you guessed it - Confetti Cakes. The cookbooks are full of stunning full-page pictures of cakes decorated like purses, shoes, monsters, trains, bouquets - pretty much anything you can imagine. And the cakes are wonderfully and artistically rendered, they are not tacky in any way.

The books each also feature a section on cookie decorating. Over the years, I have fought with many a sugar cookie dough. Except for one very lucky Christmas, the cookie dough has always kicked my ass. But the how to directions in these books made the cutting out and decorating of sugar cookies look so simple, I had to enter the ring for one more round. Stay tuned for the outcome...

Love, -40

Kitchen Encouragement

2009-04-24T21:40:00.003-05:00

I wrote the other day about finding inspiration and encouragement in learning about the photographer behind Blissful Images. I would be remiss if I did not mention another blogger that has served as a huge source of encouragement to me.

You see, it is not only in the photography arena that I assume everyone has better gear than I. I also believe this to be true in the kitchen. I have a sorry, old, rundown excuse for a kitchen. The whole room measures 13x9. I have a run of cabinets, which are 60 years old if they are a day, along one wall. There is one drawer in the whole kitchen. And, most importantly, the biggest span of countertop is the area over my dishwasher, between the sink and stove. I believe it measures 2 feet long. I have three lower cabinets, the largest of which is basically useless, as it is beneath my sink. Okay, enough whining, you get the picture.

So - I have been following along with a bunch of cooking blogs, most notably the Pioneer Woman. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Pioneer Woman. I mean, I read her practically every day. But PW not only has a very large, very tricked out, very AWESOME kitchen in her home, she also has a lodge on her property, and the lodge has an even bigger, more tricked out, more awesome kitchen. Perhaps there are some self-esteem issues rising to the surface here, but I began to feel like I may not be able to take my cooking to the next level because I did not have the proper kitchen.

Enter Deb and the Smitten Kitchen.

The Smitten Kitchen is a beautiful website with delicious recipes. And many of the recipes are complicated and involved. Well, it turns out that Deb is cooking out of a tiny NYC kitchen that only mine could rival! Learning this bit of information made me so happy, I cannot begin to tell you. Not that I am glad that Deb is dealing with a challenging kitchen, but knowing that there are others out there who are cooking in kitchens just like mine, yet managing to turn out wonderful dishes, helped to put my head back on straight. Thank you, Deb!

When you start to look around, encouragement is everywhere.

Love, -40.

Blissful Images Photography and a Note of Encouragement

2009-04-23T13:43:00.008-05:00

I have been on a Spring cleaning/organization tear lately, and one of the resources I have found to be most helpful for finding organization ideas is the website apartment therapy. I cannot sing the praises of this website highly enough. If you have not checked it out yet, please do so right now.

Apartment therapy often links to other blogs, and it was in one of these blogs that I came across blissful images photography. I was instantly drawn to the soft, ethereal quality of the images and the watercolor-like muted colors. I lost several hours browsing the blissful images shop on etsy, the blissful images companion website, and the photographer's blog. Perhaps it is my lack of experience talking here, but I immediately drew the conclusion that the blissful images were captured with a much more expensive camera than mine. Because, I admit, I am still one of those photographers that believes you need a fancy camera to get fancy images.

It was to my shock and delight that I discovered that most of the blissful images were taken with a Nikon D40. A D40! To those of you who are not Nikon people, I will simply say that the D40 is an entry-level, 6mp DSLR. Until very recently, the camera did not even take a prime lens. Many enthusiasts love the D40, and I am sure it is a great camera. However, it is not a camera I normally equate with serious photographers. I stand corrected.

I find it so inspirational that there are people out there making beautiful images, and even selling them, with cameras that most shutterbugs can afford and handle. Thank you, Mrs. French for inspiring me and teaching me once and for all that it is the photographer, not the camera.

Love, -40

How to Remove Unwanted Images in Your Photographs Using the Clone Stamp Tool

2009-04-22T15:55:00.012-05:00

When I first decided that I wanted to tackle the behemoth that is Photoshop, there were two main things I wanted to learn to do: 1.) Get that amazing "eye pop" that Audrey Woulard gets in her photos (I know, I know, she says she gets her shots to look like that straight out of the camera. But some of us need the help of Photoshop; and 2.) Get rid of unwanted objects in my photographs that were ruining an otherwise good shot. I set these two goals when I was still a naive young thing and hadn't yet been exposed to the full beauty of Photoshop. Needless to say, there are oh-so-many more things I now want to learn to do. But I still want that eye pop. And I still want to get rid of those darn things that sneak into my pictures.

Today, I will introduce you to the wonder of the clone stamp tool. This is a picture of my daughter that I really liked, except for that pesky ghosly apparition of my son in the background.

Enter the clone stamp tool. This is a really easy, and fun tool to use in Photoshop. Definitely something a beginning beginner can do with ease.

Open the photo you want to edit. Go into full edit mode. Click on the clone stamp tool. In my Photoshop Elements, Six, it is the eighth icon down on the left hand side of the tool bar. It looks like an "M" shaped stamper. Then go up to the brush selector at the top of the page on the lefthand side (it is a black squiggly line) and chose the size brush you want to use by either moving the slider or entering numbers into the box. I am going to be honest here and tell you that I have no patience. Because of this, I always choose a brush that is way too big and wind up doing alot of "undoing" when I work. Don't be like me.

Now, pick a spot in your picture as close as possible to the object you want to erase. You want to do this in order to seamlessly blend the new area you are about to create with the existing area. After you have chosen your spot, Alt Click on your mouse. By doing so, you have told Photoshop that you want the spots you are deleting in your photograph to look like the area on which you just alt clicked.

Now comes the fun part - click away on the object you want to erase. As you do so, the object will disappear and be replaced with the parts of the picture on which you previously alt clicked. Caution: as you move the cursor around your picture, be aware of the plus sign that moves along with it. The plus is continuously sampling your photograph and using the samples to replace your unwanted object. Keep an eye on it and make sure it is sampling from the correct area(s). I have wound up with a child with three arms and an eye in the middle of their forehead more than I care to admit!

Here is my picture after using the clone stamp tool:

Ahhh.....much better. And my daughter no longer feels haunted by her little brother.

This is such a fun tool. Have fun!

And remember, if I can do it, you can do it!

Love, -40

Seeing the Light - Finally!

2009-04-02T22:09:00.010-05:00

In his book Understanding Exposure, Bryan Peterson talks about the significance of different types of light in photography. Learning to understand this significance, and see the different types of light, has been one of my biggest struggles as a photographer.

The lighting circumstances under which a photograph is taken can drastically affect the photo and can be the difference between a ho-hum picture and a showstopper. One aspect of seeing the light is understanding how the light changes over the course of a day and what this means for your photographs. For instance, sunlight at noon is a very different light than sunlight at sunrise and sunset. Mid-day, the light is harsh and contrasty. But in the early morning and evening, the sun is much softer and warmer. The same subject shot in exactly the same way at different times of day can yield startling different results.

I have been struggling to see the differences with my eyes for months, and, suddenly, it is becoming clear. A few weeks ago, I looked out the window at sunset and noticed that everything looked a pink. Now, everywhere I look, I see the changes in the light. My neighbor’s house is surrounded by a golden glow at 7:00 a.m. By 7:30 a.m., the magic is gone. At 6:00 in the evening, my fence looks like it is on fire. By 6:30, it is back to its normal state.

This is my fence at 6:25 p.m.

This is my fence one minute earlier, at 6:24 p.m.

What a difference one minute makes!

My baby in the car.

And just a few minutes earlier.

Do you see the warm glow in this picture that is absent from the one above?

My wall at 7:30 a.m. and a few minutes later.

I hope these examples help set you on your way to "seeing the light" and that you gain your sight more quickly than I did! Experiment, take pictures, and have fun!

Love, -40

P.S. If you haven't read Understanding Exposure, I highly recommend it!

Duds

2009-04-01T17:16:00.004-05:00

Lest you think I have been remiss about my Cooking Challenge, I thought I would dedicate a post to the duds I have known and loved so far. I have already mentioned two of the duds in an earlier post, but as the duds mount, I realized that if I didn't share my failures as well as my successes, this blog could wind up being pretty sparse.

The first recipe to break my heart was Roasted Chicken and Arugula from Everday Food. I am constantly on the lookout for simple recipes with few ingredients that I can easily whip up with the baby attached to my hip. Oh, this recipe was sooooo promising. Arugula, potatoes, butter - what more could a recipe need? I really, really wanted to love this dish. But no matter how I tried, I could not even muster up an "okay" for this recipe. The chicken was bland, the arugula made my mouth feel as though I had been eating sand at the park all day, (which gave me a better understanding of why my 18 month old is so cranky when we come home from a day of sand-eating), the potatoes were so-so. My dislike for the dish made me even more sad when I realized that this is the first time in 15 years that Martha has failed me. Martha? Why did you have to harsh my mellow?

The next dud came courtesy of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, another cook for whom I have the utmost respect and rely upon to publish failproof recipes. The recipe was for Ina's Outrageous Oreo cookies, which I found published in Oprah's magazine a few years ago. Oprah, another woman who ususally knows her food. Anyway - I am so very sad about these brownies. I can't even talk about it. Just trust me, and don't waste your time cooking this (very involved and time-consuming) recipe.

Last, but not least, we have the Kielbasa, Cabbage and Rice soup from this month's Food and Wine magazine. I love, love, love kielbasa. It's crazy, really. I also am very found of cabbage and rice. Sure, the ingredients list looked a little sparse, but I hoped that this was one of those dishes that was greater than the sum of its parts. And what great parts with which to begin! But it was not to be. This soup was sooooo bland and tasteless, I picked out all the kielbasa and threw the rest away. If you knew me, you would know that this is a HUGE statement.

So that's it for this post. Stay tuned for more fun and excitement in the kitchen! Tonight I plan to bake the Confetti Bakery's recipe for vanilla sugar cookies, which cookies I will then attempt to decorate in an artistic manner. If you knew me, you would know how funny an undertaking this will be!

Love, -40

Julia Child's Home

2009-04-01T17:09:00.003-05:00

Apartment therapy, a blog both 35 and I love dearly, had a great post today featuring pictures of Julia Child's Massachusetts home. The pictures were originally featured in a 1976 Architectural Digest article. The post came via the blog Cooked Books. Take a look when you have the time.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/inspiration/a-peek-into-the-home-of-julia-child-080697

-40

Sprinkles Cupcakes

2009-03-29T13:39:00.008-05:00

I have been eyeing the Sprinkles cupcake mixes for a long while now, but could never justify spending $14 for a cake mix. But when my daughter's half birthday rolled around, I had the excuse I was looking for. I wanted to do something special, but didn't have the motivation to bake from scratch. What better time to blow $14 on a cake mix than for my daughter's (half) birthday?

I bought the mix from Williams Sonoma. They had chocolate and vanilla, I chose vanilla.

Isn't the packaging pretty? I'm a sucker for cute packaging. Especially when the packaging is chocolate brown and pink.

In the box, you will find the cupcake mix and sprinkle decorations.

You need to supply your own eggs, butter, and milk for the cupcakes. If you plan to make your own frosting, you will also need to have those ingredients on hand. The back of the Sprinkles box has a recipe for frosting which is quite good, though a little sweet for my taste.

After you mix, cream, beat and add all the ingredients, you will end up with these tasty morsels of yumminess:

Here's a closer look. I know, I know, the sprinkles make the cupcakes look a little like a part of the female anatomy.

My verdict? The cupcakes were very good. Much better than any I have made from scratch. They were moist, and sweet and tasted homemade. The decorations are absolutely horrible, though. Do not eat them! The frosting is great, too, but very, very sweet.

Here's the deal - if I am using a mix, I want the ease of a mix. I want to dump the ingredients in a bowl, mix everything together with a fork, dump the concoction in a pan and be done with it. The Sprinkles mix had me creaming butter, beating my mix with an electric mixer, and adding eggs one at a time. It was as much work as making cupcakes from scratch. The only shortcut I gained from using the mix was that I did not have to mix any dry ingredients. To me, mixing the dry ingredients is the easiest part of baking. It's the creaming and beating I can do without. So although the cupcakes tasted better than any I have yet to bake from scratch, I plan to save my next $14 and continue my search for the perfect cupcake recipe. In a pinch, a box of Duncan Hines cake mix purchased for $1 on sale will make my daughter just as happy as a $14 box of fancy mix.

For those of you keeping score, the mix and the frosting add up to two new recipes I tried recently. I am so far behind. But don't despair, I have weeks to catch up!

Quote of the Day

2009-03-05T10:28:00.004-06:00

Because I have been a horrible slacker all around, my quote of the day is an entire song!

"Mama told me when I was young

Come sit beside me, my only son

And listen closely to what I say.

And if you do this

It will help you some sunny day.

Take your time... Don't live too fast,

Troubles will come and they will pass.

Go find a woman and you'll find love,

And don't forget son,

There is someone up above.

(Chorus)

And be a simple kind of man.

Be something you love and understand.

Be a simple kind of man.

Won't you do this for me son,

If you can?

Forget your lust for the rich man's gold

All that you need is in your soul,

And you can do this if you try.

All that I want for you my son,

Is to be satisfied.

(Chorus)

Boy, don't you worry... you'll find yourself.

Follow you heart and nothing else.

And you can do this if you try.

All I want for you my son,

Is to be satisfied."

-Lynyrd Skynyrd

This is really a beautiful song. This is what I hope to teach my son- keep it simple, don't want too much, love yourself, be happy. Gee, is that all?

Also, this comes after I got to wanting to hear some good ol' Lynyrd Skynyrd the other day so loaded all I have onto my iPod. No, seriously, I love Lynyrd Skynyrd. Why does everyone always think that's a joke?
-35

Quote of the Day

2009-03-03T09:47:00.001-06:00

"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do."

- Joe Walsh

Love, 40

Quote of the Day

2009-03-02T16:59:00.002-06:00

This quote comes from a song that 35 and I played incessantly for a while after the movie Pulp Fiction was released. I still love the song, it's a great one to sing and dance along with.

"Being good wasn't always easy, no matter how hard I tried."

- Dusty Springfield

-40

Quote of the Day

2009-03-01T23:15:00.004-06:00

"I'll stop the world and melt with you."
- Modern English

-40

Quote of the Day

2009-02-28T21:21:00.001-06:00

"We always did feel the same,

we just saw it from a different point of view."

-Bob Dylan

-35

Quote of the Day

2009-02-27T22:09:00.004-06:00

"My biggest mistake was loving you too much, and letting you know."

The Band

Sorry, 35 for making you come up with all of the quotes of the day lately. I have had a weeks-long brain freeze! This one goes well with the last one 35 posted, don't you think, readers? (Mom??? Hello, Mom?)

-40

Library Tales Part II - Something to Think About While Reading Your Library Books

2009-02-27T22:07:00.004-06:00

The grossest thing found in a book donated to the library: a used condom.

Runners up: Vomit, fecal matter.

Love, 40

Quote of the Day

2009-02-25T22:11:00.002-06:00

"I love myself better than you

I know it's wrong so what should I do?"

-Nirvana

Ugh, I know, I've got to get more creative. This is harder than I thought it would be!

-35

Spring Fantasy

2009-02-24T21:40:00.002-06:00

I love this Prada dress for Spring. It looks perfect for a warm day with a cardigan or a hot day with nothing. I would wear this dress EVERYWHERE, so it's really not fair that I'll never have it.

Quote of the Day

2009-02-24T21:34:00.003-06:00

"Oh yeah, you're pretty good looking for a girl."

-The White Stripes

What does that mean, anyway? But I love the way it sounds, what a great way to start off a song.

-35

Quote of the Day

2009-02-23T21:54:00.001-06:00

"Yes, I wish that for just one time

you could stand inside my shoes.

You'd know what a drag

it is to see you."

-Bob Dylan

-35

Quote of the Day

2009-02-22T19:53:00.005-06:00

" I wish I was like you,

easily amused."

-Nirvana

-35

Library Tales

2009-02-22T14:37:00.003-06:00

During my early days at the library, there was a red-headed, sixteen year-old American punk with an English accent named "Joe" who visited the library several evenings a week. Joe was constantly causing trouble. On more than one occassion, Joe was caught trying to leave the library with a backpack full of CD's that he hadn't checked out. He was found in the men's room attempting to pull the security strips off of several DVD's. He would have pizza delivered to the front desk. He was always loud and inappropriate. Invariably, Joe's misbehavior lead to his being kicked out of the library at least once a week. He would always return a few days later, ready for more misadventure. But there was one incident after which Joe did not return. One night, one of the security guards came upon Joe in the upstairs loft, lying on his back, pants at his knees. He was spread eagle and fully exposed, his hand working furiously. The security guard shouted, "Joe, what the f*** are you doing?" as Joe fled from the library. Nobody has seen him since.

Yummy Waffles

2009-02-22T13:55:00.008-06:00

I have been trying for over a year to duplicate at home the waffles served in restaurants. Before trying this recipe, the closest I had come to making homemade restaurant-style waffles was when I used a mix. But something about serving my family a waffle that contained more chemicals than natural ingredients just didn't sit well with me, so the search continued. I am glad to say the search is over. This recipe produces waffles that are the right balance between fluffy and crisp, with a wonderful, buttery taste. This recipe comes from my mother. These are the waffles that she and my father used to make for me and 35 on Sunday mornings when we were growing up. The recipe requires a little more time and effort than other recipes, but nothing that is too demanding, and the result is well worth the extra effort.

Yummy Waffles

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup whole milk

1 stick melted butter

2 large eggs - separated

1/2 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Mix together flour and salt. Whisk yeast mixture, milk, butter, egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and salt. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold whites into batter mixture and let stand for twenty minutes. Heat waffle iron. Prehat oven to 225 degrees. Ladle batter onto heated waffle iron lightly sprayed with Pam and cook until you can no longer see steam escaping from the sides of iron. Place cooked waffles in preheated oven while cooking remaining batter.

Quote of the Day

2009-02-21T11:44:00.001-06:00

Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill
He jumped out the window 'cause he couldn't sit still
Juliet was waiting with a safety net
He said "don't bury me 'cause I'm not dead yet."

Elvis Costello

Love, -40

Quote of the Day

2009-02-20T14:24:00.003-06:00

"I bet that you look good on the dance floor"

-The Arctic Monkeys

I never said these couldn't be stupid. Hey, what can I say? It's Friday. And don't you look good on the dance floor?

-35

Quote of the Day

2009-02-19T11:22:00.007-06:00

"There ain't a woman that comes close to you."
Rolling Stones

-40

Quote of the Day

2009-02-18T08:43:00.004-06:00

In an effort to add a little variety to our quotes, here is a good one from Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a smart chick.

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent."

How to Get Great Straight Out of the Camera Shots From Your Digital SLR

2009-02-17T20:21:00.007-06:00

I mentioned in this post that I would reveal to you the secret about DSLRs. Then I thought, maybe it isn't a secret, maybe it just seemed like a secret to me, because I knew absolutely nothing about DSLRs prior to buying my first one back in July. Either way, I hope this post will stop at least one of you from bashing your head against the wall or throwing your expensive new camera out of a moving car in frustration because you are not getting the picture quality you expected from your DSLR.

I bought my DSLR after my third child was born. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get a good picture of the boy with my point and shoot. The problem was that 99% of my picture taking was happening inside in poor lighting conditions. With the point and shoot, I had two choices, I could use the flash, which completely washed out my son's pale complexion, or I could ramp up the ISO, which invariably lead to a shot so grainy I wound up deleting it. I needed a fast lens and a camera with better low-light capabilities. I needed a DSLR.

Unfortunately, buying a DSLR was not, as I had expected, the immediate answer to my picture-taking woes. In fact, I had new woes. My images now lacked sharpness and the colors were dull and lifeless. Nothing I did improved the quality of my photographs. I was frustrated and upset. I considered returning the camera, since I preferred the pictures I took with my point and shoot to the ones I was now getting. I went back to where I purchased the camera. The salesperson told me that I was expecting too much and would never get well-optimized images straight out of the camera. He told me that all DSLR images need some post processing. I was outraged. I could not believe that I bought an $800 camera that could not produce, without significant work on my part, images that were at least comparable to those produced by my $200 point and shoot.

After much investigation, I discovered that it IS possible to get great straight out of the camera shots with a DSLR. I'll say it again - you can get great SOOC shots! The secret is in the processing, as the salesperson had told me, but the in-camera processing, not post processing. It turns out point and shoots are specifically manufactured to produce sharp, saturated snapshots that are pleasing to the consumer eye. Manufacturers achieve this by setting the cameras' default settings to automatically apply fairly heavy-handed in-camera processing. In other words, the cameras are pre-set to add sharpness and saturation to the images they capture. DSLRs, on the other hand, either apply very light processing, or no processing at all, depending on whether you are shooting in JPEG or RAW. This deficit of in-camera processing allows you, as the photographer, to control how you want your photographs to look. You can control the look of your photographs one of two ways - you can spend time post processing, or you can change the in-camera settings on your camera. Now, I am not saying that you won't want to post-process your photos. What I am saying is that, in most instances, if you get your exposure right (more on that to follow), you will not HAVE to post-process.

Here's what you should do: Sit down with your camera's manual. All DSLRs have menus that allow you to go in and tweak the camera's settings. Learn how to do this. Play with your camera. Decide whether you like the bright, contrasty colors produced by your camera's "Vivid" (on Nikons) setting, or if you prefer colors that are more true to life. Determine how much sharpening you want applied to your pictures in-camera. Is your camera shooting dark? Play with the exposure compensation setting. You can change anything you want. Anytime you want. And that is a beautiful thing.