Showing posts with label Blah blah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blah blah. Show all posts

Friday, July 8, 2011

Today I

Haven't done this in a long while (since June 2009!
Here it goes....


Outside my window... it's raining again!
I am thinking.... I have to pack for my trip to NYC woot woot!
I am thankful for... Summer Break and being able to travel this year
From the kitchen... Chicken marinating in lemon and garlic, to go on the  BBQ for dinner
I am wearing... comfy black cotton pants and a black t shirt
I am creating...12x12 scrapbook Layouts for a class at www.bigpictureclasses.com
I am going... to Justin's ceramics class exhibit at the museum
I am reading... Storm of Swords, book 3 of Game of Thrones
I am hoping... to have nice weather in NYC next week
I am hearing... Bryan chatting with his friends on Skype while, Justin laughing at some funny videos
Around the house... laundry, dinner, dishes, and scrapbooking of course
One of my favorite things... my new Sony cybershot super small and super cute, I can take it everywhere!
A few plans for the rest of the week: getting everyone ready for our vacation next week
Here is picture thought I am sharing... Boys heart fire!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Happy New Year, Ubuntu

It's been a busy holiday season around here.  With family arriving in sunny SoFla for the winter and even a surprise visit from my brother, I've been doing a lot of catching up with them and enjoying a break from the daily grind.  And with the end of the year and the end of a decade (some would even say a decade from Hell) there is always reflecting and looking back as well as looking forward. Instead of making resolutions, make changes, small changes that can become the big improvements.  I found a great list by Dr. Frank Lippman
here are 20 things 

  1. More Real Food, Less "Food-like Substances",
  2. More Fruit and Vegetables, Less Sugar, Wheat and Corn
  3. More Organic, Less Toxic
  4. More Chewing, Less Eating
  5. More Water, Less Soda
  6. More Recycling, Less Waste
  7. More Walking, Less Driving
  8. More Exercising, Less Watching TV
  9. More Outdoors, Less Indoors
  10. More Sleep, Less Worry
  11. More Calm, Less Chaos
  12. More Being, Less Doing
  13. More Consciousness, Less Ignorance
  14. More Smiles, Less Anger
  15. More Love, Less Hatred
  16. More Play, Less Serious
  17. More Letting Go, Less Holding On
  18. More Forgiving, Less Blaming
  19. More Generosity, Less Greed
  20. More Ubuntu, Less Me!


Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone






This is what I'm cooking up today:


Butternut Bisque
Roast Turkey with Sage and Gravy
Cranberry Ginger Relish
 Stuffing with Cranberries and Hazelnuts
Green Beans with Shallots
Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions
and for dessert
Chocolate Ganache Tart
Apple Oatmeal Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream




Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Visual

Yes I've been fooling around with my blog LO because I'm a very visual person who also gets bored of the same thing over and over. That's why I like to rearrange the furniture or repaint the living room every so often.
We're coming up on a very busy time of year but I hope to have some more fun stuff here.
In the mean time here's a little more from Fun Theory....



Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Today I

thought I'd play along with Ali via The Simple Woman's Day Book viaapple likes orange:


Outside my window... it's dark and pouring rain

I am thinking.... it's summertime, a less hectic schedule, remember to breathe and enjoy the slower pace

I am thankful for... Bryan registered at Justin's middle school, and in honors math

From the kitchen... protein smoothies with frozen bananas, poached chicken in vindaloo sauce

I am wearing... my favorite denim skirt and a charcoal t shirt with buttons and lace trim

I am creating...12x12 scrapbook Layouts, 3 done so far today, next up a page about the beach

I am going... to drop off Bryan at karate and then do some grocery shopping

I am reading... starting a new book today, the Duchess

I am hoping... to have enough energy tomorrow to get through my workout

I am hearing... the rolling thunder, sirens in the distance, Justin building with his legos

Around the house... we started pulling up the old tile from the bathroom floor, the first steps in a major renovation project that is long over due.

One of my favorite things... when the cats come over and snuggle beside me

A few plans for the rest of the week: Focus on my workout schedule and meal planning

Here is picture thought I am sharing...


Monday, April 20, 2009

The Bean

Last week I  spent a fabulous weekend in Chicago.  My first visit.  And of course now I want to go back to see all the stuff I missed beacause you can only do so much in 3 days. The architecture, the museums, the restaurants, the shopping! So much to do, I have to bring the kids next time.  My favorite was of course, Cloud Gate, otherwise know as "the bean"


One of the most brilliant public sculptures I have ever seem because it is so engaging.  
A close second though, was the nightime view from the 96th floor of the John Hancock tower.
the pictures definitely don't do it justice (and my night time photogaphy skills suck) 


Saturday, March 14, 2009

More More More

Ever get a stupid song stuck in your head?
I was watching Life on Mars the other night, they play lots of 70's music
so now I have More, More More stuck in my head, what you thought disco was dead?



Well it probably should be! 
But more more more is my theme for the week.
I'm making more mini books, I just can't stop!
They are so fun to make and little and cute in your hand, so portable.
I really love the 4x4 size,  
so here's another two I finished this week..


Friday, January 2, 2009

New Year New Word

At the beginning of each year I think about a word, a mantra, theme for the year.  It's an idea inspired by Ali Edwards.  In the past, words like Balance, Serenity, Simplicity have become a on going theme for me.  All the abundance and choice of today's world has left me (and I'm sure a lot of people) a little overwhelmed and even somewhat unhappy. In our hectic world we are all searching for a little happiness and peace.
After seeing these TED talks
I though a lot about these ideas and realized that the pursuit of happiness and well being is not dependent on acquiring but on acceptance.  Happiness as it turns out is not to be found, but synthesized.  
So my word for this year is MAKE DO.
It's not only about finding happiness but about really thinking about the choices I make, about gratitude for everything good in my life,  about finding creative solutions, about living in the moment, slowing down, about appreciating and accepting and in the end about creating a life of simplicity, serenity and balance.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

November Remember

We've had a gloriously bright and cool November here in South Florida, the coolest November in about 40 years.  After months and months of heat and humidity, we welcome the blast of cool air that comes down from the north.  And so we've been spending lots of time outside lately.

November is traditionally a time for reflection, assessment, and gratitude; and I shifted my focus to scrapbooking.  You could live your whole life without cataloguing and categorising your memories into a library of scrapbooks that chronicle you and your family's life, but there is much to be gained from looking back, remembering where you were and where you are now. Times have been though lately and yet there is so much to be thankful for.  When I look back through my books and photos I am reminded of so many good moments that I would not otherwise easily remember without the visual clues of the photos I took. This month I finished a mini book about the Halloween costumes my kids have worn for the last 11 years, and I'm almost finished a book about my oldest son's first trip to Disney World (back in 1997)
I had a crappy camera, no photography skills, so the photos are pretty bad, but to me the memories are priceless.

Another cool project I started was Family Gratitude Spinner, a class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. It's an interesting twist on the scrapbook format. The class calls for the 4x6 photo carousel from 7 gypsies, but since I had the smaller ATC spinner, I adapted the project to the smaller size. The neat thing about this project is that you can add or subtract photos anytime. Still a work in progress, lots of photos still to add..


Wednesday, November 5, 2008

President Obama

Wow! Just Wow! I'm so Happy!
Beyond the historic importance of the election of the first African American president, I feel more hopeful today, more than I have in a long time, because of the message of unity coming from Obama.  He has a tough job ahead of him, he is not perfect, he will make mistakes, but I feel that he is capable, smart, determined, disiplined, open minded, and most importantly he has something our last two presidents didn't have. A sense of humility. When he spoke, he included everyone in his victory, and he reached out to people who still aren't convinced, he said, "I need your help, I hear your voices, I will be your President too."  A contrast from the "my way or the high way, go it alone" stance of the Bush Administration.
And I'm happy, because quite frankly I am tired of the divisive forces and negativity that has characterized the last few election cycles and the last administration.  I'm tired of the way the Republican party derides higher education, they way they talk about "elitists" and the "liberal media" as being unamerican. The way they talk about "small town values" as if they are not only acceptable, but preferable to higher education.  As if we can still be a super power while applauding mediocrity and ignorance. The Republican party has lost it's way in recent years. I just hope that they will realize that the American people are tired of this crap. I'd like to think that the results of this election show that we are capable of growing up and seeing beyond color and race, beyond cultural differences and realize that we all have much in common.  That we all want security, prosperity and peace.  And above all that we are a country that rewards merit. The culture wars that both parties have indulged in are petty and divisive and I'm pretty sure that's not what the founding fathers had in mind when they visualized the UNITED States of America.  
NBC declared this morning that "Change has come to America"
It's good, it's time, and it will be fascinating to see.