Tuesday's Tunes

Ok,..so were you watching the CMA this past week? If so,than you have seen the Gwyneth Paltrow (Martin) first solo performance live! I have to say, I love her as an actress, and I read her blog GOOP all the time. I was so excited to hear that she was going to sing! To top it off, she was singing with Vince Gill! (Who would have thought that the spouses of two of my ALL TIME favorite singers would be singing together?) She is all the buzz now in the music world. This week she is making an appearance on GLEE! I thought I would share the song she sings in the show. I am sure you will soon see why I think she is so cool!

5 Things Blog Along,......Crafter

"Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul - and you answer."
~Terri Guillemets

"Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in." ~ Amy Lowell

I love these two quotes, because they are so true! I consider crafting a form of art. An expression of ones self. I have always been interested in different mediums of art. I have painted, sculpted, and built things. I have also knitted, stamped, created, scrapbooked, sewed, stitched and decoupaged. Lately my newest love has been photography. So when I think of the things that make my life easier as a crafter, many things come to mind:


1.) Craft Stores: JoAnn Fabrics, Pat Catan's and Michael's have been my best friends lately. They are constantly sending me these delish advertisements with coupons! It doesn't take much for me to head to the local store to do some browsing, but when they tempt you with a 40% coupon,....it just gets me giddy! Here are some coupons (only good until tomorrow) you can print off:

* JoAnn's

* Michael's

2.) Blogs: I am now officially a blogg addict! They are so inspiring! I was chatting with a new friend I met at MOPS about this very thing. She gave me a few new sites to look at and it then I linked to more for there. It helps spark my imagination and gives me ideas for crafts that I can do with things already in my house. You can check out a few of my favorites on my following list.

3.) Scrap Book Days: I haven't been to one in a long time, but before Liam was born I would go at least twice a year. You bring all your photo's, your materials and tools. You pay a small fee to have a spot at the table, they feed you lunch (and dinner if you want to stay the full day) and the liberty to use their special tools on the center table. Every five pages you complete you get to enter a drawing for some amazing supplies. It was fun seeing all the ladies ideas, and the stories that go along with the pictures they were scrapbooking. I would get a lot done! I would leave with an album finished and some new friends!

4.) My Sewing Machine: (In the picture above) I love to sew! I have been sewing since I was a kid! My grandma taught me. The woman has the patience of a saint. I learned from a young age that the seam ripper was my "best friend". She instilled in me the idea that I could create anything! I have made dresses, pj's, doll clothes, pillows, etc. Now that I am home with Liam and have a little more time on my hands (than I used to working full time away from the house), I have gotten back into the craft. Right now I am working on a banner for a baby shower that I am helping with. I hope to have pictures up soon.

5.) Organization: I laugh when I write this one. In theory I try to keep all of my craft idea's organized. Well at least "together". But lately I have noticed that because my craft sessions are so sporadic lately (in between feeding Liam, on the phone with the hospital, e-mails etc) I have had trouble finding things. It helps so much when I stay organized. I dream of a day when I can have my own little sewing/craft room. Maybe when Liam outgrows his nursery? Maybe I can convince Tom to share his office?

Don't forget to check out the other girl's blog along:

Amanda

Julie

Christy

5 Things Blog Along,.....Baker

For some reason the rhyme "Patty cake, patty cake bakers man, bake me a cake as fast as you can,......" comes to mind. With a 4 month old at home, my brain seems to always be in mommy mode. I am excited that this week's topic is baking! I am sort of a sweets addict. Although I have tried limiting my sweet tooth these days. "Tried" being the key word. I have been doing more baking recently. Yesterday I made some yummy Banana nut, chocolate chip bread (which I ate for breakfast this morning) shhhh! How could I resist? With a nice tall glass of milk,...mmmm

Here are my five things:

1.) Spring Form Pans - I have a few of them. I love making cakes! I have a hard time trying to flip cakes out of a traditional pan without them falling apart. Sooo frustrating!! But with a spring form pan, all I have to do is open the sides! Can't believe how easy it is!

2.) Betty Crocker Cookbook - Both my mom and my grandma have this cook book, and I was blessed to receive one at my bridal shower. It has a lot of really great tips on baking pies with picture demonstrations. (For us visual people) There are some amazing baking recipes that I have used many times.

3.) Alternative Ingredients - There have been a few times that I have gone to grab an egg and didn't have one or realized that I didn't have any cooking oil. I have found healthier ways to make the recipe without altering the taste too much. A great substitute for eggs is canned pumpkin. It makes the cake a bit heavier, but really tasty! For oil, I have used apple sauce! Try it sometime!!

4.) Corian Counter Top Island - When I moved into my house I never realized how much I would use it. It's perfect for rolling out pie dough and cookies and keeps them at the perfect cool temperature. It's also great for putting cookie racks on to cool cookies and to have a large enough space to ice a cake. I don't know what I would do without it!

5.) Music - I know it's not necessarily a baking tool or helpful tip, but for me, it's a necessity! It helps if I sing along as well. I love just being in my kitchen, decorating cookies, icing a cake or mixing bread while singing my heart out to Coldplay, or Sting, or whomever it is I am in the mood to listen to. (It changes daily) I have found that my Mother in law is the same way (with her Christmas baking). Her grandma, and her mom used to make the same Christmas goodies every year. She can't make her Czech Pastries without listening to her records from the old country. I love how tradition, combined with music, and the smells of family recipes make it Christmas for her and all of her children. I hope that someday my children will enjoying the memories of me baking them special things in my kitchen.

Don't forget to check out the other girls in the Blog Along:

Amanda

Julie

5 Things Blog Along,....Traveler

So it's Friday! I don't know about you, but I am so glad it's the weekend! It's funny that the topic this week is about traveling. I told my mom last night that there are times when I wish I could just pack my bags and go somewhere, far away from all my adult responsibilities. Do you ever have those moments? Then after just saying you would like to run away, you snap back into reality and think,...wow, I need to get a grip. You then take a deep breath, smile and move on. Just shows that even us moms need a break once and awhile to renew ourselves so that we can continue to give to our husband and children. But on a lighter note, I have always been a traveler and can't wait to plan my next big adventure. (still deciding where that will be this summer/fall) Here is one of my favorite pictures I have taken in my travels. This was the view while driving in the hills of Scotland.

My List:


1.) Layering -I am always cold. Airplanes are the worst! (Well except the one time I was flying back from Africa and was stuck on a plan for hours without AC and had a large sweaty man seated next to me!) I like to wear a tee, a button up cardigan sweater and then a jacket with a light weight scarf of some sort. That way I can peel off a lay or two if I am hot, and if I get chilled, put it back on. A cute pair of earrings and a hair band to keep the hair out of my face, and I am set!



2.) Camera & Journal - While traveling I have found that I loose track of time. I have so much fun living in the moment, that I forget what days I have done what. I try to write down a story or two in a little travel journal after each day spent somewhere fun. I also find that when I get home my camera organizes and keeps my time accounted for. It's a way to reflect back after my trip and look at pictures I took, to see what I did on what day and remember all the fun I had. A memory keeper per say! Plus I am also a big scrapbooker (although I haven't had much time for this hobby lately) and it helps me create a keepsake of my time somewhere. If you aren't much interested in scrap booking but want to keep your pictures organized from a trip, there are online sites that you can create a photo book for you. I have used snapfish.com and love their work. The layouts are easy and you can be as creative or simple as you like. It's perfect for a coffee table!! A fun way to show people where you went on vacation, without having the "family slide show" stigma.


3.) Online Research - The Internet is filled with all kinds of travel ideas, discounts and tips. Tom and I have a timeshare in FLA and so we are able to exchange our week to visit other places. RCI has an amazing site that we use to research our next big trip. Plus they have extra vacations you can buy that are super cheap (sometimes less than $200.00 a week for a 5 star resort accomidating a family of 6 or 8 if you're lucky). I am always excited to see what they come out with every month on their sale page. Unfortunately, you have to be a member to use their services. But they do offer a way for you to buy points to use on their site, if you don't own a time share.
Another fun thing to do is to research the city you are traveling to before hand. Get an idea about what you would like to see and do. Plan ahead! When we went to London England a few summers ago, they had an awesome tourist site that sold London Passes that you could purchase ahead of time, that saves loads of money when you visit attractions in the city. It saves you time from standing in line to buy tickets, plus VIP treatment to the front of the line for tours. (That alone is worth getting the card!) Other major cities have these passes, but you have to purchase them ahead of time, to get them.
If you plan on flying anywhere, I recommend checking out kayak.com Tom and I have found some amazing deals on this site! It filters through all major airlines to find the best price.



4.) Cross the Body Purse- Like this one from Handbags.com I couldn't live without mine. It's the perfect size to hold your passport, wallet, sunglasses, travelers checks etc. But the best part is, you can wear it cross your body, so you have your hands free, and it zips up! No need to worry about someone reaching into your bag while you are not looking to steal your things!










5.) Ask Locals- I have found that some of the best places to go and see were suggested by locals from that city/town. There have been many photo sessions and memories made due to a suggestion from someone that "lives" there. I remember having lunch in this hole in the wall restaurant that would never have been featured in a book, but had the most amazing food. Or the time we got a beautiful picturesque view of the city by going to visit a grave yard! (who would have thought?) I am convinced that you need to stay "with the people" to get the best experience. Tom and I rented a flat for a week in Edinburgh Scotland, right off the main street. We were able to interact with those "from Scotland" and not just a hotel staff member who pointed out the touristy spots. They have these "extended stay flat rentals" everywhere in Europe for very reasonable prices. People who live the summer in different parts of Europe rent their flats out to earn some extra cash. We got a large flat with two bathrooms, a kitchen,(we cooked locally grown/produced food instead of eating out every night) living room and dining area for less than we would staying at a hotel. (Just keep in mind that everything is smaller in Europe) Check it out! Here! We experienced Mexico by staying out in the dessert sleeping on mats. (maybe not something you would want to do for a luxury get away, but it was an adventure to us!) But the point is, experience the culture by immersing yourself in it! Eat what they eat, listen to their music, read about their history and visit with the locals! (If you can) These memories will last forever.

Don't forget to visit the other girl's Blog Along Posts!

Amanda

Julie

Blog Along

My dear friend Amanda is having a 5 Things Blog Along! Come and join us!