Happy Lurve Day!

Once again that day of the year again that is sure to inspire thoughts of love or sure to bring sad & lonely disappointment is here: Valentine's Day. My hubby is out of town all weekend, will be home for only one night (a late one at that) then leave to go to LA for the rest of the week (poor baby, his team has a rented beach house, lol), so I won't have much Cupid-like activity. I do have my 3 children home for Valentine's Day though, a rare treat since 2 of them are halfway out of the nest already. As usual, in the morning, they'll find a few surprises waiting for them.

I made this lollie (above)after being inspired by a tutorial on the House of 3 Inspiration blog done by Rhonna Farrer. She also did a great tutorial on making blossoms with coffee filters, so when hubby gets home, he will need to run out and buy more. Whoopsie! Hey, I got carried away! To make our Valentine's weekend more festive for the kids, I hung a few banners and paper lanterns. All of the pink even catches the light and reflects a soft, romantic light around the rooms; an unexpected bonus.

Friday night, I took my daughter, her boyfriend and I went out to see the new movie, Valentine's Day. It was frothy and cute. No big, deep life lessons, but I got to hang with my girl, get to know her young man better and laugh at the crazy parking jobs in the snow around the theater. The government had declared a state of emergency, schools were out and our mail never arrived, but by golly, that theater was packed to the last seat. Cabin fever had everyone aching to get out!

Look what was outside of our 'cabin'...a supersized and scary couple of icicles. We have very tall windows, so these would be lethal should you be under one the moment they decide to break loose from their perch. Had a bit of a "Psycho" shower fright when I opened the curtain to see those! Maybe, just maybe, at this rate the icicles and snow may melt in time for summer break. I hear we're supposed to get more snow on Monday. Noooooooooooooooooooo!

A little fun, a little creativity and a lot of frozen toes

First, there are a couple of birthdays coming up, so I spent a few late nights in the studio. Mostly just communing with pretty paper or supplies, but I did manage to create a couple of cards for special birthday people.

Most importantly is my daughter who turns 14 tomorrow. Wahhhhh! This kid is talented in so many areas that if I weren't there for her very first birthday, I'd swear she came from some other super amazing set of parents. She can jump tall buildings in a single bound, run faster than a locomotive and has a deep empathy for others. I'm so proud of my baby girl. This one is for her, my little blizzard baby...Though you can't see it, this one is full of shimmer. I used glimmer mist and in person, it is full on sparkly. I don't know if anyone remembers wayyyyyy back when I glittered an entire package of Basic Grey chipboard & put it all in a bowl for ready-made embellishments? The 'snowflake' is one of those pieces.

This card is for someone I've known since he was 'this high'. Now he's all grown up with a daughter of his own (daaaaaang, I'm old). This one also fits right in with the latest challenge from Opus Gluei to use a star. And yes, I glittered an entire package of crusty old Lil Davis chipboard stars way back thinking that I might get around to using them on a project. :)

You know how it's been colder than a Siberian work camp the past couple of weeks? I'm NOT cut out for the cold and anyone around me knows it because I complain at top volume. Hubby and I are in a constant battle over the thermostat. He turns it to something dreadfully low like 60 and I crank it up to something reasonable such as 68.

I don't know what possessed us to travel to NYC during one of the coldest weekends in 40 years, but that's what we did last weekend. I'm still working to regain feeling in my pinky toes. It was cold. Wicked. Freezing. Cold. Even the subway stations were bone chilling. The rats had headed South for the winter. And they were wearing their little rat scarves.

Oddly enough, people still lined up for free samples at the Coldstone Creamery we passed.

As a Christmas gift to each other, hubby and I went to see the newish musical Memphis. Due to the cold, I had been thinking the trip wasn't worth it, but after the show, braving the freezing temps was so worth it. If you are in the market to see a newer show, strongly consider this one. I'd see it again. I'd see it again especially if it were summer and I felt up to standing in line for a Coldstone sample. ;)

Top Chef Hometown Heroes

No, this isn't a Christmas post because there's no way I'm getting a table booked prior to the 25th, but I wanted to spend a moment bragging on 2 local star chefs, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio who were recently on Top Chef.

Michael ultimately won, but I've got to show my allegiance for Bryan since he co-owns VOLT Restaurant in Frederick which since it has been open garnered nothing but accolades from food & wine press. I've only been there for lunch a few times, but each time has been lovely. If you are ever in the Frederick area, let's make it a date!

And you should come to Frederick. I've got to brag on this little town. The downtown area is stellar with some great dining in addition to Volt as well as unique antique stores, boutiques, art galleries & more. The first Saturday of the month, stores & restaurants roll out the red carpet late into the evening for themed special events. Just a few weeks ago, Accessories of Old opened up downtown after moving from Bethesda giving vintage loving folks another haven of wonderfulness to drool over. (It's like a smaller Tinsel Trading!)

We first moved to Frederick because the housing prices were reasonable compared to areas closer to DC or Baltimore where we had been renting & the schools were decent. Very quickly, Frederick County worked its way into our hearts truly becoming home with all it has to offer and only a short drive (or Metro ride) to the major metropolitan areas.

The Top Chef attention has been exciting and a boon for Frederick. We don't 'know' Bryan or Michael, but we cheered them on and share in the excitement of our fellow neighbors. (I made the lime macaroons & those proved pretty special too)

A childhood dream

Don't laugh, but as a child, my favorite part of Thanksgiving wasn't the turkey or the rolls or even the pie and especially not the football. It was the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I loved the balloons, the bands, the 'stars' that rode on the floats and even the glimpses of an excited crowd. The magic was even more complete when the parade heralded in Christmas with Santa ending the parade.

As an adult (woman) I really resented being stuck in the kitchen cooking while I knew the parade was happening. Sounds selfish, but watching the parade was the Thanksgiving tradition that was special for me.

Usually my sister and I take turns hosting Thanksgiving at each other's homes. We pore over the Thanksgiving issue of Bon Appetit 2 months ahead of time. We review the recipes we've made before that were hits and finally, we plan a huge menu.

This year, we all decided to make a Thanksgiving detour to NYC for the fabled Macy's parade. It took hours of planning via email & phone calls, several hotel changes, tense ticket purchasing decisions and last minute tweaks, but it was all worth it in the end.
We started off our trip with a ride on the Polar Express (Amtrak) from PA to NYC where we were able to relax, stretch out and enjoy the trip rather than the hair-raising rides I've had into NYC via car with hubby at the wheel. We kicked off the trip with a visit to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular before the main event of the parade.

I won't lie, I got all weepy when the first floats and balloons came into view. The crowd is jaw-dropping enormous and excited. It's a party with over 3 million people. We had a great spot on the street thanks to hubby claiming some territory early in the morning. Better weather we couldn't have asked for and seeing the same excitement I have in the eyes of my children and my neices made for more teary moments. My sister and I had our fair share of screaming over the 'stars' we saw on floats, possibly most excited to see several Food Network stars on one float. LOL

And the traditional Thanksgiving dinner? No turkey was consumed, no pie was eaten. We did have a very nice meal at a restaurant not far from the parade route where the total for the meal was probably not much more than the total for groceries we purchase for the yearly Thanksgiving dinner (though hubby refuses to believe it, but he's never done the turkey day/hosting shopping trips alone). And the chief cooks were relaxed & no one had to do dishes. I'm not ashamed to use the cliche that the memories created on this trip were priceless. I hope you and yours were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday as well. I am most thankful that my family went along with me on this crazy journey and even in their initial skepticism, fully embracing the magic in the end.

At The Movies

It seems that nowadays, you have to take out an equity loan to afford a simple night at the theater, right? In my town, it's $10.50 for a ticket. Add in popcorn and soda for another $10 (actually more) plus $10.50 for your date's ticket and you could've adopted a Worldvision child. The kicker is that with the quality (or lack thereof) these days in what Hollywood is churning out, I often walk out wishing I had that two hours of my life back.

Am I alone here? LOL

So, hubby and I don't often go to the movies. When we do we usually like one of the following:
1. Be a must-see on the Big Screen, i.e. movies like Iron Man (actually, I'll go see Robert Downey Jr on any size screen) or Lord of the Rings trilogy or most lately, Paranormal Activity.
2. Be an interesting independent or foreign film (which our town never gets). Comedies & dramas are usually saved until they come out on DVD unless we feel they are super special.
3. Have a movie pass or go to our favorite theater, Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, PA.

The Majestic Theater is almost too good to be true. We keep expecting to show up one night and find it closed. Nestled in downtown historic Gettysburg, the Majestic has converted part of its space into 2 small movie theaters that show independent & foreign films nightly for $7.50. Some seats are love seats. And they have a frequent customer card; buy 6 tickets and your next ticket is free. Can't beat that.

There are several decent places to grab a bite to eat within walking distance. Between the college students, tourists and natives griping about previously mentioned students & tourists, the people watching abounds.

But not all good movies have been Majestic only movies. If I watch a good one, I'm happy to give it a thumbs up.

Movies this year that were worth the ticket (or cable) price?
Bright Star ~ John Keats and Fanny Brawne as told by Jane Campion.
Adam ~with Hugh Dancy. If you enjoyed Lars and the Real Girl, you'll probably like this as well.
Sunshine Cleaning ~I first enjoyed Amy Adams in Junebug. Quirky & gritty, I liked it a lot.
500 Days of Summer ~Ahhh, almost perfect. Tried too hard in a few places, but on the whole about as good as it gets.
Food, Inc. ~Not a fictional film at all, but a thoughtful look at the business of food production. And before you think it's all hate on big biz, they actually paint Walmart (the favorite mega-villian) in a positive light.
Last but not least,
Taking Chance ~ If there were one film on here I'd recommend you watch, it would be this one. A thoughtful portrait into the journey home for a soldier lost in war. Hubby and I cried rivers throughout this one. Kevin Bacon does a powerfully understated performance here.

Baby Boo

Fall is usually my favorite season, but I haven't been able to throw my energy into it this year. The kids have noticed the distinct lack of Halloween decor & kind of freaked. Did this mean there wasn't going to be any Halloween themed sugar product in the house? What horrors!

So I spent a couple of hours making them a card...

Plain white cardstock, ancient Creative Memories circle cutting system, old Hero Arts stamps (one a Christmas stamp), Distress Inks, embossing powders, old paper, a bit of free hand cutting and the use of an embossing gun to 'burn' the edges of the skull. Not exactly frightful, but he's got a little bit of personality, eh?
Then, I have a couple of fellow Fright Loving Fiends, er, I mean, Friends, who are really into the holiday, so I had to make them something right ?

This card didn't take nearly as long, but I think it is a great deal more macabre than Mr. Skully Card. When hubby and I went to Paris, one of the places we visited was the Paris Catacombs where the remains from several Paris cemeteries were moved, 'artfully' arranged and are now a tourist attraction. The remains of several famous people of the French Revolution are stored in the Catacombs, including, Robespierre and possibly Marie Antoinette.Simple yes, but freaky fun. I used Sepia Glossy Accents to highlight the skulls and brown crackle paint around the edges to convey the dark, dank atmosphere of the catacombs. The glossy accents really make the skulls pop out of the photo.

Hubby and I were recently able to take in a little spirited fun. A couple of weeks ago, we went to an early showing of the movie, Paranormal Activity. I like to be on the edge of my seat for a good scary movie, but not slasher films. This is right up there in my top 3 Fright Flicks ever now. The others being The Changeling with George C. Scott and a toss up between The Ring or The Descent. Check out the trailer for Paranormal here: Paranormal Activity

Go see it and then lose some sleep like I did when hubby went out of town for a few days. You'd never imagine how many things so bump in the night when you're lying wide awake at 2:30 a.m. Bwahahahahaha....

Top Chef starting tonight with a hometown favorite!

So yeah, we're all excited around this area to tune in to see Chef Brian Voltaggio competing on Top Chef this season!

We are blessed with an abundance of fantastic food in downtown Frederick, MD, among the best is Volt Restaurant. Wonderfully fresh, seasonal food from local sources. If you are ever in the area, check it out!

He's competing against his brother, Michael, too! No matter what high drama may ensue, the food at Volt is always a pleasure. If you get the chance, check it out!

And the tomatoes continue to roll in...

Busy day today, but I do have this simmering on the stove and it smells GOOD!
This is how you get sweet revenge upon a few killer tomatoes...

Tipsy Tomato Sauce

2 large onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/3 C. olive oil

15 large tomatoes

2 C. red wine

12 oz. tomato paste

1 1/2 ts. salt

1/2 ts. pepper

4 ts. Italian Seasoning (Pizza Magic if you can find it)

Saute the onions, garlic and olive oil until golden, about 10 minutes, in a large pot. Rough chop the tomatoes and add to the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced & thickened to your liking. I keep it simmering for hours until it's super thick and rich.

Freeze in pint jars or keep in refrigerator for 2 weeks.

We use this in so many ways: add a few more spices to create pasta sauce, pizza sauce, add some to soups & stews, make a marinara or use it as is for a mild, richly flavored sauce.

There are not enough worlds

to describe Paris. Beautiful, gorgeous, decadent, historic all pale when attempting to distill the essence that is Paris.

Did I love it? Yes, there wasn't enough time. At the same time, I am so glad to be back home with my children, my comfy bed and my friendly potty (and I'm not embarrassed to admit that one).

One small portion of our trip was touring the Opera Garnier. Designed to show the patrons to their best effect rather than the performers; it was a place to see and be seen. It is also where the legend of the Phantom of the Opera began.

Box 5 has been his box for well over a hundred years. You can knock on his door, but you cannot go in. Here is a view of his box from below: The stage of the Opera Garnier is built on a slant, so that your view of the dancer's feet would not be obstructed. Because of this, the training halls were also slanted and dancers from the Opera Garnier were almost unable to dance on a flat surface. A new opera house was built for opera, but the ballets remain here.

Walking through the opera house with its guilded ornamentation, murals, frescoes and statues, I brought that 'feeling' home (certainly not the richness) to create an Opera Garnier inspired Christmas Globe.... Like the Opera Garnier, the globe is a bit careworn, but has not lost its glamour. I applied alcohol inks and metallic mixatives to the back of the globe to give it a hazy, aged appearance and also applied some metallic rubons. The base is a 4 inch tin that could contain a small gift or hold a circular album. The silver present came from Wallyworld and the tiny ornament is vintage. The tin is covered in Basic Grey and vintage lace. The ballerina began life with a blue dress. That was quickly changed with a silver Krylon paint pen. The floor upon which the ballerina stands is cotton batting covered in mica and vintage glitter. Altogether, I hope that come Christmas, I can gaze at the tiny ballerina frozen in her timeless world and remember the Opera Garnier.

Not So Dumb and Dumber

Last week I was lucky enough to tag along on a trip to NYC with my sister. (Note to all: if someone offers you a bed in NYC for a few days, don't think, just go! 'Specially if you're an artsy fartsy type)

Anyway, my sis called wondering why photos of our big night out on the town weren't already posted on the blog. To be honest, it was a pretty special night. We had goofy grins pasted on our faces the entire way back to our hotel room. But..... the whole trip was a lot of fun. Much needed recharging for the challenges back home.

Took the train into town on Sunday when we met at the hotel...I was starving, so we headed to John's Pizzeria, a tradition....then we headed to Soho to see Sunshine Cleaning (nice, quirky film) at the tiniest little theater that reminded us of a theater we went to as kids (all that was lacking was a jar of pickles and a machine that dispensed Dixie cups of syrupy soda for $.25)....

The next day, I stopped by Tinsel Trading which was mobbed because there was a stationery show in town, but this was the first time I had been to their new location and I still managed to come away with a fun bag of goodies....I also had to go ride all the wooden escalators at Macy's....and spend some quality time in a huge Sephora....then peruse all the beading and trim shops in the fashion district....

But what sis and I couldn't stop smiling about was for later that evening! We had hemmed and hawed over shows; never got around to finally choosing until it was a late hour indeed. Just a few days before we were to meet, I saw that Jeff Daniels (who is also doing a play on Broadway called Gods of Carnage, Tony nominated) was doing a small concert at City Winery. I checked the website thinking surely it'd be sold out, but lo and behold there were still choice seats. After some consulting together, we went for it.

After a nice dinner at a small treasure called Bruschetteria (great panini, yum), we made our way to City Winery where we were escorted to a table that was a mere few feet from the stage. At that point, before we had any wine, we started to get a bit giddy. I know, some of you are thinking "why are they getting worked up over Jeff Daniels?", but you've got to remember from my old blog the time I stumbled all over myself when walking down the street with Richard Thomas of The Waltons fame. And I've always liked Jeff Daniels, just have. Sis and I shared some City Winery vino and desserts while we waited for the show to start.

I will say this, if you get the chance to see this man doing a small show anywhere you can get to, sign up immediately. Not only is he a fine actor, he has a fine voice, plays a sweet guitar and writes all of his own music; much of which will make you either laugh hysterically or have you crying into your hankie. And witty, gracious, good humored. We were entertained, charmed and touched.

What moved us the most though was when he told us about how critics have asked him if regrets doing Dumb and Dumber. He likes to tell this story...

As a public figure, sometimes when you're in the DC area, the USO might call you to ask if you'll visit Walter Reed Hospital to spend time with wounded soldiers. Mr. Daniels told us how you'd see young people with various wounds, not quite knowing what hit them, just kids really and to the last one, all they want to hear about is Dumb and Dumber. They want him to quote lines from the movie, ham it up, talk about it, makes them smile and laugh. So, whenever a critic asks if he regrets doing Dumb and Dumber, he'll reply, that no, he has no regrets, but feels honored to be a part of something that can bring joy into the darkness.

Everything after that was the frosting on top of the cake. The next day I went to the Gagosian Gallery where there was an exhibit of many of Pablo Picasso's works and sketches from later in his life. I'm not an art major, but the tone of the exhibit was interesting with the hushed reverence of those walking throughout the gallery. I'd like to read and study more on him now that I've seen these works. His bold brushstrokes, copious use of thick layers of paints and even use of different substrates has me interested, but not reverent. I want to understand why he rose to such prominence while still living; what magic he seemed to possess.

After Picasso, I wondered over to Greenwich Village because that's where I'd live in my imaginary Bohemian city life (my real life is Mayberry-like small town Aunt Bea more often than not complete with my own Barney Fife personality). Spent way too much time and money on cool little things in cool little stores and caught back up with sis later in the evening for more yummy NYC pizza at Lombardi's. To finish up our last night in the Big Apple we caught up with the Dessert Truck where we got our Goat Cheese Cake to go and hustled back to our hotel room to watch the American Idol finale in our pajamas. Another lovely few days of adventure with my sister. Now when do we go again???? I'm ready!

Hair, Hair, Hair, long beautiful hair...

Now look what I've gone and done. I'll bet your singing the title song from the classic musical "Hair', aren't you?

No?

Well, I am!

And as much as I fear this might make me look like an blog attention hog, it's really not my intention. But I do have yet another giveaway to share. This one is NOT for artsy blog candy though. No, if you have hair, you should be interested in this one. If you don't have hair, but know someone who does, you should be interested in this one.

I just received a small order from Sephora and I was sent a full-size tube of a new product to try that's not in the store yet. It's from a company called Living Proof. It's called No Frizz and unlike most other products aimed at taming the frizzies, this one has no silicone, so hopefully hair won't have that coated, weighed down feeling. The best part is that they sent two tubes instead of one with the suggestion that I share it with a friend! And I love to have more friends to talk skincare, beauty product gossip with!

I had chosen the thick to coarse hair option, so if that's you, this will fit you to a tee. If it's not you, we all know someone who has decried the frizztastic state of their coarse, wavy mane as they try product after product in an effort to tame it, so either leave a comment on their behalf or steer them this way. I'll draw a name next Saturday, February 7th!

This isn't a sample, but a FULL-SIZED tube of the line that will be launched nationwide in the spring and I'll throw a passel of other samples in this box just for the fun of it. (doesn't the word "Passel" make you smile?)

Another package going out on Monday is to my Year of Color swap partner and I hope she enjoys it as much as I've enjoyed putting it together for her. Even better than brown paper packages are pink paper packages, right? Lisa, the pink of this box really isn't as bright as the photo, so don't faint thinking your getting a neon pink horror. :) This little bit of floof will be going out to another friend soon as a part of a petite Valentine package....(pssst, she has no idea! Yet....)

David vs David, the Idol Wars

First, let me say that I am so glad that a new season of American Idol hasn't started. Yet. Hubby hates that the rest of us watch it and ascertains that a talented person should be able to make it without a pre-fab television show. Lurve hubby to death, but phooey, raspberries on him for muttering, sighing and grunting while we have our fun.

All in good natured fun, we were a house divided this past season. My daughters crushed on David Archuletta with his earnest power ballads. I thought I would reach through the screen if I saw him lick his lips one more time and forcibly apply Carmex to his pucker. He drove me crazy (you know, in a way that someone you don't even know can get on your very last nerve, the tv reality show star way and why do we invest ourselves in this stuff kind of nerve?)

They thought he was the cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutest thing ever.

Gag. Me. With. A. Spoon.

I, on the other hand, was reasonable in my polite and appropriate admiration for David Cook. If, on the very occasional show, I hopped up on the sofa and whooped like a crazed warrior (or Cruisazy), please attribute it to too much caffeine rather than a mistaken assumption that I had a mini (major) thing for David Cook. I'm sorry daughters, he's just more gifted, versatile and marketable than Archie boy. It's simply good business sense, right? Dang, I should be a talent scout.

So the past couple of weeks, the rivalry has been renewed as my daughters replay David A's "Crush" whatever song until my ears bleed while I blast David C's "Light On" at every opportunity.

And today, they are IN FOR IT! This site is streaming the superior David's album for free right now: David Cook's New Album There are a few songs I'm having mad love for like "Declaration". And remember, if you ever see me on a sofa, it was the Starbucks, not the rock star. So there.