Origami swans are quite festive.
Monthly Archives: December 2015
Wonder Woman Wednesday: Sparkly
Something Awesome: #fmsphotoaday
Dinosaurs are awesome.
Christmas Eve with Eva: Baking Cookies
This year, Eva and I made cookies for Santa. Usually, I buy them already made.
She wanted to help. Since I cannot find the mixer, Eva was in charge of mashing everything together. Then she put the cookie dough on the sheet. Most of it made it to the cookie sheet. A small percentage was eaten. It could not be helped.
She wanted to help pour the milk for Santa but it was only 4 p.m. Santa- or anyone else really- should not be served sour milk.
P.S. Santa, could you bring us a new mixer for Christmas?
Thanks!
Wonder Woman Wednesday: Christmas & Coffee
I’m preparing for Christmas shopping with the youngest. I may need two cups. Good vibes appreciated! 🙂
The Best and Lightest: #bookreview
The editors at Food Network Magazine are seriously good at what they do: making food look delicious and approachable. I mean, most of the recipes look fairly easy to make even for a non-cook like me.
The table of contents has a picture of every dish. So you can look at all of the recipes and see what they look like before you even get to the first page.
My favorite part of the books, besides the photographs, are the snack time sections. Who doesn’t love snack time? The snacks are healthy – At least these snacks are healthier than what we eat for snacks at my house. Honestly, when no one is home, I eat snacks for dinner. However, now I could make one of the snacks from “The Best and Lightest” and not feel guilty the next morning.
If I wasn’t giving this to someone who really loves to cook, I would keep it for my own kitchen.
*I did receive this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for doing a review.
Weekendcoffeeshare: Cooking Lessons
If we were having coffee, I would tell you
- I learned how to make mashed potatoes.
From scratch. No boxes in sight. At the end, I dropped the potato peeler like how people drop their microphones at the end of a rap battle or something.
- I went shopping 3 separate times with each of my kids. Now I need a nap or coffee.
- I am still not finished with Christmas shopping.
- We did not see “Star Wars.” I think I have another kidney stone. So I would’ve missed the whole show.
- I have writing projects that I will be working on this week.
- I thought of a topic for the a to z challenge. It’s in April. So ahead of the game.
- How are you guys?
a beautiful distraction
So far the book that I’ve been writing is at approximately 12, 250 words. I would get further if I wasn’t stopping to count the words and subtract numbers to figure out how far away I am from 50,000. Hold on, I have to figure it out again. 37,500 more words.
Then I keep thinking that I need to stop worrying about numbers. It’s bordering on a weird obsession. I don’t like numbers or subtraction anyway. They aren’t worrying about me.
Every week, I get an email from Writer’s Digest about how I can give them money for some really super awesome webinar that will help get my writing career to the next level. It’s always tempting, except that the financial figures aren’t on my side either.
Yesterday, I did receive another email from Writer’s Digest about agents that are looking for writers.
I looked at the description of what type of writers they were looking for. It’s never been me. Agents are always looking for something that I don’t have or am not interested in having.
Yesterday, it was me. I fit the description of what a literary agent wants. MEEE!!!
The agent could love my book. Of course, she could hate it too. I’ve only panicked once or twice thinking about rejection.
When I was telling the boyfriend about the possibility of having an agent, he paused “The Following” so he could listen to me. It was kind of a special moment. We never stop “The Following” because we are obsessed. Plus once we stop, one of us can never find the right spot and then we are lost for like five minutes.
Today, I took a chance and let someone else read the first five chapters. I’ve written this story in a vacuum so this will be the first feedback that I’ve had.
I hope that she will be gentle.
distraction by holley-perry featuring autumn home decor
Inspiration: Movies, Cooking & Surfing
For the last month, maybe two months, I have been rather uninspired. I have been in the valley (aka the pits of despair) with this guy . . .
Not really. I haven’t even been to a literal valley. For Pete’s sake, I haven’t even been to Cleveland for several months. I’ve mostly been going to the library and watching movies.
In the last two months, I’ve probably watched at least 50 movies. 50 is the low estimate. There were good movies, bad movies, movies that made me fall asleep – I’m talking to you “Inception.” It would be great to stay awake and watch Tom Hardy but all of those people sleeping makes me sleepy.
However, there have been two movies that I’ve watched this week that have been fairly inspiring.
When I rented “Chasing Mavericks,” I didn’t know that it was based on the true story of Jay Moriarity. I won’t tell you what happens. I will tell you that it makes me want to get off of the couch and go surfing. I’m from Ohio. I’ve never even touched a surfboard. It’s possible that I’ve not even seen a surfboard in person. That’s not the point. The point is that I need to get out there and do stuff again. It’s not that I want to surf the Mavericks but I want to learn the basics. Small waves are better than no waves.
Would I rather waste time being a couch potato or learn to surf and maybe meet some sharks. If I came face to face with a shark, I would at least have a story to tell. Probably. I mean, after I kick the shark in the face. Then it can be storytime.
The second movie was “Julie & Julia.” I totally relate to Julie. She’s in a rut and then she starts to blog. I’m a blogger and currently in a rut. (My grandma blamed being in a rut on drinking too much soda. It turns out that she was right.)
Anyway, as many of you know, I’m a terrible cook. It’s more than just being terrible, I’m afraid of cooking or rather afraid of the rejection and disgust from listening to people complain about my cooking. I’ve gotten back into the kitchen for short periods of time – only out of necessity.
My mom says that I’m an avoider of difficult subjects. When I was a kid, I used to take naps to avoid life. Now, I just outright avoid the kitchen, except for doing dishes and making coffee. Sometimes, I pour cereal for the kids. I have offered to make them food but they almost laugh me out of the room, like “Yeah, no thanks mom. We’d like to live another day.”
I don’t want to be this person that avoids scary things, like cooking and sharks. I want to get out of this rut. Getting back into the kitchen might be part of the ticket. Today, I found a Chinese cookbook in the kitchen. It must be my boyfriend’s – my cookbooks are usually called, “Quick & Easy” and “Oops.” The cookbook is very zen. I need some zen cooking and surfing lessons. It has got to be better than hanging out in the pits of despair.
Eco-friendly Earrings
I don’t mean to brag but I have scored a really great present for the teenager. She likes skulls, steampunk and jewelry.
So I found the sugar skull and steampunk earrings from Green Tea Jewelry. I think that the teenager will love them -until she moves on to another phase. As long as she loves them this Christmas, it counts as a success.
They look heavy but they are very light. The earrings are made of wood. Who knew that wood earrings could be as light as a feather? Probably my mom – she was a hippie once.
The gears on the steampunk earrings really do move.
Green Tea Jewelry makes a variety of things, including switch plate covers, pendants and clocks. Many of their items are steampunk inspired.
*I received the earrings in exchange for doing a post.
