fuzzy umbrella

make a mark, any mark

2012-01-21T13:44:00.000-06:00

i was going to give away this cute little journal with branches, owls, lines & dots drawn all in it. i really like it but i never understood journals that were already designed. they're great gifts, fun to hold...but usually i leave them blank for fear of ruining it.
my writing has always been too ugly to put in something already 'finished' & drawing something would screw it up too. especially that first page....oh, the pressure of making the first page of any sketchbook-notebook-journal-blog post really MATTER!

so i thought i'd just get rid of the thing so i wouldn't worry about it anymore. i've never "kept a sketchbook" though i have several. i use them but not to let my mind wander and only when i have to practice something i already know i'm going to make. most of the time i finish a drawing in the sketchbook, cut it out and all i'm left with is tattered pages with stray marks, nonsensical notes to myself & a big rectangle cut out of everything. perhaps interesting to an extent, but esoteric concepts like 'traces' or 'process' get annoying after awhile.

in the end, i kept the stupid owl journal with their stupid, vacant eyes. and i've taken away all of the things (excuses) that will stop me from using it.

-don't start on the first page
-choose some materials & stick with them...until i get bored, then switch without caring if it makes sense
-make MARKS everyday in it. doodles, text, sketches. whatever.
-spend no less than 15 minutes daily in it
-put it on the coffee table (next to the dental floss) so i don't forget about it
-later (not that day), if i hate something i did...just glue something i like on top of it instead.

hopefully this will work the majority of the time & all the cute little owls will become secondary, obscured & embedded within something that can't be bought at amazon.com.

Costa Rica Part 2: Manuel Antonio

2012-01-15T18:52:00.000-06:00

....so we get picked up in Monteverde and our current b&b owners left us to worry about how sometimes private transport companies don't insure their passengers & how you have to be careful & we're going to die on the way to Manuel Antonio. at least that's what *I* heard. so i was on the edge of my seat until we were off the roads with potholes, blind turns & unprotected cliffs/shoulders. as we got closer the the coast it got warmer & sunnier. i could feel my bones drying out.

our driver spoke almost no english, which wasn't a big deal until he pulled over at a touristy pit stop/store/restaurant, pointed to a bunch of towels blowing in the wind and said "zbciou atnaw ekjrwcocodriles."

i looked blankly at him and said "....que?" He pointed again to the towels and said the same thing slower except he ended it with what sounded like "mucho crow-co-dee-llays." surprisingly nick figured it out. Crocodiles! of course you knew this already because "cocodriles" looks pretty much like crocodiles, but we had the disadvantage of not writing anything down. so we got out, walked past the towel display to look over a bridge where there were about 15 crocodiles just getting a tan. they are so ugly and so weird. it was mesmerizing.

after about 4 hours of driving about only 150km, we arrived at Jungle Creek. Jackie is the super chill surfer girl who manages the place. what a sweet set up for her as she gets to live there, book adventures for people, tell them how to get to the beach & surf. (i don't know. she might have had another gig doing something else too, but it seemed like paradise to me).

photo from the website

right away we realized we had to go zip lining. like NOW or else we wouldn't have another time to do it. it was a rough car ride through palm tree groves, small creeks & tiny little bridges over some small creeks that looked like they could collapse at any point (one already had).

ziplining wasn't too scary. i was nervous but once i did the first line, i was able to relax and enjoy it. the thing that was the most frightening was that you had TIME to think about how high up you were...

the guide who spoke the best english spoke with some kind of lisp...maybe? i dont know but it was really hard not to giggle when instead of "elbow" he'd say "err-bowl." i LOVED it! i wish i could remember some of his other words. it was pretty hot. the dip in the fresh water waterfall was a treat.

we were able to see a sunset that was really quite beautiful (i'm not an avid admirer of daylight sky phenomena) and found a "soda" that made us a vegan dinner. it was really pretty delicious.

can i just say that everyone was so friendly? cause they were. the whole experience would have been totally different otherwise. we walked around Quepos for a little while & called it a day.

we were scheduled to take a guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. Jackie hooked us up with Manuel of "Manuel's Tours." i HIGHLY recommend going with this guy. you'll see & learn SO much more. i mean, he wrote a BOOK on this place. also he is a photographer and had patience for nick taking pictures through the telescope thingy (which was really a neat piece of equipment).

once the tour was done, it was to the Manuel Antonio beach (one of the top beaches in the world) it was truly idyllic. it was full of people but not in a super crowded way. the sand was soft, the water was warm,

the waves were big enough to be exciting but small enough to still be pleasant.

then nick attempted to crack open a coconut. and 30 minutes later we were able to eat the whole thing like starving savages & left, went back to jungle creek, hung out on the hammocks and then got hungry once that coconut settled.

dinner was pretty americanized at El Gran Escape, but i think the food was still costa rican enough for us!

and then it was over.

(all photos in the post and Part 1: Monteverde are by Nick. Nice job & thank you, husband)

Costa Rica Part 1: Monteverde

2012-01-13T20:36:00.001-06:00

thinking about a trip to costa rica?

for me, costa rica was all about holding sloths.

unfortunately, this is somebody else's hand...and continually my favorite sloth photo EVER.

there's a sanctuary there that will let you do this in Cahuita (caribbean side). you might have even seen the animal planet's, Too Cute Baby Sloths show about this place? yeah. they're the real deal. you will never get bored of watching those videos.

you might have also read that there's another branch of that sloth sanctuary in Monteverde. or at least i did.....OH WAIT! NO THERE'S NOT! too bad i based the entire trip on this untruth....

but this is not a sad story in the end! i tried to accept that i wouldn't be holding any sloths (yet) as calmly as a sloth might reach for the next branch and decided to still have fun while in the mountains.

smile with spit strings. unfortunately, not a photo we took.

here's a few things i learned right away from the first part of our stay in Monteverde/Santa Elena:

-it takes a LONG time to get from San Jose to Monteverde. look on a map...it should not be 4 hours away, but apparently it is.

View Larger Map

-ladies, wear a sports bra whenever you are in a car. the roads can be extremely rough.

-you need more spanish then you think. but if we managed to get around, so can you.

-don't bother with the airport currency exchange. everywhere takes dollars. just know how to do some math or travel with someone else who does.

-everything for tourists is made easy. but you will pay a premium. i found everything to be a lot more money than i expected (food, merchandise, tour costs etc).

-Costa Ricans like bland food. or they think that tourists do. pass the salt and Lizano please.

Just one of the tasteless
meals we had.

(we traveled there in early January, so weather in the summer may not be this wet).

damp

-rain boots. i think these would be more helpful than hiking shoes if you stick to the forest trails. the trails aren't difficult but they are soggy.

-bring something warm! i'm not talking a feather parka and a stocking cap. but a hooded sweatshirt and pair of jeans and/or lined, quick drying pants will make you much happier.

-there's LOTS of wind in Monteverde. wind that drives water mistlets into the center of your core. you will be damp & chilled almost constantly.

-gratuity isn't expected anywhere but it felt right to tip the bed and breakfast.

-bring a flashlight to walk around at night. you can see fine (mostly) but drivers can't see you coming around a turn.despite the about list that makes Monteverde sound mildly horrible, it's really is a neat place with plenty to do:

-the cloud forests were very pretty even though we didn't see many animals.

Link replenishing his hearts in Skyward Sword.

Nick replenishing his hearts on
that teeny, random chair.

standing at the continental divide

-orchids are SUPER tiny here. we had to take the official orchid tour because without a guide, we wouldn't get our magnifying glasses to see them with!

And this is pretty big compared to
most orchids we saw.

-night forest tours are fun and you see lots more with a guide.

-our bed and breakfast, Viandante, was a good choice. it's run by a husband and wife who can help you decide what you'd like to do, where to eat etc. they will book your transport and guided activities. the walls are thin though, so don't plan on sleeping in.

-eat at Donde Henry. it's authentic, very cheap and the best meal we had there.

-take the sugar and coffee tour at El Trapiche. nick didn't initially want to do this, but it fit into our schedule at the last minute and we're both glad we went. it's really informative and fun! then you get to eat a homegrown banana, ride in carreta pulled by HUGE black and white oxen (and their immaculate buttholes) and make molasses candy. then they give you coffee and a snack at the end.

us in the carreta.

molasses goo with nuts, cocoa & coconut

stock photo of a carreta. the one we rode in pretty much looked like this.

-there are lots of rainbows (arco iris) because even though it's constantly misting in your face, the sun makes it's glorious appearance here and there.

-all scheduled transportation and tours are on time. it's a relaxed place but they don't screw around either.

there's much more to do but because of the weather, we were advised to skip things like the butterfly garden and the frog pond. also, there's mountain biking, 'sky trams' and other ways to view the mountains. there's several zipline tours but one includes a crazy, long run (1km??!) we didn't do this because the rain was already whipping in our face fast enough as it was.

by the last night i had had enough of the damp and blustery weather (with no slothly cuddles). we were on to our next part of the trip: Manuel Antonio.

Part 2 coming soon

sloths: slow as molasses candy made by hand

quick 2011 review

2011-12-31T14:40:00.003-06:00

Pretty good year

January: turned 33

February: 2 snow days!? stopped going to counseling. Nick and I together 13 years.

March: got engaged! 3/20

April: Las Vegas just for funsies (not to get married by elvis). Several of my students won gold and silver medals in competition.

May: Florida for Peyton's first communion.

June: Started to lose weight.

July: 2nd anniversary Lake Springfield trip. Bridal Shower #1. HP7P2. sooo many wedding decisions.

August: Museum of Contemporary Art Teacher Institute. Reached goal weight. 25lb weight loss. Bridal Shower #2. MORE wedding decisions.

September: Took dance lessons. Figured out Poe's skin allergy enough to start treatment. Marriage license. North Coast Music Fest. Got addicted to Pinterest.com

Before treatment

Shortly after starting treatment!

October: ALL new projects planned for students this semester. Made my own perfume. Got married! 10/23

November: Poe's allergy under control! Decreased my own medication. Blew glass.

December: Holiday party. Costa Rica trip all planned. Altmann/King family together for Christmas.

i want my youtube tv

2011-12-19T17:27:00.003-06:00

youtube is blocked at my school, even for teachers.

i think this a sorry thing to have happen. nearly ALL of my educational videos were found on youtube. sure, there's a lot of crap there, too, but to not allow teachers access to a video library with a fluid and rapid pulse is backward thinking.

downloading youtube videos at home is now very simple & i can come prepared with a set playlist. but, i cannot possibly anticipate all the ideas & discussions that might happen in class that could be perfectly punctuated with a relevant video on the fly.

documentaries & videos that educate and/or inspire ideas certainly shouldn't be outweighed by the useless garbage. useless garbage is everywhere. let our kids learn to filter it & get over it.

Wedding Profile & Pron

2011-10-26T20:32:00.001-05:00

i figure since i've been enjoying offbeatbride.com for about 3 years now, that i should submit my own wedding. it's definitely in the "offbeat bride LITE" category but i think it still fits in the general feeling of the website. we'll see if THEY think so!

but, i thought before i submit my wedding info anywhere, it should be to my OWN blog first. offbeatbride.com uses a specific format which i will follow mostly so i don't have to do it twice.

Offbeat bride: Vanessa (artist and teacher)
Partner: Nick (internet commerce specialist)
Wedding date: 10/23/2011
Website: http://bit.ly/vanessa_nick
Location of wedding: Prairie Production; Chicago, IL
Wedding in 7 words or less: urban whimsy snack-time dance party.
Photographer: Michael Roberts http://www.michaelroberts.tv/

What made our wedding offbeat:

Nick and I have been together for 13+ years. This wedding was just a formal, public expression of what was already in our hearts.
The venue, Prairie Production, is a working photo studio that looks like nothing special from the front but inside is an urban haven. it's a blank, white canvas to work with.
We had an Ethical Humanist ceremony.
I made many of the details myself including the invitations, favors, signage, photo gallery...
Our menu catered easily to vegans/vegetarians though we did compromise for other guests as well. But, cake, desserts & snacks were 100% vegan.

What are the most meaningful moments of the wedding:

The short moments that day with my new husband.
The ceremony and how touched everyone was by it, including the groom who was in tears by the time I got up there to meet him (even though we had already seen each other in our outfits the entire morning already).
A room filled with so many people who love us from different parts of our lives.
My dad telling me he was proud of the wonderful wedding I put together for our family and friends.
The couple's first dance which was choreographed and super secret to all our guests!

What was the biggest challenge how did you overcome it:
Superficially? My dress. I ended up having to get 2 of them (luckily they were both inexpensive) due to some "quality issues" with the first one. That's the risk of ordering online I suppose. Plus, I had lost 22 pounds from the time I started dress shopping until it came time to alter it...major alterations. Didn't save all that much money but it turned out lovely.

The most important challenge was making sure the wedding and reception was OURS while still remaining mellow and flexible with other people. The constant conversations about details I didn't care about and comments/suggestions that were not asked for or appreciated really burnt me out. I simply stopped talking about the wedding about 3 months before.

In the end, I just went with the flow with things that seemed very important to family but I didn't care much about. I know it's supposed to be OUR day, but since we've been together so long and emotionally married already, I quickly realized the importance of seeing guests comfortable and happy.

What was the funniest moment of the wedding or reception:

The groom's father dancing on the table
An impromptu 'dance machine.'
The 'money bouquet' toss, especially the guys
The "girls with lollipops" photo shoot.
The general 'letting loose' atmosphere people created.

About the ceremony:
The ceremony was Ethical Humanist and very short. We're not religious people yet still wanted some kind of ceremony that seemed official. It was perfect and there wasn't anyone who could argue with the philosophies of Ethical Humanism.

We had a close friend of mine read this excerpt from "Gift From the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The first line is a quote by Antoine de' Saint Exupery and was feature in our invitations.

“Love does not consist of gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.”

For, in fact man and woman are not only looking outward in the same direction; they are working outward. Here one forms ties, roots, a firm base. Here one makes oneself part of the community of men, of human society. And here the bonds of marriage are formed.

For marriage, which is always spoken of as a bond, becomes actually, in this stage, many bonds, many strands, of different texture and strength, making up a web that is taut and firm. The web is fashioned of love. Yes, many kinds of love: romantic love first, then a slow—growing devotion and playing these through, a constantly rippling companionship. It is made of loyalties, and interdependencies, and shared experiences. It is woven of memories of meetings and conflicts; of triumphs and disappointments. It is a web of communication, a common language, and the acceptance of lack of language, too; a knowledge of likes and dislikes, of habits and reactions, both physical and mental. It is a web of instincts and intuitions, and known and unknown exchanges.

The web of marriage is made by propinquity, in the day to day living side by side, looking outward and working outward in the same direction. It is woven in space and in time of the substance of life itself."

Was there anything that you were sure would be a disaster but turned out great:
The 50 frame photo gallery was so obviously going to come crashing down to the floor! We weren't allowed to put nails in the walls, but miraculously it stayed up with some last minute changes and it added warmth to the room.

The photo booth. I put in ad on craig's list for a photographer 2 weeks before who was willing to set one up for a flat fee. Though the set up wasn't what I expected, guests enjoyed it, pretty much hassle free and a great deal.

What is an important lesson you learned from your wedding:
Guests and family THINK they know what they want for a wedding, but really they can be refreshed by new and fun ways of celebrating marriage.
Wedding planning is a great and challenging exercise in self-trust and decision making.
More than learning, I really FELT how much people cared about us. The thoughts and efforts of some people was simply overwhelming.

Advice to other offbeat brides:

Surprise your guests with something! Plus, keeping a secret from everyone with your FH is fun.
Accept that weddings make people weird, but it doesn't have to be YOU that gets weird. Vendors, family, and friends assume you are going to go all banana sandwiches just because you're the bride. You will handle the wedding planning and the day much like you handle anything in your life.
Allow people to be a part of this time, even if it's not what you had planned.
Listen more, talk less and smile more.

Shopping and vendor links: (I wouldn't put them here if I didn't recommend them)
Caterer: Honest Foods http://www.honestfoods.com/
Photobooth: Steve Scap http://www.stevescap.com/index.html
Cake/sweets: Chicago Diner (vegan!) http://www.veggiediner.com/wp/
DJ: Toast and Jam http://www.toastandjamdjs.com/
Bride's rings: Handmade by Kate Szabone http://www.etsy.com/shop/kateszabone
Dress (the FINAL one!): http://www.plussizebridal.com/
Seamstress: Fit n Stitches http://www.yelp.com/biz/fit-n-stitches-chicago
Officiant: Ethical Humanist Society http://ethicalhuman.org/

Look What I Made

2011-10-25T11:42:00.002-05:00

Lots of details were handmade for the wedding. Mostly by myself or my mom. Others by hired professional. Check out what us 'amateurs' can do....plus some extra behind the scenes stuff.

Hand printed, cut & tied labels. 125 of them. Used 5. grrr.

Dyed many pieces of paper with tea & water color for tags & other paper goods. Looked the same as any other store bought paper

Dresses i hated at house of brides. all strapless? wtf?

shanghai dress fit into this tiny mailer...about 10x14 envelope!

large paper streamer things i made at work for something else. they're so pretty but i never got a chance to finish them.

dessert flags. even if they weren't going to be good, the signs would make people think they were. BTW, they were delicious.

50% bridal shower boxes. allan was in cat heaven.

VERY early stages of veil construction.
My head's too little to pull off this pouf.

early self hair trials. salons prices are criminals.

Final result=free & about 25 mins. Hair pieces all done by mom .

Painting 48 frames black. Residual art.

Original invite

Printed invite...the envelope liners were hand cut.

many invite components.

Just 1/2 of all the things to be brought to the venue.

Arranging photo gallery.

Mom hand made the cake topper!

She even make a FAKE cake for the cake topper to sit on when the real cake was cut up.

80+ bags of potato chips.
75+ chocolate sprinkle covered pretzel rods (not pictured)

All serve ware supplied by myself, mom & aunt. "Look at banner!"

Favor Factory (this was fun)

2 Money Bouquets = $30 each so people would actually TRY to catch them

Mom also made flowers from her own wedding dress sleeves & my great grandmothers buttons to put in my bouquet.

Handmade table "number" signs are vacation photos from around the USA.

125 "Yay" flags sewn on & topped with a bell. DIY program layout & printing

Where Is My Birthday Guest Book Calendar.

Is that it?? not even sure. so yah. that's what i did for 6 months...

blanked

2011-10-22T17:13:00.003-05:00

1. all the mixers for the bar (juice, soda etc)
2. picking up nick's ring
3. cookies for dessert table

oops. brain is a saturated sponge.

this is what a quasi-diy wedding looks like. before:

Still missing all glassware for desserts, bride stuff and probably other odds & ends i don't realize yet. Pokey Pants is unable to attend.

in general (and i know it's not all over yet) this has been an experience with it's challenges and annoyances but certainly not horrible ones. i have NOT had a melt down. i've not had to bitch out at anyone; though i've done it in private which doesn't really count.

the "wedding crazies" that permeated the air around me may have gotten much of my original vision of this day, but it won't change the way i decide to celebrate nick & me. i plan on EATING at my own wedding both dinner & cake, staying mellow & flexible, enjoying a few glasses of champagne with my friends and family & in general, just be present. otherwise, what's the point?

stay tuned for several behind the scene looks.

dream driving

2011-10-02T07:37:00.000-05:00

another wedding 'nightmare' but this one was hardly about the wedding but starts out at my appointment with the seamstress (which i really did have to schedule another one because things just aren't right yet)...

anyway, i parked my car in the dream and went inside. the seamstress argued with me about what i wanted to have done, told me she was offended but finally agreed to do it. i went back out to get my dress from the trunk and realized i forgot to pay the parking meter. bummer. but instead of 1 ticket, i found 5 tickets for things like
-passenger seat reclined
-incorrect mileage (?)
-incorrect license plates
- two separate tickets for parking meter violations

so i cried.

then my car disappeared. i got lost. i had to go to an area of town that was 'forbidden' to try to get help illegally. everyone was in military gear. i ate a weird peach ice cream cone. the dress & wedding were pretty much the last thing on my mind.

not sure what i'll dream about when the wedding is over.

23 days

2011-10-01T08:43:00.000-05:00

last night i had dreams about the "wedding." that's with quotes because it certainly wasn't the wedding i had planned. oh no!

there were several things that were nonsensical. but mostly i remember being VERY disappointed and upset about the flowers. i was swindled!

they were about 2 stems of weeding looking flowers in a huge jar for each table. you know, like the kind of 'arrangement' a small child would give to you with. except this was not even close to endearing.

the bouquets were just soaking in a bucket of water & all dried on one side and mushy on the other. not even the right color or flowers. i heard people say they were pretty but i couldn't understand why. i figured they were just being nice...or sarcastic.

the entire feeling of the dream was just gross & embarrassing.

that's how i knew it wasn't the wedding i planned.

i can say now that i'll be married this month.

drinking problem

2011-09-04T16:46:00.002-05:00

apparently once sink water touches a dish it becomes non-potable to my cats. instead they only use their water dishes it to drown their toys & tip over while making sharp, unexpected turns.

enter 'sink drinking.' it's charming at first but quickly becomes annoying when all your cats do is whine and stare longingly at the bathroom sink. and all of a sudden your cats seem to drink more than any other creature on the planet & you have to wonder if they are even okay. or if they alone are causing water shortages in other parts of the world.

there are a lot of similarities between my cats, mostly that they are genetically related and are the same color. after that, they are completely different in nearly other every way. sink drinking is no exception.

first, Allan. as inefficient as it may be, this is probably how you would imagine any cat drinking from a sink.

his tongue is like an amazing, pink rose petal!

now, thanks to the internet, we all know that cats don't always do things we expect.
and so i bring you Poe and her inventive effort to be dainty.

it's hard to see here but yeah, she's drinking the water as it runs down her leg. she is soaked by the time she's finished. it's completely adorable and a big mess when she's done.

maybe one day i'll be smart enough to put together this automatic faucet thingy:

even with the kit, it seems like a complicated and expensive process. i guess i'll just have to deal with their drinking problem for now.

Let's Pet Kittens!

2011-09-01T19:47:00.001-05:00

a week ago, i was at the vet with my cat. My vet friend said "i have to show you something."

she leaves and comes back with a bag of kittens. seriously. there were 7 teeny tiny kittens in there with their barely focused eyes, roly poly poorly balanced bodies and the thinnest claws that might as well be called "foot whiskers."

i wanted to lay on the floor and dump them on top of myself but i didn't think that was appropriate at the time. I don't think "Dr. Bag-o-Cats" would mind if I posted the Kitten Races they conducted today.

and here's a picture of the winners podium:

If you're in the Chicago, IL area and would like to adopt one (or more!) of these healthy, adorable kittens, please contact me!

inviting

2011-08-20T15:37:00.000-05:00

alrighty. invites are out & about. after about a week of 'mailbox anxiety,' i finally put them in a shopping bag and walked to the corner and shoved them in the slot.

do you get mailbox anxiety? like with most things you mail? i think netflix is the only thing i don't think twice about putting in there. other than netflix it's like "bye! hope you don't get lost, have the wrong letter inside for the person it's addressed for, bust open and/or have anything embarrassing inside you i didn't know was there (cat hair? a sock? a copy of my bank statement?)"

it's even worse when i send things i've made. there's a vulnerability that gets shoved into the mail hole along with the mail & you cant take it back.

so to recap why it took a week to get these mailed:
1. regular mailbox anxiety
2. WEDDING invitations
3. handmade
4. oh yeah, and i forgot to do one final check to make sure i had an invitation made for everyone. so though i'm pretty sure i got everyone, there's no way to be 100% sure. ugh.

anyways, though they are not perfect, i'm satisfied with them.

thought i'd run down the process:

1. design. what i knew before i started:

i wanted to incorporate a quote by antoine de saint exupery.
i wanted to create a similar feeling to some of "little prince" illustrations but without SO much starkness.
i like drawing/painting 'environments' surrounding small things.
inspired by these from a previous post. but mostly these. they are so awesome, i can't stand it.

2. Scanned my drawing in and made myself crazy with Adobe Illustrator. Found out too late that MS Publisher would have worked nearly the same but take far less time to re-learn & figure out new stuff. whatever.

3. cut and paste stuff from the original drawing to digitally make the other parts of the invitation (ie. rsvp).

4. Draw a map! that was fun. i quickly traced the basic streets right from a google map and drew in all my own little things. i used AI to make the text. that part was less fun and i'm surprised it worked out as well as it did.

5. it keeps getting more frustrating from here. i submitted them to www.printrunner.com. They have realistic minimums, decent customer service & work quickly but their 'designers' just didn't get some things. i also don't think i know what a 'bleed' is anymore...or they don't because they made a few mistakes that were completely weird. so that took about a week to get the proofs figured out. but delivery was fast and the color quality is really good. even after all the confusion & phone calls and their printing mistake (image was not quite centered on the card) i'd still recommend them.

6. envelope liners. sort of a pain but i think they added a nice touch. i ordered "european envelopes" (did you know there was such a thing? i just called them 'the ones with the big pointy flap.") so the shape was a little more complicated than a rectangle to cut out. i traced a template and cut them out of wrapping paper which is good because obviously it comes in any color/pattern, but not as good because most is rolled up and cutting curling paper isn't easy. here's my cat helping me do this.

Poe preventing paper from curling..But still making cutting a challenge.

7. printed addresses right on the envelopes. i only wasted about 17 envelopes trying to get the printer to cooperate. but it was way worth it.

8. tied the rsvps & map card with some raffia ribbon and put everything in the envelope. can i just say that i had a difficult time sealing these envelopes? i had to do them all again & put on stickers to feel sure about it because they just weren't sticking.

you might have the finished product right in front of you, but if not:

Should you design your own invitations? definitely. will you save a lot of dough? probably. will it be difficult? certainly. will you be glad you did it? of course!

rock the Cat-Spa

2011-08-10T10:58:00.002-05:00

(warning: slightly grotesque pictures below. proceed at your own risk)

Poe cat now has her own dermatologist. she goes tomorrow for her initial visit. to prepare, we had a spa day.

Pre-spa:
Cut nails: including back claws so she cant completely shred her head wound to pieces. this takes 2 people (at least) as somehow her feet turn to pudding when you're trying to hold on to them.

Spa-day Special (free to all black & white cats who aren't wimps):
5 minute Epsom salt soak (of the head and lips. what all the celebrities are asking for)
Skin treatment with artisan Bacitracin ointment
Ear cleanse with all-natural "ear cleanser" infused with ear cleanser.

she's such a good sport. in fact, i think despite having to be TOUCHED in a manner she finds unpleasing, the Epsom soak had to have felt good. come on, warm & gentle compresses on irritated skin? that's nice!

the ear cleaning however, left more to be desired evidenced by her bursting out of there as soon as that was over. imagine that, she doesn't like things squirting into her ears. how odd.

repeat customer? not voluntarily.
want to see my disgusting cat (that i love so much i could cry)?

Mystery head wound

About as bad as I've seen her mouth since diagnosed with EGC.

and here she is all pretty with her brother (who's not annoying her for once. this was years ago).

Back: Allan aka Manny, Tubs, Moco
Front: Poe aks Sweety, Pokey, Dumbles

at least i don't do this to her (very often)

UPDATE: good thing Poe can't read because then she would have see these vet instructions i got AFTER we rocked the cat-spa. oops.

Unless specifically directed by a veterinarian:

Do not feed your pet within 8 hours of the appointment, allow free choice water until 1-2 hours prior to the appointment, in case bloodwork is needed.
Pets should have no topical therapy 4-5 days prior to appointment.
Ear cleaning and ear medications should not be applied 2-3 days prior to appointment.

blame it on the frame, yeah yeaaaah.

2011-08-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

do you want to know what i'm doing today? okay:

spray painting frames. a lot of them. they are now black (as are most of my fingernails):

Empty picture frames are either very sad or very...suspenseful? like they are either a space of missing hopes and memories OR they are space for infinite ideas! you pick. personally, i've never thought too much about it until now. i just like the shape of frames. an outline to help focus our attention...

anyways, i'm putting together a photo gallery of sorts for the W word. i still need quite a few frames. this was a discovery i made just hours ago when the plastic frames i bought from the dollar store in bulk simply did NOT accept the spray paint. WHY? what is wrong with them? don't know. but i'm out 12 frames yet i still have these frames that i will never use. ever. they are still taking up space in my life (funny because they ARE themselves, space, as stated previously). i'm going to try different paint, but i dont expect miracles. it was hard to photograph how yucky the paint looks on these $ store frames, but here. i tried:

See how it's all bubbly and thin? no?
it's much worse in person! it's unacceptable.

also my cat still suffers from her mouth disease. or whatever. allergy? i guess. she's not contagious. it's something called Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex (EGC). even google doesn't know those words and wants to auto correct them to be Oceanology Granola Complex. but EGC is a real thing and you can look it up if you want to. the cause for my cats is still unknown but i'd like to blame the plastic frames that don't accept spray paint if only for the sake of blaming something.

but cat looks like she had some collagen implants and applied lip glass. she's gorgeous now. before she had low self esteem.

PLUS she's got some irreparable head wound that won't heal. everything i do to help her (clean her gross wounds & lips, cut her nails so she doesn't scratch off anything important, medicine etc) she thinks is actually all torture. all of it. this brings on her panic attacks. yes, though not proven, she has had what i would call at least 3 observed panic attacks in her life.

1. when i locked her in the bathroom while i vacuumed because she's so afraid of it (i was being nice!). she was shaking and puking.

2. when we moved into our new place and she stayed underneath some dresser for days and threw up.

3. when i was in the routine of cleansing her chin & face everyday to prevent infection. i came home, she was literally short of breath and limp with anxiety over the imminent face cleaning. surprisingly no puke.

i feel so bad for her! and today nick sent me this and said it reminded him of her. :-(

tell me it's okay to take a nap now. okay? thanks.

HP7P2

2011-07-27T23:21:00.000-05:00

the last installment.
(this "review" contains no spoilers. but seriously, if you don't already know what happens...just leave. leave right now).

everyone seems to have liked it, saying it was awesome and really good. after a few days to think about it, i merely think it was OKAY.

i've read all the books MANY times and enjoyed them thoroughly. i am not comparing the books to the movie here. i realize the constraints of both and respect their different categories.

so the movie: was it exciting? sure. was it a good ending to everything? yeah. but it simply was OKAY. it certainly isn't movie #3 or movie #5 (my favorites). it was solid at best. it's like if i gave you some chocolate chips and some peanut butter and said "make something delicious tasting with these ingredients!" you wouldn't have to try very hard at all. that's how i feel about this movie. the story was there already. the excitement and suspense was already written out. basically the movie was the equivalent of simply microwaving the chocolate chips and peanut butter; very tasty but could have been more...something. i don't know, i'm not a film director!

and what were those little sad attempts at humor sprinkled in at the most inappropriate moments. it's okay hollywood, the audience can handle dark plots without you forcing some comic relief onto us. but thanks for cheapening the moment anyway.

should you see it? yes. will you like it? yes. is it particularly memorable? no.

is everyone saying it was so great because if they didn't, it would be like a huge let down. it's the LAST one so it HAS to be amazing! right?? otherwise all our dreams are dead...

or not...watch this excerpt from "Wizard People, Dear Reader:" an unauthorized re-envisioning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by Brad Neely.

Dreams are still very much alive people!

plant massacre

2011-07-27T20:09:00.001-05:00

Post best viewed after pressing "play."

2 hopeless, never sprouted plants
1 disgusting & leggy pothos (sorry nick, it was grossing me out. the stems looked like it was growing fingers that would reach out one day and strangle me)
2 air plants i didn't have patience for anymore. they were depressing me with their mold and dried out ends.
assortment of moss (already mostly deceased)

let's all have a moment of silence for these valiant plants that at one point gave us joy.....except YOU pothos, you sicken me.

florist tips

2011-07-19T16:51:00.000-05:00

how to tell your florist that you decided to do your own centerpieces after you've made the down payment.

1. sorry, but you can buy a really great tv for the same price as these centerpieces and that's far more entertaining.
2. are you going to coat each petal in Diamond Dust? no. okay. i can take it from here.
3. sure you're flowers will be all sexy and stuff, but can they turn me into a vampire?
4. so yeah...i'm not seeing the peachy, creamy, orange without being orangey, reddish taupe, touches of green, and chocolate latte accents. haven't i made myself clear?
5. are there free refills with these containers?

to save serious bucks, i'm going to order my own flowers that can be cut and plunked into some sort of thing and look beautiful. hope she's not mad at this news and doesn't lace my bouquet with anthrax.

A Fun End

2011-07-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

that settles it. i'll definitely have to be buzzed before the wedding and throughout the reception. i never wanted to be the 'drunk bride' and that's not my intention, but if yesterday was any indication of how i'll handle a social function but that is 5x the size and i'm actually hosting....i'll need some help.

oh. outwardly i think i seemed fine at the shower. and in general it was pleasant, but some of the time i was definitely riding the Anxiety Train with a one way ticket to Crazy Sauce. several times the room was spinning & closing in, and it wasn't from the champagne punch. luckily i know now not to freak out too much when i get that sensation because i'm not actually dying or going to do something complete embarrassing. so everyone tells me anyway....

afterward on the car ride home, i felt sad or something. i wanted to cry for who knows why, but i didn't. usually i feel energized from being around people and it was a confusing sensation. i guess it was the tension/adrenaline wearing out.

we unpacked the car that was stuffed with goodies. i took my headphones & computer and laid in bed thinking if i fell asleep, it would be a nap....i slept for 12 hours. and even then, it wasn't enough.

once i woke up and aimlessly wandered around trying to formulate a plan for the day, today was good. i went through all our new things and was able to appreciate it all even more. not only as cool new things but as tokens of love and friendship that i'll remember each time i look at whatever thing it is i'm looking at.

are bridal showers fun? maybe for some people. i just don't always handle things with the fun end of the stick* i guess. i have to constantly keep reminding myself to turn the stick around.

so yeah, i loved and appreciated everyone for coming. but felt overwhelmed and slightly unhinged at the same time. now i have to figure out if champagne or martinis will be the calming beverage of choice on 10/23/2011.

*is this an existing phrase?** what would the fun end of a stick be? if it's the dipping stick for Fun Dip, the sugar end is the fun end.
**am i a total perv for thinking about how this could be misconstrued as something dirty? i couldn't come up with anything.

Girly Product Review: Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel System

2011-07-16T18:20:00.000-05:00

i've never had nice skin. except maybe from ages 0-8. then the imperfections started and eventually was a sufferer of acne and still am today. so now i'm treating my skin for acne AND wrinkles. is this fair?

since my skin and i have never been good friends, i have a habit of being a little mean to it. mostly sleeping in makeup. i cannot STAND leaning over the sink, sluicing water on my face and having the drops of water RUN DOWN THE UNDERSIDE OF MY FOREARMS!!!! i shiver at the thought. so unless i buy some cloth type things or just run some sorta clear, pore cleaning stuff on it with a cotton ball or shower before bed, my face ain't gonna get super clean!

yes, i realize i could probably have nicer skin if i tried just a little harder. but i also do the RIGHT things too! drink water, eat fruits & veggies and wear sunblock though i don't do those things solely for my skin.
water= i'm thirsty
fruits & veggies= taste good
sunblock=prevents painful sunburn (which in the end, is i guess for my skin but that sh*t hurts!)

anyways, lately i've been wondering if i shouldn't be more kind to skin. specifically my face but my shoulders hate me too...thought about some spa type treatments but honestly, i'm embarrassed to go. i dont like being pampered or touched for that matter. a friend recently brought up microdermabrasion, which is one thing i've been considering. i've heard lots of good things about it. and also that it's about $100+ a treatment and you "need" three treatments to get the most out of it.

so being me, i immediately think "well, i bet some product out there works just or nearly as well as this! i'm gonna try it out."

apparently Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel System is the product to know. it's got just under 5 stars and 138 reviews on amazon.com. that's saying something! bought it, tried it only once so far but here's what i've found:

1. it's MUCH easier to put it on before getting into the shower so you can rinse it off in there. it's a little messy
2. the tub of "crystals" smells really good. like apricots. but don't eat it!
3. both the crystals & the "activator" heat up when you put them on. it's weird, lovely and may make you have to pee a little.
4. you need a lot more of the activator than the crystals, so i can see running out of that sooner. i dont think you can buy them separately, which is a bummer. so regulate your activator usage (did i just type that sentence?? we're from the future!).
5. my skin feels nice. smooth, not dry at all, not red...it's good.

can i say it's an awesome product and worth the money? not yet. i will go through the entire kit (about 10-12 applications total?) and see what i think at that point. still $25 and no snobby spa already seems worth it!

invitations (part 1) arrived

2011-07-13T18:32:00.000-05:00

good news: color, finish & paper quality is really good. the exact likeness of the image i sent them. this was my main concern

bad news: they still effed up the borders even after THREE DAYS of back and forth phone calls & emails about it. how dumb are these "designers?" what part about "1/8" white border all the way around" do they not understand? and if they don't get that, then they of course don't understand the idea of centering an image. why have a "bleed" requirement if you're just going to do whatever you want anyway? why provide an online proof service (for a fee) if your proofs don't accurately reflect what you're going to actually print?

am i going to do anything about it? probably not.
does it bother me? you bet.
will it bother other people? probably not. maybe just a handful of the detail oriented folks.

just for some perspective, i continually ask myself: will it ruin the wedding? and in this case, absolutely not.

i could slice of the tiniest of tiny slivers from each one (and we all know i'm just crazy enough to do that) but i can't without messing with the back side. i could complain to the company but it just doesn't seem worth the hassle and i'm pretty sure i can't do much about it since i approved the faulty proofs (not knowing they were faulty).

so they are how they are and i get to move on. i hope i can do that quick since i have to stare at each one as i'm stuffing it in the envelope.

let's hope parts 2 & 3 are at least centered on the piece of paper.

Ehn!

2011-07-09T21:18:00.000-05:00

finally got my ring back from 'fat camp.' it's a much better fit but now i worry it's a little TOO small. but it's summer and hot out, so i'm sure it's fine (please?)

i assigned my mom "altar decorations." they were just stressing me out. apparently arranging or planning floral things (including looking, shopping and picking stuff out) is both difficult and uninteresting to me.

here's my To-do list for the next 2 days.

Print envelopes (finished)
balloon experimentation
photo shoot location decided
Call post office (1-800-275-8777) Tracking # 0192***************
Contact Asrai/Elizabeth again
Report photo shoot location & set up a date (July 27. July 28. July 24. August 7. August 21)
Hear from fabuluster?
Hear from Honest? (ask about dessert table display rentals)
Hear from Groovy Baker?
Hear from Chicago Diner
Find paper for liners
Music list made for shower

just notice how much i'm waiting to 'hear back' from somebody. in general, i feel cool with this but lately i'm not. it's like i'm SOO close to checking these things off my lists but i just....can't....ehn!.....seem to do.....it. eeehn!
and through no fault of my own. relying on others has always been somewhat of a challenge for me. but sometimes you gotta.

Phase 3 Rules & Tips

2011-07-02T12:33:00.000-05:00

-0.6lbs

this is pretty amazing. i had tacos (very minimal shell), soy gluten and guacamole for dinner. miracle noodles (1/2 bag) plus regular food at lunch.

anyways, i'm already dreaming about my first day back on a regular amount of calories. there are so many different takes on this part, it's a little overwhelming. i liked this list of stuff best; it seemed the most clear & realistic. probably because it was from a "real" person like me!

you can view her website here it's actually a lot better than mine (not saying a lot! but it's very informational).

but here's all the info i'll be using for Phase 3, thankyouverymuch.

When you start the 3 week maintenance/stabilization process, *definitely* increase your calories up to 1500. Don't try to continue the 500 calorie diet after the hCG is out of your system, because you will become weak and tired, and go into 'shutdown' mode where it doesn't burn calories, DON'T DO THIS! Your weight will stabilize. This is your body settling into the new process.

***NO STARCH OR SUGAR*** Read labels. Use healthy fats and dairy products to up your calorie intake if necessary. Drink enough water.

1200 and under if you want to continue to loose
1250-1500 calories to maintain for women. 1800 calories for men.

A New Me recommends the following caloric break out for maintenance:

40% carbohydrates (from fruits and vegetables)

Women/Men = 480 calories or less, if you want to keep loosing
Women = 600 calories or less, if you want to maintain
Men = 720 calories or less, if you want to maintain

30% lean proteins

Women/Men = 360 calories or less, if you want to keep loosing
Women = 450 calories or less, if you want to maintain
Men = 540 calories or less, if you want to maintain

30% healthy fats

Women/Men = 360 calories or less, if you want to keep loosing
Women = 450 calories or less, if you want to maintain
Men = 540 calories or less, if you want to maintain

Be sure to read food labels, check to see if sugars or preservatives are added into a product before you buy it. Nearly every product in a can or box contains sugar in one of its many names. The first five ingredients listed on an item is the majority of the product, so be sure that sugar is not in the top five. Important: if on a label you cannot pronounce, or know EXACTLY what the ingredient is, DO NOT EAT IT!

Avoiding starch means avoid cornstarch, white flour, wheat flour, any flour, pasta, any bread or bread product, bagels, hamburger and hotdog buns, crackers, tortillas, oatmeal, rice, polenta, peas, corn, pita bread, pretzels, corn chips, potato chips, yams, potatoes, pancakes, muffins, nearly all root vegetables, any breading on fish, chicken, or other protein., grains, acorn squash, butternut squash, cereals, granola, cereal bars, popcorn, biscuits, corn bread, taco shells, croutons, rice cakes, Cream of Wheat, and corn meal.

Most restaurants and fast food places add sugar to nearly every product, so be wary of eating out all the time. Other meats to watch out for include processed deli meats, bacon, ham, sausage, and hotdogs.

Do not eat processed cheese it contains unnecessary sugars and starches. Try not to eat processedanything for that matter.

HCG PHASE 3 FOOD AND PORTION LIST

Eat Low Sugar Fruit (up to 3 servings daily):

The fruits lowest in sugars contain some of the highest in nutritional value.
Fruits included are:

All berries, grapefruit, apples, oranges, apricots, plums, peaches, pears, guava, cherries, papaya

Fat (up to 2 servings daily):

1 cup of dairy (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese)
2oz. cheese
½ avocado
½ cups of nuts

Proteins (up to 4 servings daily):

4-6oz. Chicken, fish (all), turkey, eggs, tofu, tempe, Hemp Hearts, lean red meat

Vegetables (up to 4 servings daily):

1-2 cups per serving
The main veggies to be AVOIDED when reducing carbohydrates are the starchier vegetables:

Beets, green beans, peas, carrots, corn, parsnips, potatoes (in all forms), Winter Squashes (particularly acorn and butternut)

HCG PHASE 3 MEAL PLAN

Breakfast:

Tea or coffee in any quantity
Half & Half (no creamer or low fat milk)
Stevia or Whey Low (if you need a sweetener)
1 serving of a protein
1 serving of fruit

Mid morning snack:

1 serving of a fat

Lunch:

1 serving of protein
1-2 serving(s) of a vegetable

Afternoon snack:

1 serving of a fruit

Dinner:

1 serving of protein
1-2 serving(s) of vegetable
If you are hungry after dinner:
1-2 egg whites or ½ serving of fruit

Lifestyle techniques

Avoid distractions while eating.
Keep healthy foods visible
Follow eating schedule
Pause during meals
Do not clean your plate
Shop for groceries on a full stomach
Engage in physical activity
Keep a food diary
Examine eating patterns
Plan daily meals in advance
Keep dangerous foods out of sight
Weigh daily
Maximize Awareness of habits
Track evolution through graph
Walk after night time meal

Nutrition Techniques

Eat between 1200 to 1500 calories per day
Be aware of the calorie values of food
Know the different food groups
Consume a balanced diet
Increase complex carbohydrate and calcium dosage
Reduce fats

Each gram of fat contains around 9 calories.

Make low calorie food appetizing
Choose fresh foods that require short preparations instead of those which are overdone.
Drink 2-3 liters of water per day

High fiber intake during Maintenance:

Fiber is not broken down by digestion like other foods and it basically keeps its structure during its transit through the digestive system. Fiber absorbs water during the digestive process. This moisture helps move waste through the bowels. It means that when we chew and swallow some food, both the chewing and the saliva begin to break the food down into smaller nutrients. Fiber content during maintenance period comes from vegetables and fruits.

Awesome Accomplishment!!!

Lance and Gigi Richmond

310-792-2345

UPDATE 4/30/2011: It seems the food list is still unclear to some of you so I have cut and paste the food list from the first post I made about Phase 3.

FRUIT & VEGETABLE LIST:

FRUITS

• Rhubarb

• Strawberries

• Cranberries

• Raspberries

• Blackberries

• Blueberries

• Grapefruit

• Melons

• Apricots

• Plums

• Peaches

• Pears

• Guava

• Cherries

• Apples

• Papaya

VEGETABLES

• Sprouts (bean, alfalfa, etc.)

• Greens – lettuces, spinach, chard, etc.

• Hearty Greens - collards, mustard greens, kale, etc.

• Radicchio and endive count as greens

• Herbs - parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.

• Bok Choy

• Celery

• Radishes

• Sea Vegetables (Nori, etc)

• Cabbage (or sauerkraut)

• Mushrooms

• Jicama

• Avocado

• Cucumbers (or pickles without added sugars)

• Asparagus

• Green Beans and Wax Beans

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Peppers

◦ Green Bell Peppers

◦ Red Bell Peppers

◦ Jalapeno Peppers

• Summer Squash (including Zuchinni)

• Scallions or green onions

• Bamboo Shoots

• Leeks

• Brussels Sprouts

• Snow Peas (pods)

• Tomatoes

• Eggplant

• Artichoke Hearts

• Fennel

• Onions

• Okra

• Spaghetti Squash

• Celery Root (Celeriac)

• Carrots

• Turnip (see Carb Counts of Root Vegetables)

• Water Chestnuts

• Pumpkin

The main veggies to be avoided when reducing carbohydrates are the starchier vegetables:

• Beets

• Beans (all of them, except for green beans)

• Carrots on some diets, but they aren't as high as others in this group

• Corn

• Parsnips

• Peas

• Plantains

• Potatoes in all forms

• Winter Squashes (particularly acorn and butternut)

as for Phase 4....Jody's got some advice from some professional:

"Have you ever been in an abusive relationship? Did you go back to that relationship? If you did, was that a good choice?" He went on, "It's the same thing with food, you can never go back to eating and drinking as you did before you started this diet. Eating and drinking like that is bad for you and is what got you into trouble in the first place." He continued, "That is why we are called 'A New Me' because you have to think that way, that you are a new person with a changed lifestyle, forever. You have to think different now because you ARE different. If your objective is to go back to the way you were when before you came to us then don't even bother with the diet. It will be a waste of time and money for you."

This is what he recommends for phase 4 aka the rest of your life: 5 days a week, follow the phase 3 protocol; 1 day of the week eat whatever you want; the day after you eat whatever you want, do an apple day. That's it!

and they're off!

2011-07-01T17:58:00.000-05:00

just submitted the invitation files to printrunner.com

this was a HUGE step for me, i don't know why. i'm freaking out a little bit...again, i don't know why.

biggest concern? yucky colors. how do i KNOW that the colors will be printed how wanted? or at least CLOSE to what i wanted....

(seam) STRESS

2011-06-29T09:10:00.000-05:00

my dress could be about 4 sizes too large and i won't know until September.

i've called the manufacturer to see if they've starting building it yet, i technically find out TODAY if they can change the size or not. but, i was told it's not likely as i ordered it a month ago and it's probably in production by now. drat!

i thought seamstresses were magical and could do all sorts of awesome stuff to dresses to make them feel like a second skin! apparently not. if i can 'pinch an inch' on either side of the dress (for a total of 2 inches) alterations will be challenging, possibly change the look of the dress & be a pretty penny. double drat!

do i need a Plan C? do i seriously need to consider the possibility that come September, i'll need to be dress hunting for something off the rack? for a grand total of THREE dresses?? this is crazy talk and it makes my head swirl a little....okay, putting these thoughts away and locking them up for a while.

two steps forward and one step....

2011-06-23T18:25:00.000-05:00

so dying the cardstock with tea wasn't a COMPLETE waste of time and resources...but it certainly didn't work out how i expected...
1. since i had nowhere to dry out the paper, i had to stack them with paper towel in between each one. paper towel sorta sucked up all the color (especially the paint i tried to apply). it's there...but not how i had hoped.
2. the cardstock is too stiff for what i was planning on using it for (which is a surprise! not a big one though. no miracles here). but this problem was DEFINITELY something i could have worked out before staining all the paper and opening up all the packages! whoops.

but i think i can repurpose some of it! it's still very damp but it could be good as tags for stuff once it's dry. plus i used up several bags of tea that were old and really not my favorite flavor.

now that it doesn't have to be flat...i guess i can hang a bunch of it on the sweater rack... it's only 100 soggy pieces of paper!

yeah i'm crazy. jealous?

2011-06-22T15:27:00.000-05:00

i'm dying many pieces of cardstock with some kind of hibiscus tea or berry tea. then i'm painting them with light washes of watercolor. why couldn't i just BUY parchment looking cardstock you ask?

long answer: because the two stores i went to didn't have the right colors of paper i was looking for. the last one came close but it was ridiculously priced and not that great.

short answer: because i'm a little crazy.

shorter answer: summer break!

cake sampling!

2011-06-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

wow. a STARK difference between vegan cake tasting at Molly's cupcakes & the Chicago Diner.

Molly's: nothing prepared. only ONE vanilla cupcake available to taste because it was the only one left over. icing looked melted and sorry. limited decoration options. 2 filling choices.

Diner: 3 different cake samples. 5 filling choices. 2 icing choices. unlimited decoration options. 4 tart choices. 1 cookie option. now double that times 2 and you have our sampling! granted, it was $25 but we definitely had leftovers. plus attentive service for an HOUR.

needless to say, we made our decision pretty quick!

dream perspectives

2011-06-15T21:25:00.000-05:00

my first wedding nightmare/dream had what you might expect a wedding nightmare to have in it:

a missing, untailored wedding dress
not enough time to set up
wrong furniture/table setting
suddenly remembering things that you need to get done/have but it's too late
wondering "what was i thinking" when all the stuff is together and looks horrible
a crazy coordinator who can't understand what you're saying
an upset groom who storms off to find orange lip balm....
....and mom's cat that needs it's own limo....?

okay, so not totally what you might expect in a wedding dream! major banana sandwiches but it was extremely stressful sleeping through that. then nick told me about HIS nightmare and it was actually something scary like how he had no limbs and something was attacking him. put things into dreamland perspective for me.

"at least you have arms and legs and something isn't pecking your eyeballs out while you're laying in a puddle of molten lava" (my words, not his dream!)

bridal beauty rant & tips

2011-06-13T17:18:00.000-05:00

so i went from not wanting my hair done professionally, just makeup to wanting hair AND makeup to not wanting either hair or makeup done professionally. here's why

sonia roselli was recommended to me by my stylist. i have no doubt that this company is very good at what they do. reviews are excellent, their portfolio is beautiful, they have it all. let's run down the price list, shall we?

Sonia Roselli

Bride: $395 -Lashes included

Attendants: $125- Lashes included

*First Trial: $95 (60-90 minutes)

Additional Makeup Trials: $125

*with booking the day of the trial.

Okay. that's the OWNER doing it. let's go down a bit on the ladder....

Associate Artists Level I

Bride: $225 Lashes included

Attendants: $85 - $10- $20 per person for lashes

Junior Attendants (13- 15): $45

Flower Girls (under 12): Complimentary

*First Trial: $65 (60-90 minutes)

Additional Makeup Trials: $95

*with booking the day of the trial.

Associate Artists Level II

Bride: $175- Lashes included

Attendants: $75- $10- $20 per person for lashes

Junior Attendants (13- 15): $45

Flower Girls (under 12): Complimentary

*First Trial: $65 (60-90 minutes)

Additional Makeup Trials: $95

*with booking the day of the trial.

Level I's have 7+ years of experience. Level II's have less. BUT THAT'S JUST THE MAKEUP!

Hair Stylists

Bride: $225

Attendants: $85

Flower Girls (under 12): $45

*First Trial: $65 (60-90 minutes)

Additional Hair Styles: $95

*with booking the day of the trial.

So say i was to have a Level 1 do my makeup with a trial. that's $290.

Then I want my hair down, with a trial of course. that's also $290.

NEARLY $600 for hair and makeup?? PLUS TIP?!?!?

okay. so obviously Sonia Roselli is out. So i check out another place recommended to me, Asha. a chain salon/spa that also has great reviews. they dont' go on location and they also don't boast airbrush (though they do it) or experience in the tv/commerical/photography industry. but whatever.

Bride trial hair $105

Wedding day hair for bride:$105

Bridesmaid hair: $85

Makeup trial bride: $60

Wedding day makeup bride: $60

Makeup bridesmaid: $50

okay. so $330 plus tip PLUS i want to pay for my bridesmaids...much better but still completely CRAA-ZY.

So i did some searching in the burbs because if they can't go on location, it might be easier to do it that way.

Rockstar Salon sounded good. Prices pretty much the same as Asha, but without any samples online, how can i know i won't look like plastic-shiny hair bridal barbie? (these photos are NOT from Rockstar Salon...but what if they were?!?)

not sure if those pictures make me want to gag or laugh....mostly at the thought of that look being on ME. if those brides/models felt lovely, so be it.

so now i'm on the prowl for makeup tips, tricks and ideas. i've gotten a lot of info so far and for whatever reason sort of got addicted to beauty videos this year.

i can deal with hair. i've got the basic concept down (though it probably won't be what i REALLY wanted, but i'll survive!), i just want to tweak it some. plenty of practice time.

today i went to Ulta to find some products that seem to be must haves for bridal makeup (smashbox photo finish foundation primer and lid primer for starters). i bought the kit=$50. and i get makeup to keep and use (unlike having it done professionally)! and if i don't like it, i can return it without any hassle. which i might do because apparently Monistat Anti-chafing Powder Gel is $6.99 at walgreens and works exactly the same. so as soon as i have some other items to buy besides Monistat, i will get me some.

i really have a problem buying items like that when it's the ONLY thing i'm buying. like i made a special stop just for that one embarrassing item, it simply couldn't wait....cause it couldn't. well, this can wait!

here's another kicker: Ulta will do your makeup FREE if you simply buy 3 items. any 3 items...so like lip gloss, face soap & eye liner=$20? free makeup. so if all else fails, i can go there on sunday morning.

do your research and if you can help it, don't settle for "bridal beauty" prices.

another "vendor"

2011-06-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago (actually in Skokie).

i've had the "ethical culture" in my list of wedding ideas for years. nick and i aren't religious at all, but personally i wanted something a little more special than a county official and someone a little more experienced that an friend who got ordained for $14.99. (check out Dudeism. it's awesome and was my second choice for the ceremony!)

so now we have JoAnn H. she is a mother of 3 (mostly grown children) and has been married for 43 years! she is not only an ethical humanist leader and certified officiant, but she is also a psychologist. i felt pretty comfortable with her and confident that she can get us through this kinda nerve wracking part of the day.

the society itself creates a sense of community and good will without bringing in the dogmatic bs. it's pretty refreshing and a great way to get involved in your community if you're looking for that. there are 'meetings' instead of mass where they bring in guest speakers that talk about a variety of things such as educational policy to philosophical issues like accepting your own mortality. they also have "sunday school." i'd like to see one of those classes to compare them to your typical sunday school!

in any case, the ceremony we are creating is going to meaningful yet brief and hopefully involve several people.

cute blue & purple shoes

2011-06-12T09:12:00.001-05:00

i wanted to wear purple shoes...but i had a hard time finding those that didn't have a heel that was 4" high. here's some fun blue & purple shoes (2 of which i am keeping. guess which ones. anna, you can't guess!) also, i apologize for the crazy image format and incomplete captions. blogger still has some stuff to work out....

Poetic License "Apple Pie"

Ed Hardy "Haute"

Trotters "fiona"

rsvp

Guess "tutu"

Helle Comfort "limbi"

Marc Jacobs on Zappos

Vivian Westwood "melissa dragon lady IV"

of course an Evite would be easier

2011-06-06T11:18:00.001-05:00

let's see:

designing image for invitations: 4hrs
determining just the right wording: 2hrs
formatting the invite itself in AI: 2hrs?
designing & formatting the RSVP's: 2hrs
drawing & formatting the map & info insert: 4hrs

so more or less 14 hours. still not done though.
still need programs & thank yous
oh and i just updated the wedsite to be less whatever it was (blue) and more warm and autumny. there is a sneak peek of the invites on there too. but just a peek!

then i have to upload each file to www.printrunner.com & order everything. i'm going to finish it all and then sit with it for another week or two just to make sure i like it as much after getting some distance from it.

in general, it's been fun & satisfying....Illustrator is really weird to adjust to if you're used to Photoshop, most of the time was spent simply figuring out what it could do and how.

it wouldn't be as beautiful as letterpress stationary but i will be saving us about $1800 by doing it myself and with printrunner!

Groomal Clothes

2011-06-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

nick bought a suit. like the jacket and pants match. i think he looks dashing in it! now he tells me that he'd like to wear something "purple." well, had i known he felt strongly about purple...or any color....beforehand, i would have incorporated it elsewhere. i hate to be nitpicky about colors because lots of colors go together in my book, but the wrong purple WILL clash with the rest of the colors i'm going with.

anyways, shopping for suits is, in nick's words, like shopping for white paper. who can really tell the difference? especially between comparable brands...and not even that.

nordstroms tried to sell him a $2000 hugo boss suit. it was very good looking, but looked & felt about the same as any others that were SIGNIFICANTLY less. like $1500+ less! nick said that the hugo boss one was really only about $50 more nice in fit and feel than the other ones we looked at.

men totally have the clothing industry on their side though. when nick was measured, his suit size was consistent. except suits from zara. zara is like where the guidos go when they want a bit more class than h&m can offer. though zara stores would like you to think they are more edgy and international than the guido look. their suit sizes were in metric units (and either felt like trash bags or office carpeting). so we figured that out, but never quite figured out why all the arms, regardless of size, were made for Grover's arms.

Grover lugging around all his Zara suits with his spaghetti arms

more vendors

2011-06-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

Michael Roberts Photography: this guy owns Prairie Production. His stuff is fantastic and we'd be silly not to go with him as he's got to know just about every good shot, light and angle in his own building. (forgive his slow website).

Asrai Garden: Oddly (or not) I sorta know the owner from my flower wholesale days. i was always a bit jealous of her artsy personality and her plentiful and gorgeous tattoos. She was always friendly but professional. She picked the some of the best flowers. Plus nick's co-worker's wife worked at her shop, so that's another obscure connection. The store is so beautiful. It sorta had me sold immediately. If she can do THAT, she can easily make flowers look amazing.

Not my flower ideas, but some from the website i think are very pretty.

invitation extravaganza

2011-05-31T14:00:00.001-05:00

i've been looking forward to designing my own wedding invites for a LONG time. there are SOOO many clever people out there. i hate them! (not really...they're awesome). look at these...

tried so hard to come up with a design where the
rsvp postcard tears off the invite itself.
and here we have it.

planning on having a fun map
in ours, too

i'm a sucker for drawings that have cute little dwellings in special little places...

i LOVE these. the artist asks for the couple's story and creates these magical invite sets for them. Google "Rifle Designs"

the family is on the ceremony program fans. the FAMILY is on the FANS!

invitation report cards!

(all these and more can be seen in greater detail at www.oncewed.com)

2nd Dress

2011-05-26T20:03:00.000-05:00

Just bought another wedding dress today. soon my closet will look like this:

this new one cannot be rushed and i won't get it until september. risky!

the tailor i went to said she is confident she could fix the first dress but it would be challenging and pricey. she also said that another style might also be more flattering. she said it in a nice way and i appreciated her honesty.

so i ordered the 2nd dress which was actually the 1st dress i loved anyway. i hope it wins.

Dress Dream

2011-05-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

oh no!

i dreamt i took my dress to the tailors and she was very nice but i could tell that she wasn't going to be able to give me exactly what i wanted because it was complicated. in the dream, i still liked my dress & was comfortable in it, but it didn't look good with any head piece. i found myself thinking about the OTHER dress i nearly bought and how it had several things about it that i love that this new dress didn't have (i'd go into detail, but i'm pretty sure nick will at least skim this).

well, i woke up thinking maybe i SHOULD get that other dress?? i don't know!! neither dress is refundable. i wouldn't be able to receive the new dress for another month at least. the OTHER dress is a little more plain and streamline but still beautiful. plus, that means i could have more elaborate stuff going on in the head piece (not going to say 'veil' yet because i simply don't know!).
then would my bride's maid's dress still look nice with mine?? i think so...

can of worms exploding in my face!

Non-veil

2011-05-22T22:04:00.001-05:00

mom is really pushing for the simply, classic veil. i think it's pretty but i just don't think it's enough. i like asymmetry and head pieces in general. trying to incorporate everything is also not a good idea either. i'm a little stuck.

here's a really vague tutorial for a head piece/fascinator thing. this is not for someone who is afraid of making a mistake or is not good at improvising crafty things. this is quite possibly the worst step by step ever.
preeetty sure i'm not going to be wearing this one even though i think it's nice. plus i wouldn't call it finished either. it's missing something and is possibly too 'solid.'

you need:
organza (nylon is fine. shiny is not. matte finish is prettiest)
hair comb or clip
other netting of your choosing (i used english netting)
thread/needle
patience & a sense of humor

1. cut about 1/2 yard of organza. don't worry about edges. if you do it right, none will show at the end. take the middle of that 1/2 yard and pull it up through your thumb and forefinger. This will be the center of the pouf.

2. Then you sorta just keep pulling layers up around the center, holding all the layers tightly. Arrange and play around until you get what you like. Don't let any edges get pulled out from beneath your hand. Make it bigger than you think you want because it will shrink when you sew it later.

3. When you get it arranged how you like it, carefully rubber band the base that you are holding together. You can also do a lot of arranging at this stage too.

4. With the rubber band still securing the layers together, take a thread and needle and, while staying ON TOP of the rubber band, just stitch it through. Make sure the center layer gets tacked down. I went around the rubber band at least once, looping the thread and making sure i couldn't pull out any of the pouf. Take off the rubber band and cut the excess fabric off.

5. Okay. so you see that i have some netting under that pouf up there. that's called "English netting." it has the widest holes. there's "French netting and Russian" too and that is slightly smaller. This part is hard, hence....no pictures! I just cut a 12" piece off my netting, tied it so the knot was in the center and just started sewing it on to the back of the pouf. pinching and pulling so it gathered right and i couldn't see the raw edge, just the pretty finished ones. You can sew it on to an alligator clip or a small hair comb (i find this more secure).

Here's Nick modeling it for you. I think it looks better on him.

the dress

2011-05-18T18:52:00.000-05:00

the dress arrived! like literally arrived, carried to my doorstep by the UPS guy. it was in a MUCH smaller bag then i had imagined, too.

i can't say much about it because nick doesn't want to see it until the wedding day (how cute is that?)

i will say that i really like it. it looks mostly how i imagined. there are a few disappointments but i think a good tailor can solve most of those...plus there is the small problem of me being unable to tell if it looks cheap* or not. i seriously cant tell after all the dresses i looked at and even tried on. okay, so i never tried on a 10,000 dollar dress to tell the difference, but usually i'm able to tell if clothes look cheap or not. (but that doesn't always stop me from wearing them).

so i guess shoes are next before alterations. working on a "veil." if i get it right one day, a tutorial will be in order. but i might give up and just buy something....THOSE i can tell if they look cheap or handmade.

*something that looks cheap doesn't always have to BE cheap in price. and something that's cheap in price doesn't always have to look cheap.

New Blog

2011-05-14T16:48:00.000-05:00

i've started a new blog about my first 'gimmick' diet. i know there's tons of them out there already...but not a veggie version of this one...it's more for me to manage this process, but maybe (if i get through it) it might help someone else one day.
http://vness-meltaway.blogspot.com/

Vendor Shout Out

2011-05-14T08:57:00.000-05:00

The caterer is locked in. After a few weeks of deliberation we decided to go with Honest Foods. So far they have been professional, organized and willing to please. They had a lot of food mistakes, but seem more than capable of adjusting. We sign the contract next week.

The DJ is booked. Toast & Jam seem like a great choice for us. Their website is adorable and Nick likes female DJs in general. DJ Rachel seems fun, put together & experienced in non-hokey-pokey weddings.

My dress should be here by next week. It's coming a long way...let's just say that the engrish emails I've received from them so far are endearing. Not sure what to expect but if it looks like the pictures, I'll be excited to wear it!

Next: Getting my maid of honor in a dress that we both like; Flowers/Decor; Dessert/Pastries; Hair

The Past 6 Days: Crazy Condensed

2011-05-10T20:07:00.004-05:00

6 days ago: Hectic day at work. Stayed there until 5:30. Found out at that time that I was expected for an unplanned dinner with my future in-laws. Whaaat? I'm leaving for FL in 2 days. Got nothing accomplished for this. Had to sit through a few uncomfortable, complainy hours and felt like a big disappointment.

5 days ago: Another hectic day at work. Prepping for sub is pointless as they do not follow instructions anyway. shopping. beauty treatments. laundry. packing. wrapping gifts. sleep at 1am.

4 days ago: Off to FL with mom. Smooth flight, early arrival. Great weather. Stroll on the beach. Decadent and fried dinner. Delicious! Hanging out with the family.

3 days ago: God-daughter's first communion. The first time I was in church since 2004 for the same god daughter's christening. Mass is weird. Chanting as a group is scary. I don't care about what the priest says. Why do people go to church? There's too much talking and not enough time to contemplate spirituality. The children were adorable though. Peyton was so excited. Lunch. Rocket launch! Swim in the beach. Submarine embarks below the water about 1/4 mile away from the beach. Disney's biggest, newest cruise ship "Dream" also embarks, also 1/4 mile away from us, while playing "When You Wish Upon a Star." Pizza pig out for dinner. Wipeout reruns & laughs.

2 days ago: Last morning there. Mom wakes up early and gets ready for a final walk on the beach. Then she lays back down and says "I have a pain." Well, this pain progressed into an emergency room visit. Crying, vomiting, fear. Kidney stone! Happy Mother's Day! Poor lady. Pain injections made her violently ill and her feel much worse than necessary. She couldn't even pick up her head. Nearly admitted into the hospital. Flying home completely out of the question. Meanwhile, while mom is puking...i'm changing flights ($300 service fee waived because the guy was awesome), writing lesson plans for the substitute...which wouldn't be followed anyway. Calling in to work. Updating my dad every hour. 7 hours later, we are at cousin's house. Making mom eat and drink. Basically telling her what to do like a child. It was weird but she was totally incapable of making any decisions. Extra time to hang with cousins & family was nice.

1 day ago: Calming down mom about how she'll be fine on the plane. No pain, appetite gone but eating & drinking more. While packing, discovered we left our jackets in the hotel room closet. On the phone with the hotel...took longer than you'd think. i hate automated answering services! Jackets are recovered. My house keys are missing from the pockets. Off to the airport. Seats need to be modified and there is a huge line with many other people with flying problems. We get seated by a kicking screaming baby. Blood curdling, horrific screaming for 2 hours straight. it was quite possibly the worst flight i ever was on. so much for the upgrade and mom being comfortable on the way home.

Today: Back to work. Room is unlocked with students inside of it waiting for me?! No signs of lesson plans being executed at all. Attendance had MANY mistakes....really the only major duty a sub has. Graffitti on MY desk?? Desks carved up. Art projects from other classes on the tables?? "Bitch ass hoe" scribbled on various surfaces?? Chairs & tables completely scrambled?? what the eff did this substitute do? was there even an adult in the room at all? Took all day to get things back together. Late day. Grocery shopping (where a screaming child was behind me, again, while in the check out line. a perfect advertisement for birth control). Eat...home.

another favor please

2011-04-27T08:18:00.005-05:00

"as if you're not over extended enough with everything, i was wondering how all of my decorations for our concert were coming along. i'm getting nervous even though you're doing all of the work for me and i've provided you with no supplies or money for supplies. that's okay though, i know you can come up with something; you're amazing! i realize that you are very busy with your own work, students and life in general, but i'm sure you feel just as much dedication and immediacy toward this concert as i do, right? it should be your main priority and all else can be put on hold i'm sure.

you know the basic idea right? we are to transform the stage into the matrix movie. complete with suspended performers, heavy artillery (decorative only of course. but highly realistic!), moving projections of the 'matrix' on all walls, 10 foot bending spoons and of course, life like models of the chairs they sat in to get hooked up into the matrix. all our performers will be in these chairs while they are not actually singing and/or acting. the chairs should be hooked up to other equipment in order to project images of what is actually going on inside of their brains during the show.

i dont think this is that difficult to do on a zero $ budget, is it? and you can have it done in a month?

please let me know how things are going and if there's anything i can do to help. i'm losing sleep over all the work you have yet to do.

Thanks,

-mrs. teacher at my school"

i guess to the dress

2011-04-25T15:21:00.006-05:00

so, i bought a dress. online. *gulp*

there are so many beautiful dresses online and so many ugly ones at the store! not to mention the MUCH lower costs for the knock off labels. and i simply could not manage another appointment at a bridal shop where i'm expected to cry and jump for joy when i find some miracle dress that has been in my dreams since i was 8 years old or something. i knew that wasn't going to happen.

i got measured a few weeks ago. that was depressing, but helpful. i tried on some in different styles & labels. so i sorta knew what i was doing.

i'd post it here but nick doesn't want to see it! not even if i'm not wearing it! not sure if i can manage keeping that under wraps. so for now, i'll let you think that the hello kitty dress here is what i'll be wearing. ;-)

then i ran across this article today about women's sizes and how frickin ridiculous they are. so, this new machine is BRILLIANT.

warning: girlie product review

2011-04-23T10:44:00.005-05:00

NARS Multiple

I have another NARS product and despite the disarming name, these products do pretty much what they say they do. Kinda rare in makeup world.

The particular line i know is the "orgasm" line. again, typically a name that would divert my purchase elsewhere, but the recommendations were too good to pass up. you can get it at Sephora or anywhere online.

the "multiple" product is not cheap but there's a decent amount in there and i think it will last several months, making the $40 price tag okay. Another reason why the price is alright is basically it's 3 things: blush, eye shadow & of course, lipstick. it comes in many colors though I only had 2 to choose from and was concerned the one i picked was too bronzey. turns out to be great! buy the color you think would look good on your lips and you'll be fine.

it's got a illuminator type quality to it so your skin looks a little more bright. and if you're using it will a liquid foundation (which if you're not, you really should), you can toss aside the powder blush for a more natural, fresh look. perfect for summer! all you need is a bit of mascara and/or liner and you're done!

we all eat

2011-04-15T17:36:00.004-05:00

who knew that caterers did pretty much everything. they don't just cook the food and set it out for us to decimate. they pretty much run the entire show.

and they're like my employees. i don't ask them to do stuff, i tell them. it's weird. i mean, i tell kids what to do all the time and that's not a problem for me. telling adults what to do is sorta new territory.

picking a perspective menu was a bit on the challenging side.

TIP: if you are picking it out together with someone in front of a third party (caterer/coordinator), make sure you have actually sat down together and talked about what it is you both agree on having PRIOR to meeting with said third party! this will prevent surprises and maybe even embarrassments.

the moment nick said "i don't think we need the pasta" i just about died. NO NOODLES?! i totally realize that all vegans are completely sick of the "custom" wedding dinner provided for them : overcooked penne noodles with jarred Paul Newman's spaghetti sauce blooped over it all. maybe that that thought is what made him say that and the pasta to begin with.

First up: Honest Foods

I give them a high B. There were too many adjustments and notes after the tasting to give them to warrant an A. Still, they are very professional and capable of coordinating & feeding a terrific event. We would be fine going with them.

Next up: Artfully Delicious

This place is owned and run by vegans. I doubted they did big events, but they do! I doubted they rented anything for us, but they do! (Except tables & chairs.) I doubted they'd hire staff and bartenders, but they do!

Still, I don't think they are a one stop shop like Honest and many others are. Not sure who is coordinating the wedding if we go with them. I'm setting up a consult and tasting soon so we can get some of these questions answered and hopefully get surprised at what other services they offer!

12 Ways...

2011-04-10T09:37:00.006-05:00

...to not feel like an idiot while trying on wedding dresses.

1. Wear your favorite underwear. Even if it's not 'nude' in color. Everyone will see it and you'll regret anything less than your best.

2. Don't wear socks

3. Slip on shoes & loose fitting clothes will help you easily get in and out of the dressing room.

4. Put on more makeup than normal. The lights in the stores are horrible and extremely unflattering. Way to make us feel good about ourselves!

5. Do not tell your sales assistant what your REAL price range is unless you want awkward silence and near avoidance to follow. This is mostly if you just want to try stuff on. If you know you need to buy something, I guess you have to be honest. If they treat you differently because of your budget, go elsewhere.

6. Try on even the ugly ones. You never know and it'll make for a good laugh. (There are SO many ugly ones, there's not much else to try on anyway)

7. Take clandestine photos in the dressing room. It's not allowed but whatever. Just wait for your sales person to leave you alone. Also, do not expect to look good in these pictures.

8. Don't expect to buy anything. I was lucky enough that my sales person was not pushy. Not very knowledgeable, but mellow. Even so, I felt like I HAD to make a decision right then and there. You do NOT.

9. Do not mention 'buying it online' while in the store. Laser beams shoot out of the sales associates eyeballs.

10. Don't expect to fall in love with one dress and cry when you wear it and have the whole store tear up with joy for you. It's unrealistic and perpetuates the overall feelings of inadequacy when you can't find "the ONE."

11. Do not bring many people with you for their opinions. You probably don't want/need those opinions anyway. They can't tell how it feels to be in a dress that weighs 45 pounds or how uncomfortable you feel wearing next to nothing on your top half. Plus, they will live vicariously through you and how they want their wedding dress to be anyway. Bring no more than 2 loved ones who can understand your style a little. Going alone is even better!

12. Hand sanitize, shower...disinfect! Those sample dresses are filthy, ratty and gross

Have fun, princess!

The Date

2011-04-09T18:01:00.002-05:00

10.23.2011

Not so creative

2011-04-07T08:15:00.003-05:00

after a few years of reading several DIY wedding blogs and being inspired by all the creative people out there...i find myself confused about WHAT i'm supposed to DIY. and when and how? my main goal is to have fun but the logistics and etiquette of the wedding industry are confusing. i'm not sure how we fit in yet or how much we want to.

i totally get that the more we do ourselves, the more special it will be for us and everyone else. it might not even be a money saver in the end, that's okay. it ranges from the bigger stuff like WHO will marry us all the way to the trivial like should i find/make the table linens? how do i get all the centerpieces/decor (including some fresh flowers that can't be dead!) to the place and set them up on the wedding day? should i just leave that up to the professionals?

a cookie cutter wedding seems wrong for nick and me. And yet, for whatever reason, there is some part of tradition that is still important to me.

The Making of the Day

2011-03-30T18:24:00.006-05:00

No doubt this will be the first entry of many about my experience making a wedding. Overdone? Maybe. But there are so many boring wedding blogs, what's one more?

So. After a 13 year incubation period Nick asked me to marry him on March 20, 2011. It's only now that I realize the significance of that date to Nick, and it's only now that I feel that it's real!

It became real when I told my parents. It became "realer" when I made appointments to venues. It's "really realer" now that I think I've found a place to have it and it's available for when we want it. Still in the early stages so I'll keep it to myself in case it's a false alarm. ;-)

I decided to use my parents' money gift toward the wedding knowing full well what that obligates us to. But, as I'm their only I want to throw a wedding they can be proud of and that their friends and family will say "I had a wonderful time and it was genuine & sincere." And if they want to help, I want to let them.

Priorities?

Moderately different venue (already ruffling feathers).

Abundant food that anyone can enjoy

Amazing photos

Creating a "flow" to the party so it is seamless to the naked eye.

Making fun invites (either real, virtual or both!)

Unexpected:

How calm and happy I am about it all (it really seems easy when you have whatever attitude i have right now).

Out of town/country guests?

Ordering meat

How tremendously excited everyone is for us! I think some people are MORE excited than I am. (That's saying a lot!)

I've also been practicing making websites. I've started a "Nick & Vanessa" site. It's nearly empty and totally under construction, building as I get things figured out. That will be what I'd call the "superficial" website. I'm going to keep it where I wouldn't be embarrassed if my great aunt where to read it. Here I might vent, make tutorials, have tips & give a realistic glimpse into this wedding industry that I find both grotesque and fascinating at once.

I want to thank and acknowledge our first vendor, Kate Szabone, for creating the most perfect engagement ring. She makes lots of stuff and is happy to make custom orders, too. She sells "conflict-free" diamonds and many brilliant diamond alternatives.

That's all for now. If you've made it this far, I thank you.

Finally: A Dramatic Reenactment

2011-03-28T00:04:00.003-05:00

PF Chang's inspired Lettuce Wraps

2011-03-09T19:44:00.004-06:00

i love the vegetarian lettuce wraps at PF Chang's. and they are so simple.

here's my version. all measurements are estimates of what i did this time. just add however much you like of each thing. i dont measure much of anything.

1 tub of extra firm tofu

Spaghetti or angel hair pasta (1 inch diameter dry stack?)

Mushrooms of any variety (1/2 a package)

Onions (1-2 green onions)

Garlic (i forgot this but i'm sure it's good! maybe a T of chopped garlic?)

Any other veggies you like (i didn't add any this time. but i bet zucchini is good)

Water chestnuts (1/2 a can?)

Whole lettuce leaves

Soy sauce or tamari (i have NO idea how much...i just dash some in here and there)

Sesame seed oil (again, i have NO idea. not much though, it's flavor is strong)

Salt (to salt the pasta and to taste later on)

Sriacha (as much as you like. spicy!)

Press the tofu for about 10 minutes. While that’s happening, boil the pasta (please at some salt to your pasta, it’s SOO much better that way!). Chop the mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts and whatever other vegetables you want in there into small pieces of the approximately the same size.

Heat up the oil in the pan (I used a combo of sesame seed oil and vegetable oil). Crumble the pressed tofu into the pan add some salt and let it cook off some of the water for about 5-8 minutes, turning once or twice. Add soy sauce after this point and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts etc into the tofu. Add more soy sauce, sriacha and sesame seed oil to taste.

Allow all this to cook and brown, turning every few minutes for about 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta and rinse (to cool it down). Chop the pasta up into small pieces to match the other stuff in the mixture. Toss that into the pan and stir. Add more soy and/or sriacha again. Cook for another 3-5 until all is browned and good looking!

Serve with several whole lettuce leaves. Put a moderate amount on a leaf, roll it up however you can, add some Chinese mustard if you want and yum.

2011 Year of the Rabbit: Craft Project

2010-12-21T09:53:00.013-06:00

I had decided to make rabbit Christmas cards and ornaments this year for my family. Mostly because they are bonkers over bunnies. But, then I realized that 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit (lucky!) and my theme seems so completely perfect now. Not only that, but it is the Year of the METAL Rabbit (I'm no expert but it seems just like the animal years rotate, so do the earth elements). And my rabbit ornament is constructed out of foil. Again, total luck!

So, even those these ornaments are a little...shall we say rustic?... I think that's part of their charm. I created a tutorial (my first craft tutorial! excuse the blurry pictures) just to see if I could. Maybe someone will try it out somewhere, too.

You will need:

Scissors
Masking tape
Hot glue/gun
Aluminum foil
Toothpicks
Liquid acrylic medium; clear. satin or semi-gloss finish is best (found any any craft store. you can even use Polyacrylic from the hardware store, which is what I used here)
Old paint brush
Book pages from any book
Thin ribbon for hanger
Snowy glitter (optional of course)

Step 1: Pull off a 12" square of foil (all measurements are approximate). This will be the front legs and most of the chubby body. Pinch 2 corners together as shown to create the beginnings of the front legs. It's best to keep the foil loose and bigger than you think it needs so you can adjust and trim later.

Step 2: Crumple and bend the large part of the foil piece around to form the body and belly. Hot glue to the 'chest' if necessary.

Step 3: Compact the foil now that you've got the shape. Trim the front paws if necessary.

Step 3: The head: Pull off a 5" wide strip of foil and crumple loosely into a straight shape. Twist the shape from the middle like a pretzel to form what will be the head and two ears.

Step 5: Trim the ears and compact the foil once you are happy with the shape and it's proportional to the body. Usually I find that the head is too skinny and/or flat. I make a half circle shape with scrap foil and glue it on like a headband where the eyes and forehead would be. I think it makes a cuter head shape that is more realistic. Hot glue the head onto the body.

Step 6: The back legs and tail. Pull off another 5" foil piece and crumple it into a loose, flat shape. Bend it in 1/2 and turn up a small edge for the tail. Form the 2 side pieces into haunches and feet. I like to exaggerate these as bunny feet are sort of their token feature, right? But, you can always trim later.

Step 7: Slip the hind legs and tail over the body and hot glue. I find this extra layer over the back gives the butt an extra lift that bunnies have while running. ;-) If you're planning on hanging this up, stick a toothpick in the back somewhere to hold a place for the ribbon later. It will stay there until the very end.

Step 8: Carefully cover the surface of the foil with masking tape. Use thin and small pieces for accuracy. This will help the paper stick to the surface and start to smooth out any sharp lumps you might have missed. Masking tape will not want to stick to the foil easily. Be patient and whenever possible, make it wrap around so it's sticking to itself AND the foil.

Step 9: Tear up a few book pages (or any paper you want!) into thin ribbon shapes. Paint on some of the clear medium where you will first apply the paper. Be generous with the adhesive. Carefully wrap the entire rabbit tightly with the paper. There should be no holes, gaps or flappy pieces. This part is the most difficult and messy. The type of glue you use makes all the difference. No picture because it's too messy to hold the camera!

Step 10: Let the ornament dry and wash your hands! (do not put it in a cool flow of air, it will dry cloudy). I put mine over the heat registers.

Step 11: The hanger. Make a loop of ribbon (do not tie the ends). Pull out the toothpick and put a glob of hot glue in the hole. Poke the ribbon into the hole with the toothpick or other pokey device!

Optional: Paint the surface with a very watery paint so the words still show through. And/or Spread medium on the top of the rabbit and sprinkle glitter on it. Add little decorative things (buttons, greenery, beads...whatever) to the top for extra flair. I didn't want mine to be Christmas-y so it could be displayed year round; I kept it more plain and the paper natural.

I also added a tag that gave the recipient a nice message and a little knowledge about the Year of the Rabbit: "Let this rabbit symbolize your own strength & resilience. Let it bring you luck, peace, art and beauty all around you."

If you try it, good luck now and all next year with the rabbit at your side.

favors, please

2010-05-30T16:54:00.003-05:00

you need a big, painted chandalier? well okay, i guess.

what did you say? you need a gigantic, painted mr peanut? oh. you need it in 2 days? i'll see what i can do...wait, WHY do you need a gigantic Mr. Peanut?.....oh. nevermind.

oh. and you need a huge Oscar award in 2 days too? FINE.

so yeah, lately i've been asked to help on weird projects that are neither my idea or my desire to help out on. i was even asked to make 400 remembrance ribbon pins for people to wear on their graduation gowns. which is a great idea...but not my idea...so why do i get sucked into these things. sure, yeah, when it's all over i'm glad i did it. but, the timing of all of these things couldn't have been worse (hey, let's bombard the person with anxiety with more deadlines and stress!)

the best favor this month, though? me asking my body to finally join a yoga studio and go regularly and often. seriously, it's all i think about.

3 Successful & Easy Recipes

2010-03-31T11:20:00.007-05:00

#1 Simple Minestrone Soup

1 small onion or a few green onions

3-4 cans of your favorite beans (i use 1 black, 2 kidney, 1 cannellini)

1 large can of dice tomatoes

2 boxes (4-5 cans?) of veggie broth

2-3 cups water

2-3 veggies of your choice (i have used zucchini, spinach, escarole, carrots, potatoes, peas, string beans etc. if you use many veggies, you'll need more broth, water and possible a bigger pot!)

aprox 1 cup orzo or favorite soup pasta

garlic

italian spices

2-3 bay leaves

red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

saute the onion, garlic and red pepper in a large soup pot.
drain and rinse beans thoroughly and put in the pot with broth, water, italian spices, salt, pepper and bay leaves (it's easy to over salt this. add as necessary)
cook soup without stirring for about 45 minutes on medium heat
stir and add in thickly chopped potatoes if using or any frozen veggies. add more water or broth if it's looking a little too chunky. cook for 15-20 minutes
stir and reduce heat to low-med low. add in soup pasta and any fresh or thawed veggies. simmer for about 15-20 minutes more.

As most soups, it is usually better the next day but you might need to add a little water or broth to it to loosen it. This is a very chunky soup that is nearly like a stew and will last you several days (if all you eat is soup. more if you eat other things).

#2: My New Favorite Sandwich

1 package of extra firm tofu

1 avocado

Lemon or lime juice

2 slices of bread (toasted optional)

lettuce

about 1/4 c tamari (or soy sauce)

2 tsp + sriracha (or some hot sauce you like)

This will make enough for about 6 sandwiches!

Preheat oven to 390. Drain and press tofu until the oven is preheated.
Meanwhile, mash up avocado with some lemon juice and set aside
Stir tamari and sriracha together.
Slice tofu into 1/4" slices (the thinner the better!) and place on a cookie tray that has been lined with foil and slightly greased (i didn't grease it and had a little trouble getting the tofu off, but it wasn't impossible so greasing is optional)
Spoon tamari and sriracha mixture on each slice evenly.
Bake for 25 minutes (you can flip the tofu after this time and cook for 5-8 more minutes for extra chewy, maybe even crispy tofu. i did not)
Place tofu and lettuce on toast and spoon on avocado.

Yay! Super healthy and satisfying.

#3: Better Than Sex Cake (not my name for it and debatable anyway)

Cake ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix (Cherrybrook is not ideal due to slightly strange texture, but it's the most healthy and worked out alright)
2/3 cup canola oil
4 egg replacers (like Ener-G)
11 oz. can mandarin oranges (do not drain!)

Frosting ingredients (optional but highly recommended, you can use another frosting if you want):

8 oz. whipped topping (I used soy whip in a can by Soyatoo. whole foods has it. it was fun to squeeze it all out at once into a heaping, fluffy pile)
1 package instant vanilla pudding (trader joe's has instant pudding mix and it awesome and vegan! it makes running vegan pudding though)
8 oz. can crushed pineapple (do not drain!)

Directions:

Prehead oven to 350.

Mix cake ingredients together (do not drain the oranges!) with beaters until well mixed. Oranges should be broken up completely. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

For frosting, mix pineapple with the dry pudding mix (do not drain any of the juice from the pineapple!). Fold in the whipped topping. Spread on cake when cooled

terrariums: tiny green space

2010-03-01T17:58:00.015-06:00

saw this shop on etsy.com and felt a connection. (sometimes the shop has more or less items available).

thought i'd try my hand at terrariums.

here's a how-to with my minimal amount of experience and some early results so far.

ingredients:

glass container with a lid (or no lid works too)
pretty rocks (enough for about a 1 inch layer)
horticultural charcoal (1/2"-1" layer. i found this at a garden center with a green house but i think you can buy the same stuff they sell for fish tank filters at a pet store)
sphagum moss (untreated. also at the garden center)
dirt (i used african violet potting soil which seemed to be a very easy solution. it has a little of everything in it that terrarium soil needed and because of the peat, is slightly acidic which apparently is what you want)
plants (im sticking with moss and lichens. i think they are the cutest and help with the illusion of mini landscapes that i'm going for. i ended up having to order these from Teresa's Plants. they come from Arkansas, are affordable, arrive quickly and in good condition. places around here just don't have the varieties i was looking for).
decorative things (optional)
spray bottle
tools like fork, knife, spoon, toothpicks, scissors, tweezers etc

1. plan on babying your terrarium for about 3 weeks. in general they are supposed to be very low maintenance and depending on what you plant in them, they are pretty slow growing. but the first weeks you'll have to monitor the moisture on the glass (too much is not that great) and watch for fungus (besides the lichens!) and mold. you have to cut out the mold immediately to avoid any more harm to the plants. i'm crossing my fingers until the 3 week mark!

2. for beginners, the wider the mouth of the glass container the better! i don't know why i thought i'd be able to just throw in all the 'ingredients' and it would be beautiful...but you really do have to poke and prod all the dirt, moss, charcoal etc into place with a knife and fork. if you can't reach inside the container very well, obviously it's harder.

to avoid any harmful bacteria, you need to sterilize all your containers, rocks, decorative elements etc with HOT water. some blogs recommend a drop of bleach in the water mixture (but you MUST let everything dry out completely afterwards. like wait 24 hours) but i used a touch of antibacterial soap, nearly burnt my hands right off and rinsed really well.

3. put the rocks on the bottom (proper drainage). then the charcoal (to prevent smelly terrariums. do NOT pour this in. it's dusty and will coat your entire container with a layer of grey dust. use a spoon). then the sphagum moss to prevent the dirt from falling through to the bottom (this stuff is ugly and wiley. my main goal for it was to completely hide it! i didn't even want it to touch the sides of the glass. i cut it into little tiny pieces so i could control it better).

4. then put the dirt in. i found dry dirt difficult to work with so i stirred in some water. not to mud consistency but just so it stuck together some. then i was able to control where it went much better. i spent most of my time picking off tiny pieces that stuck to the sides of the glass. i guess i can't expect it to be perfect, but this was the most challenging part for me.

5. lay out your plants how you think you want them to go. i really packed them in. not sure if this was the right thing to do but i wanted it to instantly look done. for most of the moss and lichens, i just tapped them on the dirt a little without digging any holes. but for a few varieties of moss (pillow and reindeer) i dug a little hole to control the height they sat at. at first i was really gentle and concerned about hurting them, but then i was cutting things to size with scissors and handling it all pretty normally. i used a butter knife to push the plants down along the edge that touched the glass. it hides the dirt and gives it a more finished look. i hope they live!

the following plants are good ones to start with. they will stay SMALL and SHORT. but you can totally put different heights in your terrarium to suit your tastes.

mosses: pillow (or cushion). reindeer. fern. roughstalk feather. hair cap. carpet.
lichens: cladonia fruticose. cladonia cup.
not a moss or lichen, but little and super cute: baby tears

Plants going clockwise starting at 12 o'clock: roughstalk feather; fruticose lichens (in the baggie); cushion; fern; more cushion; reindeer

6. wipe. like i mentioned early, i spent most of my time trying to control dirt particles! i took a clean, dry paper towel and carefully tried to wipe off anything i didn't like the look of along the edges. tweezer might have been a helpful tool, but i didn't want to get too crazy about it.

7. decorate! add little elements to create the terrarium's personality, though they look really pretty without anything. 'mini gardens or fairy gardens' are quite popular and garden stores have a lot of options. but these mini garden supplies were TOO BIG for my projects! i made a little "cottage of love" for Diana's terrarium as part of her bridal shower gift. i used Sculpey clay. i'm still pondering my decorative element for mine. i'm leaning toward a teeny tiny cake. nick's suggestion is to do a small cityscape and call it 'urbs in horto.' apparently people would "go ape shit over that type of thing." ;-) i love that idea. the picture at the end captures that perfectly i think....but natural things like pieces of wood and rocks are also simple and beautiful (just sterilize first)!

8. water and wait! i can't find an exact watering schedule for the first few weeks. everyone just says "regularly." since i used wet dirt, i didn't water them too much but you're supposed to keep it pretty wet. i think every 2-3 days should do it. water will flow to the rocks. when i see a short layer of water, i stop watering. moisture will build on the glass walls. this is normal but it shouldn't be excessive. open the container for an hour or so if it becomes too wet. i've been doing this everyday so far since the 'weather' has been a little difficult to control. watch for mold!

once the initial 3 weeks are done and things are regulated, all you have to do is spray the plants once a week and open the lid for an hour once a week. after awhile you might have to trim any overgrowth that might occur. and it's all happy in your new green space!*

*unless it all dies.

burning down the house

2009-12-13T19:47:00.004-06:00

for thanksgiving i found a vegan pumpkin swirl cheesecake recipe. it sounded good and i thought it was fate since it called for a spring form pan and i just happened to have one.

let's review the adventure that was this cake:

crust:
2 c vegan gingersnaps (or any cooking of your choice. the nabisco gingersnaps are vegan but contain hydrogenated oils. whatever. it's thanksgiving)
4T Earth Balance spread
4T sugar

cheesecake:
2 8oz vegan cream cheese (you can find non hydrogenated. at the time, i did not)
12 oz extra firm tofu (the non-refridgerated kind. totally a pain to find now. only at whole foods)
2tsp vanilla
1/4 c flour
2 tsp brandy (optional)
15oz can of pumpkin puree
2T cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 allspice
pinch of nutmeg
1 c (plus 1/4c) sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Prehead oven to 325.
Food process crust ingredients & press into lightly oiled 9in spring form pan (do not bother creating corners with the crust. just put it all flat on the bottom)
Mix cream cheese, tofu, vanilla, flour, 1c sugar & brandy in food processor until totally smooth. you cannot overblend so let it rip.
Pour 1/2 of batter into medium bowl & set aside
To batter left in food processor, add pumpkin, 1/4 c sugar, corn starch, spices & salt. blend like a mofo.
Pour pumpkin batter on crust.
Pour white batter next. Create swirls with a knife by bring the pumpkin up through the cheesey batter. Try to be careful of the crust & make it pretty!
Bake @ 325 for 90 min
Refridgerate over night.

Serves 12-16

NOTE: I nearly burnt the house down with this cake (twice). it is a very WET cake and my spring form pan couldnt really hold it in. the drips inevitably set off the smoke alarms and created horrendous smoke everywhere. Cooking time was screwed up and the crust was overcooked & burnt on the sides. if you have any doubt about your spring form, put foil on the bottom and set it on a cookie tray. despite this glitch, i think it tasted really good!

(a slice not thoroughly swirled)

ticket schmicket

2009-12-05T09:19:00.006-06:00

how to contest a chicago parking violation ticket.

1A. legally park somewhere.

1. when you are done swearing about the unexpected ticket on your windshield, take a few pictures of the meter, parking restriction signs and of your car parked by the meter. include your license plate in the pictures. the online 'supportive photographic evidence' that the city will provide will be false, broken or tampered with. include your pictures in your letter.

2. write a letter IMMEDIATELY to contest the ticket. include the date, time, ticket number, exact location and all parking restrictions.

3. tell them "you believe you were parked legally." and as clearly and quickly as possible, state why.

4. be nice. appeal to the city worker who has to review your letter and case. they probably hate their job as much as you hate getting tickets. let them know that you understand this and what a hassel this is for both of you.

5. keep the ticket safe in your files. send in the letter and wait 5 months (?!). you might forget you even wrote the letter. but check the status of your ticket via cityofchicago.org/revenue a few times to see if they at least received it.

6. get a letter in the mail saying that the violation did not occur and save 50 bucks. i just got mine yesterday. win.

7. possible notes to leave on your car to avoid getting a ticket in the first place

here's my successful letter as a sample:

August 1, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm writing this letter to contest parking violation number 917840****. This ticket was administered on North Ave. near Hoyne Ave at 7:19pm on 7/28/09.
It was my understanding that I parked legally at this location during this time. The meters along that stree clearly state that paid parking is from 9am-6pm. The street signs around the meter only restrict parking from 4pm-6pm for rush hour traffic. Again my ticket was written at 7:19pm.
Please see the pictures enclosed of the actual meter signage at this site. I apologize for my inexperience on taking pictures to support my case as I do not get parking tickets very often at all. I hope they are proof enough. The "supportive photos" online at cityofchicago.org/revenue are currently unclear or unavailable.
I know that parking violations have been troublesome this year and things can get confusing even for the most experienced policeman. And, it's unfortunate for both of us to have to waste time on this matter. I think this was simply a case of not being familiar with the meter time expiration that may have been changed recently.
I truly thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Vanessa J. King

it's all in the can

2009-11-22T16:19:00.006-06:00

pickling is a lot harder than making jam.

preparing the vegetables, sterilizing, making the brine...there's just more going on. i'm glad i didn't start with this.

i made spicy dilly beans and i'm very excited to try them out. i have to wait 2 weeks for the full experience though!

i used this recipe which i found and modified (of course). here's MY version:

Spicey Dilly Beans
Yields 12 8oz jars
3+lbs fresh green beans 5-6 inches long (mine were shorter & it looks fine)
Fresh dill (i put a lot in each jar. maybe 2-3 heads in each)
24 large cloves of garlic (or more if you like garlic and/or the cloves are little)
2 big red peppers sliced thickly into strips
1 c kosher salt (the original recipe called for 'canning/pickling salt' and i couldnt find that anywhere)
8 c white vinegar (5% acidity)
8 c water
2 tsp. red peppler flakes (optional)

Before preparing your beans, start sterilizing your jars in your big canning pot and lids in a sauce pan. My pot only holds 7 pints at a time, so i had to do this in shifts. if your dishwasher has a 'sterilize' setting, USE IT!

Wash and trim beans. they should be no more than 4 inches tall. Peel your garlic cloves (these 2 things were the most labor intensive part. nick helped me). Cut your peppers.

you'll still be waiting for the jars to boil so...

Make the brine:
Combine vinegar, water and red pepper into a big pot. it's ready when it's boiling. do NOT smell the steam to this mixture. it will burn your nose hairs off.

Once your jars have boiled for 10 minutes or so, pull one out at a time (unlike the picture shown! it's too hard with all of them out at once) and put in 2 cloves of garlic, 2-3 heads of dill, a thick slice of red pepper and beans.

Place the beans upright leaving 1/2" of headspace. Trim if necessary (i just smooshed them in if they were close). Ladel the hot vinegar solution, leaving 1/2" headspace. Place sterilized lid on and set jar aside. repeat with the others and process in hot both for 5 minutes.

i put hot water from the tap in the other jars so i could throw them in the boiling water to sterilize for the next shift. repeat process for those.

the most difficult part was shoving the beans into the jars and juggling the different batches while keeping the water hot enough. the beans shrink after processing so the jars are a little skimpier on the first batch. my only big mistake was i forgot to tighten on a lid of one jar and dunked it into the pot of water. needless to say, the lid popped off and i have NO idea how much vinegar solution was left in the jar before i yanked it back out. but i canned it anyway! i guess that one is mine.

i hope they're good because that was a lot of bean trimming and garlic peeling. i totally reek of garlic. as a special treat i made a little jar of pickled garlic just for me. nomnomnomnomnom!

Jamming with Jars

2009-11-19T07:37:00.005-06:00

it all started when rachel gave me her grandma's dilly beans. pickled green beans in a brine heavy on the dill. i think i ate an entire jar of them at one of her bbq's!

this summer at a farmer's market, i spotted 'spicey dilly beans.' they looked so good....i now know that whole foods has these year round....but there's something about a home made jar that whole foods cannot touch. i bought those beans and ate them in a day or two. i wanted more....there was a spicey pepper slice left in the jar still. i was nervous but couldnt help but try it.

it was delicious of course....i wanted more. i looked in the jar and all that was left was several wilted stalks of dill and 3 cloves of garlic.....

i ate a garlic clove and it seriously blew my mind! and quickly ate the 2 others. it wasn't harsh or overly garlicky at all. it was a similar taste and texture to roasted garlic but with dill and pickle spices. i started looking up what to do with pickled garlic and apparently it's quite common. "put it in top of pasta dishes" was the most popular of uses. i like pasta dishes!...

it got into my head then about pickling garlic or beans myself. and christmas is usually a time where i try out a new hobby, make something for people. usually i discard the craft once i felt i've done it well enough. why not canning this year?

so i bought it all: the huge ass pot....

the jars. the jars tongs. the little magnet thing to pull out sterilized lids. the whole shebang.

making jam seemed a whole lot easier than pickling (mostly because you can taste what you're canning right away, no surprises). so i started there last night with some "sparkling holiday jam."

the recipe i used with my modifications is as follows:

3 16 oz frozen strawberries chopped

1 12 oz package of fresh cranberries chopped

5 c sugar

1 1.75oz box of pectin (if you want more gelled jam, use 2 boxes)

1/4 c lemon juice (or you can juice any citrusey fruit you like)

1 tsp of margerine

Yields 11-12 8oz jars

Before you begin: put your open jars in the big ass canning pot and fill it with water so the jars are completely covered. Put the lids in a small pot of water. Bring both pots to a boil and boil the jars and lids for at least 10 minutes. When the jars are just about to start bubbling, start cooking your fruit. Simmer the lids until you're ready for them. Try to time it so you don't have to simmer the jars because it takes forever to get that monstrosity boiling again.

I ended up food processing the strawberries and cranberries. Process them the size you'd like to have in your jam. They don't break down that much during cooking.

Put the strawberries, cranberries, pectin, lemon juice and margerine in a big pot and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the sugar (5 c is actually 2 cups less than what the original recipe called for and it's still VERY sweet. 4 1/2 c would be okay, too. You have to add more fruit. I think this is partially why I didn't get 12 full jars). Stir it up and bring it back to a boil. Cook for 1 more minute after boiling and remove from heat.

Here's the hard part! Remove the jars from water and put them on a dish towel or something. Don't drop them. Don't scald yourself. To boot, you have to do this fast so they don't cool down too much. Turn the heat on your empty huge ass pot WAY up to get that shit boiling again.

Then you have to funnel the hot sticky jam into the jars. You can't pick up the jars because they are hot, so you will drip jam everywhere. Fill the jars until they have 1/2" of room at the top.

Don't forget to wipe the rims and threads clean or the seal won't be good. I nearly forgot and I think I missed one because it didn't seal.

Use your fancy pants magnetic stick to remove sterilized lids from the simmering water (the magnet won't work very well and you'll end up using a fork). Place the lids on and then screw on the rings (not to tight. apparently they can burst in the water bath if it's too tight).

Gently place the jars in the pot (mine came with a rack so they didn't touch the bottom). I stacked them up and had 11 jars floating around in there. I doubt this is how you're to do it, but whatever. It worked for the most part. Bring the water to a boil. Once it's boiling, time it for 5 minutes. Then remove the jars with the fancy jar tongs (which totally work and are worth purchasing). Let the jars sit for about 24 hours undisturbed. You can check your seals after an hour or so (the center of the lid will not push down at all and it won't sound hallow if you thump it).

Like I said, one didn't seal, so I get to keep it and eat it!

I forgot to take pictures during the process. It was pretty stressful as it was. But it was exciting! Especially when I pulled the jars out of the hot water and I could hear the seal working. Also, it's pretty satisfying to spoon something out of a jar that you made:

My breakfast this morning:

Foodcation Fall 2009 Reviews

2009-10-18T17:19:00.023-05:00

6 vegan food enthusiasts from chicago
1 road to Milwaukee, WI
6 restaurants
12 hours

7:00pm Friday: nick and i started early at Yummy Yummy in chicago (2901 N Broadway) since i was craving noodle soup and bubble tea (what else is new?) it was as good as usual. their bubble tea is the best in the city. most customers carry out there for dinner but i like to eat there, too. it's tiny but the walls are green and cheerful. apparently the lunch special is the best (i've never taken advatage of it). highly recomended.

10:30am Saturday: picked up eric and we were off! drive was easy and really short. it takes just as long to get to naperville with traffic. met up with pete, kathleen and matt at Comet Cafe. it was PACKED! we waited nearly one hour for a table. the menu has about 7-8 things on it that are vegan.......

and then they were out of vegan gravy!

THEN they were out of the 'field roast'! boo!

we ordered what we could and the server did her best to give us a substitute for the field roast and sauces and dips for our graviless food. the booze-a-latte was pretty delicious and got a buzz going pretty early. none of the food was surprising or amazing. still, i was satisfied and i liked the vibe from the place.

2:45pm: tried to make it to the lakefront brewery tour but it was sold out. walked around a bit underneath this bridge. watched some kayaking, counted flags (i think the final count was 9 american flags from one view) and then threw rocks at the bridge. please don't ask. i dont get it either. i only spectated.

3:30pm: decided to go to the milwaukee art museum. we only had about one hour to walk around. really need about 2 hours to see the whole thing. they have a small but solid collection.

look. no reflection of people in this sculpture
the building itself was really neat looking. as pete put it, it looks like it was designed in the past to look like the future. the wings on the outside open and close a few times a day which we got to see.

the lakefront was pretty but not unexpected. it was unpleasantly cold and still we wandered around the 'discovery museum' which is still unclear if it is for children or not...or what really happens in there at all. some strange and interactive things to see along the way.

5:30pm: time to eat again! this time pizza. we went to Dom & Phil De Marinis Pizza. it was the most iconic midwestern pizza tavern i think i could have ever imagined. one big problem: the entire place was a smoking establishment. it was pretty foul sitting next to the bar inhaling the smoke while eating. that with the full view of the bathroom sink made it a less than scenic venue. but 'vegan' was on the menu a few times and the pizza was pretty good
and super reasonable.

a flakey dense, unsalted crust. they even have vegan cheesy garlic bread which was really light and enjoyable. beer selection was decent and also very reasonable. we still don't know if this place has two locations and we accidentally ate at the wrong one or something.

6:45pm: time to walk off the pizza....to get to cupcakes! Honeypie was recommended to us by the waitress at Comet Cafe as having several vegan desserts (possibly entres but come on, we just had pizza). we traipsed through some quiet neighborhood for about a mile and got 4 HUGE cupcakes to go. it was really hot and crowded in this place. the plan was to eat them at our next stop. the cupcakes looked amazing and we could barely choose which ones. in fact, as it turned out, these cupcakes, in my opinion, were the most delicious food of the entire day (more later).

too bad for the super disturbing logo....a perfect submission for SuicideFood Blog.

walking back from Honeypie we were considered a 'parade' by a local hobo. 6 people was sorta a spectacle here.

8:00pm: At Random. what isn't there to say about this place? it's a bar with so much kitsch that it's bursting forth from the server's own hairdo. you can imagine this place 30 years ago looking pretty much exactly the same. from the orange mood lighting where you can barely see your own hand

to the dusty fake plants with every seasonal decoration interspersed within them and of course there was the chained down sculptures of love.....

here's where we learned that it was sweetest day. why? because they were only seating tables of 2 or 4. not 6. not 3 and 3. what?? we went with it.

the box with the cupcakes was only just set down on the table, our jackets not even removed and the host was like 'we have a rule that we can't allow you to eat your own food here.' (this was also 'at random' because we had heard you can sometimes order delivery from wherever).

we desperately wanted photos but it was so dark and there were so many rules that taking photos was really embarassing and conspicuous. there were scowls from the host for sure. to add to the romantic atmosphere, the waitress brings you the drinks (which are tastey and pretty, though the menu is really not very descriptive about what your drink will taste like...i guess they like to leave it open ended...at random) and then asked for money up front. so instead of getting to admire the drinks and gaze lovingly at the drink..oh, i mean your sweetheart....you have to fish out your cash (cash only please).

it was a very strange and surreal time hence my dazed and mildly disturbed looked (it might have been caused by that clown golfing in the painting behind me). 'at random' is a definite must on a trip to wi!

9:15pm: more food! this time at Palomino for vegan buffalo wings (and to FINALLY eat our cupcakes). it was smoke free until 10pm. there was plenty of space and the music was just the right level for socializing. the juke box was filled with good quality music. the bathroom was well equipped with an ash tray/toilet paper dispenser combo, tampons, lube and self warming condoms. young, more hip crowd (this includes us, of course).

the vegan buffalo wings (sorry guys) were disgusting.

i so rarely hate food that i kept eating them in disbelief (2 total) before i realized that the emotion i was feeling was revolt. they came in two types: sissy and spicy. we got both. it wasn't the spice that got me, it was the SALT. and i love salt. and vinegar. they were spongey and put quite simply, grotesque. the ranchy sauce was memorable for all the right reasons and the french fries that came with them were delicious dipped in it. i wished i had had enough room to try some other stuff on the menu.

now, the cupcakes! (sorry no good pictures) red velvet was the best followed closely by the pumpkin spice. so fluffy and moist (ah! i have to say it! it's about cake!). chocolate ones were too dense and dry but still pretty amazing. wish i had gotten more so i could be eating one right now.

10:30pm: more pizza! Classic Slice was the 'prettiest' place we had been. meaning it was the sleekest and newest looking.

Upton's made it to milwaukee, much to chow's dismay. but we all secretly know that is pretty cool that they've cast an even bigger net. the pizza was fresh and light, but nothing that rocked my world. Ian's vegan pizza in chicago is much the same. still, it hit the spot the next morning for breakfast. i especially enjoyed the olive tapanade on the mediterranean style.

11:10pm: depart for home. we didn't stay the night i think mostly because finding a place to stay would have been more of a hassel than just driving back the 1.5 hours. in conclusion, it was a belly full and fun little getaway!

adventures in baking

2009-08-23T21:37:00.006-05:00

using and adapting the following recipe, i made what could be considered the WORST vegan dessert ever concocted. there is no other word for it except 'wretched.'

this is NOT to say that the recipe is a bad one. it was given to me by a friend long ago; most definitely because her outcome was terrific and i wanted to make it myself....

"Chocolate & Peanut Brittle"

1c sugar
1/2 lb sweet butter
1TB water
1TB light karo syrup
9oz chocolate
1/2 c unsalted peanuts

break up chocolate into small pieces. set aside (i used chocolate chips)

chop nuts. set aside (i combined them into the chips)
mix sugar, butter, water and karo syrup in a sauce pan. (here's where things got weird. i decided that since Earth Balance is pretty salty that i would use up this vegetable shortening we have had in the fridge forever. nick measured it out for me. as i was beginning to melt it down, i decided that it tasted bland and kinda bad and exchanged some shortening for some Earth Balance which is only made of goodness. when most of the mixture was melted i realized that nick had measured out twice the amount of 'butter' needed. oops....still, i kept going.)

stir constantly until browned. medium/low boil about 10-15 mins of stirring. (here was another sign that this was bad bad. instead of browning, the mixture that smelled of scorched soy candles was frothing up uncontrollably. when i turned down the heat, it had turned green. green!....still, i kept going)

then work quickly and spread mixture onto a 10x13 inch pan. quickly add chocolate pieces and sprinkle in chopped nuts. cool & eat. enjoy! (the 'mixture' was a greenish clear liquid and it was not necessary to 'work quickly' as it didn't harden at all. after i had let all the ingredients cool, i actually had to pour the top layer of liquid into the sink. "was that the Earth Balance?" i wondered. i put it in the fridge and decided to think about something else)

here's what i made! holy bejeezus was it disgusting! waxy fat encrusted chocolate peanuts!

nick was not deterred. he would "save it and turn it into cookies....somehow. or maybe a candle." i scoffed at his positivity. the SMELL alone totally ruined my appetite for anything remotely related to this stuff.

a few days later, nick did some mental math and added in some cookie ingredients (ie. flour). through some adventure unbeknownst to me, the cookies ended up brownies. lo and behold! he probably made the best homemade vegan brownies anybody i know has ever attempted! anyone of you who has ever tried making homemade vegan brownies knows how impossible they are to get right. if it's not chocolate swamp, it's chocolate cake (neither of which is particularly bad, just not the intention)

who knew the secret was too much greened, fatty vegetable wax?

yum! here's allan (not) appreciating the (not) small miracle:

good job nick!

buttons!

2009-08-17T18:38:00.010-05:00

i'm trying harder this time around to promote my notecards for the holidays. an opportunity arose that seemed like a great way to do it: http://vegancraftsamples.com/

i donate as many samples of my product as i want. so do other people. one sample from all donators goes into a reusable goodie bag (they estimate about 200 will be sold). good people purchase these sample bags for $25. most, if not all the products are animal friendly (not sure why they aren't exclusively animal free...but the non-vegan products are supposedly clearly marked).

the really great part is that ALL of the money goes to an animal organization. they pick a different one each season. i've already put in my suggestions:

'the cat house on the kings' and 'tree house humane society'

plus, i get publicity without feeling like i should earn my money back because i'm simply donating to help make these bags more awesome. ;-)

i decided to donate 80 notecards and envelopes, a business card and.....a 1" fashion button!

Busy Beaver Buttons has just gotten my order of 200 buttons today. 4 different designs. i hope it works out alright. coincidentally, they are right on armitage and california-ish.

i've already copied all 80 notecards and put them in envelopes. each were sat upon with love by both allan and poe. i didn't realize they wanted to help out! here's poe demonstrating her sitting on paper skills....

now i'm deliberating on how to incorporate my business card and buttons. several considerations that are too boring to mention are floating in my brain. finished sample tba.

update: just got the buttons today!

here's a really blurry picture of the 4 designs. they're not what i would normally have designed buttons like...but for notecard promotions, they are fine. what you can't see is the store website every so subtle around the back edge of the button. yay!

and gone

2009-08-15T09:40:00.010-05:00

the MCA teacher institute has ended. i can't say i'm unhappy about that. it was definitely intense and a lot of information to ingest in a very condensed way. that's not to say it wasn't inspiring and energizing...as an artist as well as a teacher. in equal amounts i think.

i also realize that open ended curriculum is NOT for every student. for that reason, i don't think my Art 1 projects and themes will change greatly. i hope to adapt some things, but practicalities do not allow me to do much more than that. my sculpture class has more possibilities. that's all i'll say about all that. like i said, it was SO much to ingest in just 8 days that i'm still arranging everything in my teeny brain.

but it was fun to make art. and knowing that other people would see what i made was quite motivational. i had an advantage only a handful of other teachers in the program had as well:

1. i went to art school (instead of art education school which is very different)

2. the exact themes and ideas that led up to and surrounded our physical artwork were ones that i've thought of many many times. wrote a thesis about, read about, knew about artists who used similar concepts, deliberated over for hours, weeks and years. so the visual language was already there for me, however limited, i just had to decide how to say it this time around.

i have a few rules when i make stuff.

1. make it beautiful somehow. i know definitions vary, but the object or whatever has to be decorative in some way. either how i organize it (cause we all like organization) or the materials simply don't allow for anything less than than to be pretty (kitschy, corny or trendy are okay). typically small objects are easier to think of as precious and special.

2. i want to manipulate materials beyond what they are used to, but in a cooperative type of way! if the materials absolutely are not working out, then the project isn't right. (my hollow sugar snowballs come to mind immediately)

3. here's a newer one and not as easy to abide by: it must be portable, easy contained, recyclable and/or temporary.

i have other rules that flex and i don't even know what they are until i begin working on something. this time (like many other times) it was mass producing something that i'd like to imagine functions in the natural environment but is obviously manufactured..usually composed of hyper artificial and processed materials. all the better if you are normally expected to eat them, or they were informed by or harvested from nature the first place. taking something natural and 'making it even more beautiful/useful' is ridiculous but we do it all the time in reality sometimes with grave repercussions.

and lastly, process and transition. i really appreciate understanding the process that something was made, possibly the time it took and the time it takes for the piece to live it's life.

in the gallery :

as a hair accessory:

and gone:

Sensing Space: an art exhibit

2009-08-09T17:17:00.004-05:00

for the first time since college, i'm being asked by an outside source to create art for an actual art space. not to be shoved in a box or envelope. not to be hung on a someone's wall at home. not to be a potential money maker. just to be an expression and experience.

many people in the show are approaching this workshop purely as 'teacher' and not 'artist.' it's refreshing to see adult, 'non-artists' become artists in ways they've never thought about. it's fun for me to be able to be in this grey area of both. expectations have changed and so has meaning. it's relaxed, it's a little silly, it's fun again.

here's the thing: i have NO idea what will be actually exhibited! even my own piece is a bit of a mystery. and the opening is 4 days away....umm, pretty exciting and pretty uncomfortable at the same time.

maybe someday soon i can do this same type of thing without being asked by anyone but myself...

Review: Gigantic

2009-08-03T00:02:00.004-05:00

i've built up my mediocre movie tolerance a lot over the past few years. i didn't expect much more from the movie "gigantic."

gigantic stars zooey dachenel and this other dude that i've seen in several strange indie movies before (paul dano). also john goodman is in there as zooey's eccentric, loud mouthed but loving father.

i love stories where the main character is neutral and acts as the witness to the things happening to and around him/her with an almost unflinching acceptance. but often the other characters are the only thing that define the main one. the leading role is eclipsed by all the others, we never grasp them, they become nothing more than a narrator surrounded by oddities. this movie avoids that problem despite the strong and colorful supporting cast.

anyways, brian (p.d.) is in the process of trying to adopt a baby from china. single and 28, he's finding this to be a challenge. in the meantime he meets his newest customer, Happy (z. d.) in the mattress warehouse he works at. she is immediately introduced to us offbeat, curious and fairly childish (in the best of ways).

stereotypical roles are reversed in this movie as brain is trying to adopt a child, start a family, settle down in a sense. happy on the other hand has been struggling to figure out where her life is leading her...and she freaks out when the adoption becomes more and more a possibility.

it sounds fairly formulaic, but really the movie is quite fresh in many ways. more than that it's funny, it's smart, it's dry, it's sweet, it's strange, it's unexpected. i truly enjoyed this film! it makes watching many boring and quite frankly, BAD indie movies okay if it lead me to this one and appreciate it that much more. rent it!

GIGANTIC: Movie Trailer - More free videos are here

Review: BOSU

2009-07-28T15:57:00.002-05:00

what's a BOSU? it's a half stability ball with a flat, weighted side. apparently it stands for "Both Sides Up." pretty stupid name, right?...i've seen these plenty of times over the years at the gym and never gave them much thought.

but i think i need to get one! i'm a the most beginner of beginners and all i was told to do with it right now was stand on it with both feet for 30sec at a time. and then standing on it with one foot 15 sec each side. that's it.

i was all like 'this is going to be easy!" when in fact it was extremely challenging because i was standing on it bubble side down...

i was wobbling, shaking and sweating! but i currently have only moderate core strength and poor hip and leg strength and still, i thought it was fun.

once simply standing on it is mastered, you can do LOTS of other exercises with it bubble up or down. even more exercises can be done that aren't necessarily revolved around the ball but where you just stand on it while you're doing your normal weigh routine or whatever. this is supposed to engage your core, joints and muscle fibers more than standing on stable ground. i believe it! holy smokes.

though it's not a total substitute for the stability ball, it is more advanced and versatile once you are at a moderate level of fitness. unfortunately, the price is also more advanced than a regular stability ball...at about 100 bucks; you should try it before buying and be committed to using it regularly.

recalling comfort

2009-07-19T15:02:00.002-05:00

ahhhh....icy hot has 'heat therapy' patches. basically they are like several hand warmer things stuck together with a sticky backside. sooo grood!it's like have a warm, fat cat curled up in the small of your back, except it doesn't move around or snore....and it sticks firmly to your skin.

then i read how they were recalled in 2008 cause people were burning themselves. what? how?!

so thanks to stupid people who cant follow instructions or don't know when something feels too hot until 8 hours are over, i can't purchase boxes of comfort anymore.

i have one left....i had better make it count.