December Daily Album

Ali Edwards is a regular mom, married and raising two kids - and happens to be a very well-known scrapbooker.  She has an incredible eye for scrapbook design and a passion for documenting life. Everyday life. Including the weeks and days leading up to Christmas, to help remember all of the magic that occurs within one short month.  I was so excited to gather my supplies when I saw her post her 2010 album a few weeks ago.  And I am so proud of myself for completing it already (November 16th!) and welcoming the activities and memories the month will bring for me to capture and remember.  Thanks Ali.

Here's my book, as inspired by Ali's interpretation and plan:

Each transparency is the prelude to the day (you can kind of see day 25 above) that is printed on cardstock with a space for pictures and/or journaling.

Back from Dayton. Oh the stories...

This will be my silly post - things that made me scratch my head along the way, tales of being lost (why is that becoming so prevalent recently??) and other fun things.

The first thing that just makes me say "huh?" is that the Cincinnati, OH airport is actually in Hebron, KY.  Why not just call it the Hebron Airport?  I mean, it's in another state people, it's not like it's in a neighboring Ohio town!  Anyway, we made the most of it and stayed the night in Kentucky to cross it off our list of travels.  Check out the beautiful Hyatt Place in Hebron!

Very scrapbook-y... I kept one of the key cards because it was very artsy - lots of little organized circles of different colors.

Now... we had a time change we had to overcome - when we got there at 8:00pm it was only 5:00 back home.  So this is how we helped keep ourselves up later the first night:

It was the only travel-sized Backgammon set we could find at the airport - it's magnetic and fits on your keychain! Seriously... we could only move the pips around by pushing them, couldn't even pick them up! We realized, much too late, that Emma had a nice sized version on her iPad! LOL

Bob's Big Boy is popular in this part of the country... Bob wasn't nearly as "big" as I thought he'd be.

Seriously?  I had to ask people... 'are you sure it isn't 53rd Bank?'  Doesn't make sense.  When I asked the guy at the airport where the nearest ATM was, he kept saying 'fifth third'.  What?  53rd?  No, *fifth third*.  Whatever.  I just nodded my head, smiled, and chalked it up to a language barrier and misunderstanding in the gift shop. Turns out, he was right - or is he?

We just thought this street name was funny :)

Merry early Christmas to me!  I bought the wristlet for myself, and the pot for our wonderful hosts. Sue says that Tim is making chili in the pot tonight for dinner :)

And these California rolls?  Um yeah.  I didn't get a bite.  Actually, I did.  I took a small bite of one and put it down, as I was doing something important (like kicking 7th grade girl butt in ping pong or something...) and when I came back, Haley had finished my bite!  She ate the whole plate!  :)

So driving in my old age:  what the heck is happening?!?  I have excellent navigation skills, I drive by directionals not landmarks (i.e. go west on 53rd for 2 miles, then south on I-5).  My days as a FedEx driver served me well.  But the fact that I got lost multiple times on both this trip and the trip to WI in the summer draw me to two possible conclusions:  I am either getting old and senile, or things just aren't marked very well in the midwest :)  I think you know which one I'm leaning toward.

My first two 'reroutes' (what we'll call them) were during an elusive search for a Chick-fil-A.  Stacey Kingman, I know you love this place and its lemonade, and I was trying to emotionally connect with you girl... it wasn't meant to be.  The first CFA that I was chasing, via my GPS on my iphone (not easy to read while you're driving in unfamiliar territory - following that blue dot!), happened too fast during a couple clover leafs of freeway right after crossing the river into Ohio.  No biggie, I just clicked on the next CFA stop which was about 8 miles ahead - I'll find that one.

It took us off the beaten path to a flurry of hospital/medical centers and the University of Cincinnati.  Let's be clear:  I FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS PROPERLY.  But apparently this CFA is buried deep within the campus and NOT ACCESSIBLE BY CAR.  Thanks iPhone, you let me down.  As I was following said directions I was coming upon giant STOP - DO NOT DRIVE FURTHER signs - as in, you are now on the campus walking grounds where cars cannot travel.  And yes, I tried to drive further before Emma so eloquently advised me of missed signs.  "MOM!  STOP!  YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!"  Hey, Chick-Fil-A was up ahead, I was just following the iPhone.  I backed out (because there was literally no room to turn around, and gawking 20 year olds holding their iPhones thinking 'Lady?!?!  What the hell?!?' - and Emma slinking down into her seat just praying we would get out of there before she had to make eye contact with any of them, rolling eye contact I mean.

I tried a different route, which was still incorrect, blew a few traffic lights while reading said iPhone directions, and finally gave up.  Getting back onto the freeway proved problematic... I apparently took the 'Alt 275' route and could not figure out for the life of me how to get off of the 'Alt' part.  I don't know this as fact, but I think we ended up in a pretty seedy portion of Cincy.  Let's just say I didn't even stop at some stop lights and definitely did not get out at the convenience store to ask directions.  Eventually we ended up in a bit of an industrial area, so I felt comfortable to go into the shop area and ask a nice older man to please help us - almost on the verge of tears - but I pulled through.  We got back on track and made it to Tim & Sue's... but when we arrived at 2:30, I asked if it was too early for a glass of wine :)

I'll make this next one short and sweet: driving back to the Cincinnati airport (remember? it's in Kentucky), at 8pm on a Sunday, we're plugging along this time with large printed directions from MapQuest... and Emma's playing music from her iPad, we're chatting, and all of a sudden I look up and see the "Welcome to Indiana" sign!  I say:  "wait. what are we doing in Indiana?"

Oh that got a lot of laughs from a certain co-pilot :)

Off to Ohio

And Kentucky.  Apparently the Cincinnati airport is actually *in* Kentucky.  So we will be taking a little day trip through Northern KY tomorrow on our way to Dayton.  Our main focus is, of course, visiting our Duening cousins - they are family and all that the word represents - can't wait to spend the long weekend with them!!

{Pics from our trip to WI in June}

Purple. {Rockin'. Awesome. Uber Cool.}

That's what the restaurant/wine bar is called.

Rockin' awesome front door (neon purple words).

Rockin' awesome bathrooms (why do I always have to investigate the bathrooms? They say a lot about a place).  This one had a very industrial/warehouse type feel... giant metal doors that you slid across to close and then a pin you had to push in place to lock.  Cool.

We had a table for 10 reserved and had our own little 'cellar' type area.  Uber cool. Surrounded by bottles and bottles of wine.  I love the one titled "Me."  Really cool waitress, she was probaby 26-27 and already had her sommelier certification. She started us off with a complimentary bottle of champagne. She rocked.

We relied on her to order our cheeses... we were delighted.  We practically licked the brie off the cheese board.  It was that good.  Rockin' delicious.

The menu was so interesting, like nothing I've ever seen before.  They had a good selection of main dishes, but there's a 'tasting menu'.  You choose several things to try ranging from $3-$6 apiece.  We had crab salad with avocado and lemon aioli, Syrah poached figs wrapped in prosciutto, and edamame hummus.  Carrie and I split Lobster Risotto for our main dish.  Awesome.

The have 'flights' of wines - you choose a region of the world you'd like to sample, white or red, and you get 4 glasses to try - all brought to you in a cool carrier that holds the glasses in order.  You get a little card to tell you about what you're trying. Rockin' tasty.  In fact, I loved the French Bordeaux so much I got 3 glasses after the 'flight'.

Great company above all.  Love all these girls, and Adam for being our designated driver and dancing with all of us after dinner.  Rockin'. Awesome. Uber Cool.

We were  not flipping anyone off here... it was an inside joke "flicker" :)

Woot Woot for Wednesday!

Wednesday night TV, that is... WOOT WOOT!

I love Wednesday nights.  We don't have soccer practice (well, of course *I* don't, but I don't have to drive there :), it's hump day, I no longer have court the next morning, and I love me some Wednesday TV!

Modern Family.

Enough said.

Hilarious.

p.s. I can't decide who my favorite character is - probably Cam.  No, Claire (I'm so her in a lot of ways - remember the family photo shoot episode?!?).

Halloween Weekend

Emma went to Kennedy's neighborhood this year for trick-or-treating, and along came Brooklyn and her family, and a few other friends.  Em, K & B decided to be clowns this year:

 

 

  

We also went to the Fury soccer team's Graveyard Gala the night before (the adults that is): Here's Little Red Riding Hood and her Big Bad Wolf :)

You don't want to know what Joey was talking about right here.... :)

 And here's the "Witch's Brew" - I used a  lot of Pink Paislee items to deck it all out, and it fetched $210!!

A fresh look at Fall

This was the view from the seat in my car as I left for lunch yesterday.  It was a gorgeous crisp & clear day, and the leaves had been swirling in the parking lot, several landing on my windshield:

Costco: I love you.

I went to Costco the other day to pick up some Adele Chicken & Apple Sausages for a crock pot recipe.

It didn't turn out well.  Not because I didn't make it properly, the recipe was just 'eh'.

I had to get some carrots, so I ventured into the produce section.  Behold my eyes when I found butternut squash peeled & cubed, and bags of petite brussel sprouts!

Last night?  Yeah... squash and halved sprouts on a baking sheet, tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper (a la Ina), roasted in 425 oven for 30 minutes... yum.

Feasted on that in a quiet house with Sex and the City 2 on OnDemand.

It doesn't get much better than that, people.

(p.s. tonight I will be adding some of the sliced sausages and peeled/cubed Yukon Gold potatoes)

Me, these days...

Yes, I took one of those infamous photos of myself in my bathroom mirror last night, there's no one else to do it for me! HA!  

Not too shabby,  huh???  I was heading out last night to meet up with a very dear friend from junior & senior high days - Kathy Cody.  She recently (3 years ago) moved up to the Seattle area and Facebook has helped us to reconnect.  We've been trying since about July to get together, and last night the stars were finally in alignment!  We had food that was yummy for my tummy, and conversation that was nourishing for my soul.  Love her.  We'll be connecting again soon.

She suggested the Northgate area as a meeting point, and although most people said "WHAT?!?!" when I told them, I love the drive.  The drive takes me up the I-5 corridor, past Boeing Field, and around the bend through downtown Seattle.  And the Express Lanes :)

Have you ever been to Seattle?  Have you ever seen her in all her beauty while making this drive?  On a sunny day it is breathtaking.  You drive through the industrial area and approach Safeco & Qwest fields. They are magnificent.  You see the Olympic Mountains in the distance, ferry boats criss-crossing the Sound, and her skyscrapers in front of you.

Even better is Seattle on a clear night.  As I was driving up I-5, getting closer to the hubbub of Downtown, my heart literally started fluttering - it is just such an awesome sight!  The skyscrapers are lit, and you drive so close to them that you can see people's items on their desks through their windows.  And if you time it juusssssst right, you get to use the Express Lanes.

When I visited here almost 25 years ago, I was fascinated by the Express Lanes.  It was such a progressive idea - 4 lanes that change directions according to the time of day - that have no exits for probably 5 miles or so - that goes underneath I-5 in it's own secret passageway.  It's almost like driving a bat-car through there like Batman.  It's eerie, but so cool. You come out again just before crossing the Montlake Cut (the narrow body of water that connects Lake Washington to Lake Union).  You can see the UW on your right, the football stadium, the houseboats on Lake Union, the float planes taking off and landing, and the Space Needle looming in the distance. 

It is a serious rush for me.  

every

single

time.

So, no, I didn't mind driving all the way up to Northgate on a Friday night at all... especially in my Passat that throws my head back when I push the accelerator :)

Soccer today

It was a great battle, our girls played so well.  Emma's drive and pace was astounding.  But we lost, and it's okay, it's good to battle sometimes.

Random observation today

Today I'm home from work and found my baby hovered over a heating vent.  His hair flying around his face, kind of like a super model!  He loves to be warm :)

Hello, Lover!

Remember when Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex and the City" saw those adorable shoes in the window and cooed, "Hello, Lover!" to them? 

That's how I feel about this new color of Le Creuset cookware:

 

It's called Ocean.  It's mesmerizing, tranquil, and I want to fill it up with yummy goodness.

p.s.  I really did love those shoes too - oh how I'd love to go to an event with those lovelies on my feet.

Let's Go Sounders!!

Super fun game last night at Qwest field watching the last game of the season before playoffs begin.  The Sounders kicked some Chivas butt 2-1 (we missed out on two tacos from Jack in the Box by not getting a shut out, and missed out on a free haircut at Great Clips for not scoring 3 goals - drats!) and we had AWESOME seats (thanks to my co-workers that let me buy their season ticket seats for the game :)  We were so close to the field, Drew Carey (one of the owners of the team) was right in front of us about 10 rows away.

Here are a couple of shots from the evening - all from my iPhone, so not the best quality...

Two Teams

They were designated by:

Mustaches and Unibrows.  Hilarious.  The girls really knew how to work those babies...

Haunted Household

Emma and I have had a lot of fun decorating our house for the Fall season - but we have a few tricks amid our treats - some Halloween fun as well :)

I picked up these foam kits at Michael's for 40% off *before* the holiday - love that :) Emma spent a few hours working on these, here and there, on a card table set up in the living room.  Love how they turned out and are now a spooky centerpiece for our table :)

This vinyl image is from Uppercase Living.  We ordered several items for Emma's room and these were the free gifts with purchase this month - I earned two, so I got the expression in both colors - cut out the skull from the the green one - and paired it with the purple.  I saved the same from each so that I can use it again next year. See the added rhinestone eyes?  I sure hope I can get those suckers off... 

My Girl Got a Goal

Yep, coach mixed things up a bit at today's game and played Emma at forward - and she scored!  WOW!  It was soooo fun to watch - she's like a gazelle out there with those legs, lightening fast.  Not only did she score (she has solely played defender for almost 2 years) but so did her defense teammate, Brianna!  She lobbed one in from about the 25 yard mark - over the goalie's head - BEAUTIFUL!  First goal for these defense partners - and in the same game - love these girls :)

"Now how easy is that?"

Easy Ina, easy when you show me :)  My favorite cookbook author, The Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten, is coming out with a new cookbook!!  This is her trademark saying, complete with Northeastern twang and her irritating snicker after... say it with me... "now how easy is that???"