Stacy Says Giveaway

My awesome bud, Mel at Chicago Girl Gone Mild, posted about this giveaway at Stacy Says.

She's giving away this rockin' necklace from Stella & Dot.

Now, Mel thinks she's going to win it... We'll see. I would love to wear this on my trip to NYC in March. Head over to Stacy Says to enter before March 2nd...

New Designs

Just a few new designs I have been working on recently. Head over to my etsy shop and buy one pronto! :)

JD Wolfe Pottery

I just bought this gorgeous platter from Jen over at JD Wolfe Pottery. The colors! The pattern! I could not resist it. And she's from Wisconsin. And she is sending some of her hubby's BBQ Dry Rub from his shop, Howling Wolf Sauces. Cannot wait to try that!! And I'll be sure to blog about it once I do! I wish they sold some in Wausau... I'll just have to buy it from etsy if I like it. I think I will definitely be a repeat customer at JD Wolfe Pottery!!

How I know I live with a Toddler Tuesday...

I decided to break up the 'How I know I live with a Toddler' posts into one item every Tuesday to keep them shorter and to make them more frequent.

There's my little guy after the whole Toddler Blue Man Group debacle post bath. I don't have pictures of all the funny things he does but I'll at least try to post a picture with each item. He is full of adorable, well meaning mischief!

So last week we went out for dinner at one of our favorite places, The Great Dane, and we had to wait for our table so we waited in this cozy little area in the bar. AJ was so interested in a father and son playing pool. We explained that when he was older he could play too but not now. While Steve was paying the bill, AJ & I went over to some people playing pool and asked if we could watch them for awhile. Sure. I tried to explain the game the best I could to AJ while we watched. The other day he has a oval shaped train track upstairs and he had a golf ball in the middle and a drumstick in his hand and was playing his own version of pool... I showed him how to (kinda) hold the stick and he just had a ball! You have to start some way, right?

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

I couldn't be more excited! A new book by my absolute favorite author is coming out in 3 weeks!! Yay! I look so forward to reading this book cover to cover in a day. I don't care what is going on, I will buy it and read it that day. Can't wait!

I Heart Express

We don't have Express by us. The closest store is in Appleton or Eau Claire. I think Wausau could support an Express store easily. I was in Appleton on February 6th and tried on both this blue and white striped shirt and the black/charcoal pants. Loved them! The fit, the feel and the look. They were both super comfortable and flattering. The price tag, however, a little steep. I don't know when the pants price shot through the moon ($80)- I remember paying (years ago) what they are charging for the shirt ($50) for the pants. Anyway, I hung them back up after I tried them on, knowing that I could get a better price for them. And that I did! Five days later, I got an email of a sale and a coupon. The pants and the shirt were on sale and I had a coupon for $15 off every $60. Sweet! I ended up getting the pants for $41 and the shirt for $26 and since it was basically 1/2 off... I got the white shirt and the oatmeal pants too. I can't wait to wear them!

Holster not included... :)

The only problem is that the pants are a little long and I don't wear heels but they may be okay with my boots. I'll have to check it out.

The Buried Life

These 4 hotties (especially Ben, 2nd from left) have a show on MTV right now called The Buried Life. I used to watch MTV all the time and then I just didn't anymore and I think it has something to do with the fact that it's not in HD so I don't go to those non-HD channels much anymore. Anyway, I digress. I was glad I caught an excerpt of this show though in TV Guide. It is inspiring. These 4 20-somethings are driving across North America fulfilling their dreams and their Bucket List. And they are helping to fulfill others' lists too. They try to cross one thing off their 100 item list at each stop/show as well as a stranger's wish. The last one, for example, was to 'compete in a krump dance competition'. They were in Compton (yes, Compton!) and they had no idea how to krump. They did an awesome job. While they were there they also were able to get a young man's rap song on the radio. I think what they are doing is admirable. If only we could all be like these guys! The Buried Life is on Monday at 10 pm/9 pm c and about 50 other times during the week. Watch it, I highly recommend it. I wonder, too, if they'll be able to play ball with Obama next week!!

I won a giveaway!

I am so excited!! I won this lovely scarf from Collette over at Serendipity Handmade! Lisa at Whimsical Bohemian started a blog event called One World, One Heart for bloggers to get to know each other. Basically those that sign up have a giveaway on their blog open to other bloggers. Over 1100 blogs participated, many of whom are artsy craftsy. I heard about it last year from Nikki at WhiMSy love but failed to remember the dates and prepare something to giveaway. I promise to do it next year though. I already wrote the dates in my calendar. So Collette, who's etsy shop can be seen here, had 320 comments and I was maybe 230 and was randomly chosen. Yay me! There were some great giveaways though on several blogs. I added a few of their etsy shops to my favorites file. It is a great way to get the word out about your blog and shop! So a big thank you to Collette! I will give your creation some love in cold Wisconsin. :)

Beautiful Blogger Award

Thank you to Mel at Chicago Girl Gone Mild for a lovely award once again! I feel like she's the only one who reads my blog sometimes... How can I change that? You know how much I like Mel's blog since I mention her all the time!

The rules are as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and insert a link to their blog.
2. Pass on the award to 15 other bloggers that you think are great.
3. Contact the other bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
4. List 7 random things about yourself.


7 Bloggers (because I can't come up with 15...)-

• tea, afghans & photographs
• Majer Minutes
• Whimsy Love
• Paske Family
• Jones Family
• Magic Onions
• Operation NICE

7 random things about me (I am picking new ones that you haven't heard before)-

1. I am obsessed with recycling. I will bring a bottle home before I'd throw it in a garbage can. Las Vegas was disheartening because of the lack of recycling and the need for it there.
2. My favorite charity is Special Olympics.
3. I like to do quizzes and questionaires about myself. Stuff like this! :)
4. My absolute favorite book is Pride & Prejudice, I would have loved to have lived in the English countryside in the early 1800s.
5. I wear socks to bed- my feet are like ice cubes. I miss Cosmo (our old dog) most at night because he used to sleep in my legs and keep my feet warm.
6. I love coconut. Almond Joys are my favorite candy bar. Nestle used to make toasted coconut Treasures (similar to Hershey's Nuggets) that were divine. The cookie recipe on the back of the bag- awesome!
7. If I could have one super power, it would be to snap my fingers and be instantly transported anywhere. How cool would it be to have dinner in San Francisco and dessert in Paris and be back home to sleep in your own bed?!?!?

Lemon Cranberry Shortbread Bars

Awhile back I said I would share this recipe for Lemon Cranberry Shortbread Bars. I had it in an email from my mom and thought I would have to type it up to post it but I found it online! It is a delightful dessert for summer or winter and turns out very beautiful. I served them at a summer party and my mom made them for my spring baby shower. Plus they are incredibly easy! Whip up a batch for your next get together!

How I know I live with a toddler (Part 9)...

This edition comes with plenty of photos to document that I don't make this stuff up! :) My kid is weird. But very sweet and imaginative. :)

* Instead of the wolfman on a full moon, I get a scary, out of whack toddler.
* I get to wrestle, log roll & just be silly anytime that I want.
* I break out in song and dance in very random places. In the past couple of weeks, I have heard some bad mid-90s music that I couldn't help singing along to in places like the grocery store, the pool (the aerobics that is being taught in the pool next to where he has swimming lessons needs a serious update- Ghostbusters plays every week!!), amongst others. Sugar Ray, anyone?
* Hug=carry me. My back is killing me.

* He sets up chairs for his audience- his dog, Pound Cake and bear, Snowflake. He does this for his trampoline jumping, piano concerts and bowling.

* He is constantly asking me to take his picture. And this dumb trampoline took me and the hubby 3+ hours to put together. I am wating for it to just collapse.

* He gets so excited when a package comes. This one happened to be from Gymboree and he liked all the shirts so much that he just kept putting them on. He is wearing 4 here. And he threw the packaging all over the floor...

* I was cutting owls out for a card at a TV tray table and he decided he wanted to help so he pulled up 2 chairs (one for him and one for Pound Cake) and I gave him his scissors and that little pad of paper and he went to town. 'Take a picture of AJ, mama!'

* Apparently Pound Cake is the Handsome Little Devil... The other day, he wanted to clean (with wipes) Pound Cake and put a diaper on him. He did very well. Of course I didn't get a picture of that since the camera was downstairs and we were upstairs.

* This, I can't explain. All these bags were flat, in another bag in the laundry room. While I was making dinner, he put a roll of paper towels in each bag and carried them out to the kitchen. He spent 45 minutes playing with them before dinner and then after dinner he brought them out by the front door and played with them for another 45 minutes. It was all very organized and concise. I have no idea what he was doing though.

* He wanted to add flashing lights to his pickup truck. Blocks will do. Very creative! :)

* Okay, this was fingerpainting gone wrong. He had a little bit of paint in his hair so I told him to stay where he was so I could go get the camera downstairs. When I came back- maybe a minute later- this is what I was looking at. I encourage it, I think, because I laugh. The painting is super cool though. Anyway, I am looking forward to that call in the fall when I have to go pick up my son at preschool because he's done something like this. Maybe he can just audition for the Toddler Blue Man Group...

* Recently he whipped up a pot of Alphabet Stew with all his letter magnets in a big pot. He told daddy that's what we were having for dinner that night.

* He LOVES glitter. A little too much... It's sparkly in our house.

* He was taking my hair and pushing it all over my face (so basically the front looked like the back...) and he was saying, "Moustache!" More like hairy scary monster...

* He makes Abby Cadabby and Elmo kiss (more like make out) in Barnes & Noble.

* There is a difference between your, my and our kid. It's my kid when I am alone and he's doing something wonderful or not so wonderful, it's your kid when you are speaking to the hubby and he has done something not so wonderful and it's our kid when again he is doing something wonderful and you are with your spouse. Example: At playgroup and he spills the paint- "Oh geez, that's my kid.", on the phone with my hubby- "You won't believe what your kid did today. He smeered paint (or worse- poop- then he is definitely a your kid!!) in his hair." At church as a family- "Look at how well behaved our son is."

* He never goes easy on the ranch dressing. You have a little on your chin...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

AJ is just like his momma, he loves to play with glitter! He worked so hard on his 14 Valentines that he made this year. I was so proud of him. :) Happy Valentine's Day! Hope it is great and spent with someone you love!

Magazine Obsession

I have always had a small obsession with magazines. Okay, it's not really small. It's big. Really big. What's worse is that I feel compelled to look through all of them. I don't have time to read most of them so I keep them. And I have stacks of them. I moved them. Why? Because I didn't have a chance to look through that issue of Parents magazine from December 2007 and there might be something helpful in it. It is probably more of a compulsion actually. So on top of all those magazines, I also cut out articles and recipes and what not that I may use later. I have boxes full of unorganized file folders and papers that I can't seem to find anything in anyway. I have been working really hard to eliminate the stacks of magazines this past few weeks and organize the recipes and crafts that I may actually make. My husband thinks I am crazy. He thinks I should just throw the magazine away and not cut anything out... well honey, then you wouldn't have been able to try those 8 new dishes that I have made in the last 4 weeks. They came from those magazines. I have to find my favorites. In my lifetime, with the amount of recipes that I have, I will not be able to make everything. Not even close. So I am only cutting out lower calorie dishes that contain only ingredients that I like. I am going through the other already cut out things and being more realistic... will I make that?



What is totally annoying though is that as I am trying to unbury myself from the stacks, I continue to receive magazines in the mail that I didn't even subscribe to! Martha Stewart Living- where did you come from and why are you in my mailbox? I like to cook comfort food and hers is too high in fat or froofy stuff that I'll eat in a restaurant rather than at home where in northcentral Wisconsin you can't even find half the ingredients... I received Ready Made today. Never heard of it and don't have any idea where it came from. Better Homes and Gardens is decent, I used to subscribe, but out of sight, out of mind. Now I got a gift subscription from someone for Christmas. Parents and Family Fun I got because of a donation phone call to Special Olympics (I can't pass up anything from SO...). I love Family Fun but I don't read Parents. I have discovered that I am appalled at how many calories and grams of fat are in the dishes from Cuisine. Never thought much about it before. Another gift subscription that I think I will cancel. (Sorry Mom!!) I will keep Cooking Light because I find the most recipes that I make from there. I recently let a few go by the wayside so my mailbox isn't quite as full- Adoptive Families (while helpful, I just didn't read it) and BeadStyle (not making enough jewelry to justify it). Getting cancelled are Cuisine and Parents. I have to start holding back from buying issues of anything and everything at B&N. Especially cooking magazines. I just think about that big mess in the corner (all of it is confined to that corner actually) of our unfinished media (or what is supposed to be that- I'll post later about what it is probably going to be!) room. I will continue to organize it until it is in nice, neat binders and ready to peruse. I will continue to piss off my recycling guy with the heavy paper bags filled with magazines until it is all done and gone out of there. Soon. And as I receive a magazine it will be looked through immediately and any recipes and crafts will be filed away in their places right away to avoid the colossal mess I have had for the last, um, 15 years of my life. Yeah, it's been that long. It's time it came to an end.

The Bada Bing Panini

I don't have a picture of what should become my famous sandwich but I will tell you that it is damn good. It is inspired by one of my favorite restaurants in Wausau, Red Eye Brewing Company. My sandwich isn't really like theirs (Chicken Soprano) though, just inspired by. So I present you the recipe for the Bada Bing Panini...

*Two slices artisan French bread (I like La Brea French Bread for it)
*Basil Pesto (any kind you like will do, I like Sauces n' Love's or another that I can't remember the name of...)
*Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (my fave is Delallo, it is generally found by the pasta sauces in the supermarket)
*Fresh Mozzarella, 2-3 slices
*Turkey Pepperoni, 5-6 slices(I cannot tell the difference taste wise between regular pepperoni and turkey. There is a lot less fat and grease though with turkey pepperoni!!)
*Garlic Salt
*Rosemary, dried or fresh
*Pam Butter Spray

Warm up your panini maker (or pan, whatever). Spray one side of each slice of the bread with the Pam, spread the 2 different pestos on, throw the pepperoni on next, cover the pepperoni with the mozarella cheese and sprinkle a little garlic salt and rosemary onto the mozzarella. Grill it in a pan (flip too if needed) or in your panini maker until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!! Yum...

So I know it isn't low fat but I did make it lower in fat than what you would get in a restaurant (but nobody's servin the Bada Bing cuz I have never seen it before anywhere and since it is my creation) by using the turkey pepperoni and the Pam. And can I just say that my panini maker was one of the best gifts I ever bought for myself from my husband and son for Mother's Day!! I make everything in that- quesadillas, grilled cheesers...

Make them tonight for dinner, I know you'll relish every bite!

Movies I have seen recently... in my living room

A couple of these movies I saw a few months ago but most were within the last 2 months. There have been some others but I can't remember them. Anyway, this is what I thought of the this bunch.

Great cast- Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch, Carol Burnett... BORING movie. The absolute last line of the movie was the only one that made me laugh and it wasn't said by any of those three. Such a sad waste of great comedic talent.

Cute. Again great cast. Allison Janney and Maggie Gyllenhal were so funny in it. It was delightful to watch.

It's too bad this one wasn't better. Kinda raunchy but not as bad as Apatow movies. Had its moments but overall, it's okay.

So boring. I was trying to figure out the point.

Funniest classic movie ever. It was so much fun to watch. Jack Lemmon is HILARIOUS in it!

Great Cast, charming movie. I really enjoyed it. Ellen Page is adorable as ever.

SUCKED!!! Don't bother!

Quirky and sweet. It is actually a mockumentary about falling in love. Both actors are charming.

This has got to be one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. It has plenty of raunch but appeals to both males and females. When the movie hit the theaters I thought it looked so stupid and wouldn't do well at all. I wish I would have seen it in the theater with my hubby. I laughed so hard that I was crying.

2010 Goals & Aspirations

Okay, it is time to commit to my goals for this year. So here they are. Hold me accountable.

* Stick to my fitness plan. I usually do this until October when the days get shorter and it is hard to drag my butt out of bed. I get up at 5:15 a.m. to workout because I can't think of any other time to fit it in to my schedule.

* Practice portion control. It is not exactly dieting. I just need to watch it and not overindulge. It is amazing how I feel after eating the correct portion size. I don't need the extra! So 2 Tbsps of peanut butter not 8... And hey, if I lose a few pounds while doing it- great!

* Go to church more often than last year. This should be easily attainable. We have even received compliments on how well behaved AJ is in church from fellow parishoners.

* Continue trying new recipes. This was a fun goal from last year but I am not going to commit myself to once a week although so far I have done that!

* Read more books than last year. I am off to a good start- I have already finished 3 in January! One was started in early December and I bought one for my Kindle on Christmas but still I finished 3 books. I think I have to read over 22...

* Purge and Organize. I cleaned out the pantry, fridge and freezers a couple of weeks ago... Holy bananas! They were bare after that! I need to tackle the storage room again this year. Aaaahhh!

* Craft more. For me.

* From last year: One silver piece, build a fairy house in the backyard, one scrapbook and do my rock star item!

Man, I hope these happen this year. I'm going to try not to overschedule myself this summer and relax more too. Happy 2010 and good luck with all your goals!!

How I know I live with a toddler: Part 8

1. I have to be careful he's not climbing on the dresser. I suddenly have to think about these things!
2. We have this ball popper and one day it started making this horrible noise... that is what happens when you stuff crayons and sidewalk chalk in it and the fan starts grinding the chalk away.
3. 75% of the time he thinks he is a cat, 10% of the time a cat-dog and 15% of the time a human boy.
4. He watches Sesame Street instead of taking a nap so mom can get a little mom time. I miss naps. He is so much better if he takes a nap.
5. I read the same book over and over and over again at bedtime. I am sick of the truck book.
6. Knows every truck ever made and can spot them from a mile away.
7. He is scared of the snowplow and comes in everyday at 6 am telling us that it woke him up even though a snowplow hasn't even come by in a week.
8. He gets a charge out of watching the garbage man. So we have to wait for the garbage man on Thursdays before we go out.
9. I get excited about going to the waterpark resorts! And I use it for bribery the whole week before.

A new playlist

(Regina Spektor)
(Okkervil River)

1. After Tonight- Justin Nozuka
2. Beatbox Harmonica- Yuri Lane
3. On the Radio- Regina Spektor
4. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
5. Don't Stop Believin'- Glee Cast
6. Lover, You Should've Come Over- Jeff Buckley
7. Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe- Okkervil River
8. You and I- Ingrid Michaelson
9. Golden Train- Justin Nozuka
10. Warm Whispers- Missy Higgins
11. One of Those Days- Joshua Radin
12. Hotel Song- Regina Spektor
13. Better Man- James Morrison
14. A-Punk- Vampire Weekend
15. Sugar Assualt Me Now- Pop Levi
16. Dropped- Phantom Planet
17. 3 Rounds and a Sound (Live)- Blind Pilot
18. Beyond Here Lies Nothing- Bob Dylan
19. Hold On, I'm Coming- Sam & Dave
20. We Are Not the Losers (Anymore)- Actionslacks
21. This is Beautiful- Tyrone Wells
22. Dance Tonight- Paul McCartney
23. Looking At the Sun- Gramercy Arms
24. Black & Gold- Sam Sparro
25. Backwards Walk- Frightened Rabbit

So it is a little long for a CD so I'll have to carry a couple songs into the next one. Like I said before, I am addicted to Vampire Weekend. Beyond Here Lies Nothing is Dylan at his grittiest. His gravely voice just gets to me. Yuri Lane is definitely out there rockin' it plus he lives in Chicago. Woohoo! I just think he is amazing. Check out this video. (They wouldn't let me put it on here- Boo!) I love the range in Regina Spektor's voice. She's a little quirky. Okkervil River just rocks (although I like Unless Its Kicks better- great workout music!). Looking At the Sun is a fun song. Catchy. Black & Gold makes me want to bob my head and tap my foot to the awesome beat. It reminds me of an 80s song kinda. I am not a fan of 80s music (I know that is actually shocking but it is too pop-y for me...)- I like the classic rock & punk songs that were produced from the 80s but that's about it. I even put a somewhat kibosh on it at my wedding. Cruel, I know. I am ready to catch flak for this, it doesn't hurt my self esteem one bit. You don't want to know what I really think about it. Okay, I just opened a can of worms so I am just going to stop. Enjoy the music if you choose too. :)

Vampire Weekend

I am addicted to Vampire Weekend! I love the song Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa especially. Give them a listen!

Happy 101

Mel at Chicago Girl Gone Mild listed my little blog as one that brightens her day. Maybe it would brighten Mel's day even more if I updated it once in awhile! Thanks girl!! :)


The Rules:
1. List 10 things that make you happy.
2. List 10 blogs that brighten your day.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. My boys (MOST of the time...) ;)
2. Compliments on my work/creativity
3. Fresh, clean sheets (my husband and I talk about this all day on clean sheet day until bedtime... I don't know why making the bed doesn't work the same way but it just doesn't!)
4. When my little boy says, 'Love you, momma.'
5. Doing something nice for other people when they aren't expecting it
6. Baking a fabulous dessert (I'm not a huge dessert person but I love to make them for others. I do like chocolate though!)
7. Art fairs
8. Stumbling onto something that you absolutely need, want, love or is just perfect for a project, etc. (this happened to me recently with a website/CD that is so cool for a project I am doing!)
9. Really, really good food and wine
10. A book that I can't put down or a song that is played on a continuous loop

10 Blogs That Brighten My Day (in no particular order... BUT #1 is #1!!) :)

1. Lipowski Family (I know, I know- I write it! I love it b/c it has pictures of my family on it though!!)
2. Chicago Girl Gone Mild (I know she gave me this post but her blog is one of my faves!)
3. Crafty Crow
4. Whimsy Love
5. Paisley Wallpaper
6. Operation Nice
7. The Magic Onions
8. Majer Minutes
9. Hostess with the Mostess
10. Blue Yonder Ranch