Advent calendars

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8457200@N02/ / CC BY 2.0

Growing up, I was not aware of such things as the advent calendar. Oh, we had the tree and the ornaments and presents and all, but for some reason, we never knew about the advent calendar. When I received one as a token Christmas gift in high school, I was fascinated by it! What a novel idea! A little surprise for every day in December, counting down to Christmas. I dutifully ate every piece of chocolate in my gift and never forgot how much I enjoyed it. These days, on occasion, I'll see a really beautiful advent calendar for sale and wish they can be used to count down other things, like birthdays and anniversaries. Unfortunately, most advent calendars for sale are clearly marked for Christmas use only. Lol!

Well, if I want a generic countdown calendar like an advent calendar, I may have to just make own. There are lots of tutorials on the web on how to make your own. Wouldn't it be nice to gift a countdown calendar to somone counting down to a very special birthday?

For the love of burgers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pokpok/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

I happen to love burgers. I mean the really good ones - not the cardboard that most fast food places try to sell you. However, I haven't had a burger since I cut cows out of my diet. Ever since, I've been keeping an eye out for tasty veggie burgers and meatless meatloaves. I'm not expecting the meatless meats to taste like meat. I just want something that tastes flavorful and makes me remember why I don't miss meat.

I've experimented with a few recipes on the net and also tried a few of my own creations. In the end, my favorite lentil loaf recipe is my meatless meat of choice. It's delicious as a meatloaf, or a meatball and can be eaten as a slice or patty on a bun. However, it's a little labor intensive to make. Picking stones out from lentils takes a long time! Sometimes, I just want a fast, easy burger dinner.

That's why this recipe I found on the internet is so interesting! It looks really good and I really want to try it. Check it out here:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/11/meaty-mushroom-veggie-burger-least.html

Embossing the invitations

http://www.flickr.com/photos/geishabot/ / CC BY 2.0

So I've begun embossing one corner of the invitation wording sheets. When I say embossing, I mean stamping the corner with my chosen stamp, using slow-drying ink, then sprinkling embossing powder over the image, sliding the excess powder off, and then using the embossing heater tool to melt the powder on the paper to create a raised image. It's pretty cool! Unfortunately, I messed up a lot of sheets. :-(

I didn't mess up terribly to the point where the sheets are unusable, but they don't look "near-perfect." What I mean is that some of the pages had stray dots from stray embossing powders that somehow stayed stuck to the page. Or I over-melted the powder and the image didn't look as crisp as I would like it to be. After messing up several sheets, I came up with the following tips for better, if not near-perfect results:

- wipe the paper with a sheet of fabric softener to prevent static cling. Static cling helps stray embossing powder to stay stuck to the page, creating unwanted stray dots.
- ink the stamp by placing the stamp facing up and pressing the ink pad down onto the image, rather than pressing the stamp into the ink pad. This helps prevent over-inking, which creates smudges and non-crisp images.
- press the stamp onto the page, but not too hard or risk smudging the image.
- after covering the image with embossing powder and sliding the excess off, tap the paper gently several times to remove any stuck excess grains.
- warm up the embossing heater tool and run it over the image, side to side, from the top down. I prefer a slightly grainy rather than smooth effect so as soon as the powder melts, I move the tool to a different part. If you want a smoother image, keep heating the powder until it melts all the way and the image smoothes out.

That's all I got right now when it comes to my embossing experience. Currently, I'm using a silver stamp with pearly embossing powder. I love the effect when it comes out just right. My biggest pet peeve is the stray dots, which despite all my above efforts, I still get from time to time. I've become a bit obsessed with wiping down all surfaces ever few sheets to prevent stray grains from sticking on, which does help, but definitely slows the process down. Good thing I still have lots of time to get these done!

Carved Eggs

I was browsing through Etsy when I stumbled across a store that sells carved eggs. It's really amazingly gorgeous stuff! You gotta check it out:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/1eggman

30 Day shred - Don't remember which day it is anymore

Good news! I've lost 2 pounds! I was surprised because I didn't work out very much last week and haven't exactly been conservative with my caloric intake. I am very happy to have lost some of the weight and I hope it wasn't all water weight. I'm going to try to keep going and weigh myself again in another week or two.

So far, all I'm doing is the 30 Day Shred DVD plus a few yoga stretches at the end. So although I think I can be better about working out, I think my real issue is the food I'm eating. I'll usually eat whatever's around my workplace, but everything is really expensive and the stuff I like to eat probably has tons of calories. It's not that I'm not getting a balanced meal, it's that along with my meal, I'm eating lots of butter on my bread and spreading cheese all over my salad. I like to indulge when it comes to food, but it isn't doing anything for my waistline! However, full on denial will only cause me to binge later, so telling myself, "No potato chips!" is not the answer. I think a better idea is to cut down, not cut out. In a way, I'm reminded of this idea in buddhism of "not too loose and not too tight." Finding the right balance is really the tricky part.

I'm tempted to stay on my current course and see if I lose any more weight this way. If I don't have to change my eating habits and all I have to do is be more active, that would be great! Eating yummy, fatty foods is one of life's pleasures and I'd rather not cut down on what I can enjoy on a daily basis. Lol! However, I do feel a bit guilty about putting so much bad stuff into my body. For now, I think I'll just take it on a day by day basis.

Asking guests to turn off cellphones

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mujitra/ / CC BY 2.0

Back when I used to teach first aid classes, one of my biggest pet peeves were cellphones. Generally, I got annoyed at anything that indicates the participant couldn't care less about learning the material. It's also a sign of disrespect for a person to think nothing of letting their phone call interrupt, not just me, but the entire group's concentration on learning how to save a life. However, most people aren't trying to be disrespectful. Most people just plain forget to turn it off or put it on vibrate. I, myself, am the forgetful type and appreciate reminders so that I can avoid being the a$$ in the group.

In class, I'll usually just ask people to turn it off or put it on vibrate during the introduction, and believe it or not, I also often find the need to tell grown-ups that they should take the phone call outside if they have to pick up. You'd think that mature adults that expect others to respect them would offer the same courtesy to others, but often, common sense isn't very common. Teaching adults is often like teaching a bunch of rowdy teenagers. Okay, enough ranting on my part!

What I really want to talk about is how to politely ask guests to be courteous during the wedding ceremony. It would be rather ruinous to have someone's phone ring loudly while you're sharing a teary "I do" with your honey. So we could ask the officiant to give a polite reminder before the ceremony starts, and/or we can put up nicely written signs at the entrance that asks guests to turn off or put their phones on vibrate. A nicely phrased wording is suggested here:

http://stylisheventsblog.com/2009/11/17/tip-of-the-day-turn-off-cell-phones/

How to cut the cake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timparkinson/ / CC BY 2.0

I really don't know anything about the cake cutting ceremony other than the bride and groom cutting a slice of cake and feeding to each other. I didn't imagine that the couple would have to cut an entire cake themselves! So if you're just as clueless as me, here's a great post on how to properly cut a wedding cake!

http://www.austinweddingblog.com/2009/11/how-to-properly-cut-wedding-cake.html

Feeling the pull of the Wedding Industrial Complex

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetruthabout/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

 I have a new obsession now. I really, REALLY want to have flower petals lining the aisle when I walk down it. Unfortunately, the amount of petals I need for the effect I want is really, REALLY expensive! Logically, there's really no need for them. After all, we're getting married in an outdoor garden, where there are flowers and grass and trees and the scenery is beautiful all by itself. Do I really, really NEED the flower petals? The answer is, of course not, but I want them!

The flower petals are not the only things I want, but really don't need. For instance, an underskirt. Now, if I do wear one, it will be one I made myself. They're pretty easy to make so I'm not worried, but it's still money and resources spent on something that I don't really need. After all, my dress already has some layers of tulle sewn into the skirt. I really don't need that extra poof, but I WANT it. Lol!

Another item that I've already decided to cut out, but still crave are favors. In the weddings I've attended, I really don't miss them if they're missing, nor do I go gaga over them when I do get them. Most of the ones I've received have been tossed into a dark corner on a shelf, gathering dust. They really aren't necessary, and if your guests have a good time, they won't be missed either. However, I still feel that it's a nice touch if your guests can take something home. If I had the money to give my guests something extra nice and special that they would appreciate, I would totally get favors. Given the choice of giving my guests some cheap, crappy favors or spending a bit more on the heart of the event (like getting a good officiant to marry us), I think I'll go with the latter. After all, the wedding isn't about the favors or the gifts or the flowers. A wedding is about getting married!!!

Terracotta pots for wind chimes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/acradenia/ / CC BY 2.0

I've always like wind chimes, though I've never owned one. I guess I'm always a little worried that the chimes would eventually irritate me. Still, my eyes light up when I see a really pretty one making really pretty sounds in a shop. Because I'm worried about eventually being irritated with it, I've never thought it was worth the money to buy one. Well, here's a way you can make one cheap if you have some craft and gardening supplies around the house:

http://www.diynetwork.com/decorating/chiming-garden-pots/index.html

I think this is also a nice project for a rainy day with the kids.

Pizza - like food

Oftentimes, I feel too lazy to cook a full-on dinner. Sometimes, I want something hot/warm to eat for a snack and don't want to put too much effort into it. That's when I turn to what I call pizza pitas, or pizza bread. It's not really pizza because I don't alwyas use mozzarella cheese. I pretty much use whatever cheese we have on hand.

Basically, you need some bread, or pita. With pita, I like splitting them apart and make two pizzas at a time. Brush with olive oil and place in toaster oven until just starting to turn brown. Take them out and slather on some tomato or marinara sauce and top with shredded or grated cheese. Place back into the toaster oven and toast until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Icebox Cake

This is a cake that probably has a million calories per bite! It's literally nothing by chocolate wafer cookies and sweetened heavy whipping cream. It looks delicious!

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/wafer-wonderland/

Toilegami

Otherwise known as toilet paper origami! If you're bored one day and would like to treat the next person who goes to the bathroom to some pretty toilet paper decoration, this is the link for you! Learn to fold toilet paper while it's still on the roll, like those fancy hotels!

http://www.origami-resource-center.com/toilet-paper-origami.html

Make your own temporary tattoos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fastcarsandfastboys/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

I've always loved temporary tattoos. Some of them were so pretty! The best thing is, they come off easily when you're ready to get rid of them. I love temporary tattoos. Now, I've found that you can make your own! You need a laser or inket printer and some decal paper, like the ones found here:

http://www.decalpaper.com/category-s/8.htm?gclid=CKekwO2LyZICFQx7PAoduwaULA

Follow the directions on how to use the paper and voila! Your own temporary tattoos that you can make any time you want!

Invitations, part 4

So I finally came back to working on the invitations again. I started stamping and embossing one corner of the invitation print-out and did about 60 invites before I noticed that there was a typo! Now, I need to re-print the invites (no big deal here) and will probably have to buy more ink (sucks here). I like going to the crafts store, but I hate making the trip out to one just to get an ink pad that they may or may not have. Still, it's better to have the ink pad around in case I need it, than to run out in the middle of the process and have to stop. There's still so much to do with them. Good thing I still have a loooong time before I have to send these out!

As for the Save the Date, that's going to be done via email. I was going to use one generated by TheKnot.com, but they don't give you the option of sending your guests to a different wedding website. Then I discovered that my Mail application has a Save the Date template stationery. In the interests of saving time and effort, I think I'll just go with the template. Yay!

Day 5 of the 30 Day Shred

I know I didn't do an entry on Day 4. Suffice it to say that after Day 4, I thought I was ready to move on to Level 2! So on Day 5, I watched through the routine and decided to try it out. Boy was it HARD!! I was definitely sore the next day and had to take a 1 day break.

I would say that Level 2 had more variety in the workouts, but I miss the traditional pushups that's done in Level 1. I think I'll try pushing through Level 2 for a few more days and see how I feel. Maybe in another few days, I can do Level 3!

Unfortunately, I don't feel any more "shredded" than when I first started. My waistline is still the same size and my weight hasn't changed. It makes me a little sad to know that, even though I know it's unreasonable to expect results in 5 days of 20 minute workouts. I lamented my lack of visible progress to my fiance who replied that I'm expecting too much too soon and he has definitely noticed that I have more energy now than when I first started. That's good. More energy is always welcome!

Day 3 of the 30 Day Shred

Did it for the third time last night! I definitely can say that I feel my body already getting used to it as it feels easier to do than the first time. Still, it is a very good workout. I definitely still have to push myself and I definitely work up a lot of sweat! I may be able to start on Level 2 either tonight or tomorrow night. Only, I'm having my monthly visitor now, and I never feel like sweating a lot when I'm having my monthly visitor. It seems bad to break my routine so soon into the program, and exercise can sometimes make me feel better overall. I guess I'll see how I feel later tonight. Lol! I'm so bad!

Rethinking my wedding

Before I started planning my wedding, I was soooo excited! Once I started planning and realized what a money and time sucker it was, I wanted to elope. I mean I still do, but at this point, eloping is not an option. So I plowed ahead and researched and read tons of blog posts and forums on all kinds of DIY projects. Then I got all excited again and my inner craftster woke up with a vengeance! So I charged ahead, buying all these craft supplies and started working on the invitations. They're still not done, by the way. I've been putting them off. So now that I'm taking a short breather from the wedding stuff, I realize just how much I've taken upon myself. I need to prioritize my DIY projects!

So after some thought, here are the things I definitely MUST do at this point:
- make simple Save the Date emails (these are actually done, for the most part)
- finish making the invitations (have been putting them off cause am still collecting everyone's guest lists)
- print out invitation labels (easy!)
- make pattern and make chinese dress (not so easy!)
- make simple veil
- make bouquets
- make boutonnieres
- make centerpieces
- make "reserved" seating signs for ceremony
- make escort cards and table numbers

Here's the list of stuff I'll do if I have the time and patience:
- make thank you cards
- make pattern and make evening gown
- make simple underskirt
- make decorations for the ceremony site
- make favors
- make card box
- add crystal beads to veil
- make wedding jewelry

It's a lot of stuff, isn't it? The truth is, all of these tasks are do-able if I could just do a little bit every weekend. However, there's not getting away from the fact that I am lazy! Lol!