It's Just A Jump To The Left...

Last night I went to a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at The Palace Theater.  The shadow cast was amazing and there is nothing more beautiful than hundreds of rolls of toilet paper streaming down from a balcony.  Yesterday morning I packed my bag with the essentials and headed out to Time Warp.  If you get a chance to go to a showing this season or any other time of year I highly recommend it.  

RHPS Prop Kit (in order of appearance): rice, news paper, squirt gun, flashlight, rubber gloves, noise makers, confetti, toast, party hat, bells, cards.   

Rescued Exotic Birds Are Adorable

Last weekend I went to Florida to visit my grandma.  After a day of hiking we stopped by an exotic bird rescue near her house.  They must have had at least 100 birds that were either rescued or donated after their owners were no longer able to take care of them.  They were so sweet and it was really nice to see such a lovely place for all of them to live after they had been rescued.  

Hanging out, with a bit of social grooming.

Fly Away Home

The monarch emerged this morning!  Here it is just before it flew away, so beautiful.

House Guest

A week old, munching on some milkweed.

Very Hungry Caterpillar

I am very excited to be raising a monarch caterpillar again this summer.  It hatched yesterday and is currently residing in our living room.  It is too tiny to take good pictures of right now, but I will get some up next week as it grows.  

Milkweed and a teeny tiny caterpillar.

Garden Update!

Nothing beats tomatoes fresh from the garden and warm from the sun.

Snuggle

Tonight I decided to use up some fleece I had laying around.  I found a new pattern for those no sew tie blankets.  I have made several of these in the past, they are so simple and really wonderful.  I really like this update.  See the directions in the link below.

Nebraska Views Blanket

The woven edge gives it a nice braided look.  

So cozy.

Good Night,

EM

Rabbit Activity Centers

Wallace has taken it into her own hands to attempt to excavate the corners of our apartment in attempt to make it larger.  Although I appreciate the thought, I don't really want her to eat all the carpeting.  So, my solution was to put something in each of the corners to both occupy her and prevent her from eating the apartment.  I bought four plastic boot trays, placed a towel on the top of each one, and added a few toys. Wallace can spend hours "digging" in the towels and playing on the trays.  The trays are also thick enough that she can't chew threw them.

All tired out, so cute. 

Happy Day,
EM

Emergency Kit

I have recently updated my purse emergency kit.  Thought I would share the list of new items I feel the need to have with me at all times.

Part of the kit.  Bring it on world.

1. Hooded Poncho
2. Lighter
3. Eye Glass Cleaner Wipes
4. Eye Glass Repair Kit
5. After Itch
6. Wisps
7. Hand Warmers
8. Collapsible Cup
9. Tissues
10. Fork
11. Knife
12. Spoon
13. Chopsticks
14. Tums
15. Midol
16. Tylenol 
17. Benedril
18. Sudafed 
19. Face Wipes
20. Nail Polish Removing Wipes
21. Camp Soap
22. Tied Pen
23. Bug Spray
24. Sun Screen
25. Deodorant
26. Lotion
27. Hand Sanatizer
28. Sewing Kit
29. Clorox Wipes
30. Bouncy Ball
31. Mini Barrel of Monkeys
32. Hair Ties
33. Duct Tape
34. Masking Tape
35. Electrical Tape
36. Rubber Bands
37. Bobby Pins
38. Neosporin 
39. Multi Tool
40. Band Aids
41. Measuring Tape
42. Shampoo
43. Lip Balm
44. Ziplock Bags
45. Safety Pins
46. Perfume
47. Socks
48. Pen
49. Pencil
50. Gum

Later,

EM

Previously on Netflix

I have always enjoyed making a good list.  Today I thought that it would be fun to post a list that created itself.  I have made many lists of favorite TV programs, but I feel this one is a pretty honest representation of what I really have been watching for the last couple weeks.  So here it is, my Netflix recently watched list.

1. Black Books
2. Louis C.K: Chewed Up
3. Sherlock
4. Jim Gaffingan: Mr. Universe.
5. Portlandia
6. Twin Peaks
7. Dawson's Creek
8. The Office (UK) 
9. Firefly
10. Law and Order: SVU
11. Lewis Black: In God We Rust
12. Skins
13. Scrubs
14. Fortysomething
15. Battlestar Galactica
16. The Office (US)
17. Doctor Who
18. 30 Rock 
19. Pretty Little Liars
20. Arrested Development

Turn On and Tune In,

EM

Strawberry Wine

Over the weekend I made my first batch of strawberry wine with my dad.  It is a long process, but so far not too difficult.  It took 3 1/2 lbs of strawberries to make, what will be, 4 bottles of wine.  The wine should be ready to drink by the end of the year.  So far it is proving to be a very difficult wait.

It smells so good!

Cheers,
EM

Garden Update!

Mint and some greens sprouting on the porch.

Garden plot!  Added in some eggplant to the peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, beans, and cucumbers.  Not all the seedlings survived the transplant, so I supplemented with some additional plants.  Everything is looking good so far!  

Happy Gardening!
EM

Yogurt World Tour

I have this habit of spending an agonizingly long time debating small purchases and then making snap decisions on larger ones.  I can easily spend an hour trying to pick out a single pack of Post-It notes.  However when I bought my car two years ago I went into the dealership, without even test driving the car I wanted, and bought my car immediately.  So, you can imagine earlier this week when I was at the grocery store trying to pick out yogurt for breakfast I was a little overwhelmed.  So many choices.  Then I spotted a cute little cup of yogurt with a wallaby on it.  Australian style yogurt?  Hmm...and right next to it New Zealand style and Icelandic style?  I decided to try all the new styles of yogurt that I found and ended up with seven different styles of yogurt, each from a different county.  On Sunday I started off with the New Zealand style and worked my way up geographically to the Icelandic style that I had this morning.  Here is what I found.

All the yogurts!  

New Zealand
Delightfully sweet and light.  The cream top on the yogurt was a nice addition and the yogurt had a slightly thinner consistency than typical American yogurt.  

Australia
Almost a drinkable yogurt consistency.  The raspberry flavor was very light, but overall the yogurt was sweet with a very slight tangy quality at the end.  

India
This mango lassi was my favorite!  The flavor and rich texture of the mango really translated well into this drinkable yogurt.  It was earthy, rich and full of flavor.  

Greece
This yogurt had a very think consistency and was quite tangy.  The honey was a lovely addition and made the yogurt have a nice balance in flavor.  

Mediterranean Style
By far the creamiest yogurt and the first yogurt to have pieces of fruit in it.  Very sweet and rich.

Switzerland 
This very sweet yogurt was slightly thicker than the New Zealand style.  Not too much tang and also had real fruit in it.  

Iceland
About 3 times thicker than the Greek yogurt, this yogurt was almost paste-like.  The blueberry was very light and it was quite tangy.  

Happy Travels,
EM

Seed Bombs

Every January I make a list of projects that I want to try in the coming year.  One of the projects this year was making seed bombs.  Seed bombs are little balls or discs of seeds made so you can just toss seeds where ever you are, without digging or planting them.  I have seen several different varieties, I settled on making clay ones.  I mixed one part air dry clay with one part soil.  Added in a little bit of water to mix them together and then added in the wild flower seeds.  I formed the mixture into flat discs about an inch in diameter and an eighth of an inch thick.  The clay in the mixture is suppose to protect the seeds from being eaten before they can sprout.  Now all I have to do is toss them into a sunny spot and watch them grow!

Flowers everywhere.  

Happy Seed Bombing,

EM

Garden Update!

Cucumbers!  Can't wait to make more pickles this year!

Adventures In Rabbitry

A Thursday afternoon in earlier this month I was presented with the opportunity to adopt a fluffy Lion Head Rabbit.  I entered the conversation saying, "I would like to adopt a rabbit at the end of the year" to ending it 5 minutes later with the owner saying, "great, I will go put him in your car!"

Here is what I have learned so far:

1. Rabbits are like children.  I went to the pet store to buy him chew toys, treats, and a tunnel.  What does he like the best?  The box they came in.  
2. Rabbits are like cats.  He spend a good amount of time napping, preening, "purring", scratching cardboard posts, and he is litter box trained.
3. Rabbits are great pets.  Adopting Wallace has been even more wonderful than I thought it would be.  He is so affectionate; loves to cuddle, watch TV and get scratched behind the ears.  I highly recommend adopting one.   

Chillin'. 

Good Night!

EM

Garden Update!

Still waiting for the go ahead from the complex to get them into the ground.  Meanwhile, the seedlings are doing great!

Living Room Beans!

Garden Update!

The seedlings are getting so big!  They have all been repotted and have taken over the living room.  Can't wait to get them into the ground and get some flowers for the balcony.   

I Never Let Go

Like all nine year old girls in 1997 I was a huge fan girl for Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic.  In honor of the 3D release I broke out my trumpet and learned to play "My Heart Will Go On".  I could not get through the song without laughing hysterically and I must apologize to my neighbors for butchering this and many other songs I attempted tonight.  Enjoyable evening.  

For The Birds

Hello.

One of my favorite things to do each morning is to watch the birds at the feeder.  I have been keeping a list of all the different types that have come to eat in and around the feeder.  Here is what I have so far:

1. Blue Jay
2. Gold Finch
3. House Finch
4. Chickadee
5. Cardinal
6. Crow
7. Starling
8. Robin
9. Wild Turkey
10. Red Tailed Hawk
11. House Sparrow
12. Tufted Titmouse 
13. American Kestrel
14. Mourning Dove 
15. Hairy Woodpecker
16. Pileated Woodpecker
17.  Dark Eyed Junco
18. Brown-Headed Cowbird
19. Red-Winged Black Bird
20. White Breasted Nuthatch

Happy Bird Watching,

EM

New Friend

This is my new friend.  His name is Chippy because at 7AM I am not much more creative than that.  He is super friendly, doesn't even mind when I stick the camera in his face.  He scours the porch all day waiting for birds to drop seeds from the feeder and I love him.  

Things For Spring

Nothing beats digging in the dirt in the Spring.  Here is the list of all the stuff  I would like to do in the next couple months.

1. Go for a hike.
2. Start the vegetable garden from seed.
3. Go for a weekly bike ride along the Hudson.
4. Start playing my trumpet again.
5. Make plantable seed paper. 
6. Put up a hummingbird feeder.
7. Count all the different types of birds that come to the feeder.
8. Try a few new recipes with Spring vegetables.
9. Plan a summer vacation.
10. Be outside as much as possible. 

Garden Update!

After a week, everything but the peppers have sprouted!  

Vanilla Is So Sweet

Homemade vanilla extract is one of the sweetest smelling things ever.  So simple too.  Here is what you do:

Home Infused Vanilla Extract 

Supplies

Vodka 

Vanilla Beans

Small Glass Bottle 

Steps 

1. Fill bottle with vodka, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top.
2. Add in vanilla beans, about 1 bean per 8 oz of vodka.
3. Seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place for 3-6 months before using.
4. Bake into your favorite snacks!

So beautiful.

Happy Baking,

EM

Hello, Little Gnome.

Little gnome family, coming out of hibernation at Lauren's cottage.  Signs of Spring everywhere.

Peep Peep

For the past couple of weeks I have been fighting the urge to purchase and consume large quantities of Peeps.  I have channeled this energy into creating a Peep themed decoration for the apartment.  You can make one too!

Felt Peeps

Supplies

Yellow Felt

White Ribbon

Hot Glue gun

Scissors 

Marker

1. Trace and cut out six Peeps from the felt.
2. Draw on a cute face onto each Peep.
3. Cut a two and a half foot piece of ribbon.
4. Glue each Peep onto the ribbon one inch apart (attach at the ears)
5. So simple!

Felt Peeps, cut out and ready to be attached to the ribbon.

All done!

Happy Spring,

EM

Lunch Box

This week I have really been reflecting on how I am using my time outside of work.  I made the following observations:

I spend too much time:
Watching TV
Running Errands

I spend enough time:
Decompressing From My Day
Sleeping

I need to spend more time:
Reading
Exercising

So this week I have tried to limit my TV watching to the news (by which I mean the Daily Show/Colbert Report) and one additional TV show on weekdays.  In place I have added the gym in the morning and reading in the evening.  To tackle to the errand running I have been keeping a running list of what I need get/where I need to go.  At the end of the week I can run them all at once and try to combine as many as I can into one store.  While I was unloading groceries this evening I had the idea to corral all of the lunch making supplies into one tub so I just have to grab one thing out of the fridge in the morning to put the lunches together.  I'm so excited.

Simplify.

Good Night,

EM

I Ate Lots of Chocolate This Weekend

This weekend I was visiting some wonderful friends in DC.  To make things even better Kara and I took a chocolate tasting class at Cocova.  Oh my goodness.  I had no idea what to expect.  I thought that we would eat some truffles and talk about what they had in them and how good they were.  What I got was a really interesting history and review of the chocolate making process.  We tasted eight chocolates, each with the same five ingredients, and they tasted so incredibly different.  I learned that the climate, location, and roasting of the cocoa beans have the most influence on the flavor.  My favorite was the dark chocolate from Ghana.

They have over 800 different types of chocolate in the store.  They let you sample every single one, because they really want you to like what you are buying.  I love people who love what they do.  Particular when it involves free samples. 

Beautiful.  

Getting down to business.  Very serious, chocolate business. 

Love,

EM

Large French Sculptures

Many years ago my family and I went to an art exhibit entitled "Small French Painting", which for some reason really amused us.

Earlier this month we all attended Art Souterrain.  An expansive installment of modern art throughout the underground mall in Montreal.  To make things even more exciting my Dad was one of the participating artist.  It was amazing to walk around the miles of mall looking at the art, observing the people, and trying to find the elusive free hot chocolate display.  Check out the amazing art at Art Souterrain's website.  Below are a few pictures of the night.

We started the night with Cuban Rum and Cokes.  Note the maple jelly next to the rum, eh.

Dinner at a delicious French restaurant.  I enjoyed a Vegetarian Entree, created by the Chef on the spot.  Tomato soup with fennel, roasted brussels sprouts, and swiss chard puree.  Yum.  Next to each item on the menu they listed the farm it came from.  Cue  Portlandia "Is It Local "Clip...

My Dad's sculpture, Sound Post.  Read more about it here at his blog Tangent View.
Photo Credit: Ray Martin.  

Bonsoir,

EM

Eating Cake

 In this weeks installment of "How I Am Becoming My Mother", my mom and I both had the idea to decorate cakes, at the same moment, on the same weekend, just because.  My mom baked chocolate and vanilla mini cakes to turn into whoopie pies.  We gathered up a group of friends, who gathered up a nice selection of sprinkles and frosting and we got to work.  

Sweet Stuff

My first Whoopie Pie, I ate it immediately. 

A combined effort, this cute little piggy pie was for our favorite VT State Trooper. In honor of the pig shaped spot that was hidden on some of the car decals.  

Lovely.

Happy Day,

EM

Reduce, Reuse, Put A Scarf On Your Dog

Earlier this week I bought myself a cute new scarf.  As I was taking it off the plastic hanger that it came on I made a happy discovery.  The circular hanger was the perfect shape and size to ware as a bangle.  Sweet!  It's the simple things really.

Iroh, modeling the scarf.  Second reused of this project: scarves made excellent puppy photo props.  

Clear bangle bracelets all around!

Happy Day, 

EM