Because I'm lame

Out of sheer desperation from bar study, I've turned to craft projects. Sure, craft projects are great--it's just not EVERYTHING life should be about. I mean, why would you want a craft project to be the ONLY thing you ever accomplish outside of getting out of bed in the morning--at the end of the day--it's still just a card, napkin, scrapbook, etc. I respect competence, not boredom. And no Martha Stewart does not fall into this description, because she built an amazing business empire--not just a card.

Unfortunately, now craft projects are the only thing I am able to accomplish in my life right now. Sure, I listen to bar lectures and take practice tests and questions until I want to poke my eyes out; but it doesn't feel like I'm getting anything done. ENTER CRAFT PROJECTS. I can finish a craft project. I can't attest to the crafts as satisfying my competence requirement.

The college box

ticket from music concert in Vienna; my host family knew one of the performers + a graduation tassel

The Bermuda shadow box

A sand dollar from Bermuda; given to me by my grandparents. Bermuda was always a symbol of their love and commitment to each other

The bride box
My bridal shower invitation (loved it); my endowment slip and my baby slipper.

Baby shadow box

My hospital papers and a baby sock from my mom; I wore my mother's baby blessing outfit for my baby blessing so it's doubly important.

love boxMy award winning love bookmark (created when I was in preschool), a love note from Steve, and the number 5 (we were married on the 5th) that was framed and used to number tables for our wedding luncheon.

After I finished the shadow boxes, I decided that they would look better if I had lined the boxes or items with fancy fabric or scrapbook paper. OH WELL! I don't have time to go to the store to fix them.

Oreos

The other day we had Casey over and she babysat for Danielle. Unfortunately she left her money in our driveway and I have to bring it to her tomorrow. After we got home we played phase 10 billion. And I lost (shocker). Something amazing happened during this game- Casey turned down mint oreos and said they were gross. She was of course incorrect.
I purchased this package of mint oreos a week ago and last night the last one disappeared. into my mouth. One I was told as an insult that I was one of those people who only ate the filling out of oreos and not the cookies. Of course that was an accurate assessment but I think it is the best insult I have ever been given. I don't like the cookies. So I carefully twist my mint oreos apart and throw the cookie to Austin the dog. He loves oreo tops. Since I feel like they are a second class snack I am happy to part with them. Then of course I take two bites out of the other cookie with no filling and carefully fold over the filling to make the perfect 2/3 filling 1/3 cookie proportion. If I can break those other cookie pieces off and hand them to Austin that is even better.
I guess double stuff just isn't enough for some people.
On Thursday I discovered something alarming after handing Austin my cookie top and walking from the kitchen to the living room. I sat down in my green chair and appreciated my oreo. Five minutes later John noticed Danielle walking around with something in her hand. Like most foods Danielle eats, it had spread to her face and clothing as well as her greedy little baby hands. She was quietly eating and not showing anyone, so John knew something was wrong.
The oreo top. Danielle had stolen the oreo top and was relishing it. She stole it right out of Austin's mouth. There are many things that are gross about this. I never realized that my daughter would like it when Austin licked her feet or play in his mouth or cuddle with him so much. My daughter's best friend is a 96 pound dog. They play hide and seek. and it turns out Danielle steals food out of his mouth.
I guess she felt bad that such a yummy treat would be shared with the dog and not with her. Even she recognizes though that Oreos are good. If you can trust someone's judgment that can't talk and eats food from a dog's mouth.

Ello Again

It seems that I have managed to neglect this blog recently. I have been busy setting up a few things, working at PCP and trying to sell people Dish Network. I had my wisdom teeth taken out Tuesday and it hurts enough to keep me from sleeping right now. Check out what I have been working on and give me some feedback y'all.

www.pcprovo.com Computer Repair Shop
www.shrateralliance.com Web Directory - Free and Paid
www.shraterstuff.com Shrater Shirts
www.arcolockandkey.com The site I'm making for ARCO Lock & Key
www.mydomainshark.com I now sell domain names, if you want to do the same contact me and I can set you up with an account.

I am also going to get a Paid only Web Directory up and going at www.shrater.com.

That's what I have been so busy with recently, sorry for not posting like I should.

Dear Sharp Kids

It's been a while since I updated this blog. I lost a lot of my pictures when my hard died, so I was wondering if anybody had any bridal shower pictures. If so, could you please send some to me?

I need everybody's current address, so I can be responsible and send out some thank-you cards, order wedding presents, eventually send out birthday/Christmas stuff . . . please send me an email.

Also, Melissa, when is your bridal shower? Your wedding is coming up really fast!
I'm so excited for you both.

Money Mondays on Tuesday again.

Well it is late at night and I am not asleep. I forgot to call Claire back today. Little Claire was busy yelling at me all day you see. I don't know about little Claire sometimes. She gets really mad. So for money Mondays I would like Danielle to finally not be sick. Antibiotics give her the saddest diaper rash I've ever seen.
This week I want a nap. I found a site called nannypopinz that will help you get a nanny. There are lots of options for nanny's- turns out If I had money I could have hired a newborn night nanny- someone who specializes in helping me care for my baby in the night. That would have been something. Also you can get a mother's helper- someone from the age of 18-21 who would help but not for long periods of time.
I am not sure how much these professional nanny's cost. I think they are expensive. What I am looking for is someone who will come clean up my house and watch Danielle a little. I would like them to clean the bathroom downstairs and scrub the carpet a little and clean the kitchen floor. A real cleaning, not just the stupid swiffer.
Total cost for a mother's helper for one week
$500.00 maybe. Actually I have no idea how much it would be for a half day helper to come watch Danielle and clean my house when I am sleeping upstairs.

A Money Monday for Steve

Steve's birthday is next Wednesday, so I thought I'd pass on some things on his wish list.

1. a printer
2. window fan
3. two ticket vouches for a movie
4. pottery barn frames (okay, maybe that what I want)
5. cargo shorts (size 32--not too long)
6. clear play DVD player
7. nice pajamas for warm weather

Money Mondays on Tuesday

Temporal Organization.
Well I would have to say the Container Store has some amazing closet organizers, amongst other things. I really like how in their pictures the closet is also painted and wallpapered. Who does that? I guess whoever decorated the house mom moved in to did that because there were lots of layers of paint in her room. I like the birch and white elfa decor closet to go in the guest room. Then I would have to move Danielle in there. The wallpaper in their picture is so cute! I really wish I knew more about wallpaper, because I think I am the type of person who would like it. But I can't even paint stripes myself so I should probably just calm down about it. Too bad we have already started to paint Danielle's room peach, which John says is an ultimately girl-y color. More than pink? I don't know. Once a year the Container Store has a sale on their shelving so I would probably have to wait until then, or copy the look at Lowes.
Total Cost: $1278.57

Engagement Pictures!!

Request for pasta sauce recipes

I get bored with pasta, but I need to use the bulk pasta I purchased (damn you, Costco!). Please submit your fun/healthy/delicious pasta ideas.

Food patterns

Love the idea for food recipes. . . here's what we've been making lately.

I've been craving Mexican food like crazy! So I made garlicky bean enchiladas topped with (Tilamook) pepper jack cheese. I served it with a salad (topped with bell peppers and carrots, maybe tomatoes--can't remember). I made an extra batch of enchiladas for the freezer, because I hate to spend all the money on ingredients for a meal, and then not do anything with the leftover ingredients. I didn't want to throw away the extra tortillas/salsa verde! Once we found Winco foods, the meal ended up being really inexpensive. I think I spent $8 dollars on a meal for 4 people, and have enough leftover basic ingredients that I only had to spend $1 for more cannelini beans to make the freezer batch and have stretched the other basic ingredients to other meals. I have every intention of making a enchilada recipe I found in my Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone because I think the meal with taste really good with homemade red mole sauce. yum. Then, I made Tex Mex chili tonight (topped with Fritos and remaining pepper jack cheese) served with a salad and cornbread muffins w/ butter and honey. Yeah for cornbread muffins with chili.

It's not just TexMex I'm eating, Steve and I try to eat 5 fruits/veggies a day. I always buy lettuce (typically green leaf or romaine), wash it and dry it in my salad spinner. It's so much cheaper than those salad bags you buy at the store, and doesn't take much time to prepare the lettuce so it's ready when you want a salad. I need convenience! I've made salad almost every night--sometimes it's strawberries and coconut (idea courtesy of Carol), sometimes it's apples with sugared almonds, or just a variety of other veggies (bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes). I also try to make fish once a week. Last week it was salmon with lemon and breadcrumbs. This week (probably tomorrow) it's tilapia with toasted almonds served with carrot-and-pea-rice and probably a side salad.

We've spent a lot on groceries this month, as we just moved into our new place and had absolutely nothing in the fridge. But when I have a little bit more wiggle room in the budget, I'm making pan-seared scallops with lemon served with roasted spaghetti squash with herbs, and a kale, white bean, and prosciutto crostini with a ricotta tart with chocolate and kumquats for dessert. I found it in my Martha Stewart Living magazine--so excited to try it!

Tasty Tuesday

Hey everyone- I have a great new idea for how everyone can help me become a better cook. On Mondays we can spend money and on Tuesdays we can eat more food. The idea for Tuesday is from my sister in law Kathryn. It is called tasty Tuesdays where you post a recipe that is pretty good or other food idea we can all try.
Here is Kathryn's recipe for salmon that is really yummy.

juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon rind
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 minced garlic clove
1 pound of salmon
Marinate salmon in lemon mixture and broil both sides until flakes easily.

This is an easy recipe and very tasty.
I really need more recipes and I want to be a better cook. I want to know how to make bread and good homemade pastas.
So bring on the tasty Tuesdays!
Janae

Money Mondays Rugs

I really want a play mat for Danielle to play in downstairs. In the basement Danielle likes being with me when I am cleaning but I wish I had a gate and a mat of some kind to make a baby safe zone. I am just a little scared about her falling on the cement and hurting herself. My favorite option is still the skiphop playspot which has interlocking foam tiles that you can arrange in different places. I would but a baby cage around it and fill it full of toys. The playmat is $79.00 and I like the pink and brown one.
Also I want a great rug for her room. there is a really cute pink one on poshtots.com that I wasn't able to get a great photo of. Until I selected all, copied it and pasted it in word, then printed it to a PDF and converted it from a PDF to a JPEG with a little photo editing you can see the shaggy pink rug that I think would look great next to Danielle's crib. We have a fuzzy lambswool rug for Austin's dog bed and babies love it! Our friend Natalie wanted to pull it on top of her when she visited- and I think Danielle would love playing with this rug and it would help keep the floor clean. It is a pink shaggy rug! how cool is that! It is $124.00
Finally I want a large rug for the downstairs. Our carpet just isn't very high quality and rugs seem to hold up better. Or at least they don't look as bad- our entryway rug is so beautiful and durable which I appreciate. How fun is this zebra print rug from Williams Sonoma Home! the 9' by 13' is $1,350.00 with 110.00 added for shipping. I would get it in the brown and it would make such a bold statement for the room. A simpler and more natural look from Pottery barn would also look great- it is a little cheaper at $749.00 for a 9'by12' rug in ivory. I like the Henley rug and the concentric squares rug and both are more durable for a high traffic area and gorgeous.
It seems like rugs are just some of the most expensive things ever made- I swear I could re-carpet for less. So I decided to go with the less expensive of the two super spendy rugs. Well for the total cost of the post, not in real life. I would love links in the comments to other neat rugs for my house, including a 5 foot by 2 foot rug if anyone can find one.

Total cost $952.00

Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is pretty casual for our family. I can usually count on Janae to send me a "mother-heart" card based on the most annoying talk ever. This Mother's Day, Steve made me waffles for breakfast and surprised me by putting up curtains in the living room and kitchen after I went to sleep. I got a c.d. of inspirational hymns and a 100-grand candy bar at church. Steve and I are big fans of celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day with each other, even though we're not parents. My mom doesn't really check my blog; she's much more interested in my sister's blog on account of the entries about the grandbaby. Still, this entry wouldn't be complete without recognizing my fantastic mother--Thanks! I love you, and I couldn't have made it this far without you!

Money Mondays on Tuesday

Well I was reading Jenna's bride blog this morning and it reminded me how much I love weddings. Melissa why don't you have a bride blog? Anyway it of course made me think of how great Claire looked in all wedding gowns which reminded me how much I wanted her to try on the Priscilla of Boston Platinum collection. What a fantastic and fancy collection. I thought I wanted a simple wedding dress, but the more I see other wedding dresses the more disappointed I am that I got a dress at the first place I went to. I remember hauling my fat pregnant but to all these cute wedding dress places and wishing that I could try them on too. I know- I am very selfish.
One time when I was talking about it John said "Honey, we can get you another wedding dress after the baby is born." These words thrilled my pregnant mind and I still haven't forgotten them. So this week's Money Mondays will feature my new wedding dress. I will get a Priscilla of Boston wedding gown. Melissa should come visit here in Philadelphia and check them out. I knew at the time of my wedding that I wanted an empire waist dress so how about this fantastic one from Priscilla's? Of course it was the sparkly fun of the one on the right that really drew me to the line in the first place. Everyone should feel free to find me a dress and post a link to it in the comments. Then I will post about the winning dress on my blog next week. I am so chubby right now though that I don't think I would look so great in these dresses. There is one dress from Melissa Sweet I really like. Of course the person who picks the best second wedding dress for me will win a prize.
Total Cost? over $5000.00

wtf?

Well I have a card that I got when Claire was visiting- it only has three letters on it "WTF" which adds to it's appeal and also renders it useless. Who can I send such a card to? Maybe someone I am frustrated with? Or a famous person I like to fight with who will remain nameless here? Can you send someone a card like this and maintain a friendship or make it funny? Also is it irreligious? Another great card that I have is from carolleedesigns.etsy.com and says "why can't you be more like your sister?" How fantastic is that? Also which one of my sisters would I send it to? It remains in my newly acquired letter organizer with some cards that I will never be able to give away but thought were so fabulous that I bought them. Having cards you couldn't really give or sign if you did give is quite difficult- you would be surprised. At what point can you send someone a "WTF?" card- for not posting to a blog that we have invited them to see? For forgetting an anniversary or birthday? For never coming to visit? For forgetting baby wipes? (because then John could send me a million of those things). I guess some of these cards- like little delightful bad thoughts, are just stored in my white letter box. That way I can look at them whenever I am frustrated and feel that same rush- just imagine if I finally sent the "love is never having to say you're sorry" or "hope your having an upped my meds type of day" to someone and really showed them how I feel. Or how I felt. For about two minutes before I opened up the white file box and had a healthy dose of reason mixed with shame restrain my impulsive card sending.
Just keep storing it up kids.