Geek in Heels - Page 65

Nov 18, 2011 • In Guest Posts, Relationships

Guest Post: Real Life “Sitcom”

Today’s post comes from Scottie Ann, whose life as an Army Wife can be viewed at Kelly Stadium. Reading this post resonated with me — having just given birth to a baby, your hormones are everywhere, you are sleep-deprived, and the things you’ve found enduring about your husband can start to annoy you to no end.

But after this? I am reminded once again that we love each other despite, and sometimes BECAUSE, of our faults.

And this tough post-partum period? It too, shall pass. 🙂

Enjoy this post — I sure did!

Since Aj deployed, I hate to admit, I have had a lot more TV time then I used to, or really should. Although, I tell myself it’s ok since I am usually multi-tasking when it’s on. But I’m just not used to sitting long enough to take in one 30 minute program, let alone two different hour-long programs. But my recent upgrade in viewing time has actually brought out some really fascinating sociological thoughts. One of which really hit me this week, thanks to the best gift God has ever given me, my husband.

I am a person with faults (I know, I can hear you gasp in surprise). In fact, I have many. One of them is my overly emotional immediate responses to different things. I get really worked up extremely fast and the emotions that come with it are just as high, I then spend a good 20 mins venting, at which point, I calm down and become a sensible and rationale human being again (no comments from the peanut gallery please). Poor Aj dealt with one of these “outbursts” earlier this week. I want to add here that I am not in any way saying this is when I get angry. It can be when I am angry, but also happy, sad, or just on a topical soap box. These outbursts are part of the glorious wonder that is me.

I am very aware that I do this, and I honestly try to keep it down as much as possible. I actually feel terrible after I get worked up cause I can be a real pain in the ass. I then apologize profusely for this obnoxious fault. This week, I was apologizing to Aj (I had been crying on the phone to him the night before) that I got so worked up so quickly and that I knew it was stupid. He then told me it wasn’t stupid. It’s ok, and that he understands. He didn’t say it to make me feel better, he said it because he really understands that, that’s me. That’s one of my faults and it’s part of who I am. After we got off the internet from him telling me that I am ok and not to be sorry, I immediately thought of one of my all time favorite quotes: “You don’t love someone despite their faults, you love someone with their faults.”

That night, I watched one of my newest favorite television shows, Bones. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s about a forensic anthropologist named Temperance Brennan who helps solve murders. She is ridiculously intelligent and very beautiful but when it comes to emotions and understanding the illogical part of being human, she is the equivalent of Data from Star Trek. Completely confused by illogical uses of emotions and psychology, she is a wonderful character on the shown because of this “flaw.”

This got me thinking, all of the characters on sitcoms that are the most loved, are that way because of their flaws. For example, every member in the cast of Friends has different flaws. Joey is a lovable lady’s man but not too bright. Monica is OCD and high strung, Rachel a spoiled rich girl, Rozz is like the human equivalent of Eeyore, Chandler a sarcastic mess, and who can forget Phoebe’s terrible music and eccentric ways? The flaws of these characters are what we love. Without them, the shows and people would be boring. We love them with their faults, not despite them.

I love Aj. I love the fact that when football is on, despite his best attempts, a conversation is borderline useless. I love the fact that he has so much energy that my dad asked us to go to the park to play (we are both in our 20’s). I love that he is so competitive playing Madden that we have agreed to adjust our “title” to boyfriend and girlfriend when we play against each other (so he never has to say the phrase, “My wife is beating me at Madden.”). I love how he whistles constantly for no reason. I love him with all of these things, and apparently, Aj loves me for all of my “flaws” as well.

I guess what I am saying, is that we should always try to improve and want to make ourselves better (I still am working on a way to curb my emotional craziness) but that we shouldn’t feel guilty or apologetic for our “flaws.” They aren’t faults, they aren’t even flaws, they are what makes us lovable, and when someone truly truly loves us, they love all the annoying things that come with us.

About the Author:

My name is Scottie Ann. I’m an Army wife, personal trainer, cheesehead, huge sports enthusiast, self proclaimed nerd, and a bit of a girlie girl. My husband and I love our active and sometimes odd little life with our two dogs. Our blog is a bit about our life, sports, things we find amusing, current events, and everything in between. I am thrilled to have been asked to guest blog for the amazing Geek In Heels. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and come visit us over at Kelly Stadium, we’d love to have you over!

Someone Really Likes Robert Pattinson

…I have no words.

Via Reddit.

Wherein I Discover Another By-Product of Pregnancy…Two Weeks After Giving Birth

Yesterday, I broke out of my month-long confinement in order to visit the optometrist. J still disapproved of my leaving the house, but I was running dangerously low on my contact lenses and I was not able to order them online since it had been more than a year since my last eye exam.

(On the subject of contact lenses, I *heart* my current brand: Proclear 1 Day daily disposables. Not only are they so much more convenient than regular contacts and even regular 2-week disposables, they’re sooo much more comfortable too. And no, neither Proclear nor Cooper Vision know that I exist.)

Stare into a picture of a green pasture and a red barn as the machine whirls and estimates my vision. Check. Have puffs of air shot into my eyes. Check. Read minuscule series of letters while repeatedly answering the question, “Which is better: 1 or 2?” Check.

(image source)

Then the doc delivered the bad news. My vision, while having had stayed the same for the past three years, had suddenly significantly grown WORSE in the past year:

Left Eye:
-4.00 to -4.75

Right Eye:
-3.50 to -4.25

He explained that vision changes during pregnancy is not uncommon, and that while in most cases, the changes are minor and even reversible, a remarkable worsening of eyesight such as mine is usually permanent.

Crap. And here I was, expecting the same prescription as the three years prior so that I can easily order my replacement contacts online. (Walgreens.com is having a big sale on contacts right now!) Instead, I will need to return later this week to ensure my new prescription isn’t too strong, and in a few months to make sure my eyesight hasn’t changed again. Also, I will need to get new lenses for my glasses as well.

Thanks, Aerin. You’ve really done a number on mommy’s body. (But I still love you to death, you stinky butt!)

Guest Post: Morel Lollipops with Garlic Truffle Aioli [Recipe]

Today’s guest post comes from none other than Serena of Big Apple Nosh. Here, she shares with us a recipe for…mushrooms on a stick??! I know it sounds a bit kooky, but wait until you see the delectable ingredients and the mouthwatering pictures! I’d take these over regular lollipops any day! Enjoy!

Earlier this year, Marx Foods hosted its 3rd annual Morel Recipe Challenge – the task at hand? Create a delectable hors d’oeuvres featuring this mycological delight. For this challenge, I decided to combine four of my favorite hors d’ oeuvres qualities – fried, cheesy, and on-a-stick. Using the dried morels as well as dill pollen also from Marx Foods, I created these Morel Lollipops. As a last minute add-on, I decided to accompany the lollipops with Garlic Truffle Aioli, using truffle sea salt also from Marx Foods. I know if I passed by a tray of these during a cocktail hour, I’d grab two (or five)!

You will need:

Morel Lollipops

8 large dried morel mushrooms
8 tbsp goat cheese
4 tsp dill pollen
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 egg (forgot to include in the picture, oops!)
Oil for frying (I used canola)
Bamboo Skewers

1. First, reconstitute the dried morels per Marx Food’s directions. Strain reconstituted mushrooms, pat dry with a paper towel, and remove the stems.

2.With a spoon, combine goat cheese and dill pollen in a small dish.

3. Using my oh-so-technical method, transfer goat cheese mixture to a Ziploc bag. Cut a small corner of the filled bag, and use this makeshift pastry bag to fill the mushrooms with cheese.

4. Skewer each cheesy mushroom

5. Beat egg in small bowl, and spread panko crumbs on a plate. Dip each lollipop in the egg mixture and then roll in panko crumbs.

If you like an extra crunch, you can re-dip in the egg and re-crumb. You will get this:

6. Heat oil in heavy-duty pot or pan. Fry each battered lollipop until light golden. Careful, oil is hot (duh)

7. Rest lollipops on paper towels. Serve while hot!

Served hot, these lollipops are rich, meaty and scrumptious on their own. If you’d like a little dipping action, however – you can put together a simple garlic truffle aioli:

Garlic Tuffle Aioli

1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 tsp truffle salt

1. Whisk egg yolk, 1/4 tsp of truffle salt, and lemon juice by hand or …whirr? (you know what I mean) with a food processor.
2. While whisking or whirring, drizzle in olive oil 1 tsp at a time, allowing it to emulsify. The key here is slow and steady! If you take your time, you’ll see the aioli start to come together.
3. Once aioli has reached desired consistency (should be like a thin mayonnaise), turn off food processor and add in minced garlic until well combined.
4. If desired, finish with more truffle salt.

Have you had savory lollipops before? What kind?

About the Author:

Serena grew up thirty minutes outside of New York City and has lived in Manhattan for the past 12 years. A strict follower of the “NYC Diet” of convenience, hole-in-the-wall joints and fine dining, she is on constant lookout for the next hidden gem. Her family learned of her passion for food early on, when she finished her baby food in record time (6 months old), woke her mother up for a midnight banana (2 years old), and came home from school with her lunchbox full of Jello (6 years old). Serena first created a DIY pizza tour itinerary for visiting friends four years ago. She has since organized food tours for friends and family, focusing on cuisine as varied as soul food, cupcakes, vegetarian dim sum, and allergy-aware establishments.

Guest Post: Reflections on a Dragon Mom’s Love

Today’s guest post comes from Angela, who not only is a frequent commenter on this blog but keeps her own fantastic mommy blog as well. In this piece, she talks about an article that made its rounds through various internet mommy hangouts last month. I remember reading the article as well, and feeling a mixture of sadness as well as relief. What was your reaction to it? (And if you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend that you do so now!)

Hi Readers! I couldn’t have been more honored when Jenny asked me to guest blog while she recovers from the delivery of BebeDeux. I have been following this blog for a long time now and am a fan of her honest insights and quirky, varied interests. Who’s with me??

Anyway, not to put a damper on things, but I really wanted to blog about the New York Times article published earlier this month. Did anyone else read, “Notes from a Dragon Mom”, about how one mom is living with the fact that she will lose her son before he turns 3? It completely shook me up. I think I read it every day the week it came out… the words were so powerful to me. I went to bed every night thinking about that mom and her baby boy. I wondered how I would’ve coped if I were in her shoes.

I would walk through a tunnel of fire if it would save my son. I would take my chances on a stripped battlefield with a sling and a rock à la David and Goliath if it would make a difference. But it won’t. I can roar all I want about the unfairness of this ridiculous disease, but the facts remain. What I can do is protect my son from as much pain as possible, and then finally do the hardest thing of all, a thing most parents will thankfully never have to do: I will love him to the end of his life, and then I will let him go.

Those words. I couldn’t (err.. can’t) take it. It was enough to make me run to my daughter and hold onto her with all my might. She must’ve thought mama had gone cuckoo. I rocked her and stroked her hair and said a long prayer thanking God for my healthy, beautiful baby girl.

Parenting, I’ve come to understand, is about loving my child today. Now. In fact, for any parent, anywhere, that’s all there is.

It reminded me of the most powerful and beautiful verse in the bible — “[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8).

Love. Let’s think about that for a second…

As moms, we get judged/questioned for our choices often, but our biggest critic is probably ourselves. Methinks it’s time we give ourselves and each other a break. At the end of their life, they’re not going to remember if the house was in order or if we fed them organic. The best bedsheets and well-crafted toys aren’t going to make all that much of a difference if we weren’t present. What they will hold onto though, are the hugs, the kisses, the “I love you’s”. They’re going to look back and remember the time spent and the love poured down. We do what we can, the best that we can, and hopefully when they have children of their own… they will see that our sacrifices were made willingly and out of incredible, intense love.

How would you live if you knew that your days were limited with the person you love most in the world?What does it mean to live in the present and embrace our todays?

About the Author:

My name is Angela and I’m a first time mom to a 10-month old, rambunctious baby girl who I can barely keep up with. Inevitably, babies are all that’s on my mind lately (whether I like it or not!). I blog about my personal parenting experiences over at BabyChin — don’t be shy, drop by for a visit and say hello! 🙂

The 2-Week Post-Partum Update

Weight Loss:
Like my pregnancy with Claire, I had gained about 50 lbs with this pregnancy. I stepped on the scale for the first time this morning since my last OB appointment, and it looks like I’ve lost 25 lbs in the two weeks since giving birth. That leaves ~25 lbs left to go.

I’m not too worried about the weight loss as I had lost all 50 lbs in 3 months the first time around. I just wish I could speed it up a little, especially with the holidays coming up!

Boob Juice:
The first few weeks following the birth of Claire were a blur of marathon pumping sessions to increase my milk supply. In stark contrast, I am having no problems whatsover in the breastmilk department this time around.

In fact, I feel like I’m producing too much. Just one week after birth, I was already pumping more than 12 oz at a time! (And this is on top of nursing.)

Should I not pump as much — right now I’m pumping 2-3x a day — so that my supply will decrease? Or just keep up my current regimen until Aerin’s appetite increases?

Boob Size:
On the subject of boobs, this is the one thing that bothers me the most: my humongous, gigantic breasts. Pre-pregnancy I was a large B or a small C — which I believe is already pretty large on my 5’1″ frame — and now that I’m breastfeeding, they have ballooned to DD’s.

None of my clothes fit, none of my bras fit, and I just feel so unattractive and out-of-proportion. My breasts constantly get in the way, and I’m self-conscious all the time. Nevermind the back and shoulder pains from these added weights…

Will my breasts settle down a bit as I continue to breastfeed, or will they remain this size until I quit? (I honestly can’t remember if my breasts decreased in size at all during the 3 months when I exclusively pumped for Claire.) I had been hoping to breastfeed for about 9 months to 1 year, but if they don’t settle down a bit by 6 months I may just reconsider.

And while we’re still talking about boobs, does anyone have recommendations for a good nursing bra for large chests? The ones I used with Claire — the Medela Comfort Nursing Bra — doesn’t seem to be cutting it anymore as it seems too constricting. I hate spending more than $30 at a time on undergarments, but I bit the bullet and ordered the popular Bravado Body Silk Nursing Bra and am crossing my fingers that this will work out!

Bleeding:
Still bleeding quite a bit down there. Depends — or the drugstore brand equivalents of adult diapers — are my best friends.

The Baby:
Aerin continues to do very well. She eats like the world will come to an end tomorrow, she pees and poops regularly (she poops up to 10x a day!), and her scrawny little figure is finally starting to fill out.

She is starting to get a double chin and chubby cheeks!

She has finally started to sleep in 2-3 hour stretches — hallelujah! — but still vastly prefers to be held at all times. As a result, for these first few weeks of her life we have been doing what we had sworn not to do: co-sleep at night.

(We never co-slept with Claire because we fed her from a bottle. But now that I have a baby who loves to nurse and often falls asleep while nursing, co-sleeping is so much easier!)

We’re still not entirely sure what we’ll do when Comang returns from my parents’ house in a couple of weeks, as he likes to sleep on the bed with us. I know that the Arm’s Reach Bassinet is an option, but I am reluctant to get another bassinet when we already have one. I guess that I will just have to do my best to transition her to the bassinet for her nighttime sleep (she sleeps in the bassinet during the day just fine).

It’s funny how Claire and Aerin looked exactly alike when they were first born, because now, comparing their pictures at 2 weeks old, they look vastly different! Claire looks more Korean and Aerin more Chinese…J still doesn’t see the resemblance, but I think she takes a lot after her father.

Claire Update:
And now, for a short update on our firstborn. Her fifth word is now official: baby. She will point to Aerin and say, “Beh-bee! Beh-bee!” She will even look for Aerin when she’s not in sight and call out, “Beh-bee? Beh-bee?”

Claire also seems to be a lot more aware of other children and babies now. Before, she would just ignore them…but now, whenever she goes out and sees other mini-humans, she will try to interact with them, and even call out “Beh-bee!” to them too. We can only conclude that this change in behavior comes from having a new little sister.

Guest Post: Parenting Chooch the Pooch

Today’s guest post comes from Sarah of Bend it Like Becker fame. Here she compares parenting a human baby to a puppy. And as someone who has raised dogs for most of her life, one of which was a high-needs puppy, I can completely attest to the fact that yes, pets can be just as difficult and high-maintenance as a human baby…and the emotional attachment can be just as high too!

Pet owners are sure to love this piece, and even if you’re not an animal lover, you would enjoy this laugh-out-loud post from Chooch’s mom. Enjoy!

Thanks Jenny and hello out there Geek in Heels readers!

So in honor of the arrival of Jenny’s sweet baby girl #2, I thought I’d write something pertaining to babies or parenting or something. The only minor glitch here being that I am not, in fact, a parent. (Mostly I just prefer to precariously delight in the pregnancies/babies of friends, relatives, colleagues, bloggers, facebook friends that I haven’t talked to in 10 years, strangers on the street, etc.) But… earlier this year my husband and I did became proud adoptive parents to a bouncing baby beagle, now known to the world as Chooch:

So although I am aware that pet-parenthood is probably .0000008% the difficulty level of human-parenthood, I do at least feel like we’ve been given the slightest crash course in caretaking before being sent out into the wilderness. Here’s why…

POOP. I have to start with poop. Duh. Parents are always talking about poop, the poop, all of the poop! Being married to a guy who’s 29 going on 10, poop discussions already had a more prominent role in our lives than I was comfortable with, but they’ve increased exponentially since pup acquisition. Now exchanges like this are common in the household:

“Hmm, Chooch hasn’t pooped all day! Is he OK?!”
“Oh it’s cool, he had a pretty voluminous one this morning.”
“Oh OK. Hey I forgot to tell you he pooped out a Reese’s wrapper yesterday!”

We’re in Charge of the Well-Being of a Living Creature. Historically I never had the best batting average with plants, so at first I wondered why on earth I thought I’d be able to actually take care of a mammal. But now I am amazed that the tiny, clueless pup that first pitter-pattered into our home has now become a strapping 28 pounder and obedience school graduate, all under our care. Win! Unfortunately this responsibility also comes with a great deal of worrying about his well-being. And by worrying, I mean neurotic bouts of irrational panic. For instance, the other week I was at an all-day yoga class, and realized I couldn’t remember if I’d blown out a candle at home. So being the insane person I am, I became convinced the house would burn down in my absence (my husband was at work). I said to myself “Even if the house burns down, we have insurance, whatevs.” Then I realized…. OMG CHOOCH! At this point we were doing a meditation exercise wherein we were breathing very slowly and counting backwards from 50, so my brain visualizations were like “48…….. Chooch fleeing the fire, desperately clawing the door!…..47……. Chooch confused, crying for his parents to save him!…….46……..FIREMEN! ARRIVE! TOO! LATE!“

We Never Sleep In. Chooch is on some crazy biorhythm and wakes up about 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning. And when you’re a dog, EVERY morning is Christmas morning because you’re getting food! And a walk! OMG! He loves it. This is convenient during the week but sadly, our leisurely weekend mornings are long gone, and instead every day begins with Chooch stomping up to the head of the bed and jabbing his paws into our faces/tracheas/sternums.

We “Co-Sleep” Even Though We Swore We Never Would. After our wedding I banked all of our Macy’s gift cards and bought this beautiful bedding. Duvet… nice sheets… BREAKFAST PILLOWS for Pete’s sake… I felt like the most rock-star wifey when I used to make that bed. I SWORE the dog would never get near it. Guess how this story ends! After round #23985 of Chooch jumping on the bed and me removing him, I was just sick of it. The breakfast pillows have now been relegated to the closet, and if it will buy me 15 extra minutes of sleep (see above), I don’t even care if he snuggles under the sheets. This despite the fact that we regularly witness his foot getting caught in the crossfire of his piddle.

If Someone Asks About the Dog We Can’t Shut Up. Seriously, it’s embarrassing. You’ll wish you’d never asked because suddenly we’re scrolling through the phone to shove pictures in your face and telling you a 45 minute long story about when he went to get his nails clipped.

Good Cop/Bad Cop Roles are Established. My husband will firmly correct the dog when he’s doing something bad and I’m all DON’T YOU SPEAK TO MY BABY LIKE THAT! Or he will try to discourage me from indulging the dog with people food and I’m like “But…..BUT!….. If we deny him this peanut butter he’ll never forget and he’ll think we hate him and he may never recover and look he wants it so badly!” We also had a great deal of disagreement in the first few weeks over the controversial crate — as I felt it was an inhumane, torturous device created by possibly the devil himself. Happily we were able to phase out the crate due to our dog being the smartest, most trustworthy, most well-behaved pup ever. DUH.

Travel Becomes a Serious Ordeal. Yep, no more spontaneity there! Now it’s: has he been sufficiently exhausted such that we can get him to sleep most of the ride? Do you have his dog bed? A fresh bone? His bunny? His travel water cup? What’s our targeted potty break site?

We Learn to Communicate with a Being with No Language Skills. (Or, another anecdote about poop). So, early on when Chooch was transitioning from the crate, one night he woke up in the middle of night and was whining and carrying on like whoa. We thought he was mixed up and believed it was morning/was demanding his walk, but apparently someone was having tummy troubles. He wouldn’t quiet down so we put him in the crate, and a few minutes later a familiar yet dreaded scent wafted through the bedroom. POO! The poor little guy had diarrhea! We felt terrible. We felt terrible-er when he bolted from the crate and traipsed a poo trail all over the second floor. We spent the 2:00 am – 3:00 am hour cleaning the dog, the floors, the carpets, the crate… disaster. Moral of the story: rookie error! Never again will we misread that cue!

We Learn to Looooove. Awww. A serious note to end on. It’s true, we adore that little furball! There is something so different about loving a little, innocent, dependent creature! Some mornings when I’m closing the door behind me to go to work and he’s staring at me quizzically with his little wagging tail, I honestly tear up! Is that so pathetic? Don’t answer. This makes me unbeLIEVably afraid for future human babies because I can’t imagine how much of an emotional mess I could become. YIKES, people.

Thanks for having me, guys! You can find me over at Bend it Like Becker where many more dumb stories await. I’m new to the blogging world so stop by and say hi! Right now I’m totally the new kid from Minnetonka that has no lunch table to sit at. It’s emotionally taxing.

Guest Post: DIY Decorations for Claire’s First Birthday Party

This post comes from none other than my SIL, for whose friendship and affinity I treasure every day. Just over a month ago, she very graciously lent her time and talent to decorating Claire’s first birthday party and here, she details how she created each element of the fantastic DIY decor. She just recently moved halfway across the world to Shanghai, so please be sure to comment here and visit her blog to show some love!

When it comes to decorating a party, I used to get overwhelmed by how expensive it can be. Of course, if you go the DIY route, it’s inexpensive with simple items you can find almost anywhere. For my niece’s first birthday party I wanted to make it extra special for her since the first birthday is so important in Korea. Did I mention, my niece is Jenny’s daughter Claire? 🙂 I wanted to make sure that Jenny didn’t do a thing since she’s pregnant with BebeDeux so I took on the job of decorating and I had so much fun doing it!

Streamers:

If you want to something different with your streamers and have a bit of time you could alter them a bit. I made streamer zig zag curtains on both sides of the birthday table and they were a hit.

All you have to do is take streamers in whatever color you like:

Cut slits on one side:

Cut slits on the opposite side between the cuts you made:

Seriously, it’s as simple as that. So make it in the length you want it and remember the deeper the slits, the more delicate it is. If you plan on going in and out of the curtains, I suggest you make the cuts further apart.

Isn’t it so pretty?

Balloon Decor:

Balloons are also inexpensive and makes it’s super easy for decorating. The last time I got helium filled balloons I was shocked at how much it cost for something I’ll only use for a day. Not to mention the fact you have to tie it to something and usually I have nothing to tie it to. So I took a more DIY route for this as well.

All you need are balloons, thin white string and scotch tape.

Blow up the balloons:

Tape the string to the top of the balloon:

Tape to the ceiling:

And you’re finished:

I like putting the balloons in front of the zig zag streamers in different lengths. It’s also easy to use this to make an arch over the banner. If your ceilings are high, obviously this wouldn’t work well. But I think the overall look from the streamers and balloons looked great for Claire’s birthday!

The Birthday Banner:

I also made the banner myself out of scrapbook paper, ribbon, glue and printed out the letters. I cut circles out of the scrapbook paper, one that’s larger than the other. Then used Elmer’s glue to put them together, cut out the letters and glued them to the middle of the circles. I punched holes on both sides of the circle and connected each circle with beautiful ribbon. When picking patterned scrapbook paper, make sure the colors coordinate and keep the patterns to no more than four or five. Otherwise it tends to look a little mismatched.

Tissue Paper:

Tissue paper is awesome and you can even buy it at the dollar store. I definitely used it for the table and the chairs. I made Martha Stewart’s Pom-Poms in a smaller size for the chairs, used green tissue paper to cut out leaves and ribbon that I used for the banner. It really brightened up the room and made each seat special.

I bought tissue paper to double as table cloth. The traditional Korean dress (hanbok) is very colorful and I wanted the table to show that as well. I wanted to incorporate Claire’s favorite animal on each end of the table with ribbon wrapped around the giraffe’s neck. The pillars that you see are traditional for a first birthday in Korea and I also made those.

I hope everyone enjoyed how I decorated for Claire’s birthday and helped those who need some DIY help with parties. I think this could work well for bridal and baby showers. I just want to say a huge thank you to my SIL for being such a wonderful loving sister and to Claire for making this Auntie incredibly happy!

About the Author:

Annie is a classical musician, who was in a rock band (http://bit.ly/gagamtv), then turned crafter. Music is and always has been a love of her life but crochet is a new love. Based in the New York City area for the past 9 years, she has recently moved to Shanghai, China. Please visit her blog at http://anniegurumi.wordpress.com

Fake Anything [Website of the Day]

Fake Anything is a “creative consortium dedicated to visionary interpretations of mythic media references.” In other words, a blog where you can find various artwork of fake products from your favorite TV shows and movies.

If it isn’t obvious by now, I’ve already added it to my Google Reader. 😀

Lindsay’s Hot Ham Water, anyone?

And while the following three examples may look like an homage to NBC’s Thursday night lineup (you gotta admit that they do have a pretty kickass repertoire on Thursdays), I promise that Fake Anything has sooo much more to offer!

Guest Post: Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

The following guest post touches on a subject that is dear to my heart. And that, of course, is food. 😀 I currently have both my own mother and my MIL cooking up storms of healthy, post-partum food for me but I can’t deny that I miss having the occasional treat. And these brownies look so fantastically delicious — and simple to make! — that I may just have to send J out for a brownie mix run…yum!

Hellooo friends. My name is Brandi and I met Jenny when we were both blogging over at Weddingbee (Espresso here). I’m a southern California transplant living in Wyoming with my amazing husband and adorable, bird crazy dog. I run a bridal accessories shop by day, blog by night, and hike to supplement my baking addiction on the weekends. Thanks for not running away yet…

So let’s get down to the heart of the matter:

Baking… Brownies… Battlestar Gallactica. Sorry I couldn’t resist. Just like I can never resist making these super delicious and super easy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. They’re flaky, moist, and chewy. They’re amazing, and there are seriously only 2 steps… which is great for the time challenged like myself. Enjoy…

All you need is a box of this:

And 16 of these:

Follow the directions on the box, and once you’ve poured half the batter into the pan, throw in the 16 Reeses’ Peanut Butter Cups (unwrapped of course), and then the remaining half of the batter on top of them. Cook for the time directed on the box, and you’ll have this gooey goodness: