Get Creative, Get Green

As much as I am looking forward to decorating next week, I am also trying to keep in mind that it is very easy to get carried away this time of year and spend way too much money on overpriced Christmas decor. People want it, so they'll buy it, no matter what the cost. Here are a few ideas I've come up with that could hopefully save you a few dollars in the coming weeks.

Decorations

• Use trimmings from your tree to decorate your mantle, tables, etc. Instead of spending money on special holiday candleholders, centerpieces, and decorations for your mantle, use what you have! Chances are you will trim a few bits from the bottom of your tree, or to shape it a little nicer. Why not use those trimmings, some pinecones, and a bit of red or gold ribbon to decorate a tumbler, create a masterpiece for your mantle, or add a little spirit to a bookshelf or table that features family pictures? It'll not only save you money, but will probably smell divine. If you don't foresee having spare branches, ask the people at Home Depot, the garden center, or tree farm where you get your tree if you could take some scraps home with you that others have cut off. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you cleaning up their mess!
• Make your own ornaments How many of us have a junk drawer, or baskets of "stuff", little things that do nothing more than collect dust? Get creative! Bend paperclips into snowflakes or stars, whip out some paper and glue. Last year, I took 2 small Star Wars action figures (about 3 inches tall) from Sean's collection, tied a piece of string around their underarm, and hung them on the tree. It added a nice little geeky touch to our tree, and they'll go up again this year. They were given purpose instead of taking up unnecessary space.
• Use paper grocery bags to wrap your gifts Don't spend money on rolls and rolls of fancy paper that will be ripped apart in a matter of seconds. Instead use that stack of 20 or so brown paper shopping bags you have hiding behind your trash barrel or under the sink. Turn it inside out and go crazy decorating with markers, glitter, leftover ribbon and bows. Remember the days of wrapping textbooks in paper bags? Think of this as the adult version! Give each present its own personality. Plus, the brown paper material is more hardy and sturdy, so you're less likely to rip it by accident while wrapping, necessitating even more paper.
• Make your own cards Some of the more memorable Christmas cards I have gotten (although few, definitely memorable) have been homemade. One year it was a homemade snowflake, still folded up, with a simple "Merry Christmas, Love So and So" written on the edge. I have the pleasure of unfolding and opening up a simply stunning paper snowflake that I know was one of a kind and made with care. My uncle created his own invitation for our family Christmas party by making a digital picture collage of everyone in the family. If you have access to Photoshop, compile a collection of pictures of yourself, places you've gone during the year, fun moments you'd like to share with friends and family. Have you gotten married or had a baby? What better way is there to introduce them to long distance family or friends? You don't need JC Penney to do it for you. Trust me.

The key is to be resourceful. Look around your house or apartment. Use what you already have. All it takes is a little creative thinking, glue or tape, and you can have a house full of your very own Christmas creations to show off when guests invade in the coming weeks.

Missing You

I have grown accustomed to going to bed before Sean gets home, or waking up after he leaves for work. But one thing I have not experienced is a whole night of him not there next to me. And no roommate. This is strange. I'm ok with it, but it's so quiet. What a strange feeling, realizing what a huge piece of me he has become in just his everyday presence.

I don't know how some people live alone. I think I would go crazy. Yes, it's nice to have peace and quiet and privacy and all that, but I would want someone to talk to. I don't think anyone would do though. I think in the past 5 months I have found someone that I truly love living with, sharing space and food and the couch with. He makes me laugh and he makes me feel secure. I have my time to myself, when I just want to do my own thing, and when I need him to talk or cuddle or cry, he's here.

I had forgotten what it's like to really miss him. It's one thing if I go home and I have my parents to talk to, and friends to visit. But right now, it's so quiet.

Now I know how he feels when I leave for the weekend. I will enjoy the quiet for now, with a glass of wine and Heroes. But I eagerly await his coming home.

Dog Adoption

There are many benefits to adopting a dog rather than going to pet shops (ew!) or breeders ($$$cha-ching$$$). I have been doing research on pet adoption, and it is amazing how many pets are given up everyday to shelters. In this economy, it's predictable that many families who have had a pet for either years or just a few months finds that they can't keep up with the cost of food, vetting, emergencies, pet daycare, etc. Many people don't thoroughly think through how much of a financial and life commitment it is to own a dog. So these poor pooches are heartbreakingly left at shelters, away from their families, and they just want someone to love them and make a forever home.

We have been looking at dogs in local shelters for months now. I tend to look (probably more than I should) each week at the dogs that are up for adoption. I want to know which shelters are run locally, which places people have had good adoption experiences with. I have read of horror stories of people who go through all the paperwork and process of adopting, only to have agencies or shelters heckle them for months after the dog has been brought home, "just checking in" and at times harrassing families for whatever reason.

In looking weekly, I have seen some really amazing dogs looking for homes. There is one in particular that I fell in love with last week. Lo and behold, they were having an adoption day on Saturday, and I knew she would be adopted. I still had hopes that if she was there after Christmas we would get her. She was a hound/lab mix with gorgeous coloring and the sweetest eyes I've ever seen. I checked yesterday - she was adopted. The downside of looking at dogs when we still have a month or two before we can actively pursue adopting.

So, I will still keep my eye out there. I hope families that can manage having a dog choose to adopt this holiday season. There are thousands of dogs, just in the greater New England area, that will spend the holidays in crates instead of curled up on someone's lap or cozy by the fire, where maybe they were last year. It's so sad...

I am going to be that lady that just keeps adopting dogs once we get our first one. Just you wait and see. I'll keep you posted once we get going with this.

Happiness is...

...getting to look forward to not only a whole day with Sean, but a holiday! He's going to be off for Thanksgiving, so we will have an entire day to spend together!

This might sound stupid, and you might be thinking 'Silly Shazzie, you live with the boy. You see him all the time!'. Well, this is not so. We rarely see each other for a whole day. The last time we did was in October when we took an overnight trip to Massachusetts. Before that, I don't remember. With our work schedules being so different, we get our quality time usually Monday and Tuesday nights, usually Friday nights, and Sunday nights if we both manage to stay awake once he gets home. He works nights and weekends, so our time is limited, and therefore, precious.

This will now be not only our first Thanksgiving together living together, but also our first Thanksgiving where he isn't leaving around 3:30 to go to work and I'm not leaving to drive up to my parents house. I can't express how excited I am!

I love tea. I have been drinking it more and more lately, slowly weaning myself off 4 cups of coffee a day. It is so calming and easy on my stomach, and it smells like a cup of heaven on a frosty November night.

I am enjoying a cup of chamomile right now, and I must say, if you're looking for a way to make all desires to eat popcorn or cookies or ice cream while watching your evening programs, a cup of tea might be the key to boosting your diet and health. I am finding that I don't necessarily crave something sweet, just something comforting to hold onto and sip while watching Grey's and The Office. I'll gladly take no calories, no fat, and no carbs over a bowl full of sugar and dairy that'll inhibit my good night's sleep any day. Decaf, of course.

As a guilty nighttime grazer, I am delighted to find something that rids the habit of thinking I need to be munching away all night when I'm sitting at the computer or watching a show. Do you have something you do to keep from eating everything in sight at night? Or are you one of those freaks of nature that finishes dinner at 7 and is in no way struck with hunger pangs at 9:30? Wouldn't that be nice...

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

When Sean was diagnosed with Celiac, one of my first thoughts was 'Dang, this is going to make for a difficult Thanksgiving...'. I did my best to make a meal that was delicious and full of favorites, but would also be completely safe and lacking all things gluten. This year, I am feeling much more confident and adventurous.

Here is my menu:

• Turkey - provided by my work, grain fed, delicious. Roasted while stuffed apples, celery, carrots, and seasoning for flavoring.
• Stuffing - I'll probably make a smaller batch, and sub some of the bread volume with ground sausage. Yum!
• Green bean casserole - One of the boy's holiday favorites. It will require making a homemade batch of cream of mushroom soup and french fried onions, which I can do Wednesday night to make life a whole lot easier Thursday morning.
• Mashed potatoes - Homemade, of course.
• Rolls - Sean picked up a GF mix by the same company that does a breadstick mix that we really like, so I'm confident the rolls will be just as good.
• Steamed carrots
• Cranberry sauce - From the can. Need to master other recipes first!

I am undecided at this point on dessert. I will be making the apple pie this weekend, so if that's successful, I'll probably make another next week, heat it up that day, and throw on some vanilla ice cream.

Is anyone else's mouth watering? I can't wait for Chefette Fest '08 to commence!

Traditions

With Thanksgiving next week, I have been thinking a lot about traditions with family and friends. This being our third year celebrating Thanksgiving together, I suppose our tradition is to spend the day cooking, eating, and watching football together. When I was little, we went to the high school football game, Duxbury vs. Marshfield (Marshvegas!), would come home and drink hot chocolate while we thawed out, eat dinner early in the afternoon, and then go for a short family hike in the woods across the street from my house.

These traditions changed when I got older, when my brother and sister were in college, and my dad started working on Thanksgiving. I was in marching band and spent the morning eating donuts with the band, playing Louie Louie in the stands (I loved being drum major senior year and getting to conduct and dance with the crowd!), catching up with alumni, and trying not to lose my fingers to frostbite. We'd have a quiet day, sometimes with pizza or Chinese food, and then have our big family dinner on Saturday when everyone was home.

Now that all of us kids are moved out, it's hard to say what the traditions are. My sister and her husband alternate years at my parents' house and his parents' house for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My brother and sister-in-law usually make it to both in-laws houses for either dinner or dessert. During college, I would have Thanksgiving dinner at Sean's parents' house (usually my mom and brother would come too), and then eat Thanksgiving again that Saturday with my family. I guess we're lucky that we're laid back and even if we can't get together on the spiecific day, the effort is there to get home and spend time together - and eat!

What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions? Do you watch football while dozing in a comatose state all afternoon? Does an aunt always bring a dish that no one really likes? Do you order out for pizza? I'd love to hear what warms your heart this time of year!

The first turkey I ever cooked all by myself, Thanksgiving 2006 at Sean's.

Ok, I Caved...

The past week or so, I have had trouble focusing at work. I have been tired, lethargic, and getting a good ol' case of S.A.D. Yesterday I made the executive decision to cheer myself up with some Christmas music from my favorite Boston radio station, 105.7 WROR. The same one I grudgingly posted about earlier this month and scolded for playing Christmas music so early. The way I see it, though, Thanksgiving is next week. If I just listen while I'm at work (I have yet to find a radio station locally that plays anything Christmas-y), I'm not getting such an overload. But it has been making the past 2 days a bit brighter. And, there was a slight dusting of snow on my car this morning.

Ok, rip into me. Call me a bad person. I don't care anymore, I'm happy! So there.

As of Nov. 28, the gloves are off, I'm going all out. I hope you're all prepared.

Keep it Fresh, Keep it Warm

I just finished plastic wrapping my bedroom windows, and am about to move on to the living room. About half the windows in this house are new, and the other half, well, they are sad and old and drafty. I don't mind putting up the plastic wrap. There's nothing worse than a really chilly night of having the heat cranked up to 75 because the house can't retain it. And then you crawl into a freezing cold night because you can't justify leaving the heat turned up when you're asleep under a big pile of blankets. Sound familiar?

I always smile when the windows are done, it makes me feel like I'm living in a tupperware container of goodness.

I am also big on "atmospheric warmth"> I am more apt to feel warm if my surroundings seem wamr. For instance, I keep at least 1 candle burning in the living room and in the kitchen to make the house smell cozy, and the little flicker of fire invokes a feeling of being wrapped in a sweater and thick socks under a crocheted throw, sipping hot chocolate. And it's just a candle! I also have been making something either baked or in the crock pot. The smell of something sweet, spicy, or bread-based can totally make any house feel warm and cheery. Right now I have butternut squash and apples in the crock pot with a little nutmeg, sugar and cinnamon. I haven't decided yet if I will add vegetables or just leave it to be a creamy soup once I puree it. I'm going to make steak and potatoes for dinner once Honey calls that he's on his way home.

Have Some Time To Waste?

Stumble! Linkdump:

Horse Quartet - pure delight

The Ultimate Rejection Letter

The Scribbler

Incredibly Cool Interactive Site

"Smart Kid" Commercial

A Woman From the Inside Out (not gross, don't worry)

University of Michigan's Drumline

Star Wars Light Saber Simulator

Food Sculptures

Movie Fonts

10 Rules of Being Human

...And Last But Not Least

Enjoy being distracted!

Gluten Free Baking

I woke up this morning with a strong desire to do some baking. It's a really crappy kind of day out, and seeing the Rice Crispy Treats in Uncle's Deliyesterday got me thinking that there has to be a gluten free rice crispy treat recipe out there somewhere. I just need to find it.

I also have the hankering to make an apple pie. This would require going and getting a pie dish and a rolling pin. And any other baking staples I might be missing. I have sugar, gluten free baking mix, salt, eggs, oil...

Definitely need to do some recipe hunting.

TA DA!!

Extra Thick Apple Pie - I can easily sub the gluten free baking mix for the flour.
&
Rice Krispie Treats (GF)

I think I'll tackle the rice krispie treats today since that looks like the easier of the two recipes. Apple pie will wait till tomorrow.

I guess I should go shower and go grocery shopping! Wish me luck!

It's In My Blood

Trying a cleaner looking layout, more up-to-date picture, etc. It's definitely easier on the eyes.

I took this new picture tonight. Something I want to work on in the coming months (and, you know, forever) is improving my digital picture quality. For years I shot film, I even took a photography course to learn how to develop my own film, process negatives, create a photograph from beginning to end. I feel like using digital these day, a lot of technique is lost because you can take unlimited pictures and pick the very best. In film, you are more careful, more precise, more planned.

Both of my grandfathers were photographers. My mom's dad, Grampa Clark, did it as a hobby. He had a dark room in their house, he belonged to a couple camera clubs, and he was...phenomenal. He just had it. He always had a camera with him, and he knew how to work any kind of camera, old or new, fancy or a pinhole box. He also explored drawing and painting. I have several of his pieces, both painting and photography, hanging in our home. I love being surrounded by his work; it gives me a feeling of peace and serenity. It also is a daily reminder to be the best person I can be, because he believed in me, and he always made me feel like I was worthy of whatever I wanted in the world.

My Grampa Trask was a professional photographer. He worked for the Boston Herald for years, and has 2 photos in particular which were impacting on our familiy history and our country. THe first is the Andrea Doria:


The Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm of the coast of Martha's Vineyard on July 25, 1956. My dad was just over a month old, the oldest of 7 kids, and my grandfather took this picture just before the Andrea Doria sank. You can get a more extensive history of this event here or do a Wikipedia search. He won a Pulitzer Prize for this, and my sister, the oldest granddaughter, is named Andrea Doria.

The second photo of notoriety is this one:

In 1967, irate race official Jock Semple tried to forcibly remove Kathrine Switzer from the then all-male Boston Marathon simply because she was a woman. Luckily for Switzer, Semple was bounced out of the race instead by her boyfriend and she went on to finish. Photo by Harry Trask for AP Images.

GRampa captured this moment on film, and Kathrine remembers him and thanks him in her book, Marathon Woman, as that was a pivotal moment that changed her life, and many others. On Marathon Monday in Boston, this photo series usually pops up in newspapers, magazine, and one year when I was in school in Boston, I was switching over from the Red to the Green Line, and these photos were featured billboards in the Park Street Station. It caught me completely off guard, but it was a moment that made me truly appreciate my grampa's accomplishments.

So, as you can see, this is a huge part of my family. We have all dabbled in photography, and I want to return to shooting for quality, not quantity. A woman I work with belongs to two camera clubs in the area, and she has suggested I join her for a few meetings to see if I like it. I want to invest in a better camera too. I have a Canon Powershot, which is nice and small and good for on the go. But it is very automatic. I want to feel more in control of the quality of what I'm shooting.

I will try to get decent pictures or scans of Grampa Clark's work to share with you soon.

A Night Off

Sometimes you just need a night off.

I just got home and started feeling the onset of a headache. Not sure what's causing it, but this week's been pretty busy. We had the concert Tuesday, I babysat last night, have choir rehearsal tonight, babysitting Friday and Saturday nights, and then church/choir Sunday morning...I just emailed the choir director that I'm not going to make it tonight. I don't want to run myself ragged before the holidays start, and next week is looking to be pretty busy too. Given what my body's been telling me, this is around the time of the month I get those headaches that could be anywhere from a 5 to 13 on a scale of 1-10 in pain. So I'm going to sit tonight out, drink some tea, and just relax.

I've gotten a lot accomplished this week, between work and home. The big thing was getting my car tax paid, emissions test done today, and re-registration of the car mailed out. I did some major budgeting at work today, hopefully the rest of the year will be fairly easy. I was surprised to find that I was actually a month ahead on one of my bills, so I have a bit of a cushion for the next couple weeks. It's nice to be ahead for a change!

I think dinner tonight will be leftovers, no need to make more dirty pots and pans. I can lie down and finally watch Becoming Jane. I've had it sitting on the desk for 2 weeks. And of course Grey's. Hopefully I can get to sleep relatively early tonight. That is, if I don't fall asleep on the couch watching the movie in about an hour.

No Day But Today

Todays post is inspired by a favorite song of mine from the musical Rent, which Idina sang an arrangement of last night. Some of the lyrics are...

There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today...

I can't control
My destiny
My only goal is just
To be...

Do you ever find yourself living in the future? Not actually warping time, of course, but making plans, constantly trying to see what's ahead instead of what's right there in the present?

I am constantly worrying about the future. Well, I don't know if worrying is the correct word...I like to plan. I like knowing what's coming up not just in the month or so ahead, but throughout the year. When I get a fresh calender at work, I immediately fill in my family's birthdays and anniversaries, and anything I already know is happening. I am always looking forward to a wedding or a birth, or a celebration of some sort. I feel like at time, I lose focus of the day I'm existing in while focusing on what's coming up. It's easy to do this around the holidays, as a glance at my calender will tell you the month is already jam packed, but I feel like it's more and more becoming a regular thing for me to focus on the future instead of the now.

I don't know anyone who successfully lives each day completely in the moment. I think it's important to remind myself that today is the only today I have. I'm not guarenteed the vacation I want to take in the spring with Sean, or that something might come up and I can't go to so and so's wedding. I can only really live right now, love right now, and hope for the best in what's to come.

I am constantly learning new things about myself as an adult. I am a lot less laid back about things than I thought I was. Is this a lifestyle change I've recently gone through? Have I always been like this and just wanted to be seen as laid back? Is it a result of my job and my need for attention to detail? Who knows...I wish I could be more laid back and not care about some things. I suppose it's just how I need to be at this point in my life to accomplish my goals.

This also applies to an area of my life I've been trying to improve upon for well, years it feels like. My health. I feel like I am always trying to lose 20-25 pounds, and I never get there. And I think it's because I focus too much on the big number, the finish line, without trying to conquer the small bumps and hill in the road that will get me there. So I am going to make a list of short term goals that will hopefully put me on the right track and keep me in line.

• Replace soda and coffee with water.
• Less red meat, more lean meat (less meat in general)
• Do something active every day, whether it's cardio, strength training, or dancing around the living room like a lunatic for 20 minutes.
• De-stress (this will probably have many subcategories to work on)
• Encourage myself! Recognize when I feel good and energetic and happy and celebrate those achievements.

I feel like that's a good starting point. Nothing new, nothing surprising. But a good starting point.

Random Tuesday

I've been having a good week for the most part. The weather cooled off, and I splurged on 2 new sweaters from Ann Taylor Loft to help me feel the comfy, cozy goodness that is the fall.

I had a mildly hectic day yesterday, including needing to run around at lunchtime to get my car tax paid, and then a filling right after work. The right side of my face was pretty numb from 5 - 9pm, so Sean was a sweetheart and made dinner for us. It was quite the fest! He made a whole chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce. I tried very hard not to chew on my numb lip, and the food was delicious. We had a nice night together, since the past week we didn't have much time just to us.


Tonight we have a date (I am spoiled!) which will include dinner and a concert. He got us tickets to see Idina Menzel, and I am psyched to see her and hear some of her solo music. For those unfamiliar with Idina, she originated the role of Maureen in Rent, and the role of Elphaba in Wicked (she is the green one). She has also had roles in Enchanted, Rent: The Movie, and is married to the incredibly sexy Taye Diggs. It's going to be a fantastic night!