Demo Down

After I hit the ground running on the craft room redo, I stalled a bit because there was painting to be done.  I was going for something that looked like this without having to repaint the walls.  For one I love the orchid that I had painted the rest of the room already and didn't want to lose it and for two, I HATE to paint more than anything else in the home improvement canon. Don't get me wrong, I really dislike boring white walls, but having someone else making them pretty is more my style. However, after some serious procrastinating then a hiccup with a lack of paint tray, the closet is now a gorgeous shade of green and is ready to be shelfed. Then all the crafty craziness that's currently sitting in every room of my house, can be placed back in there, in some semblance of order and I can get back to crafting.  Alleluia!

Sunday Sweet

After finding this recipe on Pinterest this week, I just knew I had to try it.  I'm an eclair fiend and I sort of always assumed they were much too difficult to attempt.  However, this recipe made the cake version seem insanely easy.  I stole the cake part itself directly from the recipe, but I changed mine up a bit and made the custard and chocolate from scratch.  While it was yummy, it could have been a bit better.  My 9x13 pan wasn't exactly 9x13 - it was a bit smaller- so the cake was a bit thicker than I was hoping.  Other than that it was the perfect treat for a cold, rainy and in some parts snowy Spring (!!) Sunday.

Naptown Repeat

I'm in Annapolis, a bit, you could say - probably at least once a week in the Spring and Summer.  After today, I realized I tend to take the same darn picture every time I'm there. I'm not sure why but it's a pretty cool view.  It's always the State House Dome, and it's usually from Chancery Lane.  I have no ties to the State House.  I've never even been inside. But it's just a great building to photograph.  Maybe one day, I'll be an actually decent photographer and the photo will be slightly better.  Until that time, I'll continue to practice...

Friday Five

1. Every year about this time, my national holiday occurs, otherwise known as the Smith College Used Book Fair.  I can spend hours upon hours just browsing the thousands of books. The last few years have been quite successful so I was pretty optimistic about it this year. Turns out, I was right.  18 books at a fraction of the price if I had purchased them new.  Now where exactly to put them...

2. Cooking Fast and Fresh with West: As someone who spends a great deal of time on Pinterest, I can tell you that you can find all sorts of fun things.  For a while now, I've been seeing the Supernatural fanboys and fangirls post ALOT about some actor named Misha Collins, one of those posts was a YouTube video of him cooking with his son.  West, his little boy is absolutely adorable.  And what an awesome idea to teach all sorts of important life lessons and skills.  Also, the 2 are hilarious.  I may not get the whole Supernatural-creepy ghost stuff, but I'm all on board for whatever else this guy has to offer.  Way to be a fantastic dad!

              

3. Vellum: Due to a super sale at Joann's last week, I was finally able to get a good deal on the package of vellum I've been coveting.  I can't wait to start crafting all the fun cards and crafts I've seen using it.  Seeing as the first card went so well, you could say I'm pretty darn excited!  (After re-reading that - please don't judge me for the nerdy little victories I celebrate, I know I'm a dork...)

4. New hair that's not so new but not so old either.  It's a pretty color for spring thus eliminating that god-awful greys up front and is in a fairly easy to deal with (whether or not it's still easy to deal with after tomorrow, remains to be seen) style that's not too long and not too short.  I feel like Goldilocks, especially since there's some blonde in there too : )

5. Birthday coupons: I love this time of year, spring is springing, birds are singing, and stores are desperate to make you shop so they send you all sorts of coupons as birthday presents.  I've already received one from LOFT, Vera Bradley, & Pandora.  Shopping is just so much more fun, when you just know you're saving a whole heck of a lot of money!

Throwback Thursday

In honor of Throwback Thursday, and this little cutie's 5th birthday next week, I give you a truly ridiculous picture of myself including the cutest baby ever.  In this picture my niece was 2 weeks old and on April 1 she'll be turning the big 5.  She is funny and sweet and adorable as all get out and I love her to pieces - so much so that I'm willing to put this terrible picture out into the universe!

Happy early Birthday love!

365 Days - Redux

Almost 365 days ago, I turned 29+1 and made a pledge to finish some things before I turned 29+2.  While the year wasn't as terrible as I thought it was going to be (I hate being 30!), I finished quite a few on the list - not all but some.  However, I'm still lacking in the get up and get out there department. Maybe this year will be more fruitful...

1. I will, once and for all, stop biting my finger nails! - For 3 months I had fingernails, then they broke. I'm in the process of growing them back out so I'm calling this one complete!
2. I will continue to try whatever I'm offered. - Complete!
3. I will nail down the one, end-all, be-all perfect recipe for macarons and they will become my specialty. - Haven't quite nailed this one down yet.  I'm a cheapskate and I just can't bring myself to buy the $12 almond meal required.  I made them 2 times, but perfect would not be the word I'd use to describe them.
4. I will go on a date (hopefully more than one but why be greedy?) - I actually went on a few.  None of which actually went anywhere so I suppose I'll be a bit more specific this year...
5. I will visit 2 other countries. - England and Scotland
6. I will see Shakespeare in the Park (Comedy of Errors this year!) - Unfortunately, Shakespeare in the Park is only performed at night so if I wanted to see it I would have to spend the night in the city so while the show is free, the hotel would eat up the budget.  But I did get to see lots of other Shakespeare so that's a plus.
7. I will (try to) be me.  I will enjoy what I enjoy, do what I like to do, eat what I love, and dress the way I feel comfortable, contrary to other opinions. - Still working on this but it's becoming a bit easier.
8. I will attend an O's and a Caps game (I'd say Ravens too but since they're now World Champs, the ticket prices have jumped from ridiculous to obscene.) - One O's but no Caps or Ravens : (
9. I will (try to) stop caring so much about what everyone else thinks. - I've come to the conclusion that this is impossible!
10. I will learn how to code/program mostly to understand the really fun web design stuff and not feel like such an idiot when computer-y people at work try to talk to me. - I gave this the whole college try but god is it ever boring!  I'll stick to being crafty in other ways which is unfortunate since no one ever pays for pretty scrapbook pages...
11. I will save more money instead of buying things I don't need. - Managed to save money for vacation, pay off my car and a credit card.
12. I will continue to decipher crocheting - so easy yet so difficult at the same time. - Also, slightly impossible but I did take a class so that has to count for something.
13. I will attend at least 2 shows and 2 concerts. (Clybourne Park and Richard II are set but what concerts to choose?) I saw 3 shows but no concerts.
14. I will become a tourist in my own state. I always want to travel outside of Maryland, but I should probably discover a bit more of what's close to home too.  This will of course be after the camera purchase referenced in #25.  I've become a bit more adventurous but there's still a great deal I haven't seen.
15. I will attempt to amass enough crafty output to populate an (admittedly small) Etsy shop. - The Scrap-Happy Traveler (fingers crossed) will be open this spring.
16. I will find a course or seminar on Book Arts and finally learn the ins and outs. - Nope.
17. I will learn to sew or embroider (Not even sure what embroidery entails so this may pose a problem...) - I can sorta kinda embroider but I haven't really perfected it yet.  It's progressing nicely though.
18. I will travel to at least 3 other states. - New York, Virginia & Pennsylvania - in other words, the 3 states I travel too every year.
19. I will eat authentic Dim Sum, Ramen and Indian (even if I have to go myself!) - Tried Indian and wasn't a fan.  No Dim sum or Ramen but I did try hand-pulled noodles and was sorely disappointed.
20. I will take a yoga class. (Confession: The only reason I haven't done this yet is that I haven't a clue what to wear...) - Nada.
21. I will blog about each thing I tick off this list which will hopefully account for 30 blog posts.  I never actually complete this list so I'm trying really hard this year!) - I accomplished this one fairly nicely if I say so myself.
22. I will complete at least 1 race for charity (very slowly, most likely) - Unfortunately I didn't complete it in this year but I am signed up for the DC Color Run this May.
23. I will master the art of the chopsticks. - Impossible!
24. I will volunteer for at least 1 event or charity. - I am a terrible person...
25. I will purchase and learn how to use a good DSLR camera before my European adventure. - Purchased and still learning.
26. I will grow a back-bone and try to speak up for myself. - Nope, still a pushover.
27. I will re-read the Harry Potter series since I've forgotten so much of what has happened in them...but there are about 30 books that are screaming my name to tackle first. - I read the first 2 in 2 days but then the rest of my reading list got the better of me and I turned away from Potter.  Books 3-7 are on the agenda for this year.
28. I will throw a tea party, after I master the art of macarons.  You can't throw a proper tea without post desserts! - No macarons, No tea party.
29. I will try to organize old photos in some semblance of order. -  Complete!
30.  I will jump back on the healthy eating and exercise path I was following last summer. - Not so much but I'm working on it.

Hit & Miss

While the epic mess I made of dinner tonight was most likely a bit my fault, I've decided to place all of the blame solely on Pinterest.  Most slow cooker recipes take just a few hours instead of the required 8 I need to work but after finding one for sweet and spicy chicken wings, I was feeling pretty excited and on the ball.  Things were good when I got home to a yummy smelling kitchen.  They continued to be good even when taking them out, they proceeded to fall off the bone a bit.  It means they were going to be tender, which is perfect. Things began to be not so good after throwing them in the broiler for 4 minutes as opposed to the required 10.  As you can see from exhibit A below, it was an epic fail of monumental proportions that required a trip to Pizza Hut since dinner was inedible.  Always great when that happens...

Big Miss

At least the Pinterest crafty win a few hours later made up for it a bit.  But those crock pot recipes better watch their backs.  Depriving me of dinner is no way to make me happy...

Big Hit

A Crafter's Dilemma

I love being crafty and creative.  I love going shopping in arts and crafts stores and buying bits and pieces that will make up something special for someone.  I love walking around Home Goods thinking I could make something myself much more easily than buying it.  And I like being the one people refer to when they have crafty questions - note, this doesn't happen often but it does happen.  However, there is also a small dilemma that goes with being artsy.  It's called being suckered into making something because "you're the only one that can" when what you really want to do is go to bed early because you were up all night tossing and turning.

Last year, a guy that I work with graduated with honors with his Masters when most of us didn't even know he was going to grad school.  So, being a nice person, I thought people should find out so I made a little Congrats banner for his cube. Now I'm apparently the banner girl for every stinking holiday.  While it's nice to be wanted, making the same darn banner each time, is boring as ever.  But I do each time, because most of all, I'm a sucker - as we've already determined.

So Happy Birthday to the birthday girl nonetheless.  But if there's not at least some confetti on my cube next week, I'm going to be a grumpy girl!

Gotta Cut Loose!

             

Cutting loose is probably a better sentiment for Fridays at 5:00 pm when the work week is finally over, but it's just so darn catchy and fun that it works to gear up for the week to come as well : )

#MakesMeHappy

Since this possibility was first rumoured 4 months ago, I've done weekly checks to see when and if tickets had gone on sale and what theatre it would be playing.  Around 8:30 this morning, I very nearly jumped for joy when the information was released.  Of course, when it was first rumoured, the time-frame of Fall 2014 was distinctly mentioned so I've been busily planning a gorgeous itinerary for a trip this October.  Now that it has in fact moved out to 2015, I suppose I won't get my fall trip this year but it at least gives me bit more time to raise funds and gives me something to look forward to.  aAlso, seeing as it opens in August, I'll finally get to see London in the sunshine of summer which will be quite helpful to my packing abilities.  I'm slightly worried about the fact it's only going to be a 12 week run though - that seems like a quick run which will be inundated with thousands of fan girls.  I got lucky with Richard II, let's hope I'll get lucky here too.  If not,there will be dark times ahead... ; )

After the excitement of the morning, there wasn't really any way the rest of the day was going to be bad - 70 degree temperatures and quite a bit of shopping in Nap-town.  What's not to love!?  

  

Friday Five

1. Billy Joel singing with Jimmy Fallon: These are 2 of my favorite famous people, and while the first part is a slight bit awkward (I'm not sure Billy gets Jimmy's fanboying), the song itself is awesome in every way.  Also, while I don't sing and would probably have no use for it whatsoever, and while I'm not even sure I know what "looping" actually is, I'm almost tempted to buy the darn app on iTunes just to attempt fun things like this.

              

2. I'm probably a bit late to the party on this since I think scrapbook bloggers have been extolling its virtues for at least the last few years, but Simon Says Stamp, is probably the best-stocked scrapbook online store I've ever visited.  I spent about an hour on the site today alone, and I'm pretty sure I could have added no less than 100 super-cool things to my cart.  Unfortunately, their shipping charges are astronomical, so I'm waiting to find a big-ticket item to make paying $8 worth it.  I'm just not a fan of paying $8 to ship a 3" unmounted rubber stamp that's only $4 to begin with.

3. A few years ago there was a show on ABC called Eli Stone.  At the time, I thought it was brilliant (especially in conjunction with Pushing Daisies and Life).  Unfortunately it tanked after 2 seasons (just like Pushing Daisies and Life) because of that god awful writers strike. Well, seeing as Maryland has become a hot bed of all sorts of crazy unseasonable weather that granted me a snow day on Monday (3 days before Spring officially started I might add) I chose to use the day for evil instead of good.  That is, I lounged on the couch like a slug and pulled out a DVD set I hadn't watched in a while - Eli Stone!  I had forgotten just how good the writing and acting and point was.  I'm currently loving Jonny Lee Miller in Elementary, but nothing compares to his possible prophet, George Michael hallucinating, San Francisco lawyer, with a killer American accent I might add (he's usually a posh Brit) who's using the aneurysm in his head for good instead of evil.  Yes, when I put it like that, it sounds ridiculous, but it's sweet and funny and has a great soundtrack and I only wish it could have stayed on air longer than it did!

           

Oh and there's Victor Garber too.  How can you not love Victor Garber?  He's literally a god among men : )

4. Coming from someone who's only personal experiences with owning a pet were 3 goldfish - 1 suicidal and the other 2 just plain old belly-up, I don't really buy into the whole everyone needs a pet thinking.  Don't get me wrong, I love most furry animals and will melt at the sight of a puppy.  I just don't want one waking me up at 3 am by barking at imaginary cats. But these pics are so darn cute, I can almost jump on the puppy-wagon.

5. Shopping for Spring....finally!  As I mentioned above, Maryland weather has been feeling a bit schizophrenic this year.  Now, even though we're calling for even more snow next week sometime, all the spring colors and styles are out in the stores. I can't tell you how good it felt to walk into Loft and Talbot's and buy capris and cotton tees in all sorts of bright colors instead of pants and sweaters in all sorts of grays.  Go away winter!  We're just not that into you...

Kids Need to Know

             

I'm a little late to the party on this kid, but now that I've seen it, I'm pretty darn obsessed. It's not only about the cutest video with the cutest kid, but it's such an awesome idea.  And of course, as a recovering elementary school teacher, I'm imagining all sorts of fun writing assignments that I'm sure my students wouldn't appreciate as much I do.  What do kids need to know starting at their first day on earth?  I have to say for a little guy, he's seemingly got it all worked out.  He really covers the important ones.  

His number one and best advice is to be awesome.  Kids aren't told that enough.  They should be told that they can be anyone and anything they want to be and whatever that is, it will be awesome.  Another thing I would add is for them to be kind always.  So many people today are only worried about themselves, but if we had a bit more kindness and love in the world & a bit more caring for the little guy, earth really would be a happier place (I realize that sounds utterly and completely sappy but deal with it - I'm a sap!)

Oh and last but not least, don't forget to have fun!  Life is messy, and crazy, and awesome and fantastic with brief moments of sadness and regret, but for the most part, hopefully it's an amazing ride where the awesome outweighs the terrible.  If we can teach kids to treat it as an adventure with new things happening around every corner, they'll  be happier and more ready for any challenges that come their way.  

Long story short, new little humans should have fun with it and attack life with all they can muster.  Enjoy it to the fullest and revel in the magic of the everyday.  Treat everyone how they wish to be treated and always remember to kill with kindness. Be who they're going to be and stand up for what's right.  It might be a little too idealistic, but in today's world, you kind of have to be.  It's the only way we can change it for the better!

Wickedly Wishful Wednesday

After seriously persuading 2 people at work today that they should get themselves to NYC and see Wicked immediately, I've had the songs and lyrics stuck in my head on a constant loop.  For all the love that Frozen is receiving, I feel that Wicked is infinitely better at the whole sisterly love thing.  The music is incredible and the story is even better.  I'm definitely wishing I was seeing it live again some time soon, though it will never be as good as the first time with Idina Menzel (or is it Adele Dazeem? : ), Kristin Chenoweth and Joel Grey.  

         

                          

This has gone down in my book as the best bad day, sing to the top of your lungs, rock out in your car song ever!

Muddled Mess

I hate nights like this.  Nights when there are about 452 things going through my head but none of them are actually "blog-worthy."  To begin with, it wasn't a fabulous day.  In less than 24 hours, there were 2 terrible accidents - one with a fatality, and a murder-suicide, within a 5-10 mile radius of my home.  That's just too much death and destruction for one day.  

It's easy to complain and moan about the traffic that shut down an entire county at rush hour, but when you think about the families who lost a loved one or who are now nursing loved ones back to health, you start to feel quite guilty.  So as you may have guessed, those are things 1-3 circling their way around my my brain.

The others of course, are not really all that deep.  There's the topic of weather.  There's a slight possibility of even MORE snow next week - will there be yet another snow day or will we get lucky and finally get some spring action?  Then there's March Madness - why the heck is this even a thing?  It's the only gosh darn month of the year that anyone cares about College Hoops.  Why does it have to disrupt all the good TV?  Isn't that what ESPN is for?

Others include, Etsy ponderings (an almost daily occurrence), what shall I do with this crazy staticky mop of hair on my head that's quickly turning grey, where is flight MH370 and, is Match.com as absolutely and completely terrifying as it sounds.  Plus about 104 other random things that only make sense if you backtrack through the previous 52 thoughts,   So you can see, the mind of Kristen this week (though usually most other weeks as well) is quite a jumbled mess.  Hopefully this post and these feelings makes a bit of sense to someone and if they do, could you please explain them to me? : )

Happy Snowy St. Patrick's Day!

For each petal on the shamrock, this brings a wish your way, good health, good luck and happiness for today and every day!

The Weather Gods are Restless...

I realize I live in the state of Maryland, where if you don't love the weather, you can just wait a few minutes, and you can be sure it will change.  However, I don't remember it being this schizophrenic, EVER.  Yesterday, I went out most of the day with a light sweater, and no coat.  It was sunny and about 65.  Today, most counties in Maryland are under a winter weather advisory as they're calling for 3-6".  Currently, the largest flakes I've ever seen are falling outside the window and will be falling through most of the day tomorrow.  I'd like the record to reflect that it's March 16 and spring will officially begin in 5 days.  What the heck, weather gods?!

Computerless Saturday

While I love the iPad for some serious Pinning, trying to type on this darn thing is next to impossible. So I'll be taking the evening off. Night!

Friday Five

1. Fatherly Illustrations: A father has created truly awesome posters of things he's had to say to his children and they are as amazing as you may think.  This one is by far my favorite!

2. Cabin Pressure on BBC Radio: Yes, the only reason I started listening was the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch was in it.  Yes, the only other reason I started listening was to lighten the mood after watching the fairly intense True Detective.  And yes listening to BBC radio makes me about 150 years older than I actually am.  But it's just too funny to stop.  The final episode just recorded last week so it's not airing any more, but you can still catch up on YouTube thanks to some lovely Benedict loving citizen.  Just go listen to one, I guarantee you will continue through the entire series.

3. Food trucks from 2 cities, was pretty darn amazing, but now there adding a third?  Woohoo!  As usual, it's sure to be the highlight of the spring!

4. As someone who is struggling slightly with figuring out the ins and outs of opening an Etsy shop, this series on opening one in 30 days is about the most helpful post I've ever read.  

5. Have you ever seen anything cuter than this little guy?  It's a bit creepy how much he looks like a human baby but aside from that, he's completely adorable!

Where is Flight MH370?

If you're anything like me, you've been glued to this story on the missing flight en route to Kuala Lumpur.  What's so strange about it is just how little everyone seems to know.  It seems completely impossible that a plan carrying that many people and that much technology can vanish without a trace.  But it's somehow happened and no one is exactly sure how.  I'm completely at a loss to even try to explain how this happens which is slightly terrifying to me.

What started last week with tales of possible terrorism (stolen passports that turned out not to be linked to any known terrorists but to 2 men just trying to flee Iraq), quickly turned to wrongdoing by the crew (the plane had turned back and veered 4 hours off course but then this theory was also debunked).  What's causing so much confusion is the very fact that so many nations are working together to figure this mystery out.  And they all seem to want to be the first with news or theories.

I must admit that I've gotten caught up in the news cycle as well, just because it's such a bizarre case.  I've been under the impression that this incident is an unprecedented one; that planes just don't vanish and that airline incidents are just one in million flukes.  But according to the story I read today after falling down the Huffington Post rabbit hole, there have been around 10 such incidents of air crafts going missing and never being hard from again.  We've all heard the myths about the Bermuda Triangle, but apparently crashes and vanishing planes have happened in other countries and parts of the world too.  That sole piece of information just may be enough to turn me off flying ever again (that is until it's time to again, then I'll probably get a bit braver).  

I suppose what we must realize in the weeks ahead is, while this story seemingly has it all for the media obsessed (terrorism? wrongdoing? supernatural? - who knows?!) there are families of 239 people who just want their loved ones home.  Hopefully, if the search crews and the media start focusing on that important fact, they'll start working more cohesively to at least give these families some closure.    

Wordless Wednesday

For lack of a better topic this evening, I'm going to give this whole Wordless Wednesday thing a try. It's been a busy, chilly, warm, windy, creative and dragging week, none of which is actually exciting or photo-worthy except the creative craftiness.

About Fisher

A few years ago, I read a book by Nick Hornby called "About a Boy".  Quite honestly, at the time, the only reason I picked it up was because I had heard that they were making a movie of it with Hugh Grant.  After devouring the book in just a few days, I went to see the movie, and fell in love with it too.  It was one of those rare instances where the movie was almost as perfect as the book.  They got everything right, from the humor to the casting which was spot on.  So you can say I wasn't feeling optimistic when I heard NBC was re-booting it as a television show.  Nothing could live up to the awesomeness of the book or the movie.

         \

Seriously, how adorable is this kid?

While, there are quite a few differences, I have to report that I'm in love with the new show. It's the perfect little family comedy and the kid is comic gold.    In the book, Marcus was in high school and his mother was a bit more depressed.  Also, it took place in London not San Francisco, so the program isn't a perfect representation, but aside from that, it's doing a great job of nailing the premise. I'm not sure I've watched anything on NBC in years (probably since ER and Friends went off air) and the comedies really aren't my thing - usually because they're crude (i.e. Two and a Half Men) or just dumb, but this one has heart and still manages to be funny. 

Just up after "About a Boy", is another new NBC show "Growing up Fisher".  I was skeptical about this one to say the least.  A sighted actor, pretending to be a blind lawyer who's pretending to be sighted - it could get messy and mean.  But just like "About a Boy", it's not. It's sweet and funny, and knowing it's based on a true story makes it even more enjoyable somehow.  
          

Seriously, how adorable is this dog?  Also, this kid is pretty cute too.

A lot of the comedy today (Warning: Old Lady Alert) is based on poop jokes and innuendo. There's no real family shows that aren't animated so finally finding 2 that are perfect for all ages and funny as well, is a huge bonus.  Here's hoping they stay on for a long time to come, because after 2 episodes each, I'm already hooked!

Things I've Learned Using Etsy

I've been using Etsy for a few years now.  However, the urge to open a shop has only just taken off in the last year or so.  And the actual starting to figure everything out has just started in 2014.  While researching and working towards open, I've learned quite a few things.  For instance...

While creating, I'm so much more productive when it's quiet with no distractions.  Who knew?!  I've has this desk for 5 years now, and have been using my coffee table for the last 4 years or so.  Now that I'm using the desk, my shoulders ache a whole lot less and the inventory has been piling up quickly.

Creating a brand is way harder than you'd think.  I haven't even figured out myself yet, and now I have to figure out a whole store's identity?  How's that supposed to work?

I'm ADD when it comes to what sort of crafts I like.  A good store has one general item that they focus on selling.  I can't quite decide between about 400 different crafts.  In my head, having a varied inventory would only help sales.  According to Etsy blogs, that would be wrong...

To take a decent photo for your teeny tiny shop online, you're supposed to hire a photographer.  Really?!  That's not expensive at all.

Pinterest has made me about 100x more creative than I usually am.  I spend a great deal of time trying to replicate the beautiful crafts I've seen in my own way and the rest putting my own spin on Pins.  I love it!  

Hexagons are in.  Just search cards and I'll bet at least half of what you find will involve a hexagon.  Thank goodness I bought my Hexagon punch, or I'd be quite jealous.

And last but not least, Etsy is still as awesome as it always has been!

NT Live: Take Two

As you can see, I'm kind of loving the whole importing of British theatre.  The first I saw was "The Audience" through National Theatre Live so I kind of assumed all of the performances would kind of follow the same format.  In this case, 3.5 hours including a host, 30 minutes of previews, 15 minutes of countdown to interval, 15 minutes of interval interviews all on top of the actual show. Imagine my surprise when I saw "Richard II" through the Royal Shakespeare Company, and there was no host, no fancy previews and no interval countdown, in other words, parred down and perfect!  

I was sort of hoping for the parred down version this time around for Coriolanus, but not so much.  Aside from the formatting issues and the terrible seats (apparently, Loki as Coriolanus was quite a big draw for the geek girl crowd), the show itself was magnificent!  It was harsh to say the least, with quite a bid of fake blood (whoever thought dowsing their lead with fake blood and making him recite Shakespeare for most of the first act was a good idea, is a particular kind of evil) but the actors were fantastic.  I wasn't a fan of The Avengers so I didn't really get the appeal of Tom Hiddleston as Loki, but after seeing him in this, I have to say he's unbelievably talented and deserves all the raves he's getting.  And of course Mark Gatiss was superb as well, as I expected.  As for the theatre itself, it's set in an old warehouse and only seats 250 so the stage is intimate and sparse.  What they managed to do with some paint, and concrete on this tiny little stage, was pretty impressive.  Apparently, Coriolanus is usually performed in a much bigger arena seeing as most of the action takes place in the Roman Senate, but after seeing it on such a small scale, I can't imagine seeing it any differently.

Bravo National Theatre! Even though, you seem to be a bit long-winded, I can't wait until the next production!  

Rock & Roll

Once again, I had the pleasure of attending Severna Park High School's Rock & Roll Revival.  This may be my fifth year (I'm terrible at remembering these things.) and year after year, they continue to up their game.  I'm always amazed at the quality of the production from the singers to the dancers, the band to the sets and always the amazing costumes.  I can't imagine the amount of time and energy that goes into a production like this.  They must start working on next year's as soon as this year's ends. But everyone from the ticket takers to the performers seem like they're having the time of their lives!

Considering this weekend was their opening weekend and there's quite a few performances left, all there's really left to say is: Do what you always do and Break a Leg SPHS!  

Friday Five

1. Last night I discovered Artifact Coffee and instantly fell in love with the funky little place.  Then I learned that there are at least 2 more places in the restaurant group and another in the same area that specializes in ice cream: Shoofly Diner, Woodberry Kitchen and The Charmery.  You have no idea how excited I am to give them a shot too.  I anticipate this summer being a very foodie summer!

2.  This might be a "lotta" look but it looks like the very definition of Mardi Gras fun.  I'm a huge Hugh Laurie fan as it is, but this just made me love him even more!

3. When reading photography and crafty blogs, I often come across photos of the "jump shot." That is, the photo that's taken in mid-jump where the person seems to floating because their feet are no longer on the ground.  I feel that when I do see these photos they are almost always more graceful than this.

That's the reason why I'm thinking this article on taking better jump photos over at A Beautiful Mess will be coming in handy very soon. 

4. I've always been a bit skittish about traveling alone.  I'd love to do it sometime, but also, I fear I'd get lost (which is a distinct possibility most everywhere I go) or wander into a bad area or just get so lonely I start muttering to myself garnering stares and whispers.  But, after reading this list, I have to say, I'm more excited to try than ever.  However, I just can't believe that London wasn't on this list.  I spent a full day wandering the city completely alone and felt completely safe and protected.  If NYC is on the list, London should definitely be there - I felt safer in London than Manhattan.  Other than that one small miss, the list seems pretty good even if there are a few places that will never be on my wanderlust list. (Cambodia and Nairobi, really not my cup of tea)

5. "The Baker Street Translation" by Michael Robertson: I started this series of books last year, and even though there are only 3 so far, I'm already hooked.  They're sorta kinda Sherlock Holmes mixed with a modern day flare.  The stories revolve around 221B but in the late 90s two brothers who are barristers, have to answer all the letters coming to Sherlock at his address.  And seeing that the books are Sherlockian in nature, there is always, of course, a mystery hidden in at least one of the letters.  It's really creative and unlike most mysteries, I never quite figure out whodunnit until after I'm told.  Can't wait until the next one!

Biscuit Takeover

In the food pyramid of Kristen, biscuits are definitely one of 5 food groups.  I adore those belly-sinkers and will travel a bit for them.  Tonight, it was to Artifact Coffee in Hampden.  A few months ago, they held a restaurant takeover in which Toki Underground in DC, came in and sold their homemade Ramen for 4 days only.  I unfortunately found out about it after the fact, so no ramen for me.  

After the success of that takeover, they decided to hold another one.  Luckily for me I heard about this one in time. Tiffany Kyle, who owns 4 restaurants specializing in biscuits.  And oh my goodness, has she got it down to a science. Absolutely delicious!

On the menu were about 5 different biscuit sandwiches, and about 10 different toppings for the biscuits, a few sides and 3 desserts.  But honestly, who needs dessert when you can just have chocolate sauce on the biscuit?!  There were 3 of us, so we all tried a different sandwich: Fried chicken, with spicy honey and pickles, Breakfast with scrapple, dippy egg, and jam and mine with ham, cheese and greens.  Mine was to die for and I would have fallen for the chicken too if there weren't any pickles on it.  I didn't try the breakfast one because - eww scrapple!  You also had the choice of type of biscuit: creme fraiche, sweet potato or gluten free.  We all went for the creme fraiche - how can you go wrong with a classic?  Then for dessert there were more biscuits (don't judge - this was a once in a lifetime biscuit-fest!)  We had tasso gravy (not bad), apple butter (kinda like apple sauce), honey butter (could have used more honey and less butter) and last but not least, chocolate sauce (To. Die. For.).

All in all, it was an absolutely perfect evening and I can't wait for the next event at this cute little coffee shop!  I probably won't be able to eat again until Sunday as I'm pretty darn stuffed right now.  But if the next takeover is anywhere near as amazing as this one, please count me in!

#Ashtag

Ash Wednesday is always one of those days of the year.  You know you should go and be a good Catholic and wear the ashes but in your head you're thinking "do I really want to deal with all the questions all day?"  For the record this terrible (a. it was at the end of a day that began at 5 am and b. I'm the worst selfie taker in the world!) photo was taken 14 hours after I originally got the ashes.  So you can imagine just how huge they started out.  

When I was teaching in a Catholic school, it was always much easier because everyone around you was in the same boat.  Half the time, you forgot they were there and couldn't quite figure out why everyone at the grocery store was looking at you like you'd just landed on Mars.  Plus, when working with kids on Ash Wednesday, you had the added bonus of the parents forgetting it was that time of year again.  At least half of them would come to pick up their little angels, and upon seeing the black smudge, rub it off and scold them for playing too hard, only to get yelled at by the little angels.  This in turn, I'm sure, made them feel guilty and also filled up the church for the evening mass.  

Now that I'm not surrounded by the Catholics all day, I'm forced to deal with the questions.  My favorite being the first one I received when I walked in to work this morning at 7:45: "Do you know you have something on your forehead?"  Really!?  This can't be a new thing.  We Catholics have been around for thousands of years, surely you've seen ashes at some point in the last 30 or so.  Others included "Where to the ashes come from?" (fairly logical so I'll let it slide), "When can you take them off?" (the follow up for that one after I told her I would wash them off in the shower was : "Oh you can do that?)  I was half way tempted to say "No not really, but I figured I'd stink a bit if I refrained from washing my face for the next 40 days." (Maybe I should give up being snarky for Lent...)

Long story short, for someone that likes to fade into the background, walking around with a dirty forehead is not really my cup of tea.  But I suppose I've gotten a bit used to it.  Anyway, it's just one day in the whole 40.  It's not like the whole no meat on Fridays during Lent thing, that just really stinks!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Every year, around this time, I start daydreaming about the Big Easy.  I've never been but it's just one of those places that seems about perfect.  One of the many reasons I've fallen head over heels for a place I've never seen is the craziness, insanity, & sheer bedlam that is Mardi Gras.  The parades, the food, the clothes, the floats, the food, the music, have I mentioned the food? I just want to breathe it all in!  I'm sure that it's probably not really my cup of tea.  Of course flashing for beads, drinking until I'm sick and partying until dawn, really isn't my idea of a good time.  But I think that's the fun of it.  I may not partake in all the semi-legal activities, but that doesn't mean I don't want to experience it at least once.  I suppose until I get my chance, I'll be Laissez-ing les bon temps rouler here in chilly Maryland with Pancakes and dollar store beads.  Not nearly as fun, I'm sure, but then again I won't have to deal with the hangover tomorrow...

Monday Fun-Day

Contrary to my earlier feelings about snow in general (I hate it and it needs to die), for the last week or so, I've been quite excited about the prospect of one last snow day to end the season right.  There was a bit of time there last week, when we were expecting quite a bit of the white stuff, but that fizzled quite quickly.  Today, on the other hand was another story. Based on the news reports, we were going to get hammered by up to 14 inches of snow, ice, freezing rain and wintry mix, starting yesterday afternoon and heading into this evening.  

Now, by noon, I had pretty much had my heart set on having today off.  However, I did go get gas just so I didn't jinx myself.  Though, since I insisted on staying up an watching the interminable Oscars telecast last night, I was pretty much resigned to the fact there was going to be no snow day for me.  But somehow I got the miracle I was hoping for and was able to spend a warm and cozy day inside crafting and baking.  It wasn't quite the all out assault they were calling for (about 4 inches as opposed to 14), so I'm pretty sure I'll be at work tomorrow, but it did the trick for today.  Thank goodness!  Though I do have a teeny tiny message to whoever's up there controlling when the white stuff falls.

To the weather gods: While I love the snow day fun, I'm not such a fan of the whole 5 degrees outside thing, so while I hate to be picky, if you could just warm up a bit now, I'd be a much happier camper, thanks.  Also, it's March now and spring will officially be arriving in less than 3 weeks, so now that we've all had our fun with lots of snow days, it's time for tulips, and sunshine and birds singing and all other wonderful hints of spring. I don't want to tell you how to do your job but, you need to be getting on that!

May I Have the Envelope Please?

I haven't seen a single movie nominated for an Oscar this year except Frozen (which, let's be honest doesn't really count).  I do however want to see 2 of them (Philomena and Captain Phillips) which is a bigger number than usual, so I think that sort of counts.  But I've been looking forward to the show for weeks, and not just because Benedict Cumberbatch is presenting.  I've been looking forward to seeing Ellen host - she's pretty much the perfect choice.  Last year's host was vulgar and above all else, mean.  Aside from being one of the funniest comedians in the world right now, Ellen's kind and light and never goes for the jugular while still managing to be funny. 

We're about 30 minutes in now and she hasn't completely hit it out of the park yet, but she's been on and had some great one liners.  I'm hoping for some sort of musical number though.  What can I say?  I was always a huge Billy Crystal fan. 

Then of course there's the fashion.  After 2 hours of listening to the breakdown by Giuliana Rancic, a purple haired Kelly Osbourne (if she thinks purple hair is fashionable, why is she being allowed to judge others' fashion?) and king of all awards shows Ryan Seacrest, I have a few favorites.  I'm not sure they'll be on the top of the lists tomorrow, but these are the  the ones I'd kill to wear walking the red carpet.
 

After the host and the fashion, I suppose I should say something about the awards.  Like I said I've not seen any of them, so I can't really play favorites.  I'm not sure who should or shouldn't win, but I like to judge them on their acceptance speeches or their presentation duties.  So without further ado...

Jared Leto has given one of the most eloquent and intelligent speeches I've ever heard, and I'm fully behind him winning all the awards he has.  From the pictures I've seen, he seemingly completely transformed himself and threw himself into the part.  What's even better is that he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

Jim Carrey while not as funny as he thought he was, was a pretty good choice to intro the animated films.

I haven't a clue who this Pharrell Williams dude is but he looks a lot like Michael B Jordan. However, his song was pretty catchy, and I loved him heading into the audience and dancing with some leading ladies.

Yay Frozen!  I'm at a 100% view vs. win rate.  Go me!

It took until the Outstanding Cinematography for someone to mention George Clooney? That's blasphemous!

I'm pretty sure that Zac Efron meant inspiration instead of aspiration...

I'm noticing quite a bit of stumbling over words that are most likely clearly written on cue cards.  Shouldn't actors be better at this whole reading thing by now?

At some point in time, Jason Sudeikis moved from goofy SNL comic to all out stud.  How did that happen?

The Voorman Problem lost.  I haven't seen that one either, but I would have liked to see at least a little love for the Brits.

You look away for 10 seconds, and some random winner starts belting it out on stage.

I'm not sure but I think Kevin Spacey, just insulted DC.  What the heck, dude?!

I think there's a mandate that requires Tyler Perry to be at every single awards show, even if he has nothing to do with anything nominated.

Why does Brad Pitt think a greasy mo-hawkish thing is stylish?

Love U2!  I can't believe Idris Elba or Mandela the film wasn't nominated.  What a snub!

I'm thinking this right here is the best part of the whole show

After an hour and a half of non-actory little categories (no offense!), I'd like to know if the supporting actor category is our prize before having to sit through 2 more hours without any big categories...

Go Lupita!  Though I think she may have been perplexed by Liza Minnelli hugging her.

Who wants pizza?  I love it!

That was a great tribute to Harold Ramis from Bill Murray.  

All the awards fro Gravity, would be a lot more interesting if George Clooney had shown up.

Wow, Whoopi, that's a lotta look...

Glinda Ellen!

And the only reason I'm still up - Benedict Cumberbatch presenting!

This hero showcase is geek-tastic.

I never realized just how many other awards there are besides the ones everyone talks about around the water cooler on Monday morning.  I think I've reached my breaking point on the boredom scale, so I'm off to bed.  This is exactly what DVR's are made for : )