Scrap Happy Saturday

Please ignore the quality of these pictures.  After 3 straight hours of scrapbooking, I don't really have the energy to worry about taking studio quality images (ironic, I know...)  But I've realized today that in the last month or so, I've purchased at least 6 packs of photo inserts for this album.  Why do they have to make so many different kinds?  Don't they know I can't resist? : )

Friday Five

1. This number one spot was supposed to be reserved for the Super Bowl Winning, World Champion Ravens winning their season opener in Denver against Peyton Manning when everyone said they were going to lose.  However, it seems that everyone was correct, and the Ravens failed us miserably...with the most points unanswered in franchise history and the only time they've lost a season opener under Harbaugh.  So I suppose, I just have to stick with the Orioles instead who actually won their game and thank goodness for that since they were the darn reason the Ravens were stuck opening on the road in the first place!

2. Basically this is about the most creative and well-thought out travel site I've seen in a while.  Fathom includes all sorts of fun insight and articles as well as some pretty fantastic city guides and tons of travel pics.  Loving the Insta-trip feature where contributors' travels are relayed entirely in Instagram.  My new go to site each morning!

3. Another fantastic blog, only this time it's straight up photography.  As you may have realized by now, I've been attempting to figure out my camera since I got it a few months ago.  While that process hasn't been going as smoothly as I'd like, this site has all sorts of ideas to help it along.  I'm pretty partial to the alphabet photo challenge.  I'm not sure if I'd stick with it, nor do I know what I'd do with the photographs, but it's certainly a nifty idea!

4. "Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe": I'm in love with this book, and cannot wait until the next one comes out in the spring.  It's set in London, revolves around a cupcake shop and is written by a previous writer of Doctor Who.  What's not to like?!

5. Technology that allows us here in the states to hear and see production diaries of those staging Richard II (the show I'm seeing in Stratford.)  Absolutely amazing idea!  I love how creative and interactive the theatres in the UK and here in the US are getting.  These small ideas really allow the shows and characters and casts to come alive while hopefully gaining a whole new audience for live theatre.

Go Ravens!!

Nothing can beat the excitement of last year's amazing, utterly ridiculous, completely awesome win of the Super Bowl, but that doesn't stop us here in MD from trying.  While today should be another fantastic game played in Baltimore, it unfortunately won't be.  Oh, it will be an awesome game, no doubt, but because of the darn Orioles (whom I love equally but they are on my list right now!) we're stuck opening in Denver.  Of course, we were able to smoke Peyton Manning last year in Denver so I'm not too worried (well, maybe a teensy tiny bit...)  It would just be fun to have even more electricity and excitement circling the whole game.  Of course, I have to say, Keith Urban is a pretty good consolation prize - What a cutie!  Anyway, there's not much more to say than I'll return you to your regularly scheduled girly, non-sportsy programming tomorrow, and of course:

GO RAVENS!!!!!

5 Weeks to Go

And I'm officially slightly stressed.  In 10 days we have planned, and planned and planned the trip into a whirlwind tour of 3 countries.  After many different iterations, the trip seems to be complete.  However, it's at this time, I may try a new tactic: Relax, and leave it up to chance.  Of course, I want to see everything I can, but I've realized I haven't planned for happy accidents and random wanderings, as well as getting lost (which I truly intend on happening).  So there.  I'm done color-coding, address reviewing, and Google mapping.  Though,  I still fully intend to see all of this and of course a lot of this (only the Paris parts of course...)

Is it quite possible to live without sleep for 10 days?

Fall is Coming

As much as I love summer, and as much as I can't believe September is already upon us, I think I'm a bit happy to see autumn coming.  I love the sun, sand and surf of summer in Maryland if not the crazy high humidity.  But there's something nice about the cool breezes, change in the leaves and all sorts of pumpkin, apple and cinnamon recipes invading our tables. While today was still warm and you could feel summer still in the air, it had also the whif of the fall to come.  There was a gentle breeze and blowing leaves.  It was actually quite nice.

This fall brings all sorts of happy things in its wake, which could be another reason I'm ready to wave goodbye to beachy weather.

~35 days from tomorrow is the great European adventure.
~The Ravens kick off their season on Thursday, defending their Super Bowl winning title
~700 Sundays re-opens on Broadway, and with any luck they'll be tickets to that coming down the pike.
~There are about a dozen pumpkin recipes already waiting in the wings for me to try out on Pinterest.
Sherlock, Doctor Who and all the others will be starting soon.

So you know, all sorts of exciting (if you're a nerd like me : ) things to look forward to. I do think I'm ready to: 

Happy Labor Day!

Currently...

~A little too obsessed with pinning pics of everything I want to see in Paris (everything I want to see in Paris, that is, that can fit into 12 hours...)

~A little too pre-occupied with the number of steps I've gotten in today and whether or not my number will live up to the others on my walking team.

~Watching Hamlet on YouTube to drown out the Real Housewives on the television.

~A little too excited about the day off tomorrow.

~Completely and utterly stuffed after a yummy Mexican dinner and some Chunky Monkey.

That's right, quite the exciting holiday weekend here in MD.  Happy Labor Day!