Dolcezza

You gotta be in it, to win it

2010-08-10T12:26:00.000-04:00

I'm not talking about the lottery! Head over to Icelandic Gardening, Knitting, Gradstudent, Mom She's hosting a a giveaway for $40 at a yarn shop.....Yumm fibery goodness!

Earbud & Earphone cosy crochet pattern

2010-08-09T12:37:00.004-04:00

Why do they sell all kinds of cases for your ipod, but nothing to keep your earbuds clean and intact?

I find it kind of gross that I’m supposed to insert something that’s been exposed in my bag into my ear!

I looked at the knitted patterns on ravelry and made attempts, but they were just too darn fiddly so here is my 3rd crochet project and my 1st crochet design.

Using sock yarn leftovers and a size E hook:

Chain 1, sc along length of cord, do a chain when you reach voice control/microphone area, when that area is cleared, continue sc around cord, when read earbud, chain 10 or until the edge of the chain reaches at least the middle of the earbud, turn then work in the round as follows:

round 1 skip 1st chain, sc 9 into next chain

round 2 pm, sc 9

round 2 (sc2, 2sc in next sc)all around

round 3 (sc2tog, sc 2)all around

slst into 1st stitch for tidiness’ sake.

If you find it’s too small, do another round of sc between rounds 2 and 3.

Go back to Y join of earphones, slst into one of the stitches and begin sc around the wire you skipped earlier and proceed as above.

Weave in ends.

Ear bud / Ear Phone Cosy by JoyceAnna D'Alessandro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

Ice Cream!

2010-07-07T19:23:00.002-04:00

Hello readers(is anyone left?)!
I haven't blogged for a long time, I know. I spend much time on Ravelry these days. I keep in touch with people on Facebook, so the blogging has gone by the wayside. Scusi.

But now I have some wisdom to share:

When the temperature reaches 108F(42C), it most definitely calls for ICE CREAM!

Hubby agreed, so into the dregs of the basement to retrieve my RIVAL(tm) ice cream maker I went. My mom bought me it way back in (tonight we're gonna party like it's) 1999. It cost $23.84 at Sterns.(Yes the receipt is still in the box. The scontrino checking policemen in Italy would be pleased.)

Flavor of the Day? ButterPecan, yumm!
But there's one teeny problem. The recipes in the pamphlet that came with my ice cream maker doesn't dare to dream of such exotic flavor. So I consulted my trusty Culinary Institute of America Encylcopedia of Homemaking (c)1940 to see if they had any ideas. On page 2 of the Refrigerator Desserts Volume, I thought my quest had ended, but it called for raw eggs!

I'm a very adventurous eater but I'm not about to put my beloved men at risk so I needed to do more research. A search didn't find me answers, but I must admit that many of the recipes from DesertCandy are very tempting and are now on my queue. Armed with this knowledge, it was time to create a recipe that fits with our lifestyle here @ Dolcezza's dollhouse.

So I sat down with my trusty Lamy Italic Nib and the classic yellow legal pad and got to work.

With my trusty assistant, the yolk was easy. (get the reference?)

Dolcezza's Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Yield: approximately 2 quarts

1 cup raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2-2/3 cups organic whole milk

1 package pecan halves

3 tablespoons unsalted European butter*

3 eggs,beaten

1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla extract(from KAF)

1 cup organic heavy cream

Brown pecan halves in all the butter. Don't burn them, it can happen pretty quickly.

Combine about half of the sugar with milk and heat in a saucepan, but do not boil. Add rest of sugar to the eggs and beat them. Add some of the milk mixture to the eggs to temper them. Stir some more milk mixture into the eggs and then pour it all back into the saucepan. Cook until thickened. Don't raise the heat too high or you will have scrambled eggs instead of a custard. If you curdle it just a little bit, just strain it before adding to the ice cream maker.

Put custard, heavy cream, vanilla and pecans into a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you have the patience.

Follow the instructions that came with your ice-cream maker to create your dessert. Mine took 18 minutes of deafening churning. Maybe if I keep making ice cream it'll break down and then I can get a nice modern one that's quiet that needs neither rock salt nor ice........ahhhhhhhh to dream. But I digress.

*European butter tastes soooo much better than the supermarket variety. I used Kerrygold , but they are all good.

the result? delizioso!

Buon Appetito!

The next flavors on the horizon are pistachio, coffee, and chai. If you have any suggestions, please post links in the comments. If I don't find anything, I might have to invent a new recipe to post!

Free Knitting Pattern: Double Round One Skein Scarf

2009-12-08T10:52:00.002-05:00

You can find images on Ravelry!

CO 200

R1 Knit

R2 Knit wrapping yarn twice around needle for each stitch

R3 Knit into double wrapped yarn once(don’t increase stitches)

Repeat Rows 1-3 until desired width.

To finish, K5, then BO the rest of stitches except for the last 5 which you will knit. Unravel the knitted stitches on both ends so you have loops. Knot each loop close to the stitches. I like to leave the loop, but you can snip them to make a fringe.

Monkey Business

2009-08-23T11:21:00.004-04:00

Tommaso seems to be growing quite of collection of scimmie (that's monkeys in Italiano).

Pictured from left to right are:

Freecycle monkey puppet, Tommaso's first monkey from our cousins Anna Maria & Frank(plays twinkle twinkle little star and his cheeks light up), Macy's monkey that Tommaso picked out for his 1st birthday, monkey from the Wayne County Fair won by from our cousin Frank, monkey from Signora Linda (the newest monkey, and currently the favorite), in front is the monkey from Italia (he screeches when you squeeze his belly) from our cousins Anna Maria & Frank. Not pictured is travel monkey(he's really a backpack and leash) who lives in the cars and accompanies us on our outings.

$293

2009-08-23T11:16:00.003-04:00

Scored some great bargains yesterday while shoe shopping...for $150 I scored 3 pairs(Nine West, Enzo Angiolini & Betsey Johnson) of shoes for me and 2 (Stride Rite) for the little guy.

I saved $293 off the original prices!

More Road Trip Photos

2009-08-10T09:27:00.002-04:00

Road Trip Day 5

2009-08-09T21:59:00.002-04:00

Tommaso slept in today....but then he had no nap....but he did go on the potty...so, er...emm.
Went to Mass at St. John the Evangelist, followed by yet another trip to WallyWorld! It was an overcast rainy day. (As I type this, it is thundering and being quite stormy.) We lunched on Spaghetti alla Sepia and dined on Chicken stuffed with asparagus and sun-dried tomato.

Tommaso spent the day running laps in the house and bonding some more with Frank. They looked at many big trucks online and practiced counting.

Tomorrow afternoon, we head on a loooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg drive to my parent's house where there will be no internet access (wah!)

Road Trip Day 4

2009-08-08T17:42:00.005-04:00

So much we wanted to do, but when you have a bambino around, plans always need to be flexible. Today we fed the fish in the pond some stale bread.

Road Trip Day 3

2009-08-07T23:22:00.003-04:00

Well, we went to the fair today. I'll let the photos tell the story.

Road Trip Day 2

2009-08-06T23:55:00.018-04:00

By 8 am, Tommaso had me back on schedule, insisting it was time to “EAT! EAT!” his daily oatmeal with apple sauce and ‘uva’. After breakfast, all the adults got their screen time in…have to check the email and facebook updates, y’know. Tommaso received some tribute today: a new scimmia(he screeches when you press his pancina), a dinosaur and a shirt and jacket from Italy.

We lunched on last night’s leftovers and then Frank & the wee one went on a short walk between the buildings and showed him the water pump. Tommaso loved operating it and now keeps asking to go to the POMPA.

Then it was time for today’s excursion: Honesdale’s

SuperWalmart(I kid you not) for food shopping.

It was a short, scenic ride, past grazing cow’s and lots of horses. Tommaso fell asleep in the car since it was naptime. But he awoke when we pulled in. I must admit, this Walmart is much nicer than the Cherry Hill one! Frank entertained Tommaso by playing every musical card in the store for him while we waited to be rung up. Poor baby fell asleep in the car on the way home, only to wake up upon arrival. I tried to get him to nap, but he won.

My cousins rewarded him (or tried to distract him) by presenting him with his very own lawn mower. It blows bubbles! So fun. He also got a souped up wagon made from a CocaCola crate from 1974(coincidentally, the year my parents got married.) that they purchased at an antiques auction for the little prince. I toured their guest cottage, which they are thinking of offering as a vacation rental to nice people.

As you can see here, Tommaso and Frank had some fun on the swing. He seems to have really taken a liking to him! To toast Frank’s survival of Tommaso climbing all over him, we(the adults) had a shot of Crema di Limoncello made by our cousin Giovanna in Italy. TASTY!
For dinner, we had Spaghetti al Pesto di Pistacchio con Bacon(needless to say there is NO PANCETTA in Wayne County, PA) YIAM!

Yet again, Junior was an un-cooperative bather and insisted on sleeping in the big bed to boot. I made a barricade of pillows to make sure he didn’t fall out. He woke up with a nightmare around 11 and he went back to his own bed to sleep(Grazie a Dio!)

INOX ICE CREAM SPOONS

2009-08-06T23:52:00.001-04:00

yet another example of Italian genius

Road Trip Day 1

2009-08-05T23:30:00.001-04:00

It was a busy morning as we prepared for my road trip with Tommaso. We left the house at 3:00, survived the SUREKILL(er, I mean Schuylkill) and made it to Allentown,PA by 4:40. Early dinner at Chianti Italiano Ristorante
We had an Appetizer of Calamari Fritti
Awesome Bread…I think we had three baskets worth. The bread alone was worth the trip!
We had: Cheese Tortellini Bolognese(Frank), Veal Francese(Tom), Veal Marsala(AnnaMaria) &
Eggplant Parmigiana(Me)

No tears shed when we said goodbye to hubby. We had told Tommaso about the trip knew what was coming…he hugged Scimmia and announced all points of interest as we rolled along the Northeast Extension. A short pit stop at Turkey Hill Market(yes, Turkey Hill Ice Cream has a market and they sell gas, too!)
Quick bath for Tommaso at 10pm.and Butter Pecan Ice Cream for the grown ups.
Tommaso slept in his special travel bed till 4:30 then came into bed with me for a couple hours.

Trippingly off the (baby's) tongue

2009-05-25T06:47:00.004-04:00

Tommaso is adding more and more words to his vocabulary. Just now he said mela, which means apple in Italian! So here is the official list of words my 19month old says in no particular order.

mela (apple)
grazie
thanks
please
bye bye
mamma (mom)
papa`(daddy)
nonno(grandfather)
nonna(grandmother)
Elmo[ugh]
uva(grapes)
uvetta(raisins)
si(yes)
yeah
no
fell
uh oh
hot
hi
dog
bus
all done
eyes
where is
here it is
book
pappa(pablum)
head
hat
ball
bubble
mine
duck
light
shoes
chair
car
cacca
clean up
boom
scimmia(monkey)
pesce(fish)
Gesu`(Jesus)
Jesus

He also blows lovely kisses to all those he loves!

Treasury Love

2009-04-14T07:56:00.002-04:00

My Etsy shop, DesignDolcezza, is featured in two treasuries!

Take a look:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=50338

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=51920

And don't forget to enter my circus ticket giveaway by commenting on that particular post by clicking here!

FP Clapotis

2009-04-14T07:51:00.004-04:00

I started Clapotis (from Knitty.com) 1 month before Thomas was born and I finished it last week :)

Here it is hanging on my clothes line!

Philadelphia Ringling Brothers Family Four Pack Give-a-way!

2009-04-09T07:49:00.002-04:00

I have been authorized by MomCentral to provide coupon discount codes and to give one family four-pack of tickets away for opening night(May 13@ 7pm). The winner will be able to pick up their tickets (with a Picture ID!) at the will call window the night of the show.
Enter by commenting on this blogpost with your First Name, Email and what you love about the circus. Get an additional entry by posting about this on your own blog and providing the link on an additional comment. Winner will be chosen randomly on April 20.

If you are on facebook, please fan the fan-page for the Ringiling Brother’s Circus in Philadelphia! http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?s=10&hash=5f0d924534a6ad587e7cfcf422132427#/pages/Ringling-Bros-and-Barnum-BaileyR-for-Philadelphia-Area-Families/53377832694

You can buy discount four packs by logging onto ComcastTix.com and entering the code: MOM

Achieving sour-ness

2009-01-28T20:00:00.003-05:00

Well, my experiment is 3 days old. It didn't seem to be doing anything after the initial fizz from the yeast. So I did some more research yesterday. After reading some other people's blogs about growing a starter, I discarded a cup of my current starter and then added a cup each of flour and water. It has bubbled up nicely, but I don't think it's quite ready for the ultimate test.

Wild Yeasts couldn't tear me away...

2009-01-25T19:21:00.004-05:00

So, after having my breadmaker for just over a year, I've decided to take the plunge. Following the recipe on the KingArthurFlour website, I have mixed together sugar, water, yeast and whole-wheat flour(of course) in the hopes of catching ''wild'' yeasts and creating my very own sourdough starter. This is supposed to take from 2 to 5 days and if I take care of it properly, it should last for a long time. In fact, the one King Arthurs sells is over 240 years old!

So, so far so good...it's beginning to bubble....

Maybe if it actually works, I'll have some kind of contest to name my starter :)

Ooh, could i sell it on etsy too? I wonder.

My Giraffe

2009-01-17T17:52:00.001-05:00

Art Card has landed in an etsy treasury! Here's the link:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=33981

Calling all Fashionistas!

2008-12-28T08:31:00.010-05:00

I just finished reading The One Hundred by Nina Garcia and proud to report that I already own most of the pieces she suggested including a vintage mink and a valid passport.

I don't care for most of her boot suggestions....I don't really need nor want to wear cowboy boots, wellingtoon boots, or ankle boots, thank you very much.

However, I have come to realize I am remiss in not owning of any of the following items and will get to work on acquiring as soon as the purse allows. Of course, if there are any generous benefactors reading my blog, feel free to donate to the cause!

Repetto Ballet Flats

Rayban Aviators and Wayfarers

Belts
Camel Coat
Brooches ( I have three...so I definitely could use some more)
White Cable Knit Sweater
Black Cashmere Sweater
Charm Bracelet
Gentleman's Hat : Fedora or Tilby (so mad my dad threw his out!)

An investment bag, so called because it will cost several weeks salary: chanel 2.55, LV Speedy, the Jackie O, or the Birkin(which I like the best, followed by the speedy)

Custom-made Vans
Fur Stole
Hermes Scarves

2008-12-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

EtsyNJ is hosting its first ever team wide sale and what better day than Cyber Monday!! With all the great EtsyNJ shops that are participating, you can easily finish all your holiday shopping without even leaving your seat!

See the list below for participating shops. Please be sure to enter “EtsyNJ Cyber Monday” in the notes to seller at checkout in order to receive your sale. Sale code is valid Monday, December 1, 2008 only.

AbbieRoad Artful Designs - AbbieRoad.etsy.com
Screenprinted Clothing, Art Prints & Accessories
Free Mirror or Magnet (you pick) w/ any $20 purchase

Abelee’s Handcrafted - http://abeleeshandcrafted.etsy.com/
handcrafted earrings made from sterling silver, gemstones, antiqued brass, and unusual glass beads.
Free shipping, and 10% off any item made with pearls (glass or natural), refund via PayPal.

AJK Artistry - http://www.ajkartistry.etsy.com/
Greeting Cards, Custom Invites, Fine Art and more!
Free shipping on every item in both of my shops! Shipping fees will be refunded through paypal.

amarie by andrea maiolano - http://www.loveamarie.etsy.com/
handbags made of beautiful fabrics - hobo totes, wristlets, clutches, keychain wristlets and more!
Buy ANY 2 items and receive free domestic shipping and a FREE WRISTLET KEYCHAIN!

Azaiez Designs - http://www.azaiez.etsy.com/
Jewelry
Buy two or more items and get free shipping on the entire purchase!

Baobab Love - http://baobablove.etsy.com/
Jewelry that brings Joy - Timeless, Unique, Hand crafted
Free Earrings custom earrings with any purchase of $50 or more.

Bella Mental - http://BellaMental.etsy.com
15% off all items, excluding custom orders

Beachchiik - http://beachchik.etsy.com
Beachy Art & Gifts, Accessories for your home. Seashell Dining Accessories. Goodies for your Gromets (aka- your little surfer kids) and Custom Kids Tote Bags for all occasions.
10% off Your Total Purchase and Free Shipping in the US .

Beeb Designs - http://beebdesigns.etsy.com
Beaded jewelry and ornaments
10% off Your Total Purchase
FREE Gift with purchases of $30 or more

Berd & Bee - http://berdandbee.etsy.com
Handmade Candles, Handpainted Mugs and Unique Gifts
20% off any Cyber Monday purchase

Capital City Crafts - http://capitalcitycrafts.etsy.com
Sterling silver jewelry with freshwater pearls & semiprecious stones
All orders in the shop are discounted as follows:
$50 to $99 -10% discount
$100 to $199 - 15% discount
over $200 - 20% discount
Cyber Monday- bonus gift with purchase of $50 of more.

Collective Elements - http://collectiveelements.etsy.com
Ultimate Paper Love! Cards, Journals, Bookmarks, and more Paper Goodness!
Buy 2, get 1 free (lowest priced item) Will receive refund via Paypal.

Copabananas- http://copabananas.etsy.com
Sock monkeys, repurposed products, holiday items, and more!
Free gift with any purchase.

CreationsByRobin - http://creationsbyrobin.etsy.com
Handmade Jewelry, Inspired by Nature
CYBER MONDAY SALE- Free shipping (refunded via Paypal) & Gift w/ Purchase

Deirdre Ryan Photography - http://blackbird72.etsy.com
Fine Art Photography and Gifts
Buy any 5×7 Set of Prints and receive 2 FREE 4×6 of Your choice from any 4×6 listed!

DesignDolcezza - http://designdolcezza.etsy.com
Scrapbook, cards and so much more!
Free Domestic Shipping!

Dhara Holistics - http://dharaholistics.com/
Free Shipping on all orders

Dictioncanary - http://dictioncanary.etsy.com
Free shipping on all orders

EmptyHeartCreations - http://emptyheartcreations.etsy.com
Pendants, Handmade Guitar Straps, Jewelry
Free holiday gift bag and tissue paper with your purchase

Fisheye & Fishlegs - Fisheye.etsy.com & fishlegs.etsy.com
Unique Accessories and Vintage Finds.
10% off all orders, refund via PayPal

Happiknits - http://www.happiknits.etsy.com
funky handknit accessories.
FREE US shipping with purchase of 2 or more items.

Heart of Nature - http://heartofnature.etsy.com
Fine art photography, greeting cards, and other nature inspired creations by Kitty Wilkin
5% off all greeting cards and sets & 20% off all matted fine art prints!!
Free recyclable greeting card for all orders over $50!!

Jtat Music - http://jtatmusic.etsy.com
Hair clips, Hair Clip organizers, and more!
1 FREE Hair Clip (of my choice) with any Cyber Monday purchase!

Jewelry Designs By Me - http://www.jewelrydesignsbyme.etsy.com/
Eclectic jewelry designed with glass, shell, wood, acrylic, resin, metal beads, & semiprecious stones beads matched with Swarovski.
20% off ALL ITEMS + FREE SHIPPING. Please convo me for a revised PayPal invoice

KameKnits - http://kameknits.etsy.com
Crocheted and knitted items - blankets, scarves, hats, and custom items!
10% all items and free shipping in the US for purchases of 2 or more items

Lil Dab Designs - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6116978
Swarovski Bracelets,Holiday Cards,6×6 Themed paperbag Albums all Handmade .
Free Shipping in U.S.A only, on every item in shop , plus free gift with purchase

Little Bit Crafts - http://littlebitcrafts.etsy.com/
Crafty creations made with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Great holiday decor & gift items!!!!
FREE Gift with each order and 10% Off Total Order of $40 or more!!!

LizArti - http://www.LizArti.etsy.com
Fun Selection of Handmade Jewelry at Reasonable Prices
20% off anything in the shop!

Made By Melissa - http://madebymelissa.etsy.com
Beaded Jewelry, Crochet, Vintage, Destash
Buy any 2 items and get the 3rd half off (refund issued via PayPal)

Marjorie’s Cracked Plate Jewelry - http://www.marjoriescracked.etsy.com
Broken china jewelry, sea glass jewelry, shell jewelry
Free shipping on both US & International orders

Melia's Creations - http://meliascreations.etsy.com
FREE Gift with any purchase of $5 or more

Meribella - http://meribella.etsy.com
One of a kind fine silver and sterling silver jewelry made to love.
FREE SHIPPING. (shipping will be refunded via Paypal.)

Orange Slice Art - http://www.orangesliceart.etsy.com/
Paintings , pillows, bags, coasters, tiles, dolls, prints
Free shipping on any order over $50

Quizzlebob - http://quizzlebob.etsy.com
Affordable and fun novelty and geek accessories, plus a little bit of everything else
FREE Shipping on any purchase $10 or more
Buy two keychains, get the third one FREE
Buy an item for charity, get a keychain or piece of jewelry half off
Refunds issued via PayPal

PurpleLicious Designs - http://purplelicious.etsy.com
Handmade Fabric Headbands, Ribbon Belts and More!
Free Shipping on all US orders and special sale section.

Seahorse Designs - http://seahorsedesigns.etsy.com/
Fun Knitted Scarves, Neckwarmers, Fingerless Gloves, Jewelry and Beaded Accessories.
10% off Your Total Purchase of $25 or more
FREE Gift with purchases of $30 or more
FREE Shipping to US, Canada and UK on purchases that total $50 or more
Shipping and the 10% discount will be will be credited back via Pay Pal.

ShutterKate - http://shutterkate.etsy.com
Original Knitted and Crocheted Accessories
Every purchase gets you a free knitted key fob as a gift!

Strand and Toggle - http://strandandtoggle.etsy.com/
Beaded jewelry that’s fun and fancy
Free icicle earrings with the purchase of any necklace

Suebeebuzz - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=110805
Free comfrey lip balm with every order

SusanItkinBatik - http://www.susanitkinbatik.etsy.com
Batik clothing, wall art, home decor and greeting cards.
20% off all items.

The Spinning Hand - http://thespinninghand.etsy.com
Handmade knitted delights for women and children; unique vintage finds.
Free knitted gift with any purchase of $20 or more

Third Floor Designs - http://thirdfloor.etsy.com
Unique accessories for your every mood
20% off all orders (excluding shipping) and free US shipping for orders over $50

Yinsouciant - http://yinsouciant.etsy.com
Go green and get free shipping with every custom order!
Just for Cyber Monday all buyers will receive a pair of X’mas gift tags free, handmade from vintage song sheets

Enter "EtsyNJ Cyber Monday" in the notes to seller to get your sale or send a convo to the seller if you have any questions.

Happy Shopping!

Design Dolcezza was featured

2008-10-18T09:08:00.000-04:00

on the etsynj blog!

Thomas is a winner!

2008-10-18T09:06:00.002-04:00

His baby photo won first place here: http://www.babooeekids.blogspot.com

As a prize, we got to two products from the shop website: http://www.babooeekidsonline.com I picked the baby sheriff onesies..too cute!

I'm featured on LoveEtsyFeedback Blog

2008-09-11T09:39:00.002-04:00

If you visit and comment according to her directions on LoveEtsyFeedback ...you can win 1 of 4 prizes...one of them is from me aka DesignDolcezza!

Etsy Mom Trunk Show

2008-09-03T11:39:00.001-04:00

Get a jump on your holiday shopping with the Fall into Holiday Cheer Trunk Show the wonderfully talented Etsymom Street Team Members are hosting this Thursday, Sept. 4th at 7 pm in the Etsy Virtual Labs. Come find out what inspires the beautiful handcrafted artistry of this dedicated group of moms in business. Each Etsymom participant will display images of their work, share about their creative process and answer questions. Don't miss this first-time event for Etsymoms and an opportunity to buy some incredible handmade goods!

The Evils of the Pill..

2008-09-03T10:25:00.001-04:00

are numerous, but here's two recent findings that are truly incredible:

Health impacts of estrogens in the environment, considering complex mixture effects.

The Pill may put you off smell of your man and ruin your relationship

My Etsy Mini is currently on

2008-09-02T05:32:00.001-04:00

DZ fantasy's blog!

Be sure to visit her blog, enter in the contests, and shop at all of our Etsy shops!

Paper Designs 4 You Team Promotion coming soon!

2008-09-02T05:30:00.002-04:00

TheLocomotion

2008-08-25T00:13:00.001-04:00

Thomas took his first steps TODAY!

The Omnivore's Hundred

2008-08-19T16:31:00.007-04:00

The Omnivore's Hundred is a list of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his life.
He offered this list as the starting point for a game, along with these rules:

1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.

2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten .

3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating(I've italicized).

4. Optional extra: post a comment on Very Good Taste, linking to your results.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

My Current Treasury on Etsy

2008-08-17T13:10:00.000-04:00

Fall Feelings

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=22228

Special Discount at my Shop for Readers of my Blog!

2008-08-14T01:05:00.002-04:00

In honor of my baby's milestone, enjoy 10% off at my shop DesignDolcezza.etsy.com
How to use the code:
First add an item(s) from my shop to your cart and start the check out process.
Enter the code 10months in the 'notes to seller' and the email address where the revised invoice should be sent.
Complete the order but do NOT go to Paypal to pay.
You will receive a revised invoice, and a link to complete payment, via email reflecting the discount.'

This code will expire on August 24 so hurry!

10 Months, 1 day old!

2008-08-13T20:44:00.002-04:00

I'm featured on one of my Etsy teams blogs!

2008-08-06T22:10:00.001-04:00

Little girl treasury

2008-08-04T13:30:00.001-04:00

I'm the curator..

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=20801

it will disappear thursday am!

Briana's Birthday Card

2008-07-28T03:34:00.004-04:00

Yes, another birthday card! This one is for little Briana, my friend's daughter who just turned...

I used some old Basic Grey papers & rusty pickle chipboard. I handwrote all the different 3s.

Birthdays x 3

2008-07-24T01:37:00.006-04:00

My brother-in-law and his 2 sons all have their birthdays within one week of one another...it all begins with the panda's on saturday, followed by their father , the ringmaster, and last but not least, the monkey.

Here is my brother-in-law's card, following this weeks sketch at CardPositioningSystems (will I win the prize?)

I used Rusty Pickle papers and the monogram stamper.
For the boys, I made each a paperpiecing which will be attached to a tag on their gift.

ATC Workshop Lesson 3

2008-07-19T23:32:00.001-04:00

The red one is for sale in my etsy shop!

I've made Art!!

2008-07-01T10:53:00.003-04:00

Yeay...after a long hiatus, I'm making ART again...ATCs to be exact...I'm studying the Artist Trading Card workshop on a yahoo group I belong to and this is what I've ''handed in '' thus far: Intuitive water color, baby wipe and paper towel.
Torn paper, stencil, leafing pen resist.

Filling in the Gap...

2008-06-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, the rollercoaster that my life has become sadly leaves little time for blogging, but I'm done teaching for this school year, so perhaps I'll return in earnest soon. In the meantime, here's the past six months on fast-forward....

What a year was 2007! That's Thomas in blue at 24 days.

The first second really big day of Thomas' life: his Baptism (Feast of the Epiphany).

Pictured with godparents Uncle Rich and Cousin Alba(from Italy!)

Christmas Shopping with Mamma!

What a difference 2 months makes!

On the left, Thomas in January and on the right, at Easter.

More photos coming soon!

In the meantime, I will catch you all up on his statistics:

Age: 8 months, 1 week

Weight: 20 pounds

Height: 28.75 inches

Head: 18.75 inches -> big brains!

Oral fixation: Thomas has four teeth and it seems that some more will be coming soon, as he has been suffering much of late.

Petite Cuisine: He has begun his foray into eating solids. We began with terrine de foie gras, which continues to be his favorite, and his parents' too. He has also enjoyed thus far: pear, avocado, peach, goat cheese, oatmeal, kasha, beans, green beans, lentils, pork, chicken, duck, apple, carrot, rice, sweet potato, mango, peas, squash, broccoli, necatarine and many spices. This list may seem peculiar to some, but you must understand that I make all his food.

Motor Skills: Thomas has mastered the pincer grasp and changing objects from one hand to the other without much thought.

He also has been scooting backwards for the past month, but on Friday he surprised mamma and papa` by crawling forward; his stomach never touches the ground. He has become quicker and quicker, so I have to keep a watchful eye on him as we haven't completed babyproofing. He also is pulling himself to a standing position by using whatever is around him for support. Will he be walking by 9 months like I did?!

lo for MW

2008-03-25T10:42:00.003-04:00

Friday's Child is 12 Days Old

2007-10-24T15:36:00.000-04:00

Monday's child is fair of face.

Tuesday's child is full of grace.

Wednesday's child is full of woe.

Thursday's child has far to go.

Friday's child is loving and giving.

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

Oh Baby!

2007-10-17T18:22:00.003-04:00

We are proud to announce the arrival of

Thomas Michael, Jr.

October 12, 2007 11:27 A.M.

8 pounds, 11 ounces - 21 1/2 inches long

He was three days 'overdue', but well worth waiting for!

His preferred activity is snuggling!! He's a good baby, crying only when he's being changed.

Here he is, handsome at 5 days of age:

If you were curious, I really did have a natural child-birth.... absolutely no drugs! Thomas came out totally aware and ready for a milkshake.

This is me when I went into transition (and right into the jacuzzi)

D-Day

2007-10-09T14:18:00.001-04:00

well, it's my due date...and the baby is still inside of me!!

No labor pains...I guess the fruit isn't ripe enough yet!

Surreal

2007-08-10T22:30:00.000-04:00

That's how it feels.

We've been back for a week and a half.

I still can't get over the fact that I have to drive anywhere I need to go, and...

And where's the nearest metro and RER train (and my bus to the Louvre)?

Why can't I get a smoked salmon sandwich for three bucks?

Where's the reasonably priced duck or rabbit?

Why can't I get a cheap, yummy crepe or perfect pastry on every corner?

Why isn't fresh, delicious Escargot in the shell a hot appetizer at every restaurant (and where's the Badoit mineral water, anyway)?

Why are all these people walking around dressed in t-shirts and shorts? (Note: we never wore shorts in Paris, nor did we see any of the French wearing them.)

Who are all these ill-bred, poorly trained dogs trying to attack me? (Note: French dogs never barked at me, or even gave me any notice.)

How come when I walk around town, I don't see any workers picking up the litter daily from the streets?

How come the park isn't lined with flowers?

Why are the sidewalks so narrow?

And just how can I be sure of the time at night when I can't see the Eiffel Tower sparkling hourly from my terrace?

When we got back, I spent almost three full days getting my project done for the deadline, unpacking, doing laundry and housework, and dreading my return to the classroom. Not an easy nor a happy transition.

Next week, I take another graduate class, then it's two weeks till I'm back teaching....

But the wonderful thing is that our baby will be here in less than two months!

Paris Day 21

2007-07-31T22:25:00.000-04:00

Au Revoir Tour Eiffel, au revoir Chambre d'Amelie...

We're so sad to go. We finally feel right at home... we can even take the metro with our eyes closed. Parisian life has been good for our health as well as our spirit... and soon enough we'll be back in 'reality.'

A car accident snarled traffic on the way to the airport, so we got there with not a whole lot of time to spare. Things improved: one of the airline people noted my condition and had us jump the line (how can I be expected to give up this privilege forever in eight hours?). By the time we got our baggage checked (one was overweight... oops, too many books!), and our tickets printed, the flight was boarding. And so this adventure comes to a close.

Paris Day 20

2007-07-30T22:19:00.000-04:00

We left the city again. This time we took the long train ride to Fontainebleau.

I had said that the Loire valley castles were better than Versailles... well, Fontainebleau surpasses them all. It's magnificient, all the furniture is still there.... you could move in so easily. Got to see Josephine's bedroom, Napoleon's hat, his bathtub, and the desk where he crafted his world-changing Napoleonic Code... and where he ultimately signed his abdication before his exile to Elba. A special exhibit described how Fontainebleau actually began the modern idea of tourism."

The grounds are spectacular as well. We spent many happy hours there... all bittersweet as our time in Paris is coming to an end.

When we returned to Paris and got out our metro stop, we dined at the cafe that was right at the top (though, regretfully, we had passed it by every other time). I had calamari (the best ever!!!) and lapin provencale (tasty bunny; the special of the day). Tom had escargot (of course) and magret de canard au miel. Desserts were mousse au chocolat and tarte tatin.

Paris Days 18-19

2007-07-29T22:19:00.000-04:00

The Parisian Experience Weekend.

After two and a half weeks of doing the touristy thing (well, if you don't count all the post-graduate studies), we decided to live it up like the natives.

Saturday, we went to Printemps department store and shopped. It encompasses nine floors and three buildings! On the top floor of the women's building there is a terrace with a restaurant and a great view of the city.

We shopped... and actually made purchases, mainly gifts for the loved ones back in the States.

Sunday, after going to mass at St. Joseph, the English-speaking church, we went to Parc Monceau. Many local families taking their kids out and newlyweds getting photographed. The park has a lot of interesting things to look at, too: greek columns, statues, monuments to great writers (like Guy de Maupassant), tombs, even faux prehistoric ruins (made in the 18th century; man, this country's old)...

Paris Day 17

2007-07-27T21:59:00.000-04:00

School's Out! Today was my last day of class, and no my project is nowhere near being done.

We went to the Latin Quarter and got crepes to go (salmon with lettuce and cheese) on our way to Cluny, The National Museum of the Middle Ages (the largest museum of the Medieval period in Europe). It also has its own set of Unicorn Tapestries... reminded me very much of the Cloisters in NYC.

We watched our crepes made fresh... what a treat!

We visited Le Bon Marche department store, particularly so I could check out their little Droguerie inside.

Then we had dinner at L'ecriture once again.... traditional dishes (and even tastier than any I had there before): soupe a l'oignon, confit, cote de veau, fromage, and creme brulee.

Paris Day 16

2007-07-26T18:03:00.000-04:00

After class, another lovely lunch on the terrrace...

We headed to the Musee D'Orsay; it's the late closing night. Fewer people today and the guard escorted us into a different entrance due to my (delicate) condition. I also got a free ticket because I'm a prof. There were a lot of sculptures and it's very airy.

I enjoyed seeing the art deco furniture... and my old friends Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet and how can I forget my provencal buddy, Cezanne. We didn't stay until closing time because we have other plans!

We both had a dinner of quiche lorraine and tarte aux fraises at the same cafe we lunched at the previous day, and then we walked about twenty feet and entered la Comedie Francaise to see a performance of Cyrano de Bergerac!

It was fantastic! I saw Cyrano on broadway in high school... this surpassed it by light years. The only comparision is to seeing the Opera in Manhattan... only we had even better seats than we did when were members at the Met.

The show ended around 11:30pm so we had to book it home; luckily we made it before the metro shut down for the night... whew!

Paris Day 15

2007-07-25T17:56:00.000-04:00

Tom met up with me at the Louvre... another long day at the musee! Before entering, we went to a cafe across the rue for luncheon: Tom had cassoulet with confit, and I had quiche lorraine with a dessert of tarte aux fraises (which the waiter informed me was the last one left!). The strawberries tasted so good... like they had just been plucked off the vine moments before.

So back to the Louvre, where we had our marathon trying to see everything we hadn't seen before.

After they shooed us out of the Louvre, we went to the Tuileries where there is was a monthlong Carnival. Almost every booth involved games of skill instead of games of chance, mostly involving shooting (yes, shooting). The rides were a little pricey... you pay for each one separately... but no ticket scam like in the US. We had a cheese crepe and a nutella one (yum!). And bid a salut and adieu to a giant animatron of King Kong (!) when we left the garden to head home on the metro.

Paris Day 14

2007-07-24T17:53:00.000-04:00

Tom and I met at the Musee D'Orsay after my class, but it was as crowded as Disney World! Everyone in Paris has the same idea I guess: the Louvre is closed, so cross the river and go to the next closest museum.

So we decided to postpone our visit and went to St. Germain-des-Pres and explored the ancient namesake church:

We also visited San Sulpice, did some window shopping, and passed by the Old Opera House and the Senate building.

We dined at the well-known and rustic Polidor. We both had creme of lentil soup and beef provencal and tarte tatin (much better than the one my professor made for my class in French 101). This was to also be our first (and, hopefully, my final) experience with a Turkish toilet!

Paris Day 13

2007-07-23T17:33:00.000-04:00

Rainy Monday, of course!

After class, I met up with Tom at Jules Verne, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city, for lunch. They say you need to make reservations six months in advance, and even our concierge couldn't get us in, but Tom made me call anyway, and... voila! The best part of all... it's way up in the Eiffel Tower with it's own private elevator!

It's the first time in my life I received a menu that actually had no prices on it (only for the ladies, of course; Tom's had them... gentlemen are allowed no illusions)! And the forks were tine down, as I had learned about in my French studies so long ago. There were so many people on staff to assist you... I think we were under the care of five including the sommelier who kept our bottle of Loire Valley wine somewhere safe and brought it all the way to our table only as needed.

So here's what we had (amuse-bouche are, of course, always gratis):

an amuse-bouche of cheese puffs
lobster gelee with foie gras and diced vegetables
an amuse bouche of foie gras with fig
pork belly with young vegetables
an amuse bouche of tiny pastries
coconut-caramel bars
complimentary chocolates

Oh it was so yummy, and lest I forget, we had a window table, too!

Paris Day 12

2007-07-22T15:05:00.000-04:00

Today we left the city again! We took a long bus trip to visit three castles of the Loire Valley:

Amboise

(Tom took the one with both of us using the camera's timer!)...

Chenonceau (that's Tom on the bridge)...

and Chambord...

They are all gorgeous (more interesting than Versailles, too!), but we think Chenonceau is the best. We must go back someday and see more. In Amboise, we lunched on gallettes (savory crepes) with some local cider...

Thank God, we made 10:00pm mass at Sacre Coeur (front pew). Very dramatic by night!

Paris Day 11

2007-07-21T14:17:00.000-04:00

We ventured out of the city today for the first time taking the train to Versailles. I must say the train ride was a highpoint of today, as well as cutting the long line (at my dear husband's insistance) because I'm pregnant.

It's my third visit to this place and I really didn't remember much... I just knew Tom had to see it because of it's of such historical importance. The thing that nearly destroyed our visit was the sheer number of people there. It was like you were at Disney. And they were all part of tour groups, so there was always a mass of people coming towards you to destroy your view of the place. It did thin out as the day wore on, and by the time we got to the awe-inspiring Hall of Battles, the crowds were waning.

We watched the fountain water displays from the windows of the Hall of Mirrors.... we probably had the best view!

Promptly at 5:30pm, everyone was herded out due to the closing of the palace; what we didn't expect was that we couldn't go in the gardens!

We had to exit, walk for a couple miles before we could re-enter the park near Marie-Antoinette's compound. I must say this was the true highlight of the day (all kinds of labyrinth-like footpaths, waterfalls, temple-like gazebos, and intriguing grottos)... at least until the light rain began. We scrapped our plans for Eau Nocturnes, luckily grabbed the very last bus, and headed to the station for home

Paris Day 10

2007-07-20T14:07:00.000-04:00

After class, another sunny picnic on our terrace.

Then Tom and I visited the churches of St. Merri and St. Eustache and Les Halles (where the largest outdoor market was in Roman times, it's now a mall).

I indulged and drooled at LaDroguerie, a chic craft store... everything was so beautiful and elegantly presented... unfortunately the prices were a little to steep, so I had to be content to leche-vitrine. We headed to the river for our dinner cruise with the rest of my classmates from the Louvre.

It was a bit colder tonight than usual, or was it just being on the river? Out boat was the Caliphe. Wonderful at last to actually sail down the river and see the sites at night. It was spectacular to see the Eiffel Tower lit up from close...

It looks a bit bigger than it does from our balcony.

One of only two photos of Tom and me together that Tom did not actually take himself!

Paris Day 9

2007-07-19T12:18:00.000-04:00

We took the bus to the Pantheon (the former cathedral of St. Genevieve, patroness of Paris, confiscated and secularized by the government); today we made sure it would be open. Initially disappointed that we couldn't go up to the tower (just a second too late), we got over it once we found out it was a tour and that we wouldn't have the freedom to roam and photograph. Foucalt's pendulum inside was interesting as was seeing the tombs of the famous Frenchmen like the Curies, Rousseau, and St-Exupery, but impressive though it is, we found it to be a bit of a let down in comparison to the other great buildings we've seen (especially considering the hype). For example, the Dome Church with Napoleon's tomb, though not nealry as popular, is far worthier of the time.

Afterwards, we went to the Jardin des Plantes. At first we were dismayed because it looked pretty dreary, but we climbed to the top of a hill through a maze we found and discovered a gazebo with a fine view the city. Walking down in the opposite direction from whence we entered, we finally saw the cool stuff: flowery garden vistas (with froggies jumping, too), even a crane sipping from a pond (though Tom found it hard to believe, I'd never seen one in real life before!).

Before we exited, a dragon threatened me....

But my valiant chevalier saved me... and wined and dined me at Le Train Bleu, a fabulous turn-of-the-century train station restaurant with all the charm of the by-gone era of luxury rail travel (with traditional waiter services) at the Gare de Lyon.

Paris Day 8

2007-07-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

Today was my very late day at school. Tom had his own adventure walking (yes, walking!) the whole length of central Paris to meet me at the Louvre. He took some great photos on the way with his cell phone...

I literally spent the whole day and evening at the Louvre (the museum closes at 10:00pm on Wednesdays and Fridays), except for my two meal breaks (lunch at Pomme de Pain, a chain of sandwich places, and dinner with Tom at the Louvre's cafe). Quite exhausting even if you're not 28 weeks pregnant!

I got to play tour guide for Tom and showed him all the masterpieces I had learned about.

Paris Day 7

2007-07-17T12:03:00.000-04:00

My second day of class, after which we got a Carte Orange for Tom; now he looks like a native Parisian when we ride the metro and bus!

We visited the Latin Quarter today and saw three lovely churches (where we prayed and Tom shot some great video)...

St-Etienne-du-Mont

Then we walked to the Pantheon and they closed the gate before our eyes!

To console me, Tom suggested we visited a fabulous patisserie we found nearby; we got beautiful tarts for our dessert later. Such a yummy bargain!

We thought about a picnic, but every meal's a picnic (without ants) when you dine on the sidewalk in Paris, so we ate at L'ecriture, right in front of La Sorbonne. I had lamb chops, and Tom had a humongous veal chop in a cream sauce. Both were very tasty, indeed.

Paris Day 6

2007-07-16T03:30:00.000-04:00

My first day of school, and my first adventure on the Paris bus system. I like it, because you get to see the city and have more ventilation than on the metro. Plus, people give up their seat for you if you're handicapped, pregnant, have small children, or are elderly.

Class was light today because many of my collegues were victims of le fuse horaire ("jet lag"; they haven't been here all week like us)... more orientation still, and we didn't see any exhibitions yet.

Tom and I decided to go to Montmartre, to the glorious Sacre Coeur which we could see from our terrace through a threatening sky. We took the Abesse stop (don't ever do it... about 8000 steps just to get to street level), and when we finally reached the surface, it was raining a`verse....

Once it lightened up a bit, we began "death march number two" to the top of Montmartre.... not just to the top of the hill (the butte), we climbed all the way up the Dome of Sacre Coeur, the highest point in Paris. Spectacular!

We came down once dome closing time came and couldn't go into the crypt because that was closing, too. We did examine the enormous interior of the cathedral, however, before descending on the funiculaire.

Our primary mission fulfilled, we set off for the secondary target, a famous bohemian tavern called the Lapin Agile ("agile rabbit" ). I hurt my ankle descending the slippery street towards it, and it was closed! A sign said it was open everyday... but Monday, argh! We went back up the hill and mercifully found shelter from the storm in a cozy old restaurant. We revived oursleves with a plate of lyonnaise meats, escargots (the only place they weren't served in the shell during our whole stay), boeuf bourgignon, and rumsteak. A very meaty dinner! In the back room was a caberet show (attended by a bunch of half-drunk American kids on a tour), so the place had atmosphere in spades.

We strolled the neighborhood some more (the rain had passed) with a dessert of gelato before taking the metro home again.

Paris Day 5

2007-07-15T03:21:00.000-04:00

Started off with noon mass at Notre Dame (front pew), strolled around the public areas of l'Hôtel Dieu (the oldest hospital in Paris, which proximity to Notre Dame kept the radicals from buring down the great cathedral during the Revolution)...

then on to the Palais de Justice to see la Sainte-Chapelle ajacent to historic La Conciergerie. Of all the beautiful churches in Paris, Sainte-Chapelle ("The Holy Chapel") is the most breath-taking; it has so much stained glass that the walls and supports seem to disappear, as if the walls themselves were stained glass....

It was built in the 13th century by King Saint Louis IX to house the Crown of Thorns our Lord wore on Calvary, among other holy relics.

La Conciergerie is the infamous prison of the French Revolution where many people, including Marie-Antoinette, were held until their execution, guillotine-style. An interesting tidbit we learned: the women whilst in prison still changed their clothes three times a day (according to the custom of the time), and if they didn't have that many outfits, they would wash what little they had to always maintain a sense of propriety and cleanlinesss.

After this, the school bell began to ring. I had a mandatory meeting with my professor and classmates. It was to be for 1.5 hours but ran longer (this would be a recurring symptom of my whole educational experience at the Louvre). Much of our mandatory meeting in May was repeated, but I got my Carte Orange, Carte Louvre Enseignants, a very cool map book of Paris, and a citron presse' (fresh lemonade) for Tom and myself courtesy of Rutgers.

Then we went on our first Battan Death March, as my hubby likes to call them. We tried to find the restaurants mentioned in our guidebook in the Louvre vicinity to have our dinner, but they were closed, or didn't exist at all. We finally dined at Villalys. The food was good (kind of fusiony) with middle eastern overtones, and we dined outdoors (as we mostly did in Paris) in a beatiful wooded courtyard surrounding by towering centuries-old stone walls and columns, but the waitress overcharged us for our water.... it was Corsican.

the twilight view from our terrace

Paris Day 4: Bastille Day

2007-07-14T17:17:00.000-04:00

or as the French call it, La Fete Nationale

Early start today so we could get to the big military parade on the Champs-Elysees. We crossed a side street where numerous arnmored vehicles were formed up, as if in war movie, waiting for parade to commence.

As we approached the next side street, we were stopped by the gendarmes; they closed off Rue Wagram right in front of us... then, wonder of wonders, we saw the whole of the Republican Guard Cavalry were formed up in all their finery just a few feet away. They gallop forward in precision and lined both sides of the street, sabres drawn up in salute.

After an eternity it seemed, someone asked the officer what was going on: we were waiting for the president of the Republique, Sarkozy, to drive by! Moments later helicopters roared low and loud overhead, startling the steeds so that they could barely be restrained... and suddenly, a motorcade raced by with the gloved hand of the president waving to us all! They came by so fast that we couldn't get a photo, and the rearing horses blocked Tom's video, but, oh, it was dramatic! Though more pagentry was to come, this miraculous treat was the day's highlight.

A few minutes later they opened the barricade, and we continued on our way towards the parade route.

We found a spot with a pretty good view of L'arc de Triomphe, so we could see everything (though later tonight, I had time to read the newspaper which had a play by play of today's events, and it seems like we were too far up on the Champs: we missed all the foot soldiers, representing 27 countries, a first for this parade).

A soldier played the bagpipes, and out of nowhere, jets came screaming over the giant arch trailing tri-color smoke, red-white-and-blue, from their exhausts; they disappeared past us down the great avenue, literally covering it with the Frech flag! More squadrons followed, then came all kinds of tanks, armored trucks, troop carriers, the firemen (they're part of the military, too), and finally helicopter squadrons. The French know how to do a parade!

It seems like this holiday has gone a bit commercial; many shops were on the avenue to take adavantage of the throngs (and I mean throngs) of tourists. We took advantage by going to Monoprix, the "hypermarket." We got the fixin's for a picnic on our terrace: rilletes de canard, Roquefort, and a club jambon. Yum!

We had thought about going to the the Champ d'Mars under the Eiffel Tower tonight to watch the fireworks (at least I did), but after finding out that there would be a free concert there, too, and that the metro afterwards is a nightmare, we decided to play it safe for my sake and stay in. We watched the concert on TV, and you couldn't even see the lush grass because between five and six-hundred-thousand people were already there! Oh la la! With the view from our balcony, we got to enjoy the fireworks without the agony of being surrounded by a million people (the total by the end of the night). Tom shot footage of the fireworks for a long time; it's really great! The French take their feu d'artifice as seriously as we Americans...

Paris Musings

2007-07-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

It's around 9:30pm. The wild thing is that the sun is still shining. Sunset isn't for at least twenty-five more minutes, and the sky won't get really dark until around midnight. So as we're going around doing stuff, we're always shocked at how the time flew, because it's always sunny here!

The Eiffel Tower really sticks out like an outcast. Anywhere there's a clearing and you're facing the right direction... there it is. It doesn't go with the 18th century buildings. At night though, it's illuminated from top to bottom, and every hour for about ten minutes it sparkles... tres cool!

I must say, the Parisians have all been very polite (as they've always been to me), but they're super nice to Tom, too. He thinks they're friendlier than the Romans. The people I've found to be rude thus far are some German and unfortunately, American, tourists.

Been counting the pregnant women in Paris... nobody looks at me sideways because I have a little wine with dinner, but I did get warned not to drink the tap water tonight by our waiter. He said it's bad for the baby, and that if I choose to drink water, to go with mineral instead!

As in Rome, of course, in Paris history seems an every day part of life...

Contrary to their contemporary reputation, at least in the United States, the French seem deeply devoted to all things military.

Paris Day 3

2007-07-13T15:28:00.000-04:00

Late start today for us; went down for breakfast around 1o:30.

Since Tom doesn't want to ride the metro far, we took the RER which also has a station very close to our lodging; the ride is more pleasant, but the trains a bit less frequent. It took about a half hour to get to our stop: Notre Dame. It's nice to see it again now that I can fully appreciate its architecture (of course, even great cathedrals look like toys to us when our visit to St. Peter's in Rome is so fresh in our minds). Tom just revelled in the place, both spiritually and intellectually. We got an audioguide and explored almost everything, exiting after five hours at 5:45pm. We just missed getting in to climb to the top of the tower by seconds. We also missed going into the archaelogical crypt for time reasons as well... another day, then.

We walked along the river to our dinner destination: it used to be a Parisan truck stop but today it's just a charming old french brasserie. Tom's rather sure a film is going to be shot there later tonight... we saw girls being made up, trailers, and guys setting up cones to block new people from parking on the street. Having been in the business, Tom picked up on this way before I did. We took it easy for dinner today: we both had quiche, Tom's was lorraine while I had three-fromages with salad and potatoes (yum... as Tom says, "Toonce's style").

We were thinking of going to a Bastille Day ball tonight, but my feet are killing me... and the baby has found just where to lay to aggravate my sciatic nerve.

Paris Day 2

2007-07-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

Had yummy breakfast buffet in the lobby (assorted hams, hard-boiled eggs, cheeses, fresh fruit and rolls, yogurt, and wonderful warm pan au chocolat for dessert with juice and coffee served by a waitress).

Then had to gather our bags together because the room we stayed in was only for the first night. We are now in a special room, probably the most special of all here because we have a terrace with an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower, L'arc de Triomphe, and Sacre Coeur!

After breakfast and packing up (the staff hauled our bags to the new room while we were out), we set out to get a France Telecom SIM card for my phone so that Tom and I can keep in touch when I'm at the Louvre taking classes. Another slightly chilly day in Paris, unless you're in a store: they have no air-conditioning... and a bit of rain at times, too.

From the store, we walked up to see our neighbor, L'arc de Triomphe. We examined it from every angle possible from the ground.... our trip to the top will have to be postponed for a day that's less windy!

We lunched at Chez Clement... what cute decor (all-copper spoons and colanders are sculptural elements here). Tom had a quarter of "Red Label" chicken and I had duck confit... both came with mashed potatoes (the yummiest ever!).

Took the Metro to Les Invalides....We explored the military museums (Never had I seen so much armor in my life! The Metropolitan has like 1% of the collection here!), and the beautiful Dome Church, which houses Napoleon's tomb (Now, I've seen the tomb before in books, and you think... a tomb is a tomb, but this thing is gigantic! It's 5m high and 4m wide. Wild!).

Then we trekked back home on the Metro... Tom almost go suffocated by the dumb kids who kept piling into our car despite there being no room, but we got home safely. I went out and got us some take-out sandwiches at a nearby cafe (the french really know how to do sandwiches) and we had a very late supper on our terrace.

Paris Day 1

2007-07-13T15:08:00.000-04:00

We arrived in Paris around 745am local time, got our bags and met with our driver from the hotel. He spoke to me often during the ride and said we were the first Americans he had ever met that were spending three weeks in Paris!

We made good time until we were just about to enter the city... then the traffic jam, so we didn't make it to our hotel until about 9:30.

The hotel is really cute and comfy... the air conditioning is a little anemic, however, by Yankee standards. Happily, it's about 15 degrees cooler than it was in Philadelphia.

We pretty much just took a shower, napped, strolled our neighborhood, and then dined at Le bistro du 17ieme as recommended by the concierge. I had pate de foi gras, and then because I didn't read carefully.... my entree was veal kidneys with pasta (very french and really very delicious). I had pralined ice cream for dessert. Tom had escargots, magret de canard, and crepes with grand marnier. Both our desserts were 'house specialties', but mine was better than his.

Paris Day 0

2007-07-13T14:59:00.000-04:00

We got to the airport three and a half hours early driving through the rain to make sure we wouldn't be late. Went through security withouth a hitch (well they did search one of my bags... but they didn't find anything), unlike when we went to Italy in December. We passed our time enjoying the cushy seats and free food (and libations) in the Envoy Lounge.

Boarded the plane, and enjoyed our mimosas... one of the perks of flying First, ahem Envoy, Class. The attendants gave us our menus and we choose our entrees and beverages. We had a lovely salad of mixed field greens with breaded goat cheese. I had the duck breast with oriental barbeque sauce and Tom had a decent Chablis with his macadamia-encrusted fish. This was followed by a cheese plate and some dainty pastries.

I slept well on our cushy chairs... so much room, my feet don't even touch the ground; Tom can stretch his long legs all the way out and not touch the seat in front! He watched some movie... and miraculously with the flying over the time zones and stuff, about three hours later it was time for a breakfast of yogurt with muesli and a croissant, then our descent to Roissy Charles deGaulle airport.

ATC Alphabet Swap S T U

2007-06-06T21:22:00.001-04:00

Bookmark

2007-06-06T21:21:00.001-04:00

Booga Bag

2007-04-29T12:20:00.000-04:00

I finished this about a month and a half ago...but didn't take a picture because I was using it! Since I'm going to switch to my new spring purse(scroll down to see it) I decided this would be a perfect photo-op.

Knitted in Noro(of course) Blue-Brown Colorway.

I love Paris in July...

2007-04-29T11:42:00.000-04:00

Yes...like I dont' have enough going on in my life(new job, newlywed, pregnant, fixing up our house so we can sell it and buy a bigger one), I'm trying to get some graduate work done before our lil bundle arrives in October. I've been dreaming about Rutgers at the Louvre for several years now, so it seems like it's now or never(or a long time from now at least).
Luckily, my husband can take time off as well....so I consider this trip our babymoon too!

We'll be in the city of lights for 3 weeks(my class runs for two). I hope there won't be any riots over there like last summer!

Our hotel is very close to the Arc-de-Triomphe....which means we're in a good spot to watch the Bastille day festivities as well as the end of the Tour de France!

I look forward to having my daily pain au chocolate. Miam!

ATC Holder

2007-04-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

I made this last night to house my beginning collection of ATCs.

I wonder if I made these and posted them in my etsy shop if they would sell(enough to make a profit)?

ATCs for Artist's Choice ATC Swap Round 2 on craftster

2007-04-29T10:25:00.000-04:00

Collage and polished stone techniques.

My new spring purse

2007-04-29T10:22:00.000-04:00

Retro-bowling bag style. I was inspired by a posting on craftster to create my very own.

My first ATC ever!

2007-04-29T10:20:00.000-04:00

I made it on my birthday at the stamping expo in Pennsauken.

2007-03-29T23:25:00.000-04:00

can you believe the news? we have a bundle on the way!!!

quick update!

2006-10-05T19:21:00.000-04:00

busily preparing for my nuptials....will return once this wedding is over!

Gumpy's Cake

2006-08-01T10:26:00.000-04:00

My birthday gift to my future brother in law...it was back in May, but i'm unloading my camera now

Anouk est fini!

2006-08-01T09:53:00.000-04:00

I knitted this in cascade yarn used in the Knitty pattern, I did change the color scheme because Brianna's Mommy, Roxanna, luvs pink.

Joshua Harrison!

2006-07-27T13:42:00.000-04:00

2006-07-27T13:35:00.000-04:00

I have opened a shop on etsy!

2 of my current wips

2006-05-21T15:15:00.000-04:00

Scarf and Lady's Work Mittens

2006-05-21T14:05:00.000-04:00

Cherry Tree Hill Yarn in Country Garden
Alpaca Silk and Possum Paints
Mission Falls Merino (purple)

Vogue Knitting Sweater

2006-05-21T14:02:00.000-04:00

I started work on this over a year ago and finally finished seaming it yesterday. I think I need to stick to sweaters worked in the round if I'm actually going to get them done.

My custom KnitCards

2006-05-21T13:47:00.000-04:00

I found the ones from Nancy's KnitKnacks to be on the pricey side, so I researched and made my own.

My first spun yarn

2006-05-21T13:43:00.000-04:00

alpaca is a joy to work with.

One ball fuzzy kerchief

2006-05-21T13:41:00.000-04:00

Nub filled yarn from KnittyKnotty's clearance bin.

Tempting is finished!

2006-05-20T13:39:00.000-04:00

At long last, I wove my ends in :)

Knit on size 7 circulars, the yarn is cotton-rayon-wool in Amber Queen colorway from Mystical Creations Yarns. I think I used a half pound worth.

Possum Paints Lady's Work Mittens

2006-05-20T13:36:00.000-04:00

They're almost done! The purple yarn is Mission Falls.

Fibers for Swapping

2006-05-20T13:25:00.000-04:00

Alpaca Bliss on my Birthday :)

2006-04-05T21:44:00.000-04:00

luv the silent brothers!!!

2006-02-22T19:17:00.000-05:00

My valiant attempt at the Hallowig has failed. It seems that anything that could go wrong did. The yarn was too nubby it was also too floppy Quite difficult to catch error until several rows past. and last night when beginning the crown decreases I realized that it was way too big for my head, much less my intended recipient. So rip-it I must. I'm too heartbroken to frog now, So i've cast-on Tempting in a happy color to cheer me. Anyhoo, I respectfully withdraw from Team Knittyboard and the Knitting Olympics.

I will attempt the Hallowig again, with another yarn, real soon

Knitting Olympics!

2006-02-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

I'm joining in the Knitting Olympics on Team KnittyBoard! THe challenge is to caston during the opening ceremony and finish before the flame is extinguished. I'm knitting HALLOWIG for Adrienne, my Jewish Momma.

wedding crafts

2006-02-03T22:15:00.000-05:00

Wedding Bells will Ring!

2006-01-02T19:38:00.000-05:00

Started the new year off with a lovely proposal from my valiant knight :)

2006-01-01T18:08:00.000-05:00

Stitch Marker Swap

2005-11-05T18:07:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone..I've gotten all of my markers, luv em, and have already put them to work :)

Craftster.org Is Kewl!

2005-11-05T18:05:00.000-05:00

I'm now a member of craftster!

SP Stitch Marker Swap

2005-08-25T00:44:00.000-04:00

These are from my august SPs
So cute! Merci beaucoup!