I love the look that you can achieve with the Photostacker screensaver on Macs. There's also a free shareware program you can download that will replicate the effect on your PC. I'm a PC girl - for now. Always have been since most of corporate America uses them. And I've always worked with and in corporate America. Now that I've been fully freelance for five and a half years - and it looks as though that status is going to stick, even after the boys are in school, I'm thinking it might be time to switch to my first choice - a Mac. I've been eyeing one for several months, and a little birdie told me that I might be getting one for Christmas. We'll have to see if I can be a good girl the rest of the year and maybe Santa will bring me something wonderful.
Meanwhile, in switching the look of my blog, I wanted to duplicate the effect of Photostacker in my new header. Whadd'ya think? A summer full of fun photos and a half-hour in Photoshop, and voila - a new header that makes me happy everytime I look at it. I've been playing with some animation, too. So those photos might rotate in a few weeks. For now, the static Polaroids make me smile.
9.02.2010
9.01.2010
I'm Back...and "This, too, deserves its own post!"
Thought I'd share some of the things that have been on my mind and inspiring me over the past several months:
1. It would be easy to say that my break from blogging was a technology hiatus. Although this wasn't a conscious decision, maybe that's truly what it was. Coincidently, I heard this story on NPR this weekend. It seemed to explain (or at least provide a convenient excuse) for my lack of blogging, tweeting, etc.
Digital Overload: Your Brain On Gadgets
2. Speaking of NPR, a friend of mine from college just published his first book and it's receiving great reviews. He just finished an interview on NPR about the book, titled Interstate 69: the Unfinished History of the Last Great American Highway. You can listen to the interview here. I'm so proud to say that I know Matt. I could write amazing stories about all of the talented people I know from my college days.
3. I've started running. If you know me, you know that I'm a self-professed "running hater." I ran in Junior High because my older brother ran, and I just assumed that's what everyone did. I have literally tried running a total of 10 times since I was 14. So the subject of running definitely deserves its own post - which will come soon. For now, just know that I'm been putting one foot in front of the other and running! Feels good, too.
4. Both of my kiddos started school. I have a brand-new Kindergartener. This, too, deserves its own post. I have watched a confident, polite, caring "big boy" blossom before my eyes. Anyone who says kids shouldn't go to preschool needs to meet my kid. Before two years of preschool, Alex was shy, unsure of himself, easily overwhelmed by sensory stimulus. Now, he's a completely different boy. Yes, some of it is maturation and good parenting (tee-hee), but I have repeatedly thanked his preschool teachers in the last two weeks for the safe, caring atmosphere they created for him during those key developmental years.
5. Ben started preschool. Same school and teachers that I was singing the praises of above. He is loving every minute of it (which I knew he would), and it warms my heart to hear him talking about "his new friends." Although he did tell me that he didn't want to invite any of his new girl friends over for a playdate because girls "go potty too much." Amazing how the 3-year-old brain works.
6. We've entered the wonderful world of karate/tae-kwon-do. The boys were begging me to take lessons. Ben is too little, but Alex LOVES, LOVES it. This, too, deserves its own post. I never thought I would want my kids taking martial arts, but the discipline and respect woven into the forms have won me over. More on this in a later post.
7. I've been inspired by several bucket lists recently. In particular, this one. I love the idea of 101 things in 1001 days. Although, as I'm doing the math, I'll need to accomplish one of these major life things every 10 days for the next 2.75 years. I might have to rethink the timeframe or the number of items on my list. "This, too, deserves its own post" seems to be the theme of this entry. So, you guessed it - I'm working on this life list.
8. That's it for now - except to say that the other day "Dude Looks Like a Lady" by Aerosmith popped up on the iPod shuffle. You remember: "Do me, do me, do me, sue me. What a funky lady. She like it like it like it like that." Alex (our oldest) got very quiet for a minute, looked at Kevin and said, "Mommy is definitely not that 'Funky Lady.'" I love it!
3.08.2010
Keystone Winter Culinary Festival :: OMG! Could Life Be Any Sweeter?
We went to the mountains with an old friend this weekend. He was in town surprising his new significant other with a ski trip to Colorado. It's always fun to spend time with people you've known for years and see new aspects of their personality emerge when they're loving life with a new partner. Our friend was happy and centered and positively glowing (if it's possible for a guy to glow)!
Saturday was spent at Keystone reintroducing our friends to skiing after many years off of the sticks. That night, we met up with some new friends and headed up the mountain to the Keystone Winter Culinary Festival. The event was truly a first-class experience all the way around. We received our Grand Tasting passes and boarded the gondola just as the sky was turning to pink and the sun settling in behind the peaks in the distance. It was a cozy ride up and fun to revisit runs that we'd skiied down earlier in the day from high up in the air.
The second gondola dropped us off in front of The Outpost Lodge. It had been transformed from the everyday cafeteria-style eating place to an old world alpine chalet. The night started with complimentary etched wine glasses and a yummy champagne toast. Then we strolled from table to table sampling foods made by the staff from Keystone Ranch, Ski Tip Lodge, Alpenglow Stube and Bighorn restaurants. My favorites were the scallops that were perfectly cooked and sat atop some sort of mushroom reduction and a mushroom terrine shaped like a flower. I also loved the duck dumpling that was accompanied by a spinach salad dressed with ruby-red pomegranate seeds. I've never thought of salting my spinach salad. The salty touch from the seasalt combined with the bitter spinach and arugula and the sweet little pops of pomegranate seeds was an amazing combination.
So the food sounds great, right? Let me introduce you to the evening's main event - at least for our group - the desserts. Take a look at these pictures.
Here's a glimpse of just a few of the platters in the dessert room. Sorry for the blurry photo. My hands were actually shaking due to a sugar-induced food coma at this point. Right before I was greeted by this Bacchanalian-display of chocolatey glory, I got a text message from our friend. We were still sampling wines and licking our plates clean of the cheesy fondue with crab meat and asparagus. The text delivered one very simple command: YOU NEED TO COME TO DESSERT!!!
You can see why. By the way, I just googled "Bacchanalian" to make sure I was spelling that chubby little devil's name correctly. Right next to the spelling was a definition - "orgiastic festivities." This couldn't be more accurate - at least gastronomically. I was greeted with another glass of champagne, ushered over to a counter where one of the chefs was assembling caviar and crab meat atop a creme fraiche-slathered blini. As I took the last bite of that pre-dessert morsel, I was swept past a small polka duo, complete with lederhosen and the requisite accordian. One of our party said, "I actually felt like they were singing to me. I wanted to say, 'Aw...you shouldn't go to all that trouble, singing just for me.'"
Beyond the musicians were these platters of yumminess...
And to top it all off, a cup of coffee. Not really - actually a striped-chocolate teacup filled with some Bailey's Irish Creme concoction and topped with a chocolate coffee bean.
Towards the end of the evening, we found out that the pastry chef responsible for this unbelievable spread was named Ned. If I hadn't been so distracted by the next culinary surprise, I would have found out which restaurant he works at. All I can say is that women the world over - at least in the general vicinity of Keystone - were saying Ned's name in their dreams on Saturday night.
We bundled up and headed off into the crisp Colorado night. Boarding the gondola, we were given thick fleece blankets to keep us warm for the ride back down the mountain. Looking out, we could see a million stars above us and the snowcats grooming for the next day's runs below. Beneath the din of our laughter and animated chatter, I could hear one very quiet word in the mind of each of us - at least the women. Ned, ned, ned...is what drifted off into the night.
**Update: I've since done some googling, and I'm 99% sure that the aforementioned Ned is Executive Pastry Chef Ned Archibald who runs Ned’s Bake Shop in the Keystone Conference Center. Run - don't walk and do not pass go - to this Bake Shop and savor all of the tastiness!!
Saturday was spent at Keystone reintroducing our friends to skiing after many years off of the sticks. That night, we met up with some new friends and headed up the mountain to the Keystone Winter Culinary Festival. The event was truly a first-class experience all the way around. We received our Grand Tasting passes and boarded the gondola just as the sky was turning to pink and the sun settling in behind the peaks in the distance. It was a cozy ride up and fun to revisit runs that we'd skiied down earlier in the day from high up in the air.
The second gondola dropped us off in front of The Outpost Lodge. It had been transformed from the everyday cafeteria-style eating place to an old world alpine chalet. The night started with complimentary etched wine glasses and a yummy champagne toast. Then we strolled from table to table sampling foods made by the staff from Keystone Ranch, Ski Tip Lodge, Alpenglow Stube and Bighorn restaurants. My favorites were the scallops that were perfectly cooked and sat atop some sort of mushroom reduction and a mushroom terrine shaped like a flower. I also loved the duck dumpling that was accompanied by a spinach salad dressed with ruby-red pomegranate seeds. I've never thought of salting my spinach salad. The salty touch from the seasalt combined with the bitter spinach and arugula and the sweet little pops of pomegranate seeds was an amazing combination.
So the food sounds great, right? Let me introduce you to the evening's main event - at least for our group - the desserts. Take a look at these pictures.
Chocolate-mint cannoli "ice cream cones" and chocolate cups filled with Cappucino mousse
See that stick on the left? Rice Krispie Treats, fresh strawberries and miniature fudgy brownies doused in a chocolate fountain. Truffles and berry cups with silky creme fraiche lining the bottom.
A cheeseburger, you say? Wrong. That Big Mac-like creation was actually the sweetest cupcake you've ever tasted. Amazing isn't it?
You can see why. By the way, I just googled "Bacchanalian" to make sure I was spelling that chubby little devil's name correctly. Right next to the spelling was a definition - "orgiastic festivities." This couldn't be more accurate - at least gastronomically. I was greeted with another glass of champagne, ushered over to a counter where one of the chefs was assembling caviar and crab meat atop a creme fraiche-slathered blini. As I took the last bite of that pre-dessert morsel, I was swept past a small polka duo, complete with lederhosen and the requisite accordian. One of our party said, "I actually felt like they were singing to me. I wanted to say, 'Aw...you shouldn't go to all that trouble, singing just for me.'"
Beyond the musicians were these platters of yumminess...
And to top it all off, a cup of coffee. Not really - actually a striped-chocolate teacup filled with some Bailey's Irish Creme concoction and topped with a chocolate coffee bean.
We bundled up and headed off into the crisp Colorado night. Boarding the gondola, we were given thick fleece blankets to keep us warm for the ride back down the mountain. Looking out, we could see a million stars above us and the snowcats grooming for the next day's runs below. Beneath the din of our laughter and animated chatter, I could hear one very quiet word in the mind of each of us - at least the women. Ned, ned, ned...is what drifted off into the night.
**Update: I've since done some googling, and I'm 99% sure that the aforementioned Ned is Executive Pastry Chef Ned Archibald who runs Ned’s Bake Shop in the Keystone Conference Center. Run - don't walk and do not pass go - to this Bake Shop and savor all of the tastiness!!
3.02.2010
The Handy Hausfrau (DIY Website) is Live
I can't wait to test it out on our next trip to the mountains. No more searching for those little handi-wipe sized envelopes of crushed red pepper left over from the pizza delivery last year! Enjoy.
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