Monday, November 29, 2010

Holiday Brain Freeze

With Christmas coming up, I am getting super into the holiday spirit.  We bought & decorated our Christmas tree, got up all of our other decorations, I'm planning on a holiday craft night with my sister-in-law and I am even more excited about my new Christmas CD! 

However, I am having major brain freeze about Christmas gifts for people.  It's weird, I don't want anything and I just don't want to get anything for anyone.  I'd much rather just spend time with all the folks I usually get presents for & enjoy that instead of experience the stress of finding that perfect gift.  Damn me for not being a giftcard giving kind of girl!  I'm hoping that daily online browsing will help inspire me to put something in my cart, but it hasn't yet.  Sigh.

I did find one item that I want for myself, but it's too pricey for me to buy myself or except anyone to get me, so I'll just covet it.


















Division Chevron Earrings.  Love.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A Sweat, Blood, Tears Free Ornament

Earlier this season, I saw a craft usings clear ornament globes and shredded music paper that looked extremely easy to duplicate.  I mentioned it when I was over at my mother-in-law's house and low and behold, she had a bunch of clear ornaments that she was throwing away.  I snagged those from her and headed home to begin my craft.

The cap of the ornaments were a pretty gaudy gold, so I spray painted them black.  All I needed was some shredded paper, and thanks to leftover thrifted books from the wedding, I had that no problem.  In fact, everything was free except for the ribbon and the tinsel.  It was essentially a $8 project and with leftover ribbon and tinsel!

Of course I took pictures with my new camera every step of the way, hope it's not too tedious for you!












































































And the final product!























M. was pretty impressed with ornament stuffing skills and told me it looked like something you could get in a store.  If that's not love, then I don't know what is!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Shutterbug

M. bought us a DSLR camera last week as an early Christmas present to us.  He really wanted one but after our wedding he really really wanted one, so he sold some of his video game collection and made the purchase! 























The camera he got us is a Canon Rebel T2i and I really enjoying how the camera takes photos.  This past weekend I went over to my parent's house with the intention of practicing my photography skills on a few models . . . as in, my mother and my brother's dogs.  Those poor pups were probably sick of having a camera stuck in the face all afternoon, but I think I got some pretty great pictures out of it and, even more importantly, I got great practice using the camera on its automatic settings.























I've signed up to take a beginner's photography class beginning November 29th with Art Exposure, Inc. in Baltimore.  It's $90 for 4 classes and one outdoor shooting session.  The teacher is a member of the Baltimore Photography Club and a professional travel photographer.  I've always had an interest in photography and am really excited to take a class to learn about how to take better photos and how to use the manual settings.  If I like this class, I am hoping to sign up for their intermediate class and continue learning about photography.  Also, if this class is successful, I might pursue taking a Photoshop class so I can learn how to properly edit photos.  I have a very basic knowledge of the program but really don't do much besides crop & maybe lighten.























I'm actually interested in seeing how my ability to capture scenery, people and animals change between now & the end of the class.  Maybe I'll have to force the dogs to do another photoshoot, just so I can compare & contrast my skills!

A special thanks to Bugsy & Max for being such patient subjects!

Monday, November 22, 2010

A Gripe

Dear soft rock radio station that I enjoy listening to during my mornings at work,

I choose to listen to you because sometimes the music on my MP3 player can be a little grating on my early morning nerves.  But, your lovely mix of hits from the 80s, 90s and today is typically fantastic early in the morning.  Sometimes you just need a little Wilson Phillips and Kelly Clarkson to start the day.  When I started listening to you, it brought joy to my heart that I heard "Oh What a Night" by the Four Seasons every day.  So much so that to this day, I email M. with the time that I hear it and it's become a running joke between us.

But, this repetition of tunes you seem to favor is not so cute when it comes to the "summer anthem of 2010."  If you're unaware of what I am referring to, it's Katy Perry's "California Gurls."  As much as I enjoy Miss Perry, this song really has no reason to be played anymore.  Every radio station that had its hands on this song overplayed it throughout the summer and a bit during the fall.  I could truly be satisfied living my life not hearing this song ever again.  However, you refuse to stop playing it.  In fact, I heard you play it at least twice the other day, and I spent a good chunk of the day NOT on your station!























Last month, whenever you would play it, I would turn the channel until the song was over & then return to your station.  Now, when the song plays, I take it as my cue to turn off the station for the day in favor of listening to my MP3 player or another station.  Keep it up and I might just stop listening to you altogether . . . . except come December when you play Christmas music, then I get to hear you overplay "Last Christmas."

So, please, listen to my plea, stop playing "California Gurls."  I can't take it any longer.

Thank you.

Love, Kate

Friday, November 19, 2010

Who? Who?

My mom has this white ceramic owl umbrella holder.  I used to hate it and thought it was incredibly tacky.  Many times I tried to convince her to throw it away but to no avail.  Eventually it became a joke that I wanted to inherit it when she died.  So imagine my surprise when I found a duplicate of her old ceramic owl on sale at Urba Outfitters for about $200.  And then, before I know it, that same stinking owl started popping up for sale at other stores online.  Mom must have had foresight that owls would become trendy and her umbrella holder would become a coveted item.  And, by the way, I still claim it when she dies.



















Once I accepted the owl umbrella stand, I started to develop an appreciation for owls and cute owl knick knacks are something M. & I always keep our eyes open for.  In fact, we have our own tribute to mom's owl in our apartment in the way of 2 inch tall candle holders (from here).



















So, imagine my excitement when I stumbled across My Owl Barn's customizable 2011 calendar.  Yea, you better believe I made one for myself!  Check it out, you have your choice of 30 owl images for each month of the year.  Even better, it's free.

















This is my January . . . what's up!

Friday, November 12, 2010

What Happens in Vegas . . . Part V, the Finale

Our final day in Las Vegas was a busy one, jam packed full of activities due partially to poor planning on our part.  Our schedule involved renting a car & going out to the Hoover Dam & Red Rock Canyon, dinner with MOH JC & her boyfriend and finally seeing Peep Show, a topless show with Holly Madison of Playboy (Girls Next Door fame).

We woke up early and headed straight out to the Hoover Dam.  First, I want to show you something . . . The state of Nevada gets a minimal amount of rain a year.  In fact, I think I read that it gets the least amount of rain of any state, about 7 inches a year.

And it rained the morning we went to the Hoover Dam.  And, we got to the Dam before it opened & had to wait out in the rain.  Oy!  We had a good laugh about that one!

Check out the rain drops on our windshield and the foreboding sky.


















Despite reading about how backed up the road leading to the Dam could get, we actually had a very easy ride and got in with no problem.

We paid for the full tour - I believe it was around $30 - which ended up lasting for about an hour.  We got to walk through the power plant and some of tunnels inside of the Hoover Dam, coming out at the top of the Dam.


















We learned a lot of cool things, like about how essentially a little town popped up around the Hoover Dam of families whose husbands were working on the Dam.  The town ended up becoming a government run town & is the only town in Nevada that doesn't permit gambling.  And much of the infrastructure is the same as when originally built, so we really got to see a piece of history.

We also got to see a new piece of history as they were finishing up touches on the largest arch bridge in the US.  It was interesting to us because the city where we go white water rafting in West Virginia had held the title, so we've seen the 2 largest arch bridges in the United States!  Fun Fact!

I took tons of pictures, so here's a little sampling:























They had the bridge's anniversary celebration the day prior, so we got a set of anniversary playing cards, which were really cool!

And we got to stand on the state line!  You can see it at the base of the plaque below.


















After leaving the Hoover Dam, we hit the road and headed to Red Rock Canyon.  The trip wasn't too long, about 45 minutes and we had to circle around outside of the Las Vegas strip, which gave us a pretty cool view.

The Park was kind of in the back of a residential and very easy to get to.  And, in my opinion, well worth the trip.


















While we were there we picked up a National Parks Passport, which is basically a book that you can get stamped at any National Park you visit.  We go to National Parks enough that we picked one up.  Now it's kind of a cool keepsake over our relationship with the first stamp happening on our honeymoon.

In December we're going to DC & I intend on getting it stamped as much as possible!

The views at Red Rock were amazing, especially for us East Coasters who have never really seen a desert before.  Lots of red clay, sand, boulders and cactus!























At the end of the park, right outside of it, is a place called Bonnie Springs Ranch.  My girlfriend had recommended we stop there and try their BBQ ribs.  Since we were famished, we made our way there.























As you can see from the sign above, Bonnie Springs Ranch offers overnight accomodations, it has a restaurant, a little zoo, horseback riding . . . really lots of stuff.  It was really quaint and an awesome change from the bright lights & bustle of the city.

We sat down in the restaurant, had a cold beer, some potato skins and ribs.  They were delicious.  If you go to Red Rock Canyon, add a stop here on your list of things to do.  I actually really wanted a tee shirt but couldn't find where to buy one!  I really wish I had gotten one though!

At the end of the afternoon, we made our way back to the strip to rest a bit before meeting MOH JC & her boyfriend for dinner.

We got ready faster than we needed to, so we decided to head to the Bellagio, gamble and have a pre-dinner drink.  We made our way to a lounge bar called Carmel.  I really liked Carmel because it was nicer than the standard casino bars but wasn't a club.  It gave us a nice relaxing drinking environment, which we didn't really get much during the week.

I got a delicious cucumber martini and M. got some scotch.

After we finished our drinks, we headed down the escalator to Prime, a steakhouse in the Bellagio.

Prime had great food and a nice atmosphere.  It wasn't as formal as Le Crique from the night before, but it still felt like a really nice date restaurant.  Our waiter was pretty awesome and we joked around with him a bit.  I forget exactly what we got, but I remember having scallops and truffle macaroni & cheese.  Mike had a filet.

 We headed out around 9:30 to make our 10 p.m. show.  MOH JC headed to watch the fountains go off, while we trucked over to Planet Hollywood.

Now, seeing a topless show isn't exactly something that M. & I originally sought out to do.  But, I, embarrasingly enough, watched "The Girls Next Door" and really liked Holly Madison.  Plus, topless shows are a thing in Vegas and we're always down for a new experience.

Now, the show was supposed to start at 10 p.m.  But, the show prior to "Peep Show" ended up letting out late, so we didn't make it into the theater until 11 p.m.  We ended up getting really antsy and line and were pretty tired from our long day.

The show was fun, it was really cheesy and mindless.  The performers were great singers and some of the dances were fun.  Would I see it again, no.  Looking back, would I have still gone, probably not.  But, it was fun.

We got out a 1:00 a.m., headed back to the Mirage, cashed in our last gambling receipts and went to bed.

The next morning, we hopped on our plane and said goodbye to Vegas . . . but, not without gambling at the airport a bit.

Overall, we had an awesome honeymoon but this experience only made us more excited for our REAL honeymoon, which will be the Greek Isles in June 2011!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What Happens in Vegas, Part IV

Hey Guys, sorry for leaving you hanging during my honeymoon recaps!  I feel like between some projects at work, Halloween, busy weekends and that darn time change that I'm currently running in place.  I'm tired and exhausted and planning for the holidays doesn't really help to revive me from that feeling (although it does make me excited!).  I did hear from my photographer about our pictures, and I should get to see my online gallery shortly, which means wedding re-caps!  We all know that's why anyone who is still following this little blog is still here!

But, stick with me for my final 2 days of recaps, they're fun, I promise!

On Thursday, we only had one plan and that was to see KA, the Cirque Du Soliel show that takes place under water and to go to a fancy dinner in celebration of my birthday (which took place about a week before the wedding.  I am not a big celebrator of my birthday and with the wedding, it seemed frivolous for M. & I to really celebrate).  M. chose out the restaurant when we picked up our show tickets, so we were all set.

We had originally hoped to tour the Neon Boneyard on this day, but the tour was full and we weren't able to join in.  A word to the wise, if you really want to do this, just book it when you book your trip.  I was hoping to play everything by ear & didn't want to commit, but that ended up hurting us in the end. 

Instead, we went back & sat by the pool for a few hours . . . our favorite way to start every morning!


















After M. got sick of laying around, we went back up to our room, lounged a bit and tried to figure out what to do.  We ended up deciding to visit on of the more notorious casinos that isn't on the strip, The Palms.  Funny enough, at the same time, MOH JC was flying into Las Vegas & shared a plane with Pauly D from the Jersey Shore.  He was DJing at The Palms that night.  Creepily enough, she took a cell phone picture of him while he was sleeping.  Poor guy.

The Palms kind of disappointed us.  I think if we were nightlife people, we would have spent a considerable amount of time here since they had multiple clubs.  However, unlike the other casinos that had some daytime activities, The Palms didn't so much.  They really only had one or two restaurants and a food court and really, everyone must have been sleeping or out at the pool because the casino itself was pretty dead.

We grabbed lunch, a drink, gambled a bit and then headed back to the strip.


















We then hung out a bit, grabbed a drink at our casino & laid around in bed until it was time to get ready for dinner.  Every day we spent a few hours laying in bed & watching tv.  It sounds so lame but was sooo enjoyable!

Once 6:30 rolled around, it was time for dinner at Le Cirque, a french restaurant in the Bellagio.  This restaurant was definitely swanky and the food was fantastic.  The coolest thing was that our table faced the Bellagio fountain, so we got to see the fountain show every half hour!  When we booked our reservation, we let them know it was our honeymoon and we got a little surprise at the end of the meal.

We opted to go with the pre-theater menu with wine pairing, which was about $98 per person.  This got us a 3-course meal with wine to go with each. 

We started with a risotto (me) and a lobster bisque (M.).  For our main course, I got a filet of Sea Bass with crispy potatoes, braised leeks with a Pinot Noir reduction.  M. got beef short ribs with bone marrow, beets and sugar snap peas.  It was both of our first experience with bone marrow and it was pretty cool.  It tasted kind of like a delicious salty gelatin of beef stock.  For dessert, I got creme brulee and M. got a raspberry milkshake with some mascarpone in it, underneath his bowl was also some raspberry cotton candy.  Plus, our dessert plates came with a special message (M.'s pictured below, we couldn't capture how beautiful it was)!


















Our food was absolutely delicious and I would definitely recommend that anyone go there, especially if you love food and don't mind spending a little more for awesome food and a great overall experience.  Plus, they give all the women a little box of truffles to go home with.  Awesome!

After dinner we gambled a bit & walked through a pretty cool art exhibit in the lobby of the theater.  They had a video of the sculpturer working and it was amazing!  He had the cirque performers hold their post while he sculpted away in clay!

PS - M. said I could post his picture on here now!  I won't put many of him, but you'll see his handsome face here and there.  Including now . . .


































The show was pretty great.  M. wishes there had been some more shows of strength, like he had seen at a Cirque show that came to Baltimore last winter.  This one definitely had more of the art & flexibility displays & less of the pure strength.  That I didn't mind, I thought everything they did was a wonder.  Our only complaint was that the theater was so warm, uncomfortably warm.  Warm enough that the woman next to me took a nice little nap during the show.  And, as we left the show, most of the people around us were commenting on the heat.  At one point of time, I was really hoping for an intermission so I could get some air, but the show was too short to have an intermission.    So, if you get warm easily, this might not be the show for you!

After that, we went back to our room to rest up for Friday!  Red Rock Canyon!  Hoover Dam! 

Loads of pictures coming in the next recap.