Year in Review

Hello, everyone, and happy New Year's Eve!  I truly hope that you are not working today and that you have some wonderful plans for this evening.  We are heading over to my in-laws' for what is sure to be a good time.  I have spent every NYE since high school with the same basic group of people, and I will see most of them tonight.

"The Group" circa 2003

New Year's is a time to reflect and enjoy year-end recaps provided by most major TV and radio stations (if you still do anything as traditional as watch network television and listen to non-satellite radio).  I am starting a new tradition this year (based on a pre-existing hobby) to help review my own year.  (This year was a bit of a milestone, what with binding myself to another and all)

I have made photo slideshows for years now.  I have made them for weddings and funerals, for my own honeymoon and vacations, and to highlight different friendships throughout the years.  I have always gotten positive response from these, but I mostly make them for my own personal pleasure.  I enjoy the process and, just as importantly, the resulting product.

So, this year, I am making a 2014 slideshow.  It will consist of songs I discovered in 2014, the ones that I will, for the rest of my life, link to this year.  I will put in my favorite pictures of the year and, just to be safe, scan in any memorabilia that might not have otherwise made it.

I can't wait to get started.

What about you?  

How do you celebrate a year that has passed?  My old boss used to journal, and she spent the day reading through her old journals of the year.  I'm a bit old school, so I also like looking through my old scrapbooks, but since they're about 3 years behind, they're not much help in remembering 2014.  Facebook (and presumably other social media channels I am not cool enough to be a part of) is a great way to review what you've been up to.  In fact, FB even has a built-in way to do it (although some people were not thrilled about it; read more on that ridiculousness here).

No matter how you celebrate your past year, make sure to look forward to the next one.  Whether 2014 rocked or sucked, there's always hope for 2015.  Just ask Pinterest--there are all sorts of great ideas for resolutions up there.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ho Ho Holiday Movie Marathon

 

Merry Christmas!  Well, almost.  I'm sure you have noticed that the Christmas season is stretching ever longer, and that's actually great news because it gives us ample time to catch up on classic Christmas films.  A survey of some of my favorites follows below.

When I'm feeling like a kid:

Home Alone

It doesn't get much more cliche than this, but I adore this movie.  The sequel is almost as good (I mean, it's practically the same movie...), and I love that Marv's scream is just like my husband's when there's a spider around. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I am a great lover of Dr. Seuss, and though I know he never wanted his books made into movies, I'm quite glad that his wishes were disregarded in this case.  How could you not love the amazingly adorable reindeer Max?

Other Childhood Favorites

L to R: Cabbage Patch Kids Christmas, Smurfs Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas

If you can't identify all of these, don't fret.  They belonged to, as far as I can remember, a single, home-recorded VHS tape that we used to put on at Christmas (The Grinch may have also been on it).  This tape was 2 hours of Christmas goodness, which I'm sure was how my parents planned it.  One of my very favorite parts: Alvin's golden harmonica!

When I'm feeling like a grown-up:

The Family Stone

I actually didn't like this film the first time I saw it, but now it has become a yearly tradition.  A cross between funny, sad, and seriously awkward, it's a more realistic view of what we go through at the holidays every year.  Family dynamics (both good and bad) don't just disappear because it's Christmas.  I always like to remember that.

Love Actually

I adore the Brits.  They're a little off but seriously funny people.  This is such a great film because it, like The Family Stone, focuses on relationships as much as the holiday itself.  It's better because it has lots of overlapping story-lines and still manages not to lose any.  If you haven't seen it, this is my recommendation for the holiday season this year!

In Closing:

I realize that these are fairly lame and leave out many that other consider must-sees during the holidays.  I refuse to watch the updated Miracle on 34th Street because I'm convinced that Mara Wilson stole the lead role from me (I actually auditioned as a child and was quite traumatized when I did not get a call-back), and I don't care for National Lampoon.

I am, however, really hoping to convince my husband to watch It's a Wonderful Life on the 26th (the next three days are way too busy).  I have not seen this iconic Christmas film since I was really young, and it is one I think I would enjoy.

What are some of your holiday favorites?  (and feel free to chastise me for my lack of enthusiasm when it comes to National Lampoon...)

TGIF pt 2

In the same vein as my last TGIF post, here is another strange habit of mine that involves one half of my self helping the other half when things look grim.  Specifically, this is my creative self helping my uninspired self.

The idea is simple, and Pinterest has taken it to an extreme I never could have expected.  As a lover of songs and literature, I have long since been awestruck by great writing, be it poetry, prose, lyric, or screen-quote.  Many years ago, I began keeping a log of quotes that I found particularly remarkable.

This document has a generally different effect on me than the photos I mentioned last week because the goal is not to be happy, per se.  The goal is to be inspired, to be moved, to be stirred by someone else's brilliance.  The quotes are usually thought-provoking and can be sad and dark, unlike the photos I use to pick me up on a bad day.

I have only a few rules:
1. The quotes really need to mean something to me.  They have to strike a profound cord for me to take the time to possibly look them up and
2. I have to hear/read them first-hand as part of the full piece.  Pinterest is FANTASTIC for finding great, artistic renderings of quotes (my "Well Said" board is proof that I LOVE this aspect of Pinterest), but this process is much more meaningful when you are just going about your normal day and get completely slammed by genius.

Here's a sampling.  Enjoy, and Happy Friday!

When a woman who has much to say says nothing, her silence can be deafening.
--Anna & the King

Love, like blood, is pouring out of me 

--Counting Crows, “Margery”

Bravery, my neighbor, moved away, ‘cause I don’t need to be courageous today.
--O.A.R.

What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life — to strengthen each other in all labour, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?
-- George Eliot, Adam Bede

Perhaps the crescent moon smiles in doubt
at being told that it is a fragment
awaiting perfection
--Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies

In order to find his equal, an Irishman is forced to talk to God.

--Braveheart

An envious heart makes a treacherous ear
--Zora Neale Hurston

We can understand the sentiments you’re saying to us, oh but sensible selves would you kindly shut up?

--Sara Bareilles

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,

But to be young was very Heaven

--William Wordsworth

Home is the resort of love, of joy, of peace and plenty, where, supporting and supported, polished friends and dear relations mingle into bliss.

--James Thomson

Armchair warriors often fail, and we’ve been poisoned by these fairy tales

--Don Henley, “The End of the Innocence”

A book is a portable kind of magic

--Stephen King

Not all those who wander are lost

--J.R.R. Tolkien

Isn't it what we wait for? To meet someone... and they're, they're like a lens and suddenly you're looking through them and everything changes and nothing can ever be the same again.

--Michael Clayton

When life gives you lemons, you paint that shit gold

--Atmosphere

It's not just about living forever, Jackie. The trick is living with yourself forever.

--Pirates of the Caribbean

Love is a woman’s special province—she has, or has had, or will have, power there.  Man might take, and absolutely appropriate, monopolize and exclude her from money-making, from politics and from many other pursuits, made difficult to her by man’s tyranny, man’s hindrances, man’s objections—but in the realms of love he is not the absolute dictator, not the master.

--Maria Amparo Ruiz de Barton, The Squatter and the Don

In a house where regret is a carousel ride, we are spinning and spinning and spinning

-- Counting Crows, “St. Robinson and His Cadillac Dream”

Every man dies.  Not every man truly lives

--Braveheart

It is always surprising how small a part of life is taken up by meaningful moments. Most often they're over before they start, even though they cast a light on the future and make the person who originated them unforgettable.

-Anna & the King

And you of tender years

Can't know the fears

That your elders grew by     

--Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Teach Your Children Well

Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels, but old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young.

--J.K. Rowling

You have no soul, so how can you understand the emptiness that seeks a soul mate?

--Shakespeare in Love

You see this couple here? He's having an affair with the babysitter, and she can eat a pound cake in under a minute

--Practical Magic

Or we can paint the administration building with the word 'assholes', in various colors.

--Freedom Writers

Maybe it’s my face.  Maybe I look like a doormat today.  

--Jeanette Winters, Written on the Body

I love myself when I am laughing…and then again when I am looking mean and impressive.

--Zora Neale Hurston

See my heart, I decorate it like a grave.

--Alice in Chains, “Down in a Hole”

There’s a bold, unbridled lie where my soul once stood

--The Damwells, “Golden Days”

Crafts & Champagne: Follow-up

Friday night marked another fantastic Crafts & Champagne party.  As expected, we drank too much, crafted too little, and laughed until it hurt.  And that equals C&C success.

Here’s what we came up with compared to what Pinterest promised:

L to R: Paint Sample Christmas Tree; Curled Paper Glass Ornaments; Tea Light Christmas Globes; Snowflake Popsicle Ornament 

A few things to note:

1. The most versatile craft here is clearly the tea light wine glass because the contents can be changed out every season (or more frequently, depending upon how on top of it you are).  If you follow the link in the caption, you will see just a few of the possibilities.  The directions stated that the “tea light drops” are only available in certain areas.  Apparently, ours is not one.  Interestingly enough, the world wide web is also not one of those certain areas… So, we made the holders ourselves.  I scoffed at my mom’s suggestion to use the champagne bottle wire (that comes around the cork), but that’s what everyone ended up using.  And this is when my mother’s constant refrain “I’m always right” comes into play.
2. I realize it’s a bit difficult to see what we actually came up with.  I will take better photos in future
3. The most fun was probably the paint sample trees (which we did second).  Not only were we all hitting our drunk, but they are so simple that anyone can do them (gimme craft), and everyone could have done multiples if they wanted.  The particularly crafty can go above and beyond what the rest can and still find it satisfying.  I give you, as proof, the show-off three-tree below.  Thank you, Sarah!

   

   Sarah's Fancy-Pants Trees

4. You may notice that the popsicle stick snowflakes are no more than a bunch of painted sticks sitting on a drying rack.  This brings me to two points:

• You may not get to everything.  Don’t panic!  There is always time to finish afterward or put the supplies away for next time.
• Read the instructions (or at least look at the pictures!).  If I had paid more attention, I would have realized that the sticks don’t get painted first.  They get painted after they are assembled into snowflakes.  (I also might have noticed that the strips in the glass ornaments are supposed to be 6” long instead of 12”.  This is something I also apparently ignored when Bri suggested it to me at the party (did I mention we did those third, and I was really getting my drunk on?)).

 Anyway, we had a complete blast.  Again, I suggest all ladies get together to do this.  We agreed that we have so much fun, we are going to do it twice a year instead of once.  And so I give you- Crafts & Champagne:Spring 2015 on Pinterest.  Enjoy!

TGIF!

Hey All!  Friday took way too long to get here this week.  It’s weeks like this that have me reaching for a cold beverage on Friday night.  Or, even better, to my own personal drug, about which I’d like to tell you today.

I love photos.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love taking photos, I love scrapbooking, and I love having pictures all over my house.  I. LOVE. PHOTOS.

But, there are some photos that speak to me more than others.  There are some photos that make me feel warm and tingly inside, that make me cry with amusement or love, that quite simply make my day.

A few years ago, when I was having a particularly bad week, one of these photos spoke to me and gave me an idea.  Every time I come across one of these magical photos, I file it in a folder on my computer entitled: “Pictures that are guaranteed to bring a smile to my face, even if I'm having the worst day”

This morning, I opened that folder, and—as promised—I smiled.  I urge everyone to find something—anything—that makes your day no matter how low you are and making it accessible when you need it.  It’s hard to think of happy things when you’re struggling; it’s so much easier when your happier self has already provided it to you.

So, do your down-in-the-dumps self a favor, and make a file.  And, HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Pictures that are guaranteed to bring a smile to my face, even if I'm having the worst day

The Giving Season

As someone who worked as a Development Assistant for five months (and for those of you who don't know, "Development" is non-profit lingo for "fundraising"), I can tell you that most charities make the bulk of their money at the holidays.  If a non-profit has a decent Annual Fund Manager (and when I was working as a DA, our AFM was the bomb), she will likely launch her largest campaign during this time.

So, what does this have to do with my blog?  Well, working in that arena made me realize how common philanthropic giving is.  It is particularly common for my parents' and grandparents' generation as they are the ones who can normally afford such a luxury.

My own generation is not as accustomed to routine giving.  We may donate to a cause because someone we know is walking for it or because we can dump buckets of ice on ourselves and feel like we're changing the world.

By now, those of you who don't want to hear this have stopped reading, but working for a non-profit did not turn me into someone who wanted to change the world.  It probably did not even reverse any of my jaded personality.

What it did teach me is that donating to a charity once a year won't kill me.  Better yet, it makes me feel good, and my money might (or might not, who knows), be doing its own good out there.

I made the choice to pick a charity and stick with it.  I will give steadily to this charity for as long as the cause is a worthy one and the money is well-managed (there's a very large practical end to philanthropy).

A few years ago, my boss (whom I adore) lost his wife, a woman with three young children in the prime of her life.  He chose to start a foundation in her memory called The Lauri S. Bauer Foundation for Sudden Loss.  Those of you who know a bit about me will understand why I am personally invested in this organization's mission to help those who are struck by the sudden loss of a loved one.

A few weeks ago, I donated to the LSB Foundation.  I am not asking you to do the same (although you could, and it would make my day), but I am asking that you consider committing to a cause for yourself and for those who directly benefit from the funds.

Research.  Ask around.  Find what speaks to you, and support it.  Philanthropy is not a rare thing.  Let's make sure it stays that way.

Crafts & Champagne

Hello all!  I hope you all had as great a Thanksgiving as I did.  If you noticed my un-advertised post, Kevin & I were sick leading up to the holiday, but Trivial Pursuit and my brother-in-law’s impression of a gay Latino jockey made for a unique Turkey Day we won’t soon forget.

A few weeks ago, I alluded to Crafts & Champagne, and I’m ready to share the whole story with you now.  So, pull up a chair, snuggle into a blanket, and let me tell you the story of the first Crafts & Champagne: It was a brisk November day several years ago when I invited my three girlfriends over for an informal gathering.  I had, for some time, gotten the hankering to engage in some foolish, childish crafts, and I knew that the best way to lure my enthusiastic but not-so-crafty friends was with booze. 

This was no ordinary Wednesday in November.  It was, in fact, the day before Thanksgiving, and my friends were back in town from college.  As expected, each girl came with a bottle (or two) of champagne, and we proceeded to drink the day away while creating the most basic of holiday crafts: handprint turkeys, woven placemats, Indian headdresses, and foam Christmas trees.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, there is something magical about gimme crafts, and I know you all know that there is something equally magical about champagne.  Before we knew it, we were schnockered but having the best time of our lives.

We realized, through our tipsy, that this was something to be replicated, and so I have hosted Crafts & Champagne pretty much every year since.  One year, we combined it with an ugly sweater party for Christmas, and another year we incorporated pumpkin carving for Halloween. 

This year, I am taking full advantage of digital resources.  The invitation was an Evite, and Pinterest’s group board has allotted us a way to share our ideas for this year’s projects.  I usually try to buy supplies for one gimme, two easy-medium, and one more difficult craft as we have varying levels of interest and ability. 

Now is the time for you to shine!  

Check out our group Pinterest board here and let us know which YOU think is the most fun!  Feel free to post in the comments below (or, if the technology is too complex, you can always post on my FB wall J).

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Sick!

This was not my plan for my next post, but I am SICK!  Whenever I think of the word sick, I irresistibly think of Shel Silverstein.  If you haven't read much Shel, you're missing out, and I suggest you go buy one of his volumes today.  Even if you're not huge on poetry, you may still love Shel Silverstein.

One of he best parts about Shel is that he illustrated all of his own works, and the illustrations greatly enhance the poem.  I was able to find this one online with the illustration included.  Enjoy!

“Gimme Crafts” & Frosted Glass

Hope everyone had as great a weekend as I did.  Got to see some of my favorite people and got a very official invitation to Thanksgiving (right), courtesy of my 5 year-old nephew.  (He is learning to read and write, and he gave me a pretty awesome presentation of his phonics skills Friday night)

While at my sister’s Friday, she and I discussed our upcoming Crafts & Champagne party (more on that next week), and the subject of “gimme crafts” came up.  “Gimme crafts” are those crafts that are so easy, they are hardly blog-worthy.  They are usually appropriate for kids (see Paulie’s hand outline turkey), but they are certainly not challenging for most adults.

I am writing today in defense of the gimmes.  Here are 5 reasons why I think gimme crafts are some of the best:

1. They make you feel good
•  Rarely does a gimme craft turn out so horrendously that it will make you want to quit, cry, or throw something.  Sometimes, that in itself is a crafting victory.
2. They bring back childhood memories (if not in content, in muscle memory)
• If it’s something like weaving a Thanksgiving placemat or making an Indian headdress (now called Native American headwear, no doubt), the act of crafting might take you straight back to elementary school.  If it’s a little more sophisticated (like today’s craft), the mere act of placing stickers will make you feel like a kid again.
3. They make you take stock of what you have and what you need.
• Today’s craft was made of a few things I randomly had lying around the house, but one of the best parts about gimme crafts is that you don’t usually need super specialized materials to make them.  A lot of the time, you can make them simply by using what you already have.  If not, they let you know that a trip to Joann is in order (which it almost always is anyway…)
4. Sometimes, they evolve.
• They may begin as things that are way too easy, but gimme crafts can evolve into something much bigger.  When I finished today’s craft, I realized it was just the beginning (keep reading, and you’ll understand).
5. They are just plain fun!
•  (did I mention that there are often stickers?)

So, on to the craft:

I had originally intended to use
ribbon for this project, but I soon
realized that it would not look right.

Being a new-ish homeowner (we moved in winter of 2013), I have been slowly building up my holiday décor.  We are pretty covered for Christmas, and our annual Halloween party has us well-stocked with ghoulish furnishings.  But, what about that holiday in between?  What to do for Thanksgiving?

Compared to all the other holidays, Thanksgiving seems to get the short end of the decoration stick.  I vividly remember a stuffed turkey my mom used to put at the top of the stairs and some beautiful wooden pilgrims who later joined, but other than that, Thanksgiving is living in the shadow of its surrounding holidays.

With that in mind, I pulled together three items I had on hand:

• Thanksgiving stickers from the Dollar Tree (who doesn't love turkeys with googly eyes?)
• a square glass candle holder (also from the Dollar Tree)
• Elmer’s glue (possibly also from the Dollar Tree (could be I have a DT problem)).

The first part of this project is so simple it could be a crime: peel off the stickers and put them on the candle holder in a way that you deem pretty.  Ta-da, instant décor.  (This could be the reason my sister was so critical of gimme crafts).

 

I could have stopped there, but then everyone would have thought that this blog is super lame, and we can’t have that.  Instead, I looked up a few ways to frost the inside of the glass, and the general consensus I found on Pinterest is that all you have to do is mix some Elmer’s glue or Mod Podge together with water and—voila—instant frost.

As you can see, I followed the instructions and got a relatively adorable result.  However, it’s been three days, and my glue is still wet.  Several sources suggested giving several coats, but at this rate, Thanksgiving would be over by then.  I think that next time I try, I will experiment with the Mod Podge and see if there is a better result.

So, what do you think?  Are gimme crafts worth it or totally lame?

(post your comments below)

WELCOME!

 Hello friends, and welcome to my blog!  I am so glad you decided to stop by.

A few things about me:

• I love crafting! Decorating! Scrapbooking! (and other things I follow up with exclamation points)
• I’m a newlywed (I still get a buzz off calling Kevin my “husband”)
• I have great family (the world’s okayest sister, brother-in-law, and their three kids; Mom; Dad; Bob & Beckie (the in-laws); and baby bro-in-law Brian)
• I’ve got kick-ass friends who have kick-ass stories.  Bet you can’t wait…
• I work in an office (albeit a small office) with all men
• I’m obsessed with words and stories (and their correlating power).  Blame it on the English degree.
• (I clearly love parentheses)

ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE

It took me a long time to come up with an appropriate name for this blog.  As you can see, my URL is just my name, and that’s because all the good URLs are taken (I even considered the grammatically incorrect “always A adventure,” which would have just killed me (and my mom, grandmother, sister…etc.), but apparently someone was already desperate enough to grab that up).

“Always an Adventure” is one thing (along with peanut M&Ms, road trips, & “xoxox” at the end of every letter) I most associate with one of my favorite people in the world.  It’s what my mom says every time there’s an unexpected turn in the road, a day that didn’t go quite as planned, or something that is truly spectacular.  Yes, life is always an adventure.

This blog is really just an exercise in my own creativity and boredom.  I can’t promise themes, though they usually tend to emerge at some point, and I can promise but rarely deliver on dependability and timeliness.  However, if you think you might enjoy, check back once a week to see what magically wonderful thought has struck me.

Tune in Monday for my first DIY post! (if the weekend goes according to plan...)