{Life & Musings}

Friday Afternoon

Enough said.

Enjoy!

An Open Book

If you asked me earlier today, I would have said that my life is an an open book.  I feel that way, but as I was reflecting on today's prompt for Shimelle's class about privacy in blogging, maybe I'm not so open.

I think that I've tried to be protective of my real life and maintain some sense of privacy.  My internet persona is kathym.  People know I live in Silicon Valley.  I'm sure I've let details slip about my life but I do try to safeguard our privacy. 

Today's lesson was a good reminder that we need to be vigilant in protecting our identity in scrapbook layouts and what we share online.

Graduation

I don't remember if I posted any pictures from graduation or not.  I think I probably didn't because I haven't scrapped them before today.  This is a quick little page for the inlaws/outlaws album.

template: Janet Philips
paper: fei fei-joyce serindipty papers; Jessica Sprague Echos of Asia
embellishments: MCO corner florishes 2

As I'm trying to remember what I used in the layout, I'm a little frustrated because I did a total rookie move.  I merged the layers to save the layout as a JPG but I forgot to un-merge them before i saved the PSD again and now the layers are lost.  What a lame move!  

Since I started working a lot in digital, I've had to kind of develop a file method that works for me.  I save the completed layout as a PSD, in case I need to change it. I also merge the layers and save it as a JPG file to print.  Then I reduce the size of the JPG and save it as "b" whatever the title, so I know that it's resized for blogs/web.  So that is 3 copies of the same layout.  Confusing, I know, if you don't digitally scrap but it's what works for me.

Enjoy!

In the Spirit

In the spirit of the Halloween season, a layout:

 

Paper: Baers Garten Here Comes the Sun kit
Elements: Paislee Press October 31st kit

I'm trying to get in the Halloween spirit.  We have a group of neighbors down the street who go all out for EVERY holiday.  This halloween they've taken it up a notch, not that I thought that was possible.  Now my sad little pumpkin sign in my front yard will just not do.  I bought some Styrofoam tombstones today with skeleton pieces to stick in my yard.  Hopefully that will be enough. 

Enjoy!

A Day of Firsts

Yesterday was a day of firsts for me.

It was my first trip to a real Sonic.  We did a road tirp to the nearest super Walmart and there is a sonic nearby.  Of course at 10:30 in the morning, I didn't know what to order.  I ended up with a hazelnut java chiller.  YUM!  I think it's a good thing that there isn't a sonic in quick driving distance to us.

Then I had another first yesterday, I finished a school days album --complete with pictures and memoribilia!  Ok, technically, I still need to do the title page and put the page protectors on, but I should be able to do that today.  Woo Hoo!

Finally, I was cleaning yesterday, going through magazines to recycle and I saw this:

Needless to say, I now have chocolate cake on the brain and desperately want to make this.  Anyone have a 12" cake pans with 2" sides, they want to let me borrow?

Here is the recipe if anyone else is experienceing chocolate cravings now:
From the June issue of Bon Appetit magazine.
Giant Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and Edible Flowers

Ingredients

cake

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ganache

• 5 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Edible flowers* (for decoration)

special equipment

• 1 12-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides

• * Available at some supermarkets and at farmers' markets. Use only those flowers that have been grown without pesticides.

Preparation

cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Spray parchment paper with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour, tapping out any excess. Sift 2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Sift cocoa into another medium bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over cocoa; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add butter to egg mixture and beat until blended. Beat in cocoa mixture. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat to blend. Add dry ingredients and beat on low just to blend. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

ganache

• Place chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Bring cream and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Carefully pour hot cream mixture into bowl with chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk until melted and smooth. Chill ganache until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.
• Carefully invert cake onto large cake plate. Gently remove parchment paper. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake and allow ganache to set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before decorating.
• Decorate cake with edible flowers. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy!
Peace. Out.

It's a Hot One Out There

The news said it's suppose to be over 100 today. 

So I made this...

It feels like the summer is almost over and I still have so much that I haven't done yet!  Anyone else feel that way???

Peace. Out.

Quick Update

Ok, so it's Good Friday.  I have a ton of things that I need to get done today and what do I wake up with?  Pink eye.  So trying to change the brow wax appointment (since I'm sure they don't want me there!) and get to to the doctors. 

I should be doing a ton of different things right now, but instead I'm procrastinating on the computer. 

One of my friends just reminded me that I can drink diet coke again on Sunday. I'm so looking forward to that. 

Peace. Out.

Busy

This is always a busy week--the last week of school before spring break.  First is a short week for my kids.  They get out at 12:30 on Holy Thursday.  Then we have extended family visiting in the area, so we are hosting an "early" Easter on Saturday.  That means I have to play Easter bunny to 10 little kids (not to mention playing bunny to my own on Sunday)  Yesterday, I was scrambling around getting "Easter" put together. 

Then I had 3 yards of dirt dumped in my driveway.  The dirt needed to be moved to the backyard for my newly build raised vegetable boxes.  Did I mention that Max had to suddenly go out of town for a business trip?  So who gets to move dirt?  Me. After 30+ some trips with the wheelbarrow, I had only moved about two-thirds of the pile.  I guess Max gets to move the last of it.

Did I mention that I'm going on a trip next week?  Oh, yea.  I'm going on a mystery trip for 10 days and my in laws are coming to stay with the kids. I know that I'm going to Amsterdam for 2 days, but I don't know where I'm going after that.  How do you pack for that?

I'm sitting down right now for really the first time today and I don't want to do anything.  I really need to start writing down the kids schedules for the in-laws but I don't feel like it.  I'll probably leave it until the last minute and then forget something.

Wish me luck!
Peace. Out.

Shutting Down

I feel so overwhelmed right now, that I'm basically just shutting down.  I'm not really getting anything done on my mile long "to do" list, but rather I'm focusing on things that seem more manageable, like say, scrapbooking.

I got a phone call on Saturday from a friend.  She wants me to make the inserts for her school days albums STAT!  Perfect timing because I was going to a crop that night and didn't have anything to work on ready.  So I quickly pulled together some papers and got pretty much the papers cut and assembled for one album. 

Today, I went through and figured out what was missing and went and spent a boatload of money at the scrapbook store. (I think I'm keeping them afloat during these tough economic times).  I was really good in February and most of March and stayed out of the scrapbook store.  Now I'm not going in for at least another 6 weeks.  Think I  can do it?  I thought it would be fun to add a count down clock--just to torture myself a bit.  See it on the right side bar?

The Daily Layout Challenge is over.  I have to say that I failed miserably.  I got 3 layouts done, I think.  There is just too much going on at our house in March.  I hope some people were able to get those 15 layouts done.

I just looked at the clock and it's a 2:10 day.  I have to run. 
Peace. out.

What I'm Loving Right Now ....#2

It's time for another installment of things that I'm loving right now.

Around my house, everyone knows that I have, what we like to call, trucker hands.  Yes, my hands are frequently cracked and dry.  I've discovered two things that have been helping me.  1) Dawn Hand Renewal dishwashing soap.  and 2) Eucerin PLUS intensive repair hand cream.  My hands are in MUCH better shape, Thank You!

As a Christmas present, I ordered a chef's jacket at Amazon for Uncle Franco.  It came with a free subscription to Bon Appetit for me!  (Got to love it when you get something for nothing!)  The first issue just came and WoW!  We subscribed to this YEARS ago and it was a really stuffy magazine that didn't fit the way we lived at all.  Boy, have times changed.  Both Max and I really enjoyed this magazine and I found a few recipes that I want to try.

I'm trying to be really cost conscious when I grocery shop lately. One thing that I noticed is that my local store, Safeway, has on their receipt this "Total Savings Value" line with a percentage and a dollar amount.  I've taken it on as a personal mission to see how high I can get that percentage.  Today, I got my highest percentage savings to date---39%.  Woo Hoo!  In this quest, I've started clipping coupons, not fanatically, but just here and there and only on stuff we use.  Did you know that your local grocery store may have coupons on their website?  I've also found coupons online at boxtopforeducation.com .  Where have you found grocery store coupons online? 

One final thing.  I can't let this  installment go by without mentioning that I'm totally in love with scarab solitare on facebook.  I think I'm going to give myself carpal tunnel, if I'm not careful.

I guess that's all for right now. Did I hit on anything that you are loving?
Peace. Out.