The Buidling Blocks of Baby Showers

I am so excited to announce that my sister is pregnant! This is her first child, so I hope beyond anything that she has a safe pregnancy and delivery! And while she carries her first bundle of joy I get to plan her baby shower! So I of course am spending a lot of time researching all of the creative ideas that others have done for their showers and how I would like my sister's to be. I will have to be careful not to give away too much information in my posts because I want my shower to be a surprise for my sister. But I'll go ahead and share themes and ideas I find that inspire me.


I'm always impressed with the party themes I find on Hostess With the Mostess, and for this post I have to share one I found on that site: the Rustic Glam Baby Shower. What I really like about this shower is the unique favors for the guests and decorations, such as the building blocks!

Mail Center

It's here! My mail center! I have finally found a desktop center to organize my incoming and outgoing mail. I did not go with my original plan to buy the desktop station that I found at the Container Store. Instead, while shopping at Target I found this smaller option, which only cost a fifth of the price! You can't beat that. And it serves my needs, with some room to "grow."

Right now I have folders for "mail to file," "bills to pay," and "outgoing mail." But I may also make folders for "my roommate's mail," "coupons," and more. There is room for more folders!

I'm excited to get my mail and start using it. I encourage everyone looking to organize their desktops to spend some time thinking about what system would work best for their needs and brainstorming different options to achieve it. I certainly didn't think I could achieve it for $5.00!

Valentine's Day Toes

This is late, but posting anyways...


My niece loved my snowflake toenail design so much I painted them special for Valentines Day for her.  (I knew I would be seeing her just a few days after it). She loved them, although not as much as the giant snowflake. But my nephew was kind to point out how outdated they were, saying, "the heart needs to come off now because Valentine's Day has past."


I love the wisdom and advice of three year olds.  :)

Baby's First Birthday

My niece is about to turn 1 and since she is my first niece I am very excited about it!

Being, somewhat, in the line of event planning (albeit, these are corporate, very large, educational, and formal-business events for clients) I love the prospect of planning her first birthday.  Sadly it's not an honor I get to have since my sister-in-law will want to plan this special day for her.  But what harm can it be to envision all the fun types of first birthday parties that can be thrown?!  And dreaming is free!  Here is one of my favorite ideas on Hostess with the Mostess' blog:

A little sunshine - but this is good for a warm day, and it's currently February.

Since my niece's birthday is close to Valentines Day I guess it's only fitting that she have a pink and heart-shaped themed party. Or at least that's what I would throw for her if it was my choice! :)

So, here are some cute ideas for her party, if I was throwing her this Valentine's Day theme party:

Food:

• Heart shaped ham & cheese and PB&J sandwiches
• Heart shaped "jello-jigglers"
• Cut cheese hearts and serve with crackers

Drink:

• Fruit-punch with heart-shaped ice-cubes
• Adults - red wine, red-wine spritzer, or add champagne to the fruit punch. (Just keep it separated from the kids punch!)  :) 

Either a birthday cake or cupcakes:

• I like the idea of both for a first birthday so the birthday child may dig into his/her cake and surprise us all with the adorable mess he/she makes experiencing their very first birthday cake. And the rest of us may enjoy a clean and well portioned, and themed/well decorated cake of our own. 
• A heart shaped strawberry or red velvet cake with pink butter-creme icing would probably be the cake I would make. 
• For cupcakes, same type of cake and icing but add a decorative topping like a chocolate heart or a red cherry. Or make a label/flag, attach it to a tooth-pick that reads "Baby's First Birthday!" 
Like these pictures: 

 

For decorations:

• A "Baby's First Birthday" sign is a must. 
• Heart shaped balloons with normal shaped balloons, all red, pink and white. And of course, a happy birthday themed balloon. 
• Pink streamers in the shape of the number 1.
• Set-up a main table to house the cake on display, the punch, food, and presents. Start decorating this table by  covering it in a white cloth. Keep it simple to not take away from the other decorations or cause the room/table to look gaudy.
• Sprinkle candy hearts as confetti on the main table top instead of real confetti. 
• A bouquet of flowers on the main table. Every party needs a nice bouquet of flowers. 
• Tiny bouquets of heart-shaped lollipops.
• Pink/white plates and napkins that say Baby's first birthday

And here is a great article of tips on what to consider when planning your child's First Birthday Party.

Now I just have to wait in anticipation for my niece's birthday and see what type of party she has. No matter what, it will be special and fun.

Organizing the Closet

I mentioned in a previous post that a major project of mine in January was to reorganize/clean out my closet. I have a large closet (although not a walk-in, sigh), which I just love. Since I love it, and being organized so much, I spend a lot of time thinking about the system I have for my belongings in it and whether or not it is as efficient as it could be for my needs. 

Therefore, I have spent a lot of time this past month wondering if I like how I have my clothes organized. I can only assume that this means I am not completely happy with my arrangement, but I am not yet willing to completely redo my current set-up. My major dilemma is that it seems most people organize their clothes by color, but I organize mine by most worn (most easy to reach locations), then season (second most accessible based on current weather), then style, then color. I wonder if I should change it to be only by color – completely by color. Does this really work for most people? And if so, would I too like this more? Would I still find this just as specific and useful? How do you organize your closet?

Mail Center

What do you do with all your mail? If you are like me you struggle to keep it from piling up on you. It's extra hard for me - I think - because I live in a small apartment that I share with another person who also has their own mail and personal items, and need for personal space. So I can't very well allow each area of my life to take over the apartment. But nor can I force myself to find a way to put every tool/container I need into my small bedroom.  And over the years I have been toying with different filing systems to put in bins in my closet or under my bed, in decorative boxes displayed openly in my room, etc. But all these ideas lend themselves to a format that is always "closed-off" in some manner from me, making it difficult and unappealing to use. Then, I read this really useful and simple system that A Bowl Full of Lemons uses called her "Mobile Command Center."

And it got me thinking of what I could do. I came up with a happy compromise for my situation. A small "mail center" of mine own. I will make mine own small filing system that sits on my desk that wont take up too much room but still allows me to easily file my: incoming bills (that need to be paid), papers to file, my outgoing mail, and storage for stapes, envelopes, and other desk-top items. This special organizer is: The Desktop Station.

I'll post pictures of my mail center and let you know how it's working out for me once I get it up and running!

Let's Get Organized, Organized!

One of the things I love to do with my free time is to organize! I love it even more when I get to organize someone else's place/space/things. But that rarely happens, most people don't like others throwing out and re-arranging their belongings. So for most of my cleaning and systemizing pleasures I have to find it from within, and that's just fine. I will be writing a number of posts about organization tips, lessons and adventures here, especially this month since I learned that January is "National Get Organized Month," according to the National Association of Professional Organizers. I have a special post I am working on about my closet - a big undertaking recently - more on that will come soon. And now I have found the blog, A Bowl Full of Lemons, with which I am completely obsessed! I will undoubtably be posting in the future about what I learn and read from her - the most immediate being my adventures participating in her "get organized challenge." Check back for more to come. 

Quotes

I love quotes. I think no matter how complex life is, it can be broken down into simple moments, sayings, words, feelings, lessons, etc. So I live by quotes. They capture something inside of me ... hmmm maybe the communicator inside me ... as communication is what I choose to focus my profession in.  I must love communicating! 

Today's quote, from TheDailyLove (a handle I love to follow on Twitter) was: 

"Remember, diamonds are made under pressure! Stay calm & say 'bring it on!'" 

What a beautiful way to view being put under pressure. And it's so true. I love this outlook. And I love thinking I can come out of a stressful situation looking even more spectacular!  :) 

Hopefully this is inspirational to you on a stressful day as well! 

Champagne Cupcakes

A few days before New Years when the work week was quiet I will admit I was able to catch some of Oprah. Okay, it's also only because I knew the Georgetown Cupcake girls were going to be on, so I was watching for them. And I was pleasantly surprised with the New Years Eve dish they made. I was expecting a cupcake for sure, but they made more of a production with it. Sparklers and all! 


The cupcake they made was the Strawberry Champagne Sparklers and I decided since I was hosting my friends at my apartment for our New Years pre-going out party I would make these as a special surprise. Since the Georgetown girls were nice enough to share their recipe on Oprah.com I had to take advantage of this opportunity. So I enlisted my younger sister to spend the afternoon baking with me, and here is how our adventures went. 


The cupcakes: These were simple to make. Since most of my friend's don't have a big sweet-tooth I decided to just make the mini-cupcakes. (Plus I don't trust my friends with fire/sparklers inside my apartment.) Recommendation - if you are just going to make the cupcakes you can add a little more of the cut-up strawberries. 


The icing: This is tricky because you want to pick a sweet rose Champagne, so it's good to have an idea of what your options taste like. But I guessed, and picked a moderately priced Italian sparkling Rose and liked my outcome. I came just a little short on confectioner's sugar though and then used the full 1/2 of Champagne. It turned out that it was too much champagne so it never became a creamy, firm texture. It tasted fine, maybe a little too sugary. So be sure to have plenty of confectioner's sugar and go shy on Champagne. Whip this well and add things slowly until you have the perfect balance, would be my recommendation. 


The ganache: Thank goodness I had my sister helping me bake. She knew just how to melt the chocolate. I would never have understood the directions. And she did a great job. Our chocolate came out perfect. But watch the chocolate carefully, any slight variation can turn perfect ganache into a disaster in seconds. Also Nestles semi-sweet chocolate chips work great.  


Just look at these cupcakes. Given the disaster with the icing, it was hard to use, but we did a good job making it work. Aren't these cute? We topped them with strawberries and some that we didn't put ganache on - for crazies that don't like chocolate - I put sprinkles on top to keep them separate. But I realized these cupcakes really need the ganache, it adds so much to the the flavor and breaks up the power of the sugar and Champagne sweetness.  

So we gathered up all the cupcakes and divided it up among friends and family. We gave it among numerous people, some very harsh critics, but everyone loved them! For a first time making them, I have to say we really made yummy cupcakes worth baking and sharing again. (My next time though I will have more visually appealing icing.) 


Here is the recipe on Oprah.com: Georgetown Cupcake's Strawberry Champagne Sparkler Cupcakes 
And now they have listed a low-fat recipe option. 
Here is their segment on Oprah. 

In With The New and Out With The Old

Each Jan. 1st I love to start my new year off reading the "In and Out" list printed in The Washington Post.  But there are always some items I don't understand, so this year I thought I would make my own list. Having never been one for making New Years Resolutions I thought this would be a fun idea.

So here's my list, which incorporates some from the WashPost article and GlobalPost.com that I agree with.

Snowflakes

Every now and then like to paint my toes in a festive manner; for a season or holiday occasion. Since I haven't done it for a while I decided to do it for winter, with a snowflake on my big toe. I think this dates back to when I was young and on a swim team where we would paint our nails before a race. Only now, instead of painting the nails on my hands I keep it to my toes so I'm not showing them off like a little girl anymore. 

Here's a picture. I need to get a real manicure pen or stencil kit so they can look better. But you get the point. It's still a cute idea. And my 10 month old niece loved them! That's enough affirmation for me.  :) 

Christmas in Argentina

As I continued to keep my eyes peeled for any opportunities for gift giving this year I saw an online post from Mercy Corps for their “Mercy Kits.” Having previously provided PR to Mercy Corps I was well informed on these gifts and how they work. So I did some research on what my options are this year. I really believe in the work that Mercy Corps does around the world for poor communities and it’s inspiring and uplifting to get to pick the program that your money will be funding. So I found that I could restore a schoolhouse for $125. A little steep for myself, but if I could get my family to go in it with me it would only cost $25 each. I approached them with this idea and they were all on board. Wohoo!

Then, the next day I went home to visit my parents and they were asking about my donation to the families in Argentina from my Missions Trip. I told them that I was still donating some of my clothes and would go buy some additional items, likely first-aid kits.  But then my dad asked, "What if I one-up your offer? What if we give $500 to the nuns?"  I was completely surprised and so touched. So we started to discuss this idea. He asked how would they get the money, how would they use it, etc. But in my dad's mind - where the wheels where obviously turning much faster than mine - he put together: a need, security in knowing who would be spending the money, and knowing it would be spent where it was needed most. These were all the points I was arguing for the Mercy Kits. But he also put together what I had not - an emotional connection to this community. 

I realized by my dad’s offer that my desire to help those less fortunate was inspiring others to help as well.  I'm happy to say there will be a nice surprise Christmas gift to this special community! I just wish I could see their faces when they get it. 

Here are some photos from my trip last year: 

Dancing one afternoon - a typical past-time.

All boys love foosball.

Pretending to run a radio show.

Boys will be boys...

Finding Inspiration in Memories

This time last year I was getting ready for my first Missions Trip. I was heading south to Argentina where I would be working in a very unfamiliar environment - a poor town run by an order of nuns and priests, comprised of orphans, and mentally and physically handicapped men and women. I was digging out my t-shirts and shorts, doing laundry, and feverishly trying to figure out how to prepare myself for my trip. 

This year, I am sitting and remembering everyone I met and how much they touched me. I am thinking of how all the little kids are preparing for, and getting excited about, Christmas, New Years Eve and 3 Kings Day. I can’t help getting lost in all my memories from my time with this community and feeling a little sad that I am not returning. These thoughts bring me back to their needs and the poverty that surrounds them - poverty you can’t turn a blind eye to. It is from this contemplation that an idea strikes me. 

I realize that I have been looking for ways to help give back this holiday season and here is a community I am capable of assisting. And added bonus, it's a community I have a personal connection to. I don’t have to go on this year’s trip and be physically present for these people to receive my love and support. I can help them from home by donating clothes I no longer wear, old jewelry I don’t use anymore, and purchasing some first-aid products.

It is such a simple gesture to give away items you own and no longer use, but to the person(s) receiving these gifts, it can mean the world! And it is from these simple gestures that we can receive the greatest pleasures.

Secret Santa

This Christmas I have been filled with a large (larger than previous years) desire to be a really great Santa to poor and less fortunate families. To get my “secret Santa giving’s" off to a start I participated in my company’s “Adopt a Family” program. For this each department would pick one or more family that all the employees were encourage to purchase gifts for. The information on the family members and their needs/wish-lists were provided. I picked two kids: a 21 month old and a 6 year old. I got the 21 month old a cute musical tea set, something she could grow into but also play with at such a young and developing age. For the 6 year old, she had asked for some educational toys (or more likely her mother had asked for this). So I bought her several books, a puzzle and interactive flash-cards for her to draw pictures and write words/letters on, as instructed.

I am very proud to say that the two families my department picked will receive every gift that every member of their family asked for. Just look at this piles we made.

 

I am also apart of another team within my company and for this group we selected one family. For them I bought the parents a gift card to Barnes and Noble – something they had both put on their list. And for their eight-year old daughter I bought hair accessories, also on her list.

I can’t image not being able to provide a Christmas for my children and so I am happy to say that I know of many families that will have wonderful Christmas’ this year thanks to my company’s “Adopt a Family” program. And I can’t help but feel proud of myself for helping to bring joy to those less fortunate than myself. And this feeling sparked a flame in me to do more… 

Butterfly Cupcakes

I was reading my friend's blog and just had to link you all to her recent post. Krissy - my friend the baker - apparently makes the cutest... no that word doesn't do it justice... most amazing!!!!... butterfly cupcakes. She hasn't shared her secret to making them yet, but I think a little artistic talent and some steady hands are needed. So while I won't be making them any time soon I will be keeping them in the back of my mind so I can give her a reason to bake these for me. Maybe she'll let me watch her do her magic.  Take a look for yourself here: Krissy's Butterfly Cupcakes.

Baking Competition - Part 2

In my last post I shared with you the baking competition being hosted by my office for our holiday party. And you got to see my decadent dessert - the Chocolate Cheesecake Tunnel Cake. Well the votes are in and we have a winner. But first let's meet the "contestants":

Graham Cracker Squares - This came in second place. 

Cream Wafers - These were hands down my favorite! Light, flaky, melts in your mouth. 

Om Nom Nom Nom Cake (Chocolate Ganache) - Very rich, best for chocolate lovers.

Shortbread - These are always good, but I felt that this recipe had a little too much butter.

Harvest Loaf Cake - A very flavorful mix of banana, spices, and chocolate. This was good, but you don't know if you want breakfast or dessert when you have it. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing - Made from scratch these were the perfect balance of sweet, moist and light.  (I also don't like cream cheese icing so I really enjoyed this lighter icing). 

And the winner? ... the Red Velvet Cupcakes! I was very sad that my cake did not make 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd! But I received a lot of genuine, positive feedback from people that loved it. And I thought it was the best cake I had ever made. Certainly it was the most moist! My advice - This is great choice if you ever need a moist chocolate cake to wow people with. 

The Baking Competition - Part 1

Somehow I got roped into another baking adventure! For my work's holiday party we decided to have a baking competition. And out of the 50+ employees I got asked to be one of the 6 to bake a dessert. Now this really proved to be a challenge because I had to make something that would be prize winning, something that 50 people could all try, something I could bake the night before and wouldn't go bad, and something I could transport on my hour long metro ride to the office. And again, I love to be festive. So, I wanted to make something people would only, normally, have during the holiday season. So I researched a lot of options to find the perfect dessert. 

Here are some of the desserts I thought of making:

Red Velvet Cake Balls 
Red Velvet Trifle  
Chocolate Candy Cane Cake  
Cookies and Cream Cheesecake 
Chocolate Cheesecake Tunnel Cake 

I choose to make the Chocolate Cheesecake Tunnel Cake. This seemed the most decadent while not requiring too much time or too many cooking utensils. And I recruited my good friend, the host of the Christmas Cookie party, to help me bake. I knew I would need an expert baker to help me manage this one. Here's how it went: 

It came out of the oven okay. 

The glaze was simple enough to make. 

Et Volia! What a beauty!  Stay tuned to find out who won... 

Fun Christmas Wreaths

I love decorating for Christmas. And one of the staples in my decorations is a wreath. I like to have these hanging on my front door and also over the mantel.  My favorite style of wreath for my Christmas decorations is a traditional pine or holly leaf wreath with a red bow.  

This is the one hanging on my door this year. 

But I appreciate all the styles wreaths can come in. Southern Living has some great examples.  And I love this very creative, simple and inexpensive option from Mal-licious. These are a great way to add your personality to your decorations. 

Tis the Season for Christmas Cookies!

The holiday's are such a fun time of year, in my opinion. Although I'm sure I share that with most women. What girl doesn't love decorating, baking super fattening things, hosting parties, and having a real excuse to shop! This year my girlfriend decide to host a Christmas Cookie Swap Party. Now, I am not a baker so I had to think of something that would be simple, festive, and enjoyable for a variety of people. I thought back to all the found memories I have of making cookies with my mom and sisters each Christmas. We of course had the sugar cookies with festive cut-out shapes, Hersey Kiss cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and cheery cookies. But none of these seemed holiday enough for me to make. I needed something that would be really creative. I wanted a "wow" factor. I had to compete with my girlfriends that can bake, after all. And yet, it had to be simple enough for me to make. So I found a new spin on cookies - something much lighter - but loved by all. Wreath cookies made with the same ingredients of a marshmallow treat!

Here is the recipe I followed. Although I prefer to make it in a pot on the stove, it's easier I think, to stir and work with the ingredients. Also when you are making the wreaths make sure to have buttery fingers so the marshmallow mixture doesn't stick to your hands.

And here is how they turned out.

Super cute! And they were a total hit! So ladies, if you are ever looking for something quick and easy to make, these are the treats for you. You can also make a spin-off on these in the spring. For Easter you could forgo the food coloring and turn it into a bird nest and put a few jellybeans or robin's eggs candies in the center. 

Enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  One year ago – almost to the exact date – I was on a plane to Argentina for a Missions trip with my church. During the eight hour stretch from Miami to Santiago, Chile I got to know the woman I was sitting next to pretty well. We swapped stories and dreams, and discussed what we both could only describe as a “higher-calling” for our meeting. Now I am a frequent flier and never, ever, speak to the people around me. But this time, it was as if I was seated next to a good friend whom I’d known for some time. I was at a cross-road in my life – soul searching – and this woman gave me the encouragement and confidence I needed to have faith in taking leaps and trusting that all my actions and everyone I meet in life is for a reason. She, for example, was a total stranger picking me up when I was lost, while I was giving her the encouragement and faith she was seeking in her search to re-connect more strongly with the Catholic Church. (In our story swaps I told her about my desire to take this journey as a Catholic and learned that she had strayed from her Catholic upbringing and was finding her way back to the Church.) And literally we were both traveling to Argentina to, in many ways, find our way back to a closer connection to Catholicism! She was on her way to a baptism where she was going to be the godmother to a little girl (and here lies more irony in our meeting) named, Monica!

So, what does this story have to do with my first blog entry? Well, during our conversation she told me to start a blog. She wasn’t sure what it was that was compelling her to tell me this, but she said she was overcome by a feeling that I needed to blog. This has haunted me (in a good way) for many months. And several times I almost started one, but I could never decide what I would focus on. I felt it had to be something amazing, something truly big, to make her proud. And so, it has taken me, almost a full year to finally find my voice and start my blogging adventure.

Well, now you are probably wondering, ‘what is this amazing niche that I will focus on’?! I hope I don’t disappoint you when I say, ‘it’s a blog about me’. Plain and simple. My thoughts, adventures, passions, likes, and dislikes – my life through my eyes.  And while I hope this blog interests you and inspires creativity, joy, and contemplation in your own life; mostly I hope that, where-ever this woman is today, she knows I started this blog and thought of her “larger-calling” for my life. (The calling that guided her to encourage me to blog). And I hope – in-line with the conversation she and I had – that this blog will bring me to the next stage of my life, whatever that may be…