Wednesday, December 10, 2008
New Ornaments!!
I love participating in Ornament Exchanges and was really excited when my favorite Nesties (the North Dakota i.e. Destination Wedding Nesties) decided to do one. I absolutely love the ornaments I got - so sparkely!! Thank you to my secret santa - you are awesome!! DH even commented on how pretty they were!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Doing Our Part: Recylcing
There are many ways that Jeff and I do our part for the environment. Things that most people don't even realize are environmentally friendly (not to mention wallet friendly). Here is a list of some of the things we do:
1. The Library: Check books, DVDs, and even video games out at the library. Membership is free and think of all the space in your house that is not being cluttered by books and movies you will only watch once! Not to mention all the dusting that you are saving yourself from!
2. Using e-mail as much as possible and scanning documents to PDF. You are saving a tree and some much needed space in your filing cabinet. You can save these items to an external hard drive, or a CD. Both of these items will also fit in a safe-deposit box if you are really worried about safe keeping.
3. Switch all your light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent. They are more energy efficient and last so much longer. Make sure you find the "instant on" ones, some of them take a second to kick on and that can be a pain in the rear. We have found GE brand to be great. Here's a great website to find what you need based on your criteria: http://www.edf.org/
4. Make a compost pile: Jeff created a compost pile just beyond our fence that he empties grass clippings, leaves, and table scraps (only of the non cooked veggie variety). It was easy to do, he used wooden pallets and nailed them together. I can't wait to have topsoil for my plants!
Jeff's handy work:
5. Grow an herb garden: Makes your kitchen smell nice and saves you money and time at the grocery store.
There are the obvious ones (recycle, reuse, etc.) Anyone else have some great ideas to add? I'd love to hear them!
1. The Library: Check books, DVDs, and even video games out at the library. Membership is free and think of all the space in your house that is not being cluttered by books and movies you will only watch once! Not to mention all the dusting that you are saving yourself from!
2. Using e-mail as much as possible and scanning documents to PDF. You are saving a tree and some much needed space in your filing cabinet. You can save these items to an external hard drive, or a CD. Both of these items will also fit in a safe-deposit box if you are really worried about safe keeping.
3. Switch all your light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent. They are more energy efficient and last so much longer. Make sure you find the "instant on" ones, some of them take a second to kick on and that can be a pain in the rear. We have found GE brand to be great. Here's a great website to find what you need based on your criteria: http://www.edf.org/
4. Make a compost pile: Jeff created a compost pile just beyond our fence that he empties grass clippings, leaves, and table scraps (only of the non cooked veggie variety). It was easy to do, he used wooden pallets and nailed them together. I can't wait to have topsoil for my plants!
Jeff's handy work:
5. Grow an herb garden: Makes your kitchen smell nice and saves you money and time at the grocery store.
There are the obvious ones (recycle, reuse, etc.) Anyone else have some great ideas to add? I'd love to hear them!
Weekend Project: Fireplace
After much debate we finally bit the bullet and made a decision about our fireplace.
Backstory: We've been working on this project for 2 years now getting estimates for gas, propane, pellet stoves (why don't they make attractive versions of this?) looking at the new gel fireplaces (most of which are too modern for our colonial home), figuring out direct vent vs vent less, electric vs gas vs propane, costs for each, etc. We would do some research, get discouraged and move on to a different project.
So behold our new fireplace doors: Yes, I do realize that these doors don't have the ability to make fire, but they are a cheap fix to keep the cold air out (at least 90% of it) and we can get rid of the hideous cardboard that we had there before. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we were living ghetto fabulous with cardboard covering our fireplace. Here are the before and after:
Before:
And After:
What makes me even more proud of the completion of this project is that we picked out the doors online at Lowes and they were $339, when we got to the store they turned out to be $289. Wait, it gets better: we also had a coupon for 10% off! So we got $339 doors for $260.10! WOO-HOO!
Backstory: We've been working on this project for 2 years now getting estimates for gas, propane, pellet stoves (why don't they make attractive versions of this?) looking at the new gel fireplaces (most of which are too modern for our colonial home), figuring out direct vent vs vent less, electric vs gas vs propane, costs for each, etc. We would do some research, get discouraged and move on to a different project.
So behold our new fireplace doors: Yes, I do realize that these doors don't have the ability to make fire, but they are a cheap fix to keep the cold air out (at least 90% of it) and we can get rid of the hideous cardboard that we had there before. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we were living ghetto fabulous with cardboard covering our fireplace. Here are the before and after:
Before:
And After:
What makes me even more proud of the completion of this project is that we picked out the doors online at Lowes and they were $339, when we got to the store they turned out to be $289. Wait, it gets better: we also had a coupon for 10% off! So we got $339 doors for $260.10! WOO-HOO!
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Perfect Spot for a Chocoholic
For my birthday my husband and I met two of our friends in DC for dinner and then desert at a new restaurant called Coco Sala. This restaurant calls themselves a chocolate lounge and boutique and caters to everything and anything chocolate - even the mojitos have coco in them! The walls are rounded and dark brown to make you think of smooth flowing chocolate.
They have 4 three-course chocolate "meals". We each got one and shared. Lets just say this was chocolate overload!! Here are a few pics:
They have 4 three-course chocolate "meals". We each got one and shared. Lets just say this was chocolate overload!! Here are a few pics:
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
My New Hobbie: Photoshop CS3
Monday, July 14, 2008
Wine Tasting Basics
What is it ?
How often have you had your nose in a glass of wine, and you think 'I know what that aroma is' but you just can't put a name to it, even though it's on the tip of your tongue..... literally. Outlined below are the tasting technique used by most connoisseurs. By taking just a few moments to think about how you drink, you will learn to taste – and more fully appreciate your wine experience in the process.
Proper Tasting Technique
(1) Look
The appearance of a wine, examined in a clear, un-etched glass against a white background, will tell you several things about the wine. The color indicates age, grape variety, and potentially the type of extraction and maturation during the wine making process.
What color is it? If it’s a red wine, is it ruby, garnet, red or purple, for example? If it’s a white wine, is it straw-like, golden, pale yellow or light green?
Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine clear, cloudy, transparent or opaque? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, you are looking at color, clarity, brilliance. An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.
(2) Smell
Did you know that smelling a wine accounts for approximately 75% of what you actually taste. But, not only does it help you taste the wine, it also lets you assess the intensity, age, fruit character and even the faults of the wine. A wine’s aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics.
Gently swirl the wine in the glass to help the aromas surface. Then sniff the wine to gain a first impression. Now stick your nose down into the glass and inhale deeply (through your nose). Are the aromas powerful or subdued? Is the wine developing, or is it still fresh and fruity? Do you smell red or white fruits, herbs, minerals or spice? How about freshly mowed grass or cigar box.
(3) Taste
Now, take a taste. Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. Let it mingle with the air by pulling in a little air through your lips. It may sound funny but it helps the wine to further expose its full range of character. This is your first impression of the wine's components and flavors. What do you taste? Often, reds will have berry, woody and bell pepper tastes. Whites often have floral, apple or citrus flavors.
Notice if the wine is smooth or harsh. Do you feel the back corners of your mouth watering? Does the wine seem heavy or light on your tongue?
(4) Spit / Swallow
If you are tasting versus drinking wine, you spit. Otherwise, you won’t be able to assess wines accurately after a while. But when you are determining a wine’s finish, you swallow. The finish is how long the flavor lasts after it is swallowed. Did it last several seconds? Usually, the longer the finish, the better the wine.
(5) Evaluate
Now, it’s time to evaluate what you have tried. Think about the overall character of the wine. Is it simple and easy to drink or complex? Does it require aging or does it drink well now? Overall, is it well made? And probably the most important question is, do you like it?
One thing you should remember is that when you go to purchase your favorite wine, environment plays a big part in the taste. For example, a crisp white wine sipped on a warm summer evening while listening to music by the lake will taste quite differently when sipped during a chilly mid-winter evening by the fire. Likewise, an elegant wine rich in complexity may not be fully appreciated in a casual, stand-up party setting.
How often have you had your nose in a glass of wine, and you think 'I know what that aroma is' but you just can't put a name to it, even though it's on the tip of your tongue..... literally. Outlined below are the tasting technique used by most connoisseurs. By taking just a few moments to think about how you drink, you will learn to taste – and more fully appreciate your wine experience in the process.
Proper Tasting Technique
(1) Look
The appearance of a wine, examined in a clear, un-etched glass against a white background, will tell you several things about the wine. The color indicates age, grape variety, and potentially the type of extraction and maturation during the wine making process.
What color is it? If it’s a red wine, is it ruby, garnet, red or purple, for example? If it’s a white wine, is it straw-like, golden, pale yellow or light green?
Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine clear, cloudy, transparent or opaque? Tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, you are looking at color, clarity, brilliance. An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.
(2) Smell
Did you know that smelling a wine accounts for approximately 75% of what you actually taste. But, not only does it help you taste the wine, it also lets you assess the intensity, age, fruit character and even the faults of the wine. A wine’s aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics.
Gently swirl the wine in the glass to help the aromas surface. Then sniff the wine to gain a first impression. Now stick your nose down into the glass and inhale deeply (through your nose). Are the aromas powerful or subdued? Is the wine developing, or is it still fresh and fruity? Do you smell red or white fruits, herbs, minerals or spice? How about freshly mowed grass or cigar box.
(3) Taste
Now, take a taste. Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. Let it mingle with the air by pulling in a little air through your lips. It may sound funny but it helps the wine to further expose its full range of character. This is your first impression of the wine's components and flavors. What do you taste? Often, reds will have berry, woody and bell pepper tastes. Whites often have floral, apple or citrus flavors.
Notice if the wine is smooth or harsh. Do you feel the back corners of your mouth watering? Does the wine seem heavy or light on your tongue?
(4) Spit / Swallow
If you are tasting versus drinking wine, you spit. Otherwise, you won’t be able to assess wines accurately after a while. But when you are determining a wine’s finish, you swallow. The finish is how long the flavor lasts after it is swallowed. Did it last several seconds? Usually, the longer the finish, the better the wine.
(5) Evaluate
Now, it’s time to evaluate what you have tried. Think about the overall character of the wine. Is it simple and easy to drink or complex? Does it require aging or does it drink well now? Overall, is it well made? And probably the most important question is, do you like it?
One thing you should remember is that when you go to purchase your favorite wine, environment plays a big part in the taste. For example, a crisp white wine sipped on a warm summer evening while listening to music by the lake will taste quite differently when sipped during a chilly mid-winter evening by the fire. Likewise, an elegant wine rich in complexity may not be fully appreciated in a casual, stand-up party setting.
Wine Tasting Trip is Officially Booked!
We decided to take a weekend trip to Virginia to do some wine tasting with a couple friends of ours. I am really looking forward to this trip. One of the vineyards boasts a wine cave and another has an organic farm with a restaurant right across the street.
We will be staying at George's Mill Farm B&B
On Saturday we plan to visit 8 Vineyards/Wineries. Ambitious, I know but we will try our best to get to all of them!
Saturday Wineries
Breaux Vineyards
Open every day 11-6
offers gourmet food and has a restaurant, Grandale Farm, across the street
$5-10 tasting, $3 tour
Corcoran Vineyards
Open 12-5 Sat and Sun
$5 tasting
Doukenie Winery
Open 10-6 everyday
Hiddencroft Vineyards
Open 11-6 Sat & Sun
Hillsborough Vineyards
Open 11-6 Fri thru Mon
Loudoun Valley Vineyards
Open 11-5 Sat & Sun
Complimentary for 4 wines; $4 for 14 wines
Notaviva Vineyards
Open 11-7 Sat; 11-5 Sun
$5 tasting
Village Winery
Open 11-5 Sat; 12-5 Sun
Also offer tours of the vineyard
Sunday Wineries
Tarara Vineyard and Winery – This one sounds really neat! I had to post a picture of the cave.
They are open 11-6 on Sundays and offer a tour of their Wine Cave
$5 tasting
Lost Creek Winery
Open 11-5 Sat and Sun and give tours of the vineyard upon request
$3 tasting
Hidden Brook Winery
Open 11-5 Sat and Sun
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Wordle
I found a new site on the web thanks to one of my favorite blogs, Life in a Venti Cup and decided to "wordle" my wedding. Check it out:
Saturday, June 14, 2008
La Playa
We are headed down to the beach for a few days of relaxing with Jeff's parents. I can't wait to feel the sand between my toes!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Mi Casa Su Casa
After all the rain we've had over the last two weeks everything is green and blooming so I got my camera out to take a few pictures of the house. Here it is, our humble little abode. Aren't the azaleas pretty?
Thursday, June 5, 2008
New Phone - FINALLY!!!
While on my way home from work I tried to use my cell phone and it dropped the call. again. This has been a fairly regular occurance for a few months now and I have finally had it. I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a new phone (it's the phone that is having the problem, not the provider). I have a habbit of keeping cell phones for extreemly long times...like years and years. So instead of going home, I make a U-Turn and head for the Verizon store to purchase this:
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Hola Cyberworld!!
I am not new to the blogging world. In fact, I have several blogs which I read on a daily basis - yes they are that good! Maybe I will put links to my favorites in here... anyway, this is my first attempt at blogging for myself. We'll see how it goes!
