2011 Eurovision Recap

Overall, this year's Eurovision was a disappointment.  Barely any of my favorites made it past the semi-finals and the top 10 did nothing short of making me groan in agony. I guess my taste is not necessarily that of the voting population in Europe.

In any case, here are my favorites.  Feel free to post your favorites.

My absolute favorite, probably for its cuteness and uplifting vibes:



I also enjoyed:

Italy's Raphael Gualallazi with Madness of Love. It felt so Italian and romantic.

Beligium's With Love - all done acoustically.  Such talent! I don't know why they didn't get into the finals.

Belarus' belched a patriotic anthem - I Love Belarus.

Denmark's New Tomorrow by A Friend in London was inspiring.

Lipstick by Jedward from Ireland is pretty fun and wacky.

Yet, somehow this song won. Why?!?

Anyways, what are your favorites? If you aren't familiar with Eurovision and are curious, wikipedia has a pretty good summary (of course).

Picnic Printable

Last week I gushed about my love for picnics. This weekend, I accidentally came across a super cute picnic printable.

Polka Dot Print Studio shares a fun tutorial on how to make picnics even more awesome with these cute bags for your picnic deliciousness. Thanks Polka Dot Prints for this great tutorial and template! 

Today I am loving...

this song:

Such soul! 

Love: picnics!

One of my favorite things about summer are all the picnics.  There is a special joy I find in sitting on a blanket in the sun and eating. Somehow, everything tastes better outside in the sun.

Then there is the laughter that surrounds. The kiss of the sun as you turn the page of a gripping book.  And the gentle touch of those you love that are right there on the blanket with you.

Basically, picnics are awesome.

Some of my favorite picnic finds come from World Market:

Navy Chelsea Picnic Pack 

Picnic Blanket

This picture makes me very happy:

Blurt

Discovered a new game today...Blurt! Apparently its a pretty popular game, but it was the first I've heard of it.  It was in a random collection of card games at work - pulled it out and played with a group of students - they had a blast and it seemed like we all learned quite a bit.

The point, from what I understood, is to guess what word is being defined. The first person to guess the word being defined advances.  This was great on two levels - it made reading and thinking about how things are described competitive, and it built the student's vocabulary. The students were practicing their English language skills in reading, comprehension and listening, while also getting a good laugh.  It was great seeing their progression from resisting the challenge of the game to completely embracing it, gaining confidence and consequently thinking quicker on their feet.

 It was fun for the kiddos, but I can see it being a blast at an adult game night as well.  I'm going to have to pick it up for myself now! 

International Pillow Fight Day

When's the last time you had a pillow fight?  Yeah, I can't remember either.  I was pretty surprised when I stumbled upon info on International Pillow Fight Day - which is this Saturday - celebrated all over the world.  Literally, every continent will be celebrating:  Brazil, Australia, Ukraine, South Korea, you name it.

Of course Portland isn't going to pass on such a quirky festivity. The joy starts this Saturday at 2pm at Director Park in SW Portland.  More info on rules and such can be found here.

I might stop by just to see a bunch of adults going at it. I'll bring a pillow, because it looks pretty irresistible...

Love: tea tins for flowers and herbs

Growing herbs in tea tins on the kitchen windowsill.  Love this idea. Definitely saving it for when I have a kitchen with a window!

Also awesome are flowers in tea tins.

Crockpot favorite: preserving flavors

I was very excited to come across Slow Cooker Revolution, which addresses my biggest concern with crockpots - lack of rich flavor.  Ten test cooks spent a year figuring out ways to intensify and preserve flavors during the slow cook process and live to share their results.  I've already skimmed through and see some interesting ideas I haven't thought of before, like using the microwave or oven to prep ingredients for the slow cook process or making a foil packet to keep veggies from overcooking or losing too much flavor.

I am excited for this type of wisdom to take my much loved slow cooker meals  from good to out of this world great.   Stay tuned - I will surely be posting my favorites from this new book. 

Welcoming spring with a bunting banner

This weekend I celebrated the oncoming of Spring by making a bunting banner for the bathroom.  It was  super easy and instantly added some Spring color to the most important room in the house. Plus, because it was hanging on a mirror, the reflection from the back made it look like we have two banners hanging.  Makes me want to sing Double Rainbow! 

Thanks Odessa May for the inspiration!

Cake Stencils

Baking, let alone being artsy with precise cake decorating has always been a bit out of my league.  But I've always loved paper crafts, so when I learned about cake stencils I felt like there was still some hope for me.

Brooke from Playing Grown Up shares a free printable stencil and gives an excellent tutorial.  

Or if you have any doily's left over from Valentine's day... 

Real Simple

Or for something more advanced...

My Sweet & Saucy shows how to make this beautiful cake.

Now to think of an excuse to make a cake... 

Rediscovering a childhood favorite

Wrapping up the term for my young adult literature class I decided to do my author study on Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.  Although she is most known for her award winning Shiloh, I know her from the Boys Start the War/Girls Get Even series.  I have very fond memories reading these hilarious adventures fueled with pranks, friendship and a little love between two neighboring families.  These were definitely the books that got me excited about reading and to this day I recommend it to any reluctant reader in 4th-8th grade.  I was also excited to find out that she's added to the series since I last checked.  Maybe I'm too old for this kind of book, but there is always room for a little trip down memory lane, right? 

Seattle Weekend

This past weekend David and I enjoyed a little trip to Seattle.  We stayed at the 11th Avenue Inn, a "charming 1906 bed and breakfast" according to their website - it was everything they claimed and more.  The hospitality was great - breakfast, one of my main requirements, was delicious, and the room was perfect.  Location was super convenient - an easy and interesting walk to Pike's Place Market along vibrant Pine or Pike Street.  If you're going to Seattle and need a cozy and convenient place to stay, I definitely recommend staying at the 11th Avenue Inn.  If you're a practical person, just the amount of money you will save on parking should be enough reason to stay here. 

It was a typical Seattle day in February, cold, windy and wet, but it was beautiful.  Seattle has some amazing architecture, futuristic, gothic, Victorian you name it, they have it.  Their library was definitely something special - never seen anything quite like it.

Our adventures included the obvious - Pike's Place and the Space Needle.  But we also found some pretty awesome local treats, including Area 51, a modern furniture store, and Pinto Bistro, an ambient + delicious Thai and Japanese restaurant.  Of course we found ourselves in the middle of a protest, but that made for some interesting people watching moments.

All in all, great weekend and definitely made me realize just how many treasures there are so close to home.  Rich history, culture, and discovery may be in our own backyard.  Fairy Doors and Wanderlust knows what I'm talking about.  I'm looking forward to discovering the gems in Oregon and the Northwest in the coming years.

Rainbow Cake

My beautiful cousin Marina is a phenomenal baker.  Even at fifteen, she is a much better baker than I. She makes all kinds of baked goodness, I especially love her delicious brownies from scratch. So it made sense that when I came across this Rainbow Cake on Love and Olive Oil's blog, I immediately contacted Marina and asked her if she wanted to take on the challenge. Without hesitation she took on the challenge and baked it for her 15th birthday party.  I think she did a mighty awesome job, don't you?

Smoothie + Coupon = Awesome

I love smoothies and I love good deals.  When I saw this ad in the paper, I didn't even look for scissors.  Instantly, this deal was ripped out and ready to go.   Thank you Jamba for the $1 Pomegranate Paradise - I really enjoyed it!  

Love: Warmth

I absolutely love the color of these handwarmers.  I used to have a problem with my hands always being cold.  Then, I started running and occasionally eating crystallized ginger (actually I only ate the ginger 2 or 3 times), and now no longer have that problem.  There are times (especially when running) that my hands get really hot.  Strange how that completely changed.  But I would still wear these handwarmers. 

Love: Valentines day

I am a sucker for Valentine's day. Perhaps its because my first Scholastic book order was for a Valentine doily art project.  Or that in 4th grade I had a secret admirer who showered me with gifts leading up to Valentine's day and then leaving me a "Will you go out with me, check yes or no" message on the day itself.   Or perhaps the greatest reason of all: eating chocolate to my hearts content - no guilt allowed. 

Regardless, once again I am excited.  I'm making heart shaped brownies for a ladies night this weekend, and am fully prepared to wear my red tights on Monday.  

I hope my wonderful cousin Kat will make her delicious Devil's Food cake, comparable to, if not better than this one.   

And if I had more time, I would make these heart shaped tea bags for all my tea drinking friends and family.  Life got busy this month, but perhaps next year. 

Have a great Valentine's weekend friends! 

February crafts

Can't believe February is lurking around the corner.  I've already come across way too many cute things I want to make, so I've already set a date on the calendar to get crafting.

Here's what I'm making this month:

Yarn Love

Postage Stamp Coasters

And a jewelry organizer, inspiration courtesy of Craft Warehouse.

I'm excited to start working on these projects for a few reasons:

1. Being a student, especially in the program that I am in, everything is theoretical, so its exciting to produce something tangible with my own two hands.

2. Home gets a little update and I get the claim of "making it myself" - such a rewarding feeling!

So I'll definitely be staying busy while its gloomy and rainy outside.   How are you spending your gray February?  Are you working on any projects?

Exciting Weekend Deals

I don't post deals often but these are pretty exciting:

1 year Bon Appetit magazine subscription for only $3.99!! Just enter the Coupon code "FOOD."

Old Navy is having a Practically Free For All Sale, clearance items up to 80% off this weekend only (Jan. 14-17)

And if you're a JRR Tolkien fan - he's having a pretty big birthday bash at the Kennedy School, with a showing of the trilogy, music, costume contest, and more. Find details here.

Pretty rad eh?

Super cute video + book

This is an absolutely adorable video put together by Ocoee Middle School in Florida:

The awesome part is that this is clearly a school-wide activity and the principal is in on it.  The lady in front of the kids (not on the stage) wearing the red sweater shaking her fist in the air is the principal.  So cool and inspiring seeing a principal get down like that in honor of getting her students into reading.

If you're feeling uninspired (especially with this gloomy rain outside) - check out the Awesome Book of Thanks.  It's so cute, it should definitely make the grouchiest person crack a smile and think of something to be thankful for.

Happy Thursday. You almost made it to the weekend!

Love: Asos Fashion Online

I may have just discovered the online version of Nordstrom Rack - Asos.  Ton's of designer fashion decently priced (including a large sale and outlet section), and finally a store where I feel I actually have a decent selection to choose from.  Will definitely be looking into this place once its time to update the Spring wardrobe.

Pictured above - a couple of my favorite things from this site: Headband; Necklace; Dress