Cupcake supper

Key Lime Cupcakes. Do I need to say more? No, but I will. Tyler asked what I wanted for supper. Since I knew I wasnt going to feel well enough in the next few days to eat much, I answered Cupcakes. Of course he smiled and said Ok. He is the best, ya know! Oh, we had a little turkey chili too. When I say a little I mean small side salad size bowl of chili to like 6 cupcakes. Ogle those key lime deliciousnesses!

Tyler of course made up the recipe. Knowing how much I LOOOOOVE key lime pie (I promise it's not of a certain SHO series level). We have here a white cake, lime juice and zest base. And some secret ingredients that make them MOIST-ass cupcakes, not dry-assed cupcakes.

Tyler says the dents help hold on the frosting.
I am skeptical that he is just hiding that he squished
their brain tops trying to get them out of the pan...

Top with cream cheese lime frosting and coconut and farkles. Yep, not a spelling mistake.  Viola!                                  

Some delicious turkey chili.

Shallot problems.

                                                                                    

                                              Healthy looking shallot chives.

               Loonng chives!

               Must be time to dig them up, right?

Why do our shallots look like fingers? Where are our shallots? Were we not supposed to dig them up yet? The chive shoots are 3 feet tall!

dirty fingers. indoor dirt diggin'

GRONK!

So GRONK is our new adjective of choice. NO duh, doh, UGH, MF, effing, etc. 
GRONK seems to express it all. 
I totally messed up my project that I was so freakin' proud of. I took a pretty and simple frame, pulled out all the old rusty nails, scraped off the curling paper backing, cut some mesh, found some short nails, and went to business. 






ANd I got this:

I spy a big GROOOONNNNKKK. So, fixed project to come. With more details and less eff-ups.

Travel Plans 2012

THis year is all about paying off credit cards and racking them back up. Travel travel travel.

On the list so far:

1. Alaska
2. WAshington DC
3. Sedona and surrounding

So we need to budget budget budget.

Sorry, I keep repeating myself.

Cost estimate:
AK - $6000
Washington DC - $1000
Sedona - $3000

This includes airfare and lodging and fun! What do you think about my estimates? What do you know about these places? Give us suggestions on how to save, how to spend, and how to get down!

Travelogue

We have been searching for a map on which to catalogue our travels FOR EV ER. Nothing really felt right in color, design, or interaction. Until I found this great map by Luckies. Not only does it feature our love of travel and where we've been, but it's like a giant scratch ticket! And if you know me, you know I like a little scratch on a bar night. Tyler drinks, I play scratch tickets. We probably spend the same amount of money, and we both get a little vice fix. Don't worry, it's like twice a month! Geez! Anyway, now I just have to spend a TON of money to go to a new place to come back and scratch off our destination and reveal the country we've just been to! I would have loved it if they outlined each state in the U.S. but alas no. They stopped at countries. But they do reveal state capitals! It was kind of a pain to frame and we definitely got out the Modge Podge to accomplish this one! All said and done, it looks pretty great. Now to figure out where it's home will be in the house. For now, it is here:

Project Placement

I finally found some posters I've been coveting of places we've been for a reasonable price! I got the New Orleans one from DeeDee:914 on Etsy. I found the other two art prints by Hero Design Studio on Fab.com * (which truly is Fab). I love that the San Fran and Chicago prints match, but wish I had looked around a little more. I found some awesome Chicago prints on Etsy. But I love that these three have the teal sky blue theme and wanted a common thread through our travelogue series. 

So then I framed everything, getting awesome prices and fitting all my odd sizes from Art to Frames. I usually get all my frames from Christmas Tree Shops, but they dont have large sized white wood frames. If you look at the rest of our house (besides the historical documents below), EVERYTHING is in Christmas Tree Shop white wood frames. Had to find something to match. Now, we're not sure about placement in the house, or even order of these prints. I do love them against the orange walls though. What do you think?  

*disclaimer: If you sign up for Fab using this link, you will get a $10 credit. I will get a $25 credit from your first purchase. And if you get people to sign up, and so on.

Update on Nordic stone in Porter Square

With a little research we found that the carved stones we saw in Porter Square last weekend's post New Phone and 53 Degrees in January were made by William Reimann as a part of a public art initiative in Cambridge and the MBTA - Art on the Line. Nordic Gods and Irish Gods and Beasts on his page!

I did!

I managed to resist Tyler's offer to make cookies at 11:23 last night! Props to me!
oh yeah, and lifted weights at home. too lazy to go to gym

The GYM is ON

Nothing like a little healthy competition! Our friends in Alaska have nothing better to do in all that snow and cold and darkness than push the limits with their workout. What they don't know is that we've made it a contest!
*We'll let them know after we get a head start, or they read this...do you read this JA?

Team Alaska:

*shudder*
No thanks, guys, but I give you props!

Boxing

Running?

Banana, Coconut, Soy Milk, Kale,
Flax Seed and Sweat Grass shakes.
Gross...

All photos courtesy of The Jay and Amanda Chronicles: Vermont to Alaska

TEAM CLAREMON15 coming up!

Being an adult

Is hard!

The Gym

I'm thinking about doing one of those before and after things. Picture now, picture later? good motivation, right?

Here is an EGREGIOUS Before!

See you in a few months!!!

Oh lovely tree...

sayonara

One of our loveliest trees ever.

New Phone and 53 Degrees in January!

Happy 2012! 53 degrees and blazing sun on Saturday, Jan. 7. Would you believe? Took a long walk around Somerville/Cambridge. Found a bar, of course, and then took a cab home. My feets hurt!

trying to get pic of birds. all I got was bird butt.

viking stone cutting in Porter Sq.
Gotta find out significance here.
Found: William Reimann

Better view of top of stone

opposite side of stone

Phone home

My phone has been lost for like 3 weeks now. I've come undone. I am not constantly checking it at all hours. I am on my laptop all the time, but no more checking FB and Twitter right before turning out the light and going to bed. No checking work email on the way to work. It's been liberating at times, and also making me anxious! And of course, I have no camera phone, which is my picture taking lifeline. We have a digital camera, but it's such a pain. I have to find the cord, make sure the battery is charged, keep it plugged in while it uploads and inevitably falls into the couch cushions or gets detached or jostled. Then if my computer could ever find the pictures! So I have to Google and find an alternative way to find them, because I can't find the folder on my Mac (one complaint I have about Mac - no folder I can go to for all my external drives - Pictures, Flash Drive, BB, etc.). So I CANNOT wait for my new phone to come. So many instances in the past few weeks where I've passed up taking a picture. Frustrating.