A Friday recipe!

I think this is a first for me--sharing a recipe on here! Which is funny, because I cook a whole lot. One of the side effects of being a religious Jew is that there is a lot of eating involved, especially for Shabbos, and hence a lot of cooking.

I have a dessert bias, so if you check out my recipe binder, it's about half desserts and half everything else:) And subdivided into cookies, cakes, bars, pies, breads, and more. I'm a dessert fiend.

Last week I tried out these chocolate hazelnut cookies. The recipe seemed a bit patchke (awesome Yiddish word meaning "way too complicated and who has the time, anyway?") so I simplified it.

First you whip up some chocolate hazelnut cookies. I mostly followed the recipe, but just used plain chopped hazelnuts from the bag--I'm all about cutting corners in the kitchen!

Then, you add in some store-bought vanilla frosting. . . . (and if you keep kosher, you CAN find these non-dairy in your local grocery store!)

You spread frosting between two cookies, and voila! A batch of delicious chocolate hazelnut sandwich cookies.

I love these because they look complicated and fancy, but they're so quick and easy! And they tasted amazing.

And fun to photograph.

Does anyone else photograph their food a lot? I usually feel too awkward to do it in public, but I just had a little photo shoot with my Dunkin Donuts coffee in the privacy of my own home:) While I love photographing Ellie the most, the coffee can be a more cooperative subject!

So make me feel better here--do YOU photograph food, also? At home or out and about--or both??

Staycation fun

A few weeks ago, S and I decided to take advantage of the fact that we live in New Jersey and head off the big city for a little "staycation." It was wonderful--not much packing, not much traveling, and an exciting destination!

S and I stayed at a fancy Sheraton in Times Square:

I know this photo is SO dark and grainy, but I love it anyway--it looks as happy as I felt.

At night, we headed out to a delicious steak place, La Marais, for dinner--and the highlight was that I ate some dessert AND my blood sugar levels were fine! An exciting development in the life of a diabetic:) We then went to this funky theater in Midtown to see Million Dollar Quartet--S's pick, but I actually really liked it!

We topped off the night with some drinks at the bar (virgin over here):

And menorah lighting (which makes me realize, this was really more than a few weeks ago. Oops!).

The next day, we got off to a late start and then headed to brunch.

We rounded off the day with a Trader Joe's stop (I *love* that store. Although next time I go, I want to buy all of the English toffee bars I can see!)

So that was our staycation--probably the last babymoon before bunny arrives. Speaking of which, my due date is THREE weeks away. Eek!

Tell me--what is YOUR idea of a perfect staycation?

Note--giveaway winners posted below. Jenny, please email me by Sunday or I'll have to pick a new winner!

When it Rains, it Pours (Literally)

Well, it's been one heck of a week over here. First, just as we were packing to leave for Ohio on Tuesday, an upstairs pipe burst in our apartment building and we had a leak of epic proportions. I'm talking water streaming down the bedroom and kitchen walls. Which is never a good thing. Almost a week later, we're still trying to get our apartment management to actually FIX the damage, dealing with mildewed belongings, and just thanking G-d that the scrappy room was spared. Thank heaven for small mercies:)

If that wasn't interesting enough, as we drove into Columbus on Wednesday, I got four phone calls from my parents in a five minute period. What was the emergency, you ask? Oh, just some wild animals on the loose in Zainesville, Ohio. About 50 animals to be exact! Zainesville happens to have one of the best Targets in our grand nation (in my humble opinion), but I didn't really want to fight a cheetah for the last Missoni tidbits, so I passed.

And then, to cap off the day. . . . S got hit by a car Wednesday night as he walked home from the synagogue. Thank G-d he escaped with only a concussion, but needless to say it was very VERY stressful. Emergency rooms are not usually on my holiday roundup. A few days later, I still look over at him all the time and feel overwhelmed with gratitude that he's still here. And fear, because loving someone is scary business. You never know exactly how things will end, and life can change in a moment, with the sudden rush of taillights on a dark road.

So with all of the stress going on right now, I'm mostly grateful. Grateful that these are my problems, and not another set. I'll take 'em!

All it's cracked up to be.

There are so many things in life that don't turn out quite how you expected. That seem all shiny and cool and worthwhile from afar, but when you're in them? Not so much.

But when it comes to marriage, even though it's had its ups and downs, it really has fulfilled my dreams. Sharing your life with someone else is a truly wondrous thing, and I feel so lucky to be part of it.

I made this page to record these feelings--I heard the title somewhere, but can't for the life of me remember.

Love & marriage = everything they're cracked up to be.

I used the Studio Calico May kit, Granny's Cupboard, on this one--I ADORE that kit. I only bought the main and one add-on (plus October Afternoon stickers and journaling cards) and I've made a ton of pages with it so far, but I still have quite a bit left.

Which is good, because I foresee spending more time with Granny in the near future:)


This next layout was made during a day when I was feeling really "down" about infertility. I wanted to acknowledge the "hardness" of this moment, since I usually am so determinedly optimistic that I forget to let myself feel it.


As you can see, I wasn't kidding when I professed my undying love for Granny's Cupboard--here it is again! (And quick question: does the photo look blurry to you? I can't tell if it's just my computer....)

Me and the hubster are on an impromptu vacation to Boston and Newport--keep posted for some fun vacation trips soon!

Are you taking any fun vacations now?

I Am, I Am Not

A few weeks ago, I was feeling down on myself for the design teams I haven't made and the pages I haven't gotten published. So I reminded myself that I am NOT the number of pages I publish or cool little sidebars on my blog (which I have none of at the moment, as the redesign goes on, but in any case....).

So, in case I forgot this important fact again, I made this page to remind me:

This page mostly uses the Footpath add-on from Studio Calico's August kit, Summer Camp + some fabric I ordered from Hawthorne Threads. Since I'm new to experimenting with fabric, I ended up making a huge bubble, requiring 3D adhesive for the photo, but it all worked out in the end! It's also good to know that the random photos I take of myself when bored can end up being useful because they match add-on colors EXACTLY.

The next one is basically an attempt to use all my mists at once. I love Maya Mists, but I just don't use them often enough, so I went to town one day!

I used a sheet of Girl's Paperie chipboard letters as a mask and misted with Seafoam, Sunflower, and Pink (the pink grapefruit was in an uncooperative mood--unclear why). The title, which pretty much sums up what I wanted to say here, reads: Everything I Know, I Learned from a Book.

I'm about to head off to the Big City (ie, Manhattan) for (1) a doctor's appointment (stinker), and (2) various birthday fun with my guy.

Hope you have a wonderful day! What are your plans?

Sketches + The Meaning of Life

In this time of "in betweens," I am trying all the things I've always wanted to try, but haven't had time to. Included in that is playing along with scrappy challenges. (And organizing all my photos and learning how to cook healthier and getting fit and uncovering the meaning of life.....but I'm working one at a time here:). )

You've already seen the results of my scraplifting exploits, and now it's time for sketches! I enjoy reading the Sketchy Thursdays blog, and finally got a chance to tag along!

Here's the original sketch I played with:


And my take:

Journaling reads: We had crazy amounts of tomatoes this year. The average amount was a full bowl!

In other news, I am thinking a lot about life and directions and plans. About how as much as I'd like to see a printout of what's to come, I'm starting to feel more peace about where I am right now.

Where will I be in a year from now? I have absolutely no idea.

Change is scary. Change is hard.

But all of the major changes in my life so far have been for the better.

And so will this be.

Little Bits of Life

Goofing around on the train to school....


Enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner on the Upper East Side....

Side Note: For some reason, I felt compelled to get the creme brulee AND a chocolate tartuffo for dessert. AND a cappucino. To share with Steve, but still! For someone who wants to lose the extra 10 pounds that have joined me recently, I sure don't act like it!

Below is my newest page, about my bridal shower.

"How long have you been married," you ask?

Well, about a year and a half. And the shower, naturally, was several months before that. But better late than never, right?



Excuse the nasty lighting--in the winter, you work with what you got. Particularly when you use a point and shoot!

I've been so crazy busy the past month I haven't scrapbooked nearly as much as I normally do....the Studio Calico March kit should be here next week, and I still wanted to get more done with January, not to mention February! Maybe one of these days I'll get some blissful long stretches of scrappy time. Just maybe.....

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! Any exciting plans?

Here from the Home Front

Another Home front layout, as you can see.....I've been meaning to make this page for a while, and when I saw that floor plan paper, it just came together! I've also continued my love affair with yellow mist, as you can see. Love the stuff.

Today was my first day back at school, for my VERY LAST semester of law school. Which is both exciting and scary. Mind you, I have been in school since Kindergarten straight. I have no idea how to structure a life without homework assignments (well, the summer doesn't count because I just drink lots of iced lattes and get nothing done). For those of you who work from home, how do you build structure into your day?

Random Question (I'd love to get to know y'all a bit better) = Would you ever go back to school (or are you in it? for what?)

Why I've Been a Delinquent Blogger

It's a little bit of this.....





And a little bit of this....






Spent the weekend baking with my little sis and helping out with one of my best friend's wedding. Oh, and Thanksgiving dinner. Whew! I'm at home with a cold today, but feeling ok right now....

What's everyone's favorite activities to do when they're sick? Assuming it's medium sick, not curled-up-in-a-ball-moaning sick!

All I Need in Life....

is a pair of new shoes


a good book


and a tall cinnamon dolce latte.

Heaven.