What I Need - A Baby Turtle

My lovely friend from Chicago was in town over the weekend, so we celebrated our reunion by spending the day shopping at Tyson's and relaxing at home with the parentals.

However, on Sunday before dinner, I thought I should inject a little nature into her city life, so I took her to Hidden Pond Nature Center, one of my favorite places.

We saw all of the snakes (which she hated AND loved - she spent 20 minutes telling the snake how gross he was in a baby voice...) and the turtles and frogs and toads.  We saw turtles that were just a little bit smaller than Squirt, but were 40 years old.. looks like I might be able to keep my small, cute turtle forever!

In addition to the 40-year old turtles, they also had some younger turtles... for instance, there was this (SUPER CUTE) 4-month old turtle...

That was a pretty fresh baby.. Here's a guy who's a little older; I'd estimate him to be about 9 months to one-year old.

I love them BOTH and now I NEED a new turtle (Evan doesn't agree with me, but what does he know?).  So after we admired all of the cute reptiles and amphibians in the nature center, we went for a walk around the lake.  I looked so hard for a turtle... I even starting moving leaves hoping to find one.  No such luck.  However, I have a feeling that a portion of this weekend will be spent at the lake by my house searching for baby turtles.

My New-Found Skill - Jewelry Making

If any of you watch the show Two Broke Girls, you're going to know what I'm talking about... I LOVE Caroline Channing's jewelry she wears!  Although it's the same every episode, I love it!  My two favorites - her ring that she wears on her left hand, and her pearl necklace.

I've been thinking about that pearl necklace since the show started and always said I wanted one.. I looked and looked, but everywhere I saw them they were at least $35.  Call me cheap, but I couldn't see paying $35 for a necklace that I might only wear once.

So, yesterday at work, someone started talking about similar necklaces, and I was inspired.  I looked to buy the necklace, but came to the same decision - too expensive, not worth it.  Then I did something I thought I'd never do... I considered making it on my own.

Now I was into it; I found a girl's blog that showed how she made her own.  She was able to make hers for about $7 but it didn't look exact.  On my way home from work, I stopped at Michael's to pick up my supplies.  BTW, for a first-time jewelry maker, the bead aisle is VERY intimidating, but I digress.

I picked out my pearls, chain, connectors, and needle-nose pliers specific for jewelry making (they think of everything, don't they).  I had hoped this project would provide me with a couple of nights of entertainment, but it was SO easy to do.  I finished it in less than 2 hours!

Here's Caroline's necklace:

And here is mine:

There are some differences - chain, bead size, etc.  But for a first-time jewelry maker, I was very impressed with my creation!  Tomorrow I will be wearing it to work for all the world to see.  Now, if only I could learn how to make that ring I love...

Boston for St. Patty's Day

This year I had the chance to spend St. Patty's Day in the most Irish-populated city in the country - Boston.  With a whole neighborhood full of Irish-heritage, this was sure to impress.  And even though the parade on Sunday topped it off, the whole weekend was fantastic!

We started with a trip to the Boston Museum of Science, which is a little pricey but I'd say it's DEFINITELY worth it.  There is a lot to do: it is very hands-on, great for kids and adults alike.  Certainly spring for the extra $5 trip into the Butterfly Garden - I was lucky enough to have a little guy land on my arm and it made the experience so worth it!

After the Butterfly Garden we watched the Electricity show, which was also very cool.  It was loud and bright, but it was awesome!

After the museum we went out for a delicious dinner at a restaurant in the North End.. it was kinda cool... kind of a "Fat Tony" vibe. We walk in and ask how long the wait is and the host says, "Go downstairs and ask for Oscar.  Tell him I sent you."  I've never been sent to another section of the restaurant like that before.  For dessert, we treated ourselves to the best cannolis in town, at Mike's Pastry.  Don't let the long line fool you,  it moves quickly and is definitely worth it.  Suggestions: Florentine Cannoli and red velvet whoopie pie.

Then on Sunday we spent the day drinking green mimosas, green beer, and watching the parade with tons of other people.  There were service members, congressmen, clowns, Miss Boston, and even Darth Vader made an appearance.

I hope everyone enjoyed their St. Patty's Day celebrations, no matter where you were!

35 Magical Moments Captured With a Camera - BuzzFeed

Today's post comes from BuzzFeed's 35 Magical Moments Captured With a Camera.  Below are a few of my favorites -very precious and I love the black and whites!  Go to BuzzFeed to see all 35.

I LOVE penguins and the old outfits!



And who doesn't love a cute baby sloth??



Tons of bad luck here....



And this one's for Squirt...

Snowmageddon? Or Snow?-I-got-nothin..

This post is about a week overdue, but I still wanted to share the details of the "eventful" snowstorm that hit the Mid-Atlantic region last week.

As always, the "snowstorm" that was supposed to be horrendous turned out to be nothing at all.  People stocked up on toilet paper and milk and hunkered down for what was to come.  And then, hardly anything came.  Where I live, I saw about 4 inches of snow which, surprisingly, stuck to the roads - therefore, my snow day was interrupted by the constant humming of snow plows clearing the Fairfax County Parkway.

Although I still had to work, it was nice to cozy up under a blanket, drink hot cocoa, and watch the snow fall.  About 3 hours after the snow had started to fall it stopped, followed by about 30 minutes of crazy winds and then resumed business as usual.

I will say though, whether or not there was a lot of snow in other parts of the county (Old Town Alexandria got nothing - you couldn't even tell that it had rained) it was nice to have been off the road  that day.  NOVA drivers are bad as it is, but add rain or (OMG!) snow, and it's like people completely forget how to operate a vehicle. (This does not include native NOVAians... we're good drivers in a sea of transplants who can't handle the road.)

The cutest part of the day was, of course, how my turtle reacted to his first snow.  He's usually hibernating when the snow falls, but since it has been warm this winter, he awoke ahead of schedule.  This is what he saw...

He looked at the snow amazed for about a minute and then decided he was over it and had enough... so, he channeled his inner beach turtle..

While Squirt lounged on his hot rock like he was in Hawaii, I spent the day working and watching bad daytime television.  And by the time I went to sleep that night, the snow had melted and it was just another ordinary day.  Meanwhile, the Northeast got about another foot of snow... I should have moved to Boston!

Brownie Batter is the Cure!

So... yesterday I was fighting off a migraine (that downgraded from the night before, but was still bad).  After taking some Excedrin and relaxing for a little bit, I decided to do some baking.  Turns out, baking is good for you.  I made "slutty brownies," as my younger sister calls them.

These brownies consist of a bottom layer of chocolate chip cookie, a middle layer of Oreos (and since I was feeling fancy, I alternated in some Reese's peanut butter cups) and then a top layer of brownie.  These are absolutely yummy, and very sweet!

However, obviously not sweet enough, since you may have noticed the whipped cream on top of my slutty brownies. (That just seems so right, doesn't it?)  Whipped cream is a nice alternative to ice cream (can you tell I have a sweet tooth?)

Also, I'm no doctor, but my migraine seemed to subside even more after I helped myself to the leftover brownie batter in the bowl... just sayin'.  Now, somehow I need to figure out a way to get rid of these brownies without consuming them myself; boredom is not good for my figure!  Anyhow, it looks like the people at work will be getting lucky tomorrow! ;)

TGIF, travel bug!

Happy Friday everyone!  And happy March!  We've survived another week and another month!

This weekend is going to be very low-key... I'll be running errands, doing some household chores, and ordinary things of that nature.  However, to get everyone in the spirit of traveling and adventures (even if your furthest adventure takes you to the mall to return some things), I've posted a short article below.

This article explains how a guy traveling with his girlfriend put a new spin on touristy pictures.  Instead of the normal photo of someone standing in front of a beautiful landmark or monument, his photos take a "follow me" approach.  Each of his pictures are of his girlfriend pulling him, with the landmark in the background.   It's a very creative and cute idea... one I wish I would have thought of sooner!  Check out the link for the full story and to view the photo gallery.  A couple of the pictures are below.

I LOVE this idea!  Now I'll spend my Friday trying to think of some cute way to do this with Evan on our travels!  Everyone, be inspired by the adventures and creativity above, and have a fabulous weekend!

Two things that make Thursday a little more manageable:

When your cute turtle comes out of hibernation after four months and can't get enough of you...

 (He was so close that the camera wouldn't even focus on his cute little face. And then he tried to eat my phone... hungry hungry hippo much?)

And having new creamer at the office, which just happens to be your best kind...

 One more day until the weekend!  Just keep on truckin'!

Happy Hump Day, everybody!

Today I did some research on condos nearby and found one that I may consider purchasing in the near future, although, nothing is set-in-stone of course.  Other than that, it was a normal Wednesday, almost done at work, thank goodness.

However, one little thing that did brighten my day was this little gem from a very good friend of mine:

Although I'm part Polish (75 percent) and a tad Slovak (25 percent), I really loved this.  However, in keeping with stereotypes, I had to read it about three or four times before I got the joke... Maybe that was the joke itself.  Anyway, enjoy this clever meme and hug a Pole (person, not inanimate object)!

Poppin' Tags

This past weekend I was up in Boston (more of a commute now than a vacation) and I experienced: a late Valentine's Day, a thrift-shop inspired house-warming party, and big falling snowflakes (more glamorous than the rain here that just freezes and makes bad drivers worse).

To prepare for the house-warming festivities, Evan and I adventured to Savers to pick out our thrift threads.  There was a competition at the party for the best dressed and Evan and I are competitive, so, needless to say, we were at Savers for quite a while.  After trying on a few oversized sweaters and vests from the 1980s (see below), Evan decided on a paisley print button-up shirt and oversized, knitted cardigan with a bright green belt.

I, however, chose to keep it simple, wearing something that my first grade teacher wore about 15 years ago.  I sported a lovely denim dress with an NYC-inspired cardigan that had large NYC-related statements on it.

The party was fun - I learned how to play a new drinking game called "Toll Booth" (a lot of fun and I highly recommend it!)  We socialized, saw snow in Rhode Island (where this new house is), and had a great time.  Evan ended up winning second prize.  The prizes were extremely appropriate, purchased from the thrift shop.  He won a wooden plack with a Bible verse on it.  Pretty nice, and it was good to be on the "winning team."  Then it was home to relax, enjoy the Sunday snow, and fly home for the work week. 

P.S. If you haven't watched the Poppin' Tags video, do it.  It would have helped me better prepare my outfit for the party... and the tune is also quite catchy.  "Is that your grandma's coat?"

A Drive to an Earlier Place in Time

This weekend I had the opportunity to travel the 2 hour 30 minute driving trip to Harrisonburg, VA to visit my little sister at JMU.  While we were in town we signed her lease for the (beautiful) apartment she'll be living in next year, as well as saw Identity Thief (funny movie - LOVE Jason Bateman), and had a delicious Italian dinner date with her and my parents.

On our way home from the weekend festivities, my parents and I took a ride to Massanutten to check it out (the closest I've been was to Bryce, which is about 1/4 of the size of Massanutten.  Please don't ask about my snowboarding/skiing experience... I was terrible at both...standing on flat land is my calling...).

After visiting Massanutten and watching all of the winter sports enthusiasts enjoying themselves (which has renewed my interest in learning how to fall down a hill gracefully with nothing but two 2x4s attached to my feet), my parents took me to see the Shoppes at Mauzy.  They kept telling me not to get excited because it wasn't what I was thinking it was.  When I got there, it was better!

The Shoppes at Mauzy are a few little old buildings that were (back in the day) the buildings for a stage coach stop.  The area was named Mauzy for the land owners, after it was changed from Sparta (since there was already a Sparta, VA and Spartapolis didn't take off like they hoped it would.).  The main building is separated into about 20 rooms, that were rented out for the night to the folks who came through on the stage coaches.

The outside buildings are like mini museums, filled with old things fitting the building type, however, everything is for sale... everything... as long as you can pick it up and take it with you.  Similarly, the main house has anything you could ever want: lamps, books, old cooking appliances, silverware, dinnerware, etc., and EVERYTHING is for sale.  If you ever want go on a good scavenger hunt, this place would be perfect!

If you're ever driving down 81 about 30 minutes North of Harrisonburg, VA, I highly recommend taking the "Mauzy/Broadway" exit and visiting these shops.  The buildings are historic, the antiques are fabulous, and it's a beautiful scene for photos... and clean bathrooms if someone on the road trip can't wait for the next rest stop... Don't just take my word for it... take your own drive to an earlier place in time.