Friday Feast #5

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet for Your Brain

Appetizer: Briefly describe your living room.

Our formal living room is really just waiting to be turned into a library. The carpet is beige, the walls are faux painted tan and blue (it was like that when we moved in. I'd never do such a thing) and the furniture is blue. There's a big window in the front, and the room is open to the dining room on one side and the staircase on the other. Eventually, the one complete wall will be lined wall to wall, floor to ceiling with bookshelves, the furniture will be replaced and the walls painted, maybe some shade of grey.

The family room, which is where we do most of our living, is painted yellow with a red accent wall. I hate the wall color. There's a fireplace on one end, hardwood floors, two south facing windows, and the room is open to the eat-in kitchen. Our newest furniture, a huge couch and loveseat upholstered in a brown chenile, is in there, as are our two fish tanks. This will probably be the first room we paint since we spend the most time in it.


Soup: List 3 things you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2008.

1. Get a new job
2. Start Paradigm Lost
3. Replace my car (probably not going to happen)


Salad: When you're online, what do you spend the most time reading/playing/doing? Suggest a site for us to visit.

Mostly I am on Google Reader, catching up on blogs. I also read email, the NY Times and the Dallas Cowboys website. There are a TON of links to stitching sites on my blog.

I believe all stitchers should visit and try to contribute to the Stitcher's Report Card. If your LNS is not listed, please contact the board administrator and ask her to add it. It's a great help for stitchers visiting your area to know where these shops are located. It's also nice to know which shops to avoid, or at least be wary of.


Main Course: What would the title of your autobiography be?

I don't really know. I don't think about these things. Once, for a journalism class, we had to write our own obituary. It was a very weird and disturbing experience.


Dessert: What time do you usually go to bed?

Sometime around 11. If it's an interesting news night, we might stay up for part of the news, but usually we're in bed by 11.

Friday Feast #3... um # 175? Okay, #4.

As I was reading the questions for Friday's Feast #3, I thought they sounded very familiar. As it turns out, they were recycled into Friday's Feast #175, which I've already answered. So it's on to Feast #4.

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet for Your Brain

Appetizer: What kind of car do you drive? If you could make an even trade for any other car, what would you want to drive?

I currently drive a Toyota that is soon to be replaced by a Nissan Altima. Originally, I wanted the Xterra, but we just can't justify it with the price of gas. Maybe someday.

Soup: Take your phone number and add each number together separately (example: 8+6+7+5+3+0+9=38) - what's the total?

This is a dumb question, but I'll answer it. 40. Which includes area code. Because that's how we dial.

Salad: When were you last outside, and what were you doing?

I went out to get the mail last night.

Main Course: What is your favorite restaurant, and what do you usually order there?

I don't think I really have a favorite restaurant. I definitely don't have one here, since we just moved here a little while ago, though DH and I are big fans of breakfasts and have tried out a few in the area. For breakfasts, I like combination plates because I am usually in the mood for French Toast or pancakes, but I know that I will be hungry again a little while after eating, so I like something with eggs as well. Scrambled, if you please. With bacon. Oh, speaking of breakfast, I do have a favorite breakfast place, which I know I've mentioned before, on the coast of Maine at Pemaquid Point. Naturally, I order the blueberry pancakes.

We try to avoid chain restaurants, especially when we travel. I like to go on Chowhound.com ahead of time and look for recommendations. I've never been steered wrong there yet.

When it comes to Chinese food, I generally never stray far from the General Tso's chicken (which I know isn't real chinese food), and I love spicy tuna rolls and Philadelphia rolls when it comes to sushi. Yeah, I can pretty much talk about food all day.

Dessert: Name 3 things in which you occasionally indulge.

• Chocolate desserts - chocolate cheesecake, brownies, etc. Especially with raspberry sauce.
• Day long movie marathons, usually with one of my closest friends who loves the same movies and we know all the lines.
• Spa manicures. Most of the time I do my own, but there's something satisfying about having someone else do it for you.

The Return of Friday's Feast

It seems that the Chef is on hiatus on the Friday's Feast website, but there's no reason I can't recycle the old questions and start from the beginning. I tried that once before and answered the first question, and now it's time to move through the rest of the list. And maybe the Chef will come back with new questions.

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

Appetizer: Where do you plan to go on vacation this year, or where would you want to go?
It's a little late for vacation this year. The holidays are coming up and we do a lot of traveling back and forth to our hometown, although I don't know if that counts as a vacation. We are going to NJ for a weekend, if that counts. For a real vacation though, I'd have to say Maine. I'm pretty much always going to say Maine.

Soup: What color is your bedroom? If you could redecorate it, what would you change?
Right now, it's yellow. It's a somewhat inoffensive yellow, so I can live with it, but it will get changed. The sitting room (attached to the bedroom) is maroon and yellow, and not as McDonald's as it sounds, but still not my taste. We'll probably paint the bedroom some shade of coffee and going with dark brown furniture. DH and I are big fans of using neutral colors on the wall and adding color with accessories you can change out.

Salad: Do you have a bumper sticker on your vehicle? If not, make one up!
I like reading them on other people's cars, but I do not want one on my own. Probably the last sticker sort of thing I had on my car was one of those clear ones with the name of my college that you see in the back windows of cars. DH wants one of those Darwin fish though.

Main Course: What's the worst pain you've ever been in?
Physically, I have a very low threshold of pain, so it's all bad to me, but probably the worst was right after my tonsil surgery. Thankfully, they give you the good stuff at the pharmacy, so it was bearable.

Dessert: Who is your favorite celebrity? What do they do that inspires you?
Russell Crowe is my favorite movie star celebrity, and really all he has to do is NOT be in a movie with Meg Ryan and that's enough for me. DH and I do watch a lot of football, and I have a great appreciation for players such as Jason Witten that are involved in programs to get kids to be more active.

Friday's Feasts: 194, 195 & 196

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet for Your Brain

Feast One Hundred & Ninety Four

Appetizer: If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?
I'd have to go with Australia. I've been interested in (obsessed with at some points) Australia for as long as I can remember. I went through an obsessed period in high school and I even had a shirt with various depictions of Australia printed on it in blue, almost like a toile fabric. I like Australian music (INXS, Midnight Oil, TOFOG, etc.) I have a collection of kangaroos (probably about 100 or so, in various forms) and various other Australian paraphenalia. My second choice would be the UK.

Soup: Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?
I probably should be ashamed to admit that I am an Explorer girl, but I'm not.

Salad: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?
Probably a 7 or 8. Used to be higher - I had quite a few history classes in high school and college, but some of the information has escaped me. But my DH likes history and documentaries, and we both like traveling (I've seen a great deal of the US), so we've been to many historical sites. It also helps that we've lived in and around Philadelphia most of our lives, so we're readily familiar with the founding fathers and all that.

Main Course: Finish this sentence: Love is…
All you need? (We used it as our entrance to our wedding reception)

Dessert: Have you ever been in or near a tornado?
No, and I don't care to be. Scary stuff.

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Feast One Hundred & Ninety Five

Appetizer: What is the weather like today where you live?
Warm, but pleasant. Upper 80s, but the humidity isn't so bad. Bright blue skies. I hear nasty hot weather is coming though.

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?
Eh, these days probably about a 4. I used to be much more focused, but my priorities have changed. Doesn't mean I still don't love a nice fat paycheck though!

Salad: What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?
We have fancy wooden blinds courtesy of the previous owners in the front windows of the house, some weird drapey stuff (which will be going at some point) on the windows in the living room and dining room, mini blinds on the back windows, and plain cotton canvas on the family room windows. Other than the nice wooden blinds, I can take or leave the rest of it, and will most likely change it when we start painting the house to our tastes.

Main Course: Name something that instantly cheers you up.
My 5 year old niece. I adore that kid and she cracks me up. Also, flowers, little presents, phone calls from my best friend, cards from my grandmother-in-law, setting foot on the beach

Dessert: How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?
at least 3x. I set my alarm to account for it. See the career minded question above.

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Feast One Hundred & Ninety Six

Appetizer: When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?
Right before we moved in early June. I knew it was going to be a while before we got settled and I found a new salon, so I had it done. It does, however, desperately need to be colored.

Soup: Name one thing you miss about being a child.
GOOD Saturday morning cartoons and cold pizza, followed by playing Barbies. I know that's more than one thing, but it's hard to narrow it down.

Salad: Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.
Pick one to throw out the window? Margarine. I hate that stuff. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I usually cook with olive oil, but sometimes there's no substitute for butter.

Main Course: If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?
Spanish would be the most useful. Gaelic would be closest to my heart. German would be closest to my DH's heart. I've started learning a little German, but the Gaelic is tough.

Dessert: Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…
A parent.

I'm still alive!

Moving has sucked up much of my days (and evenings) and by the time I am finished for the day, I am too exhausted to stitch, so I've been spending some time trying to catch up with all the blog posts in my Google reader.

I've just about finished unpacking, or at least unpacking in the main part of the house. There's still the matter of the basement to deal with (more boxes down there, but they're storage items) and the garage (DH's domain). DH has been putting in time on a frustrating project at work, so when he gets home, he doesn't even want to think about dealing with the garage. And just as I finish UNPACKING, I have to start REPACKING as we leave for the shore tomorrow morning for a week long vacation. Don't get me wrong - we're desperately in need of a vacation, and I can't wait to see my little niece and nephew. It will be nice to live without boxes for a week!

C in DC has received her signed copy of The Hard Way, so I hope she enjoys it. Carolien, I promise I will get your copy out to you as soon as I find it. I swear I had my hands on it earlier this week, but heaven only knows where it is now!!! And if anyone else has picked up the book, please let me know how you liked it. Julie's friends and family have been reporting back "book sightings" at local bookstores around the country, and it's some pretty exciting stuff. She'll also have her first book signing at a Borders in her hometown in July, so I am hoping that goes well. I'm just so proud of my friend!

I have a new project to start down the shore, Home by the Sea by Designs from Pamela. I spotted it at the online needlework show and fell in love, so I'm stitching this for a housewarming gift for my DH and myself. I may even finish it as shown with the hooks for the keys, or rather, have DH finish it like that! And I already have the perfect hanging spot for it - right inside the door as you enter the kitchen from the laundry room. The laundry room connects the kitchen and the garage, so that will be the door DH and I use most of the time, and I'll be able to see it every day. I'm going to modify it to include our family name and est. 2004 (the year we were married) on the bottom. I've decided that whenever I do a housewarming gift for a married couple, I am going to use the year they were married instead of when they bought the house because IMO, that's when the family was established. I think I'll stitch the personalization in the same brown as the treetrunks.

Now onto the Friday Feasts. I'm not quite as far behind as I thought I was, even though I haven't done these in a long, long time! (or rather it seems that way). And once I am done with those, I am going back off the grid for another week. See you when I get back!!

From Friday's Feasts: A Buffet for your Brain: Friday Feasts #192 & #193

Feast One Hundred & Ninety Two

Appetizer: When you drink soda/pop/coke, do you prefer to drink it from the bottle, a can, or after pouring it into a cup?
Most of the time, I drink straight from the bottle, especially if we're on the road. At home, we usually buy cans of soda, so I drink directly from them. Really the only time I ever drink soda from a class is in a restaurant or someone's home and they make me drink from the glass.

Soup: What television show are you willing to stay up late to watch?
None, really. That's the miracle of cable television. Sooner or later they're going to repeat it. I have been know, however, to keep going with shows on DVD until we finish the disc, which could be very late indeed.

Salad: Name one person, place, or thing you think of as brilliant.
Hands down, my DH

Main Course: Would you be willing to work 4 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days in order to save gas?
Absolutely. I've done it before to have the extra day off, and it's not that big of a deal, especially since I like to be in the office early (7-7:30)

Dessert: If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?
I'm Batman. (it's a joke)

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Feast One Hundred & Ninety Three

Appetizer: Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

I used to be very pessimistic, but I've tried to be more optimistic lately. I'm still no Little Mary Sunshine, but I think trying to see the good side makes me a nicer person to be around.

Soup: What is your favorite color of ink to write with?

Black, preferably fine or ultra fine point.

Salad: How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?

Occasionally I will treat myself to a salon manicure. But I also have quite a collection of tools and polishes, so I used to keep up with doing my own manicures pretty regularly until we started the packing and moving process and my nails went to hell. I'll be fixing that this week while on family vacation. My 5 year old niece loves when I do her nails - I've even taught her to properly ROLL the bottle to mix instead of shaking it! We've made a family tradition to do manicures on vacation. As for pedicures, I don't care for them at the salon. I'd rather do my own at home, and my toes are almost always nicely painted.

Main Course: Have you ever won anything online?

If so, what was it?I won a sweet bookmark from Barbara.

Dessert: In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?

It's in our guestroom for now but may eventually move down to the craft room in the basement. Once we set up a wireless router though, we can really go anywhere.

Friday Feasts #190 & #191

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet for your Brain

Feast One Hundred & Ninety One

Appetizer: What is the nearest big city to your home?
I'm in a good spot here on the east coast - within an hour of Philadelphia and within 2 of Washington, DC, and New York City

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?
With my DH, 0 to -5. I rarely keep anything from him. In general, however, I am about an 8 or a 9. If someone asks me to keep a confidence, I do.

Salad: Describe your hair (color, texture, length).
Gillian Anderson was my "hair idol" in the 90s. My cut and color was very similar to her. The color remains some shade of red, but I've been getting it cut shorter ala Mariska Hargitay's new do for this season. My stylist tells me this is an ideal cut for someone with baby fine hair such as mine.

Main Course: What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?
I am a fast, aggressive driver, though I have slowed down over the last few years. I'm not aggressive just to be mean - it's just that I hate driving and like to get where I am going as quickly as possible. I'm fine as long as people stay out of my way. I will add, however, that I always take road conditions into consideration and never drive too fast for the conditions or the area. Also, whenever possible, I will move over into the next lane to allow someone to get onto the highway, something my driving instructor in HS instilled into each and every one of us.

Dessert: When was the last time you had a really bad week?
An entire bad week? Probably a year and a half ago. I get the random bad day here and there, but really no long stretches of bad days in recent memory.

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Feast One Hundred & Ninety

Appetizer: When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?
Usually, yes I do.

Soup: Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?
In our current house, it's tile in the front entry, carpet through most of the rest of the house except for the bathrooms and kitchen where there's craptastic vinyl flooring. In our NEW house, it's tile in the entry, carpet in the LR, DR, hallway and bedrooms, tile in the bathrooms and kitchen, and hardwood in the family room. At some point, the DR will be getting hardwood as well.

Salad: Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.
Jennifer jumps joyfully.

Main Course: Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?
More than the average person, I think. My husband and his two first cousins are all adopted. I also used to baby sit for a couple who adopted their son after many years of trying (unsuccessfully) to get pregnant. Soon after they adopted him, they found themselves pregnant with his sister, and another one followed shortly after.

Dessert: Name 2 blue things.
My beloved dark blue Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman jersey and my nearly as beloved Tiffany Blue Boxes.

Friday Feast #188 & #189

Friday Feast #188

Appetizer: Name something you would categorize as weird.
This was hard to answer because I try to be openminded and tactful. Even if I don't agree with something or think it might be weird, I don't usually like to say so publically because I don't see the point in unnecessarily hurting other people's feelings. To each, their own.

Having said that, I will say that some of my eating habits are weird. For instance, I usually don't eat the bottom bun on a burger, usually because it is too soggy. Also, I usually eat what I like the most last, meaning I eat all the vegetables on my plate first. I've come to discover, however, that this is not as uncommon or weird as I might have thought at first.

Soup: What color was the last piece of food you ate?
Brown and white - I ate some parmesean breaded chicken breast

Salad: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone?
Most of the time, about a 9 to a 9.5. I'm an introvert and being around lots of people, especially ones I don't know well, exhausts me. Once in a while though, I get a wild hair and crave social interaction. It's not often, and the craving does not last long. Most of the time, I am very content to be by myself or with my husband and / or a few close friends

Main Course: Fill in the blank: I will _________ vote for ___________ in _______.
I will definitely NOT vote for Hilary in 2008

Dessert: Describe your sleeping habits.
I prefer to go to bed very late (like 2-3 am) and wake up later (9-10 am) . That seems to be my natural cycle. I do not usually nap, but I do have a weird habit of falling asleep in the passenger seat of a car, sometimes even on short trips.

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Friday Feast # 189

Appetizer: What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?
In the late 70s, early 80s, Saturday morning cartoons were the BEST. I loved Superfriends, the Laff-O-Lympics, the Smurfs, He Man and the Masters of the Universe, etc. I was also a big Jem fan and I loved Pirates of Dark Water.

Soup: Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?
I've always grown up with larger dogs like labs, so I love them, but my DH has always had schnauzers. Since we have a pretty anti-social cat, we'll probably start with a schnauzer, which should be less overwhelming for the cat. By family tradition, his (or her) name will be Fritzy. Once I get my labs though, I'm going to name them Dallas and Cowboy.

Salad: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?
If I have an outfit I like, I LOVE getting dressed up for a special occasion. It's finding an outfit that's the problem!

Main Course: What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?
It depends. I like a variety of classic rock with a pretty even tempo. I've noticed the faster the music, the faster I tend to drive, and I already drive pretty fast, so this is not necessarily a good thing. LOL I have a great iPod playlist that randomizes a selection of songs from sub-playlists, so I always have a new, randomly selected playlist to listen to whenever I get in the car.

Dessert: When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?
I can't even remember when I bought a clock, but it might have been the one that's in our bathroom. I like having a clock in the bathroom - it keeps me on track in the mornings. The last time piece I bought was a new wristwatch, about 4 months ago.

Friday Feast #187

Appetizer: Name a color you find soothing.
I find most shades of blue, except electric blue, to be soothing.

Soup: Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.
Scary, stressful, and possible scarred for life

Salad: What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of?
Cotton.

Main Course: Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?
Hands down, Tom Petty. Not only is he my most favorite artist ever, most of his audience appreciates music and is there for the show, not to put on a show themselves. One of the things I found most disappointing about going to a Dave Matthews Show was that so many people in the audience knew 3-4 songs they screamed along with, and then just talked and carried on for the songs they didn't know. Most annoying!

Dessert: What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?
N

Friday Feast #185 & #186

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet for Your Brain

Appetizer: Invent a new flower; give it a name and describe it.
I'm not a big fan of these "invent this" or "name that" kinds of questions. As for flowers, I'm perfectly happy with the ones that already exist.

Soup: Name someone whom you think has a wonderful voice.
When I was in college, I worked for a pizza place, and I got hit on at least 2x a week just because of my phone voice. Over the years, I've gotten many compliments because of my pleasant phone voice.

Salad: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how clean do you keep your car?
I'm right around a 9 or a 10. I hate a messy car, but inevitably right after I vacuum it, we get the urge to head down to the beach, so there's usually sand in my car somewhere. But my glove compartment is very well organized, as is the compartment between the seats. I also keep a plastic bag in the car for trash.

Main Course: How do you feel about poetry?
I majored in English in college, so I can appreciate it, and I even like some of it. I tend to prefer the Romantic period poets, but I do love ee cummings; he has special meaning for my husband and me. The angsty poetry I wrote when I was a teen still has the power to make me cringe.

Dessert: What was the last person/place/thing you took a picture of?
The last person I took a picture of would have to be my niece or nephew at Christmas time. I'm a big fan of candid shots and I try to be as unobtrusive as possible when I have the camera in hand. The pictures I take when people don't know I'm taking them are usually the best. The last picture I took period would have to be of my Blue Crab WIP. I'm hoping to take some more pictures today.

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Appetizer: What does the color dark green make you think of?
Spinach, and dark leafy green vegetables. And thread. Dark green thread.

Soup: How many cousins do you have?
I have five first cousins on my side of the family, but am not in contact with them. My husband has 2 first cousins, both of whom we usually see at family occasions and holidays, but I am particularly close to his one cousin. She's 10 years younger than me, but she's like a little sister to me and we've always had a pretty close bond.

Salad: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you?
I feel like I've answered this question before, but I'm probably about a 7 or 8. I have a terrible poker face, so I usually stick to telling the truth, but I am not above a white lie to avoid hurting someone's feelings unnecessarily.

Main Course: Name something that is truly free.
I don't think anything is truly free - there's always a cost somewhere.

Dessert: Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence.
Yeah, not a big fan of these kinds of questions, so I will decline to answer.

Friday Feast #184

Appetizer: Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city?
The suburbs. I am such a suburban girl - I like having my own parking space, I like not having people right on top of me all the time. Don't get me wrong - I love visiting the city, especially New York City, but I'd need a ridiculous amount of money to live in a city the way I want to live. So for me, it's definitely the suburbs

Soup: Who is the cutest kid you know?
Tough one. I have three VERY cute nieces and a nephew. My 5 year old niece is the most interactive, and says some hilarious stuff, but my 4 year old niece is catching up very fast. (She's the one that calls me "The Wrong Aunt Jenn" because her other aunt's name is Jennifer too, and she confuses me with her, so her mom says, "No, that's the wrong Aunt Jenn". My 3 year old nephew is going through a not so cute phase now, but I still love him to bits, and my 2 year old niece is just coming into her own - adorable, but not as interactive.

Salad: Fill in the blank: I couldn’t believe it when I heard ___________.
Heath Ledger died. I was utterly shocked by that.

Main Course: If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise?
Oh, I'd probably want to be in an NFL commercial with Troy Aikman. Maybe Peyton Manning.

Dessert: What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis?
None, really. I have a bunch I should be taking, including a multivitamin, B vitamins, iron, and folic acid, but taking a lot of pills makes me queasy and I've been neglecting them. I really need to start taking them again.

Friday Feasts #182 & 183

Yes indeed. Two for the price of one. I didn't do a Friday Feast last week, so I'll do two this week. And I apologize for my lack of stitching content. I am currently obsessed with house hunting - DH and I are moving this spring and it's my sole focus these days to find a suitable house. I'm not even all that picky. I want 4 brs (one of which will accommodate a king size bed), 2 - 2.5 bathrooms, a 2 car garage (attached or detached - doesn't matter), a basement, and a decent sized, updated kitchen. And central air. Everything else is negotiable. Grrrr..... As soon as I finish this, it is back to the salt mines... errr... I mean real estate pages.

Appetizer: If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be?
Probably Julia Roberts. I've always liked her.

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone?
On the house phone or in the house? About a -6. Seriously, I hate it. I only like to talk to my very close friends on the phone. And most of them hate talking on the phone as well. In the car, however, especially on the highway when I am by myself, I like talking on the phone. (Yes, I use a hands free) It passes the time.

Salad: Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to).
I donate to animal related causes, though I prefer to donate directly to the shelters so they're the ones getting the money and the fundraisers are not taking a cut. I also prefer to donate necessary goods like food, blankets, etc.

Main Course: What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month?
Hands down, lobster. Seafood in general, but lobster specifically. I never get tired of it.

Dessert: Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year?
{knock wood} No.

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Appetizer: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting?
Probably an 8 or 9. I have pretty nice handwriting. Printing too.

Soup: Do you prefer baths or showers?
Usually showers, unless it is a very large, deep bath tub. I don't really see the point in taking a bath in a small tub, especially since I am 5'10". I cannot stretch out in a regular bath tub

Salad: What was the last bad movie you watched?
I can't really remember. I'd probably have to go look at my Netflix queue. Usually I shut them off - I've learned that life is too short to watch crappy movies. I will say that I watched Napoleon Dynamite all the way through against my better judgement. Everyone LOVED that movie, but I thought it was terrible. Other notable stinkers I've sat through are Addicted to Love (Meg Ryan - I HATE her.), Snow Falling on Cedars (something like 3 hours I'm never getting back), Portrait of a Lady (with Nicole Kidman, whom I usually like), Eyes Wide Shut (also with Nicole....), and Being John Malkovich.

Main Course: Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life.
I wouldn't say I am addicted to anything really, though I am very connected to the Internet. I check email several times a day, I read a ton of blogs, I get most of my news and information on line and I keep in touch with friends and family mostly through email and IM. I probably don't socialize as much in person as I normally would.

Dessert: Which instrument is your favorite to listen to?
I would have to say the cello

So there you have it. Two Friday Feasts for the price of one. I wonder how much longer I can put off looking at real estate?

Friday Feast #181

Appetizer: Who was the last person you hugged?
My husband

Soup: Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.
I have a MILLION of these!! Mixing a little baking soda in with your regular facial cleanser turns it into a gentle exfoliator / scrub. Also, a little baking soda mixed with your regular shampoo strips out gunk from hairspray and styling products. (Here's a weird little fact about me - I LOVE tips and tricks. I collect them and am a font of all kinds of interesting information on how to do stuff)

Salad:What does the color yellow make you think of?
Depends on what shade of yellow. I usually think of yellow squash or crayons

Main Course: If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?
Lighthouses, beaches and nature in general. Maybe some candids. I don't really like posed pictures - I prefer when people aren't paying attention when I am holding a camera

Dessert: What was the longest book you ever read?
I've read several that were over 700 or 800 pages long. I think one of the Harry Potters was that long and I've read them all. And I have an english degree, so I am sure I've read some really LONG books.

Friday Feast #180

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet for Your Brain

Appetizer: Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?
When we were kids, we used to think it was pretty funny to wrap the toilet seat in plastic wrap and switch salt for sugar (and vice versa) on April Fool's Day. (As an adult, I can see how that's really not that funny.)

Soup: What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

Well, there are the ones on my table which are pretty boring, cut glass with silver metal tops. Don't get too excited - they're from the dollar store. I also have OXO pepper and salt grinders in the kitchen. (I don't even know why I have a regular pepper shaker because I prefer fresh ground pepper.) I am seriously considering getting a regular pepper grinder because this one has a habit of coming open when I am grinding and more than once has spread a wave of peppercorns over my food.


I would probably like some fanicer crystal ones - like these that I am madly in love with - to go with my china some day, but that's a ways off. Why yes, they ARE lighthouses (by Lenox)


Salad: Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?
Good question. Outside of my local tri-state area (which we tend to explore on weekends), the next place I will probably go will be our hometown at the end of March for Easter, followed by Long Island for the Lighthouse Challenge in May.

Main Course: What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?
I LOVE Bath and Bodyworks Vanilla Bean Noel, especially the body cream. I put some on every night to keep my hands from drying up. I'm also a big fan of their body butter, but I don't know if they make it any more. In a pinch, I use Neutrogena Hand cream - the super concentrated stuff.

Dessert: Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.
Well, there would have to be chocolate - probably dark or bittersweet - involved, preferably in the form of a dense, fudgy flourless cake, raspberries (fresh AND raspberry sauce), and whipped cream (fresh, if you please). Hmmmm.... this sounds remarkably like the Valentine's Day Cake my DH made for me one year. It was hands down the best dessert I have ever had.

Friday Feast #179

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

Appetizer: Name one thing that is unique about you.
I collect kangaroos (not live ones) and deck prisms.

Soup: Fill in the blank: My favorite _________ is __________ but I like _________ too.
My favorite dessert is anything chocolate with raspberry sauce but I like lemon meringue pie too.

Salad: What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?
I prefer darker, finer grained woods like walnut and cherry. I do not care for oak.

Main Course: Who do you talk to most often on the phone?
My husband

Dessert: What level of responsibility do you have in your job?
I'm kind of a big deal. :-D

Friday Feast #178

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

Appetizer: What is your favorite kind of cereal?
Wheat Chex reminds me of Saturday morning with my grandparents, so that's always a nice memory, but my current favorite is Special K Fruit and Yogurt.

Soup: When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?
Last major purchase was probably the quilt we bought for our bed last summer.

Salad: What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?
There was one a long time ago - I don't remember what it was for, but it was kids asking for unhealthy things for breakfast. "Orange juice, orange soda. What's the difference?" still makes me laugh. My current favorites include the Peyton Manning mini van commercial ("You're feelin me. You love it.") and the Microsoft Sync ("Door open") commercial. Also, most ESPN Sports Center commercials crack me up. Yes, I watch a lot of sports programming.

Main Course: Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).
Garlic Kangaroo

Dessert: Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.
I haven't stayed up all night since grad school

Friday Feast #177

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

Appetizer: How many times per day do you usually laugh?
About 5-6 on an average day. More if I'm around my nieces and nephew. I try to watch something funny every day as a stress reliever.

Soup: What do your sunglasses look like?
I am obsessed with sunglasses, mostly because I tend to lose them. I start out with the best intentions of keeping them in their cases and keeping the cases accessible so I put them BACK in the cases, but sooner or later, they all get lost. Which is why I have 4-5 pairs in various places at any given time. I am very light sensitive, so I wear them almost everytime I step outside. I usually stick to glasses in shades of browns or coppers, though I do have a few black pairs. And the pair that slides on over my regular glasses is silver with dark grey lenses because that's all I could find to fit over my glasses.

Salad: You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?
I'd have to say out west to the Rocky Mountains because my DH has never been there. We'd have to have a sleeper car though because we're pretty private people and we like our own space (which is why we usually travel by car for vacations)

Main Course: Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.
It's within 2-3 hours of several major metropolitan areas on the east coast, but it's not that crowded around here, and it's the home of tax-free shopping.

Dessert: If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?
I happen to like the blue sky just the way it is, thanks.

Friday Feast #176

In addition to a revamp of my blog, I offer up another Friday Feast.

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

Appetizer: What is your favorite beverage?
I don't really have one - it depends on the mood I am in. Sometimes, I like hot tea with honey. Other times it is iced tea with raw sugar. I'm a big fan of white tea with blueberry, but sometimes I like a Vanilla Diet Coke (can easily be made by adding sugar free vanilla syrup to regular diet coke). And sometimes I like a good cup of coffee with plenty of cream and just a little sugar.

Soup: Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.
Chargers for my iPod and camera batteries, deck prisms and a lamp

Salad: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?
Probably about a 7 or 8 most days. I'm all for honesty, I just don't like hurting people's feelings.

Main Course: If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?
I'd change Istanbul to Constantinople. What kind of question is this?

Dessert: What stresses you out? What calms you down?
Money, driving in bad weather, and ill-behaved children stress me out. Listening to music, spending time by the water and my cat calm me down.

Friday Feast #175

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

I forgot to do this on Friday, and figured now is as good a time as any.

Appetizer: What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?
I have several middle names, but one I use legally. (The others are my middle name given at birth and my Confirmation name). No, I probably wouldn't change any of my names.

Soup: If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?
I love natural fabrics - silks, cottons, linens, wools, but I don't mind a little bit of blend to make the fabric better - hold shape better, structure, etc. I like things that feel nice to the touch, nothing overly synthetic (like a double knit polyester). For colors, I'm a big fan of neutrals like black, grey, tan, navy, etc., with pops of color and some print. I do love a leopard print or snakeskin shoe. And my style would be classic and flattering to real women's bodies - I detest low rise pants, too tight tops, etc.

Salad: What is your least favorite chore, and why?
Emptying the dishwasher. I don't mind loading it, but for some reason the thought of emptying it makes me cringe. I do not like dusting or mopping the floor, but I don't mind vaccuming. Laundry is my favorite chore

Main Course: What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?
I have a fear of falling - not so much of heights. Heights I can handle, but the thought of falling, usually down stairs, scares me. I even have nightmares about falling. It probably stems from a fall I had down my grandparents' basement stairs when I was about 3 or 4 and landed on my head on their concrete basement floor.

Dessert: Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.
At my desk. I can see my deck prism collection, my camera battery charger and a few skeins of floss that need to be put away

Friday Feast #174

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

A little belated, but here it is. (It's the playoffs. I've been busy. LOL)

Appetizer: When was the last time you received a surprise in the mail, and what was it?
To be honest, I can't even think of the last "surprise" I've gotten in the mail. I guess maybe the birthday card from my DH's grandma would count, since she hasn't been feeling well lately and didn't even send Christmas cards this year.

Soup: If you could have a summer and/or winter home, where would you want it to be?
I'd have to pick somewhere in Maine for most of the year, maybe even all year, depending on how tired I'd get of the snow. It would have to be near the water, either Boothbay Harbor or Bar Harbor. Maine is one of my favorite places on earth. I'd also be good with a beach house out on Long Island. Maybe not the Hamptons, but somewhere with access to a harbor for sailboating. Maybe Huntington Harbor. (Yes, I have given this question a LOT of thought)

Salad: Pick one: pineapple, orange, banana, apple, cherry.
Pineapple. I love fresh pineapple, and most pineapple flavored things.

Main Course: Describe the nicest piece of clothing that you own.
My wedding gown. I love it. It is a "strapless matte satin gown. The bodice is highlighted with a directly beaded on pattern and embroidery. This gown features a plain skirt and Chapel train". And since a picture is worth 1000 words....




Dessert: If you could forget one whole day from your life, which day would you choose to wipe from your memory?
I can't think of any - everything that's happened has brought me to where I am and I don't know where I'd end up without having gone through those things. Sure, there are a thousand little things I wish never happened, but there's not one standout day I wish I could eliminate.

Friday Feast #173

From Friday's Feast: A Buffet For Your Brain

Appetizer: Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.
Get a new job and buy a house.

Soup: With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?
According to one quiz, Cinderella. Classic, sophisticated, and beautiful, you are a perfect 50's schoolgirl. You like dark suits (odd) and the corprate world. You love business and government. Try running for president! And, you dream of a perfect ballroom fantasy as Cinderella has. You are fun yet mature. Your bad side is, you are way to tight. Loosen your screws, and oil up your rusty parts. Be a little more caring and spontaneous.

Salad: What time of day (or night) were you born?
I was born in the early evening.

Main Course: Tell us something special about your hometown.
HBO recognizes Wilkes-Barre as the birthplace of modern cable programming. In November 1972, coincidentally the autumn that followed Hurricane Agnes, 365 subscribers of Service Electric Cable were the first to receive HBO's service.

Dessert: If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?
Probably Russell Crowe or Troy Aikman. But I'd want it to be a real letter - not some mass produced fan letter