8 Things I am Looking Forward To:
1. Moving to a bigger, nicer place! ^_^
2. Finding a job.
3. Going on vacation/late honeymoon to South Africa!!!!!!
4. Summer weather :)
5. Dance Fair
6. All of the good movies coming out this summer
7. Going places on our list as the weather gets nicer
8. Holding my husband when he gets home from work <3
(also: doing one of the Make magazine projects!)
8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Made Oatmeal-Raisin bread for Syd...
2. Mixed up fruit-yoghurt-coconut salad
3. Got groceries
4. Made Oatmeal-Raisin bread AGAIN because our oven has issues and the first batch was ruined >.<
5. Did my Yoga :)
6. Fixed lunch (tacos, leftover apple betty) and dinner (steakburger, parmesan potato wedges)
7. Pampered my hard-working fishy
8. Knitted, a little.
(and also scanned patterns, and did random other stuff)
8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Scuba dive
2. Speak five languages, fluently
3. Feel well :(
4. Move far, far away (eventually)
5. Invent something super-awesome (or multiple super awesome things)
6. Start my own company (joint with husband, of course)
7. Make the Forbes top 200 XD
8. Travel the world (eventually, but money is needed first :P)
8 Shows I Watch:
1. Dancing with the Stars
2. The Amazing Race
3. Heroes
4. Ugly Betty
5. Stargate! <3
6. The Emperor's New School (love the Disney channel)
7. Mythbusters
8. MacGuyver :P
...Battlestar Galactica is in the line up, as are some other stuffs...I am catching up on years worth of no cable thanks to Netflix. XD Ooh and of course Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck belong on that list, too!
You are tagged if you read this! Mwahahahaha....
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Movie Nights
Movie #1: Monsters vs. Aliens
Very enjoyable. We were the only people in the theater, which was nice, and the movie is very cute. Had to laugh when Susan tells her mom on her wedding day that she was "hit by a meteor!" and her mom replies "That's normal, dear, everyone feels that way on their wedding day!" (side note: I did not!) Not as inspired as any Pixar movie, nor even as good as Shrek or Madagascar or Bolt, but still very enjoyable and fun.
Movie #2: Fast & Furious 4
Yay! Very much as good as the earlier Fast & Furiouses...not sure what the subtitle for this one was, it should actually be F&F 1.5 or something. But anyways, very hot cars. And a very good plot, actually. Same cast (for the most part) as the original. If you like awesomely tricked out cars and racing...this is definitely a must-see. On a side note...omg Vin Diesel has waaaaaaaaaay too much muscle. It's scary.
Very enjoyable. We were the only people in the theater, which was nice, and the movie is very cute. Had to laugh when Susan tells her mom on her wedding day that she was "hit by a meteor!" and her mom replies "That's normal, dear, everyone feels that way on their wedding day!" (side note: I did not!) Not as inspired as any Pixar movie, nor even as good as Shrek or Madagascar or Bolt, but still very enjoyable and fun.
Movie #2: Fast & Furious 4
Yay! Very much as good as the earlier Fast & Furiouses...not sure what the subtitle for this one was, it should actually be F&F 1.5 or something. But anyways, very hot cars. And a very good plot, actually. Same cast (for the most part) as the original. If you like awesomely tricked out cars and racing...this is definitely a must-see. On a side note...omg Vin Diesel has waaaaaaaaaay too much muscle. It's scary.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Chocolate Making, Day 2 - molding
So I wanted to make 3D hollow chocolate eggs for everyone for Easter...so that was 9, in total. Syd has done 3D molding before (it actually isn't that hard) so he helped me. We couldn't get the milk chocolate or white chocolate to temper properly, so it was unfortunately too thick to work for 3D chocolates. So we ended up making dark chocolates, which tempered very well, and most people at Easter probably preferred that anyway!
Basically, you take your chocolate mold, you fill it less than halfway with chocolate, you clip the two halves of your molds together, and then you turn it to evenly coat the inside of the mold. You keep turning it until the chocolate reaches room temperature, then you put it in the freezer until it starts to separate from the mold (it goes kind of white-ish). Then you take it out, unclip the mold, take one side of the mold off (carefully) and then pop it out of the other half (again, carefully) onto waxed paper. If you are confident that it turned out well, you can trim the seam with a razor (but if you hold it too long the chocolate gets soft and you can squish it). Then you wrap it up in chocolate/candy foil..and voila! Pretty 3D hollow eggs. =D
I wanted to try caramel or cadbury-style eggs, as well, but because I only had three eggs molds and on average only two of those actually survived each time, it took us the entire night plus one last batch in the morning to get enough to hand out! It did get easier as we went, and got a better feel for it. I'm going to play with the milk and white chocolate some this week and see if I can't get tempering down, and then when my new molds (we ordered 3D butterfly molds and a 3D shark mold) arrive maybe we can get some colored white chocolate (I have oil coloring) butterflies done and/or some milk chocolates. I also might buy dusting/sparkle powder this week (Hobby Lobby has a 40% off coupon this week) and try dusting the butterfly's wings...). I need a new box for all of my candy and chocolate stuff now...new obsession. And I reaaaaally want that chocolates & confections book.
I wish there was a professional chocolate making class that I could take somewhere in the area. That would be really cool. Oh well...I can figure it out on my own! ^_^
I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of our finished eggs...they were all glossy and nice, and looked so pretty wrapped up in green foil! Bah! I will have to take pictures of the next chocolates that I make that turn out well. >.<
Basically, you take your chocolate mold, you fill it less than halfway with chocolate, you clip the two halves of your molds together, and then you turn it to evenly coat the inside of the mold. You keep turning it until the chocolate reaches room temperature, then you put it in the freezer until it starts to separate from the mold (it goes kind of white-ish). Then you take it out, unclip the mold, take one side of the mold off (carefully) and then pop it out of the other half (again, carefully) onto waxed paper. If you are confident that it turned out well, you can trim the seam with a razor (but if you hold it too long the chocolate gets soft and you can squish it). Then you wrap it up in chocolate/candy foil..and voila! Pretty 3D hollow eggs. =D
I wanted to try caramel or cadbury-style eggs, as well, but because I only had three eggs molds and on average only two of those actually survived each time, it took us the entire night plus one last batch in the morning to get enough to hand out! It did get easier as we went, and got a better feel for it. I'm going to play with the milk and white chocolate some this week and see if I can't get tempering down, and then when my new molds (we ordered 3D butterfly molds and a 3D shark mold) arrive maybe we can get some colored white chocolate (I have oil coloring) butterflies done and/or some milk chocolates. I also might buy dusting/sparkle powder this week (Hobby Lobby has a 40% off coupon this week) and try dusting the butterfly's wings...). I need a new box for all of my candy and chocolate stuff now...new obsession. And I reaaaaally want that chocolates & confections book.
I wish there was a professional chocolate making class that I could take somewhere in the area. That would be really cool. Oh well...I can figure it out on my own! ^_^
I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of our finished eggs...they were all glossy and nice, and looked so pretty wrapped up in green foil! Bah! I will have to take pictures of the next chocolates that I make that turn out well. >.<
Monday, April 6, 2009
Chocolate Making, Day 1 - Dipping
So we went to Sugarcraft over the weekend (also to the Zoo, and Jungle Jim's, and putt-putting, and to the movies, but I digress), and so I now have a double boiler. Yay! :D And an egg mold!
I was able to melt milk chocolate MUCH more easily, without killing it, and I think I even tempered it fairly well. I ended up with 12 chocolate-dipped Oreos (to which I added hard-sugar decorations) and the same number of chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks (to which I added easter-colored, aka pastel, nonpareils). I can't eat them, but that is okay (and is probably better for me anyways). I couldn't even eat them if I dipped my own pretzels, because I did the oreos first (as they are a gift) and the chocolate was therefore wheat/gluten contaminated.
I had fun, and it was much less frustrating than the last time I tried dipping anything. I actually had the right tools, the double boiler helped a lot, and I now know (at least, in theory) how to temper chocolate.
Tomorrow I am going to try making hollow chocolate eggs, "Cadbury" creme eggs, and "Kinder" eggs. I need to get the clips tonight so that I can clip the two halves of the mold together. Although, given the amount of things I want to make it may take more than one go...I will probably make more chocolate covered pretzels (some for me next time, with white chocolate) with the leftovers from the batches.
Other than that this week, let's see...well, I finished the Mystic Star KAL last week, finally, sans blocking (which is unlikely to happen until after we move and/or I have a job, so 2+ months probably). I am finishing up a small lace doily that I started as part of the little needle lovers monthly KAL, and am finishing the crochet border off tonight. Kalinumba has an Egyptian-themed KAL starting next week, called the "Eye of Horus". I signed up for it, but I am not sure if I will find yarn and start knitting in time or if I will wait until I get the shawl for Ma done first or what. Hmmm. I am also currently awaiting the right size and length needles in order to start two knits from the Sensual Knits book that Syd bought me for Valentines Day <3. I'm going to check my LYS Thursday when I take the car in...if they have them I might go ahead and buy them, I am quite happy with they HiyaHiya needles I bought for the Mystic Star Shawl KAL and the price was fine.
Finally, dance-related, we began International Rumba on Sunday, so this is our first introduction to International Style. I'm totally excited, it is really fun and it looks good and yay! That means we are better than they are! XD Or something like that. We also did our chacha full speed, so we will be doing it faster than previously, and we did a little bit of Tango.
I was able to melt milk chocolate MUCH more easily, without killing it, and I think I even tempered it fairly well. I ended up with 12 chocolate-dipped Oreos (to which I added hard-sugar decorations) and the same number of chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks (to which I added easter-colored, aka pastel, nonpareils). I can't eat them, but that is okay (and is probably better for me anyways). I couldn't even eat them if I dipped my own pretzels, because I did the oreos first (as they are a gift) and the chocolate was therefore wheat/gluten contaminated.
I had fun, and it was much less frustrating than the last time I tried dipping anything. I actually had the right tools, the double boiler helped a lot, and I now know (at least, in theory) how to temper chocolate.
Tomorrow I am going to try making hollow chocolate eggs, "Cadbury" creme eggs, and "Kinder" eggs. I need to get the clips tonight so that I can clip the two halves of the mold together. Although, given the amount of things I want to make it may take more than one go...I will probably make more chocolate covered pretzels (some for me next time, with white chocolate) with the leftovers from the batches.
Other than that this week, let's see...well, I finished the Mystic Star KAL last week, finally, sans blocking (which is unlikely to happen until after we move and/or I have a job, so 2+ months probably). I am finishing up a small lace doily that I started as part of the little needle lovers monthly KAL, and am finishing the crochet border off tonight. Kalinumba has an Egyptian-themed KAL starting next week, called the "Eye of Horus". I signed up for it, but I am not sure if I will find yarn and start knitting in time or if I will wait until I get the shawl for Ma done first or what. Hmmm. I am also currently awaiting the right size and length needles in order to start two knits from the Sensual Knits book that Syd bought me for Valentines Day <3. I'm going to check my LYS Thursday when I take the car in...if they have them I might go ahead and buy them, I am quite happy with they HiyaHiya needles I bought for the Mystic Star Shawl KAL and the price was fine.
Finally, dance-related, we began International Rumba on Sunday, so this is our first introduction to International Style. I'm totally excited, it is really fun and it looks good and yay! That means we are better than they are! XD Or something like that. We also did our chacha full speed, so we will be doing it faster than previously, and we did a little bit of Tango.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Guitar Hero: Metallica - ROCK ON!
The next in the Guitar Hero : band installment came out just recently, this one (the second after Guitar Hero : Aerosmith) based around Metallica, and using the new GH:World Tour format. Now, I really really personally disliked World Tour, although I have decided that this can be attributed to the serious lack of decent songs (there were only about three songs worth playing in World Tour, and I could easily five star nearly all of the songs on hard the first go-round). I still don't like the smaller notes buuuuuut hey our TV is tiny so this is likely the reason.
GH: Metallica is full of reaaaaallly good songs, both Metallica and other bands, and has even more songs than previous versions. It does have two "intro" songs that were included in other versions of Guitar Hero, but I'm not complaining. :) I also like the way they really captured the band, their facial expressions and movements seem much more realistic than previous versions.
Also improved from World Tour is the difficulty level of the songs. They are much more challenging on hard, and very difficult on expert. Which is good, because the challenge means I will have something to play while I wait for the next installment of the Guitar Hero Universe! =D
Rating: 4 out of 5
GH: Metallica is full of reaaaaallly good songs, both Metallica and other bands, and has even more songs than previous versions. It does have two "intro" songs that were included in other versions of Guitar Hero, but I'm not complaining. :) I also like the way they really captured the band, their facial expressions and movements seem much more realistic than previous versions.
Also improved from World Tour is the difficulty level of the songs. They are much more challenging on hard, and very difficult on expert. Which is good, because the challenge means I will have something to play while I wait for the next installment of the Guitar Hero Universe! =D
Rating: 4 out of 5
Monday, March 16, 2009
Various Updates
I haven't been very good at writing blog posts lately, unfortunately. :\ I am ashamed. :P
I finally finished that darn pearl necklace! Well, it still needs fray check to seal the knots, but that is about it. :D I got rather down to the wire with the length of silk thread left over, but I made it. So now I have a matching necklace & bracelet of tiny white pearls.
I'm still working on the Mystic Star KAL. I want to buy some more yarn to dye, but I haven't decide what yet. I'm planning on casting on to knit a goldfish or something cute to work on in the car because I don't have any mobile projects at the moment, and it is bugging me.
I have a long to-do list this week. :(
I also knit myself a pair of Evenstar fingerless gloves, in yarn that I dyed, a very bright (but pretty) shade of purple. I would like to knit more gloves, but the ones that I really want to knit I need a different weight of yarn for (and I want to dye the yarn for that myself).
I have been working on the ASP.NET video tutorials, and I am making good progess.
I finally finished that darn pearl necklace! Well, it still needs fray check to seal the knots, but that is about it. :D I got rather down to the wire with the length of silk thread left over, but I made it. So now I have a matching necklace & bracelet of tiny white pearls.
I'm still working on the Mystic Star KAL. I want to buy some more yarn to dye, but I haven't decide what yet. I'm planning on casting on to knit a goldfish or something cute to work on in the car because I don't have any mobile projects at the moment, and it is bugging me.
I have a long to-do list this week. :(
I also knit myself a pair of Evenstar fingerless gloves, in yarn that I dyed, a very bright (but pretty) shade of purple. I would like to knit more gloves, but the ones that I really want to knit I need a different weight of yarn for (and I want to dye the yarn for that myself).
I have been working on the ASP.NET video tutorials, and I am making good progess.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Le Meh.
So I am finally finally finally 16" into the back of Syd's sweater, which means I get to start the arm hole decreases, yay! I feel like I am kinda making some progress now. ^_^
Tomorrow I am going to: go through the clothes in the closet, go through all of our bank statements in an attempt to find tax info, and I want to bake chocoalte chip cookies...and maybe if I am really "with it" I will bake something yummy for Syd, I dunno. XD I also need to get groceries, which I was going to do today but didn't because I had such a bad migraine. Hopefully tomorrow my head will be all better.
Stupid spring weather turbulance. >.<
I love spring but I hate weather changes. :(
I also need to finish the Hobbit Comic I started and then write more script. The next few pages I'm really looking forward to, yay!
Mom is coming over and we are going shopping or something Monday or Tuesday, I am waiting to hear back from RHT about interview stuff and need to stop by their office sometime...hmmm what else....I would like to dye more yarn but I haven't decide what for, more fingerless mitts (two possible patterns, one that I would dye different blues the other...I'm not sure, maybe reds? I think I am going to have to invest in some more dye colors sometime...) or legwarmers to "match" (ish) my Evenstar gloves.
Oh I need to get Syd to take pictures of my gloves still, and we need to scrapbook, but Syd has been so busy working. :( Oh well.
I also didn't make it to the crafts store today like I wanted to (stupid migraine >.<), so I still want to make stitch markers and stuff but I didn't get the color that I need and I want to make them all at the same time...maybe tomorrow. Or maybe not. *shrug*
I should go to sleep now-ish so that I can get up in the morning with Syd in case Mom is coming over. I feel so uninspired. :P
Tomorrow I am going to: go through the clothes in the closet, go through all of our bank statements in an attempt to find tax info, and I want to bake chocoalte chip cookies...and maybe if I am really "with it" I will bake something yummy for Syd, I dunno. XD I also need to get groceries, which I was going to do today but didn't because I had such a bad migraine. Hopefully tomorrow my head will be all better.
Stupid spring weather turbulance. >.<
I love spring but I hate weather changes. :(
I also need to finish the Hobbit Comic I started and then write more script. The next few pages I'm really looking forward to, yay!
Mom is coming over and we are going shopping or something Monday or Tuesday, I am waiting to hear back from RHT about interview stuff and need to stop by their office sometime...hmmm what else....I would like to dye more yarn but I haven't decide what for, more fingerless mitts (two possible patterns, one that I would dye different blues the other...I'm not sure, maybe reds? I think I am going to have to invest in some more dye colors sometime...) or legwarmers to "match" (ish) my Evenstar gloves.
Oh I need to get Syd to take pictures of my gloves still, and we need to scrapbook, but Syd has been so busy working. :( Oh well.
I also didn't make it to the crafts store today like I wanted to (stupid migraine >.<), so I still want to make stitch markers and stuff but I didn't get the color that I need and I want to make them all at the same time...maybe tomorrow. Or maybe not. *shrug*
I should go to sleep now-ish so that I can get up in the morning with Syd in case Mom is coming over. I feel so uninspired. :P
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