Blogger Quirks - or Something Else Altogether?

Just wondering if anyone else had any issues with viewing the new buttercup template? I looked from work & all of the sidebar links were down below the text of the posts. Then I looked from another (likely highly "blocked") place and it looked VERY strange.

Connie thinks that she could help me - but from where she sits, everything looks normal. How about you? If something does look strange - could you post a comment & then note the browser that you use - I would appreciate it. Hopefully this is something funny with my work computer & not anyone elses.

Stay tuned for a couple new posts that I've been working on - one about how I met Nick Cage and the other about, well, about the good ol' Red White and Blue.

Let's just say that both are "period pieces".

Thanks! XO

Connie hooked UP the buttercup!!!!!

Ta-Dah!!! The new look is revealed!!!!!!!!!!!

Connie-Dear took all of my thoughts, ideas and 20,000 jpeg-clip suggestions and patiently, generously, skillfully put them together as you see right here.

I LOVE IT.

Thank you so much, Connie. You've brought a huge smile to my heart...right when I really needed it.

Surgical Procedures

Just a little announcement - - things might get a little wiggy here at buttercup in the next couple days. We are undergoing a little revamp. Emphasis on the "vamp" part. Connie is helping me out a little in the design department. There may be a few fits and starts so this is why I quote:

"pay no attention to the [woman] behind the curtain"

...and all that.

Hopefully all will run smooth and come out yellow-brick-road-esque in the end.

Til' then.......see ya'll on the other side.

XO, WZ

Someone Pass the Tardy Sauce...

Sorry Secret Pal. I'm really sorry. I forgot to thank you for the lovely December gifts. And, here you've already sent along such great January gifts - I feel like such a heel.

Please accept my apologies.

Check em' out.


Our pal sent us this really great Horse & Kitty plaything - we think that it seems like something that would be great for the car. It jingles and crunches - and, it is the prettiest shade of blue!! There's also a killer Einstein teething ring that I intend to put in the fridge as soon as I wash it. If you look a little closer, you'll see another level of cozy-cute. Our pal sent us our FIRST set of piggy-jam-jams. Yes, pjs! They are so cozy that we had to bust them out of the package to test for ourselves. Verrrrry soft - and with feet! Awesome!

Iris was laying on the piggy-jam-jams but I missed the shot. Here she is cuddling in the crunchy wrapping paper. (In the right hand corner of this pic you'll see the dangling feet of the pjs).



BTW, out of curiosity....how long do we keep this up...this Secret Pal thing. Do we just keep going until the end of time? What if people forget amidst the delirium of the incredible extending wait time? Do we end when we thought we would eventually have our referrals? If so, will there be post-swap-pre-referral-depression as a result? Imagine the slump. Or, could it actually come as a relief of sorts - take the pressure off of the monthly got-to-find-a-unique-and-thoughtful-gift-that-tops-last-months??

What is a DTC group to do??

More Random

I'd like to introduce you to Maeve the Mauve Llama...if you click on her, she'll talk to you.

I know.

I couldn't help myself.

1/21/07 Edited to add:

**Maeve ran off with an Alpaca - they decided to go to Miami to become golf caddies from what I understand**

Interesting Tag

Mrs. D over at Bicycle Built for Three tagged me in a new and intriguing way. Here is what she's requested:

1) Find the nearest book
2) Open to page 123
3) Type lines 6-8 of said book
4) Tag three others

So.....here goes.

1) A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

2) Done

3) See below:

"I have donated to the couple from the women's shelter, and to that little boy from the Boys Club, the pair of solemn teenagers from SANE/FREEZE. The Berkeley-ness of Berkeley, so charming at first, is getting old.

The bell rings."

4) Tag three: C1, WrittenWord and Beginners@This

Have fun y'all!

Eight Months In - But Who's Counting?

Uh, yeah...I am.

You know what the number 8 looks like when it is on its side?


Just keepin' it real.


So, in the spirit of my newfound desire to make use of this time waiting instead of frittering it away being pissed off...here are eight things I'd like to accomplish in the next 8 months:

1. Paint & decorate BabyZ's room-to-be

2. Sew up the Bai Jia Bei

3. Tighten up the budget and tuck away a nice little chunk to show for it

4. Strengthen my back and increase my energy level because parenting is an endurance event

5. Look into becoming a Home Study Social Worker

6. Throw a Tupperware Party

7. Reconnect with my garden

8. Learn how to make Red Velvet Cake (I'd like to have it at our baby shower)

Random

A - available or taken: As far as the CCAA is concerned...I'm available. Regarding love/marriage/romance: I'm taken.

B - best friend: jzboy

C - cake or pie: Pecan Pie


D - drink of choice: Nice, hearty red wine. Non-fat latte. PGTips w/ milk & sugar. Yamamotoyama Genmaicha Tea. Water.

E - essential item you use everyday: Contacts. HondaCRV. Computer. DVR. Chapstick. Itunes. Water.

F - favorite color: RED...the old fashioned, 40's-esque-kitchen/apron/barn-shade-of-red.

G - gummy bears or worms: ONLY the German HARIBO Gummi Bears - the green ones...red ones are ok, too.


H - hometown: "All over". (Try to explain that on your homestudy)

I - indulgence: fabric stores. lattes. cookies. sewing. vino. time with my neice.

J - January or February: Both. I love New Years. And, I love Valentines Day.

K - kid's names: Iris, Cleo & Willie. Those are the furbabies.
Baby girl??? Well...that is a bit under wraps at the moment.

L - life incomplete without: jzboy...for sure. Mom/Dad/Sister/babyneice, too...

M - marriage date: July 1999.

N - number of siblings: One.

O - oranges or apples: Blood Oranges. Apples in Tarte Tatin...fa' shizzle.


P - phobias or fears: Yes.

Q - favorite quote: Too many to list. Anything by significant, strong women who have endured more than I could imagine.

R - reason to smile: Sunshine. Sunsets - especially in Mexico. Furbaby Iris. Plans with jzboy. A clean house.

S - season: Autumn, for sure.

T - tag 4 people: I think that everyone else has done this one. If you have not - then, please have at it....

U - unknown fact about me: I collect dishtowels. I love to wrap gifts. I could eat broccoli everyday. I met Nicolas Cage

V - veggie I don't like: Lima Beans. Frozen peas. Canned peas. Bitter lettuces.

W - worst habit: Worrying about stuff I have no control over.

X - xrays: Teeth, female parts...Multiple times. Head...once...after a major car accident.

Y - your favorite food: Sushi. Broccoli. Fresh summer corn/tomatoes/lettuces/peas/anything with summer freshness.

Z - zodiac: Virgo-on-the-cusp-of-Libra/Ram-Chinese

24

Just. Can't. Wait.

Jack's Back.

Countdown begins......

Pulse racing. Disbelief suspended.

Buckle up, baby.

Non-Prescription Treatment for the Blahs

Making cute things.



If you haven't already, you should definitely visit Wee Wonderfuls. Hillary Lang is the designer of this very cute pattern for Kitty, Bunny and Bear. She most definitely is an artisan of cuteness.

This project has been brewing around in my thoughts for some time. I bought the pattern this summer and had a few fabrics in mind. Then I got all consumed with the quilting class. As the holidays approached, my inspiration kicked into gear...time to make the bears! What began as a simple, little Christmas gift plan for my neice and BabyZ eventually spilled into a level of crafting hypomania that neither I nor the Kenmore could have imagined.

Beginnings of BabyZ's Kitty:


Voodoo Kitty:


Kitty's Friends:



In total, I think that I made....hmmmm.....about.....eleven of these suckers. Talk about rabbits multiplying.

The dark brown bear above with the blue/white/red craziness in the top pic went to my incredible neice. I gave one to Julie. I gave one to my local DTC buddy, Jen. One is earmarked for my friend who is expecting any day now. Of course, Mom wanted one after she saw the ones for the girls...hers is the kitty with the Asian umbrella print below:


Finally, here is BabyZ's Kitty...the very first one that I made:


I realize that this is craziness, I do.

However, keeping busy and making so much cuteness really does something for the mood. At least it does for me.

I'm also thinking of it as a bit of a warmup for the Bai Jia Bei Marathon that looms. Question is: am I training for the event - or simply engaged in an elaborate game of dodgeball?

Oh well, at least it has been fun procrastinating.


***Update*** Mom's kitty:

Looking Back...My Excellent Discoveries of 2006

1. Blogger (you know how to find it)
2. Ugly Betty (love, LOVE America Ferrera. Love the girl.)
3. Lady Sovereign (see above for attitude)
4. Auntie-hood (sorry, can't post a pic of the girl who's stole my wee heart)
5. Re-Discovering my sewing machine
6. Quilting
7. ITunes
8. David Sedaris (I know, I am a latecomer)
9. The Beauty of using long accumulated, miserly hoarded sick/vacation time
10. Beard Papas
11. Brandon Flowers
12. The Caribbean

Oh yeah.....the Caribbean!

2006 has been a challenging but beautiful year.

Why Nic Rocks

1 - She's funny
2 - She's a bit left of center
3 - She's a serious feminist
4 - She's uniquely creative
5 - She asks the right questions
6 - She has a love for the hog
7 - She has a flag for everything
8 - She brings people together
9 - She doesn't hold back
10 - She's a Wicked, Wicked Witch

Happy Birthday, Nic. You are quite a woman........XOXO

Time to Push the Reset Button

Cool thing about New Years Eve is that little feeling of opportunity on the horizon. A chance at a fresh start. 2007 is going to be a special year for me in more ways than the adoption one - so it is about time to muster up some optimism and to brighten my outlook. I've got to get a moveon, or 2007 will whiz by as fast as 2006 did and I've got some stuff I need to do.

Time for me to push the reset button.......

Kickin' It

Ahh, the holiday let down. And I mean that in the most positive way. Time to let down my hair, recover from all of the cookin'/bakin'/sewin' and frettin'. I got to do exactly what I've been dreaming of for the past few weeks:



Snuggle in with Iris, sip a bit o' PGTips and catch up on the Real World/Denver.

Now I am ready to enjoy the weekend!!!

**Edited to add PGTips link - our favorite tea around here**

Top Chef?

Wow, this is pretty cool....thanks LisaB!

You Are an Excellent Cook

You're a top cook, but you weren't born that way. It's taken a lot of practice, a lot of experimenting, and a lot of learning. It's likely that you have what it takes to be a top chef, should you have the desire...

Are You A Good Cook?

Why the AGA Rocks

Because it enabled me to cook 8 dozen cookies in an hour and 17 minutes!!


I made the dough for 3 different cookies this morning & they chilled until I got back from the market with the holiday weekend necessities. Russian teacakes are my favorite (Grandma's recipe), Tassies are Jzboy's fave -- and the chocolatey ones are a new addition this year. They are called Chocolate Mint Marvels. Funny thing is that I found the recipe on an InFlight magazine enroute to Mexico.

Take a look at the stove clock - 3:08pm.....Teacakes in the Tall Oven.


Tassies & Mint Marvels on the flip-side.....



Final batches out of the oven...4:25!! Elapsed time: 1 hour & 17 minutes. Brilliant! (Can you see the clock "through" my finger?)














Donezo.

The Mint Marvels taste like a lot like a Thin Mint - but with more chew. Very yum!

Getting excited, Dad??



EDITED TO ADD:

CHOCOLATE MINT MARVELS
submitted by Chris Wessling, senior editor/American Way InFlight Magazine
— from his mother Mary Ann Wessling’s recipe

¾ cup butter
1½ cups brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips (I used semisweet)
2 eggs
2½ cups flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
3 or 4 packages of Andes mints (you actually only need one - I also made a bunch w/o mint in case someone didn't like)

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir to melt; put mixture into a bowl and let cool. Add eggs, and then mix in flour and baking soda. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and place an Andes mint on each one. As the candy melts, spread it across the top of the cookie with a butter knife. Makes 3 dozen.

7

Seven Swans a' Swimming......

We're Seven Months in.

Yeah, we're in...and we're treading water.

DTC 5/15/06

Yucatecan Treasures

*This is the third & final installment in what I'm calling my Mexican Vacation Series. This process has be fun. I enjoy sharing pics and the stories that go along with them. It has also been an opportunity for me to savor the memories a little longer. More pictures below in case you missed them.*


When a groovy old friend of mine heard that we were going to the Yucatan, she strongly encouraged us to check out the ruins of Ek Balam. She knew that we planned to visit Chichen Itza and suggested that this would be a good contrast to that experience. She also mentioned that there just so happens to be a unique little spot to stay closeby called the Genesis Retreat and swore we would love the place.

We did.

This is the view from the very comfortable bed we had at Genesis:


This place is idyllic. You must visit if you find yourself in the area. A cool,down to earth Canadian woman created and runs the amazing space. Amenities include: a sweatlodge, outdoor showers, beautiful mosaics all over the place, vegetarian meals and homemade fresh lime margaritas.

After a good nights sleep and an early morning wakeup call by Mr. Rooster, we had a leisurely walk around the community surrounding Genesis. We were met with friendliness by the locals - including some elementary schoolkids hanging around. One particularly confident girl helped me with a little Spanish. When I asked her "Como se dise" & pointed to one of these guys that were strutting around the place in packs:


She said "Pavo". Turkey.

These guys?


"Pavolitos". Baby turkeys. Have you ever seen a baby turkey? (Def click on the pic for a closer look).

Although it was hard to leave - and I'm not talking about how long it took the taxi guy to finally come get us - we finally made our way from the Genesis Retreat to Ek Balam.


Beautiful, blue skied day. It was warm & a bit humid - but very tolerable. I can only imagine what the temperatures are like in the summer. We were nearly the only people here on this very quiet Wednesday...definitely a contrast to the huge numbers at Chichen Itza. It was nice to be able to meander around in a quiet, contemplative space. And, it was cool to be able to climb to the top of the main pyramid (tourists are no longer able to climb to the top of El Castillo at Chichen Itza).


Did I say cool? It actually was quite hot. We were there when the sun was high in the sky & beating down upon the stone steps. I'd love to go back in time to see how the Maya lived in these places. I'm sure that they zipped up & down the stairs like nobodys business.

View from the top:


The Mayan site of Ek Balam is so incredibly well preserved. They actually only began restoration in 1997! And, there are still mounds left to be excavated. Incredible. Absolutely incredible.

We had just enough time to ride bikes down to the Ek Balam Ceynote (pronounced Say-noh-tay). This pic does it very little justice - you know how that goes...


This is an enormous sinkhole very close to the Ek Balam site. There are over 3000 Ceynotes in the Yucatan - and only 1400 of these are actually studied and registered. Apparantly they were considered sacred places of the Maya because they were the only resource for fresh, sweet water in the Yucatecan jungle and also because they represented the entrance to the underworld. Awesome.

Our taxi was waiting for us once we biked out from the Cenote & drove us into Valladolid so we could catch our bus back to Isla Mujeres. First order of business? Dinner - we were starving and parched. The place we chose had clean toilets, cold beer and this Yucatecan delight:


Huevos Motulenos - a Yucatecan egg dish similar to Huevos Rancheros which is incredibly delicious especially after a day of walking around in the jungle and when you haven't eaten since breakfast. The Negra Leon (very similar to Negra Modelo) was cold, refreshing & a welcome treat.

After a very mellow bus ride (via ADO busline) complete with air conditioning, comfortable, reclining seats and random martial arts movie we were happy to be back to our beach. It was a relief to know that tomorrow would not require any running around, timelines or decisions harder than which beach chair to choose. It was bittersweet because it would be our last day of vacation.

And, our last Caribbean sunset.



We couldn't be bothered doing much shopping during our trip, however, I did manage to find something special for BabyZ.


I couldn't resist. The man who made this, had a card table set up close to the restaurant section on Isla. He had quite a menagerie of handmade felted animals. The armadillo was my favorite.

So, we're home now and transitioning back to reality. Holiday stuff, extended wait times with CCAA, mortgage payments, work schedules, housecleaning. Back to the good stuff, too...like lattes made with fresh milk, fresh garden salads, our home, family/friends to reconnect with and...Iris.


Yes, Iris was very, very, very happy to have us back. We missed her, too.

Smile Like You Mean It

Yup. It was last night!! They rocked. We rocked. The concert was terrific. I can not get the Killers out of my head...I think that is a very good sign.

Highlights of the evening:

1 - Six bands & Five and 1/2 hours of music for $45.50/ticket! I learned last night that the show sold out in TWO minutes!

2 - Best band of the night: The Killers

~and~

Hottest singer of the night: Brandon Flowers/Killers (Be sure to click on the pics below to get a better look at lovely Mr. Flowers - these are actually pics from last nights show!)


He was soo smooth, sounded so great and seemed to be having so much fun. Very sexy. The band was incredibly tight. As the last band in a lineup of six, they were definitely worth the wait.

3 - The Silversun Pickups did not disappoint in the least, although I would have liked to hear more from them. They were the first group to come on after the local band contest winners & only had about 25 minutes to play.
Not enough, I tell you!

There will be a next time, for sure, as I really-truly enjoyed them!


Bass player Nikki Monninger was inspirational. I want to be her.

I only have their latest album & love the guitar, so I knew she would be great. To hear her in person & see how confident-cool she was onstage reminded me of that fantasy I've always had of being a rock & roll star! You Go Ms. Nikki!!

4 - I think that Modest Mouse should change its name to Johnny Marr (formerly of the Smiths) and the Modest Mice. The band seemed totally separated from Johnny, who is more of a guitarist than a vocalist - but they had him positioned as though he was fronting the band. It was just awkward.

5 - Jack White is taller, fuller and a lot less vacant than I'd imagined him.


He was really soulful...and pretty hot, too, come to think of it. It was interesting to hear the Raconteurs do some really old school sounding stuff. Jzboy said he thought that it sounded a lot like Alice Cooper. It was almost comical when they broke into their hit (Steady as She Goes) as the final song on their playlist. To me, it was really out of place.

6 - The Shins were good. One of the guitarists really melted my heart with how into the music he was & the way he moved. I noticed some really, huge fans in the crowd -- I'm just not that up on their stuff, I suppose.

Final Thoughts:

Getting hit on in the beer line never gets old.

Cell phone "lights" have now replaced the lighter at a concert.

Always dress in layers if you are going to a show in December.

Run, don't walk to the shop and buy the Killers new album...is it ok to still call them albums? Track 6 - my favorite.

Kids are still overindulging and passing out in the bathrooms at concerts.

There is still anxiety around "being seen" at a show - for me, now, it is the anxiety of being seen by one of the kids I work with at the high school.

Some things don't change...including overinflated beer prices and my annoying habit of leaving concert tickets in back pockets & destroying them in the wash.

Chichen Itza - Not Chicken Pizza!

We LOVED our time on the beach in Mexico - but truly wanted to experience the history of the ruins inland. So we traveled westward to the Yucatan. It may seem cliche to some - but our primary destination was Chichen Itza. What an amazing spot. Spiritual, historical, international - inspirational.

Absolutely.


The day was perfect - warm, but not too hot, incredible blue skies. We were awestruck. What a sight - a photo on a random blog just does not do it justice.

I hope that you'll click on the pictures to enlarge the images to get a closer look.

I accept the fact that I'm a lamebrain in the history department, but...c'mon....how did I graduate high school without an understanding of the history in this part of the world? It makes me angry...really. Really!! We hooked up with this great Spanish speaking docent who walked us through a small part of the ruins. This guy gave us a great, albeit cursory history lesson about Chichen Itza and its rise to power - I want to know more, though. It is all so interesting & complex.

This stone carving references the "games" played at Chichen Itza that precluded the sacrifices made to the Gods.


This is an etching that alludes to the activities surrounding the beheadings that became a part of the sacrificial aspect of life in Chichen Itza back in the day. Our guide told us that the Maya people were not "into" sacrifice until they were infiltrated by another group of people (sorry, I can't remember the name of that group). Interesting how they embraced the practice.

Love the skull pic, BTW.



Here are a couple other pics of the amazing stone etchings - It is amazing to me to think of how old this art is. Incredible. And, so damn beautiful.






One thing about Chichen Itza - it is a very huge tourist attaction. I will not call it a tourist trap, though. The "artisan marketplace" outside the area is more of a trap. Once you are inside, and this place is huge, you are in a sacred sort of place. Yes, there are loads of folk trying to sell you stuff that has likely been made in China...but, well, you move on from that. It is not like there is a McDonalds onsite. There is some sense of reverence in spite of the capitalization of the thousands of people visiting the spot daily.

Final, shadowy pic of the amazing spot:


Proof that we were here together:



A very cool, very well traveled friend of ours recommended a retreat close to Chichen Itza - well off the beaten path. This included a trip to Ek Balam, a ruins site that has only recently been excavated. That was our planned resting place...and we did end up there....eventually.

More pics of that spot and a funny culture collision story to come...........

Until then....adios muchachas/muchachos.