Win Or Lose We Still Booze

Every Thursday night I play kickball with the greatest team ever! Win or Lose, We Still Booze. We love each other so much, we started our own blog! Check it out!

Win Or Lose, We Still Booze

Take me home country roads

Last week I was lucky enough to participate in my 7th Appalachia trip with my church. Several groups consisting of youth and adults travel for one week during the summer to Preston County, West Virginia to help renovate dilapidated homes for those living with the unfortunate situation of rural poverty.

This trip originated in 1986 as a flood relief effort, when Preston County was wiped out due to massive flooding. The trip has continued to grow every year since.

Although the water damage effects of the flood have since vanished, Preston County is still a very poor area and most living there cannot afford to mend their homes on their own. My week in Appalachia is what I look forward to most during the year. Going on Appalachia trips in high school and going to college in WV I have grown to love this state. I love it's beauty and I love the people who live there.

We stay in a little town, Rowlesburg. This little town is in a valley surrounded on every side by a mountain. I really think it is the only town like this. To get to Rowlesburg you have to drive along a 20 or so mile road along the Cheat River. This is my favorite road in the entire world. It is curvy, it is beautiful. Rowlesburg in the morning is, like John Denver put it, almost heaven....the clouds sitting on top of the mountain tops is unbelievable.

Every year I have gone on this trip I have learned something new about myself, and others. There are a million reasons why I continue to go back to Rowlesburg every year and learning how to hammer and build roofs is only one of them. It is about the people you meet, the things that happen there that can ONLY happen in WV (like when you're driving on a dirt road on a cliff and have to stop for a cow. How does a cow get on a road surrounded by cliffs??? Or when you meet someone who has a deer as a pet.)

I think everyone should try and volunteer in some way in a community that they love. It really does make you feel good and helping others is always a good feeling!

Summer time and the livin's easy

A few months back I obsessed over my new bike beach cruiser bike. Well, I am STILL obsessing. I named her Sally and she has been getting around this summer! She looks great and I make 6 year old girls jealous every time I use her!

My boyfriend also has an awesome beach cruiser!

We have had so much fun riding these guys all along the Jersey coast this summer!

Empire State of Mind

So sorry for the hiatus. The very long hiatus. I have been one very busy gal! Aside from spending every weekend at the shore (poor me) my camera decided to take a dip in the Atlantic with me...therefore I have not been able to document my craftyness! But turn those frowns upside down because I got myself a brand new blue camera and am ready to snap and go!

Let me begin by telling you last Christmas my mom got me the coolest calender EVER! It's the kind with a different picture for each day and this particular calendar had pictures of my and Jay-Z's favorite city and the one in which I just happen to reside in....New York....concrete jungle where dreams are made of. Sorry, I digress. I knew where the fate of these pictures lay the second I saw them. Collage! Collage! Collage! I told myself I was going to wait till the end of the year to actually make these collages but I could not wait. A few nights of painting and modge podging later....

I really like how they turned out. Just gotta get 'em framed! I even hung one up already!

I just happen to have a friend who just moved and can't wait to surprise her with one of these!

Card mania!

On a recent trip home my Mom showed me some lovely cards she has been working on.

Aren't they perfect for Spring and Summer? I love the butterflies! Great job Mom!

You Make my Dreams Come True

Let's take a moment right now to honor several important things in life: mustaches and John Oates. Not all mustaches are created equal and it certainly takes a certain kind of gentleman with charisma and style to pull one off. My favorite mustachioed gent' would be John Oates, the superior half of the great rock duo Hall and Oates. John's upper lip is decorated perfectly. The fame of his mustache almost precedes his fame as a musical genius. Yes there are other notable musicians who wear their mustaches quite well; Freddie Mercury, the Beatles circa Sargent Pepper, but John is by far the best. John has recently shaved his mustache, but it will always be there to me, even when it's not if that makes any sense.



On to my next point. Hall and Oates are the greatest rock duo in the world. Tonight Hall and Oates play in Atlantic City at the Borgata and I can not afford to go. If you love Hall and Oates, live near by, and can shell out $300 pesos (probably more because it's actually $300 American dollars but it's Cinco de Mayo!) then I suggest you go. These guys are dynamite!

Finally, how amazing would this look on my car?

I want this. I need this!

Dolphins and Scrappin'

I took advantage of the beautiful weekend and headed South to the Jersey Shore with some of my best buddies and my favorite guy! We went to Six Flags Great Adventure and got to hang out with some dolphins! It was so hot I wanted to jump in the pool with them!

With school out for the Summer I finally had the chance to make some headway on my scrapbook for mine and Chris' cruise to Cozumel and Key West. We had so much fun on our cruise and I really think these pages show how much fun in the sun we really had!

I'll be back

So sorry I have been so absent. It is finals week for me with school so I have had my head buried in my books! Grad school is so time consuming! Luckily after this week school's out for Summer!

Weekend wrap up.

I had such a busy weekend! On Saturday I got to go to the Brooklyn Brewery. While riding my bike from Queens to Brooklyn I saw a cool photo op. I stopped to take my camera out of the bag and plop....my camera fell straight to the ground! My worst nightmare! No camera. I am taking it to get fixed tomorrow morning! If you haven't ever been to the Brooklyn Brewery, I strongly suggest you go! It's cheap and fun and right across from a great vintage store! Just don;t try to take a picture while riding your bike over the Pulaski Bridge!

On Sunday my boyfriend and I took part in the Lincoln Tunnel 5K! As gross as waking up at 7am on a Sunday morning to run in the rain sounds, it was actually a lot of fun and it's all for a good cause! I wish I had some pics to show you guys.

Last night I finally got a chance to break in my new sewing machine. I made a dish towel...no big deal I know. I am going to try and tackle something a little more fun tonight and get pics up as soon as possible!

Whale of a tale

I have always had a weird obsession with whales and elephants. My whale obsession mainly lies with the blue whale. This I can explain. It's simply that I find them interesting. I am not ashamed to say I have netflixed every available documentary made on the blue whale. My second animal obsession is a little weirder. I just think elephants are super cutie pies! Soooooo my first order of business when my sewing machine arrives (yes. I still don't have it!!!!) will be to make this...

Well maybe not my first order of business, but I will make it. Thank you, Hannah for the suggestion!

Spring has sprung

This is my favorite time of year to be in New York. I took advantage of the newly budding flowers and took tons of pics last weekend. One can never have too many pictures of flowers!

Hurry up mail!

What a whirlwind weekend! I ordered a new sewing machine. Unfortunately the mail system in my neighborhood is not the best and after many trips to the post office, my sewing machine is STILL not in my hands...yet!

I can't wait to make a bunch of goodies. It has been years since I have used a sewing machine so getting back into it will be so much fun!

I did get a lot of bike riding in this weekend. I'm so glad I'm putting that bike to use! I will be frequenting the park much more this spring/summer.

I finally started on my scrapbook album for Chris' & my cruise last February...pictures coming soon!

Some cook to remember...

I love lots of things about cooking and baking! I find it to be calming, fun, and I love picking at the ingredients while I cook (I bet you do it too!). I generally try to bake or cook to concentrate solely on what I'm making and not worry about anything else going on in my life. When it comes down to it being in the kitchen not only gets rid of my stress, but lets me look back at good memories I have with family, friends, and whoever else has had the privilege to cook/dine with me (just kidding!!!). My favorite thing about cooking is how food can translate into a memory. A few of my favorite examples are:

-whenever I smell food on a grill I think about being down the shore
-whenever I see a raisin I think about baking a certain Christmas cookie with my family
-cream of mushroom soup, egg salad, vienna fingers, V-8, and pink mints will always remind me of being at my Nannie's house

When I set out to make Smitten Kitchen's New York style cheesecake it was like any other night of baking/cooking for me. I was happy and taste testing the yummy mix of cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and whatever else gives cheesecakes the magical powers they have! When I took my first bite of the finished product I was instantly reminded of the greatest most perfect cake I've ever had!

I was born with this pesky gene that makes me unable to turn down a piece of cheesecake. Does anyone else have that one? I wish there was a cure, but no such luck. My Nannie had a friend who made a cheesecake with cherry filling topping on it that would make even Martha's knees weak. I would request this cake whenever I had a birthday, holiday, special day, or any day ending in "y" to be honest. My young adult self's life revolved around this cheesecake (and convincing my parents to get me a dog). I remember going to my Nannie's and there would be a cheesecake from "the cheesecake lady" in her dining room and I would get so excited, give her a big hug and basically act like I won the lottery. I am a gal who has had her fair share of cheesecake and this was the best. No contest. When I was 14/15, the woman I knew only as, "the cheesecake lady" moved far away and my days of perfection were over. I was too young too remember if I ever met her in person. She has since passed away but I hope she knew how much I enjoyed her cheesecakes. I like to think she did because there were times when there would be a surprise cheesecake, on a day when there was nothing to celebrate. I'm sure my Nannie let her know that she had a grand-daughter who lived and breathed for her cheesecake.

I had not thought of that woman or her cheesecake in years. That one bite of Smitten Kitchen's cheesecake is the closest I've come to cheesecake that is on a whole different level since I was 13.

I strongly suggest you make this cheesecake, share it with others, and hopefully make a delicious memory of your own.

Mac and cheese that's sure to please!

I have always considered myself a baker who likes to occasionally cook . Lately it has been the other way around. On nights I get home and actually I am usually cooking myself a big dinner! I have been pretty into mac and cheese lately getting much of my inspiration from 30 days 30 ways. Up until a few months ago I was strictly a Velveeta shells and cheese kinda gal, not that there's anything wrong with that. I still always have a few boxes on hand! I would try and spice it up by adding veggies or making Mexican mac and cheese (add salsa and hot sauce!)

Last night I tried my own thing. There is a great little fruit and vegetables shop down the street from my apartment. I went there after a nice jog last night and the plum tomatoes looked too yummy to pass up. I am a sucker for asparagus so I bought some of that and fresh basil. I went home and whipped up a goat cheese mac and cheese recipe that I was a little nervous about but I loved the end results. Here's what I used:

1/2 pound of penne (you can use any type of pasta you like)
1/2 cup of goat cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
4 stalks of asparagus boiled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 plum tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
basil chopped to taste
2 tsp salt
pepper to taste (I used a lot!)

I really liked how this turned out. I've tried something similar before except I used a lot more goat cheese and I put lemon juice in it. I think the combination of too much cheese and the strong taste of the lemon made it a "fail". I think adding that little bit of sour cream makes the dish lighter. This will make a yummy dinner to make again later in the Spring/Summer! If you want to add protein I'm sure grilled chicken would be a yummy addition!

Spring has sprung!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend/holiday! I took advantage of the great weather and went on a bike ride! We got an up close and personal view of Lady Liberty!

I am on the hunt for some new jewelry. I came across these funky rings and bracelets. This artist makes the most amazing gems out of colored pencils! I love the concept and her color combinations! I have tons of boxes of colored pencils that have accumulated over the years. I need to try and do something useful with them. Maybe a new ring or bracelet is the answer!

What to do with leftover Easter eggs!

I love dying Easter eggs and went a little overboard last night! It was the first time my boyfriend had dyed eggs in a while. He did a great job! I know I will never be able to eat all the Easter eggs we dyed so I did some hunting and found some great ideas for things to do with leftover eggs! i think the soy sauce eggs and the crab, avocado, and egg salad sound the best!

It's the most colorful time of the year!

Like many other crafters, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Martha Stewart. I am currently baking my way through her cupcake cookbook. Check out the latest issue Martha Stewart's magazine for lots of fun Easter egg dying tips! I can't wait to try some myself! I love adding my own touches like glitter glue!

Some cards....

Here are a few cards I made. All you need are some markers, a color printer, and some glitter glue. I like the card with the whales. I'm going to use this as a birthday card for a very special friend. The other one would make a perfect "Happy Spring" card! don't you think?

A tisket, a tasket. A pink, yellow, and orange basket!

Yesterday I shared the exciting news that I finally purchased my dream bike: a pink beach cruiser we shall now refer to as Sally! Beach cruisers are great, especially when they're pink; however, they really serve no purpose without a basket to tote all your treasures around in. Beach cruiser baskets purchased on their own can run from $20 - $50. Cha ching! And they're BORING! I decided to make my own jazzed up basket!


This involved a trip to Michael's craft store. I bought:

-a medium sized wicker basket


-an assortment of flowers to adorn my basket with


-ribbon


Buying a wicker basket (or any basket) on your own at a craft store is a perfect (cheaper) way to dress up your bike. The basket I purchased was $6. I bought the flowers and ribbon on sale for $4. The whole project cost me a total of $10!!!! I super glued the flowers to the basket and will use the ribbon to attach it to my bike! Here's the finished product:



I love it! I can't wait to cruise around with this gem on my new bike!

I am planning on making another basket with different flowers. I am also contemplating adding some rhinestones. Thoughts? Any other ideas on what I could add?

I scream. You scream!

Free cone day at Ben & Jerry's! I wish it was a little bit sunnier out! Find you closest Ben & Jerry's here.

Ridin' Purtty!

Guess what I got....

A brand new pink beach cruiser to call my own!!!

I have been looking for a new bike for months. I know I'll get a ton of use out of her this Spring in NYC and this Summer down the shore! Let's hope for good weather this weekend!

Cheap Eats

Every few months restaurant.com has a promotion where you can get already discounted gift certificates for an even bigger discount! All you do is go to restaurant.com and sort through restaurants in your area. You can buy a $25 gift certificate for $2!!!! All you do is type in the word BITE at the check out in the area labeled promotional code.

This is a great way to get a cheap meal at an old favorite and a great opportunity to try some places you've never been before.

They don't expire for a year after the purchase date so there is no hurry to use them. Buy a bunch and then spread them out over a year! Cheap Eats for all seasons!

America's Next Top Blog!

A little makeover for my blog thanks to this lovely lil' site!

Build a Shoe!

After I hurt my knee a few months ago I came to the realization that I need good running shoes. When I started my extensive search for the perfect shoe I came to a new realization, good running shoes are freaking expensive! I came upon this site! Nike ID is a place where you can design your very own personal shoes. There is a store right here in NYC, but you can also just go to their website. Think build-a-bear but with sneakers! I spent days on this site picking the perfect color combinations (pink +black, pink + grey, pink + pink). Unfortunately, perfection comes with a price. So instead of dishing out $200 for sneakers I bought these!

Also pink (bright bright pink) and a fraction of the price. On my way home I was determined to make it to the gym to test them out but the only thing I exercised was my electric mixer. I made these yummy cheesecake, cookie dough bars! Now I can't wait to test out my shoes or my cheesecake! One day I will make it to the shoe factory!

You say patterns...I say yay!

Do you love patterns? Do you love buying things you don't need just because it's pretty? Do you live in the NYC area? Me too! Target is featuring a new line by Liberty of London. Umbrellas, dresses, dishes...you name it they have it....and in a paisley print to boot! You can even buy a brand new flowery beach cruiser! It all comes out on March 14th!

And guess what! If you live around NYC area you get to pre purchase all these goodies tomorrow! Just go to this site and it gives you all the details you need. I know I'll be there! I would hurry...I went to the pre-sale when Target carried Vera Wang clothes and it was crazy!

To my fellow book lovers

If you're anything like me you have dozens and dozens of books sitting in your cluttered home that you can't bare to throw away. I just found a great solution for you! The Informal Book Sharing Club! Here's how it works. I got a letter from my mom with these instructions and 6 self addressed labels. On the back of this letter there was an address. I have to send a book (one that I actually enjoyed) to this person who just happens to be my cool cousin Kara! Then I photocopy the instructions so I have six copies and put one of my mom's self addressed labels on the back of each copy. Then I make 6 sets of 6 self addressed labels of my own. I pick 6 trustworthy friends with some good taste in books and send them each a set of instructions and my very own self addressed labels. Are you following me? It can sound tricky but if it all works out in the end you should get 36 books in return!

I love this because it's cheap (you're really only paying for shipping and stamps), it's a great way to recycle books, and it's interactive! I just sent out my first wave of letters and can't wait to see what I get in return! If you want to take part let me know and I'll send you the instructions!

Food, food, and more food!

Kristy here!

Last weekend my cousin Katie and I took a food tour of the east village (great idea Katie)! I loved combining my two favorite activities: exploring and food!

I got to go to so many places I would have never found without the help of our super tour guide Candy! The east village is filled with Japanese and Ukrainian stores and restaurants so this was a great opportunity to try some new and sometimes risky foods! The first stop on our tour was the Sunrise Mart. It's an authentic Japanese grocery store with lots of cheap and yummy goods. We got to try rice sandwiches. There were a bunch of options (salmon, tuna, shrimp, eel) to try. I got the salmon and it was delicious!

Another one of our stops was Otafuko. It's this is a little shop (I barely fit in it) where they sell three things, all of which are Japanese appetizers. We got to sample fried octopus with fish shavings on top.Sounds risky but it was my favorite treat on the tour!

We also got to go to a NYC staple: Pomme Frites! Pomme Frites serves up huge potions of traditional Belgian fries with a list of dipping sauces a mile long. Here's a little tip....get the Mexican ketchup!

Those were just a few of the many stops and tastes we got on our tour. We had such a blast. Food tours are such a great way to learn about different neighborhoods and find new places to try! Go here to find a bunch of different options based on type of food and neighborhood!

I'm an official blogger!

Hi! I'm Kristy! With a little inspiration from my very talented friend Emma, I finally decided to start a blog with my mom! Her name is Judy. Our blog will be a place for us to share our adventures in the craft and culinary worlds! I hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoy posting!