We Will Always Have Paris

Two For Tuesday: Downton Abbey Season Two & Whimsical Snow Gauge

Happy New Year!  I've just poured myself a fresh cup of coffee and I'm sitting down to share two things I think you just can't miss this week:

1.  Season Two of Downton Abbey.  Season One left us heartbroken over the Matthew/Lady Mary split and hopeful for Anna/Mr. Bates.  Now we'll be able to watch the entire family (both upstairs and down) deal with war, death and love.  Season Two premieres January 8th on PBS Masterpiece (check your local listings).  If it is not playing near you (it doesn't appear in my local listings), you may be able to watch via your computer or iPad.  If you haven't seen the first season, you will definitely want to catch up.  All four episodes from Season One are available online (for free) until January 17, 2012 or via NetFlix streaming.

2.  Whimsical Snow Gauge.  Now that the Christmas decorations are down, things are looking a little sparse around here.  I'm looking forward to a blanket of white snow to freshen things up.  How cute would this be right behind my living room windows?  We've had a few flurries and may get some scattered snow showers.  Mama needs this beautiful wrought iron stake to pretty things up around here!  Only $69 through Amazon!

Hope you have a wonderful week!  The kids are finally back in school and I'm looking forward to getting some crafting done...

Two For Tuesday: Paper City Paris & Sons Of Anarchy

Love these:

 photo via Made By Joel

1.  Paper City Paris by Made By Joel.  My oldest daughter is going to freak when I print these out.  What a great way to learn the landmarks of Paris!  I can't wait to read Madeline to her and then use these adorable paper printouts to re-enact the story.  AND I CAN TOTALLY USE THESE IN MY NEXT PARISIAN THEMED JOURNAL!  Love, love, love them.  And, they're free. 

photo via Best Blogging Tips

2.  Sons of Anarchy via NetFlix Instant Streaming.   I am a little late to the game on this F/X series.  I just started watching it last week and I'm already through Season One.  If you were a fan of the Sopranos or Deadwood, you'll love this show.  It's that good.  I'm not really a biker-type of girl, but there's some pretty good eye candy in this show.  Hello, Charlie Hunnam!  Season Four premieres September 6th, so I've got quite a bit of catching up to do!  Any other Sam Crow fans out there?

Two For Tuesday: Downton Abbey & A New On-Line Card Class

School's out & hopefully a little normalcy will resume around here....

Here are two things that caught my eye this week:

1.  PBS' Downton Abbey.  I've been catching up on this wonderful series via Netflix instant streaming.  A number of readers e-mailed me after I mentioned my love of Doc Martin and Mistresses, suggesting that I watch Downton Abbey.  I just finished episode three and I'm enthralled.  I have found myself gasping with shock (there are amazing schemes and secrets) and laughing out loud (when the Countess Dowager asks "What is a week-end?").  If you haven't seen this wonderful show, you can catch it via Netflix instant streaming or download it through iTunes.

 

2. Summer Card Camp 2011.  I'm thinking this might get me motivated to make some cards this summer.  I'm desperate for a creative jump start and this might just be it!!  Four weeks for $39... not too bad!

Two For Tuesday: Doc Martin and Buffalo Wing Potato Chips

I'm lovin' these this week:

1.  Doc Martin Via NetFlix Instant Streaming.   At my most recent get-away weekend with my scrapping girlfriends, there were a number of people buzzing about the British show Doc Martin.  Everyone was discussing plots and the dog and Louisa and the beauty of the seaside port.  I hate feelling left out.

I discovered that it was available as an instant stream through NetFlix and now I am thoroughly sucked in to this sweet tale of a high-profile British surgeon who moves to a sleepy Cornish village after developing a fear of blood.  The dialogue is witty, the oddball characters are endearing and the scenery makes me want to pack my bags and head off to the fictional village of Portwenn.  I'm working my way through season two of the four seasons available.  I just learned that another seaon has been approved and is getting set to film. 

Doc Martin.  Add it to your queue today! 

2.  Archer Farms Buffalo Wing Potato Chips.  Oh my smoky-spicy-heavenly goodness!  Sold by Target stores, you'll find this new flavor in with the other potato chips.  If you're a buffalo wing fan you'll want to dig into a bag of these kettle cooked chips.  You'll probably want to chase them down with an ice cold beer, but they are a bit of heaven.

Two For Tuesday: PBS' "Circus" and Nancy Drew Hoodies

Two things that grabbed my attention in this frantic-leading-up-to-the-holidays week:

1.  PBS' "Circus".  This 6-hour long documentary mini-series about life with New York's Big Apple Circus received rave reviews and both my hubby and I were sucked in within the first 30 minutes.  My husband mocks me every time I gasp when one of the high flyers misses her catch.  I'm genuinely enjoying this behind-the-scenes look at circus life and how the show comes together.  It's certainly not all fun & games.  We just finished the second hour and have the next two stored on our DVR for this weekend's viewing.  Check with your local PBS station to see if it is airing in your area.  If not, you can catch it via iTunes.  Meanwhile, I'm thinking of packing up the kids and heading off to join the circus (as long as I get to live in one of the RVs reserved for the "talent")...  The kids can go to the circus' "One Ring Schoolhouse" and I want to learn how to walk on the tightwire...

 
2.  "Find Your Inner Nancy Drew" Hoodie at Bas Bleu.  My favorite catalog arrived the other day & I spent hours devouring it & adding favorite items to my Christmas wish list.  I was instantly drawn to this adorable hoodie.  What's not to love about Nancy Drew?  They also had this one celebrating 80 years of Nancy:

Love, love, love both shirts...  I'm sure you will too!

Hope I've helped you plus-up your holiday wish list!

Join Me In Going "Unplugged" June 7 - 13, 2010, part II (Getting Ready)

 

(This is part of my on-going series leading up to "Unplugged 2010".  For Part I, click here.)

Here's my list of suggestions to help you get ready for your "Unplugged 2010" week:

• Get your hubby/significant other on board.  My husband was skeptical at first (& he listened to his iPod at night to get to sleep), but he could understand the benefits that come from less TV/internet time.  Having his backing was key to a successful week.  If he came home at night & turned on the TV, all of my "Unplugged" efforts would be lost.
• Don't worry so much about the kids getting on board.  Chances are that they won't come around until the end of your "Unplugged" week.  I will tell you that when I mentioned going unplugged again, my daughter actually clapped her hands and jumped up & down, exclaiming "It's game & reading week!".  This from the girl who went on a hunger strike when I turned the TV off last year.  Every person I know who has done this fights with his/her kids in the beginning, but the kids always seem to come around.  It turns out that they like all the extra attention.  Who knew?
• Prepare your friends/family.  I pre-warned all of my friends that I would be unavailable for the week.  I also let them know that I was going to try to cut back on my phone calls (I get a TON of personal calls every day).  They are all still going to be there the following week.  So will you.  Let them know that they can certainly call you in an emergency.  My in-laws happened to visit during our last "Unplugged" week.  My MIL was not too thrilled with the fact that we wouldn't turn on the TV while she was here.  My hubby gently reminded her that we were doing this for our family, not as an inconvenience to her.
• Make it work at work.  If you need to use your computer at work, use your computer.  Just don't blog-surf during breaks.  Turn off your Pandora radio.  Shut off your personal IM systems.  You might just find you get more work done!!
• Plan some alternate activites.  Hubby & I came up with a list of things we could do as a family.  I collected a ton of craft supplies and picked up a couple of new games.  The week we went "Unplugged" in 2009 was also the week our oldest daughter got her "big girl bike".  That filled up quite a few hours in our day.  Go to the library and get some new books for the entire family.  I read 2 1/2 books in our last "Unplugged" week.  I've read 1/2 of one since then.  Hmmmm...
• Keep a journal.  Why not blog the old-fashioned way?  With pen & paper?  I love looking at our little mini-album from "Unplugged 2009".  It was a great way to record the changes in our family.  I also made sure I included stories about doing things the hard way -- I had to go to the post office to mail a package!  And I sent a fax from our public library!!
• Physically put your electronic devices away.  I actually had to hide the remote to our bedroom TV in a drawer because I kept turning the TV on every morning.  It was sheer habit.  Go ahead & put your laptop, remotes and iPods in a drawer.  I'm not expecting you to box up your TVs, but why not unplug them?  That being said, I don't unplug mine b/c I count on my DVR to record my favorite shows while I'm unplugged.  God forbid I should miss my favorite summer programs (hello Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime!).  If you have DVDs in your car, make sure you turn them off too! 
• Think old school.  Get your news from the newspaper.  Pick up the phone & call a friend, rather than sending them an e-mail.  Scrapbook without your computer (gasp!).

As you prepare friends/family, you'll constantly be met with the question "Why would you want to do this?".  Most people simply cannot understand why someone would want to go to a quieter and simpler time.  Technology is good, right? 

Remind people that it is simply a seven day experiment.  You're not planning to live "off the grid".  You're not going to quit your job and start raising goats to sell chevre at the local Farmers Market.  You're not going to shave your head and head off to do some serious medititating.  Instead, you're going to let a little quiet into your life.  You're going to focus on yourself or your family.  You're going to read books and relax. 

So, I ask you, why wouldn't you want to do this?

Join Me In Going "Unplugged" June 7 - 13, 2010, part I (Overview)

 
(remember when TVs had knobs?)

"American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV."
-- The Kaiser Family Foundation

Last year, I decided that our little family should unplug from the world for a bit, seven days to be exact.  We locked up the entertainment center, put away our iPods & powered down our PCs.  You can read about our experiences here, here and here.  It was an amazing experience for us as a family.  I was astounded by how much information comes into our house through television, podcasts and the internet every day.  It is next to impossible to think clearly with such an information overload. 

After our experience, I was approached by a producer at PBS' Frontline about my "Unplugged" week.  They are running a series called "Digital Nation" and taking an in-depth look at whether our 24/7 wired world is causing us to lose as much as we gain.  Although I opted to not be interviewed, I think it is fascinating to look at how much damage is being done to the psyche through information overload & multi-tasking.  (Sidenote:  My hubby and I regularly disagree about the necessity of multi-tasking.  I understand his point that there are studies that show that multi-tasking doesn't accomplish more than single tasking.  My point to him is that you DON'T HAVE TO STAND THERE AND WATCH THE FRICKIN' POT BOIL!  DO SOMETHING ELSE WHILE YOU WAIT!  If I did one thing at a time, we'd live in a house of filth and nobody would be fed.  I digress....)

I have a girlfriend who regularly goes on "cleansing" diets, claiming that it purges all the toxins from her body.  Why not purge all of the mental toxins that are coming in at you through your television & computer (yeah, even from me)?  Now, when I say "Unplugged", I don't mean that you'll be cooking by campfire & reading by candlelight.  The electricity stays on (at least in our house it does -- it's summer and mama needs her air conditioning!).  The telephone still rings (though not as much).  And we do listen to the radio in the car.  As I mentioned last year, I'm not trying to go Amish.  I'm just trying to cut back on the technology in our house. 

Won't you join me in going unplugged for seven days in June?  It's just one week.  And I promise you that it will change your life.  Or at least clear you mind!  Who's with me?

I'll be back next week with suggestions to help you get ready.  Meanwhile, here are some interesting websites for you to check out:

• http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/
• http://www.insteadoftv.com/
• http://www.screenfreeweek.org/

 

Information Overload

Our "Unplugged" week was a fantastic experience!  We had a couple of minor setbacks (my 3 year-old declared a hunger strike on day one -- "I'm not eating until you turn the TV back on!), but we made it through the week unscathed.  Here's what I learned this week:

• Our kids live in an "on demand" world.  DVRs and iPods allow children to believe that everything they want is right there for them whenever they want it.  Want to watch SpongeBob at 3 a.m.?  It's on the DVR!  Want to listen to the new song you like?  Download it to your iTouch and listen away!  Well, you know what kids?  You don't always get everything you want.  I had to explain to my daughter what a radio (we did listen to the radio) was.  She had no concept of having to listen to someone else's programming. 
• It's not that I don't have enough time to read anymore, it's that I use that time on other things.  I read two and a half books this week.  TWO AND A HALF BOOKS!  (The Leisure Seeker, The Ladies' Lending Library and The Creative Family)  Apparently I do have time when I'm not playing Sodoku on my iTouch or surfing my favorite blogs.
• Technology has made our lives sooo much easier and should be appreciated (without letting it take over your life).  I've grown so used to using USPS.com to mail packages, that it was a big huge hairy pain in the ass to drag my two kids down to the post office to mail off a package (I must reaaaaaallllly love you Louise!!).  I screwed up our flexible spending paperwork and needed to fax something in for reimbursement.  It slowly dawned on me that I had no idea where to go to send a fax if I couldn't use mine at home.  (BTW, my public library had a fax machine.  Who knew?).  And Mapquest.  I bitch about you constantly Mapquest, but you have truly changed all of our lives.
• I get way too many e-mails.  I had over 1,000 new e-mails when I turned on my computer this morning.  And over 1,100 blog feeds.  And twitters.  And instant messages.  Ugh.  Too much information coming at me. 
• Things are much calmer in our house when the TV and computer are not on.  We played games.  We read books.  We ate at the dinner table EVERY NIGHT.  AS A FAMILY.  EVEN THE BABY.

Coming out of this, we're going to try to capitalize on these learned lessons.  During the week, the TV will be turned off before Daddy gets home.  We're going to keep playing games at night.  (I'm getting really good at Don't Wake Daddy and Rhino Rampage).  I'm thinking of making Fridays "Unplugged" days for the entire Summer.  And we're certainly going to do this again next year.

I did finally read the giveaway book from February -- The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian.  I loved this book.  I know that I had mentioned that the movie rights had already been purchased.  Please read the book before the movie comes out.  Let Zadoorian's words and your imagination give faces to these delightful characters before some Hollywood actor is given the reins.   It's a great summer read.  Go grab yourself a copy!

I have a number of things planned for this week (including a new limited edition kit).  I leave you with some pictures from our "Unplugged" week:

 

This armoire holds our TV/DVD player/DVR/etc.  We locked it up (with an antique key) on Sunday night and didn't unlock it for seven days.

 

Rhino Rampage.  Lots of Rhino Rampage.

 

My menu board.  I made it using a white platter from Wal-Mart and chalk paint.  Easy peasy.  And the chalk markers make all the difference.

  

G's reading nook.  She managed to thumb through all of those books in one morning.

Good times!

Powering Down...

After a day of intense car hunting, we finally found my replacement minivan yesterday.  A new & improved version of my old beater.  Stow & Go seats!  Power sliding doors!  No duck tape on the side where I slammed into a fire hydrant!  Cup holders galore!!

Now that the car issue has been resolved, we are gearing up for "Unplugged 2009".  Everything gets turned off/locked away at midnight tonight.  I'm kind of looking forward to the mental vacation.  In anticipation of our going unplugged, I threw together a journal to document the week.

 

 

 

 

Oh how I love my Bind-It-All!  If you're looking to duplicate a staggered album like this, here's how I did it:
  Cut 9 sheets of bookboard to the following measurements:
6.5" x 4" (this is your cover)
6.5" x 4.75"
6.5" x 5.5"
6.5" x 6.25"
6.5" x 7"
6.5" x 7.75"
6.5" x 8.5"
6.5" x 9.25"
6.5" x 10"
  Cut 3 sheets of ivory cardstock for each section of the book, making it 3/16" less than the bookboard page before it.  So, the papers behind the 6.5" x 4" cover will be 6 5/16" x 3 13/16".  The papers behind the 6.5" x 4.75" bookboard page will be 6 5/16" x 4 9/16".  And so on...  There aren't papers behind the 6.5" x 10" bookboard page, because that is your back cover. 
  I covered each bookboard page with an assortment of Foofala and Jenny Bowlin papers.  Then, I used my Round-It-All to round two corners (the right hand corners, both top & bottom) of each sheet of bookboard. 
  I used my Bind-It-All to punch the covers and pages, using the correct guides.  I layered the pages as desired and bound my book!  I decorated the wire ring with tulle from Andrea Singarella's 100wishes (the colors of her tulle are to die for!) and spare ribbon.
  The spacing on the staggered pages was perfect for my Scrabble tiles, spelling "Unplugged".  A little Diamond Glaze, and they are down for good!
  To make the medallion on the cover, I used my Sizzix Big Kick and my Stampin' Up Top Note die.  The smaller medallion (June 2009) was made with bookboard and the interior cut from my Stampin' Up Movers & Shapers die.  The chipboard alphabet/letters were Basic Grey & Making Memories.

I printed out last Thursday's blog post and included it in the first section of the book.  The rest of my journal will be filled out during the week and photos will be added later. 

I'll be back next Monday.  Hopefully Baby G. and I will not have killed eachother -- that's my biggest worry!  I'm losing my electric babysitter (aka SpongeBob).  We'll be skipping this week's Favorite Five.  Any orders placed this week will not be fulfilled until next week. 

See you soon!