Brewfest! But I was the DD…
We managed to get out of bed and make it up to Leesburg for Brewfest today:
BrewFest Summer 2009
Lots of breweries, lots of beer, lots of music, etc. Unfortunately I was dd, but all of us dd’s (I’m pretty sure I was the only non-pregnant one) got free water/soda. Hopped up on the coffee I had on the way topped with a Pepsi, I decided my goal for the day was to collect all of the free stuff I could. Umm, even though I knew most of it would end up in the recycling bin tonight. Anyway, 4 hours and a LOT of beer tents later, I’ve got a nice little collection of coasters:
Beer mats
Before they hit the trash, any ideas on what I can do to turn these into art for a possible game room in the future? I tried framing a couple of them but “meh”:
framed coasters
A collage would be cooler, if I can figure out a nice way to do it.
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June 28, 2009
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I’m baaaaack
…and married. And shopping for houses in the ‘burbs. And pregnant.
Ha! Just kidding about that last one.
That pretty much sums up my life at the moment. So, in typical “Katie” fashion, I’m going to borrow content from some other author. I’ve been trying to regulate my sleeping schedule lately…a regular schedule at night = a regular schedule at work = happier Katie overall. Anyway, I found this article and I’m going to try at least a few of their tips for getting more sleep…I’ll let you know how it goes!
This about sums up the hints:
- Exercise more (doing some ab-flexes during my hour-each-way commute?)
- No late night surfing or watching TV (ok, it’s not exactly late but I’m breaking both of these right now)
- Give yourself a set bedtime (I do this, i just never keep it. Grr)
- No naps after work (Check!)
- No big meals late at night
- Make sure you’re comfortable (I’ve got comfy pillows, a down comforter, fancy sheets, and an air purifier…check!)
- No caffeine or liquor at night (I’m breaking this one right now…whoops)
- Find ways to relax before bed (I guess I can’t count my glass of wine for this one)
Check out the full article here.
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June 11, 2009
Posted in: fiscal fasting, money One Comment
Sweepstakes of the Day: Hydrocoach Water Bottle via AnyLuckyDay
Found this great contest through AnyLuckyDay.com! I’ve never seen a gadget like this before…it tracks your daily water consumption, calculates your daily hydration needs, and paces you throughout the day to make sure you’re getting what you should.
Click here for rules and to enter!
Enter now through Thursday 3/26/2009.
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March 24, 2009
Posted in: Sweepstakes, Techie No Comments
For the Jon & Kate Fans (AND for the Haters)
If this one is true, I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. We all watch the show, see Kate berate Jon in front of the world week after week. It was only a matter of time before the rumors started spreading. In Touch Weekly isn’t exactly Gospel, but it has managed to peak my interest. Here’s a paragraph from the article, snagged from Perez:
“He walked in with two girls he met at Mimi’s bar,” senior Evan Heisman tells In Touch. “It was so cool.” According to witnesses, Jon played beer pong with some girls on the volleyball team and then joined a group of students who headed to Memories bar for a nightcap. “We were talking and chilling,” reveals Heisman. Jon returned to Memories the next evening. “He was obliterated,” says Pott. “Juniata girls were flirting with him and he was loving it and having a great time.” “We might be getting a divorce,” Chloe Pott, a junior at Juniata College, heard Jon tell her friend at Memories bar on February 7.
With 8 kids I think any parent would need a break occasionally…getting trashed at a college kegger probably isn’t the smartest way to spend a night of freedom though.
March 8, 2009
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It Pays to be nice…
Otherwise it’ll come back to haunt you:
From postsecret, one of my favorite sites…
March 8, 2009
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DIY Necklaces Take 2
After trying to make a few necklaces like the one in my previous post, I realized I’m not the best at symmetry. And one that looks symmetrical one minute looks totally off the next (I had a one-person dance party to test out how the necklaces would react). So I did a little more searching (and another incredibly long Michaels trip) and I came up with these. What do you think?
Weaved look: Attempt 1
Or is this one better? Or do both suck?
Weaved look: Attempt 2
The next attempt will be something from Macys.
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March 3, 2009
Posted in: hobbies 3 Comments
Happy Lent!
Happy Lent!
Giving anything up?
February 25, 2009
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DIY Bridal Jewelry
I’ve been very careful (maybe TOO careful) not to burden my bridesmaids with much when it comes to my wedding. My amazing maid-of-honor wouldn’t take no for an answer and is throwing me a shower, and my oldest sister, who can do calligraphy like a pro, addressed all of my invitation envelopes (and did some shopping to find me some cute wedding-day accessories…AND helped me pick my colors!).
Aside from those things above, I’ve tried not to ask for anything. Rather than pick out a dress that nobody in this economy should be forced to buy, I’m asking them to get a simple knee-length black dress (most of them already have one) and black sandals to match it. After that I figured I’d buy them all some matching jewelry as a thank-you and that’d be that. That is, until I did some searching to find a cute necklace and came up virtually empty-handed.
Armed with a 40% off coupon, I made a mad dash to Michaels (OK, this “mad dash” happens about once a week) and stared blankly at the wall of beads and beading supplies until an idea for a necklace took shape. I also perused several books on DIY beading but knew where they’d end up (back of the closet, on top of my book on quilting and book on painting). I took my purchases home and on Saturday I finally got a chance to make an attempt. Two hours later and…
DIY necklace
What do you think? Brutal honesty is OK, I promise not to be offended!
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February 24, 2009
Posted in: fiscal fasting, hobbies 3 Comments
Spinach Feta + Wine = Good night
Found a recipe for Spinach Feta Pizza on allrecipes. A quick shopping trip and 20 mins of cooking later and…
Spinach Feta deliciousness
The only change I made was to use the Pillsbury pizza dough instead of doing it homemade (making from scratch takes too long when I get home at 7pm), and cooked for 15-20 mins instead of 35-40.
Sooo good. And not too overly unhealthy (or at least that’s what I tell myself)
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February 23, 2009
Posted in: losing the spare tire, mmm One Comment
How does the new stimulus package benefit the “responsible” people??
I read that in the new bill that there will be an $8000 “free” loan to new homebuyers, so I can’t complain too much about the new stimulus package. However, I’ve heard about some people who have foreclosed on their homes because they owe more than the home is worth, despite being able to afford the mortgage. These same people will then purchase a new home at these new reduced rates and get to take advantage of the new stimulus efforts, while the middle class people who have been responsible and continue paying their mortgages get nothing. At least this is the impression I’ve gotten from the bits and pieces that I’ve read or heard in the news.
Fastforward to yesterday, when I added the “NBC Today Show” podcast to the iPod Touch (yep, I gave in and opened it), and I heard an interview with Meredith Vieira, Dylan Ratigan (host of CNBCs fast money), and Barbara Corcoran (a contributing real estate expert). I thought I was about to get some answers when I heard this question:
Meredith (after hearing about rates being lowered for current mortgage-paying homeowners):
“But what about people who have been paying their mortgages? What about me? I’d like my rates lowered as well.”
Dylan:
“As well you should. We found ourselves in a situation that was created by our politicians, and our bankers, we’re creating this easy flow of money. This easy flow of money creates mispricing of assets and what we mispriced was our houses. So now home prices have to come back to an actual rational price for the average american buyer…and what you’re seeing is a moral hazard, people are getting rewarded for bad behavior but at the same time a shock absorber, which is what this is, to try to affect the transition from overpriced houses to properly priced houses without completely destroying so many households in this country. That’s the political decision that you’re seeing made.”
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Does anybody see anything in here that answers Meredith’s question? Yeah, me neither… moving on…
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Meredith:
“But aren’t there some people where they should face foreclosure?”
Barbara:
“Well, it’s almost like a punishment, like you did badly and now we’re going to get you. No, I don’t believe that at all. I think people made the most prudent decision they were able to make at the time, and if they need the help, it’s smart to help them, because everybody else is paying that price through the economy. Now, it makes no sense at all to punish the people who have made a mistake in the past.”
Dylan:
“The problem is we’re fighting two battles simultaneously: the banks and the congressional cooperation created this toxic mess. At the same time, because of the toxic mess, we run the risk that it’s like a blob that’ll continue to spread through the entire economy. And it’s spreading. and that blob is further home foreclosures, further job losses, and what you see obama and the administration in DC are trying to do right now is stop the spreading of the blob as Tim Geitner at the treasury tries to deal with the blob.”
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OK, I get the part about people’s “mistakes” affecting the entire economy. But seriously, “now, it makes no sense at all to punish the people who have made a mistake in the past”???? I can understand the poor folks who’ve lost their jobs and need help to get back on their feet, but SO many people took on insanely high loans that they should’ve known they couldn’t handle.
What happens when several people forego common sense? $1.5M condo on $20K income: Prospective buyers lose $175K in Bellevue.
I just don’t know how rewarding people for making terrible decisions is the right idea.
OK, rant over.
Click here for the highlights from the new stimulus bill.
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February 20, 2009
Tags: barbara corcoran, crisis, dylan ratigan, economy, financial crisis, meredith vieira, nbc today show, today show Posted in: money, news One Comment