National Parks Week 2015

This year, National Parks Week runs from April 18 - 26.  I'd never even heard of National Parks Week until about a week ago, but once I did, I had to celebrate. 

The closest National Monument to me is Effigy Mounds, about 2 hours away.

I recruited my former "partner in wandering" (and ex-boyfriend), and we started with lunch at The Riverview Cafe in Guttenberg, Iowa.

how the Riverview gets its name

we were "on vacation"

Pikes Peak State Park is on the way to Effigy Mounds and has gorgeous views.  It rained pretty much every time we stepped outside the car.  It was miserable, but didn't stop us.

didn't stop this guy either

From the NPS website...  "The Late Woodland Period (1400-750 B.P.) along the Upper Mississippi River and extending east to Lake Michigan is associated with the culture known today as the Effigy Moundbuilders. The construction of effigy mounds was a regional cultural phenomenon. Mounds of earth in the shapes of birds, bear, deer, bison, lynx, turtle, panther or water spirit are the most common images. The Effigy Moundbuilders also built linear or long rectangular mounds that were used for ceremonial purposes that remain a mystery. Some archeologists believe they were built to mark celestial events or seasonal observances. Others speculate they were constructed as territorial markers or as boundaries between groups."

Whatever they are, they are fascinating!

Wet, cold and tired, we ended the day at the awesome Fort Mulligan's Grillpub in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. 

P.S. No, we are not back together (yet?).

Spring Break - 2015

Not really a "break".  In fact, I came back from my trip to Las Vegas exhausted (and not for the usual reasons).

The event center I manage is connected to a restaurant and hotel, all owned by the same person.  The hotel is a member of the Wyndham Hotel Group, which held its 2015 Global Conference this past week in Las Vegas

where we won an award!!

this is a big deal

Although the conference consumed most (almost all) of our time, we did get to see a few things.

We stayed at the Luxor, which was fine - close to the conference at Mandalay Bay, and cheap.  Its on the south end of the Strip, so not as congested (good!) but still within walking distance.

homesick!

We stopped into the Cosmopolitan (GORGEOUS, girly casino), to get our fortune...

lucky! 

NOT lucky!

you have to, right?

What we didn't see (but really wanted to) was this...

So I'll settle for this...

SO GOOD!

Happy National Crafting Month!

Don't worry, I didn't know either.

It's also National Crochet Month (conveniently).

To celebrate, my goal is to crochet one granny square per day (at least), in order to finish the Granny Blanket featured in the book Making Cushions and Pillows: 60 Cushions and Pillows to Sew, Stitch, Knit and Crochet.

not a cushion or a pillow

This pattern calls for a total of 140 squares.

one down!

To date, I've already made about 20.

So, even if I meet my goal of one per day (at least!), it'll still take me about forever to finish.

Still...

It's a goal.

Might be a wish.

Pretty in Pink

I've always wanted a pink bedroom.

And now I have one!

Benjamin Moore First Light

Usually when I start painting, my initial reaction is "I hate it!".

But I'm cheap, and not about to repaint, so I forge ahead and after the 2nd coat I always love it.

This time, it was love at first light (uh, sight).

I still need to prime, paint and hang the trim.  Install new blinds. And new closet doors.  One of those closet organization systems would be nice...

It'll be a while before it's "done".

I also made this recipe for Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes that I've been seeing all over Pinterest and it was GOOD!  I didn't include the chicken so it took less than 30 minutes.  (Nice!)

Ingredients

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small jar (3-4 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 lb chicken breast tenders (or not)
• salt
• paprika (just a little bit for the chicken)
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz pasta
• 1 tablespoon basil (if using dry basil), if using fresh basil you can add more
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (at least, add more to taste)
• 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water (or more)
• salt, to taste

Instructions

• If using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), drain the tomatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons of oil for sauteing.
• In a large pan, on high heat, sautee garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (drained) in 2 tablespoons of oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar) for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant. 
• Remove sun-dried tomatoes from the pan, leaving the oil, and add chicken tenders, salted and lightly covered in paprika (for color) and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side. 
• Remove from heat.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water (Note: I think this is SO gross so I didn't do it and the sauce was just fine). 
• Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water (to stop cooking).
• Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller bits and add them back to the skillet with chicken. 
• Add half and half and cheese to the skillet and bring to a gentle boil. 
• Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until all cheese melts and the sauce is creamy. 
• Add cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine. 
• Add 1 tablespoon of basil, and at least 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
• Optional (in my book): Add about 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water because the creamy sauce will be too thick (do not add all water at once - you might need less or more of it). This will water down the thickness of the cheese sauce and make it creamier.
• Immediately, season the pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. 
• Let simmer for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.

So Far...

I've officially been in my new job one month now and (so far) I like it...

I've booked a few weddings already, and am working with other people in the community on other events.

And I've started planning some events of my own.

In my previous position at the Chamber of Commerce, I would think "Someone in town should have a [insert the name of some event here]".

Now that someone is ME!

I've already scheduled an Indoor Garage Sale this month, and I'm working on a Women's Day Out (manicures, chair massage, wine tasting...) during March Madness, a Crafting Retreat in April, and an Outdoor Show in May.

And I'm creating a new website.

(I've been here one month!)

I was working out of the office in the restaurant next door to the event centre.  This was far from ideal (I was in the way), so we had to find a new office...

Yes, that is a closet in the laundry room of a hotel.

But now it looks like this...

making progress

It's a little bare, so over the weekend I worked on some projects I'd seen on Pinterest.

First, I took these old frames I found at Goodwill...

$2.50

$4

 I hated the gold, but liked the detail on both of the frames...

I also liked this Easy Bulletin Board Project

and these Shabby Frames.

So, with a little Heirloom White spray paint, a roll of cork, a scrap of fabric and some twine, I now have these...

much better!

I still have more to do, but I'm getting there.

New Year, New Job

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to never work a day in my life.

Actually, it was to choose a job I love, which, according to Confucius, is the same thing.

Well, I did choose a job.

On New Year's Eve I was offered a position as the General Manager of an event center in town.  My job is to attract and coordinate events (weddings, etc...).

When I was first approached about the job in early December, I said I wasn't interested.  

At all.  

I was emphatic about it.

At the time (and, to a certain degree, now) I wanted to go back to a 9-5 job.  

No more nights, weekends...  

When I'm done for the day, I'm done.

This is not that job.

But, I get to continue doing a lot of what I've been doing the last 2+ years to promote tourism, and I really like a flexible schedule (when you have a 9-5 job, you kind of HAVE to be there by 9.  I hate that!).

So, I accepted the offer.  Signed all the papers on Friday and set up a booth at a bridal expo on Saturday, with no training whatsoever.

The best part is - I get to have all the fun of planning a wedding, without actually having to get married!

End of December 2014

On Friday I delivered the last of the donations for our community giving tree, and now have a lull until I either find another job or have to start preparing for next year's events (hopefully the former).

I do love this job, but I'm getting excited about the future - meeting new people and doing something different.

Over the weekend, I relaxed - finished one book (The Meadow, by James Galvin) and started another (A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan).

Although one book takes place in the mountains along the border of Wyoming and Colorado, and the other is set in urban New York and California, the books are very similar - both move back and forth in time to tell the inter-related stories of several people.

And they're both really good!

Sometimes I feel like I can't do anything fun while the house is such a mess, but this weekend I decided that the fact that my bedroom looks like this...

so I have to sleep here...

doesn't mean I can't use the kitchen, so I made this recipe for Creamy Crockpot Potato Soup.  (I left out the bacon until the end, though, because soggy bacon is so gross.)

I also made this No-Knead Crusty Artisan Bread and it really couldn't be easier!  I was shocked!  I'll try adding in some flavors next time - cheese, rosemary, jalepeno...

To get in the holiday spirit, I watched Love Actually, #2 of my holiday movie trilogy that started last week with The Holiday.  Tonight I will finish with The Family Stone, before spending Christmas Eve with family (SO thankful I don't have to fly anywhere!) and then having dinner with friends on Christmas Day.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!