tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74537713327315963482024-02-06T19:24:20.319-08:00Spruce & NestChristy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-17312947811398321702013-05-04T15:09:00.003-07:002013-05-04T15:09:34.890-07:00Our upcoming Getaway to Tulum, MexicoLeeman and I have been really busy with work and decided it was time for a quick little getaway! I had to complicate things by wanting something cool, not too cliche, close by and affordable while still being luxurious, but not too extravagant. We had a really difficult time narrowing down our selections, but decided to make it a new place. After some serious research, a very late night (3:45am), and a sore butt and neck from sitting weird on the couch while surfing the web it has been decided, we are going to Tulum, Mexico. Luckily when I started showing Leeman what I discovered, he agreed, phew! The beaches are crystal clear, it has a bohemian yoga community feel, the food scene pretty cool, and an ideal place to walk or ride your bike. We are deciding between a few places. This <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/376124">jungle beach house</a> seems really cool and far cheaper then any hotels or <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/560192">this villa</a>, which is a little pricier but has the feel of a small boutique hotel.
Here are some places we are looking forward to eating:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5gSRdu82yVReojxBYJXf7LPL1OZzZ8p_eANWIkel570abkEnKt4sWqGxL-9guTCDRTyzsq1KxTT_i8nYkoruvsHvi12eHLzpfShrW-woYPG7xCieQRQu0I9QJAQPZ5AT8I_zM7mF28M/s1600/POSADP.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5gSRdu82yVReojxBYJXf7LPL1OZzZ8p_eANWIkel570abkEnKt4sWqGxL-9guTCDRTyzsq1KxTT_i8nYkoruvsHvi12eHLzpfShrW-woYPG7xCieQRQu0I9QJAQPZ5AT8I_zM7mF28M/s1600/POSADP.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha60bjDFp-U_vC-cpXb9iKXozsERcOBHzuScDvaw1JqiWTNF6B_5Klf8kWQCwgB53oMHp2JE6JzgmiPk6LcJTmYxnO77yAU2B3XMvUrfSjOgGaj-Og1oMck0xKC-Im1Z8ymBBtJ81Q46Q/s1600/FOOD3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha60bjDFp-U_vC-cpXb9iKXozsERcOBHzuScDvaw1JqiWTNF6B_5Klf8kWQCwgB53oMHp2JE6JzgmiPk6LcJTmYxnO77yAU2B3XMvUrfSjOgGaj-Og1oMck0xKC-Im1Z8ymBBtJ81Q46Q/s1600/FOOD3.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqBJB53ikeGtzlpgP1FQSSqWCN45CjEchZ9zJsITPlsTkE_-rSFLrwun68O8oywu9ClghanTfO5fnHKUZU5Ip9P16SmkP98DMzG94fWrre-kZXxuSBFZWN61OK1GtQ2Gor3kkG-kO0EA/s1600/HARTWOOD.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqBJB53ikeGtzlpgP1FQSSqWCN45CjEchZ9zJsITPlsTkE_-rSFLrwun68O8oywu9ClghanTfO5fnHKUZU5Ip9P16SmkP98DMzG94fWrre-kZXxuSBFZWN61OK1GtQ2Gor3kkG-kO0EA/s1600/HARTWOOD.jpg" /></a>
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This is the place I wanted to stay, but it was already booked. It is a perfumery, hotel and spa so I think we are visiting the spa one day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFJXsvQ9GQ7hI-SmrIAmBngFa5FPoZyuEV_Cp1nbxA0VvaMLTWWUPAEG2U1ZHM8wz5IElOLd4gMplPSyQcmTSWzPSM0RiSz36OII5sDxpVfySExADR9Qt6BlrazNQpGJ84aLj9ySif-w/s1600/Coqui.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFJXsvQ9GQ7hI-SmrIAmBngFa5FPoZyuEV_Cp1nbxA0VvaMLTWWUPAEG2U1ZHM8wz5IElOLd4gMplPSyQcmTSWzPSM0RiSz36OII5sDxpVfySExADR9Qt6BlrazNQpGJ84aLj9ySif-w/s1600/Coqui.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_340969955"></span><span id="goog_340969956"></span><br />
in a nutshell this is what I hope our trip entails...
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxIKTuwkco1Pr7EhaGoKWOzf2QKRmDpU_YSyoUGTbrizGzbUfqRv6638srhdollxZRfZtoXBONGJPnrw_u8oOu0yU6LLGv3kObwTcIHy1jIacBegD_sxXuZU3ulrwiqJQYtFWHJokNAk/s1600/tulum.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxIKTuwkco1Pr7EhaGoKWOzf2QKRmDpU_YSyoUGTbrizGzbUfqRv6638srhdollxZRfZtoXBONGJPnrw_u8oOu0yU6LLGv3kObwTcIHy1jIacBegD_sxXuZU3ulrwiqJQYtFWHJokNAk/s1600/tulum.jpg" /></a>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-79834025917886853682011-07-06T12:11:00.000-07:002011-07-06T12:49:11.843-07:00My one day, in the not too far off future, cliff side beach home (Click on Photos to make LARGER)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymPhX4AzPU9Cs7UMu9v3hdPa7KDVvq4KBeEIZYfYwFrfaF8_IHZXkfqc8sKNruq7c4nllEVqf-veujrjcLO-EVEw69g8OlH5F2GmCJgMHYjYOcnSqpzl2h0rR8hmd2gBFqLiG-MdJOVk/s1600/cliff4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 788px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymPhX4AzPU9Cs7UMu9v3hdPa7KDVvq4KBeEIZYfYwFrfaF8_IHZXkfqc8sKNruq7c4nllEVqf-veujrjcLO-EVEw69g8OlH5F2GmCJgMHYjYOcnSqpzl2h0rR8hmd2gBFqLiG-MdJOVk/s800/cliff4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626326293921167266" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCMiUEVaZYUtfoPhCRm_p3IoEyEooanQP7HTIB912e0IPsNjARpYwtaAs_5-xQvlinkzHqYK-3nb2mWAJMR7sshx9P1vhH83eB87PpD2XFPmnFnHzoBXycTV4ayDqH7E4LNbGdCHzRxE/s1600/cliff3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 1181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUCMiUEVaZYUtfoPhCRm_p3IoEyEooanQP7HTIB912e0IPsNjARpYwtaAs_5-xQvlinkzHqYK-3nb2mWAJMR7sshx9P1vhH83eB87PpD2XFPmnFnHzoBXycTV4ayDqH7E4LNbGdCHzRxE/s800/cliff3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626326285884903138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADUBbWlvH4sKvvx_-JnNLQbGsW0iTCDE0xXBvGxWicvZLsLODPmXBVLV0kFPPmvr6rBxg-ZaGmDcQzXH1zd4ZvW_hyzeS1qKy-ZFfE3H5ExUSdzD-IUvFJ1kXzjwnpi_Rf3tCMbPWD-M/s1600/cliff2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 1213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgADUBbWlvH4sKvvx_-JnNLQbGsW0iTCDE0xXBvGxWicvZLsLODPmXBVLV0kFPPmvr6rBxg-ZaGmDcQzXH1zd4ZvW_hyzeS1qKy-ZFfE3H5ExUSdzD-IUvFJ1kXzjwnpi_Rf3tCMbPWD-M/s800/cliff2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626326271570894530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzilKh-9SfdIrSh-0IudA3GPvuL3T77FlqYvBttbA61KRwrwDpWFZT-ILI-tWykkV2sDaliTvyUagZI1s6BXPmSuGvuB-OeNJ-TCCrA6PcRZiQ4UqBqD7siAk7sB6D4a_Z4k-1iwUpkgs/s1600/cliff1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 969px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzilKh-9SfdIrSh-0IudA3GPvuL3T77FlqYvBttbA61KRwrwDpWFZT-ILI-tWykkV2sDaliTvyUagZI1s6BXPmSuGvuB-OeNJ-TCCrA6PcRZiQ4UqBqD7siAk7sB6D4a_Z4k-1iwUpkgs/s800/cliff1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626326263966310450" /></a><br /><br />I have always dreamed of having this house, in a small beach town, on a cliff. It was never a primary residence rather a second home that I spend half my time. I am sure it came from a movie I saw or from a book I read, but regardless I have dreamed this as long as I can remember. I was perusing pinterest when I stumbled upon a pic that sparked my interest. I decided why not start dreaming about this house. Here is what I came up with:Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-62611980622638188742011-05-31T11:34:00.000-07:002011-05-31T17:10:18.096-07:00Savage Beauty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEbm-fh0F6ivCeN2jWiFr50gSSS8vi_Ltb0KllOXx-5V3xXW1_5rPbDhbSBt3rPit5OphlN4iUT5MzgUZfF1UjzkzxFcz9TSrlkYM79APONMJe_85e9ENiEHxMETcpnkJbuZAW2FaPkze/s1600/karlie-kloss5blogz.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 480px; height: 558px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEbm-fh0F6ivCeN2jWiFr50gSSS8vi_Ltb0KllOXx-5V3xXW1_5rPbDhbSBt3rPit5OphlN4iUT5MzgUZfF1UjzkzxFcz9TSrlkYM79APONMJe_85e9ENiEHxMETcpnkJbuZAW2FaPkze/s1600/karlie-kloss5blogz.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/SL.15.2011.9.75a%E2%80%93f_mcq.1814.AV1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 480px;" src="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/SL.15.2011.9.75a%E2%80%93f_mcq.1814.AV1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/SL.15.2011.9.42a,-d_mcq.1148.AV1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 321px; height: 483px;" src="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/SL.15.2011.9.42a,-d_mcq.1148.AV1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/McQ.1366a%E2%80%93c_mcq.1366.AV1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 321px; height: 483px;" src="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/McQ.1366a%E2%80%93c_mcq.1366.AV1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/McQ.152a%E2%80%93d_mcq.152.AV1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 326px; height: 483px;" src="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/images/McQ.152a%E2%80%93d_mcq.152.AV1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I had the great pleasure of being in NYC this past week and visiting the Met to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit. I was very excited to see it and knew I would love it, but was not prepared to become obsessed with McQueen! First of all the exhibit was beautiful and alone worth a trip to NYC. Second it was so nice to be truly inspired! What I did not realize about McQueen was that he started with the shows and worked on his collection only after he had decided on the theme/feel of the show. He was truly a genius designer, but I now think of him as an artist. I encourage you to look over the <a href="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/video/">videos</a> from the Met site. If you know there is no chance of seeing the exhibit check at the <a href="http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/objects/">objects</a> section of the page where you can see and read all about each garment.Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-79730781117306054762011-02-01T19:54:00.000-08:002011-02-01T20:08:03.514-08:00Tonights Dinner....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWQ8FXYgLI8a3cBMk0oefNg6c4POy0NTVsY00xb9oBls9gHuOtY1wmFeY2uHQyNUf0AUyPR4hgkg33tnXUIivJD8X6dhC8mam7kx8ZYwwJ9Or96ttunqONvwhaIoRrgzyLrzurCPj4-E/s1600/ravioli.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 685px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWQ8FXYgLI8a3cBMk0oefNg6c4POy0NTVsY00xb9oBls9gHuOtY1wmFeY2uHQyNUf0AUyPR4hgkg33tnXUIivJD8X6dhC8mam7kx8ZYwwJ9Or96ttunqONvwhaIoRrgzyLrzurCPj4-E/s1600/ravioli.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568938189816879362" /></a><br /><br />Tonight Leeman and I set out to the Dekalb Farmers Market to get some fresh produce for dinner. I had my heart set on using my pasta maker so we decided to make ravioli. We ended up with the above. We had Beet & Carrot Ravioli served over a bed of sauteed swiss chard topped with Beet and Chevre Sauce and Sage and Leek Gremolata. I was so amazed how well it turned out.Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-4457167391166728712010-12-24T14:17:00.000-08:002010-12-24T15:22:15.099-08:00A few updated pictures of our home... Still a work in progress though. (Click on the images to enlarge)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyOJThUnIetumknLqeb62FtmsaBxGEbdZgc0RjzbfZRArnT5s4NCyaB_JymLubr2KTJgaa5GKSccplahZsNW2bVdVSgwNOTHWjzaSIwY2567dpWN1d2ipm2L31qdm2YQEqARwCphPVdE/s1600/IMG_6819+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyOJThUnIetumknLqeb62FtmsaBxGEbdZgc0RjzbfZRArnT5s4NCyaB_JymLubr2KTJgaa5GKSccplahZsNW2bVdVSgwNOTHWjzaSIwY2567dpWN1d2ipm2L31qdm2YQEqARwCphPVdE/s400/IMG_6819+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554377114611759122" /></a> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipl2oRRNYXzrWU3wQsf1jOHcpbf_WO1QzGsJLOzMzBOWtv4dMXmX75AzrUXilGWa6rw62cyBtEDrv6QZhkRyWfhF8qjODPTh_wlap_rmibfGzTK_0cASNXUgSmrBxXvkaMt5fFKDzh6E/s1600/IMG_6859+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipl2oRRNYXzrWU3wQsf1jOHcpbf_WO1QzGsJLOzMzBOWtv4dMXmX75AzrUXilGWa6rw62cyBtEDrv6QZhkRyWfhF8qjODPTh_wlap_rmibfGzTK_0cASNXUgSmrBxXvkaMt5fFKDzh6E/s400/IMG_6859+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554377110240867554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgba9Lcra38071wxiKQSNnD_VuVDVWdpIyur3I1lcBG2cNk3eBTBJNs4yVaOTJofrIPEtJxDkNrsMGUskBJjA3GEGdj-BcZgx00MN09kOtbITCVdwrKfqNtUXBmBW7p1qlBHOV3qn5wlc/s1600/IMG_6849+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgba9Lcra38071wxiKQSNnD_VuVDVWdpIyur3I1lcBG2cNk3eBTBJNs4yVaOTJofrIPEtJxDkNrsMGUskBJjA3GEGdj-BcZgx00MN09kOtbITCVdwrKfqNtUXBmBW7p1qlBHOV3qn5wlc/s400/IMG_6849+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554377098142506114" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7x-svwrfM4gYdd64jUfVPvd0DgAQ-YAnXL20PJZGuxp0XI1ZnfIdCgUWotTShzQYufmklTqjtLZZe8S2AndjDVBk9EiS-J5t95qmE8uxY50tp0jpQhT9kczHwDhaNVs98-Tb8tX6Exs/s1600/IMG_6855+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7x-svwrfM4gYdd64jUfVPvd0DgAQ-YAnXL20PJZGuxp0XI1ZnfIdCgUWotTShzQYufmklTqjtLZZe8S2AndjDVBk9EiS-J5t95qmE8uxY50tp0jpQhT9kczHwDhaNVs98-Tb8tX6Exs/s400/IMG_6855+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554377094660526706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPnAAHuhABb-kzfb_Y2nDnPEJr7Kl2FDMVBjVB-6HyfBM-4bNDoPn_DhhHsB6KbjI17h3tWzadYCocOOgQkOCLZxlskooBhmsTevtr9rcdMhoJ-CzRKvlXcWSNZZVLzxYOr1dH7wzd6o/s1600/IMG_6862+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPnAAHuhABb-kzfb_Y2nDnPEJr7Kl2FDMVBjVB-6HyfBM-4bNDoPn_DhhHsB6KbjI17h3tWzadYCocOOgQkOCLZxlskooBhmsTevtr9rcdMhoJ-CzRKvlXcWSNZZVLzxYOr1dH7wzd6o/s400/IMG_6862+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554377094052022098" /></a> The plant shown above is a 15+ year old Jade plant. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt0KbMB20BP5KtiCHmkLqlOVwv2RXmehxYHImC_DVYM-LBuxW8q3n1Pp38jVxox3q5HeoRaDNC1E7PTrFO7iLPo6dtAiGXlqeoHnbJh4BpE18whg5Sa3JH7Qt7Wv0aKaOjnSQAPgwJWU/s1600/IMG_6861+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt0KbMB20BP5KtiCHmkLqlOVwv2RXmehxYHImC_DVYM-LBuxW8q3n1Pp38jVxox3q5HeoRaDNC1E7PTrFO7iLPo6dtAiGXlqeoHnbJh4BpE18whg5Sa3JH7Qt7Wv0aKaOjnSQAPgwJWU/s400/IMG_6861+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554376766473844258" /></a>Regarding the artwork above the TV, we bought a 5' x 7' canvas that we plan to cover with cool graffiti art. Until we find the right artist, Leeman just squirted a bunch of acrylic paint on it in the meantime.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89Aso1WPIDvP-9kTvnV0nqHpmUw7avwX7eBG6AemMgh9oU5k4teNqh7-OtuQd4JigaCHjOtn7EozwyQ4ojSzjn8Wcwekt8aElob2F2yYyiBFjCgBMh_HbawBzjUS1bIdbxtQsi0KWNyc/s1600/IMG_6835+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89Aso1WPIDvP-9kTvnV0nqHpmUw7avwX7eBG6AemMgh9oU5k4teNqh7-OtuQd4JigaCHjOtn7EozwyQ4ojSzjn8Wcwekt8aElob2F2yYyiBFjCgBMh_HbawBzjUS1bIdbxtQsi0KWNyc/s400/IMG_6835+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554376766546238482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnv-zfyY1LbP1g037SbcdfPVuAOUEHjJaN9aHrvr_LC7fDRxTFc6dfgn7dDIoWiCEd-VlvSW7IcWE1Na_ZqkEkTdfSmjRjbBVIlqq-e_1CnGeqzvx1o0j8tay70QElWDE4KmKKsR8ZU4/s1600/IMG_6869+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnv-zfyY1LbP1g037SbcdfPVuAOUEHjJaN9aHrvr_LC7fDRxTFc6dfgn7dDIoWiCEd-VlvSW7IcWE1Na_ZqkEkTdfSmjRjbBVIlqq-e_1CnGeqzvx1o0j8tay70QElWDE4KmKKsR8ZU4/s400/IMG_6869+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554376763175404482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L7KeFVDS1s6SyjoWXiGzuVuF1SpR4CNk2eia-bBb6BYevq04rAVvc2sTJ93zFJcidmpzeXYjdDDkt_Gwgss2gKRnZrCoNBV4OYuZgmCC9hdMJlUTnTL5PUjwK0yNaiA-cKK1EXFLOVU/s1600/IMG_6860+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L7KeFVDS1s6SyjoWXiGzuVuF1SpR4CNk2eia-bBb6BYevq04rAVvc2sTJ93zFJcidmpzeXYjdDDkt_Gwgss2gKRnZrCoNBV4OYuZgmCC9hdMJlUTnTL5PUjwK0yNaiA-cKK1EXFLOVU/s400/IMG_6860+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554376759098604722" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HAKop6s0U0u4AjKTSbj3Q52AFY0jDJDRtnOT0lNjAmGLDAeNUOwYjUoM7dBHYPN0JrfezH0s7wEkea-GayAdtBYEc7GCm0ZMQYadcWx-IxYtWLaHD7tHFFk6tcn06Gzfz6J8ieha3lg/s1600/IMG_6851+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HAKop6s0U0u4AjKTSbj3Q52AFY0jDJDRtnOT0lNjAmGLDAeNUOwYjUoM7dBHYPN0JrfezH0s7wEkea-GayAdtBYEc7GCm0ZMQYadcWx-IxYtWLaHD7tHFFk6tcn06Gzfz6J8ieha3lg/s400/IMG_6851+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554376758639979170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQC_3wd4NnKRhKFsOjqqg2Q9jMdNoIcHkPCB7CFoHzLf2CKYQTftSBilljSFzXJCPvNbeKurPzzWG05CI7F4TKZN2fTINZcftA4h4QiUEy9kvHF02P3w2rg2NOHwpYcn887NxCYq1oINM/s1600/IMG_6864+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQC_3wd4NnKRhKFsOjqqg2Q9jMdNoIcHkPCB7CFoHzLf2CKYQTftSBilljSFzXJCPvNbeKurPzzWG05CI7F4TKZN2fTINZcftA4h4QiUEy9kvHF02P3w2rg2NOHwpYcn887NxCYq1oINM/s400/IMG_6864+as+Smart+Object-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554377563145092402" /></a>We scored this really nice Fiddle Leaf Fig plant for only 25 bucks at a health food store in Augusta.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHf-XmTJ_poUNjmU2Pl3lPTAW82SZNOmqKOHnZ-O7ZTjlxtw-2dVV4DLDVoBsE17hWh4nUG8EM-jnIdM1y4l2Wpx1R99pk4bzIR2i3ZD6Iq8ddi5N6TKqxDZOVDJq_nsicRDqLXC7tv4/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHf-XmTJ_poUNjmU2Pl3lPTAW82SZNOmqKOHnZ-O7ZTjlxtw-2dVV4DLDVoBsE17hWh4nUG8EM-jnIdM1y4l2Wpx1R99pk4bzIR2i3ZD6Iq8ddi5N6TKqxDZOVDJq_nsicRDqLXC7tv4/s400/IMG_0147.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554380672738202642" /></a>Just a reminder, this is what our place looked like when we bought it. It's come a long way and there's still work to be done. Look at our older post to see the progress we've made over the past 9 months.Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-64315900608313382022010-12-08T09:43:00.000-08:002010-12-08T20:09:23.425-08:00dreaming of a christmas party....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifCRn0qaC14G6JInsqH7X4lbtwB8o4pdfvRMp9hc4_G94nvlEOVY0ezilo-ybRA7hHOcd89vTnWY6cK1Lek-gC4i8L3HtL9lKg00D8xSstfBV4TH3Gry0u3xt3FJBk_C-4MgqIesSG9I/s1600/outside.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifCRn0qaC14G6JInsqH7X4lbtwB8o4pdfvRMp9hc4_G94nvlEOVY0ezilo-ybRA7hHOcd89vTnWY6cK1Lek-gC4i8L3HtL9lKg00D8xSstfBV4TH3Gry0u3xt3FJBk_C-4MgqIesSG9I/s400/outside.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548529721492838658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6OsfYXlG3iZQsuWAGUG2Q8MKMRLybYo3adQ02osRO0kmWXCB0YcKgnQABw3zfuDw8Z5mwP6Zju6xwruUlU2q9AuuCjYsSAEaO_g8htQwSrBTrKxKeEQG9d8V_C6OceEI1vBo_uB-4Ac/s1600/inside.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 396px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6OsfYXlG3iZQsuWAGUG2Q8MKMRLybYo3adQ02osRO0kmWXCB0YcKgnQABw3zfuDw8Z5mwP6Zju6xwruUlU2q9AuuCjYsSAEaO_g8htQwSrBTrKxKeEQG9d8V_C6OceEI1vBo_uB-4Ac/s400/inside.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548529711677075682" /></a><br /><br /><br />I love the idea of having a Christmas party this year, but it will have to wait till 2011. I am headed to Costa Rica on December 17-24 and I will not have the time. Instead I will do what I do best and plan the party in my head. A Wintery White Christmas is the theme. Outside of course there would be a blanket of snow, and inside it would be mimicked with the creative use of doilies. I would probably make it a Champagne & Desserts party because why not indulge. Tis the season for giving so I would have little favors for my guest all wrapped beautifully. In my dreams I knit up a storm, so homemade knitted treats for all. If you were hosting a holiday party what things would you make sure to include?Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-68574333782532406482010-09-28T11:22:00.000-07:002010-09-28T13:01:29.330-07:00Could it be fall?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibS8ubipabO_tyW2NDUSLgvfSL7HFs5IE897iIclKOO_bzSKHnnTFwrw2OFZB-pbD5_PiCcLySyMc5069SKLBtQxRCxjYP-PUK4n_ZcjNN0_iKgMpGU2OLGYlyqvEWnU5wbHMc4WSWS8w/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-09-28+at+3.54.56+PM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibS8ubipabO_tyW2NDUSLgvfSL7HFs5IE897iIclKOO_bzSKHnnTFwrw2OFZB-pbD5_PiCcLySyMc5069SKLBtQxRCxjYP-PUK4n_ZcjNN0_iKgMpGU2OLGYlyqvEWnU5wbHMc4WSWS8w/s400/Screen+shot+2010-09-28+at+3.54.56+PM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522055570689377234" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC8dnc7QlOC9dMpb_h82rAWsHSLmBoXic1RqEN7ZqEOIKt97AUBme766fNbP3ED825w7X9IXcvelds5rG_CS5Dc_1F-jlTl47AoBs8iRe32G3qe0soCY48vS6hkfpNraGX5xgoiP2FFA/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-09-28+at+3.27.02+PM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 338px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTC8dnc7QlOC9dMpb_h82rAWsHSLmBoXic1RqEN7ZqEOIKt97AUBme766fNbP3ED825w7X9IXcvelds5rG_CS5Dc_1F-jlTl47AoBs8iRe32G3qe0soCY48vS6hkfpNraGX5xgoiP2FFA/s400/Screen+shot+2010-09-28+at+3.27.02+PM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522052588311870098" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigICaxPJ613dWI9csoBDUPRVwLiF3IBNUY6WyaI4cbIdhwh6SbOf2jSUoT8Hterk9_6oE2VsCWKODeDv9VokhmsFWqVB4n3cXRSJSbTB8Bef1xyCGoVuWiRcRvOkrQXU-w4kNm6MwkCek/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-09-28+at+2.41.54+PM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 327px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigICaxPJ613dWI9csoBDUPRVwLiF3IBNUY6WyaI4cbIdhwh6SbOf2jSUoT8Hterk9_6oE2VsCWKODeDv9VokhmsFWqVB4n3cXRSJSbTB8Bef1xyCGoVuWiRcRvOkrQXU-w4kNm6MwkCek/s400/Screen+shot+2010-09-28+at+2.41.54+PM.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522052585629743906" /></a><br /><br /><br />With fall approaching it is so hard not to think about chili cook offs, boots, warm cardigans & hot toddies. Although I am sure this is one of natures cruel pranks (it will get hot again), this cooler weather is making me giddy. I recently made a statement that I immediately wanted to retract, because I realize how bizarro I sounded. I said I hate the outdoors and "fresh air"- I can see everyone cringing and looking at one another in unison as I say this, but it isn't entirely true. What I meant to say was I frequently don't like being outside because of really hot, sweaty weather and mosquitos (I wish the feeling was mutual, but they love me). I know my clarification isn't much better but I am confident somewhere someone is shaking there head with me. Anyway after making that statement to my sisters utter shock and disappointment I had to call her and let her know that all I want today is to be outside and breathe in the fresh air. I guess I just live in the wrong climate. Anyway back to dreaming about all things fall. Here is a quick list of things I want to do before it gets too cold<br />1) make chili and snuggle up at a drive in movie<br />2) go to a pumpkin patch and take some photos<br />3) go to a haunted house<br />4) make a thanksgiving menu (even if I may not get to make it)<br />5) go to a UGA game (even if they suck)<br />6) get dressed up and go out in fall attire<br />So, my question for everyone is what do you look forward to this fall?<br /><br />Plus, here is a <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Turkey-Chili/Detail.aspx">recipe</a> I use as a base for chili (I always have to change and add things as needed) and a recipe for <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Absolute-Mexican-Cornbread/Detail.aspx">cornbread</a>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-85666763781783139642010-09-23T10:29:00.000-07:002010-09-23T11:11:50.964-07:00Would you go Black?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wK-V7CXOxN6lexKKyt4MPsi9LqbpwIiYLvTwb_eL_-p8iV7tucPThpA5suj64UEf7OtgQ0DHFWRKcEk2_a1fNRNe2Ke1li_qHCHfyEe8evZHiGEZGLCjy6Ezow4mJCDs_CUIbrZNKEQ/s1600/black4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wK-V7CXOxN6lexKKyt4MPsi9LqbpwIiYLvTwb_eL_-p8iV7tucPThpA5suj64UEf7OtgQ0DHFWRKcEk2_a1fNRNe2Ke1li_qHCHfyEe8evZHiGEZGLCjy6Ezow4mJCDs_CUIbrZNKEQ/s400/black4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520173125317176578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrwqbKhaeE_p1_BIM8u0C3LKRNoyA94PKf750OvfQl83caFCwgoHBA5Hb5GIflHOr-0Vke5IxgXhqZpE7GlD9jSE9Dim2Gp9Fz1UkprsIeTbVOV2m0xT_zRlFNp1s4i5M-j2yBSUtTXk/s1600/black3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrwqbKhaeE_p1_BIM8u0C3LKRNoyA94PKf750OvfQl83caFCwgoHBA5Hb5GIflHOr-0Vke5IxgXhqZpE7GlD9jSE9Dim2Gp9Fz1UkprsIeTbVOV2m0xT_zRlFNp1s4i5M-j2yBSUtTXk/s400/black3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520173109647717762" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_DANaqr7ERaGq8684gNVHuyhHqwwESZlDvzeNqJbIqSS-SMi44ibk4uKG1H_GgwIqCDPfT_8FDBT7uJfm3ZV1-jfjMIKjVLikgG4FNSDKVtj7WlTCSnfIl9W6csTikzxEOCrh_MPgMs/s1600/black2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_DANaqr7ERaGq8684gNVHuyhHqwwESZlDvzeNqJbIqSS-SMi44ibk4uKG1H_GgwIqCDPfT_8FDBT7uJfm3ZV1-jfjMIKjVLikgG4FNSDKVtj7WlTCSnfIl9W6csTikzxEOCrh_MPgMs/s400/black2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520173112616131714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QQnDFQTLiPJXWghU0GCRcues04PXikSu1VRDTLozuaTBJvnoS4YJ_UNnqvb77wqYMjgngzFo9Grv-GuL5pqM2uByAFVc_l8PvJwltM5alZLHvaeI4Paa2cDupyMZMzAoGanAtjmKQjM/s1600/black1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QQnDFQTLiPJXWghU0GCRcues04PXikSu1VRDTLozuaTBJvnoS4YJ_UNnqvb77wqYMjgngzFo9Grv-GuL5pqM2uByAFVc_l8PvJwltM5alZLHvaeI4Paa2cDupyMZMzAoGanAtjmKQjM/s400/black1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520173106069322162" /></a><br />So much could be said about the color black. The Little Black Dress is a staple in every women's closet. It says classy and it is slimming. The statement "_____ is the new black" confirms it's tradition and even suggests popularity. Yet black also has a "dark side" frequently associated with goth and all things dark and gloomy. How can something so classic also be so sinister? I love the color black, but I have never dreamed of painting a room black. Most people probably fall into this category. We make so many attempts at making a room feel warm or bright and airy. Where interiors are concerned black usually does a great job behind the scenes as a beautiful accent, but has it just come center stage? Is Black the new White? Let's just say I think these rooms are awesome and I may be heading to home depot for some sinister black paint! Would you go Black?Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-35863338991194741452010-09-19T15:14:00.000-07:002010-09-19T15:36:09.609-07:00Spring RTW 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7-6MPtm596-R7fAaQVjWs_0vG0_kfoDF3vm3KGRucPsTrX-m-ZsYrYwZQMYgX2ysXPlInkj0I9dn1E_9KDVnOvQHRXjAn_l79-8488kYVrrXt9KKED4LhBXteA-ysJgSMO0LKiJqeSw/s1600/lamb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 386px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7-6MPtm596-R7fAaQVjWs_0vG0_kfoDF3vm3KGRucPsTrX-m-ZsYrYwZQMYgX2ysXPlInkj0I9dn1E_9KDVnOvQHRXjAn_l79-8488kYVrrXt9KKED4LhBXteA-ysJgSMO0LKiJqeSw/s400/lamb.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518755722306224210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBatXbr41eBd9GiN9gZ9SKpXUNfgJelnke9KEL4wZEdalzYRhfy480duzCQCQwfw3x11KmwI4jX__Sv196UiJub0BMPoLM73wB7TsWjtBRVODXAUDNpjBmVnfFrRqWthzHf9OyANA27C8/s1600/julien_mcdonald.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 386px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBatXbr41eBd9GiN9gZ9SKpXUNfgJelnke9KEL4wZEdalzYRhfy480duzCQCQwfw3x11KmwI4jX__Sv196UiJub0BMPoLM73wB7TsWjtBRVODXAUDNpjBmVnfFrRqWthzHf9OyANA27C8/s400/julien_mcdonald.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518755705647812034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nf3sxXt8ahdURqgDHIeNYVX7a_lU192Fv3TymtgtTMgVeH3BuYuOftzdl7f3Sxp3gaBHCGgCZR_D8reptB3BBVXHnwi9r70Ts5HEkjdGUOR9bfsN2HZiBpzBbNFpRbbg65yWUEzsdE0/s1600/reemacra.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 386px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Nf3sxXt8ahdURqgDHIeNYVX7a_lU192Fv3TymtgtTMgVeH3BuYuOftzdl7f3Sxp3gaBHCGgCZR_D8reptB3BBVXHnwi9r70Ts5HEkjdGUOR9bfsN2HZiBpzBbNFpRbbg65yWUEzsdE0/s400/reemacra.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518755694974480258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL_i8gg3Ux3FfnHJvBP09bka3b8ynrUXdazyrg2EEUNhQh1kcggQRa4NnyqhUhGdSos51bTOEb5lxYiatoUW2qtCeyrU6U-Y-bCBswiOXixZMMzofQRaBmoe25fmuqTzZfRIpOLtukMM/s1600/j.mendel1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 386px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL_i8gg3Ux3FfnHJvBP09bka3b8ynrUXdazyrg2EEUNhQh1kcggQRa4NnyqhUhGdSos51bTOEb5lxYiatoUW2qtCeyrU6U-Y-bCBswiOXixZMMzofQRaBmoe25fmuqTzZfRIpOLtukMM/s400/j.mendel1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518755677706283522" /></a><br /><br />If only I was 6' tall and all legs. I thought I would share some of my favorite Spring 2011 RTW looks. Let me know what you liked from Spring 2011 RTW Collections.Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-4642378631251128722010-09-17T09:06:00.000-07:002010-09-17T13:41:25.687-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFidKPnnArR0UcC5b1DEGWHYGljoYTiZ4wO-Rgj5VptIdl_T36SB_3_yZiKima7Sg35mzdbi3sQkKnYxGSVL2iY1cLFFlA93h9C314FBqQndtnWtVhrT2uwn4fhLaeFoFZLvvlCOwSwE/s1600/DSC_0042.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFidKPnnArR0UcC5b1DEGWHYGljoYTiZ4wO-Rgj5VptIdl_T36SB_3_yZiKima7Sg35mzdbi3sQkKnYxGSVL2iY1cLFFlA93h9C314FBqQndtnWtVhrT2uwn4fhLaeFoFZLvvlCOwSwE/s400/DSC_0042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517983944922061522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rbcq9khn6X6oVaqtJJoYteKZfEtwuuDin_pl_Bdanr8H3YcnhsFizx1kwBtAIvrI9KaPAwCEqlGyxwU11MYFKWh3S0O2kf-4MMMj11g7XMcwO_l2dAVkfwYaJkSNE3OI7Al2Kr3j6KE/s1600/IMG_0598.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Rbcq9khn6X6oVaqtJJoYteKZfEtwuuDin_pl_Bdanr8H3YcnhsFizx1kwBtAIvrI9KaPAwCEqlGyxwU11MYFKWh3S0O2kf-4MMMj11g7XMcwO_l2dAVkfwYaJkSNE3OI7Al2Kr3j6KE/s400/IMG_0598.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517983937896716370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk8-lpILIs14IpMe8Yvqgwom87cQDTHhlsjDw4xOQW-_ZQlHdVGb382SqDIJhkGD3Loji56gP-XgKbREzYCZSIMSKqObGK9cvC3tkytQ4PJMdsKXucVHJAYyzAKhfdRmeTFbH0QQXJSs/s1600/DSC_0028.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyk8-lpILIs14IpMe8Yvqgwom87cQDTHhlsjDw4xOQW-_ZQlHdVGb382SqDIJhkGD3Loji56gP-XgKbREzYCZSIMSKqObGK9cvC3tkytQ4PJMdsKXucVHJAYyzAKhfdRmeTFbH0QQXJSs/s400/DSC_0028.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517983931974079954" /></a><br /><br />We rose early about 6am, packed up our tent and headed out of Etosha. The nearest exit, Namutoni, was 60km (or 30 miles) so again we took our time looking for wildlife. Animal spotting started slow, but eventually we saw giraffe, zebra, wildebeest & tons of deer. Carisa has also become quite the birdwatcher spotting all kinds of little guys. Sadly we did not see any lions. Once out of the park we headed to a town called Tsumeb, where Ulrich's family stopped to eat when he was 13. We found the hotel, The Minion Hotel, with no difficulty but we were too early for lunch - So breakfast it is! Let me first explain that all Namibian Restaurant menus read the same:<br /><br />Ham & Cheese Sandwich<br />Ham & Tomato Sandwich<br />Ham, Cheese & Tomato Sandwich<br />Schnitzel <br />Bratworst etc.....<br /><br />The girls were all concerned with the advertised 2 star rated hotel, so we agreed waffles w/ ice cream were a safe bet. Our waiter was in his 70's or 80's and took quite some time to remember our order. He kept going around the table saying what we ordered then he left and returned repeating it all for good measure. Carisa ordered a waffle w/ strawberry sauce and ice cream and it looked so gross. After lunch we stopped for gas and got a snack at Wimpy (a fast food place). On the way to Windhoek I spotted a couple of giraffes and baboons, it was such a cheap thrill! We checked into our hostel, The Cardboard Box, luckily and despite its name we found it quite acceptable. An employee from the cardboard box sent us to Joe's Bierhouse for dinner, which blew us away. Pulling up to it looked like a garage, but once inside it was like a tropical oasis. The food was really good and cost about $11 a person for dinner, drinks & dessert. When we returned to our hostel we rearranged the beds and tables to start speed competitions. We were being so loud and having so much fun. We even started filming them so we could do playbacks in slow motion for replays. One round Carisa, Leeman and I were sitting on one bed and a pretty spectacular ending to a game had us all jump and shout. Then suddenly the bed cracked and half of it fell. We were so loud and then silence, as we waited to see if we were going to be in trouble. Ulrich quickly jumped into action and said, "clear the other bed we'll swap them". We all started working hard trying to fix it, when we realized Ulrich was just trying to keep the game moving. We eventually alerted staff, but not before moving the beds around and trying to cover it all up. We continued to keep score on Ulrich's fabulous diagram. We did find one minor flaw in the diagram, but it's nothing an excel spreadsheet can't fix when we get home.Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-60707072033909648972010-09-14T19:49:00.000-07:002010-09-16T07:19:09.138-07:00Is it better to ask forgiveness or permission?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbb7-uscEWB4klhJ5KEeI2KjM0dF2n0nnCTlaWPsdSfABVQro4wfVUn91AdHZ54IcGOSem5w64rUvoCrsgkxfmujf5JttldhHwiSOYyjGokrC78NyS3qmhrHpl1KkamRw2hLy7buwi0A/s1600/4619328851_d773ba927e_z.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbb7-uscEWB4klhJ5KEeI2KjM0dF2n0nnCTlaWPsdSfABVQro4wfVUn91AdHZ54IcGOSem5w64rUvoCrsgkxfmujf5JttldhHwiSOYyjGokrC78NyS3qmhrHpl1KkamRw2hLy7buwi0A/s400/4619328851_d773ba927e_z.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516982752633775314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKygvPiJGZusX_7yYqE3M_-uzxusOFtYdJIXTcLGaOgwqpmD-fQY9YzVLrSV5t_chVzxVvgnmfk-yNKz9usxS_MsfrQH0mVynHi7TZC-8D1jGnIrflw6izPvkferQnJn3xOI_V4wgsRE/s1600/4619332041_5ac3e40cb0_z.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKygvPiJGZusX_7yYqE3M_-uzxusOFtYdJIXTcLGaOgwqpmD-fQY9YzVLrSV5t_chVzxVvgnmfk-yNKz9usxS_MsfrQH0mVynHi7TZC-8D1jGnIrflw6izPvkferQnJn3xOI_V4wgsRE/s400/4619332041_5ac3e40cb0_z.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516982535781773922" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnHyiQ6hzOvcxF908MoUdv8BVvuXJ8KHurI5uo_TLHoG7FPMnvUjGn2Q3UK3Gj7ilumbb585HCvPm8tdbXnaNw9DrPM8sTQGDGmdrbyGvic0GSnP_vhf922PPceanX-URyde3_rOw-F8/s1600/tent.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnHyiQ6hzOvcxF908MoUdv8BVvuXJ8KHurI5uo_TLHoG7FPMnvUjGn2Q3UK3Gj7ilumbb585HCvPm8tdbXnaNw9DrPM8sTQGDGmdrbyGvic0GSnP_vhf922PPceanX-URyde3_rOw-F8/s400/tent.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516982063442782194" /></a><br /><br /><br />We rose at 5:30am to pack up and go on our own little safari. The next campsite is Halili the drive is a couple hours through the park, so we will take our time. We saw Zebra, Giraffe, Rhino, birds and 5 different deer looking things. It was fun looking for the animals and watching them interact or completely ignore one another. When we got to Halali and set up our tent Carisa and the boys decided to go for a dip in the pool. Shelley and I eventually joined them lounging along poolside. It was around this time that Shelley mentioned to me the chair cushions would make for a wonderful bed and would probably not be missed at night.<br /><br />Next we went to the watering hole at Halali. A couple of Namibian little girls kept following us around and touching my hair. One of the little girls spotted an elephant that paraded around and put on quite the show for us. Leeman got a little too close for comfort filming the elephant from well outside the permitted area. At one point the elephant looked straight at him and sort of huffed. It scared me so bad.<br /><br />We had dinner at the restaurant. Leeman tried the Impala Steak, which was really tasty. Somehow the conversation turned to the pool cushions and Leeman and Ulrich decided to take things into their own hands. It really was a brilliant plan because 1) it is brilliant and 2) who is going to miss them at night. While I went inside to settle the tab, Leeman and Ul decided to scope out the cushions. Carisa and Shelley watched Ulrich and Leeman as they ever so casually had a seat on the chairs. Okay it was actually very suspicious looking how they sat side by side on lounge chairs then quickly, and without any hesitation grabbed the cushions and quickly walking back to the tent. What the stealthy boys failed to notice was the waiter who witnessed the entire debacle and reported to security. Fortunately for the boys we also saw and quickly went into action. My thought was to run ahead and tell the boys so they could 1)return the cushions and confess or 2) lose the cushions all together and plea the fifth. I ran to the boys and caught them up to speed. They decided to find the security guard before he found them. Carisa was panicked that her new husband and baby bro were going to spend a long, lonely night in a Namibian prison. When the boys found the security guard we still had not found Shelley, so as Leeman approached he asked if he spoke to a women. The guard started to smile and said it was okay, but we should have asked. At that Ulrich asked if we could take one more cushion (good thinking Ul). We promised to have them back at 6am. When we finally found Shelley we discovered she chatted up the guard and when he said he was looking for some boys, Shelley said, "I did it! It was my idea. I just wanted a comfortable nights sleep". Way to take one for the team Shelley. Anyway we were so proud and we discovered it had never been attempted.<br /><br />Before going to bed we went back to the watering hole to discover more Rhinos.Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-85608438995440574162010-09-14T19:14:00.000-07:002010-09-14T19:44:03.240-07:00I'm Back............and picking up where I left off<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3Zcto9pV1g2yTksi8akZhcqTDwhGiqlhrL8aOSlYfmgbO4u3OlVbvEgavxEb68KKvTBESdej_XFJNz0pqM8asagKt62GL4OCJ_u5Z7HMRUuJm7AHQyO0MVEc_K2ud0cPBmTrGldRzeM/s1600/4619920894_85b62376ea_z.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3Zcto9pV1g2yTksi8akZhcqTDwhGiqlhrL8aOSlYfmgbO4u3OlVbvEgavxEb68KKvTBESdej_XFJNz0pqM8asagKt62GL4OCJ_u5Z7HMRUuJm7AHQyO0MVEc_K2ud0cPBmTrGldRzeM/s400/4619920894_85b62376ea_z.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516965504481150210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKfBc3q7KmAkbtwTYhKXRqqCYo3oiTPOKBQvT-r9SYCRQ0R2HFhZVX3XOqtkFU_gFXxZmW7vSwXG1rVj2HPde1pnDHcE0wCnhKnC1ZUdK1JahjHTDg8_qrdWIUT1vdtfAiSVRD6LvObg/s1600/4619309641_1286958abf_z.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKfBc3q7KmAkbtwTYhKXRqqCYo3oiTPOKBQvT-r9SYCRQ0R2HFhZVX3XOqtkFU_gFXxZmW7vSwXG1rVj2HPde1pnDHcE0wCnhKnC1ZUdK1JahjHTDg8_qrdWIUT1vdtfAiSVRD6LvObg/s400/4619309641_1286958abf_z.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516965502158665746" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />After packing the house up, going to the grocery store and eating lunch we headed to Etosha Park. We will be camping for two nights inside the park. Our first night we will be staying at the Okaukuejo campsite. We had to phone ahead because we realized we were going to miss there gate closing (noticing a pattern). Unfortunately a phone call does not give them permission to keep the park gates open, so we have to put the pedal to the metal. We played group 20 questions and chatted making the time fly. We passed through many small towns and for the first time in Namibia traveled mostly by tarmac (their word). Once safely in the park before the gates closed, we set up camp (in the dark), ate sandwiches and headed excitedly(with booze) to the watering hole. It started off very slowly with only some loud american teenagers to watch, but with patience (and the teenagers gone) we got quite a show. <br /><br />With binoculars in hand and nothing in sight I swore I finally saw something. It turned out to be a whole bunch of zebras. They took there time to get the watering hole something they apparently do to make sure there aren't any predators nearby. Eventually 2 giraffes, a wildebeest, an elephant and a rhino joined. It was so peaceful and serene and you get a true sense of "animals in the wild". One time when the elephant moved toward the rhino, the rhino sort of scurried out of the way showing the elephant was indeed the boss. After all of the excitement at the watering hole we headed to our campsite for some shuteye.Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-89571940067608876152010-07-27T16:43:00.000-07:002010-07-28T19:18:08.232-07:00Ricotta PancakesVideo coming shortly<br />My cousins were visiting Georgia and we decided to make pancakes. A recent trip to the Highland Bakery has left me craving Ricotta Pancakes, so it was an obvious choice. I selected this <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/breakfast/recipe-fluffy-ricotta-pancakes-048085">recipe</a> from Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn. <div><br /></div><div>The pancakes turned out wonderful!! We served them with a blueberry sauce, maple syrup and powdered sugar (my fav). With just the powdered sugar it tasted like a light and fluffy funnel cake. My only suggestion would be to double the batter. Thanks John & Kelly for your help and the good company!!</div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-46632594166961081932010-07-26T08:32:00.000-07:002010-07-26T09:00:18.187-07:00Beets: A Superfood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl53bVg-qBA_LSypI5U-XUwnP-erZ-QF9RodzLIUo6OitVDvI9iqbIqHwavPkQp3hVl2MUVpvkoTud6GWCiTavZTepxpeYvVPcNvBxrHdDOKrNIHCXDZ4Z_15Mte5_agZYygKfGh5MAc/s1600/Pasta1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl53bVg-qBA_LSypI5U-XUwnP-erZ-QF9RodzLIUo6OitVDvI9iqbIqHwavPkQp3hVl2MUVpvkoTud6GWCiTavZTepxpeYvVPcNvBxrHdDOKrNIHCXDZ4Z_15Mte5_agZYygKfGh5MAc/s400/Pasta1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498245264744794898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vkP6bAKWYnBcSmkd3krBkmuineRRxNw5FuOVKIJVIJW3WCBIfmr8OxPKZmCHBebp90ZZOjSEPj0zSznPCVHr2eME7pHP0VI40N4uYmmB-hYSm81iX6LCTl7Iv0STluEs5wBAGE_ONPk/s1600/Pasta3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vkP6bAKWYnBcSmkd3krBkmuineRRxNw5FuOVKIJVIJW3WCBIfmr8OxPKZmCHBebp90ZZOjSEPj0zSznPCVHr2eME7pHP0VI40N4uYmmB-hYSm81iX6LCTl7Iv0STluEs5wBAGE_ONPk/s400/Pasta3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498245256141394290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOOclwqlifHkyzytmmn34Ff8oBwMeNtPTCIGwpz2aERm6oB2Mzkp1BNMmFbRfUwuFhaXOcHNFlUH0b9RBo3VeFM26JTB1zlvfwihmMadhyphenhyphengcpKSIaTEbq-uhQEmvTATXXmxTh-pyhsrA/s1600/Egg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMOOclwqlifHkyzytmmn34Ff8oBwMeNtPTCIGwpz2aERm6oB2Mzkp1BNMmFbRfUwuFhaXOcHNFlUH0b9RBo3VeFM26JTB1zlvfwihmMadhyphenhyphengcpKSIaTEbq-uhQEmvTATXXmxTh-pyhsrA/s400/Egg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498245247681253522" /></a><br /><br />I had my first experience making pasta this past weekend, and now I like to imagine never buying pasta again. It was so much fun and weirdly gratifying. It took a little extra effort, but come meal time it was so worth it. I got the pasta machine at bed, bath & beyond and used my 20% off coupon, and the total was $30. I made ravioli and I did not splurge and get the ravioli maker (another $18) rather I rolled the egg pasta very thin and used a cookie cutter to cut out squares. I wanted to make sure I liked the pasta machine before buying more gadgets. I have been dying to make <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beet-Ravioli-with-Poppy-Seed-Butter-232091">Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Butter</a> since I bookmarked it 2 years ago. I read through all the reviews and decided I liked what most of the reviewers suggested, so I used very little ricotta and substituted goat cheese instead. I also seasoned to taste and added lemon zest to the filling. For the poppy seed butter I added pecans for a little texture. I paired this with an almond and zucchini side, which everyone seemed to like. Overall I really liked the dish, but it was a love/ hate thing because the Poppy Seed Butter made it delicious and yet I hated the idea of having excess butter on my plate. At the end of the meal we fought over the last few butter drenched ravioli. <div><br /></div><div>The next morning we had so much leftover filling Leeman suggested we use it with poached eggs. While he was out of town I practiced poaching eggs, so I was eager to show off my new skills. We did not have english muffins, so I took some whole wheat pita bread and cut out circles with a cookie cutter. I heated the filling and poached some eggs. I served this with a side of arugula stacked everything, shaved a little parmesan and sprinkled it with poppy seeds. It was quite tasty, but I think I prefer fried green tomatoes or something with a little more weight and substance with a poached egg.</div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-33481307375835892022010-07-22T08:49:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:22:18.046-07:00Sand Dunes & Sledding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGc8wt_9T7gZIeilcMt_k1ipe0sUyk01aKA_dI4jFF_cbsWJB1iIkKtORsndLgAXFvu9oV4cZR8sNsc3ytxEykW5-IbfZYRyrcPyB92GZAGctAnZ3hx8SHuWIKiMh_5nfBRFpiVffNro/s1600/swakop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGc8wt_9T7gZIeilcMt_k1ipe0sUyk01aKA_dI4jFF_cbsWJB1iIkKtORsndLgAXFvu9oV4cZR8sNsc3ytxEykW5-IbfZYRyrcPyB92GZAGctAnZ3hx8SHuWIKiMh_5nfBRFpiVffNro/s400/swakop.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496859341093480498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoqPhKrF9Kj7ORdBPOPiOuAVwnz6RzDzFH5nXAjiVnmUcIcgu4guNlQ2PQ2DH9QZ5WW773CiVZWqyV_9klCJsigsOdanOmcqAWAQzbVVmnDr0S9t47P7vVX44c1Yl6dLGbqWYNGj7_0c/s1600/ocean.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoqPhKrF9Kj7ORdBPOPiOuAVwnz6RzDzFH5nXAjiVnmUcIcgu4guNlQ2PQ2DH9QZ5WW773CiVZWqyV_9klCJsigsOdanOmcqAWAQzbVVmnDr0S9t47P7vVX44c1Yl6dLGbqWYNGj7_0c/s400/ocean.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496859335655166034" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvdq3-AdCvKten55E4OfqEwKb1_PfHaCCQb4W81K4gU-BjyWqToSD6tAb3Y_LpZ3RrAqtX_UTjcjtl-XOThKGwWJ9JUh0REbW6O_gtt7FtG7v9tFUjzF6faSPnnYFiGkEdm6Ft2REoEc/s1600/dune.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvdq3-AdCvKten55E4OfqEwKb1_PfHaCCQb4W81K4gU-BjyWqToSD6tAb3Y_LpZ3RrAqtX_UTjcjtl-XOThKGwWJ9JUh0REbW6O_gtt7FtG7v9tFUjzF6faSPnnYFiGkEdm6Ft2REoEc/s400/dune.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496859324216735298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-n5JFfNm-QCpTa0A2EPDtHNtfe3IPJi18bWEgze5P41lSiBnsxR3adCllpjgUi_IGFhcOwRrV_jJnoTpWO0YoBZSoT_Idpefx4i5N9sTR8NyiEfBuf0rJLZO7Czx2v0WaNDluLaM1LY/s1600/car.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-n5JFfNm-QCpTa0A2EPDtHNtfe3IPJi18bWEgze5P41lSiBnsxR3adCllpjgUi_IGFhcOwRrV_jJnoTpWO0YoBZSoT_Idpefx4i5N9sTR8NyiEfBuf0rJLZO7Czx2v0WaNDluLaM1LY/s400/car.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496859321456171794" /></a><br /><div>We arrived in Swakopmund (birthplace to Shiloh Jolie-Pitt) last night and the house we have rented is awesome. We got to sleep in unitl 9:30am, what a treat. We took our time getting ready and enjoyed an egg & cheese sandwich leeman prepared -delightful! We headed into town to use the internet and shop around town. Everywhere we go you pay random "parking attendents" 10 rand (a little more then $1) to watch your car. We got some touristy info and realized everything cost about $50 a person, so we decided to create our own fun. Carisa collected cardboard boxes so we could sled down sand dunes. This town is cool with sand dunes on one side and the ocean on the other. We found a big dune and climbed to the top, where the views were really pretty. The boys tried to slide and surf down the dune, with no success. We resorted to our usual picture taking having mini photo shoots with Carisa and Leeman. Once finished we ran down the dunes (getting a lot of sand in my eyes) and headed back to town to find food. On our walk to the restaurant we found a street of vendors selling "african" things. It was really interesting to see how aggressive the vendors were. Each one ran up to us introducing themselves, asking where we were from & stressing we look at things very slowly "Take your time" "It cost nothing to look". Several salesmen told us they we also from the states once hearing we were from the U.S. Once Shelley called for me by name and all the vendors started calling "Christy, Christy" from across the street. I had no idea how they knew my name. It was overwhelming trying to browse at their stuff so we decided to eat first, shop later. On our walk to the restaurant we saw some <a href="http://image05.webshots.com/5/0/18/71/115301871kwisJB_ph.jpg">Himba</a> people, they have red clay rubbed all over their hair and bodies. Shelley asked if she could photograph them and they made a motion for money. She charged about 10 rand. I ended up buying some cool fabric. We sat outside at the restaurant where we bundled in blankets. Leeman tried Red Espresso (a chai style roobios tee -pronounced roobios). After we ate Shelley had an itch to gable at the Mermaid Casino, so we dropped Leeman and Shelley off while we went to the grocery store. </div><div><br /></div><div>We also started our Speed obsession. We had tournaments and Ulrich made a brilliant chart to document our wins and losses. We also started having a dealing competition to determine which team played first. Finally, we started commentating. It was hilarious and the start of something that would consume most of us for longer then expected!</div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-67899225611460322162010-07-20T07:47:00.000-07:002010-07-20T09:16:17.943-07:00Kitchen Crafty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_m6fQR4-P-MvizvzukUd5TE6EowK8RlrAs67g9Iar1cQn15NkxQNThv54KkhonDqdF56wmq8by-4zpV98I49-heDFyoWlm9IxjdzQkVQcr8mtakmN5MFBsPHNSMN1XpkVzxqr-z0tx6Q/s1600/blueberry.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_m6fQR4-P-MvizvzukUd5TE6EowK8RlrAs67g9Iar1cQn15NkxQNThv54KkhonDqdF56wmq8by-4zpV98I49-heDFyoWlm9IxjdzQkVQcr8mtakmN5MFBsPHNSMN1XpkVzxqr-z0tx6Q/s400/blueberry.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496016607446213858" /></a><br />The past two days I have tried a few very interesting recipes I have gathered from other blogs and I thought I would share. The first was a Blueberry Basil Cream Cheese Cupcake from <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/blueberry-basil-cheesecake-cupcakes/">Bakerella</a> I thought they were really good, but .I don't think I let the Cream Cheese soften enough before making the cream cheese filling (resulting in a lumpy mess). Next time I want to add a little more lemon to the recipe. After this creation I starting scouring the web for other blueberry basil creations and came up with some other very interesting ideas:<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Drinkers:</div><div>Tequila, <a href="http://intoxicologist.net/2009/06/blueberry-basil-tonic/">blueberry </a>and basil, oh my?</div><div>For you rum<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reeselloyd/3792592898/"> lovers</a> (me), surprise your guest with a twist on a classic.</div><div>Here is that <a href="http://wohlners.com/news/2010/06/wohlners-menu-suggestions-and-events-for-week-of-june-2-2010/">lemon</a> I was talking about (scroll to the bottom).</div><div><br /></div><div>Foodies:</div><div>Maybe drinking isn't your thing, but <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-with-blueberry-basil-salsa?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/grilled-chicken-recipes#slide_21">eatin'</a> chicken is!</div><div><br /></div><div>Dessert:</div><div>Take your pick on<a href="http://www.rustickitchen.com/blog/?p=198"> ice cream</a>, <a href="http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/cherry-thai-basil-sorbet-refreshing.html">sorbe</a>t (just substitute blueberries) or <a href="http://myownsweetthyme.blogspot.com/2009/07/blueberry-pomegranate-granita.html">granita </a></div><div><br /></div><div>I should note that I have never tried any of these other recipes, but they all look so delightful I just might. This led me to think of other things that would be good. A recent visit to the <a href="http://www.highlandbakery.com/">Highland Bakery</a> had us sampling some tasty Ricotta Pancakes (so moist and delicate) topped with a Blueberry Basil Sauce would be awesome. You will see my second creation gave me this idea of a Blueberry Basil salad dressing!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5WWMqKdfXk5cbEuSXRvk8Yrnd9nkj187hW1e4CWxrC3nhBKgnajrYe26E2QgY1nMD8xQHiIxorpzMPWnIS3nzg7-1iXPb8FfKD1Ln-AneeqAREmzFYeFSTjl5e07yrYhBEimtj9s48A/s1600/peacj.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5WWMqKdfXk5cbEuSXRvk8Yrnd9nkj187hW1e4CWxrC3nhBKgnajrYe26E2QgY1nMD8xQHiIxorpzMPWnIS3nzg7-1iXPb8FfKD1Ln-AneeqAREmzFYeFSTjl5e07yrYhBEimtj9s48A/s400/peacj.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496018486105317186" /></a><br /></div><div>My second crafty kitchen creation was this <a href="http://ourkitchen.fisherpaykel.com/2010/01/peach-and-mint-infused-vinegar/">peach and mint infused vinega</a>r. This is a labor of love and I recommend if trying this recipe you do a double or even triple size batch. The end result is far less then I expected. Also, invest in a good sieve and cheesecloth. It was well worth the effort in the end and made a delicious, tangy salad dressing (mixed it with olive oil, garlic and dijon). I will definitely be experimenting with more vinegars. These make a really unique host gift paired with a neatly printed recipe card. For some really pretty packaging ideas check out this<a href="http://onceuponaplate.blogspot.com/2009/08/infused-vinegars-make-your-own.html"> blog</a> or this <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vinegar_infused_with_oregano.jpg">pic</a>. Here is a cool<a href="http://www.centralchef.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=123094&i=251831104&mpid=7714&dfid=1"> bottle</a> available for purchase</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgL3iA2KnA2B6wGk2b_aDZxuQFvfkqFpWu6Z2yE3u3b1dDUxwzBeHyeWQpmWW7zVoX_hPj7ZQ-oQK7RDhLcCJKxyuI4EVkVr80RNuno432oY0M1xU9kEqwv9oFZcNGyp70Qyj2dTMLBs/s1600/wasabi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgL3iA2KnA2B6wGk2b_aDZxuQFvfkqFpWu6Z2yE3u3b1dDUxwzBeHyeWQpmWW7zVoX_hPj7ZQ-oQK7RDhLcCJKxyuI4EVkVr80RNuno432oY0M1xU9kEqwv9oFZcNGyp70Qyj2dTMLBs/s400/wasabi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496021638318013266" /></a><br /></div><div>Lastly I attempted to make <a href="http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Recipes/Snacks-246/Wasabi-Nuts-156.aspx">Wasabi Almonds</a>. They were okay, but I think they could use some more wasabi and some other flavors. I think next time I will double the wasabi and add some ginger, onion, garlic and soy sauce. I will report back on the second attempt!</div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-68619794021977000522010-07-14T08:37:00.000-07:002010-07-15T11:54:00.820-07:00Getting Crafty...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTEuebKDfircy2yh6DOZQvNfR4OALjyGmDHHPN4OBzzkB16SrtKKmN2hrMk1m5kU9jSg4N7cKeXuOl5L_X7Tnk8wWFyesCqI9zqlhwgHKujp0qTmiBQe7PiszWXJHA6tNMcesxmWmSJI/s1600/Photo+on+2010-07-14+at+11.36.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTEuebKDfircy2yh6DOZQvNfR4OALjyGmDHHPN4OBzzkB16SrtKKmN2hrMk1m5kU9jSg4N7cKeXuOl5L_X7Tnk8wWFyesCqI9zqlhwgHKujp0qTmiBQe7PiszWXJHA6tNMcesxmWmSJI/s400/Photo+on+2010-07-14+at+11.36.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493787813193986722" /></a><br />First, I have to apologize for not writing about my travels more consistently. Not to worry though I will be starting back up soon. I have been recovering from my birthday extravaganza that started with an awesome party, that reunited me with some good friends I had not seen in awhile, and finished with the best show ever - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. <div><br /></div><div>Anyway I wanted to share with you a pic of a necklace/ scarf thing I just made. I hope you like (said in Borat voice)! It was inspired by <a href="http://necklush.com/">necklush</a></div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-71008288150708790572010-07-12T15:45:00.001-07:002010-07-12T16:15:33.933-07:00Out with the new in with the old...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtF0XEeWJekBziVdZq9I6AQSwINHsr3_ym9_kE5pwr3TNB_qla9xJI2MgM7lRYNGzpxNX0tGqcfTE_DB67ScvE8r6ufpbwpywbozuIO3o5bcWKPILwr29BePqzy9KFLjgXelIoOyDndGA/s1600/living_room3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtF0XEeWJekBziVdZq9I6AQSwINHsr3_ym9_kE5pwr3TNB_qla9xJI2MgM7lRYNGzpxNX0tGqcfTE_DB67ScvE8r6ufpbwpywbozuIO3o5bcWKPILwr29BePqzy9KFLjgXelIoOyDndGA/s400/living_room3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493157814222212242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzWD42gupHLGIKdX6W7gTa5ePGz18sNe-8jJXhQeMyjwkEPGdRAcZ6XX-vnFBTO2VL-r8lKV4h-0NSGez3C0xdB4NoImiZXYG2TfL_PoupAGzRt3WQqaMiVnLykTrnyYSs-3GQm1hEOw/s1600/living_room2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzWD42gupHLGIKdX6W7gTa5ePGz18sNe-8jJXhQeMyjwkEPGdRAcZ6XX-vnFBTO2VL-r8lKV4h-0NSGez3C0xdB4NoImiZXYG2TfL_PoupAGzRt3WQqaMiVnLykTrnyYSs-3GQm1hEOw/s400/living_room2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493157801331039218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVme9cBbXsqq369GglDmnJunbooqe3v9N57OGRmEzGb_5OcOjDeGokVohyvwWPgQdUCW9u7LNsDlfkOi_vrI_XXD3lVT2ZNEmYoIFceXkqgaoFvQeoNi9uffKNHw7_ne3yPwDXtg1vI4/s1600/living_room1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVme9cBbXsqq369GglDmnJunbooqe3v9N57OGRmEzGb_5OcOjDeGokVohyvwWPgQdUCW9u7LNsDlfkOi_vrI_XXD3lVT2ZNEmYoIFceXkqgaoFvQeoNi9uffKNHw7_ne3yPwDXtg1vI4/s400/living_room1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493157798505288306" border="0" /></a><br />Before we moved to Atlanta, in Florida we found a couch that we really liked on Craigslist. It was so great we decided to go ahead and buy it and bring up to Atlanta with us. It's the awesome White (Cisco Brothers) couch that you may have already seen in our prior blog posts. Well, we really liked the look of the couch, but frankly having a white couch is a bad idea. It was hard to even wear blue jeans on the couch without having to worry about the subtle blue tint our denim would leave behind. Also, I didn't think the white couch was very comfortable either. So, we decided to sell it. We put it on Craigslist and immediately started looking for it's replacement. Immediately, we found a Bernhardt sectional that was amazing and in our price range. It took us about two weeks to finally sell it, and in the meantime I can't believe the Bernhardt that we scored lasted that long on Craigslist. Long story short, we sold our white couch and replaced it with our new schnazzy, gray, more comfortable, more roomy, more denim friendly and some may even say more comfortable couch. Believe it or not, our new couch is over 8 years old. It looks brand new and the owner kept it in impeccable condition and actually still had the original tag on the couch. It also came with two extra cushions. It worked out where it was almost an even trade. Perfect! I also happened to score a great deal on a white/ cream shag rug ($20) at a yardsale that adds the perfect touch to bring the room together. The mirrors ($5 each) on the wall came from a yardsale too. Nice.<br /><br />Decorating the house is still a work in progress, but we're slowly but surely getting there. Anyone know any good graffiti artist? We have a 60' X 72' canvas with their names on it that we want to have 'Graffitized' and hang as art. Maybe we should just take my dad's advice and go put it next to some railroad tracks in a bad area for a few days. We'll see if it comes to that and certainly keep you posted.<br /><br />We hope you enjoy the updated pics and look forward to our next installment... whatever that may be.<br /><br />By the way, our White couch that we sold was really cool, but it had to go. It was so cool in fact that our Craigslist listing was featured on this <a href="http://eyespy.squarespace.com/">blog</a>.<br />For all you Craigslister's out there, this blog is Atlanta based and this girl goes through and finds all the cool, great deals on furniture. Check her out...<br /><br />-LeemanChristy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-82297019105095092682010-06-22T14:02:00.000-07:002010-06-22T19:59:19.368-07:00Rising Early...... or is it late?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRFYKI6mR_Oy6QcLuEwqvyD9-Yn4A00iZVsGNbdMh1a9GfEjSfajAy1eRx1-UiVQuCAy6GmCZcuRFUIM27XmzJms8UzIJzWahKpx8cwK4UpmzS61VjMfvgGt9T7Ehuwudafxo5yR9XUs/s1600/jeep.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRFYKI6mR_Oy6QcLuEwqvyD9-Yn4A00iZVsGNbdMh1a9GfEjSfajAy1eRx1-UiVQuCAy6GmCZcuRFUIM27XmzJms8UzIJzWahKpx8cwK4UpmzS61VjMfvgGt9T7Ehuwudafxo5yR9XUs/s400/jeep.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485798027082855490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zKv-2XS18HJJomCbzvqNVARNji52ee7oD0giHYN03dcdCjxbtG45rDhgIXmuj5-jXvelITSJTwSgc7iG9N3am94CWr-Roy8DA87hcndpZdyvoFuYwH4sPRi6xeznn2FYNMR34KQQHkk/s1600/leeman.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zKv-2XS18HJJomCbzvqNVARNji52ee7oD0giHYN03dcdCjxbtG45rDhgIXmuj5-jXvelITSJTwSgc7iG9N3am94CWr-Roy8DA87hcndpZdyvoFuYwH4sPRi6xeznn2FYNMR34KQQHkk/s400/leeman.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485798023195279314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUdqsiDdloxOOxMUbViOLzcU_O3a3XnSgYAnO0U_y82TJRptB3jPkvRKlwaKlxvN2GydGqHxXVRj6eA5rWP8UZdvi-X31NJjjz4Zsoh6w-k5YWLQfdZxu47SmRCoBAEe91nu1uf-qW6s/s1600/petrified.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUdqsiDdloxOOxMUbViOLzcU_O3a3XnSgYAnO0U_y82TJRptB3jPkvRKlwaKlxvN2GydGqHxXVRj6eA5rWP8UZdvi-X31NJjjz4Zsoh6w-k5YWLQfdZxu47SmRCoBAEe91nu1uf-qW6s/s400/petrified.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485798016536315634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lNsl2IzFClnnmeX6wTKjACTDbJJ-DhN8NuHXJifEe9WNcYe4_Qesp_mQ6wW7Xzntjkbk26nNHAtuTYdqSzpsUOHtwhyphenhyphenPAJwoaTuTDD5tDRnCoOFeY0hlJUEusKgoYh6ZBz654tmhj2g/s1600/boys.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lNsl2IzFClnnmeX6wTKjACTDbJJ-DhN8NuHXJifEe9WNcYe4_Qesp_mQ6wW7Xzntjkbk26nNHAtuTYdqSzpsUOHtwhyphenhyphenPAJwoaTuTDD5tDRnCoOFeY0hlJUEusKgoYh6ZBz654tmhj2g/s400/boys.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485798013434015858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwonbY761HuXSvh7o1TVtUxOFPCPBtAGQBQzqc-rjVl9mojHKnlIEhWh-7GiqfcOfxeC6LN9WkKWcE6RJPtAc_L-OMY52CPoqYoK9UylS0idhx88chOl09mHv6w3VNfNKkzpphyphenhyphen3QFx3M/s1600/carisa1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwonbY761HuXSvh7o1TVtUxOFPCPBtAGQBQzqc-rjVl9mojHKnlIEhWh-7GiqfcOfxeC6LN9WkKWcE6RJPtAc_L-OMY52CPoqYoK9UylS0idhx88chOl09mHv6w3VNfNKkzpphyphenhyphen3QFx3M/s400/carisa1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485798008941472210" /></a><br />Melissa always tells the story of some employees (who are now famous. can you guess who?) who were scheduled to work at 4:30am for an early morning breakfast. When the schedule was posted the 2 in question asked her (in all seriousness) if 4:30 am was the one where you wake up really early or when you go to bed really late? I love that they asked this question.<div><br /></div><div>Anyhow, we woke up at 4:30am (the one where you wake up really early) so we could drive to the red sand dunes in Sousousvlei. Our campsite is the closest you can get to the dunes, but it was about 30 minutes from camp and we were trying to get there before sunrise. When we arrived at Dune 45 we watched as people climbing the dunes turned to tiny dots and decided to join in the fun. The climb was hard, but doable my main concern was rolling down the side of a sand mountain. I later discovered this is not at all possible, but in the moment it was a pretty frightening thought. It looks so steep and your feet sink in some places; all adding to the illusion of falling to my death. As the sun rose it became even more beautiful with the contrast of blue skies and extra orange dunes. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it.</div><div><br /></div><div>After we climbed Dune 45 we hired a driver to take a 4x4 further into the park. We were dropped off and told to walk 1km (about 1/2 a mile) toward the petrified forest. As you cross over a sand dune you come across a field of white - the petrified forest. It is actually more of a field made of stone. Carisa and I decided to do an impromptu photo shoot. While the boys attempted to cross a much larger sand dune in the distance Shelley and I started taking pics of Carisa. She wore a large scarf as a makeshift dress and posed for about 30 min. It was so much fun and definitely a defining moment in the trip. Then we drove back to the campsite to pack up, shower and eat before our 6 hour drive to Swakopmund (birthplace to Shiloh Jolie-Pitt). </div><div><br /></div><div>We have been driving for about 4 hours and passed about 6 cars. We have passed Ostrich, Springbok, and Kudu. We passed through what looked like the Grand Canyon (pretty scary) and saw a bus that had rolled down the side of a rocky valley (seemed like it happened only days before). The terrain has changed so much and everything is so breathtaking, but most fascinating is how remote we are. It is easy to forget about modern luxuries and technology (although we are using a garmin) because the reality is if our rental car breaks down even our cell phone won't help us. In any given direction there is nothing... however we are quickly snapped back to 2010 when the radio starts working and plays about 30 seconds of Madonna's Live to tell. </div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-27268188252815303762010-06-16T18:45:00.000-07:002010-06-16T20:02:04.289-07:00Namibia here we come..........<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEH5HqMvrsQ1hGOmEhVgxOQ48H3quvciuR0F9e2hBqLZNcJqR3dZynpiAsDTyI7BKSwg_1iJSrSjrCKeqa6K4mphHNgYC1uyG2UjNkeueVoyDOsm8Xg8QB59ZK7u5iZxaG8z2Ity2dhM/s1600/DSC_0023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEH5HqMvrsQ1hGOmEhVgxOQ48H3quvciuR0F9e2hBqLZNcJqR3dZynpiAsDTyI7BKSwg_1iJSrSjrCKeqa6K4mphHNgYC1uyG2UjNkeueVoyDOsm8Xg8QB59ZK7u5iZxaG8z2Ity2dhM/s400/DSC_0023.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483572493974997794" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_N48oyARMvzS7swaHC6YImJFywYHUJXVYxUU7FErAFIMo82Av5h6SsClglaHCqjhlnuGE9p5p0EDx_jz0bRkGRHp5hPwMOiR2IYScw_87Yu1RCj6y_l9MtI11xDn-SHKRviuejuxdzQ/s1600/DSC_0044.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_N48oyARMvzS7swaHC6YImJFywYHUJXVYxUU7FErAFIMo82Av5h6SsClglaHCqjhlnuGE9p5p0EDx_jz0bRkGRHp5hPwMOiR2IYScw_87Yu1RCj6y_l9MtI11xDn-SHKRviuejuxdzQ/s400/DSC_0044.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483572485310091970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3hkeGvhvHhSG6cY_ZluzTbYhXghaYSVGzCzEKJyvgRATDcDAvvJQ5OJVVes3eAyqeTHoNic0Y1JD1im0fwKUNofJGiDTtMoKu_fHmrVnvvZTrYrtUJPLKJt0giTogGqVNbtD7gvc-_g/s1600/DSC_0098.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3hkeGvhvHhSG6cY_ZluzTbYhXghaYSVGzCzEKJyvgRATDcDAvvJQ5OJVVes3eAyqeTHoNic0Y1JD1im0fwKUNofJGiDTtMoKu_fHmrVnvvZTrYrtUJPLKJt0giTogGqVNbtD7gvc-_g/s400/DSC_0098.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483572482345063266" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9721NerziJ_0mgJ18wh0sTLxTF3BAE53bO-EuXPv3Z6a6b9_D6FBgNHGUyoj0Vx92ItMRnhCHoFkg-9tHyvpnl68DDZYB6fxXQxvsABJUabCkG70ZdiFzHSZF_ttDNuJBXBATHJyrZQ/s1600/DSC_0115.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc9721NerziJ_0mgJ18wh0sTLxTF3BAE53bO-EuXPv3Z6a6b9_D6FBgNHGUyoj0Vx92ItMRnhCHoFkg-9tHyvpnl68DDZYB6fxXQxvsABJUabCkG70ZdiFzHSZF_ttDNuJBXBATHJyrZQ/s400/DSC_0115.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483572472088074674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JxAYGLIhtgmlChUPuiN8Eh8LeEnElLK_aUo-Jeb5vZtCcjlcEmrBDQpud5NI3gRDyDZ1DcNVhA1c1NvacAXLdJZFpH8XPa68sluTNxGcDZlLn5Xq0gwO52A0Gi-M92e5c5Qnl-iSpZw/s1600/DSC_0133.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JxAYGLIhtgmlChUPuiN8Eh8LeEnElLK_aUo-Jeb5vZtCcjlcEmrBDQpud5NI3gRDyDZ1DcNVhA1c1NvacAXLdJZFpH8XPa68sluTNxGcDZlLn5Xq0gwO52A0Gi-M92e5c5Qnl-iSpZw/s400/DSC_0133.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483572466089049378" /></a><br />Yesterday we rose at 5am to load our car and make our 8am flight. We had to stop at the Brandt's house because I forgot my passport. At the airport it was very breezy with no lines and/or waiting. At security Carisa held us up because they discovered a bottle of olive oil and a wine key in her bag. I had to laugh because they let her keep the weapon... I mean wine key... and kept the olive oil. The flight was fast and when we were landing I could see wild animals (horned deer-like things). The airport was small and we got off on the runway, which made it feel more adventurous. Inside it was surprisingly modern and pretty normal. We rented a car and were really excited when we went to retrieve our car and saw a 4x4 suv sitting there, but we were brought back to reality when we were shown to our very small car. We packed ourselves in started on our journey.<div><br /></div><div>Our first stop was to pick up our camping gear in Windhoek. At the camping place Shelley was surprised to learn we would be sleeping on the floor (no such luck Shelley). She thought maybe we would have cots, but we did not even have enough space for 5 padded mats in our rental car. We allowed Shelley to get a mat and we got one big tent for the 5 of us. We needed to get food and Carisa was craving some pork schnitzel so we asked a women in the parking lot. After following her directions and asking 5 other people we found ourselves back at the same parking lot we started and coincidently, in front of the German Restaurant (that bitch!). Lunch was tasty and when we finished we headed to the grocery store for snack food and dinner. </div><div><br /></div><div>The campsite was 4-5 hours away and we needed to get to the campsite by sunset and we were cutting it close. Once we were driving we saw 3-4 baboon crossing the road which was super cool. The roads started off paved but about 40 minutes in and 3.5 hrs to go, right after the sad town of Rehoboth, we hit dirt roads. They started off okay and then got really bad. It was my first time driving in Africa and I found it very stressful. In some spots the dirt drifts, shifting your car. Other spots were so bumpy it made your brain rattle. On the drive we saw Ostrich, Kudu & Springbock and we passed horses, cows, goats and carriages pulled by donkeys, but only about 8 cars in 4 hours. </div><div><br /></div><div>We just barely made it to the campsite before sundown. The moon and sunset were beautiful and the moon kept the camping grounds nicely lit. We were site number 4 and it was surrounded by a low stonewall and had a huge shady tree. We set up camp and Carisa made Avocado and Tomato sandwiches. We ate by the campfire and we noticed a couple jackal (fox-like animal) wondering around the site. Finally we took some pics and got ready for bed. We have 4:30 am wake up call.</div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-38307609205015235082010-06-11T18:09:00.001-07:002010-06-14T09:41:40.386-07:00Some Finishing Touches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzXS-mAa0lLVX1bPevB4MGbrmDCR6aS6JerI2YbqjsPW9rvUuJWtLDVHYNuJjf9SRKxG00R5VR7ZHLDPkjWinsiRb4ZNclmr0-u4QTomgYlZlnxFx6zuh5iVKEzxjIBrniQkKK-UHcXI/s1600/IMG_0849.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzXS-mAa0lLVX1bPevB4MGbrmDCR6aS6JerI2YbqjsPW9rvUuJWtLDVHYNuJjf9SRKxG00R5VR7ZHLDPkjWinsiRb4ZNclmr0-u4QTomgYlZlnxFx6zuh5iVKEzxjIBrniQkKK-UHcXI/s400/IMG_0849.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482667817986156578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiru5upy_UdgzI86oN_3ndj0urSVTYYzvoYoaC-zifmZmoA0F-Vc5CmMmaV8qBEigincHsNBPAxi5_yrOKTbjn8mutBw4ZfEOnRNo2o9WbPA-TNqjbDkIovRUI3IJulwBTQ2bw-ROWjN54/s1600/IMG_0845.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiru5upy_UdgzI86oN_3ndj0urSVTYYzvoYoaC-zifmZmoA0F-Vc5CmMmaV8qBEigincHsNBPAxi5_yrOKTbjn8mutBw4ZfEOnRNo2o9WbPA-TNqjbDkIovRUI3IJulwBTQ2bw-ROWjN54/s400/IMG_0845.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482667811577096498" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsZmIGTWwka2PCf-scYQHkBl_c6FQZQv5UqhvO-lk42cGpANxMepC3W4V_jKG5f4ZAg5sMuojADZZfLcgsgjj5wzmkdb_XnFFmHGJxx93vypTQYxoAL7gRDt7DxYHldnE1jb_5XDWtwc/s1600/IMG_0842.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsZmIGTWwka2PCf-scYQHkBl_c6FQZQv5UqhvO-lk42cGpANxMepC3W4V_jKG5f4ZAg5sMuojADZZfLcgsgjj5wzmkdb_XnFFmHGJxx93vypTQYxoAL7gRDt7DxYHldnE1jb_5XDWtwc/s400/IMG_0842.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482667802072592690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_t6WoZRoV2khAmaM6-VXO_Jzh-l8YLZPn_RVtQMgwaPqmKeWzq5h4eGlyGdU25diIKjAzmtZFGBQ445NvjbFcJyySl-AWxlVbOSQX-e9AyUZrePiOXkHdOKRkQcWuKBvwpYvChc5CjE/s1600/IMG_0841.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_t6WoZRoV2khAmaM6-VXO_Jzh-l8YLZPn_RVtQMgwaPqmKeWzq5h4eGlyGdU25diIKjAzmtZFGBQ445NvjbFcJyySl-AWxlVbOSQX-e9AyUZrePiOXkHdOKRkQcWuKBvwpYvChc5CjE/s400/IMG_0841.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482667795731222962" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DhpuNZdBIa2QZHlJxikVXbLaqtgj1DOr2LeD7RFBWRPXdpotKcyDPnD7r10yQ9KajEbMYbwlnt6A-nsa5KptqF7rwPNI7EHeq4g2tLntVX6niPG_rMTCdXB1ksWZ90nd3geLyTAQARQ/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5DhpuNZdBIa2QZHlJxikVXbLaqtgj1DOr2LeD7RFBWRPXdpotKcyDPnD7r10yQ9KajEbMYbwlnt6A-nsa5KptqF7rwPNI7EHeq4g2tLntVX6niPG_rMTCdXB1ksWZ90nd3geLyTAQARQ/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482667782733197186" /></a>So this week Leeman and I decided we needed to focus a little on our house. Since we came back from Africa we have not done a thing with the place. We wanted to get some greenery in our home and we bought a fiddle leaf fig, a zen-like succulent planter, and some other taller plant. We also hung some art, painted a room divider bright green, displayed our new pillows from South Africa, and hung mirrors. We still have a way to go, but it is so fun to watch our place get cozier and more pulled together. Can't wait to get visitors!Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-19806275948963841652010-05-24T08:58:00.000-07:002010-05-24T09:54:04.201-07:00Bo Kaap<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlC30pB5H5SJyAHWrAoxnV_PkowEMRV8zQKBV4m0fCMWQs0vqR8h6S5Jv_gQQwymd7bbi0b8xI0j06nBcuOhd14sIF7oMoV5UhbnSyqqBHuZlJOxY7P8dJ7SMXpPFj-fcA-zr0kxkpIJo/s1600/DSC_0022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlC30pB5H5SJyAHWrAoxnV_PkowEMRV8zQKBV4m0fCMWQs0vqR8h6S5Jv_gQQwymd7bbi0b8xI0j06nBcuOhd14sIF7oMoV5UhbnSyqqBHuZlJOxY7P8dJ7SMXpPFj-fcA-zr0kxkpIJo/s400/DSC_0022.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474879500901934530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCvaP7HX0DNqbo2cFuc9gnregn7uOGXvL_0xcAqzeUU7uktI-QbL7ypWA5hbLXkWSKADPpc4nSWoqvD0QZhni1XUAPZ_zUxMR7wQm2l0ugfKl8q_m4-ProD2z0I6DT-6rDPdiTzR2JQM/s1600/bokaap.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCvaP7HX0DNqbo2cFuc9gnregn7uOGXvL_0xcAqzeUU7uktI-QbL7ypWA5hbLXkWSKADPpc4nSWoqvD0QZhni1XUAPZ_zUxMR7wQm2l0ugfKl8q_m4-ProD2z0I6DT-6rDPdiTzR2JQM/s400/bokaap.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474879495538090850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zeJPjkNlmbd3C0Q4DfDbu3-pTND5cRxkWZ8o7jzoPSHbttq8yj4pjJrHIoJVhc8dO5vjQPdOe8nqWpk5UHUCjUhPR-p6g9aEISFGX_YXh4qUgeeR0r9zMkUVJirLDd7L4yenXwLss80/s1600/+lionshead_pan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zeJPjkNlmbd3C0Q4DfDbu3-pTND5cRxkWZ8o7jzoPSHbttq8yj4pjJrHIoJVhc8dO5vjQPdOe8nqWpk5UHUCjUhPR-p6g9aEISFGX_YXh4qUgeeR0r9zMkUVJirLDd7L4yenXwLss80/s400/+lionshead_pan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474879508399706194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPaVMY7l41g35igfKYkZhhDSI1XUuwl_U8Dq_76EcKySswpfA9osciOUVtffpwFZbYdtMuXseBSEsTRiMGVhiTkyH8ErwXHq0ZShwO4umWzzdUKD4ipLvt3Bpoc8eMDSJVF1AJndf0pc/s1600/township2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPaVMY7l41g35igfKYkZhhDSI1XUuwl_U8Dq_76EcKySswpfA9osciOUVtffpwFZbYdtMuXseBSEsTRiMGVhiTkyH8ErwXHq0ZShwO4umWzzdUKD4ipLvt3Bpoc8eMDSJVF1AJndf0pc/s400/township2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474879528793148098" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXlTYb19p2YDo7st91StQDilXOt-mmUtgLKDR04l1ZXgH_PK-puAb5Dg0mJLHUS98VsDa89ZdS2mA_y47Afx2lBs-c-dz6_YsPZ82daI-k7w8gnsa_ihj1tWDy2CCpnJyhoFMkAiE3V8/s1600/townships.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXlTYb19p2YDo7st91StQDilXOt-mmUtgLKDR04l1ZXgH_PK-puAb5Dg0mJLHUS98VsDa89ZdS2mA_y47Afx2lBs-c-dz6_YsPZ82daI-k7w8gnsa_ihj1tWDy2CCpnJyhoFMkAiE3V8/s400/townships.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474879519644235890" /></a><br /><br /><br />Shelley and Leeman went to Table Mountain while Ulrich and I opted for something less touristy and went to Bo Kaap (Upper or lower Cape- can't remember). A little history on Bo Kaap or the former Malay Quarters:<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The "Bo Kaap" or "Cape Malay Quarter" belongs to the culturally and historically most interesting parts of Cape Town. Many of the inhabitants are decendants of the people from Indonesia (Batavia), Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia, who were captured in the 17th and 18th century and enslaved by the Dutch-East Indian Trading Company. Many were Mulims and others were converted to Islam by the Cape Muslim community.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Cape Malays and their religious leaders played an important role in the development of the language and culture of the Cape colony. The Afrikaans language evolved as a language of its own through a simplification of Dutch in order for the slaves to be able to communicate with the Dutch and amongst each others, since they all came from different countries and cultures. Educated Muslims were the first to write texts in Afrikaans.</i></div><br />The town is known for their brightly colored homes, which make for nice pictures. Our first stop was to a market that had spices galore. Ulrich wanted me to try a Malay Samosa so I could compare it to a Durban Samosa. We found some at a busy little corner market and it was so good. They have a sweet onion flavor and I went back to get some more for later. We walked around the very small town exploring in stores and taking photographs. I bought Stephen a Nelson Mandela magnet made of beads at a very cute store. There was also a really cool artsy store which I could not afford, but offered inspiration. After Bo Kaap we went to Signal Hill an overlook sort of place with breathtaking views. We had limited time, but managed to take some cool pics and rush back to the flat. We had an appointment for a township tour in Hout Bay and we were greeted by our guide, Africa (you think this is his real name?). Our tour guide did not bother me, but Carisa loathed him. He was definitely on a political soapbox preaching away and not exactly giving us a tour. We would walk 5 steps and then stop to listen to Africa, then walk 5 more steps and listen to more of Africa. I guess I did not mind because I wasn't listening to anything he said. Instead I was snapping away at the little kids. They were so cute and loved the camera. We had to cut it short because his little girl cut her head pretty bad. Luckily she was okay and luckily we did not have to endure any more of Africa, the man not the country (ha ha ha). Once home we had to pack our bags for Namibia. We are stopping by the Brandt's home to drop off any excess baggage till we return to Capetown in a week. Mrs. Brandt made us a delicious lasagna. To me it was more like a moussaka because it was more creamy then tomatoey. Leeman and I made a salad with candied pecans, and Carisa made the most delicious pimento cheese. Only after we left the Brandt's and got home did I remember I have not seen my passport, hmmmm?! Mr. Brandt was kind enough to go through my bag and find the missing passport, but this means waking up at 5am to retrieve it. Sorry guys!</div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-76303021390363097242010-05-20T09:17:00.000-07:002010-05-21T11:26:28.150-07:00Our Coastal Drive around Cape Town<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZsf7QgpSPTmb4WwxSDdJ_pRdDDsRYLsXR89YXbRxT1hm7BXAt2VZ13gbqRR5iQkiHdOLIBCW56VFMsKrJqnHqYXPVI5weI8YRL3OrvG55UAsg5P9TYQRz2Lqmzf8v68CCjDNOyqW-A4/s1600/DSC_0004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZsf7QgpSPTmb4WwxSDdJ_pRdDDsRYLsXR89YXbRxT1hm7BXAt2VZ13gbqRR5iQkiHdOLIBCW56VFMsKrJqnHqYXPVI5weI8YRL3OrvG55UAsg5P9TYQRz2Lqmzf8v68CCjDNOyqW-A4/s400/DSC_0004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473790962664799554" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTypThyfdSNPe8YK1gYnOQTK29ioe_3raee280lWVPM0bX9UDBkIZEOMEQthiaJQ-ihAT7lzfdDxI05dDRupbLVbeJaVg6LkzoQrgMgYpGhm2n6kh9-4ugedHWBDFUV5jfKSj-AT2BMmY/s1600/sealjpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTypThyfdSNPe8YK1gYnOQTK29ioe_3raee280lWVPM0bX9UDBkIZEOMEQthiaJQ-ihAT7lzfdDxI05dDRupbLVbeJaVg6LkzoQrgMgYpGhm2n6kh9-4ugedHWBDFUV5jfKSj-AT2BMmY/s400/sealjpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473790987558952194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1vbiRAqqfIaKWL2jY54PNXPR1QxvU1SDTzTig2Za_71lKbAsuC4ncMQFdoFGcndRd7gDG3qRu8r5Q3bQJ4ikyhrjEQVGh56vYNBHY8lq8IZJrYlDdkzYZXu168r4qZ1NCfERpp7UkIU/s1600/DSC_0123.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm1vbiRAqqfIaKWL2jY54PNXPR1QxvU1SDTzTig2Za_71lKbAsuC4ncMQFdoFGcndRd7gDG3qRu8r5Q3bQJ4ikyhrjEQVGh56vYNBHY8lq8IZJrYlDdkzYZXu168r4qZ1NCfERpp7UkIU/s400/DSC_0123.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473790971216217426" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji71s-2Kz1e-Fm_MOP2cF5asVsEa9MpA-P4iaCmEJ608peGxnmhz3xF38TVi3UIpQaRrlWnOKcB6KRVAViwDATzqlihdMLwU9Od8M2gJzvKdiJSyEROsFWOXAqjY2pXxZo9l6wnjzOKLQ/s1600/DSC_0167.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji71s-2Kz1e-Fm_MOP2cF5asVsEa9MpA-P4iaCmEJ608peGxnmhz3xF38TVi3UIpQaRrlWnOKcB6KRVAViwDATzqlihdMLwU9Od8M2gJzvKdiJSyEROsFWOXAqjY2pXxZo9l6wnjzOKLQ/s400/DSC_0167.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473790977918022626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpOQDH777zntNRtc_xTSSR7oSmzYEphUVuqL3rMcAwaOuNhpGoizJxBOebm1YpAvUh3QhWRxC6xdKQFfv1J8GddnVi6M0tUeF55C3D3XU9a5DAgmpzkwZPiOa4bs8oOvOOGjccXstPE0/s1600/DSC_0347.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpOQDH777zntNRtc_xTSSR7oSmzYEphUVuqL3rMcAwaOuNhpGoizJxBOebm1YpAvUh3QhWRxC6xdKQFfv1J8GddnVi6M0tUeF55C3D3XU9a5DAgmpzkwZPiOa4bs8oOvOOGjccXstPE0/s400/DSC_0347.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473790989728131426" /></a><br />Today we went on a coastal drive stopping by the following: <div>Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, and Simons town.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our first stop was a busy surfing town with colorful little huts called Muizenberg. We just stopped for a few minutes to take some pictures, but the place was bustling with surfers and pretty decent waves. After getting stuck in some road construction traffic, we arrived in Kalks Bay. Kalk's Bay is a quaint town with a big fishing pier. There were cool looking restaurants, tons of fishing, and a homeless man I will refer to as the seal whisperer. Every time he would stand along the steps by the pier he would yell something, raise his hand, and a seal would eagerly jump on to the steps (I think there was food involved too). Then he would parade around asking for money. Around this time we were getting hungry and started looking for a place to eat. It took a little while before settling on a place in Simons Town also along the water. There were two men singing and playing instruments on the pier outside and later they were replaced by some singing and dancing troupe. Once back in the car we got excited because we thought we saw a whale tail sticking out of the water. We quickly pulled over to take pictures and we were told by a local that it is a fake and gets people every day. Oh those silly South Africans! Later in the day we were fooled yet again by some cat statue on a rock- I really don't find this sort of thing funny. Who puts up fake statuesque things of wild animals to trick tourists. After the disappointment of not seeing a whale or large cat, Ulrich took us to see the penguins!! They were so cute and just sort of waddled. Next, we went to the Cape of Good Hope where we saw beautiful views and our first, of many, baboon sightings. These baboons are probably the scariest of any we saw because they are not afraid of cars or people, which made for an excellent photo opportunity. In the wild they run fast from approaching cars, so any attempt taking pictures resulted in blurs or nothing. From there we headed back to the flat stopping for a sunset, but I don't remember the name of the town (Ulrich, help me out). The sunset stop was also where the honeymooner's spent there wedding night.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once we were back in Capetown we roamed the streets looking for something to eat. Our first 2-3 choices were closed and we settled for a place called Mr. Pickwicks. It was loud with drumming and singing, but had the most extensive menu and had a good crowd. We were sat upstairs on a balcony and just inside they were having drumming circles and spoken word performances. We placed our orders and were told they were just about to begin an african dance lesson, so Carisa and I joined (when in rome). It was fun and a great workout. Carisa and I vow to take african dance classes in atlanta one day. </div><div><br /></div><div>The funniest part of the night was that Carisa ordered garlic bread, or rather requested it because it wasn't on the menu. First, she was told someone ran to the store to buy some (cool). Second, she was told she would not be able to get it after all. She asked why because they had all the ingredients and shortly after the server asked her to come with him in the kitchen. She returned telling us she had to sort of explain how they could make it. When the food finally came she had a dissected garlic bread (baguette/ chopped garlic to the side / and butter pats to the side).</div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-64079169731707458722010-05-19T06:36:00.000-07:002010-05-19T19:12:17.426-07:00Wedding Bells are Ringing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlrm0DBsRGGON3ABX0i9sVyp0l2Vqy94Nk3fTdsvarNYqPd-VTJJ1JxNJuFK3-InVFecKbxqLBELhE1HweqThnHx143oig5LDQNqovR-MUxXWFhz1O9Iv_iDTRlXFc4Pzw7fj51eaX_Y/s1600/page.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlrm0DBsRGGON3ABX0i9sVyp0l2Vqy94Nk3fTdsvarNYqPd-VTJJ1JxNJuFK3-InVFecKbxqLBELhE1HweqThnHx143oig5LDQNqovR-MUxXWFhz1O9Iv_iDTRlXFc4Pzw7fj51eaX_Y/s400/page.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473164507563036530" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlrm0DBsRGGON3ABX0i9sVyp0l2Vqy94Nk3fTdsvarNYqPd-VTJJ1JxNJuFK3-InVFecKbxqLBELhE1HweqThnHx143oig5LDQNqovR-MUxXWFhz1O9Iv_iDTRlXFc4Pzw7fj51eaX_Y/s1600/page.jpg">Click to view larger</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Ulrich picked us up at 6:30am to meet Svetlana at his parents house. It started off leisurely and quickly turned to chaos when Svetlana showed up. Carisa's hair was wet and in a towel and Svetlana said, "We don't need to blow dry your hair first. We can just put the rollers in." For a minute their was silence and then we explained we did a test run yesterday blowdrying it first and it turned out good. She went on to explain that she had velcro rollers and was going to roll it first then blow dry her hair. She was starting to make a little more sense, so we agreed this was okay. This was in fact alarm number 1! After rolling Carisa's hair Svetlana told Carisa to start blowdrying her hair while she started working on mine. Alarm number 2. Keep in mind we are paying Svetlana, she arrived an hour late, and she has the bride blowdrying her own hair. She proceeded to straighten my hair as I probed into her hairstyling area of expertise, which it turns out is straightening, alarm 3! After finishing my hair, which turned out good, she did proceed to finish blowdrying Carisa's hair. Once she began to style Carisa's hair it became apparent plan b was in fact a go! I slyly plugged in the hot rollers, gathered all the hair styling tools, and rushed to get ready so I could start on Carisa's hair. When I heard Carisa saying thank you, thank you and rushing to pay Svetlana I knew we had limited time to remedy the problem. Carisa could not look bad if she tried, but if she tried she might look like she did at that moment. She had small, spiral curls and half of her hair was gathered in a poof (something she requested) but it was just wrong. To give an example imagine <a href="http://www.hairtrends.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/bridal-hair.jpg">this</a> with tighter curls and minus that beautiful butterfly flower combo. We quickly took her hair down, combed it, and put big hot curlers in. It was all sort of a blur and the next thing we knew we had to leave regardless of the hair. I felt so bad because Carisa was not feeling all that beautiful her hair looked pretty, just not like she had envisioned. After the walk down the aisle it seemed like a weight had been lifted (at least for me) and the rest was a dreamy breeze. The ceremony was really nice and brought me to tears a couple of times. A song was performed by some children in Ulrich's family which was beautiful. Once at the reception venue it was all picture taking and a delicious meal. After the wedding we stopped by Ulrich's parents and the newlyweds dropped us off at our flat on their way to a boutique hotel Ulrich had booked. Shelley was really tired, so Leeman and I went across the street to a tapas place called Fork (just delightful). Then we retired to the flat and went to bed!<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>To see more wedding pics <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/christyhussain/sets/72157624080628474/show/">click here</a> </b></div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7453771332731596348.post-46487651369684040272010-05-18T05:52:00.000-07:002010-05-18T07:20:19.434-07:00Rehearsal Day April 23, 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3cN226ffbWv0A0FOl7kqY7illwjwR8IM1tDnHjvTVRo0REdGOvpWC2m_crAb7rs2lc8uIyr7i8aVAoeWhOdmp9Kz2Hu5op4x7LeA9XQ6-SApRbVgiU6YTZHy_nlPBMmG38-XZTNCJSU/s1600/rehearsal.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 341px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3cN226ffbWv0A0FOl7kqY7illwjwR8IM1tDnHjvTVRo0REdGOvpWC2m_crAb7rs2lc8uIyr7i8aVAoeWhOdmp9Kz2Hu5op4x7LeA9XQ6-SApRbVgiU6YTZHy_nlPBMmG38-XZTNCJSU/s400/rehearsal.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472614132688846242" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3cN226ffbWv0A0FOl7kqY7illwjwR8IM1tDnHjvTVRo0REdGOvpWC2m_crAb7rs2lc8uIyr7i8aVAoeWhOdmp9Kz2Hu5op4x7LeA9XQ6-SApRbVgiU6YTZHy_nlPBMmG38-XZTNCJSU/s1600/rehearsal.jpg">click to view bigger</a></b></div><div><br />Carisa and Ulrich had some wedding details to take care of, so Shelley, Leeman, and I walked around the city. We explored the green market square, where we realized nothing is nearly as authentic as it seems (vendors would say my brother made that - you just missed him). Then we went through a cool park in the middle of the city with plenty of photo opportunities. On our way back we went along Long Street and visited cool shops. One shop in particular was very inspiring with such cute artwork. Leeman and I grabbed a burger at a place called Safari Burger and then we met back up with everyone at the flat. We had the rehearsal and dinner at the Brandt house later, but first we were going to meet Carisa's wedding hairstylist for a trial run. Svetlana*came highly recommended from a family member, but Carisa had never met her before. Carisa brought in photos like <a href="http://www.dailystab.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/scarlett-johansson-loreal-2008-ad.jpg">this</a> and said she wanted big loose curls. Svetlana promptly, and without so much as brushing her hair, started creating half ringlets with her straightner. Just as quickly as she started she stopped and said look in the mirror and see if you like. It really looked bad and at this point I was thinking this has to be a joke, but she quickly grabbed me and said, "what would you like?". She proceeded to do the same to me, yikes! Carisa managed to tell her that she was hoping for something a little bigger and looser, again referring to the pictures. Svetlana said confidently not to worry that tomorrow she would bring her blowdryer and curlers and she could make her hair bigger. We left feeling scared, looking like <a href="http://thebeautybrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/curly-hair2.jpg">morons</a>, running to the nearest mall for plan b. We were too chicken to speak up and cancel her services (about $20 a head) and too polite to tell the family member so we opted to buy a blowdryer, a brush, and some volumizer and hope I could fix whatever Svetlana did to Carisa's hair tomorrow. We were literally running through the mall to make our purchases and get to the rehearsal on time. After successfully making it to the rehearsal and rehearsing, we headed to the Brandt's home where they had prepared a feast. We had no idea how bad the food at Moyo's was until we tried the Brandt version. We ate Bobotie (yum), chicken pie (yum), pumpkin fritters (yum), lamb (yum), broccoli and cheese (yum), and malva pudding (yum). I have temporarily given up on any weight loss and had an incredible time. When we returned to our flat we did a test run on Carisa's hair and it turned out pretty good. Then I finished her veil and went to bed around 2am. <div><br /></div><div>*not her real name</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, you can jump ahead if you like and visit my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/christyhussain/collections/">flickr page</a>, but check back because I will be adding tons more</div><div><br /></div></div>Christy H LeClairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05505947498010759483noreply@blogger.com2