tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24646704016523934302024-02-18T18:50:25.232-08:00California meets New JerseyJennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-69599685691020807172012-06-13T18:42:00.001-07:002012-06-13T18:42:47.939-07:00Colorado Part 3: Manitou SpringsSo when I wrote my post yesterday I realized that I never finished writing about our trip to Colorado.<div>
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Our final adventure in Colorado was to Manitou Springs. We had planned to go up the cog railway to the top of the mountain, but unfortunately for us the good weather did not stay and a thick fog enveloped the mountain. Since there would be no real way to enjoy the site at the top because of the fog and the fact that it would be really creepy to travel up the mountain in the fog we decided to just walk around the town.</div>
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Mostly the town is filled with tourist trap shops and is definitely a very hippie town. During our walk we found a couple of the towns infamous springs which were naturally bubbly water! It was an odd thing to taste (and not a very great one at that!). </div>
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Then we walked through a really cute park where J and my brother could not resist playing around.</div>
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As we continued our path around the town we came across a true gem that made the whole trip to the town worth-while a huge arcade! Four separate buildings are filled with arcade games. One with old skee ball machines and tickets to win prizes, two with more modern games (pacman, air hockey, etc) and finally an arcade room filled with pinball machines and very old (but still working) arcade games.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVvLuP29FEFzJ6kVl5xYow3m1zlFP-uJtfyre_yxc6OXv4CPpDbsY1Ff9_2e_ErumOyD4Km8ZD576aTlTdc9uliAP3xGN_0mGJoxABLqBASnYfrOi2xT9ai9w3JrjrAo0LOgEd87ddzU/s1600/DSC04142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVvLuP29FEFzJ6kVl5xYow3m1zlFP-uJtfyre_yxc6OXv4CPpDbsY1Ff9_2e_ErumOyD4Km8ZD576aTlTdc9uliAP3xGN_0mGJoxABLqBASnYfrOi2xT9ai9w3JrjrAo0LOgEd87ddzU/s640/DSC04142.JPG" width="640" /></a>When I say old I mean old enough that the pinball machine J is playing above has a cigarette holder, cost $0.10 a game and had manual dials. The game my mom and H are playing above had a screen on canvas that rotated to create the illusion of driving on a street. They even had "Zoltar" from BIG! J and I had our fortunes read from penny machines and we all happily played games for at least an hour (and didn't spend too much money either!). </div>
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Up until that point I probably wouldn't have recommended Manitou Springs to visitors, but after playing in the arcade with my family and generally having a great time (oh and great food!!!), I"d recommend it for those of you going to Colorado looking to kill an afternoon somewhere!</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-28657869479292212642012-06-11T18:32:00.000-07:002012-06-11T19:22:39.965-07:00Summer TimeWow. I can't believe it has been over a month since I last wrote. I'm happy to say that my disappearance has been for good reasons. Right after my Spring break from work I was asked to fill in as a long term substitute teacher and I happily jumped at the opportunity to teach. There were no plans for me to work with so I've been figuring it out as I go and I've love every second of it.<br />
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Now that school is winding down and my summer job begins I am hoping to be back on here a lot more. I'm even hoping to throw a few teaching-related posts in here to mix things up.<br />
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Since I made a list last summer (and only accomplished half of the items on that list) of things I wanted to do over my time off, I figured I'd make a new list of things I'd like to accomplish in the next three months.<br />
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So here we go:<br />
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<li>Go to a concert with the girls & one with J (already planned for these, LMFAO at the end of June and fun. in August....although I may buy Jason Mraz tickets if I have money around that time)</li>
<li>Go strawberry picking with mom then maybe learn how to make my own jam and jar some</li>
<li>Organize my recipe binders and lesson plans binders</li>
<li>Visit D in Boston</li>
<li>Make plans to visit my brother in Colorado in the Fall to see a CU game</li>
<li>Go fishing with J</li>
<li>Go camping/hiking</li>
<li>Go kayaking at a different location than our trip last summer</li>
<li>Finish knitting my remaining projects</li>
<li>Get picture frames for our Italy pictures</li>
<li>Reading some educational books</li>
<li>Read at least 5 fun books this summer</li>
<li>Go to the zoo</li>
<li>Get back in running shape</li>
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I'm sure I will think of more things to add to this list, but hopefully I will accomplish the things above this summer and use my summer vacation to its fullest extent!</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-62098979308578888052012-04-24T08:00:00.000-07:002012-04-24T08:00:12.368-07:00Colorado: Part 2 Colorado SpringsThe Monday after Beer-ster J flew out to join us on the remainder of our trip. My parents planned for us to spend Tuesday and Wednesday in Colorado Springs and luckily my brother, M, and his girlfriend H were able to get off of work and join us!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We arrived in Colorado Springs after about a 2 hour drive. First stop: Air Force Academy!<br />
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Could you imagine if this was your college campus? Absolutely incredible!</div>
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Here is the Academy's Chapel, clearly inspired by aviation. <br />
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Behind the Academy..mountains, mountains and more mountains. Beautiful.<br />
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More of the Academy.<br />
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The Chapel is beautiful and impressive on the outside...<br />
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And equally amazing on the interior! The lighting is all stained glass.<br />
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The pews are inspired by aviation as well!<br />
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Views of the mountains out the windows!<br />
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Checking out the statues on campus.<br />
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Football Stadium<br />
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Beautiful scenery around Colorado Springs<br />
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Snow on the mountains!<br />
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Garden of the Gods<br />
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Mom and Dad had so many interesting stories about Colorado Springs. Getting to see the Air Force Academy in person and Garden of the Gods was absolutely fantastic! Sorry about the photo-heavy post. Next time I'll fill you in on our trip to Manitou Springs!<br />
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<br /></div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-61280613414637454242012-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:002012-04-18T08:00:05.269-07:00Colorado: Part 1, Beer-sterSo much has been going on lately its been hard to keep up with everything. This past week was my school's spring break and right before we let out for break I was offered the opportunity to teach when we come back! It is not a full-time gig, but I get to fill in, possibly until the end of the school year. My nerves and excitement are through the roof!<br />
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Luckily I was able to push most of that away for our trip to Colorado! J and I joined my parents on a trip out to see my brother who lives in Boulder. J came out two days later than us so he missed out on the Easter celebrations at my brother's place. My brother and his roommate have put on <b>Beer-ster</b> for a couple of years, a fun Easter celebration for all of their friends who couldn't go home to their families for the Holiday. However, this celebration was a little less family-friendly event as its name would imply. There was a mimosa bar, amazing decorations (done by my brother's roommate's girlfriend!), beer bottles decorated with Easter themes, a Easter-beer hunt and many fun games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45kFuOYCnI3I_SNWij5rFHYSmh6PHYgVPYDVaJEG3rx1oc1bdLqVtgLf2IVTGKRfK5CmQE68IvSv0Ivxku880aJ4jvMkGvJ8929cRUFs9SqZW43qPpeg7fJ6czDXqkISOWOB6gejzZnE/s1600/DSC03937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45kFuOYCnI3I_SNWij5rFHYSmh6PHYgVPYDVaJEG3rx1oc1bdLqVtgLf2IVTGKRfK5CmQE68IvSv0Ivxku880aJ4jvMkGvJ8929cRUFs9SqZW43qPpeg7fJ6czDXqkISOWOB6gejzZnE/s640/DSC03937.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't it look straight out a Martha Stewart project?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade pinwheels</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7fgMX9obGigVqxi0X67t99RVl5xP0oA8bEryuDSG85lFbzSe_DbULdu9TsSMMTokn7BLo1TzfXm3CoX9-7DQ3RIqGplzvlqNL7Sf-RGzFt9EIcpUtbziza1H-wS0fZfhFiyuY0-FBK4/s1600/DSC03944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7fgMX9obGigVqxi0X67t99RVl5xP0oA8bEryuDSG85lFbzSe_DbULdu9TsSMMTokn7BLo1TzfXm3CoX9-7DQ3RIqGplzvlqNL7Sf-RGzFt9EIcpUtbziza1H-wS0fZfhFiyuY0-FBK4/s640/DSC03944.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes that is a pony!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4ZBMi-uLss9VCuvmwbSwR5bh7zke5ykHrCKL2yrizaLrsHozHs-aFaL7wOzux4L89UGURlj5E7F4ElrPTDpLSKI91PQ5gnH7YEhJDy-MHTpx_pU0HfS3x7PPFOWv7dPaIVhpY2YSBBc/s1600/DSC03971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4ZBMi-uLss9VCuvmwbSwR5bh7zke5ykHrCKL2yrizaLrsHozHs-aFaL7wOzux4L89UGURlj5E7F4ElrPTDpLSKI91PQ5gnH7YEhJDy-MHTpx_pU0HfS3x7PPFOWv7dPaIVhpY2YSBBc/s640/DSC03971.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing cornhole</td></tr>
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I will fill you in on the rest of our Colorado trip next time!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-57122014452506853062012-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:002012-04-16T08:00:05.094-07:00DIY: Fun Holiday CrayonsWith the Easter boxes sent to some really special little ones, I'm ready to share some fun DIY gifts that we sent their way.<br />
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The first of which is DIY crayons. I'm pretty sure these are meant to be made with your leftover crayons that have broken into nibs, but with no crayons in the apart and a desire to make these I bought a brand new bow just for this project. I first saw this idea on <a href="http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/2012/02/rainy-day-fun.html">this blog</a>, and thought it was such a cute idea to do one day with kids. Since J and I know some little ones who are just starting to use crayons and decided they would be fun to send in our Easter boxes to them.</div>
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I went off searching for the perfect mold to use to make the crayons. I went to one of our local craft stores and found only hearts and stars. I had decided on the stars until I couldn't fin many of the other items I was looking for other projects. I put down the mold and headed to another craft store where I found these awesome egg molds! While not very cost effective at $9.99 and being for a specific time of year, they were too adorable to pass up. Plus, since the little ones are still so little I can make them for years to come.</div>
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What you'll need:<br />
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<ul>
<li>A silicon mold</li>
<li>Box of crayons (Mine allowed me to fill the mold twice) or leftover crayons</li>
<li>Knife</li>
<li>Bowl or trash can (for the crayon wrappers)</li>
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What you need to do:<br />
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<li>Preheat your oven to 200.</li>
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<li>Unwrap all of the crayons that you plan on using. Cutting down the edge of the crayon with a knife will help make it easier to remove the wrappers.</li>
<li>Break the crayons into pieces and disperse them among the different parts of the silicon mold. (Try to avoid putting too many dark colors together because your egg with come out almost black).</li>
<li>Put the mold on top of a cookie sheet and put into the oven. Leave in the oven until it looks like all of the crayons have melted 10-15minutes.</li>
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<ul>
<li>Remove the silicon mold from the oven and place somewhere to cool such as the stovetop or cooling rack. For a quicker set you can put the mold in the fridge or freezer, but it doesn't take too long for the crayons to set outside of the fridge. (about an hour)</li>
<li>Once the crayons are cooled pop them out of the mold.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxslDxbsfop7yVf2h5N7GkAo01nSvQ_QrUOSuZ62N5mBPC4hcCSD2jPeCi9XLnYrbVTF1kaA0GCNVpHkprRFyc0LRMyUcnezGQd9VgL3ZrHcajIF-UKJlBBnh6_ZfQnjwPgt7r8hYryo/s1600/DSC03914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxslDxbsfop7yVf2h5N7GkAo01nSvQ_QrUOSuZ62N5mBPC4hcCSD2jPeCi9XLnYrbVTF1kaA0GCNVpHkprRFyc0LRMyUcnezGQd9VgL3ZrHcajIF-UKJlBBnh6_ZfQnjwPgt7r8hYryo/s640/DSC03914.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Repeat until you have used all of the crayons that you want to use.</li>
</ul>
<div>
This is such an easy little project. J and I had fun making them and waiting to see what the crayons would look like when they cooled down.<br />
<br />
The possibility of crayon combinations is endless! Have fun making your own creations!</div>
</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-71621873180593657972012-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:002012-03-30T12:53:25.862-07:00New Recipe: Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Avocado and Chicken<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I forgot to mention a few weeks ago that I tried out a new
recipe and a new food! Sadly, it will probably
never be made again when J is home because he wasn’t a fan, but I actually
enjoyed this dish.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Brussel Sprouts.</b><br />
<br />
I think for most people this food brings unpleasant flavors to the
mind. It did for me too, but when
I sat down and thought about it I couldn’t think of when I had actually tried
them. Now, I know I have eaten them before , but I think that it happened when I was younger and I never went near them
again.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYJW7emva1DI9Vow6h_zisl6x4Miuu5mwXp4yU-wHWdgtklc-iqoJdYlijTRYvzQk9SN05B-yy4OhC0OGY6taP6q1UBxIH9Ff7pmXIPDWE5aHsVSJdeX6HsFvq9tXhA4rLURzKSJ7w2s/s1600/DSC03835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYJW7emva1DI9Vow6h_zisl6x4Miuu5mwXp4yU-wHWdgtklc-iqoJdYlijTRYvzQk9SN05B-yy4OhC0OGY6taP6q1UBxIH9Ff7pmXIPDWE5aHsVSJdeX6HsFvq9tXhA4rLURzKSJ7w2s/s640/DSC03835.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I found <a href="http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2012/01/winter-favorite.html">this</a> recipe that made them look delicious. I thought that since I’ve been having
such a change in my palate these days (a newfound love of chili WITH beans and
what’s this, cooked mushrooms actually taste good?) that I’d give them a try.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I told J this is what we’d be having for dinner
initially he gave me a face like he smelled something terrible, but when I told
him that you mix bacon and avocado into the brussel sprouts he said to me “So
basically you’re masking the taste of the brussel sprouts,” and he agreed to at
least try it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4K4FEYYZCrPchAuQyi_9jAAHqltBKdLA_U0pzdRDtdB2yIF5AWZK2QAhF_UaD6Hi-CjCj6aQn8PJBzWzeJzQL95Cv0FTrZ1maYeCZC2eYnyh8h_5tes_0IlGtCgp4n03iFlpKh50LGU/s1600/DSC03837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4K4FEYYZCrPchAuQyi_9jAAHqltBKdLA_U0pzdRDtdB2yIF5AWZK2QAhF_UaD6Hi-CjCj6aQn8PJBzWzeJzQL95Cv0FTrZ1maYeCZC2eYnyh8h_5tes_0IlGtCgp4n03iFlpKh50LGU/s640/DSC03837.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Probably the best smelling part of the cooking process)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYZAquUN8T7UKRhBrPUO7Cp-SrVrzuQ2PIxitsxkMwIg-L8jDNkOdXVaZs9dIK-99b3ZxTztzB3Ykt6ipBzpvRoj5ruq0BLfsNItnlcxR8nAspCngsl8dtEnigIpnbYvwLz7JUV28uHY/s1600/DSC03840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYZAquUN8T7UKRhBrPUO7Cp-SrVrzuQ2PIxitsxkMwIg-L8jDNkOdXVaZs9dIK-99b3ZxTztzB3Ykt6ipBzpvRoj5ruq0BLfsNItnlcxR8nAspCngsl8dtEnigIpnbYvwLz7JUV28uHY/s640/DSC03840.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Cooked bacon, sliced avocado, and diced brussel sprouts with seasonings)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqP5KizoamTwzkTAk8rJtnS56PZOCzDW5-44WYX8qdXDbUJ5MhPupvRhVemReQNRT8JOfgqIWaDgAiEqn9U6yfygxT4RmbTDJIaosbaPvaq9BnhXgrDLra0B97ZtvGkoXqiurS9UXLK-M/s1600/DSC03843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqP5KizoamTwzkTAk8rJtnS56PZOCzDW5-44WYX8qdXDbUJ5MhPupvRhVemReQNRT8JOfgqIWaDgAiEqn9U6yfygxT4RmbTDJIaosbaPvaq9BnhXgrDLra0B97ZtvGkoXqiurS9UXLK-M/s640/DSC03843.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Cook everything but the avocado)</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2MCrnqyTyxO7CTSYWQ8HE9kBBQfbuPbEx4Mt_rbQBofRYmal27I8eNOsDuzrASFmEOX3_MDzPrmTP54X6vVoctwyn33xzZ1bsMfkj4Erzov6NTU8v1WE8eRcXM_ptjPiW1b-8wp6URc/s1600/DSC03844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2MCrnqyTyxO7CTSYWQ8HE9kBBQfbuPbEx4Mt_rbQBofRYmal27I8eNOsDuzrASFmEOX3_MDzPrmTP54X6vVoctwyn33xzZ1bsMfkj4Erzov6NTU8v1WE8eRcXM_ptjPiW1b-8wp6URc/s640/DSC03844.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Add the avocado towards the end of the cooking process to warm it up)</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were only having chicken on the side, but after having J
doing a taste test of our brussel sprouts I decided to dice up the chicken and toss
it in with the whole pan. We had this
dish, which really could be all you cook for dinner, with a side of pierogis.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkAYKA1xFYwQUrqsmihyphenhyphen6YcDhmRtoOWoDS6sUHjQDwAedtPF6l1cqkCpQlL4lICLmFdsIVXfUigR-MLO5yriWSL0yTgcrX8IU2mINLVE1eykuopNda3aCUQX6NxfhZ2OJSNY12cTxb8s/s1600/DSC03849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkAYKA1xFYwQUrqsmihyphenhyphen6YcDhmRtoOWoDS6sUHjQDwAedtPF6l1cqkCpQlL4lICLmFdsIVXfUigR-MLO5yriWSL0yTgcrX8IU2mINLVE1eykuopNda3aCUQX6NxfhZ2OJSNY12cTxb8s/s640/DSC03849.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was pleasantly surprised with the dish and would definitely
make it again for myself. It was a
savory dish with just a hint of bitterness from the sprouts. While J ate all of his, he told me he’d
rather not have the dish again. Oh
well, at least we tried something new and I found out that I don’t hate brussel
sprouts!</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-71263048098623260622012-03-29T16:05:00.001-07:002012-03-29T16:05:26.288-07:00Busy Busy BeeI would apologize for my lack of posts recently, but I'm not really sorry. J and I have been really busy in the past few weeks with jobs, adventures and enjoying the nice weather that we were having (unfortunately it turned a bit chilly-aka reality check of what March weather is supposed to be like in NJ). Between applying to whatever teaching positions I can, work, keeping on top of general chores and going for long strolls in the beautiful weather, I haven't had much time for projects or new recipes to share with you.<br />
<br />
However, here and there I have made some advancements on some tiny projects I'm hoping to share with you in the next week. Soon after we're heading out to Colorado to visit my brother, and my parents are going to show me around the area in which I was born. I can't tell you how excited I am for that! Hopefully I will have lots of pictures and stories to share with you.<br />
<br />
That is all I have for you this evening. Good night!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-90727244939136769482012-03-08T18:04:00.000-08:002012-03-08T18:04:00.233-08:00New Recipe: Spinach and Artichoke Bake<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know how many of you are <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">pinterest</a> users, but
from what I can tell, the population of people who use the site is increasing
rapidly! My students, colleagues,
family, and friends use it. I’m
constantly hearing people saying that they are addicted to looking through the
pages or even some who have to limit their use of the site otherwise they’d
spend all day on it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m a member of the site and see it as such a great
resource. I’m found some of my
favorite new blogs, diy ideas and recipes through the links that people
pin. The recipe I’m going to
share with you today is one I came across on pinterest, but it actually comes
from the <a href="http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/02/spinach-artichoke-baked-pasta/">Budget Savvy Diva</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m looking to spice up what J and I eat for meals. This sounded like a good recipe to try
because I recently found out that J likes artichokes and I like spinach so the
mix works out. J is not looking
forward to the next recipe I want to try because the main ingredient is brussel
sprouts! I don’t actually know if I like them or not so I want to try it out
and I told J I’d make an extra vegetable just incase my recipe is unpleasant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, back to this bake. I made this dish for J and I we both LOVED it! It was the right mixture of sweet and savory. Unfortunately for all of you J and I were in such a hurry to eat that we didn't get a chance to take any pictures of our ingredients or the process. Whoops!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJQVxsGdHg61P8NypBtCBKj5_Iyr0Z4ujr9mqDy-37j3SXdXUR5KLUHmdJuMuMlTZvlzzv_Q-nqMSqcj8voeg4HfX4TWlA6SwwVz0h3B18kF9Wt17y2WICOFbvpeIYlZsYlH_ax_oy4E/s1600/DSC03832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJQVxsGdHg61P8NypBtCBKj5_Iyr0Z4ujr9mqDy-37j3SXdXUR5KLUHmdJuMuMlTZvlzzv_Q-nqMSqcj8voeg4HfX4TWlA6SwwVz0h3B18kF9Wt17y2WICOFbvpeIYlZsYlH_ax_oy4E/s640/DSC03832.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0UoMf3x1K4V0Jt2LsJ6gNL73exnB-9oIRlxbCAWhKTRGeYjaaRJDWOMe4-yN27GwElAiL0wl_kk5lhShqWtkxa4AVO7Qlb99C305YwzUu5yMMiBIk_r72RgsErEd6sZ8Z50xhl9kc0A/s1600/DSC03834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0UoMf3x1K4V0Jt2LsJ6gNL73exnB-9oIRlxbCAWhKTRGeYjaaRJDWOMe4-yN27GwElAiL0wl_kk5lhShqWtkxa4AVO7Qlb99C305YwzUu5yMMiBIk_r72RgsErEd6sZ8Z50xhl9kc0A/s640/DSC03834.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
But doesn't it look so yummy!<br />
<br />
Spinach and Artichoke Bake (adapted from <a href="http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/02/spinach-artichoke-baked-pasta/">Budget Savvy Diva</a>)<br />
What you need:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.467em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">1 box Whole Grain Pasta (we used rotini)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Drizzle of olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">1 chopped onion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">3 Cloves of Garlic ( Minced)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">1 Cup of Sour Cream</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">1/2 a brick of cream cheese (4 oz)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">3/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 squirt of lemon juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">10 oz spinach (we used frozen, thawed and drained)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 Can Artichoke hearts (mine said 8-10 large artichokes) rinsed and chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 22px;">1 Cup of Mozzarella</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Salt and Pepper to taste</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
What you need to do:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Set your oven to 425. Spray a large casserole pan.</li>
<li>Cook your pasta and put to the side.</li>
<li>Heat the olive oil in your pan(I used a large pan so I could dirty as few dishes as possible) and cook the onions until soft. Add garlic and cook for a minute.</li>
<li>Remove onions from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before adding the sour cream, cream cheese, parmesan and lemon juice. Mix well and then stir in the pasta.</li>
<li>Add spinach, artichokes, half of the mozzarella and salt and pepper to taste. (Here she also adds a 1/2 cup of pasta water, I did NOT do this and it turned out fine)</li>
<li>Pour the mixture into the pan and top with remaining cheese (we also added some more parmesan here).</li>
<li>Bake 10 minutes or until the cheese on top is a golden brown.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Enjoy!</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-9889763267363522462012-03-06T12:28:00.000-08:002012-03-06T12:28:00.204-08:00Birthday in the City<!--[if !mso]>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This past Sunday was J’s 26<sup>th</sup> birthday and we
decided to go to NYC to celebrate.
J and I are pretty familiar with the city and I’d have to say it is one
of the biggest reasons we miss living more upstate because we used to live 10
minutes from the station and could hop right on a train for a day trip. Now it takes a 40-minute car ride just
to get to the station and then about an hour and 15 minutes (if you are lucky
enough to get an express!) to get to the city from our new station. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, we go into the city around 11 and made our way to
the TKTS booth in Times Square.
Many people groan about how all the tourists go to Times Square, but I
could care less if I’m going to pay almost half of what the normal cost is for
theater tickets. We decided to go
see Blue Man Group since it was different from our normal (Last time we saw How
to Succeed in Business with Daniel Radcliffe. It was fantastic).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7NRGTunTZ4QuGTvd8yi17ISvPhqWk7pZ6PUg0PMlJwod0neLkQGSx33cFwX11NNFL8ybeCE6nrToWoVUfVPFS7td5K86UeGGQ73y7WYrQNEgLYmZm9Eb1f-mgMwqka30GvPEiuXYvuE/s1600/DSC03860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7NRGTunTZ4QuGTvd8yi17ISvPhqWk7pZ6PUg0PMlJwod0neLkQGSx33cFwX11NNFL8ybeCE6nrToWoVUfVPFS7td5K86UeGGQ73y7WYrQNEgLYmZm9Eb1f-mgMwqka30GvPEiuXYvuE/s640/DSC03860.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We had about 2.5 hours to kill until show time so we headed
towards Rockefeller Plaza to walk through the NHL store. J was hoping to find some ice hockey
supplies there, but was sadden to find out it was mostly expensive NHL team
jerseys and other merchandise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the show was all the way down in the Village, J and I
jumped on a train and headed downtown thinking we’d kill time down there. We ended up grabbing some lunch at Soup
N’ Burger: I got a turkey club and J had a bacon cheeseburger. We still had time to kill so we walked
around the area and found these crazy zip-tied stoplights and lampposts.</div>
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The show was definitely an interesting experience,
especially since I had no idea what to expect. There was a lot of music, paint splattering, audience
participation and creepy blue man stares!
Overall we both liked it, but I just wouldn’t recommend it for anyone
who hasn’t seen a show in the city, there are so many other really great
choices for show to see.</div>
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We wandered around for a bit longer and actually had to look
for another subway entrance because the train we wanted to take was not
operating from the street we wanted to take it at. Luckily in this area you really only need to walk a handful
of blocks to find another subway entrance. We went back uptown to see if we could find another hockey
store that J wanted to go to, but unfortunately it was closed. </div>
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Since we couldn’t think of anything else we wanted to do, J
and I checked the train schedule and were lucky enough to not only find a train
leaving in twenty minutes, but also one that was an express! We played back and forth games of Dice
with Friends on J’s phone before he fell asleep. </div>
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We grabbed some Qdoba for dinner on the way home, J’s
favorite East Coast Mexican food place (he loves Del Taco back in
California). Afterwards I lit up
the candles on the small ice cream cake that I got him (tradition for us) and
we dug into with just forks (no need to dirty any plates up!). We spent the rest of the night
relaxing (other than me preparing some meals for work this week) and groaning
about eating too much food!</div>
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY J! Love you!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-88480835978219686382012-02-29T17:53:00.000-08:002012-02-29T17:53:56.322-08:00Leaping from the Weekend to Midweek<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Happy Leap Day everyone! I hope your extra day of the year is treating you well. The weather here isn’t that pleasant,
raining and gloomy. We’re expected
to get nearly 1.5 inches of rain today! It has me wishing that we were back to last weekend,
despite the high winds. I’ll take
wind over rain any day!</div>
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Over the weekend J and I wanted to take advantage of both of
us having the day off from work.
We decided to take a day trip into Philadelphia, but didn’t know what to
do. We knew it was going to be windy
so we decided to find somewhere we could be indoors for a while. Initially we were going to head over to
the Franklin Institute for their dinosaur exhibit, but after looking at the
prices to go (there were separate costs to enter the museum and then the
exhibit!) we decided that it was too expensive. So we opted to a less educational spot and off to IKEA we
went!</div>
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<o:p>We left the apartment to a crazy flurry! It was awesome, but then half-way down the street it became misting and then all of a sudden it was all gone!</o:p></div>
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J and I had fun walking through and thinking of ideas for
our house one day. I could spend
all day in IKEA if you let me!
Unfortunately for us the store was in transition with their winter and
spring displays so there were a lot of empty areas, which are usually filled
with fun goodies. We ended up
purchasing a set of wine glasses (only $4.99 for 6), 2 wooden cutting boards,
and a bookcase/table to put in our entryway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaGH4eHZAvemAp_K_KNixPORAwe4Zgns6dkpxXh8Gw_fghydf89JmRxk6GgdnyGp77vq50nAdl_sHde_sBMnAKWV_UO0FsSw7BPXKCRaR7HRCRRES9mOHUc82wA-AQwNAZlLRAy1yMmk/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaGH4eHZAvemAp_K_KNixPORAwe4Zgns6dkpxXh8Gw_fghydf89JmRxk6GgdnyGp77vq50nAdl_sHde_sBMnAKWV_UO0FsSw7BPXKCRaR7HRCRRES9mOHUc82wA-AQwNAZlLRAy1yMmk/s640/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" width="471" /></a></div>
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Our stomachs were rumbling as we left the store so we
ventured over to Reading Terminal Market to get some lunch and see if there
were any yummy goodies to bring home with us. After walking around for a bit J and I ended up getting
cheese steaks (his steak and mine chicken) at By Georges. They were delicious, not overly greasy
and just the right amount of cheese.
We both only managed to eat half of our meals and brought the rest home with
us (we later decided to just eat our leftovers for dinner instead of cooking). </div>
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Afterwards we walked around deciding if we wanted to
purchase some seafood, meat, or fresh produce home with us. This market has the biggest shrimp J
and I have ever seen! In the end
we did not bring any groceries home with us, but stopped for ice cream on our
way out. We bought ice cream at
Bassetts: J had a creamsicle shake and I had a grasshopper shake. MMmm.</div>
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After arriving home J and I decided to go right into putting
our new entryway table together.
The piece did unfortunately have a couple nicks here or there, but we
managed to piece it together so that those edges would be against the
wall. Now all we need is better
wall décor and a basket to throw our keys in.</div>
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In the end we hadn’t really done much over the course of the
day, but it felt like the perfect Saturday.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-11018928656042061212012-02-24T08:00:00.000-08:002012-02-24T08:00:09.272-08:00New Recipe: Indian Chicken Wraps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I apologize for the lack of posts this week, well only kind of! I had four day weekend from work and I fully enjoyed it. I got caught up on some things around the apartment, but also managed to have fun time with J and my friends. It was a great turnaround from last week where I felt like I could not get a single thing accomplished.</span></div>
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I haven't had a chance to try any new recipes or projects yet this week, but I remembered that I never shared one of the new recipes J and I tried last week with you! This recipe came from (surprise, surprise) <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/indian-chicken-wrap-recipe/index.html">Food Network Magazine</a>. I did change it up a little to fit what we had in the apartment already(I HATE running to the store for 1 or 2 items because I always come home with like 10 more items than I meant to). </div>
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My changes to the recipe:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><b>No cumin or ginger. </b> However, I will say that next time I would absolutely add the ginger and cumin as it would have added a lot of flavor to the dish that I think it needed, we just didn't have it in our apartment at the time.</li>
<li><b>I did not use rotisserie chicken. W</b>e had chicken at home and instead buying a chicken I just baked two chicken breasts and shredded them myself.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><b>No naan or pita bread.</b> I had some sandwich wraps in our fridge so we just used those instead and the wraps were still really delicious.</li>
<li><b>Greek yogurt </b>instead of low-fat yogurt</li>
</ul>
<br />
Indian Chicken Wraps (<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/indian-chicken-wrap-recipe/index.html">From Food Network Magazine</a>)<br />
<br />
What you need:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled (I omitted)</li>
<li>1 chili pepper, chopped and seeded</li>
<li>1/2 small onion</li>
<li>1/2 tsp cumin (I omitted)</li>
<li>Kosher salt</li>
<li>1/2 cup plain greek yogurt</li>
<li>2 tsp lime juice</li>
<li>1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro</li>
<li>1 tbsp vegetable oil</li>
<li>2 cups shredded chicken</li>
<li>2 medium carrots shredded</li>
<li>2 or more wraps</li>
</ul>
<div>
What you'll need to do:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px;">Put the ginger, chile, onion, cumin and dash of salt in a food processor and pulse until it is a thick paste.</span></li>
</ul>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">Mix the yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro in a bowl then refrigerate until ready to use.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">Warm the vegetable oil up in a large frying pan and add the paste you made initially and cook until lightly toasted.</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">Stir in the chicken, carrots, and 1/2 cup water and cook until the entire mixture is warm.</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">Fill the wraps with the chicken mixture and spoon on some of the sauce that you placed in the fridge.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent;">These wraps were really good! Like I said before I definitely would make sure to add the ginger and cumin the next time we make it, but this is definitely a recipe I'd make again!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: transparent;">Enjoy! </span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-78349727478826836792012-02-16T17:35:00.000-08:002012-02-16T17:35:06.019-08:00Will you be my Valentine? (Red Velvet Cake Roll Recipe)I guess it is a little late to be asking that question since it is the day after Valentine's Day... I'm not a huge Valentine's Day fan and so J and I usually do not exchange gifts, this year was no exception. This does not mean that we don't celebrate it though! I planned a nice dinner for us to enjoy at home because I'm would not even consider going close to a restaurant on Valentine's Day, going to the grocery store was enough of a pain!<br />
<br />
On my way home from my interview (I think it went pretty well!! Crossing my fingers that I get the job!) I stopped by the store to get ingredients for a new dessert recipe! It was funny to see people who were definitely grabbing last minute flowers and cards for their loved ones. When I got home I changed out of my suit and into baking clothes.<br />
<br />
J really likes red velvet cake and I've never had any so I decided to try yet ANOTHER Food Network recipe this week! I decided to make a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/red-velvet-cherry-cake-roll-recipe/index.html">Red Velvet-Cherry Cake Roll</a>. I've never made a cake roll before, but was definitely up for the challenge.<br />
<br />
Red Velvet-Cherry Cake Roll by <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/red-velvet-cherry-cake-roll-recipe/index.html">Food Network Magazine</a><br />
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<br />
What you need for the batter:<br />
<ul>
<li>Butter (to butter the pan with)</li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">2 cups cherry soda</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1/2 teaspoon ba</span>king soda</li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1 cup granulated sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1/2 cup vegetable oil</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1/3 cup buttermilk (I made mine by taking a cup of milk and adding a tbsp on vinegar)</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">3 large eggs</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1 tablespoon red food coloring (this will turn it BRIGHT red!)</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">2 teaspoons almost extract</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 23px;">Confectioners' sugar, for dusting</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 21px;">What you need for the filling:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px;">4 ounces cream cheese, softened</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px;">1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px;">2 teaspoons almond extract</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px;">1/3 cup confectioners' sugar</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 21px;">How to make the cake (Directions are from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/red-velvet-cherry-cake-roll-recipe/index.html">Food Network</a>):</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="instruction" style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper; butter the parchment and <a class="crosslink" debug="135 138" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/dust/index.html" style="color: #1e7bac; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">dust</a> with flour.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 9px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
Bring the cola to a <a class="crosslink" debug="176 181" href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/simmer/index.html" style="color: #1e7bac; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;">simmer</a> in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.<br />
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Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, almond and vanilla extracts, and the cola syrup.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px;">Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 23px;">Spread the batter on the prepared baking sheet; bake until the cake pulls away from the pan, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the pan on a rack, 5 minutes.</span><br />
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Dust a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with confectioners' sugar. Invert the cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment. Trim the cake edges. Starting with a short end, roll up the cake around the towel; let cool completely on a rack.<br />
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Make the filling: Whisk the cream cheese, 1/2 cup cream and the almond extract in a large bowl. Beat the remaining 1 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar with a mixer until soft peaks form; gradually fold into the cream cheese mixture. Chill until ready to use.</div>
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Unroll the cooled cake. Spread with the filling, then gently reroll the cake and transfer to a platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This probably cracked because I didn't let the cake cool completely in the towel</td></tr>
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While I was in the process of making the cake these arrived for me!<br />
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We enjoyed our delicious dinner of Salmon, rosemary potatoes, and cauliflower, and after letting ourselves digest a bit I pulled the cake roll out of fridge, sliced a piece for each of us and surprised J with some delicious cake! For my first time experience with red velvet it was good, but I definitely enjoy other cake flavors better.<br />
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Hope all of you had a pleasant Valentine's Day!</div>
</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-79182485545742650502012-02-13T15:00:00.000-08:002012-02-16T19:57:59.908-08:00Case of the Mondays? (Cajun Mac N Cheese)Whoops! Forgot to hit post yesterday! Here is my post that was meant for yesterday!!<br />
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Typically Mondays are my least favorite day of the week, but to be honest with you today was pretty great. At work a substitute was in for the main teacher I work with and I felt like a rockstar getting to take charge in the classroom. My other classes were fun and interesting, my boring periods went by quickly.<br />
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J had some appointments today, but one of those was canceled so we were able to workout together which is a rarity now that he's back at work. No one else was in our complex's tiny gym so we were able to talk and not annoy anyone else working out. Fantastic, even though it was a tough workout!<br />
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I needed a tough workout however to workout the nerves I'm starting to get for my interview tomorrow. Yes, you read that right! I have an interview for a teaching position tomorrow! It may only be a long term substitute position, but it could be a step in the right direction for my teaching career. While we worked out I went through a list of possible interview questions and answered them in my head to prepare myself for tomorrow. Excited and nervous, but hopefully it goes well!<br />
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Something else that helps out my nerves is cooking. Tonight I'm trying out a new recipe to share with all of you later on this week (hopefully this week isn't as hectic as last week). But to tide you over here is a recipe that I tried last week and tweaked it to our preferences.<br />
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I recently got Food Network's March issue, "The Chocolate Issue" and everything looks pretty darn good, but I tried one of the few non-chocolate recipes: Cajun Mac N' Cheese. Why did I want to try this? Purely for the fact that the nutritional value was overwhelming. I"m sorry but 794 calories per serving...whhhhattt? And all the fat, but all that protein? I adapted this recipe to try to make it healthier:<br />
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Cajun Mac N Cheese (adapted from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/cajun-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html">Food Network Magazine</a>)<br />
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<ul class="kv-ingred-list1" style="background-color: white; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kosher salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 box wagon-wheel pasta (Ours was a 1lb box)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 package ground turkey (ours was a little over a pound)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 green pepper chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1 tablespoon Cajun spice blend</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 tablespoons all-purpose flour</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1.5 cups whole milk</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="line-height: 23px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (we bought ours already shredded)</li>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">You can pop over to the link above to get the cooking directions (mostly because I'm too lazy to type them up for you today when they are right there on the website!).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">The main difference between their recipe and what I did was that I used more pasta, turkey instead of sausage, no olive oil and slightly less whole milk and mine yielded WAY more than 4 servings. I would definitely say this recipe yields at least 8 servings. I had a bowl and a half, J had 2 full bowls and we STILL managed to fill two tupperware containers full of this mac and cheese. The only other thing that I would change about this recipe is taking out the flour and taste testing the whole thing before adding it because I felt like the pasta had an after taste of flour, which was kind of gross. Other than that I would definitely make this meal again but split it in half and freeze the other part for a future meal.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">Thats it for today! Back to preparing for my interview!</span></span></div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-65032766023545085232012-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:002012-02-08T13:28:30.969-08:00Weekend HappeningsThis past weekend was a blast enough though I didn't get many things done around the apartment! Saturday morning J, my parents, and I had breakfast at a restaurant buffet in a few towns over expecting to eat something delicious only to be pretty disappointed in our meal. The only food I really loved was banana bread french toast. It was so good and because of all the flavor in the banana bread no syrup was necessary. However, we've definitely decided it is is better to hit up one of the many delicious NJ diners for breakfast next time.<br />
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Onward we went to the Philly Auto Show. We met up with my aunt and uncle who also happened to be at the show. It was fun looking at all of the new models even though J has a relatively new car and I cannot afford a new car right now (my little car is going on 11 years this year!). There were some really awesome old fashioned cars there and some trucks that J and I would consider if we were actually in the market to buy.<br />
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Afterwards we went to Reading Terminal Market to walk around. We picked the worst time ever, however, because the place was packed with people trying to get some lunch. On our way out we stopped at Bassetts for some ice cream, but since I still wasn't feeling all that great from being sick all week I only got a water.<br />
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On Sunday J had to work until close to game time. My mom picked me up from my apartment and we headed home to spend the afternoon making pierogis. For those of you who don't know, I'm half Polish and grew up on these delicious potato and cheese filled dumplings. My mom, dad and I each taste tested one because we tried a new recipe for the dough, but also made a couple batches of my Babci's (polish for grandma) recipe. While we cooked, the crockpot was cooking up my dad's delicious stew and the dogs were hanging around hoping for scraps.<br />
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Another day I will share this recipe with all of you. It is a pretty simple process of making the dough and filling then creating a shell with the dough and filling it. You seal the edges shut and boil the pierogis until they float to the top of the pot. You can either fry them up to eat right then or put them in the freezer to eat later. We made a lot to freeze for later use.<br />
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When we were finished it was just about game time and J had finally arrived from work. We sat down to eat and a lovely cold cat decided she wanted to curl up next to me for some warmth. When the game was over the cat was not happy that I had to get up to head home.<br />
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Monday night J and I enjoyed our first batch of pierogis with grilled pierogis and asparagus. They were delicious!!<br />
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Hope all of you had a great weekend and beginning to your week. I'm happy we've hit the halfway point, but I still have so much to accomplish this week.Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-34021718291230290632012-02-03T19:48:00.000-08:002012-02-03T19:55:06.790-08:00DIY: Decorated Vases, Jars, Etc..<br />
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It is unfortunate that while we’re getting warmer weather
here in NJ, I’m developing a bit of a cold. I started with the sniffles Monday, but Tuesday it was a
full-fledged cold and even now I’m not feeling much better. Unfortunately since I get paid per diem
I’ve had to go to work each day even though I’d rather be in bed all day. It is a good thing then that I finished
my wall art décor this past weekend and another fun DIY to match my <a href="http://cameetsnj.blogspot.com/2012/02/diy-wall-art-decor.html">wall art</a> since I haven’t accomplished much of anything this week. </div>
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This DIY idea was something I came across while seeing what
was on sale at Michaels this past weekend. I saw a link to a <a href="http://www.michaels.com/striped-glass-vase/28428,default,pd.html?start=17&cgid=projects-homedecor&prefn1=craftTime&prefv1=60_">Martha Stewart project.</a> This cute vase was something that
looked simple enough to do and required many of the same products that I was
already purchasing for the wall art.
My intention was to only buy one vase, but at only $2.50 a piece I
decided a second vase and a jar would be a good addition to my purchase.</div>
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In the end I purchased the following (Items from my wall art decor project are also in this image):</div>
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-2 Vases</div>
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-1 Jar</div>
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-Paint (same paints I used for my last project)</div>
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-Quilters and Electrical tape (1/4” and ¾” respectively)
*Side Note: I wanted to purchase painters tape but could not find it in ¼”
length</div>
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-Same sponge brushes as my <a href="http://cameetsnj.blogspot.com/2012/02/diy-wall-art-decor.html">wall art project </a>just cleaned and
dried from previous use</div>
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-Fake daisies (Especially since the vase I was going to put
them in was going in our bathroom which gets no sunlight during the day, fake
seemed the way to go)</div>
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First things first, make sure to wash and clean the vases and jar with soap and let them dry thoroughly. My acrylic paint also said to wash the glass with alcohol, but I skipped this step (it probably would've helped a bit more as I was removing the tape because some of the paint started to come up with the tape). </div>
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As with my wall art project, this requires you to tape the glass up before you paint. I recommend you really think about what design you want on the item you are painting. The more you criss-cross the tape on the glass, the tougher it can be for clean lines to appear on the glass. That being said don't be afraid to experiment with different designs!</div>
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My recommendation is that if you are doing a couple of pieces like I did, that you only work with items that are using the same color at the same time. Working with too much paint can cause accidents when painting and also requires fewer paint brushes and palates to work with.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLqLOpTDqpLAew1e6AI3Rcp4rR-PxVWhe56k0WxAcRLd59eI3kQ-vcbr9dPzZOjYH1eqQoLyF0eYiY9hSKhPeJuwEysf8SR-DW5ypJHs0UYAXirXu4XwGsd59NPpepSbwcx1sWWLLmB0/s1600/DSC03648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLqLOpTDqpLAew1e6AI3Rcp4rR-PxVWhe56k0WxAcRLd59eI3kQ-vcbr9dPzZOjYH1eqQoLyF0eYiY9hSKhPeJuwEysf8SR-DW5ypJHs0UYAXirXu4XwGsd59NPpepSbwcx1sWWLLmB0/s640/DSC03648.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XFd9RAjyavNh37kZYd6Ari1-WuJ0Ix_HPfk8rWb4U8RLRSIZFEjwLx7W_-21dBY_ykVXbDC_XPY2m2OYgvGsXu6AaoIYp5OMPxpJc9BAc2nMP1lGCl4_rGXQwI7hdJte588LtgW-IuY/s1600/DSC03662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5XFd9RAjyavNh37kZYd6Ari1-WuJ0Ix_HPfk8rWb4U8RLRSIZFEjwLx7W_-21dBY_ykVXbDC_XPY2m2OYgvGsXu6AaoIYp5OMPxpJc9BAc2nMP1lGCl4_rGXQwI7hdJte588LtgW-IuY/s640/DSC03662.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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I did three layers for all of the colors I used in order to make them totally opaque (the red I almost considered a fourth layer, but when the paint dried after the third I was happy with how it looked). I let the paint dry until it was dry to touch before taking the tape off. I only had a few problems where the paint tried to come up with the tape, mostly with the tiny stripes that I made. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtHO_fSWKbYFxZBI6mVnnlwJg-Btf5vfeQ63ZpM8XmnLPX0dLtQtveIzv1g9FlRkbHYq1usK1ao5K6Wceiajic6XHNdBt6caqV0R6X-DP6WA9nKQpM2V1Fsv5JFVirKwEvPZlmfR45S4/s1600/DSC03669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtHO_fSWKbYFxZBI6mVnnlwJg-Btf5vfeQ63ZpM8XmnLPX0dLtQtveIzv1g9FlRkbHYq1usK1ao5K6Wceiajic6XHNdBt6caqV0R6X-DP6WA9nKQpM2V1Fsv5JFVirKwEvPZlmfR45S4/s640/DSC03669.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What I love about these is that they now match other things that are in the same room without being overly matching. I put the fake daises in the vase meant for the bathroom and I will fill the jar with ear cleaners when I get a chance. As for the red vase for our living room, I put our tv remotes in it so we don't have to worry about searching for them anymore.</div>
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I absolutely love how these turned out! If you try this yourself please leave a comment with pictures of your work!!</div>
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<br /></div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-24028935339990712332012-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:002012-02-01T08:00:13.829-08:00DIY: Wall Art Decor<br />
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As I’ve said before, J and I decided it would be a pain to
paint our apartment walls only to have to possibly paint them back to a boring
white color when we move. I was
browsing through pinterest.com pages when I found this awesome, easy way to add
a pop of color to the room.</div>
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This weekend I bought all of the supplies:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>a 24x36 canvas (for only $10 with the store’s
sale and a 20% off coupon!)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>a 16x20 canvas (couldn’t pass up a good deal!)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>paint (for the larger canvas: for the smaller
canvas:)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>three small sponge brushes and one large sponge
brush</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';">
</span></span>I couldn’t find ¼” painters tape so I bought ¼”
quilter’s tape and ¾” electrical tape.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-0e_G6oKH8yBVyW0qnKYqNskROrmbYxtsHWSM9uSB9po08P-6dGsIm47EGcG-cTJaExzpntHRtshlB6seeqNAY1pM-sbY5AoTRq8PJWEo6JqIKSwQHmOYgbHkyXPnblvfMcwizIbFhc/s1600/DSC03608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-0e_G6oKH8yBVyW0qnKYqNskROrmbYxtsHWSM9uSB9po08P-6dGsIm47EGcG-cTJaExzpntHRtshlB6seeqNAY1pM-sbY5AoTRq8PJWEo6JqIKSwQHmOYgbHkyXPnblvfMcwizIbFhc/s640/DSC03608.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I promise this project is minimally messy and pretty
quick. If you want to follow
<a href="http://thenewdomestic.com/">thenewdomestic.com</a>’s method then you will first need to create a mock version
of your painting. Instead of doing
this I just haphazardly put tape down on my canvas. (*Note: If you decide to use electrical tape make sure to
really press it down into the canvas as it will peel up a little if you don’t
and you will not end up with totally clean lines.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0FiFCIhncyXDPSjsWq7AQ6T6mKoaHebHY60ov0iKSbqBv2u_rSmqiJjz5yRzh_G3dmGdwQNVX_Ncqjem_gBIym7H0DmvG7vdwsJWoS-kMfS-7WW1M6GJfRkNW9xLv6-aAPhEbi7eeRU/s1600/DSC03616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0FiFCIhncyXDPSjsWq7AQ6T6mKoaHebHY60ov0iKSbqBv2u_rSmqiJjz5yRzh_G3dmGdwQNVX_Ncqjem_gBIym7H0DmvG7vdwsJWoS-kMfS-7WW1M6GJfRkNW9xLv6-aAPhEbi7eeRU/s640/DSC03616.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also chose not to pre-decide where I wanted each color to
go. I just knew that with the
larger canvas I wanted red to be the main color and on the smaller canvas dark
blue would be more present. I used
a Tupperware containers and a lid as a palette and worked on the smaller canvas
first. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4xNbKTq8JxLSwc581UeAbQm5sT7raqYSIx1D570IpHmkuR4jSdLJMSztfz6L_jY2B2AXTLH3eD5P5NidGwAxMlXo5UrJ7SEhBMh13-azdI0wNLTT8JWBAF6245iKTW1nNqdiIkJ7cO8/s1600/DSC03622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4xNbKTq8JxLSwc581UeAbQm5sT7raqYSIx1D570IpHmkuR4jSdLJMSztfz6L_jY2B2AXTLH3eD5P5NidGwAxMlXo5UrJ7SEhBMh13-azdI0wNLTT8JWBAF6245iKTW1nNqdiIkJ7cO8/s640/DSC03622.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCGlkHtLi5HyeYsZPw4FJrVDnJJrTi9jYnO-WRn0SZUu0pvnTuWe64xvSh_dySt1_6XaAt726lwCLNMgmSHAsnTEHgk-GMl915T01brJJdbCyFduudT_7PrlCBdaE0wjY0b40OTGL37w/s1600/DSC03665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCGlkHtLi5HyeYsZPw4FJrVDnJJrTi9jYnO-WRn0SZUu0pvnTuWe64xvSh_dySt1_6XaAt726lwCLNMgmSHAsnTEHgk-GMl915T01brJJdbCyFduudT_7PrlCBdaE0wjY0b40OTGL37w/s640/DSC03665.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Like I said before I did not plan out which sections would
be what color. As I went I would
just think that an area looked like it was too much dark blue and needed a
splash of light blue. I did the
same with my larger canvas, but I also knew that the color I wanted the least
of was the dark brown because I didn’t want the painting to make the room look
dark. I painted 2-3 coats of
each color because some needed the extra layer to look the way I wanted it to
be.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6dQ4P99PijWIDo9MZldYYxMvQ8wltmT2W17IeXVVMJzErUQT1Xa3mnYOc519HnyvTJZ5GAbXbmGmL6BJ4gVhaQnDUrq6lX9L8PRP-yyfcvriGgzqDu5g5wQLVseSy4VuOeLxt33ff_c/s1600/DSC03660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6dQ4P99PijWIDo9MZldYYxMvQ8wltmT2W17IeXVVMJzErUQT1Xa3mnYOc519HnyvTJZ5GAbXbmGmL6BJ4gVhaQnDUrq6lX9L8PRP-yyfcvriGgzqDu5g5wQLVseSy4VuOeLxt33ff_c/s640/DSC03660.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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My paint directed that I wait 1 hour between layers of
paint, but to be honest it was pretty dry after 10 minutes so I just went on to
the next layers when it was dry to touch.
I waited about 5-10 minutes after the last layer before peeling off the
strips of tape. Make sure to pull
the tape in order (some of mine overlapped) otherwise you could ruin some of
your straight lines if your paint is not totally dry!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip93BAzPxJCLw9pWhN_Bw3oYzal7bG-M4WBrFzRm_in6O8YuRwgkGo6zFOZ8BtQZhlUgRmjs8K1IBhPHDXXXFHbBRrzJMyr9kQ7vksUOR6J6wRx8_9hKz9oktIbJDfMKEHQISq-TJa5Hs/s1600/DSC03628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip93BAzPxJCLw9pWhN_Bw3oYzal7bG-M4WBrFzRm_in6O8YuRwgkGo6zFOZ8BtQZhlUgRmjs8K1IBhPHDXXXFHbBRrzJMyr9kQ7vksUOR6J6wRx8_9hKz9oktIbJDfMKEHQISq-TJa5Hs/s640/DSC03628.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYjNCWY61z4kIGe7lqPVPIMzQ54MgSMAER-gzEmShMXHIwvoFEDloeuGUT74mIGW-0OsKwRSouWd-7scLV6zFT2HhXrc08WNV0nRIIiA6K7SX70i3f2mjSb2gw2ovVyiPaQZBjYumSJ8/s1600/DSC03633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYjNCWY61z4kIGe7lqPVPIMzQ54MgSMAER-gzEmShMXHIwvoFEDloeuGUT74mIGW-0OsKwRSouWd-7scLV6zFT2HhXrc08WNV0nRIIiA6K7SX70i3f2mjSb2gw2ovVyiPaQZBjYumSJ8/s640/DSC03633.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0k-Jj1pqBLoWZD11IADt033FtfFjy4hUUfYjWf5ASeVPoA2dUu9ENXnkYP1yludkRW1Td66p1lSgvS-FHmEIVERrRyMp0xTwZ-y19kymy5azqWL0ryES5v2c0oPg2lsVlaI2RhtGDyoY/s1600/DSC03667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0k-Jj1pqBLoWZD11IADt033FtfFjy4hUUfYjWf5ASeVPoA2dUu9ENXnkYP1yludkRW1Td66p1lSgvS-FHmEIVERrRyMp0xTwZ-y19kymy5azqWL0ryES5v2c0oPg2lsVlaI2RhtGDyoY/s640/DSC03667.JPG" width="640" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisfqEFfO9ljyq3_PXmcvE6pVgLzzYF4VinzAJIxlOKHsnPfb2Z3d0q0RNakQHnZI2TQjQQxHxGA272-D6dgqVwQbQfggsOkCW478F81GUCoitcXGr-0o13zOpLxBt3qSMnzefiL9xz74/s1600/DSC03676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisfqEFfO9ljyq3_PXmcvE6pVgLzzYF4VinzAJIxlOKHsnPfb2Z3d0q0RNakQHnZI2TQjQQxHxGA272-D6dgqVwQbQfggsOkCW478F81GUCoitcXGr-0o13zOpLxBt3qSMnzefiL9xz74/s640/DSC03676.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I let both canvases dry overnight before attempting to hang
them (just so I wouldn’t accidentally get paint on the wall. The paint brand that I purchased says
it takes 21 days for the paint to cure so J and I decided that we would wait to
hang up the canvas in the bathroom until then because the moisture from
showering might cause it not to cure completely or make the paint run. (That doesn’t mean I can’t take a
picture to show you what it would look like!) We did decide, however, that the large canvas could go up in
the living/dining room without waiting for the paint to cure.</div>
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The nice things about the canvases that I purchased is that
they are light and instead of hammering nails into the apartment walls, we just
used thumbtacks to hold them up instead of possibly hammering nails into wiring
in the walls.</div>
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Doesn't it add such a great punch of color to both rooms!? What home decor have you created for a fraction of what it would've cost to purchase that item in a store?</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-25036155844352343712012-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-30T08:00:10.091-08:00Weekend Arts & CraftsSo this weekend was spent recuperating from the aforementioned never ending week. Since J unfortunately had to work the whole weekend I thought I'd get some chores done. Finishing the laundry was the furthest I got before boredom completely took over. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thenewdomestic.com/2010/03/weekend-art-project/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguCbgiX6ONapKN-hovImSLq_z1kS8B2elfLJkuxuVekqzOhZNyQj866ZVO6lilvaumKAJIIU8khrrjTOJPOt0Ifj2Ju81MqbvApPy-j_l4ow_FW4QkocW_XwB3TAtqOPRlTdWxjQoIGs/s320/process.jpeg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from thenewdomestic.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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J and I have been trying to save money grocery shopping, so we shop the circular, only buying certain things when they are on sale (i.e. Chobani yogurt, certain fruits, etc). I grabbed our stack of shops' circulars and looked for the Shoprite one to start circling what we should get for the week, only to come across one for A.C. Moore first. Like I talked about in my last post, the <a href="http://thenewdomestic.com/2010/03/weekend-art-project/">Wall Art Project</a> from the New Domestic is a project I'd like to complete, but I was waiting until my next paycheck to purchase supplies. Well, the supplies were on sale at A.C.Moore and canvases were half off so I decided to go ahead and get started on this project.</div>
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I may have gone overboard with the supplies I purchased (from Michaels as well), but I spent the rest of the weekend happily crafting and having a nice relaxing weekend. I can't tell you how ecstatic I am with the results. The two pieces of wall art I ultimately ended up making cost me under $30 and I used the remaining paint to create a couple other items for the apartment which were about $3-7 to make each. Not too bad!</div>
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<div>
Later in the week I'll post a How-To on creating the wall art and containers that I made over the weekend. Right now I've got to get some things done that I put off all weekend and then head to work!</div>
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<br /></div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-60305886113384794642012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:002012-02-16T19:59:11.705-08:00Never Ending Week (Overnight Oats)<br />
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Do you ever have a week where you feel like the entire week
you’re playing catch up?
That’s how it has been for me this entire week. Catching up on sleep, a sizable to do
list and other things that need to be accomplished. </div>
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I order to get everything done this week I’ve been trying to
make things easier on myself by planning ahead of time for most of my
meals. When we got home from
California on Sunday I made my snacks for work, an entire week’s worth so I can
just grab and go in the morning.</div>
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I’ve also been making sure to have a good, filling meal for
breakfast each morning. Since my
Sunflower butter container was almost empty I tried a new breakfast I read
about on <a href="http://www.katheats.com/" target="_blank">Kath Eats</a>, overnight oats. I
put ½ a container of plain Chobani Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1/3 cup
rolled oats (uncooked), and 1/3 cup almond milk into my sunflower butter (it is
just like peanut butter) container and stirred it up before putting it in the
fridge overnight. The next morning
breakfast was ready for me and I dug right on in.</div>
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Verdict: I
probably should’ve put more milk in because the consistency of mine was a
little too thick for my taste. I
would also use a flavored Chobani, the only reason I did not is because the
only ones I have left are lemon and pineapple and both sound disgusting with
sunflower butter. Next time I’ll
probably use strawberry banana or honey.
I didn’t mind the addition of the chia seeds, they don’t really taste
like much, but they contain a lot of good things for your body such as
omega-3s. I calculated the amount
of calories for the version I made which was roughly 320, which is pretty close
to a perfect morning serving for me.
Also, this breakfast meal is FILLING, a key for me because I eat a
roughly 6:25am and don’t eat anything again until 10:30am (when I get my break
at work). I was actually full
enough that I considered waiting to eat my mid-morning snack until later in the
day.</div>
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I would definitely make this again, but I also found many
other recipes for overnight oats that I would like to try:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.katheats.com/twice-the-joy">Overnight Oats with Cookie Butter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.katheats.com/3-guesses">Overnight Oats with Berries</a></li>
<li><a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/11/10/coconut-cookie-dough-oatmeal/">Coconut Cookie Dough Oatmeal (Want to try this as overnight oats)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.katheats.com/gh-cville-online">Overnight Oats with Berries, Granola, and Peanut Butter</a></li>
</ul>
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Hope your week has been better than mine! I’m looking
forward for a girl’s night tonight and giving the girls their gifts from Italy!</div>
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P.s. Can you tell I've been using my camera recently? The quality of the pictures isn't that great.</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-8293157367092678752012-01-26T04:24:00.000-08:002012-01-26T04:24:03.254-08:00No More Bedsheets as Curtains<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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So now that J and I are finished traveling until at least
April we have time to work on making the apartment look nice and work on
projects we’ve decided sound like fun.
When we got back from Italy we finally received the remaining part of
our couch (we had 2 out of 3 pieces), only it was not delivered on the day we
were promised, instead a whole week later. Our experience with the store and staff in which we bought
our couch from was frustrating and if we weren’t both in love with the couch we
would seriously consider returning it.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14aPAua1sR_bXyTciUB49KXJovTp76HBS7CQDAQOyJo_kNpB8vCD-eH68iyq6yECpeId62B9Eb4kwv8kux919G-ejvGf8xyCo8CzJnL0Dn8r6ldcsi7mg65t-MCDODou_i5enEfUmrnY/s1600/DSC04319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14aPAua1sR_bXyTciUB49KXJovTp76HBS7CQDAQOyJo_kNpB8vCD-eH68iyq6yECpeId62B9Eb4kwv8kux919G-ejvGf8xyCo8CzJnL0Dn8r6ldcsi7mg65t-MCDODou_i5enEfUmrnY/s640/DSC04319.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I forgot to put away the iron before taking this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On a positive note, having our couch finally has allowed us
to determine what color scheme we want the room to be. We won’t be painting the walls of
our apartment because it is a hassle since we don’t know what will happen in
the next year and whether we will renew our lease or not (if I get a teaching
position in another area we would consider moving). I wanted something that would make the room pop!
against the plain off-white walls. Originally I wanted to go for a
chocolate brown, cream, and coral color scheme, but it has proven really
difficult to find décor that not only contains these colors but also has a
pattern I like. </div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y0DPkYqMpzavkM4D6FXfOYyo1a98xwKjMWO_2RELAik2ZrdKBj5kTexqRPc6WPYEI4NGifHfB9g7tO43g-8ZeDXg2hAvgs9KkMirsLwxhWjtvT9S6Aoff1_7TDdhWPXLiCBLC8De1-M/s1600/SherwinWilliams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Y0DPkYqMpzavkM4D6FXfOYyo1a98xwKjMWO_2RELAik2ZrdKBj5kTexqRPc6WPYEI4NGifHfB9g7tO43g-8ZeDXg2hAvgs9KkMirsLwxhWjtvT9S6Aoff1_7TDdhWPXLiCBLC8De1-M/s640/SherwinWilliams.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used the Sherwin-Williams Color visualizer to create this mock room, pretty cool tool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Frustrated I gave up that search and decided that a better
route to go was chocolate brown, tan/cream, and red. We already have placemats that are those colors that I like
and finding curtains to go with the room was so ridiculously easy. The curtains still need a little work
as they are too long for the window, but I’m working on hemming them.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhNALcf2w2OQ4v6tF44GT233sp-Xw1ZyCRNb7Zc5s8IzFM3VzhK5uYja5-RfjVKVzr3R5_rHfVY1IeLiqTKgzEFTUCthvBwUnV04wcM9hodIAH-aM5O323GjhSuKr9XE8NgA9iMcq36g/s1600/Paint1.jpeg" /></div>
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</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xz6rytqMzs3WkPQCpHK7YtNCopZPhUwKqERdg3LZyKtjxZu9AjCnfzC8gfOsV1gDTl7h3v5gUPhM6YwCZoyzEd8p75shCTt-HS_0ZqhlG2a4WF9mXUU6Ffp2XSg5owCh8MKw1O3uurY/s1600/DSC04320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xz6rytqMzs3WkPQCpHK7YtNCopZPhUwKqERdg3LZyKtjxZu9AjCnfzC8gfOsV1gDTl7h3v5gUPhM6YwCZoyzEd8p75shCTt-HS_0ZqhlG2a4WF9mXUU6Ffp2XSg5owCh8MKw1O3uurY/s640/DSC04320.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tabs on the ends of the curtain rod are actually for daytime use, when you can pull the curtains together and tie them with the pieces of fabric.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Currently I’m in the search for additional pillows for our
couch. I thought about making them
myself and who knows, maybe I will still make one or two, but for the time
being I found some at Target I may purchase.</div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/Embroidered-Floral-Pillow-Red/-/A-13783798#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSzWe1O4JsnMISkw6tVHcePg-D-Uy82ar5EVBoRZxQ0wgug1pcu4pBMrrongqYAXSs3zJV3fJfrMg8Q8_sG8L6lUuN0t7zl8P6RnQBKdwNz_v92vx8eLmP6FLFUvq16iRVNoRSbmiMQc/s320/OpenZoomLayer-1.jpeg" width="319" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/Decorative-Flocked-Damask-Square-Toss-Pillow-Red-White/-/A-13707611#?lnk=sc_qi_detailimage"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh69aBlDrFRAn4Ce310ZV192JQcpqtUViO-dpVkbLxoNand_8QCCOEdOl1UG-5by9FO_fZ5AalyPlaj7k2gmlYJ3zpT1ZlOs6lzx8oAT3k2Rmgz-YMn40tQhHM10EC1AkpeceVVJ9RJs/s320/OpenZoomLayer-3.jpeg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/Room-Essentials-Floral-Decorative-Pillow-Red/-/A-13330297#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYy_DAs38OugxFxUtYAq62qAnzzSbBhUejyHr0Mi9sPr_QUGNSnO9hOdld1dIGoWTR5nTezziuAmfjtgHLoUbJHTdomjjnxDSY0v54QoQmthcKhydInSwRcY-4hKZ8wGPglfCPro8ekI/s320/OpenZoomLayer-4.jpeg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/Flocked-Pillow-Red/-/A-13783803#?lnk=sc_qi_detailimage"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2KIpOXNzM2CjJUzALeQzm5CD2fDIa8raj5fNBOXzdw2BFnMmxFz4GjvTx8lD3eo1JcyvAoa0EyIA8vtPu1SWopwiDKdhnQpTGPn7zrtw9giSHPXRW8zZx_75mFLxwDpkB5PrjP6emwQ/s320/OpenZoomLayer.jpeg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, I found this idea for wall art on <a href="http://pinterest.com/">pinterest</a>. J agreed to help me try to make one for our living room/dining room. When I get my next paycheck the
supplies for this project will be the first thing I purchase.</div>
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<a href="http://thenewdomestic.com/2010/03/weekend-art-project/"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi469CyFgKM-drm2foCeOSPBPafZ6uTdWNxBzLvHp_wI6mcGLPVUX7EyJ9naunysnWzBcADjArW_TlZLm1M-66WgOH6niOtNfHfNcFuzJ99TFBqsWR4Gil_TUDUgU8okD70RtcTZiMx2dw/s640/DSC_01062.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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We also ordered pictures from our trip. I ordered seven 12x18 poster prints from <a href="http://www.snapfish.com/">Snapfish</a> (I had a great coupon) so
we could play around with six of them and the seventh is going in a different
spot. I taped them all to the wall
temporarily so we could see which ones we liked best (I haven’t purchased
frames yet), but now I kind of like the idea of all six images on the
wall. What do you think? Too much?</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkhSqBxpBcsuAM8NiFlpKHX8xjgJGtti-khqpm8pzNk6VO6z-xfouoFGe5sFf_Ps6mdfdVpjBeL2wPwaQYNBwiN-kZCOVm-saEdrMxgPAOx48Yz0ME7OAx_1MxOAd8guP5-AGn07hFgc/s1600/DSC04324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkhSqBxpBcsuAM8NiFlpKHX8xjgJGtti-khqpm8pzNk6VO6z-xfouoFGe5sFf_Ps6mdfdVpjBeL2wPwaQYNBwiN-kZCOVm-saEdrMxgPAOx48Yz0ME7OAx_1MxOAd8guP5-AGn07hFgc/s640/DSC04324.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now that I finally know the color scheme, but I have no money to spend I feel like I'm constantly seeing things I'd love to try out in the apartment. It may be a while before the entire room is finished, but I'll be sure to share our improvements with you along the way.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-77263351768835982022012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:00:09.271-08:00Italy Part IV: Rome<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Here is the last Italy post. Like the last one, this post is pretty long, but I hope you enjoy!</div>
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After our crazy New Year’s Eve experience J and I slept in,
but still got up early enough that we could enjoy the hotel’s continental
breakfast. We made our game plan
for the day and kept in mind that there would be places closed for the holiday. Unfortunately it was overcast this day,
but at least it wasn’t raining.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fKYCBmE1epxAuXQfIMNSXHs6-NX3R0nGD9j6KATpTA3oFd9eaaSxfQiNIoPXggm8CUyBbjCuklT9Q_VduZ4RqQEbECBpIRtImHLWPHmXqkRmoXHXh4oNNqjNaqu432flFXo5TB4rzOM/s1600/DSC02916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fKYCBmE1epxAuXQfIMNSXHs6-NX3R0nGD9j6KATpTA3oFd9eaaSxfQiNIoPXggm8CUyBbjCuklT9Q_VduZ4RqQEbECBpIRtImHLWPHmXqkRmoXHXh4oNNqjNaqu432flFXo5TB4rzOM/s640/DSC02916.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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We headed out and passed the Colosseum, stopping to have our
picture taken. It was the first
time that we asked someone to take our picture the whole trip. We continued on our way towards the S.
Giovanni in Laterno church. First,
however, we stopped to take a look at the S. Clemente church. This church is known for its catacombs,
but we didn’t get to go through them while we were there. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hD8_tU0_MsA3RhNSklNMLqrtKScg_IAaqKntmIQfOXyry2YRZps_y1UMzV0w5bphPWYRhsT5C8Rw4hcgNw1vKb1LV6UjG3BxkOXIpoRAK5Mq0vR3kENwwUsWaOgM61eTEVya5lAaEdI/s1600/DSC02936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hD8_tU0_MsA3RhNSklNMLqrtKScg_IAaqKntmIQfOXyry2YRZps_y1UMzV0w5bphPWYRhsT5C8Rw4hcgNw1vKb1LV6UjG3BxkOXIpoRAK5Mq0vR3kENwwUsWaOgM61eTEVya5lAaEdI/s640/DSC02936.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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S. Giovanni Laterno is a beautiful church. Outside is giant column that Napoleon
took from Egypt that is covered in hieroglyphics. When we went inside mass was actually taking place so we
made sure to be quiet and not walk across where people were sitting (there were
many people still walking around the church like us). The ceiling was
immaculate and the doors were gigantic!
The sculpture in this church is also amazing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SJMj_oEf0yh5MVlXyC3UGxwQJhwfPZBhwlN-vBRYKfmDhJlDrSkMLMoycnyM9YbpuqpSIsdqk5PZlyD5-ZbYVUPJhBbh_cZHFuPOC4THDcKG_zDgA2YJqbwPlRX3wpfnTQL65solvuk/s1600/DSC02946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3SJMj_oEf0yh5MVlXyC3UGxwQJhwfPZBhwlN-vBRYKfmDhJlDrSkMLMoycnyM9YbpuqpSIsdqk5PZlyD5-ZbYVUPJhBbh_cZHFuPOC4THDcKG_zDgA2YJqbwPlRX3wpfnTQL65solvuk/s640/DSC02946.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQl2ilt96LKqJlo7T58e54_FGttOATS_m1xoR54-cFPHxkudcYu3WTuuPj0QsvTzMck7_hqmk3YTSnRucqT9L3opl0TNlSaYin5PRN_MsUhStA0zGKu9bdkkv67fFfDI7GwK_0c-kiato/s1600/DSC02952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQl2ilt96LKqJlo7T58e54_FGttOATS_m1xoR54-cFPHxkudcYu3WTuuPj0QsvTzMck7_hqmk3YTSnRucqT9L3opl0TNlSaYin5PRN_MsUhStA0zGKu9bdkkv67fFfDI7GwK_0c-kiato/s640/DSC02952.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JhYLTz-4Q2Ph6_xIm6LknZkzALDky-cnN604EzyHNyGkas-O67UfRQw8Gy-mmiUcpJQguulXlV9d-TA_oa4VCOqFpi8THgodQauxOK_J9aG_i1jPoPKnZwqUSWLk-24p0iJ5dbRd2GM/s1600/DSC02960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JhYLTz-4Q2Ph6_xIm6LknZkzALDky-cnN604EzyHNyGkas-O67UfRQw8Gy-mmiUcpJQguulXlV9d-TA_oa4VCOqFpi8THgodQauxOK_J9aG_i1jPoPKnZwqUSWLk-24p0iJ5dbRd2GM/s640/DSC02960.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how big this door is!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6pUztsKe06EeMU8FwrMF7EgpwWvkWYvIRQ29Il8rKoEXv32xuNmPrV3yR0WbdqvZnfRDdzPZeRnQBqdUPD37Ldw0xuY3IsnppJKX_JAoO7ZOlyXhurRoYTjc3jFK2ubcq3W3xErIJe0/s1600/DSC02961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6pUztsKe06EeMU8FwrMF7EgpwWvkWYvIRQ29Il8rKoEXv32xuNmPrV3yR0WbdqvZnfRDdzPZeRnQBqdUPD37Ldw0xuY3IsnppJKX_JAoO7ZOlyXhurRoYTjc3jFK2ubcq3W3xErIJe0/s640/DSC02961.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We left and headed in the direction of Circo Massimo. To the left we saw the Baths of
Caracalla. We could’ve walked
through, but decided that it would take too long and we still had so much we
wanted to do. When we reached Circo Massimo we found that parts of it were
gated off, but we could read the informational boards through the fence. Definitely an impressive arena. We learned that it is the largest
entertainment center in the world. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wahWlzKAFGaAMo9zQR_9oN8wrKlkfd7nUpawdUx_Wu55lR5JOExwegZ6Ur7TNRja5BQvLzvEK3MmALnCj3cP2F9kmiPfUc9bc3Z1239BdXBBd_agBte_HaNE7WNRJZw_BhD1Gn7BxFY/s1600/DSC02973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wahWlzKAFGaAMo9zQR_9oN8wrKlkfd7nUpawdUx_Wu55lR5JOExwegZ6Ur7TNRja5BQvLzvEK3MmALnCj3cP2F9kmiPfUc9bc3Z1239BdXBBd_agBte_HaNE7WNRJZw_BhD1Gn7BxFY/s640/DSC02973.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH3I1Plv3zng6Uav0KZc0pueXM3fNf42dlJNpMV51RMTnQuI-E3VgCD0r3wzWSiT-PTb_Q1f3SaERHPEUh8TNjpMHpeC62zeGFKe6E1Iun-E3yJM1Lfymc0gyUBhpQAxNqmqoELUz41k/s1600/DSC02977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSH3I1Plv3zng6Uav0KZc0pueXM3fNf42dlJNpMV51RMTnQuI-E3VgCD0r3wzWSiT-PTb_Q1f3SaERHPEUh8TNjpMHpeC62zeGFKe6E1Iun-E3yJM1Lfymc0gyUBhpQAxNqmqoELUz41k/s640/DSC02977.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimsncV2Xa6zPSu-Gm8_lccYiuCtvQAtHKpCKOiT5x3YhI6xLTSFm457baZ5SOZ9ptPJ8919bdqJIQeIeUQLCDS27KZk2L0wqCXzK-TOEn-IDNMsaf_U1SO8p7gFt5ibxMxotFLoQIWIU/s1600/DSC02978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimsncV2Xa6zPSu-Gm8_lccYiuCtvQAtHKpCKOiT5x3YhI6xLTSFm457baZ5SOZ9ptPJ8919bdqJIQeIeUQLCDS27KZk2L0wqCXzK-TOEn-IDNMsaf_U1SO8p7gFt5ibxMxotFLoQIWIU/s640/DSC02978.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyB_gX4fgGcGC2c0rth40_voBjXswZ-evuw3jN-6wGvSNZKL-17uc7Fa4vjr2UCPHPJGS8em97RPCzkfYY7rKh7_NzeOhlb1HHTFMsydQ1y1YdUgQsv2I2WI-J1CFW2djzGVTak0CQfc/s1600/DSC02982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioyB_gX4fgGcGC2c0rth40_voBjXswZ-evuw3jN-6wGvSNZKL-17uc7Fa4vjr2UCPHPJGS8em97RPCzkfYY7rKh7_NzeOhlb1HHTFMsydQ1y1YdUgQsv2I2WI-J1CFW2djzGVTak0CQfc/s640/DSC02982.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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To our right we could see Palatine Hill, but also decided
not to make the trek to go through it because we were headed in the opposite
direction. The two of us started
to get hungry so we set off in search of something quick and easy to eat. We walked along the Tiver River. Where we were you could see both the
Palatine Bridge and the Fabriano Bridge.
We decided not to cross over the bridge and instead headed back towards
the Pantheon.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT2cmH2vbFwh-p0pIse4oZb7VFzMT4Rg3vITwlpCIhJ01f6Zj-631cAeJDy9v3Rna8vHSMROgRQNxsnzfymq9acXC77kqediVG4nOgHJigLOV0S7sTUS_EKaFmJPle14oqqyBha19FjM/s1600/DSC02980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT2cmH2vbFwh-p0pIse4oZb7VFzMT4Rg3vITwlpCIhJ01f6Zj-631cAeJDy9v3Rna8vHSMROgRQNxsnzfymq9acXC77kqediVG4nOgHJigLOV0S7sTUS_EKaFmJPle14oqqyBha19FjM/s640/DSC02980.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTkRlEKUNsXr6h5591aR67Rh9kGjhkWd3cB-cjObEl2gZUwFnXhHNS0x2By9MZp8Dvzk7pP2DsCAu1U8QzVWYFcXBvoJKqXJViup0ZCuQCcLeZB51-UVVmI4Rs3tKkcmyLJHWsxfT5HM/s1600/DSC02988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTkRlEKUNsXr6h5591aR67Rh9kGjhkWd3cB-cjObEl2gZUwFnXhHNS0x2By9MZp8Dvzk7pP2DsCAu1U8QzVWYFcXBvoJKqXJViup0ZCuQCcLeZB51-UVVmI4Rs3tKkcmyLJHWsxfT5HM/s640/DSC02988.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_9arMsg_WYVCYHG2BMFuPw-dQVuoUBvve53wcucYKNxOnNPsdZqilwl0hk8CIPzW7FX1h5WlHRmvwD6ZsfdDxvLVkQBHyuAZ-DlkjNgFgIX2Nb8nARTjDlY49mj9thQ4ySwLHLd9Rtk/s1600/DSC02995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_9arMsg_WYVCYHG2BMFuPw-dQVuoUBvve53wcucYKNxOnNPsdZqilwl0hk8CIPzW7FX1h5WlHRmvwD6ZsfdDxvLVkQBHyuAZ-DlkjNgFgIX2Nb8nARTjDlY49mj9thQ4ySwLHLd9Rtk/s640/DSC02995.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We came upon the Piazza Nuvonna and found a great little
pizzeria where the slices were charged by weight. We gobbled it down outside the pizzeria before heading next
door to get some gelato. J got
caramel cream and I got Bacio (an Italian candy)…mm I miss gelato! We then headed to the Pantheon only to
find out that it was closed for the day.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ-WaEsSsvrlxjL6GJpRBNNj-xaMe_d9BT5IHSd8WpWlS27iDu5rH_klyvR1ohnl7-I1WiDtcZsaLScEV4GOiPgBBm53ioPe0Esqabz256wfj6izlVAeOvDj0p7adXom5g-5wJ88G4Mk/s1600/DSC02998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ-WaEsSsvrlxjL6GJpRBNNj-xaMe_d9BT5IHSd8WpWlS27iDu5rH_klyvR1ohnl7-I1WiDtcZsaLScEV4GOiPgBBm53ioPe0Esqabz256wfj6izlVAeOvDj0p7adXom5g-5wJ88G4Mk/s640/DSC02998.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5K7UtfEuUpmhWXYw0PYp53VkVdLsQVu1V7DkWIQX0xLU0sTgeOBGqmw8o6v1844m-zYd6ekDSSaSb-DYVkW_BL__9T2idSjUfdft51cQr49JGC7uMXEt7dpTDq6zMBH-jh0H94T4Qmk/s1600/DSC03001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5K7UtfEuUpmhWXYw0PYp53VkVdLsQVu1V7DkWIQX0xLU0sTgeOBGqmw8o6v1844m-zYd6ekDSSaSb-DYVkW_BL__9T2idSjUfdft51cQr49JGC7uMXEt7dpTDq6zMBH-jh0H94T4Qmk/s640/DSC03001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRx7WHXfVpKc4xYZ8gTqLkExL23zWaJOg3EuHREIrhCfgy39dqfHfyQq8qTN_yIQwaCfee9j8Nzt7QHsgpRMLIzGXjPeTrKbnCiUtyfaM2dg3glz7_mQ3yFcbW058OxLkakJXFEhdf8c/s1600/DSC03007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRx7WHXfVpKc4xYZ8gTqLkExL23zWaJOg3EuHREIrhCfgy39dqfHfyQq8qTN_yIQwaCfee9j8Nzt7QHsgpRMLIzGXjPeTrKbnCiUtyfaM2dg3glz7_mQ3yFcbW058OxLkakJXFEhdf8c/s640/DSC03007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC91Cb3MjPoR8BOAgW5eH5JaUiDIgS3jL2N_7dr0EIN0e9iVTebxfXNi-FE2mPE9ymE2_5AVOiRJBixQk9xOcGe6TkrCrTCaJfuN2LH50iTifrAutmYKXnO18CJEus-dGK6IkMTF1Ajw/s1600/DSC03010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLC91Cb3MjPoR8BOAgW5eH5JaUiDIgS3jL2N_7dr0EIN0e9iVTebxfXNi-FE2mPE9ymE2_5AVOiRJBixQk9xOcGe6TkrCrTCaJfuN2LH50iTifrAutmYKXnO18CJEus-dGK6IkMTF1Ajw/s640/DSC03010.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silly balloon ruined a great picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTx-XtF1kvbTQbjmuBbiq-xzAVf2njW5iWIgE4iw0lXRtJKnJaZ70DMhSDHRPQdZ9orPaWzvp2sHuPu_3SDgRPgIclG-mf8Gf_cRL9uhEW1K8cR3ytIv3XJJ-I0hTNP8OpsxYfX5-YJXg/s1600/DSC03012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTx-XtF1kvbTQbjmuBbiq-xzAVf2njW5iWIgE4iw0lXRtJKnJaZ70DMhSDHRPQdZ9orPaWzvp2sHuPu_3SDgRPgIclG-mf8Gf_cRL9uhEW1K8cR3ytIv3XJJ-I0hTNP8OpsxYfX5-YJXg/s640/DSC03012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Off we headed back towards the Tiver River, crossing the
Ponte Umberto. At the far end of
this bridge we saw the Palazzo Giustizia, which is a gigantic palace and we
were both interested in walking through, but unfortunately it was closed for
the holiday.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzY97d7hZIhoC-nMQkX7ROMb_zz5BxA7Ayx2WyDLNclGIzuc4wMczTJw1ZFBuHiAPHM9CRi3Onb-RhhfevekmrVgSrbJT6-o-92EMcUZdxdEvjpJprh_tYCaeid8w2sH-QOAqBSJFwFRs/s1600/DSC03022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzY97d7hZIhoC-nMQkX7ROMb_zz5BxA7Ayx2WyDLNclGIzuc4wMczTJw1ZFBuHiAPHM9CRi3Onb-RhhfevekmrVgSrbJT6-o-92EMcUZdxdEvjpJprh_tYCaeid8w2sH-QOAqBSJFwFRs/s640/DSC03022.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dJT3oBTbrrA3MRXRq8cxzQK9dMmzslBlksTdMXUwEEclZK9IeDW1U1RSvq-mv-frGW5mHyXgZjKltj7ICUBCfvkPyawJ7ThJI4gIKa41vPeds1ZuU3ZEM1xDj6JZJ2wBpXnLKc1zYDE/s1600/DSC03024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dJT3oBTbrrA3MRXRq8cxzQK9dMmzslBlksTdMXUwEEclZK9IeDW1U1RSvq-mv-frGW5mHyXgZjKltj7ICUBCfvkPyawJ7ThJI4gIKa41vPeds1ZuU3ZEM1xDj6JZJ2wBpXnLKc1zYDE/s640/DSC03024.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Along the river the number vendors trying to sell fake
designer purses and touristy things was plentiful. It really reminded me of NYC and Canal Street! We headed towards Vatican City, first
coming across the Castell S. Angelo, which is an old castle that is round and
looks absolutely ancient. We
found out that there are actually tunnels that go from this castle to St.
Peter’s Basilica underground that were used many years ago.</div>
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We walked up to St. Peter’s square and took in the
Basilica. We didn’t go in because
we knew we’d be going through it and the Vatican museum on our tour the next
morning. The outside is absolutely
magnificent despite the many parts that were covered up due to construction and
restoration. </div>
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At this point we were starting to lose light so we headed
back towards the hotel, but not in any hurry. We walked across the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele and came across
a few churches that were still open for the day. First we went into the Chiesa Nuova, which was really
pretty, but definitely not either of our favorites. </div>
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We passed the Pantheon for what felt like the fifth time
that day, but went around the back this time and found a church call the Sopra
Minerva. This was J’s favorite,
the ceilings were an awesome bright blue and because it was dark outside, it
gave the effect of being a night sky.
The frescos on the ceiling were even dotted as if they were stars. This church was way different than most
of the churches we saw because here there was a strong use of color as
decoration, whereas in other churches it was a lot of sculpture and gold leaf
decoration.</div>
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Chiesa Gesu is a perfect example of a highly ornate
church. So much gold leaf and
sculpture its almost outrageous.
What was really cool about this church though was that they put a mirror
below one of their most impressive frescos and tilted so you could look into
the mirror and see what the ceiling looked like without craning your neck. Also, this church had the most modern
light fixtures that we’d seen in a church. Most had some sort of modern lighting so you could see the
artwork better, but this one was almost blinding with how bright it was.</div>
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We headed back towards the hotel and stopped at a small
grocery store to pick up some goodies for later. We saw a restaurant near our hotel that wasn’t busy and
decided it would be a good place for dinner. It was pretty good and relatively cheap so Jeremy got two
plates and we had Tiramisu and espresso.
The espresso was delicious, not as thick as people had described it to
me as being. We also decided that
since we had walked so much, that we deserved double dessert so we wandered
down to a gelateria before heading back to the hotel and passing out for the
night.</div>
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We had gone to bed early because the bus picking us up for
the Vatican tour at 7:00am. We
groggily got up and were lucky to get a quick breakfast at the hotel before the
bus picked us up. Man, when people
tell you that Italians are crazy drivers, they are not kidding. I was so tense the entire time the
drive weaved in and out of the tiny roads.</div>
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We met our tour guide, who spoke five different
languages! She was fantastic and
very knowledgeable. Since you’re
not allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel and there is supposed to
be silence in the room as well, she told us all about the history of the chapel
before we went in. Afterwards she
took us through the museum, although we only went through one floor, it took us
three hours! There is so much to
see that it would be impossible to go through the entire museum in a day and be
able to remember everything you saw.</div>
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The tour gave us the option of being taken back to the hotel
or being dropped off on the other side of Vatican City to go to St. Peter’s
Basilica. We knew we wanted to go
into the Basilica so we got off and headed straight there. We had to wait in line because in order
to enter Vatican City you need to go through metal detectors but it didn’t take
too long. </div>
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St. Peter’s Basilica is breathtaking. It is absolutely gigantic and I don’t
think there is anything in there that you wouldn’t be amazed by. The ceilings are full of amazing detail;
the statues look like they are alive, and there is so much history to be
learned. This is where the Pieta
is, a work done by Michelangelo when he was only 24. Just amazing.</div>
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We decided to also go to the top dome of St. Peter’s even
though it was taller than the Duomo(!!).
We actually were able to take an elevator half way up before we began
the journey up the 200+ steps to the very top, so the experience was a lot less
exhausting. The view was
incredible despite the overcast and slightly rainy day.</div>
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We decided to make the trek back towards the hotel by feet
rather than taxi because even though we were tired we wanted to see what we
could on our last day in Italy.
Once again we stopped by the same two spots that had been on the way
back to our hotel each day (Piazza Navonna & the Pantheon). We made our way
back to the Vittorio Emanuelle II Monument and took the newer (since 2007)
elevator to the top for another incredible view!</div>
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We took a quick break at the hotel, mostly to drop some
things off back at the room. Then
we walked around aimlessly (it was getting dark outside) just experiencing what
we still could before we were both absolutely starving and had to stop for
food. Luckily for us, this last
night was one of the best meals we had our entire trip, followed by a fantastic
last dessert of gelato.</div>
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Well, that is it for our Italy trip. Thank you for reliving it with me. Such a great experience! I hope many of you get to visit Italy in
the future!</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0Rome, Italy41.8905198 12.494248641.5143078 11.8680281 42.2667318 13.120469100000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-42612949520443543722012-01-20T17:28:00.001-08:002012-01-20T17:28:02.767-08:00Back again soonHey guys sorry for being MIA. I have a new entry with the rest of our Italy trip written, but unfortunately it's on my computer, not saved on blogger. You'll have wait until at least Monday because J and I are currently in California for his nephew's first birthday. When we get back hopefully we'll have lots to post about; J and I have a couple of projects we want to complete and share with you and our living room is really starting to come together (we finally got our couch and some curtains!).
Until then, have a great weekend!!
Side note: Happy Happy Birthday to my cousin Lindsey(which was yesterday), J's nephew Andrew(he turns 1 today!), and my cousin Kasey( whose birthday is Monday)!!!!!Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-35031017438242779162012-01-16T09:35:00.000-08:002012-01-16T09:35:01.212-08:00Italy Part III: Rome (New Year’s Eve)<br />
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**Warning this post is extremely long and is only our first day in Rome. Feel free to scroll through and just look at the pictures if you don't want to read the whole thing**</div>
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Coming into Rome was an entirely different experience than
anywhere we had been in Italy so far.
The train station was gigantic and filled with stores once you walked
past all of the train terminals.
We figured out how to get to our hotel, which ended up being a much
longer walk than I expected, and took a couple minutes to breathe before
heading out to check out the city.
Our hotel was in the perfect spot (I have to say J did a great job of
picking out our hotels!).</div>
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After we dropped off our luggage and headed out to
adventure. Being New Years Eve we
weren’t sure what was going to be available for us to see the next day so we
wanted to see whatever we could when we arrived. First we headed over to the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument,
which is home to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a gigantic building. </div>
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We wandered down the back half of the building to a piazza
and then towards the amazing ruins.
Being there in person and seeing how amazing it is now only makes you
wonder what it really looked in its prime. After taking it all in we headed back towards the main road
that connects the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument and the Colosseum. We stopped to take a look at the Trajan
Market, which just like the ruins, one can only imagine the impressiveness of
the building when it was brand new.</div>
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From the Trajan Market we could see the Colosseum directly
down the street and decided that it had to be our next stop. Along the road (which had minimal cars,
at this point pedestrians were the majority on it) we could tell they were
setting up for New Year’s Eve Festivities. (Side note:
Before we left on our trip I had Googled our options for New Years
festivities and found that either near the Colosseum or near the Piazza del Popolo
were our best bet for a fun evening.
We decided prior that we would definitely go for fireworks near the
Colosseum for a truly memorable evening.)
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When we made it down to the Colosseum there was a long line
to get in, but all over there were tour groups trying to get you to pay to go
in with them. We decided to give
it a try since it included a guided tour of the Colosseum and we were
guaranteed to get in that day. The
tour ended up being pretty informative and although we would’ve made it in without
the tour group (the whole line went in while the tour guide was giving us a
talk about the exterior of the building), it was definitely money well
spent. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiot82bcC-O6F9YWPcPQqcocg4OAjjZrirbXSKZY0YUHcQ7fBjzCwk7Huo-CnSjv9vkjuHW0z9JAc7g4OA6X4MmhEkzS8JAY8KYe38l4or9JBSLhAPkgnSXp0mH6d0RN1Jkxf7w7aeqMB8/s1600/DSC02588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiot82bcC-O6F9YWPcPQqcocg4OAjjZrirbXSKZY0YUHcQ7fBjzCwk7Huo-CnSjv9vkjuHW0z9JAc7g4OA6X4MmhEkzS8JAY8KYe38l4or9JBSLhAPkgnSXp0mH6d0RN1Jkxf7w7aeqMB8/s640/DSC02588.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we decided we were done checking out the Colosseum and
surrounding area we pulled out our map and figured out the next best route to
take to make it to the places we had in mind. Since we were passing the hotel on the way, we stopped by to
grab water bottles we had purchased earlier and set out again. </div>
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Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain where we threw in coins
together and took in the amazing sculptures. Unfortunately not many of our pictures of the fountain came
out clear due to the lighting.
From there we traveled across the Via Del Corso where there were
Christmas lights strung from the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument all the way to
the Piazza del Popolo! </div>
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We came upon the Pantheon by mistake, what a cool building
in the middle of a small Piazza, but couldn’t go in for another hour due to a
New Years mass being held. We
decided to come back later, so we headed to the Piazza Navona.</div>
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The Piazza was nothing like what I expected, while it was a
normal square, the empty space we had seen in other Piazzas was filled with
midway games and shops. What a fun
experience! We had some drinks and
split a ciambella (pretty much a giant donut) with Nutella. MMmm!</div>
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We were able to make our way back and into the Pantheon
(along with a huge crowd!). Such
an incredible building, J was curious what happened when it rained (since there
is a hole at the top), little did he know we’d find out on our last day in the
city! We ate dinner right outside
the Pantheon, not our favorite meal, but definitely an awesome view!</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We still had plenty of time to kill before midnight so we
decided to make our way to a couple more sights. We made our way to the Piazza del Popolo, which is a really
nice square, but since it was cold out we didn’t end up spending too much time
there. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
On our journey back to the hotel to warm up temporarily
before heading to the New Years festivities we stopped at the Spanish
steps. People were clearly
beginning their New Years celebrations early as many people were sitting on the
steps sipping out of bottles of champagne. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We warmed up back at the hotel and threw extra layers on and
made sure to put minimal things in our bags just incase. We thought our journey from the hotel
to where we wanted to watch the fireworks would take five minutes so we left
around 10:30 thinking we’d have plenty of time to hang out before
midnight. However, Italian police
had put up fences to control the crowd and so the road that would’ve taken us
there in two minutes was blocked off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
J and I felt like sheep as we shuffled down the crowded
streets, shoulder to shoulder with strangers. The closer we got to where we wanted to end up, the more
crowded it got. As we got to the
main road we started to hear loud bangs, but weren’t sure of the source. Then when we broke from the crowd it
was easy to see what the noises were; the fireworks we had seen street vendors
selling on every corner during the afternoon (everything from firecrackers to
M80s!) were being lit and set off in a large empty area surrounded people
waiting for the festivities to begin.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZFtKb1Oeguid2ON_tmP3Pi52iifpzLK_6jq1v3n6ApGsS3OcUVt7A9sfrHTtDKCStIX_rZx06rKkb-xCli6xZJTnR3rh_P3KxXbX1fOXXcuFfA82VGhYjoNlqzLPFUofrVnHzzLWcKo/s1600/DSC02816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZFtKb1Oeguid2ON_tmP3Pi52iifpzLK_6jq1v3n6ApGsS3OcUVt7A9sfrHTtDKCStIX_rZx06rKkb-xCli6xZJTnR3rh_P3KxXbX1fOXXcuFfA82VGhYjoNlqzLPFUofrVnHzzLWcKo/s640/DSC02816.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fireworks were loud and scary; to me they sounded what I
imagined a grenade sounds like when it explodes. We made our way to the other
side of the crowd but were still pretty close to the fireworks area. I was actually taking a video of the
fireworks when one exploded and a fragment hit me in the hand! Man did it kill, but luckily for me my
hand was fine the next morning.
After that scare we decided to move further away from that area.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAPEMObThZNQnYvGw6zjAGQN_sg4LUQSRnu3QqUbPRwoqiAK2JxPC_goxPESh2JmhQnFfjbJ2DYEMOuZbxlp43D9HkfBTbVtiJXdwlIMHp732wDhU6sRaM2xSqOyieyb32kA982TBRTs/s1600/DSC02844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAPEMObThZNQnYvGw6zjAGQN_sg4LUQSRnu3QqUbPRwoqiAK2JxPC_goxPESh2JmhQnFfjbJ2DYEMOuZbxlp43D9HkfBTbVtiJXdwlIMHp732wDhU6sRaM2xSqOyieyb32kA982TBRTs/s640/DSC02844.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This drunk guy was egging the crowd on and ended up having fireworks and champagne bottles thrown at him</td></tr>
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The countdown to midnight began and we yelled along with the
crowd. Fireworks went off in
either direction (professional and nonprofessional). I didn’t think the sight could get any cooler, but then
people started to light and release floating lanterns. It was a real life version of the movie
Tangled (but far fewer lanterns)!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzCiW9I4FnM_l7zTxoSRaJY0jrId3iAbGYVkhqKFrWGziWY8nWge-AolzUcfJeQwDeTO2jcVGoGlyeBUsoxTQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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So many people said Happy New Year to us! Well more to J than me, every time I
turned around someone was talking to him. We waited about two hours before heading back to our
hotel in order to miss out on the crowds.
I can’t even tell you how quickly the two of us fell asleep.</div>
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Definitely the most memorable New Year’s Eve ever! I’ll write more about the rest of Rome
in my next post!</div>Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-25659607239954442652012-01-12T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-12T08:00:02.315-08:00Italy Part II: Florence<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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This entry is a little longer than I intended so if you don't feel like reading all of it please flip through for at least the pictures of everywhere we went.</div>
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Leaving the station in Florence J and I immediately whipped
out our map and found out that our hotel was basically around the corner. A short walk across the busy roadways
(it was weird to see cars instead of boats!) and through a Piazza and we were
at our hotel. Diagonally across
the Piazza our hotel was in was the Santa Maria Novella, a beautiful church
that’s exterior was different from any of the other churches we saw throughout
our trip.</div>
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We put our luggage in our hotel room (the nicest place we
stayed by far, but also the worst show situation because you would only get
halfway through your shower before you had to turn the water off and let the
tub drain so you didn’t flood the bathroom)
and made our way to the Duomo (a really short walk!). For Florence we made a list of places we just had to
see and since our first day was only a half-day we kept our list small. The Duomo was on the top of our list and when we got there we made the decision to make the long, cramped journey up to the top of the cupola (463 steps). It was so well worth it.</div>
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Exhausted from our long and cramped trip up and down the
Duomo, whose only way down is the same way you went up! We grabbed some
delicious pizza and drinks before heading over to the Uffizi or the statue
gallery. It was getting dark
outside and next to the Uffizi is a museum that is opened late called the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio. The museum, which is an old palace, is
incredible. The Italians really
love detailed and lavish décor. It
was beautiful.</div>
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From the museum we made a brief trip over to the Arno River and caught a glance at the
Ponte Vecchio at night. The purple
lights that illuminated the whole bridge were very pretty, but I do wish they
had been a little less colorful so you could see the fun colors in the
bridge. We did some minor
wandering around the city before settling on a place to eat dinner right across
from our hotel called Il Grillo.
The food was very good. We
both helped ourselves to first and second plates here,<b> </b>Part II: Florence the appetizer was delicious: salame, prosciutto, fried brie and toasted bread.<b> </b>After
dinner we grabbed gelato in the piazza and headed back to the hotel. We had sometime to Facetime our families
and relax our tired feet before we both fell right asleep.</div>
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The next day was our full day in Florence and we wanted to
take advantage of it. We had the
concierge order us tickets to the Accademia the day before and we got the
earliest visiting time (at the recommendation of J’s aunt) to beat the crowd to
see David. Unfortunately we were
not allowed to take pictures of the huge and immaculate statue. From there we went to the Mercado
Centrale, which if you’ve ever been to NYC it is kind of a more pleasant
version of canal street, but the merchants were just putting up their things so
instead we went into San Lorenzo (a really beautiful church). </div>
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From there we headed to Santa Croce, a church known for
being the burial sight of Galileo, Dante, and Michelangelo. </div>
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Even though we were both a little hungry, we decided to go
to the Palazzo Pitti. This
building is an enormous building, with a more gigantic garden. I can’t even begin to explain how
fantastic this entire site was.
Walking through the palace I kept thinking to myself that people
actually used to live there and how it reminded me of so many scenes from the
movie Everafter. The gardens were
just as impressive. I felt like I
was in The Secret Garden because J and I were constantly finding different
nooks and pathways. Even though
much of the garden was bare due to the season, it was amazing and I can only
imagine how beautiful the entire place is in the spring.</div>
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From there J and I grabbed some panini for lunch and dropped
by a chocolate store to get some snacks for later. He got chocolate and almond bark while I got a chocolate
covered meringue. Then we traveled
across the Ponte Vecchio for the first time and wow…I mean just wow. The entire bridge is window after
window of jewels. Diamonds,
pearls…you name it.</div>
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We then walked down into what I would consider the shopping
district in Florence. Since
Italy’s Christmas celebrations are not over until January 7<sup>th</sup>, all
of the streets were still decorated, as were many stores. We also came across a square with a
carousel, which was also where we first experienced beggars that would approach
you for money (could’ve been worse, you said no and they walked away).</div>
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We went back to the hotel for a quick breather before
heading out to dinner. Unfortunately
a restaurant J’s aunt recommended is actually closed all of December and
January and since it was later in the even most restaurants were filling up
fast. We found this little place
and had a great dinner before heading back to the hotel and passing out from all
the walking.</div>
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While we did a lot in Florence I think we could’ve used another
full day in order to really see everything the city has to offer (or a whole week
if we had the time). We said our
farewell to Florence the next day as we made our short trip to the train station
and hopped on a train headed towards Rome!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-73927048457672433022012-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-10T08:00:14.345-08:00Italy Part I: VeniceLike I said previously, J and I's trip to Italy was absolutely fantastic. Finally we've managed to sort through the 2,200+ images and pick ones we want to share with our families and friends. It is even harder to choose pictures to share here because I don't want to go overkill with them, but I also don't want to leave things out. Hopefully I've managed to accomplish this.<br />
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We arrived in Venice midday and were both exhausted having not slept at all on the flight. I thought that the dramamine would've made me fall asleep (it usually does) but I was wide awake the entire flight. We took a waterbus to the Piazza San Marco and lugged our suitcases through the square and to our hotel (only 2 streets over!). The streets were fantastic, basically the size of an alleyway, but in a city that doesn't use motor vehicles and has so many waterways, big streets don't really make sense.<br />
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The rest of the day we wandered the Piazza San Marco and the streets around it. We found ourselves right next to the Rialto Bridge! We both starting hitting a wall so we went to eat and at first we thought that we would be in and out (because our server was going pretty quickly, the opposite I've been told about any Italian restaurant), but when it came time for the check our waiter disappeared and it took us nearly an hour to get our check. We got back to the hotel and tried to stay up but both passed out. I managed to sleep and get myself on Italy time, but J unfortunately woke up at 2 and was wide awake for the rest of the morning with nothing but Italian TV to watch.<br />
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The next day J and I didn't really make a plan for what we wanted to do other than we glanced at a list of places that J's aunt and uncle gave us of places they went when they visited Italy. In the Piazza San Marco we could not go into San Marco because backpacks were not allowed and J had his with him, but we were able to go up into the Companile, or the bell tower in the piazza for a terrific view. We wandered to the waterfront and opted not to go to the Naval museum. We found a grocery store and bought ourselves a makeshift lunch of an assortment of meats and bread. Down near the waterfront we sat on a ledge and just enjoyed how peaceful the entire city was. <br />
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The rest of the afternoon we spent getting happily lost among the side streets and coming across piazzas. We made our way to the Arsenale which is basically Venice's military base. It was an interesting building but definitely not my favorite. Onward we went with just a general idea of what direction we wanted to go to. Found a few interesting shops in the quietest corners, like a mask-making shop where you could watch them work in the window front, a Murano glass store (Murano is a small island next to Venice known for its blown glass), and a pet store!<br />
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We were pretty close to the Ospedale SS Giovanni e Paolo (Venice's hospital). What a beautiful building. The detail on the outside of the building was just incredible. Definitely my second favorite building (first being San Marco). The two of us were running on empty at this point so we made our way back to the hotel to take a quick breather and then headed out again. We wandered the streets filled with shops until they closed (around 7). Unfortunately for me we found a yarn shop(!) called Lellabella after it had already closed and I knew that we'd be gone before it opened the next day.<br />
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Dinner was at a restaurant near our hotel and now I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture, but the ceiling was covered in milk and cream pitchers. It was awesome! Unfortunately this was not our most successful dinner experience. I managed to get us water and my food (which was small but awesome) in Italian, but J ordered his own food. He wanted Spaghetti in bolognese sauce, but what he got was polenta with cuttlefish in ink sauce. I know I know....not even close to what he ordered, but we were both caught off guard, we didn't know what to say (and have them understand what we were saying). The food was black as night, but tasted like meat sauce (yes I tried it!). It was not, however, spaghetti with bolognese sauce and thus J was not happy with his dish (do you blame him?). To make up for the odd meal we headed out for gelato and ended up not only near the Rialto again, but near a chocolate shop where we each got something tasty to munch on back in the room instead of ice cream and some vino.<br />
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Back in the room we ate chocolate and drank the wine and it was the perfect way to end our first full day in Italy. The next day we were up early and on a waterbus before most of Venice was up. Waiting for our train at the station we decided we needed to make a better plan for what we wanted to see in Florence and Rome so that we would see more of each city than we did in Venice. When our train pulled into the station and we hopped on, we were excited for what awaited us in Florence.<br />
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464670401652393430.post-25183085961541547952012-01-06T12:16:00.000-08:002012-01-06T12:17:06.897-08:00Back Again, already missing Italy!We are back from Italy and getting back on East Coast time! Please bare with me while I go through our 2,200+ pictures and post about each of the cities we went to. What I will tell you now is that it was absolutely fantastic and I can only hope that we will be so lucky to have the same experience when we go back one day! Even J said he couldn't wait to go back again and has already set up our Netflix queue full of movies & documentaries about Italy.<br />
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Here are a couple of pictures to get you by until later:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venice: The Ponte Vecchio</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtIJ96vu87GzFNWKKmT3jHZfAaw_r0i0a_wWg_7USTQs0pJ-b4DLdhBBt9mA34gne-JNueUobtahJ2fHbLtB-1FuSkZjmB_g3R9YYuJyYS3sn0ZF_rVLRCnUBVw6E3KbupFTbKxNSIOY/s1600/DSC01563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtIJ96vu87GzFNWKKmT3jHZfAaw_r0i0a_wWg_7USTQs0pJ-b4DLdhBBt9mA34gne-JNueUobtahJ2fHbLtB-1FuSkZjmB_g3R9YYuJyYS3sn0ZF_rVLRCnUBVw6E3KbupFTbKxNSIOY/s640/DSC01563.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venice: From the top of the Companile</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jaxlIMOr9cGnwhXkaln-OT_kcDSfdh58H31JqpOpswWLQON6Bsn74DSW4PFaDeQ5hCeGVBiE7cNMZUBfnOlzyrKpyXdo9ainS6Y8YfWMLe3jRZRgTZ1-yvyMES4r6IXDJj97CSAHkSE/s1600/DSC01853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jaxlIMOr9cGnwhXkaln-OT_kcDSfdh58H31JqpOpswWLQON6Bsn74DSW4PFaDeQ5hCeGVBiE7cNMZUBfnOlzyrKpyXdo9ainS6Y8YfWMLe3jRZRgTZ1-yvyMES4r6IXDJj97CSAHkSE/s640/DSC01853.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence: The Duomo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzHO4lZ3nFy5Qfd6zsi2qXTVFo4wwO_YNa1kmQ_1TQgDqQumkChNzfBImFpVAIwft19YUUPKiUhieF-muO9A1GxG50zLoPLv3dU7zV8DIuxhsFRzfo9bF-WN1mQhNAiRUKoNEHisr9ug/s1600/DSC01930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzHO4lZ3nFy5Qfd6zsi2qXTVFo4wwO_YNa1kmQ_1TQgDqQumkChNzfBImFpVAIwft19YUUPKiUhieF-muO9A1GxG50zLoPLv3dU7zV8DIuxhsFRzfo9bF-WN1mQhNAiRUKoNEHisr9ug/s640/DSC01930.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence: From the top of the Duomo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujiWJB__MOWTbLer06RUll5Lv1cdEBcOKcYN3j7hIloNGoK1Dzy3m4cm-tU299HzUCi6G76v5SFAPYWyNcoISHM-btLO2JHrO4WaVK2lwtynjgZXwLubvOcDzeGIdPCPDBJBqaz6DBnc/s1600/DSC03382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujiWJB__MOWTbLer06RUll5Lv1cdEBcOKcYN3j7hIloNGoK1Dzy3m4cm-tU299HzUCi6G76v5SFAPYWyNcoISHM-btLO2JHrO4WaVK2lwtynjgZXwLubvOcDzeGIdPCPDBJBqaz6DBnc/s640/DSC03382.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rome: From the top of St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIFuUN5R49AE9oJKtISkUjEpH03ho5L7qf4RKf7eFd96FXEkvNbm4Tb9kzsWmyx0Ba9h3DgtNHbBDie4VL3PB001I-VI2TOytncytJXk1nLdBPYn7stKiXV0PDxXBkAnOF58s4typQNM/s1600/DSC03481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIFuUN5R49AE9oJKtISkUjEpH03ho5L7qf4RKf7eFd96FXEkvNbm4Tb9kzsWmyx0Ba9h3DgtNHbBDie4VL3PB001I-VI2TOytncytJXk1nLdBPYn7stKiXV0PDxXBkAnOF58s4typQNM/s640/DSC03481.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rome: From the top of the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument</td></tr>
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<br />Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03475767054272980266noreply@blogger.com0