When did this happen? Anyone? Is a full grown woman such as myself to think a J Crew swimsuit is not for her because it is pictured on such a young model? Or am I just so old that these poor starving girls just look that young to me? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see any cellulite havin old broads in these suits, but at the very least could we see the swimsuit on someone who has made it THROUGH puberty.

This blogging thing has had me stumped for a while. The main goal of blogging is to have new content to draw people to my site to sell jewelry after all that is what I do. But then it also serves the dual purpose of allowing me an outlet to blab about whatever I have going on and those of you who know me know I like to blab about all kinds of random stuff. But sometimes I get all caught up in myself and how other people view me and the stuff that I write here, how it affects the perception of me and what the heck does spaghetti and meatballs have to do with bridal jewelry anyway???! And then I get stuck in my own head and don’t want to write anything here AT ALL.

But I have come to a monumental (not really, sometimes I tend to exaggerate a teeny tiny bit) decision. I am going to just start blabbing about everything again. I first started blogging/blabbing on the internet when I was planning my wedding and I became friends with other wedding obsessed brides to be and we all shared in the trials and tribulations of wedding planning. It felt safe because we were all blabbing about wedding stuff and our biggest decisions were blush vs. bashful. And even though at the time, we agonized over which way to go; if we chose blush our great Aunt Tootie might be offended and if we chose bashful our Mother would definitely not approve, the horror! But in the end, either way we chose, it was really not that big of a deal. I know, I can’t believe I am saying it out LOUD. But there it is.

The decisions I make today are a wee bit more difficult and have much bigger consequences so sharing them with the internets is much more scary. BUT I have come to the realization that I am only accountable to myself. Seems like SUCH a simple concept, but in reality very hard for me to put into practice.

So, in the words of the inimitable Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, ‘I feel like letting my freak flag fly.’;) ROCK ON.

I have a really good recipe that I use as a stand by when all of a sudden I need to make a great meal that almost anyone will eat. When people try it and say ‘wow this is so good!’ I used to say ‘I know, right?’ and immediately divulge my secret, but lately I have been saying ‘why thank you’ and wiping my brow like it took me forever and a day in the kitchen. But where is the fun in that?;) So here is my amazingly good, quick, easy and healthy recipe for

Spaghetti and Meatballs a la Mader.;)

Here is the original recipe and below follows my version.

* 2 24 oz jars purchased pasta sauce (I know, jarred sauce, the horror, don’t tell anyone!)
* 1 package ground turkey, I think they are 1.25lbs typically
* 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from whatever old bread you have lying around, the good stuff from the bakery makes the best crumbs
* 6 tablespoons purchased pesto, I buy mine at Costco
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 lb spaghetti
* grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Spread 3/4 jar of pasta sauce over bottom of heavy large skillet. Mix turkey, breadcrumbs, pesto, egg and salt in large bowl. Using moistened hands, form mixture into golf ball sized meatballs. Place meatballs in single layer in sauce. Spoon remaining sauce over. Bring to simmer. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta; divide between bowls. Top with meatballs and sauce.

If you want to get all crazy, you can add sauteed mushrooms, peppers, onions, or roasted cherry tomatoes to the sauce. I also have been known to add a bit of the purchased pesto into the sauce while it is cooking. What’s the harm in that, I have the world’s largest container from Costco after all!

I serve this with some garlic bread and it is really good and really easy. I have even tried making it in my crock pot! It won’t work fast, but if you have all day, go for it, in 8 hours those babies have to be done, right?

Enjoy and you didn’t hear it from me.;)

I received the most wonderful gift for Christmas this year, a Keurig single brew coffee machine, IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE.;)

Seriously. There are a whole bunch of reasons why this thing is so perfect, let’s discuss, shall we?

1) It makes THE BEST cup of coffee, piping hot, yummy, the BEST.

2) It is so damn convenient! You just pop in a coffee cartridge thing and push the button and you have a cup of coffee, and did I mention it was THE BEST coffee? See point 1.

3) It is so fast! As long as you have a clean coffee cup, you will have a cup of seriously good coffee in a minute! A MINUTE! No prep, no clean up, no coffee grounds. The only thing I have to do is occasionally rinse out my coffee cup as all the coffee cups in the house are dirty because all I am drinking lately is coffee.;)

4) The variety of coffee available is daunting! You have a bazillion choices in these little coffee cartridge thingees, they call them K-cups. You can do a cup of Kona coffee from Tully’s, or a cup of Hazelnut coffee from Gloria Jean’s, you can even to Hot Chocolate from Ghiradelli’s! And I just ordered some Jazzed Up Decaf Coffee from Emeril as there are a few people in the house concerned with my caffeine intake since receiving this lovely gift.;)

5) The marketing of this thing is brilliant. Marketing alone deserves its own bullet points, stay with me people.

a) First of all, you can buy one of these ANYWHERE. Fancy department store, Costco, drug store, office supply store, etc. I’m pretty sure you can even get one at your local gas station. They are everywhere.

b) The price point is so reasonable! I think the MSRP is $169, but who pays that? They have them at Costco for $149 with a boatload of K-cups included. And I just saw one at CVS priced at $99, and when you apply like 18 coupons and use your Extra Care Bucks (ECBs to those also addicted) you can get this thing for like $5 out of pocket, am I right people?!;)

c) Here is the REALLY brilliant piece of the Keurig people’s marketing scheme. The K-Cups. You start using this thing and you have to have more more and more K-Cups. Give me more, I must have more, I can’t run out, I need my fix… The brilliant people at Keurig get you to register your machine to join their coffee club which will give you discounts on the much needed K-Cups. Do you think my Emeril Decaf has arrived yet? Must check front door. Nope, not here yet. Back to the brilliance that is Keurig, so now the Keurig people have all your info and can recommend more stuff you ‘need’ and get this, you can set up an auto delivery of K-Cups, ensuring you NEVER EVER RUN OUT!!!!!!!!!

Keurig is German, right? Smart peeps those Germans, although I am just the teensiest bit worried as I can see this thing running the world some day.

Decaf is STILL NOT HERE!

Now. There is one big downside to this Keurig business. It is especially big for me as we live in Northern California and my children talk to me daily about how I should turn off the lights and not use as much paper and ‘mommy, that is compostable’ in any and all attempts to save the environment. And the people who made the inspiring movie WALLl-E (Pixar for those of you that live under a rock or in areas of the country where the lights are always left on) are right down the road. And some of those lovely and might I say brilliant Pixar people buy my jewelry, and, and, and well it is important.

The K-Cups are not recyclable. You can rip off the top and recycle the tin foil bit, you can pour out the coffee grounds and compost them or feed them to your garden. But the little plastic part that makes up the bulk of the brilliant K-Cup, NOT RECYCLABLE, not good. They include a self fillable K-Cup thing that you can fill with your own coffee and re-use. But then there goes some of that wonderful convenience.

To do my part (mommy, that is not good for the earth) I am coming up with ways in which to re-use the K-Cups. They are black and white, so the colors are neutral and easy to work with.;) My first project will most likely be some type of crazy disco ball thing made up entirely of white K-Cups. You think I am kidding, trust me, I am NOT. And when I am done, you will think it the most gorgeous thing. They would also make great little containers in which to store teeny tiny things, like gemstones;) or nuts and bolts or Legos! Projects number 2 and 3, a K-Cup organizer thingee for the man shed and a K-Cup sorter thing for my 7 year old’s ever expanding Lego collection!

As you can see the possibilities are endless. And I’m sure they have a completely recyclable K-Cup in the works. But until then, I have my glue gun in hand, OOOOH, and some glitter might really work on my disco ball!

Hubby is telling me I need to figure out where my Emeril’s Decaf is, NOW. So go run buy your own Keurig, the thing will change your life. You might want to get some Decaf K-Cups in the same purchase, just a suggestion.;)

This is why my husband will never read my blog. Ridiculous ramblings about silly stuff that nobody needs, but we all definitely need! Check this stuff out, the hair bumpit! We need this, right?
How many times have you teased the hell out of the back of your head to get a bump goin? I had a bump for my wedding do, I was channeling J Lo. Remember the Love Don’t Cost a Thing video? I needed that hair for my wedding hair.

What am I talking about, I need that hair today. Come to think of it, I might need to order 2 sets.

We don’t have any. Clearly we need to do something with our ‘garden’ if you could even call it that, but let’s look past that into the house color, shall we? Here is the unassuming front of the house:

Then the side down the driveway which is in desperate need of help as well, keep looking past, keep looking past:

Then the back, son in my cowboy hat from when I wrangled.;)

And now onto the deck, with my disheveled daughter saying ‘CHEEEEEEEEESE!’

I show you this last pic not only because she is ridiculously cute even when disheveled, but I ask that you notice the color of the sash in the window to the left. It is Evergreen from Marvin and it is staying. So all the sashes will be this green, the closest paint match I can find is Roycroft Bottle Green from Sherwin Williams.

So what color scheme do I go with? I like this, yellow walls, green trim with cream trim and a red door. But the door is so sunken you can hardly even see the color on it. And the doors in the rear are glass with cream colored trim.
This photo is courtesy of www.historichousecolors.com where he has some awesome photos of exterior color schemes for houses. Advice anyone? Bueler? Bueler?

Not phat which is good, but fat which is BAD. I ate myself into a frenzy while I was pregnant with Miss Scarlett, but as Ethan says ’she was born a long time ago and you still have a belly.’ THANKS KID! But he is right. I’ve had the freakin wii fit for 28 days and the line on the graph is not moving and that is pissing me off and causing me not to get on it. I have to eat healthier, Uncle Paul has to stop making chocolate chip cookies and I need to work out more, simple as that. My motivation here is to publicly out myself so I can’t make any more excuses and continue to hide behind my ridiculously cute PR photo. Here was me about 4 years ago:

And here was me last night in a dress I love because it is crazy, but look at my middle and that is WITH FULL SPANX on. Ladies, there is only so much you can rely on the Spanx to do, only so much. Lycra is a miracle worker, I agree, but a sausage casing can only take so much pressure, you feel me?;)

Here is a model in that dress, not completely fair to compare myself to a model who is probably too damn thin in the first place, but clearly the middle of this dress was not made to fit a tree trunk:

Here is me after Ethan, I was trying to find something to wear to New York to go to a meeting at In Style magazine and I was buying loads of things bringing them home, taking pictures to figure out how they looked then returning what didn’t work. Rod thought I was mental. Point is, I still had somewhat of a good figure even if I had acquired a new jigglier poochier belly region after the bébé.

And here is me way back at my lean and mean fighting weight when I got married. At the rehearsal dinner in my hot Dolce Gabbana suede pants.

I would LOVE to be in the same kind of shape I was back then, not only was I thin (which is a word I would never have used about myself until now when I am clearly NOT) but I had muscles and definition and I was strong and healthy.

SO my goal is to lose 30 pounds. I figure 1-2 pounds a week is a good pace. I might even have to dust off the South Beach books. We did Phase 1 before and it totally kicked my ass and was hard as hell. But I also need to work out, I think for me that is just as important as what I eat. I plan on doing 30 minutes of walking outside with the kids EVERY day and 45 minutes on the wii fit, 6 out of 7 days a week. That should give me a good start, then I can tweak things.

I need to do this for me because I am vain and can’t stand to be FAT. But more importantly, I need to do this for my kids, I need to be healthy and be a good example for them. So wish me luck and tell Uncle Paul no more 2 for 1 ice cream deals at the safeway, k?;)

I wanted a big ass white apron farm sink, but I didn’t want to pay big ass prices… they go for up to 1K, sheesh. Then I spy the one at Ikea, it is enormous and white and apron and under $300. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Double Domsjo:

I challenge you to find a big ass kitchen sink like this one for under $500, it simply can not be done. The only draw back about this one is that it is an overmount which is not the chi chi foo foo way to do sinks these days. But trust me, once you get this sucker in there you won’t even notice it is an overmount. This sink has plumbing presence.;)

And I leave you with a short video of my girl taking a bath in the sink. This thing fits her perfectly… I wonder how long THAT will last.;)

I don’t understand why children spend the first 13 years of their lives fighting sleep, then all of a sudden they won’t get out of bed. I think it is one of life’s great unsolved mysteries. Getting Ethan to go to bed at night is a whole series of plays in the playbook… he’s hot, he’s cold, his head hurts, he is thinking bad thoughts… I was rationalizing with him, but I gave that up, that got me no where. He says ‘I can’t sleep, I am thinking bad thoughts’ to which I reply, ‘well think about good things like pizza or your scooter.’ He says ‘I can’t think good thoughts.’ ‘Of course you can,’ I say, ‘you control your mind’ to which he says ‘I can’t control my thoughts, bad thoughts come into my head and I can’t get rid of them.’ And here I realize I have no rationale for this except that he must be schizophrenic and clearly that is not the case.

His latest theory is that he is nocturnal. He said to me the other day ‘I want to stay up all night, I am nocturnal.’ I shoot back, ‘you can’t do that, you need to go to school during the day.’ Little stinker says ‘well you could home school me.’ He taxes my brain cells, there is no way I can come up with stuff fast enough for him, and he is only going to get better at it. HE WEARS ME OUT!

We are cooking with gas in my house lately, lots and lots of it.;) We purchased a 36 inch Bertazzonni range at an appliance sample sale way way back in July. The thing is gorgeous, I spied it as soon as we got into the showroom and had the salesman put a SOLD sign on it immediately. It is black enamel with a stainless top, they had a red one as well but that wasn’t working with my kitchen vision.;)

If you think it looks a bit like a race car you are right… the ‘exclusive three-layer, hand applied process’ is done in the same factory as Ferrari. Bellissimo! The Bertazzoni company is 125 years old, yet they only started exporting their ranges to the US in the last 20 years or so.

When we first installed it, I was so excited as we had been cooking in our temporary dining room kitchen with the microwave and crock pot for months. My dish of choice to christen the Bertazzoni was PASTA! I fired up the gas and 45 minutes later the water, she no boil. Well THAT was anti-climactic. Then the oven wouldn’t light, the thing sparked and there was definitely gas, but no flame. Molto male. Service guy came out only to tell me ‘lady, this is a PROPANE range’ to which I pulled out multiple pages of internet research (you know cause I am an expert at everything with the internet at my fingers) to go on for 10 minutes educating him on how to convert the Italian beast to natural gas. He let me go on and on, standing there expressionless then finally said ‘yeah, but lady, that is not covered by warranty.’ Che cosa?

Finally the expert Bertazzoni guy for the west coast, the head guy who trains all the other guys, came out and converted the stove lickety split. He had just come from Reno where they had a Berta that no one could figure out because the owners had no need to fire it up prior to Thanksgiving when they hired a personal chef to come make them a meal and the chef said ‘the oven, she no light.’ Who installs one of these things and never uses it? It is like having a race car in your garage and never driving it! Non capisco! I’m no Mario Batalli, but MAN can I cook on this thing! So we are now cooking with gas over here and on the menu for this evening we have rigatoni con fungi. Buon appetito!