Author Archives: Dianne

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About Dianne

Domestic goddess, wife, mom, gardener, paper and collage artist, geocacher, local traveler, cross stitcher, baker, crafter, Facebooker, blogger, decorator and photographer.

Leap year and hump day!

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It’s funny as we actually knew someone who had a birthday on Feb. 29th-Brian’s late auntie Rosemarie. I think she celebrated on the 28th the other years.
So to continue our NYC trip…..
Saturday we ate at the hotel’s free breakfast, one of the worst I’ve ever had. The eggs tasted like fish, so I’m thinking the container they were in had fish in them the night before? The hot water tasted like coffee and I had made tea. The next day I made a waffle as they had an iron which was much better. I mean, how hard is it to mess up scrambled eggs? Probably those dried ones they add water too. Ugh.
Sean went to the city an hour before we did for his conference. Through a few crafty ladies’ blogs, I saw where when they went to NYC, they went to a quaint shop with mostly vintage flowers and ribbons with paper items and cute items tossed it. We walked all the way to the store-at least 8 blocks so I could see it. Here I am in front of the Tinsel Trading Company on 37th St. :
Dianne in front of Tinsel Trading Company

Dianne shopping Tinsel Trading Company
And some goodies I bought. I could have bought many more things and I’m mad I didn’t at least get a yard of ribbon!
Tinsel Trading Company goodies
Tinsel Trading Company goodies
pretty glitter
The young woman in the shop was very helpful when we asked the best way to get to the next ‘must see’ location-Dylan’s Candy Bar. She told us to walk down (more walking!) to 3rd and catch the bus that will take us to 60th. Along the way we saw gorgeous architecture and brownstones.
Church of the Holy Innocents NYC

Wrought iron fence around 37th St.

Unusual building in NYC

Chrysler Building

What’s funny is we thought we could just pay the bus driver (public bus) as it said $2.25 a person, but when we got to the street, he wouldn’t take the money. Wow! I guess that happens a lot.
When we got to Dylan’s (this is the flagship store) we saw this guy-the Lorax from the new movie. I had to pose with him just for the fun of it!
Dianne and the Lorax at Dylan's Candy Bar
We saw some neat things here and bought a big (expensive) bag of stuff. I figured I don’t go to places like this often.
Dylan's Candy Bar

This was the landing to the bottom floor.
Dylan's Candy Bar
These were some of the many celebs and what kind of candy they liked. John Travolta likes Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and Bill Clinton likes Payday!
Some Celebrities and their favorite candies
The lady from Tinsel told us that chef David Burke had a nice little restaurant in Bloomingdale’s which was across from Dylan’s, so we headed in that humongous store. Every few feet, someone tried to spray perfume on you and this one lady got me to try some $50 lipstick (which she applied)she said looked nice with my complexion. I didn’t buy it of course. Here’s what it looked like (photoshopped to show off the lipstick):

Before this photo was taking and we were waiting outside of ‘Burke in the Box’ and we heard a distant German accent. A young man moved and there was Dr. Ruth Westheimer! I think most people my age know her. And I happen to see that she is quite the Tweeter!
Dr.Ruth Westheimer
I did say ‘hi’ and that I recognized her accent and petite size. She said, ” I guess I should keep my mouth shut!” (I took the photo without her knowing). When I went to use the restroom,she was having a grand time as she was near it in a booth.
Our lunch was nice, grilled chicken for Brian and sliders for me:
Lunch at David Burke's in Bloomingdales
We decided to head to Grand Central Station as I read there were some shops there. It’s a neat place and had a few shops we looked in, but we were getting tired.
Grand Central Station

Grand Central station

We met up with Sean in Times Square again, but by that time it had gotten cold and windy again. Brian and I decided to go back to the hotel and at the last minute, Sean stayed in Times Square where he went to see ‘Ripley’s Believe it or not’ museum.
Later we went to Houlihan’s (bitter cold) and had a late dinner.

(Brian took many of these photos besides the ones of me). : )

Getting around NYC

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I’ve not been vegetating here, well maybe a little. We’ve been trying to get ourselves on our regular schedule again as a few days away can mess up your system. Brian’s dad was suffering with his right leg so much, Brian took him to the ER on Monday. They said it looks like arthritis to them. He’s going to get to the point where he won’t be able to get around or drive-your right leg is important for that. I think the next few months will be very telling in what the future will be for Brian’s dad. We all have to face this I guess.
Yesterday Sean took me out for pizza and I headed across the street to Kmart to get plastic boxes. There must have been a dozen or more racks with the sign ‘$5.99′ displayed for nice things like corduroys, Jaclyn Smith items (I got a $79.99 jacket for $5.99), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) items. I bought several pieces and tried some on that just fit too snuggly, so they are going back shortly.
We got home from New York late on Sunday, after 8:30 pm. We arrived about 2 pm on Friday, grabbed lunch at an Olive Garden and then got on the bus to the city around 4:30 pm. Repeat this, never take a bus to NYC between 4-7 pm on a Friday. A 15-20 minute ride took 1 hour and 15 minutes. There were 4 of us on this huge NJ transit bus. The one problem with that is I saw dozens of near empty buses-so that made more traffic. We were punchy when we got off the bus and found our way through the bus station. We got outside and it was raining and very crowded. Silly me thought Sean knew his way to the hotel where his GIS conference was-he didn’t. It had been almost 5 years since we were there to boot. Sean was like a deer in headlights and didn’t know where to go! A cop directed us to the Hilton in Times Square-nope, we needed the one near Rockefeller Center. So we walked a block or so out of the congestion and hailed a cab-got us to the Hilton, he signed in and then we headed across the street to the Museum of Modern art (MoMA) as it was free on Friday nights between 4-7! And it too was crowded. I love art and got to see so many masters’ work like Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso,Matisse, Gauguin, etc. Here is Monet’s Agapanthus
Dianne with Monet's "Agapanthus" at MoMA
There are two of these large murals by Monet which took him 4-5 years to finish:
One of two of Monet's large Waterlilies murals
I was thrilled to see ‘Starry Nights’ by Van Gogh:
Van Gogh's Starry Night
We didn’t get to see Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell soup cans or Jasper James Flag-some other time.
We then headed to the Rockefeller Center area. It was raining off and on, so we were glad to have umbrellas. Unfortunately the bottoms of our pants and shoes got very wet.
I thought this was cute of Sean near Radio City Music Hall.
Sean walking in the rain near Radio City Music Hall
We then saw this pretty area.

Prometheus lit by colorful lights 

Rockefeller ice skating
We asked the young lady guard in the concourse, under this area where we could eat and she suggested Billy’s Burgers. So we headed there where Sean enjoyed a large turkey club (yes, he blew Lent) and Brian and I had shrimp burgers, though we messed up for Lent in Olive Garden earlier.
We walked along and saw the following:
Today show NBC center
Set from Today Show
Chase Bank fountain
Chase Bank
Sign for Elizabeth Taylor auction
Window of Christie’s Auction showing the Elizabeth Taylor auction (I think one took place already and they sold one of her Van Gogh’s)
We ended up back in Time’s Square-we walked many blocks too.
Dianne and Brian in Times Square
Sean would go here Saturday night
Ripley's Believe it or Not in Times Square
And we stopped and bought cupcakes to eat later-Sean had a toasted coconut and I had a white chocolate and Brian a Chocolate Snowball. I thank them for showing the calorie count (about 1/3 of your daily intake if you are a lady on a diet-oy).
Crumbs cupcakes in Times Square
And yes, they were yummy.
I’ll talk about the next few days in different posts.

Whirlwind 3 days

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If you see me on Faceback, you know we’ve been up in New York City as I do a blow by blow with my cellphone and FourSquare. I uploaded photos there, and here’s a sneak peak of what we did and saw.

Sean at the WTC/9-11 Memorial-South tower area

Museum of Modern Art in front of Christina’s World by local Andrew Wyeth. I had seen this at the Brandywine River Museum and we weren’t allowed to photograph it then and at it’s home here at MoMA, we could!

‘Collage Artist’ book review #2

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This is hands-down one of my favorite books. It’s called ‘Embellishments for Paper Crafts-Ideas, Tips & Techniques’ by Klassen and Conron Carola (published in 2006 with 128 pages).

I have so many bookmarks-about 10 tags sticking out of the top of my copy.

There are tons of ideas. A few of my bookmarks are for Altered books, Quilling, Crafting with photos, photo frames, altered altoid tins. These are really nice looking items. How pretty are the scrapbook pages made with real leaf prints? The Beach Memories frame has real sand and shells on it.  The projects are for all skill levels. You can start off making tags which are easy and so personal.

Paper crafting is such a fun hobby. It can be also be inexpensive. I save so many scraps for my collages that I rescued from the trash.

This book is available on Amazon (only a few left and they are dirt cheap!)

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I’m pretty much packed for the trip. It was difficult to chose outfits because I didn’t dare pack sweaters as I have been so warm lately. Hopefully we won’t be outside that much. The weather is suppose to be a bit rainy Friday night. Our hotel is about 15 minutes from Times Square and there is a bus right there to take you in. If you recall we drove in the city when my friend Karin got married in 2007 which was a big mistake. The wintertime may be a little different. I would like to see The Metropolitan Museum of Art ($25 each to get in!); a crafty/millinery store called ‘Tinsel Trading Company’ (I called and they are only open until 5). A few bloggers went to NYC and loved it. I would like to see ‘Dylan’s Candy Bar’ a delightful to the eyes and taste buds shop.  Central Park is right there and you know what parks look like in the wintertime. I would like to see ‘Strawberry Fields’ where the John Lennon memorial is.  We have tickets for the 9-11 Memorial on Sunday.

Brian’s dad called the doctor and his accounts of his MRI was it was clean. I hope he isn’t covering anything up and I think Brian should call the office to be sure. He’s at the age where he may not tell us everything so he can stay in his house. He fell down 3 times in the course of a few days. Brian did say something to his dad about his time at the house being limited if he was going to start falling. He doesn’t keep his cell phone on him either. Crossing fingers he was truthful with Brian.

Fat Tuesday din din

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I can’t believe it’s that time of year again! Wow-it’s early! I saw that Carole/Pea was going to have pancakes, so I got to thinking waffles are almost the same thing. I found this recipe and it’s really a keeper. I ‘made’ buttermilk with white vinegar and milk-like 1 teaspoon to a cup of milk. Thanks to Waffle-recipes.com for this winner:

Waffle House is a famous chain of restaurants that has been satisfying American palates since 1955. Waffles were often regarded as something to eat for breakfast. Because of Waffle House and their 24-hour service, waffles became a favorite treat no matter what time it is. This just goes to show how delicious these waffles are. What makes it different from other waffles is that it is very dense and it has a slightly sweet flavor. Just like most versions, the Waffle House waffle recipe is easy to make. There are just a few differences on the ingredients and how it is prepared, thus, making it uniquely delicious.

Waffle House Waffle Recipe Ingredients

1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Egg

1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon White Sugar

2 tablespoons Butter, softened

2 tablespoons Shortening

1/2 cup half and half (mixture of 50% milk and 50% cream)

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup Buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients like flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.

In another bowl, slightly beat the egg.

Use an electric mixer to blend the sugar, butter, and shortening together with the beaten egg.

Add the milk, buttermilk, vanilla, and the half and half until well-blended together.

Pour the flour mixture and mix it well with a spatula or you may use the electric beater to make mixing faster and easier.

Chill the batter in the fridge preferably for 12 hours. This is the secret of Waffle House as their batter is already prepared early and chilled until it is ready to use. This, however, is optional. If you can not wait too long to have your waffles, you may skip this step.

Preheat your waffle iron or griddle and make sure that the Teflon is well-greased with cooking oil. As it is heating up, take the batter out of the fridge to thaw. When the waffle maker is ready, pour enough amounts of the batter and cook it for approximately 3 to 4 minutes or until it achieves the right texture that you desire.

These Waffle House waffle recipe is enough to make 6 waffles.

Extra Tips

You may double the measurements of the ingredients for a larger batch. If you want the waffles to be a little more fluffy and creamy, beat the egg yolk and the egg white separately. Use an electric mixer for the egg white to make it look like cake icing. Allow the waffles to cool down a bit before serving, especially if you are cooking for your kids, as it may be too hot if served right after it is taken out of the waffle iron.

You may put butter and some maple syrup on top before serving.

You may also serve it with fruits such as strawberries or ripe mangoes.

These waffles are so delicious, you could eat them as they are, without any toppings or syrups. Now that the top secret recipe of Waffle House is revealed, you may now enjoy great-tasting waffles right at the comfort of your own home.

We used syrup and almond butter! I saw on Dr. Oz where almond butter helps you like milk to sleep and I had gotten some for Brian. It’s really yummy. We also had turkey bacon and sausage and applesauce.

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Brian’s dad had his MRI yesterday, but hasn’t heard the results yet. He says he feels slightly better, but we don’t like his leg going out on him. My aunt’s memorial service is in a couple of days. We weren’t asked to come, but it was in the paper.

Doing a little swapping

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Swap-bot Sunflower ATC, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Since my regular swap groups on Flickr have slowed down, I went over to Swap-bot.com (link in side bar) and just did 3 swaps. You saw the Victorian ice skaters below. This new challenge was for 2 sunflower themed cards. I took my old flower guide book and copied the pages to ATC size and this is one of the ones I came up with. The border is a sticker.
I just signed up for a poppies ATC. I already got one of the sunflower ATCs all the way from the Netherlands for my swap (we don’t have the same people we send to). I’ll have to take a photo of it.
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Brian’s dad had to be taken to a walk-in clinic yesterday as he was having leg issues and fell down twice outside. We almost beg him to carry a phone on him but he forgets most of the time. He was able to get himself up (this was Friday) and was in discomfort the entire night. The clinic did x-rays (one of their specialties is sports related injured). The doctor saw a shadow in his hip area, so Dad C. needs to get a MRI tomorrow. They didn’t give him any pain medication and sent him home.
Last night I got a call from my step cousin that her mom (my late Uncle Don’s wife) had passed away at age 96-I think exactly two months since her birthday. She wasn’t that crazy about my family, it was all about her three daughters and their families. And she didn’t like my grandmom as mom-mom and Uncle Don were very close (only 20 yrs apart). We saw each other more when we all grew up though. Being in a nursing home extended her life I think-she was in there about 5 yrs. So of course we are wondering about Dad C and if he is going to start to have trouble getting around-he’ll be 89 in June. He lives in a 4 bedroom split and we live in a 3 bedroom ranch, so no space here. Only time will tell, but it’s going to be hard for Brian as he needs to get serious about another job.

Victorian with a Heart ATC

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I joined a couple of swaps on Swap-bot.com to get the creative juices flowing again. It’s so nice that I can copy things and use them on ATCs. For instance, this photo was from a big book about the 1890s and I was able to shrink it down to about 60% or so. This large group of people were ice skating! I guess that’s what they did to socialize in the winter.I added a little glitter for the ice and we were suppose to add a heart-almost forgot that!
Things aren’t that exciting here. I have to get serious as does Brian about filling out more job applications, him especially. All this ‘hassle’ has gone on too long.
My bug is still lingering a bit, but I think it’s exiting….ever so slowly. Brian is on the Z-pack now. I take a dose of CF cough medicine and that seems to help. It’s been so annoying and tiring.
Sean and I went to see my mom on Wednesday and we went out to dinner as I had a gift card. Sean got a favorite dish and the pasta was dried out and they loaded it with extra sauce which didn’t help to cover that. He didn’t say anything until I said my side of fettuccine was also dry and tasteless. They use to serve his dish in a big bowl, now it’s on a plate. Mom was going to call and complain as she paid for the balance left over after the GC. Hope they are nice and give her another gift card. I complained about another restaurant twice and got gift cards both times for doing so. Sometimes silence isn’t golden.

Happy <3 Day to you!

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I was looking around the web and found these vintage Valentines to share. I think I got some very similar to these many moons ago:

It will or 29th Valentine’s Day together. Brian is yet sick from me, so I guess we won’t be going out to dinner. I also have to get two new crowns that I postponed from last week. I need a filling on the top that has been hurting. Ah, the joys of dental work!

Have a lovely day!

How we danced!

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I was so saddened to read about the sudden passing of Whitney Houston yesterday afternoon at only age 48. Heard she was found in the tub at her hotel room in Beverly Hills. Such a tragic end. She had a voice and a half! As I mentioned in the title, we went to a few weddings in the 1980s where her songs were played at the reception and we all got up and danced to her. Whitney’s life had been good and it had been bad. I saw where she had just done a remake of the movie ‘Sparkle’ and she was going to appear at the Grammy’s tonight. I feel so bad for her mom Cissy and daughter Bobby Christina.

RIP