tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79030672544125130232024-02-07T00:23:03.805-08:00food. fun. post.hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-81573580998314379632010-11-08T18:56:00.000-08:002010-11-08T18:59:26.316-08:00On Their Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just a short, mostly picture post to show some outgoing I've put in the mailbox in the past few days... These are all very long overdue...sorry peeps!</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQRAOpX3lpCKntB4e5C6zvv5-yMAGYGlqXR6Mdqg25GeuLIabyqtSsAc6FjbshL3lYHUX-jg9HAWAEZMcaU4mBBL3MUsngyrICvwrWNY7jTAwk1tDF8gppiPpSAT2vuKzjI0k16hnCXNu/s1600/belenfront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQRAOpX3lpCKntB4e5C6zvv5-yMAGYGlqXR6Mdqg25GeuLIabyqtSsAc6FjbshL3lYHUX-jg9HAWAEZMcaU4mBBL3MUsngyrICvwrWNY7jTAwk1tDF8gppiPpSAT2vuKzjI0k16hnCXNu/s400/belenfront.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For <a href="http://einahpetsneleb.blogspot.com/">Belen</a>...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gjSDJnEm0tUhs5f7x8XXObnWfXSIhfNXgDbEMLo-rvm0fg_cnMHrydqq7rq59IwDHHwdEb3wmBUEFr-Rez8HHO9eIgoS49oWzgnYeU3O_gen2stE08IhWBPhly3p8wf0B7AbbIIra3sY/s1600/meganfront.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gjSDJnEm0tUhs5f7x8XXObnWfXSIhfNXgDbEMLo-rvm0fg_cnMHrydqq7rq59IwDHHwdEb3wmBUEFr-Rez8HHO9eIgoS49oWzgnYeU3O_gen2stE08IhWBPhly3p8wf0B7AbbIIra3sY/s400/meganfront.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQeH-2ORGIucvKk2lFvfrTupPOQPLDwwuyfwXYNfiN7aQklU0MbzqORsWIKMyPC2W9RUAwBxtBrIOZdohbpxA7gbHp9fpaGb4DdtdIFNYKNNJmR3Mffu8xi1TE5h4v715WM8s3yPUrpqV/s1600/meganback.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQeH-2ORGIucvKk2lFvfrTupPOQPLDwwuyfwXYNfiN7aQklU0MbzqORsWIKMyPC2W9RUAwBxtBrIOZdohbpxA7gbHp9fpaGb4DdtdIFNYKNNJmR3Mffu8xi1TE5h4v715WM8s3yPUrpqV/s400/meganback.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Heading out to <a href="http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/">Megan</a>...</td></tr>
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtHT2qZRA4TfzAt3WcoVNeL1g1FTyCpFnjgCZ_90elIjCBzcOcrCoHrbiVZXpGoXnuS9E6w5cspp5XsW8NdiqrORDV35NHvLAp9ANfgD3YRl9HFsbSJy5GIreeOSc_evPmzsf1iqAtQ6o/s1600/laurenfront.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtHT2qZRA4TfzAt3WcoVNeL1g1FTyCpFnjgCZ_90elIjCBzcOcrCoHrbiVZXpGoXnuS9E6w5cspp5XsW8NdiqrORDV35NHvLAp9ANfgD3YRl9HFsbSJy5GIreeOSc_evPmzsf1iqAtQ6o/s400/laurenfront.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRom1ijHjSAnYqc6t2dOdNNudkYHMmhJS6QLFbTDH3RdOga_SkylCN7GdVNJlpXCJSDbQHY-HjEVv-HkOlfXHSue2p5qxMCuu9EUqFobDZkQyCduKdYFCOKdZq62IrGGmPFcQK5-THTny/s1600/laurenback.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRom1ijHjSAnYqc6t2dOdNNudkYHMmhJS6QLFbTDH3RdOga_SkylCN7GdVNJlpXCJSDbQHY-HjEVv-HkOlfXHSue2p5qxMCuu9EUqFobDZkQyCduKdYFCOKdZq62IrGGmPFcQK5-THTny/s400/laurenback.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To <a href="http://postwiththemost.blogspot.com/">Lauren</a>...</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJnAHfTvwwoAhKkn5KoLFGuTU25YCADg_CsgXXDd84VlXj8RMQmThRek-V92xJKe3594gzv2CP5un2ujlbWNb6bnTaoYX4UOxAz3Lc6l68FMkmyFN8vbWGgwqaBBahcGJdtHjfrVq4LL5/s1600/post1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJnAHfTvwwoAhKkn5KoLFGuTU25YCADg_CsgXXDd84VlXj8RMQmThRek-V92xJKe3594gzv2CP5un2ujlbWNb6bnTaoYX4UOxAz3Lc6l68FMkmyFN8vbWGgwqaBBahcGJdtHjfrVq4LL5/s400/post1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh_M8pkmcvzMGpZ_hBfr9IyVjumqjTsmqFqD7xW4u7jcbhjoNq7DKHNVPya77mQ-fXt9PJXNVlMVoD39nQfQ8Cc4y2rn0D9YZrgyFhhNHm9cREBNBtnZBnqJFjPFCTCSsXGo3hX2yw4eA/s1600/post2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguh_M8pkmcvzMGpZ_hBfr9IyVjumqjTsmqFqD7xW4u7jcbhjoNq7DKHNVPya77mQ-fXt9PJXNVlMVoD39nQfQ8Cc4y2rn0D9YZrgyFhhNHm9cREBNBtnZBnqJFjPFCTCSsXGo3hX2yw4eA/s400/post2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above two are going out for <a href="http://postcrossing.com/">Postcrossing</a>, one to Montana here in the states and one to Lithuania. It's been a while since I participated in Postcrossing so I thought I'd give it a go.</td></tr>
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That long break really made me forget how much I enjoy writing! Once I sat down and started writing letters & postcards and making envelopes I enjoyed it so much and was so happy I got back into the swing of things. Sometimes breaks are just what you need to remind yourself how much you miss or enjoy something!<br />
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Hope this mail finds all of its recipients well! Happy Monday everyone.</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-13015283078171232832010-11-05T18:09:00.000-07:002010-11-05T18:27:09.059-07:00Handmade<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/AVvXsEjCh6oB_KYRv_VIJGaQTvDXCzoHBF9DpAkPjF3n5Pj1ENhouhSa1baEEHmDNuBj8ClOCiO0dF4-ipi_o99AaJ_3wYSBn2T6QjH3jgG-Sk0BsRGSDLPEIME2A2VrMMOYyrx1uLfWr_1D4Au9/s1600/tshirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCh6oB_KYRv_VIJGaQTvDXCzoHBF9DpAkPjF3n5Pj1ENhouhSa1baEEHmDNuBj8ClOCiO0dF4-ipi_o99AaJ_3wYSBn2T6QjH3jgG-Sk0BsRGSDLPEIME2A2VrMMOYyrx1uLfWr_1D4Au9/s400/tshirt.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/1859/Beauty_Before_Death">here</a>. Do you guys fill up imaginary shopping carts on sites like this too and drool over things you really shouldn't spend money on?</td></tr>
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It's another warm day here where I am... woke up at a decent time and got in a an hour of tennis and a nice breakfast out with J before he had to go to work. I set up a desk area for myself (finally) after being inspired by a couple other bloggers <a href="http://www.goodnightlittlespoon.com/2010/11/desk-nook.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.puglypixel.com/2010/11/04/studio-tour-at-oh-hello-friend/">here</a>. No more writing and working at the coffee table hunched over, or at the kitchen table with all my stuff strewn about. I finally have a dedicated area with all my mail supplies, all my wonderful inbound mail to look at, etc., and a nice open desk space with room to do my thing. And that's exactly what I did today! I opened the window wide up, made myself an iced coffee, put on some music, and started rifling through magazines for good material for some handmade envelopes. Check 'em out:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLHKDloy6rsYPyAjrQ0XeWqzg13wweF1YR3_K8fxtKSoeSOfgpD4rbfPyn1Mc68AMAetLTNJFyIpieEnEAj2j-RtIsxQ6wWWaaX5PEp260rxMEXHLG9SrdqtGwTM7WRE-_R0XN7rA-Cvq/s1600/PB050158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLHKDloy6rsYPyAjrQ0XeWqzg13wweF1YR3_K8fxtKSoeSOfgpD4rbfPyn1Mc68AMAetLTNJFyIpieEnEAj2j-RtIsxQ6wWWaaX5PEp260rxMEXHLG9SrdqtGwTM7WRE-_R0XN7rA-Cvq/s400/PB050158.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All 8 of 'em together...</td></tr>
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A couple of my favorites from today:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVnqxIRP9bkJ5aBppuYdMPvYZfRJegWTCwqKMh5OgD4GMxXmp_UQ7eNS9Rw94D9oZ_-xPehkU3TzZvqYdmetXVvPAM4-xVPBltpCSPE-U-swiHDIvTU0kVlWUxld13nYJKwrTzRLB0eXU/s1600/PB050160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVnqxIRP9bkJ5aBppuYdMPvYZfRJegWTCwqKMh5OgD4GMxXmp_UQ7eNS9Rw94D9oZ_-xPehkU3TzZvqYdmetXVvPAM4-xVPBltpCSPE-U-swiHDIvTU0kVlWUxld13nYJKwrTzRLB0eXU/s400/PB050160.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From GQ mag...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqwF6mDEKKD0vG39X4c8JdYTPHvwJonsxTfGWIELh3OaiWPXpc_CiOYRSPvP_9hdq5T-HPtDNOdi5y6DW-AzBl4mTTLr0hg1KmWTK6wHcjSbnOu7c63aAOxnhE8EVK6L2jotZpMMISjtz/s1600/PB050161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqwF6mDEKKD0vG39X4c8JdYTPHvwJonsxTfGWIELh3OaiWPXpc_CiOYRSPvP_9hdq5T-HPtDNOdi5y6DW-AzBl4mTTLr0hg1KmWTK6wHcjSbnOu7c63aAOxnhE8EVK6L2jotZpMMISjtz/s400/PB050161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also from GQ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjel_-NO-jHv-G6GUmrseGI8QLAOaNMBONoyGP-rjbZB2mvlNuaCdG5cO9okSv77SqEj4Put6vul6Nw2dnfwACuhjKj4oV7C4B87Iq92XiYegbTyWDjh_yPIorFF1jFISjEQoqxJuzL2B1C/s1600/PB050162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjel_-NO-jHv-G6GUmrseGI8QLAOaNMBONoyGP-rjbZB2mvlNuaCdG5cO9okSv77SqEj4Put6vul6Nw2dnfwACuhjKj4oV7C4B87Iq92XiYegbTyWDjh_yPIorFF1jFISjEQoqxJuzL2B1C/s400/PB050162.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dog food ad from a food magazine...</td></tr>
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It really does make a huge difference to get a nice space set up for yourself to do your work. I am so much more inspired to be creative and do good work at the desk now! I can't wait to fill it up with fun stuff... I'm thinking of hanging favorite postcards, inspirational quotes (anyone have any good ones?), and fun art all over the place. Once it's a little more exciting to look at I'll post some photos for you all to see.<br />
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</div><div>Before I end this post I wanted to prove that I've made <i>some </i>headway on my list of outbound letters that need to be written, haha. I had 10 letters to respond to, all in order, and of course they got out of order, so I just kind of randomly chose who I responded to first... and the winner was...<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-hpYARDJTGjn_zakWpEogZPzFTwRpGMpyaQYPr7oERuANbmvey4HVzGhrgNK7aChYKhAu4yNIYeiJmaKFSnqHyQCSNC6Vdsf3wg1sunkHjxGaqMd1tPLquEwtxuoQA8cMoQ2_b17rTKA/s1600/bianca.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-hpYARDJTGjn_zakWpEogZPzFTwRpGMpyaQYPr7oERuANbmvey4HVzGhrgNK7aChYKhAu4yNIYeiJmaKFSnqHyQCSNC6Vdsf3wg1sunkHjxGaqMd1tPLquEwtxuoQA8cMoQ2_b17rTKA/s400/bianca.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to send a nice pile of goodies for <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.com/">Bianca</a> since she sent me such a wonderful set of stuff in her last letter to me. It's hard to match her level of wonder...ful...ness(?) haha, but I think she'll like what I sent along! :)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I p-p-<i>promise</i> to get to work on the rest of my incoming pile of letters that need responses ASAP. Until next time!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">P.S. - See an envelope you like? Don't hesitate to ask; I have more than I know what to do with so I'd be happy to send your next letter in one or just send you one for you to use however your please. Leave a comment if you're interested! :)</div></div><div><br />
</div><div></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-37698091304427127112010-11-04T21:28:00.000-07:002010-11-04T21:29:04.399-07:00Italian Wedding Soup<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/AVvXsEhhTTyS6C1GxlcSwFN9yOd3lOzshdwg-vdtkcvm4eyZR_7xOxCv7ckMHHg68ize2tR_v2NfOFDdwd9SSXNp-5jSLB7Nx61TE2o8mb76vLJhFztLwYb2bCqG9zn1-4jaG7Ig5BiqibXDUODY/s1600/soup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTTyS6C1GxlcSwFN9yOd3lOzshdwg-vdtkcvm4eyZR_7xOxCv7ckMHHg68ize2tR_v2NfOFDdwd9SSXNp-5jSLB7Nx61TE2o8mb76vLJhFztLwYb2bCqG9zn1-4jaG7Ig5BiqibXDUODY/s320/soup.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The soup in all its close-up glory.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
The weather here has been very strange lately, and it seems every time I put the flannel sheets on the bed in preparation for cold weather, it heats up beyond belief. You never quite know what to expect when planning meals because it could be hot, hot, hot during the day, but cool down considerably at night. Shouldn't it just be cold, wet, and rainy in November? Can't I just put away the shorts and t-shirts and bring out the coats, sweaters, and umbrellas? Guess not. The following recipe finds a perfect balance - a soup that isn't so stewy that you would regret making it if it turned out to be hotter than you expected, and at the same time would still warm and satisfy you if it got really chilly. Like many of the recipes featured on my blog, it is an adaptation from an original recipe. In this case, the original came from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/italian-wedding-soup-recipe/index.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEh4OIg3sqf63Gsh4uAsLpkZLLDXSoL9LGpjLeW35kUuGmtxsqi3PG6OXtVKTNzI7zhZH77cmefyVygzTG2CaKVeVWxAeBZBRJDbUCnkqbChvrUVj_Vbuk7xPi-i2217HbyUwQdcYR_DNj8e/s1600/meatbaslls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OIg3sqf63Gsh4uAsLpkZLLDXSoL9LGpjLeW35kUuGmtxsqi3PG6OXtVKTNzI7zhZH77cmefyVygzTG2CaKVeVWxAeBZBRJDbUCnkqbChvrUVj_Vbuk7xPi-i2217HbyUwQdcYR_DNj8e/s320/meatbaslls.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got about 25 meatballs out of my mixture at this size.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
3/4 pound ground turkey<br />
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casings<br />
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs (from 2 slices white bread pulsed in food processor)<br />
2 minced garlic cloves<br />
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley<br />
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
3 tablespoons half & half<br />
1 egg<br />
Kosher salt & pepper<br />
<br />
Olive Oil<br />
1 cup diced yellow onion<br />
1/2 cup diced carrots<br />
1/2 cup diced celery<br />
10 cups chicken stock or broth<br />
1/2 cup white wine<br />
1 cup small pasta (I used mini bowties)<br />
1/4 cup minced fresh dill<br />
12 ounces baby spinach<br />
<br />
Directions:<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 350F.<br />
<br />
To make the meatballs, combine ground turkey through egg, plus 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer. (Some chefs may cringe at the fact that I made my meatballs in a mixer because it should be done by hand for a lighter, less dense meatball, but honestly, it saves me the time and mess or doing it by hand and mixes it really well, and I don't notice a HUGE difference if I do it by hand or with a fork. Do it however you please, this is just my preference. If I was at work and had foodhandler gloves handy, I'd probably just do it by hand, but at home, I tend to use my mixer). After the mixture is well-combined, form into 1 to 1-1/4 inch meatballs and place on a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until thoroughly cooked and lightly browned. Set aside for use later.<br />
<br />
For the soup, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large soup pot. Add the onions, carrot, and celery and saute until softened. In this case, you just want the veggies to "sweat," not caramelize. Keep your burner at medium-low and let them cook gently. Once softened, add the stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling broth and cook until the pasta is tender (all pasta will vary, check periodically for doneness). Add the dill and the meatballs and simmer briefly, then taste for seasoning. Stir in the spinach, in batches if necessary, until just wilted, then serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and/or dill, and Parmesan cheese if desired. <br />
<br />
<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/AVvXsEiW8DFE5cw2MJRPjvNfE4R0uosXDc7Pe1pmSG_8Yc1ZYMTCU9qm9fuyFe1aVJJdQYFBSwRxCV_shDaq1Vl4HPKKLHkybBeXz0PaGZ58FT88bK-YzMPyMbjHZkKmIbZHBWx2z2FvVjEpMyEr/s1600/dinner+table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8DFE5cw2MJRPjvNfE4R0uosXDc7Pe1pmSG_8Yc1ZYMTCU9qm9fuyFe1aVJJdQYFBSwRxCV_shDaq1Vl4HPKKLHkybBeXz0PaGZ58FT88bK-YzMPyMbjHZkKmIbZHBWx2z2FvVjEpMyEr/s320/dinner+table.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How romantic! :) I also made scallion biscuits and a simple green salad to go with the soup. Such a nice meal...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-6450535366904556162010-11-01T20:32:00.000-07:002010-11-01T20:32:25.556-07:00Crrrunch!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNOZFp_W3uv7n_ierm2d6brS0e3Ja73CriwGb_M9kUAQ_DyFD16iRIqf5dxP-54m7PxUJpyrX8RxDwN_8ah7Z4oAGOI7ICcla3MZKpUMUwDPXZqpY9NXptfkd8O7vx6LGIhK2zfqEYKD6/s1600/granola.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNOZFp_W3uv7n_ierm2d6brS0e3Ja73CriwGb_M9kUAQ_DyFD16iRIqf5dxP-54m7PxUJpyrX8RxDwN_8ah7Z4oAGOI7ICcla3MZKpUMUwDPXZqpY9NXptfkd8O7vx6LGIhK2zfqEYKD6/s320/granola.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Best. Granola. Ever.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I've known that granola like this exists, because I've eaten it many times, but I've never made it myself. It's crunchy, it's sweet, but not too sweet, and my favorite part, it's got those big crunchy clusters you hear about in Honey Bunches of Oats commercials. I knew there must be a secret to making this type of granola but I never knew what it was - until now. I saw Alton Brown make his granola recipe and wanted to try it out, and after a couple minor changes, I got the granola I'm talking about. The secrets I found, are the three Ts: temp, time, and turning. I have never had the patience to wait around mess around with the granola for the amount of time this recipe requires, but believe me, it is truly worth it (and not actually as much work as my lazy self had assumed)! Here is the recipe (like I said, adapted from the wonderful Alton Brown's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/granola-recipe/index.html">here</a>):</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUe4zwKbncOpSu9asLAZU3pswWnsZLUFw61okBXDdlnOk1TUtoetrRUEDOkm2lFXnR7dV4wlhX1vhhCmmEAfClR4kXaaaTVTAWmyVVwRibzrG9_Y3GkkT9Sy5-BXh8be47_Po1Lg2eht8x/s1600/granolas2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUe4zwKbncOpSu9asLAZU3pswWnsZLUFw61okBXDdlnOk1TUtoetrRUEDOkm2lFXnR7dV4wlhX1vhhCmmEAfClR4kXaaaTVTAWmyVVwRibzrG9_Y3GkkT9Sy5-BXh8be47_Po1Lg2eht8x/s320/granolas2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Close-up during one of the flips...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ingredients:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 cups rolled oats</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup raw sliced almonds</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup raw cashews</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons honey</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup vegetable oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup dried cranberries</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 250F.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, cashews, coconut, and brown sugar.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a separate bowl, combine the honey, oil, and salt. Pour the liquid mixture into the oat mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture onto a sheet pan(s) so it is in an even layer. (Make sure the pan is very well-greased or lined with parchment or wax paper to avoid sticking while turning and after the cooking process is done).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cook for a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure an even color and to avoid burning. After the time is up, remove the sheet pan and let cool. The mixture will still seem a little wet, but after it cools it dries out a bit and becomes crispy, crunchy, and gets those wonderful little clusters. After the mixture is cool, break up to your liking and mix in the cranberries.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I try my very best to avoid dairy, so I enjoy this granola for breakfast with my favorite <a href="http://www.pacificfoods.com/our-foods/nut-grain-beverages/organic-almond-vanilla-non-dairy-beverage">almond milk</a>, but you can enjoy it with your favorite milk, yogurt, ice cream, or just dry as a snack in between meals. ENJOY! :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Some other combinations for fruit/nuts you can try:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">-Dried cherries & almonds</div><div style="text-align: left;">-Dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and pecans, tossed with some cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves (perfect for the holidays)!</div><div style="text-align: left;">-Cashews, almonds, crushed banana chips, and crystallized ginger (tropical style)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-37222132907563868232010-10-29T18:26:00.000-07:002010-10-29T18:26:35.380-07:00Yikes!I don't even want to look at the date of my last post because I think it will make me feel even worse about this extended break I've taken from blogging! Anyhow, I am back in action writing letters and as we speak I am whipping up a delicious dinner and some little side treats that will make for some great blogging fodder. Hope you are all well; I will be back soon with some fun stuff!<br />
<br />
-Aaron :)hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-90316514755546698172010-05-11T21:18:00.000-07:002010-05-11T21:18:25.105-07:00Ink.Hey folks! So, something exciting happened to me yesterday! It'f funny, I was just telling <a href="http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/">Megan</a> in my intro letter that my blog so far has been really limited to just mail or food, and I was hoping for something exciting to happen so I could write about it, and I totally forgot about this certain thing going to happen, even though I'd had it planned for about 10 days prior. Anyway, more on that later. <br />
<br />
First, some mail. After seeing <a href="http://www.goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/">Bianca</a> post about it, I took a look at <a href="http://www.cutetape.com/">Cute Tape</a> and couldn't help myself and indulged in 8 different types of Japanese Washi tape. As you'll see I've been going a bit tape crazy on my recent letters.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcD7pKYMGBSiVrf2VW48it4Nc3fC3ToYkXGE6heALYh7Z0VtUzMq5FHbfwJk9Zmy2RGzUmJTqhA6BwxpLgqfoUcv0Nx7YBh3tAY3noWigNPw0KX-BIsHRZnjFrQiNXOsx8QxL7gda9mEr/s1600/tape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcD7pKYMGBSiVrf2VW48it4Nc3fC3ToYkXGE6heALYh7Z0VtUzMq5FHbfwJk9Zmy2RGzUmJTqhA6BwxpLgqfoUcv0Nx7YBh3tAY3noWigNPw0KX-BIsHRZnjFrQiNXOsx8QxL7gda9mEr/s320/tape.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I have been using some tractor envelopes that <a href="http://justletterrip.blogspot.com/">Patty</a> made and gave me in a recent swap, and decorating them with old receipts and some rub-ons from Patty as well. I had never seen such a thing before, maybe you all have, but they are really cool! Basically you cut out whatever piece you want, peel off the backing, and rub it on with [basically] a popsicle stick, and then the image transfers from the paper to whatever you're transferring it to. <br />
<br />
Sadly, there was no incoming mail, but I did make a dent in letters needing to be written. The following two were both intro letters going out for a new pen pals swap on <a href="http://swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a>. The guidelines were to write an intro letter and include some little extras for your partner, so I added in some postcards and/or handmade envelopes into each. Check 'em out:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLqRGP12WCMvoGk2iphzM4WINegBDhANgRJ1vOFqD2vjHSkgwNsvDdDCGZ7gAkt1_kKOBn2tL2AP6coSgPc3yZm6cwXpobOp79Dq1w4pxDvYUlhi9KCH1MT8P2zKBwM64NdRwR-oL6TOE/s1600/swap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLqRGP12WCMvoGk2iphzM4WINegBDhANgRJ1vOFqD2vjHSkgwNsvDdDCGZ7gAkt1_kKOBn2tL2AP6coSgPc3yZm6cwXpobOp79Dq1w4pxDvYUlhi9KCH1MT8P2zKBwM64NdRwR-oL6TOE/s320/swap1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kKzy-nXlwQjZ0gH9kYRvD-hWHHSu5DiPCdWwQXNdCV7YfZ1eLTsk2VVi2s0ONWgTWV5hVs4MxS53_3syKMGk_3mp_LsMPHi9IL1zIv_jOwFC6OjUOLB6K2xOktlhSUs6Jci_zlB3Kpy1/s1600/swap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kKzy-nXlwQjZ0gH9kYRvD-hWHHSu5DiPCdWwQXNdCV7YfZ1eLTsk2VVi2s0ONWgTWV5hVs4MxS53_3syKMGk_3mp_LsMPHi9IL1zIv_jOwFC6OjUOLB6K2xOktlhSUs6Jci_zlB3Kpy1/s320/swap2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and one more...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHHeYZo2xUvFS5-15uwxS7uA4S0-piVNpHaqGB13wlkfyud5hIY2BOG8G8AGfr3mcA5wrnTiarG73kqYI_iX4FJwoMzCkg__GwD_SpVXcNs-3vulYeVbtrCVLNJvqA1tPrG93B4-YM1TL/s1600/swap3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHHeYZo2xUvFS5-15uwxS7uA4S0-piVNpHaqGB13wlkfyud5hIY2BOG8G8AGfr3mcA5wrnTiarG73kqYI_iX4FJwoMzCkg__GwD_SpVXcNs-3vulYeVbtrCVLNJvqA1tPrG93B4-YM1TL/s320/swap3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv28guu6h8B45n9hQmvztjlHoatJhZjvamRU8k7CDhwtu1EksxAkAUiJ0kgQQvxXkFuOpelBQFmAUkxGo8Dl-1dsEcFEnT1w_y8lhzmnyGLq16aLCO2f9GpvtfriwiaO3q0vXl5j8wAiZT/s1600/swap4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv28guu6h8B45n9hQmvztjlHoatJhZjvamRU8k7CDhwtu1EksxAkAUiJ0kgQQvxXkFuOpelBQFmAUkxGo8Dl-1dsEcFEnT1w_y8lhzmnyGLq16aLCO2f9GpvtfriwiaO3q0vXl5j8wAiZT/s320/swap4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, that does it for mail. Onto the surprise, if you can call it that! So, here it is:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDo_XNIa40WnSt3Ca-kjesA1jpn15wW562sAf1i9K9hpYzCqMX2UFfTNRlgdE_g0MuwOh6fo3ALEAVxh59fnLo37stIm2LQfvsJX_47nFWgL9Sp57ADp4lCaLOvRnHoGxdwZyqDNTCB9Z/s1600/tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDo_XNIa40WnSt3Ca-kjesA1jpn15wW562sAf1i9K9hpYzCqMX2UFfTNRlgdE_g0MuwOh6fo3ALEAVxh59fnLo37stIm2LQfvsJX_47nFWgL9Sp57ADp4lCaLOvRnHoGxdwZyqDNTCB9Z/s320/tattoo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I got a tattoo yesterday! I have been thinking about this specific idea for quite a while now, and a few weeks back something just hit me and I realized I was really ready to finally get it done. I can't quite explain it but it was a definite change of feelings. I did some final research on fonts, sizing, etc., and came up with pretty much what I wanted. I had known of a particular tattoo artist through two good friends of mine who knew other people who had also gotten tattoos from this specific woman, and heard nothing but great things about her, so I called her up to see if she would be interested in doing the tattoo for me and she was. We met and discussed the idea and I told her what I wanted slightly tweaked, and set a date from there. It's so funny because there was a 10 day gap in between meeting her and the date set for actually doing it, and I was fine up until the day before, when I woke up thinking, "Oh my gosh, I'm getting a tattoo tomorrow!" And then the day of, I woke up at 7:30 on my own, which never happens, and couldn't go back to bed! I was so restless, I woke up, wrote a letter, cleaned, did an errand or two, etc., etc., etc. Finally the time came and it was surprisingly less scary once she started setting up and prepping and everything. The woman who did the tattoo is an amazingly nice person; she puts you at ease immediately, answers any and all questions nicely, and best of all, she was <i>extremely </i>clean and thorough with her procedure which was, of course, of huge importance to me. Anyway, I'm rambling here, but the point is, I had a <b><i>wonderful</i></b> first-time experience and I couldn't be happier. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So you're probably wondering about what the tattoo means? Well, to be honest, I never thought I'd want to get a word or phrase tattooed on me, but I eventually saw some people with tattoos like that that I really liked and eventually came to the word 'accept' because I think it just sums up a lot of things that I aspire to do. I can be very easily annoyed, I get frustrated easily, I can be very hard on myself and others, and to put it bluntly, I am trying to CHILL OUT. I basically want to accept who I am, who others are, what life throws at me, and deal with things in a little calmer way. So yeah, there's that, among other things. Wow, I think that was like, my most personal post yet. I guess re-reading it it wasn't that crazily personal but like I said earlier, my posts have been pretty much only food and mail-related so this was a stretch for me. Sorry if it was ramble-icious! Alright everyone, till next time! Happy food-ing, fun-ing, and post-ing! ;)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Aaron</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-30403290126430305672010-05-05T20:59:00.000-07:002010-05-05T20:59:35.607-07:00Picture PredicamentQuick question for everyone:<br />
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I'm really not too crazy about the photos I take and post to the blog, but I'm not sure how to make them better! For the most part they are blurry and not great quality; I'm not sure if it's my camera or me, but does anyone have any tips on how to photograph well? Like, flash or no flash? How to light the area when snapping shots? Maybe I need to study up on how to work my particular camera and the options it has, but if anyone has any quick tips that may help me out, I'd really appreciate it! ;)hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-53616281523261526352010-05-04T21:04:00.000-07:002010-05-04T21:04:23.291-07:00Sorry for the long delay, folks. I have to admit, though, the fire to write and blog just hasn't been there for a while! I hate to say it but it's the truth :( I can't explain why but I'm back in the swing of things and have written some letters and am ready to blog! It really is inspiring to read all of y'all's blogs and see letters being written and art being created; it really brought me out of this recent funk, so thank you all for that! Check out some of my recent mail:<br />
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Incoming:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjeOK8NqEwRMOV5rZm3aRtmnYLzJSHYR32dO5LQA2tLcIL8cugkMc-xxpfQ4w_weTN3lWedujlOv_1gP49DLhfaqOaLwuEYgSd76iZi3xemPzzaWsPOJgN2gGHe_uhSn3cI8iyK_G-Mmj/s1600/zoefront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjeOK8NqEwRMOV5rZm3aRtmnYLzJSHYR32dO5LQA2tLcIL8cugkMc-xxpfQ4w_weTN3lWedujlOv_1gP49DLhfaqOaLwuEYgSd76iZi3xemPzzaWsPOJgN2gGHe_uhSn3cI8iyK_G-Mmj/s320/zoefront.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAEZbQHWcrNN-Jsa_1-wM1F16nBN10o3CXPokABBUXHncI8ovEM9EuUNxkvk6LxongoTfZbhC_vMpW7M5H_sYJXA8omb2JSatIc-lysRQJL6luEnCIMPsgDPyTA6Z59LoTJs7E1Siirtp/s1600/zoeback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAEZbQHWcrNN-Jsa_1-wM1F16nBN10o3CXPokABBUXHncI8ovEM9EuUNxkvk6LxongoTfZbhC_vMpW7M5H_sYJXA8omb2JSatIc-lysRQJL6luEnCIMPsgDPyTA6Z59LoTJs7E1Siirtp/s320/zoeback.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffPBBvicA4aRJ6eZmJU4nIfsIvuNPqwfGZ3UXgeB4aa-t3FOvBsQBtfmX3G2dmica5xm5dE1MSCqON-w4ze59dUaJ8kXvnwy3BoIsdxyZJpwCpwMzEDKEzyQuSK9B44zSBhxbBOw2A92z/s1600/zoeinside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffPBBvicA4aRJ6eZmJU4nIfsIvuNPqwfGZ3UXgeB4aa-t3FOvBsQBtfmX3G2dmica5xm5dE1MSCqON-w4ze59dUaJ8kXvnwy3BoIsdxyZJpwCpwMzEDKEzyQuSK9B44zSBhxbBOw2A92z/s320/zoeinside.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Above 3 pictures form one letter from <a href="http://inthenextroom.blogspot.com/">Zoe</a>. I wrote her an intro letter a couple weeks back and I got a prompt reply, always a plus! ;) Great letter, mail tag requests, and a cute bumper sticker.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgWggJ5M4vM4gNzTyTYg5cFG-ul3xuEOz9MS9WWKmO2WBqPxbIKciSpYZarbJtoN59xvkaMPqUHAkUg2CEiuu4qIeMH_DlXLixl9WqXgYXJZnscEvRrZEA2zVqZ45ZQ-D76y2XEnIPWse/s1600/greencatfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgWggJ5M4vM4gNzTyTYg5cFG-ul3xuEOz9MS9WWKmO2WBqPxbIKciSpYZarbJtoN59xvkaMPqUHAkUg2CEiuu4qIeMH_DlXLixl9WqXgYXJZnscEvRrZEA2zVqZ45ZQ-D76y2XEnIPWse/s320/greencatfront.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXHPRi00nd3YYWjgILAy297f0dBvmtLkpgdZlkYgvTyQRme9QzSUnwvIn1bAb-roh2EQ_h6qpkbYAmYQB0Kpl9WzQKuPsxD10skW6JZb0acPzHVpBTdSkdWNcKLZZDkufvv9fZOpkaL0t/s1600/greencatback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXHPRi00nd3YYWjgILAy297f0dBvmtLkpgdZlkYgvTyQRme9QzSUnwvIn1bAb-roh2EQ_h6qpkbYAmYQB0Kpl9WzQKuPsxD10skW6JZb0acPzHVpBTdSkdWNcKLZZDkufvv9fZOpkaL0t/s320/greencatback.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> ^Milton fold-n-seal from <a href="http://missivemaven.blogspot.com/">The Missive Maven</a>. A while back I sent her a Milton fold-n-seal of my own so she sent me one back in return!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiPXT0ds3rbszJiuyWlbn_AYypAic8mY882Wnro4cftm8ko4HozHPKTHfSf7tifQ1Yh6PFUwR2dfb6k8fLWgCl6FdM3sJTcLu5pNiwKlPStFu4jME8O6YASvGD9UGkG11YDPw998xLsOi/s1600/penpal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiPXT0ds3rbszJiuyWlbn_AYypAic8mY882Wnro4cftm8ko4HozHPKTHfSf7tifQ1Yh6PFUwR2dfb6k8fLWgCl6FdM3sJTcLu5pNiwKlPStFu4jME8O6YASvGD9UGkG11YDPw998xLsOi/s320/penpal2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fg6F5YjlvVSfRofOiUsAONcwbLUub5-fD_Rw7wg70ziRz_NYeEl30Byyae7HMaQqhAxW87TRDM0n_U9zNWrz6uu8U2OU4Ly7sCNDtt8c3YfzJmlBp8IuNYt94wVcmtfsJI0EnM8-56eG/s1600/penpalinside1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fg6F5YjlvVSfRofOiUsAONcwbLUub5-fD_Rw7wg70ziRz_NYeEl30Byyae7HMaQqhAxW87TRDM0n_U9zNWrz6uu8U2OU4Ly7sCNDtt8c3YfzJmlBp8IuNYt94wVcmtfsJI0EnM8-56eG/s320/penpalinside1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^First of two letters from a pen pal swap on <a href="http://swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a>. This girl included some fun greeting cards along with her great intro letter, which was written on paper made from elephant dung! Cool, huh?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXgDBtCGr2xT4QsL85121GYxR5xcHICCGER4xcou9qua00WuEOGSwCe7yUWLDBe8XwbHXLJWiZdeXT7zRFClw4_ePVig3mosAH9hsHf4NeJ35lE8NJREJ4sVzgceZqyy8Ifnku-2hyjRQ/s1600/penpal1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXgDBtCGr2xT4QsL85121GYxR5xcHICCGER4xcou9qua00WuEOGSwCe7yUWLDBe8XwbHXLJWiZdeXT7zRFClw4_ePVig3mosAH9hsHf4NeJ35lE8NJREJ4sVzgceZqyy8Ifnku-2hyjRQ/s320/penpal1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Second letter from above-mentioned swap. Another great intro letter from a woman who I was paired up with for my St. Patrick's day swap back in March. She didn't mention remembering me from that swap so I'm not sure if she remembers me or not...I'll have to remind her in my reply back. ;)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0R_oYZ_QW7vL2DCbNnZ5xuikRnZY3YQFQYVjoPNzN-3Vms6nSYnqLX-XXSsytNCZzMrBgWnHR5ljQh5dPHdbZgFH4AeF32FKPRRF6fXMEwlrZFyCmIA9Mrh4Kr2NOOyyHj4WeHGZsd1U/s1600/vintagepc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0R_oYZ_QW7vL2DCbNnZ5xuikRnZY3YQFQYVjoPNzN-3Vms6nSYnqLX-XXSsytNCZzMrBgWnHR5ljQh5dPHdbZgFH4AeF32FKPRRF6fXMEwlrZFyCmIA9Mrh4Kr2NOOyyHj4WeHGZsd1U/s320/vintagepc.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Cool vintage postcard from <a href="http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/">Megan</a>. I am excited to write back with an intro letter to get our letter-writing rolling!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p3ktbom5aUDRr4ZPYCqzpj7W3H1O9sn9NxT-tRzcfK7QruXIgfqxle1QWMtaTsmTOrdVSZNOwGDmJXkz4mQe4oNcZEXOmCYcQaCCU1q57OVaE6hykNgS7MX6Nupzmh565jsJAJZN7CuW/s1600/bianca1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p3ktbom5aUDRr4ZPYCqzpj7W3H1O9sn9NxT-tRzcfK7QruXIgfqxle1QWMtaTsmTOrdVSZNOwGDmJXkz4mQe4oNcZEXOmCYcQaCCU1q57OVaE6hykNgS7MX6Nupzmh565jsJAJZN7CuW/s320/bianca1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Fantastic letter from <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/">Bianca</a>. (Image courtesy her blog) I especially love this because a WHILE back she posted pictures of some envelopes she had made, this one included, and I distinctly remember saying to myself, 'Wow, I LOVE that envelope!' I just thought it was so weird but cool and I almost asked Bianca to send my next letter in it, but then I decided against it since it it might sound a bit...greedy...so then I check her blog a few days back and sure enough, there is my name on THAT envelope! Yeah, so, her letter was great as always, and on top of it, one of my mail tag requests in my last letter to her was 'something mail art-related that I can put to use' and what I had in mind was, like, a postcard or two, or a few labels, or some stickers, and she ended up sending a TON of stuff, all of which I loved. Really above and beyond; so much fun! Check it all out:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtemYRmXQ4dbw-9xZCasundTF0eTLPJFDLkhm06H0GR7MecWMFm9JutLhwghWijT5tN6NenTKZwoGaqRfoVidMw2nvxj9mxICbU7pzwzo2kj2T3Hz3wv9MlEDm0-i8b6egqIQcxfhY1l-/s1600/bianca1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtemYRmXQ4dbw-9xZCasundTF0eTLPJFDLkhm06H0GR7MecWMFm9JutLhwghWijT5tN6NenTKZwoGaqRfoVidMw2nvxj9mxICbU7pzwzo2kj2T3Hz3wv9MlEDm0-i8b6egqIQcxfhY1l-/s320/bianca1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Postcards...</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/AVvXsEhXwIRQTWiLNI_rBjJ8CsSnYTC0hyphenhyphenuotDGl54GaDg6z5N9CB-NKfgFM_8_mrTnXW0uG0_n5alxVeGl1rcpwjwESgEuNsdhsIDsQV8GWEAy0W2NEl8-tOLz7IqMHu8bWhsGktJ5ZP4bx0t4E/s1600/bianca2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwIRQTWiLNI_rBjJ8CsSnYTC0hyphenhyphenuotDGl54GaDg6z5N9CB-NKfgFM_8_mrTnXW0uG0_n5alxVeGl1rcpwjwESgEuNsdhsIDsQV8GWEAy0W2NEl8-tOLz7IqMHu8bWhsGktJ5ZP4bx0t4E/s320/bianca2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Labels, stickers, tags, fun bits & pieces...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjV7pwWANJsTiHR4DKjNkWzt269w88nYCOoHILjAXs8Mx6iL4_5lxTfk4gmUMumUxiFnMtzdaP2_B9RQ31FRGNgouhliSbSmlFMC2rG5sNQUSlgLyISjHdGDc_oqkBAhJbVaMNmnYEY6Z/s1600/bianca4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjV7pwWANJsTiHR4DKjNkWzt269w88nYCOoHILjAXs8Mx6iL4_5lxTfk4gmUMumUxiFnMtzdaP2_B9RQ31FRGNgouhliSbSmlFMC2rG5sNQUSlgLyISjHdGDc_oqkBAhJbVaMNmnYEY6Z/s320/bianca4.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^WAY COOL handmade envelope with sewn flap.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Outgoing:</div><div style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately at this point, my outgoing pile is much smaller than my incoming pile, but I'm working on changing that as we speak! Here is what I've put in the mail (or will be putting in the mail first thing tomorrow):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNlMh53_pivkQHp4wSgnwc5mPLVx-0Pq0yPm41EhKQSxfOTAufENNxluiqA3PjTIHsIa3TWxb2OwKdp5PDZOseIIa14HA0Yse8D4yptDkBD_RGJSXq3j0Oo6U7jlIKHB18FhRqMqwpiFa/s1600/laurenoutgoing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNlMh53_pivkQHp4wSgnwc5mPLVx-0Pq0yPm41EhKQSxfOTAufENNxluiqA3PjTIHsIa3TWxb2OwKdp5PDZOseIIa14HA0Yse8D4yptDkBD_RGJSXq3j0Oo6U7jlIKHB18FhRqMqwpiFa/s320/laurenoutgoing.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Reply to <a href="http://postwiththemost.blogspot.com/">Lauren</a>. Envelope made from a sci-fi art book I picked up at the thrift store.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCdCf9dRb7ixIJaPnnnmIwI7EVg32hkAin_0ywG6qCW1wyu0Wz22BKd1U8j3RQ_NCgepsqqRNObBreS_jZldguhCuSZX2kgwNzmiAXTPdgOdqsBhVvtPsQTyWofWd8ofLAhidZtVbiUML/s1600/belen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJCdCf9dRb7ixIJaPnnnmIwI7EVg32hkAin_0ywG6qCW1wyu0Wz22BKd1U8j3RQ_NCgepsqqRNObBreS_jZldguhCuSZX2kgwNzmiAXTPdgOdqsBhVvtPsQTyWofWd8ofLAhidZtVbiUML/s320/belen1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUXKtKX8HUd5oc2iYLl2NE5sk51jqUtO4LBWutTl68QXAoGbyoxhWa07762SA2ubcq8cOUpXNNfl6lp3fsW585TOrSTIOwJumLBtopOSU8QwDhxBmbm4UZcYrnXWNuXdBrto4K_iedIEt/s1600/belenback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUXKtKX8HUd5oc2iYLl2NE5sk51jqUtO4LBWutTl68QXAoGbyoxhWa07762SA2ubcq8cOUpXNNfl6lp3fsW585TOrSTIOwJumLBtopOSU8QwDhxBmbm4UZcYrnXWNuXdBrto4K_iedIEt/s320/belenback.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Long-delayed reply to <a href="http://einahpetsneleb.blogspot.com/">Belen</a>. I was having trouble coming up with good mail tag replies but it all came together (with some help from J) at the last moment so I hope she enjoys everything! :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well that'll do it for this post, folks. Hope you all are well. I'll update with other outgoing (and hopefully incoming!) items as they come up. L8R! :)</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-58508571350979252442010-04-07T19:37:00.000-07:002010-04-07T19:37:38.129-07:00MapsHello, hello! Just sitting here grooving out to Erykah Badu's <a href="http://www.erykahbadu.com/">new album</a>, and LOVING it! I have never really listened to her music before now but I checked out her album after all the media attention was given to her new music video, and I ended up really liking the CD! Her voice is just so unique, and the music in her songs just puts me in this really relaxed, almost dreamy state; it's really cool. I always do this with new music though, I listen to it non-stop, just over, and over, and OVER again, and then I end up getting tired of it, so we'll see if I overdo it with this one too, LoL. As of right now, though, I am in musical heaven. Sooo....MAIL TIME!<div><br />
</div><div>Today in the mail I got a much anticipated letter from <a href="http://einahpetsneleb.blogspot.com/">Belen</a>, and a piece of post I was afraid actually got lost in the mail, but thank goodness I was wrong. Usually mail only takes 2 days to get from her to me or vice versa since we are only a couple hours drive apart, but this letter took about a week, so I was worried! It was quite a thick envelope, though, and a little lopsided and special, and I can tell by the blurred/cockeyed/cut-off stamp cancel that the mail machine didn't do to well while sorting it, so that probably explains the lateness. I was so excited to see it in the mail today! ANYWAY, it was well worth the wait, as it was chock full of goodies! A wonderful letter (as usual) and mail tag responses and requests. Take a look:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7oqbVNUKTWfW7J-E-AoPLUR5cweEGe31PWpjZsRnNn_LiHwHLQRufmOYY7Hs-QsdMhzDza0Ab0kmA5NIN73JVm-wesVWpg71he3bWuvLhYZPEv9oOd6qIqPpKhbrtfG05t2zQF5QhyaA/s1600/belenfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7oqbVNUKTWfW7J-E-AoPLUR5cweEGe31PWpjZsRnNn_LiHwHLQRufmOYY7Hs-QsdMhzDza0Ab0kmA5NIN73JVm-wesVWpg71he3bWuvLhYZPEv9oOd6qIqPpKhbrtfG05t2zQF5QhyaA/s320/belenfront.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Front - love the envelope and stamp!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7e-jngLlfPQ6ke5z1DOrNs10LECJdgcnhBRKmQHCHZn6kybuZz63L6rWnGcG7UpEn7RxzIfWOn8CixqfeV4j2Dik2Ti1sd_vcBxeTHzXw5yJRoOPqF_ijwgWjcOhsG1h_Bbpk7l29mwe/s1600/belenstuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7e-jngLlfPQ6ke5z1DOrNs10LECJdgcnhBRKmQHCHZn6kybuZz63L6rWnGcG7UpEn7RxzIfWOn8CixqfeV4j2Dik2Ti1sd_vcBxeTHzXw5yJRoOPqF_ijwgWjcOhsG1h_Bbpk7l29mwe/s320/belenstuff.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Contents: Letter, her mail tag requests, and my mail tag requests: paint samples (LOVE THEM), list of ten, and some vanilla rooibos Tazo tea that I really can't wait to try; it smells so good and she said she enjoys it latte style, which I will definitely try since I always get vanilla lattes...perfect choice Belen!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Can't wait to reply to Belen, really. That's it for incoming for the past couple days. Here is some outgoing mail:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOAvb0Rc6M8CtksLaDUa405lrNpC7QUbGpBXVXsEtqEgblTZuMIqEBE9YkYul6yczArS4FibqIJOPnRRtNQhyphenhyphenwzMV7fggnIjjZuYt8DzaniZPy53WWxRflT4j5s7Usx2YY5F1ZzVb7dtO/s1600/dolphinfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOAvb0Rc6M8CtksLaDUa405lrNpC7QUbGpBXVXsEtqEgblTZuMIqEBE9YkYul6yczArS4FibqIJOPnRRtNQhyphenhyphenwzMV7fggnIjjZuYt8DzaniZPy53WWxRflT4j5s7Usx2YY5F1ZzVb7dtO/s320/dolphinfront.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Front of a postcard for <a href="http://postcrossing.com/">Postcrossing</a>. From Postcrossing I checked out the receiver's blog and found out she is <a href="http://pokingyourepeatedlyintheface.blogspot.com/">Courtney</a>, a follower of my blog! Cool coincidence, huh? Her blog is really fun, and she's got some great mail on there, too. Check it out!</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/AVvXsEg-K3WulWL8MEokrZlKHet5KEj-GJolSSyI0ne5wI-mSPOFX1zw_ieg5Qs5YKAmx8DKUXU_uR6_y6A0XXefkxJx-i6kPZwuZePf5a25dbf6C-FKKAZdeYneqK4wxJxT2qdLRtt-9JOS1zKv/s1600/dolphinback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-K3WulWL8MEokrZlKHet5KEj-GJolSSyI0ne5wI-mSPOFX1zw_ieg5Qs5YKAmx8DKUXU_uR6_y6A0XXefkxJx-i6kPZwuZePf5a25dbf6C-FKKAZdeYneqK4wxJxT2qdLRtt-9JOS1zKv/s320/dolphinback.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Back of the postcard...little blue fish is a 3D sticker I got on sale at Michael's in a sticker pack for like, $1.00. I've been putting them on lots of stuff lately.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomjBtv1TcSZ7edSL6nbVHOiQaumlMzQMEScOp8bs_TtMT1wa-kU2r5qJKISKp_j0MTQAnB-FO5jdlQg1yMqEuY6L9esvD6t9qfz2l9ds7T183VsieLEOlWdiXZ_xu7PhQTBfKCkFtjbvO/s1600/santabarbarafront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomjBtv1TcSZ7edSL6nbVHOiQaumlMzQMEScOp8bs_TtMT1wa-kU2r5qJKISKp_j0MTQAnB-FO5jdlQg1yMqEuY6L9esvD6t9qfz2l9ds7T183VsieLEOlWdiXZ_xu7PhQTBfKCkFtjbvO/s320/santabarbarafront.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^A thank-you postcard for <a href="http://simplyanu.blogspot.com/">Anu</a>. She sent an entry for my <a href="http://foodfunpost.blogspot.com/2010/02/50-state-challenge.html">50 State Challenge</a> and asked for a postcard in return...no problem there! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl91SJhq3GUAHiTBxHr__RXJ7JUK5YAHI4quVmnFwQ-4HvjeM0L4AAYc9ydsYULietuGSdiV2zmwiMjrcucMdh0b7qqQ_Bz8XzYNtbYhP0jxf4Wa7IVQ1texys5DB9dXy3kKcShyjc9v3j/s1600/santabarbaraback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl91SJhq3GUAHiTBxHr__RXJ7JUK5YAHI4quVmnFwQ-4HvjeM0L4AAYc9ydsYULietuGSdiV2zmwiMjrcucMdh0b7qqQ_Bz8XzYNtbYhP0jxf4Wa7IVQ1texys5DB9dXy3kKcShyjc9v3j/s320/santabarbaraback.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Back of postcard...another 3D fish and some other fishy stickers I got in a <a href="http://swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a> swap.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY210qUkN8wDzOQc5yUABt6wBTDyncZQ6CpG5pwhq3z-B1HvJsU43Zr1ybTOeS-DB3_K8SUrvVEnskF4xYrBGZc0UZU3gF7Cm_BvRPwNeMT3GLYS6v30W8l-HNeHZwRA4erlh-VOKf3yP/s1600/zoefront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY210qUkN8wDzOQc5yUABt6wBTDyncZQ6CpG5pwhq3z-B1HvJsU43Zr1ybTOeS-DB3_K8SUrvVEnskF4xYrBGZc0UZU3gF7Cm_BvRPwNeMT3GLYS6v30W8l-HNeHZwRA4erlh-VOKf3yP/s320/zoefront.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Handmade map envelope and intro letter to <a href="http://inthenextroom.blogspot.com/">Zoe</a>. I have such a hard time writing intro letters...anyone else in the same boat on that one? I just find that I'm kind of at a loss for what to say to a stranger. I hope that doesn't come off the wrong way - I am so excited to write to new people and build up my contact list, but things just seem to get rolling easier for me after the first couple letters have been written. </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/AVvXsEjjungqXTWX63be-BeYKBttMntOCZOgzPnVc4FNeAO4LZx_umJNiloDMhvlBZDidoEmnFUyuRyWS976v7rZWVFJOKq3t3DgyuHmbms83elcOn3ynOTUPu3_QdiAdXQQfIgLWUjK9fZcR4fp/s1600/zoeback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjungqXTWX63be-BeYKBttMntOCZOgzPnVc4FNeAO4LZx_umJNiloDMhvlBZDidoEmnFUyuRyWS976v7rZWVFJOKq3t3DgyuHmbms83elcOn3ynOTUPu3_QdiAdXQQfIgLWUjK9fZcR4fp/s320/zoeback.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Back, with big ol' 3D octopus from the same sticker pack as the fish. </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/AVvXsEgyVWLYA8PcqUtdHo-CcNUsK5wIaii_myGAdmNtsvm7FxMIOqqSCqzw04truevBGf4A0QL7N6bA1sgAiSPhiTQ9jOQK36E8f58Hz8_zXnPtmGiaddcdD8VGyEzNrukOMZWBgqwXiqxdCd5g/s1600/missivefront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVWLYA8PcqUtdHo-CcNUsK5wIaii_myGAdmNtsvm7FxMIOqqSCqzw04truevBGf4A0QL7N6bA1sgAiSPhiTQ9jOQK36E8f58Hz8_zXnPtmGiaddcdD8VGyEzNrukOMZWBgqwXiqxdCd5g/s320/missivefront.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Cat fold-n-seal with a quick note to <a href="http://missivemaven.blogspot.com/">The Missive Maven</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Just a quick note before I wrap up the mail portion of this post: I am totally always looking for new pen-pals! Last post, Zoe commented and said she'd like to become pen-pals and I was so happy...I feel like I haven't really expressed that, and since I don't make my address public it's not as easy for people to just write if they wanted to. So, that said, always feel free to comment on posts and exchange e-mails and we can write from there...I would truly love it!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh, and one more note for mail...and I'm sure if you're reading my lonely little blog, you've already heard about this, but just in case you haven't, <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/">Bianca</a> is doing a fun <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/2010/04/mushab00m-bazaar-postcards-giveaway.html">giveaway</a> to celebrate the opening of her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mushab00m">Etsy store</a>/200th post/reaching 200 followers, so you should totally enter and try to win! Speaking of which, I have to go do that myself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">To celebrate Easter this past Sunday, J and I cooked a nice dinner for my mom and grandparents. I don't give up anything for Lent, but my mom gave up wine and my grandma gave up sweets/treats/snacks, so this was definitely a joyous day for them, especially because during Lent it's both my grandparents' birthdays and there couldn't be dessert because of my grandma's no-sweets thing, and both celebrations this year ended up on Fridays, which means no meat either! We go to go all out for Easter dinner this year. Once again, our menu came from Suzanne Goin's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Suppers-Lucques-Seasonal-Recipes/dp/1400042151/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270694057&sr=8-1">Sunday Suppers at Lucques</a></i>. As I've said before, this is a cookbook with recipes that require some time and TLC to complete, which is why we save it for occasions like this. Farmer's Market produce helped make this meal super fab:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGu5aMuZFGtEKJgZ9yzhwAblaOvrcceLGFnI6ywIbQMu6rn6PpsW-meLV8J1B_-OxVQ4HnjeVFtKzXBBWXpJOT7szl-59sZLzovphXdR-OwF1bky3oXfW0E5DZyUq48YcqECTCRy9QVbaw/s1600/kabochasoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGu5aMuZFGtEKJgZ9yzhwAblaOvrcceLGFnI6ywIbQMu6rn6PpsW-meLV8J1B_-OxVQ4HnjeVFtKzXBBWXpJOT7szl-59sZLzovphXdR-OwF1bky3oXfW0E5DZyUq48YcqECTCRy9QVbaw/s320/kabochasoup.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Kabocha squash and fennel soup with candied pumpkin seeds. I'm not a huge squash fan, and haven't loved Kabocha when we've cooked it before, but this was one yummy squash! Super fragrant and sweet tasting...yum yum.</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/AVvXsEhVpAwA-uIFQpiAXObEv90TxNF_LSCqKLadT1w2RKt4mkJji7GRFePLk5pOcfWs6IMv9UqYOKulZJY7SBDO43jT9UseKGuYmuyQstZzL_6Kqdqtw1GkNjo9BAtwK-tnCPPLi3m7LRnX_KOb/s1600/chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpAwA-uIFQpiAXObEv90TxNF_LSCqKLadT1w2RKt4mkJji7GRFePLk5pOcfWs6IMv9UqYOKulZJY7SBDO43jT9UseKGuYmuyQstZzL_6Kqdqtw1GkNjo9BAtwK-tnCPPLi3m7LRnX_KOb/s320/chicken.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Devi'ls chicken thighs with braised leeks. (We all laughed when we realized we made a dish called Devil's chicken thigh's on Easter...) I wish this was a more photogenic dish, but oh well, it tasted delicious! The chicken is seared on the stovetop, then coated in a dijon mustard sauce, and then topped with homemade herbed breadcrumbs before being baked on top of the braised leeks, which were also really, really tasty.</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/AVvXsEgBEVBDFGOUPysp5kRHfwd2AbyVDfr60dclHjhKyq9JM76EOdZQYJy_0A9l0MRNfmHgjlvHScb3HTOycCNXiZCO-QtdRbS2ICMmE2E3oAFGclzMG8R2xPQ2KKiVBq8a9JB4u0hJj5WfZ9uw/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEVBDFGOUPysp5kRHfwd2AbyVDfr60dclHjhKyq9JM76EOdZQYJy_0A9l0MRNfmHgjlvHScb3HTOycCNXiZCO-QtdRbS2ICMmE2E3oAFGclzMG8R2xPQ2KKiVBq8a9JB4u0hJj5WfZ9uw/s320/cake.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Dessert: hazelnut-brown butter cake with sauteed pears. OMG, best part of the meal in my opinion. Cake made with, and pears sauteed with, fresh vanilla bean, which makes such a HUGE difference! To make the cake you grind hazelnuts with powdered sugar and flour for the dry ingredients, then alternately fold brown butter (butter that you cook until it's super nutty and delicious) and the dry ingredients into whipped egg whites for a super light and yummy cake. Fresh whip cream for fun on top, plus syrupy goodness from the pear pan.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hope you all are well, and hopefully the rest of the week brings me some good mail and/or food to blog about in the coming days. Until next time!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Song of the moment: Window Seat</div><div style="text-align: left;">Artist: Erykah Badu</div><div style="text-align: left;">Album: New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-91344041069561174322010-03-31T19:11:00.000-07:002010-03-31T19:11:31.387-07:00Super SwapSo here's the post I promised with some attention to the <a href="http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/">Time After Tea</a> stationery swap. I was so happy to take part in this and even happier when my package arrived...it far exceeded my expectations (not that I didn't expect something great from my swap partner <a href="http://justletterrip.blogspot.com/">Patty</a>, I just didn't really have expectations going into it, you know)? Anyway, another HUGE thanks to Patty for all the wonderful things she sent in the giant package for the swap. I can't remember if I ever mentioned to her, but I LOVE vintage stuff, and she sent along a good deal of it, which made me super happy. Take a look at all the wonderful things she sent my way:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKpXJ46Z1-t0_he9qmNa1xUxumKCbyH0jGHEghR9v5CErf4e7ujb37tjoXZ_eRY8DResXWSuen0WdQtmU2LaWBbYwTnNCrXT6GRjHXTyz06ktzXzr8MbSNjVPJAvAob7Fevf18hGuGa93/s1600/pp6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKpXJ46Z1-t0_he9qmNa1xUxumKCbyH0jGHEghR9v5CErf4e7ujb37tjoXZ_eRY8DResXWSuen0WdQtmU2LaWBbYwTnNCrXT6GRjHXTyz06ktzXzr8MbSNjVPJAvAob7Fevf18hGuGa93/s320/pp6.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Real, unused vintage postage stamps. Um, YES PLEASE!</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/AVvXsEiJXOdFEAJ-g0aCq9Otd1x-6De57XBeEax1Ea3Uke8IoTPriUvCQQRql24vjgn8apaYH22Zwlhz8T3tNxLstfC587YqGlrK6Mwm2EHZwWPC_oNyWhMPK2uAH0SeMdJeud75_0E88G8NFrld/s1600/pp5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJXOdFEAJ-g0aCq9Otd1x-6De57XBeEax1Ea3Uke8IoTPriUvCQQRql24vjgn8apaYH22Zwlhz8T3tNxLstfC587YqGlrK6Mwm2EHZwWPC_oNyWhMPK2uAH0SeMdJeud75_0E88G8NFrld/s320/pp5.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Lots and lots of mailing labels, one thing I have yet to buy for myself...will have no trouble putting these to use!</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/AVvXsEgq1y82s1XdUxXhKtmg7HcJ2MMn95i_hE7tcj-r9XwTh2Ol5w9mo-HI_2PEFtj1ILDGoA30K-VDgEYq59bxi0b0Iska_iQ6nbXbHobFPo1IYQBsLoyvyVNfAl3YIBIK6KOGOZ4yPJ-_GFiC/s1600/pp4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1y82s1XdUxXhKtmg7HcJ2MMn95i_hE7tcj-r9XwTh2Ol5w9mo-HI_2PEFtj1ILDGoA30K-VDgEYq59bxi0b0Iska_iQ6nbXbHobFPo1IYQBsLoyvyVNfAl3YIBIK6KOGOZ4yPJ-_GFiC/s320/pp4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Vintage Batman fold-n-seals. OMG I LOVE THESE.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mQSlgsT9_lHiUrMsbHZBpuQ0yq9nA_8lsKqeJCGVKXyGnmPW5h8EXgO2sWqExMDQ23h8F4Wo3ABpvRKz6niRtxtKQ4Q52c0kdGnyK-eC9JRKLwrMxK6Ivlx8V3F1yJcNsfCvWB33JYrS/s1600/batmancool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mQSlgsT9_lHiUrMsbHZBpuQ0yq9nA_8lsKqeJCGVKXyGnmPW5h8EXgO2sWqExMDQ23h8F4Wo3ABpvRKz6niRtxtKQ4Q52c0kdGnyK-eC9JRKLwrMxK6Ivlx8V3F1yJcNsfCvWB33JYrS/s320/batmancool.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^I got such a kick out of the dialogue in this one...</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/AVvXsEgfL4IsUZ4_IGiaDQqUAr_DxuHr-2_tB66SAo8xMp3p7Ok0IwPdYuYqaSCT5FC6z3ex1z2jY-M26OdvV-ksFtomoC6ZYt8IMxz5lVaLb9Z6Lpvms5g-orukkYxBbjmtI5qx7qb3TO2Uqvd6/s1600/pp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfL4IsUZ4_IGiaDQqUAr_DxuHr-2_tB66SAo8xMp3p7Ok0IwPdYuYqaSCT5FC6z3ex1z2jY-M26OdvV-ksFtomoC6ZYt8IMxz5lVaLb9Z6Lpvms5g-orukkYxBbjmtI5qx7qb3TO2Uqvd6/s320/pp3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Kitty cat fold-n-seals. I know a <a href="http://missivemaven.blogspot.com/">certain someone</a> who might enjoy receiving one of these. :)</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/AVvXsEj2siW5oYyLUQUJIxkxKpYL9Uiv0aJvRgFg4X69JkNA6mmJAvRHqlaHzaynn62a8tuTxM18Dv4T0LoILfx6Lbnq8RtGVl7icsEIKKfDfYemJw6XNBNHTY_sk3twFbTRUqTTyUu72gfm9aWy/s1600/pp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2siW5oYyLUQUJIxkxKpYL9Uiv0aJvRgFg4X69JkNA6mmJAvRHqlaHzaynn62a8tuTxM18Dv4T0LoILfx6Lbnq8RtGVl7icsEIKKfDfYemJw6XNBNHTY_sk3twFbTRUqTTyUu72gfm9aWy/s320/pp2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^<i>Bewitched</i> fold-n-seals. Again, I can't believe she included these. <i>Bewitched</i> holds a special place in my heart because growing up I would watch the show on Nick at Nite every summer on "Bewitched BeWednesdays!" I get a very strong feeling of nostalgia whenever I think of that show, The Munsters, I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie etc. because they remind me of such good times being a kid over summer break...sigh...</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/AVvXsEjuRKXLXfA_26172akyKpg5kfE9c9aArQqFHaop31bVodP71K7bPDWDBm7c-dkDloqfM-G47BP4GW2pF3rSqTFR3S5TwD3K0aeIrAqCKwB1anOEHZet88UEEvZrwOas3-3cUpu3oaCKwEgk/s1600/pp8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRKXLXfA_26172akyKpg5kfE9c9aArQqFHaop31bVodP71K7bPDWDBm7c-dkDloqfM-G47BP4GW2pF3rSqTFR3S5TwD3K0aeIrAqCKwB1anOEHZet88UEEvZrwOas3-3cUpu3oaCKwEgk/s320/pp8.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Mail-themed rub-ons. I actually have never heard of such a thing but I guess I will be experimenting with these very soon! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh39C36exzOPsJXUcUkRcijr6zobOIelvgILQD84bjn1umkVXPJlHderG0BaJDGpAAqoBCozIn7ti-PawAV2x6rOmCBas_Ujr2arpXROCYsKhWBkKbuU4U-dOGKQeu9i1lMmwJkrVoBJ3q/s1600/pp7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh39C36exzOPsJXUcUkRcijr6zobOIelvgILQD84bjn1umkVXPJlHderG0BaJDGpAAqoBCozIn7ti-PawAV2x6rOmCBas_Ujr2arpXROCYsKhWBkKbuU4U-dOGKQeu9i1lMmwJkrVoBJ3q/s320/pp7.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Tractor calendar envelopes. I love hand-made envelopes...everyone has their own style so it's great to see different templates. I think these may be the most manly thing I own...LoL!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmCrFTszvVA2XBHvqn5qVo5LJdLboSaosqpLK30gC3Oxer-G7jZ8YQgCwPpPW2dq7iNf8Gz6EAvNQW_Nw5N8ouBT_pGOdh85vafoZD26vPUQNcQ4i5fxmtUtRQTOMppcmUM-d0FiZQqtj/s1600/pp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmCrFTszvVA2XBHvqn5qVo5LJdLboSaosqpLK30gC3Oxer-G7jZ8YQgCwPpPW2dq7iNf8Gz6EAvNQW_Nw5N8ouBT_pGOdh85vafoZD26vPUQNcQ4i5fxmtUtRQTOMppcmUM-d0FiZQqtj/s320/pp1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^MORE VINTAGE! Air Mail-themed envelopes and note paper. I hate to even use them because I just want to keep them forever! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Great stuff, huh? Here are a few pictures of what I sent <i>out</i> in my package to Patty for the swap. I feel kinda bad because I certainly didn't include as much stuff as she did, but my collection of stuff to send for mail-related swaps is pretty small at this point, and most stuff I send has to be made or bought, and I don't have a ton of money to spend. That said, I think I put together a pretty decent package and Patty said she really enjoyed it, so that's what really counts, right? Ok, here we go:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDccjaRnjnG5_5PZd-M-VfzY6inlx71KlSDlEVRTy3MtolNy2Uzj09Sk54zkRWvFO6B8czsWRFw3W9cbI2dsU1nuDqMjxXcwsuVspKj6y8zaTk34mJKA-i5fUl4HboyOB5IO68OkcxL1pr/s1600/ppout1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDccjaRnjnG5_5PZd-M-VfzY6inlx71KlSDlEVRTy3MtolNy2Uzj09Sk54zkRWvFO6B8czsWRFw3W9cbI2dsU1nuDqMjxXcwsuVspKj6y8zaTk34mJKA-i5fUl4HboyOB5IO68OkcxL1pr/s320/ppout1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^All contents together: Handful of handmade envelopes, sticker sheets, note cards with envelopes, "P" post-its, rubber stamps, and 6 sets of handmade stationery.</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/AVvXsEj4GqYgf88tGazib3opPWe4wUWB-ClAAod6h6wzrMQgZaQqslHzP_AzcJ2GRtuxLB2Ghhv0fM3itXQA_BNh577caGORXV_g-L10Z1KjgMsWE9RArDEDnelvf3kpd_sRc6t5qC5odp3H588j/s1600/ppout2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GqYgf88tGazib3opPWe4wUWB-ClAAod6h6wzrMQgZaQqslHzP_AzcJ2GRtuxLB2Ghhv0fM3itXQA_BNh577caGORXV_g-L10Z1KjgMsWE9RArDEDnelvf3kpd_sRc6t5qC5odp3H588j/s320/ppout2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Close-up of one style of stationery I made. This was my first go at something like this, so they were nowhere near perfect...I cut out the 3 images from a food magazine article about traveling in France, glued them to paper, and drew lines for writing, then photocopied and made 5 sheets of each page. I quite like the way they turned out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qFv7xL95LPYZehmeMoU55LmdLSvKOz7PtCdOrilizrTi_I1GlO2Zi7-vW10DTsTwhAkkF6HyNpMIg3Xa61R8EkgPO8oO_kD5VK9GqJRUeJ-vO78dzWwgDTnkmiYfrpmqyS7jicWpDbt1/s1600/ppout3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8qFv7xL95LPYZehmeMoU55LmdLSvKOz7PtCdOrilizrTi_I1GlO2Zi7-vW10DTsTwhAkkF6HyNpMIg3Xa61R8EkgPO8oO_kD5VK9GqJRUeJ-vO78dzWwgDTnkmiYfrpmqyS7jicWpDbt1/s320/ppout3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Close-up of my new rubber stamp. I bought bird-themed scrapbook paper, cut it to note-size paper, and then stamped each page for a place to write date, etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Onto some food...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This past Friday, J and I had some of my good friends over for dinner and visiting time since I don't get to see them much anymore. I say <i>my</i> friends because I knew them all first and I met J later, but we're all friends now. :) We put together a delicious roasted beet salad and then had a build-your-own-pizza bar for everyone to be creative with. All 3 of them thoroughly enjoyed everything which makes J and I very happy. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wABe-ArGHGXHF09P_DPIkxeAjnNnB3nH_u2VymBwHEpl7pbu271xj5usLpjjBuotStzuxXbRSdta0Ws60BzaH13xSYnTppn-T7x3x8ZLLbei8Qc06jcFIwtvvGYIiFGAeajRbwUs-2Qb/s1600/pizza1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wABe-ArGHGXHF09P_DPIkxeAjnNnB3nH_u2VymBwHEpl7pbu271xj5usLpjjBuotStzuxXbRSdta0Ws60BzaH13xSYnTppn-T7x3x8ZLLbei8Qc06jcFIwtvvGYIiFGAeajRbwUs-2Qb/s320/pizza1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Toppings: Arugula, goat cheese, parmesan, homemade pesto, sliced and diced tomato, basil, hummus, mozzarella, kalamata olives, capers, and homemade pizza dough out-of-frame.</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/AVvXsEhlGzoMnq0EPVR955U_vCstLUsm0DDiAoBNAuWtNtUwlsE2QxBsjtwAR0oloWI1WZdfQ8DDTk5fFW5QTp0vFUyHqAM5ItKHLJ_GJ1W1eX1YBKS1VsvQ3YdYby9Sr0_R7FZCp11HD7pv882P/s1600/pizza2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGzoMnq0EPVR955U_vCstLUsm0DDiAoBNAuWtNtUwlsE2QxBsjtwAR0oloWI1WZdfQ8DDTk5fFW5QTp0vFUyHqAM5ItKHLJ_GJ1W1eX1YBKS1VsvQ3YdYby9Sr0_R7FZCp11HD7pv882P/s320/pizza2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Before the oven...</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/AVvXsEhHKAxl3OVNyJDLQlsfCOUO2RUm8HQrkw8hbfcHZBNSqulvnBTuXyqpG08N27Jsfa8qSjEyE_QD62cWwGhAq94RJWvZ81ztEgmry3eeRsLIW2GK7Ynba_bhopVxw94fGHhfyg9gmZUTyXKW/s1600/pizza3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKAxl3OVNyJDLQlsfCOUO2RUm8HQrkw8hbfcHZBNSqulvnBTuXyqpG08N27Jsfa8qSjEyE_QD62cWwGhAq94RJWvZ81ztEgmry3eeRsLIW2GK7Ynba_bhopVxw94fGHhfyg9gmZUTyXKW/s320/pizza3.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^425 degrees and 10 minutes later...VOILA! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Last deal of business for the day, some fun incoming mail. I think after this post I will be all caught up with the multiple pieces of mail I've had lying around...such a nice feeling to know I've gotten around to posting it all and can safely put it where it belongs in my stash.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBGO34K9CeyFscVToAkt_ptkzOuctlHMJwU5CF4byO4K-cA_-LKeZNN6Dz1dYDpDeFqn32Jc2U_QIOnpAyHjOW568pfABCAZaiY_GGak9ia8q9wLWxFMReAuaAIvC8fZW2QKH5vfZIyhu/s1600/laurenin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBGO34K9CeyFscVToAkt_ptkzOuctlHMJwU5CF4byO4K-cA_-LKeZNN6Dz1dYDpDeFqn32Jc2U_QIOnpAyHjOW568pfABCAZaiY_GGak9ia8q9wLWxFMReAuaAIvC8fZW2QKH5vfZIyhu/s320/laurenin.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Reply letter from <a href="http://postwiththemost.blogspot.com/">Lauren</a>. LOVE all the date stamping! I want to get one of those stamps so bad but have yet to find one that fits into my budget. They're quite expensive, no?</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/AVvXsEio_zdmuafSmoXRE9L5ZlWiWIPonBHAUTJCdG3qVSCKXqTK9jZbkPBb6wKCBck7rAQ64ItqdGvNscq9fHAx_lwtrleb9V6oJ-ToaJBVylJdi51wLHaLo9B1_5sXMoygf0rpomK154bcgChQ/s1600/laureninback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_zdmuafSmoXRE9L5ZlWiWIPonBHAUTJCdG3qVSCKXqTK9jZbkPBb6wKCBck7rAQ64ItqdGvNscq9fHAx_lwtrleb9V6oJ-ToaJBVylJdi51wLHaLo9B1_5sXMoygf0rpomK154bcgChQ/s320/laureninback.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Back. More date stamps? Yes please.</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/AVvXsEgh70SETIAR3nn1tLLwzHRCjdXEBaeShg6JiHcqYw4ahGi_IkfDuMkg56TftEk-ovbOcY2Wo53cOFYPbctdxZK3GXhcOh4vrPMg9_Vhl0t10JMF8FUTNlWrvEnE4_zRhsy4aqrY_PNv7o6P/s1600/biancaoregonpc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh70SETIAR3nn1tLLwzHRCjdXEBaeShg6JiHcqYw4ahGi_IkfDuMkg56TftEk-ovbOcY2Wo53cOFYPbctdxZK3GXhcOh4vrPMg9_Vhl0t10JMF8FUTNlWrvEnE4_zRhsy4aqrY_PNv7o6P/s320/biancaoregonpc.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^50 State Challenge entry from <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/">Bianca</a>, to cross off Oregon. This is a re-gift from a swap package she received, and it has a welcome spot in my collection now! :)</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/AVvXsEi-2-KtN7GDHQAzIOQ6S5Ffm9LzFBVm_igkxWb9pSvJASf4XexsmwItlO7eXHJPe4_8T75em9LZ4P84uR7oK3WYX7ogqM2GWQTkSYJzjGduutiUNHmiW-eqhca1YH8iFfP9EUGZSMvAD-5Q/s1600/biancaoregonpcback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2-KtN7GDHQAzIOQ6S5Ffm9LzFBVm_igkxWb9pSvJASf4XexsmwItlO7eXHJPe4_8T75em9LZ4P84uR7oK3WYX7ogqM2GWQTkSYJzjGduutiUNHmiW-eqhca1YH8iFfP9EUGZSMvAD-5Q/s320/biancaoregonpcback.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">^Back of the postcard, complete with signature Bianca-esque lettering, handwriting, and adornments. I love the 3-D strawberry! P.S., I guess it might seem kinda weird that I blurred out the message; it's not anything super personal or weird, I'm just taking a cue from other mail-bloggers who do the same. In my mind I guess every message has something unique about it from person to person, and keeping it personal5 between person A and person B is a nice thing to do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNKhuf1g_mPP7_4Gmjo6LjoAEKhHDjK12HvJp0YGh4Q3L9apuoFGWywCq6-DtLF-rVRZdO__OLa9Byk6YaE98JukEV9WfKauahaQgnuyU_Uid2xk6tduGYxFMqL13ZniiWE7iHrGHp3RX/s1600/lindathankyoupcback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNKhuf1g_mPP7_4Gmjo6LjoAEKhHDjK12HvJp0YGh4Q3L9apuoFGWywCq6-DtLF-rVRZdO__OLa9Byk6YaE98JukEV9WfKauahaQgnuyU_Uid2xk6tduGYxFMqL13ZniiWE7iHrGHp3RX/s320/lindathankyoupcback.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Postcard from L, who was one of our dinner guests the other night. She really, really enjoyed all of my postcards, letters, and fantastic things I've received from all over the world! Usually, as I've mentioned before, people think my love for mail is a bit strange and a borderline addiction (LoL), so it was a nice change to have someone who enjoyed it so much! :) I told her if she thought the stuff I've created (envelopes, labels etc.) was so cool she should check out some of my fellow bloggers' stuff and be truly blown away! I have yet to send her those links but now that I'm thinking of it I will. Anyway, instead of a normal thank-you card, she sent a gorgeous postcard thank-you to add to my collection.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqfRoHZlPAnxNMjtOfF767Qd-tHg2q1-VqEM7c-XvxulC9AlcSDxj-ec68JBxJX53H_Xje6L7N_QJgFpOH-OEtrLj-89xZHxL6CWb5CzbnIffcq8CV8iJ_k7n8L_f-YRXVDhsDzQZi5H1/s1600/lindathankyoupc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqfRoHZlPAnxNMjtOfF767Qd-tHg2q1-VqEM7c-XvxulC9AlcSDxj-ec68JBxJX53H_Xje6L7N_QJgFpOH-OEtrLj-89xZHxL6CWb5CzbnIffcq8CV8iJ_k7n8L_f-YRXVDhsDzQZi5H1/s320/lindathankyoupc.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Lovely decorations and a wonderful thank-you note. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well folks, that should do it for this post. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the incoming mail above! By the way, if you see any fun mail items above (i.e. stuff from the stationery swap) that you like and would like to see in your mailbox, let me know! I have a ton of stuff I am dying to use; I know some people who would like certain things, but definitely call dibs on anything you see and like! Also, I have updated my 50 State Challenge list with the postcards I have received this week, so check back and see if you have anything to send my way! :) Like I said before, if you sent me something and I didn't post it here on the blog please let me know so I can give credit where credit's due, ESPECIALLY if you have submitted something for the postcard challenge. I am really appreciative to anyone who sends something for that that I definitely want to acknowledge you all in some way. Alrighty, until next time! :)</div><br />
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</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-29092657050983499622010-03-28T19:53:00.000-07:002010-03-28T19:53:48.846-07:00...And We're Back!Hey everyone! That break was far longer than I had intended, but I'm back in the swing of things and ready to post. I've been getting some great mail and have a good amount of it here, pictures taken, ready to be shown to the world. I have quite a bit so it may not all make it into this one post. By the way, if you sent me something and think I should've gotten it by now and don't see it on here, let me know cuz I really do want to give credit to everyone who sends stuff. I'm trying to keep good track of all my mail but I could easily forget something on accident. So, here's what's been going on:<br />
<br />
Incoming:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bOphgaBHl3LNvCE6xlKtugxhm10OQuJopNlUDUPEkK1WgGOUUgnX9j_3Ul1XyoJM8R0Jj2x0HbR37v8vCmGv5_EEq4BfNO7VQQbebbcPmnCPyN4UxYB0RcMVUWMO2oR9XFbxwIUUydwO/s1600/michigan+pc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bOphgaBHl3LNvCE6xlKtugxhm10OQuJopNlUDUPEkK1WgGOUUgnX9j_3Ul1XyoJM8R0Jj2x0HbR37v8vCmGv5_EEq4BfNO7VQQbebbcPmnCPyN4UxYB0RcMVUWMO2oR9XFbxwIUUydwO/s320/michigan+pc.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Another check off the list for the 50 State Challenge, from a reader named Vicki. Thanks Vicki!</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/AVvXsEght4PZTRT7gYPqj_EVUMgPLb8fKbi9FFua4umv5trsh7EV_SewXQMHK7lTM8BjPTiUcgQ36HnpKDC6pVIrxTLiMO5dSxnAcQXiV7OaQ4sK-NmVv4F0IRysVQmAnVjLO89Ky0Gb6aIhe513/s1600/pcgroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEght4PZTRT7gYPqj_EVUMgPLb8fKbi9FFua4umv5trsh7EV_SewXQMHK7lTM8BjPTiUcgQ36HnpKDC6pVIrxTLiMO5dSxnAcQXiV7OaQ4sK-NmVv4F0IRysVQmAnVjLO89Ky0Gb6aIhe513/s320/pcgroup.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^More 50 State postcards: Washington, D.C., New Mexico, Colorado, New Mexico again, and a second from Michigan. In order from: Ashley, <a href="http://daysdissolve.wordpress.com/">Julie</a>, Melinda, <a href="http://www.simplyanu.blogspot.com/">Anu</a>, and Ambrosia. I love them all, but especially the handmade one from Anu...the bottom right one from NM - some real mail art there! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Outgoing:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7RNe-6oti8rhWg1Scapgx8gwH9zJlPvvyRSwekze6Kpauw4XpgJCVoaAtu-Hgs6DVx-3wDY6625btevJoElP-en9zxWuc_QkOR5Cmfk_2CZ_cJN_areISsRZmhy1fSrzxZe_y_aJPjT0/s1600/laurenoutgoing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7RNe-6oti8rhWg1Scapgx8gwH9zJlPvvyRSwekze6Kpauw4XpgJCVoaAtu-Hgs6DVx-3wDY6625btevJoElP-en9zxWuc_QkOR5Cmfk_2CZ_cJN_areISsRZmhy1fSrzxZe_y_aJPjT0/s320/laurenoutgoing.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Handmade scrapbook envelope to <a href="http://postwiththemost.blogspot.com/">Lauren</a>. She has since written back...shows how long it's been since I posted!</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/AVvXsEiN3xJ8NJfUsmpYCO7GHpHwuErZaNAYSk9WA1Z3L-1zGSZLM7PyZLfoNi66yI1NmxCKBDJ61l2HSjYU3oZVGV-XaZDBkGSn4_83xI8KIZDPrJdSg4IyNASKsAXvE9JIMfeHshDdMzVoH9pe/s1600/alicepostfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3xJ8NJfUsmpYCO7GHpHwuErZaNAYSk9WA1Z3L-1zGSZLM7PyZLfoNi66yI1NmxCKBDJ61l2HSjYU3oZVGV-XaZDBkGSn4_83xI8KIZDPrJdSg4IyNASKsAXvE9JIMfeHshDdMzVoH9pe/s320/alicepostfront.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Postcard, also to Lauren. She had mentioned Alice in Wonderland in a previous letter so I thought she'd like this postcard.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KQ1TF80_N0m-Vs60WthBe2kjKTE3w4Bnp-q8oWlIWPOx8qDrAfTu_UDekPSpBgM-YWY-x4bctFZQfq38nsA7WEcPD3B93DDZhiwIcIdqvAHNeL9LFd96FsYYGFzucL5bepEjEnaHMlhY/s1600/alicepcback2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KQ1TF80_N0m-Vs60WthBe2kjKTE3w4Bnp-q8oWlIWPOx8qDrAfTu_UDekPSpBgM-YWY-x4bctFZQfq38nsA7WEcPD3B93DDZhiwIcIdqvAHNeL9LFd96FsYYGFzucL5bepEjEnaHMlhY/s320/alicepcback2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Back of the postcard above. If your read the message, you'll see I told her about the stamp that surrounds her address. It is a rubber stamp I bought at Michael's for $1.00! I still can't get over it. Most rubber stamps are SO expensive, but they have all these $1.00 bins and actually have a decent selection of rubber stamps. It's [sadly] my only rubber stamp so I am overusing it a bit right now, LoL.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That's it for mail right now, at least what I have photos of. I don't have much more though, so this about covers it. The batter on my camera is dead so as soon as it is charged up I'll put the last few stragglers up.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Back on the 11th and 12th of this month, J and I took a little mini vacay to Palm Springs for a big annual pro tennis event that is held there. We had such a good time; I hadn't been for a few years and J had never been, so it was great to [re]-experience it together. The atmosphere is very intimate, all the top players are there, and you can get really close to everyone and get autographs, take pictures, maybe talk to some of them even! Here are a couple of fun pics we snapped:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCB41IxxoEsd6gYYy_yOKwqtCExPzJ4h7chgKScVynxUCcgRMvw45YZIJwVP86513V2jl9KCVeKhPO7snO_VHrJrIzV3c5swIFY-kW7zvG4NkI3l7JEVq4YOOEhZTYnBgjW-IxMgrRRIm/s1600/fedjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCB41IxxoEsd6gYYy_yOKwqtCExPzJ4h7chgKScVynxUCcgRMvw45YZIJwVP86513V2jl9KCVeKhPO7snO_VHrJrIzV3c5swIFY-kW7zvG4NkI3l7JEVq4YOOEhZTYnBgjW-IxMgrRRIm/s320/fedjpg.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^World #1 Roger Federer...J actually managed to make his way through the mob to get his autograph!</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/AVvXsEhccOU_-ma4whDJP20qha0W2HvlUVZaa3sPXpp4eeobK8UPHABxAEzGLCY_SuaOE4q0h_tKqirDJw40e5zdn5Df8JlWgNp9jmJy5G_og_pWn3MmgYtu7-j9OFD06NzSMYpPGIrxuGfSqTQ0/s1600/jankovic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccOU_-ma4whDJP20qha0W2HvlUVZaa3sPXpp4eeobK8UPHABxAEzGLCY_SuaOE4q0h_tKqirDJw40e5zdn5Df8JlWgNp9jmJy5G_og_pWn3MmgYtu7-j9OFD06NzSMYpPGIrxuGfSqTQ0/s320/jankovic.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Jelena Jankovic, one of my favorite players, who actually ended up winning the whole tournament! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_0q7clrn2y0_Ip_vwQJB6oowYZbnakrWoIeONn-HHmhvGRBcEStFHZPn_BfnmWfC48E-d8J_MoUxGQbRowDqK6qvNpKwdS3fEUttNy-kfxyNiHxTghby_QbcwAe7K5rsCDcLHwFo1VGU/s1600/justine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_0q7clrn2y0_Ip_vwQJB6oowYZbnakrWoIeONn-HHmhvGRBcEStFHZPn_BfnmWfC48E-d8J_MoUxGQbRowDqK6qvNpKwdS3fEUttNy-kfxyNiHxTghby_QbcwAe7K5rsCDcLHwFo1VGU/s320/justine.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Former world #1 Justine Henin, making her comeback after a brief retirement. LOVE HER. Unfortunately she didn't get too far in this tournament... She was also in a hurry to get to her practice so we didn't get her autograph. No worries, I got it a few years back! :)</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/AVvXsEhCvKOXI5d0jR97gRzLjAK-8dDg5lnQyfJOhcdBmDVY0B4oQgF5Z68nf-1wKqMuWKd5iqo0xF1-jApgzykIMIaZjDVYhpls954SqlDKpqHttP_4gW9LNfQwXRoiSv_hg-c5O8OVWpW4dVkE/s1600/davenport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvKOXI5d0jR97gRzLjAK-8dDg5lnQyfJOhcdBmDVY0B4oQgF5Z68nf-1wKqMuWKd5iqo0xF1-jApgzykIMIaZjDVYhpls954SqlDKpqHttP_4gW9LNfQwXRoiSv_hg-c5O8OVWpW4dVkE/s320/davenport.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport. Martina is a living legend and Lindsay is one of my favorite players who retired in the past 5 years. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Some of you may have heard about it, and we were lucky enough to experience, an event called Hit for Haiti. It was a big fundraiser to raise money for Haiti earthquake relief and it just happened to take place on one of the nights we had bought tickets for before the even was even planned! We felt so luck to be there in person for such an amazing event. The 8 players that took part in doubles exhibitions events were:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pete Sampras/Roger Federer vs. Andre Agassi/Rafael Nadal</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lindsay Davenport/Steffi Graf vs. Martina Navratilova/Justine Henin</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It was fun to see all the players having a fun, relaxed time since you usually only see them super serious and playing intense, real matches. There was some awkward tension between Sampras and Agassi that actually made news headlines...J and I didn't think it deserved as much attention as it received in the media, but it was definitely weird. The even raised over $1million, which is amazing, and Tony Bennet came out at the end of the event and sang, which was cool to see as well. I re-watched the event on TV and all the commentators were saying what an historic even it was and that everyone that was there was taking part in a piece of tennis history; it truly was, and like I said, we were so happy to be there. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That'll do it for this post, hope you all enjoyed it. I sent off my items and in turn received my package for the <a href="http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/">Time After Tea</a> stationery swap and will dedicate a post to that since I received an AMAZING package from my partner <a href="http://justletterrip.blogspot.com/">Patty</a>. I sent her a thank-you e-mail but in case she is reading and hasn't gotten it, THANK YOU PATTY! Truly amazing. I will also post the remaining few pictures of other mail I've received lately. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Until next time, folks! :)</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-83603662456526846542010-03-15T18:08:00.000-07:002010-03-15T18:08:04.673-07:00Forget-Me-NotHey everyone,<br />
<br />
This is just a quick post to say I haven't forgotten about my blog and all the wonderful mail I've been getting. I've been out of town, and as I've mentioned before, I share a computer with J, whose school-related duties take priority over my blogging ones (especially during finals week). <br />
<br />
So, I will be taking photos of a bunch of postcards I've been getting for my challenge (thank you, everyone; if you sent a postcard, it will surely make its way onto the blog)! And if you're interested in sending one my way, I have updated the list as of today with cards I've received). I will also have photos of what I've included in my package for Megan's stationery swap that I will be sending out (deadline is tomorrow, yipes)! I've also got some fun pics of the little vacay I took that you all should enjoy as well. Thanks for all of you who keep reading; there will be new things to come shortly!<br />
<br />
Till next time,<br />
<br />
Aaron :)hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-82494961006880046452010-03-07T23:22:00.000-08:002010-03-07T23:22:58.359-08:0024 and Counting...Hey everyone! Been waiting to rack up some good mail before I posted, and I now have some fun stuff to show off. BTW I had some technical difficulties when I was trying to update the layout of my 50 State Challenge post and ended up reposting it rather than just editing it and keeping it in its place in line. Anyway, as always, a big thank you to everyone who is participating; I really, really appreciate it! <a href="http://missivemaven.blogspot.com/">The Missive Maven</a> asked a good question that I wanted to answer publicly since there are probably [more than] a few more people wondering the same thing, and I don't want this to hold anyone back from sending me anything :) She asked if the post<i>card</i> had to be post<i>marked</i> in the same state<i> </i>as was shown on the card. In the beginning, that was my hope, but I realized that that could potentially be <i>very</i> difficult, and what I'm looking for in the first place is a piece of the state, and that is the postcard itself. A few people have sent me postcards of a certain state that were postmarked in a different state and that is more than fine. Like I have said and will say again, I am happy for anything people are able to send! Onto some pictures of the incoming mail. See anything you sent?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillS8zexrqJ8OlHaqKQb8X_6kTTYaTsvWZjY9mkYSMYIEssXrD-tXTE_0aGMUNH70Le0999d4N8gg634_g1E6oq1rc2klToy8xmR-kidDjaChkhOkp4wPTHfoPVTxXSqDrCDB_2dfEzvyL/s1600-h/postcardsgroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillS8zexrqJ8OlHaqKQb8X_6kTTYaTsvWZjY9mkYSMYIEssXrD-tXTE_0aGMUNH70Le0999d4N8gg634_g1E6oq1rc2klToy8xmR-kidDjaChkhOkp4wPTHfoPVTxXSqDrCDB_2dfEzvyL/s320/postcardsgroup.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Group shot</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/AVvXsEgNNrn4bksJGNIt60vC6HzJrGn0K-M_yhoGk87Gc2FzZu9zVv1bUW84HXnauQKY8KSRwetoRu5ydpRo8NUOqwC0i8H8G30ED2jFUX8KrpGM4IozInZirmAeJeXMCWrieQx4daYEXQZ3aDUM/s1600-h/washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNrn4bksJGNIt60vC6HzJrGn0K-M_yhoGk87Gc2FzZu9zVv1bUW84HXnauQKY8KSRwetoRu5ydpRo8NUOqwC0i8H8G30ED2jFUX8KrpGM4IozInZirmAeJeXMCWrieQx4daYEXQZ3aDUM/s320/washington.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^From Lauren, representing Washington state. I already had one for my challenge, so this one went up on my postcard string of lights that surrounds my living room.</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/AVvXsEikWQe8A0u3R0i_6I3DYjLZSBtCEpDB-7NY1-48v2drL9OESBpBdZxcHqDGX82P9eXFVEPn3cD-CWjQbMbIMuhq-hYgNuw0VKj91XXHQ-PNNjSVljZI_ksfAmqC0fovV7vQtfIpPgxQua54/s1600-h/ncarolina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWQe8A0u3R0i_6I3DYjLZSBtCEpDB-7NY1-48v2drL9OESBpBdZxcHqDGX82P9eXFVEPn3cD-CWjQbMbIMuhq-hYgNuw0VKj91XXHQ-PNNjSVljZI_ksfAmqC0fovV7vQtfIpPgxQua54/s320/ncarolina.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Also from Lauren, and same deal as above. Beautiful card, lots of state facts on the back which was cool!</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/AVvXsEgL8JqMvX8sQzNzGPMR_GYhZMEMUOviG9I06UfTFMnmkQjxbOMMOLgM3r95xdY4VQ13B8d4OAogMhlKAwFWjwJju08wGFh3LgUy_MuZXNroMkjac7fUCgkpNpWGhh2C4B9_Rl38zFVx9VJX/s1600-h/pooh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8JqMvX8sQzNzGPMR_GYhZMEMUOviG9I06UfTFMnmkQjxbOMMOLgM3r95xdY4VQ13B8d4OAogMhlKAwFWjwJju08wGFh3LgUy_MuZXNroMkjac7fUCgkpNpWGhh2C4B9_Rl38zFVx9VJX/s320/pooh.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^From <a href="http://einahpetsneleb.blogspot.com/">Belen</a>. OMG, I LOVE this postcard! LoL, Belen, if you're reading, I cracked up SO HARD at what you wrote on the back! Totally true, too! </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/AVvXsEgOk0WKp5j2a1mSLsmKbKQ0FtjtdQ3uCqTXXiw_OBkeXcrrYECYkaIMxqv4CbmpNPdXMRqGqS7WEsiDTnIRjulqqKTSI4VKkXfsE1bw0Fs1CvPvnU2wxcQw-G9loPHzxpAWhtEnrMj42i-K/s1600-h/minnesota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOk0WKp5j2a1mSLsmKbKQ0FtjtdQ3uCqTXXiw_OBkeXcrrYECYkaIMxqv4CbmpNPdXMRqGqS7WEsiDTnIRjulqqKTSI4VKkXfsE1bw0Fs1CvPvnU2wxcQw-G9loPHzxpAWhtEnrMj42i-K/s320/minnesota.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^From a reader named <a href="http://lunsh.net/">Stephanie</a>, this one puts a dent in my challenge for Minnesota! Thanks so much!</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/AVvXsEgAASrItjNj8NtlQqZa-Y9E0RSKbOrmPYqQGzzw4ZGmDcJLOYhHW1KL5fwyDsbarN9Qzid9MivJLhTxlJJjYnypcHuJpXahu7EyYFNXMs4OSuS7kKjjtKb-fQto5JSwBJMP-2L9MlCSPrBB/s1600-h/louisiana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAASrItjNj8NtlQqZa-Y9E0RSKbOrmPYqQGzzw4ZGmDcJLOYhHW1KL5fwyDsbarN9Qzid9MivJLhTxlJJjYnypcHuJpXahu7EyYFNXMs4OSuS7kKjjtKb-fQto5JSwBJMP-2L9MlCSPrBB/s320/louisiana.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^From a reader named <a href="http://greetingcardconnection.blogspot.com/">Jan</a>, to check off Louisiana. Thank you Jan!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That does it for mail to end this week. I need to get my butt in gear and write response letters to <a href="http://missivemaven.blogspot.com/">The Missive Maven</a> and Lauren, who have both sent me great mail in the past week or so. Another big thanks to all of you who have sent me (and are going to send) postcards for the challenge! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">TTYSoon,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Aaron </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">P.S. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm addicted to:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Song of the moment: I Drove All Night</div><div style="text-align: left;">Artist: Celine Dion</div><div style="text-align: left;">Album: One Heart</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-55430457323368958102010-03-05T12:53:00.000-08:002010-03-31T22:00:15.079-07:0050 State Challenge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQKkLWMkvprkvFRJO8CAXRnQRWaZRYVB9xwsDWs_2cHwFyYoGHSP6IyBOHIaJK2mW1ovMqEUhXi6zRvGY1_tA7yTmgItjUYRIfUs_bmICgixUnpFVJfxujnJAP_7GgzYmamqkp7HaA_UT/s1600-h/map.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439512479094303762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQKkLWMkvprkvFRJO8CAXRnQRWaZRYVB9xwsDWs_2cHwFyYoGHSP6IyBOHIaJK2mW1ovMqEUhXi6zRvGY1_tA7yTmgItjUYRIfUs_bmICgixUnpFVJfxujnJAP_7GgzYmamqkp7HaA_UT/s320/map.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 245px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">^Image from </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://vi.sualize.us/view/9a169a19339cd93a5eafa8e09ec168c4/">here</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I've had a mail-related challenge going for a while now, and since I have started up this blog I figured I'd share with all of you. (I feel a bit strange assuming anyone even reads this, but hey, it's worth a shot, and maybe someday I'll have a ton of followers who really can help me out...) It's pretty simple really, but could take a while to complete, and I still have a ways to go. I want to see if I can receive a postcard from each of the 50 United States. So far friends and family have been the ones in on my challenge, but [at the advice of a fellow </span><a href="http://www.goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span">blogger</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">] I decided to put up a post about it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">States listed below are those that I still need postcards from to complete my challenge, and I would be so happy and appreciative to any and all that can help me out with this! So whether you live in/visit/have friends or family in one of the states below, send me a written on/stamped postcard from there and you'll be my new best friend. Here are the 'guidelines' for the challenge:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">1. See if your state (or a state you're visiting) is on my list below.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">2. Comment on this post by letting me know you have something to send, include your e-mail address, and I will send you my address in return.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">3. Send your postcard (include the phrase 'food.fun.post. 50 State Challenge' somewhere on the card, along with your message) and check back here to see it posted on the blog! :) </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Thanks guys! P.S. - I'll be updating this list as I <span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent;">receive</span></span> cards to make sure it is current.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span">***Last update 03.31.2010***</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Alabama<br />
Alaska</span> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Arizona</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Arkansas</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">California</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"> Colorado</span></span> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Connecticut</span> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Delaware</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Florida</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Georgia</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Hawaii</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Idaho<br />
Illinois<br />
Indiana<br />
Iowa<br />
Kansas<br />
Kentucky</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Louisiana</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Maine<br />
Maryland</span> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Massachusetts</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;">Michigan</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Minnesota</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Mississippi<br />
Missouri<br />
Montana</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Nebraska</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Nevada<br />
New Hampshire</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
New Jersey<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"> New Mexico</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">New York</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> North Carolina</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
North Dakota</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ohio</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Oklahoma<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"> Oregon</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Pennsylvania</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Rhode Island</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> South Carolina</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
South Dakota</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Tennessee</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Texas</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Utah<br />
Vermont</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Virginia<br />
Washington</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
West Virginia<br />
Wisconsin<br />
Wyoming</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #010101; font-family: Georgia, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;">**Washington, D.C.***</span></span></span></div><div><br />
</div></span></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-73295051505958678812010-03-02T15:20:00.000-08:002010-03-03T15:16:19.103-08:00'I'm Green But I'm Wise'<div style="text-align: left;">Hey all, just a quick post to show you what's been coming in and going out mail-wise with me. It has been a pretty slow few mail days, so there's not a whole lot, but what is here is great stuff! (I haven't checked the mail yet today since J has the mail key on his keyring and has been out, so there might be some more good stuff waiting for me in there)...</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's start with incoming, just two lonely pieces of mail: </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cuHkWfivJeLd6e54TTuG-qTJY6KyjBsJxg8NYRU9I_vbVkrTeNPELBx6NCkYELGXhf22iimpLeS0pF-ktRX0AfrKXZRkSsRC2uSldmx_oLWNKtXBFsfudy_evtgMlUIJcbjBbk1kmYl4/s1600-h/laurenstuff.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cuHkWfivJeLd6e54TTuG-qTJY6KyjBsJxg8NYRU9I_vbVkrTeNPELBx6NCkYELGXhf22iimpLeS0pF-ktRX0AfrKXZRkSsRC2uSldmx_oLWNKtXBFsfudy_evtgMlUIJcbjBbk1kmYl4/s320/laurenstuff.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444182949460199986" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>^Beautiful French calendar page envelope with a great letter, plus a recipe card by my favorite FoodNetwork chef Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa), all from <a href="http://www.postwiththemost.blogspot.com/">Lauren</a>. She also included some mailing labels which I greatly appreciated!</div><div><br /></div><div>First outgoing is a my Package of Green for <a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a>. I've had all the stuff for this for a while now, and partners were just assigned, so I am excited to tape it up and send it on its way:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQ5hvs6InlZ6PYLlkQwT-GisOvOX5hZBvJFK3IKPXKnQBASKwQhpPsZvWQJqRGLhqdhzQ1TYv1AHxORl0hvy5rgfWq6wlsx1navSXQ41P_2qTCPwNadz1YPfWB8ihZzs9RGE5UDm0VcRU/s1600-h/packageofgreen1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzQ5hvs6InlZ6PYLlkQwT-GisOvOX5hZBvJFK3IKPXKnQBASKwQhpPsZvWQJqRGLhqdhzQ1TYv1AHxORl0hvy5rgfWq6wlsx1navSXQ41P_2qTCPwNadz1YPfWB8ihZzs9RGE5UDm0VcRU/s320/packageofgreen1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444184085989362242" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Side decorations #1</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TApCzd5hAPDa_StnrgX4Jw1VVSTjgEYFw2Op-fYfifgdrWxk8MPNfWySQ-TxBiPDjzs6ejxSUwygjnvwX6IzyeLlOa18FJH8Ny8T_S8mf_1iB7XutkYIHie5fh9_Owy7JBc_eeifSSfL/s1600-h/packageofgreen2.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TApCzd5hAPDa_StnrgX4Jw1VVSTjgEYFw2Op-fYfifgdrWxk8MPNfWySQ-TxBiPDjzs6ejxSUwygjnvwX6IzyeLlOa18FJH8Ny8T_S8mf_1iB7XutkYIHie5fh9_Owy7JBc_eeifSSfL/s320/packageofgreen2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444184214741273202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Side decorations #2</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvJU5z4zcooNAeuwUNxi_7GYcn9WlF6Ob9aDtVKs4d0-vq0zDPlyexQg1G9YHhw35qqizxCYNkjqVMFn1wEUjTA-i59m2EO9PaLffCTA-ty4Fcj4jr55v8meFa7dUdsyqQpDmYrHaZfS5/s1600-h/packageofgreen3.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvJU5z4zcooNAeuwUNxi_7GYcn9WlF6Ob9aDtVKs4d0-vq0zDPlyexQg1G9YHhw35qqizxCYNkjqVMFn1wEUjTA-i59m2EO9PaLffCTA-ty4Fcj4jr55v8meFa7dUdsyqQpDmYrHaZfS5/s320/packageofgreen3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444184327641516914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Side decorations #3</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfv-UxRN7ebQSqsD9_OfX_5aPUaZMXQIEch1CACjLOGWkJS7d7h1J648KGyKe4Z7Tg-BROrq7-eMSGFaTsgRbp01VgLX_O0_JLTwxHTAMP5WIUR4m1HfMXn_zeAGQJxZKb5714qZPzrDmL/s1600-h/packageofgreencontents.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfv-UxRN7ebQSqsD9_OfX_5aPUaZMXQIEch1CACjLOGWkJS7d7h1J648KGyKe4Z7Tg-BROrq7-eMSGFaTsgRbp01VgLX_O0_JLTwxHTAMP5WIUR4m1HfMXn_zeAGQJxZKb5714qZPzrDmL/s320/packageofgreencontents.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444185157630353746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Contents: Package of pencils, ribbon, 2 memo books, 1 set of sticky notes, paint samples (lol), large binder clips, 'good luck' stamp with 4-leaf clover, grow-a-frog, glitter, picture frame, 2 handmade envelopes, magnetic fridge writing pad, 4-leaf clovers stickers, and 'peace' emblem. I hope my swap partner likes all her stuff!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last outgoing was a response to Patty:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjzsJGoZmDEQzyAEH0KZlVgLXsevlU0Mu-UTLaQRSBEpyTQSwBUhlSqU6m6umTiZZ9CyMQT24s1ov_pTh8WKg9JR92Y8vnXxhOVwclPyMAV6t49g_5xMf0srrNXMyONiQ4_inkOLFSadm/s1600-h/pattyfront.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjzsJGoZmDEQzyAEH0KZlVgLXsevlU0Mu-UTLaQRSBEpyTQSwBUhlSqU6m6umTiZZ9CyMQT24s1ov_pTh8WKg9JR92Y8vnXxhOVwclPyMAV6t49g_5xMf0srrNXMyONiQ4_inkOLFSadm/s320/pattyfront.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444186314987494034" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Handmade scrapbook paper envelope with address label from Lauren. A few posts ago I wrote about these little envelopes Patty sent along with her letter, asking me to decorate one and send it back. I put my contribution in with my letter, but since Patty reads my blog, I won't post a picture so she can have a full surprise with it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">OK, J just walked in with today's mail and I got two great postcards that I will post later, maybe tonight. One of them helps me with my 50 State challenge, so I'm excited about that! Good mail vibes to all of you out there!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Aaron :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">P.S. - I know I am completely biased because she is my all-time most favoritest artist ever, but did anyone catch Alanis Morissette's performance at the closing ceremonies of the Olympics? OMG it was gorgeous. She looks amazing and the stage she was on and the setting and the whole mood for the performance was just gorgeous! Check it out <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=f693a8d3-b4e3-4d6b-b435-291cba89c050.html?chrcontext=ceremonies">here</a> if you haven't seen it yet. Which leads me to my:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Song of the moment: Wunderkind</div><div style="text-align: left;">Artist: Alanis Morissette</div><div style="text-align: left;">Album: The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Soundtrack</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-30894355001627619052010-02-26T21:19:00.000-08:002010-02-26T21:52:10.975-08:00Family Ties<div style="text-align: left;">This will be a quick post as J has to get on our [one] computer to do some work on a big paper he has due on Tuesday. But, I really did want to share some mail I got today that made me very happy. The incoming is:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20sZ2XoXA2gkAWnRtSJ09quNnY8neTyGMIj3c9IldrRgBeiJn1LDl-2z_qsSJAmtiWLoqYvPfI8GX4SWjJ5xBFjhr0GVvEP0jFzibGz3oyRwJTs7JLUDdsmqxbTdtiNHOWJ06Y3fnHZfC/s1600-h/rhodeisland.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20sZ2XoXA2gkAWnRtSJ09quNnY8neTyGMIj3c9IldrRgBeiJn1LDl-2z_qsSJAmtiWLoqYvPfI8GX4SWjJ5xBFjhr0GVvEP0jFzibGz3oyRwJTs7JLUDdsmqxbTdtiNHOWJ06Y3fnHZfC/s320/rhodeisland.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442789798717860850" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^A beautiful postcard of Rhode Island from <a href="http://www.missivemaven.blogspot.com/">The Missive Maven</a> to add to my collection for my<a href="http://foodfunpost.blogspot.com/2010/02/50-state-challenge.html"> 50 State Challenge</a>! She told me to let her know if it wasn't "Rhode Island" enough for my challenge...if the Maven is reading, it's perfect! :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Second incoming was:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRrAoa_B0H8bcxnZv2TXGYo7AvmQPffbyj9fFvvQFeAYf1G7fn_OrU0sbqD-E0vAs24uFuaFpGJ93rqTjueA4mduZeqLXOgBuEWDcJTNHTy4oWMDE0p0uwEDRncPUYou1izZAJk0mua-b/s1600-h/colleenfront.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRrAoa_B0H8bcxnZv2TXGYo7AvmQPffbyj9fFvvQFeAYf1G7fn_OrU0sbqD-E0vAs24uFuaFpGJ93rqTjueA4mduZeqLXOgBuEWDcJTNHTy4oWMDE0p0uwEDRncPUYou1izZAJk0mua-b/s320/colleenfront.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442790451245950626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Probably the quirkiest, most out-of-the-ordinary piece of mail I've yet to receive, from my cousin Colleen, who is quite the artist. It is a piece of cardboard that looks like it has been spray-painted with silver paint [it had a very particular scent], then has a hand-sewn piece of fabric stapled to the front. Also, those purple gems are 3-D and stand about 1/4 inch off the card. She said the mail worker calculating her postage actually cut his finger on the staples she used to apply the fabric piece...not sure if she was kidding or not but the staples were taped over...hehe...She has her own etsy shop; I should really get her shop name so I can link it here. She has some amazing quilts on there! I can't wait to come up with something to send her back. This postcard really reminds me that there are [almost] no limits as to what can't be sent through the mail. Colleen, if you're reading, I of course LOVE it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSSQBTUM0z-WOM6NACXj2AkjWUk0vdOYmJgwSjVwgzozHxtI0SNY_pTc_WeQHkGd9-BlglHVkuNVUFRItt-RXP4tcxFh0lXTl4WC8tOpeH84bL6FR0wCQLX328Jylqkr3hJoqG6yYF5FA/s1600-h/collen+back.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSSQBTUM0z-WOM6NACXj2AkjWUk0vdOYmJgwSjVwgzozHxtI0SNY_pTc_WeQHkGd9-BlglHVkuNVUFRItt-RXP4tcxFh0lXTl4WC8tOpeH84bL6FR0wCQLX328Jylqkr3hJoqG6yYF5FA/s320/collen+back.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442796577908370066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Back. This was actually my 2nd card from Montana...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I really should get on some responses to a couple letters I've gotten this week. I have been busy working on some homemade stationery for <a href="http://www.timeaftertea.blogspot.com/">Megan</a>'s stationery swap; partners have just been assigned, actually! It turns out my partner is Patty of <a href="http://justletterrip.blogspot.com/">Just Letter Rip</a>, who was the first participant in my <a href="http://foodfunpost.blogspot.com/2010/02/50-state-challenge.html">50 State Challenge</a>...what a coincidence, right?! I love when stuff like that happens...of all the people who signed up for Megan's swap, my partner is one of the first people I had already 'met' after I got my blog up and running. Anyhow, I've got to start putting together some fun stuff for this swap...I can't wait! :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Jeez, I LOVE MAIL! LoL, sorry that was just one of those outbursts I had to type, because I seriously am just looking at all this great mail I have received and it makes me feel so good! I've said it once, and I've said it again, but I am such a mail geek, and I'm glad I've found <a href="http://www.postwiththemost.blogspot.com/">all</a> <a href="http://www.goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/">you</a><a href="http://einahpetsneleb.blogspot.com/"> kindred</a> <a href="http://justletterrip.blogspot.com/">spirits</a> out there who share the love. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Until next time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">xoxo,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Aaron :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div><br /></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-49345486892777379862010-02-24T20:04:00.000-08:002010-02-24T22:21:01.798-08:00Getting the Word Out<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEw8D6NlpDWa03G9cqNMdT4SpID265ceqIUQQfe-RmcVGj_9bIMoTShFXln5BLOMehvi-utn0BGsXQaLM-2t0QiSx84Z2xSr4vVQrsWbSuOvL5Ra0f0tZ4-G6ZBAHI2SuHodxXerWBQvU/s1600-h/thank+you.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEw8D6NlpDWa03G9cqNMdT4SpID265ceqIUQQfe-RmcVGj_9bIMoTShFXln5BLOMehvi-utn0BGsXQaLM-2t0QiSx84Z2xSr4vVQrsWbSuOvL5Ra0f0tZ4-G6ZBAHI2SuHodxXerWBQvU/s320/thank+you.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442062159971500962" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">^From <a href="http://vi.sualize.us/view/9447845efb57b9c9e3d19959169b6821/">here</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since I've had such great support from fellow bloggers, helping me get the word out in the beginning stages of my blog, I wanted to take this chance to earn some blogging karma points and plug some other bloggers' current projects. Before I start, I want to say thanks so much to <a href="http://www.missivemaven.blogspot.com/">The Missive Maven </a>for giving me a huge <a href="http://missivemaven.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-mail-blog-50-state-challenge-for.html">shout-out </a>on her blog and getting me so many responses for my 50 State Challenge! I can't wait to see what I get in the mail in the coming weeks. AND, thank you to everyone who is participating as well! Bianca over at <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/">Goodnight Little Spoon</a> also gave me a plug on one of her <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/2010/02/golly.html">recent posts</a>; thanks a bunch! Both ladies have awesome post-based blogs, and I highly recommend checking them out if you aren't already a huge fan, like me. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>A fellow blogger named <a href="http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/">Megan</a> is currently hosting her own stationery swap which I joined a few days back. I am so happy to be a part of this; I joined <a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a> a while back, but as a 'newbie,' I'm not able to join a lot of swaps consisting of anything more than a postcard. There are definitely a couple 'package' type swaps that I've been able to join (check back closer to St. Patrick's day for a<a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/53960"> 'Package of Green' swap</a> I'm doing). Anyway, Megan's <a href="http://timeaftertea.blogspot.com/2010/02/stationery-swap.html">swap signups</a> end this Friday the 26th @ 12:00 AM Australian time, so join in while you still can!</div><div><br /></div><div>Lastly, I just discovered a notebook project called <a href="http://thenotebookjourney.blogspot.com/">The Notebook Journey</a>. This <i><b>one</b></i> notebook is traveling all around the world to participants who will decorate one page of the notebook and send it along to its next destination. Such a great idea and I can't wait till it gets around to me! I am #72 out of the 77 signed up [so far] with a max. of 10 days per person, so technically I should get the notebook in approximately 700 days...close to 2 years! How crazy is that? Lauren, the creator, is urging participants to get the word out about the project since she hasn't set a limit to the number of signups. Check it out and join in!</div><div><br /></div><div>Before I move on to food, I wanted to post some incoming and outgoing mail. Starting with incoming, I received a great card and letter (much anticipated) from The Missive Maven:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieN88RTUdi0F-eSLcXhQ_p1mZAHE8SVmJUrdJpBQ6LBEE9eYbhfMV0ecYYYQP37e9FKnX2d0M7w94weaS1VJ31ADHwgpx81IfFgd8m7ZCOOw4ofMB0mW5BYMgXw7GOAKXNl8Gz6af_VIEk/s1600-h/missivemavenfront.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieN88RTUdi0F-eSLcXhQ_p1mZAHE8SVmJUrdJpBQ6LBEE9eYbhfMV0ecYYYQP37e9FKnX2d0M7w94weaS1VJ31ADHwgpx81IfFgd8m7ZCOOw4ofMB0mW5BYMgXw7GOAKXNl8Gz6af_VIEk/s320/missivemavenfront.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442048036904056402" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqC6c9ybJqKWnW23il57aa5MRZPGGEjlX5zIwVAfCUu7QpBtWIJLUo6mU8Ou-vT5GMSPFqdRSf3qYDfMUmzqDzv2oL16z22f9SE7rJJCRTc39BdvIKH8pfkjdKn50Yz7etgwgK6yi2RaU/s1600-h/missivemavencard.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqC6c9ybJqKWnW23il57aa5MRZPGGEjlX5zIwVAfCUu7QpBtWIJLUo6mU8Ou-vT5GMSPFqdRSf3qYDfMUmzqDzv2oL16z22f9SE7rJJCRTc39BdvIKH8pfkjdKn50Yz7etgwgK6yi2RaU/s320/missivemavencard.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442048518364606418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Last piece of mail for the day is some outgoing, a response to Belen:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLX9E6Yz5IRDkREO0JAaakf3Tl1naAjlgPvILRP4E0Xdunc0-UXuO7uRTCiHPR2NidVfd4dowobhPFO4Brcgp1BU6k5pnsd3w6yjulNqPxlnMxk9H6fbNPaA9g-WK7izuIa-2tgw6qGuQ/s1600-h/belenfront.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLX9E6Yz5IRDkREO0JAaakf3Tl1naAjlgPvILRP4E0Xdunc0-UXuO7uRTCiHPR2NidVfd4dowobhPFO4Brcgp1BU6k5pnsd3w6yjulNqPxlnMxk9H6fbNPaA9g-WK7izuIa-2tgw6qGuQ/s320/belenfront.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442049085877805522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6VdFUt6i2NwLSEpbN-wpFjNy0fSAZ7RwrGL01YMmUtpmiYryrtuazb__RjVctvNlwcHXondd3Oz8-8mTzBoaq0pgj5EfqsFLhSdlh-JoVQcnw6EEHTIeNUOTpdyAfytWic-_bboM-ju4/s1600-h/belenback.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6VdFUt6i2NwLSEpbN-wpFjNy0fSAZ7RwrGL01YMmUtpmiYryrtuazb__RjVctvNlwcHXondd3Oz8-8mTzBoaq0pgj5EfqsFLhSdlh-JoVQcnw6EEHTIeNUOTpdyAfytWic-_bboM-ju4/s320/belenback.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442049178237480946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>That'll do it for mail...let's move on to some food. Tonight for dinner I made a take on shrimp scampi and it turned out really well. Here is a pretty accurate representation of what I made tonight...it's not perfect but if you decide to make this it'll get you where you need to be:</div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafQpnTG9MCYJeBJLuvIt81bLh7YVNyxCgT4jooHyYgx7gMvrTHnu0pNVNMfVy_w1qR6jdag72HH_zpz_QpJeMiiqQQDLXKuxQWBEl4I9FEgMG45fhNM794PkuBTvC_jXFZNQ7KTun_4wY/s1600-h/scampi1.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiafQpnTG9MCYJeBJLuvIt81bLh7YVNyxCgT4jooHyYgx7gMvrTHnu0pNVNMfVy_w1qR6jdag72HH_zpz_QpJeMiiqQQDLXKuxQWBEl4I9FEgMG45fhNM794PkuBTvC_jXFZNQ7KTun_4wY/s320/scampi1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442057975456144514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>[My Take On] Shrimp Scampi</i></div><div><i>Serves 2 comfortably</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettucine</div><div><br /></div><div>8-10 (16-20 count) shrimp</div><div>3/4 cup all-purpose flour</div><div>1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, optional</div><div>Kosher salt and pepper, to taste</div><div>2 tablespoons olive oil</div><div><br /></div><div>5 large cloves garlic, minced</div><div>1/4 cup minced onion or shallot</div><div>1/2 cup chicken stock</div><div>3 lemons, zested and juiced, to yield 1/2 cup</div><div>1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley</div><div>4 tablespoons unsalted butter</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Directions:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>1. Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Meanwhile, peel and devein the shrimp if necessary. Make sure they are nice and dry, then place them in a zip-top bag with the flour, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Shake it up to coat the shrimp well, then remove them from the bag and shake free of any excess flour. Set aside.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan until just shimmering. Add the shrimp and saute on both sides until crispy and <b><i>just </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">cooked through; they will continue to cook while they rest. Remove them from the pan and set aside.</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b>3. Lower the heat and add the garlic and onion. (Add a touch more oil if the pan is too dry). Saute for 30 seconds to a minute, until just softened. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half, then add the lemon zest and lemon juice and reduce it by half. Lastly, swirl in the butter until it has just melted and slightly thickened the sauce. Add the parsley (reserving some for garnish if desired) and season to taste with salt and pepper.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Toss pasta with sauce, to taste, and place in your serving dish. Top with the shrimp and more sauce, to taste, then garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy! :)</div><div><br /></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-31504543507407782892010-02-22T21:46:00.000-08:002010-02-22T22:30:10.500-08:00I'd Rather Be Blogging<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOF42uUy3s019D85SVHKdzH9u3wmx2WDmd2Ck26byTO4cbBbPeZtq5p6MkYIWtGf9h-R7wWaW-zK8E5-LSCvFC8rly7b8a0Y5gYv6h6q-d3GedO1Vd1uKTO5ua_VaY0KrOAB9QqE85avKN/s1600-h/strangers+pic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOF42uUy3s019D85SVHKdzH9u3wmx2WDmd2Ck26byTO4cbBbPeZtq5p6MkYIWtGf9h-R7wWaW-zK8E5-LSCvFC8rly7b8a0Y5gYv6h6q-d3GedO1Vd1uKTO5ua_VaY0KrOAB9QqE85avKN/s320/strangers+pic.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441322120436645698" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">^Image from <a href="http://vi.sualize.us/view/8547c053b811d274e938d552b590a7b6/">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Just finished up a nice dinner with J and my mom...I decided to show off all my recent mail (see below) and in turn was [playfully] questioned for the rest of the evening by both of them as to what my mom could have possibly done wrong in my childhood to have made me such a mail freak. Haha, VERY FUNNY. :-/ Made a huge pot of Mexican Chicken Soup and J made the Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread to go alongside. Check it out:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZL0EMRWWNoCi_QP21iIdKo-nVTkyPe5uV_VZKu5mx7VDI0WHAT5AjjgKc9QyPDAfL5sy4wB_zcgvDZrR0kzdO2_dhS9MMLTCH7H7cRDjj1qiVX-TGP5zWBmbVMdbykXnY2nHTExDlWVe/s1600-h/tortillasoup.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZL0EMRWWNoCi_QP21iIdKo-nVTkyPe5uV_VZKu5mx7VDI0WHAT5AjjgKc9QyPDAfL5sy4wB_zcgvDZrR0kzdO2_dhS9MMLTCH7H7cRDjj1qiVX-TGP5zWBmbVMdbykXnY2nHTExDlWVe/s320/tortillasoup.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441313985631358082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Recipes <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mexican-chicken-soup-recipe/index.html">here</a> & <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jalapeno-cheddar-cornbread-recipe/index.html">here</a></div><div><br /></div>Just after I read <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/2010/02/golly.html">this post</a> about a fantastic mail day that a <a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/">fellow blogger</a> had, I went down to my own mailbox and discovered a box full of mail myself! A few days back I got a response to my <a href="http://foodfunpost.blogspot.com/2010/02/50-state-challenge.html">50 State Challenge</a> from a fellow blogger named <a href="http://justletterrip.blogspot.com/">Patty</a> who said she had something to send...and boy did she ever! I was expecting 1 postcard, but instead got 5, each from a state I hadn't received a card from yet! JACKPOT! Also in the mail from her was a giant envelope with a great 'welcome' letter to the Mail Art world, some Mail-Tag requests, and 3 of these little envelopes that no one really knows what they are for. Patty thought maybe they were used in banks back in the day, and my mom, J, and I had no idea what they were for. Anyone know? See the pics:<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjja_ZDOUcqXln5ByX4BDO-FXWMTY4Y4XG_9FNhDuOriapMUM9WSK-hfzrub_OS8gUSeEQj1g5kYrFBHavYWN-aIcUXQ15MQkJHE0JzmEnZqKKvs5rej-aMw629Qt8YZfEZ4ayCKRLhoE/s1600-h/pattygroup.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjja_ZDOUcqXln5ByX4BDO-FXWMTY4Y4XG_9FNhDuOriapMUM9WSK-hfzrub_OS8gUSeEQj1g5kYrFBHavYWN-aIcUXQ15MQkJHE0JzmEnZqKKvs5rej-aMw629Qt8YZfEZ4ayCKRLhoE/s320/pattygroup.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441315249532893746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclBjPf1xnHAI7blKTUbwWfBz54MxH5sJv-Embwc-Jbhic2eA1LFY44EBrvSPob96sqSPZRYy4dZxohppXqynZ6J3nZ74b4e0lTkmyVgSaX2V-YE3QdwoqksC0Dhee1AhPnioahMHKpvmR/s1600-h/patty3.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclBjPf1xnHAI7blKTUbwWfBz54MxH5sJv-Embwc-Jbhic2eA1LFY44EBrvSPob96sqSPZRYy4dZxohppXqynZ6J3nZ74b4e0lTkmyVgSaX2V-YE3QdwoqksC0Dhee1AhPnioahMHKpvmR/s320/patty3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441315655122642802" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6Mf0qeJVvozOL3t8DytlKstBPxKo4ZlyO3wWaxdfnAWUPcctbVNsN2H7hW2ISZILBdxJ1yirBwkI8NVWy9_DlkAFkmGAl0N_fTlm5lEie1RMGYWpG9lX4I0Q60savXq20cUJMHYFswVU/s1600-h/patty5.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6Mf0qeJVvozOL3t8DytlKstBPxKo4ZlyO3wWaxdfnAWUPcctbVNsN2H7hW2ISZILBdxJ1yirBwkI8NVWy9_DlkAFkmGAl0N_fTlm5lEie1RMGYWpG9lX4I0Q60savXq20cUJMHYFswVU/s320/patty5.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441316185458499586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDFq9Sdzs32POcu0a89AbvPpjLIvukdEe0ayvd_fGvUMZY4xDhlhWMx_hluM5di8aihQx2-nA9GGsfun3HwgJRhxN6ZQvDHJdZzcyexWKq0KY_CDSygGSEAKgNHREsOS5j5_4IHybgbEo/s1600-h/pattypackagefront.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDFq9Sdzs32POcu0a89AbvPpjLIvukdEe0ayvd_fGvUMZY4xDhlhWMx_hluM5di8aihQx2-nA9GGsfun3HwgJRhxN6ZQvDHJdZzcyexWKq0KY_CDSygGSEAKgNHREsOS5j5_4IHybgbEo/s320/pattypackagefront.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441315422676984594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVKxLEUpUV8nDTJHDlU_ObfmXxQBdvftm9e9HxVBpV3BiF5BwBaMqQYkPfa_vOvZX7eF8C-KECRAVhnfxUtbQYMWnOvjBX_lciyHHIbCTUJMqbK_qBS5bq7C__xIjK4fd2CZJNg7CkyRX/s1600-h/checkholder1.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOVKxLEUpUV8nDTJHDlU_ObfmXxQBdvftm9e9HxVBpV3BiF5BwBaMqQYkPfa_vOvZX7eF8C-KECRAVhnfxUtbQYMWnOvjBX_lciyHHIbCTUJMqbK_qBS5bq7C__xIjK4fd2CZJNg7CkyRX/s320/checkholder1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441317010169844002" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^She sent 3 and asked that I decorate 1 and send it back as a kind of project she has going. Fun!</div><div><br /></div><div>Realized the photos of the other 3 postcards didn't come out too clear so I didn't post them. Sorry Patty. I have to say, it was SO cool getting such unexpected mail! I knew I was getting SOMETHING from her, but I had no idea it would be this much stuff and put together so nicely. Thanks a bunch Patty.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. - Thanks to all of the other people who have commented on my 50 State Challenge post, offering to send me stuff. I really appreciate it and it's so exciting to get messages from strangers who are offering to help out! It's truly a nice feeling. If you are a new reader and don't know what I'm talking about, see if you can help me out <a href="http://foodfunpost.blogspot.com/2010/02/50-state-challenge.html">here</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div>One more incoming item was a beautiful postcard from Portugal through <a href="http://www.postcrossing.com/">Postcrossing</a>:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQQXMUMKkfL2JVs5h7ab9Xl2JRW1h27kCG2jtfpTuWaXoRY_Z5WHImsxERtRKJa5zwc4NnQ8AcHjxlcdFdMcQ8u_EVfkkNjnqI-O34lvxXXxl2WtHFH7Pvc6DnUorsI_snW2XIsDjjzYq/s1600-h/postcrossing.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQQXMUMKkfL2JVs5h7ab9Xl2JRW1h27kCG2jtfpTuWaXoRY_Z5WHImsxERtRKJa5zwc4NnQ8AcHjxlcdFdMcQ8u_EVfkkNjnqI-O34lvxXXxl2WtHFH7Pvc6DnUorsI_snW2XIsDjjzYq/s320/postcrossing.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441318793801622594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Hmm...a Portugese Postcrossing postcard. P-p-p</div><div><br /></div><div>Onto some outgoing mail...I put together a response letter for Bianca and realized my items for her Mail-Tag requests wouldn't all fit in one envelope, so I made up another one and put all my items in there. I hope she likes what I sent. Here are the envelopes my stuff got sent in:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj23OQqlhdxsHV1vsJErF2pGr_Un0xF6xiEHpc66l_nyOhbFtGBHiJHL8edybzA2s0EAhOvYdrr670-WBsECkBvhz-CWZu7qRhqEwhSJM3eReANgWOspHW4ql-fhMB2lyFbAzv8qyD339E/s1600-h/biancafront2.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj23OQqlhdxsHV1vsJErF2pGr_Un0xF6xiEHpc66l_nyOhbFtGBHiJHL8edybzA2s0EAhOvYdrr670-WBsECkBvhz-CWZu7qRhqEwhSJM3eReANgWOspHW4ql-fhMB2lyFbAzv8qyD339E/s320/biancafront2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441318015541136514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Mail-Tag</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIcQ0q-SYlEZuRrQdbRf0H_hLRWF_I3aAvp3qBxbJv1G2tb28mvotndvKJ9n2rrTc0ytkUWtznEL7rOJlvEtTYyaRJ8IBZFn_oOdQVWAKKoNvlrUo5JJJFVmVnxkvItLceb-GymS6e-CG/s1600-h/biancafront.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIcQ0q-SYlEZuRrQdbRf0H_hLRWF_I3aAvp3qBxbJv1G2tb28mvotndvKJ9n2rrTc0ytkUWtznEL7rOJlvEtTYyaRJ8IBZFn_oOdQVWAKKoNvlrUo5JJJFVmVnxkvItLceb-GymS6e-CG/s320/biancafront.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441318221474756578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB5KdPGEyRwJCHROfnYL-t7PemTYImKkV1eIkPrcZgnko2zbyBfFoZmyg5zRpNhAmd34ITn4Lf37TZoPXOi0WMKjZszh5iJhyphenhyphenZsatQLipAMKSM9m4dPYbz9Ld72YKYz68pIMrX4WexfPw/s1600-h/biancaback.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB5KdPGEyRwJCHROfnYL-t7PemTYImKkV1eIkPrcZgnko2zbyBfFoZmyg5zRpNhAmd34ITn4Lf37TZoPXOi0WMKjZszh5iJhyphenhyphenZsatQLipAMKSM9m4dPYbz9Ld72YKYz68pIMrX4WexfPw/s320/biancaback.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441318363103540066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>^Front & back of the collaged envelope I sent my letter in. It got a little busier than I wanted but hey, each piece of art is unique in its own way right?</div><div><br /></div><div>Alright folks, I gotta go get myself prepared for work tomorrow...and believe me, as the post title says, <i>I'd rather be blogging! </i>In all honesty though, I am so grateful for my job and the work I do, I really shouldn't complain; it's just, when there's mail to enjoy and letters to write...it's hard to focus on other stuff!</div><div><br /></div><div>Until next time. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Aaron :)</div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-34842402027234271072010-02-19T23:32:00.000-08:002010-03-05T12:56:35.804-08:00Grams' Birthday<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">Today we celebrated my Grandma's 77th birthday! Her actual birthday was the 17th but we were all only able to get together today. Because she recognizes Lent she was unable to eat meat today (Friday), and unfortunately for her, every year she gives up sweets/treats/snacks, so there was no dessert as usual. That being said, J and I put together a wonderful 2-course dinner that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Both recipes are from one of my favorite cookbooks, </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Suppers-Lucques-Seasonal-Recipes/dp/1400042151/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266651926&sr=8-1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">Sunday Suppers at Lucques</span></a>, by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Goin"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;">Suzanne Goin</span></a>. The fish recipe we adapted a bit as to what was available ingredient-wise. See pics below:</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y8PSZLsXU_4XGjXaSxL6R0cdI6YM-8p7Eu-prrCjwF_ytFNyjNHfWfT-M90GfaHjDibsGpeTEy962G0UXHmC1cysE6CwtLUZVTrv43Mh9seXosWjntPGT3nRxz3kDp58p-g7XkQ8tmWD/s1600-h/tart.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440226897951032978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Y8PSZLsXU_4XGjXaSxL6R0cdI6YM-8p7Eu-prrCjwF_ytFNyjNHfWfT-M90GfaHjDibsGpeTEy962G0UXHmC1cysE6CwtLUZVTrv43Mh9seXosWjntPGT3nRxz3kDp58p-g7XkQ8tmWD/s320/tart.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^Swiss chard tart with goat cheese and currant-pine nut relish</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4JiAO5EEp43NAEYif9eJ_VkNxyjkpHgiwx6EmoQqJzoDels5zXPjvD6VQuxVMnCAQpnSTyO1g-F3bsJBTSGrby0HnKG5Gciov1SX1OVaUQ6AcLB9zWB8BoY5YrPddONHHA4tOiM5Qb88/s1600-h/fish.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440227215234616002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4JiAO5EEp43NAEYif9eJ_VkNxyjkpHgiwx6EmoQqJzoDels5zXPjvD6VQuxVMnCAQpnSTyO1g-F3bsJBTSGrby0HnKG5Gciov1SX1OVaUQ6AcLB9zWB8BoY5YrPddONHHA4tOiM5Qb88/s320/fish.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>^Wild Alaskan halibut marinated in fresh thyme, parsley, and blood orange zest, served over red and black rice risotto with blood orange reduction</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm always worried the food I serve won't be enjoyed but everyone seemed to truly enjoy both courses which made me really happy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sorry for those of you who are not into Valentine's Day, but I am going to get a bit corny here... I actually wasn't sure if I even wanted to post about this because I'm not usually the guy who does the typical cheesy love stuff and I know some people get bugged by it but... Yesterday was another good food day; since our V-day celebration was put off due to J's family visit, I decided to make us a nice dinner yesterday instead. I heard this great idea a while back to recreate (at home) a meal you and your special someone had on a first date or past Valentine's day at a restaurant out. I decided to make the dishes we each had on our first date at a local restaurant...a Cobb salad and chicken piccata. Without sounding full of myself, I must say the food I made turned out better than what we ate at the restaurant. J was super surprised and loved it so I was very, very happy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw6wmPlpWHQaDKCZhPfrZJ3dMBxr0RNjZy84AxD6oLy25mWRMHDdkuCTdP4kR8OUSXxCAGDgr-Fb0zZb-mfI_p1iX1k1m68gEuFa-zrYctXjtT4nKTLmkng2qp_unhMNz-5xdM4nVVt3x/s1600-h/chicken+piccata.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440242652602756882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw6wmPlpWHQaDKCZhPfrZJ3dMBxr0RNjZy84AxD6oLy25mWRMHDdkuCTdP4kR8OUSXxCAGDgr-Fb0zZb-mfI_p1iX1k1m68gEuFa-zrYctXjtT4nKTLmkng2qp_unhMNz-5xdM4nVVt3x/s320/chicken+piccata.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^J's chicken piccata</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0UtkWtgxRB5BEV9qfXL50czHZx-996YAFmrpXYAQ3mcVMz-qixt4lIMYkWgO8atPMJ4pYLkGKo9_Gqw4Vxp6erU6vbWQyv3ghOmx-3uUVPohrvEOuKmIc9SbPnksNUyptgAMX0WNN-rp/s1600-h/cobbsalad.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440242592005611122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0UtkWtgxRB5BEV9qfXL50czHZx-996YAFmrpXYAQ3mcVMz-qixt4lIMYkWgO8atPMJ4pYLkGKo9_Gqw4Vxp6erU6vbWQyv3ghOmx-3uUVPohrvEOuKmIc9SbPnksNUyptgAMX0WNN-rp/s320/cobbsalad.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^My Cobb salad</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Shall we move onto some great mail? OK then...Two days ago the following letter from <a href="http://www.einahpetsneleb.blogspot.com/">Belen</a> came, and totally brightened up my mailbox! This is one of the coolest envelopes I've gotten; it is made from see-through vellum scrapbook paper. Enclosed was a great, long letter and the smallest most perfect little paper crane! So neat!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck-aUP7daCSqCDfhL_0cvpYZlDsS-v8aIxGq1rqAbdSjm0wC-6rU4ovHfkfLEQc8wYoxi8yOMuOhrb-w3UaPAQ0MLcmD6NPBXDZQzzSSaAnEEgiqyWjzi3TkBT1qfXZJQ5VJUns3MWLTk/s1600-h/belen+rainbow.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440232999624144866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck-aUP7daCSqCDfhL_0cvpYZlDsS-v8aIxGq1rqAbdSjm0wC-6rU4ovHfkfLEQc8wYoxi8yOMuOhrb-w3UaPAQ0MLcmD6NPBXDZQzzSSaAnEEgiqyWjzi3TkBT1qfXZJQ5VJUns3MWLTk/s320/belen+rainbow.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Last piece of mail for this post came today as part of my Mix CD Scavenger Hunt on <a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a>. This package came from Canada and had the track list on the coolest stationery! Of course I forgot to take a picture but oh well. Cute stickers on the package, no?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheocF01GniERUu5B91eYw-gOERITEH45tNcreuoCevDrJbpHLzgN8KstqzFA0BA4yMEYVOJ8fzo0M2UMutXasaSZnIZmT1Yk4OntFS4hYtYlP2SSZz8K_Z3M9Xi-IxxI2_HpBuSKm6Fpfq/s1600-h/CD.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440241848575802450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheocF01GniERUu5B91eYw-gOERITEH45tNcreuoCevDrJbpHLzgN8KstqzFA0BA4yMEYVOJ8fzo0M2UMutXasaSZnIZmT1Yk4OntFS4hYtYlP2SSZz8K_Z3M9Xi-IxxI2_HpBuSKm6Fpfq/s320/CD.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^I really need to start building up my accessory collection...stamps, stickers, etc. They make such a difference in making a package more special!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of stationery, I think I want to try making my own stationery. I was thinking I could just cut and paste magazine/newspaper/etc. clippings on plain paper and photocopy or scan them and have great original writing paper? Anyone have suggestions on other ways to do fun stuff like that, or have examples to share? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That'll do it for this post. Thanks for everyone who's reading! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Till next time,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Aaron :)</div><div></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-82756077168072513242010-02-16T19:38:00.000-08:002010-02-17T18:33:38.299-08:00Mail-Tag<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Today was one of the better mail days I've had. I think it's so funny how when you really want something or you anticipate something happening, it doesn't happen, and when you're totally not expecting something, it happens, or you get it, or whatever the case may be. Today I went to the mailbox expecting a letter from someone in California, only to find that not only was that not there, but a CD for the </span><a href="http://foodfunpost.blogspot.com/2010/02/shabu-shabu-swapping-and-sunshine.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mix CD Scavenger Hunt</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> I participated in was, along with a much anticipated letter from the wonderful Bianca of </span><a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Goodnight Little Spoon</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Her blog was, I believe, the first I came across when searching for mail-related resources and it is so well-put-together, fun to read, amazing to look at, I could go on. A while back I sent her a letter and couldn't WAIT until she posted it on her blog...it finally arrived after two[ish] long weeks and then there it was! Even more exciting was when she posted pictures of her reply to me...I couldn't wait to get something in the mail from her! And then today, there it was - and the contents inside did not disappoint! Sorry, I may sound a little strangely excited about this but my fellow mail geeks will understand where I'm coming from here. Here is a picture of my lovely first letter from </span><a href="http://goodnightlittlespoon.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Bianca</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglmdf5iPrLmUPcYvmI-Wh5HBe3nuVhe0JdVgpTvD4kbhdEQ49igtpG3LHDYHqp7HP8wHFxHLS7cGkrGaLZNvgnYpCkGNIS3NOvz9q91WR4fiAl9ndzLqKxlkyTkRjn2tZ5YCwm0VJWvUA/s1600-h/bianca+front.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglmdf5iPrLmUPcYvmI-Wh5HBe3nuVhe0JdVgpTvD4kbhdEQ49igtpG3LHDYHqp7HP8wHFxHLS7cGkrGaLZNvgnYpCkGNIS3NOvz9q91WR4fiAl9ndzLqKxlkyTkRjn2tZ5YCwm0VJWvUA/s320/bianca+front.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439054809150713426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">^Front...I love the story behind the mustached Mona Lisa; I guess Bianca had just read a theory that the Mona Lisa is actually a self-portrait of Da Vinci in drag...so she went ahead and put a mustache on her...LOVE IT!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdFs_nUigvXrPtIE_B5nna0vCjX68O1ktAcmlTz-hqg0wagmt09uS-BmgA_e4usBwDu6ko2gS6F0POYeEq3cmn-IiPrGVJsM8wqJT9P68iOBwzIrWqw_0z9WxCYiHv6QSwSCS94-MjZao/s1600-h/bianca+back.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdFs_nUigvXrPtIE_B5nna0vCjX68O1ktAcmlTz-hqg0wagmt09uS-BmgA_e4usBwDu6ko2gS6F0POYeEq3cmn-IiPrGVJsM8wqJT9P68iOBwzIrWqw_0z9WxCYiHv6QSwSCS94-MjZao/s320/bianca+back.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439055398217240482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">^Back. Jeez, I just love all her accessories...labels, stamps...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET3cClkz49J6dtUapIo1IldeiomX3CD41LYMvHWZz8AR1-z-Z4hjxKJgm-tgclfZEiHrYSOQKv5iWpslpaewPqWcXX9ZpchgwnWNM31jW77pc_lXXgb4jPLPkH4tK4SVMBOdr9-QS7Nse/s1600-h/bianca+contents.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET3cClkz49J6dtUapIo1IldeiomX3CD41LYMvHWZz8AR1-z-Z4hjxKJgm-tgclfZEiHrYSOQKv5iWpslpaewPqWcXX9ZpchgwnWNM31jW77pc_lXXgb4jPLPkH4tK4SVMBOdr9-QS7Nse/s320/bianca+contents.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439055528516845538" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">^Contents...wonderful letter, peppermint tea, and a game of Mail-Tag!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The thing I loved most about this letter is that it really broke the confusion of what to say in a first letter. All the first letters I've written have kind of followed the same guidelines - age, location, hobbies, etc., etc., etc., which her letter did, but also made it fun. And, the game of Mail-Tag is such a fun idea, and a great way to keep the subsequent letters fun and interesting and really gives you something to look forward to! Here are the guidelines for Mail-Tag:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">'Mail-tag consists of an exchange of postal correspondence between (2) people. The first person begins the game by requesting one or more desired things. That person then mails those requests to the other participant - who interprets those requests, writes a list of their own requests for the other participant and sends them back. You can take as much or as little time to compose and send back your reply, ask for as few or as many things in your requests and generally interpret requests in whichever way you see fit.'</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I really can't wait to respond to Bianca and put together the 3 items she requested for Mail-Tag. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Onto my other great piece of mail from today, my first CD for the Mix CD Scavenger Hunt on</span><a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Swap-bot</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I haven't given the CD a full listen yet, but when I popped it into the CD player I liked what I heard so far. This type of swap is a really great way to expose yourself to new music that you [probably] would never have listened to otherwise.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnohaTYWt_-eCeVc5HQ1-czxxqpoHxxMfE3Vo8dL95lOnSg5aoWGH_XOG51arfmlgfiBb1e-TP4ETccDCP_bx8V4uzCdxX13aV-Vvmc26wHtd479310OAsEJY4W03FHx1cjWqAnnuG3Q0a/s1600-h/CD+swap+contents.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnohaTYWt_-eCeVc5HQ1-czxxqpoHxxMfE3Vo8dL95lOnSg5aoWGH_XOG51arfmlgfiBb1e-TP4ETccDCP_bx8V4uzCdxX13aV-Vvmc26wHtd479310OAsEJY4W03FHx1cjWqAnnuG3Q0a/s320/CD+swap+contents.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439060844257999570" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">^Tracklist and postcard enclosed in the Mix CD Swap.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">OK, on to my last piece of mail for the day - my V-Day gift from J. It's not mail yet, but it will be eventually. He did some very sneaky over-the-shoulder snooping and discovered a website called </span><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Zazzle</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> that I've been looking at recently. It's a great website that does custom printing, custom postage, sells cards and postcards, etc. Combining two of my favorite things, J got me about 20 Alice in Wonderland themed postcards...great right?! Here are a few of my favorites from the group:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB9w2j3n09Hsd5mgHPUkCKMZnJdW4Lu4ar0y8Wnj0KD5ICc8qdaytyHeC2Ybh4-km5MF98_BXcCIDBvQnWmsXF-HRziI5S5PK3VLfmcztCVbqYUqQZRY0J1-Do7D5AVlwpVY_n_fLkSbj/s1600-h/alice+pcs.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqB9w2j3n09Hsd5mgHPUkCKMZnJdW4Lu4ar0y8Wnj0KD5ICc8qdaytyHeC2Ybh4-km5MF98_BXcCIDBvQnWmsXF-HRziI5S5PK3VLfmcztCVbqYUqQZRY0J1-Do7D5AVlwpVY_n_fLkSbj/s320/alice+pcs.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439063192244773426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">^My favorite Disney movie in postcard form. <3</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Oh shoot! I almost forgot one more thing - a cute handmade Valentine I got from my co-worker Jacquie. She was on time and gave it to me at work on the 14th, but I'm just now getting around to posting it. I love the way she did this - so simple, no envelope, just a couple different kinds of paper turned into a great card. I actually used the same flowery scrapbook paper that she used on the center of this to make one of my many handmade envelopes a couple weeks ago.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbtznVZ9INBjDo0Lsde4fgc1nCs-mjbAk-fkF2CTxj3zPO9oGBswauw3pCnJdGfa_QuKnhE32Ahcn4N45p5GHbQACUg1gQI3Ha0VOpERd-dLFtzAsEFY278NkgIrlN_tHdKKGkMbcMqnF/s1600-h/jacquie+valentine.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbtznVZ9INBjDo0Lsde4fgc1nCs-mjbAk-fkF2CTxj3zPO9oGBswauw3pCnJdGfa_QuKnhE32Ahcn4N45p5GHbQACUg1gQI3Ha0VOpERd-dLFtzAsEFY278NkgIrlN_tHdKKGkMbcMqnF/s320/jacquie+valentine.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439066317268675970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">^J says the chinese symbol means 'hope.'</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">OK, that should do it for today folks. Hope you all are having a great day, be it food, fun, or post-wise! Until next time,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Aaron :)</span></div></div></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-12619616634148834002010-02-15T20:18:00.000-08:002010-02-16T18:50:36.915-08:00Shabu-shabu, Swapping, and Sunshine<div style="text-align: left;">Hi everyone! I finally have some fun stuff to post about, so here we go! Sorry for the corny S-S-S title for this post, but I gotta come up with something clever for all these titles! Alright, if we</div><div style="text-align: left;">break it down by category, here we go:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LYmKtwav9lX3K-65Wn_mTFKBRjoSkP6B-qCrzr3tESNsIr2IklmUcehFDIk8z_UtcZFpzzqp3Hg_UTOfZYcAQ9MpEVOPz1CW4ASrSSYl_o636h6yJtIsnjd12afHo9SkMRhj1iqOJvWQ/s1600-h/CD+Package+Outside.JPG"></a></span>-Shabu-shabu: Yesterday was Chinese New Year and J was originally supposed to go back home and celebrate, but, long story short, decided against it since the short trip would not be worth the 8-10 hours of driving it required. His family still really wanted to see him and had never been to our apartment so they asked if they could all come visit us instead, and of course we said yes. To be honest, I was dreading the thought of hosting 6 people (8 including us) in our apartment, but we made it work in the end and had a really nice time. The family loves doing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabu-shabu">Shabu-shabu</a> dinners and it really is a lot of fun. We had all the fixin's - beef, pork, shrimp, cuttlefish, clams, fresh cilantro, watercress, and Chinese broccoli - his family really does go all out when it comes to Shabu. We made our way through a couple bottles of wine, and by the end of the night we were all full to the brim before we went to bed. We said goodbye to everybody today as they made their way back home and we got back to our normal routine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Swapping: One of the online mailing resources I have discovered is called <a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a>. All my fellow mail geeks out there will already know about it, but for my friends who don't, it's a mail exchange service for just about anything. You sign up for an account and can then search for swaps by category - food, music, books, etc., etc., etc. You, along with people who are interested in the same swaps, will sign up and eventually be assigned partners to whom you will send your items, whatever they may be. The latest swap I joined was a Mix CD Scavenger Hunt. The creator of the swap came up with 20 categories, and you had to find songs in your music library that fit the category and then put them on a CD. It was something I had seen on <a href="http://www.swap-bot.com/">Swap-bot</a> before and wanted to do and finally came across one I could join in time. It was a little challenging, but eventually I found a song for every category. Here's what the contents 1 of my 2 envelopes looks like, making its way to Australia: (the other is going to Canada).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsv46YvywmXHoTZ7a-bnkPmD8Bg1gNDSYz5LNHdZyQFpJtCmFeOaBTsgNIqVG1HleS-w5O9eBXsNabLBGpnKobR255jXtlQtoCg5vSU4kSvWxTc7Fgm0oQE5S9BtAKgEKmUqAVJby3AAE/s1600-h/CD+Package+Outside.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsv46YvywmXHoTZ7a-bnkPmD8Bg1gNDSYz5LNHdZyQFpJtCmFeOaBTsgNIqVG1HleS-w5O9eBXsNabLBGpnKobR255jXtlQtoCg5vSU4kSvWxTc7Fgm0oQE5S9BtAKgEKmUqAVJby3AAE/s320/CD+Package+Outside.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438697279877199698" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhY1rjS-owndGh-d4Inu0hBmwSBf8uTBCLzrFMpc_RSIEPaEZdmNqsPq1ZmM5QJM5POSVghXYnFdmbiUTihb7ko0ffYU8nYiUODZhH2GNVPcnRqB8H8vXFXvyVCI7kuDKSrvBuz4OpdFjZ/s1600-h/CD.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhY1rjS-owndGh-d4Inu0hBmwSBf8uTBCLzrFMpc_RSIEPaEZdmNqsPq1ZmM5QJM5POSVghXYnFdmbiUTihb7ko0ffYU8nYiUODZhH2GNVPcnRqB8H8vXFXvyVCI7kuDKSrvBuz4OpdFjZ/s320/CD.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438697541366539762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKTsii6eHpRMZkvurIG7BsOg_tfJs2PijS-Zml9xVWk5jrIKAu4C5FdjhZhHmB9HxJLkJUTiOUkB6GdzXTRSuOtClTewTPZFL-WHYtjt77Sntgy2E6n4_0sw2zmlx2-psm1yLVYa5Zf_z/s1600-h/CD+Tracklist+front.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKTsii6eHpRMZkvurIG7BsOg_tfJs2PijS-Zml9xVWk5jrIKAu4C5FdjhZhHmB9HxJLkJUTiOUkB6GdzXTRSuOtClTewTPZFL-WHYtjt77Sntgy2E6n4_0sw2zmlx2-psm1yLVYa5Zf_z/s320/CD+Tracklist+front.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438697428444176306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEzT2Lgl4_uwZ1UYW7HaL4wMZUNxiFWj_uJyClSY_HAeyVtgmdojFM5lobR0I8G3ARNHYBRVF4Zs3IDNaUDH3QaeojRJaaAQu3tiBQJbHkKUz1tz122eI5AwZHebUWVX3s2FHI70cckmB/s1600-h/CD+Tracklist+Back.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEzT2Lgl4_uwZ1UYW7HaL4wMZUNxiFWj_uJyClSY_HAeyVtgmdojFM5lobR0I8G3ARNHYBRVF4Zs3IDNaUDH3QaeojRJaaAQu3tiBQJbHkKUz1tz122eI5AwZHebUWVX3s2FHI70cckmB/s320/CD+Tracklist+Back.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438697355418261570" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">^A bit hard to read, sorry...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So you have an idea of all the categories and the songs I chose for each, here they are:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px; font-family:Helvetica, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><ol style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 20px; text-align: left; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A sarcastic song.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song from a kids’ movie.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that includes some whistling.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song sung by an actor/singer.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that includes either na-na-na-na or la-la-la-la.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that says exactly what you wish you could say to someone in your life (now or in your past).</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that has lyrics that make you go “heh?”</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song sung by someone you had/have a crush on.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that you might play if you were nodding off while driving, to wake yourself up.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that mentions a season either in the title or the lyrics.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Your favourite Queen song.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that you would play on a badass roadtrip to total debauchery.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song sung by an American Idol contestant.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that makes you want to be 16 again.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that you think would suit as background music for a grown-up sit-down dinner.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that you think would suit as background music for a brunch with lots of children.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that you think would suit as background music for a big cocktail party.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that talks about a grandparent.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that puts you in your parents’ living room growing up.</span></span></li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-type: decimal; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A song that you’d put on a mix cd for your best mate.</span></span></li></ol></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I've been thinking of hosting a handmade envelope swap since that is my current obsession and I have about 35 envelopes ready to be used. After a while you do get sick of staring at your own things, and I'm sure there's people out there who would appreciate and use the stuff I've made, and vice versa. I'm always interested in seeing other peoples' artistic and creative styles and this would be a perfect opportunity to do all of the above. Well, that's that for swapping. Onto the sunshine...</div><div><br /></div><div>We had absolutely beautiful weather here for the past few days (after a couple weeks of awful on-and-off rain) and we took advantage of it! On Saturday and today J and I got out and played tennis...about an hour and a half on Saturday and and hour today. He has only played a handful of time and basically the only instruction he has had is from me, and I have to say, he has improved immensely since I first started hitting with him. He hits some really great shots and we can actually rally now, where as before it was much harder to carry on a point. It's nice to have a tennis partner who's always around and who you know will always want to play. </div><div><br /></div><div>Alright, time to head to the kitchen and whip up some din-din. Hope you all are well...until next time!</div><div><br /></div><div>Aaron :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZQwp9ckdb7x39jCqN9Gq0jx3Ly0JYeNkfcIDqhWnuUzSc2S8goViXaXQLTmNWPtbByjFQG3hdJuSmvnQs6xBzH_VnGg3tqWDtmZpeEDx0dGsJULgorxGeKgNjmzkCl6nrQ0-IbX7UMe1/s1600-h/CD.JPG"><br /></a></div><div> </div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-69906712567352375662010-02-10T00:11:00.001-08:002010-02-10T15:02:30.095-08:00Happy [Early] Valentine's Day<div style="text-align: left;">Hello, hello! This is going to be what I consider my first 'real' post. I have finally taken some good quality photos of some incoming and outgoing mail, edited it properly, and am ready to roll! This will be a mail-only post, with a culinary club post [hopefully] soon to come. We had an amazing dinner the other night and I can't wait to share our menu and photos from the evening. I have an amazing group of friends... Now, on to the mail!</div><div><br /></div><div>I started making valentines about a week ago and finally got around to finishing them up tonight by writing out the cards, putting stamps on the envelopes, and sealing them up, ready to go in the mailbox. Most of my effort went into the making of the envelopes, so I bought some simple, cute handmade cards at the store - hopefully people will enjoy them! Before I started making all these, I had this epiphany that I should use paper grocery bags to make envelopes! I know, I know, there's no way I'm the first one to think of that, but it was the first time I had thought of it and had never seen it anywhere, so I was pretty proud of myself after that one! Haha... ok let's get to the pictures!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5oVScrOordtQ5q5HjKjnlx6prmUIuTb9-snIvwQCBDykUyy8jR9OFczS8E0EdUnQ3AqVdJbQpR1z48XqXsSkvqz5lozVQcDgmVjkz1qtXU9ry6VjuLz_i6w2Vg7aF_ybHGW3UfV3IBEN/s320/valentinesgroup.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436525613410374770" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is the whole bunch together. Pretty cute bunch, don'tcha think?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6mFEpri5EhK5rY4SiByLvCF9Um_tLp1C0-JEuZCrKZtqqTU7Sk-5_9K79kUzcnlGUSli_zybRJwFSA4yGS5jg6U6GcGc-LiMPmLgvkDUWrLvHyv5nuUlLqCFNQiXIROtwj2EmcGn1pG7/s1600-h/seanvalentine.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6mFEpri5EhK5rY4SiByLvCF9Um_tLp1C0-JEuZCrKZtqqTU7Sk-5_9K79kUzcnlGUSli_zybRJwFSA4yGS5jg6U6GcGc-LiMPmLgvkDUWrLvHyv5nuUlLqCFNQiXIROtwj2EmcGn1pG7/s320/seanvalentine.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436525964044383682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Close-up of one that I thought came out particularly well, going to my dear friend Sean.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8z10AL3xR6YVF6oa2mV1h7OmdrMqraBMivecweQ6I-jHdtJw_inMFYQE9FAsWgCjfdL-wwVYIGB9wQvE_5OmSEud3WsFPG4JLA-1aEWsUtPdAgOYP7UjkZ_i_j8luTy6J6VY4kD0TTYW/s1600-h/mariavalentine.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8z10AL3xR6YVF6oa2mV1h7OmdrMqraBMivecweQ6I-jHdtJw_inMFYQE9FAsWgCjfdL-wwVYIGB9wQvE_5OmSEud3WsFPG4JLA-1aEWsUtPdAgOYP7UjkZ_i_j8luTy6J6VY4kD0TTYW/s320/mariavalentine.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436526383862854306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This one goes to my co-worker Maria; it is her birthday on Valentine's, so her envelope was a little extra special! :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So that's that for Valentines. What do you guys think? Onto some more outgoing mail, non-Valentine...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlwEvr0rprfJXhefbVOw8SqXqYlgTrep9yfnxjDixg4_6_iTV-YsMjgYlVWB6Z4hwFq6T1CeIF9-Dil9Cjcqe4nDe5MdhZJv5cCE8QpSdKRFi_I0sy9RQWigLvNJIb3RA9-U8mEI3-6lg/s1600-h/colleenfront.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlwEvr0rprfJXhefbVOw8SqXqYlgTrep9yfnxjDixg4_6_iTV-YsMjgYlVWB6Z4hwFq6T1CeIF9-Dil9Cjcqe4nDe5MdhZJv5cCE8QpSdKRFi_I0sy9RQWigLvNJIb3RA9-U8mEI3-6lg/s320/colleenfront.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436526629055682370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is another grocery bag turned envelope, already delivered to my [long-lost] cousin Colleen. I think the last time I saw her was when I was about 8 or 9 or 10...we reconnected on Facebook and discovered each other's love for mail...how perfect is that!? BTW, I love how the 'REUSABLE RECYCLABLE' words on the bag came out [pretty] perfectly on the front of the envelope! Very apropos, no?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZeK6daNhlF3vSYcZguQ2QPv7nNYdfACyK6ZCrW9kV_-w39Mg_uJ-udDnr43h-XeEXJT_vcihXpZ20JpIMQ64vEXE8LFQJDVRmkPPnR9-Q0lafl_sfaZHLjM6ZjUleQ_F06K8DjZF8S1b/s1600-h/belencombo.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZeK6daNhlF3vSYcZguQ2QPv7nNYdfACyK6ZCrW9kV_-w39Mg_uJ-udDnr43h-XeEXJT_vcihXpZ20JpIMQ64vEXE8LFQJDVRmkPPnR9-Q0lafl_sfaZHLjM6ZjUleQ_F06K8DjZF8S1b/s320/belencombo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436527578584067282" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reply to <a href="http://www.einahpetsneleb.blogspot.com/">Belen</a>, a fellow blogger who has become a regular correspondent. It has been great finding new pen-pals who share the love of mail! The envelope is another I made from a children's Beauty & the Beast book I bought at the thrift store. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFMhE03l3KiGXvLAO4wutgJ0ipQvlyVdgke5jvc3meEDyKKkzRTQNPjQFbHv0Dt2tm3iNmapmD03qxrra3LIiukClSBEHjjZ8nHhX7SNh60vP806fu0Pjpqbo1auKqJeo13thlMYsr9Ry/s1600-h/greensmoothie.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFMhE03l3KiGXvLAO4wutgJ0ipQvlyVdgke5jvc3meEDyKKkzRTQNPjQFbHv0Dt2tm3iNmapmD03qxrra3LIiukClSBEHjjZ8nHhX7SNh60vP806fu0Pjpqbo1auKqJeo13thlMYsr9Ry/s320/greensmoothie.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436529833215512690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Zoom-in of the recipe I sent Belen. She's trying to eat healthier and make a positive life change so I thought I'd help her out with a healthy go-to recipe of mine.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZCnzvU8nRaXFoIiuGbS-a6EW-RIT9AuY9t5z2tz-EPqpE5Rov8bwn0eUbG7QB5_bREfaOyoY6g76tCxYO1DgRKdyaOTHjwWDhguLOg74v-4PR8mrJK_nul3kkHicI8fbpOHS2RQ9AE6m/s1600-h/belenreplies.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ZCnzvU8nRaXFoIiuGbS-a6EW-RIT9AuY9t5z2tz-EPqpE5Rov8bwn0eUbG7QB5_bREfaOyoY6g76tCxYO1DgRKdyaOTHjwWDhguLOg74v-4PR8mrJK_nul3kkHicI8fbpOHS2RQ9AE6m/s320/belenreplies.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436528982712750482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Replies from Belen, both envelopes I love, made from scrapbook paper. I especially love the labels she cut out on the black envelope. I recently sent a reply to her on an envelop I made out of scrapbook paper myself. (no picture...)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLgqs1oGax0TzERBKSJ1VunJEsAQnX4srRn0OGElJM5WNlptoFFQFDofi5dJjKXtRPiJko7fA864OFS7bVNcnUEK4BX52CwzD4AXYGVYEvNsPFvyuLmOvENjSMERwRQQuKM-NQACnRPxS/s1600-h/lauren+reply.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLgqs1oGax0TzERBKSJ1VunJEsAQnX4srRn0OGElJM5WNlptoFFQFDofi5dJjKXtRPiJko7fA864OFS7bVNcnUEK4BX52CwzD4AXYGVYEvNsPFvyuLmOvENjSMERwRQQuKM-NQACnRPxS/s320/lauren+reply.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436528425728896370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reply from another blogger named <a href="http://www.postwiththemost.blogspot.com/">Lauren</a> I wrote to a week or so ago. I don't think I ever took a picture of what I sent to her to begin with, but her letter back is great, no? Whoops, didn't take a photo of the back either, which was great. It had a great 3-D sticker on it that I loved...oh well...I'm still getting the hang of all this...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtL1WzYBI41QMmO8WDDn_YC93RF-HZat5VTw2d3KwbI7yjXjLFC9EsZ_naMvVsSIQR5GN98TAZ3WTxTGxo6GSWMVKautB4K4IFIJ2nSn0S-zLRrUp4Z6knXvU7Ju4jM4C5k6DIkSo9ImL/s1600-h/postcrossing+south+africa.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtL1WzYBI41QMmO8WDDn_YC93RF-HZat5VTw2d3KwbI7yjXjLFC9EsZ_naMvVsSIQR5GN98TAZ3WTxTGxo6GSWMVKautB4K4IFIJ2nSn0S-zLRrUp4Z6knXvU7Ju4jM4C5k6DIkSo9ImL/s320/postcrossing+south+africa.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436529423603013106" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My favorite postcard I've received from <a href="http://www.postcrossing.com/">Postcrossing</a> so far. It is from South Africa and was FILLED on the back with a great message from the sender. I loved it too because it reminded me of all the postcards I sent and received from my BFF Madison when she was studying abroad in South Africa.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Phew! That was a lot of work. I don't know how some of these bloggers do it with all their numerous amazing photos and multiple blog posts in a day...kudos to you all! Signing off for the night...I hope there is more to come soon.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Aaron :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Song of the moment: The Sound of Music</div><div style="text-align: left;">Artist: Julie Andrews</div><div style="text-align: left;">Album: The Sound of Music Soundtrack</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-24230708559164976852010-02-06T11:48:00.000-08:002010-02-06T12:08:06.910-08:00Baby Steps<div>Hey all. This post is an experiment... just trying to get the hang of my photo editing program and uploading pictures and stuff. This was one of the first envelopes I made when I started experimenting a couple of weeks ago. I had read online somewhere that pages from children's books made really great envelopes so I headed to the thrift store and bough a bunch of Disney classics for like, $0.95 each and have made a bunch of envelopes from them! This particular one went to one of my best friends and Disney fanatic, Madison. I included about 5 or 6 note cards worth of a letter in there. Still haven't heard if she got it or not...hoping it didn't get lost somewhere along the way... So far I don't think I've ever sent a piece of mail that got lost or didn't get sent properly...keeping my fingers crossed that my luck holds. OK folks, more posts to come as soon as I get more pics uploaded and edited.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIpVsZupttGhC4g_Lx0X61Q2DRPRzHEeQtG4YfWERyv-bXhyphenhyphenq27O4SHFfSmB62r7oIUBDza2DnzPwX82DFaAPJijkK6pVUkz7HvhwA2IAWMRs3IkF6mJNW-tCKddtwKmtfjVW1INuTsXp/s1600-h/belle+to+madisonJPG.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbIpVsZupttGhC4g_Lx0X61Q2DRPRzHEeQtG4YfWERyv-bXhyphenhyphenq27O4SHFfSmB62r7oIUBDza2DnzPwX82DFaAPJijkK6pVUkz7HvhwA2IAWMRs3IkF6mJNW-tCKddtwKmtfjVW1INuTsXp/s320/belle+to+madisonJPG.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435221298512513026" /></a>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7903067254412513023.post-90006732736316847692010-02-05T21:46:00.000-08:002010-02-05T22:20:02.209-08:00Welcome/Blog 2.0Hello to all my first blog readers! I am so excited to get this up and running; it has been in the back of my mind for a while now and I've been postponing getting it started because...well...I don't really know why actually. But I'm here now and I'm so excited to start blogging again. My first blog sadly fizzled out, but I think my new topics and fodder for posting will keep blog 2.0 going much longer than its predecessor.<div> <div><br /></div><div>This blog will revolve around exactly what the title says - food, fun, and post. As a whole foods chef, I am constantly cooking, creating, and learning, and want to share all that with anyone who is interested. I belong to a culinary group with some of my best friends and we have the best time together! I want a place to share what we share - great food, conversation, wine...the list goes on. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have also recently [re]discovered the world of pen-pals and mail art and have been so inspired by other bloggers to start writing and creating again. I really shouldn't say 'again' since the most experience I've had with this sort of thing was my pen-pal cousin back when I was like, 10. It's a whole new world, really, but it's amazing to discover because I always thought I was the only one who jumped for joy when there was an unexpected piece of mail in the box, or got excited to sit down and write a letter. I CANNOT believe I never thought to search out other people with the same interests, but here I am now and I'm so happy! I have a good bunch of great incoming & outgoing mail to share to get this blog up and running, but it may take me some time for me to get the ball rolling with uploading pictures and the like.</div><div><br /></div><div>All things fun and the rest of my life and miscellanea will probably make their way onto the blog as well...I hope they are interesting enough to include and entertain everyone :)</div><div><br /></div><div>So, without further ado, here's to happy blogging, happy reading, and good food, fun, & post! Talk to you all soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>xoxo</div><div>Aaron</div><div><br /></div><div>Song of the moment: Glitter in the Air</div><div>Artist: P!nk</div><div>Album: Funhouse</div></div>hottjambalayahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747650426347776840noreply@blogger.com1