Obsession

Whew!  I finished the March selection for my book club, Enduring Love by Ian McEwan, in the nick of time!  I absolutely loved the book Atonement so I was really looking forward to reading another offering by McEwan but I had a lot of assignments and projects to grade for the end of the term and a lot of projects going on at home so I put this book on the back-burner.  Once I picked it up, however, I was completely engrossed in the story.  Joe Rose has planned a romantic picnic in the countryside after a long absence from his companion Clarissa.  Just as they are about to drink the champagne, Joe hears a cry of distress.  A hot air balloon has lost its mooring and a small child is trapped in the basket.  Joe, along with several others who happen to be nearby, attempts to help rescue the child.  As a result of their intercession, a man is tragically killed.  This event is so traumatic that one of the men, Jed Parry, imagines that he and Joe have had a bonding experience and becomes obsessed with Joe.  This obsession completely disrupts Joe's ordered and rational existence and threatens his relationship with Clarissa.  The predominant theme of this book is that your life can become unraveled in an instant and you are powerless to stop it.  The story is told very slowly, like a balloon floating softly on a gentle breeze.  It's almost as if Joe, the first-person narrator, cannot bring himself to recount the events that so shattered his life:

I'm holding back, delaying the information.  I'm lingering in the prior moment because it was a time when other outcomes were still possible...as far as these occurrences were concerned, this was the last time I understood anything clearly at all.

Nevertheless, I found Ian McEwan's writing to be so impeccable that it was worth my time (until 1:00 this morning) to discover what becomes of Joe, Clarissa, and Jed!

Monday Motivator

"Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are.  When you realize there is nothing lacking the whole world belongs to you."

- Lao-Tzu

Organization: Master Closet

The last problem area was my closet.  My house was built in 1985 so it doesn't have a large walk-in closet (the closet is actually the only thing I really miss about my apartment).  I usually kept the doors shut because it was crowded and messy!  I knew I needed to do something to organize it because I could never find what I was looking for and I had way too much stuff!  I saved this project until last because it took me most of the day!

My first step was to empty everything out of the closet and wash the shelves, walls, baseboards, and doors and vacuum the carpet.  Wow!  That was a job that hadn't been done very often!

The next step was to purge.  I have been reading a lot of Eastern philosophy and one of the major themes is that attachment to belongings leads to unhappiness.  I was attached to many items so this was initially very difficult for me but ended up feeling very satisfying!  The first items to go were my school sweaters (when I was a student and SBO advisor).  I struggled with this because they had sentimental value but they took up so much space.  Realistically, I was never going to wear them again and I couldn't think of anything to do with them.  Next to go were the three dresses I owned.  I bought one dress specifically to wear for formal night on a cruise and I haven't worn it since!  The other dresses were bought to wear to weddings.  I hate wearing dresses but a part of me thought I should keep at least one just in case!  I finally decided that if I absolutely needed to dress up, I could wear a skirt and dress pants worked for most formal occasions any way (I wore dress pants to a very formal wedding and was pleasantly surprised to find several other women wearing them too).  One closet expert said that we wear 20 percent of our wardrobe 80 percent of the time so I went through the rest of my clothes and eliminated everything I hadn't worn in the past year!  In the end I had three large garbage bags to donate to charity.  This made me feel really good because obviously I don't need these items but maybe someone else does.

After this process I panicked because it looked like I didn't have any clothes!  But as I organized everything and put items back into the closet, I realized that I had enough. 

I kept three pairs of dress pants in black and charcoal gray to wear for formal occasions.  I kept six pairs of the khaki pants that I wear to school.  I kept five pairs of jeans.  I usually only wear jeans on the weekends or for evening activities so I got rid of a lot that I didn't actually wear.  I kept one really formal black wool skirt and three more casual skirts.  I have decided that this is the optimal number for each of these items and I will only buy more to replace items, not to add to this number.

Next I organized all of my short and long-sleeved shirts.  Believe it or not I actually got rid of a lot of shirts!  Can you imagine what my closet looked like before?  My favorite purge was a royal purple turtleneck shirt.  I don't think I have ever worn it!  However, I have decided that I need a few more dressy tops because I only kept one.

Finally, I organized my sweaters and hoodies.  I had over 20 hoodies but I really only wore my favorite Utah Jazz one!  I decided to keep one Denver Broncos hoodie, one Canada hoodie, one University of Utah football hoodie, and the Jazz hoodie!  That is definitely enough!  I had a difficult time with sweaters.  I wore most of them but many of them were really dated and out of style and several of my very favorites were quite worn.  Eventually I kept three sweaters but I have given myself permission to buy two new ones in the fall!

I bought five of these boxes at Ikea to contain the clutter on the shelves.  I believe they are meant to store children's toys because I found them in the children's section but I thought they would work great in my closet.  They were a bit pricey (I had an Ikea gift card) but I have seen some similar ones online for less.  I used one box for shorts, one box for t-shirts, one box for sports jerseys, one box for pajamas, and one box for hats.  I tried to keep these items stored neatly on the shelves but they inevitably looked messy.  These boxes have handles on the front for easy access and I love how they look!

My shoes were strewn all over the floor and it looked so messy!  I found this shoe rack at Walmart for about $3.00 and it solved the problem.  I once told my cousin Erica that her baby had more shoes than I did.  I think she thought I was joking!  I got rid of quite a few shoes that I never wear so I may need to get a few more pair (I actually just ordered some new athletic shoes online from Zappos).

Once I organized my shoes I had some extra room!  I decided to put my laundry basket in the closet to get it out of the way.  I think this will work very nicely!

I am absolutely thrilled with how the closet looks now!  I have just enough clothes to fit my needs and they are completely organized!  The shelves and the floor are no longer out of control with clutter!  Yay!

Note:  One of the closet experts I read said you should use matching hangers!  This supposedly encourages you to keep your closet looking nice!  I found packages of ten hangers for less than $2.00 at Walmart!

Linking here.

Jazz vs. Mavericks

I think the 94-77 loss to the Dallas Mavericks tonight just might be the final straw for this Utah Jazz fan!  It is just getting to be too painful to watch the Jazz play so well during a game and then let it all fall apart in the final minutes.  I do not like the Dallas Mavericks, especially Dirk Nowitzki, and the Jazz were 0-3 against them this season.  I really didn't want a sweep.  I hoped against hope that the Jazz could somehow find a way to beat them.  It looked like I might get my wish when they came out strong and finished the first quarter with a 22-20 lead.  CJ Miles, Al Jefferson, and Paul Millsap had a combined shooting percentage of 68 in the first half and took a 47-43 lead into half-time.  Neither team performed very well in the third quarter but the Jazz took a 60-58 lead into the fourth quarter.  I really believed that the Jazz could beat the Mavericks until the final five minutes of the game.  The Jazz had a 70-68 lead after Raja Bell hit a 20-foot jumper but then the defense seemed to break down and they allowed Dallas to go on a 13-0 run.  The fans watched in stunned silence.  Al Jefferson, who was so incredibly excited to come to Utah and play for a Hall of Fame coach and with an All-Star, has had to watch his team lose night after night despite scoring in double digits every game.  I think he finally reached the breaking point tonight, getting double technicals and being ejected from the game in the final seconds.  I can't say I blame you, Al! 

Rock Me Amadeus

After a much needed day off from school, I spent a delightful evening listening to the music of Mozart performed by the Utah Symphony.  Mozart is one of my very favorite composers; I became quite fascinated with him after watching the movie Amadeus when I was in high school.  Mozart's music is really light and pretty, in my opinion, so it is easily accessible for someone just learning about classical music.  As my musical tastes grew and developed I eventually added Rachmaninoff and Sibelius to my list of favorites, but I always try to see any performance featuring Mozart if at all possible.  The concert began with the Overture to Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). To me this opera is very playful and whimsical and I found the orchestra's rendition to be quite invigorating.  Next we heard the Clarinet Concerto.  Since I played the clarinet in my youth, I quite enjoyed this number.  The piece itself is perfectly lovely, especially the second movement, and the soloist, Ted Calcara,  Principal Clarinet with the Utah Symphony, was absolutely brilliant.  The concert ended with Symphony No. 40 which is one of my favorites.  This symphony was written during the last years of Mozart's life and it is very dramatic and emotionally charged.  The orchestra performed it beautifully.

Jazz vs. Hornets

There were two painful overtime losses for basketball fans in Utah tonight.  First Florida beat BYU in an 83-74 overtime triumph and, when they put the final score on the SuperScreen at the ESA, I felt a little bit sad.  I am not even remotely what you would call a BYU fan (I most definitely still bleed red) but even I succumbed to Jimmer-mania!  It was such a magical season for the Cougar point guard that it was disheartening to see it end with a less than stellar performance.  Then the New Orleans Hornets handed the Utah Jazz a 121-117 overtime defeat.  It was an incredible back and forth game between the two teams with multiple ties and lead changes and great performances by Earl Watson (back-to-back three-pointers) and Gordon Hayward (an amazing block and 13 points for the night).  But the Jazz, in my opinion, squandered a chance to win during the last 1.3 seconds of the game.  The teams were tied when Paul Millsap was fouled.  After he made the first free throw to pull ahead of the Hornets, he should have missed the second one thereby forcing New Orleans to rebound without a timeout.  They would not have had time to get the ball down the court for a shot.  Instead, Millsap hit the second shot which allowed New Orleans to inbound and Emeka Okafor was able to hit the shot which sent the game to overtime.  After David West was injured, Aaron Gray came into the game and scored six points leading the Hornets to victory.  It was so frustrating and disappointing.

Note:  There was a little something missing during the game betwen Utah and New Orleans tonight.  It just wasn't the same without the Deron Williams - Chris Paul rivalry!

An Ordinary Girl in Extraordinary Circumstances

Tonight I went to see The Diary of Anne Frank at Pioneer Theatre.  I have read this book numerous times but there is something about seeing this story performed that really brings Anne to life.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the mythology of her life and what ultimately happened to her that we turn her into a saint.  But, really, she was a thirteen year old girl.  Yes, she was a victim of the most horrible circumstances imaginable, but she was a typical teenager with mood swings, periods of self-absorption, and restless yearnings.  This new adaptation of the classic story by Wendy Kesselman tells the whole story of Anne's life in hiding, including her often turbulent relationship with her mother, her constant need to be the center of attention, and her blossoming romance with Peter.  PTC's production really emphasizes Anne's little foibles and many audience members sitting near me were shocked that she was such a brat.  However, I think Rebecca Buller's interpretation of Anne really humanizes her.  Another aspect of this production that I particularly enjoyed was the set.  The designer did an amazing job of replicating the real Secret Annexe detail for detail.  I have actually been to the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam and I was moved to tears by the movie posters preserved by Anne's bed.  I had a similar reaction when I saw the movie posters on the walls of the set.  It is not an easy play to watch (I literally jumped in terror when the Nazis came to arrest the group) but I highly recommend getting a ticket.

I've Seen A Million Faces And I've Rocked Them All

When I heard that Bon Jovi was coming to town, I was at a Jazz game and I saw it on the SuperScreen.  I believe that I screamed a little bit.  Okay I screamed a lot!  I bought tickets to the show the second they went on sale which just happened to coincide with second period.  I literally stopped the lesson and had the students talk amongst themselves while I went online!  One student begged me to please buy him a ticket!  The concert was tonight and it was absolutely incredible!  Bon Jovi took the stage at around 8:30 and played non-stop for more than two hours.  They definitely played their hits which included "Runaway," "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Livin' on a Prayer," "Bad Medicine," "Born to Be My Baby," "I'll Be There For You," and "It's My Life."  They also played a few songs from their latest release, The Circle, which had a decidedly country sound.  About midway through their set, Richie Sambora took over the microphone and sang "Lay Your Hands On Me" which definitely got the crowd going.  Then Jon appeared on the catwalk in the audience and gave a tour de force performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."  I believe it even surpassed Jason Castro's version.  It was unbelievable!  I had to wait until the encore to hear my absolute favorite Bon Jovi song, "Wanted Dead or Alive," but it was worth the wait to hear the crowd sing every word with Jon.  The band looked as if they were having the time of their lives on the stage and Jon was incredibly charismatic and engaging with the audience!  He joked about wanting to go skiing during his two days off and talked about how much he enjoyed filming the music video for "Blaze of Glory" in Utah.  A splendid time was had by all at the ESA tonight!

Note:  In case you were wondering, I did not buy my student a ticket.  It's not that I didn't want to buy it for him, I just didn't want him sitting by me!  It would have been inappropriate for him to see me try to relive my youth!

Monday Motivator

"Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."

- Charles Dickens

Organization: Pantry

Another problem area was my kitchen pantry.  Because there is only one shelf in each cabinet, it was very inconvenient to use for storage and it was always so messy.

I solved my kitchen pantry problem by employing a lot of the tips I have learned: group like items together, use large containers, label, and maximize the space.

Once again I bought these large magazine boxes from Ikea, this time in red to match my kitchen decor.  I placed one box on each shelf.  One box holds paper plates, paper cups, napkins, and plastic cutlery.  For some reason I seem to have a lot of these items - I guess I have a lot of seasonal parties!  The other box holds the refills for my Swiffer wet and dry mop and the refills for my Swiffer duster.

I used two of the Ikea DVD boxes in the lower cabinet.  One contains garbage bags and Ziploc bags in various sizes.  The other box contains emergency supplies such as a first aid kit, band-aids, candles, matches, and a flashlight.

I decided to maximize the space in the bottom cabinet by creating a garbage and recycling station.  These bins slide out for easy access.

Now most of you actually put food staples in your pantry!  I am lucky enough to have a fairly large kitchen with lots and lots of cupboard space (some of my cupboards are even empty) so I have devoted one cupboard for pantry items.  I found these cute glass canisters at Walmart (they are similar to some I was drooling over at Ikea but a third of the price).

I ordered the vinyl decals from Wonderfully Wordy and I love how they turned out!

Now my pantry looks really nice and I can access everything I need very easily.  I can pull out the container I need and put it back when I am finished!

Linking here.

One Little Pill

I am normally not a fan of Bradley Cooper but the premise of Limitless was so intriguing to me that I decided to see it this afternoon.  While there were quite a few holes in the plot and a lot of unanswered questions at the end, I thought it was very entertaining and I gained a bit of respect for Mr. Cooper.  Edward Morra (Cooper) is a down-and-out writer who is dumped by his girlfriend while struggling to start the book for which he has received an advance.  He runs into an acquaintance who gives him a pill that will tap the unused power of the brain and he decides to try it.  Almost overnight, Edward is transformed.  He finishes his book, gets a makeover, and starts playing the stock market.  Because he makes so much money so quickly, he attracts the attention of business tycoon Carl Van Loon (DeNiro) who wants Edward to work for him.  Eventually Edward runs low of his supply of the little pills and his fast lifestyle catches up with him.  Cooper does an excellent job of transforming from a grungy deadbeat to a suave and successful playboy and I really enjoyed his narration throughout.  The cinematography was incredible.  The zoom and fish-eye shots really helped you experience Eddie's newfound clarity and energy.  When he was taking the pills all of the colors were warm and vibrant while the colors were cold and dull when he wasn't.  It was a great effect.  As I mentioned, the ending is a bit ambiguous, but I would recommend this movie for its entertainment value.

Leapin' Leprechauns

Here are a few treats to help you celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Mint Brownies

I made these brownies using the Candy Cane Brownie recipe that I found here.  To make them minty I substituted the following ingredients:  I used creme de menthe instead of peppermint extract, green food coloring instead of red, and coarsely chopped Andes mints instead of crushed candy canes.  There are quite a few steps involved but these brownies are worth it!  They are scrumptious!

Shamrock Cupcakes

Aren't these adorable!  I found the idea at Hoosier Homemade and they turned out so cute!  Just make your favorite cake recipe and add lots of green food coloring to the batter.  Then make your favorite buttercream frosting.  Bake and frost 12 cupcakes.  You make the shamrocks out of green gum drops!

Go here for a great tutorial!

Leprechaun Hats

I wanted to make something fun and whimsical for Sean and Tashena and I was inspired, once again, by Hoosier Homemade.  Liz dipped her leprechaun hats in green frosting and put them on cupcakes.  I wanted mine to be more of a confectionery so I dipped them in white chocolate tinted with green food coloring.  You can find the tutorial here

These were incredibly time consuming and tedious to make but I think they turned out so adorable.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Linking here and here.

Jazz vs. Timberwolves

The Jazz definitely wanted some revenge against the Timberwolves for the beating they took in Minnesota last week.  They played extremely well tonight and the game was a complete reversal of last Friday's game!  I think they are getting more comfortable with each other and the new players are getting more comfortable with the offense.  The Jazz took a 21 point lead into half-time but I did get a bit nervous when the Timberwolves tried to make a run and cut the lead to 10 in the third quarter.  However, Al Jefferson and Andre Kirilenko both made key plays for the Jazz and they never looked back.  It was an incredible team effort with all of the starters, including Derrick Favors for the second time in a row, scoring in double digits!  But the star of the game was undoubtedly CJ Miles!  Ty Corbin had him start in place of Raja Bell and he shot the ball lights out tonight!  He hit 6 of 7 three-pointers which had the fans cheering!  He ended the night with a career-high of 40 points!  Amazing!  The Jazz ended up with their first back-to-back victory since January with a final score of 119-104.

Jazz vs. 76ers

Being a Jazz fan means riding a roller coaster of emotions!  During tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, I went from indifference, to hope, to despair, and then to elation!  Because the Jazz were without the services of Mehmet Okur, Francisco Elson, Ronnie Price, Paul Millsap, and Gordon Hayward, I held out little hope that they would win and considered the game as just a fun night out.  But the Jazz actually executed the offense and moved the ball around.  They took an 18 point lead into half-time.  I began to believe that we could possibly win the game.  Just as I was feeling confident, the Jazz let the Sixers rally in the fourth quarter.  Philadelphia got their first lead of the night with 11.5 seconds left in the game.  I couldn't believe that we were actually going to lose this game after playing so well!  CJ Miles restored my belief in the Jazz by getting a driving layup to tie the game at 103 at the end of regulation!  During the overtime, the hero was Andre Kirilenko who hit a three-pointer, a put-back dunk, and two free throws to seal the win 112-107.  It was certainly an emotional end to the game and fans were definitely appreciative of the second consecutive win at home. 

Notes:  I was very impressed with Jeremy Evans and Derrick Favors tonight.  With all of the injuries, they have both had to step it up and play a lot more minutes than they have been used to and they provided a nice spark.  Unfortunately, Devin Harris suffered a strained hamstring at the end of the game so our injury woes continue.  Both Phoenix and Memphis lost tonight so we are not entirely out of the running for the eighth spot in the West.

Monday Motivator

"May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face

And rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand."

- Old Irish Blessing

Organization: Utility Closet

My next problem area was probably the worst problem in my house: the utility closet.  This area didn't bother me as much as my craft cabinet because, apparently, I craft more than I clean!  But it really was a disaster!  It was a catch-all area and if I needed anything, I would always have to rummage around until I found the item and then when I was finished with it I would shove it back in there and push the door shut.  Can you relate?

I was completely inspired by a guest post by Clean Mama at The Idea Room.  She gives lots of tips for organizing everything that collects in a closet or mudroom and I followed all of them!

Her first suggestion was to group all like items together and put them in containers.  Hmmm...it seems like I have heard that before!  My real estate agent sends me a $5.00 gift card to Home Depot every year and I usually just throw them into a drawer.  I collected all of them and went on a shopping spree!  I bought quite a few of these plastic shoe boxes (they were less than $1.00 each) and organized all of my odds and ends.

Her next suggestion was to label everything.  I downloaded her free labels, printed them on cardstock, laminated them, and cut them out.

I followed Clean Mama's suggestion and attached the labels to the shoe boxes using hook and loop tape so I can switch them should the need arise.  Absolutely brilliant.  Go here to download Clean Mama's free labels.  You can use her categories or you can download blank ones and create your own categories (which is what I did).

Her final suggestion was to hang bulky items to get them off the floor and maximize space.

This was my favorite suggestion because I never knew what to do with my mops and brooms.  I would lean them against the wall and, more often than not, they would hit me in the face when I opened the door.  Hanging them up gives me much better access (maybe I will use them more).

These 3/8 inch S-hooks only cost a few cents each at Home Depot and they slip easily over the rod in the closet.

While I was at Home Depot I found a hook that lets you hang your ironing board on the back of a door.

I also found this container which holds rolls of wrapping paper.  I have an inordinate amount of wrapping paper (my niece has a Sally Foster fundraiser every year with her dance group) and I stored it all in a garbage bag in the back of the closet.  It was really inconvenient to get to it so I would usually just buy a gift bag!  Now I can properly wrap all of my presents!

I am so happy with how this project turned out.  I recommend visiting Clean Mama for even more organization strategies.

Liking here.

Fight For Your Fate

This afternoon I went to see The Adjustment Bureau and I absolutely loved it.  The premise of the movie is everyone has a Plan written for their life by an enigmatic Chairman.  Any time something happens to upset the Plan, Adjusters are called in to make corrections so it stays on course.  Most corrections are fairly simple such as spilling coffee so the subject ends up taking another bus or disrupting cell phone service so they miss a call.  But when Senate candidate David Norris (Matt Damon) has a chance meeting with a beautiful dancer (Emily Blunt), Adjusters must make contact with him.  His Plan involves winning the Senate race and then the Presidential election.  If he gets involved with Elise he won't become President and he will disrupt her Plan of becoming a world-renowned choreographer.  Will David leave Elise to fufill his Plan or will he fight for their love?  I love Matt Damon in just about every movie he makes and I think Emily Blunt is excellent in her role as well.  The story is fascinating - I haven't been able to stop thinking about it!  I have always believed that everything happens for a reason.  Maybe I need to start pushing through obstacles to get what I really want!  I highly recommend this movie!

A Night At The Rink

Tonight I got to take Sean to a Utah Grizzlies hockey game.  One of my students won tickets and, since she didn't want to go, she gave them to me.  They were really great seats and even came with a VIP parking pass!  The Grizzlies played the Stockton Thunder and, apparently, there is some bad blood between these teams because there was a fight before the puck was even dropped!  The fighting continued throughout the game which made it pretty exciting.  Sean and I sat right behind the penalty box (or time-out box according to Sean) and at one point there were three Stockton players in it!  I haven't been to a Grizzlies game in a long time because minor league hockey is usually too slow for me and I really hate it when the players dump and chase.  However, I had a great time tonight and really enjoyed the game.  The Grizzlies ended up winning 4-2!

It Is A Far, Far Better Thing...Than School

This afternoon I got to see A Tale of Two Cities again!  Every year Hale Theatre performs matinees for students free of charge but getting tickets is quite competetive!  Last year we were put on the waiting list and didn't get to go.  This year I submitted the request at exactly 8:00 on the appointed day and we were picked!  I got to take my AVID students and a few of my English students!

I saw the same cast that I did before.  Part of me wanted to see the other cast to get a different interpretation, but another part of me wanted to see the same cast because I loved the actor who played Sydney so much!  I guess I talked about how much I loved him to the students because one of the girls came up to me after the show and said she really loved him too!

I was a little bit worried that the students wouldn't understand the story or would get bored with how long it was.  They changed it a bit from the evening show and had a narrator telling part of the story instead of some of the original scenes.  It was just perfect for students.  They all seemed to really enjoy it!

One of my naughtiest boys told me that he absolutely loved it!  My job can sometimes be awesome!  When I asked another student if he like it, he told me that at least it was better than school!  My job is always interesting!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

When I was in graduate school one of my classmates was originally from Louisiana.  She was absolutely shocked that school wasn't canceled to celebrate Mardi Gras.  Apparently Mardi Gras is a major deal in Louisiana and kids get the entire week off from school!  Since we were still holding class on Mardi Gras she brought a King Cake for us to enjoy during the lecture.  King Cakes are made of pastry and are usually filled with some sort of cream cheese concoction.  They are delicious!  Ever since then I have always tried to have a piece of King Cake on Mardi Gras!  This year I found an easy recipe and decided to give it a try.

Filling

4 ounces (half a package) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup pecans

Cake

Two cans refrigerated crescent roll dough

Icing

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons milk or cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

food coloring

Place cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Process until combined.  And pecans and pulse until pecans are chopped.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a pizza pan with butter-flavored cooking spray.

Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into triangles.  Position triangles next to each other with the points toward the center, overlapping the long sides about 1/4 inch, forming a large round.  Where the pieces overlap, press the seams together only in the center of the seam, leaving either ends of the seams unsealed so you can fold them up over the filling.

Spread the filling around in a ring covering the center sealed seam of each triangle.

Place a small plastic baby (optional but traditional) somewhere in the filling.  The person who gets this piece will have good luck for the year!

Fold the large side of each triangle toward the center and tuck under the filling.  Then pull the point end of the triangle toward the outer rim of the pan and tuck under the cake.  It should look something like this.

Bake 20 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla until smooth.  The consistency should be fairly thick, but thin enough to drip slowly down the sides.  Add more milk if necessary.  Divide icing evenly into three bowls.  Use food coloring to create a bowl of purple (justice), a bowl of yellow (power), and a bowl of green (faith) icing.  Put each color of icing into a ziploc bag.  Snip off one corner of the bag and use as a pastry bag to pipe wide stripes of icing on the King Cake.  The icing should firm up a bit in about an hour.  If you are planning a Mardi Gras celebration, definitely give this a try!  Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll).

Monday Motivator

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."

- Napoleon Hill

Organization: Craft Cabinet

One of my biggest goals this year is to get myself more organized.  I have been inspired by many of my favorite bloggers who have recently written posts about organization so I decided to get started this month.  I have a few areas in my house that really bother me.  They are behind closed doors so they don't look messy (I hate clutter) but they are so disorganized.  I decided to start with the area that bothered me the most:  the craft cabinet that I have in my library.

It was a huge mess with supplies everywhere!  I didn't like the way it looked and, more often than not, I couldn't find the items that I needed.  So I did a little bit of research and found out the best way to organize your crafting space is to put like items together and then put the items in large containers which have easy access.

I had a few gift cards from Ikea given to me for my birthday so I used them to buy these large magazine boxes.  I used the boxes to store all of my scrapbooking supplies.  I used two boxes for my rubber stamps, one box for all of my ink pads, and one box for all of my scrapbooking tools.

 I also bought four of the matching DVD boxes.  One box holds all of my embellishments such as beads, brads, eyelets, etc.  One box holds all of my ribbon.  One box holds my glue gun, glue sticks, tape gun, tape rolls, and other adhesives.  The last box holds the accessories for my sewing machine and all of my felt and fabric scraps.

Finally I organized all of my scrapbook paper packets according to the season and placed them in a crate.  Now I can find the paper I need very easily!  I even had a place to put my sewing machine! 

All of the boxes have handles so I can easily move them from place to place when I am working on a project and, hopefully, put them back when I am finished.  I am so happy with how it turned out because now everything is contained and I know where everything is.  I also really like how it looks!  

Check back each week this month to see how I organized the other problem areas in my house!

Linking here.