VIVIAN MAIER

IN DEDICATION TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER VIVIAN MAIER, A STREET PHOTOGRAPHER FROM THE 1950S - 1990S. VIVIAN'S WORK WAS DISCOVERED AT AN AUCTION IN CHICAGO WHERE SHE RESIDED MOST OF HER LIFE. HER DISCOVERED WORK INCLUDES ABOUT 100,000 MOSTLY MEDIUM FORMAT NEGATIVES AND A TON OF UNDEVELOPED ROLLS OF FILM. BORN FEBRUARY 1, 1926 AND DECEASED ON TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2009.

This blog is awesome!

Enjoy!

http://vivianmaier.blogspot.com

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock
1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy
1 cup dry white wine
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyer

Directions

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning

Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

"Phunny" Phase

I, like most girls, go through phases.

I am going through the "like everything you can't get in Italy" phase.

Nope, can't gettem.

These either.....

Nope! Not these!

Ok , I could get MAC in Italy, but it still has to be shipped from Milan.

I miss not being able to go to the store or booth when ever I want.

And this is maybe one of the things I would like most (they don't ship int'l.)

I ♥ Ban.do

Buy online

For all you crafsty people out there!

I found this wonderful link on Sally's blog! The fabrics are to DIE for!!! Enjoy!!!

Web Site:

Tuft Love

Fabric & Interiors

Etsy link

Baby Shower Gift Idea The PUJ TUB!!!

So I saw this awesome thing on Blonde Designs Blog and thought it was absolutely something to share!

It's the Puj Tub!

"The Puj Tub Fits in any standard bathroom sink. It is truly a life saver because it helps me to conserve water because the Puj Tub is made from a soft, non slip, and warm material. This means I don’t have to fill up a large tub with hot water just to keep my baby warm. I can use just a little and rinse as needed to finish the bath."

Tired of messy bath times where you end up just as wet as the baby, fighting with giant plastic tubs? So were we!

Introducing the Puj Tub: a revolutionary way to bathe your infant. The Puj Tub is perfect for the new mom to have on hand when she brings her baby home from the hospital.Bathing an infant has never been this easy!

The Puj Tub was designed to make bath time quick and easy.

The tubs revolutionary design allows you to bathe your infant in any standard bathroom sink.

No more leaning over the bathtub stressing your knees, neck, and back!

No more lining the bathroom sink with sponges and wet towels!

No more wondering where you are going to store that awkward plastic bathtub you used to use!

Hangs and stores flatSafe & easy to use for infants 0-6 monthsAnti-fungal, anti-bacterial Supports & cradles baby at comfortable height for momRevolutionary patent pending designWarm soft foam comforts babyHypoallergenicNon-toxicFits both pedestal and countertop sinksWorks great even in very small bathroomsMade in USA

Being "Nerdy"

I love house parties! So old school! Reminds me of when I was a teenager! It's great to goof off with friends, dance like there's no tomorrow and have a great time! Our friend Diego turned 31 and threw a great house party! It was great to catch up with people, expecially with some friends who just recently had a baby, it was nice that they were able to come for the dinner part of the party and share little Alessandro with us! Oh and my BFF Alice and her fiancé came back and surprised us after living for 2 years in Australia! It's great to have them here again! Enjoy our goofy photos!

Alice & Alessando being goofy

Enrico and Nicoletta....

...Enrico & I being nerds!

Yo Yo! We be cool!

Me & Baby Alessandro

Daddy & Luca

Dancing!!!

And Jumping!

Help for Haiti

The Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 . The International Red Cross has stated that as many as 3 million people have been affected by the quake, with as many as 100,000 deaths likely, according to the prime minister.

If you would like to donate, and aren't already doing something to help, here are a few sites you can visit to do your part!

LDS Humanitarian Services (Click HERE for more info on the organization)

Doctors Without Borders

Charity Navigator (here you'll find a list of all organizations)

First Giving

The best job!

My sister-in-law's housekeeper/nanny will be away the entire month of January! And guess who gets to fill in!!!??? MEEEE!!! Hurray! I get to be with my nephew almost every morning from about 8:30 a.m to 1:30p.m.

The weather has now officially gone carzy!

Our Island went from 75° to 25° over the weekend......

Ahhhh Weddings.....

My second cousin Guia got married this morning....

Seriously - TOMATOES?

I can't believe that I'm growing TOMATOES on my balcony in January. Now that's a sign something isn't right with the weather! After the plant was nearly destroyed from the summer's heat, I decided to prune it and try to get a few more tomatoes out of it. But never did I imagine I would be getting tomatoes in January!

Tomatoes anyone?

The plant is just FULL of blossoms and little green tomatoes

100 years

I got this off of Summer's blog, and found it quite interesting!

The year is 1909. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :************ *********

1. Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
2. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
3. There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 milesOf paved roads.
4. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
5. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
6. The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
7. The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year ..
8. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A
9. dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.More than
10. 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
11. Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
12. Sugar cost four cents a pound.
13. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
14. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
15. Most women only washed their hair once a month, and usedBorax or egg yolks for shampoo.
16. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people fromEntering into their country for any reason.
17. Five leading causes of death were:1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
18. The American flag had 45 stars.
19. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, Was Only 30
20. Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea Hadn't been invented yet.
21. There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
22. Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..
23. Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
24. Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
25. There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A.! Plus one more sad thought; 95 percent of the taxes we have now did not exist in 1909
26. The average life expectancy was 47 years old.
    

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years. IT STAGGERS THE MIND doesn't it?!

Happy New Year 2010