Cathy Zielske's Blog, page 232

Theater People

Aidan and Cole just finished up working in a fantastic local production of "The Wiz." This was Aidan's 3rd production with the Young Artists Initiative and Cole's first. Having never had the guts to perform, let alone even audition for plays when I was growing up, I'm amazed at their ability to get up and do this sort of thing.

A little side story for you: in 1993 Dan and I moved into the house we presently occupy. We had no kids, very little money, and both worked many hours a week. At the time, we had a friend working on a small independent film who was scouting locations to shoot specific scenes. They wanted an old house that looked a bit outdated and old fashioned. Ours fit the bill perfectly.

I was completely unprepared for what happens when a film crew, however small, moves in and takes over for a few days. Our property was crawlng with people, lights, cameras and endless power cords. They moved all of our furniture into one part of the house to make way for the scenes they were going to shoot. In short, it was a small slice of domestic chaos.

Because we were relatively newcomers to the neighborhood, it caused quite a stir. What are they doing over there? The filming came and went and we settled into a St. Paul neighborhood to continue building our lives there.

It was only a few years later when talking with one of our neighbors about something (and to this day I can't for the life of me remember what it was), when he said, "Well, you guys know what I'm talking about, you're theater people."

Since that day, it's been a little joke between me and Dan. We're theater people. It's our standard response to everything.

At least we can say that our kids are.

 

 

 

And the giveaway winners are…

The winner of the March album kit from Scrapscription, Made with Love is:

The winner of the March kit from Scrapbook Circle, Vintage Market is:

Ladies, email me at czdesign@comcast.net to claim your prizes.

Sponsor Giveaways: scrapbook goodness from Scrapscription and Scrapbook Circle

One blog reader will win the March album kit from Scrapscription, Made with Love.

This album shares the same care and preparation that goes into cooking those traditional family recipes as the care and preparation that goes into making a special mini album. October Afternoon, known for their amazing "kitschy" graphics, does not disappoint with their Modern Homemaker line. The pink mixer, the percolator, and the image of "Mom" herself in a dress, heels and apron—all take us back to a simpler time.  The chipboard shapes, label stickers and buttons all from the Modern Homemaker embellishments keep a clean simple look to each page. The pink Mini Market stickers provide you with loads of letters to spell alternative titles on each page if you so choose. The recipe cards included give you a place to record a favorite recipe or if you decide to personalize your album, use the recipe cards for journaling instead. The album mixes acrylic for that "mod" feel with the traditional chipboard for that "warm" feel.  A great place to pay tribute to those family favorite recipes and memories! 

ABOUT SCRAPSCRIPTION: ScrapScribers is ScrapScription's monthly mini-album kit club. There are many benefits to being a ScrapScriber.  First of all, as a ScrapScriber member you are guaranteed ScrapScription's 15th of the month kit each and every month! No need to worry about missing out on a fabulous kit.  You will automatically be billed and sent your ScrapScriber kit each and every month.

Secondly, all ScrapScriber, members receive their monthly kit at a guaranteed discounted price of $32 each month. In addition, when we ship you every 6th monthly kit, the shipping charge is on us!  And finally, included with your 12th kit, you will receive an additional FREE ScrapScribers member's only kit that will not be offered to any non-ScrapScribers members.

As a special offer to all Cathy Zielske blog readers, if you join ScrapScribers before the end of March, your first kit – the March ScrapScriber kit, "Made with Love" - will be shipped free of charge.  That's a savings of $5.95 ($7.00 for international memberships) your very first month! When checking out, enter BLOGCZ as a coupon code to receive this discount.  For more information, visit the ScrapScriber page.

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One blog reader will win the March kit from Scrapbook Circle, Vintage Market, which is filled with brand new products featured at CHA.

ABOUT SCRAPBOOK CIRCLE: Scrapbook Circle is a monthly kit club that has been creating kits for almost 5 years and loves getting to share these kits each month. We offer a 2+ month subscription which means that you only commit to receiving two kits and then you can go month to month and quit at any time. We combine multiple manufactures each month for a unique kit that you won't find anywhere else. We also include a Scrapbook Circle custom printable page that coordinates with each monthly kit. Our March Kit, Vintage Market, is filled with brand new products we ordered at CHA and we are excited to share it with you.

Be sure to visit the Scrapbook Circle Idea Page and Blog for daily inspiration. You can also join us on Facebook where we do kit giveaways and you can follow us on Twitter too.

Sample page by Elizabeth Carney for Scrapbook Circle.

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TO ENTER: Leave me a comment today of any kind and you'll be entered into the giveaway. Winners will be chosen at random on Sunday evening. Thanks, and good luck!

Five years, what a surprise.

Five years ago today I quit smoking.

Five years ago today, I put an end to a 28-year habit. (And if you're trying to do the math, that puts me at roughly 12 when I first puffed away. I know. Crazy.)

Five years ago today I curled up into a little ball and sobbed like I'd just lost my best friend in the whole wide world.

Five years ago today I relied solely on will power and white knuckles.

Five years ago today I said, "I'm done."

I know there are people out there struggling with this addiction. I also know that until you are ready to quit, people going on and on about kicking this bad ass monkey off their backs falls on deaf and disinterested ears.

I just know that I had a deep and intimate relationship with something that was very, very bad for me. I loved it with a depth and intensity that addicts are all too familiar with. Then, I finally faced the truth: try and live a healthier life or end up dying an ugly death from a smoking-related illness.

I also know when I was finally free from the pull of nicotine, that I began to live differently in every possible way. My life no longer revolved around planning the next smoke break. I can't tell you how liberating that was, and continues to be.

I didn't know if I was going to stay quit. But as the days turned into months, and the months into years, I started to breathe a little easier (figuratively and literally), and it seemed like this non-smoking life was a keeper.

There are days when I focus on this accomplishment alone, this five years of being quit, and I feel like I could do just about anything.

Today is one of those days.

David, take it away…

 

 

I've needed this like, forever.

No, not the cookbook (although it's an awfully awesome cookbook), but the cookbook stand.

Seriously. My whole life I have needed this. Or at least the percentage of years spent cooking.

Form meets function. Booya! And get this…it folds flat.

Marry me, NOW!

This is hands down the single best purchase of 2011 and quite possibly of 2010 as well. (Although my chartruese Columbia jacket runs an awfully close second.)

Now when I make my most favorite Golden Tofu and Warm Asian Slaw wraps I can easily see the recipe I'm cooking and refrain from either a) splashing it with cooking oil, or b) soaking it with drool.

And speaking of drool, just a quick peek at our remodel which is getting closer and closer to being a done deal.

And what's behind the big maple doors over the fire place?

Hot damn! The Zielskes done got themselves a giant, fancy TV.

I had never seen HD TV in action until last night. I flipped on The Biggest Loser, turned to Dan after recovering from the shock and awe of seeing the trainers' pores and said, "We have arrived, good sir. We have arrived."

I mean, I knew Bob Harper was a beautiful man, but until I saw him in glorious 1080 High Definition, I knew that I had only just begun to truly live.

 

 

 

And the giveaway winners are…

The winner of the simplify 101 workshop, Organize Your Paper Clutter with organizing expert Aby Garvey is:

The winner of a seat in Step-by-Step Design with Illustrator taught by Laura Coyle is:

The winner of a seat in Photo Preserves, taught by Laura Vanderbeek is:

Ladies, email me at czdesign@comcast.net to claim your class spots!

Vegetarianism is the new Amish

Meatless March is in full swing, and aside from a swift and decided detour into a meat-free but highly sugared crap food fest last week in honor of my 45th birthday (Blue Raspberry Icee's are of the Devil), I've been enjoying finding new meals to feed my family that don't feature an animal protein at the center of the plate.

(And by feed my family, it should really read: feed me, Dan, and possibly Aidan if the meal isn't too freaky, while Cole looks on in disgust, happily eating his millionth PB&J for dinner.)

I've had some emails and comments about Meatless March. You know, what does it all mean? You're not getting enough protein! Why do you despise meat eaters? For the love of pepperoni, why are you doing this?

My answer is two-fold. First, I wanted to find ways to eat more plant-based whole grains and foods for the potential overall health benefit. Second, I want to see how my body responds to this way of eating.

And for now, that's pretty much it. Don't get me wrong, I have very fond memories of the Outback, mates. But there's no rule that says you can't revisit your food eating philosophies from time to time. Which is exactly what I'm doing.

And so far, so yummy.

I love to cook and I love new cookbooks, and during the past few weeks I've picked up a few, including this one:

(The Spicy Quinoa and Potato Croquettes were tasty and filling, served with a simple side salad.)

And I picked up this one:

(I have yet to crack the cover on this bad boy.)

And for my birthday, Dan gave me this one:

(I hope to make something from it this week.)

This reminds me a little story about how I roll, according to my better half. It goes something like this:

"Let's say I see the movie "Witness" and I decide I'd like to learn more about the Amish. I might go to the library, check out a few books, bring them home and maybe, just maybe crack the cover and read a few chapters. But very likely, not. You? You become Amish."

So right now vegetarianism is my new Amish.

I actually dropped the meat from our menus in mid February. I think I just wanted to make sure I could get back into this non-meat groove.

So far, the challenge has been interesting and tasty.

The only drawback to some of the meals I've been making? They require too many different pans, and the house smells of garlic and cumin for hours on end.

But when Dan gives me his very Midwestern response of, "Wow. This is great! This would go great with a burger," then I know I'm on the right track. More or less.

Sponsor Giveaways: a workshop from simplify 101 and two workshops from ReneePearson.com

simplify 101 is giving away one spot in their upcoming workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter with organizing expert Aby Garvey.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Is your paper clutter getting in the way of your scrapbooking plans? If paper like bills, school papers, ideas for creative projects, memorabilia to scrapbook, recipes to try, to-do lists, magazines, and catalogs (to name a few) are piling up around you, it's hard to relax let alone be creative. There is a better way! With the right paper organizing systems in place—those created with you, your paper, and your home in mind—you can free yourself from paper clutter and the stress that comes with it.

 In Aby Garvey's online workshop Organize Your Paper Clutter, you'll learn a simple, step-by-step process to organize your paper. You'll find out how to decide if you need a piece of paper (and for how long) and how to organize it so you'll find it again when you need it. With easy to follow action steps, your paper clutter and your stress will be replaced by organizing systems you love and feelings of confidence, relief and peace of mind. (Which means you'll feel more creative, too!)

simplify 101 is offering my readers 15% off enrollment in Organize Your Paper Clutter! To take advantage of this offer and eliminate your paper clutter, enter coupon code CZSAVE15PC during checkout . This coupon is good through Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 11PM Eastern and may not be combined with any other offer. Class begins March 15, 2011. Click here to view the entire workshop syllabus.

ABOUT SIMPLIFY 101:  Founded by Aby Garvey, the co-author of The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker, simplify 101's mission is to make getting organized fun! Get a taste of simplify 101—and the organized life—with their FREE, simple-to-follow guide How to Create a Command Central Binder. You'll put together a home reference binder that will help you get organized, save time, and minimize paper clutter and the stress that comes along with it!

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One blog reader will win a seat in Step-by-Step Design with Illustrator taught by Laura Coyle, a beginning Adobe Illustrator Class that runs March 25 through April 21.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Back by popular demand! If you're ready to make your own frames and elements, get more savvy with type and edit stock illustrations for your layouts, then you're ready to dive into Adobe Illustrator! The waters run deep, but with a focus on steps that build from lesson to lesson this class will give you immediately useful techniques for working in this powerful vector graphics program.

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One blog reader will win a seat in Photo Preserves, taught by Laura Vanderbeek, a class to teach you how to digitize, restore, and display your old photos. This class runs March 31 - April 13 and there is an early registration discount through March 16.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Another popular class returns to ReneePearson.com, Photo Preserves with Laura Vanderbeek! Do you have stacks of old photos? Are they decaying at a rapid rate? Do you want to learn how to preserve these precious family heirlooms for generations to come? Well, you've come to the right place. In this two-week class, beginning Photoshop and Photoshop Elements students will learn how to digitize and restore old color and black & white photographs. Laura will even share great ideas for sharing and displaying your beautifully restored images.

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TO ENTER: Leave a comment today and tell me something about yourself that people might not know. Sound good? I'll draw winners on Sunday night.

Here, I'll start: Group fitness classes frighten me. And I don't mean I'm afraid of the workout. I'm actually nervous to workout around people I don't know.

Good luck and have a great weekend.

45 and 1 Day

Thanks so much for the birthday wishes both here and on Facebook yesterday.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some asses to kick and some names to take. Or something like that.

I also plan to drink lots of Colt 45 Malt Liquor and listen to my old 45s. Not just today. But every day this year.

It's the least I can do.

 

45

It's my birthday.

It will be my birthday for the next 24 hours.

I am 45 years old today.

I am of the belief that sitting and suffering in silence on your birthday, hoping people will remember, maybe call, or send you a card or even an e-mail, is a complete and utter waste of time.

I believe you should tell everyone you know.

Birthdays aren't necessarily magical the older you get in terms of goodies, and prizes, and general silliness.

But being alive for one more year? I can't think of anything better. Not one single thing.

I've been on the planet for 45 frickin' years.

I am beyond grateful to everyone and everything that has come together to allow this to happen.

Thanks, Universe.

Love, Cathy