December Daily Monday! Do you "redo"?

Ok December Daily friends- how many of you switch photos around to fit your story or redo pages when you find out they don't quite flow with a new entry? I guess that's why it's smart to choose a kit or a specific set of papers and make pages ahead. But then how do you get to play? I kinda like the improvisation.

This is my latest version of page 1:

Page 1 was supposed to be cool with the scallop hanging in the air but when I added a second binder ring (also over the weekend) I realized that the page was hanging away from the rest and it rally started to bug me.  Those are Lola scribbles on the bottom half of Day 1.

Day 2 got some washi tape, a duck ornament photo too small to go anywhere else. I redid my "photo list" with some tea stained typewritten notes that I think I will use on all my pages- I really like how much info can be squeezed onto the page without bothering with individual stickers, I only have 1 photo off this list! YIPES!

ACK! Light mismatch! The sun is hitting the pages directly here- better for color. I really love that photo of Lola with her fave toy- a plastic shopping cart she wants to take everywhere- added it even though it's not from December.  Page on the right has been redone 4 times- I want it to look effortless but so far it just looks messy.

Now for some unfinished pages:

That's a Pink Paislee frame from their Hocus Pocus Halloween collection. I love these frames! Just pop the middle out and you have a winter blue frame. THANK YOU JEANNIE for the fun mail!!!
Why is there a white paper there? I'm trying to go hybrid and not print photos anymore as each cartridge costs me 31 dollars. Guess what? I need to learn how to mask and layer properly in Photoshop- the edge of the frame did me in.

Imagine this photo is in that white piece of paper please:

Day 6- letting her play in the puddles

Lyrics to a favorite Christmas carol from when I was a child- Arbolito. Right side? Who knows! Day 7 or 8 maybe.

So that's it for now- I realize I've showed much of this content before so it's back to the drawing board to get current. How are your December Daily minis coming along?
I think I prefer a white background (and the black frame- need to learn to make my own in Photoshop!

iPod Instagram photo- nice but the fuzziness is REALLY apparent here.

MuChoS SmOoChEs!

December Daily- Central Park and FAO Schwartz

So after all my whining in yesterday's post about the crowds over at the Christmas Market in Union Square guess where I'm going to day?
Well you don't have to guess- you saw the title.

Day 1 with journaling.
Materials: Crate Paper peppermint collection journaling square from Paper Issues on Etsy,  Jillibean Soup corrugated flower and summer journaling spot. December pin from Ormolu

I love Christmas- yes, really!
I love the smell of special holiday food cooking.
I love that I get to see my sister Leticia and her hubby Robby Rob.
I love my crazy Aunts coming over from Pennsylvania.
I love that you finally see RED clothes in stores- my fave color- although this year it seems everyone is crazy about BORING silver and beige palettes.

Random unfinished page and Day 3.
Materials: American Crafts paper from Paper Issues, Cosmo Cricket market collection paper, stickers from Cosmo and Crate. Ki Memories snowflake from one of their lace papers.

I bought Lola's holiday outfit yesterday at a local high end thrift shop called The Flying Squirrel. It's great place to find boutique kid items super cheap. I would consider a visit if you are in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, love "brands" and have kiddos. I just really wanted to find something red and made from good fabric- dressing Lola in beige or black for Christmas is so NOT my bag. And WHAT is up with all the awful cheap fabric clothing in stores lately????

I have my photo for today!

Day 5- Christmas outfit found!
Satin Polka Dot Dress for 10 bucks and real cotton sweater 4 dollars, The Flying Squirrel. Leather shoes from TJ Maxx.
Where did the camera hating kid go? I couldn't get her off the floor! It's nice to see her be positive about photos. She looks like a 30's gangster with that lollipop in her mouth. Where she found it is a mystery as I did not give it to her.

Inside cover materials: Basic Grey Luscious paper, Fancy Pants filter paper, Studio Calico and Maya Road mists,
Martha Stewart gifts punch. alphas from Girl's Paperie and Cosmo Cricket

I am packing for today's photo expedition-
Juice boxes? CHECK!
Extra carriage blanket? Check!
Tranquilizer gun for frustrated tourists who try to sit on Lola? CHECK!

There's this really cool elevated doorway on the same street as Flying Squirrel.
No need to crouch to get face level shots! I will be using it again.
Materials: Crate Peppermint Collection paper and stickers from Paper Issues on Etsy, red corrugated alphas from Little Yellow Bicycle, Corrugated flower from Little Yellow Bicycle, glitter paper from American Crafts, Arrow flower punch from EK Success.

We decided to hold off until after the morning rush hour. We believe FAO Schwartz might be passable and their large windows mean lots of wonderful natural light inside the store. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've noticed that my iTouch takes really fussy blown out high light photos compared to the new iPhone 4- can't be helped as I refuse to buy a 500 dollar phone I will only use as a camera.

The story behind this photo. I spotted this GORGEOUS gold light bouncing off the Empire State Building right before this shot- by the time I got here with Lola in tow it was almost gone. And by the time I reached the empty park table in the photo the sky was dark. Difference in time? 1 minute! Great photography is half technical prowess, half waiting for the right light moment.

Where there's a will- there's a way!
MuChoS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

HoliDAZE! And Guineitos en escabeche (pickled green bananas)

Our Tree, 2010

This happens every year- I put off thinking about the holidays then feel like they pounced. I love the family gatherings but I hate the crowds, the clueless gift shopping, the MUSIC, the expectations... AAAARGH! I'm a scrooge at heart.

So this year- in order to break out of a particularly long introspective funk I put up our tree early. And I feel like I failed to take a good photo AGAIN.

Busy busy busy- all these trinkets to remove...
and DESTROY!

For every item I put up Lola took down 2 so it took 2 hours versus the usual 20 minutes- the tree is tiny just like our apartment. I've been ready for Lolster's tree shaking self for YEARS- all the ornaments are felt. I LOVE felt ornaments.

I KNOW Annalee is only for ladies with 3 cats but my Mom loves them so I get them when she repeat buys.

JC Penney was having a sale and I bought that awesome moving tree topper- the only thing more perfect would be if it was motorized and had lights.

The other thing I've been struggling with is my cook traditional Puerto Rican food 3 times a week vow. I barely cook ANYTHING twice a week so it's time to buckle down and DO THIS.

Here is my recipe for Thanksgiving:

Guineitos en Escabeche

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of true green bananas, not almost green, GREEN 
• 2/3 cup of rice vinegar (that's what I used- recipe calls for regular white vinegar)
• 1 2/3 cups of olive oil- (I probably used way more than that OOOPS
• 2 onions, peeled and cut into thin slices. I tried frying the first batch and BURNED IT- rookie mistake)
• 1/2 cup of alcaparrado (olives and capers mixed with red pepper)
• 4 bay leaves (I used like 6)
• black pepper to taste
• flakes sea salt to taste (I LOVE FLAKE salt- it's an EXPERIENCE)
• 2 pounds of chicken gizzards (yes you heard right)

Boil the GREEN bananas for 25 minutes- in salted water (I forgot to salt the water). Do not cut the skin before boiling or your pot will get this ICKY black ring that's almost impossible to remove- that is LA MANCHA DEL HIBARO!!! The hillbilly's spot. Anyway..

After your boil them babies, let them cool a bit, peel them and cut them into rounds. Add the other ingredients and let sit over night for best results. Boil the chicken gizzards for 30 minutes in salted water and add as well. I did not boil them- I sauteed them with garlic and onions- which was my classic mistake- DO NOT DO THE FOLLOWING...

Saute chicken gizzards in olive oil for like 15 minutes get distracted by Dancing With The Stars and add the onions and garlic too early using HIGH HEAT. They will inevitably burn and RUIN THE TASTE of those already iffy gizzards. 


DO THIS: Let the gizzards pan fry for at least an hour on low heat- this will make them soft. Repeat DO NOT add garlic and onions until the very end. Cut the gizzards down to bite size pieces and add to salad. CHOMP!

That's it- super easy animal entrail salad- if chicken gizzards make you wanna puke don't add them- try your chicken muscle of choice.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!!

M