The "Toaster" Chronicles

New Message

2009-07-04T08:46:00.001-05:00

New Message
Originally uploaded by Gina-Rae

4th of July Fun Run!

New Message

2009-05-24T14:53:00.001-05:00

New Message
Originally uploaded by Gina-Rae

PictureMail

2009-05-02T11:34:00.001-05:00

PictureMail
Originally uploaded by Gina-Rae

Getting ready for the "B" party!

The First Beautiful Day of the Year!

2009-04-17T19:17:00.003-05:00

My Nephew at Fratellos
Originally uploaded by Gina-Rae

Tote

2009-02-24T10:24:00.003-06:00

I am often carrying around more items than my purse can handle. The perfect solution to my problem is the tote bag. I used to think they were completely lame, however the totes have gotten better and I am either less strict on the whole matter or much older...

Reversible Hobo Bag by retrofied

Sparrow Everything Bag by stefaniewithluv

French Postcards by funkychicdesigns

Bloom Tote Bag by puckishclothing

I would love a reusable bag to tote my lunch around, no more plastic grocery bags for me!
Insulated Lunch Tote by naturallyfelt

Places I want to Visit

2008-11-23T13:51:00.006-06:00

I took a Canadian geography class in college. My professor was from Canada and waxed poetic about it. Ever since then I have had a long distance love affair with Canada. I would love to go to Victoria, British Columbia. The Fairmont Empress Hotel is the epitome of a classic, classy hotel.

photo via disneymike

The Butchart Gardens would be the number one must see on my list. Then it would be back to the Fairmont for afternoon tea. Lovely.

photo via ecstaticist

Wall Decals

2008-11-07T10:12:00.008-06:00

I would love to have a giant mural of a tree behind a sofa. I am certainly not inclined to paint it myself, and having lived in apartments, painting is just not an option. Wall decals are a great alternative, and as always Etsy is a great source!

Bye Bye Birdie from ShaNickers

Forest from the artwallproject

Tall Tree with Leaves Blowing in the Wind from DaliDecals

Stark Tree with Birds from DaliDecals

Places I Want to Visit

2008-07-30T08:35:00.004-05:00

I have been having dreams of visiting Mexico recently. Hacienda Puerta Campeche is at the top of my list of places to stay.

The swimming pool is reason enough to visit. Gorgeous.

Photos via Richard Babington

More Yellow Party Pics

2008-07-26T10:55:00.003-05:00

Here are the rest of the birthday pictures!!

Hulk Smash Hands were a hit. "You're making me angry..."

Yellow Birthday Party

2008-07-23T17:02:00.004-05:00

As my nephew's birthday was approaching he was telling everyone that he was going to have a yellow party. I love a simple theme!

I had decided a long time ago to make these cupcakes for his birthday instead of a cake. They were fun to make and everybody thought the cookies tasted delicious!! I even used whole wheat flour. I had also ordered these adorable cupcake liners, however they did not arrive in time (I ordered them too late).

I ordered the Nigella Lawson Cookie Cutters, they include the entire alphabet, the numbers 0-9, and stars, hearts and circle shapes. They were the perfect size!

Considering my elementary decorating skills, I was quite pleased with how they turned out.

I undertook another fairly ambitious project. Tapping a watermelon! We were going to fill it with lemonade! My sister scooped out the inside like a pumpkin. There was enough watermelon pulp to fill two large bowls! I made watermelon sorbet with the leftovers.

Unfortunately we did not have a drill bit to make the whole. My dad decided to use a knife, and that is where this project turned from functional lemonade holding vessel to really odd centerpiece! I am determined that this would work. The hole needs to make a tight seal over the faucet fixture so it will not leak...next time!

Pictures of the party to come!!

In Motion

2008-07-22T08:40:00.003-05:00

I have such a difficult time getting photos of my nephew. He is always on the go, always very busy. The camera that I use has a delay after I push the button, I end up taking so many photos of him turning around, or the back of his head. When we went for a nature walk a little while back I tried to use this problem to my advantage. This a fun series of photos.

There, that's better!

Horses

2008-07-07T20:36:00.006-05:00

I. love. Etsy. I was recently researching some horsey gifts for a sweet little girl that I know. Here are some lovelies that I didn't choose.

Horse in Heart pendant by curleycreekcreations

Lil Angel Pony Necklace by dulcebella

Philippa by carambatack

Vintage Pink Horse Cameo Hairpins by Katalina

Vanilla Rose and Horse Charm Necklace by imogene AND annie

Happy Birthday Mommy

2008-07-01T22:27:00.003-05:00

Photo courtesy of Lisa Chet

Places I Want to Visit...

2008-04-22T13:36:00.003-05:00

If money and time were no object I would love to stay at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand. The perfect mixture of luxury and adventure.

Photos via fourseasons.com

Poor Baby

2008-04-21T23:10:00.002-05:00

He fell on the way to the park.

Is it wrong that I think this is so adorable?

Public Enemies

2008-04-17T12:42:00.008-05:00

Yesterday my sister and I took my mom to downtown Oshkosh to check out the filming of Johnny Depp's movie Public Enemies. The production had blocked off so many streets that it made it impossible to see what was going on. We walked around and tried to get some pictures. Since there was really nothing to see, naturally the only thing to do was to wait for a glimpse of Johnny Depp by the truck farm/base camp (whatever). We saw his car but didn't really get much of a glimpse. We took a break, because, despite evidence to the contrary we are really not that hard core!! We came back later as Johnny usually does a "meet and greet" at the end of the day. We even had my 3 year old nephew. Let me tell you, taking a three year old to wait on the street for three hours is not terribly exciting. (He almost fell asleep up there!!)

At least we had enough time to school the kid that Jack Sparrow would not look like a pirate, rather he would look like a regular dude! (It worked) Two hours in Zane had enough, but we weren't going to give up so easily. In the end our patience paid off! I was able to get three pictures, and shake his hand! He even shook Zane's hand! At the end of the night Zane summed it up and said, "I never want to go back there!" No problem! I hear there are even more streets blocked off and less to see today, which is fine with me because it has started raining!

I really like the flare from the sun in this picture!

This was complete insanity, I didn't think I had gotten any pictures with him in them at all, luckily there were two.

Here are some pictures of the spiffed up downtown Oshkosh area!!

Movie Magic - Updated

2008-04-14T17:24:00.009-05:00

The circus has officially come to town! The production of the movie Public Enemies has undertaken it's filming here in Oshkosh of all places. I went with my sister to check out what was going on and it was complete shenanigans! We didn't get any great views, but we had a great time checking things out. The most amusing/annoying part was all of the people claiming they were seeing Johnny Depp or Christian Bale. Unless they had go-go-gadget eyes there wasn't any good way of determining who was who. Ah well. The whole state is buzzing about the movie as several other cities have been chosen for filming as well. I plan on making several more treks out there,
but I am not expecting on taking any great pictures of the cast.

Update: pictures!!

Filming the bank robbery at the Masonic Temple.

This is the shot not zoomed in. We really weren't very close at all!

They put a trolley in front of the library!!

Please Read

2008-03-22T20:12:00.002-05:00

Regarding the persecution of Bahá’í children in Iran.

Yellow Kicks

2008-03-19T20:41:00.003-05:00

By now I am entirely ready for spring. I think the perfect way to prepare would be to get a pair of yellow shoes.Anne Klein
Martinez Valero

MIA

... And the Canberra Slingbacks

The Windy City

2008-03-12T18:33:00.006-05:00

I spent last weekend in Chicago. I had such a great time. It was nice to get out and spend some time with a dear friend.

We did nothing exceptionally unusual. We saw some of the famous sites and I had the most amazing time! We went to Navy Pier. I think the time to go would be when it is warmer.

We spent some time shopping on Michigan Avenue.

We went to Water Tower Place.

We went to the Field Museum. This museum is amazing. It is so huge, and we were only able to see about half of it before we were too tuckered out to continue. I cannot wait to go back!

Pegboard

2008-03-11T11:32:00.002-05:00

In order to free up some much needed space in my parents small kitchen I suggested that they put up some pegboard to hang their pots, pans, utensils and other items. Here is how it looks. If I had done it in my place I would have put a frame around the pegboard and I would have painted it as well. Oh yeah, I would put the broom and dust pan somewhere else, maybe on a different pegboard for cleaning supplies!

At any rate, it gets the job done quite nicely!

Cotton Candy

2008-03-10T18:47:00.003-05:00

We took my nephew to a carnival last week. He ate cotton candy for the first time ever. He approached it with a small amount of uncertainty, but once he dug in he really enjoyed it.

Once he had had enough he gave the rest to my dad.

Whoa dad, no one is going to steal that cotton candy away from you okay!

Bow Wow Popcorn

2008-02-26T23:16:00.001-06:00

My dad bought some of this bacon flavored microwave popcorn for dogs. I busted it out (the stuff had a pretty awful smell) but that did not stop the dog from wolfing it down!

Happy Birthday Little Sister!

2008-02-11T19:28:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Nina! You have definitely gotten cuter with age!!

Happy Birthday Jessica!

2008-02-11T19:09:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday!! I hope your day is great! I miss you tons!

I love it

2008-01-24T12:43:00.002-06:00

I love Etsy. From their website:

Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade.

Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.

Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice:

Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade.

I could literally spend hours looking through all of the different shops. Here are some of my favorite porcelain/ceramic pieces.

1. Sterling Tea Set from Lighten Up Design
2. CLASSIC . Take-Out from Lorena Barrezueta
3. 6oz tea cup inner workings from Circa Ceramics
4. Zombie Plate from Folded Pigs
5. Small Whirl Serving Dish from Kim Westad
6. Porcelain Bowl from Kristen K Swanson
7. Knitware Vase from Alyssa Ettinger Design

What have you found that you really like?

Beautiful

2008-01-22T12:08:00.002-06:00

I am completely mesmerized by all of the snow! I find it incredibly peaceful and beautiful. Maybe if I were required to drive in it everyday I would have a different opinion. We had more snow last night, and I just love the way it piled up on everything. There are stacks of snow on top of everything that doesn't move! Check out the hot tub! My parents contemplated going in it last night...brrr!

It is almost ironic to see snow piled up on top of a chiminea!

When I got up this morning it had stopped snowing, the sun was out and it was beautiful! When my sister and I were little girls we used to put on our moon boots and pretend we actually leaving our tiny foot prints all over the surface of the moon!

Even Nandi likes the snow!

I am not going anywhere any time soon!

My mom's lilac bush. It has been over 8 years since I have seen lilacs in bloom. I cannot wait!

Go Pack Go!!

2008-01-20T08:54:00.001-06:00

In case anyone out there has any questions on how seriously Wisconsinites take their Green Bay Packers. Seriously!

So the weather has gotten so cold that even the natives think it's cold. Being recently transplanted back in Wisconsin I have finally got some company to complain about the weather. It is a blessing and a curse!

Earlier this week when it was a tad bit warmer we received a good amount of snow. It is like I'm a kid again, I am totally mesmerized. After I shoveled the driveway and sidewalk for the first time in over 8 years I had to take my camera out and capture the beautiful snow.

Safe and Sound

2008-01-07T09:10:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm definitely back in Wisconsin. This sign was posted at the entrance of Fleet Farm.

When I arrived there was a lot of snow on the ground. The weather has started to warm up and the snow is melting. It was quite foggy yesterday. This is the view down the street. You can even start to see the grass!

Would you look at that... my dad wears suspenders! He probably got them at Fleet Farm.

Nephew in a box...

2008-01-06T13:58:00.001-06:00

Before:

I have no words...

Meet Me in St. Louis

2007-12-24T22:33:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures from yesterday and today....

This is mainly what Arizona and New Mexico looked like. We are so grateful for the clear skies, we've not encountered any troubling weather at this point in our journey!

Nandi has a cozy spot. Not too crowded. She is certainly sick of being back there! I think she really would love to just stick her head out of the window!

This is the moon rising over Texas!! So beautiful!

Dad started driving this morning. He's concentrating very hard.

Nandi finds a place much better than the backseat.

She is making herself at home. I am certain dad would rather have some leg room though!

Beautiful sunset in Missouri! We had a long day today. We clocked over 12 hours of driving, we drove from Amarillo to St. Louis (actually we are in a place called Pontoon Beach, IL!). Tomorrow we will be home in time for Christmas dinner!!

Destination Revised...

2007-12-23T23:46:00.001-06:00

Well, we only made it to Amarillo, TX. It was a long day indeed! Dad and I did fine, the dog on the other hand... She was okay until the printer fell on top of her, but she recovered quite nicely. I'll
have picture tomorrow night. Until then here are some other recent good-bye pictures...

Dave having fun with Einstein at the Griffith Observatory!

Fun lunch with Fulya and Nataly!

Jessica helping amidst all of the boxes! (Thank you Jess!!)

The girls and I had a great time!

The IT guys being IT guys!! Looking good Andrew!

Thank you for letting me have the window seat!!

Stay tuned for more!!!

Homeward Bound

2007-12-23T08:01:00.001-06:00

I have started my journey back to my homeland: Wisconsin!! Getting everything ready was a lot of work. It has already been proven worthwhile a thousand times over! Here are some shots of the move:

I used the 6 feet of space I had been quoted for! Not bad. My dad and I got off to a late start yesterday. We only made it to Kingman, AZ. Today we are off to Oklahoma!!

Big Bear Mountain

2007-11-04T20:27:00.001-06:00

We decided to escape the intense heat of Los Angeles and spend a night in Big Bear. We were all ready to go canoing and play in the water. We had no idea that it would be extremely overcast with thunderstorms! We were so thankful for the cool weather that we did not mind so much about the gloominess.

A long time ago we went to NASCAR!

2007-11-04T12:01:00.001-06:00

It was ages ago that we went to NASCAR, actually it was Labor Day weekend! I wish the pictures could convey just how HOT it was! Thankfully we were in an air conditioned suite. I had never been to NASCAR nor had I ever watched it on TV. I had a surprisingly good time! We were right above pit row. This is the view we had...

The most amazing portion was watching the pit crew work on these cars. It is a finely choreographed dance.

This is where the cars entered the speedway.

The most amazing sunset.

He is home!

2007-10-27T11:19:00.001-05:00

After a day of drinking juice Zane was finally able to eat some food. He picked pancakes and contintued eating even though his stomach hurt. Poor thing probably thought they weren't going to feed him again. Here he is with his pancakes!

He was in really great spirits.

Goggles brought her little one to the hospital to visit. Isn't he adorable?

I love it when he squishes up his nose!!

Here he is finally free of the IV bags!!

On Friday they finally were able to go home. Zane going stir crazy? He took to walking around with his feet in these washbasins!

Here he is at home. Nina and Zane are thrilled to be home. They will be continuing with his follow up care by going back to Milwaukee for check ups.

3 Cheers for Apple Juice!

2007-10-24T00:55:00.001-05:00

Zane was able to drink apple juice today. The doctor said if it went well that he would be able to have food tomorrow. Nina told me that he drank a lot of juice really fast. Then he got a stomach ache, then Nina could actually see his belly rumbling (ew), and then he felt better! What a success! He was on fire today, he wanted to play, and go to the park, and play, and did I mention go to the park? My grandparents came to visit, as well as my cousin and her little girl. My family would like to thank everyone for their prayers, phone calls, visits, and support. It means so much to all of us.

I will post today's pictures tomorrow morning.

Update: Here are the photos...

The quality of this photo isn't great, but he is just so gosh darn cute with a clown nose!!

He's feeling better...

2007-10-22T20:57:00.002-05:00

The doctor's are saying that he is healing faster than expected. However it will still be a long process. He was full of energy today, in fact he has colored all over his sheets, apparently he will not be contained by coloring books. He got the pic line today and this evening they started using it for his nutrients and fluids.

Here he is in the playroom. He looks so skinny.

He loves Mr. Potato Head.

Send Good Thoughts

2007-10-21T17:40:00.001-05:00

My nephew is very ill. It turns out that he has a fractured pancreas and will be at the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee for the next week or so. He is in fairly good spirits today, and all he wants to do is eat (part of the healing process includes giving his digestive system a break by not eating or drinking). The doctors are busy trying to find out how this happened. Stay tuned for more news.

Here he is at the emergency room.

His hand is splinted so the IV will stay in.

He is starting to get spunky again!

Coloring and healing is hard work.

Tomorrow they will put a direct line into his chest. They will be able to draw blood, give him nutrients, and fluids through this line. It will also free up his hands so he can color, put together puzzles and many other things 3 year olds like to do!

Stay tuned for more posts...

2007-10-09T18:47:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy since my last post that I have completely neglected my blog. Stay tuned for posts about my following adventures

NASCAR, yes really!
Big Bear Mountain
Downtown Los Angeles shenanigans
Our weekend in San Francisco
Our fun filled long weekend in Indiana for Amanda's wedding

On Wisconsin

2007-08-30T21:01:00.001-05:00

We went to Wisconsin for my Grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary!! 60 years, can you believe it? It's always nice to go home and see everyone. I got a lot of pictures of the nephew, but not anyone else. Please see previous post regarding not taking enough photos. He's three now, and I suppose at that age they do not know how to smile naturally on demand. Check out some of the photos with his huge smile and squished up nose.

Here is a natural one, we took him to the Children's Museum and he was very interested in everything that was going on.

He loves, loves, loves fire trucks!

This is perhaps my favorite picture! He is not doing the forced smiling, he's mimicking the giant mouth!

"Cheese"

These last three photos are from the dinner we had to celebrate my Grandparent's anniversary. So handsome.

Lookin' good sister!

Look at that stained glass window...it's a car!!

More Pics from Disneyland...

2007-08-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

I've realized we don't take nearly enough photos! Here are the few photos we took when we went to Disneyland last month!

We had lunch at the Blue Bayou Restaurant. That's the one that you see at the beginning of the Pirate's of the Caribbean ride. It was so nice to get out of the sun and the heat. The restaurant is certainly the most expensive in the park, but it is worth it at least once! It was such a treat, plus they have their own restroom so you don't have to wait in line! I was told that it is best to make reservations, and I am so glad that I did. The Disney website has the phone number, and a lot of great information (714.781.DINE, or 714.781.3463).

Steve and I really liked the Disneyland Railroad. He's a boy, and I've nannied many boys. Trains rule!!

I kept switching between my sunglasses and my glasses. Steve was carrying his man bag, so I didn't have my purse. I really began to get on his nerves with all of the switching... Oh well!

Look at that. The manhole covers were made in the city where I was born!! Wow!

Gasp Out Loud

2007-08-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

I found this amazing video at Neatorama. Or check it out at YouTube. Just be sure to watch the whole thing!!

I really did gasp out loud!

Field Trip

2007-08-04T20:29:00.001-05:00

My sister took my nephew to the Horicon Marsh today. I went on field trip to the marsh when I was in fourth or fifth grade.

Look at those boots! How adorable.

He has a great smile.

Boys and their toys, I guess he still needs to learn what a hike is!

My own "Ringo Bowl"!

2007-08-04T19:38:00.000-05:00

Well here is the bowl that I made! Notice where some of the rings broke off.

I was not happy with the glazing either.

Look what the bowl did in the kiln!! Oh man!

I really enjoyed that class!

Creative attempts

2007-07-31T11:33:00.000-05:00

I took a ceramics class last fall. I had a lot of fun. It seemed like each time I had an idea for a project it never quite turned out how I had imagined it. I decided I wanted to make a bowl out of rings of clay. It was quite a process rolling out the clay, stamping out the circles and assembling them all together. The first attempt ended in disaster, and the second attempt almost didn't see the light of day. In the end it turned out alright, after a couple of the rings fell off! I still have it, but it isn't as clean and beautiful as it had been in my head. I found the bowl of my visions at Uncommon Goods. What is it they say about practice...?

Over the weekend

2007-07-30T11:49:00.001-05:00

Steve and I went to go play with the girls, unfortunately there were no impromptu concerts.

but we did get to go on a bike ride...

to the park!

Then we came back and ate some watermelon (look at those pink cheeks!)

I need shoes. Part 2.

2007-07-28T15:23:00.001-05:00

These are very girly.

These, aside from being the most expensive, are my favorite.

These are basic and simple.

I would like the look of these peeking out from under my dress.

I like these, they would look cute with a pair of jeans.

I need shoes.

2007-07-28T14:53:00.001-05:00

This is the dress I am wearing in Amanda's wedding.

Stay tuned for some of my shoe choices.

I miss my nephew!

2007-07-27T12:36:00.001-05:00

My sister sent me these pictures last night. I love cell phones! I love the look of pure joy on his face!

Disneyland

2007-07-26T12:53:00.001-05:00

We went to Disneyland for my birthday. Stay tuned for more photos.

I think I got scared on Space Mountain!

My New Bicycle

2007-07-26T12:50:00.000-05:00

I love my new bicycle.

It is powder blue, has fenders, and a white square basket.

1st Post

2007-07-25T14:59:00.000-05:00

I am still deciding what I am going to do with this blog.

Stay Tuned