My Black Tongue

Inside Your Bathroom Cabinet

2012-02-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

There isn't a bathroom cabinet in this apartment, just a green wicker shelf unit that hangs on the wall in between the sink and the shower. We store daily use items on these shelves and occasional use items in a basket in the linen closet.

Your Shoes

2012-02-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

Where You Work

2012-02-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

A Favorite Photo of You

2012-02-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

How To Design a Gallery Wall

2012-02-21T04:06:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have seen so many gallery walls on HGTV, blogs and Pinterest. I was inspired to create a gallery wall last year and it is one of my favorite spots in our apartment. I wanted to show it to you and share a few tips and tricks so you can create your own gallery wall.

There are many benefits to featuring a gallery wall in an apartment:

We live in a small, 1 bedroom apartment, which means that the wall space to art collection ratio is off. We simply do not have enough walls to feature all of our favorite art pieces that we have collected and love to display. By creating a gallery wall we make the most of our wall space.
We, like so many, are renters. This means we cannot paint any of the walls or make any major changes to the apartment. A gallery wall fills up wall space and brings color to plain white paint.

Our art tells a story of us! We chose pieces to hang together that represent each of us individually and pieces that represent us as a couple. By hanging them all together, it tells a story to those who stop by to visit.

Gather all of your pieces together and lay them on the floor. Measure your wall space horizontally and vertically to make sure all of the pieces will fit. There were a few pieces that didn't make it onto our gallery wall because they were too big.

Use different frame shapes, sizes and textures but keep an overall theme. The pieces that I chose are colorful so I used black or white frames only (except for the lighthouse!). For a few of the pieces I did not frame them. This brings a difference in depth and texture.

Allow for white space between each piece. I made sure that I did not place pieces too close together so each had its own space in the collection. I used a spot of toothpaste on the back of each piece (a la Pinterest) so I knew where to place the nail on the wall.

Keep the bottom edge of the lowest row of hangings out of the way of guests sitting on the couch. I made sure there was enough head room so people sitting on the couch would not knock anything off of the wall.

Step back and enjoy your collection!

Here is a closer look at a few of our pieces:

NameMe Single by NameMe Company

Polaroid photo of Camp Louise taken by me, custom frame made by signed & numbered, Ahoy A4 print by draw pilgrim

Lighthouse print found at Goodwill, Gizmo vs. Freddy vs. Jason print from The Paisley Fawn

I hope you enjoyed this how to post and peek at our apartment. Do you have a gallery wall in your home? How do you display your favorite pieces of art? Let me know in the comments below!

Handwriting

2012-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

This week I have been working my way through a workbook created by Michelle, the When I Grow Up Coach. It is called, Operation: Creative Career Cheer! Even though teaching has brought me so much happiness, I think it is important to examine all aspects of your true self to discover exactly which career is perfect for you.

Cinema Sunday: Final Count Down to the Oscars

2012-02-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

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The 2012 Oscars are exactly one week from tonight! Are you planning an Oscar party? I have just finished watching all of the nominations and have updated my list. (It feels like an accomplishment!)

Here is the list as it stands:

~~"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer~~

~~"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers~~

~~"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer~~

~~"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers~~

~~"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers~~

~~"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers~~

~~"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers~~

~~"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined~~

~~"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers~~

Hugo

Loved this movie! Hugo is a whimsical film that tells a heartwarming story and celebrates the history of cinema featuring a wonderful cast. It asks the audience to think about what your purpose in life is and reminds us how quickly life can change.

War Horse

I thought I was going to be crying halfway through War Horse, but the tears never came. This may be because it felt like two different movies in one; a horse movie followed by a war movie. Even though I connected with Joey's story through the entire movie, I didn't feel emotionally connected to any of the human characters or their individual stories.

Many of the scenes, especially the very last scene, felt like I was watching a stage production instead of a movie. This may have been intentional, but it stood out to me.

The Artist
A modern silent film set in Hollywood, 1927. The Artist tells the story of silent movie star, George Valentin, who gets cast out of the spot light when talking pictures become popular and Peppy Miller, a young actress who helps him through tough times.

Even though the movie was slow at times, I like that it told a realistic story of the history of cinema that could very well be based on fact more than fiction. The actors did a really good job of conveying the story without sound, but honestly my favorite character was Jack, the dog.

Have you watched all of the movies on the list? Which one is your pick for best picture of 2011? Let me know in the comments below!

Something You Hate To Do

2012-02-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

Laundry. Least favorite chore, ever.As you can see, our laundry basket is over flowing for just this reason. Oy. What is your most despised chore?

Something New

2012-02-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

Relaxing on the balcony on a sunny afternoon. New sweater and new gold and chocolate stone necklace (on clearance!) both from Target.

Phone

2012-02-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

Blue

2012-02-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

Inside Your Closet

2012-02-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

There are three closets in this apartment. The front hall closet where we store coats, extra kitchen items, laundry detergent and shopping bags.

There is a linen closet where we store towels, sheets, tools, medical supplies, all of my nail polish, and the vacuum.

Last there is the bedroom closet. It is small and cozy and barely just fits all of our clothes. This is the first closet that I have shared with another person so it took some time when I moved in to figure out how to organize everything.

Makes You Happy

2012-02-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is to sit in my grandpa's chair and talk to my family members on the phone. I sit on the worn leather that has been warmed up by the sunlight that comes in through the floor to ceiling windows and catch up with my family for a few hours on the weekends. We talk about happy news, upcoming events, stressful days at work, weather and what we had for dinner last night. It makes me happy.

Front Door

2012-02-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

The front door to our building and to our apartment are boring, so I decided to snap a photo of my freshly decorated door to my classroom! It is very cold behind that door, but it is inviting, clean and very well organized.

Sun

2012-02-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Catching up on the news back home for a bit after work. Oddly enough, even though I currently live in the Sunshine State, there was no sight of the sun today. Now it's pizza time!

Button

2012-02-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

The very first button that I push every morning; the light switch. I usually do my hair in these floor to ceiling Florida chic mirrors while Aaron is getting ready in the bathroom. You can also take a peek at our dining area, and the art wall above the couch in our living space.

Dinner

2012-02-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

Too bad the "dinner" photo day fell on a day that I didn't plan on making dinner. Keeping it simple with a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and leftover Fiesta Party Dip from our Superbowl dinner last night.

10am

2012-02-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

A Stranger

2012-02-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

Hands

2012-02-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! We spent the day at John's Pass with Aaron's family going through the shops and stopping for lunch at a restaurant called The Hut at the end of a pier. My photo for today is my hand next to the bones of a manatee flipper at the Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center where we stopped on the way home.

Words

2012-02-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

Important words that are now hung on the wall of my new (and very first) classroom!

Cheers to 6 Years

2012-02-02T05:54:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, I have an amazing boyfriend. Today is our 6 year anniversary! We celebrated this special occasion together this past Sunday. We decided to skip the usual fancy dinner out and instead drove down Rt. 1 to the Gulfstream Racing Track & Casino to play slots and enjoy a top notch brunch.

A Mystical Mermaid slot machine! I had to play this one first! We started in the casino and played a few slots before brunch. It was our first time playing in a casino and it took me a little while to get the hang of it. Each machine is different, but we mostly played the penny slots. We took out $20 in cash to play with and stuck with that.

The brunch was so good! I really enjoyed the french toast and the mimosas that arrived at our table in awkward tall glasses. The entire restaurant is lined with huge windows that overlook the racetrack and our table was right at the finish line! While we were eating we watched 3 different horse races. We didn't collect any winnings since we didn't bet on the horses, but it was still fun to watch!

After brunch we went back to the casino for a bit to play more slots, but we were on a loosing streak. We played away most of our money and cashed out with our big $0.30 winnings ticket. Even though we didn't win the big money, we still win big because we have each other. <3

Your View Today

2012-02-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I have the day off from work since there are parent-teacher conferences scheduled all day. With the exception of a quick Target run first thing this morning (I got there before they unlocked the doors!) this is my view today. I have a long list of items to finish before we leave for Tampa tomorrow afternoon including writing my first two weeks of lesson plans, catching up on season 2 of Downton Abbey, setting up auto tweeting for fair ivy, and giving myself a manicure for the beach wedding we will be attending on Sunday.

This is my usual spot where I work, blog and watch movies online from. You can see my classroom layout plans in the sketch pad on top of the printer, my healthy living motivational reminders taped to the wall and a lovely mermaid ornament on the side wall to keep my inspired. Also, you can see that I have an eos (evolution of smooth) lip balm sphere that I just picked up this morning. I love it!

Anyone else working from home today?

February Photo a Day Challenge

2012-01-31T05:31:00.000-08:00

Even though I bought a new digital camera just last year and I received the amazing Instax mini for Christmas, I haven't been taking as many pictures as I like to. It might be because I have been swamped with work recently, we have been focusing on saving money which has limited to adventures, or simply because I have not felt truly inspired. Excuses aside, I want to get back to it.

When I came across this February Photo a Day Challenge created by Chantelle of Fat Mum Slim, I realized that it is the perfect motivator! Starting on February 1st I will be posting a photo a day here on My Black Tongue. Be sure to follow along!

Cinema Sunday: Count Down to the Oscars

2012-01-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

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It's almost February and that means that the 84th annual Academy Awards are almost here! The awards will honor the "best" films of 2011 and the best part is that is will be hosted by Billy Crystal. Why so much love for Mr. Crystal and more importantly, why have I decided to place quotation marks around the word best?

Well, how could anyone dislike Billy Crystal? Repeat after me. Pepper. As for the second question, I think we can all agree that 2011 wasn't a great year for Hollywood. Even though I know this to be true, I don't feel 100% confident making this statement because I have not seen all of the movies that have been nominated for Best Picture. I am currently working my way through the list.

Here is the list as it stands so far:

"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer

~~"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers~~

~~"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer~~

~~"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers~~

"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers

~~"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers~~

~~"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers~~

~~"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined~~

"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

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Aaron and I watched "The Descendants" tonight. We really liked it and I even cried a little. We are going to watch "The Artist" next and I will probably catch up on the rest in the next couple of weeks. I'm really looking forward to watching "Hugo" and "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close".

Based on the few that I have already watched, my pick for best picture of 2011 is "Midnight in Paris". I have seen it 3 times and loved it more and more every time.

Have you watched all of the movies on the list? Which one is your pick for best picture of 2011? Let me know in the comments below!

Currently Loving

2012-01-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

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1. Snickers Ice Cream Bars

I know eating one of these babies doesn't fit into my healthy eating plan, but.... They are SO DELICIOUS. Seriously, my favorite treat right now. There are salted roasted peanuts in there my friends! Chocolate + salted peanuts + peanut butter ice cream. That's the magic combination.

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2. Dear Genevieve

My DVR and I have been very good friends recently. When I wake up on Saturday mornings he always has at least 6 episodes of Dear Genevieve waiting for me. I have enjoyed watching design shows off and on in the past, but this show really captures my interior design imagination.

Even though I don't love every space Genevieve and her crew create for their clients, I love watching her design process and learning about her ground work design rules that appear in every episode. Since our living space is currently a rented apartment that we cannot change, I am nurturing my need to nest by through watching Dear Genevieve and by using Pinterest to capture all of my design for the future.

3. Sh*t __(fill in the bank with your favorite culture group)__ Say Videos

Okay, I have to say that all of the kids hooked into YouTube have gone a bit over the edge with the huge number of, but I'm 100% okay with it. I love them. I don't know if it is that cross dressing, the key word repetition, or the quick cut aways, but I find myself clicking on video after video soaking in all of the goodness.

My personal favorites are the original Sh*t Girls Say and Sh*t Tumblr Girls Say. Reblog!

4. Dear Ryan Gosling

This article featured on HelloGiggles written by Meghan O'Keefe is simply wonderful. From The Notebook to Drive to his band, Dead Man's Bones, Mr. Gosling is truly one of my favorites.

P.S. NEVER CHANGE

What are you loving right now? Leave a comment or link to a photo in the comments below!

Coupon Code: Blue Spruce Art Press

2012-01-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

The team members of Blue Spruce Art Press have been kind enough to create a special discount code for My Black Tongue readers!

For the rest of January 2012, Blue Spruce Art Press would like to offer MBT readers the opportunity to receive 25% off their entire purchase at their Etsy Store.

During checkout simply enter MYBLACKTONGUE25 at checkout to receive the 25% off discount.

Now sending your friends and loved ones a beautiful hand written letter is even sweeter!

If you have a handmade business and would like to offer a coupon code on My Back Tongue, you will receive a free ad space on my sidebar and I will market your business through social media channels.

Email me for more info: elisha.myblacktongue@gmail.com

Three Ponds Vintge 50% off Handmade Sale

2012-01-21T04:14:00.000-08:00

Hello lovely readers!

I just wanted to let you know that The Three Ponds Vintage 10 Day Handmade sale is now live!

Shop handmade items at 50% off from now until January 31st! After the sale these items will no longer be available. Add a handmade piece to your collection while you can!

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites: Personal Stationary

2012-01-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

Every day this past week I have connected with a different friend, catching up on details about work, life and loves. I love chatting on the phone and writing emails to me, but getting a hand written letter is so nice now and then.

Here are my top 3 pick of personalized stationary from Etsy sellers. The first one caught my eye because it is perfect for a teacher The second appeals to my love for mid-century modern design and letterpress. The last one I found by searching "nautical letterpress stationary." Love! (Don't forget, the cost of Forever stamps will increase by 1 cent on January 22, 2012!)

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Do you have your own set of personalized stationary? Do you have a pen pal that you keep in touch with via snail mail? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

This Adult Life

2012-01-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

Life since winter vacation has been less than bloggable. I have realized that I had so much more to write about a few months ago when I was unemployed because I had the time and energy to craft, bake, and go on adventures.

Now, I get up in the morning, work everyday, and then come home, make dinner for Aaron and myself then we settle into the evening by catching up on our favorite TV shows (Big Bang Theory is out new favorite) or reading blogs. No time for mid-day thrifting, quick trips to Michael's to pick up supplies for a crafty tutorial.

I know some of you reading this might say, "Elisha, that is what life is, that's how it goes!" For me, settling into a working lifestyle still feels foreign at this point.

I am trying very hard to focus on the bright parts of my day. To take a few minutes to sit and talk one-on-one with a student, to meditate on our balcony and soak up the sunshine, or chat with family and friends daily to keep me grounded.

How long does it take to get accustomed to the "adult routine"?

I should have news and new photos to post early next week. This weekend Aaron and I have plans to celebrate a birthday in Ft. Lauderdale and take a trip to the Florida Swap Shop to see what it's all about on Saturday.

Reaching Higher

2012-01-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

One Little Word for 2012

2012-01-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2012?

Whatuptitude.

That is my word for 2012. What does it mean? We will get to that shortly. First, let me fill you in on what One Little Word is all about.

One Little Word is an annual project created by blogger, photographer and designer, Ali Edwards. It is a challenge to choose one word that will guide you through the year. I have been reading about the One Little Word project on other blogs for a few years, but have never picked one of my own. I have decided that this is the year to start!

Whatuptitude is a word that Aaron and I created together sometime in college, but the memory of such a great event has slipped our minds entirely. It is a word that essentially means, savvy. It pops up now and again when we make smart purchases, find free date activities, or discover a free book exchange, but I have never truly focused on making use of this word.

I am hoping that I can make the best of this word in my financial life, professional life, and personal life. I will share the best whatuptitude moments of the upcoming year here on the blog.

Amy chose her One Little Word with a nod to a big step in her life.

Kam chose one of my favorite words that I used as my manta in college.

Elise's word is essential in every day life.

What is your One Little Word? How will you bring your word to life in 2012?

A Sepia Photo Collage

2012-01-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

Over winter break when Aaron and I were home in Baltimore with the family I spent one morning working on a project for the whole family to enjoy.

Since my sister and I are no longer little kids and we don't use the finished basement in my parent's house for a play room anymore it has become the entertainment room.

My parents bought a new couch a few years ago and have been tweaking the decor ever since.

Over the summer my mom added a piece of wall art to the decor. She also found a framed cork board that matched the family wall hanging. I offered to create a photo collage that would reflect our family and the color palate too.

I went through my photo collection and picked out some of the best ones. Then I used the sepia effect on Picnik on each photo. I printed them with my sister's nifty photos printer, secured them to the cork board with scotch tape and hung it back on the wall.

It felt goo to continue to be creative over winter break and it felt even better that I created something that my family can enjoy everyday.

What did you do to stay creative over winter break? Leave a comment below and tell me/show me!

Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T03:41:00.000-08:00

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Where I Went
Greensboro, NC // Tampa, FL // Columbia, MD // Cascade, MD // Akron, OH // Hallandale, FL // Annapolis, MD // Reisterstown, MD

What I Did
Celebrated the New Year in Greensboro, NC with friends // worked for The American Hebrew Academy // taught a 9th grade poetry unit // taught a small ceramics class // celebrated 5 years together with Aaron // made new life-long friends // planned and attended HS prom // Saw Mumford & Sons, and Death Cab For Cutie in concert // Worked at an art camp all summer // spent a crazy night in Annapolis with my sister // moved to South Florida // Turned 24 // signed up to be a Tastefully Simple consultant // went on a ton of job interviews // refocused myself with life goals // started substitute teaching at the Hillel Community Day School // said goodbye to Aaron's Stepmom // starting tutoring // Went on so many adventures around South Florida // Celebrated my belated birthday at Weeki Wachee // stretched my ears to 00g // started this blog! // accomplished various “adult” things on my own for the first time // took out my nose ring // lost my stretch // Hosted my sister // drove to Tampa for Thanksgiving // Flew to Baltimore to visit family and celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas // Went to the spa for the first time // celebrated the New Year with Aaron (& Tumblr) in Hallandale

Most-played Albums

Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys // Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More // Vampire Weekend - Contra // Say Anything - Say Anything // Paramore - Brand New Eyes // My Chemical Romance - Danger Days // Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday // The Vaccines (Wetsuit) // Fun. (We Are Young)

Most Loved Television and Movies
Mad Men // Community // How I Met Your Mother // Pan Am // American Horror Story // The League // New Girl // Big Bang Theory // True Blood // Gossip Girl // Glee // Weeds // Modern Family // Great Food Truck Race // Sucker Punch // Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 // Scott Pilgrim vs. The World // Thor // Bridesmaids // X-Men: First Class // Super 8 // The Help // 30 Minutes or Less // Drive // We Bought a Zoo

Top 5 Purchases
New Lenovo laptop // Droid Incredible // Cannon Powershot A2200HD // Longchamp Le Pilage // Bold Goldface Watch from Lulu's

Best Food & Drinks

Galley Boy from Swensons // Corn Dogs from cookout // crab dip and Woodchuck at Phoenix in Old Ellicott City // salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks // Trader Joe’s whole grain mustard // gin & ginger // Cheerwine // Chinese buffet // Food Trucks // Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt // homemade latkes

Best Things I Did for Myself

Moved out of my parents house...again // paid off the loan on my car // found an apartment on Craigslist // found steady employment all year long // Stratejoy // worked on my creative side // continued building my professional educator library

Loveliest Gift
The wonderful anniversary dinner at Lucky 32 in Greensboro that Aaron paid for!

Favorite Websites
Pinterest // Twitter // Bloglovin' // Tumblr // Etsy // Gmail // Facebook

Couldn’t Be WithoutMy mermaid ring // comfy undies // nautical accessories // black eyeliner and black mascara // clicky sharpies // monkey // KISS classic slip on Vans // Droid Incredible // Longchamp Le Pilage // Target sunglasses // spandex shorts // Aquaphor // Tums // my Shenanigan’s Pen // Aaron

If you are interested, here is my Hello, 2011 from last year.

Goodbye 2011...

2011-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

I have been enjoying my winter break with my family and friends in Maryland and D.C. this week. I can't believe that it is almost time to pack my bags and fly back down to Miami!

On top of that I can't believe that 2011 is almost over! This year, as each one does, has gone by so quickly. Now that our family holiday celebrations are over I have been spending some time reflecting on what I have done this year, how I have grown. I have started planning what I can do better next year and what I want to focus on in 2012.

I would like to share 12 photos, one from each month of 2011, as a photographic recap of my year. Enjoy!

Do you take the time at the end of each year to reflect upon what you have accomplished? Do you make lists for the upcoming year? Leave a note in the comments below and tell me about your favorite end-of-the-year activities.

Seasons Greetings & Happy New Year

2011-12-22T03:17:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah Favorites

2011-12-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

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The first night of Hanukkah is only a few hours away so today I would like to share with you a few of my favorite pins from my Hanukkah board on Pinterest. We are not hosting a fancy soiree on the first night this year, but I can still imagine a beautiful party with friends to celebrate the festival of lights.

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Be sure to check out the rest of my Hanukkah board for even more beautiful home decor and party inspiration!

Happy Hanukkah!

Thumbs Up!

2011-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

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Happy Monday! In leiu of my weekly Adventure post, I want to let you know that I am blogging over on Campfire Chic today. I have written a post entitled, 4 Ways to Make Friends Through Social Networking about how to use social networking sites to meet new friends. In the post you can read about my recent experiences as well as a few tips on how you can make new connections. Visit Kam on her blog, read the post and leave comments on her blog!

Have a great week!

What I Learned in First Grade

2011-12-14T15:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was scheduled to sub for a first grade teacher for the whole day. Usually when I sub, it is in the middle or upper school and it is only for 2 or 3 class periods each day. First grade was a first for me!

I arrived a few minutes early to check out the layout of the room. I snapped a few photos of what I found to be the most interesting aspect of this classroom; The Mensch Wall of Fame.

Accoring to Wikipedia, Mensch (מענטש) is a Yiddish word that means, a person of integrity and honor. The term is used as a high compliment, expressing the rarity and value of that individual's qualities.The word has become a loanword in American English and roughly means "a good person." A mensch is a particularly good person, like "a stand-up guy", a person with the qualities one would hope for in a dear friend or trusted colleague.

This first grade class defines the responsibilities of being a mensch as 1. being a good friend, and 2. looking out for others when they are sad or need help.

As the days went on I could see the values that this classroom operated on in action. The students were polite to one another, saved seats on the reading rug for their friends, passed out snacks to their peers before themselves and always used kinds language with me and their peers.

I learned that all classroom rules stem down to the most simple rule. By teaching this important life value from the start, we as teachers can work to help students be the most successful in school and well into their lives.

Are you lucky enough to know or work with a mensch?

Vintage Hanukkah

2011-12-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

As it is now mid December, everyone has been busy decorating and getting ready for Christmas, but don't forget that Hanukkah is on the way too! This year Hanukkah and Christmas overlap, which means that we can celebrate twice the holiday cheer! Even though Hanukkah is not a major holiday, like Christmas, it is still nice to spend a little time setting the mood. I have created a collection of beautiful vintage items that represent the annual traditions that we share during the festival of lights.

Google Me This

2011-12-12T04:27:00.000-08:00

This post is inspired by my new friend, Erin, from Erin B. Inspired! When I relaunched my blog on Blogger I signed up for a Google Analytics account to track who was reading, why they were reading and how often. I don't use it much because honestly, there is a lot of data there and only some of it makes sense to me. Recently, I looked at the keywords that lead people to My Black Tongue. Here are a few that I enjoyed.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

One of my favorite movies! I love it so much I even included it in my list of 5 Scary Movies to Watch This Halloween. It's never to late!

Underwater Theater

The best on is in Weeki Wachee where Aaron and I spent the day during Thanksgiving break. I love this place!

Training to be a Weeki Wachee mermaid

Only in our dreams, my friend.

How do you hang Polaroids?

Magic! No, just kidding. I used a float frame to create a photographic triptych of things that I love: water, photography, Aaron, and apparently pirates! I hung it in the front hallway and we adore it everyday!

Almond Pound Cake Cupcake

The most delicious cupcakes I have ever made were Almond Pound Cake Cupcakes. They are moist yet fluffy, flavorful yet not overpowering, and so easy to make! Thank you Tastefully Simple!

West Elm table

I saw a few tables in the store when I was at the Etsy + West Elm Handmade Holiday Workshop. I really liked so many of the pieces that I saw at West Elm that night. I hope to be able to buy one or two to decorate our home someday!

Where is Clos Cafe?

It's in the heart of Miami! I went there with a few friends on a Living Social Adventure to learn how to make delicious empanadas. They were so good, now I want one from thinking about it!

We buy houses Davie, FL

Awesome! I am happy for you. I don't live in or want to move to Davie...

Bizarre Wallpaper

I haven't written any posts about wallpaper since the walls of our apartment are painted so I am going to assume that you are referring to a desktop wallpaper, such as the one I used in a post about American Horror Story a few weeks ago.

Tongue Wallpaper

Seriously? What's with the wallpaper...

If you're a blogger, take a look at your search keywords and see what you find. Any funny ones? Let me know in the comments below!

Giveaway Winner

2011-12-12T04:11:00.000-08:00

Congrats Aquariann! Send me an email at elisha.myblacktongue@gmail.com with your address and I will get the bow in the mail to you this week!

Brighter

2011-12-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

This week Glee covered "We Are Young" a song from the upcoming 2012 fun. album entitled Some Night. I love this song! I have been listening to it for a couple of weeks in anticipation for the new album.

I have decided to share three different versions of the song. The first is the Glee version, the second is the album recording with a very awkward music video and the last is the acoustic version with a studio session video of fun. and Janelle Monáe.

We Are Young by Glee Cast

We Are Young(Acoustic) by Fun.ft. Janelle Monáe

We Are Young by Fun. ft. Janelle Monáe

Which one do you like best?

Friday Favorites: Giveaways!

2011-12-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

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It is only the end of the first full week of December and there have already been so many amazing giveaways in the blogosphere! I have won a few giveaways from bloggers that I follow and I have loved everything that I have won! Giveaways are a wonderful way to promote your blog or shop, connect with readers and share the love!

This week alone you can...

Enter to win a white 16GB wi-fi enabled iPad 2 from Little Chief Honeybee!
Enter to win a vintage Polaroid Land Camera Model 80 from Steven Andrew!
Enter to win a Spice Islands Spice Box from Kitchen Explorers!
Enter to win a MyRemedy tote bag from Delightfully Tacky!
Enter to win your choice of any camera bag from JoTotes on Much Love, illy!
Enter to win a different giveaway every day during the month of December from Olivine!

*Hint: If you don't know where to start when looking for giveaways, just search "giveaway" in the Twitter search box!*

In honor of my love of giveaways, I would like to offer my very first giveaway here on My Black Tongue! On Monday I wrote a guest post on Crafted Love on How To Make Sequin Hair Accessories. By entering this giveaway you can enter to win the (never-been-worn-before) sequin bow hair clip to add to your accessories collection!

How to Enter

Leave a comment below and tell me one thing that makes you shine during the holiday season. Be sure to include your email address or your blog so that I will have a someway to contact you if you win!

Additional Entries

(Leave a separate comment in this post for each entry for more chances to win!)

Share the link on your own Facebook page (tell your friends so they can enter too!)
Tweet about this giveaway (make sure to include @mmyblacktongue)
Follow My Black Tongue (on bloglovin or through blogger)
Blog about this giveaway (leave a link to your post in the comments below)
Comment below with a current giveaway that you know about! (This could be from your blog another blog)

Feel free to use this ready-made tweet:

I just entered @mmyblacktongue's giveaway for a sequin hair bow! Check it out! http://goo.gl/ydF6I

More Info

The giveaway will close Sunday at 9pm. The winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted and announced on Monday, December 12th.

Good luck!

Guest Post: Snowflake Faux Porcelain Tutorial

2011-12-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! My name is Allison Kaye and I write a super crafty blog called Crafted Love! If I'm not making something, you can find me behind my computer doing graphic design or blogging. I love the holidays and absolutely love making presents and decorations for my apartment. What I love almost as much as crafting, though, is saving money. Every time I walk through a store I end up saying, "I could make that". And most of the time, I do! I'm here today to show you one of my little "copycat" projects I've done recently that turns a boring old jar into something magical!

Happy December!!! Today starts a month full of holiday cheer and of course, DIYs!!! The other day I was walking through Hobby Lobby and passed the Christmas section. I noticed these super cute porcelain dinner sets and was immediately in love. I'm not one to switch out plates and accessories for the holidays, nor am I one to pay $20 for a teapot I'll never use. But I could use a cute place to hold holiday candy... That's when that little voice in my head chimed in with "I could make that". So I did. And now so can you.

I had an apothecary jar laying around without a real use so that ended up being my muse for this project. You could use anything really. A tea cup, platter, anything! If you're using something glass, you'll need to rough up the surface a bit so that the paint has something to stick to. Otherwise it will just scratch off two seconds after you finish. Grab some semi-coarse sand paper and start to rub the glass until you can see scratch marks all over the glass. Don't worry, you won't be able to see or feel these marks in the end :]

Take your blank canvas [so to speak] outside and lay out a tarp or some scrap paper... spray paint kills grass. Spray a thin coat of paint on the glass. You want it to still be transparent but you'll need a thin layer for the next step to work well.

Print out different sized snowflakes from online or just sketch them out yourself. A few different designs gives it a nice look. Cute them into individual pieces and grab some masking tape.

Tape the sketches on the inside of the jar. Using fabric puffy paint, trace over your snowflakes all around the jar. The thin layer of spray paint gives the puffy paint something to grab a hold of, otherwise it would just kind of peel off.

Make sure your puffy paint is fully dry before this step. I would recommend waiting several hours. I'm not sure on this one, but I would imagine covering the puffy paint before it was completely dry would stop the drying process and leave it squishy. No good. Anywhoooo... once it's dry, take it back outside for a few more coats of spray paint. Two coats should be enough to to give it even color.

After those coats are all dry, it's wise to spray a few coats of clear sealant on your new little jar/piece.

I painted the bottom as well so to avoid scratches and sliding, I added little rubber bumpers to the bottom. I snagged these guys from my parent's junk drawer. They were originally for padding cabinet doors and can be found in almost any tool aisle.

Fill it up with candy and add it to your festive decor! I'm so in love with this little jar. You have no idea. It's so much more rewarding to look at this and know I made it rather than to have bought one from the store. Now go make your own and tell me about it!!! If you'd like to see more of my DIYs and crafty tutorials, just click the button below!!!

Note: using spray paint is not recommended on items that will touch food or your mouth. Yucky. This project worked because the paint was on the outside, not inside where the candy would touch. Stick to decorative items on this DIY :]

Thank you to Allison for sharing this beautiful DIY here on MBT! We don't get any snow down here in South Florida, but incorporating snowflake decor pieces is a good way to bring in some wintery cheer!

Be sure to check out Allison's blog and leave her a comment to say, hello!

Smile!

2011-12-07T10:15:00.001-08:00

A quick post with a photo from the Penelope Lane Phography FUNbook at the Sunny Side Up Holiday Craft Show with Sara and Tara! There were so many cute holiday props! This was the first time I have ever posed in a photo booth. Check out the rest of the photos from the event on the Penelope Lane Facebook page.

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

2011-12-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Mousse Pie has been one of our favorite Autumn/holiday time desserts since I first made it back in 2007 when we were in college at OU. It is one of my favorite desserts because it is really inexpensive, super easy to make, not too heavy on your tummy, and oh so delicious!

The trick to this pie is finding the elusive Pumpkin Spice instant pudding.

Starting in October Aaron and I always check the Jell-O section for this seasonal flavor. This year we couldn't find any and almost lost hope until our local Walmart opened their new grocery section in late November. Trust me when I say we bought 5 boxes and will guard them until the end!

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Ingredients

1 box of Jell-) Pumpkin Spice instant pudding pie filling

1 cup cold milk (I used 1%)

1 cup thawed whipped topping

1 graham cracker pie crust

Ground cinnamon

Directions

In a large mixing bowl whisk milk and pudding mix together. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spoon mixture into prepared pie crust. Decorate the top of the pie with remaining whipped topping and a dusting of cinnamon. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Weekend Adventures

2011-12-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

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Good afternoon! I hope that you had a good weekend. Unfortunately, I am home today with a cold in hopes that it will disappear by tomorrow morning if I drink as much water as possible and ingest a whole bag of zinc lozenges. We'll see...

On Saturday Aaron, Sara, her husband Mike and I drove up to Ft. Lauderdale together to attend the first annual Sunny Side Up Holiday Craft Show! Our friend and coworker, Tara, had a booth at the show set up with beautiful handmade items from her business, Green Cycle Designs.

We saw many of the vendors that we met earlier this year at Stitch Rock and The Blair Stitch Project Indie Craft Fair. Some of them even recognized us! Even though there were over 75 vendors at the show, Aaron and I didn't find anything that caught us. We left empty handed but still had a great time!

Later that evening the four of use went to the Hollywood Broadwalk for the56th annual Hollywood Beach Candy Cane Parade! No, I did not spell boardwalk wrong, down here they call it the Broadwalk. Oh South Florida...

From the event website:

"This 100-entry festive parade travels along Hollywood's gorgeous Oceanfront Broadwalk bordered on one side with holiday decorated restaurants, cafes and small lodgings on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The theme of this year's parade is "Candyland". Expect a multitude of lighted floats, colorful entries, marching bands, baton twirlers and costumed characters. And of course so many candy canes and peppermints."

When we arrived at the Broadwalk we stopped by the Tiki Bar for a pint of Shock Top and then continued on to grab a table at a small Italian restaurant for dinner. We arrived at just the right time! We were seated at a table outside with a perfect front row seat to the parade!

We ordered a pizza and a pitcher and settled in. For the next 2 hours we cheered and sang while the floats drove by tossing out candy canes. It was so magical! The combination of cool salty air blowing in from the ocean, new friends, good food and hundreds of Christmas lights all came together to create a truly magical evening. I was definitely feeling the spirit of Christmas!

How was your weekend? Did you go on an adventure? Let me know in the comments below!

Saturday Link Love

2011-12-03T04:19:00.001-08:00

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Wow! It has been a really busy week! The beginning of December has seen me teach, tutor, make new friends, take on a few challenges, craft for charity, and more! This morning we are restocking our currently bare kitchen and then we are off to the Sunny Side Up Holiday Craft Show in Ft. Lauderdale with friends later this afternoon. Hopefully we will find a few handmade treasures to give as gifts. I'm still trying to check everyone off of my holiday gift list!

* Found on Pinterest: DIY Candy Lights.

* I cannot get over the cuteness of these tiny Elf donuts!

* Issue #1 of Gadchick magazine is out and ready for you to read!

* Apartment Therapy has a list of 10 Common Thrift Store Finds and Ways to Use Them for DIY projects.

* Steven blogged about his amazing new Instax Mini 7S I really hope that I get one for Hanukkah/Christmas this year!

* Gala Darling has created a fabulous day-by-day December Activity Guide!

* This video has helped me so much this week: 5 Styles for Wet Hair in Under 10 Minutes!

* Yummm: Hot Chocolate Three Ways from the Making Christmas series on Sunshine and Carousels.

* DIY Storybook Paper Tree from Please Note.
* Amy of Lemon and Raspberry posted a fantastic list of blogging resources this week!

* On Thursday I won a giveaway from Kiley of Let It Be Raw!

* Yesterday I joined the YOU Inspire Link Up Party on Polkadot Pretties.

* Earlier this week I tweeted this article about overcoming unemployment bias from Career Bliss.

Etsy + West Elm Handmade Holiday Workshop

2011-12-01T18:39:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday! It is December already! Can you believe it? I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around it. Down here in Miami is still feels like September even though all of the palm trees are decorated with ornaments and beautiful Christmas lights. Our apartment building has even put up a Christmas tree and a Hanukkah menorah in the lobby.

To celebrate the beginning of December and the beginning of the holiday season my friend, coworker and fellow blogger, Sara and I decided to get crafty in a charitable way. We went to the Etsy + West Elm Handmade Holiday Workshop. When I read about this event on the Etsy blog I added it to my calendar right away!

When we arrived at our local West Elm store there was a table set up with markers, stamps and the paper ornament templates. Sara and I had a chance to sit and chat with the ladies from Etsy who were running the event (they flew all of the way down from NY!) and a few other crafters who joined us at the table.

After we finished making the ornaments we walked around the store for a bit and met other Etsy sellers who were set up as an in-store mini-market. We shopped, enjoyed sweets and drinks that were provided for the event and talked about our plans for this holiday season. The atmosphere was really cozy and we had a wonderful time! I hope to see more events like this soon!

You can find the PDF template of the folded gem-shape paper ornament on the Etsy blog if you would like to decorate and make your own! Our completed ornaments and other holiday decorations are being donated to a local charity and they will find a home with a family who is in need of some holiday cheer.

Did you attend your local Etsy & West Elm holiday workshop? What are you doing to get into the holiday mood?

Stella & Dot Product Review

2011-11-29T17:13:00.001-08:00

Two weeks ago I drove up to Ft. Lauderdale to see my new friend, Ashely and attend my very first Stella & Dot in-home trunk show!

It has been a long time since I have added any jewelry pieces to my collection that were not handmade, vintage or purchased from Etsy. I am very proud of my unique jewelry collection and I love how each piece tells a story about my personal style and tastes. Because of this, I wasn't sure if I would actually buy anything at the trunk show.

When I got to the party I was welcomed by a group of women, a glass of white wine, warm hors d'oeuvres, and a smiling Stella & Dot consultant. It was so nice to spend an evening with women my age who are interested in style and small business. Many of the ladies who were there were teachers! We swapped a few stories, enjoyed the wine and then moved on to shopping the beautiful jewelry set up.

After trying on a few pieces and flipping through the entire catalog I decided on a pair of earrings. I bought the Marchesa Studs. These studs feature an intricate filigree base that is accented by a ring of smokey grey crystals and a turquoise bead in the center. I chose them because this pair of earrings was in my price range and they fit in with the rest of my jewelry.

They arrived a few days later (so impressed with the speedy shipping) and they were wrapped in the most beautiful box. Even though I got them out of our mail box around 9pm at night, I put them on right away!

I love the color of the bright turquoise bead and they are a perfect size to wear now that I have decided to let my holes close up and no longer wear 00g tunnels in my ears. I will write another post next week about my experiences with body modification and professional teaching attire.

My new earrings in action!

I am so happy that I bought these earrings! I have been wearing them every day since they got here. They match so many of my work outfits and I have received so many compliments on them just this week at school!

Even though I think that some of the prices for other Stella & Dot pieces are too high, I would absolutely recommend these earrings to anyone who is looking for a new pair. They would be a lovely stocking stuffer or Hanukkah gift too!

*Note - I am posting this review on my own. I bought these earrings myself and did not accept anything from Stella & Dot. I think that it is important, as a public blogger, to provide open and honest product reviews.*

**Top photo courtesy of Stella & Dot, graphic courtesy of Pugly Pixel**

2011 Christas Ornament Swap

2011-11-28T14:29:00.001-08:00

Happy holiday season! There are so many holiday gift and decoration swaps going on in blog land this year so I decided to sign up for the Dolce Vita Ornament Swap. Getting to spread Christmas joy and connecting with another blogger? How could I say no!?

**In case you are wondering, yes I am Jewish, but I celebrate Christmas as well since half of my family is not Jewish. I am so lucky that I get the best of both worlds!**

For the swap I was paired up with Alycia of The Curious Pug (check out her new blog layout, it looks amazing!) this year. I thought it was so perfect because our names sounds the same and we live on completely opposite coasts. We tweeted back and forth a bit during the month while each of us were working on the ornaments.

When we got back to our apartment on Sunday there was a box waiting for me at the door!

A cute Rudolph card. My first Christmas card of the season!

The ornament and a bonus cinnamon lip balm!

The ornament that she made!

Close up of the house. I love the French knots on the Christmas tree and the little door!

Okay, so we don't have a Christmas tree here in Miami, but we will take it with us when we fly to Maryland in December and I will be sure to hang it on the family Christmas tree when we get together to celebrate in Annapolis! I am SO happy that I signed up for this ornament swap and that I was paired up with Alycia! I can't wait to sign up for more crafty blogger swaps in the future!

Have you even joined a swap? What has been getting you into the holiday mood?

Our Adventure to Weeki Wachee Springs!

2011-11-27T15:01:00.001-08:00

Aaron and I were in Tampa this past weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving with his Dad and family and to dog sit for my family while they were on vacation in the Bahamas. We had a wonderful time, ate way too much delicious food, went swimming a few times and enjoyed so much good puppy loving!

On Saturday we went to Weeki Wachee Springs. Our trip there was a belated birthday present to me from Aaron. This was my 3rd visit to Weeki Wachee and Aaron's first! Weeki Wachee Springs is a State Park that features the deepest natural spring in American and it is home to the world famous Weeki Wachee mermaids! The park is one of Florida's original roadside attractions and was most popular in the 1950's and 1960's. If you are interested in learning more, be sure to visit the official website to read more about the history of the park, the spring and the former Navy man, who was inspired by the spring and decided to train beautiful women to breathe underwater using a system of air tubes.

Weeki Wachee is a very special place to me. I was lucky enough to go there twice with my family when I was younger. For many years I kept a postcard of the mermaids on my desk and often dreamed about moving to Spring Hill, FL and training to become a Weeki Wachee mermaid. I love to watch videos of the mid-century mermaids, swimming around the spring, performing underwater shows, and happily waving to passing cars on the highway.

Unfortunately, the humble park is not the most popular road side attraction these days. I hope that it can stay open for many years to come so that mermaid lovers, like me, can enjoy a glimpse into the fantastical underwater world.

Stopping to pose for a few photos by the spring overlook.

Merman!

Sitting in the underwater theater waiting for the show to begin!

Mermaids in action!

After we left the park we stopped by Best Buy to see if there were any juicy Black Friday offerings left, but we didn't find anything worth buying. Even though I am not a big fan of the Black Friday madness, I was looking for Mad Men Season 4 on Blu-Ray because it was listed for only $8.99, but of course they were sold out.

Soon after we left Best Buy empty handed, we realized that we had not eaten anything since breakfast so we grabbed an early bird table at Cracker Barrel (Seriously, it's one of my FAVORITE places to eat! Don't judge.) for dinner. I enjoyed a crispy chicken salad with a side of applesauce and chocolate pecan pie. Aaron had a chicken fried chicken steak with eggs and hash brown casserole. Yum!

What did you do this weekend? Have you ever been to Weeki Wachee?

Cinema Sunday

2011-11-27T13:34:00.001-08:00

Hello! We just got back from our Thanksgiving break in Tampa and are now getting ready for the week ahead. I have so many pictures to edit and a whole week of exciting posts lined up with new adventure photos, photos from the 2011 Dolce Vita ornament swap, a new jewelry tutorial and more!

Since we were busy having fund with my sister here and Miami and our family and friends in Tamps, I only had time to watch one new movie this week so I will save it for next weekend. Instead I wanted to share a few trailers for upcoming movies that I am excited about.

Did you see any good movies this week? Are you planning on going to see any of these new releases?

2011-11-26T05:11:00.001-08:00

Hello! We are enjoying our Thanksgiving holiday in Tampa with family and a puppy (house sitting is the best!). We passed over black Friday sales and spent a beautiful day at Weeki Wachee Springs. More photos to come!

Did you go out shopping?

TPV New Items and Black Friday Free Shipping

2011-11-23T12:44:00.001-08:00

I spent a few days last week creating new brooches and listings in my Etsy shop, Three Ponds Vintage & Design. Starting today all of the ready made handmade brooches listed in the shop are available with free shipping until November 26th.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break with their families. Aaron and I are driving up to Tampa to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and a few days off with his family.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving? If you are going out of town to join family, safe travels!

Corgi Love

2011-11-22T04:34:00.001-08:00

Last night when my sister, Aaron and I were in Hollywood having an amazing dinner (photos to come!) at the Food Truck Invasion at Arts Park we saw a couple walking around the park with a corgi! As soon as I saw it I jumped up and squealed a little and

It is common to see me reading about corgis, watching corgi videos on YouTube and I even have a board on Pinterest dedicated to my love of corgis. Earlier this year we decided that when once we can afford a pet and live in a pet friendly apartment we want to adopt a corgi puppy.

Since I don't have one of my own yet, I created this corgi inspiration Etsy treasury to tide me over.

Do you have a favorite type of animal?

Our Adventure To: The Broward County Fair!

2011-11-20T05:41:00.001-08:00

On Saturday Aaron and I drove to Pembroke Pines for the annual Broward County Fair! We always enjoy a good county fair and this one didn't let us down.

We saw local livestock, met a llama at the petting zoo, watched a trained wolf show, went for a ride on the Ferris wheel (my favorite ride) and we even attended the Miss Broward County Fair Teen USA pageant!

Aaron milked a cow at Cow Town USA, I ate a perfect fair corn dog and we both ended the night with a soft serve treat!

What did you do this weekend?

Cinema Sunday

2011-11-20T05:01:00.001-08:00

Happy Sunday cinema lovers! I hope that you are enjoying your weekend. My weekend started off with a Stella & Dot party in Ft. Lauderdale on Friday night. I met a few new friends, booked a Tastefully Simple party and bought a beautiful pair of earrings from the Stella & Dot catalog. I can't wait until they arrive!

I am happy to say that this Sunday is extra special because my sister, Dana, is due to arrive in Ft. Lauderdale this afternoon! I haven't seen her since the summer and I am so excited that she is going to be here to spend the week with us! I'm sure that you can expect a week of sister fun time posts and maybe even a guest post! Now, on to business as usual.

Aaron suggested that we watch this movie last weekend when we chose our lovely couch over getting dressed and going out (surprise). Attack The Block, written and directed by Joe Cornish was produced by Edgar Wright and co-stars Nick Frost. It screened at SXSW earlier this year and has received a slew of positive reviews, including this one.

Attack The Block tells the story of a group of inner-city South London kids who all live in the same apartment building. They have come together as a working-class gang and spend most of their time, causing mischief and are shown mugging a woman in the street at the beginning of the movie. After she runs off the crew, led by the oldest member, Moses, find a beast that seemingly fell out of the sky. They quickly kill it and drag it back into the building where they feel safe, but following this encounter, a series of events enfold that shift their demeanor.

I really enjoyed watching this movie. It is a classic, bad guy turns into an unlikely hero story, with an intergalactic twist and great acting.

Recommended!

After seeing the trailer for the new release, Like Crazy, that features the beautiful song, Dead Hearts by Stars (seen below), I expected a quirky love story, similar to 500 Days of Summer. Lesson learned: trailers can be misleading.

Honestly, I was bored while watching this movie. It is the story of a boy, Jacob (American) and a girl, Ana (British) who meet while Ana is studying abroad in LA. They quickly fall in love and over the course of a few years they struggle with a long distance relationship, a visa ban that does not allow Ana to enter the US, and mixed emotions. It is a very simple, straightforward love story with little character development or creativity.

The whole movie has a beautiful intimate feeling, but it is as if you are awkwardly trapped watching a couple and you just want to slink away and get on with your life. The music adds to the sense of romantic anguish even if I had to wait for the credits to hear the Stars song. Even though the characters don't change, there is a true time lapse feeling over the course of the film, especially during the flash back scenes at the end. The movie ended after 90 minutes of longing glances and sappy text messages leaving questions unanswered an, for me, a desire to watch a good love story, preferable one starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Ryan Gosling.

If you have seen everything else in the theater and you are a romantic, go for it, otherwise, take a nap.

What movies have you watched recently?

Friday Favorites: Someone Has a Rumour

2011-11-18T06:50:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday!

I confess, I have never missed an episode of Glee since it premiered in Fall of 2009. It might be because I was a member of a choir in elementary school, middle school, high school and college, or simply because I aspire to dress like Emma Pillsbury.

Reasons aside, one of my favorite parts of the show has been the mash-ups that the member of the Glee club at McKinley High School perform every year.

This year the mash-up goodness was framed around a competition between the two Glee clubs at the school. The all girl group performed a song entitled, Rumour Has It/Someone Like You.

It is the best mash-up that has ever been performed on the show. I cannot get it out of my head! It was even the soundtrack to my dreams last night.

What are you loving this week?

Guest Post: Danielle From Little Spindle

2011-11-17T03:00:00.001-08:00

Since I have revamped my blog in August I have been making so many blogger friends. Today, I am so excited to share a guest post with you that was written by by new friend, Danielle, from Little Spindle! Danielle and I are always chatting on G-chat and we are quickly becoming blog besties. I wrote a guest post on her blog last week about my mermaid collection and today she will be sharing a few photos and stories about her family. Enjoy!

Hi, it's Dani from Little Spindle! I'm so excited to be posting on My Black Tongue today because I really enjoy Elisha's style and I get to talk about my family. Elisha has mentioned before that she's been working with the 30 Days Hath November prompts and today's just happens to family, which is great for me because mine. is. awesome!!!

Where to start, where to start?!

For pictures sake: most of these pictures will be from the day The Hubs and I were married in May of 2010 (everyone was all in one place for this shindig).

These are the formal family pictures. The Hubs and I have been blessed with a pretty big family that's spread across the country, so our wedding was a great excuse for everyone to get together for a few days. The top photo is my side (grandparents, parents, brothers, sister-in-law and nieces) and the bottom is Jon's side (parents).

Those pictures are a bit stiff and don't really describe how amazingly, awesome my fam-damily really is. For example, check out how sweet my nieces are:

And then there's Papa, who introduced me to Journey, the Temptations, and all of their glory!

And my mama is my twin! Not only do we look identical, but we're also the EXACT. SAME. PERSON.

That's the bunch - the whole wacky, zany crew! These are the people who have embraced The Hubs and myself (on both sides) and taught us everything we know. We are incredibly thankful for all of their love and support and know that even when we are spread out across the country we're in each other's hearts.

Plus, with everyone spread out - we have lots of vacation spots that we can visit!

Thank you so much Elisha for letting me share about mi familia!

Thank you to Danielle for sharing these beautiful photos and stories here on MBT! I know what it is like that have family spread out all over the country and how wonderful it must have been to bring them all together on your special day! You look perfect!

Be sure to check out on Danielle's blog and leave her a comment to say, hello!

Someone Who Inspires Me

2011-11-16T03:53:00.001-08:00

I have today off from subbing because it is time for parent-teacher conferences at our school. Today I plan to use my time off to take care of a few chores around the apartment, go to Michael's for craft supplies, creating more brooches for the shop, wash my car, and finish reading Catching Fire.

I know that I haven't been keeping up with the 30 Days Hath November prompts, but I am getting back to it today. When I saw the prompt for today I thought about all of the amazing people in my life who inspire me. Friends, family members, co-workers and students who inspire me to be a better person, a stronger leader and a smarter teacher.

Then I watched this video last night. It is about a little shell named Marcel who, despite his tiny stature and fear of his pet dog still sees the good in the world around him and is fueled by a never ending curiosity. In this video he shares a story about driving a bug for a car and a maple syrup spill in the kitchen. His story represents the theme of being flexible and going where life takes you and making the best of it.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

Directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp

Written by Jenny Slate & Dean Fleischer-Camp

Jenny Slate as "Marcel"

Who inspires you?

International Brews: Around the World With Coffee

2011-11-14T13:23:00.001-08:00

Good morning! This weekend I spent some time reading the second book in the Hunger Games series, went out for sushi and watched a movie with Aaron on Saturday night (coming to a Cinema Sunday post soon!), took a nap for the first time in weeks and met my quarterly goal at a Tastefully Simple party last night! I hope that you had an equally good weekend and are ready to go for Monday morning.

Want a caffeine buzz that will take you around the world? These coffee recipes from The Pillsbury Cookbook may inspire you to try coffee in a new way.

Arabian Coffee - Place 1 crushed cardamom seed in each serving cup. Fill cup with hot strong coffee. Stir with a cinnamon stick.

Brazilian Coffee - Place 2 tablespoons of instant cocoa mix in each serving cup. Fill cup with hot strong coffee. Stir with a cinnamon stick. Top with whipped cream.

French Coffee - To prepare cafe au lait, two pots are needed - one for hot strong coffee and one for and equal amount of hot milk or cream. Pour from both pots at the same time into each serving cup.

Italian Coffee - Fill each serving cup with hot strong coffee. Serve with a twist of lemon.

Mexican Coffee - Place 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon in each serving cup. Fill with hot strong coffee and stir well. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Swedish Coffee - Combine 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and mix well. Place 1 teaspoon spice mix in each serving cup. Add a strip of orange peel. Fill cup with hot strong coffee; stir. Top with whipped cream.

Turkish Coffee - Place 1 tablespoon honey or sugar and 1 crushed cardamom seed in each serving cup. Fill each with hot strong coffee; stir.

Viennese Coffee - Fill each serving cup with hot strong coffee. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

How do you take your coffee?

5 Movies That Will Make You Hungry

2011-11-13T04:06:00.001-08:00

My favorite hobby, other than collecting mermaids, is cooking. I love it. I always feel excited to find a good recipe or to put a new one together. I have been collecting cook books for years and I am always joyously fulfilled whenever I create something delicious. Maybe I should have gone to culinary school, hmm...

My love of cooking is one of the reasons why I decided to become an Independent Consultant for Tastefully Simple. For new readers, Tastefully Simple is a in-home party and catalog business centered around easy to make food that require only 2 ingredients or less. We offer products such as bread mixes, sauces, spices, desserts mixes and drink buckets! Today I will be running my second in-home tasting party in Boca Raton for Aaron's cousin Sarah.

In true Cinema Sunday fashion, I have created a list of my 5 favorite food movies. Enjoy!

1. Waitress

I saw this movie with my college roommate Jenna, who shared the same name as the main character. Not only will this movie about a pie diner make your mouth water (I was craving pies for weeks!) it is a wonderful story about female strength and love. Also, every week you can watch Waitress actors, Cheryl Hines and Jeremy Sisto on ABC's new show, Suburgatory.

2. Ratatoullie

This is one of my favorite Pixar films. It tells the story about Remy, a young rat living in France who has a passion for cooking. He meets a garbage boy at a famous Parisian restaurant and they make an unusual alliance. Even though it seems like their families, their abilities and the world is against them they create a bond and work together on a great culinary adventure.

3. Chocolat

A love story involving Johnny Depp and a chocolate shop? Yes, please.

4. Julie & Julia

This gastronomically themed movie that tells the story about one woman's determination to cook her way through Julia Child's first cook book, really steps it up. Not only is it a movie about food, French cooking and 20-somethings, but it's also a story about a blogger! Win and win. The cast of Julie & Julia features a few of my favorite actors including Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Adams.

5. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

This college favorite features a road trip, hilarious quotable moments, Neil Patrick Harris, and mini burgers. What's not to like? If you haven't seen it yet, it runs on Comedy Central almost every weekend. Be sure to watch the first and second White Castle before you see their Christmas movie, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, out this month.

Link Love

Movies for Food Lovers on Amazon.
10 Best Food Movies from At The Pass.
A list of movies with notable food scenes.
A breakdown of Food on Film from Gastronomica.
A food related oddity that you may have never noticed about Brad Pitt.
Trivia lover? Try these Food and Drinks in Movies quizzes.

What is your favorite movie about food?

Friday Favorites

2011-11-10T12:55:00.001-08:00

Happy 11/11/11! During lunch one of my students today showed me a photo that he snapped of his digital watch at 11:11am with the date on the readout as well. He was very excited about it. Learning at it's best, right?

Now it's time to share some of my favorite things from this week:

Pumpkin Pie Bar Mix from Krusteaz. We are on our second box already this season. They are super easy to make and while they are baking they make our entire (1 bedroom) apartment smell live autumn goodness. Yum!

This week I have been working hard on building a teacher library. I created a new folder on my hard drive with sub folders such as Language Arts, Social Studies, Teacher Advice, Classroom Management, Parents-Teacher Handouts and Classroom Wall Art. I have been using Bullzip printer (one of the best programs I have ever downloaded, thanks Dad!) to create PDF files of handouts and new teacher guides from the Scholastic website.

I have also started following a few teacher blogs and reading about their daily struggles and triumphs in the classroom. It is helping me feel more prepared and confident in my abilities as a teacher. I even accepted a new tutoring position working twice a week with a 6th grader after school!

I'm loving each one of the beautiful oil paintings from Janet Hill Studio including this on entitled, Library Ladies. The bright colors, feminine details and the themes of mid century lady like beauty are superb. I want them all! I'm sure I will add one of these lovely pieces to my growing collection of indie art someday soon.

A Few More...

* The best sugar free chocolates that I have ever tasted. Yum!
* Are you struggling with a cold? Try my favorite $5 cold remedy that will warm you up.
* Video chatting with all of my amazing friends!
*Currently, The Glitter Guide is my favorite daily read.

What are some of your favorite things from this week?

Sharing is Caring!

2011-11-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

Good morning! Today I wrote a post for my blog buddy Danielle of Little Spindle about my passion for collecting mermaids and the story behind my collection. Jump over there to say hi to Danielle and see a few photos of mermaids from my collection!

TPV Shop Update

2011-11-09T03:49:00.000-08:00

I had some time over the weekend to move some items around in the shop and I finally had time to create and list my newest items, wooden brooches! I am so excited about these new pieces! I have only listed 3 so far because they are acting as my little testers, market research.

One of the best parts of being an artist with an Etsy shop is that I have the ability to talk directly with the customers and even potential customers. I need your input! What do you think? Would you add one to your collection? Do you like the colors, materials, pendant shapes? Let me know!


Chevron Brooch & Crab Brooch

Crab Brooch and Filigree Brooch

All of the brooches are listed on Three Ponds Vintage. If you are a My Black Tongue reader enter MBTREADER to get 10% off any item in the shop!

My Adventure Making Empanadas in Miami

2011-11-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago my cousin Sarah sent me an invite to join her at a empanada making class at Clos Bistro & Cafe through Living Social Adventures. Of course I said yes!

After work Sarah, her two friends and I carpooled down to the city for the class. It was the first time I have ever been in downtown Miami. It was beautiful! We parked in a garage and quickly made our way to the restaurant. We checked in with the Living Social staff and were greeted at the door with a glass of wine from the restaurant staff.

The first part of the event was a cooking demonstration led by the Clos chef. He showed everyone how he makes the empanada filling and how to fold and crimp the empanadas. We arrived a little late so there was only standing room and we didn't get a seat, but we could still see what was going on.

After the demonstration we went outside and sat around a table for the hands-on part of the class. We were given pre-made fillings, one was ham and cheese and the other was steak and veggies. We filled two empanada shells and then closed them using the fork crimping technique that the chef taught us.

My first try!

As we worked the Living Social staff kept bringing around different wines for us to taste. As usual, I wasn't a big fan of the red wines, but both of the white wines that we tried that night were really good. The restaurant was offering a 2 for $25 deal on all of the wines we tasted that night.

Fresh out of the oven!

My favorite empanada was the ham and cheese. As you can see, it didn't last very long! We also got to try steak, onion and cheese as well as spinach with cheese. They were all cooked perfectly and truly delicious! After we finished the empanadas there was a cheese plate followed by a chocolate plate to go with the rest of our wine.

Even though the event was a lot of fun, I had a very different picture in mind when I originally signed up for this class. I was expecting a small, intimate class in the kitchen of the restaurant where we would wear aprons, make the dough and fillings from scratch and get our hands dirty. Instead, this even was more of an empanada assembling class that was focused on the wine tasting and socializing with the other participants.

In the future I would not want to take a class like this with so many people. I would check ahead of time to see how many people were going. Living Social Adventures offer many other events including evening cruises, outdoor adventures and dance classes.

Here is the recipe we used:

Clos Bistro & Cafe Flank Steak Empanada

Ingredients:

18 empanada discs

3 lbs flank steak

4 onions

1 bunch of scallions

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs beef base

pinch black pepper

pinch red pepper

pinch paprika

pinch cumin

pinch salt

Directions:

Chop onions and heads of scallions. In a large frying pan, saute onions with scallions until transparent.

In a small bowl mix paprika, black pepper, beef base and cumin, adding 3 tbs of water to the mix to form a paste.

Add the spice mixture to the onion. Finally add beef cooking and stirring occasionally. Remove when meat is cooked, but not dry. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Once filling is cool, place 1 tbs of the filling in the center of the empanada disc. Wet fingertips in water and dab around the edged of the disc. Fold the empanada disc in half and seal it by using a twist fold or by using the prongs of a fork to crimp the edges and seal it completely.

When all empanadas are sealed place on a baking sheet and use one whisked egg to brush over the top of each one. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cinema Sunday

2011-11-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Sunday cinema lovers! I have been busy this week with my new job, working on the Etsy shop, and focusing on getting over a cold, so I only have 2 movies to review this week. One new release and one older movie that I have recently revisited.

School was closed this past Wednesday for a teacher work day, so naturally after I finished taking care of my morning errands, I decided to go see a matinee with my friend, Ilana. We chose to see the long awaited film, The Rum Diary.

The Rum Diary starring Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli and Amber Heard, is the movie adaptation of a novel, written by Hunter S. Thompson that remained unpublished until Depp, who was his close friend after working on the previously released cult favorite, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, discovered the manuscript at the writer’s home in 1997.

It is the story of an American journalist, Paul Kemp, who accepts a freelance writing job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper in 1960. He arrives on the island amidst the chaos of a feud between the native people and the American capitalist big wigs who see only a sea of money waiting to be made by exploiting the culture and land. Kemp quickly falls into place with the staff photographer, Sala, and they move through a drunken haze of unfortunate events that include breathing fire, cockerel fights, a car chase, a Nazi-loving roommate, and a beautiful girl.

Even though this movie, which is a semi-autobiographical story from Thompson's life, set out to capture a profound moment in the life of the main character, it fell short of creating an energized message. Other than the downfall of the local paper, nothing really changed. The series of events carried on listlessly and ended with Kemp fueled by sudden, meaningless rage that quickly fizzled as he sailed away from the island, never to return. It might have been that I have about a billion other things on my mind, but I wasn't captured by the world within this movie and I think the main character felt the same way.

Last week, Ilana came over for a pre-Halloween movie night, and we watched Perfume: The Story of a Murderer directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and Dustin Hoffman. Even though I have seen it before, I was left with a new message from the story of the main character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. Even though he possessed the ability to wield an unspeakably great power that was stronger than money or fame, he did not use it because he did not see any reason to. There was something missing from his life, that no matter what he did, he could not have it.

He could not love and could not be loved. He was disliked by everyone around him starting with his mother from the moment he was born. He was never cared for. Simply put, he was never taught how to love.

Love, like all other actions, must be taught. Take the time to show another living being love in some way. Be the one to teach those around you to love. It will make your day brighter.

What movies have you watched this week?

Three Years Ago Today

2011-11-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

November 5, 2008

My senior year of college at Ohio University. I was living in Athens, OH in a second floor apartment at the end of Hocking Street. I awoke early for classes with a smile on my face because the evening before I had submitted my very first vote for a Presidential election. I went through the motions of my day; breakfast, class, classroom observation placement, lunch, studying and getting ready for finals, had dinner with Aaron and talked to my sister.

That evening my roommate, Allison, asked me to help her with a photo assignment for one of her fashion photography classes. I got dressed and added a Halloween mask that hadn't been put away yet. We took photos on our front porch in the chilly Ohio night air until we could no longer stand the cold on our skin. We went back inside, played a few games on the Wii that we had on permanent loan from a friend and finally prepared for the next day.

Friday Favorites: My Friends

2011-11-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

photo via Pinterest

In the mysterious workings of the universe I have found that similar themes commonly fall into place together. It could be a topic that you covered in class that becomes relevant in a different situation or the theme of a completely random argument that you had may arise in a commercial to settle the score. It may be caused by a higher power, or simply of our own doing, but more often than not, things that are alike find a way to come together.

Today, my weekly Friday Favorites post and the 4th prompt for 30 Days Hath November have magically come together under the topic of friendship. Specifically the people who never fail to cheer me up, take care of me when I get a little crazy and who always brighten my day.

I have been I have friends from middle school, high school, college, two different summer camps, the American Hebrew Academy, family friends, blog friends, and new friends that I have made since I have moved to South Florida.

photo via Pinterest

I am so thankful that I can call up or video chat with my friends when I am lonely, sad or need advice. There were a few times this week (new job + new city = stress) when I was feeling troubled and I reached out to my friends in person and over the phone. Being able to stay connected via social networking has made it SO much easier to connect with the people who I love and care about. I am not sure how successful I would have been in moving across the country if I didn't connect with my friends on such a regular basis.

If you are reading this and you helped me get through this past week, you know who you are. Thank you. I am so happy that you are part of my life.

Be sure to let your closest friends know how much you appreciate them.

What are you loving this week?

Something I Never Leave the House Without

2011-11-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Last night when I was reading Miss Macri's blog, Educated...Not So Domesticated I learned about a month long November blogging exercise from So Fawned called, 30 Days Hath November. Each day has a different prompt to inspire your writing, and I am taking to extra step to include a photo as well. I may not complete each and every daily prompt here on My Black Tongue, but I will include the ones that I feel are interesting and fit in with what I post here.

Day 3 asks: What is one thing that you never leave the house without?

Amethyst courtesy of the 6th grade Science Dept.

My mermaid ring.

Aaron gave me this ring during out freshman year of college when we first started dating and I have been wearing it ever since. It is one of my favorite pieces of jewelry in my collection. I have worn it everyday on my right hand ring finger for the past 6 years!

I actually had a mini freak out yesterday morning because I couldn't find my ring! I look all over in the usual places, in the bathroom, on my desk, next to the kitchen sink, in my purse, but I couldn't find it! Of course, I found it in another compartment of my jewelry box, but that's how it goes.

This evening after school I am taking a cooking class in Miami with my cousin Sarah! We are going to learn how to make empanadas and enjoy wine and dessert. Than you Living Social! Photos to come.

Have you even taken a group cooking class?

How To: Make Iced Cafe Mocha For the Whole Week

2011-11-02T06:17:00.000-07:00

Wow.

It's November.

That is so crazy, October just flew by! With my new job I have been getting up earlier and looking for a jump start to get me going and what is better for the task than coffee? Even though it has been rainy recently, the temperatures are still in the mid 70's so I like to start my mornings with a cup of iced coffee. I don't have time to brew a fresh batch every morning, so I make it in advance.

I was inspired to create my iced coffee recipe when I saw Claire Robinson’s recipe for Toasted Almond Mochas on her show. With a new interest in learning how to make the perfect cup of coffee I turned to my most trusted expert, Mr. Alton Brown. Watch this video, this video, this video AND this video to get your full (FREE!) coffee education a la Alton.

You will not fully understand until you complete the process yourself!

You Will Need:

6 tbs whole coffee beans

1 French Press

1 coffee grinder
4.5 cups of hot water

Directions:

Grind 6 tbs of whole coffee beans (I grind mine 3tbs at a time since I have a small grinder) and then pour the grinds into the bottom of your french press. Pour 4.5 c of very hot, but not boiling water into the press and saturate the coffee. Stir to create a slurry then place the plunger (don’t plunge yet) onto and let it sit for 4 minutes.

I let this mixture cool down until it is luke warm and then pour it into my favorite Ohio University Nalgene that I bought during my freshman year of college. This chills out in the fridge and is ready every morning when I wake up!

To Serve:

Add 1 tbs cocoa powder, 1 tbs honey, and 1 dash cinnamon to 1/2 cup of cold coffee and a splash of milk or creamer on top. Good morning!

How do you take your coffee?

On Monday, Erica from Baking the Day Away was kind enough to award me with the Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks, girl! It was a really nice surprise that brightened my day. It is important for bloggers to support each other and let each other know that we are reading!

In order to accept the award you have to follow three rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave the award to you.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Send the award to three additional blogs (blogs that haven't received the award before)

Seven Things About Me:

1. My favorite food is applesauce.

2. This was the first year ever that I did not wear a Halloween costume.
3. My favorite guilty pleasure band is Aqua.
4. I pronounce the word button as "buddon".
5. I have a cat named Miffy who lives in MD with my parents.
6. My favorite movie of all time is The 5th Element.
7. I played the clarinet in my middle school band.

My Award Winners:

1. Miss Macri from Educated Not So Domesticated
2. Steven from Steven Andrew
3. Hannah from A Subtle Cup of Tea

7 Billion Souls on This Halloween

2011-10-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! It seems to be a bittersweet day. Even though Halloween is my favorite holiday, I am so sad to hear that children up North may not be able to go trick-or-treating tonight because of the massive amount of snow that fell over the weekend!

Aaron and I had plans to have dinner with our friend Ilana at the Hollywood Food Truck Invasion, and do some costume watching but sadly, it got rained out. Instead I made a big bowl of Old Bay popcorn and we are going to catch up on Grimm and American Horror Story from last week.

This was the first year in a long time that I have not worn a costume. Since I don't have any outfit pictures to share, here are a few shot of our Halloween decorations around the apartment.

If ghouls and goblins do not frighten you, here is a scary fact that marks this day. This morning a single baby was born among hundreds. That baby bumped up our world population up to 7,000,000,000. The number of people living on Earth has swiftly doubled over the past 50 years. More people are having healthy babies and living longer than ever before in documented history. Every hour there are twice as many births as there are deaths. The scary part is that as a global community, we may, too soon, be short of vital natural resources that would allow us to sustain our population.

BBC World News explores The World at Seven Billion. Click through to read about population control, discover your number amongst 7 billion and watch a video entitled How Many More? that answers questions about what the future of our world may look like.

I am the 5,048,983,159th person alive on Earth.

What's your number?

Cinema Sunday: Jadite Glassware in Movies

2011-10-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday! I know that is has been snowing and raining all over the country, so I hope that your are celebrating a warm and cozy Halloween. I am catching up on reading blogs, doing an endless amount of laundry, and of course, watching Fear Fest on AMC.

One day when I was doing a word association exercise with the list of words that I keep in my notebook for blog inspiration, I had a light bulb moment! I thought, "I should combine two of my favorite things that I usually post about separately, into one post!" From this brain blast, the post about Jadite glassware seen in movies was born!

Jadite, or sometimes Jadeite, was manufactured by several companies such as Fenton, McKee, and Anchor Hocking between 1942 to the mid 1970's. The Fire King line (my personal favorite) came in four main designs called, "Restaurant Ware", "Alice", "Jane Ray" and "Charm".

I have a small but growing collection of Jadite pieces. I have been steadily collecting Jadite since I was in high school and I truly love every piece that I have. I have cups, chili bowls, a batter bowl, and a pair of McKee shakers that I use everyday. Every now and then I spot a key piece of Jadite used as a prop in a movie.

The Birdcage

Director: Mike Nichols

Starring: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, & Hank Azaria

Pieces Featured: Galaxy Swirl Mixing Bowl / Dinner Plate

Secretariat

Director: Randall Wallace

Starring: Diane Lane, Margo Martindale & John Malkovich

Pieces Featured: Fire King D Handle Restaurantware Mugs

Far From Heaven

Director: Todd Haynes

Starring: Julianne Moore & Denis Quaid

Featured Piece: Fire King D Handle Restaurantware Mug

Big Fish

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Ewan MacGregor, Steve Buscemi, Albert Finney, & Billy Crudup

Featured Piece: Fire King D Handle Mug / Salad Plate

photo source

X-men - First Class

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon & January Jones

Featured Pieces: Jane Ray Dessert Bowl / Jane Ray Oatmeal & Cereal Bowl

photo source

Spanglish

Director: James L. Brooks

Starring: Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, Paz Vega & Cloris Leachman

Pieces Featured: Restaurantware Mug / Jane Ray Salad Plate

photo source

Zodiac

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo & Robert Downey Jr.

Piece Featured: Fire King D Handle Restaurantware Mug

How I Met Your Mother

Episode: Season 7, Episode 7: Noretta

Pieces Featured: Salt and Pepper Shakers with Stand / Sugar Bowl

Okay, okay, I know this on isn't a movie, but I couldn't resist! Aaron spotted the featured Jadite in this past Monday's episode of HIMYM!

I had so much fun doing the research for this post! I would like to send heartfelt thank yous to Kate of Jadite Kate and to King Jeff from the Fire King Flickr group for pointing me in the right direction.

Do you know of any other movies that feature Jadite pieces? Let me know! What do you collect?

Friday Favorites: Metric

2011-10-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I am sure that most of you are getting ready to celebrate Halloween all weekend long! We still have to go out and pick up a bag of candy for any potential trick-or-treaters that make their way to our door, or just for us to enjoy ;)

For this week's edition of Friday Favorites I wanted to post music videos of two of my favorite Metric songs. Metricis an indie rock band from Toronto. The band is headed by the beautiful Emily Haines who was born in India and is the daughter of a poet. Even though these songs aren't new, they are always at the top of my favorites playlist, and I have been listening to them quite often this week.

The first song, "Stadium Love", is from Metric's 4th studio album that was released in 2009 entitled Fantasies. The second song, "Black Sheep", comes from the soundtrack for the film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Enjoy!

Two more things that I am loving this Friday, my Etsy shop, Three Ponds Vintage & Design is featured today on the Ciera Design Blog. Stop by to check out her review of the shop and to say hello!

Also, I am participating in a blogger follower fest this weekend! Click on through and check it out! If you have found my blog through the October Followers Fest, leave a comment below and say hi!

What are your plans for Halloween?

Working It

2011-10-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

During my second period of the day on Monday the Dean of Students stopped in to check on the class. While it was happening I felt as if I was watching the scene from somewhere else. He walked in the door, surveyed the students who were all seated and working out of their text books, he nodded, looked at me nodded again, I nodded back and then he closed the door and left.

BAM! Instant confidence boost.

Love teaching.

On Saying Goodbye

2011-10-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

Our Adventure To Le Tub

2011-10-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

Two adventure posts in one week! No way! Actually, this is kind of part 2 to the adventure post from yesterday. I just couldn't fit it all into one post!

After we left the nature center on Friday we drove a few blocks down Rt. A1A to a restaurant called Le Tub that was highly recommended by my uncle Scott. He told us that they had amazing burgers and a fantastic key lime pie. We were sold.

The multi-level restaurant, located on the Intra-Coastal Waterway, was originally a gas station in the 1950's. The current owner purchased the property in the 70's and spent years collecting bits and pieces of "ocean borne treasures" around Hollywood Beach. Each piece made its way into the structure of the tiers of outdoor seating and the colorful decor. Bright green mangrove trees provide a canopy of shade over each wooden table that feature nautical details such as a bow light and a rope cleat.

We both decided to order the simply named, sirloinburger, off of the black and white, hand drawn menu. When our waitress brought out our food, I was amazed! These burgers were MASSIVE! We should have passed on the small order of fries, but they were perfectly salted and wonderfully crispy.

I ended up making it through half of my burger before I called it quits and ordered a slice of fresh key lime pie. The room that I saved from only enjoying half of that beastly burger was well worth it. The pie was cool, creamy and perfectly tangy.

If you are ever in South Florida, be sure to stop by Le Tub to enjoy the beautiful view and at least a slice of pie. We are absolutely planning on going back...well, maybe in a few months once we digest those burgers...

Do you have a favorite local restaurant? Tell me all about it!

Our Adventure To The Anne Kolb Nature Center

2011-10-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

This past Friday has been the most beautful day here since we moved to South Florida. Since we had the day off from work Aaron and I decided to take Mother Nature up on the opportunity and drive over to the Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park. The entire park is a 1,500-acre coastal mangrove Eco-system that's home to a wide variety of plants and animals.

Our first stop was the exhibit hall where we watched a 10 minute video to learn about the different types of mangrove trees and the variety of animals that live in the park.

We walked around the interactive displays and learned about the history and of the park and then went into the Eco-room to see animals, past and present. There was a large pink jellyfish in a tank, but it was swimming the wrong way!

We went up to the top of the 68-foot, five-level observation tower! The view was amazing and the breeze felt so good. We could see the entire mangrove estuary, West Lake, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Atlantic Ocean! What better place for a photo session than the top of a tower?

After we left the observation tower we hiked two boardwalk trails. I picked up a Mangrove Community Checklist at the nature center for proper scientific research.

We made frequent stops to look over the side of the boardwalk to see if we could spot any fish, birds or crabs. It was low tide when were were there so most of the animals were hiding from the midday sun, but we saw a lot of crabs, a few jumping fish and a great blue heron!

It was such a fun day! At the end of each boardwalk there was a lookout gazebo with a few benches. We sat down for awhile in the gazebo that overlooked the Intercostal to spend some time bird watching (that's where we saw the jumping fish and the great blue heron!) It was so peaceful. We talked about holiday plans, new movies and The Hunger Games, which I read over the weekend (it was so good!) After we left the nature center we went to a restaurant called Le Tub, but I will post about that another day.

What adventure did you go on over the weekend?