just a little peek into what i've been working on.. peek peek peek.. peek

Braun M880 Multimix 4-in-1 Handmixer Rocks!

Get yours now!
Sure, Eric loves his new toolbox, but he's also lovin' this Christmas gift that I had on my wish list. (thanks Dad!) All week, Eric's* been able to sate his sweet-tooth with smoothies made so easily with the Braun Multimix immersion blender. Just pop in any combo of fruit you want, and you can drink it straight from the cup that comes with the blender! Wanna make a quick salsa? We haven't done that yet, but it sure looks easy with the mini food processor! Recently, I chopped an onion in about two seconds. (I also love my Pampered Chef chopper from Mom) We haven't used the handmixer yet, but Eric's about to pee his pants until we do! next mission: mixing oatmeal cookie dough.

*Eric was definitely skeptical of my wanting this gift, but a girl knows what she wants!

What a Toolbox!

No, I'm not talking about Eric this time.
Brother Joe looks on.
I'll help you with your manly gift, baby.
WooHoo! Lift up that toolbox, Eric! Notice how his eyes are lighting up..
And now, his eyes are fully lit in excitement at what he's found inside his new manly gift. Thanks, Brother Jason. Thanks also to Mom and Dad Dapore for the early Christmas dinner. Pics to come from our Phelan Christmas.

The Pitstickers on Turkey Day.

U2: Cleveland, December 10, 2005!

After waiting in the freezing Cleveland air for about an hour (without coats), we made it inside the ellipse, no less, thanks to Melissa's winning ticket! Outside, the guy in line in front of us was wearing sandals and unfortunately for him, he and his Jerusalem cruisers did not make their way into the ellipse. Joe and Melissa. Melissa stayed the warmest with her scarf! Gavin "Sexy" Rossdale.
"OH! YOU! LOOK! SO! BEAU-TI-FUL! TO-NI-ITE!"

"in the ci-tyyyyy of blinding light."

Click on the pics to enlarge Bono and all of his glory.

See that hand reaching out for Bono? I tried. This was during "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own."

Bono's booty.
Larry Mullen, Jr. Notice the security guard's wandering eyes.

Bono on the drum.

U2 Preview

After we got the U2 concert pics developed, Bono came to me (Jill) in a dream. I had dreamed that Bono wanted me to sub for him at their next concert. Before stage time, I was so nervous-- I can't sing, let alone work the crowd, man. Choking up, I desperately tried to explain to Bono that he's the charismatic performer everyone comes to see, not me. (What a dork! me, not Bono. But Bono's also a dork sometimes: Uno, dos, tres, catorce--what's that all about?!)
"People will be so disappointed if you don't go out there and kick some a**!" I pleaded with him.
"OK, you're right," Bono cooly said and went out for the first number. After that, he came backstage, handed me the mic, and said, "Your turn."
"Bono, I don't know all the lyrics to this one."
"You'll be alright. That's what the teleprompter's for." [Like there's a teleprompter at a rock show]
"OK, I guess."
The place grew quiet, and I was out there trying to read the prompter. The lyrics were all in French, and I couldn't keep up.
"Si, blah blah blah. Je nais se whatever," I can't spell out what was in my dream.
"What the H***?" I thought when I woke up. "That's not cool. Bono doesn't sing in French."
Pics to come.

Fountain Square of Old

Anyone familiar with Cincinnati knows about Fountain Square. In the heart of downtown, the coolest thing about it was well, the fountain. Now, the city's restructuring the whole setting to make the spot a hip destination with more things to see, including an outdoor market. The new and improved Fountain Square won't be unveiled until August 2006. Here are some pics commemorating Fountain Square of Old.




Although it wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing place, one thing was a sure bet: people-watching never failed as a fun thing to do on a lazy day--self-professed Jesus lovers praisin' the Lord, parents chasing after kids, and prostitutes lunching all in the same place. Since it's been closed, we've been able to see the fountain's one ton statue, 'Genius of Water' on display at the Cincy Art Museum. She's quite a dominating presence when viewed from ground-level.

Tybee Island, GA: Beautiful Beach!!!

Our first day to the beach as newlyweds! We blend in with the sand! I hadn't been to a beach in 4 years; it had been a while for Eric too but not nearly as long! The cold Meditteranean Sea didn't count for him, I guess. The Phelans go to the Outerbanks every year, and I can't wait to go now that I'm a Phelan!
The weather we had for the whole week was great! So relaxing.
Love the beach head look.
One evening, the waves were decent, and I attempted to body surf. Some days, the waves didn't get all too big. The high tide came early in the morning and late at night.
Case in point: look at that tough guy sauntering toward the monstrous waves.
Blue skies.....the last morning was beautiful like all the rest..so hard to say...
Bye Tybee!

BUG ALERT!

Karen, you ask and you shall receive. EWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This guy was quite persistent. And then BAM, Eric killed it with the drop of a book.

See his gutts oozing out? These palmetto bugs are why I'll never move south.

Vanna White Cottage Tour

Here's the blue bike, one of three provided, all with flat tires. That's OK! We were beach bums anyways.
We didn't spend too much time on the porch; the air was way hot and humid.

We couldn't guess what this painting was, but it was purty.

Our cottage was outfitted with a clawfoot tub complete with rubber ducky, outdoor shower (our own little oasis!), indoor shower, two bedrooms, dining room, family room, kitchen, Florida room w/ washer and dryer, and covered porch. The outdoor shower was pretty neat; it had a jungle-like feel. Next vacation, the jungle! Who knows!

Yes, this is where the magic would happen, not in the bedroom. OK, totally kidding. We loved the cottage except for those darn buggers! Everything was colorful and fun inside. We arrived to find a bottle of champagne in the fridge, so we decided to be nice and leave a Corona and lime as our parting gift.

How to Make the Smoke Alarm Go Off 101

• Live in a tiny apartment
• Cook once, maybe twice a week
• Use too much olive oil
• Burn hands sauteeing oil

Although there was lots of smoke, and several red burn spots dotting my hand, I (Jill) actually made a pretty yummy pizza. The pie was an adaptation of the Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals pasta with white clam sauce. Deciding to make a white pizza without the clams, these were the ingredients used:

• Olive oil--Not too much; use your judgment, although my judgment caused the smoke alarm to sound.
• Minced garlic--Plop as much as you want in the sauce pan with the olive oil.
• Red pepper flakes--Don't plop as much as you want--just a few shakes.
• Anchovies--After heating the oil, garlic and pepper on medium heat til the garlic sizzles, plop in a couple of these suckers, mixing with a wooden spoon til they disappear (in Rachel Ray's words, these won't taste fishy; they'll add a nutty rich flavor.)
• Chopped Parsley and Thyme-- A good handful of these spices added to the sauce once removed from the heat=yummy.
• Kroger-brand pizza crust--Eric and I aren't big Boboli fans; the dough doesn't crisp all too well. So, this is a case where the grocery brand is cheaper and better. YES! Just rub in the sauce all over that pizza pie. (messy part left for husband)
• Pizza cheese or freshly grated Mozarella--toppings left at your discretion. We used pepperoni, and I think artichokes would have been delish also.
• Heat for about 10 minutes and let the smoke fly! (from too much oil) Some of the too much oil went through the small holes of the dough, so luckily our pizza wasn't drenched. I'm hungry again just thinking of how good this was. To all the foodie snobs out there, I would like to thank Rachael Ray for her cooking inspiration.

Sexy Couple!

Look at those smiles! Karen and Brady could definitely make some big bucks for a Crest Whitestrips commercial. These wedding pics are the most recent ones I have, besides honeymoon ones, which I still need to upload a few of those. Eric and I really haven't brought the camera along on any of our newlywed adventures yet. harhar. We're still not sure about advertising this blog to anyone else; maybe you guys could help us get started on a marketing scheme. :) I looooove this wedding reception pic Karen posted on her blog: (Karen and I were groovin' sistas! The groove was in our hearts that night! HAHA~!) http://photos1.blogger.com/img/15/6340/1024/DSC00718.jpg

You Ask Me if This Heart of Mine.....

Will lose its desire for you...No, this isn't some declaration, just lyrics from our first dance. I just couldn't resist posting a wedding pic. Heck, we're newlyweds for goodness sake! Don't you love how Eric's eyes light up when he looks at me? The orange shade his gaze emits, reminds me of his true love.

True Talent!

OK, Chloe's jealous I had to upstage her picture on here, but that's what she gets for terrorizing friends and family. Sweet revenge!

Chloe loves herself and no one else...well, Eric, me and my mom. But that's about it. Karen, when we get a house and you visit again, I'll be sure to sequester the cat.

Like Eric's new bike? It glows in the dark and reaches speeds up to 150 MPH! I can't believe he jumped on without his helmet; thank goodness for health insurance!

HDTV: makes the grass greener and people's veins pop out.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/fall2005hd092605.html. Well geesh, this guy's using HDTV to point out people's flaws. Say what? Famous people aren't immortal and from some other planet? What a toolbox.

Oh my goodness, these psychedelic colors are too much for me, thank you Eric!

Since Eric likes to post pics rather than explain:

Here's the chest he made in one of his classes. Spalted Maple is the wood....still under construction; someday will grace our home floor all shiny and finished.