Black Cap Mountain

Black Cap Mountain Hike

Finally went on a real hike in Maine! Well, on the border of Maine and New Hampshire. A little past North Conway, New Hampshire are the White Mountains and some beautiful trails. Before work, a friend of mine drove us out to North Conway to hike the Black Cap Mountain. I should have kept track of our time but I was too excited. First time on a mountain. We geared up with lightweight backpacks and water. My friend told me it should be no more than an hour up and then hour down. We started our day at 7 am. Got to North Conway by 8:30 and made it home by 1 pm. A pretty good morning! 

The path starts out just like a forest path should, lots of dirt, winding roots and scattered rocks.  It's still pretty early in the season, so the weather at 9 in the morning was perfect. Not to cold and not at all hot. Insects must have still been asleep, we forgot bug repellent and got lucky, didn't need it. I couldn't get over how green everything was. The leaves were almost neon with the sun shining through.  

Getting closer to the top, the dirt path started to become just rocks. All my previous hiking experiences have been through woods and mostly hills. Once we started actually trecking up the mountain, I actually had to climb rocks and boulders. Though it was more than I had expected it was perfect. 

 

The view from the top was gorgeous! The rock or stone in the picture was literally all around us. It was very quiet and peaceful, because it still kind of early in the morning, we only saw 2 couples while going up the mountain. Perfect for yoga and meditation! I was super bummed I didn't even think to bring my yoga mat. 

Descending we took a different trail which was mostly dirt and tiny pebbles. We actually had a tougher time slipping and sliding then we did climbing up. Once at the bottom we drove down the mountain a bit and saw some water I had to take pictures of. While walking along the stream we came across a Rock Balance sculpture someone had created. I love the simplicity of the art and the complexity of the balance at work within them. 

As always thanks for reading everyone! 

& 

Have a Sweeter Day than Yesterday

Baby Shadow Box

Baby Shadow Box

A friend of mine was having her first baby. Super excited I wanted to make her something special. I liked the idea of the Book of Firsts. I love the thought of filling in the blanks and putting in pictures of the memories, however, I didn't want to make a book, I wanted something she could have and see often, not sitting a bookshelf. Answer? Shadow Box!

First I found out the gender and went shopping for paper! There are so many colors and patterns, I was overwhelmed with all of them. I didn't want anything to flashy, but I definitely wanted cute patterns for a cute little girl.

Originally I wanted to write or stencil on the bits of scrapbooking paper that would decorate the inside of the shadow box. While shopping though, I ended up finding scrapbooking paper that already had tags and fill in the blanks for all "Baby Firsts." Half the work done, I just needed a slightly darker background color so everything else would pop.

While gluing everything in, which didn't take as long as deciding where to put it all, I realized I wanted her to be able to put keep sake's in it also. So I made an envelope for "First Hair Cut," and a tiny box for "First Lost Tooth."

Here is the link on how I made the Mini Paper Box. I did have a little difficulty with it just because ot the size I wanted. Large enough for a baby tooth of course, but super tiny so it wouldn't overwhelm the rest of the memories. After a lot of unmentionable curse words, I finally got the size if wanted and without crumpling it.


1)   Baby Scrapbooking Kit


2)   8" by 8" White Shadowbox Picture Frame


3)Clear Tip Glue Pen


As always thank you for reading, comments are always welcome and I would love to see your crafts and/or shadowbox projects.

Have a Sweeter Day than Yesterday

Maine Yoga Fest (Day 2)

When I first bought my ticket for the MYF I lived in South Portland, maybe 15 minutes away. Now that I moved I am now 50 minutes away. So it was an early morning for my husband. We both got ready and he drove into town and then went to work. When he dropped me off I was maybe an hour early, my volunteer shift didn't start until 10:30. I found Terri Patterson.

Volunteer: My assignment I volunteered for was to assist vendor village. I admit my original thought was that I would check them in, but helping each of the vendors actually set up their tents was pretty cool. Not only did I learn how to set up a tent, but I got to see everything before it was laid out all pretty. I have a thing for setting up events and placement since I set up candy buffet for Candy Craze. Seeing it like a puzzle and watching as everything came together was really neat. And I met soooo many people.

The pamphlet that they had out, Map & Sponsors

Class Schedule

Vendor Village: there were so many different vendors! There were bigger names that I'm sure you have heard of like LL Bean and then some small names I had never heard of before like Garbage to Garden. In between helping put up tents and unloading products I saw jewelry, clothing, yogibo chairs, Bei Capelli salon braiding hair and even rock climbing. Another one of my favorite things to do . . . shopping. Every chance I got I was looking as I walked past to see if I found anything I couldn't live without. And apparently it ended up there's was a lot I couldn't live with out. However, I had to work! When I was doing anything and I walked past a vendor I asked if they needed help and let them know all they had to do was ask, that's what I was there for. Another thing I like to do, help others. I've actually read that people who help others are happier. It works for me!

 

 

 

 


People: Terri, volunteer coordinator. She was awesome! There was a lot to do and as you know nothing really goes as planned. She was on top of it, juggling and placing volunteers where needed and never stopping. Sarah, MYF team member was amazing too. She helped set up and show instructors where their classrooms were and even took time to talk to me about finding passion in teaching others. I also worked along side other volunteers. Everyone was friendly and hardworking. I also saw my new friend from the Yoga Rave the night before doing slack line Yoga!

Ball Rolling Yoga: So my last assignment as a MYF volunteer I helped check in students for a Yamuna Body Rolling Yoga class taught by Maura Reminga the the Willard Beach Studio . Before arriving for the class I was told I could also attend the class if I wanted after helping the instructor with set and anything else they needed. I have to admit I didn't like rolling on the ball at first. The ball was filled with air and did not have a lot of give. And for such a small ball it felt like it hurt more than anything. All the positions were super slow, sitting in one position, then moving every so slightly up, so the ball would go up your backside, then slowly up your back. Even though it was necessary to be slow so you wouldn't hurt yourself, I couldn't wait for the class to be over. We did one side which seemed like forever. Then the instructor had us lie down and asked who our right side felt compared to our left which we hadn't done yet. I was shocked. My right side felt like I'd gotten a deep tissue message. It was warm and loose. I had an Ah-ha moment. Though it was a little painful or uncomfortable I can definitely appreciate ball rolling yoga. Need a deep tissue message? Do it yourself!

Right after the Ball Rolling Yoga class I helped the other class set up and was on my way to see who else needed help, when my husband called. Had to go! He was my ride home. Over all another fantastic day. It was just go go in the morning and by the evening I was all relaxed. I only had one more day of the MYF to go. Which is when all my classes were scheduled for. Super pumped for the next day I hopped in the car for the ride home, wondering why is this only one day a year!?

As always thanks for reading. 

Tune in next time and check out Day 3 of the 2015 MYF

Have a Sweeter Day than Yesterday! 

Pat's Pizza (review date night)

http://www.patswindham.com/

Date night! So my husband and I moved, AGAIN! From an apartment in the city to a house near a pond. We are excited about having so much room for activities! (Brother's movie reference). The house is a lot bigger than our city apartment and somehow we are only paying $100 dollars more a month. The house itself is gorgeous and the area seems very friendly and quiet. But now we don't know where to go to eat! After living in the city we knew our fast food date nights and our pricey romantic date nights. Now, in new territory, we have to try a of bunch new places. Introducing Pat's Pizza! 

Hours: One of the reasons my husband and I chose to drive 20 minutes to Pat's Pizza, other than both of us craving pizza asap, was because their website said they closed at 11 pm at night. Everything else was closing at 10 pm and it was just about 9:30 pm when we decided neither one of us wanted to cook. After unpacking boxes of pots and pans who wants to get them all out and cook on them? We were a little worried when we started out. It was a Tuesday night and we assumed that the restaurant wouldn't be busy and the crew wouldn't want to serve us. To out surprise their parking lot was filled with cars and when we walked in they were mildly busy. 

Lay Out: We have been to another Pat's Pizza before in Scarborough and the lay out was a little different. You went through a side door and down into a basement area where the bar is on the right and the booths on the left. It functions fine, however, if you've never been there before it's a little weird. I remember thinking. "What do they do with the rest of this big building?" Windham's, however, is more like a traditional restaurant. Ironically, right when you walk in the bar is again on the right and the dining is on the left. 

 

Service: Unfortunately not a selling point. However, to be fair, it was close to closing time. In any case the waitress seemed distracted. She was not overly friendly but she was not at all rude. She served her purpose and did her job. My husband used to be a server, so he takes actions as a waiter/waitress seriously. I on the other had just want my food. 

Menu: The menu was pretty easy to navigate. Prices were decent. I personally like when menus have pictures, it usually sways my decision making a bit. I had nothing to go off with these menus so we took our time going over the list of pizzas. 

                    

Food: The pizza was AMAZING. The deciding factor on food was a Chicken and Basil pizza and a Pastrami and Cheese Sub. The toppings on the pizza were chicken, basil, mushrooms, provolone, and cheddar cheese. The chicken appeared to be fresh, some pieces rather large, so you could tell it wasn't from a can or processed. The chicken was also moist and everything was baked perfectly. My husband had 2 favorite things about the pizza was the basil (the perfect amount apparently) and the thin crust. I couldn't stop eating. The gourmet pizza along was $13 for a large. And we had leftovers! 4 slices of pizza. The Sub . . . my husband was more than slightly disappointed. His exact words, "it's not anything special." I guess the pizza was too perfect. The sub was a small amount of shaved pastrami with some cheese. He ate half and we left the other half behind.    

So all in all, another great and cheap date night. Left with some amazing pizza for left overs and didn't may over $25.00 for two hungry people. 

Thanks for reading and if you're ever in town you best go to Pat's Pizza.

Save me a slice, would ya'?

Have a sweeter day than yesterday.

5k Color Vibe - Portland, ME

Again, getting out and doing stuff is great for you and your personal achievements! A new friend of mine drove all the way up from Massachusetts to do the 5k with me. She picked me up around 8 AM and we were over at Edward Payson Park in Portland, ME. Check out the Runner's Guide to see the course and merchandise.  

Location: Was awesome! The trail was beautiful and in a great part of town. Low traffic and the scenery was lovely for a park in the middle of a city. The water was low but still very beautiful. The track or trail was a semi-perfect circle which made it easy to navigate and wrapped around the entire body of water. I have been to other Color Runs and because of their available space they tend to zig zag up one street, down another in order to get the full distance in.     

Charity: The purpose of the Color Vibe is not only to have some color crazy fun but to help out local charities. This 5K helped raise money for the Wounded Heroes Program of Maine which is a non-profit organization to support wounded veterans who return home and due to their injuries need assistance.   



Duration: Because of how the trail was set up, it was a little difficult to pass those who were walking. So my friend and I pretty much walked a majority and ran here and there. From start to finish it took us about an hour. Which means we kept a pace of walking, but I didn't make my goal. I think we had fun just talking and seeing a place we both had never been before. 

After Party: The crowd at the after party was smaller than I'm used to, but the crowd was responsive and lively. The DJ actually brought some of the audience up to dance on stage! We of course did the Cha Cha Slide and grooved! 


Signage and Set Up: So over all we had a really great time! The only issue we had was that we were unfamiliar with the area. So my new friend and I walked the trail looking for people covered in colored powered. There were no signs leading to the location where we were supposed to meet. It was so confusing. We google mapped and the map was like You Are Here! So we walked the trail that were thought was it and looked for signs or pink and purple people. Finally after walking maybe 45 minutes we see around across from the trail all dressed in white and heard music player. Found It! So I guess we got our warm up, can't complain I suppose. 

After Party: The crowd at the after party was smaller than I'm used to, but the crowd was responsive and lively. The DJ actually brought some of the audience up to dance on stage! We of course did the Cha Cha Slide and grooved! 

Had a blast at Color Vibe 5k! If you would like to join in the fun then check out the official website, Color Vibe 5K Run has events all over the country. So check it out there's probably one near you coming up. Remember that these events are not only great for the whole family but help out charities in your local community. 

Thanks for Reading 

Have a Sweeter Day than Yesterday!

Amature Photo Shoot

So I finished up the necklaces for my girlfriend's wedding. I made a necklace her with matching earrings and 2 necklaces for her bridesmaids. I was excited how they turned out. I have also thought about selling similar necklaces before and mentioned wanting more professional pictures to my mom. I was on pinterest.com and saw a handmade Light Box. Instead my mom surprised me by buying me a light box for Christmas. Here is a video of someone opening up the kit that my mother bought me. 

I've already tried it out but I wanted to share a photo shoot I did outside. The first couple of times I tried it inside and my lighting was pretty limited, so I decided try to use the sun. There were a couple complications try to use the sun. If my head wasn't casting a shadow my camera was. But I think I finally figured out a solution. I'm sure it will be an adventure every time.

My set up outside:

And here are some before and after editing:

So there you have it. Even though I'm not a pro, I don't think they look that bad. My mom bought the kit from Amazon.com and there are a lot of different sizes and type up kits to choose from. If you are looking to have some simple backgrounds instead of the normal house clutter in the background you should check out some options. 

Have a Sweeter Day than Yesterday 

 


                                     

The Flashbacks (Band & Bar review)

So my husband and I went on an impromptu adventure again. Friday night we didn't have any plans, but we wanted to go out and do something within budget. Of course this is always difficult to do. But it is apparently my job to figure out what is going on locally. So I hop online, we're driving around town, and I look up events in Portland, ME.  Behold I find a list on Visit Portland. The list literally has day by day of the events, you can choose what month or even down to the day. So I look up Friday and there's a couple things, but only one that's 15 minutes away. TGIF Maine Band Dance Series is hosted on Fridays in Zackery's Restaurant and Lounge which we would find out later is in the Fireside Inn and Suites hotel.

The website said there was a $5.00 cover charge, which my husband and I comprised on by eating at home first. Again to stay within budget. Because we were more than half an hour late since we went home to eat, my husband gave Zach's a call to see if it would be okay if we showed up late. They said sure the band would be performing until 11:00 that night and best news yet, no cover charge that night. Woo who! Free tunes.

Place: is was a little strange going in because we didn't know it was in a hotel. But the hotel atmosphere was really pretty and homie. I loved the fire place! Made of stones and looking warm and cozy. We Found a sign stating Zach's and a man at the asked for our ID's. We walked in to a dimly lit little bar and found a spot to sit. The layout was small but had enough seating and a great view of the band.

The Band: The Flashbacks were a lively group, that joked with the audience and filled up the room with their energy. I liked their interactions between each other. An awesome team and well played songs too. They played modern songs like Uptown Funk and older songs. The main singer the woman was a ball of energy, with the biggest smile. Later they joked that she was getting over a cold. Fooled me! My husband liked the men that say too. 

So off we went. 

Place: is was a little strange going in because we didn't know it was in a hotel. But the hotel atmosphere was really pretty and homie. I loved the fire place! Made of stones and looking warm and cozy. We Found a sign stating Zach's and a man at the asked for our ID's. We walked in to a dimly lit little bar and found a spot to sit. The layout was small but had enough seating and a great view of the band.

The Band: The Flashbacks were a lively group, that joked with the audience and filled up the room with their energy. I liked their interactions between each other. An awesome team and well played songs too. They played modern songs like Uptown Funk and older songs. The main singer the woman was a ball of energy, with the biggest smile. She danced all over the stage and stood next to the other band members bringing attention to them too. Later they joked that she was getting over a cold. Fooled me! My husband liked the men that say too. Their raspy deep tones got his bead bobbing to the beat. Glad they share their talents and share the stage. A true team of talent and fun.

Customer Service: The bartender was patient with my husband asking about all the prices and helped him choose a beer. One man had way too many to drink and she helped him get a cab and apologized to a couple he had been a little overly friendly with. Handling the situation very well. Around 11 pm we started to head out. The band was only taking a couple minute and planned to start right back up again, but my husband had to be up early the next morning. As we were leaving I noticed a sign that said Ballroom and wondered if someone could have a wedding there. We know couple getting married and it was a cute little place. I asked the front desk and they directed me to the bartender who is their events coordinator also. She was amazing. Providing us with packets, information, possible dates available, even showed us what the conference rooms looked like and let me take pictures. A+

Over all the night was great. Not too many people, but it was nice not to be crowded and fight for seating or not be able to see the band. A very relaxed atmosphere. Somewhere you bring a couple of friends listen to some tunes and chill.

Thanks for reading! 

Have a Sweeter Day than Yesterday!