Nataleelee Creations

Madymae Etsy Shop!

2010-10-28T18:27:00.000-04:00

Check out my friend Bonnie's new ETSY shop! http://www.etsy.com/shop/madymae

So...yeah....I haven't blogged in forever...

2010-10-16T19:59:00.002-04:00

Sorry everyone....school has taken over my life once again....and we have moved...just started my craft room and it looks awesome so far....I'm going to start making cards again soon! I can't wait!
;0)

That First Birthday Card I Promised...

2010-08-23T09:35:00.000-04:00

So here are the pics from that first birthday card that I promised to show you all a few months ago!

SUMMER SCHOOL FINALLY OVER!!!

2010-08-19T08:54:00.000-04:00

SUMMER SCHOOL IS FINALLY OVER! After taking 6 summer classes in a row, and also taking the first teacher certification exam and PASSING, I'm EXHAUSTED!!! Maybe now I'll have time to be creative again! School starts again on the 30th...

It's been a while....

2010-06-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

Sorry to my followers out there for not posting the 1st birthday card that I promised to post yet! I was just able to give her the gift, so possibly sometime this weekend I will be able to share...Things are a bit hectic since my summer courses started....
I'll keep you all updated!
;0)

Earrings

2010-05-23T11:46:00.001-04:00

So...My camera did not want to focus yesterday.

Sorry for the horrible photos.

I made these earrings for my cousin's graduation present. I made another pair but you couldn't even tell what they looked like in the photos so I won't bother putting it up. I'm going to try to get better pics of these later!!

These were a lot harder to make than I thought they would be. It took a lot of beads falling off and breaking wires, but I think that it was worth it!

Origami Favor Boxes!

2010-05-15T17:16:00.000-04:00

When I hear the word Origami I automatically think of cranes.

Instead I found out how to make these cute boxes.

These boxes don't require any glue or tape at all, and are perfect for favors or candy holders at parties. You can even fold up two ends and connect them, and fold down the two other ends to make a cute little basket.

The Jellybean paper is from the Sweet Stack from DCWV.

The lined paper is from the Latte Stack from DCWV.

The paper was a little too thick for this project. I'll have to find the right type through trial and error.

I can't wait to make more!!

My First Necklace!!!

2010-04-25T16:58:00.000-04:00

I made this necklace for my sister's birthday!

She loved it (after receiving it a week late since the post office wouldn't leave it at her leasing office when it wouldn't fit into her mailbox!!!)

Oh well...she was excited when she finally got the package!

I just LOVE the beads that I used!

They are "Bead Gallery" beads, and I found them at Michael's after what seemed like forever...I was overwhelmed at all of the choices that they displayed!

My mom finally spotted the large bead to go with the smaller round ones.

So, I had NO IDEA how to even start a necklace...but I figured it couldn't be too far from the basics of making earrings. I was doing alright until I had to figure out how to put the chain on....it was difficult wrapping the wire through the rings of the chain....3 hours later........haha....but it was worth it!

I wanted to make the clasp area in the back a little more exciting, so I added one of the smaller round beads. I think it looks really nice!

I also made some Earrings to match....

I can't wait to make some more!!!!

What do you think?

2010-04-25T10:50:00.001-04:00

I have a new post divider!! What do you think??

A New Card!!!

2010-04-17T20:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest card that I made for my grandmother's 89th Birthday!!!

Of course, I used my awesome

Cricut Expression Machine!!

Here is how I made the card:

I started out the same way that I have started out on all of my cards. I set the size dial to 6" and using the Cricut Plantin SchoolBook Cartridge, I pressed the card button.
I would use a larger number, but that is the biggest size that it will cut on my machine. I like to work with the bigger cards because I have more room to put cute details on them.

Next, I used the same Latte Stack that I have been using for all of my cards so far. I cut out a 6" rectangle using the beautiful pattern you see on the front of the card.

There are so many great options in this stack.

I like the look of the Tall Ball function with the letters,

so I used that at 1" for "happy birthday"

Behind the "happy birthday" greeting, I cut out a couple of tags (sorry I don't remember the size) and used a decorative pair of scissors to cut around them.

I used the Cricut Serenade Solutions Cartridge to cut out the butterfly and the scroll. I played with the layer function and I think that it worked out well!

This is my favorite card that I have made so far!

Qingdao, China

2010-03-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

Qingdao, China

So, as most of you know, about 5 years ago Brien and I lived in China. I wanted to share one of my crazy experiences with those of you who haven't had a chance to read my blog from way back when! I laughed as I read it. And, I FOUND MY PICTURES WAHOOOOOOO so I incorporated them......It's pretty long but worth reading! ;0)

*************************************************************Hey everyone. As some of you know, I went on a trip to Qingdao, China for 5 days with 100 kids, 12 Chinese teachers, 2 tour guides and me...and NO ONE spoke English.

It was an awesome experience...not awesome like hey this is awesome, but awesome as in a WILD AND CRAZY way!

Here are some things that I experienced on my journey:

DAY 1:
Whoah...there are 100 kids here...but they aren't really interested in me at all..which was a big difference compared to kids at schools that we teach at....at the schools that we teach at, they can't get enough of foreigners and ALWAYS wanna talk to you...but here, they all have their friends and are super excited for their vacation.
I sat next to this really cute girl who was trying to speak "Chinglish" to me.....

I had to turn my Chinese brain on full blast for this trip.

The plane ride there was NUTS...we took up the entire plane and the kids were up out of their seats, throwing food at each other and SCREAMING..it was really funny...if I were just a normal passenger--not on a trip with these kids--I would be like OH MY GOD! haha... Anyways...when the plane was taking off all of the kids were like WOOOOOO and laughing and they were sooooo excited since it was the first plane ride for most of these kids! It was cute!

The tour guide kept on trying to talk to me, but I didn't understand everything and was frantically searching in my dictionary to find words she was saying to me. I just kept saying what everyone always says here: "Hao hao hao" (Those of you who live here know what I'm talking about, those of you who don't, Hao Hao Hao can mean a million different things!) haha

The poor flight attendants...there was a lot of turbulance, and the seatbelt signs were on...of course no one cared and were still running around....Things are REALLY RELAXED here in China! I felt like I took all of my students on vacation! When we got off the plane, it took us about an hour to get to the hotel...When we arrived it was midnight and there were screaming kids EVERYWHERE..it took about an hour and a half to get them all situated into their rooms. I shared a room with two of the tour guides..they were really nice....but I was too tired to try and communicate with anyone.....

DAY 2:
So, I woke up at 4 AM for no reason and just layed there. I started hearing the kids at 6AM running around and yelling..I was already up, so it didn't matter! First, we went to Signal Hill Park.

It's on top of this mountain and it was a really nice hike..it was raining though, so we didn't get much of a view. "WHAT A PITY" as my students would say!

When we got towards the bottom of the mountain, the rain stopped and I got some views of the German inspired buildings around. Man it was SO NICE to see mountains and hills and NATURAL greenery, instead of FLAT CONCRETE EVERYWHERE!

Then, we went to Zhan Qiao Pier, which was really nice.

It was only misting out, and it was really cool out....felt nice not to sweat for once! It smelled like the ocean! I think I got into EVERY SINGLE PERSONS PICTURES on that pier....OY! Stray people would "slyly" snap shots of me, and the brave ones would actually ask me. When we got back to the bus, it started downpouring, so we were lucky we got back when we did! Good thing I brought my umbrella, even though my good friend, Reshalati, INSISTED I wouldn't need it there.

Next, we went to this AWESOME AQUARIUM!

I haven't been to an aquarium since I was a kid...They had one of those tunnels with water surrounding it. It was so beautiful and peaceful..I just stood on a moving walkway and stared!

Then, we all seriously waited for an hour for this lame show to start, and it only lasted for 5 minutes. The kids enjoyed it at least. They are entertained by the littlest things! At the end of the aquarium I seriously thought I got lost for a while..I even went outside to see if our bus was still there...and somehow I found a stray door back into the place where I saw one of the tour guide's flags....What a scary feeling that was!

Then we left, and I heard "Qingdao Pijiu" Which is "Tsingtao Beer" and I got excited....Well, here's what the tour was: We all stayed on the bus and a Qingdao employee came on and just talked and the bus driver drove us around... LAME - O!!!! I put my iPod on and blasted music. I was pissed..I thought we were gunna see some cool beer being made and at least get a freakin mug!

We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at the SAME place today....WITH THE SAME FOOD. Great!

DAY 3:
Today, I packed my bags and all I could figure out was that we weren't staying at that hotel anymore. This whole not knowing ANYWHERE we are going was CRAZY! So, I heard the tour guide say something and all of the kids started cheering, so I figured we were going someplace cool. We ended up going to the beach...it was sooo nice!!!

Yeah the sand was all wet, and it was cool out, but it was nice to hear the waves again! The kids were going absolutely CRAZY and were soooo excited! It was great! They all threw their shoes off and ran into the edge of the water and would all scream when waves would come. I'm sure that most of these kids have never been outside of Chengdu before and have never seen an ocean! So, it was a huge deal (like it is to anyone who hasn't been to the ocean before). We didn't have time to go swimming swimming, just put our feet in...that was good enough for me, cause it was freezing! The kids all got soaked and had to change their clothes. Then, an hour later we all got back on the bus....and of course I didn't know what we were gunna do next....I just assumed we would go on a cool boat ride or a museum or something....
Well, the bus just kept going and going....5 HOURS LATER, we all got off the bus, and there was a boat waiting there for us...and it was seriously like a DUNGEON! We all just piled into this boat with NO WINDOWS AT ALL..and just stood there for 20 minutes....I thought I was going to puke everywhere...(I could only imagine this is what it was like for people to come to America on the boats....)

We ended up at a Navy Base....the kids all piled out of the boat and officers started yelling at all of the kids to get into lines and come quickly....it was nuts!

When they got to their rooms there were like 20 people to one room with bunk beds that are WOOD..really...WOOD beds..and NO BLANKETS...

I got really nervous....luckily I was told that since I am a foreigner I wasn't allowed to sleep there THANK GOD....I had to go to this hotel which was pretty nice!

The meals were DISGUSTING and I just ate a couple of bites of bread (seriously) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 4:
Before any meal at the Navy Base, the kids had to do these drills, and if anyone got something wrong, they ALL had to do it over again until everyone got it right..it was really funny! The kids sang some songs and did some military drills all day....BORINGGGG.....I wasn't even supposed to be there...haha.....
Then, all of the adults went on this trolly ride around the base and of course I didn't understand anything, so I got to go on for free...Then we got dropped off at this little shopping center where everyone sold the same things...SEASHELLS....it was nice to just walk around instead of just sitting there though! Then, we seriously sat, waiting for 3 HOURS for lunch that I didn't eat...and after lunch we waited for 2 HOURS....WHAT THE FLIP....WHAT A WASTE OF TIME! I get soooooo antsy! Well, at least I practiced my Chinese with people!
So, I had to go to the squatter bathroom and literally WAS GAGGING....I went, and then RAN out of there like choking and coughing...people were staring at me...I don't care...MAN EVEN WITH MY NOSE PLUGGED IT WAS RANK! IT WAS HORRENDOUS!!!!! I've NEVER been in such a disgusting bathroom in my life!

So finally after all that waiting we went to a LAME Navy museum. Then we all got our stuff and got back onto the dungeon boat back to the town WeiHai.

Then, we all got onto the bus and I was told we were going back to Qingdao (At least that's what I thought I heard) So I prepared myself for a 5 hour bus ride back....and 5 MINUTES later we got to this hotel..haha...this was so crazy not knowing ANYTHING.....

It was a really nice hotel...I had to share a room with some grandma who came on the trip and one of the tour guides. So, I'm just watching TV, and all of a sudden the grandma comes out of the shower TOTALLY NAKED and just starts talking to me!!!!! OMG...TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT!! I wasn't THAT surprised, since I've lived in China for almost a year, and weird stuff always happens...They also all go pee with the doors WIDE OPEN and just get naked in front of you to change. I just HAD TO get out of the room, so I went into the lobby and just hung out for like an hour. I had such a headache from hearing ONLY CHINESE for all of this time..I needed a break! Then I went back to the room, and the phone in our room kept on ringing, and the Grandma would just stare at me and I'm like HELLO I DON'T SPEAK CHINESE I'M NOT ANSWERING IT! Then, kids kept coming in and out of my room when we all have our pajamas on....I felt EXHAUSTED!

DAY 5:
So, I woke up at 5 AM for no reason..I kept waking up super early on this trip...Maybe I was paranoid that they would leave without me! Everyone went to eat the same meal of breakfast....EVERY FREAKIN MEAL WAS EXACTLY THE SAME!! I didn't even want to LOOK at any of the food. I bought a Pepsi and some small cookies for some nourishment since I hadn't eaten in 3 days. Everyone was trying to force me to eat, I didn't know how to communicate that if I even SMELLED any of it I would throw up everywhere..I just kept telling them I already ate. HOW THE FLIP CAN THEY EAT THE SAME FREAKIN THING EVERY DAY FOR 3 MEALS A DAY!! AHHHHHHHH!!! Soooo weird!

Then I just got on the bus at 7:30AM and we left at 9:30 AM . That's how it's been this WHOLE TRIP.. WAITING WAITING WAITING on the bus...it was soooo annoying! Then we left for Qingdao...Then guess what we did? We went for lunch....Everyone but me! I sat in the lobby and ate a Snickers bar while people stared at me. Then, I got on the bus and waited for another hour to leave.

We went to the Haier museum....Another LAME museum...WHO WANTS TO GO TO A MUSEUM FILLED WITH REFRIGERATORS? They took millions of pictures!!! Too funny (ESPECIALLY THE HAIER MASCOTS!!!)

Then, we went to Coca Cola.

We went in and they gave us a free drink and watched a movie which was mostly just Coca Cola commercials...we got to see drinks being made and bottled which was cool...and that was it....It wasn't even an hour...

Next, we went to this weirdo store that ONLY sold dried packaged seafood and it smelled HORRIBLE. I thought GREAT now the entire bus is gunna smell like this! The kids of course went crazy and bought like EVERYTHING in the store!

Then, it was time for dinner...This time I didn't even get off the bus! The kids were all asking me in Chinese why I wasn't eating...I told them I wasn't used to it and I ate some crackers. FINALLY we were off to the airport....Our flight left at 10:50 PM ....

And of course at the END of the ENTIRE TRIP I find out that most of the kids DO speak SOME English and they all started talking to me and asking me questions at the freaking AIRPORT....I guess they didn't have anything to look forward to anymore, and they finally realized that I was there with them!

My ticket said I was supposed to sit in the middle of all of the kids, but I told the flight attendant I couldn't sit there, so she let me sit in the front row..I had had ENOUGH!

FINAL THOUGHTS:
WHO DOES THIS?!?!?!?! It was a CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY experience and I'm really glad that I did it....It was hard, but worth it. I really had to turn my Chinese Brain on the entire trip and I learned a lot of new words, and my listening skills have improved! I learned A TON of different cultural differences....It was cool being absolutely FORCED to speak only Chinese and listen to ONLY Chinese....

I was pushed WAY beyond my comfort zone MANY TIMES....But hey, you gotta do that sometimes in life right!?!?!

~NaTALIE~
;0)
*********************************************
Hope you all enjoyed this story! Life is too short, do something CRAZY!!!

Alice in Wonderland Movie in 3D

2010-03-19T22:48:00.000-04:00

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"

GO SEE IT IN 3D! SOOOOOOO AMAZING!

Classic Case of Writer's Block

2010-03-14T20:23:00.000-04:00

So, I started writing one day and before I knew it I had 3 really awesome chapters to some sort of book...the only problem is that I'm not sure where I'm going to go with the story.
The chapters are well written, but they are in no order...Every time I go back and read it over I change things....anyways, I thought I'd share my writer's block with you........................

Noelle's Baby Shower!

2010-03-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

My cousin, Noelle, is having a baby girl!!!!

Her baby shower was at the amazing
Roycroft Inn in East Aurora, NY.

The Roycroft Inn is very rustic, cozy and elegant.
I thought it was the perfect setting for a baby shower.
I just love it there!

Here is a picture of the card!

Since our family is French, my mom thought it would be cute to write bébé on the card.

It's hard trying to think of something to put on the front of a baby shower card!
I think it turned out cute!
I made this card using my Cricut Expression Machine!

Here is how I made the card:

I used the Cricut Plantin SchoolBook Cartridge for the whole project.

The card was cut using Tall Ball function and cut at 6" using two different pieces of cardstock: A light purple so that I would be able to write a message on the inside, and I wanted the darker purple for the front and back of the card once it's folded.

I cut the polka dotted rectangle using the Shadow Rectangle Feature at 5 3/4".

The pink strip with white scallop on the bottom of the card is from DCWB's Sweet Stack.

I had to painstakingly trim around all of the little bumps to get it but I think it was worth it!

I cut out the letters for "bébé" using the Tall Ball function key for both colors

(The top color and the shadow darker color) at 1".

I cut out exclamation points and cut them down to size for the accent marks over the "é's".

I added the cute pink ribbon on top of the card, stringing it through the folding guide hole that the Cricut automatically cuts out when cutting the card.

I had written up a whole explanation about how I did the envelope, but I definitely FORGOT to take a picture of it!!! So I'll just leave it out...

After we signed the card, I tied the same pink ribbon that was on top of the card itself through the holes in the envelope.

Don't Forget to Recycle When Scrapbooking or Crafting!!

2010-02-24T11:59:00.000-05:00

One MAJOR thing that I looked past when collecting papers and cardstacks was to LOOK TO SEE IF THEY WERE RECYCLED PAPER!!

DCVW carries a couple of 70% Recycled Cardstacks:

(Click on the pics for a closer look)

There are plenty of recycled cardstocks

available too, you just have to look!!!

PLEASE check for a recycle symbol before purchasing any paper or

supplies for your scrapbooking or craftmaking!

And ALWAYS keep a bin by your workspot to throw

in scraps to use later or to recycle....I even save up the smallest pieces to cut up small

circles when needed for the centers of flowers.

KEEP NYS PARKS OPEN!!!

2010-02-21T15:50:00.000-05:00

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TO KEEP NEW YORK STATE PARKS OPEN!!!!!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

CLOSING OUR PARKS WOULD

BE DISASTROUS!!!

WE NEED EVERYONE'S HELP!!!!!

JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP!

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!!!!

Photo Love #2 - Paris Crêpes

2010-02-18T20:23:00.000-05:00

Café Le Victor Hugo

Une Crêpe Jambon et Fromage

Une Crêpe Nutella et Banane

Paris, France

March 2009

After eating at pricey restaurants for a few days, my mom and I decided that it was time to become one with the Parisians. We took off on our own and stumbled upon the cutest bistro when trying to find our way back from the Eiffel Tower: "Café Le Victor Hugo".

Looking like it came straight from my imagination, I was eager to take a million pictures.

We sat outside on a cool day taking in the amazing scenery, watching people walk their little dogs (and eating with them at the table too!), listening to the beautiful fluttering French language of the passerby's and for me, not believing that it was real.

Since it was my first trip to Paris, I thought it was beyond necessary to eat an authentic crêpe of some sort. When we opened up the menu, I was ecstatic to see that I actually understood most of what was written, and that these ridiculously amazing crêpes were on the very first page....It was meant to be.

"Je voudrais une crêpe jambon et fromage, et une crêpe nutella et banane sil vous plait." I stumbled a bit on my words since throughout the entire trip my fluent-in-French mother, grandmother, aunts and even younger cousins would take care of the speaking for me. I was so excited when he understood what I meant: "I would like a ham and cheese crêpe and a nutella and banana crêpe please."

That was it...I caught the french speaking bug

and from then on I craved crêpes for the rest of our trip.

If you are lucky enough to find yourself

in Paris one day, stop by and take it all in!

Simply hop on the metro, and take "Ligne No 2" to "Victor Hugo".

Whoops

2010-02-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

So I haven't posted in a while,

sorry to all of my visitors out there!!

I've been busy watching the 2010 Olympics,

playing with my new Motorola Cliq Phone,

and getting inspired of course........

Look for new posts soon!!

Yay!

2010-02-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Yes, I'm Amazing!!

2010-02-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you have an injury...Hahahaaaa

I have beaten Super Mario Brothers Wii 3 times,

found all of the secret goals,

and found all of the star coins for every single board.

(With the help of my hubby)

Brien wants to sell it now...But I still love playing!

YAY!!!

2010-02-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

WAHOOOOOOO WE FINALLY FOUND MY CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gotta get some better pics for you all now!

Happy 94th Birthday Maga!!!

2010-02-08T12:35:00.000-05:00

Here is a card that I made for
Maga's 94th Birthday!

I used the Cricut Expression Machine to cut the card and envelope. I also incorporated some beads along the left side of the card, and the dangling beads on the right side.

I used the Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge for the card and envelope, and I used the Serenade Solutions Cartridge to cut out the butterfly and the scroll images on the envelope.

The Card and Envelope were cut out at 6" using the Tall Ball function, and the floral rectangle on top of the card was cut out using the rectangle feature using the shadow function on the Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge at 6". The Butterfly was cut out at 2" and the scroll was cut out at 1".

I cut the scallop edge of the floral paper with scallop scissors, and used the opposite side of the scrap to glue to the bottom of the card. I didn't feel that it was necessary to write a message on the front of the card, because I thought it would make it too busy. I wrote the message on the inside.

The card, envelope and floral paper are from the Latte Stack from DCWV.

The beading was simple to do. I used the Beaders Paradise Bit for the beads on the left side of the card: I simply took wire and loaded it up with the tiny beads, and put the wire through the hole in the card that the Cricut Expression cuts out (to show you where to fold the card) and bent and glued them down. I used the Blackberry Jam Beads for the jewels on the right which were also put through the holes that the Cricut already cut out for the card.

I used these beads again:

Jesse James Dress Beaders Paradise Bit

It Up Blackberry Lavendar Mix Beads

Jam Beads

Happy Lazy Sunday....Oh and Happy Superbowl to those who care...

2010-02-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

   Lazy Sunday

Coolest Scarves Ever!!!

2010-02-06T09:49:00.000-05:00

I usually try to wait a couple of days to put up a new post, but I just have to share this with everyone...

I was on my twitter page today and saw that I had a new follower...Usually the people who friend request me are crafters, scrapbookers, photographers, or just spam haha...But this one person really caught my eye.

Looking at the thumbnail of the picture above, I had no idea what it even was...I thought maybe it was a necklace at first....Well, I'm glad that I took a closer look! I have never seen anything like these awesome scarves!

The scarves are called: "Jersey Cord Scarves" and they are all hand-made out of recycled t-shirts!!!

You can read more about the genius who makes them (whose hometown is Buffalo btw!!!), and can purchase one here: Buffalo Gal Frills

There is also a Facebook page with more pictures of the scarves themselves: Facebook Buffalo Gal Frills

Want me to review your restaurant or product?

Contact Me!

REVIEW: Let's just talk a little about P.F.Chang's...

2010-02-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

P.F. Chang's finally opened up in Buffalo...I've heard about it before, and people would rave about it.... I'm glad we were finally able to check out the hype! I really wasn't sure what to expect...I knew it couldn't be just an ordinary Chinese take out place...So I went in pretty open-minded. (I don't have any pics of the food because our camera was stolen...sorry!!)

We ordered the "CHANG'S CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS" for an appetizer.....YUMMMMMM!!!!! It tasted like the Wok itself, and had such a depth of flavor to it. I could have eaten just that as my meal....We ordered two (since there were 6 of us) and they went really fast! My mouth is watering just talking about it!!

For dinner, I ordered their signature dish: the "MONGOLIAN BEEF"....Even MORE YUMMMM!!!!! I loved the scallions especially. (Scallions are in a few of my favorite dishes from Chengdu, so it was nice to get that in every bite). Be careful, you will have major onion breath for like 2 days! It was very expensive ($14.95) but it was a huge order, and would be enough for two. I thought it was definitely worth it!!

My hubby, Brien, ordered the "CHENGDU SPICED LAMB"...He loved it....I normally am not a fan of lamb... in fact I hate lamb...but I loved his dish too! It had a key Chengdu flavor, kind of like "Shao Kao" seasoning with the spice tuned down for Americans ...but it was delish!!! I couldn't get enough of it!! Man I miss those flavors!!!

Dessert....well I was pretty disappointed. Brien and I ordered the "THE GREAT WALL OF CHOCOLATE" which was basically a massive piece of chocolate cake....looks better than it tasted....I wouldn't order that one again it was pretty bland...I was happy we were all sharing desserts at the table..My sister-in-law, Michelle, ordered the "BANANA SPRING ROLLS" and I didn't want to give it back!!! Holy moly that was an AMAZING dessert!! I'll definitely order that one instead next time!!!

For my drink, I ordered the "PF-X" which has: X-RATED Fusion Liqueur, Mango Vodka and Pama Liqueur shaken with a splash of Sprite....Best drink I have had in a long time....It was $9 and not that big, but I loved it! Yes, it sounds frilly and girly....but who cares....get over it....try it!! Tasted like a jolly rancher!!

Go with a big group of people and all order different dishes...we had so much fun passing our food around the table trying bites of each other's. That way, the next time you go, you know which dish to get.

I don't think anyone took food home, it was that good!!! Just be prepared to pay a lot! (I'm sure if you go at lunch time it would be cheaper)

I recommend this restaurant to anyone!!
Sooooo good!!!

Want me to review your restaurant or product?
Contact me!

REVIEW of the Scotch Scrapbooker's Glue with 2-way Applicator

2010-02-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a a review on the

Scotch Scrapbooker's Glue with 2-way applicator.

There is a mail-in rebate to try it for FREE which expires March 1, 2010!

***Look around for it on an endcap mine was hard to find!***

I thought this product worked great when gluing the heavy cardstocks and papers for my cards. There was no curling or warping of the paper. It also worked well when I was applying the small letters and the ribbons. I was simply able to trace the backs of the letters with the precision tip (so much easier than fighting with a simple gluestick) and I didn't need tape to secure the ribbon down which can look ugly. It keeps envelops together and I have used it to secure beading to my cards as well. It seems like this glue will last me a very long time too.

I recommend it for any scrapbooker,
cardmaker or crafter out there!

Want me to review your product? Contact me!

Photo Love #1: The Leshan Giant Buddha

2010-01-31T10:22:00.000-05:00

Here is one of my favorite photos taken in Leshan, China.

My husband, Brien, and I lived in Chengdu, China for a year and had so many amazing, life changing experiences. One of the places that we visited was The Leshan Giant Buddha.

The Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest stone-carved Buddha in the WORLD...Brien and I spent a very hot and sweaty crazy busy day here. When I say hot and sweaty I mean INSANELY HOT AND SWEATY....As in droplets of water running down our foreheads and shirts completely soaked through...Being smushed and pushed through weaving lines, and almost thinking we were going to be pushed down the INSANE staircase we had to climb down in order to get to the Buddha's feet.
If you look at the Buddha to the top right, near the Ear, is where the lines started....Imagine the busiest day at Disney World, lines without any fastpasses times 30 and that was the line....But it was SO WORTH IT! This photo isn't even the entire Buddha....I took this picture when on the staircase of doom...There is a whole lower half with massive feet.!!! It's almost impossible to get a picture of the entire Buddha unless you take one of the boat tours on the river that runs in front of it.
It's easy to get amazing shots of the Buddha, I just kept snapping at every angle.
Anyways, if you are ever in China, and near Leshan, you MUST go here, DO NOT pass this opportunity up, pictures do not do this justice.

I just have to show you the steep staircase of doom winding it's way down the mountain!

HAPPY 100!!!

2010-01-30T10:44:00.000-05:00

WOW

My blog has had over 100 visitors

(excluding me of course)
in its FIRST week!

Thanks everyone!
Don't forget to Follow me!! ;0)

My First Card Using The Cricut Expression!!!

2010-01-29T09:24:00.000-05:00

Here it is! I used my Cricut Expression Machine to make everything!!

I made this Thank You card for my AWESOME mother-in-law and father-in-law since they were the ones who purchased this for me for Christmas! THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST!!!

So...I finally was able to get the Cricut Expression up (Ok ok, the hubby set it up for me! Thanks Brien!) I first tried to use a regular piece of printer paper to do a trial and error run...NOT a great idea...it didn't want to come off of the sticky cutting mat and was hard to scrape off....Also, after installing the blade, we didn't think about turning the size nob down so that it would actually be low enough to cut something...so at least we figured that part out before cutting on good cardstock.

After a few bumps in the road I was able to figure out the sizes that were appropriate for my card...

The base of the actual card itself measures 5 3/4", and I made the envelope at 6". I cut the floral background using a rectangle feature at 5 1/2". I made the whole card using the Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge and found it was easy to use and has some cute features to work with.

I used a plain light lavender color for the card base, a dark purple color cardstock for the flowers and the letters for "thanks", and a plain white cardstock for the scallop edge on top...I added a cute piece of green ribbon on the bottom and I used sheets from the Latte Stack (which has a ton of great designs I love it!) for the top of the card and for the envelope itself from DCWV .

I purchased my cardstack, cardstocks, and ribbon at JoAnn Fabrics

My Cricut Expression Machine!!!

2010-01-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

Here's a pic of my Cricut Expresson Machine!!!! I just LOVE that it's green!!!! I had no idea so it was a nice surprise when opening it up!

Thanks to my awesome in-laws for this amazing gift!!!!!!

NOTE: If you have a dog that sheds, THE DOG HAIR WILL STICK TO THE CRICUT CUTTING MAT! Haha...Yeah it is already COVERED in my dog's hair....but the paper still sticks well so it hasn't really caused any problems...so far....

This is our dog, Neela!!!!

PLEASE CONSIDER ADOPTING A PET!!

Jewelry Making!!!

2010-01-25T15:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my cousin Brielle and I had such a great time making earrings. We took a trip to JoAnn Fabrics and they had an awesome sale on jewelry items! It took us 3 hours to make 3 pairs of earrings each...but hey, we are beginners!! I can imagine that once you get the hang of it, you could rip out a ton of earrings.

The hardest part was the twisting the wire, but it was very therapeutic for me. I have a neck, back and shoulder injury and I needed something to do while sitting in bed with a bunch of pillows behind me... jewelry making was perfect! I just used my lapdesk and it worked perfectly.

We had some lighting issues....Even with all of the lights on in my room, it was hard to see the beads, especially the tiny ones! I'll have to get a different lamp next to my bed!

Oh, and sharing only one pair of each of the tools you need slowed us down...it seemed like we always needed to use them at the same time so I will pick up my own pairs soon.

I can't wait to buy some more beads and start making some more! Thanks for showing me the ropes Brielle!!!

(Sorry for the crappy pics, have to find a good camera!)

Here are the beads that I used:

Jesse James Dress Beaders Paradise Bit

It Up Blackberry Lavendar Mix Beads
Jam Beads

Extreme Makeover Buffalo!

2010-01-24T22:59:00.000-05:00

Extreme Makeover Home Edition was in my hometown, Buffalo, NY! It aired tonight, and I was very impressed. Not only did they completely re-build a home, they re-built a community. I hope that the hard work continues throughout Buffalo.

Sale at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store

2010-01-24T09:24:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to see that there is a SALE at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store today!!

Up to 40% off Papercrafting Supplies which includes Paper, Tools, Diecutting Machines and Stamps!

Can't wait to start collecting paper for my Cricut Expression Machine!

Some of My Favorite Cookies!

2010-01-23T17:46:00.000-05:00

Here is a collage of some of the fun cookies I made when I owned my own business. Hopefully someday I will get back into baking and decorating!! It is so much fun, and just another way to display art!

Hello Everyone

2010-01-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

My name is Natalie and here is a little bit about what I hope to blog about: Arts and crafts, using my new Cricut Expressions Machine to make fun cards, displaying some great photography I have taken on trips, making jewelry, showing some cookies I made when I owned my own business, restaurant and movie reviews, product reviews, and anything else that I want.

Thanks for visiting my site, and hopefully I will be able to keep up with it!