Welcome to my blog!

A year ago, I swore I'd never have one of these, but sometimes we end up eating our words! :) I wanted to create a place where I could share my interests and ideas with whoever wants to hear them! Some of the things I'll probably talk about often are...

-Benjamin, my 2 1/2 yr. old son. The little dude means the absolute world to me and I'm impressed daily with how truly amazing he is. Just yesterday, he randomly blurted out, "I'm two and you're twenty-eight, mom." How adorable (and smart) is that? Unfortunately, kids don't come with handbooks, so some moments aren't exactly pretty. As a first-time mom, it's kind of learn as you go, but I'm loving every minute of it!

-Food and drink. I am definitely someone who lives to eat and not the other way around! I'd love to share some of my family recipes as well as rave about my favorite restaurants. I've been on a Marcella's kick lately. I enjoy a good glass of wine (or two)...red or white, depending on the meal or season. I also love concocting mixed drinks, Mint Chocolate Martinis have been a recent favorite. The chocolate rim with the peppermint candy coating...bliss! Dessert and a buzz, all in one glass!

-Music. I guess you could say I have rather "eclectic" taste. I love everything from folk to rap, bluegrass to reggae, jam band to jazz and so on. For me, being at a live show is one of the greatest feelings because that intense energy that comes from the stage mixed with the crowd cannot be reproduced on a DVD no matter how hard they try. Just in one year alone while in college, I went to almost a hundred live shows! I recently stumbled upon http://www.pandora.com/ and I can't get enough! It is unlike any other internet radio and it will expand your music repertoire by introducing you to artists that you normally might not be exposed to based on the stations that you choose. The best part is that it's free! If you find a song that you like, you have the option to purchase it so that you can download it on your computer or phone. I know I sound like a paid advertisement, but you should check it out, seriously!

-Trips and Travels...Sometimes our adventures take us far away and sometimes they take place right in our backyard. Some of the fun things we did this year were visit friends in Florida, "lake-hopping" in our new boat and zip lining through the Hocking Hills. I am crossing my fingers that a tropical vacation will be in store for 2009, but I might end up with arthritis instead!

-Glass. In recent years I have grown such an appreciation for it. In my spare time (ha ha), I fuse glass and make jewelry and other functional pieces such as plates, platters, and ashtrays, etc. I'm really into hand-painting with liquid glass as well. It's such a great creative outlet and the concept of glass bending is extremely intriguing to me! Finding people who actually want to buy the artwork is the hard part!!!

-Books & Information...Whether its a book, magazine article, internet site/forum or newspaper story, if it's information worth sharing, I will. I love to curl up and read a good book, but with a hectic life, sometimes I get my fix by searching the web or reading a magazine. I am huge advocate for the library and we visit almost every week. I read to my son every night before bedtime for at least thirty minutes and he loves to "read" his books alone in his room when he's having quiet time. I think the amount of reading we do is directly related to his letter and number recognition...that, and a little help from PBS!

I'm sure my ranting will go on to include many other topics not mentioned here, but I figured I would warn you in advance about the things you'll probably hear about most! I hope you'll visit again and comment often!