Happy Halloween


Wishing a frightful night for all!

A Halloween Poem from Judy! Enjoy!

IT’S HALLOWEEN … IT’S HALLOWEEN… THE WITCHES ARE UP HIGH

RIDING PAST THE GLOSSY MOON, AWAY UP IN THE SKY

THEY SNATCH THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO PUT IN A WITCHES BREW

TO SATISFY THEIR APPETITES WHILE RIDING BY THE MOON

IT’S HALLOWEEN … IT’S HALLOWEEN… THE GOBLINS ARE OUT TOO

THEY SCARE THE LITTLE CHILDREN, JUST BE SAYING “BOO”

FOR SURE IT’S HALLOWEEN WITH THE WITCHES MAKING BREW

AND THE GOBLINS SCARING LITTLE CHILDREN JUST BY SAYING … BOO!!!


Some of my cute students dressed up for the Halloween party!

Pumpkin Carving Friday

Joseph and I made the most of our Halloween weekend by having an all-
pumpkin Friday night, including Pumpking carving, baked spiced pumpkin
seeds, pumpkin beer, and a scary movie (okay that isn't pumpkin
specific). Earlier that day I had the school Halloween party (pictures
soon to come) and dinner at the Pings' house. Our post-dinner feature
flick was the classic Young Frankestien, Grandpa's favortie!
Despite my intense fear of scary movies, I was able to watch The Sixth
Sense without being scared of the dark or having bad dreams! A big
step for yours truly ;)
Here's Joseph, beer and knife in hand, carving his pumpkin from Rock
Creek Farm.

Fun in the Snow

What better way to spend a snow day than with good friends, a snowball
fight, food, and drinks?! We hit up our favortie spots in Denver -
Falling Rock, Osteria Marco, and Wazee - for some amazing beer,
dinner, apple cobler, and Scotch for the boys. Honestly, it felt more
like Christmas than Halloween!
Below, right to left: Vivi, Erin, Cory Cakes, Marc, me, and Joseph

Snow Outting

Emergency! What good is a hot chocolate without (organic)
marshmallows? This calls for a stroll in the high snow to Whole Foods!
It is evident Joseph agrees with me!
*shout out to my Hunter Wellies, yet again! I heart you, shiny black
Wellies!

To see pictures of Denver's first snow storm of the winter season click on the Denver Post slideshow HERE!

This photographer has a really nice lens - and a great eye for fun shots! enjoy!

Snoooowwwww!!!



Another snow day! Even Joseph has the day off today! We are making the most of our lovely day off together. So far the house is clean, rabbits are fed, waffles have been made, Bonbonerie opera cream coffee brewed, and Harry Potter Marathon has begun! Slated later for this afternoon - a romp in the snow, a drink with friends...


Daily Candy Reads My Mind

I feel that my short time in Ireland was enough to make me feel like a local. Somehow DailyCandy has managed to put my favs in their newsletter today! Especially Galway and Avoca!

God, in another life, let me live in Ireland!

Go Wilde
DailyCandy Goes to Ireland

dunguire castle!

Ireland has a long history of rhyming (Wilde, Yeats, Joyce, Beckett). But there’s no East Coast-West Coast rivalry, which means you can hip-hop across the country from Dublin to Galway.

Dublin or Nothin’
Start by getting cozy. Check intoDylan (Eastmoreland Place, Dublin 4; +353-1-660-3000), a colorful boutique hotel in a renovated Victorian building not far from St. Stephen’s Green. Then head off the beaten path to the serene Irish Museum of Modern Art (Royal Hospital, Military Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8; +353-1-612-9900) for outsider, Irish, and international art.

grogans!Now you’re ready for some Guinness. Grogans Castle Lounge (15 William Street South, Dublin 2; +353-1-677-9320) is a divey watering hole where local artists and writers will keep you entertained with stories and so-so artwork on the walls. Order another (and another) at Shebeen Chic (4 South Great Georges Street, Dublin 2; +353-1-679-9667), a gastropub decorated in thrift shop finds and clotheslines.

winding stair!Prevent a hangover with classic Irish fare like black pudding and smoked haddock at The Winding Stair Restaurant + Bookshop (40 Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin 1; +353-1-872-7320). How incredibly charming and cozy is this place? Well, there’s also a great selection of hard-to-find used books.

avoca!When you’re ready to shop, hit Design Centre(59 South William Street, Dublin 2; +353-1-679-5863) for Irish labels like Philip Treacy and Pauric Sweeney and Avoca (11-13 Suffolk Street, Dublin 2; +353-1-667-4215) for housewares, boho clothing, and affordable jewelry.

And get your green on strolling the River Liffey and the many parks around town.

the g!Such Galway
It’s dramatically gray, right on the water, and authentically Oirish. And when you hang your hat at the glam Philip Treacy-designed The G(Dublin Road, Wellpark; +353-91-865-200), you’re front and center to everything.

river corrib!Galway is an incredibly walkable town. Here’s your path: Stroll along the River Corrib, over to the Claddagh (yes, of those rings), and amble along the expansive Salthill beaches next to Galway Bay.

mcdonagh's!The annual Galway Oyster Festival makes for quite a show, but you can get your aquatic fill anytime at the down-to-earth and boisterous McDonagh’s Seafood House (22 Quay Street; +353-91-565-001), where no one notices how much you eat or drink. (It. will. be. lots.)

keogh it up!Pop into Les Jumelles (11 Upper Abbeygate Street; +353-91-564-540) for gems from Irish designers like Lainey Keogh and Mary Grant. Come weekend, hit the centuries-old farmers market (next to St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Mainguard and Lombard Streets) for local crafts, woolens, and the biggest carrots you’ve ever seen. Saturdays are best for food; Sundays are all about crafts.

great cliffs!You’ve fallen in love with the town, now hit the road. Rent a car and drive to Cliffs of Moher for breathtakingly high views and then wind around through the rocky terrain of the Burrenand breathe in the fresh air. So many sheep, cows, and horses. So many green hills and dramatic waters.

Aye, it’s enough to make you wax poetic.


While you’re down there:
+
DailyCandy Goes to Edinburgh

Snow Day!

That's right! The first snow day of 2009-2010 school year! What have I done today? I'm still in my pajamas drinking Nutcracker Tea and watching Elf if that gives you any clue.

Ahh, classic English charm on a London Snow Day

Bree, does this look familiar?
Russian Snow Globe

The Living Camera





Last year, Joseph and I watched a brilliantly inspiring BBC documentary, The Human Camera, about an autistic artist who captures entire cities with pen and paper - with only one glance.

Pictured above, New York times has captured Wiltshire sketching non other than The Big Apple. You can read the article HERE.

In this video, London artist Stephen Wiltshire manages to draw the entire city of Rome on a large canvas in just three days. Mind you, he had only seen Rome once, by means of a 45-minute helicopter ride.

Bon appetit Pumpkin Cupcakes Report

Success! I really love this easy and delicious recipe! Try them for
yourself this week before Halloween and share them with your friends,
family, and coworkers! I think cupcakes make Monday easier to
swallow ;) and everyone a little happier!
(flags from Martha Stewart 2008 sale)

Rock Creek Farm Pumpkin Patch

This morning we woke up bright and early for our day of Autumn activities!
Despite the snow, Joseph and I drove out to Rock Creek Farm, near Boulder, to cut our pumpkins. You can see we had a lot of fun, cutting pumpkins from the vine, nearly freezing to death. After our drive around Boulder we headed home for Joseph's homemade vegetarian chili and cornbread (we aren't vegetarians, we just love this kind of chili). Then I made pumpkin cupcakes (Bon Appetit recipe), after messing up the first batch, of course. They smell pretty amazing - now all they need is a generous sprinkling of Graeter's chocolate jimmies, yum!

Early in the morning - and snowing!!! Note the wool mittens...

Rock Creek Farm (organic farm)



Our pumpkin saw



Our pumpkin!

I cut it with this little thing, really?

This is currently my new wallpaper for my iPhone

We also have one of these greyish greenish beauties

Pumpkin Patch Preview!

Sunday morning at the farm! More to come later!!!

It's Hard for me to Leave Those Feelings Behind

Coming down from a long day... A quaint little ditty by Noah & the Whale, The First Days of Spring (all their videos are charming) - enjoy!


I hope those goggles look familiar, dad! They look just like yours!

I'm not sure what's on tap for tonight. There is a Halloween Ceili, a Halloween Party, and maybe, but doubtful, a birthday party for a friend. Unfortunately, I am unsure if I will attend any of these. I'm unmotivated and really tired! However, seeing as tomorrow is our ONLY day off together, Joseph and I are headed to an awesome pumpkin patch. We are having an Autumnal Sunday, full of Fall goodies like pumpkin pie, apple cider, carving, baking, and so much more!!! Looking forward to it Joseph!

Go Where Ireland Takes You

Seriously Joseph, why aren't we living here?
Unfortunately this wasn't the Cork I saw (Blarney Castle), but I'm sure I'll be back, hopefully with mom, dad, and Joseph next time to have a picnic including West Cork handmade cheese and fudge. Yum! P.S. I love the blue little cable cars featured at the very end of the video! So cute!

Go To Public School.com


Maybe I should post this in my room, for the children. I think the high school I formerly worked for could use a poster or two on their walls. I heard that the new art teacher is finding things more difficult than I did - which is not a positive outlook on the sustainability of the art program at that school.

Now that I'm finally settled in my new elementary school, I'm starting to collect ideas from young art teachers like this one, Mrs. Brown, in Massachusetts. She looks like the full-time art teacher, just from the look of her room and abundant supplies. My supplies look more like this:
I've already begun to adapt my room and introduce fun things to the students. I'm slowly collecting items, despite the lack of knowing what my budget is still - the entire school is in the dark due to some strange set-backs with adminstration. It isn't a big deal, but the teachers are a tad bit angry :) Whatever you do, don't make teachers angry! Just kidding Molly and Allie!

My mentor teacher, Ginny, admitted the first few years of her professional career as an art teacher were rough. She also worked part time jobs, long-term sub positions, and other odd ends jobs until she found the perfect one. She reassured me that I need to be patient, and good things will come with time. I'd like to feel more settled, but like Ginny said, be patient...

Tonight I have Irish dancing! We are less than a month away from the second largest competition for Irish Dancers - Oireachtas - better known in English as Nationals! Don't ask me why their website is horrible. They are being held right here in Denver (or else I would not be able to compete long-distance). We are competing in Adult Ceili 8 Hand Cross Reel and our Irish Dance Drama, both on Saturday. My dear friend Emily created this dance drama and she has worked on it every Friday night. I help out when I have time, and I'm a fill-in if something happens. So if anyone gets sick or feels like they can't go on stage I'll dance in their place or maybe dancing the main part... yikes!

This is from 25th World Championship - I like the first one, although I'm exactly sure what the plot was... cross-dressing in hard shoes is always a good laugh.


For the first time in over a month I've actually had enough energy to go to dance without wanting to fall asleep beforehand. J.Crew has cut back my hours just for this week so I can recover from my self-diagnosed laryngitis. That's right - Stacey, who follows in her father's footsteps - the daughter of Bill who has the gift of gab - lost her voice Saturday and Sunday!!! Everyday I've lost my voice towards the end of my last class. I've been slowly recovering ever since, but anyone you ask will say I've sounded like a 60 year-old smoker. So if I haven't talk to you lately, I'll be in touch soon, hopefully.


Art In-Service; Architecture

This is my mentor, Ginny, and me at our district art in-service for
October. We listened to other art teachers share their lessons plans,
explored DAM's newest web resources, and won door prizes! Here we are
- the winners (of course) - with our new architecture books! It was a
wonderful way to spend our gloomy Tuesday night.
When I finally got home from work, Joseph was waiting with homemade
soup, sweet potato fries, a sandwich, and The Royal Tenenbaums. Thanks
Joe!
Hope you are enjoying your Fall Tuesday night too :)

Finished Headless Horseman

Today the first graders put the finishing touches on their Sleepy
Hollow landscapes. They had so much fun retelling me the story of
scared Ichabod :)
I love getting into the spirit of Halloween and letting imaginations
run wild. When i was home in September Kathy recited a little poem
written by Jude when she was in pirmary school. I can't remember how
the poem read, but it had something to do with witches eating plump
little children!!! Is there any chance we can get the official Judy
(Meyer) Scott Halloween poem for Neuf Francs?

Sleepy Hollow!

Today the kids worked on their Headless Horseman drawing. They are
really enjoying the spookiness of the story and learning how to draw a
basic horse shape. I'm having fun getting into the holiday spirit! We
also listened to spooky music and the students practically jumped out
of their seats! Kids are great :) now if I could only have Ellie in my
class...

You Don't Know Jackman

I usually don't do this type of thing, but I kind of can't help myself. I L O V E Hugh Jackman!
"Hugh is tough and romantic at the same time," says costar Kidman. "Australian men are a different breed. They're rugged and they sweat."

A romantic who sings ballads at home and makes pancakes for his children... A hard body with a soft center... People Magazine. Not to mention he has a really gorgeous Australian accent! I mean, who wouldn't love him? (Kari - cherish Ian's accent!!!)


Outtakes from People Magazine's interview with Hugh Jackman (on being the Sexiest Man Alive)

FIRST GIRLFRIEND
"Martine Craswell, in kindergarten. My dad said, 'Oh, I always knew you were romantic because you were running in a race and Martine fell over and you stopped and went back and picked her up.' Chivalry was there."

FIRST KISS
"With Sarah Dowsett when I was 9. I was going from a coed school to a boys' school and I thought, 'If I don't kiss a girl before I go to this school, I won't get to kiss a girl.' And my friend goes, 'Sarah Dowsett kisses. I kissed her once.' So I said to Sarah, 'I want you to know that I love you.' And she said, 'I love you too.' And I said, 'Do you want to go down to the bush and kiss?' She said yes. It was just [he purses his lips]. I remember thinking, 'What is this all about?' Then, when I had my first tongue kiss, I thought, 'What the hell is this?' "


Your marriage is a success story.
In my early 20s, I didn't have a regular girlfriend. I was single and really happy about it. And then when I was 26, I met Deb on [the Australian TV show] Correlli. She was my leading lady. It was just undeniable. I started planning to propose to her at about three months. We are happy. Deb and my kids have been the best things that have ever happened to me, without a doubt.

Happy Anniversary Joseph!






I'm so lucky I've been able to call myself Mrs. Pings since 2004! I think I'll keep you around - you are pretty good in the kitchen and you watch Gossip Girl with me ;)
If that isn't love...
XOXO, Stace