Gift Scrap Blog

Some of you may have noticed (and of course, missed) the “I Give a Scrap Blog” was on a bit of a holiday.  Well, we are back and better than ever.

However, you may have also noticed that some of the blog posts from April – Oct are missing.  Well, they have gone into world wide web heaven and godaddy.com says they are gone for good.

So I’m not going to dwell upon the fact that the numerous number of hours that I spent writing such life-changing posts are now gone.  We will just have to move on!

BUT, I have a favor to ask any of you who may know of a way to get rid of some of those odd characters in some of the earlier posts.  They for some reason have taken over “commas, colons, and dashes” and decided to be a part of I Give a Scrap.

See my wonderful example below…

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks.

For me, Sunday is a day of football, beer and friends.

My NY Giants killed it yesterday and not only was it an awesome game to watch, my friends and I enjoyed the game while eating a -

SWEET POTATO, CARMELIZED ONION & BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA.

Some of you may be a little worried about such a combination, but can I just tell you how amazing it was? Well, it was amazing.

It takes a bit of time to create this architectual masterpiece, but I highly recommend you make it.  I also suggest you make it the day before – this way you can enjoy the game and your company.

Ingredients:
1 pound lasagna noodles
Extra olive oil for coating the pasta, brushing the potatoes, and greasing the dish
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds (1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium Spanish or other sweet onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
1 teaspoon sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mixed grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses
1/2 pound butternut squash, cooked and mashed
1 pound mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1.Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, and coat with enough oil to keep the noodles from sticking. Set aside.

2.Preheat the oven to 475°F.

3.Spread the sweet potatoes in one layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle a little oil (about 1/4 teaspoon) over the potatoes and turn to coat both sides. Bake for 15 minutes, until cooked and lightly golden. Remove and set aside. Reduce the oven heat to 375°F.

4.Melt the butter along with the 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Stir in the onions and sugar and sauté over medium heat for 20 minutes, until soft and beginning to turn golden. Set aside.

5.Place the egg, basil, oregano, garlic, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the ricotta and grated cheeses and whisk to smooth. Add the squash and mix to blend well. Set aside.

6.To assemble the lasagna, lightly oil a 13 by 9-inch deep baking pan. Line the bottom with a layer of noodles. Spread some of the cheese and squash mixture over the noodles. Add a layer of sweet potatoes, then a layer of the onions. Top with a layer of mozzarella and sprinkle with black pepper to taste. Continue until all the ingredients are used and the top is a layer of onions lightly covered with mozzarella.

7. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until bubbly and golden across the top. Remove and cool for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Note: To take the dish in a more savory direction, you can substitute other potatoes, such as russets or Yukon Golds, roasted in the same way.  I actually combined sweet and russets together and it was great.

Now, here’s even the best part.  Is it too cold for you to walk to the supermarket? Why leave when with one click, you can get all the ingredients delivered to your house from FreshDirect? (and no, I don’t work for them, I just think it’s awesome) http://www.freshdirect.com/recipe.jsp?recipeId=rec_wk_swtpto_on_sqush&trk=srch

Next week, it’s  happening:

I’m turning 30.

Whenever someone asks how old I am going to be, and I say “30″ I often get a sad half grin. Like, Oh, I’m sorry, 30 is a big one.

To be honest though, I am really not freaking out about it as much as some people do. I always thought “29″ was such an odd age anyway. You are still technically considered to be in your  twenties – but it’s not like I’m the same person I was earlier on in my twenties. The beer pong table is no longer set up in my apartment; I actually enjoy sitting at a nice chilled out lounge with good friends instead of standing in a packed, sweaty meat-market bar; and I can afford to buy things that I want. (But don’t get me wrong, just because the beer pong table is out of the apartment, doesn’t mean I won’t beat you in a game).

So, instead of a being a “Debbie Downer” about turning 30, I’ve listed 10 reasons why it’s going to be an excellent birthday:

1. 1. I will smile and glow when people can’t believe I’m 30.
2. 2. I only have to wait five more years to become president.
3. I get to say, I remember when I was in my 20s.
4. I get better vibes from a round, even number.
5. More exciting to blog for a week about your 30th birthday.
6. I get to buy a new outfit for the occasion.
7. I can stop trying to find myself and instead start creating myself.
8. When I get carded it is a compliment.
9. Well, at least I’m not 40 yet.
10. I have learned from all my TV watching that 40 is the new 30 and 30 is the new 20.

So for all of you turning 30 this year, make it big. Epic in fact.

Looking around my apartment, I’m thinking to myself, you know, I really like (fill in the blank). So here is my list of random recommendations for this snowy tri-state day…

1. I’m all about a bargain as most of you know. Many also know that I am quite fond of tattoos and just got one the other day. Instead of buying expensive lotion to help heal the permanent ink that is now embedded in my skin, I recommend Harmon Face Values Daily Moisturizing Lotion. Cheap and does the trick. *Note: You don’t have to have a tattoo to use this lotion

2.How annoying is it to find the right slot for your knives in your knife block? Ok, for those of you that don’ t cook and don’t find this annoying at all, skip to #3.  Anyway, the Kapoosh knife holder is amazing and it fits any knife because there are no specific slots! It’s just a bunch of plastic rods that move around. Hard to explain, just check it out, trust me. Amazon

3. I don’t know what it is about random wood and metal sculptures, but they just make me smile. For instance, I have a heart decoration on my desk and when I glance over, it just makes me happy and feel adult.

4. I will never cut a straight line again. Why should I when I can use my scrapbooking scissors and cut with an edge. Want a rugged look? No problem. Or an elegant design? Consider it done. I use them to cut edges that are a pattern rather than a straight line. Basically it looks like it took you ages to cut a picture or piece of paper into a unique design – but realistically it took no time.

5. For those of you that live in NYC, we are used to cramped spaces. We laugh at the idea of having a dining room table! Well, if you have an open wall, I totally recommend this wall-mounted table. It folds flat to save space and flips out when you want to eat. Voila! You have a table. Grab two stools and you are set for a romantic dinner. I have only seen this at IKEA and I recommend staining it a color that matches the rest of your decor. Visit IKEA

For more information about anything I mentioned, please email info@GiftScrap.com or post a comment! Love to hear your recommendations as well!

Last weekend was one of the best weekends of my life.  Why you ask? Well, I found a Michael’s craft store in Manhattan.

When I found it, it was like the skies opened and the angels began to sing…I was in heaven.

It may not seem like a big deal to those who live outside of NYC, where the huge craft stores flood your streets and it’s only a car ride away, but for us Manhattanites without a car and few and far craft stores in the city, this discovery was epic.

I felt like Christopher Columbus on the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

There are small mom and pop stores here and there in NYC, which I am happy to support, but there is nothing I enjoy more than the craft store giant like Michael’s.  The hearty discounts, cornucopia of aisles, and abundance of knickknacks that I definitely don’t need, but desperately want.

Ah, it was a great day – and going to be a glorious year.

Michael’s is on…

808 Columbus Ave (on 100^th Ave)
New York, NY 10025-5139
(212) 865-0813

And I’ve even found one coupon for you to print…

Happy Crafting!

If anyone knows other great craft stores in NYC or in your hometown, please share!

flounder dinner

I am sitting here on my couch and just thinking about what I did this weekend.  Parts of it were very girly, others a bit boyish, and then whole other parts of it could classify me as an 80 year old woman.

Here’s the rundown of my last two days…
1. Made flounder
2. Drank wine 
3. Broke a glass pitcher because apparantly pouring hot water into it was not smart
4. Booked a hotel in Yountvile, CA for my friend’s wedding
5. Started a scrapbook for my friend’s son’s first year
6. Went to the Gym
7. Watched the Jets lose
8. Walked my dog
9. Spent some time on Twitter and Facebook
10. Cleaned my apartment
11. Started to plan a poker night
12. Had brunch with my parents
13. Watched “The Pregnancy Pact” on Lifetime. I really do love a good Lifetime movie.
14. Became very perplexed by the new Walmart “screaming clown” commercial
15. Checked out my horoscope and is now very excited for January 30th.  That apparantly is MY day for good change.

All in all, a very diverse weekend.  It makes me realize that I am pretty unclassifiable. 

How about everyone else? How would you classify your weekends?
Tame with a splash of crazy?
Boyish with a touch of Girl?
Party so hard you don’t even remember?
So lame that you wish you could forget?
Unclassifiable? 

…let us here about it!

Twitter

Have you fallen for the 140 characters or less phenomenon, Twitter, yet? Many people have embraced the short and sweet social network but others look at it as just another nonsense trend.

I, like many, have fallen for the Twitter trap.

Why you ask? I’ve realized that…

-I love writing in 140 characters or less.
-I love following some of my favorite celebrities and reality stars. (big shout out to @Sn00ki, @JENNIWOWW, @JessicaSimpson, and @TheEllenShow)
-I love reading the news in one sentence. Why should I read an entire article ever again?
-I love my TweetDeck. If you do Twitter, and don’t have the TweetDeck, download it today. http://www.tweetdeck.com/  Everything I need to know is right in front of my face in beautiful columns. Nice and neat.
-I love when random people comment on my tweets. Who knew I had followers in South Dakota?
-I love see what the latest trends are and what people are tweeting about. I’ve connected with a lot of people who were looking for the perfect gift (ah hem, a GiftScrap book for instance), suggestions for where to go on a Saturday night in NYC, the best sushi restaurant in Midtown, etc.
-I love using #hashtags now.

Today in fact, I have a tutorial with my friend who has started her own business and wants to experience the power of Twitter. She will download that TweetDeck, post exciting things, follow the right people, and stay away from weird adult entertainment spammers.

How about everyone? Have you fallen for Twitter or do you not understand the hype? If you are a Tweethead, make sure to follow @GiftScrap on Twitter! http:///www.twitter.com/GiftScrap

Guys always say that women are hard to shop for.  And many of us are.  However, the one thing that we absolutely love is a thoughtful gift.

It could be as simple as a card to as extravagant to a piece of jewelry with the date of when you first met engraved in it.  A gift with a little meaning behind it can go a long way.

Valentine’s Day is only a month away and why not give your woman an unforgettable gift this year?  Here are some of my suggestions…

1. Take her to the restaurant that you took her to on your first date. Have her favorite flower waiting for her at her seat.

Or you can really go above and beyond by doing a little research and find a restaurant that reminds you of her.  Take her to a restaurant with her same name. Or did you have the best vacation in Spain? Take her to a Spanish restaurant and recreate the trip.

2. Engrave a special saying or date on a piece of jewelry. Her favorite quote? Your nickname for her? The date you first met? Any of those would do!

3. Rewrite her favorite poem.  Even the thought that you took the time to actually sit down and write something important to her is incredible.

4. Cook for her.  It doesn’t even have to be complex, and if it comes out bad, make sure you have enough wine on hand… she won’t remember how awful it tasted.

5. A GiftScrap book.  I had to get a shameless plug into the list.  But in all honesty, if you have 15-20 pictures of her, you, or you both together – all you need to do is send me the link to them or upload the pictures on our site and we will create a beautiful scrapbook that she will adore.  It will score you so many points…you have no idea. http://www.giftscrap.com/order.php

Please share some more ideas! What were some of the best gifts you have received? Or even the worst gifts?!

It’s NYC. It’s winter. It’s cold.

So, when I received my first “circle scarf” for Christmas from my cousin I was very excited.

I broke it out for the first time today and to my delight I do not feel too strangled and I am remarkably warm. Especially from the neck up.

Besides scrapbooking, I have been known to crochet a few things in my day. I am actually excellent at normal scarves, and now have dedicated my weekend to conquer the circle scarf.

I was thinking it would be fun to give away my first circle scarf to one of my lucky readers. The only catch is you will have to take a picture with it on and I’ll post it.

So who wants the chance to win a beautiful, FREE, hand made by Kim, circle scarf? Comment here or email me at info@giftscrap.com. It can be worn by anyone – so guys – feel free to enter too. I promise I won’t make it too girly.

Good luck and keep warm!

My colleague thinks it is hilarious every time he walks over to my desk and takes a peek at my computer screen. I always seem to have over 15 internet tabs on my screen. He’s always asking, “Kim, why do you need so many pages open? Just close some things out.”

I think to myself, he’s probably right. Do I really need so many tabs on top of my screen? Am I too lazy just to bookmark something? Or retype the web address in? Maybe I am.

The little tabs are comforting in a way. I always know that facebook, twitter, yahoo, gmail, interesting articles, scrapbook ideas, poignant blogs, and others are just a click away.

Perhaps I should delve deep and try to figure out my need for multiple tabs and my website line up. Maybe it goes back to my childhood and how I always had to have my stuffed animals lined up on my bed a certain way. Or, how I prefer a long wallet where I can see all the tops of my credit cards lined up instead of a smaller wallet where everything is bunched together?

Am I the only one who keeps a million tabs open in my browser? Please shed some light!