tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84511007812765846482012-01-22T15:09:13.827-05:00Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.comBlogger2441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-84228153274255900052012-01-22T15:09:00.000-05:002012-01-22T15:09:13.836-05:00

Seth and I have had quite an fun and productive weekend. Yesterday, we went to the local movie theater to see The Met's new opera, The Enchanted Island, live in HD. The opera is completely new this season. It is a Baroque pastiche -- in layman's terms a "mash-up" for Baroque music. The opera has music from Handel, Vivaldi, and  Rameau. The creators of the new opera, took this existing music, not

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-70219312317247291492012-01-10T21:02:00.002-05:002012-01-10T21:02:31.767-05:00

I just returned from an impromptu trip to Connecticut to visit my mother following a basic operation. Good news: she's doing very well. She feels fine, is not too tired, and has no pain. The operation went well on Monday, but I am glad that I was able to see her Monday evening and today to make sure she was alright. While down visiting Mom, I also got to go for a hike with Greg and Demo at the

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-81771604498664194282011-12-28T09:24:00.001-05:002011-12-28T10:06:56.180-05:00

Happy Holidays and New Year! The end to 2011 has been quite a fun time for me. Seth and I took the last two weeks of the year off from work (actually the college is closed from Christmas to New Years, so I only had to take off a week!). We spend the first week just hanging out and having a good time. We went out a few days and also did a massive house clean (yay!), but mostly we laid low. Seth

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-38003742438912293372011-11-20T11:03:00.001-05:002011-11-20T11:18:11.546-05:00

Seth and I have been having a lot of fun times lately, starting with last Saturday, November 12, which was the sixth anniversary of our dating. I have been having quite a stressful week: work had been quite busy and to top it all off, my car had a breakdown and had to go to the dealership for repairs which cost $881! Seth planned a fun day out for the two of us.  We woke up and Seth made me a

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-51288596464307404782011-10-15T19:33:00.003-04:002011-10-15T19:33:38.478-04:00

First a bit of wonderful news! The stove install is finished. They came back on Wednesday and in about two hours were done. The project started with holes in the ceiling / floor. There was also a hole cut through the roof where we now have a chimney. Inside, the holes are now filled with the PL vent pipe. It is painted a discrete off white, the closest they could come to our wall

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-6284382828869586922011-10-07T16:21:00.001-04:002011-10-07T16:21:10.909-04:00

It's the day that all the residents of 24 Webster Court (minus Lily, perhaps) have been waiting for. The day of the stove install! Things did not go to plan. As you can see, the good news is that the stove and bluestone are here and in the house. Both look quite nice. As you can see, the majolica brown enamel looks just as good against the brick as we anticipated.  However,

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-1943249964618442492011-10-04T17:55:00.001-04:002011-10-04T17:55:45.816-04:00

As part of my master plan (!), I have been focusing a lot of my time and energy on wellness and fitness. At the present, this is divided into a few parts. Here are the updates from last time: 1. Exercise more. Specifically with TurboFire at this point. I am currently six weeks in, so half way. I definitely have increased cardio indurance. I also am getting a bit more toned. I notice changes in

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-56817915874809256972011-09-29T21:23:00.003-04:002011-09-29T21:23:31.093-04:00

Based on our complete love of the last Wizkids Star Trek game, Seth and I picked up the newest one, Fleet Captains. As always, super organized on the inside -- love it! The rules are kind of complex the first go around, but they are also, in a way, intuitive. We played a quick run through, as time allowed, and I found it most enjoyable. It was like being inside an episode of Trek. (

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-26713245966710849702011-09-29T21:16:00.006-04:002011-09-29T21:16:55.263-04:00

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-17079252883141136812011-09-23T11:37:00.003-04:002011-09-23T11:41:04.009-04:00

Recently, I read a book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben. The author was basically trying to analyze the effect of happiness in her life so as to optimize her personal happiness. Of course, happiness is partially genetic -- so some of your general level of happiness is predetermined, but there is a factor that you can control. Gretchen put together a whole year in which she focused

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-2127002719119474562011-09-15T09:13:00.001-04:002011-09-15T09:13:35.735-04:00

On Tuesday night, Seth and I went out with our friend, Beth, to celebrate her passing of her exam to become a registered dietitian. We met in Northampton and decided to try a new restaurant, Ibiza Tapas. In addition to serving tapas, the restaurant also has a wine bar and (what seems to me to be) an excellent wine selection. Seth and I had both never had tapas before, and I have to say that

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-51581395191781361742011-09-11T09:54:00.002-04:002011-09-11T20:31:24.708-04:00

Yesterday, Seth and I traveled to New Lebanon, New York, right over the state line from Massachusetts in the Berkshires to Alani's wedding at The Abode. The Abode is a spiritual retreat location with camp-style accommodations in a lovely location. Very rustic and woodsy. The weather was perfect. The ceremony took place at a clearing in the woods, the location of a sanctuary that had

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-27269070118425585022011-09-06T19:26:00.000-04:002011-09-06T19:26:20.578-04:00

Yesterday, Seth and I picked up the game Star Trek Expeditions at our local graphic novels, comic books, and games store, Modern Myths. While I am not their main audience as I don't read a lot of comics or play Dungeons and Dragons, I have to say that I love that store. Why? It's so clean and organized! As a result, I like to support their local business.  As a plus, they have store copies of

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com1Amherst, MA 01002, USA42.3403799 -72.496818942.2464859 -72.65474739999999 42.4342739 -72.3388904tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-88484828606699325792011-09-05T09:16:00.007-04:002011-09-05T16:52:59.875-04:00

It's the last weekend of summer, unofficially, and Seth and I have spent a lovely weekend with family. We started the weekend with a trip to Connecticut. While, Irene did cause them to have their power out for the better part of a week, there was no damage. As you can see, the house is looking quite fine.There were some downed trees, but the roads are now clear. Seth and I went for a long walk

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-76686689747599263462011-08-26T11:50:00.003-04:002011-08-26T12:16:29.597-04:00

Summer is still here but all the fall planning at work has got me thinking about the cooler weather that will be coming soon. I have started a new knitting project. (Note: I still need to finish the grey blanket but it's too huge to have draped over me in the still warm weather. The blanket is, in a word, massive.) It's early along, but I am enjoying the pattern. I am knitting it up in cotton

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-78130573193046037782011-08-20T20:18:00.007-04:002011-08-20T20:46:25.005-04:00

Today, I took a class at my local yarn store, Web, called Spinning Art Yarns. I have a number of books regarding spinning art yarns and admire the regularly, both in Spin-Off magazine (to which I subscribe) and in images online. I thought that taking the class would give me the motivation and information I needed to begin exploring creating my own crazy yarns. I could gather information from the

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-45910343195870635862011-08-14T16:04:00.004-04:002011-08-14T16:33:50.405-04:00

The iced tea pairing of the day is Pinapple Kona Pop! and Peach Bloom Rooibos. An update on the pellet stove situation. This requires some recap. In late March, Seth and I visited the Amherst Farmers Supply where we selected a pellet stove for installation in our condo. The pellet stove we chose was a Harmon XXV with Majolica Brown enamel finish. We did a lot of research regarding pellet

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-65928891366471393962011-08-05T11:13:00.003-04:002011-08-05T11:37:00.857-04:00

Today, I started a new workout program from Beachbody called TurboFire. As many of you know, last spring, I tried the Beachbody workout, Insanity. Insanity is basically the most intense workout you can put your body through. It's high intensity intervals with short rests -- you basically do plyometrics for forty-five minutes. While I liked Insanity, it is quite a lot of workout, and some days I

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-34181416442404376642011-07-31T18:47:00.003-04:002011-07-31T20:04:11.205-04:00

Since I got a nook e-reader, I have been talking with other users of it about how I almost exclusively read library books on it. One of the best things about the nook, compared with, say, the Kindle, is that it's open source. This means that you can put basically any e-book you want on it. The nook reads Adobe PDFs and Adobe ePub files, the latter being the format for the majority of e-books. I

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-83180293401267256862011-07-31T15:05:00.003-04:002011-08-06T16:09:41.692-04:00

It's only one short day until August and summer is in full swing! I am just wrapping up two weeks away from the office. The first week was vacation and the second week was my trip to San Francisco and then the recovery. The warm weather makes me feel quite festive. Unlike my husband and very fuzzy cat, I am a girl of summer. Some recent fun summer things.Summer Thing #1: I arrived back from my

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-30675724900656722702011-07-29T21:46:00.005-04:002011-07-29T21:53:05.814-04:00

Meet my new nephew, Demo. He's quite the cutie! He's just around twelve pounds and came home last Saturday from the breeder in upstate New York. He is such a good boy. Welcome, Demo!

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-12069894649618748872011-07-27T13:42:00.003-04:002011-07-27T14:07:32.284-04:00

I just returned this morning from a three day conference about Phonathons in San Francisco. I flew out Saturday mid-afternoon and arrived in San Francisco Saturday night exhausted due to jet lag. That being said, my two flights with Continental (apparently now United since they merged) went well. I was easily able to navigate the BART from SFO to the hotel where the conference was occurring and

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-18606577059038212192011-07-21T09:41:00.002-04:002011-07-21T09:46:36.810-04:00

I recently made a couple of acquisitions via my favorite website, Etsy. Etsy is a site where you can peruse and purchase hand-made goods. For my upcoming spinning class next month, I needed approximately eight ounces of medium to long-staple wool. Since I spin mostly merino, which is sort-staple fiber, I had to get something for the class. I purchased the two colorways of BFL seen below. I love

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-68309252491120018922011-07-18T16:05:00.002-04:002011-07-18T16:20:49.271-04:00

Seth and I had a lovely day yesterday celebrating our first anniversary.The day started with a surprise. I woke up ready to have my standard breakfast of two pieces of whole grain toast with a cup of chai tea. However, Seth informed me we were going out. We headed down to the Route 9 Diner, location of our first date!After that we headed over to Atkins on a secret errand. I waited in the car.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-33550348251947813502011-07-18T15:57:00.003-04:002011-07-18T16:05:03.927-04:00

Summer is here and with it come the hot temperatures. The grey blanket with cables, openwork, and bobbles that I have been working on has gotten monstrously huge and is no longer appropriate for working on in the summer time. It makes me super over heated! (Of course, as I write this, I have a super deluxe mega fuzzy cat sprawled all over my lap. Makes one wonder...)I signed up for a late August

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-67550087759000292292011-07-15T15:17:00.007-04:002011-07-15T16:04:14.288-04:00

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-78733295989310449122011-07-12T21:22:00.003-04:002011-07-12T21:45:59.716-04:00

Well, it's been eons since I've written. I offer this excuse: all of the Star Trek series are up on Netflix streaming. Enough said. Some top news headlines.1. For those interested in the pellet stove update, we're continuing to work with our board. They have generously allowed me to come and speak at their meeting on Thursday, so hopefully I'll have more news soon.2. Exciting! I am going to San

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-63556762536693519672011-05-06T08:39:00.002-04:002011-05-06T08:44:38.483-04:00

This year, I decided to plant the garden early.As you can see, the bulbs are just coming up -- we don't get a lot of sun in the garden, and it's been awfully rainy, which is making things slow to bloom.It was able to get cocoa mulch this year. I think it looks great. The squirrel who lives here (aka. my arch nemesis) loves it as well -- grr!Unrelated but also cool -- look at the neat bath treat

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-45450193629752768222011-04-10T12:02:00.002-04:002011-04-10T12:08:54.753-04:00

Exciting news! Yesterday, Seth and I went to the Amherst Farmers Supply to inquire about getting a pellet stove for our house. We had, after some research, settled on the Harman XXV, a quiet and aesthetically pleasing top-of-the-line pellet stove.The gentleman at the Farmers Supply was very helpful. He went through the entire process with us and worked up the cost with install. We settled on

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-3824912724901399092011-04-04T16:44:00.003-04:002011-04-04T16:55:19.965-04:00

For Seth's birthday this upcoming Wednesday, Seth and I took an early trip into New York City to see the Distant Worlds: The Music of Final Fantasy concert. It was quite the whirl-wind tour.Friday, after Seth got home from work, we drove straight away down to Connecticut where we had a lovely visit with Mom and spent the night. Saturday morning, Mom dropped us off at Union Station in New Haven to

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-31999459604052843922011-03-01T09:22:00.002-05:002011-03-01T09:34:42.039-05:00

Whew! Things have been so busy with work that I have scarcely had time to think about my blog. But things are keeping on. I just started a new blanket for my colleague, Julia, who bailed me out of the huge problem with my last blanket. I've been doing a bunch of knitting while watching Netflix. (Yes, we finally got Netflix, and I am addicted.)The pattern has everything -- bobbles, open work, and

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-26771717136876872922011-01-30T14:46:00.002-05:002011-01-30T14:52:14.326-05:00

The project that I never thought would be done is finished! I finally concluded work on the cable and lace blanket that I started when Seth and I returned from our honeymoon in August. The blanket, intended for one of Seth's friends, is so lovely and huge I can hardly bear to part with it. It would nicely fit a full size bed.The blanket was quite the event. Although the pattern wasn't overly

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-22483864980340535562011-01-03T19:14:00.005-05:002011-01-03T19:26:47.629-05:00

I just started back at work today after a two week (and several day) vacation. Whew! What great time off. Seth was off with me all the days and we had great fun and relaxation. Since two weeks is a long time for me to remember, I am not sure I can recall all of the stuff that we did but no doubt it was fun.I traveled to Connecticut for the Christmas holiday. I drove down Friday morning, the

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-10355572709837536242010-11-29T09:39:00.003-05:002010-11-29T09:41:27.169-05:00

I have winter beat this year! New coat and new down comforter and duvet. After half an hour and lots of help from Lily the comforter is in the duvet and on the bed.600 fill power -- take that cold winter weather!

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-9828256989118258962010-11-27T14:12:00.008-05:002010-11-27T14:42:53.925-05:00

I had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday with my family in Connecticut.I went down on Wednesday, so make my annual trip to Connecticut Valley Hospital where both of my parents work. I went out to lunch with Mom and her co-workers -- a bit of a celebratory meal in honor of their intern for the past twelve weeks who was leaving. After lunch, I attended one of the group sessions on the ward. I have

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-15234439763069638882010-10-17T21:03:00.006-04:002010-10-17T21:29:54.285-04:00

It's been a busy couple of weekends. Last weekend started off with a bang! I had long been eying the Five Finger shoes that are supposed to feel like being barefoot. Yes, I got a pair. They are totally crazy looking, but they really do make it feel like you are barefoot. When I first wore them, the back was digging into my heel a bit, although the rest felt great -- this problem has mostly gone

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-41962404544937913472010-10-01T14:40:00.002-04:002010-10-01T14:48:14.133-04:00

Whew! It's been a super busy couple of weeks. This is my first day off since mid-September. Work has been go go go what with "go live" and the start of the Phonathon.In my few free minutes, I've been catching up on my knitting. Now that the weather is cooler it's a perfect time to get back to my fiber arts!I finished the blanket I was making for Seth's sister, Sheila.I love the hourglass cables.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-3388192713758332582010-09-17T08:28:00.002-04:002010-09-17T08:30:53.274-04:00

We're been restructuring at work. As a result, I have moved from my private office to a shared office with Maddy. Here are some pictures of the new space.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-3577188736296649142010-09-03T10:08:00.003-04:002010-09-03T10:26:10.233-04:00

We have acquired some new art after our wedding to make our home look nice, fun, and new! Most of the new art is located upstairs, as the downstairs was pretty much all taken care of already.The only new piece we got for the downstairs was a clever faux Northampton/Amherst transit map. You can see the Carle on the subway map, reminding us of our wedding. The subway doesn't quite go to our house,

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-82594522996144383272010-08-20T13:29:00.002-04:002010-08-20T13:35:00.896-04:00

Seth and my new bedroom set from his parents (bed with frame and night stand), Sheila and Gary (other nightstand), and my mom (chest) arrived yesterday.Seth was home to coordinate the arrival, which was a bit of a bear because they decided to put the final layer of blacktop on the driveway with less than twenty-four hours notice. Fortunately, Seth was able to get the delivery men to bring in the

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-57479092490214945902010-08-09T19:26:00.003-04:002010-08-09T19:40:57.752-04:00

Seth and I went furniture shopping with his parents Saturday to find a new mattress and bedroom set that is going to be their wedding gift to us. (Bed frame, mattress and box-spring from the Sibleys, the two nightstands from Sheila and Gary, and the chest from Mom.)I did extensive research about mattresses and furniture prior to the shopping so that I could determine if the items we looked at

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-85994594515646242522010-08-01T19:42:00.001-04:002010-08-01T19:45:01.455-04:00

We woke up at 4:45 a.m. To catch our 7:35 flight out of San Francisco International Airport. Tired. But we got down to the lobby in one piece and checked out easily with the lovely lady at the front desk for the five minutes until the shuttle to the airport came. We could have taken the BART to the airport, but there wasn't once that left quite as early as we needed and it would be been a rush.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-4653263916980992902010-08-01T19:31:00.005-04:002010-08-01T21:47:39.297-04:00

Today we had an easy morning in the hotel. Yesterday was a long day and we were a bit tired. We decided to take it a bit easier today.After bumming around for the morning, we decided to check out the tea spot in the Yerba Buena Gardens, Samovar. We found it after some walking around the gardens.It was absolutely lovely. We were able to sit outside in the shade on a outdoor couch. It was one of

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-80549168410386086812010-08-01T16:44:00.004-04:002010-08-01T16:58:26.743-04:00

We woke up absolutely exhausted and missing our home and our baby girl, Lily. That being said, we had lots of exciting plans in store.Seth ran downstairs and got us some last minute food offerings from the complimentary breakfast, and we showered and headed out to the MUNI. We took the historic streetcar to Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 33, to catch the ferry to Alcatraz.We had purchased tickets two

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-10476604712693042332010-08-01T16:38:00.003-04:002010-08-01T16:44:06.582-04:00

We started the day by taking the BART over to San Francisco after a wick carb and sugar heavy complementary breakfast at the Washington Inn. We were easily able to walk from the Powell Street stop to our hotel, Beresford Arms Hotel, off Union Square, and were able to check in early.At this point we were greatly in need of doing some laundry. The young person at the hotel was able to direct us

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-38102384907969111272010-07-30T22:09:00.002-04:002010-07-30T22:17:14.912-04:00

We started off the day with breakfast at our normal spot. It was my last time eating the strawberry pancakes, so I made the most of it. We then went back to the room to regroup and pack up our stuff. At 11:30, we went to check out of the Motel 6, a process which should have taken a second but some how took twenty minutes due to incompetence. Finally we were able to catch the shuttle to the Amtrak

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-44779183493206632292010-07-30T21:56:00.005-04:002010-08-01T16:52:27.358-04:00

We began our last full day in Santa Barbara much as we did the previous days with breakfast at the East Beach Grill. Today was not as cold as the previous day, so we were quite comfortable sitting on the beach and having our pancakes.The plans for the day included a trip to the Mission and then the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. We took the shuttle downtown to State Street to get the 22

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-56994233050537215152010-07-30T21:40:00.005-04:002010-07-30T21:55:02.643-04:00

We decided to eat at the East Beach grill again and then following breakfast to head to the zoo.The zoo had a snow leopard that Seth really liked. There were also a pair of lions, elephants, giraffes, and gorillas. The animals were in decent habitats, although I wished they all had more space (or were not in the zoo).We finished up at the zoo in a few hours and took the shuttle bus back to State

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-76698257246160286902010-07-30T21:22:00.006-04:002010-07-30T21:40:12.614-04:00

We woke up very hungry and decided to go to a the closest location, the East Beach Grill, for breakfast. It was around a five minute walk and was right on the beach. We had delicious pancakes, strawberry for me and blueberry for Seth.We then walked on the beach a little. The weather was beautiful - in the upper sixties. We waded in the Pacific, which was a lot of fun because it was Seth's first

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-85673584582454654212010-07-30T10:54:00.008-04:002010-07-30T21:28:41.125-04:00

Author's note: Seth and I went on a nine day honeymoon to Santa Barbara and San Francisco. As I have a great deal of information to report (there are over seven pages in the journal I kept on the iPad) and loads of pictures (over 400), I am going to post about the honeymoon in installments.We began the day in a bit of a panic. It seems that I did not set the alarm properly, and it did it go off

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-79732400111358852562010-07-29T23:21:00.002-04:002010-07-29T23:25:46.648-04:00

But wait, you say, didn't she just post the wedding post? Aren't these out of order. Well, yes, but I wanted to post the most important first.The rehearsal was great. We all gathered at Abbey where the Sexton and Deacon helped us make sure that everything was very organized. Everything went smoothly (and I ordered people about a bit as I am wont to do).We were able to depart on time to head to

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-81159855351491576012010-07-29T22:21:00.004-04:002010-07-29T23:21:31.734-04:00

July 17, 2010. Our wedding day. Seth and I got up at a respectably early hour. Seth wanted to get to Greenfield for the mid-morning to hangout with the groomsmen before heading to South Hadley for our 4:30 p.m. ceremony. He packed up his suit and headed out. Lily decided to make her contribution for the day by sitting on the garment bag.I relaxed a bit and had a nice breakfast. I had been

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-5959002194024216492010-07-10T19:15:00.002-04:002010-07-10T19:34:29.162-04:00

This past Thursday, my co-workers, Barb and Maddy, threw me an amazing shower at Barb's house. All my other co-workers and work friends came. It was a great time!(Left to right: Barb, Chris, and me)(Left to right: Chris, me, and Maddy -- who just got promoted to be the other Phonathon Program Coordinator. Yay, Maddy!)The party was a tea party. There were amazing tea sandwiches and scones.My

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-39799894056546217742010-06-27T15:08:00.005-04:002010-06-27T15:20:27.032-04:00

Yesterday, I traveled to Cambridge to visit with Molly and her boyfriend, George. In addition to seeing their lovely apartment, I got to visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History and walk around some of Harvard and Cambridge.The Museum of Natural History was having a special exhibit of glass flowers. These flowers were created as teaching tools. There were many dozen display cases filled with

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-47184759962954980272010-06-19T22:18:00.003-04:002010-06-19T22:29:21.944-04:00

Today, Seth and I traveled to Connecticut to welcome my new nephew, Greg's 8-week-old Rottweiler puppy, Dozer.He is currently very small. Here he's fitting in Seth's lap.Dozer has huge feet that indicate how large he will be very soon. At present, Dozer is very tired from all the growing he's doing and spent a lot of time napping.Aunt Geraldine and Uncle Jimmy's new baby girl, Sophie, is also

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-4334417486883459412010-06-19T09:11:00.004-04:002010-06-19T09:17:13.671-04:00

On Thursday, my mother came up to help us plant a new garden. The results are lovely and a huge improvement over the mess of violets previously in the space (and the giant bush before that).Here's a close-up of the garden on the left.And here is the larger garden on the right. We have an azalea and some annuals. We'll plant some perennials in the fall.Even Lily is enjoying the new outdoor

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-46266061931431985652010-06-13T09:53:00.004-04:002010-06-13T10:02:48.854-04:00

Last night, Seth, Patrick, and I journey to Holyoke to see our first Roller Derby bout. We went to see the Pioneer Valley Roller Derby teams, a (traditional) women's team and also a men's team (the first, according to the website).I greatly enjoyed watching the team's compete. The two western Massachusetts teams were skating against teams from central Massachusetts. The western Massachusetts

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-54670857453308382042010-06-07T16:46:00.004-04:002010-06-07T17:10:39.787-04:00

Seth and I traveled to Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville yesterday to see Conan O'Brien perform. This was our first time visiting the casino. It reminded us of Vegas.There was a giant indoor waterfall. There was actually a restaurant right outside/inside the waterfall. While it would have been super exciting to eat there with the huge waterfall, it was a bit pricey. We ate at a restaurant called

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-91331221074835782382010-05-13T19:04:00.004-04:002010-05-13T19:23:41.650-04:00

Today I went for my make up trial for the wedding. Spur of the moment, I decided, for the first time ever to have my brows done. It was not as painful as I would have thought. I think they still look like my eyebrows only shaped. They are a bit sensitive at the moment but the red went away.The make up trial went well also. The look is very natural. I had a picture taken at home, but it didn't

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-73291898669404397152010-05-08T15:13:00.004-04:002010-05-08T15:27:43.928-04:00

Last night, Seth and I went to our favorite craft fair ever, Twist, which takes place twice a year in Northampton. We saw lots of people there from work and had a blast browsing all the amazing hand-made items.I got a few items: a fun Mother's Day card for Mom and soaps from our favorite place, Bunny Butt Apothecary. (Please note that I had an additional soap from Seth which is already in use.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-88549670555710211102010-04-25T20:40:00.004-04:002010-05-09T12:16:51.104-04:00

This weekend, Seth and I drove to Connecticut for a weekend of wedding related activities. I had my first fitting at Harold's, we printed the invitations, and Mom and Aunt Geraldine threw me a shower at the house on Sunday.The first fitting went very well. This was my first time seeing the dress. The color was just perfect. We took a bunch of pictures, but the dress is secret to Seth before the

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-16101319694467460652010-04-23T14:11:00.005-04:002010-04-23T14:27:21.532-04:00

I took a walking tour of the local neighborhood from our condo at Webster Court outward through our larger community called, Echo Hill.Here is our condo at the end of the row.We have a lovely pair of cherry trees. They are both out front and in back.Echo Hill is planned community, built in the 1960s is comprised of the condos (i.e. where we live), a few apartments, and homes. Echo Hill is divided

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-29655010393369562682010-04-21T18:11:00.003-04:002010-04-21T18:17:40.233-04:00

Now that I have finished the blanket, I decided to do some spinning. I started work on this batt.It's superwash merino. Black on the outside with rainbow on the inside.It's turning into very cool yarn.Lily supervises. (As usual, she is not impressed.)Busy weekend coming up. Seth and I are traveling to Connecticut to print the wedding invites. I am going to have my first fitting. I have yet to see

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-63083659863809670442010-04-17T20:18:00.004-04:002010-04-18T13:53:19.002-04:00

Today, Seth and I went to the Lexie Barnes warehouse sale. Missy has told Seth about it. (Thanks, Missy!) I got Lily this new project bag.This is actually the only one of this bag ever made. It was a concept for a bag that Lexie never produced. (This is what Lexie told me -- poor lady had a cold.) The pattern is actually one I already have in a tote, but it's my favorite.The bag has enough room

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-21401770400494317622010-04-11T15:50:00.004-04:002010-04-11T16:21:28.555-04:00

I have a bunch of fun new items. The first major item of "newness" if my new cell phone, a Palm Pixi.For the past two years, I have been using the Samsung Glyde. Seth and Mom also got this phone, and it was nothing short of a disaster. The touchscreen on the phone was quite faulty, and really stopped being usable. Seth "downgraded" to his old phone which he had saved. My mother is still using her

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-66835098085655423462010-03-31T18:14:00.003-04:002010-03-31T18:22:55.621-04:00

This past weekend, I went to visit Mom and Greg in Connecticut. I had a lovely trip. Poor Mom was not feeling well, but I got to spend time with Greg. He trained me at the gym. He's preparing for a new body building show in June. Good luck!We also went to visit my Aunt Geraldine and Uncle Jimmy's new puppy, Sophia. They were down at my aunt's florist shop (the best florist shop ever)! It was

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-35924484225199888612010-03-06T22:10:00.003-05:002010-03-06T22:33:57.909-05:00

Last weekend, my vacuum of six years, The Boss by Eurika, died. True, The Boss had been less commanding of dirt in the past couple of years, most notably allowing the carpet to boss it a bit more than was desirable. Last Saturday, however, the situation with The Boss went from bad to worse.While vacuuming the kitchen The Boss started to emit a funny noise. No matter, probably just sucked

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-1756573319253658352010-02-15T09:05:00.002-05:002010-02-15T09:14:48.635-05:00

It's been a while. I was sick a couple of weeks ago with my second cold of the season. (Very disappointing as I tend to be a one cold a year, max, kind of person.) I was drinking lots and lots of tea. (See below: Normal size mug, left. Mega mug in which I was drinking tea, right.)I am much improved now; a good thing, considering we start Phonathon again at work this week. This will occupy most of

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-146517312544733122010-01-31T15:19:00.005-05:002010-01-31T15:44:22.918-05:00

Today, we visited the Amherst College Museum of Natural History. Fun and free. They have dinosaurs, dinosaur tracks, many fossils, a minerals collection, and exhibits about the local geology. The museum is free.We saw a mastodon and a mammoth.We saw a creature with antlers so large that it threw survival of the fittest into question. (Why would an animal have antlers so large if they didn't seem

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-32602439150609071102010-01-30T15:17:00.003-05:002010-01-30T15:22:48.650-05:00

For about a year after we got Lily, Seth used to say with great frequency, "She doesn't like me. She likes you better." Now, Lily is the apple of her father's eye and they are like peas and carrots. (Lily and I, on the other hand, are like two peas in a pod.)Here, the cat who was once so nervous you could barely pet her, snuggles with her father on the sofa.Clearly she is thinking, "All you base

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-88852852988192188362010-01-30T14:45:00.002-05:002010-01-30T14:47:47.374-05:00

A while ago, I knit a blanket for Missy and Sean. It was done in panels of leaves and berries. While this was very portable, when I was done this was the difficulty of blocking it and putting it together. I quickly realized two things (1) I did not have a suitable rug for blocking and (2) I have never blocked anything. Missy, who is a knitting genius with a home with a generous amount of rug,

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-86626489215603293992010-01-24T14:57:00.001-05:002010-01-30T15:16:55.073-05:00

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-12268965074498793532010-01-18T14:12:00.000-05:002010-01-18T14:13:37.672-05:00

(Unrelated FYI: The save the dates for the wedding that Seth designed are going out this week. A picture on the blog will follow.)

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-68198359282236368142010-01-11T09:10:00.003-05:002010-01-11T09:16:24.593-05:00

After a very lovely two week break, I am not back to work and the craziness of the Phonathon. The holiday was lovely -- Christmas in Connecticut, lots of time with family, and a bunch of work done on the wedding (ordered the cake, registered, talked about the flowers with Aunt Geraldine, placed the order for the paper for the invites).While I have been very busy since getting back to work, I have

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-86642767225085060992009-12-26T15:14:00.006-05:002009-12-26T15:26:27.354-05:00

A festive house for Christmas in Connecticut.I set the table with a "white Christmas" theme.Fun with the family!Aunt Geraldine and I talked about the flowers for the wedding. Tablescapes are the idea for the reception.Here are some of the flowers that will be in my bouquet and my bridesmaids' bouquets.I also started a new project.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-85093508027308593752009-12-23T20:08:00.001-05:002009-12-23T20:10:19.188-05:00

It's done! Knit time: June - Present

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-75748868292357853772009-12-18T15:13:00.006-05:002009-12-18T15:42:30.294-05:00

It's December already. Seth and I have been enjoying the holiday season. We have the Christmas tree/Chanukah bush all set up in the living room and our snowman and candy-cane Gel Gems on our slider. It's very festive.The most recent week of December has hit me hard with a rather unpleasant cold which has made me miss some inconvenient days of work. I am just now feeling well enough to be vertical

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-66614784598701957702009-12-09T09:19:00.004-05:002009-12-09T09:29:44.211-05:00

Our office put together a pair of gift baskets for the winter prize drawing that we're doing this year to benefit the Sidney Smith Toy Fund. My co-worker, Maddy, and I put together two baskets:A coffee and tea basket andA crafting basket. I am bringing in some hand-spun yarn for the crafting basket, which I spun from this roving.Here is it spun-up.All in all a very fun holiday tradition!

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-29730979121781712752009-12-03T19:20:00.002-05:002009-12-03T19:22:49.525-05:00

Here are pictures from the exhibit of staff's pet's at Smith. Lily's photo was included.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-40898272867350724622009-12-01T20:05:00.003-05:002009-12-01T20:20:27.728-05:00

It appears that the saga of the cable is complete. As many of you know, about three weeks ago our internet started acting up. When Comcast arrived, our cable line was frayed -- there was amperage being feed back along the cable line. We called Western Massachusetts Electric Company. They sent out a person who pulled out the meter and said, "Nothing is wrong here. It must be something in the house

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-28666029200808230632009-11-24T10:33:00.002-05:002009-11-24T10:43:38.474-05:00

Yesterday, Sarah and I went to the David's Bridal in West Springfield to try on some bridesmaids' dresses.We ended up trying on the two dresses I featured in a post earlier this month. These dresses were quite nice. I especially liked the strapless one, though the other dress was lovely -- I just thought it would looked better on others. We also tried on this dress, which Sarah really liked and

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-83285799443538779022009-11-23T09:59:00.003-05:002009-11-23T10:10:28.016-05:00

Lily has been the most wonderful girl lately. She has been doing all sorts of things I never thought she would. I feel that some day in the future, she might turn into a real lap cat.Lily used to never share furniture with you. In fact, originally, she never sat on any furniture except her special window seat, which she continues to adore, and the disk chair, which she has deserted of late. Lily

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-7555810598860329192009-11-14T13:03:00.004-05:002009-11-14T13:20:56.278-05:00

The Fall Phonathon ended Thursday with a great deal of success. This made me quite happy. I was also excited to sit down to a dinner with Seth for the first time in two weeks. A special bonus - it was our anniversary!The celebration actually started on Wednesday when Seth had flowers sent to my office to celebrate my last Phonathon shift (Maddy worked the Thursday shift) and our anniversary.He

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-83874961585974428312009-11-07T16:40:00.002-05:002009-11-07T16:52:01.735-05:00

I am writing this post from my new netbook, an ASUS Eee 1005HA with Windows 7 Starter. I got it last night, and have been looking forward to doing some typing with it, as I want to see how the keyboard it. So far, seems good, though I definitely notice that it's only 92% size. Not a bother though, considering I am petite too. The netbook and I are on the same page with that.So far, I have been

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-6271798814863772802009-11-04T10:58:00.003-05:002009-11-04T11:25:33.086-05:00

Things are moving right along with work, wedding prep, and my hobbies. Lily has been working hard too.First, the Phonathon is almost 2/3 over. We were actually featured on the Smith College news page, The Gate. You can read about the Phonathon (and see a picture of the Phonathon Center) here.For the wedding, Seth and I finished with writing the ceremony. Seth did most of it, and did a great job.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-23141651349109316152009-11-02T09:22:00.005-05:002009-11-02T09:44:47.593-05:00

Whew! It's been busy, and I have not posted in a while. The past few weeks have been extremely busy at work as the Fall Phonathon has been taking place. So far, so good though.Yesterday, Seth and I took a break from the busy schedule I have and went to Sunderland to Mike's Maze, an eight acre corn maze at Warner Farm.This year's maze was Darwin.(Image from Mike's Maze website)One gets a map and

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-25046640494381348792009-10-02T09:55:00.001-04:002009-10-02T09:55:54.832-04:00

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-70177337897610208472009-09-29T20:45:00.000-04:002009-09-29T20:56:02.264-04:00

Seth and I have been busy crafting.Seth made this 3D model for his Dungeons and Dragons game. I think the guys will like it when they play their game on Friday - it's very cool and much more interactive than the 2D maps they normally draw on their grids for playing.Lily observed to make sure that everything went to plan.Meanwhile, I did some spinning. I have been spinning up a batt with neps in

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-718587378237530182009-09-26T18:11:00.001-04:002009-09-26T18:27:28.607-04:00

Today, Seth took me to The Big E for my first-ever time. It was huge, hugely crowded, and hugely fun! I ate a lot of bad-for-me food: fried dough, cream puff, blue slurpy, a bite of Seth's 7" corn dog, and a bit of Seth's awesome blossom.We saw lots of animals.(Cow)(Piglets)(Mother of the piglets)(Zebu, who I fed!)We saw some oddities.(Made of butter)(Deep fried mushrooms!?)(Cool dino)(Map of

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-9902791947590471732009-09-09T20:29:00.000-04:002009-09-09T20:46:48.345-04:00

The new wine rack Mom got me at Yankee Candle is finally up!There was a failed attempt and failed hardware purchases but, with the help of Seth's dad, we are finally set to go. Lily also helped.I got some cool wine to put in the rack back when I originally got it a few weeks ago.I have a couple bottles in the rack now, but might add more later once I am sure Lily won't be all over the rack.(I

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-56544371669122191662009-09-02T09:08:00.001-04:002009-09-09T20:47:44.517-04:00

This website is like Twitter for tea. Check out my site: http://astrophysics101.steepster.com/

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-65720547219421819282009-08-24T17:33:00.000-04:002009-08-24T18:07:13.942-04:00

Today, Seth and I took a visit to The Mount, Edith Wharton's home in Lenox around the turn of the century.She built the house between 1901 and 1902 with her architect-friend, Ogdon Codman Jr. In addition to being a famous writer, and first woman recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Wharton was considered an interior designer and architect of some merit during her epoch. The house in Lenox is the best

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-83959319251505280312009-08-03T11:13:00.000-04:002009-08-03T15:37:21.170-04:00

Some random updates from various genres.Wedding:The Carle is booked and the rental contract signed (and the money sent). Abbey Chapel is booked. This month I hope to organize (1) the caterer, (2) the officiants, and (3) the ceremony music. I am heading the effort to find the caterer. Seth is organizing the effort for the officiants and will be contacting the musician for Abbey Chapel who is

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-68455774563965637222009-07-25T21:34:00.000-04:002009-07-25T21:40:44.378-04:00

Seth and I still have to finalize everything, so this is technically tentative. We are looking to have the wedding on Saturday, July 17.The ceremony will be at Abbey Chapel.The reception will be at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-81439173165416636952009-07-25T20:53:00.000-04:002009-07-25T21:33:21.387-04:00

Sunday of this week my co-worker, Maria, and I boarded a plane for a conference called STAFF (for annual fund people in higher ed). The conference was held at Denison University in Granville, Ohio outside Columbus.The first thing to know about going to Ohio is that it is impossible to get a direct flight. Maria and I had to fly from Bradley in Windsor Locks to Baltimore/Washington International

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-55161990393229041572009-07-18T15:12:00.000-04:002009-07-18T15:40:29.841-04:00

We made our last visit to a possible reception location today: The Barney Carriage House at Forest Park in Springfield.For the $1,495 rental fee, you get use of The Carriage House for the day as well as the grounds immediately outside. Tables and chairs are also included (although linens and all items needed for eating and drinking are not).The pro's: 1. The grounds are lovely. They afford a lot

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-38192347777414687872009-07-17T15:55:00.001-04:002009-07-17T16:11:09.168-04:00

On Wednesday, my co-worker, Maddy, and her husband, Dave gave us their old dresser. They had gotten a new dresser, and in an act of generosity offered Seth and me their former dresser - a completely lovely piece of furniture. Seth and I are filled with joy at having it.I told Maddy that I would show her a picture of the dresser in it's new home. As I was taking some bedroom with new dresser shots

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-31208321303491038372009-07-13T20:08:00.000-04:002009-07-13T20:29:11.232-04:00

Today, we went over to the alma mater, The University of Massachusetts Amherst to look at the Marriott Center there as a potential reception location.The Marriott Center is located on the eleventh floor of the Campus Center, an unattractive building located in the center of the attractive UMass Amherst main campus.The new Marriott Center is completely lovely though! I actually think that I helped

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-47238834189768721352009-07-11T17:08:00.000-04:002009-07-11T17:46:04.789-04:00

Today, we went over to The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.We looked at the present exhibits: The Hungry Caterpillar (it's his fortieth birthday!), the art of Winny the Pooh, and the art of Tomie dePaolo. The galleries were wonderful. It brought back fond memories of my mother and father reading me books by these authors (especially by Carle and dePaolo) in my youth. It was very exciting to

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451100781276584648.post-14412155416018262132009-07-10T09:02:00.000-04:002009-07-10T09:36:36.919-04:00

Yesterday, during the lunch-hour, Seth and I headed over to Hampshire College to look at The Red Barn, a possible reception location.The Red Barn is situated in a nice location overlooking mountains and meadows.It has a nice deck that one can use during a cocktail hour.Hampshire handles the catering and provides all the tables and chairs and linens. They provide all the staff on hand for the

Nicole Sibleyhttps://profiles.google.com/102715593281746061160noreply@blogger.com0