Deck Builders Toolkit

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Happy Thursday MTG peeps,

As it is Thursday, we suggest you consider heading out to a gaming store near you to get some quality Magic the Gathering play time in before Friday Night Magic.  Locally, OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario runs a Commander / EDH game on Thursdays.  Tonight however is a bit special with Commander being organised as a tournament with a new scoring system with Planechase Packs as prizes which is available in time for the Midnight release.

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Righto - onto some other news . . .

Ebay user 'iying2' somewhere in Naperville, IL, United States sells a lot of items, mostly women's fashions - shoes, handbags, etc. but recently had posted for sale four Magic the Gathering Deck Builders Toolkit (2012), three sealed and one with the outer seal opened.  Why are we interested in this ?  Because this product should not be available until latter this year - more specifically July 2012 - to correspond roughly with the release of the core set, Magic 2013.  This is due to the inclusion of some of the upcoming core set cards in this toolkit.  The items were removed fairly promptly from what we imagine was at the direction of Wizards of the Coast.

Yep - early Magic the Gathering spoilers . . .
Magic the Gathering Deck Builders Toolkit in a sealed Box (2012) - English

Let's review the images . ..
Arbor Elf and Evolving Wilds appears to be included in M13
There's a Baloth creature on the Magic 2013 booster pack.

With Arbor Elf (aka Lawn-Mower Man v.2) in the set, many players are speculating that Llanowar Elves are excluded.  Some gamers go so as far as to speculate the return of Ravnica dual or 'Shock' lands.  When these lands come into play, you can choose to pay 2 life, otherwise the land comes into play tapped. With Arbor Elf on the battlefield, a player could play Stomping Ground or Temple Garden, have it come into play tapped and then use the Elf to untap said land as the card type reads 'forest'.  Enough speculation for today, let's have a look at what you get when the Magic the Gathering Deck Builders Toolkit is officially release . . .

Each box contains:
• 285 Cards
• 125 "semi-random" Cards
• 4 Sealed Packs (15 cards per pack). Booster packs from a variety of recent Magic: The Gathering sets
• 100 Basic Land (to get you started with deck building)
• “Learn To Play” Guide
• Full Art reusable card storage box
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Matches Cup

The pilot light on one of the burners on our stove is a little unreliable (even though it's been fixed a few times - we can't figure it out), so we have to keep matches on hand. I picked up a box of these green tipped matches at Target because I thought the color was cute.

The big box is less cute though and if I see it and have to use it almost every day, I think it should be cute! So I bought a few of these pretty mercury glass votives at Gracious Home and thought one would make a perfect match holder.

I remember seeing this idea in a magazine or blog somewhere. It's a two minute project (my favorite kind!). All you do is cut off a square of striking paper and glue it to the bottom of your cup. I use Magnatacalmost every time I need a glue!

My cup was a little deeper than the matches, so I put an inch or so of coarse salt at the bottom before filling with the matches.

Looks cute and works well too with the striking paper on the bottom. Also, my girls don't know how to use matches, but just to be safe we keep the cup back further where they can't get to it. 

Love seeing those little green tips! :) Much better than a lighter or big old cardboard box!

NY/Blogfest...Part 2 in 16 Photos or Less

Morning, morning.

It's NYC part two time.

Day 3.

Alex and I set the alarms for 7 and were up early for the big breakie poo at the Hearst Towers.

Turns out this ginormous company owns Kravet and the major shelter labels...Veranda, Elle Decor and House Beautiful...this all means their the big time shizzlesticks.

Anyhoo...we sat at pretty tables covered in peonies...

...because EVERYONE knows bloggers go to fave flower answer is always this pretty bloom...and we ate 4 plates of food...and drank 5 cups of coffee...oh wait, that might have just been me;)

Anyhoo...the tower was gorgeosity and looked out right over Central Park...it also did a fabo job of holding a ton of bloggers and some pretty ah-maaazing talent.

We heard from the editor in chief of Veranda, Dara Coponigro, along with legendary design heavyweights,  Daryl Carter and Timothy Whealon...

...the ball cap wearing Mr. Carter kind of had me at hello with his uber intelligence and deep/should be a narrator/Morgan Freeman like voice...good stuff.

LOVED this panel- the insight into how design unfolds in the real world was beaucoup interesting and definitely a highlight of my trip.

I also enjoyed these guys...

{photo via Recycled, Consign and Design}

...the 'everyone loves him blogger crowd favourite' Newell Turner let a charming group into a talk about design Ah-ha moments...as much I kind of loathe Oprah idioms by definition, I did very much enjoy this look at how projects get noticed and published.

The designers Michael Harold, Jill Goldberg and Jon Call were brilliant...I especially went nutzoid over Mr. Call's branding and red pants...big thumbs up...oh and Jill was a laugh riot...and Michael was great too...you can tell he's the sweet/nice guy type.

Moving on.

I loved this whole thing with one GIANT exception.

The breakfast started at 8:30.  At 9:30 they had a 5 minute bathroom break but there were about 200 people and I had only had 2 cups of coffee at that point so I passed thinking there would be another one.  Well, there wasn't.  We loaded on a bus at 11 a.m. and headed for the Elle Decor Showhouse...thankfully, we arrived quickly but when we got there, we basically found 200 people squished all at once into a house that was unable to accomodate more than 50 at once...this meant we couldn't move...like at all...and by this point, I'd had 5 cups of coffee, and a bottle of water on the bus and well, I'm not a camel...I'm human and well, I needed to pee.

I tried to put the ginormous bladder pressure on hold and concentrate on the pretty house....I managed to snap a few pics of the food that I couldn't reach because it was too crowded...

...a great chandy...

...and an elephant...

...and that my friends was the Elle Decor showhouse experience.

Along with a few of my Blogfest besties, I spent most of the blocked off hour or two stuck in the front hall closet, in a somewhat desperate attempt to avoid the hoards of people...and I still had to pee....and there was a pretty bathroom right in front of me the entire time that PS, I of course was not allowed to use, being a showhouse and all.

So, I was more than a little elated when the bus finally showed up to pick us up...but...then we got stuck in traffic...for like an hour...and by this point, I literally thought I was going to die from the urine that I thought might actually force my bladder to explode.

My poor bus mate Elizabeth, who PS, makes these pillows that I'm totally obsessed with....

...was forced to listen to my incessant whining about said personal agony for the entire trip.

I had actually convinced her at one point to tag along with me as I stopped the bus, got off and found my way to the next destination, after the most relieving bathroom break of all time had happened.

Thankfully, my dear friend Alex got wind of the whole thing and let me know there was actually a toilet, be it a disgusting one, at the back of the bus...you have NO idea the relief I felt at that moment...no idea...total and utter bliss I tell you.

All I can say is that while in NY, I will NEVER again board a bus without finding a way to a bathroom first...serious life lesson people.

Moving on...I'm sure you're over my pee story at this point;)

After the bus ride from hell was over, we enjoyed a great lunch at the D&D building...lobster rolls y'all...because again there were tons of people in a rather small space, seating was tight so my girls Amanda, Alex, Elizabeth, and Chassity shared a wee floor picnic with me...good stuff.

After food, us bunch decided to shop.

I tagged along with Alex and had my first Bergdorf's experience...and it was heaven.

I saw the Plaza on the way...

...and that was trez coolio.

After a few glorious hours in Bergs, we met up with Amanda and Chassity to tour ABC...here's my parnter's in crime in their coloured skinnies...

{photo via Look, Linger, Love}

...I went blogger rogue and wore a skirt....hence my vantage point as photo taker;)

After getting our shop on, we went back to the hotel and had a quick wardrobe change, before leaving for a divine real dinner...and by real, I mean there was an entire plate of food at once and a glass of wine to go with it...tres important.

Then, it was on to the launch party for Ever Swoon, a boutique event/wedding planning company headed up by the very sweet Tamra...held in a very beautiful NY jewelry shop, the party simply was a nice change from the events of the day...and another excuse to chat with some of my blogging pals...

{photo via Ever Swoon}

No idea why I look like I'm sitting on a chair but whatevs...apparently I thought there was someone behind me?

Here's one of Amanda and I...

{photo via Guest of a Guest}

Good fun.

Afterwards, we made our way to potentially the weirdest place I've ever been for some apres cocktails.

Imagine walking into a building that looks like a bank...complete with velvet barrier ropes...after being led down to the back of the buidling by who I presume is the 'bouncer/ID checker" {sidenote...I love getting my ID checked in the US}.....you are led to an elevator that opens up to what can only be described as a tropical strip bar...

...with a rack of red velvet ropes lining the hallway?

Am I the only one who finds this sight BEYOND creepazoid?

So. Bizarre.

After passing the robes, you are led up some more steps that somehow open up to a rather lovely rooftop patio, complete with a gorgeous city view and palm trees.

Weird, weird, weird.

On the plus side, I sat across from these lovely ladies...

{photo via Design Manifest, Amanda, Chassity, Naomi, Nicole}

...and had a great cocktail nightcap to the very busy day.

I also managed to take this shot of Chassity on our way out with one of the tropical strip bar's mascots...

...not her incredible shoes and again, how completely wack job this place is.

The load of us finally got back to our room at about 3a.m. and let me tell you, I was DONE!

Je suis pooped x1000.

Also, I was getting sick...like real flu sick.

After a few hours of sleep, I woke to a bug that made the thought of any more activities, or wandering the streets of NY post hotel checkout nightmaric.

So, I b-lined to the airport and walked on a standbye flight and within an hour or so, was home to the fam jam...but still sick.

I spent the next two days in bed trying to catch up on sleep etc.

I also reminisced about my trip and came up with the following conclusions:

1. The people you think are awesome over the interwebs ARE

2. I'm old and so many activities causes me exhaustion and sickness

3. I need to get better at taking pictures of things when they happen so I have shit to blog about afterwards...I also need to bring a real camera so that every shot isn't blurtastic

4. I'm not meant to be a camel- bathroom breaks are important

5. I like plates of food more than yummy appetizers and if I don't eat until I'm full, I get grumpy

6. I'm SO thankful for my blogging buddies and am SO happy I can now call them friends without my hubster looking at me funny

7. I need down time in between fun time

8. I need to shop for some blotting papers so that I'm not ridiculously shiny in every photo, come next big event

9. Being sick away from home is no fun

10. I like wine more than blender drinks

11. Bloggers seem to be 25-35 or 50+....my demographic seemed weirdly under-represented.
12. My love affair with blazers shows no sign of ending anytime soon...pretty sure there isn't one photo of me without a blazer on.

I'm sure there's more but that's what I've come up with so far.

All in all, I had an AH-MAAAAZING time in NY- was very happy to get home but beyond happy I went...if you missed my Day 1 & 2 re-cap scroll down to read...I actually made a little edit because I completely forgot about a Day 2 event...evidence of my post BlogFest tired brain.

Anyhoo...

Blogger besties, and you know who you are, love you to the moon...and to the people who didn't go this year, please let's have some sort of get together in the not too distant future.

Peace out.

xo

The Yard - Advice, Please?

I hate showing in-the-rough before pictures without having some pretty after (or at least during!) shots for you, so I've been hesitant to share any photos of the brownstone. Those bachelors have not been so tidy! I could really use your help though. (and to make it clear - this is not our stuff. We haven't moved in yet)

I would love to be a really good gardener, but honestly, I have no idea where to even start. When we were first married, we lived in Arizona and our yard was mostly gravel and just a small lawn - totally minimal. Since then we've lived in places with no outdoor space. I haven't had the chance to learn about plants and yard care/design. I'm SO excited to finally start now.

We have an upper and a lower deck, both are about 5' deep and 20' wide - not super huge, but just big enough for a small grill, a table and four chairs on the upper deck (which connects to the living room). I'll probably put a small seating area on the bottom deck too (which connects to my office), but I think mostly that area will be for outdoor toy storage. I haven't figured that all out yet.

As I look through Pinterest and my inspiration folders at brownstone yards, it seems like a lot of them have stone or brick pavers. When we first walked through the house, I thought those flagstone pavers should go out immediately in favor for just grass (right after that astroturf gets pulled up off the deck! yeesh!)

But now I'm worrying about mud. Maybe putting down (prettier) pavers is the best idea?

Okay, all you yard experts - help! What would you do with this space? Ideas I'm bouncing around - a tallish hedge along the back wall for added privacy, some flowers and/or vegetables planted along the sides (I want to take out all those low bushy trees to the left).  Raised garden beds? Maybe a teeny tiny playhouse or a covered sandbox? The yard itself is 20' wide x 40' deep (this is a shot from the upstairs landing).

Any thoughts?

BlogFest/NY- Day 1 and 2...in 24 Pictures or Less {with an Edit}

As promised, here's the skinny on my trip to NY/BlogFest.

And PS, I had to split it into two posts...figured there's no way I could keep your attention for the whole shabang.

So, here's Day 1 and 2 to start...3 and 4 will come tomorrow.

Day 1.

First, I got up at an indecent hour and boarded the plane...of course, I needed some smut to get me through the flight...

...sadly my eyes weren't working yet due to lack of caffeine and sleep, so I didn't get past the first page.

The plane basically went up and then landed...turns out T. to NYC is nothing...so close.

After deboarding, I made my way to the taxi line only to find out that in NY, you not only need the name of  your hotel but both cross streets...and of course, my farking ridiculous Canadian cell phone service meant that I couldn't look it up...que very cute boy behind me who did the search and praise Jesus, found the address, which allowed me to actually leave New Jersey and head for the big apple.

Here's me trying to look cool in said cab...

...thank goodness for black and white filters is all I have to say on that front....also, why do I have no neck in this shot? Digressing.

A quick, and might I add cheap (PS, taxis in NYC are SOOOOOO inexpensive- practically free it would seem,) ride later and I saw this on the horizon...

...hooray.

And a few minutes after that, I was checked in to the hotel...easy peasy.

Since I had a few hours to kill before some of my peepsters arrived, I walked around the corner and had the best manicure of my life...sadly, I didn't take a photo of my own hands so...think this...

...only with the gold as french tips and the rest a little more blushy...good stuff.

Apres nails, I met up with fellow canuck people Vanessa and Christine...

...and we wandered the streets together.

The highlight of said meandering was:

1. an insanely good crepe I had at this outdoor food market...loved watching Joe Blow make it...turns out pioneer wood tools make for some delicious eats...

2. the Marimekko store...

...so much fabric, so little suitcase space.

3. Seeing the amazing construction at Gound Zero...

A few hours later, we headed back to the hotel to quickly change for a little dinner meet and greet, organized by the very sweet Viv, of Fashion Truffles fame...here's a shot of the gang I stole from Viv;)

{Tobe, Naomi, Gabrielle, Christine, Vanessa, Me, Viv, Mackenzie, Alex, Sarah, Elizabeth, Meg, Erika, Jen, Natalie}

...and a grainy iPhone pick of us two...

And that was day 1.

Day 2.

Monday started with an early breakie in the hotel lobby with Christine, Vanessa, Chassity and Amanda...it was a good thing we actually ate because this day was B to the izzy.

The fun really started with an amazing girl's hair party at the drybar...sweet Chassity organized it and after her, Amanda and I trudged in the rain for a while...

{photo via Look, Linger, Love}

...PS, those are Chassity's feet...we arrived and enjoyed beaucoup pampering.

I luuuurved this place...so pretty...

...the hairdryer chandy took the fab cake...

...and most importantly, turns out drybar knows how to rock out ladie's hair...

In progress...

{photo via Look, Linger, Love}

...and after...

{Erika, Erica, Moi, Amanda, Naomi, Melissa, Tobe, Gabrielle, Amanda, Chassity, Mackenzie, Meg and founder of DryBar Alli...photo via Recycled, Consign and Design}

...the founder/owner Alli was so sweet to let us all invade her gorgeous salon...so lovely to meet her and soooooo wish this place could/would set up shop here in the great north!

Moving on.

Apres hair, we shopped a little, and ruined most of our new dos in the rain.

Boo.

On the plus side, I got a long blue dress and a white blazer...worth it...I think.

The ladies and I went back to our hotel and I was delighted beyond words to find my sweet roomie Alex had arrived...sadly, I literally don't have one stinking photo of the two of us together:(  

Anyhoo...we chatted a bit and then quickly got ready for our firsts official BlogFest event...the Kip's Bay Showhouse tour.

I enjoyed this part...mostly because I met so many of my blogging buddies in person...delightful.

I also got to touch Margaret Russell's waist...

{Amanda, Chassity, Me, Margaret}

...after some serious photo stalking...

To be honest, the above photo and said friend meetings were the highlight of the tour.

The showhouse itself was a little...I don't know...contrived maybe?

I did quite enjoy the giant brass giraffe...

.....these blue walls were impressive...

...and I adored this Eagle console...

...but honestly, the rest just wasn't my proverbial cup of tea.

Case and point...the kitchen had this pig/turkey spit built into the cupboards...

{photo via Marianne Simon Design}

...as Amanda pointed out, how the heck would you deal with the flying grease all over your brand new sparkly kitchen?  Weird.  On the plus side, there were delightfully large brass handles so that sort of made up for it...sort of.

Anyhoo...there were tons of people and a little bit of food so all in all...was glad I went.

After a few hours there, we boarded a bus and were whisked away to the Savant Center...which PS, was one of the more 'interesting' venues I've ever been to...apparently it's an 'automation control/experience center'...so if you're rich and in the market for super high end hidden electronics, you would be SO into this place.

Alex, Chassity, Amanda, Nicole, Elizabeth and I basically found a table perch and enjoyed some bevies/apps...and that was that.

Edit...I totally forgot about this stop...shows you how much we did in 4 days...brain fart...after the Savant Center, my and some ladies met up with some other ladies at a great spot my husbter would have loved....Lure...

{photo via Ever Swoon}

...he seriously would go mad for the place...basically like a restaurant inside a wood ship...very cool.

Chassity, Amanda and I sat at the bar and had some 'get to know you deep talk'- enjoyed muchos.

Because Day 3 was going to be a large one, we ski-daddled early and headed back to the hotel.

I managed to catch Erica, Melissa, Marianne and Tiffany in the hotel lounge so had a fabulous little late night sit down with them and then to bed I went.

All in all, the first two days in NYC were the bom Tom.

I got really wet and was already whining like an old lady about how things ached and how tired I was but...so many face to face meetings with so many awesomesauce bloggers totes won out in the pros/cons department.

Good stuff.

I'll be back tomorrow with action from the next two days.

xo