Cool casters

We get a lot of comments on our Cool Casters. I've always hated those ugly plastic chairmats, but didn't want to ruin our original wood floors (circa 1900) at the office. These chair wheels were the perfect solution! They're real inline skate wheels, made of soft rubber, so they don't scratch or nick the floors. Plus, they let you can whiz around the room really fast.

They make them in a ton of sizes, be sure to get the ones for "standard" office chairs. (Unless you've got a chair from IKEA, because those aren't standard. We have to return a set this week.)

New website!

We're putting the finishing touches on our new website. It's online now at www.dmoment.com

We're really excited about the debut - we've added an html site for those with slower connections and mobile web access, and this blog is going public!

Let me know what you think!

Key lime pie martini

This is a seriously yummy cocktail...

Somehow, get your hands on some graham cracker crumbs - steal 'em when your kid isn't looking, then crush and add a bit of sugar. Or, if you're child-free, you can get fancy and buy the cocktail rimmer version at Anderson's. Run a cut lime along the rim of a martini glass, then dip into the crumb mixture.

Now put this in a cocktail shaker:

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (it makes a difference)
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Licor 43, a vanilla-flavored liqueur that I found locally at Flick's

Shake with ice and pour. Makes two drinks.

That cute photo isn't mine. I am very envious of whoever can do that cool thing with the lime.

A cake for Valentine's Day

V-day is coming up, and it's one of my favorite holidays, mostly because we can actually take some time to enjoy it (February is one of our slowest months). Plus, it's the only day that red and pink go together.

Only for you, dear readers, will I share my super secret Red Velvet Cake recipe, which actually belonged to the Waldorf-Astoria, and then to Erin's grandma, then Erin. But Erin gave it to me, so now it's mine.

My favorite foods are old-fashioned, 'throwback' foods, and this fits the bill. Any person who makes this for their spouse for V-day can't go wrong. I make cupcakes from this recipe (reduce baking time and keep checking) and they're always a hit.

Recipe in comments.

The nieces again

They're just way too cute. This is the collage I made for my parents for Christmas.


Half the photos by Brenna, the other half by me.

New dmp shirts!

If you've chosen us for your wedding, you know we're by far the coolest photography studio in the area, and you probably want to show the world that you got us. So now you can!

Purchase one of our authentic DMP shirts and look just like our bridal show booth staffers. Accept no imitations!

Princess the pit bull

photo by Jennifer Lee

Princess is a very special pit bull, who was rescued from more than one bad situation by a friend of mine. She is now living a life of luxury with her adoptive mom.

I designed t-shirts featuring pretty Princess. Isn't she gorgeous?

For more info on pitties and other so-called "vicious" dogs, check out BadRap.org.

Good press!

Our photography has been featured in nearly every issue of The Knot Weddings Magazine (Ohio edition), and we just found out we'll be in the Fall/Winter '08 issue as well! Wendy and Cliff's wedding was a real showstopper at Shawnee Country Club in Lima, Ohio. It's quite an honor to be included - photographers and brides from all over the state submit thousands of weddings and only a few are chosen. Click here to see Wendy and Cliff's beautiful album (the black bird is a neighbor's swan that chased us as we did some posed photos!)

Also, The Knot (the wedding planning site) has chosen Jennifer and Justin's wedding as one of their online Real Weddings for their new destination weddings section! Brenna and I flew out to Vermont for this spectacular event, and all of us pitched in to make Jenny and Justin our largest wedding album yet (codename: Colossus). Click here to peek!

Who's trying to lose weight?

I just wondered. I'm working on 20 lbs right now, because there's a really cute retro swimsuit I want for Vegas this spring.

I don't use a system or diet - I just keep a food journal and work out a lot. I will keep you posted. Here's hoping this turns out better than the garage!

Also - that photo isn't mine, but I totally do that on the scale. I think it makes you weigh less. Give it a shot!

I love Costco

The very day the Toledo Costco opened, we ditched our Sam's Club membership and got our Costco cards. Mostly because we dislike Sam's and Walmart's uncool business practices, but also because we'd heard great things about the quality of the products at Costco. I have been very pleased with our experience so far.

Today, I picked up a rotisserie chicken (I get the white meat, no skin, Joe and the pups eat everything else), and a spinach salad. When you have NO time to cook, this will tide two people over for two days of lunches and dinners, for $13. Plus the little dogs get snacks.

One of the things I love best about Costco is the return policy. As far as I can tell, it's whatever, whenever, whyever (excepting certain electronic items, for which there's a 90-day deadline). Joe recently returned a size M shirt that shrunk way too much in the cold cycle. They were so cool about it, we now want to buy everything there.

You know what's good?

Soup. And if you don't want to make it yourself, you should try Zoup! (the exclamation point is part of the name - not my own)

Zoup! is a small chain based in Michigan (with stores in MI, OH and PA) and they make really good soup - 12 different varieties every day. They let you taste everything before buying, which is cool.

Today they have Cajun Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Roadhouse Sirloin Chili, Chicken Potpie (we love this one), Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque, Vegetarian Split Pea, Twice-Baked Stuffed Potato (with Bacon), Shrimp & Crawfish Etouffee, French Onion, Chicken & Dumplings, Lobster Bisque, Mushroom Bisque, and Vegetable with Orzo & Fresh Herbs.

They post nutritional information for everything, and they're really clear about which soups are vegetarian and/or dairy-free. Yum.

New half bath!

I just can't stop home improving! The latest project is the new half bath, which involves knocking down a wall. I am very excited about this.

We're hoping to steal 9-12 square feet from our utility room and a closet, which may make this the smallest non-airplane bathroom ever. We've chosen black glass mosaic tile for the floor, with a few white tiles scattered throughout, a teeny tiny pedestal sink, a funky 60s light fixture, and subway tile for the backsplash.

We're going to cover one wall with chalkboard paint so friends can leave us their own bathroom stall graffiti. We've also got a contraband Canadian toilet that flushes way better than the water-saving ones you can get in the States.

The black tile:

The subway tile:

The retro light fixture:

Stay tuned for updates!

Word of the day

Today's word reminds me of my wonderful husband, Joe. (hi sweetie!)

Obfuscate (from Dictionary.com)

ob·fus·cate [ob-fuh-skeyt, ob-fuhs-keyt]

–verb (used with object), -cat·ed, -cat·ing.
1. to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy.
2. to make obscure or unclear: to obfuscate a problem with extraneous information.
3. to darken.

[Origin: 1525–35; < LL obfuscātus (ptp. of obfuscāre to darken), equiv. to L ob- ob- + fusc(us) dark + -ātus -ate1]

If I had an extra $2K...

I'd get this chandelier for my dining room. Since I don't, I'm going to try to make my own! Isn't it cool?


From Anthropologie.

Wouldn't it look great in here?

Word of the day

mer·cu·ri·al [mer-kyoor-ee-uhl] (from Dictionary.com)

–adjective
1. changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.
2. animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.
3. pertaining to, containing, or caused by the metal mercury.
4. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the god Mercury.
5. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the planet Mercury.
6. Pharmacology. a preparation of mercury used as a drug.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L mercuriālis of, pertaining to the god or planet Mercury. See mercury, -al1]

Tee hee

I miss summer, part 2

The Johnston/O'Donnell wedding reception was held at Belmont Country Club, one of our favorite venues. Tent weddings are a specialty of mine.

It's a long path...

From the grotto to the hall (@ Nazareth Hall this summer).