Monday, March 12, 2012

Washington D.C., A Totally AWEsome Vacation : ) #Washington #Travel #AmazingVacations #Museums #MartinLutherKing


Man, are the roses ever big in Washington! lol!  Isn't this a gorgeous sculpture of a rose??

Hmmm, for some reason, these 2 pics keep sliding on up to the top, when I go to the posted page... let's see if this works! I just play around with things, 'til they work - in my whole life - lol! 



Interestingly enough, the first thing we came across in Washington, DC, was Occupy Washington. Good place to make a political statement!

Occupy Washington, about 1 block from The White House

 Well, is Washington synonymous with Healthcare, now? lol!
Cara at the back of The White House

 Speaking of a nice place to stay in Washington, DC... Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump - or maybe Bernie Sanders?  Huh?  Huh?? (I'm nudging you, now - lol!) I love me some Bernie Sanders - lol!  Here's an easier way to find a great place to stay in Washington - lol!

Wow, I called it on the Donald Trump thing - very inneresting, eh?!

And now I LOVE Andrew Yang - Andrew Yang is so kind, so smart, and Andrew Yang wants to give every American adult over 18+, $1,000. a month - that is HUGE! That would pay part of your rent, let people finally get a mortgage (provided the banks are forced to accept the Freedom Dividend, Andrew Yang's Signature Policy, the Guaranteed Income of $1,000 a month, for life - the banks are notorious for not allowing people to use real sources of income, in order to get a home loan - AND, I would like to see the percentage that you have to put down on a home to be lowered - they used to have 5% Down, but that was back when houses were a normal price, and now homes are often in the million dollar mark, so, everyone needs a longer mortgage, and an easier path to home ownership... but I digress - What? Has that ever happened to me, before - haha!) ~

Anyway, I looove Andrew Yang! And I hope you do, too! lol! 
Me at the FRONT of The White House... we got a little bit lost! lol! And it was freeeezing, that day! 

Am I holding UP The Washington Monument?? lol!  Is critical to pretend to hold anything up in any picture! hahaha!

The Washington Monument is phenomenal -- soo hard to look straight up at it! 555 feet high! 



Cara in front of the Lincoln Memorial Statue.  Is incredible!

EVERYTHING is massive in Washington -- the monuments, the statues, the pillars (meee??  Ruh-roh!  Who's goin' back to the gym?? lol!)... and that's the Washington Monument behind me -- was freeeezing that day!

Aidan in the Lincoln Memorial, in front of the carved speech from Lincoln.  So moving.

Looking out over the Mall at the Washington Monument -- we're sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

This is where Martin Luther King, Jr. stood to give his I Have A Dream Speech, right  at the top of the steps of the Lincoln Memorial looking out over the Washington Monument

The Potomac River -- what a famous river!  And I really liked this tree, too! lol!

These walls surround the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial -- so moving.

Ailsa in front of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial  -- unbelievably moving.

Aidan in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial -- it's critical that the next generation, and every generation after them, know the past, see where we've come from, where we need to go

See the walls surrounding the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial? They all have beautiful quotes on them

Aidan going into the Natural History Museum, part of the Smithsonian series of museums

The Hope Diamond! 

How much for all of these?? lol! The Gemstone section of the Smithsonian Natural History  Museum

This gemstone section of the Natural History Museum was so beautiful 

Cara considers changing her name to 'Jonah'! lol!



Get a 'whale' of a deal with Priceline - bah'hahahaha! Like that? Hahaha!  Silly!  Made me laugh!

Aidan loves dinosaurs!  Who doesn't??  Okay, Creationists, but everybody else! lol!

Aidan in the Land of Time?? lol!

He's safe, don't worry!  Looks like the one dinosaur is desperately trying to warn his buddy  of something ("I'm tellin' you, we gotta get outta here, man!"), but, noo, he doesn't want to listen, just eat 'til he drops! lol!

I loved the architecture in the Natural History Museum -- would this look good in my next house?? lol!

Cara loves diamonds -- especially the Hope Diamond!! hahaha!

This is hilarious, because this is a SCULPTURE of a tree -- it's all metal -- cool, eh??

Cara and Aidan on the steps of the National Gallery of Art - West Building, part of the Smithsonian Museums 

Well, not a great pic of me (lol!), but sooo pretty inside the National Gallery of Art - West Building ... flowers everywhere, just what I love!

The underground tunnel between the West Building and the East Building of the National Galleries of Art

Aidan in the moving walkway tunnel -- it was like a giant piece of art, in itself!

Whaat??  I couldn't believe my luck to find some Georgia O'Keefe paintings in the Museum of  Modern Art, in the National Gallery of Art - East Building 

I loved this piece of Modern Art because another 'Ailsa' had sponsored it! lol!

Cara in front of Andy Warhol -- cool, right??

Aidan and Modern Art -- can you see the building -- was incredible modern architecture -- glass and metal!

I just loved this piece!


A gorgeous water wall -- and I looove water walls!!

We were freezing and worn out from all the walking, and everything we'd taken in, that day, and here's Aidan in front of the Capitol Building,  where Congress meets, and we were right beside their parking lot -- pretty cool! 


Looking for something amazing and awe-inspiring to do over the Spring Break, or any time you happen to find yourself on the East Coast, like maybe for an Inauguration??  How about Washington, D.C.?  We were just there, and it was incredible.  More AWEsome than I would ever have imagined.  And I rarely use the word 'awesome'! lol!  We did the whole Historical Circuit, starting at the White House, first thing in the morning, over to the Washington Monument (unbelievable! I could hardly even look up at it -- if we hadn't actually been right there, I would never have known it's vast size -- 555 feet high. Incredible.), to the Lincoln Memorial (waaaay bigger than you would think, too!), then to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial -- so moving. The Civil Rights Movement is so close to my heart, so standing right there was one of the most meaningful things I've ever done. There are quotations on the surrounding stones that are so important... and what a beautiful setting, right across from the Jefferson Memorial, right on the water.

We spent the whole afternoon at the Smithsonian, which was incredible.  Really, the whole day was out of this world amazing.  Everywhere you looked, you were looking at the face of history, and phenomenally crucial history.

We went to the Natural History Museum, first, and it was stunning -- my favorite part, not too surprisingly, if you know me at all, were all the gems! lol!  I loved the Hope Diamond -- so beautiful. And the massive gemstones... dazzling!  Aidan loved the Dinosaur section, of course, what with being a 12 year old boy, 'n all... lol!  We must have been in the Natural History Museum for hours, there was so much to see.  I loved the whole section on Pangea -- that is soo fascinating to me. I love that stuff! haha!

We went from the Natural History Museum over to the National Gallery of Art - West Building, which houses all the Masters, and that was stunning, but here's what was unbelievable, and I'm glad one of the Guards in the Museum told me about it (I am forever chatting with people, and I canny tell you how much more I find out/learn/have great laughs and experiences because of that little social skill! lol!)... anyway, he told us to take the elevator to the ground floor of the National Gallery of Art - West Building, which takes you to the tunnel that connect the West and East Art Galleries, over to the National Gallery of Art - East Building, the Museum that houses the Modern Art, and, oh, man, was he right about it being spectacular.  You come out the elevator and go along an underground tunnel to the National Gallery of Art - East Building, go past a beautiful Water Wall, which I looove (I wanted one in our last big house! lol!), then you go through this stunningly beautiful walkway, a little like the moving walkways in airports, but completely surrounded in lights... sooo cool!  The kids will loove it!

Here's a much better photo of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC.  Is so moving. 
Oh, and guess how much this day cost us??  Nothing!!  Admission is FREE at all of the Smithsonian Museums we went to, so check and see before you go, but I think they're all free admission to the Smithsonian Museums... if we had had more time, there are soo many incredible museums in the Smithsonian, and soo much to do in Washington.  We met our wonderful friend, Mike (he's siiingle!!  Ready to mingle!!lol!) (me, too! lol!) (or, rather, Mike came and picked up our freeezing cold selves up in front of the Capitol Building, our last touristy thing of the day, and Mike took us to this fantastic restaurant about a block from the White House... I'll have to ask him what it was called, but we were freezing and starving, and it was the BEST Brisket I've ever had... was deeeelicious, and the restaurant was really pretty, and very reasonably priced, for such a nice restaurant :)  Thanks, Mike, for the great dinner!  See how useful and practical it is to have friends?? lol!  and in different and fascinating places, no less? Fascinating Friends in Fascinating Places! Sounds like a new site for me! lol!  Turns out, the phenomenal brisket is at a really, really good restaurant, The Hamilton , and I highly recommend it - deeelicious!

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Oh, and be sure to stop by the National Museum of Natural History GIFT Shop -- omg, it's amazing, and their prices were really good, too.  Aidan got a beautiful piece of Agate Crystal, blue (maybe $8.50, I think), and Cara and I each got a lovely Crystal Necklace -- both Quartz, which I love, and mine is shaped like a pyramid, so of course I feel like it's really lucky (I'll let you know! lol!).  Was sooo much fun -- one of our most memorable days ever!! And only a days drive from where we live in Ontario, Canada, so, easy to get there -- perfect!

We took the Subway (the Metro) from the hotel into the Federal Triangle, where all the 'good stuff' is!  Was pretty easy, but we were super happy that Mike drove us back to the hotel -- was a phenomenal day, but exhausting trying to fit everything into one day!  Would be great to have a whole week in Washington, DC (or just move there! lol!).

The Hope Diamond, absolutely stunningly beautiful, at the National  Natural  History Museum in Washington, D.C.  Always nice to have a little hope, right?? lol!

Ailsa in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial  -- was so emotional for me, and there happened to be a little class of  older students with special needs -- reminded me of my wonderful students in L.A., and how much I would have loved to have taken them to see this incredible Memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr.  My students used to love to look up Martin Luther King, Jr. on the computer, almost any time they were on the computer... I hope all students who have really special needs have teachers who give them full access to the computer and to the internet -- it is the biggest break-through in improving the lives of people with Special Needs, since it allows them access to the world, no matter where they are in the reading scale, and the computer is the best tool to teach reading to adults... clearly, I am a big believer in technology in the classroom... and everywhere else! But they would have loved it, there.  I wish I could have shared that with them -- maybe they'll find my blog!! lol! (Helllooo, if you do, and giant hugs all around! )



Dynamic Groupon Getaways banner  I love the Groupon Deals - we got some fantastic packages for Niagara Falls, and then local deals for restaurants that we wanted to check out - was great!


 


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Monday, March 5, 2012

Niagara Falls Getaway for a Great Deal through Groupon!! Yippee!! #TravelDeals #NiagaraFalls #Jewelry (Because I can't resist a good deal on Jewelry - lol!)


Niagara Falls - Gorgeous, any time of year! You'll loove it! : )


Discover 1,000s of Top-Rated Getaways! (I love a great Groupon Deal! That's how we got to Niagara Falls!)


Thank you for shopping through me! I really appreciate it - remember that the EU wants us all to make sure you see an ad, know that I get a wee bit of a bit of it - and never at any cost to you - I just like bringing the good deals to you, my little Travel Buddy!
It's me! Ailsa, your li'l Travel Buddy! 
Let me know if you have some favorite places, around the world! : )






Crazy-gorgeous, right??

















83% OFF 4.00 CTTW Genuine Pear Cut Blue Topaz Ring in Sterling Silver by Valencia Gems $14.99  Well, you know I can't resist jewelry! haha! Can you imagine the love that will be flowing, like Niagara Falls, when you give your special someone this lovely gift? Or, frankly, give it to yourself - lol! You deserve it! You deserve all the pretty things! : )

87% OFF Elements of Love Halo Stud Earrings Made with Swarovski Crystals $9.99

Yippeee!!! I just booked a Groupon Coupon (sounds cute, right, what with the rhyming 'n all! lol!) to stay at the Four Points by Sheraton in Niagara Falls... man, I'm soo excited about that!  You can use it Sunday - Thursday, so we'll go on a weekend, but, man, are the pictures ever gorgeous!  Oooh, and all kinds of goodies are included -- a $40. meal credit at The Keg, $10 at IHOP (which I loooove!! What is in the IHOP pancakes that makes them sooo good?? lol!), and a $20. credit towards Dave and Busters... is that right??  Hmmm... it's the games place for adults (and kids, I'm assuming!)... as long as they have skeeball, I'm good! haha!  Oh, and it has a connecting tunnel to a casino (I call the casino a 'cashino'... is waaay funnier, in me own mind! hahaha!) (Can you tell I'm excited?? lol!)  What a deal -- $115/night, with all that included, AND a room with a view of Niagara Falls... that's a great deal!

View of Niagara Falls from our Hotel Room : )

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I just followed the links on Groupon, then you click on Getaways, and VOILA, there it is -- Beautiful Niagara Falls!! They had three great options for rooms, but I chose the room over-looking the Falls, since I love a room with a view, especially if it's a craazy-gorgeous view, and Niagara Falls at night is unbelievably beautiful... can't wait for the kids to see Niagara Falls, since Cara was little the last time she went, and Aidan has never been, and Niagara Falls was on my list of possible places I could live, too, since we need to find a new place to live, after all the craziness here ... too bad, because it's so pretty in the Spring, Summer and Fall in our area of Ontario, Canada... but, safety and a good job come first, and we didn't find either, here... am casting my net wide (for all you fishermen out there! lol!), see what I can catch... eeerrrr, find.... that 'catch' thing sounded kinda bad! lol!  Same thing for finding a new mate, or finding someone to love (who will love you back! Always helpful!! lol!), just be sure to cast a wide net, hopefully you'll get a bigger fish!! lol! Any place that we go that even remotely appeals to me, I drop off a resume, make some important contacts.. always worth a shot! Keep tryin', something good is bound to turn up!! : )




Let's play, 'Spot the difference'! lol! I guess I thought they were completely different shots, when I took them - haha! Photographers, they want to capture every moment - lol! ; )


Okay, I'm looking for pictures for you of Niagara Falls until I can post my own pics... and here's a link I really liked...Picture Gallery of Niagara Falls  .  I'll have to check it to make sure it works, but you'll see why I'm so excited to visit Niagara Falls, and why I would definitely consider living there! : )

Sooo pretty!  I love a beautiful rainbow, all perfect for making a wish!! lol!

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Check it! hahaha!  It's Niagara Falls! Me love it!! lol! 

 Yay!!! I loove a great deal! Perty sure, we all do, right? ; )


Goin' Plces, Savin' Money! 

Friday, March 2, 2012

Beautiful Crystal Mobile You Can Make at Home : >

Online Cake Decorating Class
Beautiful Crystal Mobile You Can Make at Home
You know how I love to make my little Gem Tree Sculptures, right?  Well, I had picked up some new 'crystals' the other day, and had some 22 gage galvanized wire left over from Christmas, and I just thought, well, I'll see if this will work, so I just pulled the wire, which comes in a small roll, straight up, then used my needlenose pliers (they have a little cutting edge at the base of the pliers) to cut it at varying lengths, but this time, I didn't measure anything, just cut the pieces of wire at random lengths.  After I cut each piece of wire, I put one of the little crystals (they had a little hole at the top for threading the wire through) on each piece of wire, then pulled the wire in a loop to hold the crystal in place, leaving a fairly loose loop, so the crystal will hang loosely, not be held in place....

Anyway, so I make a ton of these -- okay, not a ton, but about 18 of them, letting the wire maintain the curves it comes out with... stretching some a little more than others, so each one is unique.  So normally I bring all the end together to form the base, right? But when I went to lift the first wire that already had the crystal on it, it flopped forward, so I thought, hmmm, what to do, what to do... so I hung it upside down, and added another spiral wire with the crystal at the end on it, holding them both upside down, then I thought, wow, that's gorgeous, and so unique, so then I just kept adding the wire pieces at the top, arranging them artistically, until I thought, oooh, that's juuust right, then I cut a smaller piece of wire, but still maintaining the natural curve of the wire, and wound that wire around the very top of the wire, where I was holding it together... and the last bit of the wire is used to hang the Crystal Mobile... easy, right?  And really fun to make! : )  These Crystal Mobiles can hang in a window, or outside on your balcony or porch -- they'll be lovely in the sun, where they can sparkle and cast beautiful rainbows all around! Pretty, right??

The whole thing took about half an hour -- who knows, I was watching Jimmy Kimmel (who is my Celebrity Crush, by the way! lol!  You know on Millionaire Matchmaker, Patty always asks her clients, 'Who's your Celebrity Crush?', Well, for me, my Celebrity Crush is Jimmy Kimmel -- he's just sooo funny! And cute! It's late... after 2 AM... I guess this is when I feel like crafting?? It definitely seems like a time when I think about Celebrity Crushes! hahahahahaha!).

Okay, let me get the photos for you... now, remember, it's the middle of the night, so I'll take photos in the daylight, too, so we can all see how shiny these Crystal Mobiles are! And I ended up making two Crystal Mobiles from the 18 wire pieces with one crystal piece on each... and I would say the cost on these would be about $3 each! hahahaha!  Cheap AND easy, much like meself!! lol! (Noooo, if you actually know me, you'll know neither one of those is true!! You gotsta have a beautiful house to get wit' me!! hahahaha!)(Or, truth be told, something else that I really like! hahaha!)(Okay, this is getting silly... I'll have to head to bed soon!) Night night!!

And for all the teachers out there, this would make a lovely and inexpensive Mother's Day Gift... I used to always make amazing things with my wonderful students (oh, I miss them so much!) in California.  Craft Items like this are great if you are teaching your students how to run a business, since they can learn how to decide on an item that will sell easily, go and purchase the items, make and sell them, do all the math and develop their money skills, and tons of experience in developing their social skills, too (being super-friendly when you're selling their products. : )

Crystal Beads for the Crystal Mobile... you can buy them at Michaels, but I happened to find these crystal beads at the local Dollar Store (teachers love Dollar Stores... great place to buy stickers! lol!) for $2. Sweet deal, right?? lol!


22 Gage Galvanized Wire, you can buy it at Home Depot for about  $3.
Carefully lift the wire straight up, then cut at random lengths, stretching the wire  as you like it.

Another view of the Crystal Mobile, with my favourite Cross behind it... it has my favourite Blessing, too... "May the Lord Bless You, And Be Gracious Unto You, And Make His Face Shine Upon You, May The Lord Give You His Peace."  Beautiful, right?  Makes you feel nice just reading that! :  )



I thought thse earrings were soo pretty - I love Swarovski Crystal - gorgeous! and what a phenomenal deal! : )
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