Carmine's Review

http://www.carmineskennewick.com/

Since the hubby was out of town for Valentine's Day, we celebrated this past weekend with Dinner at Carmine's. I had been wanting to try this place for quite some time, but just hadn't gotten around to it. I was sure we would need a reservation and usually when we eat out we pick where to go right before we go. Well, since Valentine's Day is a special occasion, I knew it was the right time to make the reservation and go. Carmine's is located on the corner of 1st & Fruitland in Kennewick in an old historic home and is the best thing that ever became of that place. They serve 1 -2 dishes per night, so check out the menu online before going. The parking lot is small, but there is plenty of on-street parking and we were able to park right across the street. It is a smaller restaurant, so be sure to make a reservation, as almost everyone who walked in to get a table was given an hour to an hour and a half  wait time or turned away. 

Upon walking in, we were greeted by Carmine himself, who thanked us for coming and told us to thank anyone who may have recommend the restaurant. Our table was set with glasses and a plate of olive oil for dipping bread and a reserved sign on the table held our spot. I very much appreciated this, as most restaurants still make you wait about 10-15 minutes while they finishing wiping and setting your table. At Carmine's we sat down right away. Soon after, our waiter showed up with delish Italian bread and the cutest authentic Italian accent. We sat in an enclosed porch area by the window where the walls were decorated in old pictures and Italian memorabilia.  It really felt like we were away at some authentic Italian eatery (even though I've never been to Italy). The atmosphere was fantastic!

We were then brought salad with homemade dressing, which was also delightful! It took a little while after our salad for the main course to show up, but the server was the ONLY one in the restaurant, so we cut him a break. The meal of the night was rigatoni with meat sauce and we ordered the 2 serving size. Boy, was that plenty! It could have fed up to 4 people.

Then the dining experience got rather unimpressive. The Rigatoni was not the best I ever had and the sauce was not super flavorful. It wasn't gross, I was just not impressed. After we were done eating, we sat for about 10 minute before our server took our plates and we told tell him we were too full for dessert. We then sat another 5 minutes before having to ask for the check. Who knows what happened, but our waiter then disappeared. After about 20 more minutes of waiting, Carmine came over and asked if were waiting for something and we told him the check. Well, then he left and never came back. Finally, we waived down a young girl, who appeared to be the bread delivery girl, and asked if she could find out what happened to our check. It had now been at least 30 minutes! As soon as she went through the kitchen doors, here came our waiter with the check. Our waiter told us thanks for waiting and we told him we understood he was busy. No one acknowledged or apologized for how long we waited and we didn't complain because we saw how busy this poor guy was. It seems they need to allow the hostess or Carmine himself  to bring the check or take money, at least on nights like this.

We may have gone on a super busy short staffed night, but we will give this place another try, and do recommend others try it too! The best part of Carmine's really is the atmosphere. If you're looking to eat somewhere that makes you feel like you're out of the Tri-Cities, try Carmine's and let me know what you think!

POW# 2

My nephew Eli turned 4 last Saturday, February 12th. I took a few pictures before all the party-goers got to his birthday party (and while I still had his attention). Therefore, this handsome boy is my "Picture Of The Week" this week. I still cannot believe how much little kids change in 4 years! I remember the night he was born and how exciting it was to welcome my first nephew into this crazy big world. It was so fun hanging out at the hospital waiting for my sister to progress. I left the hospital a little before 3am and about 30 minutes later got the call that Holly was pushing. My mom and I rushed back to the hospital and waited in the hall until Holly was decent and the nurse said we could come in. When walked in Eli was laying on a little table where nurses were checking him over and making sure he was healthy. He was about a month early, but was in excellent health. He was wide awake and had the bluest eyes and his tiny little mouth kept hanging open as he stared out at his new home. I never knew love at first sight existed until I laid eyes on this tiny 5lb 6oz, blue eyed, and shiny faced baby boy! I could have never predicted how cute and little he would be and was blown away at how much I immediately loved him. There are so many things I could say about that night and about how awesome Eli has grown to be. He is super smart and ahead of the game developmentally, has the best sense of humor a kid could have, and is always melting our hearts with how sweet he is! His mommy and daddy have done a great job with the blessing of raising him bestowed upon them and I am in awe of how amazing and wonderful this little guy is! Happy 4th Birthday to my sweet, smart,  first born nephew, who will always hold that special place in my heart of being my 1st nephew! I love you Eli Leroy!

Me and my baby E

"POW" # 1

My first picture of the week is... Books! I ordered some books from Amazon.com and when they came in the mail I knew they would be my POW! My order was quite an eclectic mix and none of the books are the same. I am so excited to read them all and may give reviews when done. As far as my first picture goes, I wanted to start with something simple that required little to no editing. So, here it is. Come on back next week for a new heart melter of a POW!

This Is How Imma Do

Lately, my biggest stumbling block to doing the things I love has been motivation. This dreary cold makes me want to do nothing after work and house chores but hibernate. However, I realize I feel much happier and more confident when I am creating and meeting goals I set for myself. Seeing progress and growth in the things I enjoy doing is motivating in and of itself and is the only way to get better at doing the things I love. Therefore, I am going to start working on 2 projects and blog about them.

The first is to benefit my photography. I am going to start taking a picture of the week or "POW" to improve my skills and get more creative. I have a friend (check out bessbyers.com) who started taking a picture of the day when she lived in China and now that she is back in the states is still going strong! I have seen what it has done for her photography and am going to do my own take on this idea. Although, I am doing a much less ambitious version and plan on taking only 1 picture a week, I hope to grow into a better photographer and find my "style". Thanks for the great idea Bess!

The next project I am taking on is a recipe of the month! I think I will call it "NOM". As in "nummy of the month" and a play on "nom nom". Okay, okay... I'll keep thinking. If you know me well, you know I L-O-V-E baking! I follow recipe bloggers, buy cooking magazines, and have more cookbooks than I can keep up with. I always read posts from recipe bloggers and think, "I could totally do that and make it better!" So, here is my attempt! I am going to try and create some original recipes and also share some classics and family favorites - maybe with some slight tweaks! But don't worry, I wont be selfish. I will post pics and recipes - and maybe some of you will even get to taste test my recipes :-)

While, I do post pictures and recipes from time to time on my blog, I think setting a public goal to do this more often will give me some much needed motivation to do the things I love more and miss doing.  It will also help turn these things into something more than just a personal hobby. I hope people will enjoy looking at my images and want to try out my recipes! If you have advice to give me, please feel free to leave me a comment! I can't wait to get started and am actually a little nervous... Here I go!





A Pretty Face Is A Clean Face

I hate cleaning my makeup brushes and probably go way too long without doing it. Once I do clean them, I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. Well, I was just about to buy new brushes the last time mine needed a cleaning, when I decided to google ideas on cleaning makeup brushes. I was about to give up (as I had tried everything) when I came across something different. A girl recommended cleaning your brushes the same way painters clean their brushes. Painters know you can't just wash your brushes; you have to condition them too! The hair in the brushes will dry out just like real hair if you only use a soap based cleaner. That night I tried out this newly discovered technique and it made my brushes like new. Putting makeup on actually felt good the next day! This technique is so simple and only takes 2 items you probably already have in your kitchen. All you do is pour a few tablespoons (depending on how many brushes you're cleaning) of dish soap and a teaspoon or so of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) side by side onto to a plate. Then mix the 2 together using your brushes. You will instantly see all of the makeup and yuck coming out of your brushes. Next, paint your brush onto your hand or another absorbent (but not drying surface) to literally "paint" the makeup out. Finally, rinse and let air dry in your preferred method of drying (preferably bristles down so the water won't drain into the handle and ruin the glue that holds the hairs in). This is the best method I have found for cleaning my brushes and it really impressed me. If your brushes could use a cleaning and you don't want to spend the money on a brush cleaner, try this! It really works! A pretty face is a clean face! So keep the dirt, grime, and oil out of your brushes and off of your face.

Ooh Daddy Like

I have made some recent discoveries, over the last several months, that I want to share with anyone who reads my blog. I cannot express how much I love these items and recommend them to all my readers! Enjoy :)

Secret Wonderland from Bath and Body Works. I discovered this scent on Black Friday and bought the body wash, lotion, shimmering body spray, and perfume. A sweet, yet not over powering scent. Definitely good all winter long! And the bottles are so pretty and sparkly too!

 

Umberto Beverly Hills Dry Shampoo Spray. Want healthy hair? Do NOT wash your hair every day. A dry shampoo can be very helpful with this, but I find many of them don't last long and can be rather spendy. I also haven't found a  brand that "wows" me yet. Then while strolling amongst the aisles of Target one evening, I noticed a new hair care line. Okay, maybe not new (wasn't this brand around years ago?), but new to me. I saw a coupon to buy one product and get the dry shampoo free, and with all of the products priced around $8-$10, I couldn't go wrong. I love this dry shampoo! It works great and is only $8 AND I am still finding the buy 1 get 1 coupons! It does go on a little white and powdery at first, but I find it easily blends in and brushes out nicely with my hair type and color.

Okay, I feel so 90's loving this chip, but they are so good I cannot deny them. I love Pringles, but rarely buy them. That carton is so small and I definitely do not need to be scarfing down a whole carton of chips. No matter how ungreasy Pringles convinces me they are. Also, some of the Pringles flavors seem to taste alike.Well, me and the hubs love trying new food items and flavors (and I may be a bit of a sucker for advertising), so when we saw these chips we had to try them. I have a wimpy palate so these chips are just spicy enough for me, but still have a lot of flavor. The Cajun taste isn't overpowering and the flavor is different than any other Pringles flavor. So yummy and gone in a day at my house :)

I have a horrible confession to make. I dislike most fruit. I have a sweet tooth to some extent, but I am a salty girl. I would probably choose veggies and ranch dip over fruit and chocolate fondue. My hubby loves fruit. In all forms. Leather, snacks, cups, dried, raw... you name it. So, when we saw these at Costco... into the cart they went. Turns out, I LOVE them. I know it isn't the exact same thing as eating raw fruit, but hey, it's a start. They kind of remind me of the fruit puffs for babies my niece used to eat (and yes, I tried those and they were yummy too). I may have the palate of a toddler, but these are dang good!

I love my Dooney and Bourke wallet. Only problem is, once I take something out of it, it never goes back in. This leaves me constantly digging for the various cards I might need whenever we go out. This also puts me at risk of losing valuable cards and information, as they easily spill out of my purse. This drives Jeremiah nuts! Well, problem solved. Jeremiah bought me this bad daddy as a Christmas gift and it is amazing! I know it looks a little odd for a wallet, but it is so space saving and easy to use that I have actually been keeping all of my cards in it! You can change the labels on the front to match the various cards you have and even color code them. The ACM wallet come in various colors and sizes and holds  6-12 cards. Check them out: http://www.acmwallet.com/?gclid=CLPwqM7v0aYCFRNSgwodSjUWIA

Clothing discovery (thanks to http://uberchicforcheap.blogspot.com/): Checkout  http://shopruche.com/ Vintage inspired and oh so pretty! I haven't ordered yet myself, but can't wait!

Has anyone tried any of these things? Let me know what you thought! Now, I leave you with a link to a new fave song of mine. I'm sure you'll recognize it, but I prefer this version SO much more! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocL-o8GY02k

Photography and Me

If you are reading my blog, then you know very well that I have taken up a new hobby over the last year. Some of you have even been part of this new hobby. Whether it has been to help me test lighting, scout out locations, critique my editing abilities, or act as my models I am very grateful! Photography has not come easy to me. I don't have an eye that easily "sees" a good shot; nor do I understand the full capabilities of my camera, as of yet. As for Photoshop editing, that's a whole 'nother challenge I am desperately finding time to master. However, I think that's why I like this new hobby. Deep down, I like a challenge and believe that if I set my mind to it I can do anything!

The barriers to getting where I want to be in my photography include a grueling work schedule that conflicts with daylight, finding time to learn my camera and editing, and staying motivated. But I keep at it for some reason... maybe it's because I have countless dollars invested into a camera, new lens, tripod, editing software, etc., or maybe I feel this is finally my creative outlet. I have never been creative and cannot think up new or unique ideas on my own. I wish I could, but I have to be honest with myself. That's partially why I wanted a hobby. I wanted to practice being creative and put my skills to the test. I wanted to learn to be something I am not... creative. I am still in this process and will let you know how it goes.

If any of you know photography and have seen my work, you may have noticed just how bad I am and wonder why in the world I would compete in this field? EVERYONE in the TC thinks they are a photographer and can take good pictures and I am just another wannabe. To that I say, don't ask me to take your pictures, don't look at my work, and mind your own business. I don't intend to compete nor do I delude myself into thinking I am great. If you have the time to judge my work in those ways, maybe YOU need a hobby.


My husband told me, not long ago, that when I mentioned I wanted to get into photography he didn't have the heart to tell me just how many amateur photographers there are and what I may be up against. Funny thing is, I wasn't going into this to compete. I thought this would be the least creative hobby I could take up and would be the easiest thing for me to do. HA! Well, at least it's proving to be a challenge and I am seeing progress in my work.

While I may never be a sought after photographer or make real money at it, I like practicing and am open to wherever photography takes me.  So, maybe I will never compare to some of the photographers out there, but I realize everyone has to have their own reasons for doing what they do. I have mine. Hope you have yours :)

*Need some photos done? Let me know! I am no longer offering free photo sessions, due to the large volume of time it takes for me complete photo sessions and edit images, but I am very cheap and love to practice :)