I am so excited to present my newest endeavor. Although in its infancy.... We will now offer beautifully designed Candy Buffets for weddings, graduations, and showers. There are several attractive packages to choose from. Large or small we have many options to meet your needs! Please contact me at erika@connections-marketing.com to set up a free consultation. (Don't forget to check out the wedding/events section at connections-marketing.com for all of your other event needs. Or let me be your personal shopper and I will find or create something to meet your needs.)

I have been working from home quite a bit lately. My 10 year old Mini Long Hair Dachshund seems to be in contest for my lap against my computer! It is hysterical..... although I do feel a little bit bad for her. I came back to her digging in a blanket left on my couch. I think she was making a nest. Regardless, it is funny watch her be so finicky! I am so glad that my BlackBerry makes for a decent camera or I wouldn't have been able to catch this silly moment.

Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Eliza Dushku, Freddy Rodriguez) based on a true story


Bottle Shock is a 2008 film that tells the story of the events that led up to the Judgment of Paris in 1976, when California wine beat French wine in a blind taste test. It is directed by Randall Miller, who also wrote the screenplay along with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz. It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Sommelier and wine shop owner Steven Spurrier, a British expatriate living in Paris, concocts a plan to hold a blind taste-test intended to introduce Parisians to the quality wines coming from elsewhere in the world (and save his business in the process). He travels to the not-yet-famous Napa Valey in search of contestants for his Judgement of Paris taste test, where a chance meeting introduces him to floundering vintner Jim Barrett of Chateau Montelena. This twist of fate and the resultant oenological epiphany forever change their lives, the fortunes of the Napa Valley wineries, and the global wine industry as a whole.

- Sundance Film festival - 2008 Online Film Guide

I love this movie! Please watch the extras... they feature interviews with the actual real life characters.

This photo so appropriately fits the title as it was one of my first photos of the new year. I took it at the bus stop on Banksville and Potomac while in Pittsburgh for New Years.

As most of you know I went to school at AIP and I enjoy traveling to the Burgh on a monthly basis to experience some of the finer things the city has to offer.

2009 is no exception as it marks Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary!!! Of course I have my continuing list of things that I must always fit in..... (Southside, The Strip, Shadyside, D's Six Pax, St. Patty's Day in the Square, Arts Festival, Kennywood, Sand Castle, Oakland, Warhol Museum, Church Brew Works, Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Fat Heads, just to name a few) This year there are a few extra things I would like to check out.

To start with:

Venture Outdoors Festival
Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival
Grand Prix
The new Rivers Casino (Opening in August)
The Scare House

Last year I really got into the kayaking and I am hoping to take a more elaborate trip down the river this year. I am shooting for the the Atlantic Ocean itself! (okay, being in a tiny kayak around all those barges is terrifying..... but totally worth it) I will at least make it past the Cork Factory this time and maybe go to Sandbar. Although I must say I really put in a few good hours rowing upstream the last time! However my arms were Jell-O by the end of it.

I will keep everyone posted on new events as I find them. I know there are a ton that I am missing. These are just a few of my "new for Pittsburgh" must check outs.

Dover, Ohio is starting to get a large Guatemalan population. In fact in the last several years my Mother has had the opportunity to teach several young Guatemalan children to speak and read English. So I have had the unique experience of spending some time with this fascinating culture.

Exactly one year ago Veronica gave birth to a little baby girl named Katelyn. Katelyn is beautiful. She spends most of her days with Veronica's younger sisters, (Sonya and Brigida). In their culture the younger children take care of the babies while the adults work or take care of the home. I am so glad that this was not the case for my family! I can't image what it would be like if I had to carry my sister around all day!!! It is hard enough with a mini dachshund fighting for my lap.

Anyway..... Katelyn really enjoyed her party. We started off with a prayer and blessing for the one year old and the new parents. I really didn't understand much as I do not speak their native dialect or Spanish. (Half the inhabitants of Guatemala are native Indians, most of them Mayas. They are however, completely under the rule of the Spanish speaking, the Ladinos. There are 21 Maya languages in Guatemala. So many Guatemalans will learn Spanish when they come to the United States because it is close to their native tongue and an easier transition than to English.)

After the prayer it was time for the party to begin. Women in the kitchen served plates stacked high of shrimp, tortillas, chicken, steak and radish salads. I couldn't believe the amount of food they had. The Ceviche was my favorite. Ceviche is shrimp or fish marinated in a citrus-based mixture, with lemons and limes being the most commonly used. In addition to adding flavor, the citric acid causes the proteins in the seafood to become denatured, which pickles or "cooks" the fish without heat. Needless to say it is awesome.

I sat down with Sonya at a table full of young Guatemalan men who didn't speak English. At first it was a bit awkward. Sonya speaks English, so she was able to provide some conversation. However, Sonya is 9 years old. I realized I was completely relying on her to help me fit in. With my plate piled high of salads, beans, and one huge chunk of marinated steak, I eagerly began the tasting. It was when I went to eat my steak that I noticed I was only armed with a spoon! I felt my face turning red. The younger children were starting to laugh at me. I soon realized that no one was using a fork, or knife. Sonya burst into laughter and shrieked...."use your hands silly!" WOW I felt awkward. So, I picked up my piece of steak and bit in. I do not think I would be able to get used to eating with my hands. It was a strange experience.

After dinner, the men started playing instruments in the living room. As far as I could tell there were two large wooden xylophones, drums, and electric guitar. The music was really good. At first I thought they were playing a CD. It was a bit odd that no one but my family danced. But they seem to enjoy our enthusiasm.

Overall the party was a ton of fun and I am so glad that it turned out to be everything that Veronica wanted it to be. She was quite the hostess.

Also, the video below was shot by Sonya. I have another version that I took that was much more steady.... I just couldn't resist using this one. She was so excited to take her first Video. I think she did a fantastic job. (Jill- I left your face off of here because of the Carrollton thing... )

I have been working on three different billboards for Breitenbach winery. This one is almost ready to go up in front of the winery. I am really enjoying the research for this project. For any of you that haven't visited Breitenbach lately...... it is time to go. They have made some amazing updates.

Currently they are adding a vineyard to their facility. It is quite the project and Tarulli Media Group has done an excellent job capturing every moment of this "ground breaking" piece of Breitenbach history. You can view the videos at http://tarullimediagroup.blogspot.com/ ! Add Tarulli to your following so you can keep up to date with this exciting project.

Also, make sure during your next visit to Breitenbach that you go with an empty stomach. They have a delicious lunch menu. I recommend their salads and anything wood fired! It makes for a perfect day to eat outside at a cafe table sipping wine and enjoying the fresh country air. The ambiance is spectacular.

Something else that has really piqued my interest in Breitenbach has been some of the dryer wines they have been making. One of my favorites is the 4 Barrel Tawny Port. This wine is presented in an attractive black ceramic bottle and has won silver medals at Florida State Fair and Great Lakes Wine Competitions. Another favorite is their Merlot.

Of course I cannot finish without giving praise to the new wine cubes! (I will post photos of those later.) Two bottles of wine vacuum sealed into one nifty little cube!!! It's awesome.

I will see everyone at the Dandelion Fest in May!

Amazon Best of the Month, Now that he's gotten us talking about the viral life of ideas and the power of gut reactions, Malcolm Gladwell poses a more provocative question in Outliers: why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? Challenging our cherished belief of the "self-made man," he makes the democratic assertion that superstars don't arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent: "they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot." Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, he builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, "some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky."

Okay, so I am totally addicted to linked in. It has been a great professional social networking site for me! I can't believe the site knows who I know! WOW, I mean some of the contacts that it brings my way are people I haven't been in contact with for the years. (i think these social networking sites are mind linking with my brain) Speaking of mind linking.........I will be writing an Aqua Teen Hunger Force blurb in the near future. Check it!