Projects for break

1. finalize dates for trip, contact family friends in Europe, begin making plans for the European trip (thanks for the feedback)
2. make coaster sets
3. re-purpose a pair of jeans into skinny jeans
4. make a tube scarf from fabric found in my (very tiny) fabric stash
5. clean "casket room" and turn it into an office (perhaps paint it?)/turn current office into "spare bedroom"
6. work on roman shades for dinning room

To me this sounds like a relaxing time, but lately anything outside of my job sounds like a relaxing time...

Need a little help here

Calling all cousins! (Too bad there isn't a cousin beacon like the batman signal.)

James and I are planning on attending my host-sister's wedding near Stuttgart this coming summer and are looking for a little European travel advice. By the way we're planning on traversing through three countries - Germany, Switzerland, and France - if all works out and we're able to make a couple of connections with family friends. We're starting to check travel sites and are wondering about car rental vs. rail passes. I love public transportation, but enjoy the freedom of hopping in a car and heading out without worrying about schedules (which seems very American of me for some reason...). Yet there are pros and cons of both. Just curious if anyone has an opinion or advice to share.