on second street

2012-02-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

house on the market this week.

upstairs = empty

No words yet. But I will borrow those of others.

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

i really have nothing to say right now

2012-01-18T20:11:00.001-08:00

but i can always round up a few photos of my favorite subjects.

making snowflakes

eating snow. what else?

looks innocent. may be torture, however.

i never posted christmas photos........ maybe soon!

How could I forget?

2012-01-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

My Dad had a birthday on Monday.

He is Grandpa and Father extraordinaire.

He also won the annual Jordison poker game.

Very talented man.

Love you and thanks for everything.

snowflakes

2012-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

this week we had snowflakes.

real ones and paper ones.

made with love.

they create magical shadows on the wall.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

This Christmas has been a little different than most.

No cards sent out this year, no holiday parties or holiday baking..... just a few precious moments shared.

One of my favorite traditions is sleeping under the tree with Aidan. It is a tradition we enjoy ever year..... sometimes for one or two nights, sometimes for a month.

We listen to Christmas music, watch a Christmas movie (or two) tell secrets and speculate about the coming year.

The next year is certain to be full of changes, and some real life, tough grown up decisions. Not the kind you envision making when you dream of our future.

However, I do have much to be thankful for. Especially that little boy who is sleeping under the tree. I think i need to go now and give him a squeeze.

Merry Christmas.

busy

2011-11-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

I bought a vintage quilt at the thrift store a few years ago for 1.49. It was kind of falling apart and I thought to myself, "I will cut it up and make something."

The problem was, it was so cute I couldn't bear to cut it and we have used it for snuggling on the downstairs couch for the last few years.

However, now that we have Proton, it ends up in the wash much more frequently and has pretty much fallen apart. So this weekend it was transformed into Christmas stockings. Aren't they sweet?

I also decided to "knock off" Anthropologie's paper Christmas tree. I found some old books at the thrift store and used caramel apples sticks as the post. I was going to sell them at the Holiday Boutique but I think I like them too much to part with them. Guess I need to make some more.

not bad, eh?

2011-11-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

thankful for a sweet boy who has good taste in music and the ability to multi-task. (note dog, homework, nerf guns, breakfast, and singing.)

getting ready

2011-11-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

Ready to do some Christmas shopping?

For some reason I have felt the need to applique this weekend. Five of the 9 bags I have sewn thus far have applique on them.

Vintage barkcloth is a must.

invited

2011-11-19T09:32:00.001-08:00

I have been busy sewing. Well........ I take that back. I started strong, set up my sewing station in the living room, and proceeded to fall asleep every night at 9:30 on the couch. This morning I posted the invite on Facebook and on my blog, hoping that will motivate me to sew. I have an art show in Northeast Minneapolis the next week as well. (Maybe I am a little over committed????) I haven't done an art show for two years so this is a lot for me!

come spend a fun evening shopping with friends & celebrating our beautiful local artists!

hand sewn silk items, oil cloth bags, jewelry, silk scarves, pendants, holiday floral designs & more... artists include Sarah Aamodt, Gina Alexander, Tara Bailie, Kate Drexler Booth, Naphtali Kahl, Anna Plasch, DR Jewelry Designs, Sara Smalley, & items from our new neighborhood boutique, Poppy!

bring a friend along to enjoy some mulled cider, sweet treats, wine & cheese.

my favorite kind of photo

2011-11-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

Dog waiting for boy to wake up

Dog sitting on clean, freshly showered boy who is also calling his Nana.

Playing in the park

Proton has been a great addition to our little family.

This weekend my mother-in-law was gracious enough to let Aidan bring his buddy down for a visit. Not quite sure what went down but I heard there was poo in her house. My deepest apologies to her! We have never had that experience with him, so I am not sure what went wrong, but I am so sorry it happened at her house!!!!

I was envisioning Aidan and Proton playing in the woods at their house, chasing through the trails, playing spies..... all his favorite things...... not making messes.

While they have been gone however, I had some quality girl time, quality thinking time, productive sewing time and some major clarity about some big decisions. For the first time in a year I am actually excited about something in this process, so more on that later as it unfolds.

Hope you are having a great weekend too.

2011-10-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Christmas.

That's right.

I harvested three batches of lavender this year and haven't quite decided what I am going to do with it yet.

Soap? Scrub? Tea? Sachets?

We'll see.

Any suggestions?

i spy

2011-10-23T18:56:00.001-07:00

notice anything unusual?

Let's just say I have a lot of green tomatoes. I didn't want them to freeze so I brought them all indoors and they have been utilized in my fall decor instead of pumpkins.

Then about every 4 days I have enough ripe ones to blend into sauce and freeze for the winter.

At this rate I should be done with tomatoes just in time for the transition to Christmas decorations.

we went to the apple orchard

2011-10-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

we bought lots of apples and Aidan is a champion apple corer/slicer/peeler.

I had bought one of these a few years ago, but it was still in the box. we know boys like to play with machines, especially sharp ones, so he thought that peeling apples was pretty fun.

all i can say is amazing. thanks to my machine (and my little operator) i now have bags and bags of sliced apples in the freezer and lots of applesauce too.

i love the way the house smells when you are making applesauce.

you will have to stop in for some apple pie.

can it really be october?

2011-10-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

i am shocked. not only is it october, it is mid-october.

i am a little behind, and way behind in the world of bloging.

i will admit i haven't really been reading blogs either, i have hardly opened my laptop. i finally upraded to an iphone which can do way more than my blackberry did, and so i have hardly needed to go online. shocking, isnt it? but now our minnesota summer is officially over. (we had quite the indian summer.) so it is time to start enjoying indoor pursuits again and with all the baking, cooking and autumn celebrations i thought i might dust off my laptop and attempt to blog again.

we also have a new addition who is keeping us quite busy. he is named "proton" courtesy of aidan my science-loving eight-year-old.

maybe we will start slow

2011-08-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

i have taken a few pictures over the past few months, fully intending to blog. as you can see, i haven't. my last blogpost showed you my empty gardens waiting to grow and today they are out of control. we have feasted on peas, lettuce, strawberries, bok choi, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, herbs, fava beans and peppers and we will soon be enjoying some eggplants, cabbages, beets and carrots.

growing things turns out to be easier than i though.

it's rather rewarding.

it has taken some time and some patience but otherwise the rain and the sun have done most of the work and i have just sat back and enjoyed it all.

i wish i could say that life was that easy. just coast, sit back, let the rain and the sun do the work....... not so. there are some gardens in my life i have left untended over the years and now the fruits are gone and i am struggling with what happens next.

in the meantime, however, i might just start to blog again. i have missed it. i don't know if you have missed me, but i have missed the chance to share little projects, the connection with my friends and family, and the inspiration and encouragement that always seems to be out there.

(and my imaginary computer-world friends too.)

so i might try again. maybe slow, maybe sporadic. but i am not not done yet.

my story is not over just changing. one journey ending where another begins.

(my Mom's journey is changing too. you can find her new blog here.)

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy;

for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves;
Anatole France

(I stole her quote.)

how does your garden grow?

2011-05-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

mine is going to grow in boxes.

{I hope}

a few boxes with trellises from Fleet Farm, two made by my neighbor, a few old crates from Hunt and Gather and my Grandma, and one made by yours truly. (Yep I used the tablesaw all by myself.) Rather empowering if I do say so myself.

All the seeds are in, the little seedlings too.

And now while watching the news they say I might need to cover them up tonight.

But that's okay we had sun today and breathed the fresh air all day long. (I even have a little strip of sunburn on my back end. Guess my pants didn't stay up very well when I was bent over.)

linen

2011-05-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

love, love love this blog and their online store.

Too bad the exchange rate between the Swedish Kronor and US dollar is not in my favor. I think the linens are absolutely dreamy.

Wouldn't you agree?

(All photos are from their blog/shop)

Craigslist Craft Hutch

2011-05-20T06:05:00.000-07:00

Remember this picture?

And this one?

I found this old hutch on Craigslist and it now has a home in my guest bedroom. Those of you who have been to my house might fall off their chair when I tell you this but I have downsized my fabric collection to fit in this hutch and have moved out the entire contents of my sewing room and pared it down enough that it now fits in this hutch and in a small dresser in the closet. I can hardly believe it either.

But it is a good change. I have accumulated so many craft supplies and fabrics over the years that I no longer knew what I had. My tastes have also changed and some of those fabrics needed to move on and find a new home that loved them. (Which they did. I donates them to a local school.)

I also found these treasures at Hunt and Gather a few months ago and they are perfect for stashing craft supplies. I also bought a few for my office at work. Who wants plastic or metal organizers when you can have beauties like these for half the cost? (and double the charm!) I should have snatched more when I had the chance.

So, we will see if my new found craft digs will inspire some creativity......... maybe not until next winter as I love being outdoors every waking minute.

enjoying......

2011-05-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

.... this book

"The pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite --- toujours bon appetit!"

Julia Child

{This book is an absolute pleasure to read.}

his first

2011-05-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

setting up

lemon or lime?

would you like a sunny lemon butter cookie too?

ummm, this wasn't exactly a get rich scheme but we still had fun.

even though this was our first lemonade stand I don't imagine it will be our last.

for Mother's Day

2011-05-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

i was given a perfect gift -

a handmade flowerpot, the seed is a surprise.

2011-05-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

I do not profess to be a great photographer, but when spring comes and the whole world seems to burst with color and life I just want to take it all in and give you a glimpse what I am seeing..........

or hearing, like the songbirds that nest in the cherry trees behind our house.

or the joy of playing outside again. apparently some glow-in-the-dark bugs took out the superhero.

the ducks in the creek love our leftover bread.

everyone has to do their part!

plants are popping up every day

robins have built nests in all of our eaves.

spring salads shared with friends

thats a little glimpse of my spring. how does yours look?

to do list

2011-05-15T06:21:00.000-07:00

-must go to Trader Joes and beg for wooden wine crates so I can add this element to my garden this year.

(images from style-files)

More info here.

another forgotten post

2011-05-14T05:33:00.000-07:00

April seemed like a never-ending month of birthday parties and rain showers. Not that I mind birthday parties but all that cake is hard on a girls waistline. Especially because Aidan and I prefer the same kind of cake: white with white frosting. I can resist a chocolate cake, but all the creamy, white frosting........ mmmmm.

This year Aidan just had a few friends over for an afternoon of Wii (instead of a big party.) I think low-key is definitely the way to go. He had just as much fun as last year but with about half of the work and stress for me. :)

Kitty Grandma was able to come for the party. She ate her first "walking taco." (Aidan's dinner of choice for the day.) Last year Aidan chose fried rice, orange chicken, green beans, oranges......... most of which ended up in the garbage. I would say that walking tacos were definitely a better choice. What kid doesn't love taco meat, cheese and doritos?

like it was meant to be

2011-05-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

a few weeks ago a friend gave me this awesome chair.

and a few weeks ago another friend sent me a little package of TLC which included this fabric.

Looks like they were meant to be together!

Thank you ladies!

(and for any observant readers out there. Yes, the green chairs are gone. I sold them for more than I paid for them last weekend.)

And last I heard the table was going out the door this weekend.

catching up

2011-05-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

Someone has had a busy month.

Multiple birthday parties, 4 lost teeth, a program, soccer, and lots of bike riding and outdoor play have filled our time.

We took him to Rainforest Cafe at the MOA for his birthday and he had a molten lava birthday cake. Now.... they do advertise free birthday desserts at Rainforest but what they don't tell you is that the free dessert is a tiny little cupcake (which in most circumstances would be totally adequate.) However it seemed that the day we were there every parent in the place upgraded their childs treat to the big, sparkling lava cake with all the fanfare and so we decided to jump on the "bigger is better" bandwagon. We didn't share that info with Aidan though, he thought all he was going to be getting was the little free cupcake - and he was quite gracious about it as well. So you can imagine his surprise when the staff came out with the giant dessert. (let me rephrase that. The expensive giant dessert) Funny thing is, none of us are big chocolate fans so we pretty much just paid for some sparklers and ice cream.

I would say it was well worth the cost though. Aidan really was a trooper when we explained the cupcake was free so that would be our desert of choice. What a kid! He is sitting on the couch beside me as I write this so pardon me while I give him a big squeeze.

paint it black

2011-05-11T04:58:00.000-07:00

I saw some pictures on different blogs of black bathrooms and bedrooms. I know I have been painting most of my house white but I couldn't stop thinking about a black bathroom. In my mind black was a logical step. After all the bathroom started white, then was painted grey so what is next?????? (maybe a really dramatic wallpaper?)

I love it.

(The mirror and the vintage florals were all in my sewing room. They are perfect in the bathroom!)

And every time i think about the bathroom this song runs through my head.

I'm a little disappointed

2011-05-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

I'd blogged about it.

The date was marked on my calendar.

I even had a gift card.

But nothing. I found nothing. The anticipation was too much I guess. I had been hoping for some breezy neutrals, but instead I found clothes like this. Some things just don't maintain their quality, even at"Tarjay" and so they seemed like bright, cheap knock-offs regardless of the original designer. I think the problem was I was hoping for clothes like this, and maybe even some linen/white/beach-inspired bedding.

The good news is - I still have my gift card! And now that I no longer am saving it for the Calypso St. Barth sale, I am sure I will have no problem spending it.

a new high

2011-05-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have kept these plants alive for two weeks.

That is a record for me. My outdoor gardens are no problem. I am not gifted with a green thumb

but my plants have a chance to survive out there because their survival is not dependent on me. However indoor plants never make it at my house. I have tried and tried over the years. For one things, we don't have the right amount of sun in any or our rooms. Then there is the whole issue of watering, too much, too little.... I never seem to get it right.

Earlier this month I met Jessica and Bethany for a girls night out in which we 1) had a good time, 2) did not really buy anything, 3)Emptied out half of my sewing room and saved me the trouble of a yard sale or multiple trips to the Goodwill. I even had a gift card to spend but all I came home with was a few little plants.

I am okay with that though as the rest of the night was perfect.

Here they are surrounded by all their loot.

Thanks ladies!

And hopefully in two weeks (if I actually blog again) I will be able to tell you my plants are {still} alive.

Finishing up

2011-05-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I showed you some pictures of my newly whitened basement. I am loving the empty, spare feeling that the walls evoke and it has caused me to start cleaning out my house in whirlwind fashion. For any readers feeling stressed or frantic by their every day life having less to look at & less to clean is a very peaceful feeling. Not that my house is totally empty........ don't get me wrong. But there is less around and my kitchen is next on the list. How many napkin rings can one person use? Why do I have so many sets of dishes? Really - wine glasses for the different seasons? Two punch bowls?

Anyway, last weekend I finished painting the downstairs ceiling and I also painted the stairs so my work here is done. Done! What a nice feeling that is too!

For the last few years we had and adorable striped runner on our light yellow stairs and i had a major love/hate relationship with the stairs. Cute - yes. Practical - no. Footprints, dust, coffee, food, tracking, more dust - keeping those stairs clean was a battle I was constantly losing but not anymore!

I haven't swept them since I painted them one week ago and you would never know. (For that matter I haven't vacuumed the carpet either but again, you would never know.)

They do look a little rustic, and I think I may need to distress them a little bit. (Or send Aidan up and down them all day with a bag of rocks.)

In the meantime, if any reader is in need of a punch bowl or some extra wine glasses I am your girl.

today

2011-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Today is a soup kind of day. Yes- April 30th in Minnesota means soup weather.

I have been obsessed with this soup ever since a friend brought me a bowl of it. If you have the book "A Homemade Life" the recipe is found on its pages, otherwise this is a great adaptation (and the recipe I have pasted below.) I usually add some cannelini beans as well and it is also one of those soups that tastes better the longer it sits in your fridge.

Tomato Soup with 2 Fennels

from "A Homemade Life," by Molly Wizenberg

~serves 4-6 (generous helpings)~

~takes about 40 minutes~

ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced (save some of the fronds for garnish)

4-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 28 ounce cans whole or chopped tomatoes

water

3/4 teaspoon salt

sugar, to taste

pepper and vinegar, to taste

- in a dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. add the chopped onions and fennel, and sautee for 5 minutes.

- add the garlic, thyme and fennel seeds. cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5-8 minutes.

- if using whole canned tomatoes, crush them in a food processor, with your hands, or however else you'd like. if using pre-crushed, no need to crush further. in any case, add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot and stir everything together.

- fill one of the now empty tomato cans with water and add to the mixture.

- turn the heat down, and let the soup gently simmer, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes.

- when the fennel is very tender, and the tomatoes have reduced to make the soup taste full-bodied, it's done! add salt and pepper to taste. if the soup is too acidic for you, a pinch of sugar will mellow it out. if you want a little more bite, add a small splash of red wine vinegar.

- ladle into soup bowls, and top with a pinch of fennel fronds, and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream (optional, of course!).

- serve, very hot, preferably to a table of your best friends.

2011-04-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

(photo here)

Some weeks I don't have words. This is one of them. I may later.

In the meantime the sun is finally shining here and I think I may have found the perfect bike accessory.

2011-04-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean to stay away so long. i just was caught up in the busyness of life - lots of weekends away, weekends with company and projects. I know I am seem like I am a little over-the-top with the projects right now but once spring comes I want to be outside so I am trying to finish up my indoor projects while it is still cold and snowy out. (because, yes, as my local friends can attest, it did snow this weekend!)

However, right now the sun is shining and I want to get outside and clean out some of my gardens.

I had planned to catch up on blogging/emails/photo editing today but our internet was down for a few hours and I lost my opportunity. Hopefully the stars will align and I will have time again later this week, but in the meantime I will leave you with a funny story.

My parents came last weekend to celebrate Aidan's birthday and my Dad also taught me how to change light fixtures. In typical fashion I decided to go hog-wild and change out all the lights in our downstairs. (You can buy them uber-cheap at IKEA.)

I even changed out the lights in the bedroom closet, and I thought I was pretty smart to install a track-type lighting that had adjustable beams that could be directed right at the clothes. However I failed to take into account the fact that the light fixture is rather close to the bathroom door and so...... yeah........ you can no longer open the door. (or iron, as our ironing board is on the back of the door.)

So I guess I am not done. I need to make another little trip to IKEA and pick up a few smaller lights.

And if you are ever in the area and you need a place to stay..... I also upgraded the lighting in my guest bedroom - it even has a dimmer switch.

the good, the bad, the ugly?

2011-04-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. I try to keep the ugly out of my blog. Not that it isn't there in my life every day, and not that I don't want to be honest with my {few} readers, but I assume that most of my readers know me and if they do, they know the truth about my life. And no, life is not always perfect. But it does have beautiful moments that you can capture and those are the moments I want to remember.

I think balancing the truth and the beauty is something all bloggers wonder about. How real should I be? How real am I being? How real are the other blogs I read? We can photo-edit and wordsmith the truth right out of our stories and make them what we want to be, at least for today.

But today I had only one story I want to share, the story of my little boys birthday. The story of how he is now seven and how this birthday is bittersweet. It is hard to believe that he has grown into such a wonderful young man and I can say I am proud of him every day. Before we left for spring break we had school conferences and when I asked his teacher what we needed to work on she said "nothing." Nothing? Isn't there anything we can work on? No. Apparently he is a smart-as-a-whip-little boy who listens to his teacher, responds well to correction and is kind and generous with his fellow students. What more could a mother want? Right?

Tonight as I sit here and reminisce about the past 7 years of my life with Aidan I know they are the best seven years I have had. They have also been some of the hardest years of my life and I honestly don't know what is coming next. Some of you who know me know what these struggles are this year, and for those who don't I am sure it will be evident eventually. It's just that as I sat down tonight to write a little tribute to our birthday weekend and tell you funny anecdotes I couldn't do it. And so tonight instead of a glimpse into a so called "perfect" little piece of my blog life you get the "ugly."

And the rest of the story......... I don't know. I may only write about the good, and that is okay. But one thing I have learned is that we all have some "ugly" in our lives and if we are willing to share I have found people to be so much more gracious and kind then I would have ever thought. And those are the beautiful moments - the ones worth capturing.

(quote via sweet & lovely things)

Happy Birthday!

2011-04-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to two of my favorite people. Aidan and Jane share a birthday and this picture is from a celebration they shared when Aidan turned 4.

How much he has grown! We have already had two celebrations this weekend and there are more to come so stay tuned!'

In the meantime I need to go upstairs and finish getting ready for my next round of company. Currently the upstairs bedrooms are torn apart as I rearrange and make room for this treasure which will hopefully be the perfect home for my fabric.

Don't you just love my little painter?

spring

2011-03-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

according to the calendar it has arrived.

but when i look outside all i see is snow.

i am thankful for trader joe's and six dollars worth of spring. i separated the bunch and have them brightening multiple corners of the house. they are slowly opening and sharing their pink blossoms and delicate fragrance.

soon it will be summer and i will be complaining about the heat and my lack of air conditioning. Isn't that how life goes - i need to be thankful for now, for the cold and the snow and the last chances to snuggle with my six-year-old before he turns seven next week!

if you look at the picture above you can see our matching game strewn across the floor. I used to be a real pro at that game. But now he kicks.my.butt. last night i thought i would be real tricky and leave the TV on so he would be distracted during the game.

guess what. he beat me 18 to 4.

i should also be thankful for a kid who is destined to be much smarter than I am.

surprise!

2011-03-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the middle of last week with all my cooking and working and running and nights out with friends, and furniture rearranging and school conferences........ (phew, and that doesn't even include all my normal "mom" tasks) I got it into my little head that I should surprise my mom with a quick visit. (Every item I listed above is a blog post waiting to happen. I just haven't had time yet) According to one of her last blog posts she

has been a little blue and missing my dad as she is in this transitional period of life. (They are in the midst of re-locating to Iowa. Since January my dad has been there working while my mom waits behind in Nebraska for the house to sell.)

I tossed the idea around in my head all week. I really loathe the 10 hour drive - especially when I am the only driver - and I had been so busy all week I kind of wanted to stay home and just relax. Then late Saturday night I checked the forecast and realized if I stayed home I would be enjoying a spring break full of snow. That was all the impetus I needed to pull myself out of bed Sunday morning, throw our bags into the back of the car and hit the highway!

And for once in my life the surprise worked! I actually managed to keep it a secret and i even talked to my mom while driving! I dropped Aidan off and kept my car hidden on the back side of their block. What fun! We were even able to see my dad before he headed to Omaha for some business meetings and thus far we have spent the majority of our time walking Charlie, playing with Charlie and making crafts.

Aidan picked out two Chinese origami and paper cutting books at his school book fair last week and we have been busy decorating Nana's walls.

In honor of our Chinese crafts we had an Aisan themed dinner last night as well.

I don't know - I think I may have over-done it with the food. looks like we won't have to cook today.

Finishing up

2011-03-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

So I have finished the bedroom, the downstairs, (minus the ceiling, I tweaked my shoulder cross-country skiing and I can't quite paint the ceiling in the downstairs yet,) the bathroom and closet. I just have to finish the stairs now. I was over at a friends house this evening and they recently refinished their stairs......... they looked so pretty I may just decide to copy them.

In the meantime, here are some finished pics of the bathroom and downstairs. I did like the teal I previously had in the bathroom but the light expanse is very calming to me right now.

Next week is spring break. Not sure if I am going to tackle projects or what I might do. But before the week starts i have a sewing date with this sweet lady. I am excited to have a good reason to sit and work through the pile of almost-finished lap quilts/baby quilts that I started a few months ago. (but have since lost steam.) I am hoping to put them in my Etsy shop.

Enjoy the pics!

The previous bathroom and closet view. I loved all the color and now in pictures it just looks so garish!

Had to show a picture of my Hunt & Gather treasure (the mirror.) Love it!

Just for fun. spring!

Painting in progress. See what a mess I have been making???

The bathroom is now a very light grey/purple. I had originally purchased a Martha Stewart color called "Frost." However, it turned a bright purple color in my bathroom so after one coat I had to cut it with white and grey. The color is still more purple than I would like but at this point I am willing to live with it. ( At least for now, right? )

So that is a little snap-shot of what I have been doing. I also have been cooking up a storm for a dinner at work..... I will share some yummy recipes later.

a new favorite

2011-03-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

i don't care for flavored coffee. i have distinct memories of pulling {almost} all-nighters during nursing school while drinking pot-after-re-perculated-pot of hazelnut, irish cream and caramel coffee. just the memories give me heartburn.

i also don't care for chocolate..... i am more of a vanilla kind of girl.

but i have a new favorite.

they are currently selling it at Trader Joe's. i have been drinking it for about a month straight now. Try it - you might change your mind about flavored coffee too.

giveaway

2011-03-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

First I have to confess that my recent spree of blogposts was due in part to the fact I was home one am with a broken furnace and the only warm spot in the house was snuggling with Aidan and my laptop. So I published a weeks worth of posts in advance. During that time my laptop actually was hit by a major virus and bit the dust for a few days. (thank you to this friend for volunteering her husbands help.)

Second I wanted to tell you to stop by this blog where you can enter for a chance to win one of my bags! Jessica has written the sweetest little article and I would love it if you entered to win!

Hope your week is going well - I am busy but I will catch up with you later.

ideas

2011-03-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have been slowly painting our downstairs. I have no immediate plans to paint Aidan's room but I like this room a lot.

This would be simple - a fresh coat of paint - and it would be fun to use maps from the places we have been; then he could add more as he continues to visit new places.

{photos all found here. I love her blog.}

making bread

2011-03-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

i used to make a lot of bread. especially considering we have a small little household of people who eat 1-2 of our daily meals away from home.

i wanted Aidan to grow up remembering the smell of fresh bread, i wanted him to also to enjoy good bread, so i was even grinding my own wheat. but neither Aidan nor James were really into sandwiches at that time so the problem was i was really the only one eating the bread............ realistically that wasn't a very good plan.

so i finally came to the realization that even though in my mind the "perfect mom" would always have fresh bread in the oven that wasn't going to work out with my family so now i only make bread for for special occasions. Or on cold days when we are stuck in the house, like last week.

i recently tried a new recipe i found here. it was fast and easy and filled the house with good smells.

Ingredients

2 Tsp. honey

2 2/3 Cup lukewarm water

4 Tsp. dry yeast

3 Tbsp. Molasses

5 Cups whole wheat flour

1/2 Tsp. salt

1/4 Cup wheat germ

1 Tbsp. Oatmeal (optional)

(I didn't have molasses on hand so I used only honey)

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.
Stir 2 teaspoons honey into 2/3 cup lukewarm water
Sprinkle yeast over the mixture. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Combine 3 tablespoons molasses with 2/3 cup warm water and combine with yeast
Stir into flour. Add salt, wheat germ and 1 1/2 cups warm water. Dough will be sticky.
Pour dough into bread pan (I sprayed mine to prevent sticking) and smooth top with wet spatula. Sprinkle oatmeal over the top.
Allow the dough to rise to top of pan (only takes about 15 minutes)
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Let cool.

So that I don't forget

2011-03-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

painting his own little treasure chest while Mom paints the downstairs.

my helper who carried in all the groceries, carried them all upstairs and then unloaded all the bags. he has done it a few times in the past month. he is trying to get "big muscles."

As he becomes more comfortable writing in English I find little notes taped around the house.

working on his valentine's.

(yes - he is always wearing the same clothes in all his photos. He has to wear blue/black for school and chooses to wear the same colors on weekends sometimes too.)

2011-03-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

I kind of copied the smitten kitchen with this one. I didn't use her recipe, just her idea. I used my old standby blonde brownie recipe that I adjust depending on what taste I am looking for. I substituted some peanut butter for some of the shortening and added peanut butter chips. For the chocolate I used a Ghiradelli box mix and added a bag of chocolate chops. They were really rich and super gooey and chewy. And I admit about half-way through the "cutting process" I was ready to quit!

So don't be discouraged if you feel the same way!

a little spring

2011-03-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

from me to you.

i love watching bulbs grow, don't you?

I almost forgot

2011-03-05T05:19:00.000-08:00

One of the most important celebrations of our son's school year is the Chinese New Year. They celebrated it a few weeks ago and I admit that I almost forgot to blog about it. I think it is because we were so busy celebrating!!!!! (really - We literally packed that 3 day weekend with the Science Museum, Omnitheater, Roller Derby and Shrek the Musical to name a few.)

The school has a new sign this year. I love it!

The stage is ready.

This year, 2011, is the year of the rabbit. As you can see the rabbit is chasing away the tiger, which represented 2010.

Aidan's dance this year was not as complicated as last years. He was pretty pumped though because it was a "Tae Kwon Do" dance which is pretty cool to a bunch of 6-year-old boys.

Traditionally they serve the children a Chinese meal over the lunch hour and a lot of the parents volunteer to help serve the little performers. We have so much fun with the kids!

After they eat they are treated with the "dragon dance."

We finished up the day at a Chinese restaurant and enjoyed the company of Jane, (a.k.a. Kitty Grandma)

Another Chinese New Year celebrated - another benefit we have through Yinghua. I have said this before on my blog, I was a little skeptical about the Chinese Immersion idea but it has been so much fun to see Aidan learn and I have also enjoyed the opportunity to learn about another culture.

And I must add - I am so proud of my son!

Save your money

2011-03-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Calypso St. Barth is going to be the next designer at Target.

You can read about it here.

I am drooling over their clothing and home designs.

You know where I will be found on May 11th.

(all photos from the Calypso St. Barth website)

Forgotten photo

2011-03-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

This is for you, Val.

I try really hard not to be an "immersion school mom."

You know, the kind that manages to casually drop comments regarding their child's brilliance into every conversation. "Oh yes, our son is actually fluent in Chinese, he goes to an Immersion school in Minneapolis........."

You know the type.

Before Aidan started kindergarten I attended a "Back to school night" at Yinghua. That evening I sat with some parents who were absolutely horrified at the thought of living in a suburb. They couldn't. even. fathom. the. thought. Thankfully I have forgotten their faces but I haven't forgotten their careless dismissal of us "suburb dwellers." I think it is great to be proud of your children's school but when I talk about our choice I try really hard not to make others feel small by comparison.

However....... there are times I do want to brag a little, and often it is about unexpected moments. Like last week when we were at Borders and there was a huge gathering of Chinese people there and my little blue-eyed, blond-haired son went right up to them and started conversing in Chinese. The look on their faces........

Or earlier this winter when we spent an afternoon at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and he was reading all the ancient Chinese manuscripts. They were telling a story - and he could read them! Yes! It was amazing......... and if you have been there you might remember that there are staff everywhere (and I think they especially like to keep a close eye on potentially rambunctious little boys.) I could see by their faces that they were astounded as he read me the stories off of vases and wall hangings. Amazing.

So there. That is my bragging session for the month - and Val - I hope that answers your questions about school. Watching your child learn another language is a great opportunity, but seeing him actually put his knowledge to use in a social setting outside of school is amazing.

the color upstairs

2011-03-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

So while I am busy eliminating the color from my downstairs I am still adding color to my upstairs. (Or at least I was. My Dad kindly came this weekend and he is helping me come up with a solid, reasonably priced option for my kitchen.)

A few weeks ago I met the lovely Jessica for some coffee and then we went to Hunt & Gather. Side note - meeting blog friends is a great idea. I have met a few over the past year and I now have real friends, not just imaginary computer friends.

Anyway, no sooner had I met her than I put her to work carrying chairs out to my car and playing the "puzzle game." (for all my thrift-store shopping, estate sale-loving-friends you know this is the game you play when you try and fit your treasures into your vehicle and hope there is still room for you.)

I found the cutest chairs that are perfect for my kitchen. They also don't creak and groan when you sit on them. (My other chairs were borderline unsafe. Cute - but unsafe and I had glued them and re-screwed them multiple times.)

Anyway - back to the chairs. They are the best color green, that kind of color you could never replicate, and they look darling with my seat cushions and decor. The only problem is that they don't fit under my kitchen table. So they make my already small kitchen seem even smaller........ I could paint them white and then they would take up less space visually, I could keep my eye out for a pedestal table on Craigslist, or I can sell them again. I am still undecided so they still are crowding my table. Any opinions? (oh - and if you have a pedestal table with a leaf you are trying to get rid of I may be your girl. It just needs to have 28 inches clearance for the chairs.)

How cute is that?

Are mom's always right?

2011-03-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Well, mine has that tendency. I like to think I do too.

Today I am home with a sick kid. That's okay, I can work on a bunch of blog posts and put some items on Craigslist. I wanted to work on slipcovering my other chair but our furnace is out so I prefer to huddle under the blankets with my feverish little heat source.

Did you catch the use of the word "other" in my previous paragraph? That's right. Keep reading.

So my mom thought I could slipcover a chair. I didn't agree and priced custom slipcovers. Yeah. They cost more than buying a new chair. I really am trying to save my money for my kitchen, so I thought I'd better try sewing my own. Last night I whipped this one up in about 2 hours for the cost of a $10.00 paint tarp. really. If you ever come over I just ask that you don't look too closely as it is far from perfect. It also is kind of in "pieces," three to be exact. That allowed me to really tuck in some areas tightly and I think I like it that way. And then if I ever need to wash it I can just wash the piece that needs it, right?

So hopefully tonight I will finish slipcover #2. Or if we are still waiting for the part for our furnace you may find my on the couch with Aidan, buried under a pile of blankets with my laptop battery strategically placed under our feet. (it generates some major heat!)

i haven't been blogging........

2011-02-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

because I have been a busy lady. Somehow the month of February passed me by and I only had four blog - posts! Yes - I am way behind but I think if you keep reading you might understand why.

This is my downstairs. Or rather it used to be. If you look closely at the photo above you can see the stud lines shadowed through the paint. (I have done a lot of reading and it is caused by candles......... so no more candles in my house. My whole downstairs has those lines and my kitchen is starting to get them as well. I also learned that faux silver frames leave horrid marks on the wall.)

The color of our lower level is a combination of eight years of painting. I really did love our downstairs, although now looking at the pictures it looks really intense!

The stud-lines in our bedroom were really showing and I started the transformation there. This is a picture mid paint job. The room is now deep cleaned, (even the blinds) the mattress flipped and the entire room and ceiling are coated in a fresh white.

The decor in this room was already white - I just painted the rest of the furniture white and got rid of a lot of the "trinkets."

Our downstairs....... trying to pick the perfect white sample. I ended up with the same color as the bedroom. ( Which means I will have less cans of paint to keep on hand.) (Oh - and the rug is Cutting Garden by Capel if any one is looking for a rug. It is going on Craigslist. It has been featured in many a BHG magazine article........) (Insert smiley face here.)

And now drumroll please ..........

some junk on my wall from Hunt & Gather.

This picture has pretty bad lighting but you can see I repainted my buffet and the lampshade in white, and then I also covered the lampshade with some linen. (well...... not really linen. Paint tarps which feel and look a lot like linen, for the same cost as a yard of good linen. I bought two huge tarps and I am planning to slipcover my robin-egg blue chairs. My Mom thinks I can do it. I am not entirely convinced. ) My next project will be the stairs which you see on the left. The runner is from Dash & Albert and I haven't decided if I am going to sell it or keep it to sew into bags like this one. I just don't know if my machine can handle sewing through the heavy layers of cotton. But wouldn't it make a perfect beach bag?

I did find some junk at Hunt and Gather, but all this "junk" was already in my house, I just did some rearranging.

As was all this "junk."

The only real money I spent was on my $100 IKEA rug and some paint. (And a little "junk" at H & G.) Otherwise, I just rounded up items from around my house and put them to work. I am already in love with this room for one reason: the rug doesn't track dirt so I have gone the whole week without vacuuming it. I also cleared out a lot of the little items that took up floorspace so I have less to clean around as well.

This week I need to finish painting the ceiling in this room and then we will see what comes next..........

2011-02-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

Last week as Aidan and I were rushing out to the car on our way to school I heard a cardinal chirping overhead and I grabbed a quick picture.

I know the cardinals have been around as I have had to refill my bird-feeders a few times, but I haven't really heard them all winter until last week. Maybe I wasn't listening, or maybe they are feeling hopeful as we gain more daylight.

Hearing the birds again makes me think that spring is coming. It can't be long now.........

J.Jill - what are you doing?????

2011-02-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have always loved J.Jill. Linen is one of my favorite fabrics to wear and they usually have a great selection. It seems like lately, however, they have crossed a line and gone from carefree beach linen to this. (They also have had jumpers earlier this year which a kind friend totally talked me out of.)

What on earth? Even if the 80's are back, I thought one of the lessons we learned from that era was that grown women should not wear bib overalls? (I am sorry if any of you already went out and bought a pair, I just had to share my opinion. (And no, I don't think I will change my mind the way I did with skinny jeans.)

In the meantime I have a gift card just sitting in my purse. Aidan and I keep stopping in to the store- he throws some pennies in the fountain and I wander around and shake my head in dismay at the choices for this spring. I just hope my gift card doesn't have an expiration date.........

2011-02-14T18:44:00.001-08:00

we started with some old magazines.....

we cut lots and lots of hearts out. Aidan started cutting some in bright construction paper and I said, "Oh, I really like the magazine ones....." but he convinced me the colors were a good idea so he kept cutting and cutting construction paper and I kept cutting up magazines.

Soon we had lots of heart-strings to hang in the window.

And as you saw on my banner, we had lots of fun with the construction paper hearts.

Lesson learned - let your kid make his art project any way he wants to.

Happy Valentines!

today

2011-02-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

making this cake............ a long-time favorite and hopefully a winner for our "Valentine's Day bake-off" at work tomorrow. I figure if I lose I can blame it on the fact that some people don't like coconut.

I also tried cross-country skiing for the first time. I think we have found a winner! I always wondered what winter sport I could claim for my own as down-hill skiing doesn't mix well with Coumadin - maybe I have found it. I am going again on Wednesday. (If I can move tomorrow.)

I have been in a mood to purge. I have little piles of "stuff" all over the house that i need to take to the Goodwill. (or I might save them for a yard sale with Christa this summer.)

Now I need to go cuddle with my sick little boy who is resting on the couch. Hopefully he is feeling better tomorrow as we have a big pile of Valentine's we need to hand out!

not that i don't have other things to do

2011-02-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

i have been a very busy girl this week. i clocked a bazillion hours at work, repainted my bedroom, (all white, including some furniture. pics later when i finish touching up the ceiling.) finished up a few projects and i am finally sitting down to post. however, as a friend told me last weekend, i found that Tumblr is indeed very easy to use. and so in the midst of the busyness i have managed to stash a few photos on my new Tumblr site. you can take a look here, and as you can see i have kitchens on my mind. my dad kindly offered to come re-do my kitchen at some point and i am thinking this summer might be the time so i am trying to gather my thoughts via photos so that he can weigh in. i think my taste looks quite simple but easy for me to say, right? i also want to make "a plan" so I can keep an eye out for an old hutch or sideboard to incorporate into the design. we'll see. a girl can dream, right?

(p.s when i first started adding photos to tumblr i wasn't correctly linking the photo to give credit where due. so i found the above photo online somewhere, but i failed to appropriately save the credits.)

and the winner is......

2011-02-08T18:23:00.001-08:00

...........Malaika at Never a Dull Moment. Thanks for all the comments........ I wish I had enough books to give one to each of you.

I also wish I could stay and chat longer but I am in the middle of a few projects and I have been on a roll so I hate to sit online and lost my steam. So in the meantime enjoy a few pics of our Valentine decor.

Notice the spools of velvet ribbon? I scored a bunch at Sundance after Christmas. The spools look so pretty I don't want to use the ribbon.

What about you - are you decorating for Valentine's Day?

Giving Thanks

2011-01-31T18:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the sweet comments about my new banner. That was a project Aidan and I took on this weekend. (He wanted bright hearts and I wanted muted ones. More on who won that argument later.) And who would have thought that the "jeggings post" would generate so many comments? I think that is pretty funny. Forget the serious stuff, home inspirations and good recipes. I am going to talk about my fashion blunders from now on. (Because I think in a decade we will look back at our jeggings and say "what were we thinking????")

Now on a more serious note. I have been reading a wonderful book. Actually I read it in one evening and wept my way through it. So then I read it again with a highlighter and pen in hand (I never, ever write in books.) because I felt like she was writing it to me. There are so many circumstances in my life right now that seem out of my control and I have fallen into a pattern of self-pity and complaining, feeling fully justified in my behavior. How pathetic, eh? My friend Darlene was a great example of living every day like it was a gift and having a thankful heart. I feel embarrassed for my attitude; I need a change of heart as I have so much to be thankful for.

So...... to celebrate the gifts we have I am having a giveaway. ( I love giveaways!) If you would like to win the book please enter a comment and I will have a drawing in a week. If you link to this post in another you can have two entries into the contest..... just let me know in your comment. And even if you don't want to read it...... just look at the cover. How can you resist?

no more snow

2011-01-31T06:51:00.000-08:00

Well, at least in our front window. Rumor has it we are getting a few more inches tomorrow.

I am going to miss the shadows the snowflakes created on our walls.

But I think the hearts look charming. More pics to come.

So i did it

2011-01-30T15:55:00.000-08:00

I swallowed my pride, "ate" all the comments I have made over the past year and plunked down a chunk of change for some jeggings.

Yes. Jeggings.

Super comfortable, surprisingly flattering, perfect-with-boots jeggings.

I wish I could wear them every day.

Get yours now so you can ride this wave as long as it lasts because they are awesome.

(p.s. if you live by a Hot Mama they have many options and their staff are always helpful and friendly.)

photo from Hot Mama as well.

right now

2011-01-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

Reading this book.

Making a list from this catalogue.

Spring can't come soon enough. This year I am going to grow a garden in lieu of joining a CSA.

Wish me luck. I can grow flowers like it's my job but my veggie gardens end up untended and overgrown. But not this year!

2011-01-13T18:51:00.001-08:00

It was just a simple jar of barbecue sauce. I reached into my cupboard and pulled it out and found her little note still taped on the top.

"Merry Christmas Nat. I hope your holiday season is filled with peace, love and some fun too. I miss you and love you. Love Darlene.

I pulled it out because we were going to make barbecued meatballs at work tomorrow in honor of our friend. She made the best barbecue sauce ever and if she gave you a jar it was like winning the lottery.

Little did we know the real prize was having Darlene as a friend.

Our friend Darlene went home this week. I didn't say good-bye to her. She emailed me that morning and asked me if she could still come for dinner in two weeks. I replied "Of course, have a great trip to Florida." She didn't make it to Florida. She actually died mid-air.

I was going to bring the barbecue sauce to work but I don't think I can. I hadn't cried yet. I thought I was glad for her. Glad that she finally left her suffering body for a better place. But when I pulled out that note I realized that was my last note ever from Darlene and all the emotions came tumbling down.

I never finished sharing the professional pictures from her party. Maybe tomorrow. In the meantime I am going to tuck my precious jar of barbecue sauce back in my cupboard with its little note taped to the side. I think I will save it for a special occasion.

chinese new year is coming

2011-01-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

Last year I was in a little conundrum over Chinese New Year as I couldn't figure out what to wear. Not a super big deal in the grand scheme of things, but all the other parents looked so lovely in red and there was I in black. (Because honestly I only ever usually wear grey, black and brown) I wasn't planning to purposely spend time shopping for red as I tried that last year and nothing red ever looks good to me. However if something jumped off the shelf and into my basket I would be okay with that.

So today after work I had a bag of things to return at Anthropologie and I decided to peruse the clearance racks. (after all, Tuesday is when they make their "fresh cuts.") Anyhow, a jacket that I had only ogled before just happened to be clearanced. And to make it an even better story, I have been shrinking lately and was able to fit a size 8 for the first time since I was married. And since I was returning items the jacket was almost free, right? Does it work like that in your head too?

Anyway - this year I will proudly take my place among the ranks of "Mom's in red."

2011-01-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

So last week Aidan and i stopped at a local to shop {Patina} to pick up a gift for a friend. One of his classmates mom's works there so soon we were talking as he wandered around and eventually he came and asked me if he could buy a book. I wasn't really paying attention as I was still chatting, and I continued to chat with her while I paid for our items, (and the book) and soon we were in the car and headed home.

When we got home he was all excited about his new book and asked to forgo supper so we could start reading. He sat on my lap and we started looking through his new magic book. The pages are full of card tricks, coin tricks........ none of them seemed to excite him. Finally the truth came out. He wanted the magic book so he could make J - his little nemesis at school - disappear. And if that didn't work, he was hoping the book would show him some other tricks he could play on J - like invisibly removing J's coat so he will be cold, removing Jason's dessert from his lunch ...... etc. The whole scenario struck me as funny. I mean, we never talk about magic or anything of the sort. He complains about J regularly and I usually advise him to "be kind to his enemies." (and yes - i have met the kid and he is rather awful.) And the thought of Aidan buying a book solely for that purpose? Also funny - but lesson learned - i should ask about the book before I buy it, right? Because when he found out that the book would only show him some sleight of hand he was lost his enthusiasm and hasn't opened the book since.

So if any of you are interested in learning some card tricks i have just the book for you!

a new project

2011-01-09T16:13:00.001-08:00

last week a co-worker asked me to decorate for her daughter's wedding. i am pretty excited - i love projects like this and i must admit that every time i take something like this on i have a secret hope that someday one of these "projects" will blossom into a new career.

the wedding colors i have to work with are deep turquoise and black. she has very simple, elegent taste but as of yet doesn't have a whole lot of direction. this weekend we talked about the possibility of damask table runners and a mixture of clear glass and milk-glass vases and votives on the table. i love the idea of peacock feathers as well.......

i staged a few "table-scapes" for her today. she is still debating over flowers but knows she wants lots and lots of candles. i picked up a bouquet of gerbera daisies and white roses today to play with. i don't know about you but i think i like the pictures with less flowers rather than more. and don't you think a peacock feather would look perfect on the table?

Pardon the "goodwill tags" on the tableware. We are still in the debating process so I might need to return everything. I will post some inspiration photos later........... and I would love any ideas!

a few of my thoughts after taking the pictures:

I thought I liked the white/black fabric more than the black/white fabric but i think the black will provide better contrast in her photos.

I also think that perhaps only one or two flowers are all we need at each table. I think white ranunculus would be perfect, and all my hydrangeas will be in bloom then as well............

I have lots of vintage turquoise glass. would it be too much to have a few pieces scattered throughout the room? I think if it were on every table it would be a little much.

Any thoughts?

p.s. one of the picture frames I spray-painted dried so i am updating this post with another photo. i think we are going to put the table numbers in black frames. sadly my printer isn't working so i had to draw this "1" but you get the idea, right?

(a candlelit view)

you might enjoy this. I did.

2011-01-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

you might want to pause the playlist before you play the video clip.

New Year's Day

2011-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

So the New Year has come. It arrived at my house with little fanfare.

Today I am enjoying a good book, some cooking shows on public television, and some solitude. I am also happy to report that I just picked up some antibiotics and eye drops so hopefully I will be back on my game soon! Unfortunately I was ill for most of the past few weeks which meant poor Aidan had a pretty boring winter break. There was no Holidazzle, no cookie baking, no sledding....... but lots of couch/snuggle time, not a bad trade-off in my mind, but he may not agree.

Looking back, the last year has been one of uncertainty and changes. And at this point I am very uncertain about what the next year will bring and right now I don't even have the words to articulate what my heart is feeling.

In the meantime, I like to day-dream about making my house all white. That's crazy, I know, as my house is full of color. But a girl can dream, right?

photos found here, here, here

2010-12-25T06:11:00.000-08:00

According to our calendar its Christmas!

I know I already posted this picture but I should have saved it for today. So guess what - I am posting it again. It makes me smile, I hope it makes you smile too. (there's nothing wrong with recycled cards, right Liv?)

Merry Christmas.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

2010-12-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

Well kind of.

This year we had a bumper crop of sour cherries, so while there may not be a Santa Claus, there is plenty of cherry liqueur to go around. I actually filled 30 bottles this week and I have about 15 bottles worth left. (and no bottles, so to all my kind relatives who read this blog I would love to get my bottles back this year.) I splurged on some imported Italian bottles that come with a rubber gasket......... they are pretty neat. And if you want to keep your bottle and use it to infuse some oil or vinegar I won't hold it against you.

Speaking of Santa Claus, I brought Aidan in to work with me this week and my co-workers were all asking him about Santa. When we got in the car he said, "Seriously mom, why is everyone asking me about Santa Claus? Do they really believe reindeer can fly all over the world?????"

2010-12-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

My coffeepot came yesterday.

Things are looking up.

Christmas Tour ~ Final Chapter

2010-12-22T06:40:00.000-08:00

I started showing you "Christmas around my house" a few weeks ago. I think I better wrap up the tour considering it is almost Christmas!

If you were a guest at my house this holiday season I think you would feel right at home in our little guest bedroom.

There is a vintage tinsel garland hanging on the mirror and a little golden bird nestled in the laurel topiary.

There is even a crazy quilt stocking in the room..... although you would probably find it to be empty.

My mom made it years ago and she made the matching pillow on the bed too. I am thinking someday it will be a family heirloom, right mom?

You would probably gather downstairs in our family room too. I usually decorate it quite heavily with lots of garland but this year I just used a few tinsel trees. I like it much better this way. And the clean-up will be much easier too.

Usually guests don't hang out in my room, but I will let you take a peek.......... I like to fill hurricane vases with white, gold and silver balls throughout the room.

Sometimes less is more, don't you think?

2010-12-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

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secondstreetdesigns

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Retro floral bag
secondstreet...
$42.00 USD
Red Brocade Tote
secondstreet...
$44.00 USD
Pleated Echino Bag
secondstreet...
$42.00 USD
Teal Echino messenger bag
secondstreet...
$40.00 USD
Echino Camera Messenger ba...
secondstreet...
$38.00 USD
Car messenger bag
secondstreet...
$40.00 USD

secondstreetdesigns

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Opened on Oct 01, 2007
6 items for sale
24 sales

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Yes, I did it. I am slowly adding some items back to my shop. I know I am too late to benefit from the annual Christmas rush, but when the stars align............. (that would be my mood, time, and products) I just had to go for it. So keep me in mind for next year, or for a spring birthday.... .or if you just need to treat yourself! (and I know I need to work on my banner, I just have no skills in that area and get frustrated with all the cropping and trying and so I just quit and go with the best of the bad. The screen shot of the shop also is cut in half here in blogworld. It is a good thing I know how to sew since my computer skills are somewhat lacking. )

yesterday

2010-12-21T17:58:00.001-08:00

well, i vented a little. thanks for listening. but i know that i do have a lot to be thankful for as well. Sometimes it is hard to remember that when we get bogged down with the curve balls life throws at us.

So today I am focusing on being thankful. i am thankful for snowflakes. Yes - the kind which melt on your tongue.

the kind which provide hours of entertainment for the kids in the neighborhood.

(warming up with some hot cocoa)

the kind that are piled so high right now I don't think I can physically shovel them any higher!

I also love the kind that you cut out of white paper. I love the surprise when you unfold them. Aidan and I made a bunch last week and we hung them in the living room window. They make neat shadows on the wall in the morning sun.

recap

2010-12-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

this is supposed to be the "most wonderful time of the year." Want to hear about my last week or so?

Here's a short recap.

Sick kid.

Snow storm.

Still sick kid.

Flat tire.

Broken coffee pot.

cracked french press. (i.e.back-up coffee pot)

Still sick kid.

Personal stuff. (Hardcore.)

Sick me.

Lost credit card. Yes, the only credit card that auto-pays Netflix, Yoga Today, Paypal, groceries, Amazon.com. Remember my previous post? Problem.

Lost ticket for Billy Elliot. (Don't worry, I still made it to the show, thanks to computer records.)

Sicker kid.

Snow storm.

Sick Me. Sick James. Who gets to shovel??????

But on a cheerier note, the endless sickness and snow have led to one of the longest Monopoly (or rather "Gopheropoly" games in history. Remember James is a U of M alumni and that is a freebie we acquired somewhere along the way.) I also have had time to work on updating my Etsy shop. It's been a long time but inventory is starting to take over my sewing room so I better move it. Maybe I will have to have a giveaway after the Holidays.................

Hope your December is going better than mine!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-18T09:41:00.001-08:00

Hopefully these will be in the mailbox soon. I tried Picnik for the first time. (Thanks Bethany for the good tip!) I am in love with the font. I also ordered my photos through them- the quality was decent- and I chose them because they weren't going to crop the photo the way a lot of photo labs do. (they actually added a white border that I thought I would lop off, but I think laziness will prevail here.)

writing itself

2010-12-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

this post practically wrote itself.

quite a few people mentioned they liked the Paris gift tags and wondered where I bought them. so rather than keep the beauty to myself I will share.

A few weeks ago I blogged about Cavellini gift tags. I fell in love with some holiday bird ones they sold at Anthropologie the last few years, but this year they aren't carrying them. Bummer. I love them.

So, guess where I looked. Amazon.com. Sometimes I feel like my blog is a commercial for Amazon.com. Because almost everything I buy comes in the mail from Amazon. Seriously. You don't believe me?

The gift bags I used for the hot cocoa were from Amazon, as was the bakers twine I used to tie the bags, as were the tags i used to embellish the bags, as were the garbage bags that all my scraps went into, as was the Christmas music I listened to while making the hot cocoa, as was the coffee press that made the coffee I drank, as was the book I finished reading after I made the hot cocoa............. I could go on and on but I will spare you.

You see a while back I received an offer to upgrade my account to Amazon Prime which means fast, cheap shipping. So I can order it and have it to my home faster than I can get to the store.

I also order my groceries online and then drive-thru to pick them up......... as I mentioned last week I have even been having fresh fruit shipped to my home. This means I have more time to spend with my cute kid, and the time I do have for shopping I can go to fun places like this one or this one.

How do you save time? Any tricks you can share?

(and before you comment about my expensive garbage bags, let me tell you that they are worth every penny. I used to hold my breath and cringe every time we took out the garbage as we always managed to stuff our bags so full they would burst or drip through the house....... but not these bags. I have yet to see one leak. Really. And you can ask my mom, I have a horrible habit of over-stuffing garbage bags. Not to mention I would always run out, or I ended up double bagging. Problems solved, I just order them and they don't ever need double-bagging.) Maybe you should add a simple human trash can and bags to your Christmas list this year. )

i want to squeeze him

2010-12-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

conversation at my house last night

Me : "Aidan, what I am going to do with you, you are getting bigger every day! I don't know what to do about you!!!!"

Aidan : "Mom, what am I going to do with you? You get more beautiful every day."

Me: "Oh, don't be silly Aidan. Don't worry. I will keep feeding you healthy food and vitamins and let you grow bigger."

Aidan: "Mom - I am serious! You are! Even when you wear ugly clothes!"

Not making that up. It really happened. Spontaneously. And if he is smart, (which he is) the next time he really wants something, he will remember the way I swooped in and thanked him with a giant hug and kiss because right then if he would have asked me if he could skip his homework to go play, or for some candy or a giant pack of Pokemon cards you know I would have been all over it.

snowed in

2010-12-13T06:11:00.000-08:00

A day for creativity and contemplation.

Pardon my random blog thoughts today.

So yes, we are snowed in, not just because of the snow, but Aidan is sick. I am actually thrilled he is sick on the weekend because between the snow and Aidan I can excuse myself from all social functions, errand running, etc. I hadn't really been in the mood to "create" this season but after last weekends Crafternoon I am again feeling inspired, so a weekend in is just what I needed!

Aidan must be feeling it too, even in his flushed cheek/feverish state he is busy coloring and creating.

Since I was snowed in I thought it would be a good chance to finish up the little gifts I wanted to give the nurses I work with. Now, I manage 44 nurses. Why I got it into my head to make them all a bag of homemade hot cocoa mix I will never understand. Not to mention, there are a few people who work closely supporting my nurses and a few other nurses who I don't manage but they work closely with us as well........ I didn't want to leave them out. Why do my ideas always end up being more work and money than I had planned???? My intent was to show them all that they are appreciated - if it wasn't for the good work they do I wouldn't have a job - so I wanted to write them all a little thank-you and give them a token of my appreciation. However, the treat bags I ordered were a lot bigger than I pictured them in my head, so even though I only filled the bags half-way I ran out of cocoa mix.

So far I have made 50 bags of hot cocoa, and I am still about 20 short. (Aidan wanted to give some to his teachers as well, and I am still missing a whole department's worth!)

This is the view from my front door. A kind neighbor came over last night and helped James snow blow out the end of our driveway. (note to self, buy a snowblower when they clearance out next spring!)

This picture was supposed to be on the top. I have not seen this much snow in years, many years. The last time I remember this much snow was in 1988. (I am sure the Midwest has had that much, but for many years we lived in PA and MO so I may have missed out.) I just have a vivid image in my mind of shoveling our sidewalks with my dad on January 12, 1988. My dad had a big, blue puffy jacket and the snow was higher than his waist. I was the "big helper" so I was able to shovel with him while my little brother stayed indoors. My dad silently shoveled and wept. My sister had died the night before in the midst of a blizzard. When we woke up on the 12th the sun was shining bright- all was serene, and we were blanketed in the fresh white that sparkled in the sun. No one could really visit us that day, the roads were snowed over. So we just stayed home, the 4 of us, and shoveled and prepared for the busyness of the days ahead.

Snowed in.

A day for creativity and contemplation.

Crafternoon

2010-12-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday the lovely Jessica invited some ladies over for a "Crafternoon." I was a little tentative. I had met Bethany before - which was a good meeting - but you never know what you are in for....... what if I am the only one who doesn't know anybody? What if I am the least talented of all? What if????

I don't know why I was worried. Jessica is even better in real life than she is on her blog- can you imagine that?????? Her house is adorable, her crafts were perfect for crafters of all abilities. She had thought of everything, including bags for you to take your crafts home in. I didn't bring my camera because her and her husband are professionals, so I thought I would just wait and enjoy their pictures. So rather than listening to me drone on about the afternoon, I will direct you to Jessica's blog and let you see/read for yourself!!!!!! You can click here, here or here, on Liv's blog)

I did make this yarn wreath that afternoon. I love it -and I could seriously get addicted to making more. So many color combos to try.... but what would I do with all of them??????

So thank you Jessica for taking a chance and opening up your home to a bunch of bloggers you had never really met! I had so much fun and I would love to do something like that again in the future! I also learned (twice now) that meeting fellow bloggers is fun. (And it usually works out -isn't that how life usually goes?)

Thanks again!

Today

2010-12-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

Blizzarding.

We have received a foot of snow thus far, with more expected to fall throughout the night.

I braved the roads this am because I had a hair appointment that I did.not.want.to.miss.

Maybe wasn't a good plan..... while the roads were

somewhat safe at 7:00 am, three hours later I could barely make it home. The visibility was so bad I seriously debated just getting a hotel in Maple Grove. (12 miles from my home.) But I had a sick little boy at home who needed me............ and he also needed some "Jewish Penicillin." (Little does he know I made the "authentic kind," complete with parsnips, turnips, leeks, lots of onion and garlic.)

I kind of played hookie one day this week and betwen naps I caught the show "The Doctors." They were giving lots of tips on how to avoid colds or feel better when you have one and Chicken Soup and Gargling Salt Water were both on the list. I have a hard time admitting this, but those are both things my Dad always recommended.............. he also gave us blackberry brandy but can you believe the Dr.'s didn't condone that one?

So James shoveled twice, while I worked on Christmas gifts, made soup and watched Christmas movies with Aidan.

You know, I think I wouldn't mind having a blizzard once a week!

Photo here.

2010-12-10T00:08:00.000-08:00

I love the art prints from "A Bushel and a Peck."

I want to hang one in my office but I am having trouble picking one.

Any ideas?

at my house......

2010-12-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

...............the upstairs guest bedroom gets turned into a "wrapping center" and "gift holding station" this time of year. I had purchased a few vintage buttons pins at the Nokomis Craft Fair a few weeks ago and had most of them wrapped and under the tree but I kept one in the spare room just in case I needed a quick gift.

Turns out I did - for myself. I decided it was the perfect accessory for a grey sweater I wanted to wear today, the only problem is that when I

went to open the guest bedroom door it was locked.

What? Who locked the door? What is going on? My mind immediately starts to whirl with questions and run through scenarios (which involved either secret gifts or huge messes!) Then I notice Aidan sitting on the couch with a strange wire in his hands. A wire? Suddenly a little light bulb goes on in my head as I remember him asking random vendors at the No-Coast if they have a paper clip to spare. He was concerned we might need to unlock a door somewhere and wanted to be ready. (and yes, one kind vendor donated a paper clip to his cause and he proceeded to try and open every locked door he saw for the rest of the evening. )

So back to my living room conversation.

Me -"Aidan, do you know anything about this locked door?"

Aidan (nonchalantly) "Oh yeah mom, I was practicing breaking into doors. So I locked it to see if I could get back in."

Me - "Well, could you?"

Aidan, "Nope, my trick didn't work. Sorry."

So Aidan tried, James tried, I tried and the door remains locked. What I don't understand is how my sweet friend Steph was able to break open that very same lock after googling instructions during a babysitting-incident-gone-bad a few months ago. (Don't worry, she is a great babysitter, she didn't lock my kid up in a bedroom, she accidentally locked her dog in there and frantically starting calling people for help eventually finding the answers on Google. So no offense Steph, but if you can do it under emotional duress than I would think that James, (an engineer) myself, (a pretty self-sufficient handy-women) and Aidan (a budding criminal, er, scientist) should be able to get in..........

In the meantime someone (that would be you, Steph) had a broach waiting under the Christmas tree so guess what I wore to work today. (that's the beauty of gift bags, if I hadn't told you would never have known!)

Enjoying this

2010-12-08T06:42:00.000-08:00

I bought this cookbook a few weeks ago. I love using my crockpot but am sometimes frustrated by all the "Crockpot Cookbook Recipes" that call for cream of mushroom soup, cheese soup, etc. as the base for the food. It seems to me like most crockpot recipes border on unhealthy so I was delighted to find this cookbook which offered lots of fresh ideas.

And did I ever tell you about this website? They sell the most amazing beans. I know it sounds crazy but they melt like butter in your mouth. They are a little pricey but their shipping fees are a flat rate so you can really order a lot. (or if you live in the Mpls. area they sell them at Surdyks and The Wedge and possibly more places I am not aware of.) Their products beat canned beans, (or $0.80 dried beans) hands down. I have found the best way to cook them is a very simple process.

1) Soak the bean of your choice overnight in your crockpot

2)Turn them on the next morning when you wake up and cook them throughout the day. By mid-afternoon they will be nice and tender and you can use them as you please.

They also have a great blog with lots of delicious bean recipes.

And I better stop there. I love beans, really love them and I can sit and extol their virtues all day. But in the interest of my readers (sparse though you may be) I will just remind you , like I do my 6-year-old, that beans are really good for you and give you big muscles. (if I believed in using smiley faces I would have put one right there.)