Wanting (a little) less

The September spending hiatus was a good and healthy experiment. I looked over the list of stuff I was lusting after and realized that for the most part I'm living happily without any of it. No pretty blue dress, no fall boots, no herb garden. As I focused intently on spending only on essential items and watching closely where the money went, my wants wandered happily to experiences rather than things. I want to go hiking, walk on a foggy beach, drink coffee with friends, crochet a blanket, sew a quilt and make soup. These are still wants and I'm a little embarrassed to say I do spend quite a bit of time thinking about how I might accomplish them but overall they feel bit more worthwhile.

Tutu for you?

I made this little tutu for Emerson on Saturday night. Well, the one I made for her was more than twice as long. It seems I lose all size perception when she is not directly in my sights. When she spotted it Sunday morning I asked her if she would like to put it on. She said "yesh" with all the enthusiasm I had hoped for. And the moment she looked down at the piles of tulle billowing from her belly she began to scream in short little bursts with whining in between as she frantically pulled at the layers as if spiders were crawling up her legs. She hated it. Game over.

Figuring it was the floor length skirt that threw her, I took the entire thing apart last night, trimmed each layer in half and started over. This morning she approached the tutu with similar enthusiasm so I swooped it over her head and she immediately reenacted the scene from Sunday morning.

Oh well. Give it time my husband says. She'll come around to my tutu wearing ways.

How about your little ones? When did they start playing "dress up"?

Treasures

My good friend, Kimi, invited me to her family's yard sale a few weeks back. A few goodies made it into my sweet little hands. (Shhh, don't mention it around the hubby who has watched me purge endlessly for months.) Couldn't resist these two charming cook books from the early 1950s. Can't wait to try out some new-to-me recipes and I love that they lived nearly 50 years in the home of my friend's grandmother's house. I hope I can give them an equally good home.

A chair of my own

I worked much of the summer to clear space in my life. Closets were purged, cupboards were cleaned and drawers were serious organized. The ultimate goal was to create some breathing space every aspect of my life. As a happy accident, the garage benefited from a bit of breathing room as well.

Now I have a small corner for a table and my sewing machine. Of course, I'll be sewing surrounded by boxes full of memories that we still can't seem to part with but at least I'll have a few feet all to myself. So I thought I would transform this little chair so my space could fee happy and inspired as I work away in the storage unit we like to call a garage.

I'm thinking about a glossy white paint with this fabric for the seat. What do you think? I'm off to due a bit of sanding while the baby naps.

Seriously, Nordstrom?

I don't usually do this here, as I like to think of my little space on the internet as a place to be inspired, a place to daydream, a happy place, if you will. But this could not be ignored. No joke, this is the exact condition of my Clinique eye cream packaging shipped from Nordstrom last week.

Department stores have stopped carrying this product and I love it. It's eye cream + SPF and if you know me, than you may be aware of my borderline obsessive use of sunscreen. And this is the only eye cream I've come across to include sun protection. The always helpful ladies at Nordstrom offered to special order it and ship it to my home. Um, I don't even know what to say.

Slowing down

I almost missed this sign as we headed back home from a peaceful afternoon at the coast. Thankfully, my husband is the kind of man who keeps a constant eye out for a chocolate dipped soft serve for his lady.

How comforting it is to be reminded of the enduring success of the Sno-white diner among a seemingly endless sea of Starbucks and McDonalds.

P.S. I felt this photo needed more explanation. You see, it just feels special. We tried to plan a weekend away to the Sierras for some fresh air and space. That didn't work out. We ran errands, woke up before dawn to a cranky toddler, spent too much time avoiding real conversation and then found ourselves on a cold and breathtaking beach. And then, this sign. It made us both laugh and feel happy. So happy that places like this still exist for us to stumble upon. It's funny how things seem to work out for the right reasons.

Humble honey cake

Honey cake, pre-butter/honey bath.

Seriously, make this cake tonight and bring it in to work tomorrow morning. Or drop it off at a friend's house. Or, brew a pot of coffee and try not to have two slices in one sitting. It's ridiculously easy to make and the pay off for very little effort is huge. The pie pan and the lack of frosting may read humble, but what this cake lacks in presentation it more than makes up for in honest flavor. And really, if you can pass up the taste of salty melted butter and honey, than maybe we shouldn't be friends.

Lyn's Honey Cake

Pre-heat oven to 350
Grease pie pan

Melt together 4 oz. of butter with 1/2 cup of whole milk, allow to cool for a few minutes.
In separate bowl combine 1 cup flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar.
Add melted butter/milk mixture, one egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

Bake for 25-30 minutes

Sauce: Melt together 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons of honey. Brush entire mixture over warm cake. (I've been known to go a little overboard on the honey butter sauce. You really can't soak this cake enough.)

P.S. This is good when fresh but even better on the second day.

A little back story on the cake.

My friend Lyn used to make this cake for most office birthday celebrations. She passed away three years ago this month. (And for the record, pancreatic cancer can suck it). Our paths crossed on several occasions before we ended up working together nearly a decade after meeting. She taught me much about living peacefully without compromising your core beliefs and about behaving gracefully when faced with challenges great and small.

Once, at a black tie event, she ate two desserts (before dinner was served). Chocolate creme brulee was sitting at every place setting and our table wasn't full so who could blame her? Experience told her dessert would far outshine the rubber chicken and hours old salads so she happily indulged.

Lyn was humble, sharp, wise, kind and tough. I miss her. Several times a year I make her cake and think about the simple pleasures of life that we sometimes miss when we're busy doing and thinking and planning, rather than quietly being. It's a delicious connection to her memory.

Fearless

Found on Design Sponge.

The walls of designer, Joy Thigpen were meant for daydreaming. I've been sitting on this image for a week or so and every time I open it up my eyes glaze ever so slightly and I think about how every morning must start out on a blissful note for her charmed little daughter. How could you not wake up with a giddy smile if these were the walls that surrounded your slumber?

I love seeing how courageous and creative people interpret their homes and these days I'm wishing that some of that spirit would rub off on me. I would love to make a rainbow out of a room but I'm a wee bit afraid. What would you do (creatively speaking) if fear was not an issue?