Under A Pink Moon

Creative Crush: Brights and all things Heidi Merrick

2012-02-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

Creative Crush is back. Each Friday, a special blogger friend shares their current Creative Crush - whatever is cause for inspiration at this very moment. See last year's Crush series here.

I'm kicking off the re-launched series with my current fashion obsession. I've yet to buy anything neon or remotely bright, but I've got my eye on some little pretties for spring. Heidi Merrick's spring collection is making me very happy, especially paired with a neutral shoe. It's a feast for the eyes and how great would these tutti fruity colors be with those moccasins? Langston's has the classic Minnatonka boots and their offering my readers a 20 percent discount through Sunday with the following code pinkmoon20. I just ordered mine so, I'm halfway to my spring wardrobe.

P.S. I heard that Pretty Mommy is taking pre-orders on the Heidi Merrick collection. Oh, happy shopping, friends.

My break room and a biscotti recipe

2012-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of working from home is the break room. I make a point to leave my office once in the late morning and again in the afternoon for a proper coffee/tea break. Just 10 minutes or so when I am not looking at a screen. Sometimes it's tea and toast and other times I make a homemade almond milk cappuccino with a cookie. I either sit on the back porch and breath a bit of fresh air or take a few minutes at the kitchen table with the blinds open. Those moments always feel so civilized and peaceful - like a little gift to myself.

As a side note, I made biscotti last week. It tasted good, but was pretty crumbly. The recipe is below and the experience has me motivated to find the perfect recipe. I like a little crunch, but also some chewy to my biscotti. Any recommendations? I'd like to try my hand at it again soon.

Biscotti
Adapted from Emily Luchetti's Four Star Desserts

1 cup macadamia nuts (I used hazelnuts, dried cranberries and dark chocolate chunks)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toast the nuts until light brown, about 10 minutes.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a food processor, coarsely grind half of the nuts with the flour mixture.

Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and the unground nuts. Add the ground nut mixture.

On a lightly floured board, divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a log 12 inches long. Place the logs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden brown in color, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Slice the logs at a slight diagonal into 3/4 inch slices. Place them cut side up on the baking sheet. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide: Must love love

2012-02-01T06:57:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from top left: Paper seeds, LOVE pillow, card, balloon print.

It should be stated, for the record, that I am not a friend to the holidays. Forced festivities are just not my thing. I've groused about my disdain for Halloween and Christmas here and here. Last year I was pretty well prepared to bemoan Valentine's Day, but like so many of my bitter characteristics, they've been slowly chipped away by the handy work of one very charming redhead.

I got suckered big time into Hallmark's greatest of holidays last year while working in Emerson's preschool classroom during the Valentine's party. You try to keep your pessimistic wits about you while two- and three-year olds play with paste and glitter and trade cardboard hearts for fun. It's a powerful force.

If you recall, I made necklaces out of giant gumballs and heart-shaped pins from felt. I used a hot glue gun and puffy paint in anticipation of my volunteer duties. It was a good time. So I'm officially a fan of the V-day and I thought I share a little round up of my favorite love-themed items from Etsy and otherwise independently-owned businesses. Try not to go aaawwwweee, I dare you.

P.S. Check out Courtney's beautiful watercolor DIY Valentine's. This is going straight to the top of my list of creative projects.

Clockwise from top left: Sequin shoe clips, heart onesie and leg warmers, custom bird print, heart stacking ring.

Weekend Snaps: San Francisco Botanical Gardens

2012-01-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

Did you hear the news? The magnolias are blooming at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. No, that doesn't excite you? Well, magnolia happens to be my favorite tree. Probably because I don't have one to clean up after. They make a tremendous mess. Pretty much all year round. But their stunning show of blossoms in the winter and their velvety leaves of summer won me over at a very young age. So it was off to San Francisco for some adventuring with Emerson and her grandma.

And we were not disappointed with its acres of winding trails, unexpected little meditation spots and happy hideaways. It feels like a dozen little secret gardens perfectly sprinkled throughout a vast park. It's exactly the type of space that every single city needs. A serene refuge from the frenetic metropolitan energy. I especially loved the California Native section, where we spotted the tree below. Isn't she pretty with those bits of moss blanketing her branches?

Fun fact: Half way through our visit I realized I had the white balance on my camera set for tungsten. Yeah, good times. Although, I have to admit the slightly blue hue adds a bit of drama, don't you think?

This little toe-dipper into the botanical gardens opened my eyes to how much Golden Gate Park has to offer and how little of it I've explored. I'm already scheming our next visit to the boat house at Stow Lake and a picnic in the Shakespeare garden. Any other suggestions? I'd love to hear about any of your favorite park getaways in the city.

P.S. Soup Monday will be back next week with either roasted beet or minestrone. Any preference?

Plan b or when the Universe laughs at you

2012-01-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Last week was all tutus, champagne and lady power. This week is whatever you can imagine to be the exact opposite. I imagine the universe had a hearty giggle at all my sparkly shenanigans last week and thought, "real life, this gal needs a dose of real life." Cue one feverish kid+internationally traveling husband+family crisis. The kind of stuff I don't talk about here but that occupies my jittery days and wakeful nights. It's been a week, friends. Bottom line: we are all doing well now. Hanging on, snuggling, hugging and loving on each other the best we can. It's just pushing blogging and processing all the wonderful fall out from Alt a bit lower down to the priority pole. So, more to come soon.

For now, behold a glass of juice I made yesterday. Blood oranges are awesome.

Also, I'm very excited that my cassoulet is featured in DailyBuzz Mom's 9x9. And Melissa of Melissa Loves is featuring a few of us this week in her beautiful space. I'm honored. She's a gem. Truly one of the funniest people I've ever met.

French Cassoulet for DailyBuzz Moms 9x9 Challenge

2012-01-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tasting something that you knew instantly you would never forget? A flavor that heightened your overall experience and elevated it to something more than simply, sustenance? I have a handful of those borderline spiritual experiences and they all happen to have taken place in France. There really is something special about sharing a meal in that country. Whether it's some crusty bread and cheese on a shoestring budget or lingering over a multi-course feast with family, the French live and breathe their food.

My Grandmere Lilette was no different. I visited her several times in Chabanais and the taste of her homemade soups remain some of my most treasured food memories. They were fresh, full of flavor and comfort and just one course of many during a meal at her table. I try to channel her spirit and skills each and every time I make soup. A seemingly humble, but always soulful meal. Soup Monday is my weekly homage to sweet Lilette.

Traditional cassoulet will always include white beans and usually some variation of meat. The vegetables are usually chopped in very large pieces so they can be spooned on top of the beans and act as more of a stew. But I like mine to be a bit more uniform and I'm a vegetarian so, no meat for me. This comforting dish is so nice with a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape or a Cote du Rhone. I went with white but red is so cozy on a chilly night.

Root Vegetable and White Bean Cassoulet
Inspired by Daniel Boulud's recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups dry white beans, rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup dry white wine
6 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 turnip, chopped
1 celery root, chopped
1 fennel bulb, quartered
Fresh herbs (parsley, sage and thyme) preferably tied into a bouquet
Salt and pepper

Crust
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly baked croutons (cubed bread mixed with olive oil, sea salt, bit of garlic and fresh herbs and bake for about 15 minutes in a 325 degree oven) In my opinion, these croutons make the dish.
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Rinse and soak the white beans over night in the refrigerator. Be sure to allow for two additional inches of water as the beans will absorb nearly all of it.

Warm a teaspoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic with salt and pepper. Cook, while stirring, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and when it's incorporated, turn off the heat and add the chopped tomato. Set aside.

Put the beans in a dutch oven, add the stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the celery, carrots, turnip, celery root, fennel and herb bouquet. Cut a parchment paper circle the shape of the pot and place it directly on top of the ingredients. Lower the heat, simmer. Stirring occasionally until the beans are tender. About an hour. Season with salt and pepper shortly before the beans are completely cooked.

When the beans are cooked, remove the pot from the heat and discard herbs. Drain (and reserve) the liquid from the pot. Spoon the beans and vegetables into a casserole dish and stir in the onion/garlic/tomato paste mixture, with two tablespoons of olive oil. Add enough of the cooking liquid to cover the beans.

Toss together the bread crumbs (I mixed half bread crumbs with half fresh croutons), garlic and parsley and stir in the meted butter. Spread evenly over the cassoulet. Bake in a 400 degree over for about 15 minutes until crumbs are golden brown and crusty.

Serve immediately in soup bowls.

Alt Summit 2012 Photo Round Up

2012-01-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

I've had an Alt Summit recap post in the works since the moment I landed in Salt Lake City. The serendipitous connections made with creative and inspiring souls ran deep. And the continuous flow of ideas and knowledge was overwhelming to say the least. The experience was an exercise in overstimulation - in the best possible way.

I'll work to share some notes and links to my new found friends. Seriously, I had hoped to exchange some business cards, but I never dreamed I'd walk away with real friendships. Best surprise of the 72 hours, hands down. The phrases "life changing" and, gag, "game changer" are thrown around a bit too much these days, but that might be the only way to sum up my Alt learnings. Sorry, friends. This blog is bound to be cliche-riddled for the foreseeable future.

Also, I didn't drag my camera along so all photos were frantic instagram style. Best I could do.

Happy brand new week to you. Soup Monday is happening on a Tuesday. Carry on.

P.S. For the best recap ever. Read Amy's post, now. She somehow says it all. I'm getting all weepy over the fact that I didn't meet her in person.

And, we're off...

2012-01-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

For those of you not headed to Alt, let me just make a collective apology for all the over-the-top stupidness you might be experiencing on Twitter and blogland. We're a little excited. And I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to punch us squarely in the nose for all the CAPS and excessive exclamation points. It simply CANNOT BE HELPED!!! I may as well be eight and headed off for sleep-away ice skating camp.

Also, check out my latest Huffington Post blog that may help to put the Alt gestalt in perspective.

Weekend snap: light

2012-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

The weather in California has been crazy warm. I don't want to sound ungrateful, because feeling the sun on my bare feet is pretty great this time of year, but it's a little weird to be wearing sandals and tank tops in January. On Friday, Emerson and I took full advantage of the sunshine and headed up to Hidden Villa, a working farm in Los Altos Hills. Home to a large organic garden, hostel, goats, pigs, chickens and hiking trails. It's a real Northern California gem and I can't believe I just learned about it last week.

It's an incredibly quiet property with more areas to explore than our afternoon would allow. Emerson crawled through a "rabbit hole" to enter the garden and played house inside one of several huts made of branches and sticks and made friends with a few chickens who just happened to be roaming the grounds. It was dreamy. We'll be back for sure. Happy new week, friends.

Here's what's cooking

2012-01-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

Is this not just the cutest little winter garden you've ever seen? I'm crushing hard on my wee kale bed. I typically make it a habit to straight up abandoned my plot of dirt once once the sunflowers dry up so this here is progress, friends. I clipped a few leaves earlier in the week, chopped them up and tossed them into a bowl of French lentils, roasted acorn squash and goat cheese. It was crazy satisfying and has me itching to add my happy kale leaves to almost every meal.

Are you familiar with Tina Jeffer's column over at Bliss? It seems to always slip my mind, which is sad because it's nothing short of awesome. Seriously, she creates healthy recipes and truly gorgeous photos. I'm thinking about cooking my way through her entire archives. But for now, I'm counting the hours to my farmer's market this Sunday so I can get get my hands on some brussel sprouts, romanesco and blood oranges to make her roasted winter vegetable and citrus salad. I can't wait. Are you cooking up anything delicious this weekend?

Practicing creativity: a particularly random update

2012-01-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

I'm currently purging and organizing my house, room by room. It's an ugly process that I expect will take many months, which is why I'm starting now. You see, I am part hoarder on my mother's side. Our lineage goes way, way back. Let's just say, I've got a "collection" going of my great grandmother's belongings, treasures stored away from Emerson's first few years and boxes (yes, plural) from high school alone. I know, it's a problem. But awareness is the first step, right? And looking on the bright side - thanks to my hoarding ways, I've got posts about my 8th grade graduation dress, junior prom dress and all-time favorite mini skirt in my back pocket that you will not want to miss.

The process is ultimately healthy. I know this. But it's also a bit disorienting and generally uncomfortable. I'm feeling decidedly out of sorts most of every day. You know, change is hard and all of that. So naturally, I figured this would be a good time to redecorate a bit. Why not add a project where you have to make decisions on top of a project where you make painful choices all day? Did I mention I am someone who struggles with choices?

First, I'm updating our master bedroom with an eye for resale. You see, we might be listing our house this year. And last time I checked, being featured on Hoarders: Buried Alive is not a property's greatest selling point. De-cluttering and letting go is my mantra these days. We originally decorated our bedroom in a slightly moody Moroccan theme. Lots of deep reds, dark wood, dark drapes and grey walls. I'm beyond over it, but unwilling to repaint or replace any furniture.

So I'm holding on to a few of the red accents and replacing drapes, bedding, and lampshades with shades of white, cream, a bit of grey and metallics of all sorts. You should know I've been searching for new bedding for four years. Did I mention I have a hard time with choices?

I'm hoping it will read soft and calm with a touch a glamour. I would love to splurge on a Moroccan wedding blanket but they are way out of my budget. My Marrakesh has a stunning collection. It's on my someday list. For now, I'm working on a throw pillow for the bed that will play on that theme. I picked up some ivory ultra suede for the front and a satin for the back. And a handful of beads and sequins to play with. There's a good chance it's going to come out looking sad, in which case, I may not show you the finished product. But here's the start. Just trying to keep things real around here.

Practicing creativity and purging, everyday.

Soup Monday: Not your Campbell's cream of mushroom

2012-01-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you how sad I am not to be eating this as I write. I enjoyed this soup to the very last drop. It is earthy, creamy (but there's not cream) and totally comforting. No doubt, I'll be making it again this winter. And that's saying a lot, considering the last time I had cream of mushroom it was a canned version, more than 20 years ago and I promptly got sick. I was at a sleep over. It was not at all pretty. This soup has turned me into a full-fledged cream of mushroom fan. As with most soups, the flavors in this one improved considerably overnight.

Cream of Mushroom Soup
adapted from The New Vegetarian Cookbook

Ingredients

1 lb. white mushrooms, sliced
4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
5 cups stock or water (I used a box of veggie broth, about a cup of water, and a 1/2 cup white wine)
1/4 cup long grain rice (I used basmati, but I'll go long grain next time. I'm sure it will only add to the flavor)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 1/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper

1. Put mushrooms, onions and celery in to a pot with oil. Heat until sizzling, add thyme and then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally.

2. Add stock or water, soy sauce, rice and seasoning. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes until vegetables and rice are soft.

3. Strain vegetables, reserving the stock, and puree until smooth in a food processor or blender. Return the vegetables and reserved stock to the pan.

4. Stir in the milk, reheat until boiling and taste for seasoning. Serve hot. Garnish as you wish.

Practicing creativity: an update

2012-01-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Back in November I made some big plans. Remember my 30 days of practicing creativity? It went really well for the first four days. I painted birthday cards, worked on an abandoned sewing project for myself and made a table cloth for a friend. My commitment to a daily practice took off much of the pressure I usually feel when I approach projects. It felt so liberating to know I could easily pick up a project, do a bit of work, confident that I'd be back at it the following day. I was on a roll...and then this happened...we planned a very impromptu road trip to Malibu.

Which led to a stop at Randy's for donuts...

And two drunken days a Disneyland.

About five hours into the drive home, I was hit with the great plague of 2011 and my practice took a serious hit. So that's my update. I'm convinced that the daily practice approach to accomplishing a goal is ambitious, but well worth the effort. I'm starting back up now. Knowing full-well that ALT will throw me off a bit. I'm o.k. with that. I'll keep you posted.

Bright, sunshiny year

2012-01-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

This is a little something I captured that I'm cleverly naming "Sunrise over Carbon Beach" or the best place I woke up in 2011. There was something crazy magical happening over that water.

I love the new year, although I always wish it started closer to April, which is about the time I really feel renewed and energized. So I'm looking at the first quarter as more of a warm up to a new year. A bit of a toe-dipper, if you will. With that in mind, I'll share just a couple of goals I have for this 2012. You know I'm big on goals and lists and checking items off, one by one. This year I'm keeping it pretty simple and as I make progress I'll be sure and share with the class.

1. Hike Half Dome. Seriously, I have two gals, possibly three, signed up for the adventure. All are welcome. I'm starting to do some real research and hoping to make the trip in late spring or early summer. Email me if you're interested in a long weekend in Yosemite. P.S. I'm not doing the cables. But I'll happily eat my lunch at the base while anyone else attempts that part.

2. Improve my photography skills and shoot something professionally. I love my camera and taking and editing photos has turned into one of my favorite creative outlets. I recently invested in a proper lense and enrolled in a couple of classes that I hope will push my skills and comfort zone.

3. Share more nature and art with Emerson. Her love of musical theater seems to be sticking and I can't tell you how much this pleases me. I would love nothing more than for that girl to grow into a drama geek. Maybe march with a band, hand paint sets and design lighting, sing and dance to her nutty heart's content. I'm pretty sure she's going to need some creative outlets to help harness all of her, um, ~~drama~~ emotion. She also does really well when left to simply play with found rocks, sticks and leaves. So that trip to Yosemite will surely do some good for her soul, as well.

You know I love to hear about your goals, too. Please let me know about your thoughts on 2012. Are you excited, energized or inspired?

P.S. Did you hear that Pantone's color of the year is Tangerine Tango? And did you know that orange (in every shade) is my all-time favorite color? It's totally my year. I can feel it.

Soup Monday: Campanile-style white bean puree

2012-01-02T09:38:00.000-08:00

A few months back, my husband and I spent a jam-packed 24 hours in Los Angeles. It was the day after our wedding anniversary so we took advantage of the night out to indulge a meal at Campanile home to the famed Thursday Grilled Cheese Night. It was fantastic. But the highlight was the white bean puree we started our meal with - creamy, herby, with a bit of tang from the balsamic reduction. I'm literally salivating as I write. Highly recommended if you are ever looking for a reason to celebrate in the LA area.

Here's my first attempt at recreating their masterpiece.

Ingredients

2 cups dry white beans (rinse and soak for several hours)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 potato, diced
assorted herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
4 cups veggie broth (or chicken if you prefer)
salt and pepper
olive oil
butter

Directions

Saute onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and butter on medium/high heat until brown. Add herbs and beans (after beans have been soaked for at least two hours and rinsed), potato and veggie broth. Salt and pepper a bit. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then lower heat and cover. Beans will simmer for at least two hours and will continue to soak up liquid. Add water as needed.

Once the beans are soft, transfer the mixture with a slotted spoon to a food mill or processor. Blend until creamy - add broth if needed to achieve desired consistency.

I toasted bread, but crisp veggies would also be delicious. Also, a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil would be a lovely garnish.

Weekend snap: making Christmas memories

2011-12-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

Santa dropped off this shiny new bike for Emerson. Lucky girl. She went for two wobbly rides yesterday and another one this afternoon and with every block she gets faster and more courageous. It's really something to see. I swear 20 minutes ago I was swaddling that little bird and resting her in a pile of warm laundry, fresh from the dryer. Now she's white-knuckling it down our driveway - a flurry of purple and pink. Life is happening at lightening speed it seems.

Wishing you all a peaceful week. Posting will likely be light but I'll be popping in here and there between bike rides and puzzle making. Happy holidays, friends.

Sunset makes my Christmas merry

2011-12-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Gah, you guys...did you see it? My little ol' blog quoted in Sunset Magazine. I'm seriously over the moon with delight. On Monday night I started getting sweet comments on Twitter about this and yet, I had no idea what they were talking about. It turns out my blog is on someone radar at Sunset and this quote landed on page 10 of the January issue. I bought two copies and I'm framing one because I am a Sunset super fan and this is pretty huge in my world.

Did anyone notice that the cover is a white bean and kale soup? And do we all remember what Soup Monday was THIS WEEK? White bean and kale. Awesome synergy if you ask me.

Want to know a funny story? When I was about two years out of college and working in corporate America it occurred to me that I couldn't possibly spend my life writing press releases, editing newsletters and wearing Ann Taylor suits so I started scouring the want ads for jobs related to my college major - journalism. I applied for the food editor job at Sunset. It's funny now. I welcome you all to laugh along with me, or at me. I totally deserve that. They were so kind and gently explained to me that I was not-yet-ready to edit but of course, they'd keep my CV on file. This is all to say that I've been dreaming of being a part of Sunset for more than a decade and look, there I am.

O.k. thanks for letting me share. Happy Christmas, friends. I really hope your holidays are filled with laughter and love and all the fixings that make this time of year so very special.

P.S. I was included in DesignMom's Design Mom Asks feature today and I'm thrilled to be sharing one of my favorite gift-receiving experiences. Check it out if you have a chance. It's a pretty special memory for me.

Original art for Emerson

2011-12-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

Nearly a year ago, we painted Emerson's room a soft yellow and never got around to hanging any of the paintings and prints from her nursery. They sat on the floor, leaning against walls and dressers mostly because I couldn't wrap my head or heart around this new stage of her life. Babyhood is long gone, toddler days are flying by and it's hard to imagine how the visuals in her rabidly expanding world will help shape her imagination, her curiosity and her dreams. So much pressure. What if I get it all wrong? That sort of self talk tends to stifle one's creativity, yes?

So I threw caution to the wind and finally indulged one of my own little dreams - to commission a painting from Marisa at Creative Thursday. I adore her painting style and when Emerson was a baby I couldn't help picturing her chubby little being as one of Marisa's iconic characters. I had the pleasure of meeting Marisa (and Sean) in person down in L.A. in October. It was a thrill. She's just as charming, kind and engaging as she appears on her blog. We talked about Emerson and I shared a few of my recent favorite mama memories, along with some photos and Marisa took it from there. A few weeks later, I received this magical painting of Emerson and her two constant companions - lion and elephant. These guys are everything to her and her dad and I wanted to capture this time in her life.

We let Marisa's painting ground the gallery wall and added special photos of Emerson, along with a print by Edie of Edie Art that I purchased from the artist on the street during our most recent trip to New York City and prints of an elephant and a lion because, you know, her guys. The other tiny print is a special iphone photo of balloons in Brooklyn I had printed on a bamboo block through Paper Culture.

So her room is a cacophony of happy color and images. It's officially my favorite room in the house. I hope it's hers too. Do you have a favorite memory from your childhood room? Something that made it special and yours? I'd love to hear.

"Emerson's and her Guys" - Original commissioned painting by Marisa Cummings of Creative Thursday.

DailyBuzz Style 9x9: Homemade nutella

2011-12-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

We are a nutella loving household - stuffed in a crepe with sliced banana, oozing out of aebelskivers on Christmas morning or straight from the jar late a night - we take it however we can get it. I never really considered it a problem until I read the ingredients on the packaging and decided to take things into my own hands. It's pretty easy to make, is well-worth the extra effort and a perfect little stocking stuffer or hostess gift. Next batch I'll be adding some cinnamon and cayenne for a little kick.

Inspired by Liz at Sophisticated Pie, I whipped up a batch and made just a few adjustments. You'll need a few mason jars, a quick trip to the grocery store and a food processor and you'll be all set.

Homemade Nutella
Adapted from Sophisticated Pie and the LA Times

1 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon hazelnut oil (I added much more for desired consistency)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Toast hazelnuts in a saute pan over a medium high heat. Shaking pan frequently to distribute heat. Skins will start to separate from the hazelnuts and your kitchen will smell toasty. This should just take a few minutes. I ended up transferring all the nuts to a damp towel, aggressively rubbed them together to release the remaining skins. Then I did my best to peal the remaining skins. I'm not going to lie, this was the least fun part of the process.

In a food processor, grind the nuts to a smooth butter. This takes about five minutes and I never exactly got a butter consistency, but moved on once the nuts were ground down to a very fine consistency.

Add the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt and oil (and additional spices if you wish) until it's completely combined. I ended up with a very chalky mound of dough and started adding quite a bit more oil (a bit at a time) until the giant chunk of chocolate turned into the creamy nutella I've come to love.

Pour the mixture into mason jars, seal and gift to your favorite people.

P.S. This post will be highlighted on DailyBuzz Style on Thursday with a round up of 9 DIY homemade gift ideas. Be sure to check it out. I'm pretty excited to be included in the special collection.

Soup Monday: progressive party at elleinad spir

2011-12-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

Danielle from Elleinadspir has been hosting a progressive party and since today the festivities stops at my place, we're having soup. Check out the recipe for white bean and kale soup. It's hearty, healthy and totally comforting. Everything you would want on a chilly December evening (or morning since I had it for breakfast yesterday). And it's the first time I've ever cooked dry beans - so much better than the canned version.

Here is the entire party plan in case you missed it:

Monday Dec 12: Michelle of Pinque dressed us for our party

Tuesday Dec 13: Danielle of Domestic Dish tempted us with an appetizer

Wednesday Dec 14: AK of Tipsy Society served up a cocktail

Thursday Dec 15: Katie of Salt and Pine helped us buy our hostess gifts

Monday Dec 19: Estelle of Under A Pink Moon provided our soup course

Tuesday Dec 20: Emily of Notorious MLE will entice us with a main course
Wednesday Dec 21: Melissa of Pineapple Lily will share her wish list of Holiday Decor

Thursday Dec 22: Carrie of This Free Bird will give us a yummy end to our party

Winter whites

2011-12-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

The Alt Summit organizers recently announced we'd be treated to a very festive and fashionable "Winter White" themed party. It all sounds so very chic and romantic and as if I wasn't excited enough to be going to Alt in the first place. Let's face it, the conference pretty much sounds like summer camp for ladies. Don't even get me started on my roommates...Melissa, Michelle and Jeanne.

But I'm a little nervous about my wardrobe. I'm pretty sure my yoga pants will not make the cut with this design-minded crowd. Which is my not-so-subtle segue into LOOK AT MY NEW TUTU! Remember when I was lusting after the Shabby Apple version a few weeks back...well, my girlfriend surprised me with it for an early Christmas gift. She knew I'd never buy it for myself. She was right and now I pretty much want to wear it all day long, everywhere I go. When Emerson saw me try it on for her daddy she insisted to grab her Minikin version so we could dance ballet together. For those of you headed to Alt, what do you think? Appropriate? Too much? I'm curious to know your thoughts.

And if I happen to win the lotto before January 18, I'll scoop up these Lanvin beauties for some back up. You know, a gal needs to have options. All of this to day, I'm pretty much dying for the winter whites this year.

Pretty Clean: hippie power

2011-12-15T09:49:00.000-08:00

There's no pretty way to talk about deodorant. It's filled with indisputably toxic ingredients, but most "natural" options are fairly ineffective and leave you feeling sticky, wet and smelly. Now I may have dabbled in a bit of hippie behavior in college, but smelling like the great unwashed has never been cool with me. I've tried a number of clean brands at Whole Foods and I'm currently using Kiss My Face roll on in Sport. The scent in mild (it also come in patchouli scent - no joke) and it's effective in preventing body odor, although, I have to admit I'm not exactly doing any form of exercise these days. So, for my marathon-training friends I'm not sure how this would stand up to a real workout. And my only gripe is that it is quite wet upon application and requires a good few minutes to absorb. But that's a small sacrifice in my world.

Also, I only use a natural deodorant about 50 percent of the time, because there are just certain situations and particular outfits I'd rather now sweat through. But I think any long term reduction in chemical exposure is a better than none at all. Baby steps, right? I've been dying to try Soapwalla's brand. It's getting great buzz from natural beauty experts and Megan just gave it a review that has me ready to place my order. It's high praise coming from someone who sweats away in a professional kitchen, on a yoga mat and while chasing after three little girls. Check out what she has to say and please share with me any experiences you've had going natural in the deodorant aisle.

Party files: the office birthday

2011-12-13T07:41:00.000-08:00

Just because the party is happening in the board room doesn't mean the decor has to be buttoned up. Last week, I helped throw a little birthday party for a colleague. We were going for winter wonderland glamour so we filled a conference room with white, clear and silver balloons with extra long ribbons, sprinkled the table with star-shaped confetti made with a punch and draped the cake with a feather boa and silver ribbon.

The gift was a vintage pale pink depression glass cake stand (that I desperately covet), and we served decadent cake and French macarons from this new-to-me Etsy shop, Sparkles Macarons. It was a whimsical escape from the office and a festive celebration of our friend and co-worker.

As a side note, I'm working hard at gifting mostly vintage, handmade or small business this year. So far, so good, accept for my husband. He's a tough one. How's your holiday shopping going?

Soup Monday: Cream of Tomato

2011-12-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

I make every attempt to eat locally grown, organic produce. I love my local farmer's market and believe in eating in season so I feel like I have to come clean here and acknowledge that very little in this soup is naturally grown in the winter.

It can't be helped. A few times a year I get an unrelenting craving for tomato soup. It's so comforting and usually demands a good grilled cheese. But this time I baked up some (frozen) puff pastry in assorted mini cookie cutter shapes. They made the perfect little croutons. How cute would little letters be? A bit homemade alphabet soup for the kiddos. Anywho, I started with Michael Chiarello's recipe but I have a few recommendations and notes on how I will adjust this next time around.

Cream of Tomato soup adapted from Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes (I bought a box of 24 ounces of chopped tomatoes)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced (next time I will caramelize the onions for some added flavor)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth (I used two cups of organic veggie broth and will likely use more next time to thin it out a bit)
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth. (Confession: I often use an immersion blender and I appreciate the convenience but when it comes to onion-based soups, they often slide through the holes in the blender base and I just don't like chewing an onion bit. I'm guessing that caramelizing the onions will help break them down a bit, but never the less, I'll probably run this soup through the blender or food mill in the future.)

Special shop introduction: Thru Lisa's Eyes

2011-12-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to introduce you to a new favorite Etsy shop, Thru Lisa's Eyes. It's filled with unique vintage finds and is curated by a lady who truly knows her stuff, my stepmom, Lisa. She's been immersed in the world of antiques for more than 20 years and used to have her own brick and mortar shop.

A visit with her is guaranteed to include a sneak peak at some serious costume jewelry (she got me hooked on sparkly gems ages ago), charming tea towels from the 50s or a great dress suitable for a Mad Men viewing party (I came home with one on my most recent visit). I have always loved delving into her treasures and hearing the history behind long-forgotten but influential jewelry designers or the evolution of table ware through the decades. I'm kind of a junky for this stuff, but if you just like to shop for pretty and special items - check out her site, she's constantly added great new pieces.

As a side note, can we talk for just a moment about the term "stepmom"? I know I'm a little hyper-sensitive. A: Because I am one. And B: Because I have one and Disney isn't doing us any favors in the perception department. Maybe we could all put our collective brain power on the issue and come up with a friendlier label. Lisa has been my parent, my friend and my trusted confidant for the better part of my life. Her presence is ingrained in some of my most significant memories and calling her stepmom just never feels like enough. It just has to be said. But for now, stop by Thru Lisa's Eyes before you wrap up your holiday shopping.

P.S. There's still time to enter the Shabby Apple necklace giveaway until 5 p.m. PST today.

Lazy gal's holiday gift guide (or my Santa letter)

2011-12-06T12:36:00.001-08:00

As a rule, I don't read fashion magazines. I lack the ability to appreciate the art direction and photography because I'm too busy managing my plummeting self esteem. The want monster comes out and I'm instantly dissatisfied with every aspect of my material life and questioning how it is I ended up living in the suburbs, driving a station wagon, no less. It's just no good for me.

But the Nordstrom catalogue - well, that's a whole other story. It's just so unassuming and benign at first glance, but before I know it pages have been torn out or folded and I'm piecing together a fabulous new life for myself.

So here's your gift guide if you're shopping for me with a stupid-sized budget, Santa.

Michael Kors Acetate sunglasses, nude, $99
Rebecca Minkoff leather shoulder bag, assorted colors, $195
Marc By Marc Jacobs rose gold-plate watch, $225
Loyalty Spa, midnight, top, $125, skirt, $135 (amazing belt sold separately)

Weekend snap: her first ballet

2011-12-05T06:55:00.001-08:00

In the past 72 hours I have left the house exactly once. This plague is hanging on and on and sleep seems to be the strongest medicine. It was a herculean effort to shower, apply make-up, brush hair, change out of jammies and dress Emerson in her finest, but it was totally worth it. There was no way I was missing my girl's first Nutcracker. Her best friend would be there, as would mine. And we'd be honoring Melanie and her fellow San Jose Dance Theatre alumni and their late, beloved teacher and dance company co-founder, Mr. Curtis. This was not a night to miss.

Emerson and Lark twirled in their dresses, giggled in the corner eating sugar cookies and took photos with a real ballerina. I was reminded, once again, how lucky I am to be raising a daughter along side one of the best ladies in my life. Thanks for sharing your special night with us, Melanie.

Wish I were here

2011-12-02T07:57:00.001-08:00

But then again, Disneyland is most likely the place I picked up this wicked plague of a cold. I didn't think it was possible but every day this week I've woken up feeling a bit worse than the last. It's been a rough one. Pretty sure that's what I get for riding Dumbo five times with my Emerson and eating a steady diet of churros and beignets. I'm hoping for healthier days ahead because there is fun to be had this weekend. Little girls in party dresses, Nutcracker sightings and birthday celebrations, just to name a few of the shenanigans I don't want to miss out on. Happy weekend, friends.

Necklace giveaway from Shabby Apple

2011-11-30T06:41:00.000-08:00

The folks at Shabby Apple have offered my readers this beautiful Light as a Feather necklace from their line of vintage style jewelry. I like the idea of dressing up a little black dress with a whimsical feather and I think it would also be cute layered with a few additional delicate pieces.

Side note: I've been eying their dresses for ages and I'd love one of their Tinsel Town Skirts this holiday season. The little girl in me simply will not rest until I get to wear a tutu again, I suppose.

I'm thrilled to offer you a chance at the necklace. Enter the giveaway and I'll pick a winner at random next Wednesday after 5 p.m. All you need to do is "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave me a comment letting me know. Tweet about it and consider yourself entered twice.

Shabby Apple is also offering a 10% off coupon to Under a Pink Moon readers for the next month. Just use the code PINKMOON10OFF. Happy holiday shopping!

Soup Monday: Spinach & Goat Cheese Bisque

2011-11-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

Looking to repent for some holiday overindulgence? Start with a this green soup. It's healthy, but don't let the color throw you. A bit of butter, potato and goat cheese gives it the comfort food feel I need during the winter months. I substituted half the spinach for a head of kale because I can't get enough and used red wine rather than marsala. It was delicious.

Spinach& Goat Cheese Bisque
Adapted from Eating Well Magazine

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons plus 2 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons cream sherry or Marsala
4 cups vegetable broth
24 cups gently packed spinach (about 1 1/4 pounds), tough stems trimmed
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (2 ounces), plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste

1. Heatoil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook,stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reducethe heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and thyme and cover. Cook, stirringfrequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering thepan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color,25 to 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large soup pot; add potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. When the onions are caramelized, stir sherry (or Marsala) into them; add them to the pot along with broth. Return to a simmer. Stir in spinach, cayenne and nutmeg; cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat, stir in goat cheese, butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; allow the butter and cheese to melt. Puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches. Taste and add more salt and/or lemon juice, if desired. Serve garnished with a large soup crouton and crumbled goat cheese.

A little thanks

2011-11-23T13:02:00.001-08:00

My best friend, Melanie, made sweet potato gnoochi with maple, sage, brown butter sauce for dinner last night. It was crazy amazing and the 3 year olds ate it up too. Tell me, is there anything more satisfying that watching a toddler eat (grown up) food? It's a Giada recipe and even though I had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome, I would highly recommend giving it a try. We had ours with fresh cranberry sauce and a green salad. I could only suggest going big on the fried sage leaves because you'll want one with every single bite. We enjoyed our pre-Thanksgiving meal to the sounds of a crackling fire. It was pretty sublime.

Which gets me to my point, I'm so thankful for my friends and family who lend me a hand while my husband travels. He globe trots for his job and Emerson and I are often invited to join our friends for meals and fun little field trips to make the time go by faster. I don't know what I would do without these people in my life. So very thankful.

For those in the States, enjoy the holiday. May it be filled with love and laughter and good food.

I made this - practicing creativity

2011-11-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

You may know that making things and exercising all parts of my creative self is a big and important part of my life. But did you know that I live with a constant soundtrack of "you didn't do enough today..." on rotation with "you suck at 99% of the stuff you try..." It's a party in my head, I'll tell you what. I know I'm not alone in my negative thinking. I think that women in general suffer from the negative self talk, but I am beyond tired of it. Oprah told me that you become what you believe - and I believe that. I'd like to believe that I am a creative, powerful and positive force in the world.

Having a blog has helped me to channel my constant creative daydreams into tangible, real things. A chair that I sit in, dresses and skirts that little girls wear, blankets that warm my own toes, photos that warm my heart and food that brings me daily delight. I even started selling some of the things I make and that was a huge, happy leap of faith. For the most part, I'm proud of the things I make and share with you. You don't usually see the fails. I mostly try to save the foul language and attitude for my studio and my self-talk soundtrack.

Starting today I'm launching a little challenge: 30 Days of Creativity. That means that every day I'm committing to carving out an hour or so devoted to a creative pursuit. Painting, sewing, sketching, writing, baking and photography are all up for grabs. I'd love to say I'm going in to this with no expectations, but I'd be partially lying. I'm really hoping that a daily practice of creativity will help me release some of the pressure I feel in my studio. The pressure to create perfection, every single time I sit down to the sewing machine or pull out my camera. I would like to feel a bit more free and loose and have a bit more (gasp) fun.

I'm not at all sure how I'll share my progress. A bit in Twitter and maybe a weekly round up of my progress to keep me honest. Either way, I'll keep you posted.

*I was really inspired by Maggie Mason's 30 days of fun, who was inspired by this TED Talk by Matt Cutts. It's a good one. Check it out if you are even remotely interested in attempting a 30 day challenge. *

Happy weekend

2011-11-18T10:08:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, we were headed to Tucson. I miss last weekend. I fell hard for the desert and I'm pretty sure I need to get to Palm Springs before my toes fall off. It's something like 52 degrees outside (and sunny) and I cannot get warm. I'm not built for winter.

Wishing all you lovies and fabulously toasty weekend. I'm baking up a storm today, hosting a toddler sleepover and planning to drink champagne with my parents. What are you up to?

Much to learn about class, grace and fun

2011-11-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

It's already been a DAY and I'm in a MOOD. I'm trying to turn the Ship Bad Attitude around and both these videos are helping. Hang in there with me, here.

I was listening to a little Free Bird yesterday while cleaning the house (don't judge before you try it) and I remembered Conan O'Brien's last night hosting the Tonight Show. The finale featured him on guitar, his band, Beck, Ben Harper, that guy from ZZ Top, Will Farrel and his about-to-give-birth wife, dancing like a crazy hippie to the most epic farewell song. It's bitter sweet to watch. But also inspiring to watch so many talented and creative folks on one stage making the best of a bummer of a situation. (So I'm watching that for a bit of fun today.)

And then I remembered Conan's farewell speech. As a fan, it was so upsetting to see how that fiasco was handled and to imagine how angry and betrayed he and his crew must have felt at the time. Despite all of that, he was sincere, humble and appreciative as he closed the show on his own terms. (It's a lovely example of class and grace.)

"If you work really hard and are kind...amazing things will happen. It's true." My favorite Conan O'Brien quote.

Soup Monday: Spiced Indian Cauliflower

2011-11-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

Another comforting soup recipe, perfect for fall. I'm not a huge cauliflower fan, but my husband is so I try to work it into dishes every so often. This soup is seriously good. I make this a couple times a year and each time I'm caught off guard by its loveliness. It's hearty but not at all heavy and like so many soups - it gets even better the second day. It served as my lunch every day last week and I'm still not tired of it. So that's saying something.

Spiced Indian Cauliflower Soup
From The New Vegetarian Cookbook by Roz Denny

Ingredients:

1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 cauliflower, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt (sour cream is equally tasty)
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

1. Put potato, cauliflower and onion into a large saucepan with the oil and 3 tablespoons of water. Heat until hot and bubbling, then cover and turn the heat down. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the stock and season well. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. (I usually take a potato masher and break up the veggies a bit just before adding the yogurt.) Stir in yogurt, season well and garnish.

Pretty Clean: some thoughts on healthy living

2011-11-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I mentioned my ongoing struggles with chronic migraine. It's been 11 years of disappointing experiences with general practitioners, neurologists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, all your basic ISTS. Through it all the only thing I've managed to treat is the pain - with medication that I routinely overuse. It's a nonnarcotic, but it's also the kind of thing that pregnant and nursing moms can't take because there isn't enough research on the long term effects...so that's not ideal. I reached my breaking point and sort of let go of the frustration and anger that come about while dealing with chronic pain and opened myself up to some serious changes.

I had no basis for these changes but only a strong and growing sense that I was ready for change. I also have very little real scientific proof that any one of these changes has impacted the root cause of my migraine but I can tell you that I feel really good. Better than I have in more than a decade. Depression and anxiety can be mysterious and shifty - hard to pin down, but so darn obvious when you land on the other side of it.

Seriously, changes in my mood, attitude, energy level and general outlook are happening every day and I can only attribute them to the positive shifts happening in my lifestyle. Here's a list. I'm not proselytizing here. Just want to share what is contributing to a much higher quality of life for me - in the off chance that one of these shifts might help you. Here goes:

1. Eating raw food with every meal (fruit, veggies, nuts)

2. Carrying raw nuts or raw bars from the health food store as a daily snack (low blood sugar is a bad scene for me so I need to eat often)

3. Replaced my morning cup of coffee with a strong cup of green tea (love Mighty Leaf) and occasionally have a cup of coffee in the late morning or early afternoon but not everyday.

4. Tepid lemon water with breakfast and bedtime (long believed to aid digestion, I find it very soothing and calming)

5. Receiving once a week cranial sacral body work (as a temporary treatment to change the flow of my body and encourage it to heal itself - it's also amazingly relaxing and meditative)

6. Receiving twice weekly chiropractic treatments (also a temporary treatment to alleviate any blockage - especially in my shoulders and neck where I carry significant tension)

I'm pretty sure that one of things things taken by itself would have a minimal effect on my health but the combination is yielding results that cannot be ignored. Next I'll be adding a regular yoga practice and it little bit of acupuncture.

I've also been doing a bit of reading into Ayurveda medicine and what I believe to be a very real connection between the mind, body and spirit. I find it all fascinating. There's much to learn and I'm feeling pretty open to more positive changes but I'll also admit that talking about any of it up to this point has felt a little like Katie Holmes talking about how interesting Scientology is...so, bare with me.

I'll share with you insights along the way as it relates to my quest to rid toxins from my life. I have a feeling that cleaning up my medicine cabinet will compliment the work I'm doing to heal my physical (and emotional) self. And I'd love to know if any of you have dabbled in alternative medical treatments.

Studio update: a special giveaway at Reverie-Daydream

2011-11-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

Well they may not be Great Grandma's linens, but there's no reason these napkins couldn't share the table with her china, right? I've been experimenting with hand, dip dying and loving the results. It feels organic and a little messy but splashes of color give me a thrill. What do you think? Melissa at Reverie-Daydream is hosting my very first Shop Pink Moon giveaway. I'm honored and so excited about it. Please take a visit and drop her a line. She'll be choosing a winner next Monday.

I've got about a dozen new items in various stages of completion and oh so close to adding them to the shop. More dip dyed napkins in assorted colors and something very special for the ladies. Hint: a stylish accessory for the holiday season - because cummerbunds are not just for 17 year-old boys on prom night. Oh, I've said to much! Lots more coming later in the week.

For now, please jump over to Melissa's lovely blogworld for a chance to win.

Soup Monday: Green soup with lentils

2011-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:00

Very Green Lentil Soup

I've been dreaming about these green soups for weeks. I'm pretty sure I'll be trying each and every one over the next few months. I love any excuse to get leafy greens into my life. And most anything paired with lentils makes me a very satisfied gal.

Please try this soup, as my husband said after his first spoonful "This will cure all that ales you." And I think he's right. It's comfort in a bowl. We made a giant potful on Halloween and I ate it every day for the rest of the week. We added carrots and zucchini because we had left over produce to get ride of so it's safe to say any veggie would be an added bonus to this soup. We also added an extra cup of lentils because lentils are awesome. And the lemon juice, olive oil and feta added at serving makes every bite nutty and tangy.

From Eating Well Magazine

1 tablespoon olive oil, more for garnish
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons plus 4 cups water, divided
1 cup French green or brown lentils
8 large green chard leaves
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed
12 cups gently packed spinach (about 10 oz. ), tough stems trimmed
4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 jalapeno pepper
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
Crumbled feta

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over high. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 35 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, rinse lentils and pick out any small stones; combine the lentils with the remaining 4 cups water in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Trim the white ribs out of the chard; chop the greens and slice the ribs (keep in separate piles). Cut potato into 1/2 -inch dice. Chop spinach; set aside.

3. When the lentils have cooked for 20 minutes, stir in the chard ribs, potato, scallions, broth and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt; return to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in the chard leaves, broccoli, cumin and coriander. When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the soup. Return to a simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in the reserved spinach, cilantro, mint, jalapeño and pepper; return to a simmer, cover and cook until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or pepper, if desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil and crumbled feta cheese.

A view from the studio

2011-11-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

My favorite view from the house. My grandmother's vase, prints I bought on my first solo trip to Paris, curtains I made, a healing aloe plant and the number 13. Emerson's birthday. She was three and half weeks early and on the morning my water broke I sat silent and still at 4 a.m. thinking, I just won't mention this to anyone. I proceeded to write the check for our income taxes and review my maternity leave plan for the job I would be vacating - in three and half weeks, I assured myself. It would be the first of countless mornings I would bow to Emerson's needs in the pre-dawn hours.

Thirty minutes later my water continued to flow and I was forced to accept that my best laid plans had changed. My daughter would be born on the 13th, early and by emergency C-section. Not at all part of the grand plan. And even though, it remains one of the most traumatic experiences of my life the end result was a beautiful, healthy girl who continues to challenge and change me in wondrous ways.

Many months ago, I won a lovely giveaway from Emily at Wide Open Spaces. My custom address plate from Ramsign is a favorite piece in my studio. It's my constant reminder that change is our only constant and plans are nice to have but truly only built on sand. Someday I'd like to mount this plate on a gallery wall, surrounded by a collection of my favorite family photos. For now, it sits happily on my studio window sill reminding me that change is good and a healthy necessity of life.

Pretty clean: a nontoxic beauty routine update

2011-11-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while since I've updated anyone on my crusade to rid my life of harsh chemicals. I'm making a bit of progress where Emerson is concerned and have started to switch out my make up, little by little. But, honestly, I'm not a huge product person. Places like Sephora are my personal hell. But I'm trying, really I am. Here's where we are...and I'll also share with you a fantastic blog that does an exceptional job vetting clean products and a lovely online store to source the products they review. But first, here's what I'm using now. I few of them I love and a few I'm still experimenting with.

Face cleanser: 100% Pure Cucumber Juice Cleansing Foam I like it but it's a tiny bit drying for me so I've added pure Argan Oil to my moisturizing routine.

Daily moisturizer: 100% Pure Acai Berry Moisturizer Next I'm trying their Argan Oil Moisturizer with SPF.

Eye cream: 100% Pure Acai Berry Anti-Aging Eye Cream It's good stuff but I'm still looking for a clean eye cream with SPF.

Daily face sun screen: Elta MD SPF 46 I really like this stuff. I get it from my dermatologist. It's fairly clean but has some nanoparticles in its formulation and that not great. So I'll use it up and then try 100% Pure SPF.

Argan oil for any dry spots - I'm addicted: It's amazing and I can't get enough - on my face, neck and hands. Best all-around moisturizer.

Elizabeth Dehn Shea Cream via Pretty Mommy: This stuff is seriously rich and delicious, chemical-free and a daily indulgence for my extra face that winter seems to usher in.

Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Spearmint Toothpaste It's not perfectly "clean" but it's better than the mainstream brands.

Shampoo and conditioner: John Masters for Normal Hair Shampoo and Citrus and Neroli Detangler I'm super sad about this one. People love John Masters. And I want to love it too. But so far, it's been leaving my hair a little flat and dry. I break down at least once a week and use my Karestase products. But I'm not giving up. I'll continue to try samples and I'll keep you posted. I may need to try their line for dry hair since I am growing out years of highlights.

Lip gloss: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Gloss (The consistency is nice. Not too sticky, good color but it doesn't last very long. I'll try their lip cream next.)

Emerson

Shampoo and body wash: Yes to Carrots Baby Shampoo and Body Wash Love it, Emerson loves it. We're all happy. Next I'll be trying their conditioner.

Bubble bath: California Baby Calming Bubble Bath It's pricey, but I love it so much. It's my big splurge for Emerson. Each bottle comes with a bubble wand and they make the biggest, most durable bubbles.

Toothpaste: Tom's of Maine Flouride-Free Strawberry Toothpaste

That's where we are, friends. Check out No More Dirty Looks blog. These two ladies are serious about clean personal care products and they are fun daily read. Nubo Nau is a great online source for all sorts of clean products and they send lots of samples with each purpose. Check them out.

Next two things I'm looking to replace are my tinted moisturizer and mascara. I probably on use these a couple times a week but I've been loyal to my brands for more than a decade so the switch will be a big one. I'd love to hear any suggestions on proven nontoxic brands.

Holiday gift guide: must love elephants

2011-11-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

L-R: Fern and Feather's "Claude" via Reverie-Daydream, elephant fabric for pillow making, Rikshaw's baby blanket, t-shirt, brass elephant bank, throw pillow, wooden elephant family puzzle.

The elephant love around our house doesn't appear to be slowing anytime soon. Emerson finds as many opportunities to bring elephants into the conversation as possible. Her little world is like one giant I Spy book with the singular goal of spotting ELEPHANTS. And if she spots two... "Look, mama I'm the baby elephant and your are the mommy elephant!"

She would very much like to ride on, feed and play with an elephant. I won't be at all surprised when her daddy makes these dreams a reality. He's like that with the big dreams. I'll have to tell you about the time he asked me to marry him in Salzberg, Austria. (Hint: I'm a huge Sound of Music fan). But that's for another day.

For now, I offer you a wee gift guide. It's totally self-serving, of course. Since I think these items would pretty much wrap up my Christmas shopping for my girl. Haven't added a thing to my shopping cart yet but I'm pretty sure any of these treasures would knock Emerson's socks clear off. And what's even better in my book is that four of these items support either small or women-owned businesses. Love that. Happy shopping.

Weekend snap: simple pleasures

2011-10-31T06:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of holidays of most any sort. Actually, I'm a bit of an all-around scrooge. But last year Emerson's enthusiasm got the best of me and I hung Christmas decorations, baked cookies and even made Valentine's. Now she has me carving pumpkins (we grew them at our friend's house). It was sweet and easy fun. But know this, I will never hang fake spiders from my porch or plastic skeletons from my trees. Jack-o-lanterns, on the other hand, I can get behind.

We followed up the carving with a late afternoon walk, where I admired our long shadows, picked dandiflowers (Emerson's words) and snooped our neighbor's gardens. That's when I heard this and my heart just burst with crazy maternal love.

"Look mama, someone lost their shiny purple bouncy ball."

I did my best to explain that some people like to decorate their gardens with glass balls. She was perplexed and totally accepting in a way that only a three year old can be.

Happy Halloween! Soup Monday will be back next week with lentils. Promise.

Succulents new to the shop

2011-10-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

In keeping with my recent reignited garden love I've added a new grouping of greeting cards to the shop - all succulents! They are some of my all-time favorite photos and really happy memories. Two come from my own garden, two from a dreamy visit to Ojai and one from Flora Grubb. Just in case you're ready to start holiday shopping. Yikes, can't believe I just typed those words. Happy weekend, friends.

What makes a home?

2011-10-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

"I've come to accept that I can't count on anything to be permanent and it no longer matters. I know that if I ever leave this home, I will make another. If I ever lose my garden, I will plant another. What I crave is a place that slows me down and reconnects me with nature, the sea, the trees, the night cried of the animals. I picked this place to be my home; I wasn't born into it. I picked it, and now I have grown into it."

-From Slow Love, by Dominique Browning

I read this a few nights ago and it's been running through my mind on repeat ever since. It mirrors so much of what I've been thinking about over this past year or so. You see, my family is at a point where we are seriously considering our next home, next home town, maybe home state. There are countless conversations about ideal locations for each of us. There are careers to consider, communities and schools. And then, of course, friends and extended family.

Top of my wish list is as follows: nature, community to care about, good schools for Emerson. And somewhere in there we must find a way to pay the bills and make this sweet life a reality. So, there you go, Universe. I'm ready to "grow into" a new home.

Weekend snap: sunshine and calm

2011-10-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Join me in willing it to be a calm, peaceful and ease-filled week. I'm soaking in every bit of sunshine imaginable. Still loving my late-season gardening opportunities. (I planted kale yesterday - my first ever cool weather crop!) I also lovingly fertilized my kumquat tree which, sadly, didn't produce fruit this year. I'm determined to have that plant dripping with orange drops of sweetness next summer. I've got two new "Lil' Ollies", or dwarf olive trees, that need fresh fresh soil for their new home on my porch. They are the just the cutest.

Anywho, these were some seriously happy succulents at our hotel last week in L.A. We popped down for a quick night and had the most amazing 24 hours. Seriously, I have some fun stuff to share. All lady power, fist pumping, creative girls rocking my world kind of stuff. More on that soon, promise. Happy Monday, friends.

You can't be what you can't see

2011-10-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Last month I had the pleasure of watching a special sneak peek at Lisa Siebel Newsom's film, MissRepresentation. It's a powerful (and disturbing) look at the ways in which women are portrayed in media and the impact this is having on young girls.

But it's not just depressing (although, I'm not going to lie - it's a sad state of affairs when your average tween aspires to a Kardasian lifestyle as apposed to that of an Olympian or astronaut) it's also full of inspiration. It's a great conversation starter for classroom and families - this is not just for the ladies. It's a cause that fathers, boyfriends, brothers, caregivers, teachers and friends will care about too. It's premiering on Oprah's OWN Network tonight so please set your DVRs. For now, check out the trailer.

And in the spirit of aspirations, I'm curious to know what you wanted to be when you were young? I desperately wanted to be a figure skater...or Molly Ringwald. Deep thoughts, ya'll. Deep thoughts.

Studio update: gardening

2011-10-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

So many piles of sewing projects calling for attention in my studio but I can't seem to get my hands out of the dirt long enough to focus on them. I potted some succulents for a friend's new home yesterday and couldn't resist some more organic herbs for my back porch. Those will need to find homes soon. Maybe it's California's famed Indian summer, but I just want to spend all my free moments in the yard. Scheming new ways to enjoy the fresh air.

I mentioned on Twitter that Sunset magazine is to me, what Vogue was to Carrie Bradshaw. And it's true. I keep my back issues of garden porn for weekends like this last one. Sick in bed with a cold, lusting after dreamy yards and weekend getaways. Those images bring me endless comfort and inspiration.

What's inspiring you these days? Are you working on any creative projects? You know I'd love to hear all about it.

Food challenge with elleinad spir: Leeks

2011-10-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Tomato goat cheese tart via Fresh 365.

Have you heard about Danielle's weekly food post? Each Tuesday she's featuring a single ingredient (chosen by her husband) and she's challenged to whip something up. Last week was leeks and since I'm a huge fan I had to join in the fun.

Potato leek soup is a longtime favorite of mind and was a featured Soup Monday a while back. But this goat cheese tart is a family favorite at my house. Fresh 365's goat cheese tart is super versatile. Last week, I threw in cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and loads of fresh basil. It served as dinner, a picnic lunch and breakfast. Such an easy meal that will last for days or a serious crowd pleaser at your next Sunday brunch.

Soup Monday: Potage Crécy

2011-10-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

When I was twelve my mom and I took a trip over spring break to visit my family in France. I was pretty sure I would return to the 6th grade a changed gal. You know, all worldly and sophisticated. That did not happen but I did return with two of the most significant food experiences that would stick with me throughout my life.

We stayed with my grandparents, who made elaborate multi-course meals every day for lunch. It was heavenly. Soups, salads, wild mushrooms foraged from the back woods of their village, cheeses, fruit and pastries. Your typical French family lunch gathering. It was pretty magical.

At my grandmother's table, I had the most flavorful and comforting soup of my life. I've been trying to recreate that experience for nearly two decades. This came pretty close. Up until now, every attempt had been far too heavy on the carrot and not enough balance of herbs. Next time, I'll thin this one out a bit with more water and milk and I'll add a lot more thyme.

Incidentally, I also experienced mascorpone cheese with a bit of jam on top as one of several dessert courses that afternoon. I assumed it was yogurt and had been trying every French style yogurt to replicate that subtle taste for years. French yogurt is good, but it's no mascorpone. Tell me, is there anything more powerful than a taste memory? I'd love to hear any of yours. I can also remember the taste of a slice of pizza from the Latin Quarter in Paris and my very first falafal in the red light district of Amsterdam. My mom had a knack for landing us in the shadiest of neighborhoods throughout that trip.

Potage Crécy Soup via Blue Kitchen, adapted from the William Sonoma French cookbook.

Potage Crécy
Makes 4 cups [3 to 4 first course servings]Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection: French

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white and tender green parts, rinsed and sliced
3/4 pounds carrots [about 5 or 6], diced
3/4 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1-1/4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves [or 1/2 teaspoon dried]
1 cup half-and-half (I used a combination of milk and cream and just continued to add more a 1/4 cup at a time)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste [see Kitchen Notes]
additional fresh thyme leaves, for garnish [or finely chopped flat-leaf parsley—see Kitchen Notes]

Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Melt butter and combine with olive oil. Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add thyme, cover the pot and simmer until carrots and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, in batches, if necessary. [Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the pot.] I used my passiore (food mill) and the consistency was perfect.

Return puréed soup to the pot. Add half-and-half, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste [using a light hand, depending on how salty your chicken stock or broth is]. Bring to a simmer until just heated through. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme leaves or parsley. Serve.

Less stuff for a better life

2011-10-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

"I mean to lead a simple life, to choose a simple shell I can carry easily - like a hermit crab."

-Ann Morrow Lindbergh

These are good words for my weekend. We're having another yard sale. Sort of impromptu, but the purging continues and this stuff must find a new happy home. Wishing you all a loveliest of weekends.

What's on your plate?

2011-10-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

Breakfast is my favorite meal. I love the endless opportunities for blending savory and sweet and the chance for multiple beverages. Hot tea or coffee, a bit of juice. It's a good scenario for those of use who struggle with the decisions. Lately, I've been making a serious effort to incorporate raw food with every meal. This has forced me so step up my game in the kitchen and the biggest payoff so far has been my breakfast routine.

I've been loving oatmeal made with almond milk, a handful of walnuts, tablespoon of wheatgerm for a boost of nutrition, healthy dash of cinnamon and loads of fresh fruit. This week it's been strawberries and pomegranate seeds. Last week is was apples and bananas. The meal is comforting and hearty and healthy.

I'm also loving Heather's take on the Date Shake, although I use frozen bananas and omit the ice. If you haven't checked out her webisodes, now's the time to catch up. Her whole aesthetic is so easy-breezy and she makes every new recipe feel like the most approachable endeavor. Do check it out. But first, let me know how you start the day. And please don't tell me you skip breakfast. That would just break my heart.

Nug life and the time I saw Radiohead

2011-10-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

I just had to share a little highlight from the New York adventure. My husband scored three VIP passes to the taping of the Jimmy Fallon Show. The scheduled guests were Taylor Lautner, Florence Henderson and Giada de Laurentis (who I've decided I'd like to come back as in my next life). My girlfriends and I were giddy and sort of jumping out of our skin over the whole thing. You can catch us several times doing the "Nug Dance" in the audience which was pretty great. (I'm the one in the glasses and polk-a-dots.)

The entire show was pretty much crazy-town. Alec Baldwin jumped out from behind the curtain for a quick visit. He was in the building rehearsing SNL. The Roots were amazing, duh. Then after the show, Jimmy asked the audience if we could hang out for longer for a little something special. Um, yeah. A few minutes later, he sat down at his desk, said hello to Michael Stipe, you know, as you do. (He literally popped up out of the clear blue. It was weird.) And then introduced Radiohead. RADIOHEAD! They played a little ditty and we all freaked out.

And then we grabbed a cab and had the dreamiest cocktails and dinner at Freeman's in the Bowery. Highly recommended for a cozy dinner with friends.

Soup Monday on a Tuesday: Squash addition

2011-10-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

First of all. Holy hell cutting squash is hard work. No wonder I've been suckered into buying the pre-cut packages at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods all these years. Chopping up the butternut and whatever that green one was is a total kitchen workout. Just a little forewarning for you.

Otherwise, winter squash and sage soup (ala Mark Bittman's genius menu suggestions in the New York Times food issue a few weeks back) was worth the effort. And seriously, if you missed the 4th annual Food and Drink issue, check it out. Totally worth the read.

As with so many pureed soups, you can't go wrong with a bit of garnish. I had goat cheese and day old bread on hand. I baked up some croutons with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and loads of basil at 350 for 15 minutes and gave this hearty soup a bit of savory crunch and sweet cream from the cheese. It was pretty great. Plus cilantro because I love it. This was a lovely little harvest meal. Recipe below.

So Soup Monday is back. Any special requests? I'm craving lentils in a big way lately. Check out Soup Monday archives for some inspiration.

Sage-Garlic Squash Soup from Mark Bittman

1 to 2 squash (equalling 1 1/2 pounds chopped)
1 onion
Chicken or veggie broth (4 cups)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cook 1 1/2 pounds chunked winter squash and 1 chopped onion in 2 tbsp. olive oil for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp. each minced garlic and chopped sage and four cups chicken or veggie broth; simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Puree and garnish.

Weekend snap: farmer's market fresh

2011-10-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had been fighting this fall business for a while. You know, stomping my feet, pounding fists, wearing flip flops in the rain. Your typical toddler reaction to that of which we cannot control. Fortunately for me it was mostly 80 degrees with 90 percent humidity the entire two weeks we were visiting New York. All that hot-ass moisture helped me to welcome the autumn crisp of Northern California with a wee bit more grace.

I'm ready for root vegetables, tall boots and scarves. Yesterday at the farmer's market I could not get enough of all the beautiful colors. I've said it before, but it really is an embarrassment of riches around these parts. Not that I'm complaining. I say, bring on the harvest.

P.S. Thank for the very kind emails, tweets and texts. My migraine issue is still hanging around. It has me worried. It's the longest I've gone with consecutive days of pain, ever. But I'm also avoiding my pain meds. Because it's been 11 years of treating it the same way and I'm committed to finding an alternative that might do more that simply masking the symptom. I had some cranial sacral work done on Saturday and will give that another couple of sessions as I noticed a difference in my overall pain for two days. I really appreciate those of you who have sent ideas about successful treatments. Keep them coming. Here's hoping the universe is listening...I'm ready for a new solution.

P.P.S. Also, Soup Monday is coming to you on a Tuesday. So we've got that to look forward to.

Looking for the fairy dust

2011-10-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm on day five of a migraine. It's not exactly the sort of record I was looking to set, but there it is. All the sparkle and magic of New York has faded and I am shacked up in sad sacville. I'll take any suggestions that do not involve western medicine. Seriously. Send them my way. Voo doo, black magic, I'm open. I've tried massage, acupuncture yoga and medication. I've taken loads of pain bills and spent quality time with a neurologist. I've gone dairy-free, nut-free, alcohol-free and nothing seems to make a lasting difference. It's been 11 years of managing chronic pain and I'm crying uncle. Except crying hurts so really, it's more like whining uncle. Peace out, friends. Happy weekend.

Cozy comfort food

2011-10-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Do you have a neighborhood bistro? A corner pub or little cafe where you count on a bit of comfort food or a cozy drink after work? In our old neighborhood my husband I would often walk to a local Italian restaurant. It was tiny and the food was basic but reliable and the house Chianti made it a very cozy getaway. That place is long gone now and we have yet to find a suitable replacement in our home town. Seriously, it's been 7 years and I'm still a little bummed out.

But just one day into our New York adventure we realized our apartment was two blocks from Felice. A completely dreamy little wine bar with candle sticks on every table, fresh soups and the best risotto I have ever had. This place is a gem. We made several visits and each night we relaxed into a hazy vibe that just felt like home. It was comforting. I can still taste the fresh peas and burratta cheese from that risotto and the creamy pureed broccoli from the soup. It's inspired me to get back into the kitchen at home. That is to say that Soup Monday will be coming back in a BIG way, my friends.

I think that soup is the ultimate comfort food, well, that and a grilled cheese sandwich of course. What's your go-to comfort food? Please share with the class.

Weekend snap: home sweet home

2011-10-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

About a week into our Manhattan adventure, Emerson asked me in the most wistful voice if we could please go apple picking. Her request made my heart happy. Yesterday, as she ran through the orchard and squealed with delight over her overflowing bag of goodness, I found myself relaxing into the ease of being home. Back to the comfort of my home state, where the car drives itself to the organic apple orchard and I don't have to consult a map to find a playground or decent cup of coffee. Happy Monday, friends.

So long, New York

2011-09-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

We all did it up in style last night in honor of our last night in Manhattan. My husband came home with a paycheck's worth of Laduree macarons and champagne and then we had a moment of parenting weakness and let Emerson indulge in a toxic mix food coloring with sugar. Gross, I know. But damn if she didn't talk to those buttons the entire walk home. Her new best friends. It was pretty great.

We keep wondering if she'll remember any bit of this whirlwind adventure. Will she hold on to one or two images? They all feel so intense to me and I can't imagine how a single visual from this trip will slip into grey matter, but that is the way it works, right?

And if she keeps just one - which ONE will make it through the filter? Mary Poppins flying over the audience on Broadway? Playing Lion King in the park with my best friend's son? The cool breeze coming off the Staten Island Ferry as she gazed at the Lady Liberty? Or her prized red balloon that flew away as we all watched, stunned in the cobble stoned streets of DUMBO? I suppose it will be some small detail that I missed along the way. Something she observed, zoned out on and filed away for future conversation. I can't wait for that day when she busts out with her own "remember when" moment.

A natural playground

2011-09-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

Children make the very best artists, in my opinion. Watching littles create a world of make-believe out of sticks and stones is pretty magical. We're crushing pretty hard on all things Central Park on this trip. This vast expanse of nature in the middle of the go-go city will never grow tired to me and my girl. It seems there is a new discovery just waiting to be had around each bend.

I'm pretty sure Emerson was conducting a symphony of imaginary musicians here. But all I could think of was how precariously close she came to falling in that pond on so many separate occasions. That's all.

P.S. I realize this place has turned into a bit of a travel blog but I'm sort of a one-track-mind, New York-all-the-time right now. Things will get back to normal next week. Whatever that means.

Weekend snap: balloons

2011-09-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

Imagine the possibilities, the endless potential for adventure, inspiration, creating. Hook a dream to a balloon and see where it takes you. Happy Monday, friends.

Magic moments

2011-09-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

Not gonna lie. New York has been a dream. Full of long walks through Central Park, coffee breaks in tiny cafes that look more like film sets and hours of wandering the streets imagining what life would really be like if we actually called this city home.

My husband really wants to move here. He's east coast to the core. I love a good adventure but the older I get the more attached I become to my California roots. I need my trees and my ocean - at my finger tips. Don't get me wrong, I get a serious charge from this city. It inspires me in countless unexpected ways and it's no surprise that artists of all sorts flock here through the generations. It's a living, breathing and constantly evolving canvas.

We're happy here. My girl is at peace here. The stimulation seems to do her all kinds of crazy good. I'm not at all sure what to do with that information.

See below my imaginary home in New York. We walk by it every morning and I'm obsessed. Pretty dreamy, huh? Wishing you all a lovely weekend. Hope you have some fun, fall adventures planned.

Taking Manhattan: toddler style

2011-09-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

It looks like I may be iPhoning it in for the next few days. New York is a total whirlwind of crazy and there just isn't a spare moment to download and edit images. So just a quick update. If you follow me on Twitter you got my #WIE2011 spam. It was an amazing and inspiring two days. Lots of women doing crazy, brave stuff. I have tons to share, but I need to process and collect my thoughts. More on that soon, promise.

More importantly, Emerson is taking to city life like a pro. She wakes up each morning ready to start counting taxi cabs. I fear her work will never be done. She wants nothing to do with her stroller but is seriously fighting our strict hand-holding policy. Little independent city gal, she is.

She's already taken in a Broadway show ("Berry" Poppins - in her words) and sat quietly on my lap only to be distracted when she quite seriously shushed the restless girl sitting next to us. It was pretty great.

Yesterday, we visited Eloise's house and played tea party. Then we took a carriage ride through Central Park and damn if the leaves are not even yellow yet. It's the most lush I have ever seen the park. Every shade of leafy green hanging on like it's spring. So pretty.

In a few minutes we'll be off to our new favorite ritual. Breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup. I'd been wanted to visit this place for years and wouldn't you know? It's two blocks from our apartment. Amazing food, perfect tea and fairy dust and wings for Emerson at the entrance. The place is a dream. Seriously, can you imagine the effect of fairy dust and glittery wings on a three year old? Socks. Officially. Knocked. Off.

City food tour

2011-09-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my girlfriends and I, armed with train tickets, cab fare and travel-size mimosas, attempted to eat (and drink) our way through 7x7 magazine's Big Eat San Francisco. Ambitious? Um, yes. And maybe a little ill-timed considering we were all registered for a 10k run the following morning through the redwoods of Felton, but I digress. It was a 12-hour grand and glutinous affair.

We girls were pretty solidly focused on enjoying some of the finest coffee, sweets, savories and drinks the city has to offer. The rough agenda:

Coffee and spiced chocolate donut at Four Barrel Coffee
Double pain au chocolat at Tartine
Salted caramel ice cream at Bi-rite
Fish tacos and margaritas at Tacolicious
*Unplanned rest stop for coffees and prosecco in North Beach (this is about the time when I started whining for a Tums and a nap and the girls pretty much compared my general temperament to that of a toddler and I totally agreed with that assessment)
Ice cream at Humphry Slocombe (the line was 45 deep so we gave up after 15 minutes)
Pizza at Little Star

I should mention that we also rolled with a three month old. Tui was such a trooper. Up for whatever, whenever. Maybe a little bummed she didn't get to gum any of the goodies, but other than that pretty happy to be included in the girls' day.

Every single thing we tasted was ah-mazing. Seriously, study the 2010 and 2011 lists before any future San Francisco trip. Each location was worth the wait and the advance planning. For now, I'm dying to get back to Tartine and eat my way through their entire menu. We tried both a savory and sweet croissant and ate them while standing outside. It was not a pretty scene but so, so very good.

Baby Tui took the sign very seriously.

Baby mine

2011-09-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Marisa's "At the Circus" limited addition print.

Emerson is in the throws of a full blown love affair/obsession with all things Dumbo. She also recently had her mind blown at the circus. Don't even get me started on magic of juggling. And now each night she asks me to sing the Dumbo song. You know, the one his mommy sings to him as she cries and cradles him in her trunk, through the bars of her prison car. Yah, she wants me to hold her like a baby and sing this gut wrenching song. She clearly has no sense of the scary depth that is my empathetic soul. Or maybe she does. It could be that she knows all too well how deeply I feel heartbreak and fear for her very own inevitable pain. How intensely I have imagined her life being free from that. And yet, she's drawn to it. The drama, it won't stop.

It's heartbreaking on a number of levels. You see, she's my only little. My baby mine. And watching her grow out of true babyhood has been hard - on both of us. She recently started asking for her baby toys. The ones she sees peeking from corners of photos. Where the focus is her chubby, toothlesness she sees a bouncy chair, a rattle, a playmat.

I tell her they are packed up or living with another little baby and she wants them back. She rejoices when we find a touch and feel board book in the trunk of my car. A cast off from years ago. Years that feel like days to me. Because the crushing exhaustion and anxiety of newborn days have returned in toddlerhood. She feels as delicate as ever to me at 3.5 as she did at .5. My porcelin doll who some how learned to walk and talk and make song requests from her bed. How did we get here?

Dumbo
Baby Mine

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine
Little one when you play
Don't you mind what you say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine
If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for
The right to hold you
From your head to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine

P.S. Anyone else hitting up Target today? I'm hoping to pick up a few Missoni gems. Maybe a new dress for Emerson's big city debut?

Weekend snap: flowers

2011-09-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

Just a little snappy from the weekend. I'm thinking this might be a regular Monday feature. (That is, until I start making soup again. Soup Monday was fun, right?) If I follow through on this series I should have a little shot from New York. Because, (eeck!) that's we're the family will be for the next two weeks. Craziness around here preparing for city-living with a, um, spirited toddler. Any tips?

Flowers always make me feel better. California poppies growing wild out of the pavement or grand arrangements styled to perfection - it doesn't matter. And this weekend I needed the simple pleasure that fresh flowers so easily bring. Farmer's market flowers. They never disappoint.

Stained in my memory

2011-09-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I need some stained glass in my life. I had been regularly admiring a few pieces at my favorite antiques coop for more than a year. They were old and pricey but I used to visit them and imagine one hanging in my future dream of a home. On my most recent visit I saw that they were gone.

Now, I know I need one of my own. Does anyone make stained glass anymore? Could it be the next nostalgic revival design trend? I saw this piece in Felton last weekend while eating lunch at a roadside cafe. It sort of screams Northern California mid-70s. i.e. my childhood. I love it.

I have a great memory of making stained glass Christmas ornaments with my Grandfather. You know, the kind you get from the craft store and bake in the oven. A little grey mouse. It's a treasure of a memory. The kind I'll surely now create with Emerson.

Do you have any personal experiences your working to recreate with your kids? Do you ever wonder what they will grow up to remember and cherish from their own formative years? Let's all share.

Backyard inspiration

2011-09-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Photo by E. Spencer Toy for Sunset.

File this under "why didn't I think of that?" How fun would a permanent Scrabble board be in your backyard? I love it. Do you have a favorite family-friendly board game? I'm a big fan of Scrabble, but I also love Uno (I know, card game) and Yahtzee.

Riding the rails

2011-09-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

She ran all the way to the ticket counter. All the while, hollering "wait for me, wait for me!" as if she were late for the train. Emerson's enthusiasm for the old steam engine was contagious. Public transportation is totally her thing. She loved holding her ticket and sharing the trip through the redwoods with her trusted companion, Lion.

Checking this off my summer list was a magical moment. I still have a couple special dresses to wear and a rooftop telescope to find, but other than that the summer list is close to complete. Many special missions happily accomplished. I'm pretty sure I said this at the tail end of last summer, but there really is something to this effort of putting my goals "out there". It seems to amp up the accountability factor and sort of sets my intentions in motion. Good stuff, indeed.

Baking the last of summer

2011-09-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Melissa's foodie tweets have been taunting me all summer. She threw me over the edge last week with mention of a savory galette with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese. Goat cheese in any form makes me a little weak in the knees as evidenced here. Since I took her tweet as a personal challenge, I knew it was time to finally try my hands at Sherry's recipe.

Pastry dough makes me twitchy but this was easy and effortless. (And here is where I admit to previously getting all my pastry dough from the freezer section of Whole Foods). My galette initiation included plums and blueberries and handmade pastry with some "help" from Emerson. It was divine with vanilla ice cream and I cannot wait to have my next slice with coffee for breakfast. Highly recommended.

I was also busy sewing and added two new toddler skirts to the shop. More to come soon. I'm playing with fabric dye and it is FUN. Can't wait to share with you guys.

The best of summer

2011-09-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm off to spend the day with my Kiwi crew before they head back to New Zealand tonight. Boo! It's bittersweet. We'll be lounging poolside with a gaggle of little girls. Eating and drinking and laughing to our hearts delight among 30 acres of oak trees. (I open the sun roof and windows each and every time I drive up this road for a visit.) It's reliably a pinch-yourself moment.

I'm wishing you all a fabulous long (in the States) weekend. Hope you either have a mad adventure planned or three days of blissful rest. Or, both.

P.S. Did you know we are offering free shipping on all items in our Closet Shop? And new items have been added. Do check it out.

Wise words

2011-09-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

One of the many reasons I'm be happy to grow soft in Northern California. Among the surprisingly beautiful graffiti art found all over San Francisco's Mission district, there is also this. Word to your mother-in-law - NPR's Ira Glass is, apparently, in the house.

Which reminded me of this much-played out, but so wise commencement speech from Baz Luhrmann. These really are some well said words to live by. Do you agree? Wouldn't it be great if this were part of high school curriculum? I particularly love the bit about beauty magazines and worry.

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Everybody`s Free To Wear Sunscreen
- Baz Luhrmann

Ladies & Gentlemen of the class of `99 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Obviously enjoy the power & beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you`ll not understand the power & beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you`ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can`t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked..As you may expect you`re not as fat as you imagine.

Don`t worry about the future; or worry. Worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Don`t be reckless with other people`s hearts, don`t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Don`t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you`re ahead, sometimes you`re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it`s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Don`t feel guilty if you don`t know what you want to do with your Life.the most interesting people I know didn`t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most extremely interesting 40 year olds I know still don`t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you`ll miss them when they`re gone.

Maybe you`ll marry, maybe you won`t, maybe you`ll have children, maybe you won`t, maybe you`ll divorce at 40, maybe you`ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. What ever you do, don`t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either - your choices are half chance, so are everybody else`s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don`t be afraid of it, or what other people individually think of it, it`s the greatest instrument you`ll ever own..

For certain dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don`t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they`ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you yearly get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; momentarily live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Meanwhile accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will lie, you too will get old, and when you do you`ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don`t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don`t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you`re 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, magically painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it`s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

On finding some peace

2011-08-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to say hello. We spent a day at Half Moon Bay over the weekend and soaked up as much sea air has humanly possible. I discovered a few bits of important information during my week of semi-unplugged. First, I'm desperate for quiet in my life. The amount of noise pollution in my neighborhood and my home (I'm looking at you, Matt Lauer and your gang of Today Show fear mongers) is simply too much for me to handle these days.

And second, I'm spending far too much time in my car, with my phone and in front of my TV. That last admission is a touchy one as I have a longtime love affair with my old friend, TV. But enough is enough. My life has changed and now I need equal parts fresh air and quiet to balance out the screaming three year old and the chorus of leaf blowers that seem to follow my every move.

For now, I can't help where I live so I'm starting to make small steps to help me find peace everyday in the crazy-making Silicon Valley and at least once a week I'm working to get myself (and my family) in nature. I'm convinced the negative ions will bring us some positive change. Here's hoping.

I'm curious if you have any tried and true tips for balancing, recharging or just relaxing. I'm sort of astonished at how bad I am at the whole thing and would love to know your tricks of the trade.

Deep breaths, say it with me

2011-08-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Don't mind me while I take a little self-imposed time out. It seems I have over scheduled myself to a point of mental breakdown and every few minutes I find myself relating more closely to the meltdowns of my three year-old than that of a grown woman who really ought to know better than to scream and cry and pout her way out of every frustrating encounter.

So I'm checking out for few days for the sole purpose of taking care of myself. It's a wild and crazy experiment on my part. Do wish me luck. Unplugging and checking out for the sake of sanity and health is not normally my thing. But it's either that, or start breaking shit because I can't access the photos I just downloaded to my computer for now clear reason. And the pacifist in me says that violence is not the answer here. So I'm just going to back. away. from. the. computer.

Wishing you all a lovely, rage-free week.

Back to basics in the kitchen

2011-08-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

Veggies from the Napa Farmer's market.

I just ordered this book for some much-needed inspiration in the kitchen. Mostly, because I listened to Forum yesterday on my local NPR station which was entirely focused on the 40th anniversary of Chez Panisse and my head about exploded with enthusiasm for all things food. It's an hour's worth of Alice Waters' alumni and Bay Area food lovers who have been influenced by the Chez Panisse ethos. It was energizing to say the very least and had me itching for a farmer's market and some quality kitchen time.

And next Wednesday, if I didn't have another rockin dentist appointment you know I'd be heading up to Maiden Lane in San Francisco where Ms. Waters, Sofia Coppola and Dave Eggers will be handing out free, organic boxed lunches. Sounds so fun. Someone really ought to go and tell me all about it. In the meantime, let's talk about preparing something tasty this weekend. Preferably something that originated in a local-to-you and organic farm.

Citrus cake and the summer list

2011-08-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Major progress on the summer list to report here. I can tell you that Appolina's citrus cake is crazy good. Highly recommended with one extra tip. I cannot stress enough the importance of the step that involves chilling the cake for 30 minutes after adding the lemon curd filling. Behold the epic puddle of lemon curd that was my cake since I could not be bothered with the chilling process last night. No matter, we simply scooped up piles of the filling onto each slice. It was good stuff.

This weekend I plan on giving Bi-Rite ice cream a go while my ladyfriends and I eat and drink our way through 7x7 magazine's annual Big List. We'll follow that glutenous challenge up with a 10k on Sunday morning. So that should be interesting and if I'm being honest, ugly. Expect a few updates on these adventures next week.

I'd love to hear about your summer goals. Are you making the most of the sunshine?

P.S. Yesterday the lovely ladies of Tipsy Society featured my favorite summer cocktail. Check it out if you're looking for the perfect outdoor happy hour drink.

Better days

2011-08-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

There are so many days I hope to revisit before this one. Rather than regale you will details of my oral surgery, or the panic attack I had while choosing music to accompany said surgery (I chose wrong and somehow managed to set my playlist on repeat - one song, over and over and over again), the sound of my neighbor's roof being replaced while I tried to sleep it all off, or the sound of their four dogs barking alongside the work, I will tell you I'm really happy that most of today is behind me and that I did not commit any heinous acts against humanity. That's a win, considering.

I'm looking forward to chewing food sometime soon. Can you tell? Behold: a few things that sound good from my past. In no particular order. But basically, I want some cake and I want some coffee.

Oh yeah, and Blogger sucks. These the are only photos that would actually upload and I'm too disgusted to start over. Peace out, friends. Here's hoping there is processed sugar in my immediate future.

Weekend survival juice

2011-08-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

While visiting Colorado last weekend, Danielle and I were treated to a lovely (new to me) cocktail. Our girlfriend's husband mixed them up through our stay upon request. Such hospitality was much appreciated as we managed the madness of four crazy small people (and four beat-down big people). I've been daydreaming of this refreshing mix of sweetness and tart for days. I'm guessing this drink has a name but for our purposes let's just call is Sweet Nectar of the Traveling Toddler Parenting Gods.

Shot of St. Germaine Liquor (Elderflower Liquor)

Club Soda

Prosecco (although dry white wine worked well in a pinch)

Generous squeeze of fresh lime

Lemon Sweet & Sour (optional)

More about me at Elleinad Spir

2011-08-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in Colorado with Danielle and our friend Melissa and all our kids. It's an every-other-year tradition and while it was great to reconnect with two old and dear friends and watch our kids become fast friends, the altitude kicked my ass. It's good to be back at sea level but I'm convinced it's going to take the rest of the week to catch up on home life, sleep and email.

Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement and kind words about the shop. I'll be shipping out orders on Thursday and sewing many more little items in the coming days. "New" vintage trim arrived while I was away and I cannot wait to get my hand on it.

For now, please visit me over at Elleinad Spir for a fun little guest series she's hosting.

Introducing Shop Pink Moon

2011-08-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Well, friends. There she is. My own little shop. It feels as though I've been holding my breath for the past month and the truth is, I could put this day off for another few weeks or even months. I could continue to make little tweaks. Sew a few more little dresses, source a bit more vintage trim. Rewrite my bio four hundred times. But I'm learning that this endeavor is and probably always will be, a work in progress. So, I'm letting her fly, pushing her out of the comfy nest. And yes, by her I really mean me. Because that shop is sort of like looking at my insides.

That's all I have today. I'm a little messy and actually heading out of town for a long awaited reunion with two great friends and all of our collective kids. Wish us luck. Two of us are flying solo with littles.

P.S. A big thank you is owed to Shari of Little Blue Deer for my lovely shop banner and button. She's such a delight to work with (she also designed my blog banner). Happy weekend, my loves.

My town, my people

2011-08-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

California Cafe view from the bar. Small town fun facts: President Clinton ate there while in office. Also, the Doobie Brothers used to live in the mountains above town, Juice Newton used to sing every week at a piano bar and Olivia De Haviland went to my high school.

I live just a few miles from the town I grew up in but it may as well be the other side of the world. It's a bit of an alternate universe that is littered with old California charm, new Silicon Valley money and pure natural beauty. It's a special place. Walking down its streets brings an easy and strange comfort - both the morning and afternoon light is spectacular and every corner is haunted with memories from early childhood to my early 20s. There are people I'd pay good money never to see again and yet, I happily risk run-in reunions at the chance to soak up just a bit of my own nostalgia. It's as storied a place for me as I'm sure anyone's home town would be.

It's doubtful I'll ever live there again, but twice this past summer I've "vacationed" at a local hotel. Waking up a tourist in your hometown is something everyone might want to try. The most recent getaway was with three of my best girlfriends (minus Megan, who will make her annual trek from New Zealand in a matter of days, not that I'm counting).

I have a tendency to wax on about my girls. I can't help it. Much like my hometown, they are a part of my DNA. They are my comfort food, my living scrapbooks, my entertainment, my truth-tellers, they are steady and constant lights in my life and they are so much more than I could ever write in a blog post.

My girlfriends - all of them - make me proud and thankful to be a woman. So here's a little lady light for your Wednesday.

Go fly a kite

2011-08-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

We checked out the Annual Kite Festival in Berkeley over the weekend and even though the sun did not make an appearance, the kites were complete show-stoppers. I'm not usually one for a festival of any sort. Large gatherings of strangers and forced fun are usually a recipe for unwarranted anxiety but this was different.

The activities were spread across miles of rolling hills and the emphasis was on strolling and occasionally looking up in the sky. And the sky was littered with an ever-changing art installation of color. Literally hundreds of various shapes dancing in every direction. It was equal parts crazy and magical.

I loved overhearing conversations led by seriously passionate kite flyers. These people were not playing. For instance, I had no idea there was such a thing as kite ballet? Yeah, it's a thing.

There were also ponies. Much to my own surprise, Emerson showed some real interest and got to take her own turn on one very gentle guy named Ernie. I'm pretty sure his name alone had a lot to do with her courage as we are experiencing a bit of a Sesame Street renaissance around our house.

And yes, we are in public and those are Cars slippers she has paired with her Minikin tutu. We are classy like that. Before you judge me, know that I've been single-parenting since Wednesday and sometimes you just have to suck it up and leave the house. I totally won this battle since she's not actually wearing the nightie she slept in.

Driving the inspiration today

2011-07-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

Working with some purple paisley in between finishing samples for the shop and I just had to share. I am happiest in my little studio space. Fan is whirling away and music is almost always blasting from my wee workhorse iPhone. I go through music binges while I work. Grateful Dead dominated April and May. Last week, I listened to David Sedaris' collected works. I just never tire of bitter sarcasm.

Today, it's all Dire Straits (minus the truly unforgivable "Money for Nothing"). Mark Knopfler makes me want to play guitar. Cause I'm sure that shit would be easy to pick up, right? I do wish I had musical talent of any sort.

Listening to really good music reminds me that I am completely cheating Emerson when I turn up the likes of Gaga for our living room dance parties. And the fact that she repeatedly asks for my "jiggly music" (Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy with It" - if you needed to ask) on the way to school each morning is most assuredly shameful. I can do better.

Peace out, friends. Have a smashing weekend.

Living the luxe life in my mind

2011-07-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

Let me just preface - I don't usually do this. Shopping gives me hives and I'm generally terrible at making decisions. I've been looking for bedding for more than five years...if that is any indication of my inability to decide. In my mind, I have it all picked out, but when it comes to execution I'm a curled up in the corner rocking from the very thought of commiting.

But now that we're seriously thinking of moving next year, I've been imagining my new dream living quarters, which today would need to be furnished around this lovely pendant light, watercolor silk pillow and pretty little drinking glasses. I really hope to someday show you pictures of things I've actually purchased. But for now I'm just living the dream in my mind.

All images via Furbish Studio, a place that could become a real problem for me.

Summer slump

2011-07-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Yard sale? Check. Date night at Mountain Winery? Check. Popsicle making and eating? Check and check. So far, the summer list of goals is keeping me motivated and focused on a few simple priorities. But even my most diligent inner task master can't keep me from a bit of a summer slump. I mostly start each morning with an itch to run away for a couple of days. Point the car south without reservations and explore new beaches or old haunts. The scenery around these parts is getting stale.

Until yesterday, I'd done nothing in the way of "getting comfortable in my jeans" i.e. getting into shape, blah, blah, blah. I'm boring myself with this one. But in the interest in keeping myself honest here, you should know that I hit the gym with fury and now it hurts to type. But I registered for a 10k last night that I will attempt with several of my very fit lady friends in a matter of weeks. Here's hoping peer pressure can keep me focused on fitness and health for the foreseeable future.

Also, thank you so much for all the enthusiasm and encouragement over my pending Etsy endeavor. I could not ask for a more supporting group of friends. Kind words of support really mean so much. I hope to have something to share in a week or so.

P.S. Danielle and I added a couple items to our virtual closet. Check it out.

Psst, a bit of news

2011-07-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, friends. This was to be a quick check in. Just a note to tell you that I'm making good on my summer list with big plans of a yard sale tomorrow morning and possibly a train ride through the redwoods on Sunday. But then I started getting a little jumpy and itchy.

See, in all my other waking hours this weekend I'll be working on my new Etsy shop. I'm a little nutty over it and I couldn't keep the secret going for a moment longer. I'll have a few of my favorite images available and tiny dresses with vintage embellishments for anyone with a special little lady in their life. More to come very soon. But here's a little snippet of what's been keeping me properly distracted. Eeck! And now I press publish...

Wishful thinking at Reverie Daydream - a guest post

2011-07-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Do you still make wishes when you spot a shooting star? When blowing out the candles on your birthday cake? While tossing pennies in a fountain? I've been a serious wisher of dreams for as long as I can remember. Won't you join me over at Melissa's lovely blog for a little wishful thinking?

Working down the summer list

2011-07-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

How are your summertime goals going? Are you giving your swim suit a workout? Eating your weight in popsicles? I sincerely hope so. I'm working my way through my summer list of goals. Serious business, friends.

On Saturday night, my husband and I went to see Kathy Griffin at the Mountain Winery. Full disclosure: I'm a huge KG fan. She's obscene and inappropriate and you could argue a little obnoxious at times. But anyone who can tell Jesus to suck it on live TV is a friend indeed. I mean no disrespect, but I really appreciate brave, irreverent and bitter humor.

The show was fantastic. But if you know the Mountain Winery than you know that your grandma could read the phone book from the stage and the crowd would be still be all blissed out and giddy. It's one of the most breathtaking spots in Northern California. High atop a mountain, full of history and natural beauty. It's a special and intimate place. I saw Stevie Wonder there four years ago and cried my eyes out. It remains one of my all-time favorite memories in life.

On Saturday night, a giant white owl spent the evening floating over the stage as if part of the entertainment. Back and forth and in and out of a tiny window of the ancient castle-like building that anchors the stage. It was magical.

It was a night of beauty and crazy laughter. A much-needed break from the all-too seriousness of everyday life.

Shop our closets

2011-07-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

I've been obsessively purging my closets (and hoarder's den garage) preparing for a yard sale next weekend. Mostly because I need to cross that off my summer list pronto, but it also feels really good to clear space and lighten my load a bit.

Just as I was making piles of clothing and toys and let's face it, garbage - Danielle came up with a genius idea of hosting a bit of an online sale. She invited a few of us to post our new and very gently used items on a "shop our closets" mini store. It will be up for the next six months and we will frequently add items so please stop in from time to time and see if anything catches your eye. We promise to keep it to higher end, good quality stuff. Not the sort I'll be selling for a quarter next weekend on my front lawn. So there's that. In the meantime, how cute is the dress/tunic? It's for sale...

And here are the other lovely ladies who will be participating.

Danielle of Elleinad spir

AK and DER of Tipsy Society
Melissa of Reverie Daydream and Reverie Daydream Boutique

The things we covet

2011-07-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

Tiffany's signet ring, which up until recently I had not seen her remove since high school (and that was, um, a few years ago, but I'm not gonna say exactly how many) and her mom's brilliant necklace. I want them both. Actually, Tiff and I may have suggested that maybe her mama was getting to that special stage in life when she could start gifting some of her more treasured items. You know, to avoid detailing such affairs in some sort of official document. Yeah, that went over about as well as you could imagine. Still, you can bet I let it be known that I'd happily help purge her jewelry collection and closet. (She's a bit of a kindred soul when it comes to the shapeless clothing.) For now, I will simply admire from afar - two very stylish ladies.

P.S. Had I known the F bomb was going to go over so swimmingly, I would have been dropping it ages ago. Good to know, friends. Feel free to join me in the gutter with your potty mouths any old time. Also, I found the forsaken cord. And yes, it was hiding in plain fucking site.

save

2011-07-12T22:39:00.001-07:00

Just like a Monday

2011-07-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

I had big plans for a blog post this morning. You probably would have liked it. You would have learned all about my home town and how special the light is in the morning and at dusk and how there is certainly no way I could ever live there again but it remains the only home I've ever known. I'd tell you all about my nutjob girlfriends - sisters really - and their synchronized swimming antics. You guys would love those girls. I wish they had blogs.

But I can't find the camera cord.

You bet I'd wax on about Thomas Keller's majestic gardens. The ones that Melissa strolls through each morning. If you imagined she lives the beautiful (inside and out) and exquisite life she portrays on her blog and her shop you'd be spot on. Except it's all so much better in person. I already miss her world.

But I can't find the camera cord.

I've torn my house to bits this morning.

And still no cord.

Here's a photo I took with my phone (a bit like the lanyard your kid made you at camp). Ikea curtains I'll be selling for a steal on a little pop up blog yard sale. More on that very soon, I promise. And maybe more iphone photos if my fucking cord doesn't show up. Oops, I never swear here. Did it hurt your ears?

Also, I had nightmares last night and now I feel sort of angry and sad. Can you tell? I miss my grandparents. My back hurts and I have to go to Target today because we're out of most of the things that make basic hygiene happen. And another thing. I'm going to the dentist in a couple of hours to learn about my next oral surgery. Can you tell that this post is going no where good?

Sorry. Isn't it just like a Monday to throw all sorts of lame stuff into the mix before the coffee is even ready?

I'll come back tomorrow with something pretty. In the meantime, tell me one happy thing, o.k.?

I'll start: I have dental insurance which will make my oral surgery possible. I am honestly grateful for that. And Billy Collins. I'm always thankful for his words.

Summertime in a glass

2011-07-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a cocktail drinker. I used to love a dirty martini or a gin and tonic. But post baby I've found that much more than a thimble full of hard liquor quite literally knocks me down and reliably ends in a migraine. Now, offer me a glass of champagne or a chilled rose and I'm all smiles.

Over the weekend we uncovered the juicer attachment to the food processor and turned two watermelons into juice. My husband surprised me by adding a salted glass, a splash of good vodka and a lime to the mix. It was tasty and refreshing and really turned up the sophistication on our plastic pool lounging.

I just can't recommend this enough. But I'm also quite curious - what are you drinking on these hot summer nights?

Stuff we covet

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

A happy holiday weekend recap

2011-07-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

This was, hands-down, the most lounge-y weekend I've had in ages. It was full of popsicle eating, parade watching, plastic pool swimming, pavlova making and eating, dress making, nap taking and last, put certainly not lest, watermelon-tini drinking. I cannot say enough about the refreshing qualities of fresh watermelon juice (I'm not a huge fan of the fruit, but its juice wins me over every time.

Before you get too envious, keep in mind the bliss was regularly interrupted by boundary pushing and tantrum throwing on the part of a certain someone who pretty much stayed in disguise throughout the holiday. You know, giant hats, sunglasses...your typical diva-wear.

Underneath my sun hat, Emerson is methodically eating the rainbow sprinkles off of a doughnut. My, how I do love that girl to pieces.

Off topic a bit - have you ever heard your child swear? How old were they and did they know you were listening? I overheard "dammit" and "poopy guy" this weekend and had to hide my face and laughter. It just may have been so wrong it was right.

All measures of small pleasures

2011-07-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

So very thankful for the long holiday weekend here in the States. We're prepping for triple digit weather which will translate to lots of homemade popsicles and ice cream and some sprinkler fun in the backyard. I'm also planning to make veggie burgers from scratch (wish me luck - my first attempt was truly awful) and pavlova. So very excited for the pavlova. It's my summer time favorite and I usually wait for Megan to make her annual visit to California because she is the pavlova-making master, but I can't wait for August this year. I'll attempt her recipe instead. Wishing you all the best weekend, ever.

In case of emergency

2011-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get the blues? Down in the dumpity dumps for no particular reason? I generally try to keep my sweet life in perspective, but I get sucked down into the abyss from time to time. Marisa talked about this concept ages ago. The idea is to make a short list of things you can easily do to turn your mood around. She inspired my list - my in case of emergency list. If you catch me rocking quietly in the corner check to see if I've tried any or all of the following. Sometimes we all need a reminder of the special little things that reliably bring us satisfaction, contentment and plain old joy.

Turn off the TV

Walk about outside

Organize a closet or a drawer

Make something, anything

Eat chocolate croissant

Step away from the computer

Take a shower

Drink one cup genmaicha, slowly

Vacuum the house

When all else fails, play reggae really loud, dance like a fool

What's your recipe for beating the blues?

Swanton makes me swoon and #2 on the summer list

2011-06-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend and I took the kids strawberry picking at the beach last weekend. Swanton Berry Farm is one of the oldest organic farms in California and it's a lovely day trip if you're in Northern California. The berries are perfect right now and after you fill your baskets there's a great little cafe full of vintage toys for the kids, couches for lounging with Mexican hot chocolate, coffee, homemade jam, strawberry shortcake and yes, more berries if you don't feel like putting in the labor. And it's all on the honor system. It's generally a very happy place and one of those experiences I hope that Emerson someday remembers nostalgically.

To top it off, our collection easily turned into refreshingly tangy and sweet yogurt strawberry popsicles and I got to cross off an item from my list. I'm pretty sure popsicle making will be a regular occurrence this summer.

Summer list 2011

2011-06-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Cake inspiration from Apollinas via Pretty Mommy.

With summer officially underway, I've found myself back to planning mode. Since Emerson arrived on the scene I've grown to love the summer months (I used to be more of a fall lovin' lady). But now when it warms up, I start craving homemade ice cream, lazy picnics and berry picking adventures.

Last summer's list of goals was hugely motivating and helped me focus on the few simple pleasures and some ambitious projects that were important to me. The truth is, I sort of love being accountable to the internet. Keeps me honest.

So here's the plan for this year and I promise to keep you posted with progress. And of course, I'd love to hear about your top plans for the summer.

1. Take Emerson on this train ride through the redwoods
2. Make popsicles
3. Go on a date with my husband here
4. Wear the vintage dress I bought at the Alameda Flea last summer and wear this new favorite (both great dresses but for some reason don't feel "easy" i.e. they require the perfect venue and company.)
5. Serve this cake to my girlfriends (I'm blaming Michelle for this one.)
6. Get comfortable in my jeans (ed. note: I hate talking weight so I'll simply say I have not been able to comfortably wear denim since giving birth. It's not an earth-shattering problem - simply a trend I would like to reverse.)
7. Find a rooftop telescope for some real star-gazing
8. Hold a garage sale (not sexy, but will require multiple closet cleaning and that's a big-time goal)
9. Taste a multiple Bi-Rite Creamery flavors

Dresses for the sexes

2011-06-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

The prospect of dressing for this event really stumped me. Probably because Hollywood is not exactly my playground and it's been years since I went to a party with a capital P. I went through my own closet but I knew deep down I wanted something special and new.

I hit up Anthropology and quickly narrowed it down to the two selections above. Texted my husband and two trusted girlfriend for thoughts. To be clear, I LOVED the long dress. It satisfied my current obsession for cobalt blue and the tiny brass buttons made me very happy. It felt cool and fresh. I knew the shorter dress would be easy to wear and accessorize. I was torn so I bought both. (The long dress was deeply discounted so I felt completely justified).

Would it surprise you to know that every man I showed these dresses to supported the shorter one. Overwhelmingly. As in, "no, you can't wear that long dress," "it's just not right," "are you trying to cover every inch of your body?" My husband even asked me who I was dressing for - the girls or the guys? The girls, of course, I replied. Well, in that case wear the Amish dress, he said.

I brought both dresses to LA and ended up the short one. Loved it. I felt great but after arriving at the party realized I definitely could have pulled off the longer one.

Come to find out that Jamie from Souled blogged about this exact same question a while back. (Thanks, Melissa.) I love the internet for this exact reason.

I'm looking to continue the conversation and I'd really like to know who you dress for - in particular on special occasions...yourself first? Significant other? Friends? I'm so curious. Do you have any outfits that you love but your partner can't stand? Or vice versa?

P.S. I cannot wait to wear that long dress. Once this heat wave dies down I'm coming up with a reason to chill with a cocktail in my sexy Amish-wear.

Party files: starlight, starbright

2011-06-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Dreamy starlight print via Etsy.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the stars, the nighttime sky, constellations. All the things you notice when you have quiet moments to simply stare out into the sky. Grown up life seems to be filled with stuff to do in the evenings. Dishes, laundry, bed time stories, TV and general zoning inside. Now that summer has officially hit I'd like to make some time for some outdoor zoning. Star gazing to be exact.

I'd love for Emerson to know the exhilaration of spotting a shooting star or identifying one of the Dippers. Yep, stargazing is officially moving to the top of my summer goal list. More on this years list soon.

For now, how brilliant is this Star and Earth birthday party over at The Winding Road? So pretty and refreshing for a children's party theme.

Magical star and earth party from The Winding Road.