maven mama

Food: Happy National Farmers' Market Week!

2010-08-02T14:02:00.003-05:00

One of the many reasons I love living in St Louis is the abundance of farmers' markets to choose from. One of my favorites for true local flavor, and a good assortment of organic products, is also within walking distance! The Tower Grove Farmer's Market runs from May through October, and tends to be an all-out event on summer Saturdays thanks to a wide variety of vendors, tons of families (both local and visiting), charity organizations, an outdoor yoga class, a wading pool and playgrounds for the kids, and excellent free music courtesy of KDHX's 'Harvest Sessions'. The prices for local and organic at this market tend to be a little steep (what else is new?), but we always pick up some little treat, meet new friends, catch up with less new friends, and leave feeling a warm glow of contentment.

lovely displays...

always busy, busy...

Companion tends to offer lower prices at the TG market than at the grocery store, which is a plus - our toddler always wants one of their fantastic cookies, and the man always wants a loaf of bread...

The wading pool and pop jets in full swing. See all the beach balls? The kids had at least fifty of them...

Turns out it was only some of the most brilliant marketing ever:

Oh, and lest I forget the peaches... they are gorgeous and huge this year (these were from Sagez Farms)

Always lovely music in the pool pavilion...

And if the Tower Grove Farmers' Market makes her smile like this, Mommy's happy, too:

Food: Charcuterie and Me

2010-08-01T23:50:00.006-05:00

I'm timid about the pig. And I'll be the first one to admit that I'm not a real foodie because I cringe at the nasty bits.
I spent almost ten years as a vegetarian, two of those as a vegan, and a couple of years afterwords as a somewhat guilty pescevegetarian. Then I discovered that, yes, I really do like meat. I just tend to like it lean (as in: I will sacrifice bits of meat just to make sure I have cut away all of the fat. Remember Jack Sprat? Yeah, I'm Jack), and to be quite honest, as far away from the animal as possible. In short, unless I have had a pre-dinner drink (or three), I am a gigantic wuss when it comes to dead animals that I am meant to consume.
Have I mentioned that I live in a foodie city, in the Midwest (aka 'Where Piggies Go To Die'), with a devoted lover of all foods porcine? Yeah.
So I've been eating pancetta, salsicca, and thick, grilled chops. Fine. I'll admit they're pretty good.

We recently discovered Salume Beddu, and were thrilled to add this wonderful shop run by friendly and passionate people to our list of favorite local go-to foodie suppliers. We picked up a few things to impress our dinner guests that night, and this is what it looked like:

Every year, I'm so glad I planted basil...

Companion always makes a tasty bread...

And I love these little jewel-like black grape tomatoes we picked up at the Tower Grove Farmer's Market...

I loved the cozy interior of Salume Beddu...

I'm not completely sold on the pig yet, but with products like these, I could learn to love even the nasty bits.... maybe...

Design: Poster Art, A Guilty Pleasure

2010-07-14T22:30:00.010-05:00

I have a soft spot in my art and design heart for poster art. There, I admitted it. I know it's not glamorous, and I know it's considered by many to be a kind of 'low art', but I love it anyway. I've often thought that, if I could re-design it entirely, the interior of my life would be an art deco high rise - very clean - with poster art on the walls. (But what would an art deco baby's nursery look like, I ask you?)
My studio is filled with clippings and bits of art that inspire me, and among these are several 'magpied' posters. I stole them because I love them, and they are some of my most prized possessions.
So, without further delay, here is a brief homage to poster art:

I know part of the reason I love bold, graphic designs can be blamed on an early introduction to Aubrey Beardsley:

Still one of my favorites, the eternal Alphonse Mucha:

A Classic:

Love:

A Polish poster:

Posters from the USSR:

AND some modern producers who will be quite happy to sell you gorgeous copies of their art:

Lovely work from St Louis by The Bungaloo:

Local St Louis Favorites, Firecracker Press:

Now go buy some art!

Interiors: A Quick Peek

2010-03-18T20:49:00.003-05:00

I sewed some quick lace curtains for all of our windows - something I never thought I'd do! But the house came with a couple of sets of lace cafe curtains, and continuing this theme made the most sense for both the home's era, and the dark, polished wood trim.
I was rewarded with much lace-blowing-in-the-spring-breeze + feline-contemplation-of-backyard-wildlife. This made me very happy.

Design: Stuff I Want Today

2010-03-18T00:10:00.005-05:00

Just a few delightful odds and ends that I wouldn't be sorry to own...
From FredFlare:

From Perpetual Kid:

check out this awesome solar powered lamp:

reaaaally want this lamp!:

salt and pepper cuteness!:

Goodies from ModCloth:

What I Want For My Birthday, Part 2

2010-03-15T21:45:00.004-05:00

As simple as can be...

I want a beautiful bouquet of parrot tulips...

In an Ironstone pitcher...

Kind of like this...

Or maybe, just maybe, if you're feeling especially generous, a trip back to Holland (one of my most favorite places) to see all the bulbs in bloom again...
at a place like Kuekenhof ...

that's all...

Design/Great Product: PaPaYa!

2010-03-14T22:01:00.003-05:00

So, I just received this incredibly lovely 'Thank you' card in the mail:

(and it's got glitter! Whoohoo!)

I've seen Papaya's (or rather, PaPaYa!'s) products in little boutiques, and sent and received some of their lovely, unique stationary, but tonight I finally dove into their website.

I AM ordering THIS:
I need an address book (it's the only Luddite thing -besides my Moleskine journal, of course - that my Blackberry hasn't replaced,) and at $14, it's a beautiful steal.

This wrapping paper. There are no words. !

Almost all of their art is available in card, magnet, or art panel form. And did I mention it's cheap?

Instead of choosing, maybe I'll just wait until December, and spring for one of their delicious calendars...

Design: A Liberty Surprise!

2010-03-13T20:46:00.006-06:00

I grew up knowing Liberty & Co. was something mythical and magical, which isn't surprising when one considers that, in our family, anyone not idolizing William Morris was immediately considered a suspicious character of questionable taste.

If it was Arts & Crafts, or anything directly related to the era, we knew about it. I'm not sorry my mother taught me this. So imagine my surprise when, on a recent shopping trip to Target (thinking I needed to create my own cleaning solution and look up that Swiffer Wet-Jet refill tutorial again because I am running out way too often,) I glance up to notice, Le Gasp!!!, Liberty of London printed everything!

I'd never forget to water the herbs and flower pots with this pretty watering can:

I'd love a few of these (very sturdy!) bins in my daughter's room:

Love this bowl! Cereal would be so much more fun out of it!:

Daily Tea Time would be a must:

Look at the drool-worthy goodies from Liberty of London!
Gorgeous Fabrics!!!:

Loverly Traveling Cases:

How delightful would this little bag be tucked inside a tote for baby necessities?!:

Want.

GORGEOUS silk scarves!:

William Morris prints are popping up all over the place:
Prada Resort Collection 2010:

I think that's fine and dandy, but I like to see vibrant prints in smaller doses, and on little girls' clothing, especially:

Liberty of London for Target:

A cute home made dress created from coordinating William Morris calicoes:

Some beautiful William Morris or Liberty print fabric would be perfect made into little Kate Greenaway style dresses and pinafores:

And I think these adorable Douglas Co. stuffed animals, available in the kid's section of Barnes & Noble, would be a lovely compliment:

Interiors: New House Progress, Part 1

2010-03-13T13:15:00.006-06:00

Poor blog(s), I have been neglecting you...but I have a good excuse! Setting up a new house is always time consuming, but I think doing it on an extremely limited budget is even more so.
A month into living in the new house, and most of the rooms are not what I would consider 'blog worthy' yet...sigh...
Here are a few photos anyway:

The antique copperplate shipwreck prints above my antique settee in the foyer:

I found this old slate chalkboard at Goodwill (75 cents!) and kind of fell in love with it (I'm sure that has nothing to do with the 'Made In Italy' stamped in the frame!) - I attached hardware to the back, and hung it in the kitchen. The quote was the only one I could think of in the ten minutes before our dinner guests arrived!

The blue and white collection in the kitchen:

(yes, those are speakers in the photos. I realized the best way to keep domestic peace between a girl who likes to listen to music all day and night, and a boy who likes to watch lots of TV was to just put the stereo in the kitchen)

I won't pretend that this wasn't one of Martha's ideas, but since I saw it all those years ago, I have always wanted to clear the cabinets, and have a streamlined spice drawer next to the stove. Thanks to visitors from Atlanta, we were able to import a full set of Ikea spice jars (Ikea, open a dang store in Saint Louis already!!!), and I finally sprang for my own label maker (Whoohoo!) - This one, from Target, was about $10 cheaper than the PTouch brand, and works just the same.

More to come...

What I Want For My Birthday #1

2010-01-28T13:26:00.007-06:00

So, Spring is around the corner (at least, I'm pretending it is to make myself feel a little better), and I want to feel kind of like this:

My search for an acceptably aesthetically pleasing bike has begun. While I'll probably end up getting the closest thing I can find off of Craigslist, a girl can still sift through bike porn on the ol' internet, can't she?

1952 Schwinn Hornet, available at Rusty Spokes... for a price

And here are the updated 'vintage' Schwinns that I am in love with (for a couple hundred dollars less):

From Electra:
The Amsterdam. And I even like the color...*sigh*

Alexander Girard designed 'Tree of Life' bike (Oh, YES, PLEASE!):

And another adorable Electra bike available at REI:

I wanted to feature more brands, and more pictures of lovely ladies on bicycles, but I have to pack up our computer for its move to our new house! Glee! Terror! I won't be able to use it for 2 1/2 days, and I feel ridiculously sad about it. In fact, I feel exactly like going for a lovely bike ride to cheer myself up.

Interiors: The beginning of my new obsession.

2010-01-20T21:22:00.002-06:00

So, within a matter of weeks (yikes!) we are moving into our new house. It's a totally restored 1910, and I am all aflutter over what I will do to decorate and make it cleverly organized on a limited budget. Here are some photos:

Window 'boxes'! Yay! Now to figure out what will grow well on the North side of a house...

Brand spankin' new kitchen! Now how to organize...

The downstairs is basically one long great room. I have ideas on this one...

Our future office/guest bedroom is tricky - there are windows across one wall, the fireplace on the second, and two (!) closets on the third...

Oh, you'll be hearing more from me about this!

Great Product: My Splurge...Because I'm Worth It!

2010-01-19T22:23:00.005-06:00

So one of my dear, sweet friends (Lisa, over at Apples to Peaches) gifted me with a Sephora gift card. I love Sephora, but usually can't afford too much in there. "This time," I thought, "I'm going to spend it all in one place, and really make it count!"
As the mommy of a toddler who still wakes up several times a night (yes, I am now finally reading 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child' - thank you, Dr. Weissbluth!) one of my major complaints is the constant presence of dark circles under my eyes. I've tried drugstore concealers, but they weren't cutting it. Enter LORAC's 'Double Feature':

It's glorious. At $24, I probably wouldn't have allowed myself the purchase before, but I am SO glad I took the leap. There will be no turning back. I can dot the concealer on, blend it with the roller ball, and swipe some highlighter on my browbones and cheeks (all while wrangling a toddler), and come out (quickly) looking well-rested and beaaaa-u-tiful (if I do say so myself - which is the important thing, after all)!

This is me first thing in the morning BEFORE COFFEE, people! AND on a schlumpy day (one that did NOT get photographed for The Way We Wore)!

Totally worth it.

It's Been a Long Time, Baby! And 'A Very Handmade Xmas', Pt. 1

2010-01-16T20:56:00.004-06:00

So I have been (with pretty good reason) neglecting my blog(s). I'm sorry. the reasons involved: gift buying, enormous packing, toddler wrangling, house cleaning, traveling, something called 'Christmas', illness, more traveling, more illness, and illness, plus a little packing up to move houses, but more on the last item later.
We had a lovely holiday season (despite the nasty sickies), and a couple of my favorite gifts came from my crafty girlfriends and family members. Going into the holiday insanity, I mused, "Gee, next year, wouldn't it be great to institute a 'Hand-Made Christmas'?" My reasons are simple: 1. Make it less materialistic, and more from the heart, 2. Really get into the holiday spirit by making something for everyone else, 3. Possibly much more cost-conscious. Possibly., 4. Total avoidance of shopping malls, duh!, 5. Focuses the holiday more on friends and family and simple joys, 6. If one is not creative enough, or is under strict time restraints, one might buy from local artists/craftspeople/bakers, and drive the local economy, or check out indie craft retail sites (such as Etsy, of course), and just generally support 'the little guys'.

SO, here's my first featured artist: Miss Jessica Jarvis.
I returned home from our vacation to find this perfectly adorable hostess serving stand:

It's so Mad Hatter meets Paris salon! She made it from vintage odds and ends - she has the persistence and the eye for style to comb through thrift stores, and find little treasures to incorporate into her creations.
Her true passion is cooking, and she is a burgeoning boutique caterer of fabulous greatness! Her food is always, ALWAYS a revelation. Jessica's catering company and blog are both named Dish and The Spoon (Love!)
Last night, she catered the opening of The Archive, a hip vintage book and 'curiosity' shop on Cherokee Street in Saint Louis. Her food was perfect, and I was thrilled to see that she had expanded on my gift's theme, and created large platters just for the event:

Her Etsy shop, Pindy Lindy, is, as one might expect with all this other talent, suffering from a bit of neglect. However, Jessica creates gorgeous jewelry out of found objects and vintage baubles. She should update her shop, and they would sell like hot cakes. However, if you, dear reader, would like your own custom platter (no two are alike!), please feel free to convo her, and she'll have your creation whipped up in a jiffy.

New Obsession: Sarah Maingot

2009-11-29T23:31:00.003-06:00

I have a new favorite photographer: Sarah Maingot. I seldom read fashion magazines for the simple reason that afterwords, I usually feel somehow inferior. But something about the way Sarah photographs her models glorifies the strength in their womanliness, and, after viewing this collection of images, I actually felt empowered and inspired. She treats landscapes, objects and products with equal beauty. It's clear that she loves her work, and the scenes she creates are almost mythical. In my younger years, I fantasized about being photographed by Annie Liebovitz, but now Ms. Maingot has stolen that crown.

Check out a full portfolio of her work

LOVE!

Upcycled Lanterns

2009-11-29T22:45:00.004-06:00

I'm loving this idea:

How cute would these be hanging around your little urban oasis?
And the best part is: they're EASY. It basically involves filling the cans with water and freezing them. Complete instructions can be found HERE.

Kids: First Birthday Success!

2009-09-14T12:01:00.007-05:00

Emerson's first birthday party was a success, I think... I always have trouble judging my own work, but I do know that the birthday girl had a good time and was smiling and laughing almost the whole party. To me, that equals an outstanding success!

The invitation:

A glittery pink 'E' above the doorway

All the men were given (embarrassing) white skimmer hats with yellow bands to match the party's yellow and pink 'garden party' theme

The ladies were a bit more fortunate in each receiving pink gerber daisy barrettes for their hair. The baby loved them!

The birthday girl in her custom-embellished garden fairy dress and headband:

Party favors for the little girls:

"Bubbles for our garden fairies" The girls (and dog!) had fun with these in the backyard:

Embellished lamp. There were butterflies and poufs everywhere!

The mantelpiece with the first presents (there were many more):

Some of the party guests took the theme to impressive lengths:

One of two hand-made banners:

Garden themed sugar cookies made with perfect cookie cutters from Sur La Table:

And 'E' for Emerson cookies, of course:

Vanilla cupcakes (my signature recipe) with pink cream cheese butter cream vanilla icing and pink sugar, and the birthday girl's cake with imported marzipan (thank you, Opa!):

"Ooooo, pretty..."

Our little girl surprised us by being extremely dainty with her first cake. There was no satisfying smashing and icing on the face, just careful nibbling:

Most of the guests posing on the front steps:

I'm thinking we'll need a serious cowboys and Indians party next year...

Great Products: Get This Book, You Crafty Mamas

2009-08-31T00:00:00.004-05:00

Order this book now! Awesome vintage knitting for the wee ones -- I want it! Must have it!
Their homepage
And the book on Amazon

um, yes, please?!

Kids: Great Designs, Indie Designer

2009-08-22T21:42:00.005-05:00

I stumbled upon some great graphic design at Lekker Designs on Cafe Press. The name caught my eye because it's one of my favorite Dutch words, meaning, basically, 'Delicious!' (and it's so much fun to say!)
Besides the other clever stuff on the site, there are some adorable kids designs that you can pop on the onesie or tee of your choice for around $16. Plus, being CafePress, there's no limit to the bibs, water bottles, notecards, etc, etc, etc, you can splash your favorite graphic across. So check it out.

Fall Inspiration - Obsessed With a New Wardrobe!

2009-08-17T23:28:00.022-05:00

So I kinda, sorta have this haircut now, and I LOVE it!

The problem is that my old wardrobe just looks sad to me now that I have a hair'style'. So, for Fall, I have been dreaming of a whole new wardrobe. I can sew, and I've been searching for good patterns and fabrics (which isn't easy, I might add), but a girl can still dream, can't she?

My Fall Wishlist:

Tory Burch skirt

Rebecca Taylor tunic

Nanette Lepore jacket

Modcloth dress

A raccoon collar, which can be purchased on ebay for between $30 - $70

East5th cashmere blend coat (but in camel, please)

D&G Blouses

Anthropologie goodness:

(sailor pants! yes!)

Tuleh silk dress and cardigan

Zac Posen

Colored and open-work tights from StockingGirl.com

Modcloth tights. Oh, yes, please.

Elegant cloche from Hats In The Belfry:

Directions on how to sew your own cloche (which I will be trying!) can be found here

The Perfect Brown Riding Boots (from Frye, of course):

Stuart Weitzman Oxfords

Leopard flats from Target:

Frye Oxfords:

Necklace from TeTelesTai's Etsy Shop

Kids: DIY Sidewalk Chalk!

2009-08-04T23:02:00.004-05:00

Mad Maggie Designs features this recipe for making your very own, custom sidewalk chalk! Um, brilliant!

"What You Need:

Toilet paper or paper towel tubes
Scissors
Duct Tape
Wax Paper
3/4 cup warm water
Small bucket or disposable container
1 1/2 cups Plaster of Paris
2-3 tablespoons tempera paint

What You Do:
1. If you are using paper towel tubes, cut each tube in half. Cover one end of each tube with duct tape. Cut as many pieces of wax paper as you have tubes. Each piece should be as long as the tube and about 4 inches wide. Roll up each piece of wax paper and slip it into the tube.

2. Pour the water into the bucket. Sprinkle the Plaster of Paris over the water and stir the mixture thoroughly with a spoon. Mix in the Tempera Paint (If you would like pastel colors, you can mix brighter colors of Tempura powder with some white.)

3. Place each tube tape side down, on a level surface. Pour the wet plaster mixture into the tubes. Lightly tap the sides of each tube to release air bubbles, then set the plaster-filled tube aside to harden for a few days. Once they are dry, peel off the tubes and wax paper. Your chalk is ready for action!"

Thank you, Leslie!!! You rock!

Food: Crazy Good Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-08-04T21:16:00.006-05:00

I wanted to call these 'Slap Yer Mama' Good Banana Muffins, but I was afraid I might offend somebody. I've been playing around with a basic muffin recipe for a long time (it started out as a cross between an old friend's recipe and the one in 'How To Cook Everything' by Mark Bittman), and this, I believe, is the final product. Whoohoo!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
makes 12

4 Extremely ripe bananas
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
1/3 C melted Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 C Flour (I did half whole wheat, half all-purpose)
1/4 Cup Chopped Semi Sweet Baking Chocolate, or mini semi sweet chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 muffin tin, set aside.
Mash the bananas in a medium bowl, mix in butter, Vanilla and Egg. In a smaller bowl, combine dry ingredients. Fold dry ingredients into banana mixture until just entirely moistened - do not over mix. Fold in chocolate. Spoon into muffin tin. Bake 15 - 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until a tester inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. It won't matter, because these will be gone in a flash!

Interiors: Inspiration Under My Nose

2009-08-04T00:16:00.004-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I love great interior design. I spend a lot of time gazing at photos of other people's beautiful spaces, and have even posted about it now and then. Recently, on a rainy afternoon, I started to admire the little things about my own home that inspire me.

Our pot rack with my man's grandmother's cast iron skillets. Every time I see those, I itch to use them and honor the woman who cooked with them for ages:

My sister's art above our kitchen sink. I love this print, and I love the vintage light fixture (even though it's nothing 'special'):

A part of my blue and white pottery collection in the kitchen:

Black and white dog, black and white floor:

Our books, oh, our books...:

The vintage mantelpiece with original tile and great cast iron screen with my silver collection:

It may be cliche, but I love Spode Blue Italian (and a man who can grill!):

Antique settee that's been in my family since it was made -when? I don't know. The pillow was my very first embroidery project - A Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, of course:

I love throwing stuff together that doesn't 'go together' - the top two boxes were presents for my man (his Valentine's book was in the box I covered in a map with 'You mean the world to me' as the key [I got the idea from another blog - anyone remember whose???], and the smaller one contains a WWI compass he received for Father's Day from his daughter ['May you always guide me true' is written inside]), plus a vintage pincushion lady that I love:

One of our mini-collections of Asian miscellanea. My man found the Japanese hunt scene tray at an antique store and bartered the guy down cheap (I was so proud). All of the red tail hawk feathers were found objects - the ironic thing about that is that I love red tail hawks, and was studying to become a falconer when I found each of them:

I love the macabre, and slightly Victorian-era naturalist inspired things (I really want some taxidermy, but everyone else thinks I'm nuts):

Found these old frames at a yard sale, and they're waiting (perhaps forever) for their purpose on the windowsill:

Our daughter loves her 'very own' rocking chair! I painted it to match the decor, but tried to still make it a little cute:

Flowers in the afternoon sun always make me happy, as does the Mexican pottery, of course:

Interiors/Kids: Sweet Sweet Life Inspires!

2009-07-22T12:09:00.003-05:00

Check out the fantastic San Diego home of Amy Hansen from Sweet Sweet Life! I love how she integrates the colors and toys that most parents try to hide out of sight. This seems like a great decorating philosophy when raising kids: if the house is bright, cheery and filled with child-like wonder, then all of its inhabitants (parents included) will embody these traits as well.
Read the whole article here (there are some great ideas!)
And check out Sweet Sweet Life!

I love vintage luggage, but now I want to trade in my old suitcases and hatboxes for these cutey-pie suitcases!

What a fantastic use of a hallway! Frees up the fridge, and keeps those creative juices flowing for the whole family:

I'm doing this. The colanders are one of those ideas that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of first!

LOVE these lights! Wiring a lamp like this is easily done with parts from Home Depot. Trust me.

Kids: A Pillowcase Dress for my Bebe

2009-07-19T23:05:00.003-05:00

Taking the sheets off the bed last week, I noticed that a pillowcase from my favorite set had a gigantic tear down the center. I almost tossed it, but then I remembered hearing about 'the pillowcase dress' (and seeing a $60 version of the design at a baby boutique!), and I thought I'd try my hand at it.

The rip being in the center of the case, I was a little short on the length, so I added a ruffle of coordinating fabric (in a smaller print, of course).
The sewing was minimal, and my man called me a female MacGyver when he saw the (quickly) finished product.
I first tried to use super cute polkadotted grosgrain, but it was too wide and rigid to let the dress hang correctly:
I replaced it with a narrower ribbon, and I felt pretty good about the results. By no means is it a fancy dress, and it kind of looks like a sack, but it works for playing around the house or running errands. I like how it feels kind of 'little girl out on the farm'.
And yes, my daughter is wearing jeans with the dress -- now that she's walking, she doesn't have time for that 'getting dressed' stuff!!!

Detailed directions (and some pretty pillowcases) available at Bumblebee Linens... check them out!

Design: Azure Amore

2009-07-12T22:15:00.006-05:00

Robin's egg blue is my second favorite color after red, but I've found I can't actually stand to decorate more than a room of my house with any variation of scarlet. I'm obsessed with constantly tweaking my interiors, and my heart skipped a beat when I found Erin's beautiful blog House of Turquoise
Take a peek at these beautiful interiors:

*drool*

Thanks, Erin, for letting us lust over your blog!

Kids: Good Directions for an Adorable Knitted Beanie

2009-07-12T21:42:00.003-05:00

Some of you may remember that I have written about my desire to learn to knit. I've taken it up, but I'm such a novice that most patterns leave me a bit flabbergasted. Here is one from Michelle at TwoAndSix that has given me some 'I can DO it!' confidence:

"DETAILS
Finished measurements:
18"/47 cm long x 8"/20cm wide

Yarn:
Any bulky yarn would work well. I've used Moda Vera Shiver (super soft for a little persons head, and it drapes beautifully). 2 x 50 gram balls.
[approximately 90m of yarn]

Needles and Notions:
1 pair 7.5mm needles
Tapestry needle

Gauge:
Not important in this pattern.

Using Provisional Cast on on method, cast on 25 stitches.

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Starting with Row 3, be sure to slip (as if to purl) the last three stitches on each KNIT row. This will give you and i-cord trim to keep the edge from curling.
Row 3: Knit (being sure to slip the last 3 stitches!)
Row 4: Purl

Repeat Rows 3 & 4 until your piece is long enough to wrap around your child's head.

Break working yarn, leaving a tail long enough for grafting. Remove provisional stitches and place live sitches on needle. Knit into the little half stitch at the end of the non i-cord edge to make up equal number of stiches on each needle.

Using Kitchener Stitch, graft the 2 sets of live stitches together.

Join top seam, making sure the grafted section is placed at middle back of hat.

Add tassles, and enjoy!"

Thank you, Michelle!!!!
TwoAndSix

Food: My Chocolate Soulmate

2009-07-12T15:31:00.004-05:00

As a follow up to my last post, it would be wrong not to mention my absolute, number one favorite chocolate bar. Lazzaroni, the company who makes the delightful amaretti (in the fantastic packaging and tins)

Also makes some absolutely divine chocolate bars! The best one, in my giddy opinion, is the amaretti crumbles in bittersweet chocolate! It's like a Nestle Crunch bar for adults. It can be a little tricky to find, but please! Seek it out!

Food: In Love with Chocolove!

2009-07-12T15:11:00.002-05:00

I am a dark chocolate fanatic, and my man likes to surprise me by picking out new premium chocolate bars for me to try. My absolute favorite brand is Chocolove out of Boulder, CO! I admit, I don't much care for chocolate with a cocoa content of over 65%, and I feel like 'real' chocolate lovers would frown on my provincial taste, but I'm still eating really good chocolate, and really enjoying it, so they can think what they want.
The following three bars are my favorites, and you can buy them at Whole Foods, Target, and probably ye olde grocery store (that's where I find mine). You can also order them from the Choclove website in cases (and save about $0.50 a bar) -- I know what's on my birthday list!!! Plus, if you check out thier website you'll find some really high quality varietal, vintage, limited quantity bars, as well as 'minis' of all the flavors.
Yay! For Chocolove!

Kids: DIY Play Kitchens!

2009-07-11T23:39:00.003-05:00

I have just found genius! IkeaHacker is a brilliant site dedicated to putting the inexpensive stuff at Ikea to use as faux-expensive stuff you actually want! I got all giddy when I found the adorable play kitchens their users made all from Ikea (and home depot, etc) components! The best part is that your little one's dream kitchen will be MUCH cheaper this way, and (second best part) it can be custom designed to blend seamlessly with your play space. I can't wait until we get to build one of these for our little girl!

Kids: First Birthday Jitters!

2009-07-11T00:01:00.010-05:00

I have taken a bit of a break from my blog, and have been working on doing non-computer related things (knitting -Update: I'm still on my first scarf, but so far, so good, Baking - I believe I have perfected the vanilla cupcake, and entertaining the family that came to visit baby and celebrate the 4th), but I couldn't abandon my blog. I sometimes heard it at night, calling for me, crying quietly...

Our daughter's first birthday is coming up in two months, and I am already obsessed with ideas. I know she won't have a bit of memory of the event, and it's really just for the adults in her life, but I am stoked just the same. This is what happens when a one-time 'hostess with the mostess' turns into a mommy.

So here are some yummy photos:

this photo from Parents.com just makes me happy

a cute idea for an invitation

Some incredible cakes!!!

I think I'll get some butterflies for the top of her cake, and maybe one for each female guest to wear in her hair. Naturally, all the men would have to wear those white bowler hats with pink ribbon bands!

The next several photos are from Martha's site:

I'm going to make these with pink sprinkles and yellow lollipops:

I love the different sizes of cupcakes!

I'm going to festoon the house in these super easy and cheap flowery tissue paper poufs in pinks and yellow:

I think our baby definitely needs a garden fairy-princess dress with lots of tulle, ribbon and butterflies

I wasn't in love with pink until I had a little girl - now I think it's adorable

After collecting all these photos, I have a pretty clear vision of the party -- I can't wait! Of course, I will blog about it when the time comes!

A few ideas From Parents.com:

Put your baby's cute face on the invitation. Have her hold a sign that says "It's my birthday."

Keep the theme young. Simple, age-appropriate decor such as barnyard animals, music, or teddy bears works best.

Put your baby in his birthday suit. Decorate a simple one-piece T-shirt with stamped-on letters and your child's handprint in paint.

Make it fun for the adults too. Set up a crafting table and have each guest decorate a card for your baby's future birthdays. Every year, she can open a card that was made at her first party.

Serve dessert in recycled baby-food jars. Chocolate mousse, ice cream, or chocolate pretzel rods are all good options.

Food: Steel Cut Oats Quick Method Update!

2009-06-15T23:41:00.003-05:00

As an update to my previous post on the wonders of steel cut oats, there IS an easy and fast method!
Simply measure out your oats and water the night before, and let them soak in a covered pot. (This should be about a 3 to 1 ratio of liquid to oats) This is very European - it's what my grandma taught me to do to my muesli (the real kind with the uncooked oats and nuts from Germany)!
The result: Your morning cooking time should be cut from 30 minutes to only ten minutes! Whoohoo!
Note: I found this method to yield a less creamy, more watery porridge, and I ended up cooking it longer than ten minutes to get it as thick as I like it.

I Think You'll Like This Site

2009-06-09T23:48:00.003-05:00

Check out this fantastic site for daily style inspiration:
(Sorry for the extremely brief post, but my internet went down, and I lost the 'real' one! More tomorrow!)

Design/Food/Gardening: Lavender-A-Go-Go

2009-06-09T23:38:00.013-05:00

Sometimes, (okay, maybe 'very often') inspiration appears in the strangest ways.
We live in the city, in one of the best 'little Italy' neighborhoods in the states, but still, the city. For the past several nights, I have smelled lavender from our front stoop. Our neighbors are not by any broad stretch of the word, 'gardeners', and, though I try to cultivate a green thumb, I have yet to plant any lavender at this house. The emanation of that smell is a mystery, but not one I mind. I have gone out there several times just to inhale that wonderful scent.
I love, love, LOVE lavender.
It reminds me of spending summers in Europe with my grandparents, and it reminds me of wandering in my mother's garden as a child, but there is also something so sweetly calming and indescribable about it that I get kind of misty eyed and dreamy after I huff a bunch of it. I'm not a big time girly girl, but this is a flower that I am gah-gah over.

For some great information on (successfully) growing this divine plant, visit these links:
Mountain Valley Growers
About.com

I love lavender so much that I fantasize about little hedges of it along stone walls on the land where we build our dream home. Then, being pretty much independently wealthy at this point of the fantasy, we are free to keep an apiary, sell small batches of artisan lavender honey, and
hopefully do our part to keep the honeybees from disappearing.
Here's some medical proof that lavender is fantastic:

From University or Maryland Medical Center
Medicinal Uses and Indications:
Human clinical studies have reported that lavender essential oil may be beneficial in a variety of conditions, including insomnia, alopecia (hair loss), anxiety, stress, postoperative pain, and as an antibacterial and antiviral agent. Lavender oil is also used together with other forms of integrative medicine, such as massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic manipulation.

In folklore, pillows were filled with lavender flowers to help the restless fall sleep. There is now scientific evidence to suggest that aromatherapy with lavender may slow the activity of the nervous system, improves sleep quality, promote relaxation, and lift mood in people suffering from sleep disorders. Studies also suggest that massage with essential oils, particularly lavender, may result in improved sleep quality, more stable mood, increased mental capacity, and reduced anxiety. In one recent study, participants who received massage with lavender felt less anxious and more positive than participants who received massage alone. Lavender flowers have also been approved in Germany as a tea for insomnia, restlessness, and nervous stomach irritations.

In one study of 86 people with alopecia areata (a disease of unknown cause characterized by significant hair loss, generally in patches), those who massaged their scalps with lavender and other essential oils daily for 7 months experienced significant hair re-growth compared to those who massaged their scalps without the essential oils. It is not entirely clear from this study whether lavender (or a combination of lavender and other essential oils) was responsible for the beneficial effects.
Other uses
Aromatherapists also use lavender as a tonic in inhalation therapy to treat headaches, nervous disorders, and exhaustion. Herbalists treat skin ailments, such as fungal infections (like candidiasis), wounds, eczema, and acne, with lavender oil. It is also used externally in a healing bath for circulatory disorders and as a rub for rheumatic ailments (conditions affecting the muscles and joints). One study evaluating essential oils, including lavender, for treating children with eczema concluded that the oils added no benefit to therapeutic touch from the mother; in other words massage with and without essential oils was equally effective in improving the dry, scaly skin lesion. A recent study found that the use of lavender oil may improve postoperative pain control. Fifty patients undergoing breast biopsy surgery received either oxygen supplemented with lavender oil or oxygen alone. Patients in the lavender group reported a higher satisfaction rate with pain control than patients in the control group.

And How 'Bout Some Delicious Recipes?
When I was fifteen and visiting my grandparents in Holland, my grandmother and I sampled a delicious goat cheese and lavender spread (on fresh rusks, of course!) at the market in Amsterdam. Since then, I have been secretly intrigued with the eating of lavender -- something that Americans don't do much of. Here are a few approachable recipes (keep reading, there's alcohol!) to get you started.

Lavender Sorbet
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
9-10 stem heads of fresh lavender flowers
(or 2 tablespoons of dried lavender)
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon If using fresh lavender:
With thumb and forefinger, pull the flowers from the stems (discarding stems). If using dried lavender you won't need this step. Combine lavender flowers and sugar in a food processor and pulverize completely, about 1 minute. Bring the water to a boil, remove pan from heat and add the sugar/lavender mixture, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cover with a lid and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Strain out flowers through a sieve, pressing flowers to get out any remaining liquid. Add the lemon juice and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then freeze in sorbet or ice cream mixer.
(From Fabulous Herb & Flower Sorbets Jim Long, 2002)

LAVENDER COOKIES
From GardenGuides.com
These cookies are probably better classified as shortbread.

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers
1 cup self-rising flour

Cream butter and sugar; add egg. Mix in lavender and flour. Place small heaps on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or till golden brown in color.

Lavender Gin Sour
1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Lavender syrup
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
To make lavender syrup:
3 1/2 cups of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of corn syrup dissolved in 2 cups of water
add a tablespoon of lemon juice
Add about 2 cups of lavender flowers
Bring to a boil, turn off heat and let it sit for about an hour.
Strain through a very fine sieve or cheesecloth and discard flowers.
I've also seen this drink made with muddled cucumber in addition to the lavender. I want
one. Now.

Grilled Lamb With Lavender Orange Marinade
From Cafe Nilson

Ingredients:

2 lbs lamb breast (or lamb chops)

For marinade/rub:

2 tsp dried lavender buds
3 cloves garlic
1 small shallots
1/3 cup orange juice
salt and pepper

Directions:

Ground or mash garlic, lavender and shallots (using a mortar and pestle works well) .
In a bowl, mix mashed spices and orange juice. Stir.
Season lamb riblets with salt and pepper. Use half of the marinade and rub all over the ribs. Let sit for at least one hour.
Grill or broil in your broiler, five minutes on each side on high to sear and then about 2o minutes to cook medium.
Pour Orange-Lavender Vinaigrette and serve with lavender risotto.

He serves this with a lavender risotto, which made my little faux-Italian heart go pitter-pat.
You can grab the risotto recipe here.

Some beautiful lavender and purple things:

from directtoys.com.nz:

cake stand and hippo from sprig.com:

I'm actually not a huge fan of purple (probably because my first 'big girl' room was painted a warm lavender -- I hated the color for years after that!), but it's growing on me. I think it would be nice to use as a pseudo neutral like sage green, or as an accent color in a grey/silver room. Could you live with a lavender room?

Gearing Up For Father's Day

2009-06-08T21:31:00.013-05:00

This year is my man's first 'real' Father's Day, and it has been fun to think up unexpected gifts for him (he reads this, so I'm not giving it away here!)
Here are some great gift and DIY gift ideas I found:

Take a creative photo of the kids that captures their spirit, and frame it simply (or let the kids decorate the frame) for his desk. I especially like the whimsy in Jan Van Holleben's 'Dreams of Flying' photos:

From Jan Van Holleben

Here's another cool idea for a minimalist dad
From PamperingBeki
Glorify the Manliness With Classic Tool Accoutrements
Awesome fauxbois tool apron
From PollyDanger
Cater to His (Possibly Fantasy) Wild Side
For the tattooed rockabilly daddy (or the wannabe)
From Waste Of Talent
Check out this vintage hubcap clock!
From 8milecreekdesigns. They have several different car model hubcaps, so if your man had a favorite dream car growing up, you might be able to find the original hubcap from it - doubly cool.
Embrace the Classic Tie
I love the idea of the classic tie for Father's Day. I think most daddies would see it as a right of passage, just make it something that he'd actually want to wear. I'm in love with these, and other ties from Cyberoptix Tie Lab

Let The Kids Help (But Forget the Macaroni and Glitter)
An easy, cheap craft (though you could step it up a notch with a really nice pen), good for little hands to help with, and actually useful
From Martha
An extremely cute way for dad to organize his nuts and bolts, though a tiny bit labor intensive, this craft post also has a variation for younger 'helpers' (plus, it's Altoids boxes! I love the upcycling):
from AlphaMom
Get Super Crafty (Or Support Those Who Do)
If you were so inclined (I like to imagine I am, but will forever put off assembling the parts needed), you could make these yourself. As it is (you're running out of time), they're not too expensive, extremely cool, and a good excuse for you to finally convince your man to wear those handsome French cuffs:
Gr0glmann's Retro Classy Cufflinks on Etsy

Food: Massaman For My Man

2009-06-05T22:09:00.005-05:00

My family was vegetarian for about ten years, which coincided with the years during which I began to learn to cook. Back then, faux-meat in all its presently abundant forms was difficult to come by, expensive, and not all that tasty. EurAmerican as can be, my cooking foundation was made up almost entirely of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai and Middle Eastern culinary styles. I don't think I actually cooked a piece of beef or roasted any kind of fowl until I was well into my twenties.
As a result of all this, I have many bastardized curries in my repetoire, and they change with the ingredients I have available. Tonight, my man was begging for one of them, so I did my best to transcribe our dinner into a 'recipe' for Thai Massaman Curry, a rich, somewhat sweet red curry paste and coconut milk based dish. It has a fair amount of ingredients, but it is super easy!

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil, preferably Peanut
2 Tbsp Red Curry Paste (check your Asian market, or the Thai section in your grocery store)
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter (natural)
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tsp. Thai Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp. Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tsp. Ground Coriander
1 Can (14oz) Coconut Milk
1 C. Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1/2 Lb. Chicken Tenderloin (or Fried Tofu)
1/2 Lg Yellow Onion, Roughly Chopped
4 Red Potatoes (approx.), washed, skin on, cut into 1/4 or 1/8ths
2 Carrots (approx), washed, cut into 'stew size' chunks
2 Cups Frozen Cauliflower Florets (approx.)
Optional: Fresh Avocado, Cashews (approx 1/4 C, whole)

yes, I know the recipe called for yellow onion, but all I had were these spring onions. Yellow onion is what you should use. I am just a slacker when it comes to making thorough grocery lists

In a large pot over medium high heat, add oil, curry paste, peanut butter, fish sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir until it heats through and blends, add onions. Cook onions until they begin to glisten, but not until they clear. Add add cumin and coriander and mix. Add all other ingredients except coconut milk, stock, and avocado if you are using it, and stir to coat. Add coconut milk, and stock. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Before serving, stir in avocado and about a 1/4 cup of whole cashews.
Serve over rice (or whole wheat couscous if you are my man)

Food: Steel Cut Oats Are My New BFF

2009-06-05T14:55:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, we went to our favorite farmer's market, where a container of ripe, sweet strawberries cost me a whole dollar. I needed to use them as soon as possible, so this morning, I stirred them into my oatmeal, and it was a revelation! "This is what that sticky-sweet sugarfest of 'Strawberries and Cream' Quaker oatmeal wants to be when it grows up!" I told the baby, who answered with a 'mama' and an open mouth like a baby bird. Delicious.

Shown with a dollop of plain yogurt and a little brown sugar

I have been trying to eat only whole grains for the past several months (and achieved lower than my pre-baby weight only seven months after her birth! Yippee!), and, I'll admit, I was always smitten with the retro styling of the McCann's Irish Oatmeal tin, but was loath to spend six bucks for oatmeal, so I always held back before. One day, my man insisted that I should have that oatmeal, and my breakfast world changed forever.
Steel cut oats are basically whole oats that have been, yes, steel cut. They are not processed or rolled, and when one first sees them, one wonders if she is about to eat livestock feed. But after the cooking, these oats are creamy, toothy, chewy, and utterly delicious.
The basic directions are on the tin or box, but this morning, I substituted some skim milk for the water, and added a spoon of sugar (I was feeling saucy, and I was out of Splenda), and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
After letting the oatmeal cook for 25 minutes, I stirred in about half a cup of coarse chopped strawberries, and let the porridge cool for a little while.
There are several good brands of steel cut oats out there (most much less than six dollars, but having that gorgeous McCann's tin on top of my stove in my retro kitchen makes me happy every time I see it, and was totally worth the one-time splurge). Even our local grocery store has its own version under their store label organic brand, so look for it -- you will not be sorry.

I've heard a rumor that there is a 'quick' way to cook these, so I'm off to track that down, and I'll test it tomorrow.

Kids: Cutey-pie Knit Hats

2009-05-21T22:22:00.009-05:00

I can sew just about anything (gown? done it. leather jacket? check. stuffed animals? and how), often sans pattern, and I have even dyed and painted my own fabric. Shockingly (to me, at least,) I have never, ever attempted to learn how to knit or crochet.
I feel like I am somehow incomplete while lacking this skill, so I have promised myself that I will tackle the mastery (okay, competence) of knitting and crocheting this year. I figure that I have time before next winter to whip up at least one of these adorable patterns for our little (soon to be) toddler -- so cute!

From Bex at Chile Con Yarne:

From Half-Assed Patterns:

From Bellana at Craftster:

From Allison MacAlister at Knitting Ninja:
All of these links contain either directions on how to knit these cute hats, or link directly to them.
Anybody out there have pointers on the best way to get started, or books and websites that are tried and true?

Kids: Demitasse for Your Demi-Humain

2009-05-15T21:52:00.004-05:00

It's sadly ironic that the time in my life when I most need a good espresso (new motherhood), I don't have the time to pull a single shot. Being the coffee geek/design fiend/lover of all things diminutive that I am, I acquired a bit of a demitasse collection in the past.
Instead of letting my collection languish in the back of a cupboard, I discovered that these little cups are the perfect size for portioning out a single serving of baby food, and several will fit in a shallow bowl of hot water (the preferred method of warming our baby's food around here). Plus, the sight of the perfect little ounce and a half of superior houseware design never fails to make my heart glad. Even if the baby is throwing the sweet potatoes.

All above demitasse are illy (still my favorite espresso, after all these years...*sigh*)

Fashion: For the Accomplished Wife smirk

2009-05-09T12:41:00.005-05:00

While I still find myself disturbed that women's shirts button backwards from men's and children's with the subtle (sinister?) pre-woman's lib intent to teach us to dress those of the opposite sex and prepare be the sole stylist of the younger set, I do wish I had paid better attention when my father tried to teach me to knot a tie.
I think it's rather romantic to be able to do that for your man. This goes right along with my romantic, probably dated, ideals of being able to pick out a cigar or the proper Scotch that ones mate would prefer. Maybe it's that I saw 'Gigi' at too young an age (and reading Collette later, realizing that she was really a high class prostitue - the shock!).
That aside, I found this handy dandy diagram on a Dutch website, and thought it quite useful. Enjoy tying one on (hardee-har)!

Recipes: Red Beans and Rice Didn't Miss Her!

2009-05-08T23:41:00.005-05:00

Today is a landmark day for us: we got our very first washer and dryer. It's not that we have never done laundry before, but our current house (alas, rented) did not come with a washer and dryer. There is a laundromat a block away, but, after about a month of two adults and a baby relying on an inconvenient laundering resource, our pile of less-important dirty laundry began to grow out of control.

The above picture is not an accurate representation of what our laundry room really looks like... oh, but what I'd give for it to be!

Now that I am a stay at home mom and budding entrepreneur, I idealize my new found laundry freedom with thoughts of house wife history. My maternal grandmother's family is from New Orleans (she was born there, her mother's ashes [in her classic irreverent style] were Fed Exed to the family crypt [one of two] there, and one of my uncles founded the Picayune, etc. Suffice it to say: they've got some roots there), and she has often told me bits of lore that have stuck with me like fairy tales. For instance, I remember this normal housewife schedule:

Monday: Wash Day
Tuesday: Ironing Day
Wednesday: Sewing Day
Thursday: Market Day
Friday: Cleaning Day
Saturday: Baking Day
Sunday: Day of Rest

With a few variations (some folks had a gardening day instead of a separate ironing day, or the days were not quite in this order), this is the way everyone kept house for more than a hundred years. There was logic behind this. Laundry was far and away the heaviest task a housewife faced, requiring a great deal of strength and fortitude to hand-wring clothes and carry big baskets of wet laundry to the clothesline from the basement washtubs. Monday was the day to do it, when you were still fresh and rested from Sunday. Tuesday's ironing followed Monday's wash. Mending and sewing on Wednesday made sense when you'd just been through the clothes and noticed what needed a button or a patch. And so on.

The children's song Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush outlines the chore system too, though there's no market day and two cleaning days in this scheme.

My grandmother also told me, and this seemed to be true for just about every socioeconomic group in New Orleans: Sunday you have ham for dinner, and Monday is always Red Beans and Rice, using Sunday's hambone.

Red Beans and Rice is a low maintenance, one pot recipe that is hard to screw up once you get the hang of it. Thus, it was (and is) a perfect dish for laundry day.
Here's a good recipe, but it's one of those things that you can play with, and cook to your taste.

Red Beans and Rice

1 pound red kidney beans, dry

1 large onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

5 ribs celery, chopped

As much garlic as you like, minced (I like lots, 5 or 6 cloves)

1 large smoked ham hock, 3/4 pound of Creole-style pickle meat (pickled pork), or 3/4 lb. smoked ham, diced, for seasoning

1 to 1-1/2 pounds mild or hot smoked sausage or andouille, sliced on the bias

1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 or 2 bay leaves

As many dashes Crystal hot sauce or Tabasco as you like, to taste

A few dashes Worcestershire sauce

Creole seasoning blend, to taste; OR,

red pepper and black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Fresh Creole hot sausage or chaurice, links or patties, grilled or pan-fried, one link or patty per person (optional)

Pickled onions (optional)

Soak the beans overnight, if possible. The next day, drain and put fresh water in the pot. (This helps reduce the, um, flatulence factor.) Bring the beans to a rolling boil. Make sure the beans are always covered by water, or they will discolor and get hard. Boil the beans for about 45 - 60 minutes, until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain.

While the beans are boiling, sauté the Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper) until the onions turn translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. After the beans are boiled and drained, add the sautéed vegetables to the beans, then add the ham hock (or ham or pickle meat), smoked sausage, seasonings, and just enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 2 hours at least, preferably 3, until the whole thing gets nice and creamy. Adjust seasonings as you go along. Stir occasionally, making sure that it doesn't burn and/or stick to the bottom of the pot. (If the beans are old -- say, older than six months to a year -- they won't get creamy. Make sure the beans are reasonably fresh. If it's still not getting creamy, take 1 or 2 cups of beans out and mash them, then return them to the pot and stir.)

Serve generous scoops over hot white long-grain rice, with good French bread and good beer.

Food: Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls

2009-05-07T22:59:00.005-05:00

So I was browsing some blogs, and found this recipe on Big Red Kitchen , and I thought 'How many times have I needed a cinnamon roll recipe that doesn't involve waiting for dough to rise?' (the answer: several, perhaps many times)
Anyway, here it is. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks delish. If anyone else bakes these babies up, let me know how they turn out.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls

Although I am very fond of yeast cinnamon rolls, there are times when I need something quick and easy. This biscuit style roll is quick and fits the bill for easy. These come together quickly and bake up in about 18 minutes. You can make a simple icing of milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract (remember quick) or go as far as making a thick and satisfying cream cheese icing. Either way this roll is tops. I filled mine with the usual brown sugar cinnamon mixture as well as cinnamon chips and some caramel bits which were fun and chewy and definitely kept the kids guessing. I imagine you could even put chocolate in there if you wanted.

You may want to double and triple the recipe to keep some on hand in the freezer for a quick heat up and continued instant gratification.

Quick Cinnamon Rolls
4 cups unbleached AP flour
4 T. white sugar
2 1/2 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk*

In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients then cut in butter and mix until the dough is crumbly. Add buttermilk and mix until a nice dough forms. Place dough on a floured surface, knead a little, and roll into a big, big rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

Toppers:
1/2 cup butter very soft
2 cups brown sugar- yes!
2 T. cinnamon- I just sprinkle
1 cup cinnamon chips, optional
1 cup caramel chips, optional
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Spread the dough with the butter and then sprinkle with the remaining topper ingredients. Roll the dough length-wise away from you and slice into 14 evenly sized buns. Place 7 buns each in two greased 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 16-18 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Top with icing of your choice such as a simple powdered sugar icing or Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon to make them look even prettier. The middle bun may still be a little under done but someone has to take one for the team. Me me me!

* Maven Mama's note: If you don't have buttermilk sitting around (really, who does?), you can create some faux buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk, and allowing it to sit for about 5 minutes

A very special thanks to Big Red Kitchen!!!

Kids: Monster Letters

2009-05-04T22:11:00.008-05:00

Designer Joey Ellis came up with a clever way to help his son learn the alphabet: Letter Monsters. They are delightful, and made me giggle. Plus, I began thinking of all the designs I could come up with to help my daughter with her ABC's.

Interiors/Kids: Spring Greening Cleaning

2009-04-04T11:45:00.005-05:00

I have finally returned to my blog after quite an absence. We had a lovely vacation, but now I am faced with Spring weather (finally!), and a house that truly needs to be scrubbed. With the baby in our lives, and the word 'green' on everyone's lips, I have been researching the best ways to clean in a non-toxic way. Here are a few things I found:

Porcelain & Tile:

Keep your bathrooms and kitchen tile spotless and hygienic without harsh commercial cleaners. Give these natural remedies a try:

Baking Soda and Water (with kosher salt): Dust surfaces with baking soda, then scrub with a moist sponge or cloth. If you have tougher grime, sprinkle on some kosher salt, and work up some elbow grease.

Lemon Juice or Vinegar: Got stains, mildew or grease streaks? Spray or douse with lemon juice or vinegar. Let sit a few minutes, then scrub with a stiff brush.

Disinfectant: Instead of bleach, make your own disinfectant by mixing 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil. It's easy!

Kitchen:

The room where food is prepared, stored and often enjoyed requires constant vigilance. Splatters, spills and errant crumbs can build up and collect out of sight, possibly encouraging harmful bacteria. Give your kitchen a thorough going over this spring.

Baking Soda and Water: Reclaim counters by sprinkling with baking soda, then scrubbing with a damp cloth or sponge. If you have stains, knead the baking soda and water into a paste and let set for a while before you remove. This method also works great for stainless steel sinks, cutting boards, containers, refrigerators, oven tops and more.

Kosher Salt and Water: If you need a tougher abrasive sprinkle on kosher salt, and scrub with a wet cloth or sponge.

Natural Disinfectant: To knock out germs without strong products, mix 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil. Spray or rub on counter tops and other kitchen surfaces.

Windows:

Nobody wants to clean windows when it's cold out, so take advantage of balmy breezes to bring some clarity to your life. Instead of sprays you buy at the store, discover this highly effective, simple solution:

White Vinegar, Water and Newspaper: Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Squirt on, then scrub with newspaper, not paper towels, which cause streaking.

If you're out of vinegar or don't like its smell, you can substitute undiluted lemon juice or club soda.

Carpets:

Keeping carpets clean is less daunting than you might think, even after a season of tracked-in dirt and salt.

Beat Those Rugs: Take any removable rugs outside and beat the dust and hair out with a broom.

Club Soda:You've probably heard the old adage that club soda works well on carpet stains. But you have to attack the mess right away. Lift off any solids, then liberally pour on club soda. Blot with an old rag. The soda's carbonation brings the spill to the surface, and the salts in the soda thwart staining.

Cornmeal: For big spills, dump cornmeal on the mess, wait 5 to 15 minutes, and vacuum up the gunk.

Spot Cleaner: Make your own by mixing: 1/4 cup liquid soap or detergent in a blender, with 1/3 cup water. Mix until foamy. Spray on, then rinse with vinegar.

To Deodorize: Sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on the carpet or rug, using about 1 cup per medium-sized room. Vacuum after 30 minutes.

Wood Floors:

Hardwood floors are beautiful, hygienic, long lasting and add value to your home. They are easy to vacuum, but don't do well with wet mopping. So how do you restore their natural glow without roughing them up?

Vinegar: Whip up a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar and 30 ounces of warm water. Put in a recycled spray bottle, then spray on a cotton rag or towel until lightly damp. Then mop your floors, scrubbing away any grime.

Oven:

Conventional oven cleaning chemicals are loaded with toxic ingredients, including ethers, ethylene glycol, lye (sodium and potassium hydroxide), methylene chloride and petroleum distillates. The products are harmful to skin and eyes, and the fumes are unhealthy. Instead, go natural!

Baking Soda and Water: Coat the inside of your dirty appliance with a paste made from water and baking soda. Let stand overnight. Then, don gloves and scour off that grime. Make spotless with a moist cloth.

Clogged Drains:

A stopped up sink or tub is a real hassle, but pouring toxic chemicals like Drano on them isn't so wise. Not only will that pollute our waterways, but the products can cause chemical burns and are highly dangerous if ingested. Do you really want that in your home?

Baking Soda and Boiling Water (vinegar if needed): Feeling plugged up? Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda into the problem drain, followed by 2 cups of boiling water. If that isn't doing it for you, chase the baking soda with a 1/2 cup of vinegar and cover tightly, allowing the vigorous fizzing of the chemical reaction to break up the gunk. Then flush that with one gallon of boiling water.

Antique Linens

Whether you have fine family heirloom pieces or something with character you picked up at an estate sale for a song, you're eventually going to have to wash your antique linens. Even with advanced settings on today's washing machines, you still may want to address fragile fabrics by hand.

Sunlight: What could be easier than sanitizing and removing stains...with sunlight! (Just don't do it too often with fragile pieces, because they can start to breakdown). Simply lay your old lace, curtains and other fine linens on the grass in the sun for a few hours. Dirtier pieces can be dampened first.

Boiling: If that doesn't do the trick, fill a pot with water and bring to a boil on your stove top. Drop in linens and let steep until stains lift.

Detergent and Borax: Mix dishwasher detergent and borax together until you get a thick rubbing paste. Rub into soiled linens, then rinse clean.
Peroxide: If you have stubborn stains, try spraying them with peroxide, then rinsing with water.

Metals:
Toothpaste: If you can't immerse your items or are otherwise inclined to polish by hand, rub tarnished silver with toothpaste and a soft cloth. Rinse with warm water and dry. Instead of toothpaste you can substitute a concoction made of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water.
Commercial silver polish contains toxins, and manufacturers recommend you don't leave on skin too long. Do you really want something like that spread over your flatware?

Silver

Aluminum Foil, Boiling Water, Baking Soda and Salt: Keep your sterling shined with this seemingly magic method. Line your sink or a bucket with aluminum foil, and drop in tarnished silver. Pour in boiling water, a cup of baking soda and a dash of salt. Let sit for a few minutes. The tarnish will transfer from the silver to the foil.

Toothpaste: If you can't immerse your items or are otherwise inclined to polish by hand, rub tarnished silver with toothpaste and a soft cloth. Rinse with warm water and dry. Instead of toothpaste you can substitute a concoction made of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water.
Copper

Ketchup: To keep your copper pots, pans and accents looking bright and shiny, try rubbing with ketchup.

The Daily Green

Interiors: Loggia a Go Go

2009-04-03T11:31:00.006-05:00

The first day I ever talked with my man, we discussed the topic of our ideal homes, our dream homes, and discovered that we shared a near-identical fantasy of the house we would one day build. It was one of many, many things that made us sure we were the others 'one'. "And," he said, "It would have a covered outdoor living space right off the house." "Oh! Yes! It would have a loggia!" I exclaimed. "Um, yeah, one of those," he replied. Secretly, I was proud that I knew the name of this divine architectural invention when it was a design best loved in Italy, his own family's ancestral domain.
As the weather begins to warm, and afternoon thunderstorms roll in with false bravado, I have a desperate need for our fantasy loggia. So in the effort to keep our dreams fresh and in the forefront of our sometime over-burdened minds, I rounded up some delightful loggias:

I could live here with very little complaint:

The classic Tuscan fantasy (for us, at least):

This is decorated a bit too Southern Living for my taste, but still makes my heart twitter:

Big rustic dinner parties with lots of good wine? We need them here:

This is right out of a novel:

This one calls for morning mimosas:

I want to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book in front of this hearth during a good thunderstorm:

perfection:

Clearly, I need to make a lot of money...

Interiors: Blogger Design Gauntlet Has Been Flung!!!

2009-03-31T23:17:00.004-05:00

Dear Christy over at In The Cottage has tagged me in a personal style challenge. The idea is to find one (1!) room represented online that sums up your personal style. This is no easy task. I love, love, LOVE interiors, and almost every design layout has something I love in it. It was also hard to separate out the rooms I fantasize about having in my dream home (or, one of many dream homes), and rooms I would actually create out of my current head space.
From Sproost:
I love using antiques (and I mean using them), and I have many rescued items out of alleys. I love using color and I am fearless with a paintbrush. I also like this room because it looks both modern and decayed, like there should both be a Lichtenstein print on the wall and autumn leaves in some of the corners. It's ladylike but also irreverent (like me), a little formal, a little quirky. I'll probably find an more accurate room right after I post, but this room spoke to me: "I am meant to be yours..."

I dare my favorite interior girlie Ashley over at Decorology to do this wonderful challenge next!

Fashion: You're Beautiful. Yes, you.

2009-03-30T20:54:00.001-05:00

Next time you get down about your appearance after flipping through Vogue, remember this:

Food: Birthday Deliciousness

2009-03-30T14:05:00.003-05:00

For my first birthday as a mommy, my man graciously decided to take on all the party planning and cooking himself. He started with a lot of local ingredients, and we ended up with an elaborate antipasto platter of Volpi salamis, mixed olives, artichoke hearts, marinated peppers and cauliflower, and three different Italian cheeses, plus fresh bread, and a huge Salade Caprese.
I was so busy juggling a stranger-anxiety ridden baby, and trying to socialize that I utterly forgot to take pictures...

He then served us all a delicious linguine dish with fresh asparagus, a lemony sauce and pan-fried bread crumbs. Everyone loved it. Next was a soft polenta dish with salcissa, ham and pancetta, flavored with a bit of rosemary. I was quite flattered he went to the effort to throw such an elaborate first dinner party in my honor.
The recipes for the main dishes came from Loukie Werle's 'Italian Country Cooking - The Secrets of Cucina Povera'.
I have to say, it's an inspiring cookbook; beautiful photos, easy and extremely delicious recipes. Check it out.

Kids/Food: So Cute Caterpillar!

2009-03-27T22:43:00.003-05:00

From the fabulous ladies of Coco Cake, a super cute idea for a kiddie birthday cake ala Eric Carle:

Fashion: New Kicks For Today's Economy

2009-03-21T19:13:00.004-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised to discover cute shoes at Payless, that's right, Payless, for cheap cheap cheap! Each pair below is less than $39. You can fulfill your new shoe yen!

Kids: Keeping Up With Baby

2009-03-21T18:52:00.003-05:00

Our baby is very alert and active, and has been so since the early days. There are times I feel like she's bored with me, so I started searching for other things to do together.

http://www.gameswithbaby.com/ Has a good variety of activities based on age ranges.

Painting with Emerson:

Below is some advice from iVillage that will be appropriate for her in several months:

Creativity is natural in children. You can see it as early as the first few months when an infant experiments with the sounds she can make and squeals with delight at what she hears.

Or watch a toddler at work with blocks, and see how many ways he tries to stack a pile before coming up with a topple-proof design. As verbal skills and physical dexterity increase, preschoolers express their natural inventiveness in many ways -- indulging in word play, submerging into imaginary worlds and transforming simple objects into favorite toys.

Because creativity helps us live joyously and wisely, it may be every bit as significant as reading, writing or manners as children grow up. If you're looking for low-cost, easy and imaginative activities you and your child can do together, try these five: Imaginary Stew, Homemade Toys, Family Band, Neighborhood Walk and Dirtyville.

Imaginary Stew
Get out a big pot and take turns choosing all the silly things you can put in your supper. A sprinkling of pine cone? A dash of talcum powder? A hearty helping of crayons? Fine dining!

Homemade Toys
Go exploring with your child at home; see what you find in your drawers, cabinets and closets; and then play with everything. Turn a shoebox into a make-believe truck. Get out the ruler and measure each other. Build a miniature junk palace. What can you make from the trove of items you discover?

Family Band
Turn on the stereo and get out your kitchen instruments. Coffee beans in a tin can make an ideal maraca. Wooden bowls and spoons are easy drums. Metal whisks and colanders double as timpani and cymbals. Turn up the jazz, classical or rock and roll, and play that funky music.

Neighborhood Walk
See your neighborhood together for the first time by talking about everything you come across. Ask your child questions that invite creative answers: "What do you think that cat ate for breakfast?" Make up games along the way: "How many different kinds of animals can we find?" Or start a collection of pretty rocks, shells or leaves.

Dirtyville
Find a controlled space in your home to dub Dirtyville, at least for a couple of hours. Place a tarp down to collect the chaos. Then get out giant pieces of paper, paint, glue, safety scissors, string, old magazines, colorful feathers, glitter. Roll up your child's sleeves (and yours too!) and create paintings, collages, sculptures -- no masterpiece is too messy!

What do you do to surprise and delight your baby?

Food: Twangy Goodness

2009-03-19T22:43:00.003-05:00

It's almost that time of year again... the Friday mornings just warm enough that I feel the need to go to the farmer's market and buy way, way too many fruits and vegetables. I've learned that if I go by myself, baby in tow, I am limited by the weight of what I can carry, but it is so much fun going to our favorite market that I am hard-pressed to leave the man at home. One thing we always end up with too many of are perfect, sweet little clementines. This year (not being pregnant, and excited to invent some fantastic summer adult beverages for entertaining), I've decided to pay homage to my man's ethnicity and our neighborhood (though stretching the rules just a bit...): Behold, the Clemencello.
Of course based on limoncello, I thought this would be a fun way to upcycle all those peels we're going to generate in the not too distant future.

Ingredients

10 clementines (or try a combination of tangerines,clementines,mandarins and Valencia oranges), washed and dried
1 bottle of vodka (750 milliliters, 80 to 100 proof)
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Steps

With a Microplane, zest the surface of the tangerines and oranges, being careful to only take off the top layer; if you scrape too hard, you’ll end up with the pith (the white membrane under the peel), which results in a too-bitter brew. Add the zest to a large clean jar.
Pour the vodka over the zest and seal the container. Let sit undisturbed in a cool, dark place for 3 to 4 weeks.
Place 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then remove the pan from the heat. Let the sugar syrup cool to room temperature.
Add half of the cooled syrup to the orange peel-vodka mixture, stir, and taste. If it’s not sweet enough, continue adding more syrup until you like the taste of it.
Pour the clemencello through a funnel lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a large spouted pitcher. Divide the clemencello among gift bottles and seal.
Store clemencello in the freezer. To serve, pour into small glasses and offer it for dessert with a plate of biscotti and/or chocolate truffles.

This content is from the Culinate Kitchen collection.

Kids: Baby Needs A New Pair of Shoes

2009-03-16T22:16:00.003-05:00

Our little one has been acting like she's going to skip on the crawling, and move right on to cruising. I've been dreaming of cute shoes for her, and I've rounded a few up on Etsy (and one major label):

1. BittyChouChou, 2. & 3. PediPed, 4. TwentySecondStreet,
5. BitzyBoots, 6. & 7. GraciousMay (my favorites!),
8. PreciousPatterns - Lots of great, inexpensive patterns for those of you who are crafty

Food/Kids: How Freaking Cute!

2009-03-15T22:01:00.003-05:00

Here's an adorable tea party idea from
Chocolate on My Cranium:

Petite Watermelons

2 limes

1 small box of red Jello

mini chocolate chips

Cut both limes in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the fruit with a spoon. Place the limes in a muffin tin to keep them from tipping over. Make the box of Jello according to the Jiggler directions. Carefully spoon Jello into the limes halves. Chill until almost firm. Using a skewer push the mini chocolate chips into the Jello for "watermelon seeds." Chill until until firm, then cut into slices.

Thanks Ms. Cocoa!!!

Gardening/Food: Purslane is Green!

2009-03-15T10:06:00.005-05:00

I often tire of the strange food trends that seem to grasp the country for months or years at a time, and then vanish, leaving the poor ingredient, who never did anything wrong, relegated to the shelf of 'dated ingredients'; where things like Jello-O molds, sun-dried tomatoes and canapes have been known to hang out. One trend I will be happy to see go the way of the feta (whose passing I still mourn) is arugula. I don't like the stuff, and it has gotten in the way of perfectly good salads, sandwiches and pastas in the past years. Maybe it's just an uncultured palate on my part (which I doubt, and will be happy to provide you with proof, if challenged), but the tough and decidedly un-tasty arugula is not my friend.

Recently, I have discovered an exceptional replacement: Purslane.

It's eaten more in the Middle East, and here, in America, it is considered an invasive weed. Which means, I thought, the likelihood of being able to snip it out of my own yard is relatively good. I could have culinary adventures, and rid the countryside (or, rather, city-side, but you get the gist) of this hated interloper. How Green! How Delicious!

AND it is ridiculously healthy -- a veritable Super Food! I have included a bit of the Wikipedia entry for purslane below, as its health benefits are so numerous I would just be exhausted after typing them all -- too exhausted to go out and forage.

You can also buy purslane at many nurseries, but I encourage you to plant it in a big pot on your patio as it is, as I stated above, highly invasive.

"Although purslane is considered a weed in the United States, it can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico.^[3]^[1] The stems, leaves and flower buds are all good to eat. Purslane can be used fresh as a salad, stir-fried, or cooked like spinach, and because of its mucilaginous quality it is also suitable for soups and stews. Australian Aborigines used to use the seeds to make seedcakes.

Purslane contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular^[4]) than any other leafy vegetable plant. Simopoulos states that Purslane has .01 mg/g of EPA. This is an extraordinary amount of EPA for land based vegetable sources. EPA is an Omega-3 fatty acid normally found mostly in fish, some algae and flax seeds. ^[5] It also contains vitamins (mainly vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron. Also present are two types of betalain alkaloid pigments, the reddish betacyanins (visible in the coloration of the stems) and the yellow betaxanthins (noticeable in the flowers and in the slight yellowish cast of the leaves). Both of these pigment types are potent antioxidants and have been found to have antimutagenic properties in laboratory studies.^[6]

100 grams of fresh purslane leaves (about 1 cup) contain 300 to 400 mg of alpha-linolenic acid. One cup of cooked leaves contains 90 mg of calcium, 561 mg of potassium, and more than 2,000 IUs of vitamin A."

Purslane, Meyer Lemon and Pear Salad with Kaffir Lime Vinnaigrette
From Gourmet 2003

For vinaigrette

1 lemon
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, 1 or 2 tough outer leaves discarded and root end trimmed
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 small (1 1/2- to 2-inch) dried chile (preferably Thai)
6 (2- by 1 1/4-inch) fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh chervil
1 teaspoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

For salad

1 Meyer lemon
6 firm-ripe small Seckel pears (3/4 pound total)
6 radishes, trimmed
3/4 pound purslane, coarse stems discarded
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Fleur de sel to taste

Accompaniment: jasmine rice crackers
Special equipment: a Japanese Benriner or other adjustable-blade slicer

Preparation

Make vinaigrette:
Cut peel, including white pith, from lemon with a small sharp knife. Working over a bowl to catch juices, cut lemon segments free from membranes, letting segments drop into bowl.

Crush lemongrass stalk with side of a heavy knife (to release oils), then thinly slice. Bring stock, lemongrass, and chile to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan. Cover pan and remove from heat, then let stand 20 minutes.

Return to a boil and add lemon segments with juice and lime leaves. Cover pan and remove from heat, then let stand 20 minutes more.

Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids, then return to saucepan and whisk in oil. Bring vinaigrette to a boil and whisk in cornstarch mixture, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 2 minutes. Cool completely. Whisk in herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Make salad:
Using slicer, cut Meyer lemon (with skin) crosswise, pears lengthwise (discarding cores), and radishes lengthwise into very thin slices (about 1/16 inch thick) and transfer to a large bowl. Add purslane, oil, lemon juice, and fleur de sel and pepper to taste and toss gently.

Divide salad among 6 plates and spoon vinaigrette over and around each. Serve salads with jasmine crackers on the side.

Cooks' note: ·Vinaigrette (without herbs) can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature, then whisk in herbs just before serving.

Design: wabi sabi mommi

2009-03-13T23:48:00.009-05:00

My sister and I both arrived into adulthood near-obsessed with Asian culture. I blame our mother for her love of Japanese design and Greene & Greene buildings, and my father for innocently giving me a copy of the Tao Te Ching when I was twelve, and his old college materials from what I can only guess was a Sumi class. The love of all things aesthetically pleasing (not coincidentally most of them Asian in origin) was so ingrained in me by adulthood that I forgot to even think of it, and my love became part of the wallpaper of my being.
But as I have eased myself into a comfortable(ish) understanding of my new 'motherhood' role, many of my studies have quietly resurfaced, and I find myself making peace with everyday, every moment with the deep-down Zen I had all but forgotten.

a wabi sabi bowl

It is truly a gift to live so closely with a child. I am remembering again what living in only the present is all about. The delightful child-sized messes around the house, the joy of beautiful food prepared according to baby time (which seems to stretch into infinity), the imperfection that can't be helped is all priceless. At first, it all drove me batty.
Then I remembered the Japanese philosophy I love most of all: Wabi Sabi. I am too much a Westerner to explain the concept accurately, but I will sum it up like this: Its roots in Zen Buddhism, wabi sabi is about the perfection of impermanence and imperfection. There are many sources for further study, like here, for starters. The moment I started to remember wabi sabi, I began to love the beautiful chaos of motherhood.
First, I de-cluttered. Then I de-cluttered again. If 'it' isn't truly important or necessary, it gets recycled, donated or trashed. Then I started eating simply, and consciously, remembering this old Zen teaching: When alone, eat as though you are entertaining guests, When entertaining guests, eat as though you are alone. I began to better understand that all of our battered belongings are beautiful with evidence of their years of usefulness, and I began to feel that way about myself, too.

The below interior shots are cited on apartment therapy as 'wabi sabi'
While I agree they might have been inspired by the philosophy, I side with Zimbio.com:
"You can't buy wabi sabi at Pottery Barn"

True wabi sabi in action
Japanese tea house with leaves

again, beautiful on its own, but too sterile and new to truly be wabi sabi:

Closer (and I am being generous here because I think this is a cool-a** mantle piece), but no cha

this garden corner is wabi sabi without trying to be (therefore making it even more wabi sabi)

classic examples of wabi sabi cha cups

from zimbio.com: "The true spirit of wabi sabi":
made me smile

More classic examples:

A roundup of the basic concepts:

The bowl is hollow, open and free shaped	antithesis	The box is rectilinear, precise and contained
Simple and sparing (It's what you leave out that counts)	antithesis	Cluttered and full
Non demanding beauty	antithesis	Quintessential supreme rule to aesthetics
Non utility, non-purpose, sustaining empty meaning	antithesis	Survival of function and utility to uses
Solicits into sensory expansion of possibilities	antithesis	Desolate sensory with excessive definition
Comforts uncertainly & unconventionality	antithesis	Intolerant with ambiguity or contradictions, requires strong definitions in order to withhold substance
Seemingly Crude (Primordial and natural materials)	antithesis	Ostensibly slick (New artificial manufactured materials)
Earthy, Intimate and warm	antithesis	Sterile and hygienic
Unpretentious and obscured	antithesis	Pretentious, ornate, gaudy & flashy
To everything there is a season to change	antithesis	Strained for everlasting
Favors degradation and attrition (Free to change)	antithesis	Requires maintenance and excessive attention
Diminish to evolve to nothing (Dissolved)	antithesis	Requires restoration, fixing and reviving
Revives naturally through change in time	antithesis	Revamp/replace or change in pace to exhaustive trends
Weathering/contamination generates rich expression	antithesis	Purity is divine, decay is weak
Imperfect and incomplete	antithesis	Strains improvement and perfectionism

From zenarchitect.com

Quoting the novelist Natsume Soseki [1867-1916]):

When I was in England, I was once laughed at because I invited someone for snow-viewing. At another time I described how deeply the feelings of Japanese are affected by the moon, and my listeners were only puzzled... I was invited to Scotland to stay at a palatial house. One day, when the master and I took a walk in the garden, I noted that the paths between the rows of trees were all thickly covered with moss. I offered a compliment, saying that these paths had magnificently acquired a look of age. Whereupon my host replied that he soon intended to get a gardener to scrape all this moss away.

Leonard Koren:
Get rid of all that is unnecessary. Wabi-sabi means treading lightly on the planet and knowing how to appreciate whatever is encountered, no matter how trifling, whenever it is encountered. "Material poverty, spiritual richness" are wabi-sabi bywords. In other words, wabi-sabi tells us to stop our preoccupation with success — wealth, status, power and luxury — and enjoy the unencumbered life.

Wabi-sabi is exactly about the delicate balance between the pleasure we get from things and the pleasure we get from freedom from things.

"Greatness" exists in the inconspicuous and overlooked details. Wabi-sabi represents the exact opposite of the Western ideal of great beauty as something monumental, spectacular and enduring. Wabi-sabi is about the minor and the hidden, the tentative and the ephemeral: things so subtle and evanescent they are invisible to vulgar eyes.

Things wabi-sabi are unpretentious, unstudied and inevitable looking. They do not blare out "I am important" or demand to be the centre of attention. They are understated and unassuming, yet not without presence or quiet authority. Things wabi-sabi easily coexist with the rest of their environment.

Things wabi-sabi are appreciated only during direct contact and use; they are never locked away in a museum. Things wabi-sabi have no need for the reassurance of status or the validation of market culture. They have no need for documentation of provenance.

Keep things clean and unencumbered, but don’t sterilize. (Things wabi-sabi are emotionally warm, never cold.)

One of my favorite personal 'wabi sabi mommi' moments:
Living with my child everyday; seeing her wonder, her natural ability to live only in the moment, and her joy, has reinforced my old lessons on Zen and wabi sabi. Each day I am happier as I pare down to that which is essential, and therefore, truly beautiful.

Which moments of your day, and which objects, bring you back to your center?

Interiors/Kids: The Only Thing I Miss About Our Old Place

2009-03-13T23:24:00.003-05:00

Our baby girl is six months old now, and I was remembering a year ago: morning sickness starting to subside, and nesting urge quietly building itself into an unstoppable obsession. We were living in a rented two-family historic home, but our landlords were deadbeats who gave us (basically) free reign on painting the nursery. I'm sure they expected something a little different than what we left them when we moved on, but I was a woman obsessed. I wanted a blue sky, I was getting a blue sky.
I tried to let the father-to-be help me paint, but everyday that ticked by was about three days too long for Lady Preggers, so I did it myself. I painted the walls, the ceiling, the clouds, the birds, then I made pillows for the rocking chair and the changing table. I painted the rocker, and the secondhand chest of drawers. I hauled up an abandoned bookshelf from the basement. I found an old mirror at a yard sale, and painted that, too. I ran out of things to paint.
That's when I cleaned!!! and cooked!!! and baked!!!, but, alas, those are stories for another time...
When it came time for us to move, I was glad, and I like our new little house very much, but I was near heart-broken to bid adieu to my much obsessed over nursery.
"Someday," I whispered to our baby girl, "I'll make an even better room for you. I promise."

Changing Table With Swallow and Mirror

View of the crib (and mommy-made high-contrast mobile)

The corner and swallows flying 'in the distance'

Custom pillows and girlie flowers and ribbons, oh my

Another swallow - this time holding cross stitch by grandma

View of changing table

*sigh*

Interiors: I Have a Girl Crush

2009-03-12T00:59:00.002-05:00

I have a new favorite design blog! Holly at Decor8 is the blogger I wish I could be! Her blog is gorgeous, with all sorts of yummy interiors, beautiful products, and sound advice for entrepreneurs. Check out these delightful photos from her latest post:

Photos courtesy of Decor8

Kids: Craft Magazine Rocks This Week

2009-03-11T22:52:00.005-05:00

I check out the Craft Magazine site every couple of days for some inspiration (and sometimes lots of giggles,) and, I admit, I usually leave feeling like I'm just not that craftily motivated, and thus, somehow lacking. Among the features on the site this week, however, are two very practical crafts that I know even I could accomplish.

First: How to Turn a Regular Bra Into a Nursing Bra. Genius. What mommy or mommy bff doesn't need this?!

Secondly: Stuffed Toy From a Child's Drawing.
I love this idea! It's so sweet and cute, and could be a great way to teach an older child about design and sewing (I'm thinking about 8 years old, that's when I learned, but maybe I'm delusional in my thinking about today's youth.... but I digress,) plus, it's a neat way to preserve a moment in your child's life, and give her something to be proud of and talk to guests about.

And to think I was actually blogging because I am procrastinating getting started on a new project! *Slacker*

Art: In Forty Years?

2009-03-11T18:19:00.002-05:00

Are these the sweaters we'll be making in forty years (much to the chagrin of our grandchildren)?

Bansky is a graffiti artist, yes, but incredible. I sincerely recommend checking out his site for some truly inspired social commentary/urban art.

Gardening: Upcycling and Plant Markers, Whoo-hoo!

2009-03-10T22:48:00.003-05:00

We had a teaser of spring weather here (now the wind is howling, and the temperature has dropped thirty degrees....of course), birds were building nests, mockingbirds were singing, and I got a little garden-fantasy obsessed. I found this lovely, green idea on Little House In The Suburbs, and wondered why I had never thought of it myself. I don't normally drink soda from cans, but for this, I could make the sacrifice. I think, with the proper design-savvy treatment, these garden labels would be perfect for an urban gardener. I can't wait to put my typography and embossing skills to work... now if I could just get some plants to label...

For complete instructions, visit the post HERE.

Interiors: DIY Perpetual Photo Wall Calendar

2009-03-09T19:58:00.004-05:00

Love This:

From the lovely folks at PhotoJoJo.com

It's fantastic and poppy, but since one must go on a personal photo safari to find all the needed numbers (1-31) and letters (M-Sun), it could be carefully designed to fit your personal style. You'll need a camera, photo clips (available at the website), and optionally, a photo printer with matte paper, plus scissors to cut your photos into hip little squares. Photo adventure/mission, typography, pop-art, functionality, great interior style, and a conversation piece -- what's not to love?

Also adore this idea:

Photo Jojo is my new favorite crafty site!

Kids: Your Mop, Waiter, and Family Will Thank You

2009-03-09T11:52:00.005-05:00

The above oilcloth can be found at ReproDepot.com

Our daughter just started transitioning to solid food, and, while rice cereal eaten happily by a baby thrilled to be served 'big person food', but not yet wise to her ability to 'help' is pretty innocuous, I know that the days of sweet potato puree flinging are just right around the corner.
In an effort to be proactive, I have been checking out various websites for the best oilcloth with which to make a drop cloth. I can put it under her highchair at home, a restaurant, or at Grandma's, wipe it clean (even hose it off in the sink at home), and fold it neatly into the diaper bag.
I haven't started making it yet, so I have no 'how to' for you in the classical sense, but making a drop cloth is as easy or difficult as you want to make it. You could, for instance, simply order a yard and a half of a fabric you love (and it's hard to choose!), which will set you back around ten bucks. Oilcloth is pretty heavy, and doesn't necessarily need to be hemmed.
If you want to get fancy (and I know I do), you can order contrasting prints (remember: One Big Print + One Small Print = Happy Design World), and sew them together, making a reversible cloth with contrasting edges on one side. Easy-peasy!

Check out these lovely patterns from Mendels.com!

Some examples of fancy drop cloths found on OilCloth.com, a wholesale company.

Gardening: Enter The 'Great Garden Giveaway'

2009-03-04T23:35:00.005-06:00

Until March 22nd, 2009, visit OnTheHouse.com to enter The Great Garden Giveaway! Prizes total more than $5000., and include furniture from Smith & Hawken, Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs, Mode, Studio Replica, and Rebecca Cole.

Some yummy Color Choice hydrangeas:

My Backyard:
(Yeah...in my dreams!) (Actually, Smith&Hawken weather-resistant wicker:)

I really, really want to win!!!
But, if one of you wins instead, will you please invite me over to enjoy your new oasis?

Art: Raquel Aparicio

2009-03-03T23:32:00.003-06:00

Raquel Aparicio is the kind of artist I want to be when I grow up -- the kind of artist that makes me wish I had kept up my practice. She's an extremely accomplished illustrator whose work you should check out, and hopefully she will forgive me for posting one of her pictures here (from a book of Russian folktales she illustrated), but I wanted to make sure you all saw how truly delightful her illustrations are, and would want to visit her website for more.

by Raquel Aparicio

Food: Olive and Onion Bread

2009-03-03T12:45:00.002-06:00

There was a time in the not-too-distant past that I, Maven Mama, was terrified of baking. I admit, this phobia was precipitated by a series of early baking debacles (a legendarily bad birthday cake for my father springs to mind), but after several years of general cooking success, coupled with envy over the fluffy muffins and chewy cookies from other kitchens, I decided it was time to try my hand at the baking arts once again. To me, the most terrifying of the practical baked goods was bread. That's where I began, and a year later, I finally feel pretty good about my success - enough so that I now lust after a brick oven.
Yesterday afternoon, I was a little bored, so I strapped the baby on, and 'we' started some bread: 2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour (this time I substituted 1/2 Cup of white flour), Yeast pac whisked into water with sugar, and a little salt and oil -- this base can be made into basically any kind of bread you're in the mood for, but I had been drooling over Colson Patisserie's website, and noticed some of their sandwiches are served on fresh olive bread. "Mmmm, olive bread...", and I set to poking around the fridge for ingredients. Here's the recipe I came up with - it's a little loose, as I didn't take notes (I didn't realize how delicious and blog-worthy the bread would be!)

Olive & Onion Bread

1 Package Active Yeast
2 Tblsp Sugar
1 Cup 110 degree Water
1 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (again, I prefer King Arthur Brand)
1/2 Cup White Flour
2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Dried Thyme
About 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
7 - 12 Kalamata (or similar) Olives, the flesh sliced from the pits and roughly chopped
1/4 Large Red Onion, Chopped
1/3 Cup Crumbled Feta

In a small bowl, Whisk the sugar into the hot water, when it is disolved, add the yeast and whisk until mixed. Set aside for about five minutes. In a large bowl, mix together Flours, Salt, Thyme, add Olives, Onion, and Feta. Using a rubber spatula, add yeast mixture, and mix, add Olive Oil slowly, a little at a time, and mix. You've used enough when the dough can be formed into a ball. Depending on conditions, you may need extra olive oil.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, reincorporating the pieces of olive and onion that escape as you go.
Coat the bowl with olive oil, return the dough the the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place for an hour. After the hour, punch dough down once, return to bowl and allow to rise for about 30 more minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a pan, and shape dough minimally into an oblong loaf. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes, until golden-brown. Serve the same day for best taste and texture.

Art: Shameless Plug: Leslie Amick

2009-03-02T14:19:00.004-06:00

Even when I am not living up to my own full potential, I still obsessively encourage and support talented friends, family, and, heck, even acquaintances. I usually find it easier to see the obvious, overflowing talent in others than to recognize my own (to the extent that I am embarrassed to even infer that I have talent here.)
That being said, I am very excited to introduce the pastel artist, Leslie Amick. She's a mom and grandma out of Atlanta, Georgia who works full time and keeps a beautiful house and garden. She's been producing beautiful work for years, and has accepted many commissions, but today marks the opening of the very first online representation of her work!
Please check out her blog HERE, and check back often. Below are a couple of her pieces:

Turn Left At The Tree
24" x 30" $500.

Cow's In The Corn
24" x 30" SOLD

Thank you for supporting 'new' artists!

Food: My New Favorite Condiment

2009-03-01T17:09:00.005-06:00

I had a foodie 'ahah!' moment recently when our local Greek place enclosed extra tzatziki (dza-DZEE-kee) sauce with my falafel pita. While using the stuff liberally, I realized: 'Cucumbers? I love cucumbers. Yogurt. Love yogurt! Garlic? Yes, I love garlic! Holy cow! This stuff is my perfect food, and I never realized it before!'
I had leftover tzatziki, and snacked on it the next day experimentally: Potato chips and tzatziki? Delicious. Raw veggies and tzatziki? Check. Gala apple slices and tzatziki? Strange but good. I ran out of tzatziki at this point in my snacking extravaganza, but I imagined more of the divine sauce on sandwiches, on fish (baked, fried or ceviche - ole!), on lamb burgers, a dollop on white bean soup, with sauteed spinach and artichokes.... and on and on. So here's a recipe I whipped up. The sugar is not traditional, but the sauce from our Greek place is a little sweet, which I love, so I added it.

16 oz. Greek yogurt
4 cloves of garlic, chopped extra fine (You can reduce the amount to your taste. Note: I think if the garlic was roasted first, it would be incredible
1 Cucumber (Hothouse variety, also called English or European), seeded, skin left on
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tsp. Fresh Dill (you can also substitute mint here)
1 Tbsp Salt, Plus 1/2 Tsp.
2 Tsp. Sugar
Pinch Fresh Black Pepper

Grate the cucumber on a box grater, stir in the tablespoon of salt, and place in a sieve over a bowl (or, heck, over your sink if you're feeling low-maintainance). Allow the salt to draw out the water from the cucumber for 30 - 45 minutes.
Place the yogurt in a large-ish bowl. Squeeze what remaining water you can out of the cucumber, and add to the yogurt. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until well mixed. It's best to allow the tzatziki to 'rest' in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Enjoy!

Kids: The Future is Now

2009-03-01T11:14:00.003-06:00

From a 1950 edition of Popular Mechanics:

You laugh now, but imagine the possibilities when it comes to baby spit-up and sticky toddler hand prints...

Gardening: Moss 'Graffiti' by Helen Nodding

2009-03-01T00:05:00.003-06:00

Helen Nodding's website features some fascinating art, but also the recipe and directions for making your very own 'moss graffiti'. I think it would be an awesome gardening/science/art project to do with young-ish kids, and they could easily be charged with the daily water misting that the new moss requires. I, personally, would love to do a swirling design from under the single tree in our yard...
Thanks to Helen, here's the recipe:

RECIPE
*Several clumps of moss
*1 pot of natural yoghurt or 12oz buttermilk (experiment to see which works best)
*1/2 teaspoon of sugar
*blender
*Plastic pot (with a lid)
*Paint brush
*Spray-mister

After you've assembled these ingredients, visit Instructables for the thorough instructions.
I can't wait to make my very own moss smoothie!

Design: Your Blog = Awesome

2009-02-27T23:42:00.002-06:00

Has anybody else noticed the new gadgets that Google has embedded on our Blogger pages?
The new 'Friend Connect' promises to help us enjoy more of the social networking aspects we were used to on such High School Musical sites as Myspace, but were severely lacking from blogland. I signed up for it, and the code is simple to embed. Just click on the icon below your 'Followers' section. Hurray iGoogle!

Kids: Mommy is a Slacker (in Blogland)

2009-02-27T22:52:00.001-06:00

My in-laws were visiting this week, and I haven't had much time to post.
I did complete a couple of projects: my friend, Sarah's, hooter-hider for her new baby boy (due in April! Yay!), and a stuffed octopus out of scrap fabric. Sadly, I cannot post photos of either of these yet as they are both gifts to mommies who read this blog.
Instead, here are a couple of photos from the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Ciao!

Kids: This is the full extent of our Mardi Gras partying.

2009-02-22T13:37:00.001-06:00

Happy Mardi Gras to everyone! Our baby was overjoyed when Dad came home from work with beads. I hope you have a rip roarin' time, too.

Design: Beautiful... Too Bad I'm Poor.

2009-02-21T13:27:00.001-06:00

I love this beautiful wallpaper from Julia Rothman ! And it comes in all sorts of gorgeous colors. Too bad I'm a mommy on a budget! Check out her work anyway - it's lovely and inspiring. I'm feeling a mural in the hallway or some decoupage...