Spoil Your Dinner

Around the Internets

2012-02-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

So I've been hanging out on Pinterest for the past few weeks. It seems to be a lady-thing and I'm not totally sure why. I think it could be a useful way to store info for later. Recipes I'd like to try, craft projects for someday, decorating ideas or your more manly interests. Mustache grooming techniques? It is fun to see what your friends are into. It is also pretty interesting to see what is popular over all pinners. I was expecting the clothes, cats, foods and babies. There are a few trends that have surprised me.

Hair styles. Not haircuts, but types of braids and buns.
Inspirational/funny/sassy quotes.
Photos of skinny ''hot" ladies as motivation to get in shape.
Funky ways to paint your nails.

***

Unrelated to pinnings, I've also come across some new-to-me things to follow. A pretty blog. A blog idea I wish I had thought of. And a stellar tumbler that I've been following for a while. APR speaks to a specific corner of myself that I had almost forgotten about. Hard to beat that!

Overheard From the Next Room...

2012-02-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

"Mommy. Baby. Hey, hey, hey!"

The Out-of-Doors

2012-01-31T22:45:00.000-08:00

Here we are, right in the middle of another northwest winter. In spite of the soggy-grayness I've been compelled to venture in outdoors. Two weeks ago we had a very snowy week here in Seattle. You may have heard, NPR was all abuzz. I love snow. Snow is one of the few things that I miss about my home state. When I was a kid my mother would occasionally wake me with, "There is a surprise for you outside." This "surprise" was always the same thing. It was always snow. I've never had to heart to tell her that it was no longer a surprise. It only occurs to me now that this was a little bit of a joke. When we got our snow I couldn't resist, I greeted G with "There is a surprise for you outside!" Keeping the tradition alive.

Here she is contemplating the snow. I just love the vibrant colors of her outfit against the blanket of white.

Last weekend we ventured out again. We were invited to spend the weekend at our friend's lovely home on Hood Canal. It is gorgeous out there! We had such a great time. It was pretty idyllic: walks on the beach, wind rustling the pines, crackling fire, exceptional home-cooked meals, catching up with friends. G had fun too. She especially loved hanging out with their dog, Coco the Chow Chow.

Happy Christmas to Me

2012-01-25T21:09:00.000-08:00

SV and I didn't exchange gifts this year. We decided to save our Christmas pennies for a fabulous trip to Hawaii. Yes, we will be visiting The Aloha State very soon. It would be impossible to exaggerate how excited I am about this trip. Impossible.

I did receive several lovely gifts. I also treated myself to some niceties. I happened to see an ad for an artist who does hand-cut silhouettes. She was setting up at a local shop and taking walk-ins. We decided to walk in. She was amazing! She was able to capture G's likeness in just a few minutes. I couldn't be happier with the results.

Remember the sweater vases from a few posts back? I discovered them, post-holiday, at a deeply discounted price. Maybe I'm the only one who likes them. I have to say that I find them cozy in a way that only cable-knit ceramics can be. Now my mantel had a fresh look for the new year.

Moments

2012-01-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

Baby G is learning to walk. She can totally do it, but she is being cautious (as is her way). As soon as she realizes that she is walking on her own she freezes and decides to crawl. Yesterday our family had a moment that reminded me of a Van Gough painting. Aside from the sunshine, idyllic countryside and impressionist glow it was exactly like this...

Lefse

2012-01-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

We decided to make lefse last weekend. And by make I mean pick up the made pastry and add layers of butter and sugar. Yum. We found fresh lefse dough at Larsen's Danish Bakery.

We had to experiment a little with the quantities, but ended up with a nice dessert. It was also the perfect opportunity to introduce G to the electric mixer. I think they will be good friends.

I Can See it Now

2012-01-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

G has been a milestone pro, until now. She smiled, tracked objects, mastered the Pincer grasp and crawled as if on cue. She has had the appropriate number of vowel and consonant sounds. Everything has been by-the-book. Not ahead of schedule, not behind. This has been very comforting to her parents (who tend to worry). There is one, pretty important, milestone that she seems to have skipped. Teeth. She is 14+ months old and has ZERO teeth. According to the ADA she could have up to eight teeth by now. All off her friends are rocking three or four pearlies. Our pediatrician said not to worry until her 15 month checkup. This appointment is looming on my calendar. Just a few short weeks away.

In a weak moment, I googled "born without teeth". Before I had typed the word "teeth", I got the following search suggestions:

born without a face
born without a brain
born without blood
born without a uterus
born without a body
born without eyelids

Unlike most medical internet searches, this one eased my fears. Mostly by distraction me for a good long while. Most of those searches brought bogus youtube clips. It did get me thinking that "born without teeth" sounds like a Lifetime movie. I can see it now...

Born Without Teeth: The Baby G Story

Staring

Claire Danes as D

Justin Timberlake as SV

and

Blue Ivy Carter as Baby G

2011: Photo Review

2012-01-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

I'm borrowing the idea for this post from Hong over at Seasons for Cake. Isn't her blog lovely? I wish I had her photography skills (and nice camera). I suppose learning to take better photos would be a fun project this year.

2011 was pretty great. Here are some highlights.

We attended many soccer matches.

Spent some time in the woods.

Took a trip to La Push. It was G's introduction to the ocean.

A second trip to the ocean. This time in California.

We attended a particularly lovely wedding.

Took a few trips to the zoo.

We celebrated a special birthday.

And spent lots of time playing and creating memories.

2011 in a Nutshell

2012-01-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

I found two versions of this questionnaire. I decided to make a mashup and only answer the questions that suited me. Enjoy!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
So many things. The first that comes to mind is taking swim lessons. Well, they were really G's swim lessons, but I learned a bunch.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year, but usually do. I have a bunch for 2012. It seems that a theme is emerging of being a better adult. Specifics to come.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! We've been so lucky to welcome some friends to the world.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. I feel like I'm jinxing us by typing that.

5. What countries did you visit?
I didn't use my passport in 2011. We did have some enjoyable trips in the US.

6. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
G's first birthday! It was such a joyous day. We celebrated with dear friends and family who made her first year extra special. It bring tears to my eyes to think about.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Creating new friendships and strengthening existing ones. I've made a few missteps along the way, but I'm getting better at this whole thing.

8. What was your biggest failure?
So many small ones. Most involve my foot in my mouth.

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No. Aside from a few colds, I've been pretty healthy. Again, I feel like I'm jinxing myself here.

10. What was the best thing you bought?
I bought some boots that I'm pretty excited about.

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I have such great friends. I'd like to give props my friends without kids. You guys have graciously meet us where we are (wherever that may be) and embraced our family. Thank you.

12. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Why can't they just let the kids be?

13. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage.

14. What song will always remind you of 2012?
"Make Some Noise" by B Boys (big shock, I know)

and

"Crawl" by Casper Babypants

big world, little feet

small hands will move to meet

your toys and sugar sweets

when you start to crawl

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? happier
thinner or fatter? thinner
richer or poorer? a little poorer, but doing alright

16. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Read, cook, watch movies.

17. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Second-guess myself. Isn't that the worst?

18. How did you spend the holidays?

Holding a kid with a double ear infection. It was such a bummer, but she is totally fine now.

19. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Yes! No new loves, just more love.

20. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

Fail. I'm still rocking ill-fitting postpartum ware.

21. Whom did you miss?

My parents, in a whole new way.

22. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

To say yes to fun. No matter how filthy your house or empty the cupboard, an invitation to the zoo is the correct choice.

23. What did you do on your birthday?

I dined at Pair with SV and a five-month-old G. It was lovely.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Eight uninterrupted hours of sleep. This happened one time in 2011. I'm hopping to increase that number this year.

25. What kept you sane?

Yoga. Honestly it could have been anything that counts as me time. Yep, I just said "me time". Barf.

I want to hear all about your 2011! You know you want to.

Origami Boxes

2011-12-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

I ended up doing some unexpected crafting for the holidays. One of the things we gifted this year were some pretty brooches. I ordered them from Etsy and when they arrived I realized that I needed to find packaging that reflected their uniqueness. After finding nothing that would work, I decided to make my own boxes. It turns out that there are a bunch of tutorials for origami boxes online. I used this one. Pretty cute, huh? They are super easy and fun to make. I'm kinda addicted now. I keep looking for (and finding) excuses to make more.

Lovelies

2011-12-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

While Xmas shopping this year I keep coming across lovely things that aren't quite right for the folks on my list. Here is a quick tour of what I'm not buying.

pretty plate

awww...everything here is pretty cute

Threadless is so awesome

and on sale

oui, french nerd over here

On the Banks of the Seine

2011-11-30T14:58:00.001-08:00

I have a bunch of posts rattling around in my head. I'd like to tell you, kind reader, about so many things. Soon, I hope. I just can't seem to focus on much these days. One thing that I can focus on is daydreaming of getting away. There are three locations that often nestle in my brain, depending on the mood.

For times when Seattle is so very gray and I feel like a fresh start, the daydream is of Berkeley. My imagination has been completely captured. I'd buy my wine from my friend Kermit Lynch. My cheeses would come from The Cheese Board. I'd eat fresh and local every day and dine at Chez Panisse as often as good taste allows.

With winter settling in my thoughts often drift to Hawaii. I know there are some Hawaii haters out there. These are people who haven't been. It is amazingly beautiful you guys! And they know how to take advantage of the beauty - lack of walls. The Kona airport is totally outside! Our Hotel lobby was outside! Entire restaurants and bars and on and on. All in the warm and beautiful outside.

Finally when the melancholy kicks in, it is all about France. I know that it is nerdy, but I can't get enough of things française. I'm overly proud of my 1/2-1/4 french heritage (evidence: le nez française below). Silly, I know. A few years back we spent a very short week in Paris. Every day since that trip I have a moment of wishing I was there. Lately I've been focused on Normandy, specifically Mont Saint-Michel. I want to go to there. I think I'm overdue for a vacation.

Growing Up

2011-10-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Baby G's first birthday is fast approaching. As a naturally sentimental lady, this day is loaded. The past twelve months have easily been the best of my life. I'm trying to keep the mushiness in check, but it keeps spilling out. I am "that mom" who is teary about her baby growing up so fast, about the tiny clothes that no longer fit and on and on. Simultaneously I can't wait for what is to come. Walking, talking and all the big kid fun. I suppose that I'll have to transition to calling her Toddler G, but not just yet.

I Got Stripes

2011-10-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

We've got some mad stripy fashions going on over here. I was going through G's next batch of clothes (12-18 months!) and noticed a trend. I'm only responsible for three of these items, the rest are hand-me-downs. I know that stripes are so last year, but I lurve them. If I could go around looking like a french sailor everyday I totally would.

Coming Together

2011-10-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

SV and G spent a few hours at the zoo this weekend. I took the opportunity to pull out my very dusty sewing machine. That time may have been better spent doing dishes, folding laundry, cleaning toilets and so on. Oh well.

Volunteers

2011-09-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

This was our third summer in our house, but the first that we didn't plant a garden. We wanted to plant one, it just never happened. A side effect of parenthood. I know that some new parents can do such things. I know now that I am not that mother. I did discover that some things do thrive on neglect. This lovely cherry tomato plant is a volunteer! Is there any chance that we will get enough sun for these babies to ripen before it is too late? Stay tuned...

I did miss having my own vegetable garden this year. I especially missed having fresh herbs just waiting to be plucked and made into pesto. I think that an herb garden is a totally achievable goal for summer 2012.

The New Owl

2011-09-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

The owl has been king of baby decor for the past few years. You can find a owl on every imaginable baby product. An owl themed baby shower? Nursery? Indy-designed item? Check, check, check. I totally get it. That little owl is so stinking cute!

Lately I've seen some speculation about what the new owl will be. Some say fox. Others are predicting giraffe. I'd like to be the first to throw goat into the ring. Yes, goats to be the new owl. Take a quick look around my kid's room for evidence.

Here is one of G's favorite books, "G is for Goat" (notice nothing but 5 star ratings). Her curtains, that her grandmother and I made, sewn with fabric from IKEA. I framed some of the scrap fabric to highlight details of the design. What do you know? Goats!

What Could I Be Up To?

2011-09-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Enjoyment

2011-07-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

I've been having kinda a weird/stressful/sad time. To counteract this, I've been working on being conscious of what brings me small (and big) joys and am integrating those things into my day. Some things I've been enjoying:

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two and Cinemetropolis
Re-watching 30 Rock on Netflix streaming
New shoes! I'm really bad at letting myself have new things (today I wore a shirt that I've had since 8th grade).
My Seattle Sounders are scoring lots of goals!
Having produce delivered right to my door.
Making food for baby G with this guy.
New classes, baby swim and yoga for me.
My baby is a crawler. I can hardly believe it.

Color

2011-07-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

We're going to be painting our living room. I'm thinking peacock. Thoughts?

Grass

2011-05-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

It has been a very un-Spring here in Seattle. Yesterday G and I hung out in our backyard for the first time. It was great!

Baby by the Bay

2011-05-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a quick trip to San Francisco. SV was attending a conference so G and I tagged along. It was lovely. Here is our trip in a nutshell:

Time with Family & Friends, China Town, City Lights, Wine, Favor, Show & Tell, Cafe de la Presse, Walks, Chez Panisse, A little Wii, Regular Show, Japanese Tea Garden, Garden of Shakespeare's Flowers, Naps, Leopold's and Sunshine!

All with the best traveling companion!

Complements?

2011-05-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

People have lots of nice things to say about the cuteness of our baby. The most common thing I hear is, "She looks just like a doll." Not a week goes by without someone commenting on the doll-like quality of my daughter. This is nice enough. People also like to say, "What a great head." I've heard this countless times. I think that they want to say, "What a great big head" but they are able to stop themselves.

The other day a friend responded to a photo of me on facebook with, "Motherhood suits you." I'm sure it was meant as a complement, but it sounded more like, "Mom jeans suit you." I guess I'm happy to be seen as suited to my chosen vocation.

We recently hosted a little get-together. At the party a friend said, "You almost have your body back." Um....almost?! I have to assume that this was meant as a complement as well. I can't help but wonder how "almost" are we talkin'? Am I 80% back? 60%? 25%? I'm well aware of the fact that I gave birth six months ago. I'm also totally fine with my body being forever changed.

Sensitive much? Probably.

Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole!

2011-03-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Soccer season is here again! This marks our third season of soccer attendance. It also marks the start of the final season with our beloved keeper and captain Kasey Keller. We took G to her first match. Well, first match outside of my uterus. She did great. She slept for the first half (thanks to the muffs). SV and I took turns walking her around during the second. Even though we didn't win the night was a success!

Working for It

2011-02-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

It has been a week of extremes in parenthood. This job is sometimes so hard and often joyful (cliche, I know). Let's focus on the good stuff.

G laughed for the first time last night. It was awesome. She has been working on a bunch of new skills lately. She desperately wants to roll over and is working on it with the focus of a laser. Whenever she gets an opportunity she is rocking up onto her side over and over again. Diaper changes have become much more interesting. She is also perfecting the art of grabbing things. Fun times.

With so much going on, her laughing wasn't even on my radar. Last night I was explaining to her that she is growing out of her hats, that they are popping off. I made a "pop" sound and she cracked up! Her father and I laughed (and cried). Pure joy. We've spent the day trying to get her to laugh again with no luck. She is making us work for it.

Whoozit?

2011-02-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

G got this toy, a Whoozit, for Christmas. I have to confess that I found it to be a little intense. So many colors, so many patterns and a face that only a mother could love. I didn't really think that she'd be into it. We got Mr. Whoozit* out the other day and surprise, surprise she LOVES it. They just had a 20 minute conversation that sounded pretty enjoyable. Judging by the Amazon reviews she isn't the only baby who is loving some Whoozit. Go figure.

*I'm not sure why, but it is definitely a Mr.

Thrilling

2011-02-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Ever wake up with random dream-words tumbling around in your head? This morning I woke with a particularly good sentence in my noggin. I have no memory of the associated dream, but it must have been thrilling.

"I told him to put the Shredded Wheat in the apothecary jar!!!"

Something Important

2011-01-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

In an effort to combat this Seattle winter I'm re-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is soooo good. We've just finished season two. If you've seen the series you know how exciting this time is. If you've been holding out, even though all of your friends keep telling you how great Buffy is, it is time to allow yourself to be happy.

On this reviewing, I noticed something important. I had forgotten that Angel was hot. He isn't my cup of tea, but objectively he is a hottie. In this world of Bones it is easy to forget that David, as Angel, had presence and allure.

***

I'm typing one-handed while holding a sleeping baby. Some days G will only nap in my arms. This is very sweet, but inconvenient if I want to get anything done. The result: a one-handed blog post.

2010

2011-01-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yep, I did it and you should too. I want to know about your 2010.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A few

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

5. What countries did you visit?
England and Wales

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Peace of mind

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
November 7th, G's b-day

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting that kid out (I know that ladies do this everyday, but it is still a biggie)

9. What was your biggest failure?
Many small ones, nothing big

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Um...childbirth is some hardcore shit

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Sleep Sheep!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
SV

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Politicians and celebrities, nobody I know in real life

14. Where did most of your money go?
House payment

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting to see my daughter's face

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
"Pass the Mic"

I listened to the Beastie Boys a lot during my pregnancy. It was my only real craving, but it had to be satisfied everyday. Go figure.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- happier or sadder? both
- richer or poorer? getting poorer without the working
- thinner or fatter? the latter, for now

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Cook

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worry

20. How did you spend the holidays?
Cozy at home

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Yes

22. How many one-night stands?
None

23. What was your favorite TV program?
30 Rock

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope

25. What was the best book you read?
Nothing comes to mind

26. What was your favorite film of this year?
No standouts

27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Hand-me-down maternity and too small old clothes

28. Whom did you miss?
Family and a friend who moved away

29. Who was the best new person you met?
Baby G!

30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
I am stronger and more vulnerable than I thought

No Pressure

2011-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

I usually make a bunch of New Year's resolutions. I've decided not to make any this year. For me, at this time, it seems like the first step on the road to disappointment. Instead I made a short list of things I'd like to do more/less. No pressure.

Walking
Reading
Getting together with my lady friends
Cooking
Thinking of others
Cutting myself a break
Listening

Less

Worrying
Using the "fat" word
Grinding my teeth
Repeating myself
Over-thinking

Qu'est-ce TMI?

2010-11-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing brings out the TMI like pregnancy and childbirth. I've tried to keep it in check, but this is harder than it seems. I find myself starting a story (sometimes a sentence) and realizing that there is no way of ending my story without using a word like cervix, episiotomy or meconium. Sorry. Hopefully as I get further away from recent events my conversational skills will improve.
I feel like it has been impossible to capture the cuteness of G in a picture. She will be making the most adorable/funny/sweet face, I'll snap a pic and... meh. With the help of a professional we were able to get some great ones. While in the hospital a photographer stopped by our room for a complementary photo shoot. She explained that we could view the photos on their site and decide if we wanted to purchase them. Who is going to say no? And what new parents aren't going to fork over the dough? Needless to say we bought the entire photo package. I knew that SV and I were softies, but Bella Baby Photography made it an indisputable fact. Those little feet are already bigger. La sigh.

Welcome!

2010-11-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

The other day I walked into the birth center at Swedish Ballard, yada yada yada, a few days later I walked out with a baby. Yes, a real human baby. And she happens to be totally awesome. Welcome to the world Baby G!
Yesterday, while brushing my teeth, I saw the eyes of a stranger in the mirror. I'm attributing this to one of three possibilities: a hallucination brought on by sleep deprivation, the good people at Swedish replaced my eyeballs with some type of Borg implant or that Baby G's mother has arrived. I'm not sure which is the best option (an implant would be cool).

Un-bloggable

2010-09-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

I thought that my blog would be the perfect place to document my thoughts and feelings while in Pregnancy Land. Turns out my thoughts and feelings have been un-bloggable. They fall into three categories: general complaining, TMI and sentimental mushiness. Nobody wants to read any of that. I don't really want to type it ether. Instead, some pregnancy randomness for you to enjoy!

***

Most people love seeing a pregnant belly. I'll catch total strangers beaming at me while I'm waddling along. This is nice.

Restroom privileges for pregnant ladies is a myth. Nobody has let me cut in line, not once. I have a few weeks to go and many public restrooms to further test this phenomena.

Unsolicited advice while walking through the International District:

ID Lady: Hey baby cakes. Hey BABYCAKES!
Me: half smile
ID Lady: How much longer?
Me: Two more months.
ID Lady: Eat a Domino's Pizza. Eat a Domino's Pizza and walk up stairs. Eat a Domino's Pizza, walk up stairs NOT down. That baby will fall right out.
Me: Okay!

Fruit Bowl?

2010-09-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

The contents of my fruit bowl:

A head of garlic.
A mostly eaten Hershey's bar.
An almost empty bag of marshmallows.
A single banana.

This single banana is like a beacon of hope that I'll be able to successfully raise a child. Not sure what the other items say about me.

S'mores!

2010-07-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

We are still awaiting the arrival of summer here in Seattle. Yesterday's high was a whopping 65. I've been daydreaming a lot of all the fun outside activities of summer. BBQ, swimming, camping, not having to wear a jacket all of the time.

Earlier this week at work, I mentioned that it is too bad that you need a campfire to make s'mores. Almost immediately I had three suggestions of ways to make them indoors: in the microwave, under the broiler and using a stove-top burner. I tried two techniques last night, broiler and burner. I decided that the microwave method was only to be used in a pinch. Both methods did the trick. Neither could match the result that you get with a campfire, but still tasted pretty yummy. I'm going to file this one under "new recipe". Not a new dish, but TWO new techniques.

Wow! Look at that, a non-baby related post. Don't get used to it.

The Illa

2010-06-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

Now that we know that our baby is a girl-type, we've been talking a lot about possible names. This is an endlessly interesting topic to me. People have strong feelings about what names are acceptable and what are unthinkable. How about Chrystal Shanda Lier? Yes, that is a real name.

I have two rules for our kid's name: nothing from last year's top 10 (Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava, Emily, Madison, Abigail, Chloe, Mia) and no names strongly associated with a song. I know, there are some good names in the top 10. Any thoughts?

A friend, mostly joking, suggested Priscilla. My mind went, Priscilla -> Pris -> Prissy = barf. Our friend's husband suggested another option, Priscilla -> Illa -> The Illa = awesome.

It's a Girl!

2010-06-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

Not the best ultrasound photo, but not too shabby. She made us work to get the info. Feet AND hands in the way. After almost 90 minutes we got the good news. It's a girl!

Oh Bella!

2010-06-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

So, I've started wearing some maternity clothes. At this point my pre-pregnancy clothes are too small and maternity clothes are too big. Most days I split the difference and put on a maternity top and pre-pregnancy bottoms or vice versa. Every day there is some small clothing-related indignity. My pants are falling down or top ridding up (often while I'm working in a window). Sigh. I'm aware that someday soon it will be all maternity clothing all the time.

One product has really helped to get me through the last several weeks. The BellaBand! Yes, worst name ever. I would have been wearing my jammy pants to work without it. I was picking up a second BellaBand at Target and had a nice conversation with the young women ringing us up.

The young women ringing us up: You got a baby in you?

Me: Ummm, yes.

Tacohaircut!

2010-06-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things happened yesterday. Tacohaircut! This is a rare and coveted occurrence. Our Seattle Sounders must both score three goals and prevent the other team from scoring. Three goals = a free haircut from Great Clips. A shutout = two free tacos from Jack in the Box. Tomorrow you can expect to see me eatin' tacos at Jack in the Box (the one on the Ave, naturally ) with a fresh high & tight.*

I attribute yesterday's success to the attendance of my new nephew. Perhaps the youngest Sounders fan.

*I've yet to take advantage of these offers. It's just so fun to be able to say "TACOHAIRCUT!"

Falling Behind and Catching Up

2010-05-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Life has become very busy around here. I have fallen behind on many, many things. The new recipe project was the first casualty. I'm behind on housework, work-work, reading, cooking anything, social outings, crafting and blogging. The 3rd post about our UK trip will never see the light of a monitor. All of this is because I've been working on an exciting new project. The growing-of-a-new-human project! Yep, after 13 years of marriage we decided that it was time to try our hand at procreation. And it worked! Little D or SV will be making his/her debut this November.

According to this press kit for the film Knocked Up, above are all the items I'll need to get through pregnancy.

I've been very lucky symptom-wise, at least so far. Somehow I escaped morning sickness. Sure I was queasy, but no puking (not even once). How I got to be so lucky I'll never know. I could not be more grateful. Aside from all of the common pregnancy symptoms, I've had two unusual ones. Both are harmless yet annoying.

The first is metal mouth. SV thinks it sounds like a super power. It is not. About 10 weeks ago I woke up with the taste of a penny in mouth. Metal mouth has been my constant companion ever since. Making everything taste off. The doctor said "Oh, I've heard of that. Taste buds get weird when you're pregnant." She assured me that the metal taste will go away anytime between now and delivery.

The second is Melasma or The Mask of Pregnancy. It is hyperpigmentation (brown, blotchy spots on my face) caused by hormones and UVB rays. I already had this to a small degree so it was not a big surprise. Although it has worsened as my pregnancy has advanced. I expect that to continue. Bummer. It could fade postpartum. If not, a laser is my best option. You'd think that with the mask and metal mouth I would be out there fighting crime. Not yet.

One last thing. While I've had no food cravings I have had a near constant craving for this. Seriously, I can't get enough. SV has been a good sport, but I can tell that he is getting sick of it. Only five more months to go!

UK Trip Post 2 of 3: Food

2010-04-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

It's a big joke that British food is terrible, right? We did not find this to be the case. Overall, we had great food during our trip. We were lucky to have a variety of food experiences. We ate takeout, road food, in homes, and in sit-down restaurants.

Places I liked:

The Cinnamon Club - upscale Indian food
Acorn House - great place to check out if you our visiting the British Library
Pret A Manger - this is a more than adequate chain cafe with free wi-fi (something that that was in shockingly short supply)

Things I learned:

Tea with A LOT of milk in it tastes very good.
Eggs don't need to be refrigerated (by washing them, in the US, we make refrigeration necessary).
You can get chips (French fries) with anything. We had them with Chinese takeout.

Sounder Love

2010-03-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled that soccer season is here!

I actually found myself missing individual players during the off season; a Wednesday afternoon at my desk wondering what Fredy Montero is up to, blow drying my hair hoping that Kasey Keller is having a nice day, imagining Steve Zakuani at home in England visiting family and friends. The time for daydreaming is over!

We planned to return from the UK just in time for the season's first match. Less then 24 hours after we returned we were in the stands cheering on the team. I have to say that my rallying was pretty weak. The Sounders were victorious anyway. It is such a luxury to be able to leave the rest of the world behind and cheer (and boo) for a little while.

Go Sounders!

UK Trip Post 1 of 3: Churches

2010-03-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

We just returned form for a 10 day trip to the UK: southern England and Wales. As I was looking back at our photos I noticed a trend. Unlike the rest of our lives, we spent a good amount of time in church. We visited Bath Abbey, Tintern Abbey and Westminster Abbey.

The first leg of our trip we spent in Bath. While there we visited Bath Abbey. The exterior of the abbey has a striking sculptural feature of angles ascending a descending Jacob's ladder. It was a rare clear day, so we climbed the 212 well-worn stone steps to the top of the abbey. Halfway to the top you get to cut through the bell tower and get very close to several ginormous bells, in use today. Our timing was perfect and we were in the tower at 1pm. I wouldn't say it was defining, but very loud.

While visiting friends in Wales they took us to Tintern Abbey. Nerd that I am, I instantly recognized the name form the Wordsworth poem "Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey". I was also excited to learn that the abbey is prominently featured in an Iron Maiden video. Tintern Abbey is beautiful! We came from a winding forest road to find the abbey rising from the bottom of the valley. The day was perfect. We got a break from the rain, but it was misty and cool. This may have been my favorite part of our trip.

Lastly, Westminster Abbey. It was lovely, yet crowded. I can only imagine how busy it gets at the height of tourist season. No photography is allowed in the abbey, but I suspect you all have a pretty good idea of what it looks like. They have a lot of neat stuff in there. I found the prominent memorials to Darwin and Newton of particular interest. The audio tour was worth doing, it helped to distract from the crowds.

So what does it take to get us heathens into a church? Apparently a loooog plane ride and said church has got to be old.

Sometimes I Make Things 4

2010-03-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

I just whipped up a fun little craft project. I don't get my sewing machine out very often, maybe once or twice a year. My mother is an excellent seamstress. Everything I know about sewing I learned from her. I can get by but I have no where near her skillz. Tonight I made a heart-shaped pillow from my own "design". Creating the appliqué was fun and easy. Fleece is great to work with because it is so forgiving and doesn't fray, no need to worry about turning under. It looks a tad "home sewn", but cute and cuddly.

A Few Thoughts

2010-03-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here for your entertainment, a few thoughts on the 2010 Academy Awards!

NPH, a little weak yet delightful
Steve and Alec sharing a sunggie/slancket, be still my heart
Mo'Nique, possibly best dressed
Charlize Theron, worst
Sandra's win = bile rising
Avatar not sweeping - *priceless*

Egg Salad Sandwiches

2010-03-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

I asked SV what he wanted to cook for our next new recipe and he said, without missing a beat, "egg salad sandwiches." I decided to make this one a twofer. So last weekend we made egg salad sandwiches on homemade pumpernickel. The egg salad recipe is from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For The Food: Food + Heat = Cooking, using Mark Bittman's technique for a hard cooked egg. Brown's recipe is very simple, but turned out to perfectly compliment the strong flavor of the bread. Brown claims that "Pumpernickel is the only acceptable bread to use for an egg-salad sandwich." He is right.

I have a fear of yeast. I find it unpredictable and mysterious. Baking bread from scratch was way outside of my comfort zone. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be. That said, the end product was not perfect. It didn't rise as much as it should have and resulted in a pretty dense loaf. After doing some research, I determined that our house was too cold for it to rise properly.

My fear of yeast has not been conquered, but I will be baking more bread in the near future.

The Little Things

2010-03-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

I've been in a creative rut at work lately. Just not feeling inspired. I had a little pick-me-up on Monday. I had an opportunity to do something that I've been thinking about for a while. I "tiled" a wall using pages from textbooks. I was given the assignment to create a window display to promote Textbook Buy Back. Perfect!

The project turned out even better than I expected. It took much, much longer than I anticipated (partly because I spent time choosing the most attractive side of each page). I was afraid that from the street you wouldn't be able to see that they are individual pages, but you totally can. Oh, the little things.

Bragity

2010-03-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

It has been an exciting few days around our place. We've been in our house for just over a year. For the first six months we were a flurry of activity; painting, refinishing the fireplace, replacing the bathroom vanity, building a garden, and so on. And then we sorta crashed. We took a much needed home improvement break and just lived in our house for a while.

This weekend SV got us a new toilet! Yes, the very toilet that I wanted for Xmas. Not only did he purchase said toilet; but he installed it, took the old one to the dump AND accompanied me to the fabric store. Wow!

We also got a FLOR rug for our living room. Have you seen these? They are described as "Inspired Modular Floorcovering", I think that sums it up well.

Sorry for being bragity, but the stories of my self-imposed denial are way less fun.

Just for Fun

2010-02-26T14:19:00.000-08:00

Where I've been (so far).

visited 26 states (52%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

Cute?

2010-02-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking about purchasing this jacket for our UK trip. I'm in need of some help. I can't tell if it is cute or not. Are we past the multi pocket thing? It would be a bit of a splurge for me (I'm hopelessly cheap). Plus the Twilight tie-in has made it impossible for me to make a choice.

Totally unrelated question: have you heard Charlotte Gainsbourg's new album IRM? I can't get enough of it. I think that you would like it.

Sometimes I Make Things #3

2010-02-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

I got to make a bunch of buttons! In a few weeks I'll be co-hosting a baby shower in honor of our new nephew (his mom & dad too). I was trying to come up with a low-pain shower game, not the easiest of tasks. During my search I found a new game, kind of a variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Ummm, no.

We decided on Don't Say Baby. Everyone gets a button, if you catch someone saying the word "baby" you get their button. Whoever ends up with the most buttons gets a fabulous prize. I found random clip art images of babies and had an afternoon of button making fun!

Manga Italiano!

2010-02-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

Italian food is both my favorite to cook and to eat. So it is no surprise that the last two new recipes are rooted in Italian cuisine. I came across the first in The New York Times (online) and the second on NPR.org. I've been reading both as part of my weekday "ramp-up time". I have been finding lots of interesting recipes. Using these recipes also makes it super easy to share with you all.

The centerpiece of our Valentine's Day dinner was Roman Style Baked Semolina Gnocchi. I'm a big fan of gnocchi. Even though this recipe was nothing like the gnocchi that I'm use to, it was not a disappointment at all. It was a lot like baked polenta, without the crunch of cornmeal. These gnocchi are eggy, smooth and served with a chunky tomato sauce on the side. Simple and delicious, four of us made short work of what was noted as six servings. I'll absolutely make this one again.

Last night we made Nigella Lawson's Cheddar Cheese Risotto. I know that cheddar is not a traditional ingredient, but it is so yummy. Basically, mac-n-cheese with risotto rice in place of the pasta. Fancy comfort food. I've found that getting that perfect risotto consistency to be a mystery. It seems like I can never duplicate my results. About half of the time my risotto turns out the way I want it to. The other half alternates between mushy and dry. Lucky for us, last night's was just right. I kinda love Nigella Lawson. Her intimate and fun approach to food is one that I can get behind. I think this is the first of her recipes we've made. I'll be looking for more.

Not Bloody Likely

2010-02-20T10:24:00.000-08:00

In a few weeks I'll be leaving the rainy northwest for the rainy UK. We've been thinking and talking about this trip for a few years. Now we're finally doing it! Unfortunately, I have precious few vacation days so it'll be shorter than I'd like. Not that I'm complaining about taking a European trip. It is the nature of vacations to be too short. We'll be spending time in Bath, The Narth (located in southern Wales) and London. I'm super excited to be going some place new!

I've been asking around for tips as how best to tackle London. I'm getting mixed messages.

The London Eye: totally lame or not to be missed?
Tower of London: a piece of history or boring?
Where to stay: safe neighborhood = lame neighborhood
Using British slang: helps you to blend in or a suer way to sound silly? "Not bloody likely!"
The City itself: just another big city or my favorite place on earth?

Sucker

2010-02-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for many, many things. One of those things is Valentine's Day. Proof: yesterday I bought a heart-shaped baguette. Not only did I buy it, but I rushed to the bakery to get my hands on one before they sold out. Turns out rushing wasn't necessary, they were prepared with stacks and stacks of them.

This was also an excuse to visit Pike Place Market. We don't go very often, but whenever we do I think, "This is great, why don't we come here more?" And then we don't go there more, and so on. For me, stopping at Le Panier is a must. They have much more than baguette coeur. Yesterday we had a lovely snack of tea and croissants. If I closed my eyes I may well have been in France (see, SUCKER). I left the market with an armload of cherry tulips, heart bread and my man. Will it all be down hill from here?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tea Time

2010-02-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

I've recently become a compulsive tea drinker. I'm talking like 5 cups a day. I'm finding myself walking in the door (at home and at work) and going directly to the kitchen to brew up a cup. The thing is that I'm not very discerning. I feel like if I'm going to be drinking so much of the stuff I might as well be getting the most out of it. I'm wondering what you all are drinking. Where do you get the goods?

*I'm aware that an interest in tea is boarding on geriatric hobbies. It will only get worse once the Olympics start. You'll be able to find me with a cup of tea in my hand, afghan on my lap, cheering those ice dancers on to the gold.

The Trombone Says Wah-Wah

2010-02-06T10:17:00.001-08:00

The Oscar nominations were announced this week and, well, my overall feeling is wah-wah. A few years ago SV and I started seeing as many nominated movies, between the announcements and Oscar night, as we could. Typically about 8 movies. This has been a pretty fun activity. It's been an opportunity to see movies that we wouldn't have seen otherwise (for better or worse). This year I'm feeling underwhelmed.

The decision to expand the Best Picture category from 5 to 10 nominations has left a bad taste my mouth. The result of this has been including movies like The Blind Side. I know that an Oscar nomination is not a sure sign of quality, but c'mon. Also, the fact that this will be the year of Avatar is cringe worthy. Yes, I did my cultural duty and saw it. "Meh" is the kindest review I can muster. I know we'll see some noms over the next few weeks, but not with the dedication of years past. It's possible that I'm kinda over it and would have felt this way regardless. We'll see.

*The dragon photo is of the carpet in Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Go see a movie there next time you are in LA, it's pretty cool.

Recipe Catch-Up

2010-02-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

I've fallen a little behind on posting the new recipes we've made. Time for a little catch-up.

Last week we had some friends over to try out our Raclette grill. It was pretty darn fun and tasty. New potatoes and grilled veggies covered in warm melty cheese, what isn't there to love? We tried two of the suggested cheeses, a goat Raclette and Emmental. The Raclette cheese was delicious, but the Emmental ended up getting rubbery. Next time I want to try some Tilsit and Appenznller.

I've had a copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything for about a year and I've just recently started using it. What a wonderful book! We've made two recipes from it over the past week. I've been thinking about making a quiche since Pie Day. We used the basic quiche recipe with the suggested combination of asparagus and cheddar. I cheated by using a frozen pie crust, but the quiche tasted great. In the soup chapter, there is a page of "Super-Easy 3-Ingredient Soups" and on that page is Egg Drop Soup. I've always thought of Egg Drop Soup as a restaurant thing. It has never occurred to me to make it at home. This recipe could not be simpler. We really enjoyed both egg-filled dishes. Thanks, Mark!

Google & Me

2010-01-31T11:22:00.000-08:00

Recently I've had a dramatic life change. I've gone from carrying around this to this. Oh Nexus One, what can't you do? I know that it is a cliché to say that I didn't think that I would love a phone, but I do. It took me a week or so to warm up to it. Now we are downright cozy.

In the past, I've used whatever cheap phone that my contract entitled me to. I had not given a second thought to having a smartphone of my very own. Last week SV surprised me with a shiny new Nexus One. The beauty of the phone is that I've already been using many Google products. Gmail, Google Reader, Google Street View, Google Calender and Picasa were all part of my daily life. It is pretty amazing to have all of these things seamlessly integrated and living in my pocket. Google owns me and I'm okay with it.

Plus, the Blade Runner reference is perhaps the most charming touch imaginable. Pardon my nerdy gushing, I'll pull out something cynical for my next post.

Sometimes I Make Things 2

2010-01-28T22:12:00.000-08:00

This week I had to say goodbye to a dear co-worker. She is moving on to bigger and better things, but I'm feeling pretty sorry for myself.

One of my work responsibilities is decorating for work parties. I know I'm pretty spoiled. This work typically consists of making balloon bouquets, stringing lights, constructing centerpieces and so on. For this week's going away party I wanted to do something special in honor of my friend. Someone suggested making tissue paper flowers. Thanks Martha. This was a super fun project. We made about 40 flowers in various sizes. Big fluffy bouquets filled the room. The ladies ended up wearing the small ones in their hair and the gents as boutineers. The flowers were just the thing to brighten a sad day.

Pie Day!

2010-01-24T16:06:00.001-08:00

Did you know that yesterday was National Pie Day? Well it was and we were lucky enough to be invited to a Pie Day celebration (thank you, Karin). It was a potluck style pie feast!

SV and I made a savory pie, Mediterranean Vegetable. This pie was totally fine, but not as special as the pre-pie veggie photo suggests. Thuters made a delicious Mushroom Quiche. Quiche is one of my very favorite foods and shockingly I have never made one. I'll be adding it to my new recipe list. For dessert, Karin made an outstanding Blueberry Pie using berries that she picked in North Bend last summer. I'm already looking forward to Pie Day 2011.

This week we'll be using our Raclette grill for the first time and I'm pretty excited. Hopefully it will be the first of many cheese filled dinners.

Hair Care

2010-01-22T18:06:00.000-08:00

So, we are taking this yoga class and it is going pretty well. The only trouble is the name. The course we are taking is called Back Care Yoga. I was boring some co-workers with a story about the class and I had some confused faces looking back at me. "I'm sorry, what was that?" one asked. "Back Care," I said. "Ohhhhhhhh!" the entire group replied. They all thought I said Back HAIR Yoga.

Now every time I say Back Hair, every time! Sheesh.

Middle Eastern Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash

2010-01-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

This week we made Middle Eastern Couscous with Roasted Butternut Squash. I came across this recipe, a year or so ago, in The Seattle Times. I think I was in my doctor's office waiting room. This is not the type of thing I typically do, tear an article from waiting room reading materials. Maybe I was hungry. I happily rediscovered it while looking through my cookbooks last week.

This was a successful and satisfying dish. I always consider it a success whet I get something sweet onto my dinner plate. I know that it is probably the sign of an unsophisticated palette, but sweet is hands down my favorite flavor. The warm Middle Eastern spices in this couscous were just the thing for a Seattle winter's day.

An awesome side effect of all this cooking has been the leftovers. Hooray for great lunches!

Sick Day

2010-01-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took a very rare sick day, just a cold. I used this as an opportunity to become reacquainted with daytime TV. I enjoyed episodes of "The Golden Girls" and "Little House on the Prairie". Little House is one of my all time favorite shows. Those Ingalls girls are so great and Ma and Pa... nostalgic sigh. When I was a kid I could not get enough of the prairie-time fun.

I discovered a new show called "The Doctors". It is a panel style talk show, not unlike The View, with "America's medical dream team. Delivering answers daily." On this episode the doctors explained that women get more headaches than men, but that men are the cause most of them. Um... no thanks.

And did you know that "The Jerry Springer Show" is still on the air? Me neither.

Then I fell deep into a Youtube hole of Ferris Bueller clips. All in all a pretty successful day.

Spanish Potato Onion Soup

2010-01-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

This week's new recipe was Spanish Potato Onion Soup. I'm not sure why, but I particularly enjoy cooking and eating soups. SV chose this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Moosewood Rest aurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day. This a hearty, wintry soup similar to French Onion. The spice combination was new to me; thyme, paprika, bay leave and a pinch of saffron. Yum.

We substituted half of the called for paprika with smoked paprika and we used a very cheap sherry. We may have over did it on the onions. Next time I think we'll use about a third of the suggested onions. This was also a great recipe for breaking in our new knife, definitely reduced the number of tears.

I'm not sure what we'll do next week. But we will be breaking out our new Raclette Grill soon!

Bus Story

2010-01-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge baby when it come to riding the bus. Especially riding the bus home from work. I'm on a very busy route that stretches across the city. Often the first bus that comes by is too full and I have to wait 20+ minutes for the next one. I know it could be much worse, but like I said I'm a baby. Yesterday I rode the bus home from work and was in the middle of an unusual exchange. Here is what happened:

A women sitting next to me had a bible sitting on her lap. A man sitting on the other side of me asks, "Excuse me, are you a Christian?" She says, "Why yes. Yes I am!" I'm sitting, in the middle, wondering where all this is going. They start talking about what churches and prayer groups they attend. Yes, that is churches plural. They both go to multiple churches!

Then it gets weird. The bus driver asks the women, "Would you mind if I take a look at your book?" The bus driver proceeds to randomly open the bible, prop it up onto the steering-wheel and read WHILE DRIVING THE BUS! The women asks the driver, "You looking for anything in particular?" He explains that his heart is heavy and she suggests John 14. Then came my stop. Who knows what happened next.

Yoga Thoughts

2010-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

We just returned from the first of six yoga classes we've signed up for. And it was pretty good! I'm having a stressful time right now and didn't feel like going, but it turned out to be the perfect thing. Of course.

Tonight's class reinforced something that I've been thinking about myself for a while. That I live only in my brain and not in my body. I'm pretty clueless about whatever might be going on below my ears. Spending some time thinking about my breath, feet, arms and legs was cool.

P.S. It is hard to take deep breaths when the air smells of feet and farts.

Well Hello 2010!

2010-01-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

2010 is off to a good start. We rang in the New Year with a lovely dinner at Poppy and some couch time. I was happily in my pajamas at 9:30. On New Year's day we enjoyed a leisurely brunch with R & H and took in a matinée. Oh the many charms of George Clooney.

This year I have made some beginning of year goals (not to be confused with new year's resolutions). In 2010 I will be a better, leaner-meaner me.

I will take a fitness class. SV and I signed up or a six week Yoga class starting this week. I have not enjoyed yoga in the past, I have even been known to say that "I hate yoga." But there is a studio a few blocks from our place and what the hay.
I will put my passport to use this year.
I will make one new recipe every week. I am in a culinary rut, technique and foodwise. This week we made ebleskivers, twice. Next week we'll have Spanish Potato Onion Soup.
I will be more deliberate in my speech and not indulge in gossip and blah-blah-blah.

I have a few more goals that I won't bore you with. Expect to hear lots more about the yoga class and new recipes. Ciao!

2009 Review

2009-12-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

With all the end-of-year top ten list going around I decided to make my own. Here (in no order) are ten things that I did in 2009:

Trip to Honduras
Unpacked
Read Moby-Dick
Spent too much time on fb
Planted a garden
Started this blog
Trip to Alabama
Painted my living room, twice
Visited La Push
Attended the Sounders inaugural season

I feel like I've heard many, many people say that 2009 was an awful year. I'm grateful that this was not the case for me. Here's hoping that the same will hold true for 2010.

Kittens!

2009-12-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

We had a great Xmas involving: a new camera, ice skating, kids, food, carols, early mornings, late nights, snow, friends, driving, travel delays and kittens!

Hope you had a great one too!

Long Gone

2009-12-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

We've been listening to a lot of Xmas music at our house lately, but something is missing. When I was just a little d one of my favorite things about the holiday season was listening to my Barbie Christmas album. Sadly my copy is long gone. I found one available on ebay with the note "looks like there is something on one side." I remember there was a nutcracker-ish story between the songs. The album ends with the song Christmas with Barbie. If memory serves me it goes like this:

Christmas with Barbieeeeee
(slightly lower) Christmas with Barbieeeeee
Christmas with Barbieeeeee
(slightly lower) Christmas with Barbieeeeee

Holiday 2009

2009-12-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

The Holiday 2009 displays have been up for a few weeks now and it is a success. What a relief! Here are some shots of a window that I'm particularly proud of.

I've been feeling like this may be my last December in retail, but I think I said that last year. We'll see.

All I want for Xmas...

2009-12-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

SV asked what I want for Xmas, here are the items that came to mind:

A new toilet. Not just any toilet, a European-style, dual flush toilet.

To have the backsplash in our kitchen tiled. I want something simple and clean, like white subway tile. Ooo pretty.

A new camera. We've had a Canon for four years and it just ain't what it use to be.

Wow, I feel sooo old and boring. Although, that toilet is pretty awesome.

2 for 2

2009-12-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

I've had a very exciting week so far. Two brushes with fame in as many days. Today SV and I had a rare weekday lunch together at Café Presse . Yummy. We took a table in the back and, "mon dieu!" A Sounder walked in. It was Sébastien Le Toux, looking like a Greek god, and his family. What a nerdy pleasure it was to eat my baguette in the same room as Le Toux and his towheaded toddler.

Yesterday it was Chef Thomas Keller! Not quite as exiciting because it was a planned event, but attending his reading/signing at University Book Store was pretty great. Keller seemed both humble and extremely confident. I walked out of there with a copy of his pricey new cookbook under my arm that I had not intended to buy. Well done.

What or who will tomorrow bring?

Crafternoon #2

2009-12-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I had some friends over for a little crafting. I've always enjoyed crafting, but haven't been doing much of it lately. Mostly because my current job is good at sucking away all creativity. A few weeks ago Karin hosted the first Crafternoon. And it was a big success. I got to host Crafternoon #2. I decided that a little earring making would be fun. Here are some examples of our work. The first pair are Karin's and the second are Erma's. Sorry there are no photos of my work, my camera is old and not cooperating. I think it may be time for a new one.

Didn't the earrings turn out great? Thanks ladies!

Oh, by gosh, by golly

2009-11-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for all things holiday/xmas*. I like Zuzu, snow, trimming the tree, wrapping gifts, time with the families and even the music. SV is probably a little more into it then I am, he re-reads A Christmas Carol every year. I am also prone to sentimentality. All this creates the perfect storm of Yuletide fun.

Yesterday I pulled out our holiday dvds and cds (pictured). Time to get crackin'! This year I am loving Christmas With The Rat Pack and Christmas with the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys' version of We Three Kings Of Orient Are will give you chills till Epiphany. As for movies, this year I'm looking forward to watching Joyeux Noël, new to our holiday rotation.

*I can take or leave the religious part. I enjoy the traditions, but it holds no meaning for me. I know this is a little contradictory, an atheist being into xmas. What can I say, I'm a complex being.

Cookin' & Eatin'

2009-11-26T15:18:00.000-08:00

For some reason this Thanksgiving seems extra special. Maybe because it is our first Thanksgiving in our house. Maybe because it is our first time hosting the dinner. I don't really know. Whatever the reason, I'm happy because I get to indulge in two of my favorite things, cooking and eating.

I decided to make some recipes from November's Gourmet, RIP. I made Cranberry and Celery Relish and Cheddar Corn Muffins with Jalapeño Butter, both turned out pretty dang good.

The list of things which I am thankful for is long and for that I am thankful.

dream

2009-11-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

Last night Cate Blanchett came to me in a dream. She had a message. In an otherworldly whisper, Cate said "Your long hair is aging you. Bring it up a few inches."

I guess I should listen.

Taking Back Sunday

2009-11-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

For the past 3+ years I've had a volunteer job. And I gave it up. This was an easy (and mostly boring) job, working in the gift shop of a conservatory. Overall it was a good experience. I made some wonderful friends and found my dear kitty there. But for a while I have complaining about giving up my Sundays. I started as a weekly volunteer, dropped down to biweekly and a year ago became monthly. Today was my last day.

Pros:
1. I'll no longer have to say "I won't be free on Sunday until after 1:00. No, it is not a church thing."
2. more time for pancakes
3. sleeping in

Cons:
Finding a new way of assuaging my guilt about being a selfish American.

On My Mind

2009-11-10T20:56:00.001-08:00

I can think of nothing but work. One week until holiday installation and the pressure is on. Last night I woke from a dead sleep thinking about lights and ornaments and trees! I've planed and am constantly prepping, but there is just so much to be done.

Maybe soon I'll be able to think about other things. Things like; living without cable, x-mas trip to UT, home improvement projects and waiting for the 2010 soccer season to start.

The Best Part

2009-11-06T16:50:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling stressed and a little freaked out about work today, so I'm going to focus on the good stuff. I love getting to design and install window displays. It is the best part of my job. I even like taking them down. In the best of times this about 50% of my job. I guess I have to earn the joy. I like the challenge of making something like a bargain book sale fun and interesting. I am so lucky to work with some very talented graphic designers. Sorry that the photos aren't clearer (windows are tricky to photograph). The first image is a window celebrating poetry month, I was excited to be able to use some vintage typewriters I had on hand. Second is advertising a sale on Dummies titles, notice the cool, suspended light bulbs. Last is a display from a contest I entered celebrating the 10th anniversary of The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook.

pssst, I won 1st place

Sometimes I Make Things

2009-10-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I've spent most of my work-time preparing for our holiday displays. This is an equally fun and stressful time. This year I'm making several book sculptures that will be hanging in the windows. I've got two weeks until instillation starts, eek. My goal is to get through without crying or losing my cool, while keeping positive and flexible. Wish me luck.

Over six days I will travel to 8 stores, decorating windows and in-store displays in each. Thank god I am part of an amazing team. Photos of the work in progress.

My Day

2009-10-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Crisis of confidence adverted!
Well, mostly.
Kinda.
I mean...
sigh.

Football

2009-10-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

Something unexpected has happened to me over the past year. I have become a soccer, ahem, football fan. I'm talking devoted, season ticket holder, scarves up fandom. Some friends were getting season tickets to the Sounders inaugural season and we thought it sounded like fun. Unaware of the cost or time commitment we signed up. Thankfully, I was hooked before the half of the first match.

I've always had a competitive streak and this devotion feeds right into that (for better or worse). I have my favorite and least favorite players. My mood is effected my the outcome of a match. The beautiful game is the perfect hobby to off set the doldrums of daily life. Heartache, drama and joy. The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle!

Can it.

2009-10-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

We had our first vegetable garden over the Summer. Getting to eat from our very own yard was fantastic! And I've learned a lot.

We grew several tomato plants, all from seed. We ended up with 12 plants and many tens of tomatoes. Sadly, I started my plants late and only a few fruits were able to ripen on the vine. Resulting in more green tomatoes than I know what to do with. So far we have made Fried Green Tomatoes, Green Tomato and Swiss Chard Gratin and Green Tomato Salsa. Making the salsa was my first canning experience (not including watching my mom). I've never been interested in canning, but it has become necessary. It was not nearly as messy or time consuming as thought it would be. Canning turned out to be fun and way satisfying. I'm ready for more.

House Work

2009-10-03T16:35:00.001-07:00

Having a house is a lot of work. Duh. But it is a lot of never-ending work. And we bought a house that is not a fixer! Imagine if we had bought one of the many places we looked at that were fixers. Thank god we didn't.

Every project we've undertaken has been by choice and my idea. For the first time I feel like my home is a reflection of me and I want that reflection to be of the best me. The cool, smart me. Not the unorganized, tacky me. Sigh. Thankfully I have an amazing partner who puts up with it all. Exciting info on projects is on the way.

A few things I like.

2009-09-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

In an effort to be positive and gripe less, I made a list of a few things I like. Enjoy!

a pink cookie
easy hikes
going out of town and coming home again
Kasey Keller
tiny versions of big things
breakfast
chats with Sophie
Anthro sale rack
having my hair washed at the salon
Seattle
flowers
sparkling watter
dinners in and out with S
Nutella

Probably pointless. Whateverz.