O Chickadee

Weekend Recap

2012-02-21T17:04:00.000-08:00

Zach was sick this holiday weekend. So Tate and I spent time at the park:

And making him a get well card. Happy days.

Feel better soon, Daddy!

P.S. Something we did NOT do? Get Tate his first haircut. What do you think? Is it time?

Homemade Piñatas

2012-02-20T17:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we continued the celebration of Lindy and Javi's engagement (and soon-to-come wedding in Mexico!) with Lindy's bridal shower. Lindy's sister Mandy planned the event, and it was beautiful (Mandy brought in all of Lindy's favorite foods from New York, so needless to say, I ate a week's worth of NY pizza and donuts. Yum).

But one of my favorite aspects of the event was the handmade homemade piñatas that doubled as party favors. Brigid and Mandy reviewed the tutorial over on Oh Happy Day! and created the template and purchased the supplies. The night before the shower a small group of us girls sat around drinking beer, catching up, and making the piñatas.

I think they turned out so, so cute. How about you?

Celebrating Margot Part II

2012-01-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

Just to be clear, Margot's party took place in Chicago, and I was planning from Portland. This is one of many parties I have planned from a distance (including Lindy and Javi's engagement party), and I find that the simpler I can be in the food and drink planning, the better. Margot's shower was no exception, so I went with easy, simple crowd-pleasers.

Starting with gougères.

Have you ever had these before? In my opinion, they are the hostesses secret weapon. They are so easy. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them until 30 minutes before the party, ensuring that you pull warm, cheesy goodness out of the oven at the exact moment your guests arrive. Basically, gougères use the same base as cream puffs. But instead of making them sweet, you make them savory by adding lots of salty cheese, black pepper, and fresh herbs. They are hollow and eggey inside, and are perfect for stuffing with whatever strikes your fancy.

For the baby shower, we went with apple tarragon chicken salad:

But any filling would work. Cold cuts, egg salad, or nothing at all- I have even made miniature ones with great success. They are delicious with a glass of wine and a side salad for a quick dinner, and I have even had one or two with coffee for breakfast.

Can you tell I am fan?

In addition to the gougères, we had one of my all-time favorite brunch items- warm broiled grapefruit. So easy and so pretty, you simply halve the grapefruits, segment them, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Before serving, pour champagne over the top (it flows into all the nooks and crannies!), and broil until the sugar has melted and the grapefruits are warm. They are so delicious and so elegant. For the shower, we sprinkled ours with pomegranate seeds.

Fresh banana bread, a side salad, and an old standby (oatmeal chocolate chip muffins, of course) rounded out the meal, which was light and delicious.

As we tied everything together, the extra origami paper became rather useful. We used it to fancy up the menu, and as the background for the games we played:

And the finale of the day was another easy, beautiful and satisfying choice. What else but strawberry shortcake?

All in all, we had a wonderful time. It was such a gift to get to celebrate Margot's arrival with Lissa and her friends, and to see all the long-distance planning come to fruition.

The Year of the Rabbit: Celebrating Margot Part I

2012-01-23T16:58:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day in the Year of the Dragon. Which made me think, predictably, about the Year of the Rabbit. Last year, to be exact. The Year of the Rabbit is particularly special because it was the year my little niece Margot was born. And because her dad is Chinese, we went with a (loose) Year of the Rabbit theme for my sister's baby shower. Although it was months ago now (Margot is about to start eating solid food!), I still love the details of this party enough to share them.

I think it is a fine line to walk when you are planning a baby shower (from a distance!) based around a theme like the Year of the Rabbit. How to be focused but not cheesy? How to reference the theme without beating the proverbial dead horse (or, as the case may be, the dead rabbit)? I am pleased to say I think we struck the perfect note with Margot's shower.

Because red is not only lucky in Chinese culture, but also my sister's favorite color, we felt that we had to go with red for the shower. Beginning with the invitations, I wanted the feel to be fresh and modern and clean and not stereotypical. I was so pleased to work with edencreativestudio on the invitations:

With red and gray and rounded corners and a sweet reference to a "little dumpling", I thought the invitations set the perfect tone.

The Rabbit theme continued, albeit subtly, at the event itself. Beginning with Zach's amazing origami rabbits, which he lovingly folded for me in advance of the party and which I carried on the plane in order to prevent crushing. Aren't they both so sophisticated and so sweet?

We put one at each place setting for a welcoming touch.

Speaking of place settings, we ended up going with simple, silver-rimmed white chine. Very traditional but still very clean, we "fancied" up a white tablecloth with three wide grosgrain red ribbons. The finishing touch for the table was a runner of centerpieces that also served as favors for all the guests. Remember Middle Kingdom? My sister loves their pottery, so we bought each guest a small reddish-orange Middle Kingdom jar. We took them to a local florist who crafted utterly beautiful and really modern centerpieces for us (and each centerpiece was only $6! Such a steal!). Single dahlia blooms, moss and puffballs of bright green were the perfect fresh touch.

Stay tuned for more details, including the menu and the activities!

In Three Pictures: First New England Snow

2012-01-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

P.S. Dawn knit Tate that hat when she was visiting. Isn't it adorably cute, even considering that I put it on backwards?

Alyssa Ettinger: Lightning in a Bottle

2012-01-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

I think that the best gifts you can receive are completely unexpected. Such was the case with the Alyssa Ettinger pottery piece I received as a gift from Brigid for Christmas (thanks Brig!). In addition to her vases and jewelry and bowls, she has a line of milk bottles. So perfectly matte and creamy, the milk bottle line is somehow modern and retro.

I love how the inside of the bottles are glazed (making them perfect vases!) but the outside remains unglazed.

But the thing I love most about the one Brigid chose for me was the whimsy.

You've heard the saying "lightning in a bottle". Well, guess what I have?

That's right. Lightning. In a bottle.

The fact that Brigid saw this and thought of me is as lovely as the gift itself. Isn't it wonderful to feel known?

I also love Alyssa's other, more traditional vases and cups.

A perfect housewarming gift, don't you think?

And a Happy New Year...

2012-01-16T16:31:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it is already the middle of January. And that we've been living in New England for over 2 months. This move has been much bigger than I expected. Scarier. Harder. More complicated.
Before the move, we had given ourselves until the New Year to really feel settled. Well, the ball has dropped and the new year has come and gone- and we still have piles of boxes and uncertainty.

I have to admit that with everything else going on, the thought of returning to the blog seemed almost overwhelming at times. But I have realized that I've missed it. Talking. Being creative. And that I enjoy trolling for beautiful things and new ideas.

So its official. I'm back.

The last picture of Tate in our home in Oregon. Predictably, he is eating. See that giant bowl of oatmeal? That is his standard breakfast...

Farewell to Portland- and Laura D'Art Photographie

2011-10-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Our family is very blessed to have wonderful friends, who love us much more than we deserve. This was reiterated to us just a few weeks ago, when I received a call from my good friend, Melissa. Melissa lives in Washington D.C., and upon hearing that we were leaving Oregon, the place where we bought our first home, had our first child, and generally built our life together, she gifted us with the most wonderful, the most thoughtful, gift.

Melissa called us about 2 weeks ago on a Friday night and informed us that she had secretly scheduled a "farewell Portland" photo shoot with photographer Laura D'Art for the following Saturday morning. Of course, I immediately thought about our styling. What would we wear? How could we "go together" without matching? With a last-minute shopping trip to Banana Republic, a scouring of our own closets, and a quick trip to pick up Tate's mustard yellow shirt from Macy's, we were good to go.

I am so happy with the photos. You can see them all here, but here's a peek at just a few of my faves:

P.S. Don't you want a pair of those fancy tights for yourself?

On Moving

2011-10-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Has it really been over a month since I've posted here? It feels like both days and years, since in this month, so much has happened.
The biggest change? We are moving. Hard to believe, I know. But I got an amazing job opportunity, so the Holmboe's are packing up and moving, 3032 miles away, to Massachusetts. Could it get any further, friends? Not only are we leaving our beloved Oregon, but we are also going to be living in snow. Snow!

I like to think that amongst these changes, I will find time for O Chickadee. And I intend to try! But if not- I'll see you in November... from Massachusetts!

Sun Hats

2011-09-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

I was flattered when I received Dawn's email asking me for advice on how to find a stylish sun hat to protect her fair skin when working outdoors. This is an important question to me, since my dad is a survivor of malignant melanoma (and I am pretty fair skinned myself). It's been in the back of my mind over the last few weeks, so when I stumbled across Terry Graziano, I couldn't wait to share her with you.

Her women's hats are genius. She addresses an issue that Dawn identified in her original email- namely, that the perfect sun hat for gardening is typically not, for example, the perfect sun hat for strolling along the streets in Paris. Or the hat for an outdoor sporting event is not the hat for going to the farmer's market. Terry Graziano's ingenious designs provide a number of unique alternatives so that you can change the style of the hat to match your activity.

This is my favorite one:

So many options stylish within one hat! She also makes a visor that can double as a headband:

This one has a menswear-inspired feel...

I think these are such a great option for the style conscious hat wearer. Definitely on my summer-to-buy list!

Going to Pre-School

2011-09-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Tate had his first day at pre-school today! Despite a bawling mama (yours truly) and a slightly traumatized daddy (Zach made me call to check on him), he had a great day.

I thought he was so cute getting ready to go to "school"!

Isn't his lunchbag adorable? It is from Beatrix New York, and I love it. It is such a sweet and boyish robot!

What To Send My New Niece

2011-08-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I have a niece! Her name is Margot. Isn't that sweet and spunky at the same time? It is the absolutely perfect name for her, I think. She has black hair. And rosebud lips that turn down the tiniest little bit at the edges. And I already love her to pieces.

I have been trying to think about what I should send her. I am feeling partial to these cakes in a box by Maileg. Wouldn't they be the perfect gift from an aunty who loves to bake?

P.S. I have a feeling that someone creative could make these really easily...

Terrafirma Ceramics (and a disclaimer)

2011-08-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

So. I was super excited to share Terrafirma Ceramics with you. I stumbled upon one of their pieces in person, and instantly fell in love. You can imagine my disappointment, then, when I went to their website and found their photos... well, disappointingly bad (is it wrong to say that?). It's just that the photographs so don't do justice to these pieces, which are heavy and somehow both smooth and rough and really quite stunning.

I also think its too bad that almost all the photos show collections, as opposed to singular pieces. As a collection, sometimes I think this style of ceramic can be a little much. But individually... oh wow! They are beautiful, especially the modern, geometric prints.

So there it is. My disclaimer. That the following pictures in no way do justice to the actual pieces. They are weighty, and full of texture and so clean. I love them. But here's hoping you at least catch a glimmer of what makes them so beautiful- I have tried to pull the pictures that most convey what I love about them in person.

P.S. What these pictures don't show is the underside of the pieces, which are unglazed and rough and really rustic, in direct contrast to the shiny, modern ceramic top.

I'm Back!

2011-08-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Summer is both here and over. Zach goes back to work on Monday, which means its officially over. But we've been running in fountains and eating sweet corn as if it just arrived. Sigh.

The daily grind has been... well, a bit of a grind around here lately. We are laying in wait for my little niece (we have the special bottle of wine ready to uncork when she arrives). We are laying in wait for some other big news. And at the end of the day, I think to myself "when, when, did I get so many responsbilities?" They just keep piling up.

Perhaps that is why I have been reluctant to post. I haven't felt inspired. Until two things happened. First, I went to coffee this morning with Andrea, who always centers me and makes me feel unconditionally loved the way best friends do. And second, she bought Tate the most adorable platypus ever from i golfinni della nonna.

I mean, who could not want to post this little guy?

We've named him "Hoyt" in honor of the Hoyt Arboretum where Andrea and I meet up to go walking so often.

These hand-knit stuffed animals and toys are made from alpaca and so ridiculously soft and cute. They are absolutely worth checking out- I would have loved receiving one for Tate at my baby shower.

So I think that I am officially back. I have stored up all kinds of beautiful and inspirational things to share with you. And in the meantime, I will leave you with "Tate: Summer 2011" (I couldn't help myself. I mean, really. Look at this face...)

Ok, this big guy is pretty cute too, huh ladies?

Little Brown Pen

2011-08-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

"Regarde le ciel". Look at the sky. Good advice, no?

I have been feeling a tad gloomy lately, and these Paris color collections from Little Brown Pen have been brightening my spirits:

Aren't they cheerful-making? I think they would be bright additions to a baby room.

Ode

2011-07-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

My little niece is going to be born in less than a month!!!! I am ecstatic! I get to be an aunty!

The idea of having a new little niece to spoil has had me thinking about little girls clothing. My sister and brother-in-law have a very modern aesthetic that is really clean and fresh. So it can sometimes be hard to find clothing I can imagine their daughter wearing among the piles of pink princess, glittery sweatshirts, light-up sneakers, and other terribly gross little girl clothing.

Which is why I like Ode Kids so much. A line of dresses for girls, they look just like what a modern but still feminine little girl would wear. I can't wait until little baby Tsu is old enough to wear them!

olive spoon studio

2011-07-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

I think that these hand-stamped vintage spoons and forks from olive spoon studio are wonderful. Wouldn't this be a fun spoon to eat your cereal out of every morning?

Or a great gift for a new mom?

Or a sweet way to say you're sorry?

Pitter Patter

2011-07-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Now that Tate is running, there is nothing more fun than listening to his feet pitter-patter up the hallway.

It has had me thinking lately about how, if I were an artist, I would create a piece called "Pitter Patter". It would consist of the sounds of bare baby feet running on different surfaces.

Fifteen month old on wet marble.

Twelve month old on french oak.

Two year old on concrete.

Thirteen month old in mud.

photo from weheartit

July 17

2011-07-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Zach,

Seven years ago today, we had this celebration:

Waslking down the aisle to meet you stands out in my mind as one of my dearest memories.

Life with you is a great adventure. I can't wait to see what's next.

Carla Caruso Jewelry

2011-07-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I had a necklace that was a gold cursive "j". My sister, Lissa, had a matching necklace except it was an "l". And my mom, Gwen, had a matching "g".

Sadly, I lost it when I was a teenager, but I have thought about that necklace often, and I think it has led to my desire for having a piece of simply jewelry that I can wear every day that is meaningful to me.

I'm not a fussy jewelry person. I like clean and simple and delicate. And you know how sometimes you find one designer who just toally gets your sensibilities? That's how I felt when I discovered Carla Caruso's jewelry. I love all of it. I shouldn't be surprised, since she does such beautiful cursive letter necklaces.

Her work is very organic. Based on natural elements like leaves, or wishbones, or blueberry bushes, or willows. I think it is stunning.

This one is called "soap bubbles". Isn't that perfect?

The mix of metals in her work is really interesting to me...

This was the first piece of hers I saw in real life, and I love it. I think about it constantly. It is just the perfect, simple, small, and utterly feminine necklace, isn't it?

Summer

2011-07-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

We've had a bit of a rough go at summer this year in Portland. It starts! With a week of beautiful, sunny, perfect days! And then- just when you thought summer had finally, really arrived- a week like this happens. Rainy. Cold. Gray. The other night Zach and I were eating bowls of warm beans and broiled cabbage. In July. When you should be eating burgers and watermelon. And it felt strangely, oddly right. Because it was literally pouring outside.

So we are having to grab summer when we can. We've been making the most of our sunny weather. Tate is gardening:

And he's learned how to pick these from the garden:

And enjoys it when we turn them into these Dutch Babies for Sunday breakfast:

We've gone on vacation, where Tate saw bunnies with Grams:

Petted horses with Daddy:

And we all enjoyed Tate's first concert, Modest Mouse.

All in all, summer has been pretty good...

Special Touches

2011-07-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

Lindy and Javi are getting married! In addition to a fantastic excuse for a vacation to Mexico (yay, destination wedding!), I can't wait to see what special touches she comes up with for her celebration. And they have already begin! I was utterly moved by the way she asked her sisters to stand with her at her wedding:

Lindy took the time to find vintage handkerchiefs and then hand embroider them as invitations to her sisters to be such an important part of her Big Day. Isn't that so sweet? I can only imagine what a beautiful moment it will be for them to walk down the aisle with their handkerchief tucked away...

Once the handkerchief was completed, she made the outside of the envelopes just as special, using caliigraphy and constellations to invite the girls to participate in her own starry night:

I can't wait to see what other wedding surprises Lindy has up her sleeve!

P.S. Have you read Lindy's blog? I almost spit out my coffee laughing today over her realization that Neville Longbottom has gotten super, super hot in the latest Harry Potter movies. It made me laugh, because just this weekend Zach and I watched Deathly Hollows for the first time. And I too just had this realization. Ah, best friends. How minds can be alike despite thousands of miles of distance...

Ooooh... or Ewwww?!

2011-07-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

I can't totally understand my own feelings about artist Judith G. Klausner's work. I am at once intrigued and grossed out.

Can you figure out why? Believe it or not, the cameo above is carved out of... you guessed it... an Oreo.

An Oreo cameo. Strange, isn't it?

I much more genuinely like her other work, in particular the embroidery she does on breakfast food.

Like toast:

Or cereal:

Not exactly food as art. But not not food as art. Kind of food-as-part-art.

Odd. But strangely captivating.

La Chamba Cookware

2011-06-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

Can you ever go home again? I ask myself this question every time Zach and I venture back to our hometown, Half Moon Bay in Northern California. We were there for the last week, and it is odd how many things have stayed the same. The pace of life... the way you inevitably see people you know every time you go to the grocery store... and the foggy June weather.

But one thing has changed, and that is the addition of an amazing kitchen shop called Toque Blanche on Main Street. Zach and I could have stayed in there for hours, but in our cursory walk-through, I fell in love.

Do you believe in fate? If so, then I am meant to own this chicken pot:

I first saw the La Chamba cookware at Toque Blanche. I promptly fell in love with it. It feels so organic. The look of it is deceiving because it is much lighter than it appears. Also, it can be used in the oven, on the stovetop, in the microwave, and it is so gorgeous it can go straight to the table. Aren't all the pieces so beautiful?

But I resisted. I didn't buy the chicken pot.

And then... the next day... in a different store, in a different city, I saw the chicken pot again. It was like fate. Twice in two days.

Alas, the sales-tax-free nature of Oregon has ruined me for shopping California. I couldn't bring myself to pay the extra 10% in tax, so I returned home. Chicken-pot-less.

I am still thinking about La Chamba.

Vacation!

2011-06-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

We are on vacation! And having a great time, being (for the most part) unplugged.

Please bear with us while we play! Back soon.

Middle Kingdom (and Manor is online!)

2011-06-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

You all know about my love for Manor Fine Wares, perhaps my favorite home store in Portland (not only for their excellent products but also because the owners are so nice- they make it a pleasure to shop there). When Lissa was visiting, she spotted these beautiful bowls from Middle Kingdom.

I love these bowls for so many reasons. The colors are beautiful and so fresh, and the contrasting tones on the inside and outside make for a striking display. The porcelain is thin and fine. The shape is utterly practical and yet completely feminine. They are a modern representation of traditional Chinese porcelain. (Also, they are really reasonably priced).

I have already given sets of nesting bowls as gifts, most often to celebrate a wedding, and they have been so well-received.

You can now buy them online from Manor, since (happy day!) Manor now has an online shop! It has been months in coming, and I have already spent too much time perusing their wares. As if I didn't spend enough time physically in the shop, I now find myself wiling away the hours dreaming about which bed linens I should buy...

In Bloom!

2011-06-12T04:34:00.000-07:00

Despite my predictions, an unseasonably cold and rainy and dreary May and June, a blight that seems to kill the buds every year, and the fact that I stubbornly refused to cage them (refused, I tell you, because after 4 years of disappointment, how was I to know that this year, of all years, would be the year), the peonies have bloomed!

I love peonies. Zach and I had them at our wedding, and they are still one of my most favorite flowers.

Ours are as big as plates, and brightening up the house. They get prettier every day.

In other happy summer growing news, our CSA starts this week! I am predicting rhubarb... lots and lots of rhubarb...

Castle Blocks

2011-06-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

Aren't these wooden castle blocks from Imagine Childhood amazing? I want to play with them. Apparently, each piece is hand drawn (bark and all), cut, sanded and finished. Beautiful.

Other items I am loving from Imagine Childhood are these crayons:

and this awesome table-top paper cutter:

30- Whew!

2011-06-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

I'm 30! It doesn't feel much different than 29, to be honest. Except that I got to spend a weekend away with Zach in wine country, eating, drinking and celebrating. We had a phenomenal time and it was nice to just get away and kind of check in. It had been awhile since we had done that, just sort of a "where are we?" and "where are we going?" conversation.

Do you and your families ever do that, friends? Kind of purposefully set out to check in? Zach and I do occasionally, but this one was long overdue. We have recently had so many potential major changes to our life together, and the discussions have been stilted, between bathtime and playtime and work and cooking dinner and planting flowers and and and. So this time, I actually made an agenda.

I really did. I typed it up. It had Roman Numeral bullet points. And so we talked about everything on the list. And now I feel like we are moving forward on the same page, with our priorities aligned, with our dream compasses pointed in the same direction.

One of the things I have been thinking about is the future of this blog. Why does one write a blog? What does it really offer the world? And is there a place for me in the conversation? I hope you don't mind I took some time away to think about, since a 30th birthday seems like a good reason to reset. Happily, I feel like I am in a remotivated, recommitted place (plus, with summer coming and oodles of backyard party ideas out there, I mean, who can stop now?).

So prepare to see more. And in the meantime- some weekend pics!

At dinner in McMinnville, home of the famous Oregon pinot noirs. We went to a Spanish restaurant and ate tapas and drank cava for hours and reminisced over our 2 weeks in Spain a few years ago. Our dinner was 3 hours long. The picture is blurry, but after a few bottles of wine, that is kind of how we both felt, so I find it an appropriate representation of the evening!

I wanted to spend the day of my actual birthday celebrating with Zach, of course, but also Tate and Mom and Dad. We decided to go to Multnomah Falls, a famous waterfall near Portland. Mom and Dad leave Oregon in just a few weeks, so this was a "must-do" before they left.

Could Zach's eyes get any bluer?

In a rock cave. Zach slays me, he is so handsome.

Speaking of handsome... Tate has moved beyond walking and is officially running. Happily, he now has a pair of shoes. And in this outfit, doesn't he look like such a little boy? We might have officially passed babyhood...

Shoes

2011-05-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Tate has no shoes. He is a poor, shoeless baby. Now that he is walking (walking!!) I want to get him some shoes. On the list, of course, are the Gucio shoes I talked about here.

But for summer, I absolutely positively adore these:

So cute, right?

Musings on the Big 3-0

2011-05-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

My 30th birthday is in just a few weeks. Since I know Zach will plan something fun that will probably involve a sparkly beverage and could even include a certain type of chocolate cake (German chocolate being my ultimate favorite, and Zach having perfected it after years of practice), I have been musing on what else I really "want".

For years I had planned on getting Botox and having some sort of aesthetician tell me exactly what I need to do to make my skin look youthful forever. (Yes, I am that vain). However, now that the big 3-0 is finally here, I find that I am much less interested in preventing smile lines (because, after all, they seem pretty well earned, and I am terribly afraid of looking like a "Real Housewife") and much more interested in thinking about what really matters to me in my life.

So here's what I really want for my 30th birthday this year.

A financial advisor. The kind you see in the commercials, who lets you dream about the summer house you want to own one day and then works with you to figure out how to make that dream come true. Who is willing to help me (finally!) transfer my old job's 401k into the appropriate account. Who can tell me whether or not I should invest in a Roth IRA or pay off my mortgage a little faster.

And the second thing I want? A wall like one of these:

I think I have surprised even myself over the past few years as my physical space has become more and more important to me. The way I feel in it. The way it reflects (or does not reflect, as may be the case) the things I love and value. The way a space carries with it a sense of history and permanence. So I really want to improve my space in the next few years, to have it actually represent what I love. And I thought what better way to start than with a wall filled with things... objects, pictures, art... that I love.

So I am on the hunt for vintage frames. Round ones, square ones, thick ones, thin ones, black ones and gold ones in all shapes, sizes and conditions. I want to collect them over the coming year, and then create a wall- a space- that I really love.

30 photo from here
wall gallery photos all from here

Boys Clothes

2011-05-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Cute boys clothes are so hard to find. Mom and I spent a few hours searching for some last week. So I was thrilled to discover wovenplay.

Wouldn't Tate look cute in this? Undoubtedly so.

Asparagus on my Mind

2011-05-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

I have had a serious lack of creativity lately (hence the dearth of posts). Just feeling kind of... stumped, you know? Inspiration, as it usually does, ended up coming from others.

First, Dawn was talking about the patience required to grow asparagus here. It made me smile, because it was just over three years ago now that Zach decided to dig the trenches in our garden to grow asparagus. It was such a neat day. Zach had been tossing around the idea of going back to school for his PhD, in which case we were going to sell the house. I came home from a day of work, and he was covered in dirt and sweat, having spent the entire day digging the 3 feet deep trenches required for successful asparagus growing. That was the moment when I knew he had decided we were going to stay in this house for at least 3 or 4 more years. Because, as Dawn rightly points out, it takes that long for asparagus to grow and why put in the work if we were just going to move?

Three years ago we really had nothing to show for Zach's hard work. Last year, we had skinny little asparagus' that we couldn't pick- it needed another year to grow. But this year... success! Take a look:

And in another asparagus news: Brigid emailed me a picture of this cake. Amazing, no?

Brigid thinks it might be hard to eat, that the beauty and realism of the asparagus would be almost visually overwhelming. I don't know if I would have that problem. What do you think?

Jillian Tamaki Book Covers

2011-05-10T10:33:00.000-07:00

I am in awe at these Penguin Classic book covers by artist Jillian Tamaki. Aren't they amazing?

The detail is incredible... It is hard to believe that this was done completely by hand, without a machine. This is taking book covers to a whole new level...

Apparently, they will be for sale in some kind of tactile form (not individually hand embroidered, of course) in October 2011. Keep an eye out!

Derby Party

2011-05-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to a derby party. It was so much fun! Hard to believe that such a fantastic 6 hours could be planned around a race that lasts less than two minutes, but there it is.

First things first: A hat. I think my natural tendency would have been to go buy a hat- maybe embellish it- as I am not a particularly crafty person. But Zach and I have had to tighten our financial belt this month, so I decided to make the hat from things I had in the house, come hell or highwater.

So in the end... my hat was made of paper! I used an old headband that was coming apart and a lot of hot glue. A tissue paper flower... bands of black and white cardstock... a scrap of black lace... and a single gem leftover from Tate's birthday party. But I think it looked great!

Decor included horse silhouettes across the mantel...

Wine that fit the theme:

Roses and hats... and more hats...

About a week before the party, the hostess asked us all to pick a horse. Zach and I decided to pick "Animal Kingdon", thinking that was by far the most appropriate pick for our chaotic family.

And guess what? Animal Kingdom won! We walked away with a trophy and other assorted prizes...

I'm not ashamed to say we did drink champagne out of that trophy.

All in all, a fabulous time was had by all, and I can't wait until next year's Derby!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

Love you, Mom. Thanks for all you've done, and continue to do. Out of all the mothers in the world, I think I got the best one.

And to all the other important, motherly women in my life: Janette, LaVonne, Cindy, Lissa... I love you all.

Isn't it a nice day for celebrating special women, moms and non-moms alike? I hope your Sunday is filled with hot coffee and sizzling bacon and laughter. I think mine is going to be.

photo via weheartit

Tangerine Dreaming

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

Remember how I told you that my sister, Lissa, was having a baby? Guess what- it's a girl! And Lissa has decided on incorporating tangerine into the nursery. An idea I love, and which has had me dreaming in tangerine.

So when I saw Finn's nursery over on Lillie's Blog, I had to share a few peeks. I think the soothing gray and pops of tangerinne are so fresh.

Check out the entire room here.

Spineless Classics

2011-05-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

Oh my. I am absolutely loving these Spineless Classics. The whole book, laid out in a huge 4 foot poster. Incredible.

Perfect for a little one's room or nursery, wouldn't this copy of Jurassic Park look great in Tate's room?

Or a one-year wedding anniversary, where the gift is paper:

My favorites don't have the title on them- I love the clean look of just the book pages and the design. In particular, I love this version of Darwin's Origin of the Species:

There are a few that are two poster sets, like this one:

And this one, of Moby Dick:

Such a great addition to a room, don't you think?

Love Streamers

2011-05-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Aren't these love streamers from Etsy shop kates cottage sweet? I think they would look great at an outdoor wedding. Maybe one with a big red barn.

I'm Thinking Hats

2011-04-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Did you wake up in the middle of the night to watch the Royal Wedding? Did you see the pictures of all the amazing hats? Hats are on the brain, not just because of the wedding, but also because we have been invited to a Derby Party next Saturday!

I think it is going to be such fun! Hats... mint juleps... jockey helmets (maybe?). So now I need to make a hat. I am using some of these from ArturoRios for inspiration (well, these and Eliza Doolittle):

Doesn't this one remind you of this cake I made for Sara's baby shower?

Wouldn't it be funny if Tate wore this, with a little jocky outfit?

Rave: Trish McEvoy Mascara

2011-04-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

This has changed my life:

I can't really adequately describe this mascara. All I can say is that if you get raccoon eyes halfway through the day, and your pillowcase is also riddled with mascara smudges, you need to try it. Instead of using regular mascara ink stuff that bleeds and smears, this mascara is made out of... well... the only way I can describe it is that it is kind of like plastic (I think the lady at the make-up counter in Nordstrom used the word "polymer"). It sounds weird people, but let me tell you, it does not run. It does not smear. I can sleep in it all night and wake up and it is still on my eyelashes, not on my pillow. When you take it off (with just warm water- no eye makeup remover needed!), it comes off in tiny little balls of plastic-ey stuff, not in the traditional inky blackness.

I love it. Raccoon eyes no more.

Acres of Tulips

2011-04-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Did you have a nice Easter weekend? We did. We spent Saturday at the local Wooden Shoe tulip festival. It was so amazingly wholesome. Who knew 40 acres of tulips could be so much fun?

After such a beautiful, sunny, spring day on Saturday, it was rather disheartening to wake up to rain on Sunday. I felt badly for all the Portland kids egg-hunting in the rain. Our Easter was low-key, due to Zach being sick. It mostly consisted of a big dinner, with ham and scalloped potatoes and apple crisp. And Tate making this face, which we alternatively call "ducky" or "platypus" and which we are seeing with increasing regularity:

It makes us laugh every time.

pi'lo

2011-04-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

I love white for children. So fresh. As such, I am loving pi'lo. Wouldn't these loot bags look great at a party?

And aren't these costumes fun? Such a clean feel compared to the sometimes garish children's costumes out there.

I find that I am utterly calmed by pi'lo's offerings, and the serene photography that markets her wares. Like this fabric counting book. I think I am going to get one for Tate. I do love linen.

Check out pi'lo for more lovely items.

Tina Fey: A Prayer for Her Daughter

2011-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Have you read Tina Fey's new book Bossypants yet? I haven't, but have been interested from all the news. I became even more interested when I read this excerpt over on Momastary (thanks Brigid, for the link!):

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, May she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her: When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short - a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day - And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.

“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.

-An excerpt from Tina Fey's new book, Bossypants (2011)

Eggs and Things

2011-04-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Aren't these personlized eggs and pails from Etsy shop dearjes adorable for an Easter tablesetting? I also think they would be sweet for a spring wedding.

And the baker in me loves this cake topper:

Smart Elephant Art

2011-04-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

Remember the yellow striped ceiling and print I recently bought for Baby #2's nursery? I saw this piece by Sugarboo Designs today and fell in love. I was one second (literally, one second) away from buying it, before I realized that I was running late for a meeting. So I left it behind. BUT it is still on my mind, and I may just end up with it sooner or later.

Also. Apparently, the last yellow-striped-ceiling post created speculation that Zach and I were expecting Baby #2. Not so. Although that will be a fun and celebratory event when it happens.

Excitingly enough, however, we are expecting a new baby niece. My sister is pregnant! And its a girl! This is ridiculously exciting because it means that I can officially begin buying adorable girl clothes.

P.S. I could seriously buy almost everything at Sugarboo Designs. Seriously. Go check it out.

Mother's Day Silhouette Art

2011-04-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Dawn's tutorial on how to make silhouette art for a Mother's Day gift? The one above is one Dawn did of her and her brother. I could imagine a whole line of these if you come from a really big family.

Check it out here.

Tate is One: The Activities

2011-04-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

I think that the best kids' parties are short. About an hour and half, quickly moving from one activity to the next to make sure kids' don't lose interest or get too squirreley. So when we started thinking about activities at Tate's party, I wanted to make sure that we had a general plan.

First, Zach took the pirate ship silhouette from the invitations, and enlarged it. He then cut it out and attached it to our living room wall. The ship became the perfect spot to take pictures throughout the day, and some of my favorite shots were of our pirates (and pirate-princesses) posing in front of the ship.

Following pictures, we worked on the art project. I had bought small treasure boxes for each child, and the kids spent about 30 minutes painting the boxes, attaching gems and stickers, and generally making a huge mess. It was a lot of fun.

What pirate party would be complete without a treasure hunt? Followig lunch, the kids went on a treasure hunt to find the key that would unlock the treasure chest. Since the weather in Portland is notoriously iffy in April, we had to make sure the entire treasure hunt could be done inside. So it consisted of three clues that were all inside the house:

The first clue can be found in a book,

So run to Tate’s room and have a look,

It’s a story you’ve read again and again,

Of Captain Pirate Hook and his foe Peter ___

The next clue will make quite a splash,

So off to the bathroom you ought to dash,

Pull back the curtain, its where you rub-a-dub-dub

The clue's in a bottle floating in the bath___

“X” marks the spot, so says pirate lore,

So look for the “X” above a bedroom door,

Once you find it, enter to see,

That which you need, the treasure chest ___

The kids had a great time rushing through the house, and ultimately found the key to unlock the chest.

Once they unlocked the treasure chest, they discovered their "treasure". Personalized canvas bags filled with chocolate coins, rootbeer barrels, and a few piratey items to take home.

We finished up the party by opening presents, which I think was as much fun for the other kids as for Tate- since he is too young to unwrap presents yet, each guest got to "help" him by unwrapping what they brought. Favorite gifts included books, a drum, and a ball.

Also, remember the whole time capsule idea? It was so much fun seeing how creative people were. A few of our favorite time capsule items included a Rolling Stones Top 100 Artists magazine, a 2011 Sports Illustrated Issue (so creative, right?!), a poster that shows common text message shortcuts (lol), a favorite book and a "Heart Oregon" bumper sticker for his first car, sports gear from favorite sports teams, a keychain (suddenly, Zach and I are feeling a lot of pressure to get this kid a car when he is 16!), and more. I also love that grandparents, cousins, and of course, Zach and I, wrote letters to include. Already when I look in the time capsule I am reminded of the special day and all the people that love and care about our birthday boy.

And so, just over 2 hours after it began, Tate's pirate party came to an end. I was a tired and happy mama.

P.S. The day after Tate's party he started saying "mama". So it turns out the best birthday gift was for me.

Tate is One: The Menu

2011-04-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Having trained as a pastry chef, I think I generally tend to go slightly overboard on food. For this party though, we kept things pretty simple. And it was awesome! So much less stress than rushing around cooking for two or three days before.

We used a hot glue gun to attach labels to seashells so that everyone would know what they were eating. Zach and I also had a ridiculous amount of fun trying to think of creative ways to tie the food into the theme with some terrible puns. We love bad puns.

First up: Catch of the Day. We had goldfish crackers and fish sticks as an entree.

Of course, fish and chips is a natural fit. But chips aren't quite right when your child is named "Tate", and his most common nickname is, of course, "Tater Tot". So lo and behold:

(Come on, funny right? "Tate-arrrr tot"? For a pirate party? We crack ourselves up.)

With all the deep-fried junk food, we needed some fruit in there, didn't we?

Ruby red punch, anyone?

And what would a party be without cake? On Tate's actual birthday, I made a traditional layer cake, topped with a ship to tie into the coming pirate party theme, as dessert.

So for the party, we decided to go with the easier-to-eat, ultra-adorable, and super-delicious mini cupcakes. They fit our theme perfectly.

The menu was easy. It was fun. It was kid-friendly. Nothing required forks. All-in-all, I think the menu worked.

P.S. For the parents, Zach put together platters of assorted cheeses, hummus, salami, crab cakes, and a little more "high brow" food. He also made rum-based cocktails. My favorite was his rum-and-pineapple concoction, served on ice, in a mason jar. Yum.

Tate is One: Setting the Scene

2011-04-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

We hosted Tate's first birthday party yesterday. In keeping with the tone we set with the invitation, it was pirate-themed. I had a lot of fun setting the scene. In the beginning, I didn't really know what I wanted. But I did know what I didn't want- red, white and black. Although the red-white-black, skull-and-crossbone tone is very traditionally pirate, it didn't feel particularly fresh or youthful to me (in fact, it can be kind of dark, I think). So I knew I wanted to brighten up the traditional pirate party experience.

I think the feel really started to come together when Mom and I visited a bunch of local antique shops. Our first major score was completely unexpected and totally, absolutely perfect. Believe it or not, we stumbled across this cannon ammunition box. Seriously. Who knew that cannon ammunition boxes even still existed?

We had some old fence planks in the garage, so in addition to the "Ahoy matey" welcome sign we hung outside, we also hung this one above the food table:

Tablecloths are always a challenge for me- I don't have any, and they are super expensive. So we decided to cover most of the tables with sand (we bought play sand for $3.50 per bag at Home Depot). It was cheap and super easy and the kids absolutely loved it (but I warn you your entire house will be covered in a fine layer of dust). Sprinkling the sand with vintage maps, coconuts, jewels, pearls, and seashells finished off the tablescapes.

For the craft table, we covered it in cheap burlap from Joanne's, and made a runner of sand studded with the arts and craft supplies.

We used vintage maps as the place settings, which we hand-sewed to the burlap with a huge needle, so they wouldn't slide around and become troublesome. Each place setting also had a schedule (more on that tomorrow), an eyepatch, and a napkin stamped with an "x".

Last but not least, we had a wall of pictures. This was about Tate's first year of life, after all.

Stay tuned. More details to come tomorrow!

Tate is One!

2011-04-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, my darling boy.

Groomsmen Flask

2011-04-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of giving a flask as a groomsmen gift (I like it even despite the fact that this is possibly the least creative groomsmen gift ever). I particularly like these for a rustic wedding.

They even come with their own funnel and bag (and, bonus, they are totally affordable).

Vintage Poms

2011-04-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love these individually, handmade poms from sevenpoppiesVintage. Made from vintage crepe papers, each pom is hand-cut and hand-poufed and utterly one-of-a-kind.

Yellow Stripes

2011-04-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

When I saw this picture of a yellow, striped nursery ceiling on ohdeedoh last year, I bookmarked it in my mind. I hope to do something similar when Baby #2 arrives. Last night, when I discovered this print on Olive Manna, I had to order it. Won't it be a perfect addition?

I think I will stash it away until the time comes for yellow stripes on the ceiling.

Birthday Party Planning (Invitations and Zazzle!)

2011-04-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Tate's birthday is on Wednesday. Can you believe it's been a whole year that we've been able to get to know and love this little face? I can't either.

As you can imagine, the first birthday comes with a lot of pressure. What kind of party? Kids or no kids? And how, exactly, does one fit adult beverages for toasting into a first birthday?

Because in future years Tate will probably be able to have some of his own ideas on his party theme, we decided that this year, we would go with something that was meaningful to us. And that immediately took us back to that perfectly impractical day when I bought Tate's pirate ship sculpture. So the theme, of course, had to be pirates.

The party itself is going to be next weekend, but I already love the invitations, designed for us by Lillian at Simplicity Papers. Aren't they sweet?

As we were searching for invitations, I also stumbled across Paisley Prints, who had not only lovely stationary items, but also an amazing concept that involved guests gifting to a time capsule. Inspired, we have invited friends and family to contribute to a time capsule treasure chest that Tate will open at his 16th birthday. I can't wait to see what creative ideas people think up! And Lillian was fabulous to work with as we designed these inserts:

In order to make the invitations more exciting, we ordered matching stamps from Zazzle. Against the bright red invitations, I think they looked fantastic.

Just one week until the celebration! I can't wait.

P.S. We've decided on some sort of rum-based cocktail for the parents. Do you have any favorites you would recommend? We can't quite decide...

P.P.S. Lindy and Javi's engagement party instillation has been featured this week on Hip Hip Hooray and Oh Happy Day. I'm blushing!

Wizard Dress Up

2011-04-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

When I was in D.C. recently, some good friends introduced me to the shop Red Barn Mercantile. It was love at first sight. There were so many beautiful items I wanted to purchase. In particular, I am still thinking about (and lusting after) this Dash and Albert rug:

Until now, I still haven't found the perfect rug for Tate's room, and it is beginning to drive me crazy. Not only for the practicality (we have wood floors, and the sqeaking and echoing after I put him to bed and walk to the door is beginning to make me crazy), but also because I really want him to start playing in his actual room. Right now, he plays in our room (which is carpeted) most of the time. I would love to see him get the same enjoyment from his own space. So counting pennies. After all, don't you think this would be perfect in his nursery?

One of my other favorite finds was this gray wizard hat by Maileg. I can't get enough of it. So cute.

Lindy Loves Javi Engagement Party: Part III

2011-03-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

I think that some of the most fun details of Lindy and Javi's party were the result of necessity and serendipity. Starting with the use of paper bags. At the last minute, I threw a handful of lunch bags in my suitcase, thinking that since they matched the invitations, they might come in handy. It turns out that they did. mostly as signs. Because the party started at 8:00 pm, we didn't need to host a full meal, so we focused on snacks that broadly fell under the categories of "sweet" (assorted cookies) and "salty" (pretzels, potato chips, and popcorn). On the day of, as we were trying to figure out how to indicate what was what, we decided to hang "sweet" and "salty" signs above the appropriate sides of the tables.

We also incorporated newspaper in a few ways. First was by making about 70 hand-folded, origami boxes. These boxes were our containers for our salty snacks. Necessity being the mother of invention, they came about because we wouldn't have access to appetizer plates. I think they looked great (and many thanks to Eat Drink Chic for the inspiration, who had similar boxes filled with potato chips at her surprise wedding!).

Another interesting way we used newspaper came about due to necessity as well. On the morning of, we pushed all the tables together to serve the food on, and realized that they mismatched (we used three small tables instead of one large one). We ended up wrapping the tables in newspaper to the floor, and this immediately made them match (and also totally set off the ceiling installation, in my opinion). Also, the genius of my friend and co-host Shannon was to use half English and half Spanish newspapers, since Javi is Mexican.

The next creative element came about due to serendipity. We had decided not to have fresh flowers due to cost, but as luck would have it, Lindy's good friend and neighbor Elly offered us three bouquets. Believe it or not, they just perfectly matched the ceiling installation color spectrum. When we realized that due to the different height of tables and vases, some needed to be higher than others, we used stacks of Lindy's books, in the appropriate colors, to act as little stages. It brought just the pop of color we needed to the tables.

The last few things were just special touches. Labeling all the food with hand-typed labels. Ordering a special sparkling wine that's name matched the last name of the groom and making sure we had the groom-to-be's favorite beer on hand. Baking cookies that matched the feel of the event.

And then, in the end, not caring about any of the details other than whether or not the bride and groom-to-be felt loved. I think they did.

Congratulations, Lindy and Javi! I can't wait for the wedding!

Lindy Loves Javi Engagement Party: Part II

2011-03-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

The idea of the ceiling instillation for Lindy and Javi's party came about because we had very limited space. Due to budget, we were hosting the party in a 2-bedroom New York apartment, and with 60+ guests expected, we knew that every inch of floor space was going to be used. Therefore, we needed something high impact, inexpensive, and in a spot where nobody needed to stand.

I have been really inspired lately by all the rainbow ideas over at Hip Hip Hooray, so once the rainbow confetti was in the invitations, I decided to go with that for the decor as well. We decided on a swooping instillation of crepe paper and dot strings above the food table. It was about 14 feet long and 4 feet wide. The process took about 4 hours for two of us. It was a fun, late-night, wine-drinking instillation:

I think the finished product looks amazing, don't you?

One of my favorite things about it, the wave design where it attaches to the ceiling, was actually a happy accident. We finished the red and the orange when we realized that we weren't being careful about where the streamers lined up. Instead of redoing, we decided to make it look purposeful, and I think the result is so much more interesting than it would have been otherwise.

Now. About those strings of dots. Believe it or not, those aren't sold anywhere, so we made them. It was a long effort. We hand-punched each circle and then sewed them together with contrasting thread. But the effort was worth it. They look amazing. They literally almost sparkled in a way I hadn't anticipated.

I think the key to the depth of this instillation was that for each color section (red, orange, yellow, etc.) we used an assortment of different shades in order to help us achieve the look we wanted. So instead of just one color of red streamer, we used three shades, which included some pinks, and we even pulled in black to the confetti string as well. For colors where there was only one shade (orange, for example- believe it or not, they only have on shade of orange crepe paper streamer), we blended in the occasional red and yellow streamer to give it depth.

The best thing about this instillation is that it looks amazing in pictures. With flash, without flash, it created a phenomenal backdrop. I think it would be beautiful at a casual and brightly colored wedding, don't you?

More party details to come tomorrow!

P.S. The whole ceiling installation cost less than $40! I bought the crepe paper streamers online at Zurcher's Discount Party Supplies. They have a wonderful array of brightly colored streamers.

Lindy Loves Javi Engagement Party: Part I

2011-03-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Lindy and Javi are getting married! I was lucky enough to get to travel to New York to co-host their engagement party. It was such fun, and I am thrilled to share the details with you.

To start with a little background. The party itself had some constraints. We had a limited budget. The guest list consisted of almost 90 people. And, since I was planning from afar, everything had to be simple enough to do on-site 24 hours before the party or small enough that I could take it with me on the plane.

Also, some items of note. Lindy is an author. Javi grew up in Mexico. There life together began in New York.

So. The first question we had to address was invitations. Because Lindy is a writer, we decided to type the invitations on my vintage Remington typewriter. The invitations were simple- paperbag cards, typed with the following "lindy loves javi. javi loves lindy. they are getting married! help us celebrate." followed by date, time, location and RSVP information.

The night before I went to send them, I had a slight panic attack. They just looked so... brown. So at the last minute, I decided to hand-cut some confetti using a 1" round cutter and brightly colored cardstock. I thought it added just the festive feel we were looking for.

We got a ton of compliments, and one guest even sent this picture after she had opened the invite:

The typewriter came in handy for a bunch of other party-related projects as well, but my favorite of the bunch was definitely the napkins. I typed them all up before I left to eliminate work when I got there.

Stay tuned- more party details (including our amazing ceiling installation) to come tomorrow!

Layla Grayce: One of a Kind

2011-03-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few weeks. A trip to New York (to host an away-from-home engagement party for Lindy and Javi!) coupled with this strange sickness that I just can't shake has not only rendered me completely useless over the phone but has also kept me off of O Chickadee. Happily, I am both home and (slowly) improving, so we can get back to things. Whew.

On my mind today is how much I love Layla Grace's new vintage line. Here's the deal- they take vintage furniture items, restore them to their former glory, and then sell them to us. Each piece is completely one-of-a-kind. Here are a few particularly drool-worthy pieces:

For the Future: Chef Tate

2011-03-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Gale Gand is my favorite pastry chef. When she was four, she was playing outside making mud pies, and caught the eye of a Life photographer. The photo he snapped, of Gale sitting in the mud making a pie, made the cover.

Fast forward and Gale becomes a pastry chef. And she has the picture to prove she started out young.

In light of this story, Zach and I have our own inside joke about taking pictures of Tate, as a baby, doing things that represent a variety of professions, so that no matter what he decides to be when he grows up, we can point to the picture and be like "We always knew you would end up a [fill in the blank here]!!"

In light of this, we started with: Chef.

Here he is. Chef Tate.

To Be a Princess

2011-03-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

What would you do if you were the Princess of Greece? Perhaps design a gorgeous children's clothing line? Me too. And apparently we aren't the only ones, since the actual Princess of Greece has done just that.

I love the fresh, clean, simply, non-logo'd look of Marie Chantal's children's clothing line. Like this:

And this:

And especially this (because stylish boys clothes are so hard to find):

And although I am not an "angel" kind of person, I think that this is so sweet for a baby girl:

You can check out the entire line here (and happy day- the fall/winter collection is 70% off right now! That makes the prices almost within my budget).

P.S. If I were the Princess of Greece, I would also "holiday", like Marie Chantal is doing with her family, in the stone cottage picture at the beginning of this post. Sigh. Don't you wish you were a princess?

Our Farm

2011-03-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of our farm.

I'll bet you didn't know that in addition to everything else we do, we also are part-owners of a farm, did you?

Well, not really. What we are is members of a CSA. Are you familiar with this? A CSA (which stands for "Community Supported Agriculture") is "a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season."

Our farm is called Sungold Farm, and it is just a few minutes from our house. We just renewed our subscription for our Harvest Box (this will be our third year with Sungold), which means that starting in June, we will get a huge bag of absolutely delicious and fresh and gorgeous fruits and vegetables each week. I am particularly excited about the CSA this year, because Tate is such a phenomenal eater. We try to eat locally and seasonally as much as we can, so although he eats up spinach and broccoli and other winter vegetables no problem, I think it is going to be so much fun to introduce him to summer fruits and cucumbers and fresh basil and all the bounty of the growing season.

Interested in finding a CSA near you? Check out Local Harvest- they make it so easy. You just enter your zip code and all the CSA's near you pop up (Lissa and Brian live in the middle of Chicago and they even participate in one, including a meat CSA where they get unbelievable fresh meat once a month. Brigid lives in New York and does it too. So you really can find one anywhere).

Good Morning

2011-02-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to this statement from Zach:

"Tate started eating dog food out of Mesa's bowl this morning. I consider it a step in the wrong direction."

Made me laugh. This means, folks, that we are officially on dog-food watch 2011.

On the Subject of Mommy Guilt

2011-02-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

I normally use this blog just to post things I like. But something has been on my mind lately, so I am going to venture into the territory of (gasp) writing about my thoughts. A departure, I know. But hopefully a useful one (if not for you, maybe for me? Because getting it out should be at least cathartic, right? We'll see...).

So... a little background. I am a working mom, which means that I am not home to witness Tate's every accomplishment. When I had Tate, I was in school getting my MBA, so for the first 6 months of his life, I was gone every Monday and most Saturdays (including the first Monday after he was born, when he was just 5 days old). I also choose to go to happy hour with friends regularly. And I volunteer for organizations that I love, which occasionally means I have evening meetings right after work.  And I feel it is important that Zach and I spend time alone together. And sometimes (hard to believe, I know) I just want to be alone, have a moment with no responsibility. So when you add all these things together, it means that there are times when I only see Tate for a few minutes in the morning and right before he goes to bed. Or I ask Zach to take him along on the grocery shopping so I can sit at home, alone, and do exactly what I want to do. Or it might mean that I miss a major milestone. Or that I relish my kid-stuff-free hotel room when I travel for work.

Based on everything that society tells me, I should be feeling heaps and heaps of "mommy guilt" for all of the above. That dreaded emotion where I punish myself for not being able to do it all. For having a meeting after work that means I don't get to give Tate his dinner and a goodnight kiss. Or for not being patient enough to be able to be with Tate every second of every day.  But here's the confession: I have never experienced "mommy guilt".

(Which, ironically, makes me feel kind of guilty).

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Why does mommy guilt exist? And more importantly, why is it perpetuated? Because as much as articles tell us we need to "take care of ourselves" or "put ourselves on our own To Do list", I find that (at least among moms I know), there seems to be an almost competitive nature to how much we can self-flagellate.  Mom-talk seems to hover around the topic of how badly we all feel, as if it is some kind of badge of honor that means we love our kids the most, or are more devoted, the more terribly we feel about investing in other parts of our lives. I hate this because a) I am super competitive and this is a competition I just won't win, and b) I think it is completely destructive and frankly, does more to make motherhood seem like some kind of ball-and-chain that distorts priorities ("my child is the single most-important thing in my life and if everything I do isn't absolutely devoted to him, I am a failure") instead of just changing them, like any other major life event ("I love my child and love spending time with him, so I might only go out with the girls once a month instead of every week like I did before").

But why don't I feel it? When it is apparently so widespread, does it somehow make me callous, or insensitive, for feeling absolutely fine about the reality of my life? For accepting that I make choices (to work, to volunteer, to invest in my marriage) and that those choices might take away from time with Tate?

I think that I have figured out that the way I escape mommy-guilt is all about context.

When I think about the things I do that take me away from Tate, I try to imagine the context in which he will view them as he grows up. And for me, that context always begins with this: I am loved by my mom and dad and grandma's and grandpa's and aunts and uncles and many, many others. I have a happy and healthy life. My parents love each other. We eat good food. We are silly. We spend time rolling around on the bed, and we read together. I get to have pets. I am safe and protected and supported. And that, in my opinion, is a pretty good starting point. So it is very important to me that I maintain that context, that the "big picture" of Tate's life be filled with joy. Which means we eat together. And don't answer the phone during dinner. And try to be playful. And don't yell. And say things like "books are the gadget fueled by our imaginations!" when Tate tries too hard to go after the laptop. So as long as Tate's life is centered by these things, I feel generally pretty good about my parenting.

From there, I think about the kind of person that I want Tate to be. I want him to be a hard-working, conscientious person. I want him to love friends and family, and be willing to invest time in those relationships. I want him to volunteer with the organizations he feels passionately about. I want him to love his wife, and romance her throughout their marriage, kids or no kids. So, when I think about the things I do in the context of how they will shape and contribute to the person I want Tate to be, I find that there is absolutely no room for guilt. In fact, I feel pride in them. Because I fundamentally believe that as a parent, modeling the behavior you expect is the best way to impart it on to your children. So when Tate sees me go out to dinner with a good friend, or miss dinner at home because I have a meeting for a non-profit, I think (hope?) he will internalize those values.

And the final thing that helps me avoid the plague of mommy guilt? Frankly, I know myself and I know that I will show up. This was the best lesson I ever learned from my mom. How to show up. How to recognize the big things (even when they might not seem big on the surface) and to be there. So at the end of the day, I trust my own instincts in when my presence truly, deeply matters (like the night of a big performance or event, or maybe the week or two following a big disappointment or break-up). And when it doesn't (like on a random Wednesday).

Phew. I am glad I got that off my chest. Because I would like to see us banish mommy-guilt, and the sense of pride that accompanies it, and replace it instead with pride in our own accomplishments and how we model those for our children.

(stepping off the soapbox now)

P.S.  Artwork pictured above is from Stuff No One Told Me About. A perfect reminder to let go of our guilt, perhaps?

Food Tidings

2011-02-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

Speaking of food, I am excited to share this next idea. You know how nice it is to bring a casserole to someone who needs it? Kind of like a casserole dish of love. Well, Food Tidings makes it easy. My sister emailed me the link. It is a genius idea, and a great name. Have you heard of it? Basically, Food Tidings exists to simplify the process of organizing meals for friends or family members in a transitional time of life. Lissa sent it to me because she knows that we try to bring food to friends with new babies. Food Tidings is perfect for that, or for a friend who is grieving, just had surgery, or is going through another important life event where meal planning and preparation might take a backseat.

The website helps you arrange a schedule, organize friends and family to plan drop-offs, and allows you to enter the pertinent details: Family food preferences, allergies, number of kids and adults, and other special instructions (like "please don't ring the doorbell because a baby might be sleeping")... Once the event is scheduled, anyone can log in at any time to sign up for an open slot.

Isn't this a wonderful idea? I think so. I only wish the site itself had more style... I find the name and idea outstanding, but the site itself feels a little... well, stale and kitschy. All that to say, I still anticipate using it pretty regularly from here on out.

photo via weheartit

I Heart Foodzie

2011-02-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

I love Of-the-Month clubs. Just the idea of them, getting something every month. I especially love the idea if that monthly item is food. So for Christmas this year, I got Zach (and also my sister and brother-in-law) this awesome of-the-month club from the company Foodzie. Have you heard of Foodzie yet? It is an online marketplace where you can discover and buy food directly from small passionate food producers and growers. So basically, you know all those amazing, artisan food products sold at places like Williams-Sonoma? Foodzie takes those artisan products straight from the producer, essentially cutting out the middle-man.

Each month, they have what they call a "tasting box". The tasting box is filled with sample sizes of about 6-9 different artisan food products from all over. Past tasting boxes have included artisan salts, cupcakes, pretzels, granola... mmmm... Are you getting hungry yet? The best part is if you end up wanting to buy any of the products in your tasting box, you get them at a discount. It is a fantastic way to learn about specialty products from across the country.

Anyway, our February box just came, filled with delicious chocolates, truffled popcorn,brownies, caramels, and other delicacies (my favorite so far are the NutC Sweet and Spicy Walnuts. So good. Go here and scroll down to see everything in our February box).

But what is so impressive to me about the Tasting Boxes, in addition to the food, of course, is the design. It is packaged so beautifully- each box is accompanied by a menu of sorts, telling you what you are tasting and a little bit about the producer. Such fun.

P.S. I keep thinking that this is the perfect gift for my friend Brigid, but since she is vegetarian, many of the items (like the beef jerky in last month's box) might be wasted. Perhaps they need a vegetarian tasting box?!

Anthropologie's New Wedding Line: BHLDN

2011-02-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about Anthropologie's new wedding line, BHLDN? It just launched, and I love it. It features bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, hair ornaments, shoes, jewelry, lingerie... but some of my favorite items are in the "cover up" category which highlights boleros and wraps.

Here are some of my favorites from the line:

You can check out the entire line here.

Valentine's Day Wrap-Up

2011-02-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

Did you have a nice Valentine's Day? We did. It was fun but hectic. I had spent the last few weeks trying to decide how we were going to celebrate- I wanted to do something inexpensive but festive. I started out with poms from pomlove hanging from the ceiling fan. Simple. But fun nonetheless.

I followed this up with a "clothesline of love" for Zach down the hallway. *This was easy: I criss-crossed red and white bakers twine down the hallway (I used pushpins to hold it against the wall). Then I used mini-clothespins to pin up heart-shaped love notes to Zach (notes that I typed on my vintage, 1930's Remington typewriter, a gift from a friend in high school- great gift, huh?).

As far as food goes, I had grand plans of cooking a delicious dinner. After a busy day, those plans went out the window. So we had pizza. And champagne. While we sat in front of the absolutely gorgeous bouquet Zach bought me. Perfect. And remember the dessert I made last year? It was such a hit, we had a repeat performance this year. Yum.

But my favorite, favorite part of the day was, ironically, the one thing I hadn't planned. Ever since I read this post on Hip Hip Hooray, I have been thinking about confetti. So when I realized that I had some extra tissue paper (what the poms had been wrapped in for shipping), I decided to make some. I cut long strips into confetti:

And then I surreptitiously stacked little piles on top of the ceiling fan blades** so that I could grab Zach, stand under the poms, turn the ceiling fan on... and for a split second, we would be surrounded with red and pink confetti. Perfect for kissing under.

Happily, Zach didn't notice the little piles, so he had no idea what to suspect when I made him stand up with me, and turned the fan on... tada! It worked perfectly! I did a trial run- here's a pic so you can see for yourself.

It was just a few seconds, but it was a perfect few seconds.

I am so lucky to have Zach as my Valentine. I hope your day was also filled with perfect moments.

*Warning #1- you are likely to walk into the clothesline about a million times between 10 am and 5 pm (when your valentine gets home).

** Warning #2: if you ever decide to pile anything on top of ceiling fan blades, be aware that the top of ceiling fan blades are absolutely disgusting. It took almost an hour to just get the layers and layers of dust off the blades. Not fun.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

Too much planning to really post much. Have a happy day!

photo via weheartit

And now...

2011-02-12T23:16:00.000-08:00

It's time for gratuitous pictures of Tate because I can't resist. He finished up swim lessons last week, and even got to go down the big slide with Daddy. Swim lessons were great- highly recommended!

Do you see the yellow blur? That is Tate (in his life-jacket) as he and Zach hit the water at the end of the (two story!) twisty slide. They went down twice. I was jealous. Who doesn't love a twisty water slide?

P.S. Any photographers out there? How do you get good action shots? I swear, more than 90% of the pictures I took are completely blurry...

Behind the Scenes Butt Squeeze

2011-02-12T22:09:00.000-08:00

This little butt squeeze photo makes me happy. Love and silliness are on the mind... which makes the fact that Zach is sick a little sadder. Fingers crossed he's feeling better by Valentine's Day (I have a few things up my sleeve).

photo via Erin Hearts Court

Valentine's Day Gift Guide: Bambeco Recycled Wool Love Throw

2011-02-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

I love this wool throw. So cozy.

via wantist

Musings of the Birthday Party Variety

2011-02-07T21:35:00.000-08:00

Tate's birthday is in just 2 months. Two months! This means that planning needs to begin now. But I am completely, utterly stymied. And the plan just won't come together in my mind. I hate this feeling, because when you plan a party, I feel like there should be some vision of that party in your head. And this one just won't come. Perhaps because I am putting too much pressure for it to be something special (it is a first birthday, after all). But I am also conflicted because back when I was pregnant, before Zach and I knew how totally head-over-heels in love you fall with your baby, we had joked about crazy first birthday parties that kids don't even remember. And we had talked about how we were going to host a "we survived!", adults-only celebration with cocktails and no kiddie games in sight.

But now I am rethinking that plan.

But if we had a kids party, I am troubled over who to invite... how many kids... and the fact that most of our friends kids are quite a few years older than Tate. And that Tate won't remember.

So than I think we should just have a family dinner and call it a day. But where's the fun in that?

You see how ridiculous this is all becoming? I think I am going to have to shut my brain down by watching The Bachelor. In the meantime, whichever way I go, I am loving these invitations by Simplicity Papers.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide: mirror mirror (from Thoughtful Day)

2011-01-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

While reading Thoughtful Day this morning, I was utterly struck by what a wonderful Valentine's Day gift her husband gave her years ago.

Go read all about it.

Destination Wedding: Mexico!

2011-01-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

My best friend Lindy is getting married! This is exciting for so many reasons, but at the very top of the list is the fact that she is getting married in Mexico. I know that "wedding in Mexico" leads to images of wedding on a beach, but Lindy and her fiance Javi are more interested in looking into haciendas.

So being the ~~selfish~~ selfless friend I am, I have taken it upon myself to spend an inordinate amount of time online searching for hacienda weddings in Mexico. Who knew that there were so many gorgeous, non-beachy locations for a wedding in Mexico? My favorites have mostly come from photographer Elizabeth Medina. I invite you to take a few moments and dream yourself to Mexico with me...

Valentine's Day Gift Guide: Tokyo Milk Bon Bon Bubble Bath

2011-01-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

I love Valentine's Day. It's a special day for Zach and I (we had our first date on Valentine's Day in 1998. 1998!! I know. I can hardly believe it was that long ago either). But beyond that, my mom always made it such a fun day when I was growing up. My sister and I would come home from school to heart-shaped cupcakes, and new heart-themed pajamas wrapped in pretty pink and red paper, and balloons bobbing over the dinner table. It was always a fancy day.

So February 14th is on my mind. Over the next few weeks I am going to post ideas for Valentine's indulgences. Indulgences that could work as gifts for another or for yourself. Because self-love is important on Valentine's Day too, don't you think?

To kick things off, I am going to start with Tokyo Milk Bon Bon Bubble Bath. My sister got some for me for Christmas, and I love it. Isn't the packaging gorgeous?

Each label is printed with a picture that you can see when you look through the back of the glass bottle. So lovely to look at when you're soaking and up to your chin in bubbles. And also- they smell amazing.

P.S. Tokyo Milk also has gift collections called things like Dead Sexy Kiss Collection and Kiss and Tell Collection. Perfect for your Valentine. Or to buy for yourself to celebrate the day.

Decor Idea: Toys on the Mantle

2011-01-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

One of the things I have been slowly trying to do is integrate Tate, and the fact that our house now has a child in it, into our home decor, while avoiding the child-has-taken-over-the-house look. We have a wall of old black-and-white photos and I finally got one of Tate added. But other than that one small picture, and the necessities (high chair etc.), there is no real indication that a little boy lives here.

A few weeks ago, I saw a picture of children's toys lined up along the mantle (I wish I remembered where so I could give credit where credit is due). Today was kind of a dreary day outside, so I decided to try it- removing the candles that are normally there, and lining up Tate's wooden cars and airplane on the mantle:

I love it! Believe it or not, two of the trucks were made by Zach in his 6th grade shop class. It kind of blows our minds that our baby is playing with things Zach made in 6th grade.

P.S. Just because... isn't Tate cute?

Serena and Lily

2011-01-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

There are so many things I love about Serena and Lily. First, their crib bedding. I searched long and hard to find Tate's crib bedding, and absolutely love what we bought from Serena and Lily. In particular, now that we have had it for 9 months, I can attest that it is incredibly durable and incredibly high-quality. It washes up so well. It still looks new. The second thing I love is their Bazaar. Occasionally (and I have seen no rhyme or reason to exactly when, which makes it even more compelling and interesting to me), they sell unique, one-of-a-kind items from around the world. These items are sold first-come, first-serve, and the Bazaar is only open a few days. They have one open right now, in fact. Check it out. But right now there are two things, in particular, that I want from Serena and Lily. First, I have been searching high and low for some kind of toy box to put underneath Tate's pirate ship. I wanted something rustic. My first thought had been a treasure chest, but I felt that would be falling into a theme more than I wanted. So when I stumbled upon these carts, I was ecstatic. They are perfect. Rustic but with a touch of modern with the bright orange castings (which match the other orange accents in Tate's room). Organic and completely functional. And I love the two sizes. Each one is slightly different and each is handmade. Also, happily, they don't have lids. I think most people want lids so that toys are hidden away, but Tate has such gorgeous, old-fashioned wooden cars and trucks, beautiful stuffed animals, hardcover books- all things I would love to be able to see. The second thing I love, however silly, is these (faux) leather animal bookends. So cute.

The hippo is my favorite.

P.S. I am back on Idle Hands today posting one more time as a guest blogger. What do you think about extreme knitting?

Colorful Cakes

2011-01-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

My friend Sarah's baby shower was last weekend, and I volunteered to make the cake. She had requested a butterfly theme to celebrate her new baby girl. I went with this:

I loved how colorful it was. I used a vanilla french buttercream on the outside of the cake, and some butterflies I bought when Shannon and I went to Oblation. I attached the butterflies to skewers of different heights, and tada! Done. It reminded me of the rainbow cake I made earlier this summer with Zach's mom and our niece. This one, not so fancy, but very fun.

But my favorite colorful cake of all is this one. Designed for an art party, this cake is so simple. I want to make it really badly- really, I want to throw the whole art gallery party. (I love all the details, like the crayons in the invitation). This party was featured on Hip Hip Hooray, which, if you are into kid's parties, is the best site ever.

I think my mind is on parties because it is about time to begin planning Tate's first birthday. Can you believe it? Me neither. But it has my mind humming...

Jack Cards

2011-01-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

My sister first introduced me to Jack Cards, and signing up has been one of those things on my To Do List for years. Literally, years. Have you heard of it? It is a phenomenal idea and service. You sign up (for free!), and then enter all the important, card-worthy events in your life. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations... you essentially create an online calendar of all life's celebrations. Then you choose (from their vast and very impressive selection) a card for each occassion. Now I am not talking about electronic cards. Jack Cards has a wide array of printed cards from all kinds of excellent designers (like Red Cap Cards and Masha D'yans). But then- and this is the true genius behind Jack Cards- once your events are all entered, and your cards are all selected, Jack Cards automatically sends you the card you selected, with an included stamped and addressed envelope, a week or so before said event is scheduled to occur. So smart, right? The blank card arrives just in time for you to write a personal message, and drop in the box. No rushing to the card store (or not, and feeling guilty because you once again missed a birthday). No buying the card, writing the card, and then not sending the card because you don't have a stamp. Jack Cards is any busy women's best friend. Truly.

I have decided that for 2011, I will get at least 10 people's birthdays entered in. It is my gift to myself. So that 2011 is filled with (easy!) honoring of my most important loved ones special days.

P.S. I am the Guest Blogger over on Idle Hands today. How exciting! Check it out and tell me what you think about knitting lessons on Nintendo's Wii.

Guest Blogger: Shannon McHugh

2011-01-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

I distinctly remember the alarm and despair that consumed me when, one evening during our junior year of college, I discovered that Janelle had donated a large bag of her clothing to Goodwill without letting me rifle through it first. My friendship with Janelle has always been marked by a dependence on her mastery of all things sartorial. And though there is much to anticipate when I visit her nowadays in Portland--her warm chocolate cookies, Zach's home-brewed beer, guest room goodies, and now this adorable face--one of my favorite things is still the shopping.

Though we did make some good fashion finds yesterday, the real prize came when Janelle took me to Oblation Papers in the Pearl District:

I love, love, love this map from AM, which is an eighteenth-century rendering of the city of Paris. (I've adored all things French since I began studying the language a few years ago, which is why Janelle thought that this conjugation chart from Smallable would be another perfect addition to my apartment.)

I cannot wait to hang this poster, which is printed on heavy art paper, in my room. I think it's as big as my bed. And the details are so precise!

I know I will spend many a lazy Sunday lying in and staring at my map, picturing myself walking its tiny streets, glancing into its little windows, and wandering its miniature markets.

Shannon McHugh is a doctoral candidate at New York University, studying Italian and romance languages (her statement about "ador[ing] all things French" is a bit of an understatement given that the recently lived there and plans to go back next fall). She speaks multiple languages (including Latin!), is interested in the role of women in Italian medieval Italy (did I get that right, Shannon?), and is both a kindred spirit and sister-of-the-heart.

Lockets

2011-01-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

from SSSJ I am really loving these silk-screened lockets from SSSJ and Verabel (local Portland designer!). I never used to be a necklace person, much preferring big (huge!) earrings. But over the past year, my friend Andrea has gifted me with three or four chunky necklaces that I absolutely love, and that really help make an outfit. These lockets seem kind of like that- pair with a white tee and jeans, or a high-waisted skirt and tucked in blouse, and tada! Instant style.

It doesn't hurt that I could put a tiny black-and-white pic of Zach and Tate in each side either.

Parenting Taboo's

2011-01-05T08:52:00.001-08:00

Have you heard of Babble? It is a fantastic parenting website with great blogs. I thought this video, by it's founders, was a nice reminder that we are all in this parenting thing together. If you have 17 minutes- give it a go.

Belabumbum

2011-01-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

Being pregnant can feel... not attractive. Even when you have a wonderful husband that tells you over and over how great you look. So when I stumbled across the be-yew-ti-ful maternity lingerie and pajamas by Belabumbum, I was overjoyed for all the pregnant women out there (and my future pregnant self).

This is a nursing bra. Can you believe it? They do have non-maternity lingerie too. Isn't it pretty?

And lastly- they have a Boycut of the Month Club. Wouldn't you love to receive that as a gift? I sure would. Each month a new boycut gets delivered to your door. Sexy. Stylish. Fun.

Busts and Tags

2011-01-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

Aren't these gift tags from Anthropologie an inspiration? And on sale too- only $2.50! What a steal. Also from Anthropologie, I think these animal busts would look awesome in a safari-themed nursery.

Holiday Wrap Up (or "Out of Hibernation")

2011-01-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

I have been hibernating all holiday break. There were three consecutive days where I got more than 10 hours of sleep and never got out of my pajamas. I read 6 books. The morning after New Year's, Zach took on Tate-duty and I slept until 10:30 am. 10:30, people!! I didn't check work email. I didn't blog. I just... hibernated. It was a completely indulgent vacation indeed.

But before we move on completely from the holidays (especially since most of my gifts are being sent tomorrow), let's review some of my favorite things from Christmas this year.

First: stockings. A few years ago, when Zach and I got married, and Lissa and Brian got married, Mom had to make new stockings for the new son-in-laws. Instead of doing just two different ones for the boys, Mom decided to make Lissa and I new ones as well. So mine, Lissa's, Zach's and Brian's all match, and Mom and Dad's are the old style that we grew up with. The style Mom chose for our new ones was a village- we each had a different building in Santa's village that represented us. Brian, the lawyer, has Klause & Klause Associates next to the Candy Cane Courthouse. Lissa, who works with kids, has the Elves Art House. I have the North Pole Bakery, and Zach (who played King Arthur in our high school version of "Camelot" when we met) has Camelot Toy Works. So sweet and creative, right? Don't you wish you had stockings like these

So we had to make one for Tate this year. This was hard, because Tate's personality is still so undefined. We wanted something fun and boyish but that could carry him into adult-hood. We decided on "Tate's Cars and Trucks". Could it be any cuter? (And seriously, don't you think my mom should sell these on Etsy?!)

Second: Christmas tree decorations. Years ago, there was a women I met who had a beautiful Christmas tree. But beyond her traditional decorations, she did something that I have remembered ever since, and always wanted to do once I had kids. What she and her family did each year was to pick one object (like, an actual thing, not an ornament), and hang it on the tree. The object was meant to symbolize one of the important things that had happened that year. The one I remember was a crunched license plate- her 16 year old son had just received his driver's license and the first week, got in a fender bender. It was so fun to see such odd and interesting objects on the tree, and to hear the stories that went along with them.

So this year we started. And what was more important for us this year than Tate being born? So our first object- his hospital bracelet:

All season long I loved looking at it perched on the tree. I packed it away with the rest of the ornaments, so each year I can pull it out. It is, officially, our first tree object.

And lastly- great minds really do think alike. And we have a lot of great minds in our life. So it should come as no surprise that Tate received not one, not two, but three sets of blocks for Christmas, each different, each beautiful. First, Aunt Lissa and Uncle Brian got him these from The Land of Nod: Then we got him these two sets from Paxton Gate:

And Dawn and Nick got him these from who-knows-where:

All together, our coffee table has been looking a lot like this lately:

All in all, I would say that the Holmboe family had a happy, healthy, restorative holiday. I hope yours was too.

Tane Organics

2010-12-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

Could these outfits from Tane Organics get any sweeter? I have officially decided on one of them for a friend's, soon-to-come baby shower.

What I'm Wishing For...

2010-12-22T11:12:00.001-08:00

Hat Head

2010-12-22T07:59:00.001-08:00

Tell me that this little face isn't made for hat-wearing?

The green striped jammies and the red sweater-onesie with hood are both from Hanna Anderson. The mushroom hat is from San Diego Hat Company. The red Santa hat is from Janie and Jack. And the blue hat with poof and ears- that was given to us by a friend.