Pancakes and French Fries

What to Read

Jules — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:06 +0000

My greatest achievement over the past two days was the acquisition of a new pair of flats to wear with my skinny jeans. The pair I’ve been wearing for over two years are stretched beyond comfort. They flop when I walk and give me blisters. I bought Minnetonkas, shoes I last wore when I was 8 years old, so I’m not sure if this achievement isn’t in fact a regression. We’ll see how these work out.

I have Senioritis. I’m waiting for summer and becoming increasingly overwhelmed with everything on my plate, real and imagined. I knew baseball with two kids would be challenging on top of choir, school, everything…but in these past few weeks it seems like we have something to do every single day. Practices six days a week between both boys, games, homework, my niece is in a play, the Mister is traveling on business, family visiting, birthdays, holidays…none of it serious and none of bad. Just everyday stuff. Some people come alive with constant activity. I don’t. I hate having something to do every day, even when that something is good and fun and evidence of a full and happy life.

I’m aware that I’m ungrateful and, also, an enormous wimp. I have two kids! Round of applause to those with four children in sports. I can think of at least three families I know living this…dream? Nightmare? Either way, YOU WIN.

Over the weekend I reached a breaking point, and since I’m trying very much not to eat my emotions, I fell back on my next favorite vice: reading books of questionable quality. Since Sunday I’ve read this one, this one, and this one. I was hoping to find another series of ridiculous, campy awesomesauce (to wit: Dark Fever) but so far no such luck. The hunt for literary oblivion continues.

I do feel better, though, having decompressed a bit between the pages of three bad books. Truly, how can you be stressed about conflicting baseball games and school plays when you know somewhere out there a half breed vampire and her blind vampire king (full-blooded, impressive lineage) are struggling to rebuild a crumbling paranormal empire?

You can’t, obviously.

I’m getting sidetracked. I really wanted to come here to ask for a list of books you’ve been dying to read. I want a summer reading list for our book club so those of us with lackluster libraries [raises hand] have a chance at getting the book in time to participate in the discussions. I have a few ideas, but instead of linking to a million books and cluttering up your browser page, I’m linking to my book club page on Pinterest. I’m thinking about allowing people to pin suggestions to that board. What do you think? I also troll Goodreads for ideas. If we’re friends there, I look to see what books everyone has in common in their “to-read” lists. So friend me on Goodreads if you haven’t already.

I’m off to buy a tank filter since ours bit the bucket last night. Then I’m going to eat lunch, pick up the boys from school, and get Mikey ready for practice. After that, I’m going to studiously ignore the stains on the floor because I don’t feel like mopping.

Mothers

Jules — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000

My mom’s home office heavily inspired our family room. Her room of piles was always my favorite as a child, and while you would think it was all about the books, that wasn’t the only draw. On those shelves, the same shelves that held all her research, all her books on feminism, all her books on politics, all her books on literature and violent crimes (the woman is obsessed) also sat an assortment of really bad gifts.

A pinch pot in the shape of a square with a giant M in blue.

A plastic, wind-up stained glass “window” with a Bible verse. Cranking the key set off a magnet on the inside, which is what made the white, misshapen dove fly around to a tinny rendition of Amazing Grace.

A trio of mice wearing formal attire playing instruments in a symphony.

A resin pot of pansies, broken.

A stuffed Precious Moments wind-up doll holding a crayon and a note that reads, “I luv you mommy.”

And worse. Or better. It depends on your perspective. They still sit on her shelves.

Each gift received a place of honor, and it was a great source of pride for me to walk in and see mice playing bass next to Jean-Paul Sarte…or a book of mugshots. I didn’t understand why she would clutter up her pretty office with my cheap gifts, but it made me happy. That’s what I wanted from our family room: a room that was me and them and us.

A room where I can proudly display a card that says, “I hope the sith don’t catch you, mom!”

Next to a pot that grows flower-sons and suns who “Love me to pieces.”

I understand now why my mom gushed over scuttling doves and bad pottery. More than anything, I want the boys to look back and know I appreciated every googly-eyed doll made from pipe cleaners. I want them to remember they napped in rooms with open windows under the watchful eyes of handmade gifts more priceless than the fanciest of leather bound books.

Happy, Happy

Jules — Fri, 11 May 2012 07:00:14 +0000

Here are a few of the things that made me happy this week.

I love laughing until I cry, so Sunday was an especially good day.

On Monday Nicholas made me a very fancy necklace.

I received a Facebook notice on Tuesday. Something about being tagged in a picture. Oh goody, my favorite. I clicked over and found a picture of Mikey and his baseball team, with Mikey looking positively miserable. Full on pouty face with arms crossed! Fabulous. I showed it to him later and asked him what was going on when the coach took the picture. Mikey took one look and winced, then claimed he didn’t know how to smile. I told him I wasn’t buying it. Try again, and this time tell me the truth. Truth? He was trying to look like “a tough guy” in the picture. Looking like a guy with a murder of zombie crows at his disposal his new thing, in case you didn’t notice. So, Mikey was trying to look hard and he ended up looking like someone took his lunch money. Not so happy, happy for him, but the end result is that his toothy grins are back.

:: The price of gas is killing us, but at least on Wednesday I remembered to go to Sam’s Club. They were 20¢ cheaper than the gas station near our house.

:: Thursday was a relaxing day. I spent an hour in the afternoon reading in the family room while Nicholas napped next to me. Then Mikey came home from baseball practice and I marveled at how handsome both my boys look in sky blue.

:: There is a Mother’s Tea at school on Friday, so I’ll be putting on makeup and taking down my ponytail. Maybe I should wear sky blue, too.

:: Saturday is more baseball, and is Sunday Mother’s Day? Oof. That was fast.

The Home Library

Jules — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:00:27 +0000

In January I detailed the projects I wanted to tackle with The William Morris Project. I had this to say about the family room:

Family Room: A cozy, embracing room where bodies sink into stuffed sofas and chairs to read books and watch movies. The lighting is plentiful, flattering, and comfort reigns over form.

I had a laundry list of requirements, but the most pressing to me was changing the color of the walls and finding storage for our books. I couldn’t tolerate that sickly green-yellow one more minute and I had books stored in every room and on every surface. Two weeks ago our fish tank developed a slow leak. We bought a new tank but decided to paint the wall behind it before putting it in place to avoid painting around it when we eventually repainted the family room. (Moving a full tank can damage the structural integrity and create slow leaks. Learned that the hard way.) Painting that wall the same calm, soothing gray of the living and dining was all the inspiration we needed to finish the room…sort of.

Finishing the room…sort of…is what we did at IKEA on Sunday, and why I have been so quiet (frazzled! short tempered!) this week. I was trying to have everything spick and span and pretty for today, but there was just too much to do. I still think it looks fantastic, though, which is why ugly rooms are so convenient. They make half-done rooms shine.

A few before pictures for those longing to feel the impact of cat urine walls and sharpie-colored sofas.

These aren’t entirely current–we move furniture around often–but close enough. Also, those pictures don’t really communicate the air of “social security office” we had going on. You’ll just have to use your imagination.

Here is how it looks now.

We bought a white ektorp sectional. I did many months of research on it, read numerous glowing reviews, and liked the idea of rotating slipcovers in more luxurious fabrics from companies like Comfort Works. We planned on a sofa and love seat, maybe in mixed styles, but there wasn’t enough room once we finally bit the bullet and fixed that book storage problem.

What’s that? Did someone say home library?

I came {this} close to making our dining room a library in our first home, but I chickened out. I was too worried about what the neighbors would think, which twelve years later sounds extraordinarily stupid.

We pushed the sectional about 3.5 feet from the wall, took three Billy bookcases we had in our office in the backyard, brought them inside, and added two more. In January we decided to save up for built-in bookcases on that wall. This is our test run to see if we would like it. We like it.

We like it from every angle.

We have been saving up for a china/curio cabinet for some time now, but I can now display many of my most treasured possessions, some holding nothing more than sentimental value, on shelves with my other most treasured possessions. We save money and I get to be surrounded by everything I love like a little pack-rat. Win-win.

Here is a shot of our little hallway. It’s about 2 feet. The dogs like to hang out back there.

There is room for one more bookcase. We held off to cushion our budget and because my desk will make the bottom shelves somewhat inaccessible. If we don’t buy another bookcase, I will hang photographs or art in its place. We are also saving up for the glass doors to help with dust control.

The area above my desk remains a clean slate. I’m debating how to decorate the wall, though even if I had a concrete plan it would have remained unrealized this week. Purging and organizing the books (all in alphabetical order, by subject) took me close to 9 hours. All told, I touched over 500 books on Tuesday. There are more in the office, but those I’m selling or donating.

A few months ago on Twitter someone mentioned they bought a Kindle because they had way too many books. “Like, 50, guys. Not even kidding!” I laughed.

There is still plenty left to do, despite the tens of hours I put into the family room this week. We need window treatments, toss cushions, overhead lighting, a little of everything on the fish tank wall (Exhibit A), and we haven’t even painted the TV wall (Exhibit B). Let’s not talk about how the rest of the house looks (Exhibit C).

Still, having said that, this room already feels like us. The boys are over the moon in love with “the library.” I’m so pleased with how everything is coming together. And let me tell you, it’s not often this perfectionist is gentle enough with herself to acknowledge her efforts didn’t turn out half bad.

::::::This post was part of The William Morris Project, a weekly series that details the steps I am taking to create an intentional home. You can see more of my goals and completed projects here. To learn more about this project, start here.

::::::Now it’s your turn! Feel free to share how you have lived according to the William Morris quote, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Made a plan? Cleaned a drawer? Bought a sofa? Tell us about it with a link or comment. A few guidelines:

Please link to a specific post, not a general blog address.
Your post must relate to your efforts to create an intentional home. I have a delete button, and I’m not afraid to use it.
No links to giveaways, please.
Let’s use this weekly link up as an opportunity to gather inspiration and motivation. Click links. Discover new people. Say hi and good job. I know I will.

Quick Dinner No. 1

Jules — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:00:53 +0000

Extra curricular activities can really thwart family dinners. On those days we have late practices and games, I try to come up with dinners that take minutes and require little clean up. This is one of our favorites.

I put a large pot of water to poach eggs. (I use this technique.) While the water comes up to temperature, I wash, destem, and chop the kale. Then I place it in a sauté pan drizzled with oil and let it cook over medium-low heat. While the kale sautés, I poach the eggs. The brown rice is the Brown Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s, and I just toss that in the microwave. One day I will buy a rice cooker and make large batches of rice to eat during the week. Until then, this works.

Everything cooks at once, taking 16 minutes or so for a total of four plates. I stagger the eggs, but if you are brave enough to poach multiple eggs at once, you reduce your active time considerably. We place generous slices of avocado on top if they are available, too, because once must always guild the lily when opportunity strikes. The boys like to eat this plain, but I shake some hot sauce on top.

Vegans, you can skip the eggs and saute a can of beans (I like garbanzo) in the same pan you used for the kale.

Under Construction

Jules — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:00:10 +0000

The trick to surviving a trip to IKEA is to maintain your sense of humor. You’ll need it when you try to measure anything longer than a child’s palm with the store-provided tape measures; shuffle through housewares with 4,000 of your closest friends; talk to employees or, better still, find employees. They hide. They see you coming and they hide like socks, keys, and bank fees.

Sunday was great. We knew exactly what we needed and went straight to the warehouse. Then we wheeled out all our items and looked back and forth between the trunk space and our purchases.

I shared my thoughts.

“I don’t know…”

He shared his thoughts.

“It’s gonna fit. It’s gonna fit because we’re not making two trips.”

To his credit he made it fit. He had to open boxes and play Tetris with furniture, but he made it fit. I was impressed, and meant to tell him so, but when I opened my door and found him sitting not an inch away from the steering wheel, knees up as if he was in stirrups waiting for a speculum, well, I dropped the enormous box of slipcovers I was holding and laughed until I couldn’t breathe. Then I wiped the tears from my eyes, took another look at him, and started laughing all over again.

I knew he was good at space planning, but I had no idea he was so limber.

Stuff Mikey Says, Vol. 6

Jules — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:00:57 +0000

On Bad Days

“Some days you just have to muddle through it or go to bed.”

::::::

On Blood Work

“That was so traumatizing, it was like a nightmare come true. Mom, let’s just go home so I can play with Legos and keep myself busy.”

::::::

On Betrayal

“In my world, if you double cross me I will call my zombie crows.”

::::::

On Extinction

“Mom, I’m pretty sure I know why dinosaurs became extinct. They didn’t have hospitals! I mean, have you ever heard of a doctorasaurus?”

Happy, Happy

Jules — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:00:23 +0000

We received the pricing for the trip to Rome shortly after Easter. It was eye opening, but I was confident that with hard work and prayer we could make it happen. I took on writing jobs, whittled down the balance on our only credit card, and accepted another sponsored post opportunity shortly after the one that almost killed me. Our Roman holiday seemed like a real possibility, and I was getting excited. I talked about it to anyone who would listen, and even those who wouldn’t. All I needed was the final price to reflect child discounts before turning in our deposits.

The discounts came in, but they weren’t enough. I went over the numbers with a fine-toothed comb and realized that, lifetime opportunity or not, we couldn’t afford the trip. In order to go we would need to pay off our credit card and then charge it back up again to staggering heights. That’s not something we are willing to do.

We tried our best but it didn’t work out. That’s how life goes sometimes. I won’t feel sad about it because our time will come. I’m disappointed, but realistic. It’s a luxury trip, not a personal rejection or a layoff. Perspective, you know? Speaking of which, the fact we even believed this trip possible shows how far we have come from the disaster of the Mister’s layoff in 2009. How far we have come since just last year! We can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, and if that isn’t something to be happy, happy about, I don’t know what is.

The Plates

Jules — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:00:58 +0000

While it is true I regularly use the party plates my mom pressured me into buying, I still buy paper plates on rare occasions. For example, this past Christmas most of the Mister’s family came to visit. His dad and one sister plus husband, to be specific. I have to be specific because that brings the total body count to twelve, and one night we were hosting his brother/wife, sister/husband, us and the boys and we don’t have enough plates what are we going to do?!

What are we going to do?!?!

You know how you have people coming over and something happens that falls outside your expectations for the night (like having more people than plates) and suddenly every rational braincell you’ve ever possessed sticks to the steam shooting out your ears and leaves you with synapses that can only shoot blanks?

That happened.

I ran out before everyone came over and bought super cheap, plain paper plates and plastic utensils and used them to eat molten polenta with chicken and sauce. The heat went through the plates and marked the table.

In my panic over People v. Plates, I forgot the 40-50 plates we already owned. This sounds silly, forgetting that you own enough plates to open a small restaurant, but it’s true. I completely forgot their existence.

And that’s because they sure as heck weren’t in the cupboard. They were with my mom, neatly stacked in her cabinets, waiting for the moment I could fit more than a monofilament in mine without causing a ceramic avalanche.

As I was writing yesterday’s post, I truly and with all sincerity, said to myself, “I wish I could store our party plates at home. It would be so convenient.”

Oh, honey.

You could try storing the two serving bowls you forgot you had with the other serving bowls. You could donate the baby plates and bowls you never use. You could move the teas you never drink to the beverage cabinet. (Maybe then you’ll remember to detox your kidneys with peaches and dandelions?) Then you can wipe everything down, put things back, and see if you have enough room to store your precious party plates.

Well what do you know. Will wonders never cease?

Please link to a specific post, not a general blog address.
Your post must relate to your efforts to create an intentional home. I have a delete button, and I’m not afraid to use it.
No links to giveaways, please.
Let’s use this weekly link up as an opportunity to gather inspiration and motivation. Click links. Discover new people. Say hi and good job. I know I will.

DIY and Reusable Party Decorations

Jules — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:35:05 +0000

Thank you GLAD for sponsoring this post. Learn how you can reduce waste at your next party!

Mikey’s first birthday party was the first party my husband and I hosted as a couple, and by that point we had been together for almost 7 years. We had people over for dinner, of course, but never a party. Nothing to celebrate our 30th birthdays, my law school graduation, holidays, or whatever other reasons people use to come together. We’re both introverts who avoid being the center of attention.

That’s not to say that I don’t go all out. I do, and Mikey’s first birthday is proof. Sad, sad, proof. I went a little nuts. I invited, oh, everyone we ever knew. I had it catered, had special invitations made, had two outfits for him to wear, and, because it was an Argentine Gaucho theme, had Helena bring over her saddles and bales of hay so the kids could have their pictures taken.

Ever since then, overly produced themed birthday parties leave a bad taste in my mouth.

The one thing I did right was listen to my mother regarding tableware. She felt strongly that paper plates and plastic utensils were a waste of money. She finds them unattractive, flimsy, and bad for the environment. True on all counts, but I didn’t see where we had a choice. She did. In the clearance section of Target she found brightly colored ceramic plates in several patterns. She found matching melamine ones for the kids. She bought enough for everyone attending, and taught me this lesson.

Buy real party plates in fun colors that will work for most party themes. In our case, primary colors since most boy themes (cars, super heroes, animals, etc.) are usually red, blue, green, and yellow. Use them every time you have a party.

I’ve used those plates for birthday parties, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, large dinners, summer barbeques, and ill-fated attempt at Bunco, to name a few. All you need to do is change the flowers and a few incidentals to create a totally different look. Believe it or not, the table never looks the same.

Last year I took that same philosophy and made party decorations I could use again and again, no matter the occasion. I’ve used them at least twice since then, and I am always asked how I made them. They’re easy to make, and I made sure to make them in such a way that you can turn your product waste into party decorations, too.

Here are instructions to make your first set of party decorations.

Here is what you’ll need. Everything (for all the projects in this post) is available at large craft stores, like Michael’s or JoAnn’s.

Card stock. Do not buy scrapbook paper. You’ll be tempted by the cute patterns, but scrapbook paper is thin enough to curl easily, and it won’t withstand years of use as well as card stock. Speaking of patterns, avoid those with words, letters, or anything that would look silly upside down or cut in half. You’ll be making precise cuts, and an upside-down headless dog won’t look cute on a banner. Unless you’re Tim Burton.
Yarn. You can use other fibers as well, but you can buy a pound of yarn for around $5.00, and that’s more than you will ever need.
Glue sticks. Buy the ones with a “no wrinkle” formulation.
A ruler. You’ll be measuring, so a simple straight edge will not work here.
A hole punch. Any shape, just make it large enough to thread yarn.
A cutting device. I recommend a rotary cutter to make quick work of the project. If you don’t have one, you can use the ones at a copy center for free. You can also use an exacto-knife or scissors.
Buttons. You’ll see.

Fold your card stock in half. You want paper thick enough to stand on end, but not so thick that it cracks when creased.

Take your ruler and a pencil and along the folded side of your card stock make light marks at 0, 4, 8, and 12 inches. Obviously the 0 and 12 inch marks are the ends of the paper. They aren’t necessary, but I still do it.

Next take your ruler and pencil and along the open side of your card stock make light marks at 2, 6, and 10 inches.

Finally, take your ruler and pencil and connect the marks at 0 and 4 on the folded side of your paper with the mark at 2 on the open side of your paper. Do this for all the dots. You’re basically making triangles. Or, like Nicholas noted, a giant zig-zag.

Tip: do this with a light hand. I made sure my lines were dark so that you can see them. If your lines are faint, you won’t see them later. If they’re heavy, you’ll become intimately familiar with your erasure.

Cut out your triangles and separate everything into three piles. You’ll have a pile of doubled-sided folding triangles, single-sided triangles, and goofy triangles.

Grab the double-sided triangles first and lay them out to determine a pattern. You can also wing it.

Determine the length of your banner. Pull that amount of yarn and add an additional 8″ on each side for tails. Lay it out on a large table and position your triangles. See how you like it. I don’t cut the yarn at this point in case I want the banner longer or shorter.

Apply plenty of glue to your triangle and press down firmly for a few seconds before moving on to the next one. When you are done, cut the yarn and finish off the ends with buttons.

Are you ready for your second set of decorations?

The second set of decorations uses the single-sided triangles. The first banner looks great from every direction and can hang from ceilings, across walkways, etc. Banners made from single-sided triangles are better suited for hanging against walls, furniture, or anywhere you won’t see the backside.

These are the most popular homemade banners I have seen. They are often made from scrapbook paper, which is fine if you don’t plan on using them for multiple parties/years. You already know the drill, I’m sure. Prepare your yarn as detailed above. Take your hole punch and punch holes at each end. Thread your yarn like a running stitch and finish with buttons.

(See the pencil marks on the orange triangle?)

Congratulations! You have banners!

(I’ve spread out the triangles a bit in the middle to show you both doubled-sided and single-sided banners can be adjusted for spacing after they are already made.)

We have two more decorations to go before we use up all our card stock. Here is your third set of decorations.

Using the entire pack of 48 sheets of card stock will get you a grip of triangles. You can use them all to make banners, but you can also use some of them to make a fun chandelier garland.

You’ll need

Three paper punches in sizes ranging from 2″ to less than 1″
Baker’s twine, #10 size yarn, jute, etc. You need thin fiber, in other words. Embroidery floss is too thin.
Glue in low or wrinkle free formulation.

Cut your baker’s twine in roughly 18″ lengths. Punch fun shapes from your scraps, making sure you have enough for a front and back side. Generously glue each side, press down firmly, and wait a few seconds before moving on to the next one.

Allow them to dry, and then hang them from your chandelier. You won’t use buttons to finish these off. Instead, trim the twine to the very edge of the bottom shape, like this:

Here it is all together.

What’s that? You see the fourth set of decorations? Yes, just take your triangles–even the goofy ones–and thread them on skewers to make quick cake flags. Easy.

Now, go throw a party!