the tiny hummingbird

dinner at rue de l'espoir // the birthday celebration continues

2012-05-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

A few months ago our church began a prayer group within our Sunday school class called "secret prayer sisters." Women who wanted to join were randomly assigned another woman in the group and told to keep her name a secret. We were to pray for our new 'sister' daily, send her a card of encouragement at least once a month, and make sure to remember her special days, like her birthday and anniversary. I was assigned my friend Kelli so I began praying for her and her family. My secret sister also prayed faithfully for me, and over the next six months (the group began in September and ended in March) I received little treats every know and then - a bouquet of sunflowers, a gigantic bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and gourmet popcorn kernels! After the big reveal, I learned that my secret sister was Amanda, a girl I had grown up with in church. Since my birthday didn't fall within the six months of the secret prayer sister group, she sweetly suggested that we go out to dinner in May.

We went to Rue De L'Espoir on Hope Street and once again I forgot to take any photos of our food. Amanda ordered the butternut squash and forest mushroom ravioli with brown butter sauce and I had the a quiche with asparagus, sweet onions, and squash along with a side salad. The quiche was definitely the best I've ever had - the vegetables were tender and the egg was light and fluffy. My side salad was garnished with what I think must have been pepitas, and they added a nice nutty flavor and crunch. By the time dessert arrived (crème brûlée! turtle cheesecake!) I realized I hadn't taken any pictures so I did snap a few then, but the images came out so dark and grainy I won't bother sharing. So instead, here is a picture of Ezra waiting on the bench outside the restaurant as we waited for Amanda to arrive.

We had beautiful weather, pleasant company, and excellent food - it was an all around great night. Thanks so much, Amanda! xo.

menu of the week

2012-05-29T12:31:00.002-04:00

Hello friends! I have to say, our weekend was pretty awesome over here- dinner at the Rue (more on that tomorrow), hours of yard work, an eggplant parmesan sandwich, a carnival, bubble lawn mowing, more yard work, and homemade chocolate peanut butter ice cream. A great balance of work and play with ice cream to end it all. How did your weekend go? I desperately need to go grocery shopping, so while I plan and shop for our meals this week, you can check out what we ate last week...

baked pastina casserole - A favorite Giada recipe that combines pasta, chicken, cheese, and gravy - that's pasta sauce for those of you who aren't Rhode Island Italians (or married to one!) - hearty and filling, this meal comes together quickly if you have cooked chicken on hand. This time I used some that was left over from another meal. Also, I never use pastina because I don't like straining those tiny little pasta shapes. Instead I use elbows or something else on the small side.

salmon burgers with yogurt-tartar sauce - This was my first time making salmon burgers and I had high hopes for them to turn out well. Unfortunately, dinner was a comedy of errors that began with me attempting to skin the salmon myself (I was only partially successful) and culminated in the propane tank running out so I had to finish the burgers on the stove. Thus, the salmon was overcooked and a bit on the dry side. Luckily we had the yummy yogurt tartar sauce to fix them up.

white cheddar corn chowder - Summer time calls for chowder, so I made this vegetarian version that we love mostly because of the cheddar cheesy goodness. Too bad I forgot to put the cheddar cheese in. Oops. We added it at the table instead.

pasta with black pepper and parmesan - I think I've written about this dish before, but if I have it's worth repeating - this is a great meal for those nights when you didn't defrost anything and don't have anything in the fridge. You basically boil pasta in chicken broth, reserve some of the broth, and add it back to the pan with the pasta, lots of black pepper, and parmesan. Man, is it peppery! But sooo good.

beans and rice - I've made this before but accidentally used cranberry bean instead of anasazi. No worries, folks, things turned out just fine. Wow, it looks as though I made a lot of mistakes this week! Good thing Matt's not too picky anymore.

image via Whole Living

hello weekend

2012-05-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

It was my birthday yesterday so I had to post a pretty birthday cake today. Matt made the day special by having our families and a few friends over for dessert - he made this yummy confection and everyone was so sweet. Tonight I'm going out to dinner at Rue De L'Espoir with a friend... I think I might get the fig & pistachio salad. On Saturday there are more mystery birthday plans - hooray! I'm hoping they involve a certain carnival that recently went up by our house. Oh, and it just occurred to me that it's a long weekend! My birthday week is even longer! Yes, I'm claiming Monday as still part of my birthday week. We're going to Colt State Park with some friends from church for a little cookout and lots of ultimate frisbee. Fingers crossed that the sun is shining!

- such a sweet way to wrap a gift

- if you're a local, check out these free fun Fridays in Massachusetts throughout the summer
- this dress might need to come home with me... after all, it is my birthday week
- the prettiest printable stationery, via creature comforts
- go here for a free dirty dozen download
- I want to make a little liberty quilt, too!
- can't wait to take this funny quiz with Matt
- this little herb garden in an egg carton is the cutest

Hope your weekend is an awesome one.

image via Bakerella

tea with Rose // Tealuxe

2012-05-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hillary and I decided to go to an old favorite of ours last week for our tea tour - Tealuxe. It's probably the most well known place to get a cup of tea in the state so of course we had to include it in the tour.

We met up on Thayer Street at about 9:00 and placed our orders - I chose an iced papaya and pineapple and had to wait a few minutes since it was custom made. Not a problem as I took the time to poke around the cafe while Ezra sipped on water.

I was tempted to get the 'half & half' but I decided that drinking tea blended with lemonade would be cheating since we're supposed to be on a tea tour. I refrained.

The papaya pineapple was a bright blend of fruity flavors that almost tasted sweet even without the addition of sugar or honey. Getting it iced was a good call because the day was already warming up and we headed to the playground after so Ezra could run around. It was the perfect refreshment for sipping while I watched Ezra climb and jump and pick up every piece of litter he found. I'm not kidding. He picked up every piece in sight and wanted me to lift him up so he could reach the trash can. Someone get this kid's college application started because he's already doing volunteer work. Anyway, I would definitely get the papaya pineapple again. I might even buy some loose tea so I can make it at home. Maybe it will be the official beverage of summer 2012.

As you can see, Ezra snagged my tea and downed the last inch or so. I think he felt pretty cool drinking it, although he did add a few wood chips later on. Wouldn't be my first choice for a garnish but then I'm not eighteen months old. Read Hillary's post about our trip to Tealuxe right here, check out our other stops on the tea tour, too!

P.S. Hillary used instagram to capture this shot of Ezra looking all moody. I kind of love it.

gifts for the girl // a little birthday wishlist

2012-05-23T13:29:00.002-04:00

My birthday is tomorrow and I caught myself mentally compiling a wishlist when I was at Target the other day. What girl doesn't love new accessories and pretty paper? For your child's teacher, a high school graduate, to thank the babysitter (or for yourself!) - these are all great to have on hand for last minute gift giving. Here are some of my favorite finds...

scarf / cookbook / nail color / note cards

Full disclosure: I bought myself the nail polish.

a quilt for a baby yet to be

2012-05-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

My latest quilt was made with a special woman in mind. My friend Alex's sister Mikaela asked if I could make one for her friend who's been going through a difficult time and I readily agreed.

Mikaela chose a few of the quilt designs I suggested and then I picked the easiest one because we were working with a small window of time. Once the design was decided Mikaela and I went to Joann to pick out the fabric. She picked out all the prints based on what she thought her friend would like and I helped her edit for color, pattern, and value. My favorite prints are the ones by Denyse Schmidt.

Oooh, and I just love the backing!

I used a simple tutorial from Film in the Fridge as a guideline. It all came together in under a week from start to finish.

Simple straight lines of quilting echo the lines of the quilt. There are two lines on either side of the seams where the blocks and stripes meet.

The quilt is bound with a simple navy and white polka dot and I love how it pairs with the backing. In fact, I love it so much that I might just go back to Joann to pick up some of these fabrics for myself!

I hope that this quilt brings joy and comfort to the woman who it was made for. It was an honor to pray for her as I sewed and quilted, and I hope she feels the love that was put into every stitch.

menu of the week + a recipe

2012-05-21T14:24:00.001-04:00

(image via Sarah Waldman)

This past weekend was pretty much perfect. I don't think I mentioned that we were supposed to be in Newport with my family (my parents have a timeshare there) but things got goofed up so no one ended up going - hence, the change of plans. Our weekend at home was just what we needed to recharge. Here's what we ate last week -

veggie enchiladas - After Mother's Day I had an entire pan left so these made another appearance. A little bit labor intensive (so much chopping!) but very good, especially when served with sour cream. Yum.

lemon chicken tagine - We hadn't had chicken in a while so we headed to Baffoni's in Johnston and picked up eight chicken breasts. Matt thought they tasted game-y but they seemed normal to me. Regardless of the chickens themselves, I thought this recipe left a little to be desired. The lemon flavor was bright and dominant, which I liked, but the chicken turned out a bit dry. I served it with toasted almond whole wheat cous cous.

broccoli cheddar frittata with potatoes - Since we started eating less meat last summer I've had to become more creative with meal planning and I've found that eggs are very versatile, filling, and forgiving. Even if my cupboard is bare, if I have a half dozen eggs and my cast iron pan I'm pretty much all set. While I love to cook and bake and have been doing so on a regular basis for just about four years, I'm just beginning to feel comfortable cooking without a recipe in hand. I'm embarrassed to admit that, but I'm feeling brave so let's get things out in the open. With that said, here's my frittata recipe -

ingredients
2 cups chopped broccoli
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
directions
Steam the broccoli either on the stove top or in the microwave until tender. Set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat (I used my 9 inch cast iron pan). Add the potato, onion, and garlic. Season the potato mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Saute over medium-low heat until the potato is golden, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and stir to evenly distribute. Preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan, an cheddar in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the egg mixture into the potato mixture in the skillet. Cover (I don't have a lid so I just use a piece of foil) and cook over medium heat until the egg mixture is almost set but the top is still loose, about 6 minutes. Take the foil off and place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the top is set and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Use a butter knife to cut the frittata into eight wedges and serve with a small spatula.

baked barley risotto with butternut squash - anything with butternut squash is delicious in my opinion. It really tastes good no matter what you do to it. This recipe is nice because once you get it going you can just leave it on the stove and wait for it to finish. Use that time to prepare a salad or play with your toddler before dinner.

quinoa black bean burgers - I'm so glad I discovered Sarah's blog because I've gotten so many healthy, tasty recipes from her. Now this black bean burger recipe is one of my favorite things ever. Like I mentioned last time we had them, I didn't care for the large pieces of raw onion so this time I made sure to chop them extra fine. I served them on Barwosky's organic hamburger buns.

Tonight I'm making salmon burgers for the first time. I was excited to use the grill but now it's drizzling. Bummer. Here's hoping that the sun comes out again!

hello weekend

2012-05-18T12:26:00.000-04:00

(illustration by Danielle Kroll)

Yesterday felt like the start to my weekend because Matt ended up home sick. Sounds like a bummer, but he ended up being mostly okay so we were still able to spend some quality family time together and took Ezra to zoo and went for a bike ride. Ezra looks so funny in his helmet! I'll have to post pictures soon. Today is looking to be pretty good, too - this morning we (Ezra and I, that is) went out to tea with Hillary and then visited the playground at India Point Park. When Ezra wakes up from his nap I plan on taking him to the Providence Children's Museum. Then later on I'm finally getting that massage - remember when it was cancelled?- I think I need it more this week anyway. Tomorrow morning while Matt heads out to do a shoot I'm going to take Ezra to the first outdoor farmers market of the season, and then we're having a little Morrocan-inspired lunch at our house with a few friends. I love this weekend already. What are you doing this weekend?

- great read on jumpstarting your creativity

- this it the funniest pin cushion ever

- pretty things at the National Stationery Show (the card with the balloons!)

- why didn't I think of that?

- my friend Ashley is having a giveaway of her homemade sugar scrubs - go here to enter!

- definitely putting mushroom ragu on the menu for next week

- this bouquet is pretty much perfect

- finally, a braid I think I might be able to pull off

- check out this free printable of Isaiah 40:31 (scroll all the way to the bottom of the post, after ogling all the chalkboard walls)

- once again, I wish I could go to Dandee's craft camp... I'll just have to host my own some day!

See you next week! I have a new menu, a special quilting project, some family photos, and the next stop on the tea tour in store!

the best breakfast // a twist on the Dutch baby

2012-05-17T12:12:00.000-04:00

I've written about my love for Dutch babies (the pancakes, not infants from the Netherlands) in the past, so when I tried this twist on one of my favorite breakfasts I knew I had to share. Inspired by a recipe in Joy the Baker's new cookbook, I added some toppings to my typical recipe. In case you're wondering why I didn't just make Joy's version, I decided to stick with mine because hers has double the amount of butter and 1/3 cup of sugar in the batter. While I love butter and sugar just as much as the next person (maybe even more so!), I didn't think I needed to add those ingredients to something Ezra and I would be eating first thing in the morning. One thing I did add to the batter from Joy's recipe was a couple tablespoons of toasted coconut. Delicious.

Tropical Dutch Baby

serves one hungry mama and her toddler

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1/2 C flour (you can substitute whole wheat flour without a problem, although the pancake won't rise as much)

1/2 C milk

1/4 t salt

1/4 C unsweetened coconut

1/2 t vanilla

2 T butter

1 C chopped fresh pineapple

1 sliced banana

Directions

Heat oven to 400°. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for a few minutes, checking periodically to make sure it doesn't burn. Stir if necessary to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. Remove from the oven and allow the coconut to cool. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl to combine. Add flour to eggs and whisk until smooth. Add milk, salt, 2 tablespoons toasted coconut, and vanilla and whisk to incorporate; set aside. Add butter to a cast iron skillet (I use a 9 3/4 inch skillet, but something close will do) and transfer to the oven until melted. Remove from oven and carefully tilt the pan to swirl the butter over the bottom and sides of the pan. Quickly scrape the batter into the skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the pancake with the remaining coconut, pineapple, and banana. Enjoy.

Note: My oven takes fourteen minutes to preheat, so I put the coconut in while it's warming up, keeping a close eye on so it doesn't burn. Then I make the batter. Once the oven has six minutes to go I add the butter to the skillet and stick it in the oven. It's perfectly melted by the time the oven is preheated so I just take the pan out and pour the batter in. Your oven is probably different than mine, but I just figured I would share what works for me.

what's cookin' // a gift idea

2012-05-16T10:57:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have trouble figuring out what to get your mom or mom-in-law for Mother's Day? I do! Candles and pretty notebooks are nice and all but they just don't cut it around here. I know our moms hope for something a bit more thoughtful and personal, so after my dad got me and my mom the class at Johnson & Wales for Christmas I had a "eureeka!" moment. We (Matt, Chris, Becky, and I) would get a certificate for a class for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day.

To make the gift a little more special (and so there would be an actual gift to open instead of just an envelope!) I made her a simple apron to go along with the certificate. I think this apron might be my new favorite gift... it was so quick (took me about an hour and a half from start to finish) and it's perfect for so many occasions - make one to give to a friend for her bridal shower along with a set of mixing bowls, bring one to a housewarming party along with a nice wooden spoon or rolling pin, or even to a recent high school or college graduate who's going out on her own for the first time and will be eating away from home and out of the dining hall. Maybe include your favorite cookbook. Or just make one for yourself.

a Mother's Day luncheon

2012-05-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

In honor of our mothers and Matt's grandmother, we hosted a little lunch on Sunday afternoon. When I saw all the Mara Mi products at Target I knew they were the perfect starting point for the day. I picked up a cute tablecloth, dinner napkins, and cocktail napkins and bought lush pink peonies and and pale orange tulips to complete the table.

Using leftover tissue from the tissue poms of last week (it's made of the clippings from making the ends of the poms pointy!) I created a streamer banner to accent my chevron wall art. Definitely leaving it up until Matt can't take it anymore. I love the texture and the bright pop of color it gives to the room.

The menu for the day was sort of southwestern and sort of Cinco de Mayo. I don't know. I made sweet onion and potato quesadillas with goat cheese from this cookbook and my sister-in-law Becky brought a spicy layered dip served with blue corn chips. Southwestern salad started off the sit down portion of our meal, and then I served buffalo style chilli and veggie enchiladas. And in case you're interested, starting at the left and going clockwise, that's my mom, my brother Brendan, my brother-in-law Chris, my nephew Jacob, Chris's wife Becky, Matt's grandmother ("Mama"), my mother-in-law Cheryl, my father-in-law Pat, Matt, Ezra, and my Dad, also Pat. (My dad is Patrick and my father-in-law is Pasquale.) Okay, moving on...

For dessert we had fresh pineapple and strawberries, Mexican brownies, and a delicious flan that Becky made. Now wait. Please look at my little hippo sugar dish and zebra creamer! Aren't they so cute? My mom got them for me at Anthropologie years ago. Ezra loves the zebra and shrieked, "Neigh! Neigh!" every time someone used it or passed it around the table. We had a lovely day with our families, and I'm very blessed to have my mom and mother-in-law in my life. Ezra has two wonderful grandmothers and a great great-grandmother, too.

This passage from the book of Proverbs is a beautiful reminder of what mothers should aspire to: "Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise." Proverbs 31:28-31

P.S. See the Mother's Day brunch (when we told our families that I was pregnant!) we hosted two years ago right here.

hello weekend

2012-05-11T11:33:00.000-04:00

(image via {frolic!})

After a very wet week I'm excited to enjoy the warm weather this weekend. I have an obsession with sheep shearing so hopefully we'll have time to go to Watson Farm tomorrow morning to see the little lambs get their spring time hair cuts. Then I'll be celebrating a friend's upcoming nuptials at her bridal shower. On Sunday we have big plans for a Mother's Day luncheon at our house after church. I'm planning a southwestern inspired menu complete with chili, enchiladas, and flan!

- dining al fresco gets me every time... this picnic party is no exception

- what a neat frosting trick

- these illustrated herb basics are helpful and pretty, too!

- this pretty braid makes me want to grow my hair out

- a swanky birthday party with vintage flair looks like a perfect celebration

- a new twist on grilled cheese - chard and gruyere!

- love this funny Mother's Day card - download it and send it along to your husband!

Have a lovely weekend! Especially all you moms out there...

framed tissue paper poms // DIY wall decor

2012-05-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

Good morning! The sun is finally shining in Rhode Island so it's automatically a good day around here. I'm back with the tutorial on making your own wall art with tissue paper poms, but let me begin by saying that I use the word 'tutorial' very loosely. First, gather your materials: tissue paper poms poms (see my tutorial here), a piece of cardboard to fit the area you wish to decorate, and a hot glue gun. If you choose to create something like Ezra's window treatment, just roughly cut the cardboard as the fluffy edges of the poms will hide any imperfections. If you'll be framing the poms as I do here, cut the cardboard to the exact size of the frame opening, but a little (and I mean little) bigger is okay. Either way, it's a good idea to place the pom poms on the cardboard to get an idea of how you'll attach them before you begin gluing.

Now for the hard part. Heat up the hot glue gun. Once it has reached the right temperature pull the trigger and squeeze a squiggle of glue onto the center of the bottom of the pom. Quickly place the pom on the cardboard where you would like it. Hold it in place until the glue is somewhat hardened. If you pull the pom away from the cardboard it should stay put. Repeat with the other poms. Now fluff!

Push the pom-covered cardboard into the frame from the front and it should stay. If there's a little extra cardboard along some of the edges just force it through the frame opening. This will actually help it stay in place. Cross your fingers that it does. Mine did.

Pat yourself on the back for completing a piece of art that's absolutely perfect for welcoming your mom and mother-in-law to brunch on Sunday. Then bandage up the finger you burned on the hot glue.

tissue paper poms // a photo tutorial

2012-05-09T13:21:00.000-04:00

A while back when I posted the photos of Ezra's nursery several of you asked for a tutorial for making his wall of poms. The first time I made poms was for our wedding in 2008 using Martha's tutorial and I've made them countless times since (for Laura and Ed's wedding, as gift toppers, for Ezra's first birthday party, and for Ari's shower). They're pretty much a party standard around here because they're so simple to make. The biggest difference between the floating poms and the wall poms is that one side remains unfluffed. Keep reading to see my modified version of how to make tissue paper pom poms as wall art...

1. Begin by stacking layers of tissue paper on top of one another. Here I used ten sheets.

2. Fold the stack in one inch increments, accordion style...

To do this, fold on one side, then flip the stack over and fold in the opposite direction, like so -

3. Once you've finished folding, find the middle of the folded paper and staple an 'X' to secure.

4. Trim the ends into your desired shape. I prefer to cut them into points, but you might try a rounded end or leave them as is.

5. Spread the folds out with your fingers and carefully pull out one layer of tissue paper at a time, separating the layers and fluffing them as you go.

I fluff one side and then do the other side, but you might want to alternate. Either way, you'll end up with the same look.

6. Give your pom a once over to make sure it looks round and full on all sides, adjusting the tissue paper layers if you need to.

7. Flip your pom over and you'll see that the bottom is flat. This allows you to attach the pom to a surface to create wall art of some sort, like the piece over the windows in Ezra's room.

Many thanks to Matt for setting up his camera and tripod to help me with these photos. And yes, I am wearing my pajamas. Tomorrow I'll share how I put the poms to use as a welcoming spring time wall decoration in our breezeway. Until then...

a birthday treat // brownie in a box

2012-05-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last night we celebrated my brother's birthday with a little dinner with family at my parents' house, but I wanted to make sure he had something special last week on his actual birthday. A brownie seemed like it would do the trick, so I packaged one up nicely and made sure he had it on the third.

I don't know about you, but I have lots of little cardboard boxes left over from times that I've received jewelry as a gift... they seem to just pile up! This is a great way to repurpose one of those old boxes. Just cut wrapping or other decorative paper to size and cover the bottom and the lid separately, wrapping around the edges so they aren't exposed. If you're packaging a brownie or other food item, make sure to line the box with wax or parchment paper. I added a layer of coordinating tissue paper to make it a little more festive. Then stick the lid on and tie it up with a ribbon or some baker's twine.

I think it makes quite a nice little package, and the contents are certainly worth looking forward to. This is definitely a gift I would like to receive. Hope you enjoyed it, Bren!

menu of the week

2012-05-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

(image via serious eats)

Hello and happy Monday to you! A lot of my plans for the weekend fell through (massage, brunch, visit to Foxtrot Press) but things have been rescheduled and it actually made for a very nice weekend. I finished a quilt I was working on, planned my menu for Mother's Day, and went grocery shopping, a chore I usually save for Monday morning so now I'm free to do whatever I want. We might go to the Providence Children's Museum so Ezra can do some toddler art projects, or I'll start baking my brother's birthday dessert for our celebration tonight. I mentioned last week that we ended up going out to eat more than usual so I didn't cook much, but here's what we had on the menu...

shrimp pad thai - This recipe is from What to Cook & How to Cook It (I couldn't find it online anywhere... borrow the book from your local library!) and was much easier than other pad thai recipes I've tried in the past. The flavors melded really well and, as recommended, we went crazy with the lime juice. Warning: don't double the recipe if you don't have a big enough pan! I learned this the hard way.

brie and apple French toast panini - Seriously one of my favorite things to make and eat. Brie, apples, and brioche. You can't go wrong. Also, this is a quick dinner if you have plans during the day and don't have time for a lot of prep. Clean up is a cinch, too!

farfalle with broccoli pesto - We love pesto so I thought experimenting with adding broccoli would be a nice way to eat our veggies. For a simple dinner it was very good and I would make it again. Just make sure you use good quality extra virgin olive oil since the flavor will come through in the pesto!

baked haddock with baked potatoes and steamed haricots verts - When I only have thirty minutes to get dinner on the table fish is a quick fix. I brush the filet with olive oil, sprinkle it liberally with salt and pepper, and pop it in a hot oven for under ten minutes. Microwave a couple potatoes and then throw them in the oven, too. Lastly, I "steamed" the frozen green beans in the microwave. Put butter and salt on everything and it's bound to taste good.

This week I have plans to make bolognese sauce for the first time. Any tips?

hello weekend

2012-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

(image via Vita Nostra)

Let me begin by saying that the above image is my way of willing the rain away this weekend. It's been dreary all week and I've been wondering how people do it in Seattle. This rain is seriously getting me down and it's cold. Alright, sorry, enough of that. There's a lot to be happy about even if it is drizzly and dark. Tonight I'm getting a much needed massage (this cold weather has been making me so tense!) and then coming home to read and go to sleep. On Saturday we're going to a Cinco de Mayo block party on and around Westminster Street with our friends Jared and Amanda... maybe I'll see you there! Then on Sunday we're going to church and in the afternoon I have two fun things lined up - an open house brunch at The Cupcakerie and then a visit to watch Erika of Foxtrot Press in action. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me. What do you have going on these next couple of days?

Here are a few (okay, so there are more than a few) things I wanted to share with you this week...

- a simple and pretty watercolor silhouette DIY project

- love these third birthday portraits (that crown!)
- adding tiny clay houses to my list of things to make
- this concert attire for a little guy is amazing and I want to copy it for Ezra, especially the suspenders
- maybe I'll take up finger knitting (hey, it's a start) so I can make a pillow like this one
- some bright and stripey invitations for you to download and print

- how to make your own bubble solution (and wands, too!)
- new and fresh paint chip art that I can't wait to try for myself
- listen up local(ish) brides! you can win the bluecube for your wedding... go here for details and good luck!
- been thinking a lot about this post I wrote last year on balance because I still need improvement... any tips or suggestions?

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend, rain or shine.

pizza for dinner | a picnic in Providence

2012-05-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

On Monday we had a little impromptu picnic downtown so Matt could work on some new lighting techniques he had been wanting to try. We stopped at Nice Slice to pick up a pizza for dinner. Just so you know, Nice Slice pizza has the thinnest and crispiest (most crispy?) crust you'll ever see on a pizza and it. is. so. good.

Matt and Ezra ordered our pie (half pesto/half pineapple)...

while I took artsy photos of my Sperry clad feet with the seal of Rhode Island.

We headed up the street to one of the Brown greens and spread out a quilt so we could eat our dinner. Unfortunately the wind picked up and temperature seemed to plummet as soon as we sat down.

The weather conditions led to Ezra bundling up in the quilt while he munched on an apple for dessert.

P.S. If you're reading, happy 23rd birthday, Brendan!

DIY: cork & chalk inspiration boards

2012-05-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

A stack of magazine clippings, odd ribbon scraps, and other treasures of mine had been collecting in a pile on one of the shelves of my craft room and I realized I needed some where to display them. I had been wanting to hang some sort of inspiration board for a while and then, while doing laundry one day, it dawned on me that we had a couple of old window frames in the basement that I could enlist for service.

I cleaned them up and Matt painted them, and I cut cork to fit the screened window frame and he painted the window panes of the other one with chalkboard paint. In order to attach the cork to the screen, I had Matt cut a piece of plywood to fit the back and then hot glued the cork through the screen onto the wood. And voilá!

I immediately tacked up all my magazine clippings, some graphics designed by our friend Matt, a Tibetan prayer flag that came with some junk mail about a week ago, a Christmas card from my Aunt Kathi, and a little metal coin.

The chalkboard is the perfect place for my sewing 'to do' list, and what do you know - it looks like I can even check off item number two! It's so nice to finally have a place to display all my favorite illustrations, photos, and odd bits of my life that I've collected. Do you have an inspiration board?

shop: Foxtrot Press

2012-05-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Anyone who's seen me in the card aisle at Target knows I have a weakness for stationery, and locally designed and printed stationery is practically the pinnacle of paper products for me. Add neon colors and teeny animals and I'm gone. I recently met Erika of Foxtrot Press, a custom letterpress and design in Rhode Island (who, as it turns out, I went to middle school with and who also happens to be the friend of a friend who Matt sort of grew up with - only in Rhode Island), and fell hard for her quirky greeting card designs.

I had hoped to win a set at the last PVD Lady Project event and I was really bummed when I didn't get to take them home. After finding out about my disappointment (I may have been pouting), Erika ever so kindly gifted me with the very cards I had my eye on - score! The hippo is totally my favorite and I'm not sure I'll be able to bring myself to actually write in the card and mail it to someone. In fact, I'm not sure if I'll be able to send any of these cards out - I may just display them on my inspiration board and hog them all to myself.

The hedgehogs are pretty rad, too...

And hot pink whales, of course. I'm hoping Erika will use giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceroses in her designs some day. I'll start a Foxtrot Press collection.

Erika also gave me this awesome print she designed and printed. It has some of my favorite colors (love that chartreuse!) so I was happy to hang it up on my new chalkboard closet door in the craft room. Thanks, so much Erika!

menu of the week

2012-04-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

(image via Kim Deslandes)

So it's 9:45 and I'm only now getting around to writing my weekly menu post. I've been putting it off since last week was a total bust in terms of cooking. Chief among my problems was that I only made three meals and I didn't like two out of the three. Sigh. This week isn't going to afford me much opportunity to redeem myself either, as we went out for pizza tonight and are probably going out for my brother's birthday in a few days. Any suggestions for getting out of this rut?

omelet with asparagus, greens, and pecorino - Yummy and perfect for spring, this omelet was light and fresh tasting. Just make sure you wash your arugula thoroughly because although I spun mine in the salad spinner it was still a bit gritty.

tortellini and cannellini bean soup - This soup had potential but the dried herbs kind of ruined it for me. Use fresh if you try it and I'm sure it will turn out fine. I felt like I was eating lawn clippings with each bite because the dried herbs were too prevalent. Also, don't burn the first batch of beans or else your house will probably still smell like smoke four days later. Not that I know anything about that...

black rice stir fry - I turned this into a soggy mess and still don't know where I went wrong. The rice was cooked but it was swimming in water and still seemed like a mess even after I drained it. Chopped peanuts improved the dish greatly as they added a much needed crunch.

One night I just defrosted a batch of ginger and lentil soup which was leftover from the last time I made it and another night we went to Stan and Karissa's for dinner. She made the most delicious fries and Stan made hamburgers covered in stinky blue cheese, also known as heaven on a bun. We brought a simple salad and homemade strawberry ice cream. Mmm, mmm good.

hello weekend

2012-04-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

(image via Camille Styles)

Last night was the second PVD Lady Project event at Bravo Brasserie... once again Hillary and I met some pretty cool people and I'm looking forward to future collaborations. Also, Erika of Foxtrot Press gifted me with some of her awesome cards and a print, too! Will definitely be sharing those here next week. The weekend is already looking like a busy one - this morning I'm going to a "yard" sale hosted by John Orton Events (it's really much more than that - see details below) and later in the afternoon I hope to make it to the LLL meeting in Providence. Maybe I'll stop by Seven Stars for a pastry. Mmmm. Tonight Matt and I are visiting our friends and their new baby and I can't wait to squeeze his little cheeks. Then tomorrow we plan on finally getting some mulch so I can finish the flowers beds in the front yard. Oh, and I'm making these for Matt's grandmother's birthday celebration on Saturday night. On Sunday it's church as usual. What do you have going on?

- certainly don't need new ones, but I'm drooling over these sneakers
- this wallpaper is making me seriously wish I had an iPhone
- super sweet gift ideas for Mother's Day
- free printable rainbow invitations for your birthday girl or boy
- definitely adding an animal circus train to my list of things to make (and out of empty tea boxes!)

- I want my whole house to look like this bright space
- Matt just unveiled the new bluecube, a revolution in photobooths
- pretty (and free!) printable gift tags

P.S. The weekend yard sale details...

Maybe I'll see you there!

tea with Rose // Felicia's

2012-04-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

Felicia's Coffee in East Greenwich was the next stop on my tea tour with Hillary. We headed south because Hillary was on her way to drop off some merchandise at a shop where she'll be selling some of her jewelry.

I ordered a medium blackberry sage tea as soon as we arrived (it's by Republic of Tea) and was disappointed to find out it was black tea after taking a sip. I think I've mentioned it before, but I don't drink anything caffeinated so I was expecting an herbal blend. I added some lemon and that helped, but also masked the flavor. Bummer.

Despite the black tea disappointment, we enjoyed our time at Felicia's. It has a real neighborhood feel and people were constantly streaming in and out the doors throughout the hour we spent there. The noise level was on the moderate to high end - always good when you have a toddler with you. Ezra didn't bother any one since his babbling and shouting just blended in. I think.

It took all my will power to resist a raspberry chocolate chip cookie at 9:30 in the morning. I'm thinking I should have caved...

Read Hillary's post about our morning right here.

DIY // a jewelry display frame

2012-04-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

For years I've allowed jewelry to collect on my bureau, both gathering dust and inexplicably tying itself in knots while I'm sleeping, I'm sure. I finally decided to do something about it and put an old frame to use in the process. Read on for a full tutorial on how to put together your own jewelry display frame...

What you need: a frame without the glass, cork, fabric, a stapler and staples, and push pins, and possibly some sort of craft glue/hot glue/liquid adhesive

What to do:

First, measure the opening of the back of the frame so you know what size cork you'll need. The rear opening on my frame measured 10" x 14". Now cut the cork to fit the frame:

I purchased a package of four 12" square cork tiles at Target (it set me back about $5), so I needed to trim two inches off the width and add two inches to the height. You may find it helpful to score the cork with a utility knife first, and then cut along the score mark with scissors.

In order to add a piece of cork to the top I trimmed a length from one of the other cork tiles using the same method.

At this point, check to make sure the cork fits inside the frame from behind.

Craft glue is a simple way to bond the two pieces of cork together. I waited a few hours to allow it to dry. (Hot glue would have been faster but I wanted to ensure that there wouldn't be any bumpy spots along the seam.)

Now lay your fabric down on a surface (make sure you have a piece a little larger than your finished piece of cork, and don't forget to iron!) and place the cork on top of the fabric.

Pull the fabric tightly around the edges of the cork and begin stapling. I knew my staples would be hidden by the face of the frame, but I still spaced the staples evenly. Just something to consider.

Continue along one side, pulling the fabric taut as you go. Yeah, I'm not good at ironing.

Move on to the opposite side to ensure a snug fit, pulling the fabric taut and stapling along the edge again.

Once the first two sides are completed, move on to the corners. Simply fold and tuck until you're happy with the look, and staple once more.

I found it easiest to work on one one corner and then staple across the side until the next corner.

Repeat the process on all sides.

Place the fabric covered cork inside the frame...

...and flip it over to view your masterpiece. Your frame is now ready to hang. (Actually, mine wasn't - Matt attached a sawtooth hanger and then we were good to go.)

Next step - get yourself some fancy push pins and hang up your jewels!

Your new jewelry organizer doubles as wall art. It's a beautiful thing, don't you think?

menu of the week

2012-04-23T21:40:00.000-04:00

(illustration by Lucile's Kitchen)

It's 9:30 at night and I'm only now getting this post up so please forgive me. My computer was malfunctioning on and off throughout the day but Matt has it temporarily fixed for now. We'll see how long it lasts, so if I disappear this week blame Dell. Here's what we ate last week:

broiled salmon with Israeli cous cous and haricots verts - This meal was thrown together last minute because I had planned on making a new dish with haddock but when dinner time rolled around I realized I took the wrong package out of the freezer to defrost. Salmon it was. I sprinkled the filet with sea salt and ground pepper and then started boiling water to make cous cous. Next I tossed green beans with olive oil, sea salt, and ground pepper and steamed then in a pan on the stove. Once the sides were going I stuck the salmon under the broiler for about seven minutes. Not bad for a last minute dinner if I may say so.

pizza with homemade crust - Obviously we don't get bored with pizza (we had it last week, too) and we even used the same old toppings. What can I say... we love ourselves some pineapple pizza.

cannellini bean soup - Surprisingly simple and tasty, this light soup was quick (if you don't count cooking the beans before hand, that is) and delicious with crusty bread. Fresh rosemary and thyme brightened the flavor and whole beans lent an interesting texture. Ezra had seconds.

baked macaroni and cheese - A classic recipe from The Joy of Cooking that I make over and over again, this mac & cheese was actually the first dinner I ever made when we returned home from our honeymoon. Mild cheddar, mozzarella, and some Parmigiano is my favorite combination of cheeses. Sometimes I add roasted broccoli to the mix.

pot roast with porcini mushrooms over egg noodles - Giada has never let me down so I was confident that this recipe would turn out well although I'd never made it before. The sauce was smooth and perfect for coating the egg noodles. Plus, we had leftovers for two days.

We also ate our way through three heads of lettuce, four peppers, one European cucumber, and about half a can of black olives in salads throughout the week. Olives on fingertips were an almost endless source of entertainment for Ezra one afternoon. A little playing at the table is allowable, right? ;)