hooray

Monday Inspiration...

2012-01-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

(photo: GWS, via Anna)

"Growing doesn't always mean adding more on, or getting bigger... sometimes in order to grow, you have to prune away the unnecessary... the things that keep us from growing. Sometimes you just have to simplify to make room for new growth." - Lindsay of aisle to aloha

(I read this quote the other day and thought it applied so well to creativity and life in general.)

Friday Favorites...

2012-01-27T08:04:00.001-05:00

Story of two artisans' home. Rachel's sweet new kitchen shop. A new-to-me blog, Paper Morning. And making tiny paper flowers.

Grow.

2012-01-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

Our orchid has had a sudden growth spurt; four blossoms and another bud. It always amazes me how gratifying it is to see it thrive in the winter, while outside everything is sleepy and cold.

Cookies & Tea

2012-01-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen since before Christmas, and since she loves tea & lemon-y treats, I made her a batch of chewy lemon cookies (recipe here) on Sunday and wrapped them up along with some of this tea. They are kind of perfect for winter, because they're a refreshing version of a sugar cookie, with a bit of lemon zest in each bite.

Monday Inspiration...

2012-01-23T07:34:00.000-05:00

Artist Penelope Boyd // Third Room Studio paintings.

In addition to her artwork, she writes one of the sweetest blogs around.

Friday Favorites...

2012-01-20T07:35:00.001-05:00

Calming entryway. Gift bags (via satsuki). A tiny closet cubby (via lisa). And sweet Valentine stamp packs.

Mudroom Progress

2012-01-19T07:57:00.000-05:00

Below are a few shots from my phone of the back entryway so far. We painted it Bakery Box White in December, and it lightens the whole room up from its previous dark yellow walls.

Stacking the washer & dryer to make use of vertical space opened up a corner area that also made a huge difference. It feels ten times bigger now! We have plans to cover that washer hookup on the wall with a box shelf, and add a small bench and coat hooks. We'll get there...

Paper Mache Bowl

2012-01-18T07:53:00.001-05:00

A cool project on making gold frosted bowls, from the third issue of Styled. magazine.

Making French Onion Soup

2012-01-17T07:48:00.001-05:00

Between getting the cookbook My Father's Daughter recently, along with the new camera lens, I've been cooking & photographing in the kitchen a lot lately. It's usually dark when I start dinner (courtesy of winter), so the photos don't always turn out pretty, but I like documenting the process for myself to look back on and am considering printing a little booklet of all of my favorites...someday. Here is one favorite (from the cookbook) that I make frequently: French-onion-style bean soup (recipe here). It is so delicious, and best of all, easy to make.

(simple spices)

(star of this dish: fennel bulb - so fragrant - along with garlic & onion)

(hearty, white cannellini beans)

(served, with crusty bread...or cheesy toasted baguettes)

Monday Inspiration...

2012-01-16T16:45:00.000-05:00

Woody Allen's film, Midnight in Paris.

I love how this movie combines magical scenery and humor with an interesting theme on life & the arts. And, now the screenplay has a well-deserved Golden Globe.

Friday Favorites...

2012-01-13T07:32:00.008-05:00

This bedroom.
Cupid Kits (via that's happy).
These popular lights, now on sale.
A beautifully designed book cover.

(I'm continuing with Friday Favorites posts this year, as a way to share some of the online finds I'm most inspired by each week - whether it's a room I love, a DIY project to try, or just a fun product. Have a great weekend : )

Mudroom Inspiration

2012-01-12T07:53:00.006-05:00

We're slowly making over our laundry/mudroom - a shoebox-sized space off our garage that houses our laundry area, coats & shoes, and the un-glamorous litter box that greets us upon entry (oh, how I wish we had somewhere else to put that thing!). We are hoping to make the space a lot more functional (and welcoming) than its current state and I have some before shots, along with some progress, to share next week. Here's a peek at my inspiration for the room.

1 & 2: colorful entryway and painted knobs, from Martha Stewart.
3: striped rug & clean white, from House and Home.

Making Macarons

2012-01-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

The night before we left town for Christmas, I became determined to attempt making macarons. I read up on strategies and compared recipes here and here. Q and I scoured the grocery store last-minute for almond flour (with no success, so I ground my own) and carefully selected ingredients like white chocolate & raspberry jam for fillings (along with pastry bags & tips, which I didn't own).

And by the time I actually got to the baking part - whipping egg whites into a glossy meringue, carefully folding, piping onto baking sheets, and waiting for the results from the oven - I realized I couldn't wait to experiment again & make these more often. Even if half the batch turned out like little meringue volcanoes, they still taste delicious.

Hooked on Organizing...

2012-01-11T07:06:00.000-05:00

...I guess it's inevitable this time of year. A few items I'm liking:

Handy planner with pocket envelope.
Oxo's colorful water bottles (I'm upgrading & purging our cabinet of seen-better-days bottles).
Manual paper shredder (we need one & I like the small profile of this).
Eco-friendly binders (via).

New Year

2012-01-10T16:40:00.000-05:00

(baking cookies on Christmas Eve)

Instead of jumping back into blogging last week, I decided to wait until sometime after Epiphany to start anew. We started taking down decorations over the weekend and organizing and tackling some house projects. Going for a run/walk every evening. Eating homemade soups and actually making grocery lists. Twinkly lights still left hanging in the bedroom. We'll see how long I feel this energized about winter, but for now I'm trying to enjoy the small things. Wishing you a happy 2012.

(vintage baubles from my mom)

(our waking orchid)

(borrowed book on organizing. love!)

joy to the world.

2011-12-23T07:51:00.006-05:00

We've made it home to our family, and are preparing to celebrate the birth of the King (with many a Christmas cookie involved :-). Hope your holidays are wonderful, and Happy New Year!

(photo taken in traverse city last year)

gift wrapping.

2011-12-22T13:50:00.001-05:00

Besides a roll of white & kraft paper that I always keep handy, the only wrapping paper I've bought in recent years is a pack of stars, stripes, & hearts from Ikea last Christmas. It pairs great with any type of recycled/found papers for a nice homemade look - anything goes. This year I cut up our TJ's grocery bags (they have cute free tags on the back) and then used the rest of it to wrap remaining small gifts, without worrying about perfect corners or avoiding excessive amounts of tape.

under the tree...

2011-12-21T16:00:00.006-05:00

(similar lens I had borrowed)

Q surprised me with an early Christmas gift: a 35mm lens for our camera. It has a low f-stop to let in extra light & blur background objects, and one of my favorite unexpected features is the silent motion motor - it runs smooth like butter when you focus on your object (and consequently, makes me even happier when using it). I'm sure there will be a lot more picture-taking happening over Christmas this year.

(first few photos snapped with the lens: a candle by the tree, and potted plants waiting to be gifted)

the weekend before christmas...

2011-12-19T16:45:00.003-05:00

...and we spent ours shopping for a few gifts, babysitting nephews, going to a Christmas cantata, painting our mudroom, and watching movies (including this one in theaters). How was yours?

Above: our twinkling village; heart sweater & a Met and Liked notebook for bloggers! at jcrew; a minty coat of Bakery Box White on our walls.

friday favorites...

2011-12-16T16:15:00.001-05:00

(mantle decorated with candlesticks & mini trees)

A few small, random Christmas details that we're enjoying around the house lately. Hoping to soak in every bit of holiday goodness this weekend (including a driving lights tour around the neighborhood with popcorn & hot chocolate in the car. What.) Happy weekend!

(odd little glass elves from my mom's childhood)

(pine cones resting safely around the house - a sign the cats are gone)

(old & new ornaments)

songs for christmas.

2011-12-15T19:15:00.002-05:00

I've been enjoying the various holiday playlists on blogs, and although I can't resist those classic holiday songs, I thought I'd put together a little mix that also includes more of my favorite, traditional carols & hymns (celebrating the true meaning of Christmas).

There's a bit of everything - festive classics (& movie favorites), winter songs, and mellow hymns for Christmas. Hope you enjoy! (And if you have any other favorites, I'd love to hear).

Listen to the playlist right here.

hello red.

2011-12-15T07:52:00.003-05:00

A few snapshots while packaging up the last of the holiday goods for this year! I just wanted to say thank you, so much for your support of the shop launch (and patience on pre-sale items). It is truly appreciated, more than you know.

ginger pear tea.

2011-12-13T07:36:00.001-05:00

This organic tea from TJ's is some of our most well-spent $3 lately (it has a refreshing pear flavor & slight spice of ginger, and a hot cup of it is pretty wonderful by the Christmas tree on a Sunday afternoon).

monday inspiration...

2011-12-12T07:55:00.002-05:00

Soundtrack to the film The King's Speech (music that can inspire you in any mood - it's just so good).

(image 3: orchestra's studio during the recording process)

minnie cat.

2011-12-09T07:48:00.001-05:00

Despite a few attempts to pull together a friday favorites post, these photos on my desktop were begging to be posted. Our two furry friends are already at my parents' for the holidays (since we'll be traveling there anyway), and it's strangely quiet around the house lately. Also, much, much cleaner... Have a wonderful weekend.