It All Started With a Chair

I have a love/hate relationship with IKEA. I have the unfortunate convenience of being able to see it beckoning from my office window, tempting me to occasionally “pop in” on my lunch break to pick up 1000 tea lights or 50 frames to hang in Audrey’s bathroom (more on that later…)

I was cruising through the other day and spotted this chair and was immediately smitten…it’s so, well, un-Ikea. The picture doesn’t even do it justice, it’s so sleek and modern and very Eileen Gray. I reasoned that buying it would allow me to give Bryan his desk chair back (which he hasn’t stopped bugging me about since I swiped it last year.) So here’s the problem…I got it home, stuck it in front of my desk, and now my entire (very tiny) office is begging to be re-done to live up to the coolness of the chair. Damn you Ikea.

Fun with Nature

One of the coolest gifts Audrey got for her birthday was from the oft-mentioned Sam. His super-swell mom Ann packaged up all the supplies required to make a terrarium. She wrote out instructions and then numbered each step in separate containers (the rocks, charcoal, soil, plants, etc…) Thinking of everything, she even included little plastic animals and a gardening apron.

Terrariums featured in Cookie Magazine via Creature Comforts.

We had so much fun assembling it -- audrey was especially fond of the part where she got to dig around in the potting soil (not part of the official terrarium making instructions, but it sweetened the deal for her considerably.) A few days later, I got the new Cookie Magazine in the mail, and lo and behold they had an entire spread on making terrariums -- that Ann is always ahead of the curve. We’ve got terrarium fever now and inspired by the very groovy ones in Cookie, we’re working on a few more for around the house.

Side Note – Definitely steal this idea it was a genius birthday present!

Perfection

Images via Desire to Inspire.

I love these images from Australian stylist/photographer/writer Pia Bijkerk. I think they perfectly demonstrate how a room can be completely simple and minimal and still amazingly comfortable and warm looking. So perfect.

The Anti-Basket

Image via Domino -- Epoxy-coated "Spirograph" Conran

I’ll admit it, I’m a little basket crazy. There’s really nothing better in terms of both form and function for stashing errant toys, board books, art supplies and well basically all the detritus of life with kiddos. The problem? Bryan isn’t a basket fan. He's pretty much requested a ban on the future purchasing and using of baskets in our home. When it comes to our décor, he really doesn’t ask for much, so I’m trying to give him this one.

In the meantime, I’m trying to find something to replace the fireplace basket from last winter, which made its way into the coat closet for random shoes, umbrellas, etc… (see they’re useful!)

This beauty is definitely not a basket -- modern without being cold…like a little work of art. I think he just might go for it.

Still Life

In my still sleepy state, this still life from La Paracaidista’s photostream makes me happy.

Sleep...

I'm thinking I should have saved my coffee post for today. Nine months in and our sweet Millie is still waking up 3-4 times a night. I'm unequivocally, amazingly and utterly tired. But I think these multiple wake-ups would bother me more, if I didn’t feel Millie’s babyhood slipping through my fingers with each passing day. Thankfully she's our second baby, so I know she'll sleep eventually...

Right?

Monday

Coffee brewing in a Chemex coffee maker via dogmilque's photostream -- this guy loves coffee.

I love coffee in ways that probably aren’t natural and not just because I’m thoroughly addicted and can’t function in the mornings until my first sip. I genuinely love everything about it -- the taste, the smell, the ritual of pouring that first cup and adding just the right amount of cream and sugar. My father was born and raised in Louisiana (the land of few laws), where it was not only acceptable but commonplace to give young kids a mug of weak café au lait (think a big mug of warm milk with a splash of coffee and sugar for color and taste.) My folks have always been big coffee snobs...I remember them toting around their red bag of Community Coffee for fear of not having access to good coffee (this was before good coffee was ubiquitous, with a Starbucks on every corner.)

The irony of my current situation -- with two small daughters underfoot -- is that I need a great cup of coffee more than ever but have very little time to make one. I lust after stuff like the Chemex coffee maker. Not only it is really beautiful, but it’s supposed to make the perfect cup of coffee. I’m daunted by the precision of the steps required to brew a cup though. How hard is this? Does anyone regularly use one of these??

Faces

I bought Bryan a set of these personalized birch mugs by Jessica Rust for his birthday and was really pleased with how they turned out. How great would one of these silhouette plates be as a gift for a grandparent.

Defining Luxury

I’m starting to pull together Christmas gifts for the girls (I know, it’s early…more on this later), and I bought this really pretty book by Cynthia Rowley on Amazon only to have this book on the historical and current state of the luxury market come up in my recommendations. After scanning the reviews, it ended up in my cart too. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I buy, where it’s made, the impact on the environment, not to mention my motivation for purchasing certain things, pondering need vs. want, etc… So it seems like a relevant and timely read.

Conspicuous consumption is so rampant in Dallas -- we live in the land of the status handbag, and as much as it pains me to admit this, it’s easy for me to fall into feeling like I need something because everyone else has it. Raising two girls here makes it even more pressing that I squelch that desire. More important though, is the need to arm them with the knowledge required to make conscientious decisions as consumers. I wouldn’t necessarily forbid them to purchase something solely based on status, but I definitely want them to understand the facts behind what they’re buying and to become fully aware of the motivations driving their purchases. I can’t wait to read the book…

Ode to a Dress

The ladies wearing their dresses at Jen's wedding.

Audrey is all about wearing a dress lately. I’ve been letting her to pick out her own clothes in the mornings (in an effort to both foster her creativity and thwart the inevitable melt down when I select something she doesn’t like -- which is basically anything I don’t let her choose herself). She always, always picks a dress. She’s also awfully persnickety about comfort (she’s a bit in-between sizes right now, making pants and skirts a tough fit), so a dress just seems to fit the bill.

I think she’s on to something that kid, because lately dresses have been the “go-to” item in my closet on harried mornings (pretty much every morning.) I bought this dress a few weeks ago on a quick, desperate lunch time shopping trip, as I’m finding that none of my fall clothes either A. fit or B. look right, given that I was large with child time last year. Now my only challenge is to resist the temptation to wear it every single day, thus negating the already fragile aura of pulled togetherness that the dress imparts.

p.s. the dress is now on sale...

I Make My Bed Every Morning, But…

Image of Susan Lutjen’s bedroom via Design Sponge.

I'm surprisingly fixated on this photo. Despite my strong OCD tendencies, it was definitely my favorite image out of a thoroughly lovely sneak peek over at Design Sponge.

Maybe there’s hope for me yet…

Bread and Design

Image via Food and Wine.

Full disclosure...I don’t cook much. Bryan’s really the resident chef of the family. But, I think about cooking all the time. My in-laws subscribe to Food and Wine and bring over stacks of old issues for me every couple of months (a hint perhaps?) An afternoon of feverishly flipping through them, and I start feeling very “Alice Watersesque”, heading to the kitchen -- where I inevitably end up falling back on one of the three or so recipes I have memorized.

I was flipping though an old issue recently and came across an article about Lionel Poilane (he of French baking fame) and his wife Ibu. They were tragically killed in a helicopter accident a few years ago, which made the photos of their amazing home and bakery even more poignant. I’m not one to openly covet other people (if anything, getting older has taught me that embracing all the seemingly mundane everyday occurrences of your own life is the only sure-fire route to happiness), but the confluence of elements that made up their life we’re so amazingly lovely. I definitely walked away inspired.

And Now for Something Seasonal…

I’m a little fixated on Martha today… caramel lady apples spotted on her site.

I think Audrey and I will attempt to make these this weekend – we’re all about apples lately. I love the use of smaller apples perfect for kid sized hands, the little twig sticks and the fall leaves they’re propped on…Oh Martha.

Ingredients -- Makes 12

• 12 lady apples, washed and stemmed


• 2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and chopped


• 1 cup sugar


• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup


• 1 cup heavy cream


• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Insert a 5-inch dowel or ice pop stick into the top of each apple. Place hazelnuts in a small bowl.
   


2. Place sugar, corn syrup, cream, and butter in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until the temperature registers 245 degrees.on a candy thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Remove saucepan from heat, and briefly plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking. Dip one apple into the caramel, coat the top and sides using a spoon, and roll the bottom in the nuts. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining apples.

Pink

Photo via MSL

This image has nothing to do with the fact that I’m feeling all things fall lately, but it was the perfect visual for me to begrudgingly admit that I really, really like pink...

There I said it.

Design Chronicles – Our Dining Room

Our old house was pretty small, and the dining room contained our sole table, where we not only ate our meals, but we worked, did projects and played games. I’ve always longed for a dedicated dining room, despite the tendency that most families have to only use it for very special occasions. With our current home, we gained a lot more space, with a breakfast nook, a den to play games and do art projects in, and yes, a dining room. I’ve been pretty fixated on using it as much as possible…setting the table, lighting the candles and having dinner in there several times a month.

Eating in that room seems to make Audrey sit up a little straighter in her chair, and no matter what we’re drinking she insists that it’s the room where you “clink” glasses before we eat. I've also noticed how having a meal in the dining room seems to somehow elevate the everyday, forcing us to slow down rather than rushing through our food and onto the next task.

Despite the fact that I like the way the room looks now, I've stumbled onto a few images that have inspired me to change things up a bit in there, flying in the face of my hesitation to evolve…. I have no idea where it will take me -- I’ll keep you posted.

Inspiration...

Image via This is Glamorous

Just Trying to Keep Him at the Top of His Game

I've always envied Bryan’s ability to be completely immersed in a hobby. He tends to learn everything he can about a topic, making him the resident expert among our family and friends on a whole host of topics. Truth be told, I’m also a little jealous of him. He’s pretty good at a lot of stuff -- he can cook, play multiple instruments, garden, paint…his latest obsession…woodworking.

It’s awfully tempting to occasionally get annoyed at his hobbies, say when I’m nursing Millie and mitigating some crisis with Audrey, and he’s experimenting with how to use his lathe in some new and fascinating way. But, he’s been making some really cool stuff lately, so I’m taking a new approach and giving him a wish list of items to make for me under the guise of expanding his woodworking prowess.

A quick Google search on “wood clutches”, and I found this really lovely purse. If he can actually make this, it might be worth a few weeks of “single parenthood.”

In Flight

I have to go on a business trip tomorrow for a couple of days. Before I had the girls, business travel was something I looked forward too…it was just another opportunity to experience a new place. But now I just dread leaving Bryan and the girls (even though I’m in a place where I’ve found a pretty good balance between work and family.) It’s still really difficult at times, but my job is interesting and fulfilling (and most of all flexible), which makes balancing a little easier.

I found this quote from Shelly Lazarus, chairman and CEO Ogilvy and Mather, flipping through Business 2.0 (we have a huge stack of business magazines at work), and I immediately ripped it out and taped it to my monitor:

"I am constantly asked by women how to balance careers with family. I know from experience there is no silver bullet answer; if there were, we would be seeing more women in the corner office. The truth is that balance is achieved through a host of individual dance steps, from being willing to suffer a little domestic chaos to insisting that performance be measured by results, not just time spent in the office. Unless you love your work, you won’t find the balance. How can you, if you resent the time away from family spent at a tedious job? I fell into a job and a company I loved. I never wanted to leave and never worried that my family suffered for it. Finding fulfilling work should be an early and deeply pursued part of everyone’s career path….”

I think she’s right on...but I’m still dreading my trip tomorrow.

So Sweet

I don’t sew yet, but when I learn, I’m going to get some patterns from this lovely site. Of course, I’ll need a currency converter handy too…

In Praise of Boys

Sam bestowing flowers upon Audrey for the past three years. Year two was a little rough...

When I delivered Millie, every single nurse that came into our hospital room asked if we were going try for a boy...for the record, the answer was an unequivocal "no". From time to time we talk about what it would be like to have a boy, but we’ve never been anything but thrilled to have two little girls. Bryan has two brothers, and I have two sisters, so we were really comfortable and kinda excited about the idea of same sex siblings.

At Audrey’s party on Saturday, it occurred to me that of all our friends with more than one child, we know only one other family with only girls. Most of our friends have only boys, and they are all really, really great kids – in no small part due to their really, really excellent moms (and dads.) Ranging from age 2 to 16, they’re all funny, polite and interesting… it gives me hope to know that these are the boys that will be Audrey and Millie's peers.

For the past three of her birthdays, one of these little guys -- our dear friend Sam, has presented Audrey with flowers at her party. On Saturday, Sam’s mom Ann told me her dream was that Audrey would be 25 and living in Manhattan and Sam would still be sending her flowers for her birthday.

With Ann as Sam’s mom, I don’t think her dream is that far-fetched.

Audrey's Party in Four Acts

Act One

Act Two
Act Three
Act Four
We're recovering...

Happy Weekend

Choreographer Twyla Tharp in a Gap ad.

We're gearing up for Audrey's 4th birthday extravaganza tomorrow. If only I had half the energy of Twyla Tharp...

It's Never too Late to Learn Something New

I love making a list...but this made making one so much more fun.

The Art of Living with Less

Handmade brushes and tools from the shop Iris Hantverk via March 2007 House and Garden. From Iris Hantverk's site:

"Today, visually impaired craftsmen attach each individual bundle of bristles to the base of the brush with their steady hands, just like they used to in the 19th century. The result? Beautiful, functional and much coveted brushes which also help make everyday life that little brighter."

I’m in major de-cluttering mode lately (who am I kidding, I’m always in de-cluttering mode), but there’s something about this time of year that sends me into overdrive -- going through drawers and closets, creating bags for goodwill, weeding out clothes that no longer fit the girls, etc… I generally don’t have a hard time getting rid of stuff ; I’m not overly sentimental, although I do have some items I would never get rid of.

I found this in Real Simple a while back (it was sent in by a reader), and while it’s a little extreme, it’s a nice touchstone for me when I’m on the fence about whether to keep something or pass it on to someone else.

"Every item you possess has its own function, whether practical or sentimental, so it’s important that each has its proper place. Keep only the most meaningful and useful things – it’s distracting when every surface is covered with objects. Prioritize what you really need, then think about each object’s purpose and respectfully honor its plate in your home."

Dark

Growing up, my family lived for several years in the foothills of Northern California where we were privy to frequent power outages. Nothing could be more fun for a kid than playing games by candlelight and making dinner over a little fire my dad built outside. It was like camping in the comfort of our own home. I’m guessing it probably wasn’t as much fun for my parents.

We had a power outage last night that lasted through mid-morning, and of course I had a huge meeting today. I managed to get ready for work with only a handful of candles for light and no coffee. When I saw my reflection in the review mirror backing out of the garage, let’s just say it was a bit scary….

Again with the Hearts

I’ve always loved Elsa Peretti’s jewelry from Tiffany. She manages to create stuff that is groovy and organic while also being classic -- something I could pass down to the girls (or at least that’s what I tell Bryan.) I’ve had this magazine ad for several years…the way they depicted her inspiration board makes the jewelry even more interesting to me.

So…if I get Bryan the anatomical chart of a heart for our anniversary, do you think he’ll get me this?

I hope so.

The Benefits of Having a Nerdy Husband

"Cubomedusae", from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur, 1904

Bryan was reading an article about the extremely poisonous Box Jellyfish and, craving more information, looked them up on Wikipedia. Not only did he find this gorgeous print, but now we know to carry a bottle of vinegar if swimming at a beach in either Australia or the Philippines.

This is Four

When I was about Audrey’s age, a pregnant friend of my mother’s told me she hoped to have a daughter that turned out like me (clearly the woman had only seen me on good behavior.)

Audrey, you turned out exactly like the daughter I hoped for when I was pregnant…only better.

Happy Birthday.

Christmas in September

Our old house was just a couple of miles from downtown, but the previous owner was an avid gardener who had carved out planting beds perfect for a vegetable garden, so the place was a little like green acres in the city. Bryan decided we should try our hand at growing tomatoes, so he began pouring over seed catalogs to pick just the right varieties for our climate.

Pregnant with Audrey, I walked into the house one afternoon, sniffed the air and insisted there was soil somewhere inside. I inspected every corner until I found a little egg carton of seedlings that Bryan was nurturing through the winter on top of some cabinets in the kitchen. Needless to say, we figured out an alternative spot for the seedlings, and that summer we ended up with more amazing tomatoes than we knew what to do with. We ate tons of them straight off the vine, sliced open and sprinkled with a little salt, and brought bags of tomatoes to neighbors that we didn’t even know…just walking door to door giving them away.

Sadly, our current house doesn’t have an ideal spot for a vegetable garden, but our very nice neighbors invited us to split their weekly produce co-op. Every Saturday is a little like Christmas morning, as we wait to see what’ll be in the box... It’s always the perfect amount for our family, and it enables us to eat things I might not normally buy at the market.

I still miss those tomatoes though…