crayons crayons everywhere

Yesterday, we assessed our craft supplies. We have plenty of crayons, just as I had suspected. We had plenty of junk, too, which was happily sent to the trash.

One of our projects this summer is to organize our craft things, and to make a space that is more conducive to creativity. Up until now, we've just been cramming everything into a cupboard in the kitchen. But that's not working for me anymore, and we need a better system.

How do you deal with the paper situation at your house? What about your crayons and markers? Do you have a product you love or a system to share? Please?!

Memorial Day

Our Memorial Day started with a trip to the cemetery and ended with a pool party and bbq, which is everything a Memorial Day should be, I think.

I hope your day was spent with the people you love!

summer!

Day one of our summer survival plan is in full effect. Today's job: sifting through the year's worth of paper that came home from school yesterday. I'm hoping most of it ends up in the trash, but I have a feeling that I'll find it stuffed under their beds instead. Today's fun: breakfast with Mike at his office. We're off to a good start.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if Oliver's sneakers were going to make it to the end of the school year. Thank goodness they did! And then they went straight to the trash. Yuck.

Elliot and I decided that we were over his toile curtains. So we swapped them for sailboats. Much more appropriate for his two-year-old boy self, I think.

And how do you feel about maxi skirts? I was wary at first, but quickly decided they were the way to go this summer. I followed a pin to this tutorial and used a nice stretchy gray knit. Instead of the folded waistband in the tutorial (my midsection and I avoid those at all costs), I used a wide elastic at the top, and added ruffles at the bottom. Sewing with knits can be tricky if you don't have a serger, but most sewing machines have a knit stitch that will work in a pinch.

Find tips on sewing with knits here and here.


Have a happy weekend!

I love us.

I married into a really fantastic family. Honestly, they are so nice and we all get along so well. Last month, we got together for some extended family photos. The photographer also took a few shots of each little family and I just love them. Thank you, Leah!

p.s. Can you believe it? Professional photos twice in 6 months! We are so lucky.

We went swimming.

And it made us very very happy.

summer survival

School is out this week. Hooray! But as much as I am looking forward to summer break, I am kind of dreading it, too. It means long, hot days stuck inside. So, I came up with a plan. It's called "how to survive the summer". I feel better already.

Mostly, it consists of doing one job + one fun thing every morning. Jobs: playing the piano, general housework, playing with younger siblings, etc. Fun things: a trip to the library, a sewing lesson, baking, or having a friend over. (We like to keep things low-key around here.)

Then we'll eat lunch, have quiet time (naps for the little ones, reading for the big ones), and hopefully find a pool to crash until dinner.

That's my plan. Nothing fancy, we can still stay in our pjs all day if we want, and it's totally open to alteration at any moment.

There are quite a few projects I'd like to do around the house, too. So those should keep us busy.

What do you do to survive the summer?

black beans and buns

Do you like black bean burgers? It's been a long time since I've made them. Mike thinks they are too squishy, but I love them anyway. They are a good summertime dish. (In case you haven't heard, we're already in the triple digits here, so summertime food is the thing from now until November.)

I have a few different recipes that I like to use, but today I decided to keep it simple.

Black Bean Burgers
2 cans black beans, rinsed and partly smooshed
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
a handful of grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Mix everything together, then shape into patties. I like to keep them small so they won't fall apart during cooking. Either store in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days, or cook in a little olive oil that has been heated on medium-high until slightly browned and a little crispy.

Place on a bun with things like: guacamole, salsa, tomatoes, cheese, etc.


I'll be honest, the real winner today were the buns. This was my first time making hamburger buns from scratch and oh man, they were good. They were light and fluffy, buttery and sweet. I had to restrain myself from eating them plain straight from the oven, and I am pretty certain I won't ever buy buns from the store again.

Hamburger Buns (adapted slightly from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook)
1 1/4 cups water
1 large egg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten (I use this kind and I buy it at my local grocery store.)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast (It is the best. I buy mine at a local specialty store.)

Place all ingredients into your bread machine pan and use the dough cycle. When it is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal parts for generously sized buns, or 16 parts for medium sized buns. Form into tight balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Flatten with the palm of your hand, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.

Brush the buns with an egg glaze (1 egg, beaten plus 1 tablespoon water) and sesame seeds, or melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes (until lightly browned) in a preheated 375 degree oven.


I think they would be fantastic with regular hamburgers, or something like chicken salad, too. I used one to make Elliot a quick pb&j after his nap and he gobbled it up in three seconds flat.

ma ballerine petite

This picture makes me burst a little bit inside. Stella had her ballet recital pictures on Saturday, and I could tell that she felt so pretty. I am so looking forward to her recital this weekend! If ever there was a girl meant for dancing, it is our Stella.

I asked her to pose like a ballerina, and this is what she did. Then she couldn't figure out why that made me smile. When it comes to ballet, she means business!

Gosh, I love her.

my happy day

Being the mother of these four people is such an honor. They are happy, good, and kind, and they make our home a wonderful place to be.

Yesterday Mike was extra helpful and the kids were cute. There were flowers and homemade cards, phone calls to my beautiful grandma and my own wonderful mother. It was just what I wanted it to be.

I hope your day was a happy one, too!

a day in my life as a mother

At this moment, this is what motherhood is for me:

Motherhood is being greeted by this cheerful face bright and early. He's always the first one up.

Mabel and Oliver aren't far behind. There are usually lots of snuggles and a little Curious George.

Motherhood is making lots and lots of pancakes and playing a quick game of catch. It is a trip to the park even when it's already too hot for the park.

It is reading a book on the couch. And noise. :)

And then a few moments of quiet during blessed naptime.

Motherhood is the hustle and bustle of sweaty kids coming home from school, hungry for an afternoon snack.

It is having absolutely no idea what to make for dinner, and then making something anyway.

It is looking my children in the eye when they have something to tell me, and being better about putting my phone away.

It is spending my time with these little people, and it is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

on dreams and being deliberate

In my dreams I make dresses, I bake cakes, I am calm with my children, I look put together, I have long wavy hair, and I make my bed every morning. Those aren't terribly outlandish dreams, I think, so why can't they be my reality? I've decided to be more deliberate with my choices. I love the idea of imagining how I want my life to look, and then making it happen. I saw a pin a while back that said "Decide what to be and go be it." Isn't that fantastic? This comes naturally to people like Mike. He has always been good at knowing what he wanted in life, and then working to make it a reality. It is something I have always admired about him. I tend to be part of the "wait and see" crowd, but I have lately realized that there is a better way to live.

And so each morning I make my bed and my day is instantly brighter. I rise early and get ready for the day before it gets away from me. I send my children off to school with a hug and a smile. I skip hair cuts and give in to my cake cravings. I challenge myself to sew and sew and sew some more.

It is not as if these changes happen overnight. I don't always look put together, and sometimes I lose my patience, but because I have decided how I want my life to look, making choices that head me in the right direction become easier.

And so, little by little, my life has started to look like my dreams, and I am happy.


What do your dreams look like?

my black thumb

The pots on our front porch have been empty for more than a year. Before that, they were filled with dead plants. I have terrible luck with these sorts of things. So this time around I am trying succulents and a cactus. Those should make it through the summer, right?

the cake

Mabel and I chose the cake for Elliot's birthday. We were flipping through my Baking Handbook, and this one stopped us in our tracks. We didn't think Elliot would mind. I was coming off of a sugar-free week, and I had a load of fancy chocolate that I inherited when my brother moved burning a hole in my pantry. So we went all out.

Our cake had a subtle mint-chocolate ganache, instead of the plain chocolate called for in the link above. (Just add 1 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract along with the corn syrup and salt.) I mostly used a very dark chocolate, which made the ganache a tad bitter, so when I was whipping it for the filling, I added about a cup and a half of powdered sugar. Then I decided that I didn't want to coat the cake in the final, glossy layer, so I left it just like this. I could have quartered the ganache recipe and still had plenty, I think. I baked it for the minimum time listed in the recipe, but that was just a tiny bit too long. If you decide to try it, make sure to check the cake before the timer beeps!

Like most of Martha's recipes, this one takes a while and dirties lots of bowls, but it was worth it. And it tasted even better the next day.

the birthday

Our boy loves tacos. Plus, his birthday falls on Cinco de Mayo, so what choice did we have but to load up the Wagoneer and head to the best taco shop in town? We went early to beat the holiday rush, and had the place to ourselves.

(If you ever come to visit me, I will take you to lunch there and we will eat fish tacos together. Locals, it's on Broadway just west of the DI.)

We headed home for mint chocolate cake. He blew out my match before I could light the other candle. (Don't worry, his face is not as close to the flames as it appears.) He was singing "Happy Day" to himself all afternoon. Oh, how we love him!

Other highlights:

Stella had her face painted.
Mike and Oliver survived the annual fathers-and-sons camp out.
My sister called.

snuggly boys and silk dresses

I don't know if it is the earlier rising of the sun, or his new bed, but Elliot has been waking up too early lately. This means that his naps stretch past four o'clock. On Wednesday, he tried and tried to wake up, but ended up zonked on the couch with me until nearly five! I didn't mind one bit because tomorrow he turns two (darn it) and I'm not sure how much longer this will go on. So we laid there until the absolute last moment before we had to pick Stella up from ballet.

After more than three months of constant dressmaking and alteration work, I am taking a break. I am putting my ironing board away and covering up my sewing machine. At least for a few days. :)

My goal this weekend: pick up my real camera and eat cake!

life lately

Mabel and Oliver have their piano recital this Sunday! They have been practicing away. I think they are ready. I love to see them play the piano. It is a skill that I lack, so I hope hope hope they stick with it.

I realized the other day why I am moving so slowly through my books (I finally finished Death Comes to Pemberley. It took me forever! I thought it was so-so.). Every time I sit on the couch to read, Elliot brings me one of his books. So my book gets pushed aside, because there are not many things better than having a little person snuggle on your lap for a story.

Sleeping in our car seat seems to be the story of our life right now. It happens almost every time we get in the car to pick Stella up from preschool (at 10:30 am!).

Is it summer yet?