Happy Mother's Day!

Sun flower seedlings. Morning snuggles. Brunch with friends. A call to mom and mom-in-law. Happy Mother's Day!

Weekend Brunching

Originally, this blog was only going to be about crafts...but I think it is slowly turning into a blog about daily life, motherhood, the things I enjoy, and the things that inspire me. So, naturally, the art of brunching must make a debut! Brunch is my favorite meal. It is just so...happy. I can think of few things more pleasant than sitting down to a good, hearty brunch on a sunny, weekend morning. (Guess what we're doing for Mother's Day?)

Where as real foodies look for restaurants to go to for dinner, I gravitate towards brunch. It's not even really about the food (though good food is nice); but just the pleasure of sitting down to eat during the day-time and not being in any particular rush about it. I have been giving Jason lists of places that I would like to try.

Here is my 2010 Brunch List (in no particular order):

Masa (South End)
Ole (Inman Square)
Friendly Toast (Kendall Square)
East Coast Grill (Inman Square)
Vee Vee (Jamaica Plains)
Ginger Park (South End)
Stella (South End)
The Blue Room (Kendall Square)
Teranga (South End, lunch)
The Beehive (South End)

We've hit 3 of the 10 so far. We'll see if we can make it through the list this summer. Perhaps I'll pick a favorite. My favorite brunch place of 2009 was Tremont 647--the pancakes were the best I'd ever had...and I've had my share of pancakes. Happy brunching!

Farewell to Cambridge: Harvard Yard

Earlier this week, on our morning walk, Collin and I wandered into Harvard Yard. Collin's first visit to my Alma Mater. It struck me, perhaps for the first time, that this is a part of my life that Collin will never really know about--a distant past for him, irrelevant and most likely uninteresting. He may never know (or care) that I first sat here in 1998, a starry eyed freshman, waiting eagerly to hear Nelson Mandela speak. Or the numerous times I've walked through this yard late at night, after "studying" at Lamont Library. Or that Jason and I spent the morning of our wedding here, taking photos when no one else was around, savoring a few quiet moments for ourselves. Not that I hold Harvard and its culture of drivenness in particularly high esteem (I would be happy if Collin could grow up without the pressure to acheive, the fear of failure, the trap of measuring himself against others). But this physical space, whatever it may mean to others or symbolize to the world, holds many memories for me and a history twelve years in the making. Walking Collin through the Yard today made me realize just how long ago college was for me, and how much a new life can put space between the present and the past.

The feel of the Yard is different to me now, though traces of the past still linger. Ten years ago, walking through this very same place, I was enthralled by the potential opportunities life presented (they seemed endless!), and anxious for what the future would hold; excited about dreaming big dreams, and insecure about whether I'd ever find the right path; loving the freedom and independence of being on my own, and wondering if I would ever find someone to share a life with. Today, life feels a bit more settled, the potential opportunities do not feel so endless, but neither am I as anxious about the future. I think I still have many of the same dreams, but they have deepened and become more tempered. I no longer need to accomplish all of them right now. Some dreams may remain just that--dreams, and that is okay with me. There is a quiet joy that seems to be growing with the years, and I find myself looking back on my time in Cambridge with fond contentment.

We are moving from Cambridge to Somerville in a couple months. As I pass by all my favorite spots in Cambridge these days, I feel compelled to record them, savoring the last moments of living in this town. So here is the first of what hopefully will be a "Farewell to Cambridge" series. Sure, Somerville is only a short drive (or walk) away, but there is something particularly special about Cambridge. It is where I first tasted the independence of living on my own, the pleasure of loving God, the blessing of living in community, the excitement of falling in love, and the joy of starting a family.

It's been a good 12 years.

Ad Hoc Dinner

Sometimes, the unplanned dinners are the best (or at least healthiest). Nothing like throwing together a salad (with homemade dressing of course!) and some hummus veggies when there's nothing else in the fridge to make. It is unfortunate that, after a meal like this, Jason will get hungry in a couple hours and want to eat all sorts of unhealthy snacks at night. C'est la vie.

On the other hand, the little guy seems pretty satisfied with his equally-vegetarian meal:Pureed peas and brocolli, pureed cauliflower, and mixed-grain cereal. Yum.

This post is probably of no interest to anyone except for me--just wanted a record for myself of a regular dinner at home. Happy Friday!

Playing Hookie

Today, I left work at noon, left the baby in daycare, and spent the afternoon with a friend I only get to see once or twice a year. It was great. We chatted over tapas and a mid-day cocktail. We talked about life, and relationships, and changes, and our 20-something years. It made me feel like I was 20 again...or maybe more like 25.

Five years ago, at 25, I was completely unattached, finishing up my second year of law school, returning from a month of field research in Cambodia, and looking forward to a summer in San Francisco. Now, I work part-time with refugees, am a full-time mom, and spend my time cooking, baking, cleaning, crafting, and enjoying my family. Such different seasons, each special in its own way.

There's nothing like spending an afternoon with an old friend to remind me that I am grateful for friendships and the different seasons of life.

Happy Birthday Sandy!

For a good friend's birthday, I found this neat little jewelry rack at The Shoppe at Laboure, a little boutique shop at my work where all proceeds go to Catholic Charities. I thought the rack was super cute, and (hopefully) useful too.

To add a personal touch, I made her these earrings:
Now that I have less time to spend browsing through bead shops and looking for those special few that inspire an idea, it's been nice to have some materials stored up from before and ready to use. I bought these glass beads in 2007 from a store in Taiwan. Hope she likes them!

A Pleasant Discovery

Yesterday, I took Collin to this wonderful little shop in North Cambridge: The Cambridge Quilt Shop. I had found it on-line, and wasn't sure what it would be like. It turned out to be a really great find--the staff were friendly and helpful, they have a wide array of fabrics (some cut into 1/4 yd squares to better serve quilting needs), and there were multiple works-in-progress during my short Thursday afternoon visit. As an added bonus, there's a little knitting shop right next door!

Now, if I can only find the time to start on the quilting project I've had on hold for the last year...

Happy 1st Birthday Aidan!!

I love Sennelier pastels! They go on so smooth and easy.

The main difference between these two pieces is that I primed Collin's piece with a blue base, and added the colored squares on top of that. Aidan's was done purely on the white paper, without a base color. While, in some ways, the color tones on Collin's are a little more cohesive, the base coloring does dull the colors a bit. Overall, I think I prefer the brightness of working directly on the white paper.

These are so fun to make!

Homemade Salad Dressing

It's hard to go back to store-bought salad dressing after making your own. The flavors are so much richer when the ingredients are fresh. Here are two that I've really liked: miso-ginger dressing and good ol' balsamic vinaigrette.

I found that the miso-ginger recipe was a little too thick--it was more like a dip than a dressing. I would cut down on one carrot and maybe half the amount of miso and ginger as well (or alternatively, increase the amount of oil). Haven't tried this tweak, so not sure how it would taste.

There are a lot of recipe variations on the balsamic vinaigrette. This is the one I use, because it's just so easy (and tastes so good!):

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
pinch of fresh ground pepper

Next on my list: Lemon-shallot vinaigrette.

Hello Spring

Somehow, it's been five months since I "revived" this blog. The little guy is over seven months old now, and the smell and feel of spring is in the air. There's something wonderful about the seasons, marking the different stages and rhythms of life. It got me thinking that I really should be more routine about blogging, if nothing more than to keep a record for myself of the small and simple things that I enjoy.

There's no way to catch up on the last five months in one blog...but here are some snap shots of my favorite little projects:

Hats, hats, hats for the holidays!


Amy Butler fabrics to brighten up the wintry months...


Oil pastels for some kiddie wall art...


And a little prelude to my summer gardening ambitions...

Happy Spring!