a few of my favorite things

On Sunday morning I woke up at 6:30 in a panic. Dan was still beside me in bed, I thought it was Monday, his alarm didn't go off, he was late for work. Then I realized it was Sunday. Isn't that one of the best feelings in the world? My body just gets all warm and limp when I realize I can sink back into my pillows and fall asleep.

Except that all this week I've thought it was Friday. Just now, I was shocked when I looked up into the little corner of my computer to realize it was flashing "TUE". Who knew? I think I'd better break out a calendar or something.

a few of my favorite things

Anyway, my favorite things...I went to the hardware store this afternoon to pick out a paint color for the headboard that Dan built for me last weekend. In my mind I knew I wanted a dark-grayish-brownish-goose down kind of color.

I don't waste my time with all the other color providers. I marched straight over to the Valspar Martha Stewart color line and there was the exact color I was envisioning. That Martha, she knows what I like. I had my color and my paint within five minutes.

Four of those five minutes were spent gathering up other color cards that I liked. I love these things. If I could get away with it, I'd stand in front of the display and take one of everything. I.love. color. And the names of colors--book cloth brown, araucana green, evening moth, sycamore bark....

And for the record, the one on the far left--tintype--will be the headboard--though it's looking very black in this light.

The other favorite thing right now? Cucumber yogurt dip.

this summer's addiction

Our family had dinner with another couple from our church several weeks ago and she made this with her meal. I couldn't stop eating it.  I think that it may well be possible that Dan and I were the sole reason the bowl was empty at the end of the evening. Of course I got the recipe and I've been making it in constant rotation, like a chain-smoker lights cigarettes.

Last summer was the summer of tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and balsamic.

This is the summer of Cucumber Yogurt Dip.

Here's my (her) loosey-goosey recipe:

Peel, seed and thinly slice several cucumbers. Salt them and place in a colander to drain off the water. I leave mine for several hours in the refrigerator. To the drained cucumbers, add plain yogurt, a dollop of sour cream, a tablespoon or two of olive oil, a teaspoon or two (to taste) of red wine vinegar. Mix together and add salt, pepper and dill to taste.

I'm putting it on everything--steak, chicken, potatoes, zucchini, bagel crisps. I even eat it straight up. I can't stop. It's so cool and refreshing and summery. Try it, you'll see.

Happy Friday! Tuesday!

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this is me :: signing off

this is me :: signing off

It's here. The transition. The uprooting. The move. From garage apartment on my grandparents' farm to a little fixer-upper farmhouse practically within eyesight of where we are now. Just a good walk along the stream and you'd find yourself in our new backyard.

It's been a long, hard road. I'm excited. I'm giddy. I'm exhausted. I'm overwhelmed. The apartment is in that cluttered state as bits and pieces get boxed up or moved around. Things are starting to disappear. Some spaces are looking empty. Others seem so full of 'stuff' that I wonder how we'll ever be out of here by Saturday.

I think the girls are ready too. It's been the big tease these past few months. And especially in the last few weeks as they see their toys and books and dressers disappear from here and show up in their new room. I'm dealing with a lot more whining, more tears, more boredom than I have in quite awhile. I'm trying my best not to shove their needs to the back burner while I pack one more box or do one more load of laundry. They are hungry for my attention.

this is me :: signing off

So, I'm signing off for now. My new internet equipment won't even arrive at the house until Thursday and if all goes well, I'm hoping to see you again here in a week. In a way, I thankful for the forced hiatus. This part of me needs to be quiet for a bit, while I work to settle in to our new house and make it our new home.

I'll be popping in to check email here and there, as I can, if I can.

Thank you for following along in this journey with me--being a place to unload, share progress,excitement, frustration and joy.

Life is sweeter when you can share it with dear friends.

See you on the other side.
xo.
molly

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I'll announce the giveaway winner a little later today, at the bottom of that post.

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starting fresh: my quest for creative, simple kid spaces

rearrange the toys and they'll play for hours

Dan and I are doing what we lovingly refer to as "trickling" over to the new house. I doubt we'll ever have a big moving day. But someday soon, we'll find that we're miraculously spending the night over at the new house. Last weekend, the girls took naps over there--Elizabeth in a pack n' play in her room (pack n' play naps are never good), and the girls together in the big double bed in the guest room/office. The guest room is one of my favorite rooms in the house. It boasts the best light--with windows on both sides--and the best bed--a big soft pillow top that we "inherited". I told Dan that if he notices an absence of his wife by his side come morning, to look for me in the guest room.

Each day, a few more things disappear from the apartment--a desk, a rug, a bookcase. And every time I take something away, I am reminded of how refreshing and peaceful it is to keep things simple. To only have what you really need and really want.
taking away :: making new
When I took away some things yesterday, I did a little rearrange of the spaces that were left bare--throwing a few pillows in a corner with a basket of books, bringing out a basket of schleichs and a wooden barn...and immediately the spaces are filled with activity as each child found their special place to play.

It reminds me that children don't need much to stir their creativity.
research
So I've been doing a little research, going to a few of my favorite, books and catalogs for inspiration. And I'm making a list of what things I want the girls to have in our new house. Which toys and materials and spaces are most important to us--a dollhouse, a basket of blocks, a can of colored pencils and sketch books, a corner of throw pillows and books, an old suitcase of dress up clothes...

I'm taking this move as a chance to start fresh, to simplify, to clean out and to be more intentional about what things find their way into our new home.
research, interrupted.
I know we won't find that perfect balance right away. It is a work in progress. My research is often interrupted...ahem, Elizabeth!  And I believe you need to live in a space for awhile to see how you live in a space. I'll let you know how it goes, maybe I'll even share my list as I try to organize my way into simpler, more creative, peaceful surroundings.

I love starting fresh.
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dinner, revisited

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Hello, I'm still here. I owe my disappearance from this blog to a writing deadline that was using up my brainpower, another round of (milder) sickness hitting the youngest two, and just too many sunny days. Although Elizabeth seems to have the worst of it now, but she had a milder case of the flu when we were all suffering with it the first time around. I see sick eyes in this picture....

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I finally finished my mobile for meg's mobile swap last week. It is a variation of the one hanging over elizabeth's changing table, which she is demonstrating in this picture, needs to be raised a wee bit! And instead of hanging it on an embroidery hoop, I attached a few fabric leaves to a willow branch and hung the swallows from there. If you haven't seen the mobile swap flickr group, you must check it out. There is some amazing work floating around--(one of my favorites being the one meg made...)

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So this week I planned my menus again, just dinner--and spent a little more than last week--$131. But last week I think I did a better job of using some of the things I already had in my pantry and made some old standby meals. This week I tried two new recipes. Several people have asked me to share what I made, but let me warn you, we are a very meat and potatoes type of family. Well-balanced and colorful, yes, but meat and potatoes. This is nothing fancy, all very simple menu items....

Monday (b/c the planned roast didn't defrost):
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Baked potatoes
salad

Tuesday:
Marinated chicken
Couscous
Broccoli
Tomato/Bocconcini cheese/Basil tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Wednesday:
Meat Loaf
baked sweet potatoes
homemade corn bread
salad

Thursday:
Spaghetti with turkey meatballs
homemade bread
salad

Friday:
homemade pizza--
"white" pizza--chicken, artichoke hearts, spinach, a bit of bacon, mozzarella cheese.

tabouli over mixed greens--
this was a first try for me, the tabouli. I made it from a mix out of a box and it was no good. But I want to find more grains to include in my menus besides rice and couscous, so if anyone has any suggestions?)

(and I think we had some applesauce in there somewhere...)

So there it is. In all it's (lack of) glory.
Now I'm hungry....


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