June 9

I've got a lot floating around in my mind this week; only one more day of preschool left, a big stack of books from the library on my nightstand, new recipes to try. I'm not sure where to begin so I'm just going to start unloading...

I am reading this stunner of a book by the poet Elizabeth Alexander. My heart hurts but also swells reading her prose. Maria Popova of Brain Pickings wrote a review about it here. Elizabeth also has a wonderful conversation with Krista Tippett on "Words that Shimmer."

I've been loving this super basic and comfortable bra from Lively. It feels so nice to ditch the underwire for summer...

I just got this perfect little summer dress from Zara. It would look great with a pair of these earrings I'm still wishing for...

I pre-ordered Pamela Salzman's cookbook which finally comes out next week! I've talked about her and shared her recipes here many times. She cooks how I like to cook and like me, the woman loves to eat and eat well. I'm excited about this one. She'll also be here in Seattle at Book Larder later this month...

I want to get a few of these Turkish Towels to bring with us to the beach and the pool this summer...

I'll also be wearing these classics a lot this summer...

I bought this rad letter board a few months ago which hangs in our dining room...

I'm also doing some major organizing at home, specifically the shelves in my husband's office and the hall closets. I love these stackable bins that I find at Storables and have been using them at home and at my studio for the last several years. They are great for toiletries, batteries, light bulbs, paperwork that needs to be filed, you name it. I have both the small and large ones. 

And just for fun, Jacques Pépin dicing an onion...

Happy weekend!

Vamos a la Playa

My son and I are getting ready to take a little trip with my mom to Mexico. I'm packing light with just a carry-on that I can carry on my back which isn't too challenging considering we only really need the essentials: swimsuits, sunscreen and flip flops. 

A few things I'm packing...

This Stella McCartney Adidas swimsuit that I super love (especially the back)...

My favorite Beautycounter sunscreen has to stay at home because of the size but I'm bringing along their body stick and this stuff in the 2.5 oz version that my friend Omar likes. And my favorite face sunscreen from Suntegrity...

I'll also be wearing my favorite trucker hat from Machine Machine...

And my new favorite denim shorts...

My son has these swim goggles which are fantastic. More like a mask than traditional goggles and they are super easy to adjust. I bought an adult version for myself as well.

I am also using this great (and affordable) linen shirt from Uniqlo as a beach coverup...

Forever and ever Ray-Ban New Wayfarer shades...

I'm also packing a small medical kit my husband put together and this elderberry syrup that we all take regularly at home. It's great for extra immune support and is anti-viral and anti-microbial.

And this is the bag everything is going into, the MLC from Patagonia...

I'm also using this pared down backpack from Topo Designs...

Packing cubes are super helpful to keep everything organized.

Last but not least, two new paperbacks for me! This and this. Uno, Spot It, a Koosh Ball, crayons, colored pencils and a coloring book.

Now it's time to brush up on my Spanish. 

January 27

As I've mentioned before, I have a cookbook problem. An addiction really. Cookbooks and Clare V bags (as demonstrated by my purchase of this beauty today that was an extra 25% off and is in army green suede)...

Yep. So back to cookbooks, I've only been allowing myself to check them out from the library as of late but then a friend gave me a gift card to the local cookshop and I walked straight to the back and picked up these two that have been on my wishlist...

Gjelina (which includes the recipe for that amazing Kabocha, Olive Oil and Bittersweet Chocolate Cake)...

And Julia Turshen's Small Victories which is crazy good for both a novice in the kitchen and the well-seasoned home cook. The recipes are delicious and simple and she also shares some really fantastic tips. Like the one to make a perfect margarita without a shaker which I utilized this evening...

"Whisk together the juice of one lime with 1 Tbsp agave nectar and 3 Tbsp good-quality tequila. Serve over plenty of ice."

Last night for dinner I made her Potluck Quinoa which was stellar - comprised only of quinoa, hazelnuts browned in a good amount of olive oil, lemon juice, arugula, dill and Maldon salt. 

Image from On Being

I've been working my way through the On Being archives and just listened to Krista's conversation with Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons and Lucas Johnson. It was recorded nearly two years ago but current as ever. Lucas's words on "revolutionary pacifism" stuck with me (especially the bit about the importance of "internal work")...

“Muste would talk about a revolutionary pacifism, right? That was his expression and that was his way of describing this notion of direct engagement. Pacifism was not about neutrality while injustice was around you but it was about finding the courage to respond in love. And I think that it begins with a commitment to love. I describe it as a spiritual discipline, right, as something that requires a lot of internal work in order to see others as opponents but not enemies, to see others a part of the social transformation that you’re seeking to create.”

In the same vein I love this shirt from Everlane...

I also bought these really fantastic pants from Kit & Ace for teaching at the studio. But they look so great and have a nice heavy drape, more like a trouser, that they'd make a great travel pant and are totally appropriate for wearing out on the town...

A few weeks ago we had a stretch of some pretty cold temps which had me searching for a pair of proper winter boots. If the cold returns I think I'd like to order these!

Happy New Year!

Image @Drawbertson

Parenthood

I began writing this intending to talk about Jenny's post back in April about Catherine Newman's book Catastrophic Happiness, which I promptly added to my reading list. But I kept staring at a blank page unable to write. Feeling tapped out.

Life the last two months has felt rather full. Wonderfully full. But I've been doing a lot of "just keep your head down and let the momentum carry you" in an effort to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed.

My husband has been traveling nearly every week over the the last two months. Doing all the grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, Lego building, preschool drop off and pick up and the bedtime routine solo and trying to keep my own teaching schedule going is proving to be a bit of a challenge. That said, as much as I feel overextended I feel equally grateful. We've paddled through some tough waters as we both ventured out to be self-employed right before the recession hit and everything tanked. And here we are a handful of years later on the other side of it, with a great deal of work that is meaningful to each of us. We are profoundly grateful. 

We are busy with work (just as everyone we know seems to be), and are in the thick of the child rearing years. There are never enough hours in the day to get it all done, nor will there ever be. And the things I'd like to do for myself quickly fall by the wayside - my own Pilates exercise, meditation, dance class, reading a book, writing a blog. I know that will change down the road. But right now I am working on fully embracing just being "in it."

“Life isn’t about avoiding trouble, is it? It’s about being present, even through the hard stuff, so you don’t miss the very thing you’re trying so hard not to lose. I understand all at once the title of a Zen book I haven’t even read: Full Catastrophe Living. That’s what I’m doing. It’s the full catastrophe, and I’m in it, and if I wait for it to be over, well, it will be over.”

So go on and read Jenny's post and if you need even more summer book reading recommendations, her latest post is just that. 

A few other little things...

More Catherine Newman, I also really love this article she wrote in the NY Times a while back about the importance of giving kids your undivided attention...or none at all.

And from the NY Times last week...

"The Chinese philosophers saw the world as one of endless, shifting relationships. That’s why they emphasized that we have influence over the trajectory of our lives when we focus not on who we are, our plans for the future, and self-assertion, but on learning how to relate well to others.

Caring for one another is hard work. It requires endless awareness, adaptation and responsiveness. But it is one of the most important and rewarding things we do. This is not just how our children will become better people and live better lives. It is how they can create a better world."

I am really enjoying listening to podcasts, especially Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin. In the most recent one with Michael Pollan, Pollan talks about one of the best ways to remedy a picky eater - get them cooking in the kitchen.

I've also been wanting to share a bit about my son's 4th birthday party we had earlier in the month, especially the slow-roasted side of salmon I served which is a foolproof recipe everyone should know. I have a handful of favorite skincare products I'd love to talk about, loads more recipes and I finally found a really great, good-looking outdoor umbrella stand. I hope to get to all that soon.

Holiday Gift Guide - Books

The one thing I'd love most on my xmas list is this book.

Out of print for more than a decade, it has just been reissued. The breadth and scope of Grace's work is such that I'm surprised the book is only 408 pages...

I added these three cookbooks to my collection this year and am very happy that I did...

Gluten-Free Girl American Classics Reinvented - I have followed Shauna's blog for many years. Her latest book is worth having just for her gluten-free and grain free flour mixes alone. Her pancakes and several other recipes from this book have become staples in our home. Side note: if you're the type that would rather buy a really good gluten-free AP flour than mix up your own, you can buy it directly from Shauna here!

Date Night In from Ashley Rodriguez (another Seattle local) 

And 5 stars(!!!) for Genius Recipes from the folks at Food52.

Almost a year after reading this book and the subsequent whole house purge that ensued, my home has been forever changed. If you didn't jump on the bandwagon last year, now is as good a time as ever. She also has a new book coming out just after the first of the year for those of you already drinking the Kondo Kool-Aid...

A perfect book for my architectural photographer husband...

Or this one.

I first saw the genius work of Piet Oudolf when we visited NYC last summer and saw The High Line for the first time. I came home and promptly ordered this book so I could set about recreating the same vibe in my own backyard (our ambitious spring 2016 project). I would also love his new book Hummelo.

And I am currently reading Tiny Beautiful Things and want to give it to everyone I know.