Dress Up

Lucky for us, this is Audrey's idea of playing dress-up. She doesn't demand any sort of sparkly princess gown, but instead, likes to pile on as many scarves, hats and gloves as she can. The sparkly shoes were actually recommended by her physical therapist, who said walking in a dress-up shoe (low heal) would help her strengthen various muscles.

We have been, for the most part, a no-princess zone. But the dentist gives her (Disney) princess stickers and toothbrushes and she is gifted things. And she's in daycare three days a week with two little girls. Avoiding sparkle is pretty hard and I don't want to make a super huge deal out of it with her or she'll just rebel hard. So when she asks for me to tell her a story about a princess, the princesses in my stories are usually minor characters holed up in the castle not having much fun, while all the other girls and boys are playing outside and actually DOING things (other than looking pretty). And when we talk about what she is wearing, I say things like, "That looks fancy!" or "I like your polka dots." or "Green is such a fun color, don't you think?" More than anything, I want Audrey to be a confident girl with healthy self-esteem.

This topic is getting all kinds of media coverage of late, with the release of Peggy Orenstein's book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter. I highly recommend her interview on the Diane Rehm show. It was excellent. Below are some related links.

• Kids and Commercialism
• Photographer Lauren Greenfield: Girl Culture
• Princess Free Zone
• Children as Consumers
• How To Raise Girls With Healthy Self-Esteem

Wrapping The Week

elizabeth mitchell - how to make a hoola hoop from You Are My Flower on Vimeo.

I always enjoy the blog Under a Pink Moon, and this week Estelle recommended the music of Elizabeth Mitchell. I took a listen and love her style and am hoping Audrey will too. Mitchell's hula hoop project (above) is so cute. I don't think I've ever been able to hula hoop, but I may have to give it a wiggle again.

Audrey started preschool this month. Thursday was the first day that I had time all to myself during the 2-1/2 hours she was at school and it was heavenly. Coffee shop breakfast and journaling followed by a full hour of shopping--alone! I know, sounds lame. But do you know how hard it is to try to shop for greeting cards with a kid?

I got flowers on Tuesday and an email love letter from L yesterday that was so flippin' sweet. Oh, and my brother won a trip to Jamaica from his work! A pretty good week, all in all. And I plan to do some major Valentine crafting this weekend.I may kick January's ass after all.

• Handmade merit badges by Lee Meszaros. Just stoopid cute. 
• Submit boots and wigs to this blog.
• I love projects like this. 
• Make Your Own WALLPAPER!! Oh My!
• Lots of great Valentine's Day card ideas. I'm a room mother for the first time!  

Have a sweet one.I plan to.

Think About It

I'm re-branding the frown lines on my forehead. They are now "thinking lines".
That is all.

Luddite

{Nigella Lawson in her library}

I do not own a smart phone. I spend enough time on the computer (at work and home) thank you very much. I'm an old lady with a three year old (ha). I have to concentrate on the immediate, on every minute as it happens because I don't want to miss a single thing about her quick-as-a-wink childhood. So interesting and amazing and fun, she is. Sure, sometimes I think it would be great to be able to look up restaurant hours and directions on the fly. But what about all the mysteries and surprises I might miss out on--the things that happen when I am "lost"?  [I highly recommend Matt Richtel's series in The New York Times, "Your Brain On Computers" or his interview on Fresh Air.]

I also do not own a Kindle or the like. I really think I will remain a Luddite to my death on this issue. Books are so perfect. And the thought of kids not having a bunch of books to puddle through makes me anxious in a way I don't think I've ever experienced. Audrey adores books and so many times we have already caught her reading in bed when she was supposed to be sleeping. I think this observation from an article Nicholson Baker wrote in the New Yorker a couple years ago is so funny.

The Kindle edition of “Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems,” an e-book for people who design nuclear power plants, sells for more than eight thousand dollars. Figure 2 is an elaborate chart of a reaction scheme, with many call-outs and chemical equations. It’s totally illegible. “You Save: $1,607.80 (20%),” the Kindle page says. “I’m not going to buy this book until the price comes down,” one stern Amazoner wrote.

Sake

My cousin Lori is in the Navy and stationed in Japan. She was here for a few weeks on leave and won't be back again until June 2012. There was a little gathering at her folk's house on Saturday. She had all kinds of cute, funny, yummy Japanese treates and plum sake for us all to sample. So this cute little Japanese ad for sake is sort of a toast to her. She's a super sweet and cool gal. Love to you, girl.

National Pie Day 2011

{My tallest meringue ever! Aunt Hester's recipe for coconut cream pie. My dad's favorite.}

Today is National Pie Day. This post is all about pie. I don't know if you've heard, but apparently, pie is kicking cupcake's ass off the trend pedestal. I have been a lover, baker, promoter of pie for a loooong time. When I was in college, our little hometown newspaper featured an article about the tradition of pie in my family. Both of my grandmothers were outstanding cooks and made wonderful pies. They interviewed me and I provided some recipes.

I sort of see pie as a lifestyle choice. I've daydreamed about opening a pie shop my entire life. But I am afraid that if I had to bake pies under pressure, it would take the joy out of it. I don't want to upset the delicate relationship we have.

My favorite pie to make is always some variation of peach. I like to add raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries if I have them. I've won "Best Dessert" awards with a  Coconut Lemon Tart and a Ginger Creme Brulee Tart. Other favorites are Raspberry, Rhubarb, Pear Pie and Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie. This year I want to try making fried pies.

Here are some fun and useful pie links:

• Tiny Pies In Jars and Regular Tiny Pies from Not Martha
• Pie Pops (gorgeous photos) from Luxirare
• Great pie crust recipes from Simply Recipes.
• Barack Obama likes pie
• American Pie Council

Enjoy!

Wrapping The Week

I haven't wrapped a week in a while, but this one was full of so many highs and lows. Work is really not going well but I think some of that may be related to seasonal depression. I am working on some solutions. We had a ton of snow last night and Audrey's second day of preschool was canceled. And alas, my head cold has returned. However, there were still good times...

• AUDREY: Running around after her bath, shouting, "I'm a wocket, blast off!" and playing with glow sticks in the bathtub. What fun! She also asked about Jaime's painting and said she liked him (meaning the painting). She is pretty visual.
• FAMILY: My aunt and two cousins visiting on Tuesday; we had family night with Jeff, Sam and Jacob on Thursday (dinner was really wonderful and pumpkin pie for dessert!); and Lindsey, who is always my rock. 
• BOOKS: A bunch of my books arrived from my Amazon Christmas gift card. Woot!  And I'm reading Nicholson's Baker's The Anthologist.
• NEWS: The news of Todd Palin's sex scandal. Not sure why this tawdry bit of news delights me so. 
• Here's a sweet video to jump start the weekend.

Heart Cake

Seriously? Am I up for this? I'd love to try.

French Pooh

This is the cutest thing making the rounds. Little French girl shares her version of Winnie the Pooh.

Ruby Magazine

Ruby Magazine is 5 years old! I'm always excited to see new issues. This online art magazine is curated by Irana Douer, and Argentinian artist. Check out Issue #50 and back issues too. Well worth it.

Ordinary Life

{Austin, Texas 2004: Holga Camera}

Ordinary Life
by Adam Zagajewski November 26, 2007

Our life is ordinary,
I read in a crumpled paper
abandoned on a bench.
Our life is ordinary,
the philosophers told me.

Ordinary life, ordinary days and cares,
a concert, a conversation,
strolls on the town’s outskirts,
good news, bad—

but objects and thoughts
were unfinished somehow,
rough drafts.

Houses and trees
desired something more
and in summer green meadows
covered the volcanic planet
like an overcoat tossed upon the ocean.

Black cinemas crave light.
Forests breathe feverishly,
clouds sing softly,
a golden oriole prays for rain.
Ordinary life desires.

(Translated, from the Polish, by Clare Cavanagh.)

Rings & Things

My new computer is live, but none of my editing software is loaded, so I'm still a bit crippled. Audrey started preschool today and I have loads to share about how flippin' cute she is right now, but my mind is in a million places. Trying to get organized and focused for the new year. For now, just some quick hits of jewelry on Etsy (glittery, rustic, cute, and vintage). Escapism, my friends. I'm embracing it, for now.

 

{Etsy Shop: Anakim}

{Etsy Shop: Kristincoffin}

{Etsy Shop: Homako}

{Etsy Shop: LaComtesseDeTalaru}

{Etsy Shop: LaComtesseDeTalaru}

Making Marks

It is 10:58 p.m. and all I want to do is paint. So badly. But my studio hasn't been set up (in years now). I have no means to make art anymore. When I can't figure things out, when I feel stuck, it is usually because I'm not practicing...not making...my mind stretches, solves, soothes best when I can paint. I try to fill this hole with other things (blogging, cooking, sewing, reading, journaling) but none of it really works. I need to be making marks. Again. Again. Again.

Please read this poem.