The Friendly Fox

Jacob's Birthday Party

2012-02-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Jacob's first birthday at our home on a sunny day. We wanted the focus to be on our boy and the love that surrounds him- so we kept everything simple, homemade, and relaxed. It was a perfect day.

Josh has declared a birthday tradition of burning our Christmas tree at Jacob's birthday party. Because no kid's party is complete without a giant fire, right?

(my kid is NOT into being held still. don't even try it.)

I built a tent for Jacob and I think he loves it! More on that next time...

I owe a big, huge "THANK YOU" to my family, Sarah, and Vanessa for spending a whole lot of time helping me give my boy a great day! You are all incredible!

The ReBuilding Center

2012-02-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

The ReBuilding Center is one of our favorite places in Portland. Josh and I can spend hours looking through old door knobs (me) and reclaimed lumber (Josh). We went in hopes of finding old tile we could use in our bathroom we are getting close to finishing. No such luck, but I did find a really amazing $4.00 score!

(beautiful reclaimed lumber. Jacob watched men use pliers and hammers to remove the rusty nails.)

(do you need a foot door?)

(ps: It's a great place to donate any material you have pulled out of your home, too! Shower surrounds, cabinets, sinks- you name it, they'll give it a shot at another life!
Also, if you watch the show Grimm, you may recognize this as the junk shop in a recent episode!)

Jacob is 1 year old

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our lives were forever changed one year ago, when we welcomed Jacob Leigh into this world (on his due date!). This past year has been unbelievable in every sense of the word, and overwhelming in every single emotion. We can't imagine our lives without him and his big blue eyes. He's the cool part of our day.

(I miss this face phase a lot)

We love you, baby Jacob.

yes, please

2012-01-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

Beautiful patterns and colors from Gorman, here.

My pulsatilla baby

2012-01-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

(My mom to the rescue, taking Jacob outside so I could clean the bathroom)
Thank you guys for the support and suggestions on my Mama Instincts post. It's a little hard to be so open about doubting myself or being unsure of what I'm doing as a mom, but it's all part of learning! Jacob is doing a lot better, with just a little lingering cough left. Elizabeth suggested that I look into pulsatilla as a possible natural remedy for his clingyness. Goodness, did Pulsatilla ever describe Jacob! Pulsatilla is both a flower and a mood in children. Pulsatilla babies need a lot of constant reassurance and to constantly find security in their moms. They will cry when the mom gets up to get a glass of water, wash dishes, or do anything that is not holding them. This was exactly how Jacob had been acting for the past month and a half. He was fine when we went away for Christmas because there were a lot of cousins and distractions, but as soon as we got back home, he was extremely clingy again. It wasn't a whiny clingy-ness, it was a scared grasp for me. He would not be ok with me sitting him down in front of me to play instead of on my lap, he wouldn't sleep unless he was latched on to my breast, and would not be comforted by Josh. I was used to Jacob being a smiley, playful, and semi-independent boy, so this threw me for a loop. I was also not able to get anything done (a common problem for moms of pulsatilla babies) since he was always in my arms and I'd have to lay down with him during his naps. Sounds scared him a lot, too- a car driving by outside would send him crawling to me as fast as he could, crying.
We went to his naturopath last Friday and after hearing me list off these symptoms, she also brought up pulsatilla. A sure sign of pulsatilla is the child's fussiness clearing up when they are outside, which is exactly what Jacob did. She suggested we try pulsatilla pellets for a few days. Oh.My.Word. It was almost instantly a night and day difference. Jacob slept for 5 hours in a row that night, alone in his crib! He is back to playing near me but not needing to be in my arms. Yesterday, he fully entertained himself for the first time ever! He tore up the living room playing with blocks, books, and instruments while I sat on the couch knitting. It kind of blew my mind. He is also TAKING REGULAR NAPS now. Every day. For longer than 30 minutes. I'm slowly getting accustomed to having a couple of hours a day to myself and having a chance to get things done around the house! My arms and back are getting a nice break, too. Most importantly, Jacob is back to his crazy and friendly self again, smiling and saying hi to everyone he sees!

(Licking up a plate of bbq while being outside? Jacob Leigh heaven!)

thrift store finds

2012-01-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

for Jacob ($2.50)

for reading ($2.00)

for home ($2.50 for both)

for me ($0.95 Minnetonka's, $1.95 sweater)

A little out of town thrift store day with Vanessa, a good reminder of why I don't buy new things.

comfort food sunday

2012-01-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

Mushroom and Barley Stew with Kale, Wild Alaskan Salmon smoked by Josh, Local Winter Greens
(original recipe from bon appetite, found here)

on mama instincts

2012-01-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

I'm learning that being a mom is all about finding that right balance between believing everything you read/are told and trusting your mama instincts. Jacob Leigh came down with a pretty awful cold last week, which turned into an even worse case of croup. The seal like sounds he was making were heartbreaking. My boy was struggling so hard to breathe and had such a sad look in his tired eyes. I am all about natural and homeopathic remedies, so we spent several days and long long nights with him in a steamy bathroom with drops of eucalyptus oil on the shower floor, rocking him while huddled around our humidifier, lying him on an elevated mattress- so many different things we tried. He was getting a little bit better, but then on Monday night he got worse. We called our advice nurse, who told us that they recommend we take him in because he is not "up to date" on his vaccines (we have him on an extended vaccination schedule, so while he is getting them, we are spacing them out a bit). She was a little hesistant to tell us that, because really his vaccines would have nothing to do with croup. We started to drive to the hospital but it didn't feel right. We drove back home, with a sleeping and calm Jacob Leigh. I sat outside in the cold air with him for a long time (this is good for croup), then decided to check his chest again. This next part terrified me: he was working so hard to catch a breath that skin on his chest and ribs was so far indented it was nearly touching his back. It was horrible to see. He started really struggling to breathe, so we loaded him up again and headed to the hospital. At this point, he was breathing increasingly fast, about 80 breaths per minute. We got him into the ER where he got a breathing treatment to calm him down until the steroid they gave him kicked in.

(waiting for Josh to bring the car around at the hospital)
I have to say that I felt a bit of guilt while we were at the hospital. I felt like, because I really believe in natural cures and am all about limiting unnecessary medication, I had somehow failed by bringing Jacob to the hospital. I know that might sound silly, but it's what I felt. Like maybe I could have done something else, even though we had been trying all recommended at home remedies for days. As I held Jacob in my arms in the dark hospital room, I realized those thoughts were crazy. Jacob was breathing better than he had in days, was finally nursing well, and was sleeping peacefully for the first time in a week. I am glad to have some knowledge of herbal remedies, I'm glad when they work, and I'm super glad to live somewhere where I have access to doctors and medicine that will help my boy breathe. From the time I was pregnant I've struggled to find this balance. I thankfully had the medicine-free birth I hoped for, but I did a lot of reading on the different medications and treatments that I could possibly need. I didn't love the thought of having to have intervention (ahem, pride), but I hated the thought of not knowing what could be put into my body. I'm reminding myself every day that what matters is that I'm educated on what goes into my family's body- natural or manmade. And to trust my mama instincts.

(finally catching up on sleep)
We're still fighting off the last of this sickness, but he's able to sleep now, which is working wonders for his recovery. I think he'll be back to his normal unstoppable self in no time! No wonder he was being so clingy, poor guy!!

something I made

2012-01-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

My first sourdough loaf, on a pizza stone from Josh

my little cling-on

2012-01-06T03:30:00.000-08:00

This last week has been an especially clingy one for Jacob Leigh. I pretty much carry him all day long. ALL DAY LONG. He gets so upset when I set him down, and when I pick him up, he hugs me as hard as he can. He is getting so scared with any little noise, and is weary of anyone but me, Josh, and my sister. It's a bit hard to get much done around here, especially since his naps only last 15-20 minutes unless I'm lying next to him. He still only has his two bottom teeth, so maybe he's working on some more? I'm hoping this is a phase he will grow out of before too long, because as nice as it is to get an arm workout everyday, my back is starting to ache.

(He's into biting my shirt/pants/dress to get me to pick him up)

Christmas, it was forever ago

2012-01-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

A million days after Christmas, here's a quick peek into ours. We were thrilled to celebrate Jacob Leigh's first Christmas-it made the season so much more fun! Being around family, celebrating the gift of Christ, and focusing on other people was just what we needed to end the year!
an Advent calendar I made for us, complete with snowflake stitching! We enjoyed extra special treats all December long!

Jacob Leigh on Christmas morning, at his grandparent's house, where all of Josh's siblings and their families open presents.

naturally, he dressed up for Christmas dinner with a vintage bowtie (thanks, Maria)!

I turned 26 on the 28th and got tickets to see Demetri Martin.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

(You wouldn't know it by this picture, but Jacob actually really like Santa. He fussed for the few seconds it took me to get this shot, then high-fived Santa!)
To those celebrating, we hope you have a very merry Christmas! We are so excited to celebrate with Jacob- Christmas just got a whole lot cooler with this kid around!

geez

2011-12-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

This kid is killing me.

He's all about: standing on his own, "feeding" himself (making a giant mess), laughing, giving hugs, being crawl-chased, clapping, and books. ALL ABOUT BOOKS. He reads all day, says "booh" and throws books in our face so we can read them. He can say bird (buh), out, and big truck (brrruuh). He even said "buh out" the other day and pointed outside to birds! Crazy Jacob Leigh, you're blowing my mind.

cool bokeh filters

2011-12-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun (and free!) diy to make picture taking a little more fun while you have your Christmas lights up! I was procrastinating on folding our laundry last night, and remembered this simple project I saw on Color Me Katie about two years ago. You can purchase bokeh filters, but you can very easily and quickly make your own.

You'll need:
•A camera with a large aperture lens
•Cardstock, or other thick paper
•Scissors
•Tape

1. Cut out a circle the size of your lens.
2. Cut out your desired shape on the middle of the circle, don't make it too big.
3. Tape it to your lens.
4. Set your camera to it's lowest aperture value (mine was set at 1.8), make sure the lights aren't in focus, and take your picture! It'd be cute to have someone in focus on the foreground, with little dancing trees in the background. I'll have to try this when Jacob is awake and willing to participate in picture taking.

(this is what it should look like)

(make your tree lights look cool...)

(your home look like it's covered by stars...)

(pretend it's snowing out your front door...)

(and check out a tiny neon forest.)

Portland Bazaar

2011-12-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning, I went to check out the first ever Portland Bazaar, put on by Design*Sponge and held at Sandbox Studio. It was packed with a perfect assortment of apparel, jewelry, and home design by crazy talented people. Abi and Sarah and I met up to take it all in and do a little bit of supporting small businesses in our area.

(Abi and Sarah looking all cute)

One of my favorite stands was Stone and Honey's, where Teresa Robinson was showing her beautiful jewelry. Everything she had on display was so neat, and she was super sweet, too! I was torn between the tiny bunting necklace and a simple triangle, but I bought the latter. I have a feeling I'll be wearing it everyday, it's so special and simple. You should check out her shop here.

The bakeshop stand was the most delicious looking one by far. I wanted some of everything, but got some Salted Peanut Honeycombs for Josh and me to share as our Advent treat that night.

Anna Mara Flowers had a really nice and colorful stand. So pretty!

I also bought this planner from Little Otsu that I hope will help keep me organized. I like that it has undated months, because let's be honest, I sometimes forget to use my planner entirely for a while. This way, there are no wasted pages, and I can fill in whatever month I'm currently in!

I had such a fun time at the Bazaar- though I did plan to make it a quick trip right around Jacob's naptime, and I ended up losing my car key somewhere in the bazaar space and had to wait around while Josh dug out Jacob's old carseat from our shed and came to rescue me. Oops.

Spicy Panela Corn Chowder

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Veronika posted a picture of corn chowder on Instagram, and my mind was instantly made up: I had to have homemade chowder right.now. I had never made corn chowder before and had no idea what it entailed, so I went with a basic recipe. Of course, I added a little Annie twist with Mexican queso panela and jalapenos, and it turned out to be the best fricking corn chowder I've ever had. The jalapeno added the perfect kick, and the semi-melted panela was super satisfying!

Spicy Jalapeno and Panela Corn Chowder
(adapted from this recipe via AllRecipes)
1 cup diced bacon
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups stock (preferably chicken)
3 cups cream-style corn
2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups half-and-half
1 10oz package of queso panela (found at most grocery stores)
2 jalapenos, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
Directions

1. In a large pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon, reserve about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot.
2. Add onions to drippings and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in potatoes and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add broth, corn, jalapenos, tomatoes, cheese, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender. A few minutes before turning heat off, stir in half and half and bacon.
4. Serve and enjoy!

It's so good.

ornament score

2011-12-07T20:19:00.001-08:00

I've had a hard time finding cute vintage ornaments for a reasonable price, but I came across these for $0.10 each, PLUS they were buy one get one half off! All of these were $1.16 with tax thanks to a successful thrifting adventure out of town.

"I love these old ornaments- they are indestructible!" -old lady at the thrift store. Indestructible ornaments, meet Jacob Leigh.

lately

2011-12-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

1] long walks around the park across the street, hopefully some swing time if it hasn't rained 2] letting Jacob loose in the backyard to fight cabin fever 3] standing on his own more and more 4] a peaceful babe with a kissable face

Homemade Nutella

2011-12-01T22:05:00.001-08:00

You read that right: HOMEMADE.NUTELLA.
There are a lot of recipes for this floating around the internet, and it seems I've tried them all. This is a sort of blend of many recipes, tailored by dipping my finger in the bowl and adjusting the ingredients as needed. This doesn't use powdered milk or butter like many recipes I came across, and if you skip the cream to thin it out or use a substitute it can be made vegan. FYI: unless you have an industrial grinder, your mixture will be a bit grainy, not crazy smooth like the store bought kind. But! You will have complete control over the ingredients that go into it and into your body.

1.5 cups roasted hazelnuts*
1/4 cup coconut oil (or melted butter, if it's what you have)
1.5 tsps pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
splash of cream to thin out (optional)

1. Start by roasting the hazelnuts- you really don't want to skip this step, it brings out awesome flavor. Place in a baking pan, roast at 400* for 15 minutes, until golden brown and skins begin to crack.
2. Rub the hazelnuts firmly between a tea towel to get the skins off.
3. Grind hazelnuts in a food processor until smooth. Add in all remaining ingredients and blend until they are all incorporated. Add a splash of cream or milk, if you wish to make it thinner.
4. Spread on toast, spread on a spoon, spread it on your face...or spread it on puff pastry, roll it up, bake, and eat!

(Store in the refrigerator, but set out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before each serving)

A Dad

2011-11-22T22:23:00.001-08:00

Jacob doesn't say "dada" but he says "a dad" instead. Sometimes A Dad has to go to work, but there's alway A Son waving goodbye.

how Portland of you, Jacob

2011-11-18T22:12:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you just have to let your baby lick the cup of a delicious latte at Coava Coffee Roasters...

...because you'll get an amazing smile out of it.

A Fall Dress and a Comment Situation

2011-11-12T19:20:00.001-08:00

(what's up, crappy posture?)
Today I went to meet up with my sister, Whitney of His & Hers, Sarah, and a cool chick Mary for some coffee and a lot of talking and laughing. I took advantage of the fact that I would be Jacob Leigh free for a bit, so I wore a dress that zips in the back- that's a HUGE deal when you're a breastfeeding mom with a bunch of vintage dresses that you can't wear in public because they zip in the back or the side! My sister and I ate some pizza and did some book shopping at Powell's Books before I hurried back to Josh and Jacob. Having time for myself is so nice when it happens, but then I start feeling incomplete and weird without my child. I wonder if that feeling ever goes away?

Oh, crap! So I just read this article that explains why some comment replies sent by email don't ever get delivered! They're "No-Reply" blogger profiles! I'm so bummed, because I try my very hardest to reply to all the comments I get on here (sometimes they're so lengthy, too!), and it seems like a lot of them never made it to the original commenter. Boo! Sorry to seem like I'm ignoring you. I am going to try to figure out how to install Disqus for the comments so I can actually reply easier. I hope it works!! You guys have so much cool and helpful stuff to say- about gardening, kids, vintage, my emotional posts...I really want to be able to have a discussion, so please feel free to email me, too!

Baby with a Knife

2011-11-10T20:13:00.001-08:00

Pshh, who needs knives to cut tomatoes when you can just bite into them?
(this knife came in a food kit from IKEA with a foam cutting board and everything. I think Jacob Leigh looks hilarious with it.)

Cashew Flax Oatmeal Cookies (with Chocolate Chips, of course)

2011-11-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

First off, THANK YOU for your supportive comments on my last post! Your comments meant a lot, and it's sparked quite a few great email conversations with other moms feeling the same way.

Secondly, make these cookies! Some friends needed an extra hand last week, and I thought I'd make them a few meals to enjoy, and last minute I decided I wanted them to have cookies, too. They have a little girl, so I thought the cookies should be somewhat "healthy." I used my mother in law's oatmeal cookie recipe and made a few little tweaks and substitutions. I LOVE the way these cookies came out, and I'm totally eating one as I type this. They're just the right amount of crispy, and I can pretend they're healthy because I added flax seeds to it. They taste awesome with a really good chai, too!

(please excuse the crappy Instagram picture...it's the only option for masking a bad picture taken at 10pm)
Cashew Flax Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/4 c butter
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 c rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind)
1 1/2 c chocolate chips (optional, but you should just include them for your own good)
1 c chopped cashews
1/2 flax seeds

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Cream together first five ingredients
3. Whisk together remainding ingredients and slowly add to wet indredients.
4. Spoon onto non-stick baking sheet and cook 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden.
5. Let cool, they'll get a little crispy!

Goodbye and Moving On

2011-11-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

Sigh. This is a very bittersweet post for me to write. I fee like writing it out makes it all so official. I'm quitting the vintage selling business. I've been selling vintage for five years now, and it is time to call it quits. I kept trying to convince myself that I could just sell kids vintage, but honestly, not having a shop to run in the past month has been incredible for my house, my time with Jacob Leigh, and my marriage. You see, I feel like I've been a little self-centered with this whole Etsy business for a while. Let me explain:

This article hit me deeper than I could ever imagine. I read it and reread it and couldn't believe that it applied to me- a young mom of one baby. I need to be more available to Jacob Leigh. Yes, I'm with him all day, and most of the time I'm physically super close to him, if not carrying him or playing with him. But I really need to be more emotionally and mentally available to him. I can still have a life with friends and outings and hobbies, but there is no task more important than caring for my child. I never want Jacob to feel that he comes second to a hobby. I especially want to be there during such a critical time in his tiny life, devoting my days to him no matter how tiring it may be. I will admit that part of me felt it wouldn't be "cool" to tell other people I'm a mom when they ask what I do. There is a definite snobbery I've encountered from people my age who think that it's silly to be "just" a mom. Well, guess what? Being a mom is hard work! Way harder than I imagined, and much more rewarding than I could have ever dreamed.

Josh has been blessed with a great job that allows me to stay home with Jacob. I've always known that when I had kids, I would want to be a stay at home mom. I want to be with my children as much as possible (because you can't spell "smother" without "mother," right?), to homeschool them, and to be there whenever they need anything. I am so incredibly lucky to have this chance right now, and I don't want to take it for granted. Right now, we don't need the extra income, and sometimes having funds in PayPal felt like having play money, especially when "work" is on a site full of beautiful vintage! Who knows, I may have to really need to work one day, and I don't want to look back and think, "Man, I wish I would have just spent my days with Jacob Leigh." Maybe it would be different if he took regular naps, or knew how to chill out, but he is always on the move, so working on the shop becomes a near-imppossible task, and always ends up in me being frustrated. I feel like I am not fully respecting how hard he works so I can be the mom I want to be, when my actions are saying otherwise. Josh has always been so supportive of me, pushing me to find ways to achieve my goals, so it was extra hard coming to this decision, knowing I had his support either way.

Our house does NOT need any more clutter. We live in a one bedroom house with a teeny office that's about to become our entry way, and my bins and bins and boxes and bins of vintage were taking up literally about 1/5 of the house. Add in printer labels, shipping scales, three dress forms, photo paper, measuring tapes, shipping boxes...it's a nightmare for me. Again, all fine and dandy if I actually had time to move this stock and work on the shop, but it's just been sitting in piles taking up space, begging to get destroyed by a mobile Jacob Leigh.

My mind does NOT need any more clutter. Nor does my day to day. I am at my best when I am well rested, have a clean home, and can cook the majority of our meals from scratch. Josh is super awesome at helping me with the household chores, but I honestly know that I could be doing more throughout the day to keep up with the house. Having items to list, photograph, and package everyday was adding so much stress. I hated that when Josh got home from work, I would have to quickly say hi, then hand off Jacob Leigh so I could work, and barely spend time with him before bed. I am (admittedly) prone to getting super cranky when I'm overwhelmed, so you can imagine this was making me a pain to be around. :)

Selling vintage is HARD WORK. There is a lot a lot of work involved to run a successful shop. Recently Etsy changed up their policies and listing quite a bit, and I honestly don't have the time to try to figure out the best way to make sure my shop gets views. I would rather have no shop and extra time than a shop that isn't carefully curated and photographed, so no shop it is!

I rented a space at House of Vintage here in Portland for a couple of months, and it was really successful! I got rid of a whole lot of inventory, sold a few lots as wholesale, and am shipping a big box of it to Rachel, of MouseVox Vintage, who will be consigning it through her shop. I am trying to get rid of the Tiny Vintage, I have several hundred pieces, and I'd love to sell them off as one or two big lots. Let me know if you're interested! I am going to keep a few special items to sell, like a 1950s Galanos coat and a dress we are certain was worn by Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy - you know, pieces that can actually pay the bills!

I think I'm just rambling on, and this all got so serious. Here's a funny picture of Jacob Leigh.

A Fancy Moustache

2011-09-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the opening party of a friend's babershop, The Modern Man. It's a simple, modern, no frills barbershop with an old-school vibe. If you're a dude or have a dude in Portland that wants a straight razor shave or some good barbering, check it out!
The opening party had a moustache contest and since I couldn't think of a way to keep a moustache on Jacob Leigh, I made him a little fancy onesie with a top hat and a monacle! We hung out with good people doing awesome things, our friends played music (but we missed it), and some there was beer from Gilgamesh Brewing, which a friend started up with his dad and brothers! We had so much fun partying it up with friends, and I had a nice time seeing my boys dressed up all handsome.

(fun fact: Josh's dad hunted this deer many many moons ago in Canada. He and his buddy used to live in our house, now they are hanging out at The Modern Man for a while!)

habitat progress!

2011-09-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

A bit of progress has been made on my mom's Habitat for Humanity house! Yesterday was "Blazer Day" (the Trailblazers being our NBA team in Portland) and they had 150 people come out and volunteer to build! There were a ton of very very tall NBA players, but I don't know any of their names, and the Blazers's coach was there, too. The local news came out to film and everything! It was pretty incredible to walk up and see so many people coming together to build homes for families that really need it. My brother was there on site working, too! He was on a mission trip in Mexico building a house last month, and it was really cool to watch him build the house that he will be living in. He's growing up to be really rad. I will never be able to express just how much this house means to my mother and siblings and how thankful we all are for it. Let's just say I've cried tears of joy many many times! As we were touring the site, my eyes welled up and I couldn't hold it together. Then I saw this banner on the job site and the flood gates opened up a bit more! So thankful for this organization and all that they do! I can't wait till it's our weekend to volunteer so I can help build the house that Jacob will surely cause a bit of chaos in! :)

Recipe(ish): Salad Rolls

2011-09-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

I love salad rolls. I LOVE salad rolls. REALLY really love them. If I could, I would eat about ten in one sitting, but that would at up at a restaurant! I thought about making them at home a few times, but the thought of working with the thin wrappers really intimidated me. I had a bad craving for them one day while at the grocery store, and decided to try my hand at them. I am so glad I did, because it is SO EASY. Really, you guys! Like "should I even post a 'recipe' for this" easy. Here's what I used to make them, but you can use any mixture of flavors you like! I think next time I will add some long strips of crunchy cucumber, too.

Ingredients:
salad roll wrappers*
stir fry noodles*, cooked according to package directions and roughly chopped
avocado, thinly sliced
tofu, thinly sliced
cilantro
carrots, thinly sliced
*you can find these in the Asian section of any grocery store, and they are super inexpensive! Also, if you make extra noodles, you can store them in the refrigerator in a container with water. This keeps the noodles from drying out and sticking to each other in a clumpy mess. Just drain them when you have the urge to make more salad rolls!

1. Get your ingredients all prepared and together. You have to work a bit fast with the wrappers, so it's best to have everything close by.
2. Immerse the dry wrapper into warm water until it softens up and becomes transluscent, about 10 seconds. Pat off excess water with a damp tea cloth.
3. Line up your fillings in the center of the wrapper, and fold! Fold the under side up, then the top portion, then roll up- like you would a burrito.
4. Eat them!
I'd like to try to make my own peanut sauce next time. I used some from Trader Joe's which was ok, but a little too soy flavored. Do you have a recipe you like to use for that?

AT THE COAST (2)

2011-09-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Just a few more pictures from our little coast trip. We had our fancy camera with us some of the time, but mostly we just left it sitting on the counter and if something was cute, we'd reach for the iphone's camera if it was nearby. If it wasn't, oh well- moment captured in our minds! Even better sometimes!

Oh! We did drive our new (to us) Subaru out onto the beach for a meal on the tailgate. The thing is, apparently just because it's a Subaru, that doesn't mean it can go everywhere that trucks go. We got really really stuck in the sand! Luckily, some dudes helped push us out to the more packed sand, were we hung out and ate dinner and watched the sunset!(being forced to cuddle his mom and watch the sunset...not loving it)Until next time, ocean. I hope we meet again soon.

AT THE COAST

2011-09-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, our little family took a trip out to the coast, and we had such a blast. We were so excited that one of Josh's customers very generously offered up his family beach house for us to stay in. It was incredibly beautiful, with the nicest views! If you're unfamiliar with the Oregon Coast, know that it's made up of some of the most scenic beaches, but it's always way too cold to swim. I think I've swam in an Oregon ocean twice, both times when I was little and didn't care that my whole body was numb from the cold.

We spent our time doing NOTHING and it was EVERYTHING we wanted it to be. I packed up the contents of our refrigerator and pantry so we wouldn't have to leave for anything and could keep the weekend virtually free. On the first day, we spent five (five!!) hours relaxing on the deck, eating breakfast, playing with Jacob, and reading. Jacob Leigh took some luxurious baths, and we played in the sand. We took a little drive into town for some kinda gross breakfast and some delicious saltwater taffy, hit up a church rummage sale, then back to lounging it was. It was a perfect three days without phone or internet service, just lots of cuddling and no chores!(This was during shark week, so Josh wore his shark shirt. The front has the front half of the shark, the back has the tail. naturally. And don't worry moms, the deck railing had glass so Jacob wasn't going to fall off, you just can't see it. I promise.)

We Love: Barley and Birch

2011-09-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write about Barley and Birch for a while now, and I finally have the time I feel I need to do this company justice. I've written before about how I feel about mass produced, cheap, sweatshop made clothing and why I would rather go without shopping than support those companies (read that lengthy post here), and I feel just as strongly if not more when it comes to children's clothing. We've had lots of hand-me-downs and I try to thrift as much as possible for Jacob when he does need some stuff, but Barley and Birch is brand I am more than happy to support.

I think I initially found out about Barley and Birch last year through Jen's blog, and began to follow them on Twitter. They mentioned they were interested in helping out in Haiti, and I sent them a link to Josh's family friend's organization in Haiti, The Apparent Project. Kyle and I began to email back and forth about their planned work in Haiti, and it was so clear that this company has a HUGE heart for people and the planet.

Barley and Birch uses all natural clothing with organic water based dyes, they offset any carbon emmissions, and are made in the USA. Most importantly to me, they give back 15% of their profits to social programs (read about them a bit more here)! They have launched The Barley and Birch Foundation, a non-profit organization. In June of this year, they opened up a children's home in Port au Prince, Haiti! How amazing is that!? They are working towards opening a school and a free health clinic, too! (photo from the Barley and Birch blog)

Anyway, last year, before Jacob was born, Kyle sent over a package of items for him as a [very very kind] thank you for the Haiti emails. I was so stoked when I opened up the package and saw the crazy awesome prints! I am bummed that Jacob has outgrown most of these (because he's a big chunk), but he still wears the bear eating the sushi all the time! (a tiny Jacob Leigh wearing the beach onesie on the beaches of Maui!)(I love this moon print one! It's so soft and cozy, and I love putting it on him to wear to bed)(I mean, a bear! eating sushi! with chopsticks!)(some cute long sleeve tees I like for Jacob Leigh)

It brightens my day to know of a company that doesn't just talk the "green" and "we do good" talk, but leads the way in that walk. Check out Barley and Birch's blog for updates on their projects, follow them on Twitter or Facebook, and check out their shop! They have awesome sale items starting at $5.00! I just ordered this great sweater for Jacob Leigh- handknit in Kenya for TotoKnits.

(**Though Barley and Birch did send these clothes as a gift for Jacob Leigh, they did not ask nor intent me to do a post about them. This is NOT a sponsored post, I just really really like them and think you might, too!)

Three Years of Love

2011-09-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Today Josh and I celebrate three years of marriage! After two engagements, I finally married my very best friend, and couldn't thank God enough for him! Three years of wedded bliss has been made up of:lots of laughing, stupid jokes, some tears, a whole lot of Thai food, living room sleepovers, many crappy b movies, lots of travel, forgiving and forgetting, learning to tame a judgmental tongue (ahem, Annie), loving each other in every way, accepting that not all problems are solved in one day but never going to bed without an "I love you," calming down a little bit (Josh), not being so uptight (me), having the best little baby, and growing in our faith and Christ together.

I can't believe that I get to have Josh as my husband! He has an incredible heart- so kind and willing to help anyone without missing a beat. He's made my family his own, and I his. We share everything, the good and the bad. Josh has the wonderful ability to never forget the "little" things that make me smile: bringing me water when I'm already in bed, buying me a cheesy corn biscuit if he's at my favorite coffee shop, changing Jacob's diaper in the morning so I can get a few more minutes of sleep, calling me in the middle of the day just to tell me something funny he drove by... It's so easy to overlook the small gestures and compare them to someone else's grand ones, but I would never trade the small daily acts of love for anything!

(ex: as I type this, Josh is in the next room watching "Cool Runnings" and singing the Jamaican Bobsled Team song. He makes me smile even when we're not in the same room. I love that he always has fun and doesn't take himself too seriously. I hope he always keeps his childlike spirit and that it rubs off on me a little more!)

I'm looking forward to spending my day with my love, a little more mellow than last year's dogsled and ski lift trip with a tiny Jacob in my belly!

Summer Work

2011-09-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

This summer is so busy! We are working full force on our major house projects, trying to get them wrapped up before Jacob Leigh becomes [more] mobile and the rainy season here in Portland starts. Once that rain comes down, it won't stop until next year!We had floors put in in our living room and weird little old furnace room (we also took out the crappy and ugly clunky furnace to make the space more usable)! When we purchased the house, it was covered in pee soaked carpets, so we ripped them up immediately. We hadn't been able to put real floors in until a couple of weeks ago, so we had laid out a bunch of rugs in the living room and painted the chipboard in the little room. This was gross, but fine for a temporary solution. Man, we really love these floors! It took a while to get what we wanted (2 1/4" bevelved edge red oak, FSC certified), but they were worth the wait for sure. Jacob Leigh sure loves them, too, now that he's on his way to crawling!(next up: the kitchen floors! they are currently just floor leveler painted grey, we are ordering the marmoleum tiles very soon) The back side of our house had been a bit of a disaster for a while, too. We found out we had powderpost beetles, and had to rip up the siding and cut chunks of the exterior walls out. We also added a bathroom window and changed the upstairs door to a window. This had made the house pretty ugly to look at, but all that is solved now! We firred out the walls an extra two inches to have 6" thick walls vs the usual 4". This will give us much more insulation and make our heating and cooling a lot more efficient. We had spray foam insulation put on and spray foamed the rest. The new siding is up, ready to be painted, and the header is now in place for our patio cover!Sadly, we had to get a huge tree on our property cut down. It was a 40 foot cedar, rotted and swaying a little too much in the wind. It's a bummer to have it gone, but we will be able to use the firewood on our property, and spread out the bigger stumps for seating. I can't believe so much has been done already, and I can't wait to keep going. We've got just a handful of big projects left, then we can get to the fun stuff like decorating! :) I hope y'all are having a great summer, and taking advantage of the nice weather. But, come on and hurry up already, Fall.

photos by Parker Fitzgerald

2011-08-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've heard of Parker Fitzgerald and have already seen his work around the internet? He has such talent for photography, and we were lucky enough to have him shoot some family pictures a couple of months ago. Parker is one of my sister's good friends, and it's been really awesome to get to know him (and his also talented brother, Jay) and hang out! He's funny and takes nice photos. Here are a few of them (there are many I want to share with you, but I'll spread them over a few posts, so as not to overwhelm you with my face).

Film photography is so intimidating to me, but it was so fun to have to wait to see the results. I love the way they came out!
Thanks, Parker! You're rad.

yes, please.

2011-08-04T10:34:00.001-07:00

We've been holding out for the perfect sideboard for our dining room, and I found it, though it's (waaayyyyy) out of our price range. I'd love to display our cookbooks, plants, and Pyrex collection on it. I'd stuff the drawers with all the ugly but necessary crap we need. Does someone have $2,350.00 (+$300 for shipping) Josh and I can have? Thanks.

(via The Vintage Supply Co, on Etsy)

vanilla and lace dresses

2011-08-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

Abi Porter, of Vanilla and Lace, just launched her handmade dress line! Abi is the sister-in-law to my dear friend Vanessa (of The Velvet Bird), and she just moved back to the Pacific Northwest. Abi is a super sweet internet friend, and I can't wait to get together with her soon for some coffee.
The Vanilla and Lace dresses are all vintage inspired, designed and handmade by Abi, and very affordable for such good craftsmanship! And just look at those sailboats- DREAMY! And mommas- she has some button up versions coming up very soon that will be perfect for nursing.

[click the image to visit the Vanilla and Lace shop]

Be sure to stop by Abi's blog, where you can see her beautiful photography, delicious foods, and her pretty hair!

our garden

2011-07-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a little bit about our garden we grow in our backyard. It's one of my very favorite parts of our home, and one that I can't wait to expand. It took a lot of work to get the large bed ready for planting again, it is about 250 square feet. It took me a quite a few hours to till it and weed it, and it left calluses on my hands. I love working so hard that I feel physically exhausted afterward, and feel it in my body the next day. We were able to use compost that we've been "making" for the past year. It's so cool to know that our food scraps that would have otherwise ended up in the garbage are now making our garden thrive!

When we bought our starters a while ago, we decided to tone it down and simplify it a little bit compared to last year's garden. I don't know what we were thinking last year planting 12 (12!) tomato plants for two people, and we decided that the corn was not worth the real estate it takes up. Instead, we opted for lots of greens and squash(es?) that take up a lot of space. This makes the garden pretty manageable with a baby.

We planted six tomato plants, strawberries, red lettuce, swiss chard, celery, mustard greens, collard green, romaine lettuce, butternut squash, zucchini, and yellow zucchini. I also planted marigolds and chives around the edges, since the aroma of them is said to keep out aphids. I have basil, cilantro, and parsley in pots in our kitchen so I always have fresh herbs on hand!

My mom came over while I was gathering the ripe vegetable a few days ago, and snapped these pictures. I like that they capture what most of my summer days are like- spending sometime weeding, watering, and/or harvesting!

Even Jacob has to pull his weight around here! I really love that these veggies can go right from the garden into his little belly. I can't wait till he is old enough to "help" me water and care for our plants.

This is only the second year I've had a proper garden, and I am still learning my way through both bountiful and failed crops. I need to plan what I will plant for the Fall and start working on that. We have plans to rip up much of our lawn and cover the majority of the backyard in edible plants. I love that even if you have a tiny patio, you can grow your own veggies- tomatoes LOVE to grow in buckets and herbs grow great on a kitchen windowsill. Do you have a garden? Any fruits or vegetables you like to grow in the Fall?

hello!

2011-07-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a nice little blog break! It's been over a month since I posted, and I feel great about it. I found myself trapped in that familiar "I have to take pictures of everything and make sure the pictures are perfect and document everysinglelittlethingever and stay up way too late posting" blogger trap and needed out. I think most bloggers feel that way every now and then, and I needed to take a step back and enjoy my days without feeling guilty about not posting new content or commenting on other blogs. As much as I love having photos of fun times, I love even more the days that go by and my camera stays in my bag because I'm having too good of a time to remember it. One day I caught myself feeling frustrated because I was trying to take pictures and Jacob was fussing- it jolted me a bit to feel that annoyed at not taking pictures for a blog, and I shut off the camera and declared a blog break. My little dude's needs are (obviously) more important.

just because, here is a picture of Jacob Leigh loving the water!
We've had a wonderful summer as a little family so far (even though summer in Portland has been about eight warm days). Some news from our part of the world:

My little 12 year old sister has been having some health problems and the possibility of brain surgery was on the table. Thankfully her brain MRIs came back clear, though she will most likely need spinal surgery. She's super awesome and the best little sister and aunt to Jacob, and we spend everyday praying that whatever needs to happen will go just perfect.

My mom will be the recipient of a Habitat for Hummanity house! This is huge- my mom has had a lot of tough challenges in her life, but she has always remained a strong woman, faithful that things would turn around for her. The house she currently rents is owned by a landlord who couldn't care less about his property, so we are so thrilled that she and my younger siblings will be moving into a new house. Construction starts later this year and she will get her keys early next year! I am hopefully going to volunteer some hours working on the house for her!

We are working A LOT on our house, and it's soooo close to coming together. I'll be doing a separate post about that soon! I was going through the house archives here, and got all teary-eyed at this post. Not that I've forgotten, but it was a nice little reminder of how much we've done to our house and what an incredible hard worker Josh is.

I also have big news about my vintage endeavors, and why I haven't been updating my Etsy shop, more on that soon. :)

Life has been full lately, and that's just the way I like it. But I do miss you guys, so I'll be back super soon with some posts!
xoxo

quinoa salad with avocado dressing

2011-06-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

Holy moly, this salad is good you guys! I'm going to toot my own little horn here and say that I am impressed with how this came out, because I winged this and made it up as I went along. If you're not familiar with cooking with quinoa, using it in a cold salad is a great way to start! Quinoa is so delicious, has lots of protein, and is gluten free, too. This salad is perfect for a light but filling lunch, but it would be a really tasty side for any dinner as well.

Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa (rinse very well, or it may taste bitter)
1 red bell pepper
1/2 orange bell pepper
2 oz plain feta, cubed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1/4 cup good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

To Prepare:
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add quinoa, and simmer covered until all the liquid is gone- about 10-15 minutes.
2. Chop peppers and parsley
3. Mix together avocado, mustard, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a food processor (or smash avocado and shake with other ingredients in a jar until it's all mixed).
4. Combine all ingredients together, making sure to mix well to incorporate the dressing well.
5. Chill before serving cold or at room temperature. This salad tastes best when left overnight so the quinoa can soak up the flavor!

guest blogs

2011-06-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today I'm guest blogging for Mandy over at Harper's Happenings, where I'm sharing a really simple DIY. [check it out]

Last week I did a guest post for Melissa at Dear Baby, while she dotes on her precious little new baby Arlo! [check it out]

mini scones

2011-06-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

a while back, we had a dinner party to go to and everyone was required to bring a dish from locally harvested ingredients. I was in a huge fat hurry, so I whipped up some scones using dairy from an Oregon farm and berries from up the road. Because there'd be a lot of people there and I wanted these to look cute, I spooned them into mini cupcake molds!

These scones are so simple to make, they are one of my favorite things to make when I'm in a pinch. They're great with fruits, nuts, extra sharp cheddar...the list goes on!

Scones (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup berries (*dried fruit works best, add whatever you like: fruit, nuts, chocolate chips...whatever! You can even add savory items, just leave out the vanilla)

1. preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in fruit/nuts. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add fruits/nuts and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds.

6. Transfer to cookie sheet and shape into a disc. Score into eight wedges, as if you were slicing a pizza. Leave the disc together, the scones will come apart easily when baked. Or, scoop a small spoonful into mini cupcakes!
7. Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

burger baby ketchup face

2011-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

sometimes a burger just has too much ketchup and you may not notice it until you look over and see it all over your baby's face and the dad hadn't noticed but the he licks it off and the baby doesn't even flinch or care at all.

"little" ones

2011-06-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

My "little" brother graduated on Thursday. I can't believe it! I remember when I used to hold him like I hold Jacob, change his diaper (now that's embarassing for him!), and put him in his little crib. I'd walk him to preschool before making my way to middle school, and listen to his stories on our walk back home. Now he's an incredible young man that I am so proud of! We also went to my "baby" sister's middle school choir concert last week, and I couldn't get over how grown up she is. I looked after my siblings so much when they were little, and they called me "Mommy #2." They're my little babies, and it blows my mind that one day Jacob will be their age. I hope he is just the kind of awesome, well rounded, and loveing kid that my brother and sister are!

(my dad came up from Arizona for my brother's graduation, and got to see Jacob again!)

how Annie got her gun (dress)

2011-06-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

the night Christine and I moved into our studio was the same night she unloaded the vintage estate she had just purchased. She acquired an INSANE estate, full of literally thousands of vintage dresses, shoes, accessories, etc. Josh and I helped unload the giant U-Haul truck, and we all were just taking huge armloads of dresses and piling them up. Among the probably 500 gorgeous dresses I moved, there was one that stuck out-it had the coolest print I'd ever seen! I think I said something to Christine about wanting to purchase it from her, but in the midst of all the craziness, it was forgotten. She posted a picture of it on Facebook the other day, saying it was about to be listed in her shop. When I told her how much I wanted that dress, she very sweetly offered to give me a friend/studio mate price. Well, let me tell you that it is HARD for me to buy things for myself. Growing up, I always thought my mom was crazy for always buying her kids things and never anything for herself, but I get it. Even before having Jacob, I put myself last, and I am truly glad to do it because I want things for my home, my family, and my friends. While I enjoy a new-to-me dress here and there, I much more enjoy giving others things I know they'll love.
Anyway! I saw that Christine sold the dress to someone else, and I was really bummed out. REALLY, really bummed. Josh even asked me about the dress that night, and I sadly told him it had sold. Long story short, Josh told me he had ordered me something from Japan, and that he didn't know when it would get here, so keep an eye out for the mail. I had no idea what it could possibly be, but I was checking that mailbox everyday! He came home from work one day, and handed me a paper bag, saying "Your Japan present came." Inside was the best dress I ever saw!! He and Christine had schemed up to get me that dress! She reserved it under a fake name for Josh, and he told me it was from Japan because he didn't know when he'd have time to go pick it up from Christine. Of course, I cried, and told Josh over and over that he didn't have to do that and he just very sweetly smiled and gave me a kiss.

(christine even threw in a pair of Saltwater sandals, or as Josh calls them, my saltwater taffies!)
I hope this doesn't sound like a bragging-about-my-new-dress post, I just was so touched that Josh took note of how much I liked that dress that he went out of his way for me, and that Christine could be so sweet. It is such an incredibly loving gesture I will not forget.
So thank you, Josh and Christine. You both made this momma feel very loved and special.

jacob leigh: four months

2011-06-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

It's crazy that Jacob Leigh is already four months old! Time is flying by with this little babe, and he is learning and growing so much every single day. In the last few weeks:
-he has developed a pretty predictable schedule, including TWO naps during the day! He settled himself into taking one at 10am and one at 3pm. This is awesome and helps me be able to get a lot done around the house.
-he is constantly grabbing for things- toys, phones, mamma's hair, dad's nose, anything! He is also starting to reach his arms out to me when he wants me to hold him, which melts my heart.
-he can almost always be found with his right foot up in the air. Every time he's on his back, or even just sitting, he sticks his little foot up and holds it there.
-he likes to gnaw on my coffee cup when I'm done with it every morning.

-he's rubbed off almost all of his baby hair, except for a little mohawk tuft up on top, and a crazy rattail that Josh likes to make stick out.

-he's become so vocal! He can talk and talk and talk and talk. He'll tell me little stories and gets different pitches with different facial expressions. My favorite stories are when he looks really concerned.

-Jacob is starting to make such Josh faces! I love seeing my little boy look like his dad

-he loves bonfires! he had three in one weekend, and he becomes completely mesmerized by them. We will be putting our fire pit to good use this summer, for sure!

Oh, and he loves a good zombie story with his dad, of course.

at the nursery

2011-05-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

We had some sunshine last Friday, and Josh just so happened to get off of work early, so we went to our local nursery to pick some plants for our garden! I'll do a separate post with a little garden tour just as soon as it stops raining and all of our fruits and veggies are planted.

(he liked it when josh would hold his head under the dripping hanging plants. the kid loves water!)

Jacob Leigh was so excited to be at the nursery. All of the bright colors were catching his attention left and right, and he kept grabbing for things with his chubby little hands. And he liked to hide behind the tomatoes, of course.

(my favorite picture of Josh and Jacob! such handsome men I have!)
This dress was originally purchased for the shop, but as soon as I tried it on, I knew I had to keep it. It fits great, and the cotton linen is so incredibly soft! I justify this decision to myself by inspecting all the color fading on the sleeves, the many many mends on it, and the seams that I've had to reinforce (inevitable on a 60+ year old dress). Plus, it's got the ever-important button up front for easy nursing. No good for the shop! This has become one of my very favorite dresses, so when miss Julie (of Orchid Grey) asked me to let her know when it was going in the shop, I felt a little bad knowing I would be keeping it! I will be sending it off to her to wear for a bit, though, I just can't part with it forever...

Happy Birthday Josh

2011-05-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy 28th Birthday to my very sweetest husband ever! You are the very best friend a girl could ever ask for, and the best possible father to my child! Here's to many many more.

xoxo

recipe: lasagna

2011-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

I made lasagna for the first time last week! For some reason, I've always been intimidated to make it- it seems so difficult. But it's not! I made a few "mistakes" along the way, but it turns out that when you layer and cover something up in four different types of cheese, those mistakes don't really matter! :)

(sweet baby feet! I love having Jacob on the kitchen counter while I cook)
I based my recipe around Ina Garten's recipe (because, is there anything she makes that isn't incredible?) and adjusted ingredients to taste and to what I had on hand.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced (* I used 5, I love garlic!)
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (* I used 1lb of ground turkey)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree (*I was distracted when I reached into my pantry and grabbed a can of tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes. I don't really think this made a difference, honestly)
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste (* I forgot to put this in, no big deal)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (* I used about a whole cup)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled (* I used 4 ounces, which gave it the very strong goat cheese flavor we love!)
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
*I added four fresh tomatoes, cut into big chunks.
*I added three zucchinis. Some people grate these, but I cut them into thick chunks and left them raw because I really like to taste it, plus it added some texture to the lasagna.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
(* I didn't do this in time, so I just ended up boiling the noodles per package instructions)

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish.

Add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, one 1/3 of the sauce, and zucchini chunks. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, zucchini, and end with the sauce.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

mother's day

2011-05-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

I had such a beautiful first Mother's Day! The night before, Josh suprirsed me with gorgeous flowers and some other super amazing things. I also got some chocolates shaped like ice cream cones and sheep! We met up with my mom and siblings at her church, where I walked around for a long time until a kind lady came up to me and pulled my dress out of my tights and covered my butt back up. Yikes, I guess that's what happens when you put tights on in the car! We went to lunch with my momma, my younger brother treated us to some frozen yogurt, then Josh, Jacob, and I went to have some "little family" time. It was a perfect day, especially because we ended it with a late night dinner of poutine from the food carts and a mayan spiced chocolate truffle!

(momma and her kids (and tiny grandkid!) on thanksgiving-apparently we haven't taken a picture all together since then!)
Today is Mother's Day in Mexico, always on May 10th. I'm really missing my grandmas and all of my millions of aunts, uncles, and cousins live there. Feliz Dia de las Madres!

things I've been living in

2011-05-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

This is what you can find me wearing just about every day- an easy, lightweight dress* (with a busy pattern to hide spit-up and milk, classy!), a pretty necklace (i found this one while vacuuming out our new-to-us vintage couch!), my thrifted shoes I adore (and have to hold down the fringe with a rubber band every couple of days because it curls up), and a giant vintage flight bag (to hold Jacob's things, my laptop, my junk, a magazine, a camera, and everything else under the sun**).

*Funny story- the other day I was wearing this dress at home, and though it doesn't button up on the front, it wasn't a problem to nurse in it at home, because when Jacob would get hungry, I'd just take it off. Well, he was really hungry and fussing, but my dress got caught in the metal teeth of the zipper! Since the zipper on this dress is on the side waist, I couldn't see it to get unstuck. Jacob was starting to cry, milk was getting everywhere, and I was hovered over him, frustratingly tugging at my dress! Luckily, my sister was over, so she came upstairs to free me. It was a pretty funny sight, for sure!

**I love how my NYC roomies, Annie and Starr have been using their travel bags lots (Starr's is actually from my shop!). I added four of these bags, including this green one to friendly fox vintage. They really are such awesome bags to haul all your stuff around in!

jacob leigh: week 12

2011-04-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my little dude is almost three months old already! It's been so fun to watch him lately especially, because he is learning so many new things. It's funny to think about how little babies know when they're born. I mean, he is having to learn how to make his hand touch things that he sees, how to hold his head up, how to follow people around the room with his eyes...so tender.
Right now, Jacob Leigh:
-has THE most dramatic yawns! Even if he yawns while he's sleeping, they are so loud and theatrical. It's hilarious!
-is all smiles, all the time. He smiles so wide when he sees me or Josh, that he starts to shake his head and his whole body

-loves to have his face covered during play time, with blankets and my hair.
-loves to lick any kind of fabric. and lick and lick.

-is a champ at holding his head up for very long stretches of time and looking all around the room.

-is in the 99th percentile for his height (26.5") and the 95th for his weight (16lbs)!! He's so huge!!
-is the cutest thing, and melts my heart every day.

Oh, and he's still sleeping through the night! He sucks at naps, but the boy can sleep at night for about 12 hours. I'll take it! I feel more rested now than I did while I was pregnant. Thanks, Jacob!

welcome to The Friendly Fox!

2011-04-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here it is! My new blog name is The Friendly Fox, and you will now find my vintage shop at FriendlyFoxVintage! I've been hard at work, and things are slowly but surely coming together. This weekend, we are changing the blog to the new domain name TheFriendlyFox.com, so don't be alarmed when (hopefully), your rss feed shows up with a new name. Also, I am changing my Twitter name today, you can now follow me at friendly_fox (thefriendlyfox is already taken, but hasn't been used since 2009. They should just give it to me.)
I am just about ready to launch the new shop, that will happen on Sunday morning! I will be adding new items every day for at least a few weeks. I'm also doing a big giveaway from myself here on the blog, so stay tuned!
pretty lace dresses drying out...

cards to put in shop orders...

my little helper at my studio...

Thanks for all the support, friends! I am just so happy and feeling much more productive having a separate space for my work. Plus, my house is staying so much cleaner! :)

*a big fat thanks to my friend Alia, of Darling Press & Stationers for drawing my header!

Maui Vacation, Part 2

2011-03-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Some random pictures from our trip...

a very tasty dessert we treated ourselves to one night...

a scuffy puppy on a surfboard...

the beautiful blue ocean...

a teeny tiny pineapple the size of my palm...

the grossest slithery black bugs...

in which it looks like Josh is about to sacrifice our child*...

in which it looks like Josh is about to hang our child*...

the view of the sunset from our hotel's open air lobby...

*I have an uncanny ability to take pictures of Josh and Jacob in a way that is most unflattering to his parenting skills! I swear Josh doesn't try to harm our baby as I stand idly by, taking pictures!

Jacob Bluth: Week 8

2011-03-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

My mom gave Jacob a Sleep Sheep! It's been awesome: it soothes him right away and helps put him (and Josh and me!) to sleep very easily. I was trying to take a picture of him playing with his sheep to send to my mom. When I was looking through the pictures, I couldn't help but realize that my little baby looked just like Buster does in Arrested Development! (we love this show.)

In other, non sheep news: Jacob has started sleeping through the night! For the past five nights, he has fallen asleep around 9pm and woken up around 7am. He nurses a couple of times a night, but since he sleeps in our bed with us, nighttime nursing is super easy and we both pretty much sleep through it. I feel pretty rested during the day now and Jacob is much less cranky since his little body and brain aren't exhausted. I'm hoping he'll start napping regularly soon, so I can get us on some sort of semi-predictable schedule!

maui vacation, part 1

2011-03-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

We were so so blessed to be able to take a vacation to Maui, courtesy of Josh's work! His company had a sales contest of sorts, and Josh exceeded the requirements, so we (along with 6 of his coworkers and their spouses) were flown to Hawaii! We were put up in a suite in a very (very.) fancy resort, The Fairmont Kea Lani. This was a new experience for us, because we are very much the opposite of resort people. When we travel, Josh and I opt to stay at whatever hotel is cheapest, and we walk or take public transportation around. The Fairmont was incredibly luxurious, and while I don't think any more resort vacations are in our future (unless it's another free trip-then bring it on!), I am so thankful we were able to stay here and RELAX. That's really all I did, relax!

We flew in to Maui on Thursday afternoon, on a direct flight from Portland. Jacob was just amazing and slept, nursed, and slept some more on the plane. Not a single peep out of him the entire 6 hour flight! Once we got to the hotel and checked into our suite, we just wanted to rest and get refreshed for whatever the evening would hold. When we looked at the prices of the on-site restaurants, however, it was decided we would get groceries for the six days we'd be there. I'll take a simple homemade sandwich over a super expensive fancy one, please! Josh and his coworker went to the grocery store while Jacob and I stayed behind.
I was unpacking our suitcases and had on the tv as background noise, when all of a sudden a warning flashed across the screen, of a possible tsunami. I quickly changed the channel to the news, and my heart broke as I heard of the earthquake that struck Japan. For the next few hours, my eyes were glued to the screen, as I watched- live- a giant tsunami wave tear through towns, destroying homes and entire towns. Josh and his coworker came back from the store with food and water, and we began to prepare for whatever would come our way. It turned out, of course, to be a minimal tsunami, though it did wipe out some piers and flood some businesses nearby. The hotel moved us to the sixth floor, just to be safe. This suite had an ocean view, and Josh somehow convinced them to let us stay there the rest of the trip! :)
I was so excited to put Jacob in the water, and his reaction was so hilarious!

(I can't stop watching his face the first time the wave hits him! What a little goof!)
At one point, Josh was hanging out with Jacob while I went for a swim. I was enjoying the warm waves, when I all of a sudden felt like Jacob needed me. I couldn't hear him crying or anything, it was just a feeling. When I walked up to shore, I found him extremely upset, COVERED in a thick layer of sand. It was everywhere. I guess there was a big gust of wind and it blew sand all over him. My immediate reaction was to burst out laughing: he looked so hilarious! Of course, I calmed him down after that, and it took quite a long time to get the sand out of his head and his little ears!

Every sunset while we were in Maui was just stunning. A great way to put an end to our day and mark the start of a calm evening!

Jacob Leigh, Weeks 5, 6, and 7

2011-03-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, you guys. I got so behind on everything! Before we went to Hawaii, we went out of town to spend a few days with Josh's family. While we were gone, our floors were refinished. We were back home for one day to move all the furniture back to it's place (because Vanessa and her husband were staying at our house while we were gone/her husband's band was in town), and then flew out to Maui early the next morning! I finally feel like I'm caught up with our household, sleep, and now the blog!

The past few weeks with the baby have been very full of ups and just a couple of less than great moments! I feel like we are so used to him now, it seems strange that he hasn't always been with us. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. Maybe other moms know the feeling I'm talking about? He is such an extension of me, that I feel like I'm missing something when he's not in the room with me...
...which is rarely. I'm sure it's a new mom thing, but as soon as Jacob makes a tiny little grunt, I'm there to pick him up. The first six weeks or so were full of me never wanting to set him down because he'd fuss, or if someone else was holding him and he'd make a little peep, I'd ask for him back. I'm starting to realize that this got him so used to my arms, and now sometimes when I set him down he hates it! It's sad for both of us, but I'm leaving him in his little vibrating chair or on his blanket on the floor for longer stretches of time to get him used to hanging out alone for a minute. I'm really trying to get better at this, because I need to start getting more done around the house and in my shop!
In cuter news, he's had a few deep belly laughs in his sleep, and it's so extremely adorable! His whole little body shakes and his smile takes over his entire face. He's also getting better at hand-eye coordination, and our daily play time on the floor is paying off, as he can now stare at something and then swat at it!

Jacob Leigh is so huge now! He's about 15lbs and 24" long! He looks like he's way older than 7 weeks, most people that see him think he's at least a couple months older. It'll make for some buff arms for me, for sure!

springtime layers

2011-03-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Little Ocean Annie readers, I'm the "other" Annie from the other coast. I run a little blog called Time Enough For Drums and I'm guest posting for Little Ocean Annie whilst she and her family are out and about in Hawaii. It sounds like Annie, Josh, and little Jacob are safe and sound after the tsunami scare, so thank goodness for that! Now, let's continue with our little guest blogging party here!

I'm sure it's no secret to you: Summer is coming! You, like me, are probably seeing all those summer shopping posts popping up in the blogosphere featuring itty bitty bikinis and sunglasses. Yet, I, unlike many it seems, am not eager to see the passing of Spring into hot summer months. I love this time of year when it's cool out, but not so much so that I must wear my heavy coat. I love layers and the best part of Spring? I can incorporate sunny bursts of color into my wardrobe without feeling over-the-top. So, Spring, please stay! I'm not ready for the hot and humid!

Pendleton Blazer, Coach Purse - thrifted, vintage

Dress, Necklace - vintage via estate sale

Sweater - Urban Outfitters

Tights - Target

Boots - Steve Madden

Rainy Day Women

2011-03-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hello, friends of Annie! Rachel here from Mousevox Vintage filling in while she is enjoying her well deserved tropical escape. I'm sure you've all heard about the tsunami threats earlier today and know her vacation started off with some unexpected excitement. Rest assure, Annie and her family are safe and sound. Hopefully, she's enjoying a fruity beverage and some relaxing down time with her loved ones as I type this!

While Miss Annie is frolicking in the tropics, most of us who are stateside are experiencing the blustery elements that come with early Spring. I know I personally have a hard time dressing myself when the weather is so unpredictable, and often quite rainy. That is, until I found my perfect trench coat (pictured above). I've been searching for one just like it for ages and it's seriously saving my March. It took me 2 years to find one that was just right for me and maybe some of you are searching for the perfect trench to protect your pretty frocks as well. Here are a few I found on Etsy, so to save you the trouble of having to dig through thrift stores for 2 years like I did...

Left: Raleigh Vintage /////////////// Right: Dear Golden

Left: Brown Bag Vintage /////////// Right: Simple Thrift

Left: Reinvintage //////////// Right: The Church of Vintage

Vacation bound!

2011-03-09T23:22:00.000-08:00

We just got back from spending a few days out of town with Josh's family, and now we're leaving again! We're headed to Hawaii for six days, and I just can't wait to feel some warm sunshine on my skin, eat loads of fresh fruit, snorkel, and put my little Jacob's feet in the ocean for the first time! I'll have a few great ladies guest blogging for me while I'm gone, then I hope things will get back to normal around here. Have a great week, all!
xoxo
Annie

Jacob Leigh, Weeks 3 and 4

2011-02-28T12:52:00.000-08:00

WEEK 3:
This was a fun week for us! We had friends and family over, celebrated National Hockey Day, and had a great time watching Jacob make the funniest faces. His eyes are getting lighter and bigger, and he's more alert than ever. He started to follow faces and a little stuffed toy with his eyes when we move it around. This week we started using cloth diapers entirely and we think they're awesome! We are using the BumGenius 4.0, and absolutely love them!

WEEK 4:
This week was a rough one for us. Jacob caught a little cold and was stuffed up for a few days. Of course, he got sick on the week that Josh had very long work days, so my days were pretty tiring. On the third day, he had a fever. I called his doctor, who told me to take him to the emergency room. I guess fevers in little tiny infants are taken very seriously, and are always considered an emergency. Josh came home right away, and, with me in tears, we took him to the ER. They checked his vitals, and although his fever had gone down, he had very low oxygen levels. Once he was admitted, they had to draw blood and take a urine sample, which meant a catheter. They had the hardest time getting the needle into his vein, and tried SIX times in SIX different veins! Jacob was bawling like crazy, people had him pinned down, and he kept looking up at me with the most pained look in his eyes. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see my little boy like that and not be able to pick him up and help him. Thankfully, all of his test came back fine, and he's almost back to normal.

Snow day

2011-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Every year in Portland, we get an inch or two of snow. Every year in Portland, the city freaks out about the snow, schools and businesses close down, and the local news makes up an overly dramatic name for the storm*. Today's "storm" was called FEBRUARY SNOW BLAST!! By the time I was done taking some pictures in our backyard, the majority of the snow had melted away. It did start snowing again, but most likely it will all melt and turn into ice over night. That's the Portland way!

(dress: vintage, for sale here; necklace: vintage, estate sale; belt: pineapplemint vintage; tights: target and zara)

I borrowed this dress from the shop, the colors were just perfect for a wintry snow day! I'm having a challenging time dressing this post-pregnancy body. It's a funny transition period, where my maternity clothes are too big and my pre-pregnancy clothes are [way] too small. For now, loose dresses it is! You can't really tell, but I layered a couple of pairs of tights, both for warmth, and because I bought a pair of hunter green tights from Zara and I look like Robin Hood in them!

*To this day, my favorite storm name is from a couple of years ago. It was "WICKED WINDS!!" and the graphics were letters that spell that blowing onto the screen, then being blown away. I wish my job was to come up with ridiculous news-story titles and graphics. I think I'd be pretty great at it.

inspiration: white walls

2011-02-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

Hey, remember how we were remodeling our house!? Well, since little Jacob was a [much welcome] surprise we found out about after we had purchased this crazy house, we had to rush to make the house livable before he got here. It's definitely a lot better-and less dangerous-than it used to be around here, and I no longer have to squat in our bathtub to wash dishes! We're still nowhere near being done, but as we get more accustomed to having a baby in our lives and more into a routine of sorts, we can start tackling all the little projects once again.
My main priority right now the living room. Honestly, our living room looked like the ugliest colors from the 90's threw up on our walls. The walls were painted a gross peach color with the exposed beams painted a golden orange. The stairs in the living room were painted the nastiest deep maroon purple color, and you could see a little bit of the puke green the kitchen used to be. We really wanted a clean start, so we painted our walls all white. I used to be very against all white rooms, but now I love them! Because of all of the south facing and clerestory windows, our house gets a lot of natural light. That, combined with the vaulted ceilings and white walls, gives our tiny living room a much more airy and open feeling than it used to have. Plus, our decorating style is so all-over the place that white walls are a nice, neutral backdrop for a collection of furniture from every thrfit store in town, estate sales, and the side of the road. We are refinishing our wood floors soon, putting up some baseboard, and then I get to finish decorating! I can't wait to have a finished living room, and show you guys pictures. Until then, here are some rooms I'm loving as inspiration!

(image from here's looking at you, kid)

(image from here)

Jacob Leigh, Week 1 and 2

2011-02-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

I think I'm ready to (slowly) get back in the swing of blogging! I want to say a big thank you to Jen, Starr, and Beatrice for their guest posts! It was nice to have such lovely girls fill in for me while I was busy having a baby and all.
I have other things to post about that aren't baby related, but I want to share some pictures of Jacob Leigh! He turned two weeks old yesterday, and I can't believe it. It both feels like our time has gone by really fast and like we've had him in our lives for much much longer than two weeks. He's been such a little blessing and joy to have around. Maybe I'm jinxing myself by saying this in public, but he's such a good baby! He's only cried a handful of times and he's all smiles! We've taken him on a few outings already, and he's been perfect through them. He's slept through some grocery shopping and a long lunch, and has also spent lots of time awake while I carry him in the Moby wrap while out and about. Maybe it sounds weird because he's obviously my child, but it's just finally settling in that I'm a mother! I have lots and lots (and lots!!) of experience with babies, so aside from the intense bond I have with Jacob Leigh, it kind of felt like babysitting the first week or so...Like we were going to have to give him back to someone at some point. But he's all ours! I couldn't be happier. I wouldn't want to be without his sweet snuggles, his little grunts, and his tender baby smell.
Week 1:
Josh took a week off of work, so after Jacob was born, we got to hang out at home as a new little family. It was so nice to have dad home so we could all bond. Josh is just incredible with his son, and I've fallen in love with him all over again. He likes to take him downstairs while I catch up on sleep and watch hockey games and action movies with him. He calls it their "man time" and I think it's adorable. I'm so glad our little guy has a dad that puts a lot of importance on bonding with him!

Week 2:
I can't believe how quickly Jacob's face has changed! He's like an entirely different baby than we met two weeks ago. He makes the funniest little faces and smiles so much. At first we thought they were just gas smiles, but now we're sure he's just a happy little guy. Jacob has gained just about two pounds (chub!) and has grown one entire inch already!
I was a little bit nervous about Josh going back to work, but aside from a couple of rough moments, Jacob and I are doing great hanging out by ourselves all day! My life is pretty much lived in two hour increments right now, since that's his feeding preference. By the time he feeds, gets his diaper changed, and gets burped, it's pretty much time to feed again! We have to time any outings or errands around his feeding schedule, although I'll totally nurse in public if he's hungry. Nursing has been challenging and painful at times, but it's honestly my favorite part about being a mom. Nothing compares to the feeling I get from giving my little son the nourishment he needs to grow. Plus, he always snuggles right up to my breast when he's done eating and gives me the sweetest pats with his little hand. Ok, I don't love the milk getting everywhere...I mean EVERYWHERE, but everything else about nursing is rad.

Also: I'm on the hunt for dresses with button fronts so I can nurse easily in public. If you have any in your shop, let me know!

My Favorite Things, by A Thought is the Blossom

2011-02-10T23:19:00.000-08:00

Hello! I'm Starr from A Thought is the Blossom, filling in for my dear friend Annie while she and Josh spend some time getting to know their new little guy, Jacob Leigh (congrats you two!). I had the pleasure of meeting Annie last spring, just before she moved to Portland and before she knew anything about baby Jacob. We didn't realize it until recently, but he was already in her tummy when we were hanging out, eating snow cones in the sunshine last May (hope you liked the flavor she got you, Jacob!).

Over time, Annie and I have built such an amazing online friendship, so it was an absolute given that I'd say yes when she wrote to ask if I'd like to guest post. In honor of Jacob, Annie recommended that I talk about some of my favorite childhood toys. Unfortunately, my toys are put away at my parents house so I wasn't able to get my hands on those, but I was able to round up a couple of pictures of some of my favorite childhood things!

To tell you the truth, I really don't remember much about this car, but there are so many different photos of my driving it, I figure it must have been a big deal to me! When I came across the photo in an old album this morning, I couldn't help but wonder what would be Jacob's first car? A Jolly Jaloby? Or maybe he'll be lucky enough to get a hip, muscle car? I'm certain Josh will make sure he's as tough as possible, so I bet he'll be more of a jeep guy! ha. He's got a ways to go before we'll know, I guess.

When I wasn't driving my Jolly Jaloby, I was almost ALWAYS playing with Barbies or playing dress up. The green dress in the photo below was one of my favorite dress up outfits. I also remember a red sequined apron dress that I used to wear to pretend like I was a waitress. I remember taking an ice cream sandwich order from my parents once (writing it down and everything) and then going to the freezer to get them. Oh, how I wanted to be a grown up! The last picture I found was of my childhood lunch box! It was a gift from my Mimi, and I'm pretty sure I carried it every single day for about three years. I loved it!

Seeing all these photos makes me want to go out and find a special toy for Jacob! I'll have to stick to simpler things for now, you know, until he can learn how to hold his head up, but Annie and Josh should know, Jacob is going to be spoiled rotten if I ever run into an estate sale with a ton of little boy things.

Last Night's Dinner, from Jen

2011-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends. It's Jen from jenloveskev. First, I just want to say a big Congratulations to Annie and Josh!!! What a special time in their lives. Having your first baby is something that fills you heart with so much joy. I wish them all the best. I just became a first time mom back in September and one thing that is hard to adjust to is your lack of extra time. 1. Because you want to spend so much time with your new little one and 2. because your daily tasks double when you have to take care of baby. It's hard to even find time to cook a nice meal. So, when Annie asked if I would share a recipe with everyone, I thought it should be something that is hearty, easy and quick to make. For me that is a soup. Mmm I could eat soup all winter long. I found this recipe in the current Vegetarian times magazine and made it the other night for friends. It was the perfect winter meal.

Minestrone with Arugula and Spinach
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. Olive oil
2/3 cup of chopped carrots
2/3 cup of chopped celery
2/3 cup of chopped onion
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. Vegetable broth
1 15oz. can of cannellini beans
1 cup of uncooked Whole Wheat elbow macaroni
3 cups of arugula and spinach chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in pan. Add celery, carrots and onion. Cook 2-3 mins.
2. Stir in tomato paste, brown sugar, paprika and bay leaf. Cook 1 more min.
3. Add diced tomatoes with juice, broth, beans, macaroni and 1.5 cups of water.
4. Stir and cook all together until elbows are al dente.
5. Stir in arugula and spinach. Cook till they are just starting to wilt. Maybe a min.
6. Salt and Pepper to taste.
7. Serve hot and with some bread.

2011-02-06T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hello! This is Beatrice from DearBeatrice guest blogging for Annie today while she tends to her little precious new born baby, Jacob!! I'm so excited for her and wish her and Josh both the best! I'm sure they'll be awesome parents. I can't wait to see her little boy in cute vintage get up just like his mommy! Like Annie, I too am Mexican- American and lived in Mexico for a few years when I was younger. So, to celebrate our heritage, and now a part of little Jacob's heritage, she asked me to write something about Mexico. I thought about it long and hard and decided to show you through photos of what Mexico means to me and what inspires me. It's a country filled with rich culture, beautiful traditions, and a long interesting history. I try to go at least once a year and these are some of the many photos I've taken throughout the years. I hope you enjoy this!

Those holes on the walls aren't just holes, they're bullet holes from the Mexican Revolution of 1910.

The old family hacienda (plantation) on my maternal grandmother's side. During the Mexican Revolution of 1910 it was used as a fort for the revolutionaries.

You will see a heavy influence of Spanish architecture and decor such as the wrought iron doors and high arches.

Mexico is known for their hand painted tiles. I want to cover my future house from wall to wall in these.

Pace of life is much calmer than even Orange County. Beautiful sunsets such as this one remind me to seek beauty in the simpler things.

Pan de dulce! So good.

Calaveras de azucar for Day of the Dead. You don't actually eat these, unless you want a high dose of pure sugar.

Guanajuato City. This city is filled with bright colors and European influence is very notable in the buildings and streets. Fun fact: all the driving is done underneath the city!

There are many different folklore traditions in Mexico in different regions.

Bugambilias. They're everywhere in Mexico.

You will see political murals in bigger cities such as this one through out Mexico.

Through out the country there is evidence of the ancient world still around. This one in particular is called Las Plazuelas de Guanajuato. A little fun fact: The land was owned by relatives on my father's side of the family and when he was a little boy visiting Mexico he used to play in the ruins that were visible.

Cathedrals in Mexico are very beautiful and elaborate. This one is where my maternal grandparents got married!

xoxo,

Beatrice

our little boy

2011-02-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

He was born right on his due date, has the softest of skin, the darkest of hair, the longest hands and feet, and our hearts.

Some lovely ladies will be guest posting while I take a couple of weeks off to enjoy my sweet little family.

estate sale jackpot!

2011-01-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

I spent this morning at an awesome estate sale! It had been a while since I went to one that was really worth it, but this particular sale seemed very promising. The sale was in a beautiful three story home, and I am not exaggerating when I say that every single room was packed with clothing, shoes, and purses! The woman who passed was a modeling agent with no husband or children, which means that, from the looks of it, most of her time and money were spent on her things. I'd love to go back in time and meet her, then thank her for keeping everything that she did! I am not kidding, there were hundreds of shoes in boxes still labeled, an enitre room for her purses, and at minimun, 1000 articles of clothing.
My favorite part about her was that she had, among these 1000s of feminine things, a small handful of tools and a shotgun. What a lady! I picture her being the type of woman that is all about taking care of herself, taking no crap from anyone. There was a very small handful of men's clothing, all jackets and a few shirts. They were all different sizes, so Josh and I assume they belonged to her gentlemen...friends...and they were left behind at her house!
Because he is such a sweetheart, Josh had already agreed to get up early with me and wait in line. We got there an hour early, stood in the rain, and it was well worth it.

Clothes everywhere, you guys!! Just when I was getting ready to check out, Josh informed me that there were hundreds more pieces in the basement! Those vintage swimsuits in the middle picture were snagged up by Julie of Fab Gabs Vintage, so be sure to check out her shop for them soon!

Just just some of the pieces I came home with (for the shop!):
Some amazing egg-shaped coats (finds by Josh!), adorable plaid cape, and a coat that reminds me of the Little Orphan Annie.

Some great flight bags and some GIANT leather purses that are just amazing!

Some stunning 1950s cocktail dresses with great detailing!

Vintage Coach purses, some never used, in so many colors. There's even a seafoam green one! **UPDATE: The seafoam purse has sold, friends! I'll keep my eyes out for another one, what a sought after purse it was!

I couldn't help but start soaking and cleaning up everything as soon as I got home. It's crazy the things handwashing and OxyClean gets out!

I hope to get these things in the shop very very soon! As always, I will post everything on Twitter as soon as it lists, so follow along if you'd like to know when something's up!

And I owe a huge giant kiss and thank you to my sweet Josh! There is absolutely no way I could have carried those six bags of stuff around the house by myself. I forgot an umbrella, and he even went to buy me one so I wouldn't get soaked! Standing in the rain super early in the morning is so much more fun with a handsome, gentleman husband by my side!

broke-back annie

2011-01-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was going about my day, when all of a sudden I got the worst pain I've ever felt on my lower back. It immediately made me tear up like a baby. Josh had to carry me up the stairs and into bed, where I've been for the past 17 hours. It hurts like crazy to put any weight on my right leg, so I'm stuck in bed for a while. Josh left me with lots of snacks, coffee, water, and moved my sewing machine and table into our room so I can tackle my hem and mend pile. He even took my car for the day, so I can't go anywhere. It's true, I can't be trusted to get enough rest, I get so bored!

(It'll be very hard to part with this pretty pink dress! It has the loveliest details and buttons...)
I'm taking this time to measure the racks and racks of vintage I have piling up. I've been stocking up on inventory for the last six weeks so I don't have to worry about taking my little babe thrifting with me for a while. My plan is to have the majority of my stock measured and photographed so it will be easy to list when I have lots of downtime/internet time. Lucky for me, I made an awesome connection this weekend with a man who has a house full of vintage he wants to get rid of! His mother owned a vintage shop, and he inherited all of her shop's inventory and has her personal clothign to get rid of, too. I can't wait to go rummage through a basement he described as "jammed packed with vintage dresses!"

Recipes for a quick southern meal

2011-01-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite foods to make when I'm feeling lazy (and when I want to have loads of left-overs in the freezer) is BBQ Pulled Pork. It's the easiest thing I know how to make, but isn't everything involving a slow-cooker so easy? It also easily doubles as a Mexican meal!* We ended up inviting one of our best friends and his girlfriend over for dinner last minute, so I whipped up some corn bread and coleslaw to make a full meal out of it. When I cracked the eggs for the bread, one of them had two tiny yokes! That hasn't happened to me in a long time, but I love organic, truly cage free eggs for the little surprises they provide!

Doesn't everything just look tastier when served in vintage Pyrex?

Yummy pulled pork sandwich with slaw and a side of cornbread!

*I used some of this meat for making carnitas tacos for lunch, with a few flavor adjustments! Thanks for the suggestion, Whitney! See the recipe below.

COLESLAW:
1 Head of Red Cabbage, Thinly Sliced
1 Head of Green Cabbage, Thinly Sliced
4 Large Carrots, Shredded
1/2 cup Mayonnaise (I prefer olive oil mayo)
White Vinegar to taste, I use about 1/2 cup for a fairly vinegary slaw
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Combine until vinegar and mayonnaise are evenly distributed throughout.
2. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving, to let the flavors combine.
Note: This recipe makes A LOT of slaw! A LOT. You can freeze slaw for up to a month, which I ended up doing in small servings. To unfreeze, simply set out to thaw for a couple of hours before serving. I recommend letting the flavors sit together for a while before freezing.

PULLED PORK:
1 Large Pork Shoulder
2 Large Onions
1 Bottle of Quality Ginger Ale
1 Bottle of BBQ Sauce

1. Chop up onions. Place one onion on the bottom of the crock-pot. Place whole pork shoulder over the onion, top with the remaining chopped onion. Pour the ginger ale into the pot.
2. Cook on low for 12 hours (I like to start this the night before, so it cooks while I'm sleeping).
3. After 12 hours, carefully remove the meat onto a plate. It will be very tender! With a fork, shred into desired size.*
4. Drain out onions and the liquid (you can keep this liquid to use in another recipe).
5. Place shredded pork back into the c, pour about 2/3 to the whole bottle of BBQ sauce in, depending on how saucy you like the pulled pork.
6. Cook for 5 more hours on low.
7. Enjoy!

*CARNITAS:
1. Prepare pork as above, until step 5. When you have shredded the pork, season to taste with salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
2. Place under the broiler, or in 500° oven. Cook until crispy.
3. Enjoy!

I used this recipe for the cornbread, thanks to Morgan for suggesting it to me. I didn't add any cheese or dill to it, but added a can of drained sweet corn. It came out perfect, and I'll definitely keep this as my go-to cornbread recipe! Not too dry, and perfect with a little bit of honey drizzled on top.
AAAND: When I was looking at cornbread recipes, I read "polenta" to say "placenta." That's pretty ew, and I think I have babies on my mind too much.

week 38

2011-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks are both flying by and dragging on. I'm so eager to meet our boy that every day that goes by that he's not here is a little sad. However, I'm still enjoying my pregnancy, and I'm really savoring every time I get to shower when I want, take a rest if I'm tired, and enjoy my husband without a little baby around. Josh and I are obviously very thrilled to welcome a baby into our lives, but things will be so different for us from now on! So for now, I'm enjoying being a wife, before adding "mom" to the mix!

Today at the midwife's, we got a little surprise: the midwives at the clinic needed to do some training on an ultrasound machine that they had, so they asked if I would be willing to have an ultrasound. Fyi: because I'm recieving midwifery care and not traditional OB care, I get the very very minimal medicinal care, so I'm not getting ultrasounds unless there is cause for concern. Josh and I have been saying for the past couple of months that, though we're glad there has been no medical need to have an ultrasound, we wish we could we could just take a peek at him. We gladly agreed to have the ultrasound today, and got to see the little guy! We didn't get any print out pictures, and it was mostly focused on measuring my amniotic fluid, but we still got to spy on him for a few minutes! It was so different than the ultrasound we got 17 weeks ago, when we found out he was a boy. Back then, he was so tiny that all of him fit on the screen. This time, his giant head took up the whole screen and we could only see him in sections. Still, seeing his little heart valves flutter and beat was amazing! The midwife and technician both agreed that this baby is going to be a very big baby...Yikes! It shouldn't surprise me too much, since I was about 10lbs when I was born, and I was three weeks early!! My poor mom, she was the skinniest thing, carrying me around must've sucked! We'll see how big he turns out to be, hopefully he won't take after his mom too much in that sense. I'm trying to focus on how cute chubby babies are, and not the fact that I'm going to birth a chunky baby without meds!
Dear Baby Boy:
We got to see you today! It was unexpected, but we got a little sneak peak at you. You have the chubbiest cheeks right now, and your fists were tightly clenched, punching away. The midwife had a little bit of a hard time finding a pocket of fluid she needed because your big bum was taking up all the space! That made me laugh, looks like you'll be taking after your mom in that area! We were told you're going to be a pretty big baby, so your momma is bracing herself for that. But! There's nothing I want to do more than to kiss your little leg rolls and pudgy arms! Your dad and I are trying to be patient in waiting for you, but you can come out and join us for family time any time you want!
Love you,
Momma

thanks, broken laptop

2011-01-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

(dress: vintage, via clothing swap; necklace, coach purse, shoes: vintage, thrifted)
Did you have a good first week of the year? Mine was so productive, and I have a busted laptop to thank for that! Mine was getting fixed for several days, and Josh's MacBook has some keys that don't work, so I just didn't really spend much time on line. It was great timing on my laptop's part, as I'm trying to work on my goals every day. Even though it sucks having to take my laptop in to get fixed, I like how shiny and clean it is when I get it back! I should care about the hard drive being replaced, but really, a smudge-free screen makes me happy, too.

The cutest husband!

Week 37

2011-01-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

We did it! Making it past the 36th week was such a great feeling, I definitely breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing that the baby is now full term. Now we are just playing the waiting game. With every contraction I feel, I'm reminded that very soon one of them will lead to real labor contractions and our little boy will be joining our family. We have our list of things we will need for the hospital, and our overnight bags will be packed in the next day or two.
Today, Josh and I went out to round up some necessities for the baby. Because of the craziness of remodeling our house and everything else, we decided not to have a baby shower until after the baby is here, plus that way our friends can meet him! This means we have to gather up the few things we'll need for his first month on our own. It's really not that much since I plan on nursing, using cloth diapers (which have been gifted to us by family and the lovely Christine!), and hanging out at home a lot. Even though it was just a few items, it was so fun to pick out baby things!

I'm really really enjoying my pregnancy, even at this stage! There have been a lot of uncomfortable moments (duh!) but I am loving growing a little person inside me. I am, however, ready for awkward and borderline rude comments from people to stop coming my way. No, I'm not "tired of feeling so huge," and honestly, making assumptions about how someone else feels is kind of a silly thing to do, people! Anyway, though I am ready to meet this baby, climb stairs without running out of breath, and wear high-waisted things again (or really, wear anything other than my two stretchy dresses and leggings!), I love being pregnant and am in a really good mood about it!

Dear Baby Boy:
You are officially a full grown baby! Good job! I send you a tiny high-five for growing so much. SO SO much. You are so incredibly strong these days. We can feel your elbows, they are very very sharp. We can also feel your little butt, which I think is the cutest little thing. Sometimes you stick it way out, and it makes us laugh because we can feel two round little lumps where your little booty is.
I have been savoring every little moment with you. I'll always be your mommy, but we'll never share a body again, so I am taking in every kick, every squirm, and every hiccup. You are responding to our voices more than ever, and you even kick a little bit when your dad taps my belly! You're already so fun to have around, little boy.
We love you so much!
Mommy

Every Day goals

2011-01-01T20:39:00.001-08:00

Do you make resolutions on New Years? I've never really been one to, since a new year doesn't necessarily feel that different to me than just another new day. Lately, though, I have been reminding myself of goals I have for my every day life, so I thought I would share them with you.

(this polaroid was taken by one of my sister's friends. I've never met this guy, but his photographs are so beautiful! You can find more by clicking here)

1. Count my blessings every day.
I am not much of a complainer, but sometimes I catch myself whining about something that seems like a big deal at the time and really isn't at all. So, I've been trying to change my attitude, and it's already helped so much. Instead of complaining about how much laundry I have to do, I'm thankful we have clothes we not only need, but ones we want as well. If Josh forgot to put a liner on the garbage can, I'll give thanks that l I have a husband who helps me around the house and takes the garbage out when it's freezing out, and put the liner on myself. I know that sometimes people who are always positive can be a little annoying (admit it, it's true!), but I've realized it's really discouraging to be around someone that is constantly complaining, and negative mindsets tend to be contagious!

2. Be inspired, not jealous.
I like to look at blogs. Lots of blogs. However, I noticed one day that after a while of looking at blogs, I was left with a feeling of jealousy for someone else's things, settings, situations, etc. I really hate that feeling, because I am very blessed and I love my life. I decided to quit looking at blogs that gave me that ugly feeling, and start only reading ones that left me feeling inspired. Wether these blogs are style blogs, etsy blogs, food blogs, craft blogs, or lifestyle ones, I only spend my time looking at the ones that make a positive impact. I'll be updating my blog list on the sidebar to include these so maybe you can be inspired, too.

3. Spend less time on the internet.
I've already trimmed the time I spend on my iPhone WAY back, now it's time to do the same with my laptop. This one will be a little challenging for me since I spend my days at home, my job is an online store, and I love to blog. However, I'm determined to be more efficient with my time online, and leave my laptop on my desk instead of having it constantly by my side. I also am trying to not "multi-task" so much when I'm online, since I actually end up wasting time when I'm jumping from one browser tab to another, instead of finishing what I have open before moving on the next "task" at hand. I have a habit of constantly clicking over to Facebook or Twitter "really quick" before I close a tab to see if something important has happened (it didn't, it rarely does), when suddenly 15 minutes has gone by! This goal is made easier by only allowing myself to look at inspirational blogs, too!

4. Do something with my inspiration.
It's a cinch to fill up my the folder on my desktop titled "Inspiration." It's a much harder thing to actually do something with that inspired feeling. I have been working on acting on that inspired mood when it strikes. I've been working on organizing all of my "areas" in the house so it's easy for me to create something when I want! I've been studying my photography book and my camera a lot, and I am also starting the 365 Project today, I'll be sharing a weekly round-up of those photos here on the blog! I know this will be a little challenging with a newborn, but I can't allow myself to fall into a creative rut when my mind is swimming with ideas.

Well, those are the things I've been focusing on in my life lately. I already feel like it's had a positive impact on my everyday mood, and I can tell being more positive has made my relationships better! I will work very hard to keep up with these goals every day.

What are your goals for yourself?

a birthday wrap up

2010-12-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I really had such a great day yesterday. Honestly, my birthday ussually gets lost in the busyness of the holidays, and I've gotten used to not really doing a whole lot that day, and dealing with most friends still being out of town that day. I'm not complaining, it's fine! Especially since it seems like as I get older, birthdays aren't quite as exciting as they used to be.
Well, Josh is pretty awesome at presents (case in point: last year for my birthday, he booked a couple's massage class so he could learn to give me good massages. He also bought a ton of pure oils and herbs and infused a bunch of different massage oils for me in the cutest little jars. seriously.), and he was kind of spoiled me this year. My present was in an envelope that had his "fancy" writing on it (so cute!). The first thing I opened was a map of Portland, with some destinations routed. I couldn't figure out what they would be just by looking at it, but each letter on the map had a corresponding envelope. One envelope had some cash and a note that said "a new lens for Annie" and our stop was at Pro Photo Supply! I've been wanting to upgrade my 50mm lens for a while (I love that lens, it's just not great for everything), so this was such a sweet surprise*. Our next destination was supposed to be to the Japanese Gardens, a place I've been wanting to go for years. Josh thought it'd be the perfect place to try out my new lens, and while I'm sure he's right about that, it was pouring all day, so we will have to go back another day. My last present of the day was a birthday back and foot rub!

We spent the day going to the midwife clinic, roaming around Powell's Books and buying some books, eating tortas at my mom's house, and playing a ton with younger siblings (to the point that my abs were hurting from laughing). I had to take a quick birthday nap before meeting up with friends for some dessert later that night.

And, because it was my birthday and I could do whatever I wanted, I went home to bed at 10:30pm.

*Using my birthday money and a giant store credit I bought THIS awesome lens! I had researched lenses quite a bit, and I was pretty sure this is the one I wanted. A quick thumbs up from Anja, who has this lens, was just the push I needed to decide on it. I've only shot a few pictures with it, but I can already say I'm in love with it. I can't wait to play with it more! Also, if you're in the Portland area and need camera equipment, I highly recommend stopping by Pro Photo. They have such a great selection of items, and have always been so extremely helpful without being pushy at all!

it's my birthday!

2010-12-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

(picture borrowed from Vanessa, in hopes that she'll come back to my house and bake me pretty things!)

Today is my 25th birthday! I already opened my present from Josh, and it's full of plans for things we're going to be doing today. It made me tear up as soon as I opened it. I'll document it and share it tomorrow, because he's just the cutest in the world! I'll be spending my day with my sweet husband, a midwife appointment (getting to hear my little boy's heartbeat is the best present!), enjoying a tasty dinner made by my momma, and ending it with dessert with friends!

ps: Be sure to check out Morgan's blog for an AWESOME giveaway! She's giving away $50 to your choice of one of Lisa's Etsy shops. Trust me, you want to win this one! Lisa and Morgan are both super amazing ladies, and them teaming up for a giveaway is just so cute! So click here to go enter!

pps: the winner of the Lived Up the Stairs giveaway is Joanna. Congrats, Joana, I'll be sending you an email!

how was yours?

2010-12-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

(Josh got me a pair of WeSC headphones in the cutest green color! I've been wanting a pair of quality headphones for such a long time, and these are just perfect!)

I hope y'all had a great Christmas and holiday weekend! As Mexican tradition goes, we do the big celebrating on Christmas Eve and stay up till midnight to open presents. However, since Josh and I have been together, we've had to tweak that a little bit to allow for our travels to his family's house for Christmas day. We went to my mom's early in the morning on the 24th for a tasty breakfast of baked brioche french toast (recipe to come soon, it's so super easy!), a lot of scrabble, playing some wii with my little siblings, and opening presents. Then we drove a couple hours down south to Josh's parent's house for more family time and relaxing. Josh's brother and his family even flew down from Alaska to surprise everyone!
Josh and I have been talking about how lucky we are to have our families close by, and that we all get along! He feels so comfortable with my family, and I with his. Josh put it best by saying that each other's families don't really feel like "in-laws" to each other but more just an extension of our own families. We're both happy that the stereotype of the dreaded in-laws doesn't apply to us!
Well, I'm off to go eat some more with the family! If you celebrate, how was your Christmas?

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T23:27:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas, friends! I'm enjoying a few days full of family, love, and relaxation! I wish you the happiest Christmas and holidays!

xoxo,
Annie

(you can still enter the $30 Lived Up the Stairs giveaway, just click here!)

nostalgia, New orleans style

2010-12-21T09:24:00.001-08:00

As much as I am so thrilled to be home in Portland, finally able to unpack our boxes after living in five places in two years, I'm getting a little stir crazy! I've been looking through my iPhoto archives and it makes me long for a vacation. One of my favorite things about being married to Josh is that he also loves to travel and go on spontaneous adventures. I know we'll have to slow down a little bit when the baby is here, but we still definitely plan on taking him on lots and lots of trips. We keep planning road trips in our head, thinking of how fun it will be this time around with a little baby in the back seat.
Anyway, these pictures are from a spontaneous trip to New Orleans last year. We were living in Austin at the time. I had been once before with my friend, and Josh's best friend and his wife were there celebrating their anniversary. Josh's friend Ryan sent me a text asking about some restaurant recommendations, and I told him I wish we could be there. Within an hour or so, Ryan had checked with the apartment rental he was staying at, comfirmed they had one open for me and Josh, I called Josh to see if he wanted to go to New Orleans that day ("Of course!"), and I had a rental car booked. I quickly threw some overnight bags together, and as soon as Josh got home from work an hour later, we had a taxi waiting to take us to the car rental place, and we were off! It was only about an eight hour drive from Austin, and we arrived at about 4am!
We were only there for a couple of days, but one day was spent with me and Josh walking around aimlessly. We tend to not like the touristy parts of towns we visit, and ussually end up wandering off the beaten path a bit. We walked and walked until we found ourselves in the Lower Ninth Ward one night. It was dark, there were lots of people sitting on their porches waving a friendly hello, and we ended up at a tiny and tasty neighborhood restaurant with the best bbq we've ever had! We knew that there were cool buildings we wanted to check out in the daylight, so we went back the next day for some quick pictures.

(a LOT of houses in the poorer neighborhoods still have the tag on the outside from when rescue teams searched for bodies right after hurricane Katrina happened. I love that this house wanted to immortalize this by making an iron replica of it and putting it right over the tag)

bacon, pear, gorgonzola pizza

2010-12-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

A while back, we hosted a dinner party at my friend Nicole's house. I had to make this particular pizza that I love to make. It's bacon/pear/gorgonzola, and it's just plain delicious!

We had a lot of fun trying to throw the pizza dough up in the air, although the dudes were much better at it than the girls. Josh worked at a pizza place when he was a teenager, and took over in showing us the "proper" way to launch the dough.

The pizza is just so pretty, even before it's baked!

Here's the final and delicious product!

The recipe I use is based on this one from Stephen Cooks. I make a few minor tweaks here and there depending on my mood and the ingredients I have on hand, but I ALWAYS sub in goat cheese for the mozzarella. It's perfectly creamy and makes a nice base.I also just used Trader Joe's pizza dough this time around. You buy it bagged in one pizza portions, and there are no weird ingredients, so I feel good using it when I don't feel like making it from scratch. I've made this lots of times throughout the years, ussually I make one without the bacon for the veggies, too, and it's still (almost) just as good!

week 34

2010-12-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

My, oh my, I'm in my 34th week already! Can you believe it!? Time has really flown by, and each week seems to fly by and drag on at the same time. I'm eager to reach the 36 week mark, which means the baby wouldn't be considered premature anymore, and birthing from that point on would have less complications for him.
I've been experiencing a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions in the past week. I'm getting about 2-3 an hour, which is not abnormal, but each one takes me by surprise. At least it's giving me lots of practice to learn to relax my body during contractions! Sleeping has become quite a challenge, and I wake up to the most painful kicks! My midwife told me today that a pain I'm experiencing on the top of my uterus is bruising that the baby has been causing! It's both painful and extremely cute at the same time. How could I be mad at this little guy for hurting me when he's running out of room in there? :)

Life in the past couple of weeks has been so busy! I've been collecting and preparing things for the shop nearly every day so I have a lot on hand when the little one gets here, my mom had surgery last week, and we are busting our butts working on the house. As much as we are eager to meet the baby, we are not quite ready yet. I'm hoping to start washing all of his little clothes and start putting everything in it's place in the next two weeks. I think that'll make all of this sink in a little bit more.

(we have so many squirrels in our yard all the time! Do you see the one in this picture and on the fence in the second one? They're so cute!)

Dear Baby Boy:
Goodness, you're almost here! I can't express how your dad and I are to meet you! You've changed our lives so much already, I can't imagine how it'll be when you're finally here. Lately, we've been thinking a lot about the day we will get to meet you. I just know that the first time we look at your little face, we'll fall so in love with you. Everything we do right now is with you in mind: from the house work, to the meals I cook. Your dad has even become a much safer driver, it's so cute.
You're quite the little active guy in the middle of the night! Even though you wake me up with a swift kick, I love that you have developed your own sleeping patterns. I can tell around what time it is based on if you're awake or not, and I think you're just the cutest little clock there is! You just stay in there for at least a few more weeks, fatten up a bit while we work hard, and then we can meet. Deal?
Love you so much,
Momma

lentil soup with bacon and veggies

2010-12-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

I swear that I do cook things other than soup, but here's another soup recipe! Josh and I have been fighting a cold on and off since before Thanksgiving, so I wanted something to warm us up and keep us full. I've always loved lentils, since I was a little kid, and now that I'm growing a little guy in my belly, they're a great way to make sure I'm getting lots of fiber, iron, and vitamin B. Throw in tons of veggies and a little bit of bacon, and I'm all over it!

Lentil Soup with Bacon and Chard (loosely based on this recipe)
2 small onions, diced*
4 stalks of celery, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced*
1 tsp cumin (this adds such a depth to this soup!)
1/2 tsp chili powder
3-4 tomatoes, diced
ground pepper
6 slices of bacon
2 cups of uncooked lentils
6 cups of broth ( I used chicken)
Chopped kale or chard (I only had chard on hand, which worked perfectly and added really nice color)
*I really love onions and garlic, you can make these quantities smaller if you'd like. Since there are lots of other veggies and spices, I don't think it'd lose too much flavor.

1. In a large dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy. Drain, chop, and set aside.
2. Discard most of the bacon grease, leaving just a couple of tablespoons. Sautee onions, celery, and carrots until onions are tender (just about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and spices and sautee for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Add in the lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Add in your greens and the bacon for a few minutes, till bacon is heated through.

I served it with a crusty, seeded baguette.

Josh and I both loved this soup! I ussually make a variation of this, but I've never added cumin until now. Man, oh man, did that cumin add some delicious flavor! I planned to freeze half of this for later, but we've been eating it every day for three days now, it's that good.

(sorry for the crappy iphone pictures. Truth be told, my camera was upstairs, and I couldn't muster up the energy to go get it.)

Tiny Parcels

2010-12-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

I know I've missed the last few weeks of baby posts, but things is our home have been busy busy busy! Our chaotic house is really starting to come together and feel like a cozy home we can bring our little dude into!
I'm just about ready to wash all the clothes I've found for him at thrift stores and put them away in his little dresser. I thought I'd show you a few really special vintage pieces that came to our little JR Jr in the mail. I love getting snail mail, what a lucky guy!
When I first told Starr I was pregnant, she told me she had a dress she was going to send me if baby was a girl. Well, she ended up sending me a couple of really incredible vintage baby boy things anyway! Thanks, Auntie Starr! :) I love the little fish on these overalls so much! The ricrac is so stinking cute! Josh and I are both so happy with the button-up she sent, too! Josh loves his old cowboy button ups, so this shirt is perfect for his little son. It even has adorable cowboy detail on the back!

Maria, of Adelaide's Homeswen, kindly offered to send over a box of baby boy clothes for JR Jr to borrow. Aside from being excited to see the clothes she'd send over, I was happy to give some clothes more use. I love the idea of lending out baby clothes, since they get such little wear. Anyway, the box Maria sent over was full of amazing vintage clothes! I can't wait for our son to fit into these great clothes! Every piece is so special, but these ones are my favorite. The tool printed overalls will be perfect for the days he goes to the hardware store with his dad, the sweaters are SO soft, and those hooded cardigans will make him fit right in here in Portland! I also can't get enough of those teeny little Chucks (just like Josh wears everyday!) and the tiniest little dress shirt and bowtie! They remind me of the kid from Problem Child, in the best possible way.

Thank you so much, Starr and Maria!! I'm so thankful to be blessed with such nice lady friends! And thank you to all you kind readers for the supportive thoughts and comments you send our way. Josh and I are so eager to meet our baby boy, and all of your excitement only fuels that more!

**DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE CORAL VINTAGE GIVEAWAY! IT'S THE LAST DAY, SO GET YOUR ENTRY IN!**

Sponsor Spotlight: Thistle and Lace

2010-12-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

Thistle and Lace is a vintage shop ran by Carlie, from right here in Portland. I met her through Anja, and immediately thought she had killer style!
Carlie has a great selection of dresses right now, all very feminine, and at incredible prices! Lately, I've been feeling a little nostalgic for the days when I used to have a waist. I've been craving high-waisted anything and lovely vintage dresses with a fitted waist. These dresses from Thistle and Lace fit that bill perfectly, with some adorable collars to boot! And how perfect is the blue velvet dress for a holiday party!?

1. 1950s Gingham Dress, $35. 2. Blue Plaid Dress w/PETER PAN collar! $32
3. Lovely Floral Dress w/Rounded Collar, $32. 4. Blue Velveteen Dress, $34.
As if her prices weren't great already, Carlie is offering you 20% OFF EVERYTHING IN HER SHOP! Just enter the coupon code "lovelace" at checkout!

(the above pictures were taken by Carlie. The dresses are available in her shop now! See more on her tumblr)

once wed, twice engaged

2010-12-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

(Geez, this turned into the longest post in the world! I apologize for the length!)
I've casually mentioned before that Josh and I were engaged twice before we married, and since then, I've received quite a few questions and requests to share a little bit more. I thought it'd be fun to share how Josh and I met, started dating, and eventually got married, and this provides a great excuse to share some of my favorite pictures of us!
Josh and I have pretty much liked each other for almost seven years now. I met him through friends at a house party here in Portland when I was up for the weekend from college. Ready for some romance? The first thing Josh ever said to me was "Are you a Mexican?" Seriously! He later told me that he always wanted to date a Mexican girl, so he wanted to make sure first. Haha! Anyway, I went back to college and Josh went up to Alaska for a few months to take care of his little nephew. We talked on AIM and MySpace tons, and I probably wrote about him on LiveJournal. I didn't have my own computer, and I remember going to the University library just to get on AIM and see if Josh was up (I mean, to study like a good girl)! We talked a lot on the phone, with me sitting out in the hall of my dorm hall, trying to ignore all the annoying people.
I moved back to Portland later that year, and Josh and I became better friends. We hung out with all the same people, he ran some venues, and I would go to shows (mostly to see him!), and we decided we were "best friends." We both really liked each other, but were not ready to seriously date yet. About a year later, I was dating someone else, and that ended pretty quickly. For some reason, my immediate reaction was to call Josh after I got dumped. He showed up at my house the next morning, on his way to work, just to see if I was ok. Even though we didn't become "boyfriend and girlfriend" right away, we've been pretty inseparable ever since that day! We dated for a few months before Josh FINALLY asked me to be his girlfriend! He teases me all the time that I gave him an ultimatum, but all I said was "I want to have a boyfriend this summer. It's up to you if it's you or not!" Haha, that sounds so threatening now! But we liked each other, weren't seeing anyone else, and he was being a baby about it! :)

We love to explore abandoned buildings!

We knew we loved each other as soon as we started dating, and it didn't take long for us to get engaged. We honestly just kind of jumped in to it. We went down to Josh's family's house in Mexico with some friends for some surfing and relaxing. The night before Valentine's day, Josh and I walked down to the beach. The giant moon was reflecting on the water, the only sounds were our talking, and the waves crashing on the rock. Josh pulled out a ring (we had chosen together) and proposed! He had even talked to my parents about it (my dad told him we should do what we felt was right, but that he thought we weren't ready).

We took this picture about 2 minutes after we got engaged!
We were both very much in love, and very much oblivious to the fact that it takes much for than love to make a successful marriage. We wanted to just hurry and be married, and kind of chose to ignore the bigger things to think about: where we'd live, would we want kids, would we both work, what our views on marriage were, finances, etc. We never set a date, and kept pushing back the wedding. One night, we were talking about the wedding, and somehow it came up as a half-joke that maybe we shouldn't get married right away. That night, we had the longest, most sincere discussion about waiting to get married. We didn't want to break up, and I knew in my heart that I would end up marrying Josh at some point, but I was 19 years old, and we were not at all ready! I gave Josh the ring back (the same one I wear now), and focused on being just boyfriend and girlfriend and getting to know each other more. Before that, Josh and I had never had an argument about ANYthing. I'm not saying that you have to fight in order to get married, but there is something to be said for knowing how you and your potential spouse will react to tough situations. Josh and I dated for a few years after that. I moved to Boise, ID on my own for work (merchandiser at Urban Outfitters, opening a new store) for a few months, Josh got a temporary apartment on the coast for work, and we learned to have our own lives, together.
Two and a half years ago, we went to that same house in Mexico to celebrate his grandma's birthday. All of Josh's family was there, and it was really nice to meet everyone,and spend time with them. Everyone was going around taking turns talking about family, and Josh surprised us all by proposing to me! We had talked about getting married again, and this time it was absolutely perfect! There was no doubt in either of our minds that the timing was right and that we were ready. Since then, we've been married for two years, taken lots and lots of trips, lived in three cities in two states in one year, remodeled two houses, and got pregnant!

I know this might seem backwards to some people, and we definitely got some confused looks when we told people we were no longer engaged, but still planning on getting married at some point, but this was what was right for us. We needed our time to go through life together, to experience some great highs and some very tough lows. I couldn't be happier to be Josh's wife, and it was worth it having to wait for it two times!

**I have to add, I am not trying to say that marriages that start out young won't work out, at all!! We were still pretty young when we got married, and there are many many many young marriages that are very successful, and many marriages that don't work out even though they were older when they got married. It just was not the right timing for me and Josh, and we were definitely not mature enough yet to realize all that it takes to make a marriage work!

Coral Vintage Giveaway

2010-11-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

My, I've been a busy little bee this past week! We had a great Thankgsiving breakfast and dinner with my mom and siblings, then drove a couple of hours south to spend time with Josh's side of the family. We were there for a few days, and yesterday was my mom's birthday. Lot's and lots of great family time, food, and more food!
While we were out of Portland, Josh and I managed to hunt around for treasures, and I found about 200 new items for the shop! When we got back to Portland, there was a big 32LB box full of vintage waiting for me on my doorstep, for a little something I'll be sharing soon. I'm up to my neck in vintage, and I love it! There are lots of new items in the shop right now, and more coming every day! As always, I will post new listings immediately on Twitter, so follow along to see new items, they're getting snatched up almost immediately!

This week's giveaway is from Coral Vintage on Etsy. Coral Vintage is run by the lovely Christine, who lives right here in Portland. I met Christine through a friend not too long ago, when she was getting ready to set up her shop. After a tasty breakfast one day, I went to her house and was absolutely blown away by the merchandise she was stocking up on! Christine has a fantastic eye for very old, beautiful pieces, and her shop if stocked full of them. She manages to run such a great shop, while being the momma of three young kids! I love the photography of her shop, which is all shot by local photographer Michele Groves. Yay for creative Portlanders!
Christine is generously offering up this great vintage purse. Just in time for all those holiday parties, you can win this 1950's black satin handbag. It has a delicate silver chain and embossed basket weave detail running along the top frame. The chain can be used for carrying or can be tucked inside and out of view. Features silver satin lining and attached silver coin purse. Elegant and a little bit lovely!

To Enter:
1. Be a follower of this blog
2. Visit Coral Vintage on Etsy and leave a comment with the link to your favorite item
(If this dress were in my size, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat!)

For an additional entry:
Follow Coral Vintage on Twitter, and tweet about this giveaway.
*Be sure to leave a separate comment for your second entry!

Christine is also offering up a 20% discount to ANYTHING in her shop! Just enter the coupon code "littleogiveaway" at checkout, and the discount will be applied immediately!

The winner of the Tea Collection giveaway is Michelle, from Another Day Another Outfit. Congrats, Michelle! I'll be emailing you in just a bit!

And remember, I'm taking on sponsors for the month of December, for incredibly cheap! It's a great time to advertise for your shop or business!! Click here for more info, and email me if you're interested!

happy thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for
* a loving husband who makes me laugh, dream, and supports me in going after my dreams
* the little bundle growing in my belly, his kicks and punches, and for that fast little heartbeat of his
* wonderful, supportive families (both mine and Josh's) that are always there for us
* great friends who offer laughs, much needed talks, and help with our house
* our little house, which is on it's way to becoming our perfect little home
* living in a beautiful city, and being able to get away from it easily
* being able to work from home so I can make it nice and cozy for my guys
* having laundry to fold. Even though it's not the most fun, we are blessed to have clothing
* cold weather that warrants lots of snuggling and hot sipping chocolate
* my faith, and the freedom we have to believe what we choose to believe

Don't forget to enter to win $100 to Tea Collection, for you or to buy gifts for loved ones. Click here to enter, ends Saturday.

Never Make a pretty woman your wife

2010-11-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

I recently rewatched Mermaids, starring Cher, Winona Ryder, and Christina Ricci. I love all the characters in this film, and the clothes and sets are so fun and colorful!

I love the ending scene, with one of the funniest songs around!

Tea Collection $100 Giveaway!!

2010-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, the lovely Tea Collection contacted me to show some of their great kid's clothes on my blog. It took me no more than two minutes of browsing their cute site to accept. I am so in love with the cute little boy and girl clothing they have, as well as their women's line!
I chose a few cozy cotton pieces that our little boy can get lots of wear out of. Josh and I could barely stand how cute this little henley and pants were! I love the buttons on the top, and the cuff on the little pants is so cute!

Long Sleeved Henley, Slim Cuffed Pant

The pattern and color on this Moon Print suit is so cute! The long version of this is out, but you can buy a similar one here. The pattern reminds me of both moons and coffee beans at the same time. I just love when babies' feet are covered up all cozy, and this onesie will be perfect for days that require lots of snuggling in bed!

I can't wait to put our little boy in these clothes. They are SUPER soft and VERY well made! Tea Collection also has a wonderful customer service team. I called to place my order, and there was a small wait, which was no problem because they give you the option of leaving a phone number for them to return your call when it's your turn! No more waiting on hold, how awesome is that?

Aside from the adorable kids clothes, Tea Collection offers a small, but very well edited collection of Women's clothing. Luckily for you, they're generously offering up $100 for you to spend on items of your choosing!
For one entry:
1. Follow this blog through Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin and let me know how you follow.
2. Head over to their Women's section, and leave a comment saying what your favorite item is and how you'd style it up! (My personal favorite is the Vaci Jacquard Cardigan. The colors and pattern are so perfect for colder days, and I'd throw it over a high-waisted pencil skirt and button up blouse, with some thick tights and knee-high boots. Perfect for running errands around town without looking like a scrub!)

This giveaway will end at midnight PST on Saturday, November 27. I will choose the winner at random.
Good luck!

(thank you to Tea Collection for gifting us these great baby clothes, and to Marin for letting me photograph her adorable and perfectly behaved little boy!)

uh....

2010-11-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, I like to look at my Analytics to see who's coming to my blog, what posts people like to read the most, etc. I always find things that make me giggle a little bit under the things people searched for that brought them here. Sometimes it's normal things like "Little Ocean Nanny" or "Estate Sale". One funny one was "Squeezing into a kid's size," but, I had to share this screen cap of the most recent searches that made me wonder...WHAT!!?

If you were searching for posts about me and my family in bed, about my underwear, or how I like to dress dead babies (or dress up AS a dead baby? I don't know which is worse!), I apologize that you were probably disappointed with what you found!

Week 30

2010-11-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe we're at week 30 already! I'm in my last trimester, and have only 10 weeks to go! I keep having a feeling that this baby is going to make his appearance sooner than that, but that might just be wishful thinking.

I still feel pretty good, but I am definitely getting more tired throughout the day. I am trying to keep up with the housework, the remodel, listing things in the shop, blogging, and trying to spend time with family and friends! I have to remember to take rests throughout the day, and put these swelling feet up. I'm learning first hand what that back pain pregnant ladies talk about feels like! Sometimes it's hard to not be able to do everything on my "to do" list in one day, but I know in the end all that matters is that baby and I stay healthy!
Ok, sappy time...
Nothing has made me fall more in love with Josh than hearing him talk about his little boy. He's so excited to show him so many things, take him on man trips, and maybe even have someone to watch hockey with! It's downright adorable. Josh even bought him his very own tiny apron for when they work on construction projects together. Obviously it will be a few years before he can use it, but for now, it will just hang up next to Dad's tools.

An upside to this big belly is having a built-in shelf! JR Jr doesn't really like when I set things on him, and he is very very quick to kick and punch anything that bothers him. Last week, Josh's sister came up to Portland for a bit and dropped off this little train set. Josh made this in Woodshop class in 6th grade! So, little 11 year old Josh carved this set for his niece and nephew, and now they've passed it down for our little boy to have. Isn't it so cute!?

I'm getting the nesting bug bad, and I just want to have my little one cuddled up in our bed with us!

Dear Baby Boy,
We are so close to meeting you! Ten weeks sounds so far away, but time is just flying by, and soon you'll be in our arms. You are about 16 inches long and weigh about 3.5 pounds now, I can't believe how much you've grown! You are not shy in moving around, and Daddy and I like to guess which of your body parts are scraping my belly. Sometimes your moves are a little painful, and you made me cry a little bit last week! You just wanted to stay lodged in my ribs, I guess you liked it there. But, as much as your little kicks hurt sometimes, it still brings a smile to my face feeling the flat part of your little foot, or feeling your clamped fist go by.
We are so excited that you're going to be a little winter baby! We have great plans of cuddling up in bed and watching movies and listening to music as a little family, and the cold weather will be just the perfect excuse we need to stay under the covers. We are so eager to see your face and kiss your little legs and tummy and maybe nibble on your cheeks a little bit. Good thing you're putting on some fat these days!
Love,
Momma

hello darkness, my old friend

2010-11-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Judging from all the updates on my facebook, blogger, and twitter, I'm the only one that's glad about the time change. I love that it gets dark early, it makes everything feel just a little cozier! I'm looking forward to our bedroom getting darker earlier so I can take evening naps, and having dinner when it's dark is the best!

(dress: vintage, coming to the shop this weekend; trenchcoat: vintage Burberry, found at the thrift store!; tights: zara; shoes: really old aldo flats)
Today was one of the best days I've had in a really long time. It was one of those days where the weather is perfect, everyone you come across is in a good mood, and it's just spent smiling. Josh had a work appointment in a small town about an hour outside of Portland, so I tagged along. He dropped me off at a teeny tiny thrift store, and I had the best luck in the world!! I found...this classic, authentic Burberry trench!! It was one of those thrift stores that's ran by the sweetest old ladies, and just smells super musty. Unfortunately, the trench is just a tiny bit too small in the bust, so I'm going to sell it.

I found SO MANY awesome items for the shop! I'm working on a shop update this weekend that'll be full of jackets and coats, velvet and crepe party dresses, pretty heels, leather lace-up oxfords, lots of Fall day dresses including the one I'm wearing in this post, and a couple of wool capes (one with a gorgeous Peter Pan collar!). I'm really itching to get this stuff listed, it's so good. I just hope my energy level stays up! Lugging stuff up and down the stairs to photograph and measure is tiring!

My darling husband was very excited to take me to this abandoned building by our house for pictures. I love it! I'll definitely have to come back when I have more than 15 minutes of daylight left for more pictures. I'll leave you with a picture of the cutest husband a girl could ever have, and the truck he loves.

spiced pear cake

2010-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I went to a dinner party at my friend's house, and decided last minute to make a dessert to bring. I didn't want to go to the store, so I turned to the trusty TasteSpotting to lead me to a recipe I could make with on-hand ingredients. I settled on this Spiced Pear Cake from Family Fresh Cooking. You can't really go wrong with pear anything this time of year.
Everyone seemed to like this cake, but I'm still not sure if I like it or not. Though the original recipe promises a really moist cake, I ended up with more of a dry, shortbread-y cake. It wasn't bad, but you know when you bite into something and it doesn't taste like you expect it to, and it's weird? That's what happened with this cake. If I try this recipe again, I'll make sure to use all of the cooked fruit, instead of just one cup of it and bake it about 5 minutes less so it stays moist. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

Pear Spiced Cake, adapted from Family Fresh Cooking
Ingredients:
3 Pears cleaned and chopped, remove core & keep skin on (I used 2 pears/1 apple, what I had on hand)
1/4 cup Water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons White Whole Wheat flour
1 cup medium grind Cornmeal
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup chopped, toasted Walnuts
1 teaspoon honey, maple, brown sugar, sucanat to taste
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 large Egg
1 cup Milk
1 cup Pear Sauce (from above)
2 tablespoons melted Unsalted Butter

For the pear sauce:
Wash and roughly cube pears. I left the skin on for added nutrients.
Place pears in a medium sauce pan with water.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat & partially cover with a lid. Reduce to a simmer for about 25-30 minutes.
Let cool a bit and purée in a food processor or blender.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 400˚F with the rack in the center.
Prepare a 8″ round cake pan.
Sift all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl.
With a spatula, stir to combine the wet and dry ingredients in one bowl.
Coat 1/2 cup walnuts with the 2 tablespoons of flour. Add to the batter and stir gently to combine.
Add the batter to the cake pan and top with additional walnuts and candied ginger pieces.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Oh, yes, I did make some fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce to go atop this cake! I added some vanilla to the heavy cream before whipping it, and used this recipe for the caramel. I gave into my instinct to double the recipe, and ended up with three jars of caramel. Whoops. Good thing I have tons of Honey Crisp apples to dunk in it!

Did you know that Josh has a blog dedicated to the remodeling of our house? We're going to work the layout this week, but you can see a little of what our house was, is, and will be right HERE!

i got dressed this weekend

2010-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

This is what I wore when I went to the Little Winter market. I borrowed this dress from the shop, you can buy it here! I love the long sleeves on it and the little button details. Of course, you don't have to be pregnant to wear this dress, but the fullness of the skirt is great over a baby belly!

(dress: vintage, buy it here! boots and necklace: vintage, thrifted, cardigan: secondhand forever21, purse: zara)
I am really excited to show you these pictures, because they are the first ones I've taken on a complete manual setting on my camera (that have turned out, at least). These aren't edited at all, I just played around with all the settings on the camera to get the pictures to come out like this! I know I have a lot more practice before I get really good at photography, but I've been having so much fun practicing, and am really proud of these. Playing around with the white balance is something I'm still trying to figure out, so some of these have a blueish tint. It's also a bit hard to set the focus manually when I use a self timer, since there is nothing really there for me to focus on.

The figs off our tree have almost all fallen. This makes our backyard so fragrant! It's also a great attraction for all the birds and squirrels in our neighborhood. They love it back here, and I love to sit back and watch them run around with giant figs in their tiny mouths!

Also, I have a really great giveaway coming up very soon. It's worth $100, so trust me, you'll want to stay tuned and enter it!

Little Winter pdx

2010-11-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, Anja and I went to The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel downtown to check out the goods at Little Winter PDX. Little Winter is a market stocked full of handmade crafts and arts. We showed up right around the time it opened, and were very pleasantly surprise to see the place packed with people shopping! I love seeing people show up and support local and independent designers and artists.
The Market was so beautifully curated and decorated. Everywhere I looked, there was somtething to catch my eye.

I love these little houses stuffed with air plants from My House Party. I bought this tiny little ornament for our Christmas tree, to celebrate being in our little home. One thing I love about independent sellers is that even the packaging is adorable!

Cori Kindred's table was fully of lovely woodsy displays and the prettiest scissors. I didn't get to meet Cori, but I did talk with her friend Jen, from the super cute blog Scissors Paper Glue and Etsy shop Vintage Scissors for a while.

Anja and I both bought this necklace from Mossière. It's a chunk of Fool's Gold on a delicate little chain. I was also very tempted to buy this gorgeous calendar, but I decided to spread my few bucks amongst other sellers, too.

I really enjoyed meeting and talking with Myra of Twig & Honey. As if her headpieces and jewelry weren't cute enough, she is such a sweetheart, and we ended up chatting for quite a bit. I purchased a travel size of her new scent, RumpledCake to take home and try out. You know how scents are always a little different on you than in the bottle? I wanted to make sure I liked it, and that Josh would, too. It turns out, I couldn't stop smelling myself after I put this on! I know scents are a very personal thing, but I feel like RumpledCake is such a universally appealing scent. And the best part: the ingredients! I think you guys know by now that I'm super picky about artificial ingredients in my food, but I'm also that way in my toiletries, which is why I basically have none. I hadn't been able to find a natural, non paraben, non preservative scent that I liked before this. Now, I just need to save up my pennies to buy a regular sized bottle...

Harriot Grace offered some great feather kitchen linens, and a feather cookie-cutter that I debated getting. I am still thinking about it, I might have to go back and get it! How awesome would it be to receive a plate of cookies shaped like feathers?

These are just a few of the many many sellers that were at the Market. If you're in Portland, I very strongly recommend checking the sale out. They'll be open Sunday from 11am-5pm at The Cleaners, 403 SW 10th Street Portland.

A healthy potato soup!

2010-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

As soon as the last of the major projects in our kitchen were complete, I practically ran to the grocery store. As I've whined before, I was tired of having to eat out for every meal, and could not wait to cook. I stocked my grocery cart with every fruit and vegetable I could find. I can't help myself, those bright colors of produce seduce me every time!
When I got home, I knew what I wanted for dinner: Potato Soup. I haven't had any weird cravings during my pregnancy, but once I think of something I want to eat, my mind is set on that and only that. So, potato soup for dinner it was. The problem I faced: every recipe I found called for using white potatoes, about 5 cups of cream, tons of cheese, and little else. I'm sure those recipes yield tasty results, but I knew my little family needed more nutrients than cream can offer, so I winged it on my own recipe.

Allow me to toot my own horn- This is the best potato soup I've ever eaten. Josh, my mom, and my little sister agree with me.

The following is a recipe I made up on the spot. I just kind of added things as I went along, trying to use lots of veggies. I apologize if my recipe is a bit all over the place, but this is an insight into how I cook. I always thought I was a bad cook because I would follow recipes and hate the end result more times than not. Then it hit me that one recipe cannot appeal to every single person, and I started looking at them more like guidelines, rather than rules. I usually glance at recipes to get a good idea of cooking times (I've cooked way too many mushy meals) and temperatures, but other than that, I make it up, keeping in mind flavors that Josh and I like. I'm not great at measuring ingredients, either, I just add everything to taste. It's much less intimidating that way, and I almost always like what comes out!

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs of yukon gold potatoes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic
4 celery stalks, and the leaves from the hearts
6 carrots
1/2 bunch of kale
salt and pepper to taste
5 cups of broth (I didn't have any on hand, so I used the water & bullion equivalent)
1/2 cup half and half (optional)
*These are just the veggies I had on hand. I'm sure this would be tasty if you added broccoli or cauliflower, too!

Heat up olive oil in pan, and add in chopped onion and garlic. When tender, add in salt, pepper, celery and celery leaves. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add in peeled, whole potatoes and carrots and fill pan with just enough broth (or water& bullion) to just barely cover potatoes-this was about 5 cups for me. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes.

I added my kale into the pot with about 15 minutes cooking time remaining, because that's when I remembered I had some! I'm sure you could add in it with the potatoes and carrots. This is also when I added my splash of cream.

If you would like to top this off with bacon (so good!), I recommend starting to cook your bacon about 30 minutes into the simmering period. I like to cook my bacon in the oven, because it's the easiest. The bacon comes out perfectly even, flat, and all the oil drips out of it. Just place them on an oven-proof rack with a foil-lined tray underneath to catch the drippings. Cook at 400degrees for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like it. No need to flip over, and clean up is super easy.

When the veggies are all cooked together and tender, pour about 2/3 of the soup into a blender and blend it until super silky smooth. This will really help thicken the soup up, since we're not really using much dairy. Smash the remaining soup with a potato masher or fork, leave a little bit chunky. Pour silky soup (ha!) back into the pot.

I definitely plan to make a huge batch of this soup again, and very soon. I plan to make enough to freeze, hopefully it holds up well. I hope that recipe made sense, if you have any questions, let me know! Do you usually follow recipes exactly, or do you like to experiment?

Week 27

2010-11-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

(dress: vintage, cardigan: nordstrom rack, coat: thrifted; shoes: thrifted vintage)

My center of gravity is way off, so I often find myself losing my balance. My belly is so itchy. The transition of a belly button from an "innie" to an "outie" is weird. flat belly buttons are very weird. When the baby gets hiccups, it tickles my belly! The term "pops out" (ie: "when you pop that baby out") is misleading. Wouldn't it be nice if babies really did just POP! out? Pregnancy leg cramps are THE WORST. Just plain awful. Those sweet little flutters of baby moving have become full on painful. No matter how calm the baby is, as soon as he hears Josh's voice, he starts kicking! JR Jr goes ballistic at 7:30 am every.single.morning. He's a very punctual baby, and a great alarm clock! We never thought we could love a kicking little twerp like him so much! :)

Dear Baby Boy:
You've stopped your crazy scraping against my belly, and I think now you might be fully upside down. It's kind of funny to think of you just hanging out, doing a headstand for a few months. You definitely know what you don't like, as you jab me really hard if I ever bend over for too long or squish you in some form. I'm sorry. You're still pretty crazy, and I have a feeling you're going to be a handful! I had no idea that a tiny little dude could have so much energy! The midwife said you'll start sleeping more soon, but I don't really see that in our future.
We've been thinking a lot about what you're going to look like. I wonder if you'll have lots of dark hair, if you're getting your dad's great eyebrows, your mom's big eyes or your dad's smaller ones, if you'll be skinny and tall, or pudgy. Either way, we already know you'll be really stinkin' cute and we'll cuddle you so hard all the time!
Love,
Momma

squash the hate

2010-11-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Did you all have a good Halloween weekend? We went to a party last night, but I was lazy and didn't dress up. On Saturday, we went to our friends' fifth annual pumpkin carving contest. It's always a nice and cozy evening with friends, lots of cider, and lots of snacks. We always vote for the top pumpkins, and the three winners get to choose prices. Josh tied for second place with his Political Rally gourds.

I was uninspired to carve anything, so Rachel took over and converted my pumpkin into...ME! It's a pregnant belly with an outie belly button!

I love how anywhere we go where there are kids, they always climb around on Josh. It's so cute!

Rachel and Alex met two years ago on Halloween. Aren't they adorable!?

Josh's right-wing extremists and their protestors:

Do you guys carve pumpkins every year? What was your costume if you dressed up? It's always fun to hear about them!

Chain Letter

2010-10-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Look! I'm wearing real clothes! I've been meaning to photograph this dress for about one month now, whoops. You may recognize it if you read other style blogs. It's from ModCloth, for the Chain Letter Dress project that Starr started. This dress is going around to different girls, each styling it their own way. When Leslie, of Dalena Vintage, contacted me to see if I wanted to style it, I was excited, but a little scared it wouldn't fit over my new body. While the bust was a bit too tight, the skirt was still plenty loose for a baby belly, so I wore it as a skirt.

(dress: Yodel Lady Dress c/o ModCloth for Chain Letter project; shirt: vintage, antique expo; cardigan: thrifted; necklace: vintage lot; shoes: ross)

Isn't Fall great!? I'm so thrilled to be wearing layers and not be sweating lots. Let me tell you, being pregnant makes you feel like 10degrees warmer than it really is, so thank goodness the heat is gone. Plus, my cute husband bundles up in his cute coat!

(josh is wearing: kenneth cole pants, calvin klein coat, salvatore ferragamo shoes)

While I was taking pictures of Josh, he said, "Look, my feet are like you blogger girls!" He couldn't be more right...

This dress is headed off to Tania of What Would a Nerd Wear next. You can see how the other girls have styled this dress: (Lulu Letty, Dalena Vintage, Rosemud, A Thought is the Blossom, Dear Beatrice

Waffle Window

2010-10-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

One side of remodeling that we didn't really take into consideration is how many of our meals we'd have to eat out of the house. Obviously, with no stove, sink, counters, anything, we couldn't really make meals at home. My mom has dropped off some yummy food, and Josh's mom drove up to Portland recently and dropped off a homemade pie and smoked ribs. Yum! But really, about 90% of our meals are eaten at restaurants these days. Thankfully, Portland has no shortage of restaurants and food carts, most of which locally source their produce, meats, and cheeses. Yay for living in a hippie town!
The Waffle Window is exactly what it sounds like: A little walk up window that sells only waffles. Oh, but those waffles are topped with anything you could ever want!

(this is such a stereotypical Portland scene: cute restaurant, gray day, lots of bikes!)

On our most recent trip to Waffle Window, we ordered:
The Whole Farm (tons of veggies, herbed chevre, bacon, and chives)

Triple B (bacon, brie, basil)

and shared the Apple Pie waffle with homemade whipped cream and caramel sauce

At around $4.50 a waffle, this is such a good alternative to the breakfast menu from a fast food place, don't you think? Add this to your list of reasons why you should move to Portland!

(...a little sneak peak at our kitchen. Just the finishing touches are needing to be done now!)