supplies.

really, i want to use up the craft supplies i have before i get anything new. yet, there a few things that i would really like to add to my stash.

red tulle.

chiffon.

calligraphy pens (see previous post)

tacky glue.

more little canvases.

headbands.

we have a midwinter holiday next week. i hope to organize and refresh and make some arty things with my kids.

Resolutions.

We had travel plans and craziness the weekend of New Year's, so I've given myself extra time on setting resolutions. Even though I'm late this year, I love resolutions. I love the feeling I get every new year--like it really is something new and blank that I can shape and make what I want it to be.

Here are some of my creative resolutions for 2012.

1. Work on my penmanship. It seems lackluster lately. I want to like my handwriting again. Something I admire about my mom is her beautiful cursive. My cursive? All but gone. I would also like to take another stab at calligraphy.

2. Learn about things I've wanted to learn more about but haven't yet learned more about. I know a bit, but I would love to be able to drive around neighborhoods and know when they were built based on their architecture.

3. Bake more. I love baking. I need to do the things I love more often. Especially when they're delicious things.

4. Make 12 little films. I'm pretty rusty. This one will be fun.

5. Make things with the children. We have a lot of random supplies. This year I want to use them.

6. Read great books. A great book makes me write better.

7. Be more artistic. Draw more. Craft. Paint. Sew. Make something Fantastic out of paper.

8. Be the grownup I want to be. Err on the side of generosity. Leave something better than I find it. Give more. Relax and enjoy things more. Be funny and spontaneous.

9. Take more photographs. I've lost a bit of traction, but hope to regain motivation on this project. I also want to take more/better pictures of the children.

10. Experiment more. In any way. Once a week would be ideal. I've been inspired by this blog.

11. Make my home the home I dream about. That's a nice way of saying declutter, cook dinner, do family scripture study and prayer, and make more pillows. I always want more pillows.

12. Cultivate my collections. Gather. Edit. Photograph. Draw. Get inspired by them.

I also like this list of creative resolutions from Anthology magazine blog. Do you have any creative resolutions this year?

images 1/3/5/7/ 11.

reminiscing: advice from a professor

i recently came across these notes i took on the first day of one of the prerequisite classes for the film program in college. it still seems applicable in many ways, and i thought it would be fun to share it here.

1. be a part of your education. ask questions.

2. become known on campus (in the department)--my duty.

i am a professional student, teachers are my clients. always serve the client.

3. it may never be too late.

4. never accept a poor grade--ask for a chance to redo (one on one)

5. be professional in approach--be polite

6. if you're not prepared, don't show up--be responsible

7. pick 3 buddies

8. type everything--as perfectly as possible

9. keep a copy of everything you turn in (even if you have to photocopy). always have a backup.

10. assume everything can be rewritten or redone (2 weeks for this class)

11. be gracious

12. read your syllabus--assume it could slide--always come to class

13. contact professor before absence

14. be responsible for missed time--call a buddy

15. never miss a final

16. don't visit during lectures--we're paying for it!

17. stay until the end--participation

18. don't burn bridges

19. do assignments on the day assigned--always ahead--especially print papers--plan ahead

20. challenge: no homework on sundays--however, earn those 24 hours off

21. don't let problems slide--get counseling (it's free and confidential)

22. most four-year degrees take five years--do you want your degree or an education? (*leave a major class--a GE--to that last semester so you have to stay)

23. challenge the system--some rules don't apply to everyone--work with the teacher

24. back doors open--volunteer time--come in running

25. be malleable and able to negotiate

26. take notes as if you'll teach this class

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i especially like 11, 18, 20, & 26. what advice did you receive in school that you still remember today?

my grown-up self.

growing up i collected ideas and images in my mind of the kind of things i would do and the kind of person i would be as a grownup. i thought about it again recently when i came across a blog with a sign on the sidebar that says: "i'm an adult and i can do whatever i want."
for some reason, reading it stated so boldly reminded me of all the choices i really do have. it's funny that i still have a "someday" mentality about so many things, and how i do still think "someday when i'm a grownup." i've always heard people say you don't feel too different as you grow older, but now i think i'm starting to get it. i mean, i thought i understood, but now i can see i have been a grownup for quite some time and there are many things i envisioned myself doing which i never do. and now i'm thinking it would be fun to try to do some of them. so i give you:

1. wear lipstick
2. throw dinner parties. fancy ones, with three courses and cloth napkins.
3. have garden parties
4. go to art galleries & foreign film screenings
5. wear a dress/skirt on a weekday
6. have nicely manicured fingernails
7. wear jewelry
8. have a clean, well-designed house

well, you get the idea. the fun part of my vision, obviously, is the more artificial stuff. i liked to think i would shop at j. crew and drive a land rover and be part of the scene in some urban setting. i also dreamed about the more important stuff:

1. marry the man i love in the temple
2. be a mother and stay home with my children, if possible
3. find ways to develop my own talents and nurture my family's talents and interests
4. maintain close friendships with my loved ones--family and friends
5. be a proactive person who makes connections and works hard

both lists are still important to me, and i'm happy to say that i feel i'm doing the things i value most from this second list. it's a helpful thought because lately i've been thinking so hard about this dream:

1. be a published writer

i envision it. i envision it real good, but i feel like i'm stuck on the other side of it, trying to figure out how to get close enough to touch it. how can i break through the wall? that is my question. for 59 chocolateless days that has been the question. it seems like spending any amount of time with words is a push in the right direction. so here i am.

back to the fun stuff. i'm looking at that list that little me dreamed about and thinking, i can do that. i am a grownup! i can do all of this if i want to! it's all about priorities, and planning. and finding the right shade of lipstick.

what's on your grownup list? are you living your grownup dream?

it's astonishing.

i'm amazed. astonished. flabbergasted. blown away. overwhelmed. astounded. stupefied. by what? the internet.

there is just. so. much.

so many great things. so many good things. so many things i wish i had thought of. honestly, i'm having a hard time not being a bit cynical these days, because i'm so inspired but simultaneously baffled by my own lack of creativity these days.

oh, i know what this kind of admission arouses in the poor people who have to read it. i'm not feeling sorry for myself (that was yesterday), and i'm moving past obsessively reading blogs to find some clue for where these people come up with stuff. i know it's all a matter of perspective--and documentation. but i also know i'm not the only one who feels like i don't do "anything" (besides keep three kids alive and happy and try to make dinner and sometimes clean my house and make myself presentable and NOT eat chocolate, among other things).

so i need to do something already.

now.

okay, i will, but first i want to do a bit of a brain scrub, to slough off all these dead thoughts i have swirling around in my head. because nothing cures dead brain cells like a list! (and you know you really need to do this if you type out brain cells as one word.)

*my recipe collection is now online here. the idea is to use the site as a place for my sisters-in-law and me to share recipes. everything is gluten-free. it still needs some editing, and more pictures, but mostly i'm really excited about it.

*speaking of food, i think about food all the time. it doesn't help that i currently have six jamie oliver cookbooks checked out from the library.

*i've been mildly obsessed with clothes lately. it wouldn't be too big a deal if i just had a small fortune to spend on clothes, but my clothes budget is only one of those things--small. much of my free time lately has gone to window-shopping, online window-shopping, slight coveting, actual shopping, and returning items i think i could find for cheaper or make in the hypothetical world where i sew. i'm ready for this rollicking process to be over already.

*wool felt. i just want to make stuff with it and maybe drape myself. just kidding, it wouldn't really drape well.

*coconut. and oats. and triple layer cakes i really want to make 37 days from now.

*stripes. i love them. i want to make my kids clothes from them. and wear them almost all the time.

*all things tiny. i will have to explain this more later.

*eating muesli for breakfast. or having a fruit smoothie. i looove strawberry yogurt honey smoothies. i will have them in my heaven.

and now, in picture form, thought not complete:

that may not be a complete list, but i feel better. now to see how my freshly-scrubbed brain works. i hope my will now glow.

favorite things from 2010.

somehow there are two days left of this entire year--did it sneak up on anyone else? before 2010 is completely over, i wanted to note some of my favorites from this year of wonder. it was full and lovely and i look forward to 2011, whatever it holds.
note: some of my favorites did not come out this year, but they're my favorite things from this past year.

album: broken bells by broken bells.

i listened to this over and over when it came out in the spring. james mercer (the shins) has such a great voice, and this pairing with danger mouse is pure greatness.

album: the suburbs by arcade fire.

musically there's a lot going on, and lyrically too. plus the songs will always remind me of wandering the streets of nyc with b--we traded off humming "the suburbs" and other arcade fire riffs while we waited for the subway or looked for cool buildings.

album: abbey road by the beatles.

i have to admit i always respected and admired the beatles, but i didn't really get it until this year. i didn't grow up listening to them, and hadn't listened much at all until we started introducing some beatles songs to the kids--fun early stuff like "twist and shout" (which g calls "shake it up baby now") plus later fun stuff like yellow submarine" and "octopus's garden"--b made some beatles cds for our road trip to utah, and that was it. the medley on abbey road is incredible. "golden slumbers" is probably my very favorite, but it's really hard to choose just one favorite beatles song.

children's book: knuffle bunny free by mo willems,

& film: toy story 3 by pixar. for more in depth reflections on both, see here.

film: inception.

i love movies, but find very few that i am willing to pay full movie theater price times 2 + cost of a babysitter for three kids, so i rarely see movies at the theater. the only movie i saw in the theater this year. we saw it on an imax screen, and it was well worth it. the visuals were stunning, the plot and characters were intriguing, and one of our favorite buildings made a cameo appearance.

film: 500 days of summer.

we finally saw it on dvd this past summer, and i loved it. something about it just stayed with me. i especially loved the dual-screen scene that showed how tom wanted the party to go and the reality of how the party went. i've always wanted to do a scene/short film like that, and they did it so wonderfully. it was also fun to see a film appreciate the architecture of downtown los angeles, because b and i share that appreciation.

film: scott pilgrim vs. the universe.

fun fun fun. that's what this film was. fun on so every level.

live concert: neko case.

she is incredible live. it was amazing to hear her in person.

sewing project: christmas tree advent.

inspiration from here (some of it very direct). i finally finished our advent. i'm pretty proud of myself because it was a big undertaking.

cookbook: cook 1.0 by heidi swanson.

swanson is the writer/photographer behind 101 cookbooks. this vegetarian cookbook is so wonderfully simple. i've really been inspired the recipes this week--we're due for a major detox around here after all this holiday bliss.

book: silas marner by george eliot.

it's a simple story, but so beautifully written it really left an impression on me. it took a bit for me to get into eliot's 19th century writing style, but once i was in i was spellbound. i recommend it to anyone.

children's book: iggy peck architect by andrea beaty.

the illustrations are fantastic, and the rhyming tale of the young architect is refreshingly tight and charming. i need to find more rhyming children's books that have the same respect for meter.

website: fabricworm.com.

i love looking at their wide selection of fabrics, from heather ross to japanese imports, and their prices are pretty reasonable. right now i'm loving this.

literary discovery: the new yorker.

two of my favorite authors are new yorker writers, and i finally started reading it online more this year. i'm very excited to start getting it in the mail (thanks, whit!)

treat: homemade strawberry ice cream (made with organic strawberries) and ginger snaps.

a friend gave us some organic strawberries, and using this recipe. if you haven't had organic strawberries you should. the difference is incredible. i'm afraid i can't go back to overgrown grocery store strawberries. i was also excited to adapt my great grandma's ginger snap recipe to make them gluten-free.

restaurant meal: curry dosa at hampton chutney company in new york.

it was so good we went back with friends. mmm.

in the kitchen: heavy aluminum round cake pans with removable bottom.

perfect for cheesecake, and great for regular cake, too. this was a favorite purchase this year.

from the market: arugula.

i hadn't tried arugula before this year. it's delicious in salad and on pizza.

first with lulu: evergreen city ballet's production of the nutcracker.

it was just my lu and me. she sat on my lap for a lot of it. we were both mesmerized. she loved the music/dancing/costumes/everything. i loved sharing a favorite (ballet) with her.

one of my favorite memories with g: jane's first day of school.

we went to get donuts at a nearby shop. we both missed jane terribly. he's my special little guy.

first with flora: trip to utah to introduce her to family and give her a name and a blessing.

it's fun to see the effect our calm, sweet girl has on everyone we love. she belongs.

memory with b:

i can't choose just one because b gave me a lot this year. he won a trip to new york so we could go together, and our time there was amazing. for our anniversary he surprised me with tickets to bumbershoot, which was awesome.

favorite colors this year: yellow, pink, and gray or light blue.

what are some of your favorites from 2010?

noel is on my mind.

homemade christmas ideas take more planning--and much more time.

i seem to be very keen on felt. this is just a handful of what i would like to do, especially since this will be our first christmas in our own place. we will miss family, but it will be nice not to travel.

healthy.

i love sweets. and movies. and it's often wet outside, and i was pregnant this time last year, which greatly limited my activity (not that it should have, mind you). here is a collection of things that make me feel healthy, to inspire me to be more healthy. because i always feel better when i fill and cover myself with healthy things.

from top left:

eating lots of fresh fruits (& veggies); live plants; all natural beauty products, such as alba; new york city ballet workout; kashi cereal and granola bars, and other whole grain goodness; recipes from 101cookbooks.

and of course:

going to bed early.

drinking lots of water.

hiking.

practicing yoga.

what makes you feel healthy?

newborn wish list.

i wish, i wish....i'm on a roll with wish lists lately, and the nursery is not lacking. i have been blessed with many beautiful and practical gifts with the arrival of each of my children. still, if money were no object and i could buy anything for my newborns that i wanted . . . yeah, here are a few things on that list.

netto bassinet. phil & ted stroller (so smart!) baby gym (love the wooden one from ikea). a great chair (like the tok by stokke). beautiful clothes from the tea collection. a mobile by flensted. eames elephant. swaddlers by aden and anais. wooden rattle from alouette.

summertime.

maybe now that it's officially summer, the sun will shine for two days in a row.
a few things we love about summer:
shave ice
the beach
fresh basil and heirloom tomatoes
farmers markets
sunglasses
camping
light out until 10pm















what do you love about summer?
image: martin parr via this cool person.

ohdeedoh 1: toadstools.

i recently applied for a freelance position with ohdeedoh--along with about 160 others. we finally heard our fate last week in the nicest rejection i may ever get. anyway, i thought i would share my submissions here.
i have been enchanted by mushrooms lately, so for my roundup entry i found toadstool nursery decor. this is my expanded list--i submitted five--and the i found the larousse page after the fact.
Bunnies and squirrels and owls, oh my! Woodland motifs are still catching our eye in the nursery. Not to be outdone by their fauna counterparts, toadstools are just as whimsical and charming for a little one’s space. Here are some of our favorites.



















anthropologie
the small object
etsy set with hedgehogs
wool felted toadstools
cosmo fabric purl soho
mahar tea set

Late-Winter/Early Spring Makes

My list of makes for late-winter/early spring:

*rhubarb fool, rhubarb compote, + something new with rhubarb (maybe roasted over tapioca or rice pudding...)
*oven-roasted asparagus


*homemade marshmallows (I'll probably have to make the French hot chocolate too, then)
*fleece hat with ears for baby girl
*shift dress for baby girl
*gnome art with lulu


*fabric pom poms for baby girl's nursery
*freezer paper stenciled tees/onesies for all three children

What's on your to-do list for these next couple unpredictable months?

Calendars

A nice part about trying to get more organized: there are so many beautiful calendars to choose from. I stumbled on this collection thanks to the decor8 blog. Some of my favorites:

Fun and retro, and kind of makes me want a Holga even more.

Perfect in a kitchen.

Channeling my affection for type.

Letter-pressed lovely.

They also share several calendars you can download and print yourself for under $10. Find those here.

Lists: Food

I am a serial list maker. I collect and hoard them. I like to check things off too. I made these lists a couple months ago--how have I done so far?

dishes + desserts i want to make this year
1. gluten-free strawberry napoleons
2. semifreddo (HONEY SEMIFREDDO. Ice cream you can easily make without an ice cream maker.)
3. frozen yogurt pops (VANILLA FROZEN YOGURT. Heavenly. I need to make this again, without the vanilla.)
4. taquitos (Joy of Cooking. Another winner.)
5. tamales
6. chicken mole (Cooking Light--chocolate and chicken? Everyone was happy. Really.)
7. thai basil curry
8. saffron rice
9. gluten-free granola
10. gluten-free cakes like bob's red mill

ingredients i want to try this year
1. currants/currant jelly (TRIED IT--it's supposed to be delicious in fruit tarts, which I haven't tried yet)
2. parmigiano reggiano (TRYING IT--everything feels fancier when I grate a little over the top)
3. vanilla bean
4. black japonica rice
5. creme fraiche
6. goat cheese (again)
7. figs (again) (I was going to pass, but I gave in and bought a box. They were a treat on their own, though I do recommend figs with sweetened ricotta as well)
8. prosciutto (I ended up with Serrano, and we would eat it in something again)
9. maseca
10.lavender