Monday's Musings 9.10.12

Hello, friends.

I hope you all had a great weekend and that your week is off to a nice start.

I am feeling so happy because my sweet little P is so happy at school with her teacher.  She is probably going to be behind in certain areas considering that she never went to kindergarten (she was too young in VA last year and is too old for it in NYC this year), so we will probably all have our work cut out for us.  Luckily, though, her teacher seems wonderful, and P is sad when she is not in school because that's the only place she wants to be!

Ok, for some random tidbits:

• I loved this article in yesterday's New York Times. 

I would love to see this in every phone booth!

• The windows at Barney's are incredible.  This one blew me away and I couldn't stop staring:

• Speaking of Barney's, I had to go there to buy a gift from a friend's wedding registry, and I encountered many beautiful objects for the home.  I immediately fell in love with these gorgeous tumblers by Moser:

imagine drinking a whiskey on the rocks in that.
not that i have ever had a whiskey on the rocks,
but i'd look pretty badass drinking it from one of these
lovely glasses.

Ok, that's all I have for today.  Nothing earth shattering or terribly exciting at all, I know.  Maybe once L starts school and I have a minute to myself I will have more brain power, but until then, short posts it shall be!

xoxo

Monday Musings 8.20.12

I am posting so late - it's 10:30pm - so I am sorry that I didn't do this sooner, but at least I'm here, right? I am quite tired after going to a drum circle on the beach tonight (more on that soon!), so I'm going to keep this one short, but I know exactly what I want to write about today:  motherhood.

I love my girls.  I have been home with them since the oldest one was born almost 6 years ago, and I really do love it - usually.  There are many days when the routine just drives me mad and not spending quality time with adults gets to me, but really, that's my own fault.  So I am going to do something about it.

Today was a big wake up call for me because I decided to go on a bike ride with an out of town guest and leave the girls at home with my parents.  Little L was fine - "Bye, Mom," she said, and immediately returned to playing.  P, on the other hand, got tears in her eyes as I first mentioned the possibility of my going, and then when I told her I was leaving, she was hysterical.  I mean, the girl was bawling because I was going on a bike ride for an hour without her.

I felt terrible that I was making her so sad, but come on!  I need a break, especially after this summer of being home with them non-stop.  We decided not to send the gals to camp to help them with the adjustment back to life in NYC, so it's been us and them all summer long.  And the one morning I say that I am going off for an hour, I get the guilt trip of a lifetime.

What's a mom to do?

I think the answer is that I need to remember that separation is important for not just me, but them also.  I feel so strongly that I always want to be "here" for them, but I need to remember that my going out for an hour or two does not mean that I am abandoning them.  Other people can care for them just as well as I can.  Well, maybe not just as well (I am their mom, after all!), but nearly as well.

So, tomorrow morning I am going on another bike ride and hopefully there will be no tears.  If there are, well, it's just a reminder that separation is something we really need to work on, especially before school starts in two weeks!

I'm off to bed now.  If you have any tips for me on how to handle my sweet P, please do let me know!  I need help with this one...

Monday's Musings 8.13.12

Hello all!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that your Monday was a good start to the week.  We are back in the city for a few days, and then we will head back out to Long Island to finish out the summer while B begins preparing for the new school year.  I always feel so blue at the end of the summer, but this year we're going to try to enjoy every last moment of it.  The girls don't begin school for a few more weeks, so we still have plenty of time to live it up.  I'm hoping for many more visits to the beach, hours spent in the pool, some painting and drawing, lots of reading, and just lots of time lounging with friends and family.  What are your plans for final days/weeks of summer?

My parents watched the gals tonight so B and I could go see a movie that they told us about called The Intouchables.  Of course it was nice to have a night out with my sweet guy, but the movie made the whole night even more fantastic.

Listen to me:  if you can, go see this movie soon.  If you can't get a babysitter or get away for a few hours, remember this movie and see it whenever you can.  It is based on a true story of a man who is paralyzed from the neck down and the man who is hired to help care for him.  The Intouchables is such an incredible story of an unlikely friendship that kept me smiling from the first few minutes until the end.  Friendship, love, loss, family - it's all in there.  Oh, and good music of course.

Just go see it, and if you don't love something about it, then, well, in the words of Paula Abdul, you are a cold hearted snake.

xoxo

P.S.  I am almost a week behind on my 365 gratitude project postings, so tomorrow I will steal away for a few hours to catch up on them.  I'm excited to share some fun moments we've had over the last week!

Monday's Musings 8.6.12

Hi everyone!

Did you have a wonderful weekend?  I hope so.

We have been playing and having so much fun with our friends, The K Family, who are visiting from Richmond.  The adults are having a blast together, but the kids - it's amazing.  The kids get along so well that there have been no fights!  Don't get me wrong - there have been tears - but the kids have not been mad at each other for more than a moment or two since we've been together.  It has been fantastic.

• I cannot tell you how pleased I was to find an interview with the author Peter Brown on Design Mom today.

We love Brown's books at our house, especially The Curious Garden and Children Make Terrible Pets.  I love getting to know a bit about the man behind these two fun books that my girls and I love to read together.  (I just realized that I have not posted about either of these books yet, and how is that possible?  Luckily tomorrow is Tuesday and that means Tuesday's Tales...)

• I also want to finally share with you the delicious bread recipe that we have been using this summer.  Ina Garten's Honey White Bread is a crowd pleaser at our house, and I actually have two loaves cooling as I write this.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm whole milk (110 degrees)
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 extra-large egg yolks
• 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

Place the water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. If the bowl is cold, be sure the water temperature doesn't drop below 110 degrees F. Add the yeast and sugar; stir and allow them to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, and honey. Mix on medium speed until blended. Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of the flour, and the salt. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low speed, add 2 more cups of flour. Raise the speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn't stick to the bowl. Add the flour slowly; you can always add more but you can't take it out. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter, put the dough in the bowl, then turn it over so the top is lightly buttered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow it to rise for one hour, until doubled in volume.

Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place each in a prepared pan. Cover again with the damp towel, and allow to rise again for an hour, until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. When the dough is ready, brush the tops with the egg white and bake the breads for 40 to 45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

And finally:

• I'm not much of a camper, but I'd give this a try:

That's all for today, my friends.

Have a great night, sleep well, and I'll see you tomorrow!

xoxo

Monday's Musings 7.30.12

Hi friends.  Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

My sweet family helped me celebrate my birthday with lots of fun and even more birthday desserts which we are still enjoying.  The girls are funny, too, because they keep asking if it is still my birthday and reminding B that it's "still mommy's belated birthday."  Sure, I'll roll with that.  You gals can go ahead and celebrate my birthday for as long as you want to.

Anyway, back to regular programming...

Yesterday was cloudy and iffy, threatening rain all day, so we headed to Michael's so we could stock up on art supplies.  I am basically like a kid in a candy store when I get to Michael's (an expensive candy store considering how much I want to spend when we go!), so let's just say I had a great time.  We have all sorts of projects planned for the rest of the summer, and I can't wait to start them with the girls and B.  Tomorrow afternoon we may finally make our Jackson Pollock drip painting.  L said she wants to wear nothing but undies, put on some music, and make the painting.  Love it.

melted crayon artwork - L's is on the left and P's is on the right

L's three-dimensional flower painting

All of this art excitement around here has made me think about art and its effect on me, and I've realized that I am happiest when I am making art.  Whether it is painting (watercolor is my medium of choice simply for lack of experience with other paints), pottery, or photography, when I am able to create something, anything on a regular basis, I am content.  If I'm not working on some piece of art or thinking of my next piece or session I feel lethargic and somewhat empty.  I know it sounds sort of melodramatic, but I get so much energy from being creative and artistic.

examples of my pottery:

I glazed almost everything in white and chun blue.

I was so proud of this mug and handle!

example of my iphoneography:

I love to have time to myself to take photographs, paint, or throw a pot on the wheel, but I also really do love doing all of these things with my girls.  P absolutely adores the responsibility of having a camera in her hands, so I want to get her a little point and shoot that isn't a piece of junk like the toy cameras we have had in the past.  And L could paint for what seems like hours.  Just this morning the girls begged me to open the glitter glue, so I granted their request and let them go wild, having fun with such a simple little activity - glitter glue and paper.  Afterwards, P turned to me and said "You know what, Mom?  I do like art!"  My heart was happy.  Thank you, glitter glue.

So, the day after tomorrow, registration opens for a fall pottery class with a great teacher (my teacher in Richmond told me about him) not far from our apartment.  I have been dragging my feet about committing to the class because it means I will have to make sure someone else can pick L up from school.  I know that may not sound like a big deal at all, but I love picking my girls up from school - their faces when they see me, hearing about their day, sitting for a snack together while we chat...it's really a nice time of day.  The pottery class is not offered at any other time, though.  So, yes, I'm torn.  I will be there to pick her up from school the other four days of the week, but I guess it's just hard for me to depend on and trust someone else to be there on time (not late!) so my sweet girl is not left waiting in the classroom when everyone else has been picked up.  I have some issues, I know.  But back to art...

I have to work to incorporate art into my everyday life, and I know that I need to make that a priority for myself and my sanity.  I will try to come back to this topic again, over time, on this blog to show you what I've been up to.  At the very least I know that I will be taking one photo every day as part of my 365 gratitude project.  Baby steps.

another photo taken with my iPhone.

this is one of my favorite bowls.

this pitcher is one of my best pieces, but it is pretty small.
it is still sitting at home, waiting to be glazed.

Happy art time, peeps!

P.S.  Misty May and Kerri Walsh won!  Hooray!  I love those bad-ass ladies of beach volleyball!

Monday's Musings 7.23.12

I hope that you all had a lovely weekend.  I am somewhat shocked that it is almost the end of July - this summer seems to be flying by entirely too quickly.  Of course I had all sorts of grand plans when the summer began, and now it seems like I may not get to any of them.  Oh well.  I'm still having fun and enjoying some time in the sun with the gals and B.

In case you hadn't figured it out by now, my Monday's Musings and Friday Fun posts are really just a way for me to share anything with you all.  Sometimes I will write about one topic, and other times I will link to lots of random things I have come across and want to share.  Today is one of those hodge podge kind of days, so I hope you find at least one or two things that pique your curiosity.

• Two design blogs that I have never heard of and will now be reading daily:  Habitually Chic and Belgian Pearls.  I love blogs and read way too many.

• I love this sink and can't wait to have it in a bathroom someday:

find it here

• Need a cute hostess gift?  How about something from Apartment 48?

hobnail pitcher

striped cutting board

starburst napkins

• I would love to visit San Francisco (I've never been to California - can you believe that craziness?), and when I'm there, I will be sure to see this:

Breathing Flower by Choi Jeong Hua

• I love this photograph by Ian Baguskas:

Waiting
find it here

• I love Kelly Klein's kitchen in her Palm Beach home (as seen in Architectural Digest):

find it here

• I have always heard about the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Gala because of what a big night it is in fashion.  What I just read about was the flowers at this year's gala:

flowers by Raul Avila
find it here

Ok, that's my random collection of bits for your enjoyment today.  I hope something strikes your fancy!

Friday Fun 7.13.12 AND Monday's Musings 7.16.12

People!  Hello there.  I am so sorry that I never posted on Friday, but we were with friends at their house in beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and, well, I just never got around to posting.  I was thinking about it, though, so I have lots to share with you today.  And I will try not to skip a day again (it really messed with my mojo).

Instead of breaking this into the Friday Fun post and the Monday's Musings post, I am just going to go crazy here with one big post of goodness.  So let's get to it, shall we?

• A few people have told me about Treme, a show on HBO about post-Katrina New Orleans.  Have you seen it?  

• The Intouchables is a movie out in theaters now, and my parents (who are avid movie-goers) have said it is one of the best movies they have seen in years.  I can't wait to see it for myself.

• I love this cute but casual look.  Could I pull it off?

source

• I have heard that Minetta Tavern is one of the best restaurants in NYC.  Can't wait to try it.

• I love this Philippe Starck designed restaurant/bar/hotel in Marseille.  It would be hard not to have fun here.

source

• This is such a happy Britt Browne "Zebra" print:

• Another happy artwork:

I love summer.

source

• I've decided we're going to make some summer beach art for ourselves.  Perhaps something like this:

source

Then we could use them in our apartment for things like this:

source

• We are also going to write (an actual letter!) at least once per day to a friend or family member.  This is a cute card we could try to make to brighten someone's day:

source

• Love this, but is it real?

source

Now, here are some articles that caught my eye in yesterday's NY Times that I wanted to share with you:

• An article on adulthood and friendship in the Styles section.  I have made some great friends since turning 30 a few years ago, so it was interesting to read about people who look for friends only to fill gaps in their current friendships.
• Dave Eggers was interviewed in the Book Review!  He mentioned a few books that are now on my to-read list:  "Inside This Place, Not of It" and "Morning in Serra Mattu: A Nubian Ode."

• 36 Hours in Providence, RI.  I love New England, especially in the summer, and can't wait to visit Providence soon hopefully.
• "Don't Get Sick in July" by Theresa Brown opened my eyes to the "July Effect."  I will be trying to stay as healthy as possible all summer long!
• "Love, Money, and Other People's Children" about the nannies and the children they care for was interesting to read because it's a relationship I often wonder about.

source

That's all for now.  I hope your week is off to a fantastic start!  Time for me to stop ignoring my children.  xoxo

Monday's Musings 7.9.12

Hi friends.

I hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed some time with family or friends (or both).  Perhaps you were able to take a dip in a pool or the ocean to escape the crazy heat?  We did all of the above and B is finally back from his conference, so we are one happy bunch around here (when "we're" not throwing tantrums and fighting over toys, of course).

I read Jane Brody's "How To Make Optimism Work for You" in the NY Times last week, and it has been on my mind, really making me stop to evaluate the way I think.  I've come to the conclusion that I need to change the way I think.  That shouldn't be too hard, right?  Ha.

I went back to read Brody's original article, entitled "A Richer Life By Seeing the Glass Half Full", and there are so many reasons for me to stop being pessimistic or catastrophizing, as I often do.  There are numerous health benefits to a more positive attitude, as noted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, but it also feels so much better to "look on the bright side."  I know that sounds completely ridiculous and obvious, but for some reason, this is new to me.

My mind has always been filled with "what ifs."  Ever since I was a child, I remember the "what ifs."  What if I get separated from my parents?  What if someone breaks into our apartment?  What if I can't breathe?  As time has passed, the worries have changed slightly, but they are still there: What if there is another terrorist attack?  What if we lose power and get stuck in the elevator in this heat?  Yes, it goes on and on.  A common refrain from my parents was "You worry too much."  Pardon my French, but no shit, Sherlock.

After reading these articles last week, I've finally come to understand that there is a genetic component to how we think and that yes, life can be terrifying and full of crappy situations... or it can be one big adventure that you chose to try to enjoy.  I'm not fooling myself into thinking that everything will always be peachy keen and wonderful, happy times, but I don't have to look at it all as being so freaking hard.  Sure, having two young children is a lot of work, but it's also incredibly amazing to see these little girls grow and live and laugh.  It's a lot more fun to enjoy them than it is to focus on the hard parts of motherhood.

A big question for me right now is what I will do after the girls are both in school and I can work (at least part time) again.  I still want to be able to take them to school and pick them up, but I can't wait to have something other than my children to focus on.  This blog has been incredible and is so much fun for me to work on.  No, I'm not making money (which is another factor in my thoughts of returning to work), but I'm doing something I enjoy that is not about child-rearing.  In two years, L will be going to kindergarten and I will have more time to get a real job and work for actual money (imagine that!?!).  So what should I do, I wonder?  I have been home now for almost 6 years (since P was born in 2006), and my interests are all over the place.

What I especially loved about the Times' articles was the advice some gave to "Fake it until you make it."  If you put in the time, energy, and hard work to do something you love, it just may work out for you.  If things stand in your way, it is possible to work around them and continue to fight for whatever it is you want.  No, you don't necessarily need to go get an advanced degree in whatever area it is you are interested in - simply go for it and give it everything you've got.  Why this is all so mind-blowing and exciting to me, I have no idea!

So, now, I need to figure out what it is I want to focus on and work towards.  Do I work harder on this blog and try to grow it into something much bigger and cooler?  Do I focus on my photography (which I have always loved)?  Do I try to work with kids and literacy in some way?  Do I go back to interior design (I guess that wouldn't be "faking it" since I was an interior designer before having kids)?  Do I become a real estate agent just to try to make some serious money?  What do you guys think?  For those of you that know me, suggestions would be much appreciated!  My ADD mind could go on and on for hours...

Monday's Musings 7.2.12

Happy July, friends!

Where has the time gone?  I feel like the last few weeks have just flown by.  I need this summer to slow down - it's July already!

Anyway, I apologize for not posting earlier in the day, but this week I am a single momma as B is away at math camp (aka a math conference).  The gals and I have lots of fun planned, but quiet moments for me to sit and blog are not exactly on the top of my girls' priority when there is a pool to swim in, flowers to be picked, seashells to collect, and ice cream to be consumed.  So, I apologize in advance if I cannot post earlier than 9 or 10 every night this week.  Trust me, I think about my posts all day long, and I love to have a few hours in the morning to get it done, but that schedule will have to wait until B returns on Saturday.

Ok, back to our regular programming, my musings for today:

• Over the weekend I read this article and have been thinking about it a lot.  How busy are you?  Do you have time to do the things you truly love?  If not, why not?  If you do have the time, do you worry that you are sacrificing something else?  I will probably write more about this soon...

• I have read a fair amount by and about Nora Ephron, and her death last week was very sad and sudden to those of us who did not know that she was sick.  I thoroughly enjoyed this article that Ephron wrote six years ago about her apartment on the upper west side.  It's nice to know that incredibly smart and successful women can trick themselves into believing what they want to (as I often convince myself of things that may not make the most sense).

• Today someone mentioned the documentary about the architect Louis Kahn as a film not to miss.  I was an art history major in college, and art and architecture have always been an interest of mine (and B's).  Have you seen My Architect, written by Kahn's son?  It's on the top of my list.

• We tried this today:

I saw it on Pinterest and thought it would be fun to do with the girls.  I traced my own hand, drew the black lines, and then let P color it in.  We will certainly be doing it again, with the girls' hands next time.

Well, that's all for today.  I hope you had a nice Monday and that you have something fun planned for the fourth!  Until tomorrow...

  

Monday's Musings 6.25.12

Good morning, friends!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend and have something fun to look forward to this week.  It's a rainy, gloomy morning here in NYC, so what a perfect morning to find a comfy spot in my office (aka Starbucks) and blog away.

• To celebrate my parents' anniversary on Friday, we went out to dinner at Stone Creek Inn in Quogue (NY) and it was absolutely delicious.  The atmosphere of the entire restaurant is quite soothing and pleasant, so if you are looking for a low key but special dining experience, Stone Creek is a great choice.  P.S.  I highly recommend the tuna tartare appetizer and the salted caramel ice cream.

a photo taken in a spot where i spent much of the night -

the ladies bathroom.

the girls always have to visit the ladies room at least once,

occasionally twice or three times, during a meal at a restaurant,

so i spend more than my fair share of time in bathroom stalls.

luckily, the bathroom at stone creek inn was lovely with a beautifully tiled floor,

but it was a little chilly in there!

• Have you heard of the artist Nick Cave?  

He is a Missouri-born, 50 something, mixed media artist who creates incredibly elaborate costumes (for lack of a better word) out of a variety of materials.  The actual costumes are sold, as are photographs of the artist wearing the costumes, and one of his photographs was what I first saw and loved.  To give you an idea of his work:

the above is made out of human hair.

• There was an article in this weekend's Wall Street Journal about Underground New York Public Library, a "visual library featuring the Reading-Riders of the NYC subways." The photographer and blog's creator, Ourit Ben-Haim, is a self-proclaimed street photographer who captures subway riders engrossed in their books on a daily basis. Warning: once you start looking through the photos on the blog, you may not be able to stop.