little banners

easy, no-sew fabric banners. love them. @ penny carnival blog

Can-Can skirt

i stumbled upon this adorable blog: MADE, a creative collection, and saw this adorable, girly skirt that i would love to someday make for adelaide.... and maybe myself?

pumpkin seeds

Inspired by a recipe in this month's issue of Sunset using Quatre épices (four spices),I decided to try it for seasoning our yearly pumpkin seed batch. However, I made it sweet, salty AND spicy. Alter amounts of seasonings as preferred... all measurements are complete estimates, as I just added and spiced by sight alone.

1. spread out raw pumpkin seeds fresh from pumpkin (or saved in the fridge up to a week) evenly in single layer on greased cookie sheet. preheat oven to 375.  

 2. mix the following together in a cup:

1/4c. brown sugar

1/4tsp each of. cinnamon & salt

1/8tsp or a generous "shake shake" each of nutmeg, white pepper, cloves & ginger

3. toss all of the seeds with spice mixture and for an extra little "glaze" or crackle, sprinkle white sugar over the top of all the seeds spread out on the sheet

4. bake for 10 mins or until golden. voila! snack away!

i must say, this is my favorite fall pumpkin seed recipie so far!

and, for festive background music, here is one of my favorite artist's Devendra Banhart singing "Pumpkin Seeds"



tyndall coat

anthropologie

maybe it's because i am cold, maybe it's because i am poor and can't shop, maybe it's just cuz i think it's pretty.....

(link here)



stay focused...

sometimes i tend to start projects, books and tasks simutaneously and not finish them. this is one i am determined to see through. a cozy cowl-like scarf that wraps around your neck. the colors are perfect for this time of year... now if i can just finish it before spring, that'd be great!

a cup of coffee, book & a song

since i can't have coffee with you on this foggy autum Monday morning, i'd love to share something with you. i got up at 5am to read, crochet, and drink coffee under a cashmere throw- all while the rest of the house's occupants were dead asleep. it was heaven. in Christianity Today's "Bits & Pieces" sections, i came across a book that jumped to me just from the title. the whole concept- seasonality is something i have blogged about before.. seasonality within our spiritual lives, homes, and food intake is of great interest in our family. so, without further ado, check out this book: Spiritual Rhythm: Being With Jesus Every Season of Your Soul by Mark Buchanan.

here is a new singer/songwriter that both my iTunes "genius" reccommended along with CT's music section: Doug Burr.

"Burr is the son of a Southern Baptist pastor, and his previous albums have explored the intersection of faith and doubt, sometimes obliquely, as in his original songs, and sometimes more directly, as in the straightforward folk settings of the Psalms on his 2008 album The Shawl. Throughout his career he has been obsessed with mysteries human and divine; the savagery that lies just beneath the surface of civilized men and women, the conundrum of an all-loving God who is simultaneously ever-present and hidden."

more on Doug from Christianity Today here.

ride my bicycle

fall sun streaming in

Cha Cha changes

I know that its just some linens, chairs and curtains, but it's these little changes that I hope will make a big difference in moving my home towards the feel that I am trying to achieve. What is that "feel", you ask? Well, I would say 7 parts Anthropologie, 2 parts 15th St. Coffee & Tea (think of: book pages as wallpaper, chalkboards, rustic wood, etc) and 1 part Ikea (I can't help but like some of the streamlined looks).

My lovely mother-in-law is the best at home decor. (especially if it includes blue, yellow, toille or anything french countryside) Any chance she can grab at helping her decorating impaired daughter-in-law, she graciously jumps at the chance. So, when I told her I was going to re-upholster a chair she gave me (yep, adorable blue & white toille!) she was not only offended, but offered me three more to match. I had some yellow, black & gray silkscreened upholstery fabric laying around that I had bought without a project to go with it. It just so happened that the 2 wonderful yards covered just enough of those 4 chairs that there was not one thread left unused. It took me a whole month to uncover, unstaple, sand, spray paint, measure, cut, recover, re-staple and fasten in these bad boys. We better get good use out of these suckers! I decided to cover them with some upholstery plastic not for the kitchy, modern, vinyl look, but out of pure desire for preservation. With two little ones under 3, they wouldn't last one meal without me scrubbing away at blackberry jam, dried eggs, or someother unknown substance.




before





after

 Who knows how long it will take to sand, stain and paint the table- the next project. (black legs to match the chairs and a cherry stained top)

These were just minor improvements- like the nail polish on a revamped benefactor of an Oprah makeover, not statement making, but enough to contribute to the overall look. It was all I can do to finish these small projects with a baby and a toddler... No wonder people with money hire interior decorators.

me and my little helpers

papery draperies

I had no idea what a difference window treatments made! I also never knew just exactly how to hang the rods. (High above the molding and wide for a dramatic look. I went as high as the ceilings would allow.) These stinkin curtains took a week to hang and get "just right"- as my babies were scared of the drill and that sent the house into quite a tizzy. And in the end, they are just white curtains! No frills, design or elaborate materials... Just a lightweight wispy eggshell (long enough to touch the floor) and a set of heavier, cropped (they look like clamdigger pants, they are so short) Potterybarn panels. The floor length wispys won, hands down. (In the pic, the Potterybarn curtains are on the right.)

"stay-cation" and makeshift fun

this is what you do when you can't afford to go to Disneyland for vacation or buy toys from Discovery Toys... we make our own fun- the dorky way. who am i trying to kid? I think even if I had all the money in the world, I would find some way to make my kids have the same goofy homespun fun that I had growing up...

Summertime Grilling

What's in season right now? Salmon, blackberries and green beans. So i threw together a whole meal based on the above to enjoy after a hard day of working outside... Makes my mouth water just looking at it now. Grilling potatoes and baby carrots is very easy in a little foil "envelope". Same goes with beans. Add some olive oil and some Lavender Lemon Pepper (from last year's lavender festival in Squim). Lastly, I made a little dill yogurt aioli for the salmon and potatoes. The "Chobani" yogurt is a good one. Our whole family loves it- especially baby Adelaide. Happy Summer eating!

Fresh

So far this summer we have enjoyed little samplings of produce from our garden. While last year was a wonderful year for the tomato, our summer (if you call it that around here) has been unseasonably cold so we have had to rely on more cold tolerant crops. Carrots have been a choice favorie, along with peas, chiggioa beets , rainbow swiss chard, and of course the easy, quick growing radish. Here are a few snapshots of our modest, but choice bounty. What have been your best producers this summer?

~also, green beans are on the rise and I can't wait for winter and summer squash! my garden is filled with them!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I was looking for a light summer read with a bit of substance, lilt and character depth. With GL&PPPS, I found it and more. This was a beautiful story written in letter form- from the protaganist's pen, Juliet, to her recipients. Set on a beautiful British Channel island after the German Occupation, it sheds light on the strength and weaknesses of the human spirit after such a devastation as WWII. The main character, Juliet is so endearning that you want to be like her and be friends with her at the same time. Lastly, the setting for the book on a breezy, salt air, wildflower laden, farm filled island made me long for my own Guernsey to be able to admire egg shells, plant radishes and paint with watercolors.

Hope you pick up this book someday. It is worth a read.

Next up? Alexander McCall Smith's The Sunday Philosophy Club series or the 44 Scotland Street series. Not sure how I will like these, but I am willing to try even though mystery novels are not my cup of tea.

Crab Louis Salad

Went crabbing this last weekend with my dad out in the San Juans and came back with a few crab to share. (If it wasn't so messy, it would have been gone before I got home.) With some of the produce in the garden and eggs in the hen house, we made a scrumptious Crab Louis Salad with homemade Thousand Island dressing...

Fresh Swiss Chard+ Peas + Broccoli= Dinner

i went out to the garden this evening with Reed to see what we could conjure up... the three below came fresh from the dirt... i added a few other things from the fridge and pantry.

add the above to a hot saute pan plus onions, diced carrots, scallions, 2tbsp brown sugar, 1/4c soy sauce and rice vinegar. then serve over brown rice...

Lots of green, little flowering

thanks to our very wet and cold summer, I have had much greenery and no flowering buds... wonder if it will be a horrible year for tomatoes. fyi- don't put a fertilizer on your garden with too much nitrogen! you prob don't need much more green leafage if you live in the pac northwest!

beignet french doughnuts

the last time i was at Metropolitan Market in tacoma, i picked up a box of this fun looking mix for french doughnuts. my expectations were low considering: i have never deep fried something, and a box mix for french anything just seems counterintutive. however, after we got the hang of it, we figured out that uniformly cut circles, hot oil and quick hands to pull the doughnut out quickly are the key tips. afterwards, we were left with sugar covered lips, plates and tables. they were scrumptious!

Ready Made

one of my vices is magazines. i feel like i can never have enough. i use them up, read them, cut them, file them... i pulled out a Sunset magazine the other day that was from Summer '04 and found a wonderful salmon recipe. when i was at the grocery store the other day, i walked down the long magazine isle and my eye browsed over all of the topics that i gravitate towards: crafts, gardening, fashion, organic living, cooking, chickens (yes, there are a few chicken publications that you can subscribe to via "Hobby Farms"), etc. i thought to myself, "i wish there was a cool version of Martha Stewart and Sunset combined..." maybe i should clarify to all you Martha & Sunset fans- i think those are actually cool, but some of the ideas, lets admit are for a little more 'well to do' or with much more time on their hands- say retirees. (Sunset, i don't necessarily need ideas for the chicest B&B to stay in Napa, or do i actually want to collect pricey china from around the world, Martha) SO! just as i was thinking this to myself, i came across Ready Made: "Instructions for Everyday Life". it was pretty on the cover with a picture of a Strawberry Rhubarb Ricotta Tart on a cute little antique dish.

here were some of the other topics they cover:

• interior design
• home design
• art
• food
• diy
• bedroom ideas
• home and garden
• lighting
• home organization
• sewing
• crafts
• hobbies

 basically everything i love! Kendall and Brittany, this seems like you, too... ;)

girly tulle

i pulled out the sewing machine the other day and a few pieces of whimsical prints that i had intended for making little girly things... i made this easy little skirt for adelaide. what would go perfect with it is a nondescript little tee- i will have to try and find one at thrift stores, as i am sure she will grow out of it before i even put it on her.

out out, darn chickens!

beginning Jackson garden spring 2010...
this year seemed to have so many open ended questions as to the details of my garden. more so than other years for some reason. my kind neighbor offered to use his CAT to turn the dirt over as opposed to me having to till it all by hand. instead of keeping the rows in tact, i told him to blend them together as one and i would sort them out later. this led to a gardener's existential conundrum. to raise or not to raise? that was the question. typical french potagers(see past "potager" blog) seemed to maximize the most garden room as possible, thereby filling beds with eye-catching vegetables blending into one-another. after all, one of the most sucessful gardeners that i have ever known, Joel Meckstroth, (ok, he is my dad, but that doesn't mean I am biased) has a plot of earth, level with the ground around it and it is a very productive garden.... alas, i decided to keep the raised beds all one, and will let the garden flow into itself. whatever that means, we will see come August.

i have also tried a new idea (new to me, not to experienced gardeners out there) and that is "Weed Block mulch paper". it comes in rolls and is eco-friendly, recylcled and biodegradeable... it keeps the weeds down, and hopefully might even warm the soil a bit. (what's the difference between this and newspaper, you ask? nothing, i came to find out as the paper bag-like tarp eventually melted in the rain, as newspaper does also. i was just a sucker. after all, newspaper is free. this special mulch paper had an extra special price tag.)

here is how it looked on a patch on my garden(below):

another pressing question was how, oh how, do i keep the stinkin (literally) chickens out of my garden?! most gardeners that i have spoke to that also raised hens have told me it is impossible to simply "tell them" to stay out. last year i fought and fought with them, looking like a mad housewife running out in my bathrobe with a broom yelling "shoo! shoo! GET OUT OF MY GARDEN!" "STOP EATING MY SQUASH BLOSSOMS!" ok. so maybe i wasn't in my bathrobe or using a broom, but i thought that visual picture conjured up the image of how i felt when i was doing said action. this spring was no different. yesterday i was able to steal one hour of gardening time while the kids were asleep and i could lay down my mulch paper and begin plotting. i gingerly tucked the cabbage and broccoli starts into carefully cut holes in the paper and eased them into the soil. here's what the chickens thought of that after i left them alone with my hard work:

with a deep and vindictive sigh, i went back out and replanted my (severely chewn) broccoli and cabbage, and added more paper mulch to specific areas. i found it very hard to plant seedlings in it, as i cut long rectangular rows out of the paper, wondering if the cuts and holes in the mulch with render it useless in the long run. but, i made the investment, i will follow it through to the end at least to say "been there, done that." the tiny lettuce seeds were of especially high concern as those little guys drifted every which way along my line of dirt under the paper... also, as i plugged the peas into their little slots, i hoped they could find their way up through the punctures to the top when they plan to sprout. only time will tell. maybe i will have to replant it all again in a few weeks anyway. very eeyore like thinking on my part, i know.

on the bright side, i feel such a sense of accomplishment (by my own standards, i know most everyone else is leaps and bounds further along than i am) in just getting a few seeds/starts in the ground. they are as follows:

• 
  
  walla walla sweet onion starts
• 
  
  cabbage and broccoli starts (whats left of them, at least
• 
  
  Danvers Carrots (they were all out of Scarlet Nantes)
• 
  
  Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage
• 
  
  Grandpa Admirer's Lettuce
• 
  
  Red Leaf Lettuce
• 
  
  Forellenschuss Lettuce
• 
  
  Chiggoia Beets

I have much more seeds to set out, but there's always tomorrow. does anyone know when you can set out tomato starts in the Northwest? i invested in a fun selection of heirloom tomatoes and want to make sure i give them what they want- so as not to make them wither or get blight. here's the nonfinal, final project from today:

P.S. other little soil preps I did were: soil pH test kit. apparently my soil is "just right". couldda fooled me. (i also tested the P-N-P:phos.,nitrogen, and potash, and i didn't understand the color coded results, so who cares) i added two bags of an organic vegetable fertilizer and 3 big bags of Olympic Fish Compost- grown locally! oh, and don't forget the random chicken droppings- usually you are supposed to age the potent stuff so it doesn't burn your crops, but i am not about to go and pick out every little pile left by Blondie, Dusty, Mary, Gidget or Diana. (there are 2 other hens, but they never got names- they're boring)

sorry for such a long and uninformative blog- i am sure you were bored a long time ago and never made it to this sentence. :)

a night's spring harvest

a late warm spring evening we closed the hen house, picked cherry blossoms and pulled some rhubarb

Record Store Day

Record Day 2010:

This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances.

...an excuse to drag my darling husband to West Seattle's Easy Street records and browse through new

and old vinyls- as long as our kids will allow... (Sip on a Verite Coffee)

Maybe there will be a gem of a find- an old Cash album, Elliot Smith or Wilco priced just

right???

...Hopefully Aaron Martha and Sunday will be up for the outing, too.

Can I twist Dirk's arm to get me my much coveted and sought after Joanna Newsom?

Her lengthy ballads and soft metaphors blending with harps and trumpets...

Just makes me want to pick up a paintbrush and go to another world.

here's her Jimmy Falon performance that left me speechless with her talent- mouth twisting twitches and all:

****Update: I took my two little 'uns to W. Seattle on a "record adventure" and oh the fun we had. Reed was my little buddy eating grub food at Easy Street's greasy spoon (Hash Browns and French Toast) and rocking out to RunDMC. I love 'em! Here's a few of the pics. I know you won't love 'em as much as me, but i'll show them anyway. ;)<-upstairs in easy street

it started to pour the moment i got both kids in the car. 'whew!'