Shell

Roasted Haricots Verts

2011-11-29T15:36:00.002-05:00

Do you ever just get really, really, really sick of veggies? I’ll be honest: I do. Consequently, I’m always trying to prepare them in new and different ways. One of my favorite tricks to reinvent a tired old standard is roasting. Sunday night I whipped up these French green beans to serve alongside pasta. I was floored at how scrumptious they were. S actually described them as “desserty”! G and Q? Wouldn’t touch them. C’est la vie.

Roasted Haricots Verts

1 lb haricots verts

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

½ teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

½ tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. 2. Clean haricots verts, removing ends. Dry thoroughly and place in a roasting pan.

3. 3. Drizzle beans with the sunflower oil, then sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and onion powder. Toss to coat.

4. 4. Roast for approximately 15 minutes or until slightly golden (and a little wrinkled!) and fork tender.

5. 5. Remove the beans from the oven and toss with the butter, nutritional yeast and flax seeds.

Enjoy!

Rockie Road Brownies

2011-11-16T15:36:00.004-05:00

While I claim to be a super-healthy eater, the fact is I've got a serious sweet tooth. I eat something desserty every day. But these brownies? They are not an everyday dessert. They are so rich, so ridiculously decadent, that they are a once-every-couple-of-years dessert. Or, as was the case this past Saturday, a "I'm hormonal and hated today" dessert.

Rockie Road Brownies
Serves 12

1/2 c. butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 c. flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Topping:
1/2 c. chopped peanuts
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2/ c. mini marshmallows

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" square pan.
2. In a sauce pan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
4. Beat eggs until light; add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until mixture is thick. Add vanilla.
5. Gradually add chocolate mixture to eggs, then stir in dry ingredients.
6. Spread mixture evenly in the buttered pan, and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the edges pull away from the side of the pan.
7. Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle peanuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows over the top. Bake 8 - 10 minutes more until marshmallows are lightly browned (if you like your marshmallows on the darker side, try turning on the broiler for the last minute or so).

Enjoy!

CSA Supper: Zucchini & Tomato Pie

2011-09-27T19:37:00.006-04:00

For the last month our kitchen has been overrun with tomatoes and zucchini. I've frozen I don't know how many loaves of zucchini bread, and we've canned at least three dozen jars of tomatoes, pasta sauce, etc. But those darned zucchinis and tomatoes just keep coming via our weekly farm share and our own garden. In the spirit of 'waste not, want not', I'm trying my best to use them up...but my enthusiasm and creativity are waning.

This zucchini and tomato pie is always my end-of-summer savior. It's dead easy (as Jamie O. would say) and super-fast to throw together. Plus, it always yields leftovers. I even baked this one over the weekend, then just reheated it (which was extra nice since I've been waist-deep in baby food and laundry for the last three days...CANNOT get caught up on either). Throw in a simple salad and frosty beer, and my day just got a whole lot better.

Zucchini and Tomato Pie
Serves 6

2 cups zucchini, diced
1 cup tomato, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 organic baking mix (or Bisquick)
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees; grease a 10" pie plate.
Spread diced zucchini, tomato, and onion in the bottom of the pie plate.
Beat remaining ingredients until smooth, then pour into pie plate.
Bake until knife comes out clean (about 30 minutes), then remove from oven and top pie with the two cheeses.
Turn on the broiler; place pie under the broiler until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Cool 5 minutes before serving.

(Recipe adapted from an ancient Bisquick recipe book that my mom probably pulled out of the Good Housekeeping back in the '80s. If you can get your hands on one, it's a treasure trove of deliciousness!)

Reading List

2011-09-26T14:39:00.006-04:00

I haven't really read at all for the last six weeks. Now that I'm "working" (ha!ha!) again, the little bit of free time I previously had to read is now spent on Stella & Dot stuff. But when I'm not reading I get cranky. I feel like it's so important to continue to make time for the things that are really, really important to me--that really define who I am (cooking, reading)--despite how crazy it gets around here so that I don't lose myself. So my goal is to finish this stack of books by then end of October:

On my Kindle...I must finish Misguided Angel, the fifth installment of the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, because the sixth, and final book, comes out TOMORROW! If you haven't read this series, but dig the vampire/YA genre like I do, I highly recommend it. It's really the smartest, most well-written of the bunch (more on that to come).
Hardy Boys #1...I'm in the mood for a serial mystery, and I've read all my Nancy Drews. Now that I'm collecting HB for G/Q, I figure I may as check them out.
The Poe Shadow, by Matthew Pearl...set around the suspicious demise of Edgar Allen Poe, this book seems like a perfect Halloween-y read.
Birth Matters, by Ina May Gaskin...no, I'm not pregnant again--just chronically interested in the subject. My neighbor lent me this book last week after a convo about her upcoming book of poetry segued into me telling her about my birth experience (it made sense at the time, trust me). I know this book will only fuel the murderous fire of rage I already feel about the maternity system in this country, but c'est la vie.

What's on your nightstand?

Pumpkins Pretties

2011-09-23T11:33:00.010-04:00

The lads and I went to pick out some pumpkins yesterday, so I thought
I'd share a few snaps of the gorgeous options we had to chose from...

I took me about an hour to decide which ones to bring home.

The funkier they looked, the more I like them!

This might be the fall I get brave enough to make a real pumpkin pie.

I loved these giant white pumpkins, but they were $50 each.
Wwwwwhhhhhaaaaaa???

Zits on your face = awful. Zits on pumpkins = awesome.

Pumpkin preciousness!

Operation Retro Rec Room: Storage

2011-09-21T15:28:00.006-04:00

We’re planning to roughly finish off part of our basement this fall to make a playroom for G/Q. Of course—me being me—I’m having visions of midcentury rec room awesomeness. Here’s my inspiration room:

Sorry for the crappy screenshot, but the owner of this Flicker set has turned off the download feature (booooo!). You can see the room better here. Brick red + olive + touches of yellow? Swoon.

We want to keep lots of open space for romping, but also make it functional with lots of storage and room for us to hang out, too. As usual, our budget is pretty minimal for this project (S—do we even have a budget?). I’ve been dreaming of having it tricked out with some Ikea Expedit storage units, but I know by the time we order them/drive to Philly or NJ to pick one up (sadly, we have no Ikea in Upstate NY), it wouldn’t financially make sense.

Then, lo and behold, on a random trip to see what was left at our Kmart (it’s closing), I find this fixture on sale for $80!

I like the light woodgrain finish on the outside, but will probably paint the inside with a pop of color, then finish it off with some baskets/bins for toy storage.

Have you bought store fixtures before? We had great luck buying some shelving/slat wall for our garage when our Steve and Barry’s closed a few years back.

Stay tuned for more updates on Operation Retro Rec Room!

Whiskey and Sage Cream Sauce

2011-09-20T10:16:00.003-04:00

Usually this time of year we head to our favorite restaurant, Hazelnut Kitchen, for their sublime butternut squash ravioli…but, you know, the kiddos make it a wee bit harder to just pop out to dinner. My taste buds, however, don’t understand that. They sense fall in the air, and they want creamy/buttery/squashy/sagey. And they want it RIGHT NOW. So that leaves me with one choice: Make the ravioli at home.

But here’s the problem…dough terrifies me. I’ve failed miserably at all previous dough-making attempts. I know every fall magazine/cooking show for the last several years has had a piece on how e-a-s-y it is to make your own squash ravioli, but the thought strikes mortal fear into my heart. And using wonton wrappers? Something about that just seems not right.

So what’s a squash-craving, dough-fearing girl like me to do? Buy frozen butternut squash ravioli and dress it up with an amazing sauce, that’s what. Thank you, Rosetti ravioli for saving me from another dough-FAIL-induced meltdown.

Whiskey and Sage Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons of butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

½ teaspoon dried sage (I wanted to use fresh, but I forgot it and no way was I running back to Wegmans on a Sunday afternoon!)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup organic half-and-half

1 teaspoon whiskey (I used Maker’s Mark)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons toasted, chopped pecans

Melt butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, a pinch of s&p, then cover to let onions sweat about 3 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat to medium-low and sautee until onions are lightly caramelized (about 10 minutes).
While onions are caramelizing, add pecans to a skillet over low heat. Toast the nuts until they are browned and fragrant (about 5 minutes…watch them because they will go from perfect to burned very quickly).
Add sage and garlic powder to caramelized onions. Let cook about 2 minutes until spices are incorporated into onion mixture.
Stir in the whisky and half-and-half. Add another pinch of s&p. Bring to a slow simmer, then let cook about 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the cooked ravioli to the sauce and toss.
Sprinkle ravioli with toasted pecans (and some parmesan shavings if you’re so inclined…we didn’t think it was needed) to serve.

Finger Foods

2011-09-13T14:55:00.018-04:00

For the last month or so, the lads are wanting to feed themselves more and more, which is so sweet, but it makes it harder to ensure they are getting balanced, full meals. I liked the consistency of seeing an empty bowl at the end of every mealtime versus a semi-empty tray that gives no indication whether the food went into their tummies or Zelda's.

I've been trying to think out of the box about fingers foods, so I thought I'd share some of our current favorites (FYI...we're still having super porridge for breakfast and a yogurt-based lunch, so these items are used as add-ons, snacks, or sometimes even dinner):

Pieces of Applegate Farms yogurt cheese slices or Wegman's/Applegate Farms organic chicken and turkey
Roasted broccoli (1 bag frozen organic broccoli florets, tossed with 1 T. sunflower oil and pinch of sea salt and pepper, roasted at 425 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until really fork-tender)
Ricotta spelt pancakes and pumpkin spelt waffles
Dollops of Dr. Weil's white bean spread (I halve the amount of salt and use dried basil instead of pesto)
Raisins or diced dried apricots
Toasted Ezekiel bread with a light schmear of almond butter
Carrot cream cheese sandwiches (Shred 3 medium carrots, then blend with one 8 oz package of organic cream cheese, 1/2 cup chopped golden raisins, and 2 T. sprouted sunflower seeds)
Diced tomato, peaches, plum, kiwi, sweet potato, or sliced grapes or berries
Hard-boiled egg (chopped)
GoRaw Live Pumpkin bar (finely chopped)
Wild Wood SpouTofu veggie burger
And, of course, lots and lots Happy Baby puffs, munchies and MumMums (when in doubt, they are always a hit, right?)

Super Porridge

2011-09-01T09:58:00.026-04:00

Starting solids was one part of parenting that I was the most excited/nervous about. Food is such a central part of our lives that I wanted give the boys an introduction that would make them love mealtimes as much as S and I do. Plus I had all this guilt about my low milk supply/milk drying up at 5 months/blah, blah, blah that I wanted to start G and Q off with as diverse a diet as possible to help make up for the nutrition (I felt) they weren't getting from me.

Enter Super Baby Food. My bff M recommended I check it out, and since her word is always gospel for me, I immediately ran out to buy it. The concept behind the book is feeding your baby whole, natural, homemade foods from the start to help maximize their nutritional intake and use food to build a robust immune system. The basis of the diet is a whole grain cereal, dubbed 'super porridge'. (By the way, I love the phrase 'super porridge'. It takes something so mundane--hot cereal--and elevates it. It's not just 'oatmeal' or 'Cream of Wheat' any longer; it's SUPER PORRIDGE. Who doesn't want to eat something that sounds like the breakfast of a superhero?)

But I'll admit it: I was a bit apprehensive about embarking on milling and mixing my own grains. I kept putting it off, opting instead to feed the boys a mix of Earth's Best rice and Happy Baby oatmeal cereals until they were 7 months old. And then one day I intrepidly entered the bulk foods at Wegmans and starting scooping organic grains and seeds into bags.

I brought them home convinced that my pathetic little blender would never be able to grind them up; but to my amazement, it whizzed them up with aplomb. "Take that!" the blender seemed to growl as it dug into the steel cut oats.

Less then 10 minutes later, I had a 1/2 gallon jar full of gorgeous, nutritious baby cereal. But the question remained: would G and Q actually eat it...?

The next morning I nervously cooked up my first batch, mixing in some nutritional yeast and a little pureed sweet potato as the book suggested. I apprehensively sat before G (he always eats first...no reason why) and very warily approached his lips with the porridge. He opened his sweet little mouth, closed his lips around the spoon, and his eyes widened. "MMMMMmmmmmmm! MMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm!!!" He liked it! He really liked it! And Q liked it, too!

In fact, S and I even liked it. We're now a family of super porridge devotees. The boys eat it (almost) every morning, while S and I have it a few days a week. It's incredibly versatile, filling, and easy. I love that I can cook a big batch and just reheat individual portions*, which means each family member can customize their cereal with the toppings they like best. Probably the most super thing about it? It's ridiculously cheap. I fill that enormous 1/2 gallon jar for approximately the same cost as one 7 oz. can of Happy Baby cereal (I've included some cost information below based on what I pay for organic bulk grains at Wegmans), and it lasts almost twice as long as store-bought cereal.

G/Q's Favorite Super Porridge**
1/2 lb ground steel cut oats, $1.00
1/2 lb pearled barley, $1.25
1/2 lb mulled millet, $1.21
1/3 lb oat bran, $.66
Total: $4.12

Also:
1/2 lb nutritional yeast, $3.03
1/4 lb pumpkin seeds, $1.20
1/4 lb flax seeds, $.57

Directions:

1. Using a blender, grind each grain separately using the 'Grind' or 'Mill' setting. For babies just beginning cereal, grind grain(s) until they are a soft, powdery texture; for more advanced babies, grind just until grains reach a coarse, sandy texture (as seen in the photo above).
2. After each grain is ground, pour into a mixing bowl. Once all grains have been added, add the oat bran and stir until well mixed. Pour the mixture into an air-tight container (preferably glass) and store in a cool, dark location since bugs love organic grains (I keep mine in the fridge).
3. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup of porridge mixture. Reduce heat to medium low, stirring often and cooking porridge for 10 minutes.***
4. For beginning eaters, serve cereal plain or with one food serving and a 1/4 teaspoon of nutritional yeast. For advanced eaters, combine one fruit serving and one vegetable serving along with a 1/2 teaspoon of nutritional yeast and some ground seeds. Every other day, serve super porridge with a hard-boiled egg yolk.

*I reheat the porridge in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
**Once you have the grinding/cooking technique down, it's really easy to vary your porridge. For example, I've also made one with brown rice, lentils and quinoa. For beginning eaters, you'll want to stick with just one grain, most likely brown rice or oatmeal.
***This was the quantity I made when the boys were 7 months old and were eating a tablespoon or two of cereal per morning. This batch lasted 3 or 4 days in the fridge. I now double this amount, since they each eat 1/4 cup per morning and it still lasts 3 or 4 days.

What's Old is New Again

2011-08-25T10:16:00.010-04:00

I love the transformative power of accessories. The way a statement-making necklace can take wardrobe staples and dress them up (or down). The way a belt can change the shape of a jacket or dress, giving those items new life (and the illusion that you have the tiniest of waists (not possible anymore post-twins, believe me)). Accessories are, to me, miraculous. And even though I now go days at a time and don't even leave my house, I'm still amazed at how much better--more confident, more happy, more ME--I feel on the days I take the time to throw on a pair of earrings or a stack of bracelets. (That's right, I'm saying I'm a better mother when I accessorize.)

Take this outfit I wore last Friday to a lunch date with a friend. Each of the pieces of clothing are so basic. I've also owned them forever (the shoes are the newest, but were purchased two years ago). But by layering on some of the pieces from the Stella & Dot Fall 2011 collection, and a vintage belt and bag, the clothes felt new again. I felt fresh. And pretty (and that never happens anymore).

The lunch, the dressing up, the feeling of being out-and-about midday sans double stroller was a rare treat, and I reveled in it. I left the house feeling tired and disgruntled and came home ready to tackle dishes, dirty diapers, and five days as a single mom while S headed off on a fishing trip. If that's not some kind of transformation, I don't know what is.

wearing: old navy vest, target tank, vintage silk skirt, dolce vita sandals, S&D soiree studs, S&D soiree trio ring, S&D graceful nomad necklace, vintage bag, vintage belt.

CSA Supper: Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans and Tomatoes

2011-08-18T09:24:00.007-04:00

It's around this point every summer where my enthusiasm for the copious amount of greens we get each week in our farm share starts to wane. Those giant bags of kale and chard become less of a blessing and more of a curse. I feel obligated to take them, but the idea of eating them braised, steamed, tossed with a vinaigrette, etc., honestly makes me gag a little. It's too much of a good thing, if you will.

That's why last week I did a little nosing around on the 'nets for some inspiration to get me through the next 12 weeks of farm pick-ups. I came across this recipe on AllRecipes.com and loved the sound of it because I'm trying more and more to make dinners that all four of us can eat. G and Q love chard and chick peas, so with a little alteration, this meal was perfect!

I think this recipe was intended as a side dish, but to make it a complete dinner, I increased the amount of beans and served ours over Wegmans Golden Jewel Blend, a mix of Israeli couscous, mini-garbanzo beans, orzo, and red quinoa. The lads had their's with sprouted white quinoa. We all had grilled asparagus on the side. (Oh yeah...and S and I had a glass of Malbec rose.)

Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans and Tomatoes
serves 4 (or 2 adults and 2 babies*, with some leftover for the hubby's lunch the next day!)

2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 16 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, cleaned and sliced into ribbons
1 large tomato, sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the garbanzo beans and season with salt and pepper.
4. Layer the chard ribbons over the bean and onion mixture, top with the tomato slices, and season with more salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover the pan, cooking until the chard has wilted.
5. Once the chard has wilted, juice the lemon over the top. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Baby version:
Once the chard has wilted, remove 1 cup of the chard/bean/onion mixture from the pan and transfer it into a food processor or food mill. Add one tomato slice. Puree to the consistency to which your baby is comfortable. I decided to leave out the lemon juice since this was our first experience with tomato (two new foods at once seemed risky). I was also pretty light on the s&p until I removed the babies' portion.

*We follow the Super Baby Food diet, which says it's safe to eat cooked onion, greens and beans at 9 months and tomato and citrus at 12 months.

1st Birthday Party, G/Q-style (part 1)

2011-08-15T10:38:00.033-04:00

We loved these whale invites from Tiny Prints. They perfectly
coordinated with our theme. We're big DIY-entertainers,
but I'm a stickler for nice printed materials.

I was ridiculously excited about making these decorations.
I'm not crafty at all, but give me some crepe paper, paper
lanterns, curling ribbon and a hot glue gun, and somehow
I'll give you a giant octopus and a jellyfish garland!

Ms. Octo is ready for her close-up.

I thought the jellies had the sweetest faces!

My dad thought everyone should have to
"swim" through the tent.

This is the pool I bought to soak in while pregnant last
summer, now with MUCH cuter contents: an inflatable
octopus from Pottery Barn Kids and whale and beach
balls from the dollar store.

Our centerpieces were cheapo bubble bowls from AC Moore,
filled with Rhode Island sand from vacation and our tub toys.

I had the most fun making these octopus party hats out of
balloons, paper plates and ribbon. I knew it was doubtful
that the babies would keep them on, but the idea was
too cute not to attempt!

Party hats and high chairs waiting for the guests of honor.

We used sand buckets scored for $1 each at
Christmas Tree Shops to hold favors.

I gussied them up with a resin sand dollar
and personalized tag.

My mom used these felt banners at my shower last summer,
and I thought it would be a nice tradition to hang them every
year on the boys' birthday.

We spread a beach blanket as a hangout
for all the babies in attendance.

I'm sooooooo ready to get my party on!

Stay tuned for more details from the bash!

The Arm Party

2011-08-09T10:27:00.009-04:00

Having babies has seriously cramped my accessorizing. I'm not complaining. I'm happier spending every day in grubby shorts and t-shirts than I ever was getting all dolled up to go sit in an office every day. But sometimes a girl just needs a little bling...bling that can't be hauled on by curious baby-hands. Hence my current obsession with the arm party. Since I can no longer wear my beloved dangley earrings or giant necklaces, why not throw on a massive pile of bracelets?

Sunday Morning arm party

Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster bracelet
Stella & Dot Pyramid Double Wrap bracelet
Bermuda and Cape Cod bracelets

Walk like an Egyptian arm party

Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster bracelet
Bermuda and Cape Cod bracelets
Vintage scarab bracelet and enamel cuff

Super Shiny arm party
Stella & Dot Devi bangles in silver
Stella & Dot Corso cuff
Bermuda and Cape Cod bracelets
Vintage Sarah Coventry bracelet

A letter to myself.

2011-08-04T20:13:00.009-04:00

37 weeks , August 4, 2010

Dear Me:

I know what you're doing...you're sitting in bed, watching Twilight in a feeble attempt to distract yourself from the dread that's making your heart so heavy you think it might suffocate you and the babies. You're feeling like before your tenure as a mother has even begun, you've already failed. Failed because your c-section was scheduled and instead of being so excited to meet those two little guys you've grown, you're terrified. Failed because despite every attempt, you couldn't get Baby A to turn. Failed because you think having a natural birth was your last chance to have a "normal" pregnancy experience. Failed because after everything you've been through over the last two years--the heartache, the fear, the shots and procedures--you've been so brave. But where is your courage now?

Well, lovey, let me give you a little peak into the future. I can't tell you that the c-section was great, that the hospital met all your birth plan requests, that breastfeeding was a breeze, or that what happens on August 12 won't change you--make you stronger and harder in some ways and more fragile in others. But I can tell you this: one year from now, you will be so proud of yourself.

You will have these two perfect little humans that you will marvel at every day. They will exceed your wildest expectations...like that somehow the embryologist selected the two sperms and two eggs that contained the very best of S's and your DNA. You will look at them every day and be reminded of how blessed you are, of just how much God spared you from...that, as bad as it was, it could have been far, far worse.

You won't suck at being a mother. In fact, for the first time in your life, you'll actually feel like you're good at something. You'll find patience and love like you could never have imagined (Mom was right...you had NO idea the depth of a mother's love).

You'll finally understand that you couldn't move Baby A (that's G, by the way), because once he makes his mind up to do something, he does it no matter what. He's stubborn and tenacious. And you'll love him for those qualities and a million others.

And I know you're worried that things will change between you and S. They will. But not like you think. You'll actually be closer and more of a team than ever before. His stoicism will balance your neurotic mama freak-outs, and your heart will break at how deeply devoted he is to the boys. Seeing them together will remind you over and over of why you went through what you did--to give him this gift...these babies...his sons.

Now go back to watching Edward and Bella. Enjoy these last few lazy moments. Thank God that you're 37 weeks pregnant with two strong, healthy babies. Find peace in your heart knowing that despite what happens next week, it will all be worth it. In a year, G will sing along as you two dance around to the Slackers. Q will give you big, wet kisses and rub his little cheek against yours. A lot will be taken from you in that operating room, but not these moments. They will be made more precious, more sweet and fleeting, because you will never forget that for as bad as it was, it could have been far, far worse.

Love,
You

Ricotta Spelt Pancakes

2011-08-03T11:11:00.013-04:00

Sunday morning was the last day of our first family vacation (we were technically home at that point), and even though we often make a big breakfast on Sunday mornings (like this one), I decided I wanted to do something extra special. Try something new. Most importantly, I wanted G and Q to be able to eat whatever I made. I looked for some inspiration online and decided to make ricotta pancakes. To make them baby-friendly, I opted to use spelt flour instead of all-purpose.

The result? The lightest, moistest, most flavorful pancakes ever. To gussy them up for S and me, I topped them with a homemade lemon thyme syrup and blackberries from our bushes. The lads just had them plain, but loved them any way. Q scarfed two in two minutes flat (mmmm-mmmming the entire time, as he is wont to do (that kid is a serious foodie already!)) and would have eaten more if we hadn't already polished them off!

Ricotta Spelt Pancakes, aka Babies' 1st Pancakes
serves 4 (or, in our case, 2 piggish adults and 2 babies)

1 cup organic whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup water (you could use milk to make them richer, but I used water since the lads haven't had milk yet)
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tsp sunflower oil

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, water and egg yolks. Add the flour, baking powder, and sugar, stirring to make a thick batter.
2. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are white and foamy, but still loose. Gently fold the beaten whites into the batter. (Note: you could easily skip this step if you aren't yet ready to give your baby egg whites. The result would simply be a denser, less fluffy pancake.)
3. Heat the oil in a skillet or large frying pan over medium heat. Using a tablespoon, drop batter onto the hot pan. Cook pancakes approximately 2 minutes per side, or until they are a golden brown. I ended up getting about 24 half-dollar size pancakes (yep...we ate them all!!!).

Lemon Thyme Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup raw sugar
5 sprigs of thyme
1 lemon, zested

1. Add water, sugar, whole thyme sprigs, and zest of the lemon to a small sauce pan over medium low heat.
2. Bring mixture to a slow boil, just until sugar is melted.
3. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove thyme and strain lemon zest (if you'd like--I left the zest in because I think it looks pretty!).

Pasta Salad Nicoise

2011-07-05T15:10:00.015-04:00

It's always during those few days leading up to doing some major food shopping when your true culinary mettle is tested. There's nothing fresh...just a few limp leaves of lettuce and a wrinkly apple staring out of the crisper drawer. Your pantry is a hodgepodge of random ingredients (pasta shaped like Christmas stockings? Where did that come from?) I love those days. Some of my best recipes have come to me during those times (like this one). But, you know, I also like to watch Chopped and mentally play along (what would I make out of calamari, prickly pear, chocolate syrup and Wasa toasts?). I'm crazy like that.

During such a time this Pasta Salad Nicoise was born. It was a particularly dry spell for our kitchen because I was in the middle of giving myself about 20 shots of fertility drugs each day, which meant grocery shopping was a super low priority. That said, I was also preparing my body for the embryos that would be transferred in a few weeks and eating lots of protein, lots of Omegas, lots of greens, blah, blah blah...but let's be honest, the hormones were making me crave lots of CARBS. This salad fit the bill on many levels, so we ate it frequently over those few weeks (while watching copious hours of Golden Girls to distract ourselves!). And hey--two out of our three transferred embryos took, so who's to say there isn't some secret fertility juju in it...eat it at your own risk!

Pasta Salad Nicoise, serves 4
1/2 lb pasta (I think Barilla gemelli or mezze penne work best for this, but you use the shape you like best)
1 can tuna in water, drained
2 hard boiled eggs
1/3 bag (about 1 cup) frozen, shelled edamame (I know haricot vert are traditional for this salad, but I think the size and firmness of the edamame holds up much better next to the pasta while keeping a similar flavor profile--and majorly upping the protein)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 tsp celery seed
2 dozen kalamata olives
s&p to taste
baby spinach

1. Put eggs on to boil, starting them in cool water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then remove the eggs from heat and let them sit for another 5 minutes. Pour off hot water and recover the eggs with cold water, letting them sit until you are ready to mix them into the salad.
2. Cook pasta to specifications on the box, adding edamame to the cooking pasta for the last 3 minutes.
3. Drain pasta and edamame, then pour into a large bowl. While the pasta is still warm, add the tuna, mayo, dijon, celery seed, and salt and pepper. Mix and adjust ingredients as needed or to your taste (I have a dijon problem, so I actually add more like 2 teaspoons instead of the 1 stated above).
4. Peel and roughly chop eggs. Mix them into the pasta.
5. To serve, place pasta salad on a bed of baby spinach and top with 1/2 dozen kalamata olives. A big hunk of French bread and glass of Pinot Noir can't hurt either.

Bon appetite!

Birthday List

2011-05-19T09:28:00.008-04:00

My birthday is rapidly approaching (as in, it's tomorrow). Here are a few things I'm wishing I'd unwrap...

domed octopus cuff, jewelry by naomi

tentacle earrings, OctopusMe

gwyneth's cookbook

An Anthro or Tory Burch gift card would also be lovely....

Most of all, I'm hoping for some nice weather so we can head to the zoo with G/Q.

Let the Summer Reading Begin!

2011-05-17T09:23:00.004-04:00

It could not feel less like summer here. It's currently 51 degrees, foggy as heck, and drizzling. It's putting me in an incredible funk because instead of sitting on my sunny back porch playing with G and Q, I'm huddled on the sofa under a down blanket, nursing a luke-warm cup of coffee, wasting time on the Nets while the boys take their morning nap. Surly, I tell you...I'm downright surly.

But despite the very unsummerlike weather conditions, last night I kicked off my summer reading with Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea. Mother's Day weekend I saw the Jane Eyre movie that's out right now, so I decided it was finally time to tackle this book. I'm about halfway through already and love the spooky, slightly disjointed narration (which, incidentally, feels very much like the tone of the new movie). I have a feeling reading this book is going to forever change how I feel about Jane Eyre, making me completely sympathetic to the "first Mrs. Rochester" like how reading Wicked has now made me sad for the Wicked Witch whenever I watch Wizard of Oz.

Next up...John Knowles' The Magus and Caleb Carr's The Alienist. (Think the weather is influencing my decisions at all?) What's on your summer reading list?

p.s. I'm always in love with Ruth Orkin's photos. Don't you want her sandals?

Cool Coat

2010-11-17T15:10:00.002-05:00

I love this peacoat from Ramona West for it's Ali Macgraw/Sally MacMillan 70s chicness.

Have you tried...pumpkin seed oil?

2010-11-15T10:20:00.008-05:00

We eat a lot of roasted squash around here in the fall (like at least twice a week). Butternut, acorn, delicata, sweet dumpling...we love them all. Usually I simply roast the squashes with olive oil and s&p, but after reading about pumpkin seed oil, I picked some up a few months ago, and it's been my roasting oil of choice since then.

It definitely has a nuttier, richer flavor than olive oil, but doesn't overwhelm an ingredient as light as delicata. I even used it to roast golden beets, adding a little curry powder as well. The result was a super nutty, almost meat-y tasting beet that I added to a curry dish, then later put on top of a salad.

Last night we had one of our favorite meals: roasted sweet dumpling squash, stuffed with a wild rice pilaf filled with celery, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, dried cranberries, apples, and walnuts (normally it would also have onions, but since they don't seem to agree with the twins, I can't eat them until I'm done nursing), with a side of wilted kale dressed in a maple dijon vinaigrette. The best part? The glass of Sauvignon Blanc we drank to wash it all down!

Where You Been?

2010-11-11T11:50:00.004-05:00

Hey...remember me? So much has happened since I last blogged...

Say hi to Quint and Griffin born on August 12, 2010. It's amazing how quickly life can change once you have a child (children)...in miraculous ways that being pregnant for nine months can't even begin to prepare you for. You gain so much perspective, and these talents and skills emerge that you never even knew you had (like patience...wow--where did that come from?!).

And I'm not working any more (caring for two babies is definitely a full-time job!). So instead of my days being filled with meetings and travel, it's now filled with feedings and play time and laundry and trying to cook a healthy dinner for the hubby and me. Funny how accomplishing just those few things every day seems just huge, and I'm so proud when it all goes well. Way more proud than of anything I ever accomplished at work.

But you know what? I'm still me...and I still love shoes...and good food...and books. And the twins don't yet care about any of those things, so I'm going to try to get this thing going again. I hope somebody's still reading! xo

Shoe of the Day

2010-06-07T15:37:00.003-04:00

Darlingtonia Moccasin Co.'s Hitchcock Moccasins...these will be perfect for chasing after two crazy toddlers in the very near future, don't you think?

Don't mess with Texas or...Rhode Island???

2010-06-03T10:36:00.003-04:00

I grew up in Pennsylvania but have zero home state pride--unlike the hubby who is 100% Jersey born and bred...and damn proud of it!!! But Rhode Island? Now that's a state a girl can love (this girl, anyway). How cool is this t-shirt? It's had me chuckling for the last 10 minutes.

In fact there are several things in this shop, Bit and Little Bit, that I think I want...like some adorable onesies and bibs for the twins. And what I find even cooler is that the creator of all this cuteness, Hilary Treadway, is also a trained doula! What a multi-talented lady!

(via The Craptastic Voyage)

Walcott, Mystic Seaport is that way...

2010-06-02T12:39:00.001-04:00

Mom and I all ready for the NKOTB concert at Foxwood's (I know...we have a major problem!)

Charles W. Morgan restoration project at Mystic Seaport

I climbed 4 flights of stairs to get on the Morgan...I was determined!

Deck prism

Barnacles

My dad at his happiest...ok...actually he'd be happier if he were sailing on that little Beetle Cat in the background.

Steamboat ride

The hubby, playing in the tugboat exhibit.

Getting worn out...and tired of having my picture taken!

Watch Hill, RI...our favorite place to vacation. (The new Ocean House in the background--we WILL stay there one day...just not this summer thanks to the twins!)

I stalk this house in Watch Hill...it's my favorite house in the whole world... I literally dream about it!

When we miraculously wake up one day and are independently wealthy, the first thing I'm doing is buying this house!

Gotta love the salt spray roses!

Sigh...highlights from our trip two weekends ago. I want to go back!!!

The Masque of the Black Tulip

2010-06-01T14:40:00.006-04:00

I finally settled in to do some non-baby-related reading this weekend. In the spirit of kicking off summer, I picked up The Masque of the Black Tulip, which has been on my shelf for ages. It's the second in the Pink Carnation series. These books are just so fun and frivolous...the perfect mix of a little mystery/intrigue and historical romance. You know, the perfect summer reading, right?

While reading, I sort of fell in love with that little black and white tulip illustration on the cover, so I started nosing around to see what cool black tulip-themed items I could find...

...like this pretty little painting (I think it would look really cool hung on a black accent wall in a hallway or bathroom)...

...and this Pyrex casserole dish (seriously--is there any pattern Pyrex didn't do?! Gotta love it!)...

...or these sweet, dainty lucite earrings (these totally look like something one of the heroines in the books would wear!)...

...and this enamel brooch.

I've now started on the next volume in the series, The Deception of the Emerald Ring...I hope it doesn't make me want to shop for emeralds! YIKES!

Wedding Bells

2010-06-01T11:15:00.002-04:00

Today we are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary. My how time flies!

I know everyone's wedding day is always exciting, but ours was doubly so because we had spent the previous three years living four hours apart. Having our relationship survive that expanse of time and physical space made us realize how much we loved each other and wanted to wake up in the same place every day for the rest of our lives. I spent the first several months of our married life in this surreal state where I would drive to Seth's office at lunch to see him--just because I could (ok...8 years later I actually still do this sometimes)!!!--and almost every night would say, as we climbed into bed, "It's kind of like having a sleepover, isn't it?!?!"

I have felt incredibly blessed to have Seth in my life--from the moment we met 15 years ago, but the heartaches and joys of the last year have made me feel even more so. He is the kindest, most patient man I know--on top of a million other wonderful attributes. I have always said, "I hope when we have kids we have boys because more men should be like Seth," so I cannot tell you how thrilled I am on our 8th anniversary to be carrying his twin sons.

I had wanted to share more of our wedding pictures, but our computer got a virus over the weekend, so this shot is one of the few good ones I could pull off of Shutterfly. Looking at our wedding pictures is strange for me because my dress, hair, make-up, etc., are not at all what I would do now, but they seemed right at the time. Anyone else feel that way?

Long Weekend To Do List

2010-05-28T15:27:00.003-04:00

Let's all watch To Catch a Thief this weekend, shall we?

I always love this part in the movie where Grace Kelly and Cary Grant drive up those steep, curvy Riviera roads to have their picnic of friend chicken and beer. So summery and elegant. And how beautiful are those white driving gloves? Sigh....

Happy long weekending, ladies! xo

DVF does sequins right

2010-05-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

I tend to shy away from sequins because they are one of those things that always make me feel uncomfortable. I'm not sure why, because I love them on other people. Plus, they are innately shiny and gaudy, and I innately love both of those things!

That said, these two DVF toppers that went on Bluefly yesterday, could make me change my mind (of course, I'm sure I'll have LOTS of occasion to wear sequins while chasing after the twins, don't you...?).

Is this jacket too Liza Minelli or just too awesome? I can't decide!

The shape of this little floral cocoon feels very 1920s to me. I'd go all Daisy Buchanan and wear it over a tiered lace dress with some t-strap sandals and loads of pearls.

C'mon get happy!

2010-05-26T15:50:00.000-04:00

Love this ring! I'm totally digging how the design is clean and graphic, yet kind of unrefined at the same time. Plus turquoise and amber are two of my very favorite stones. And what's more, something about it gives me a strong Partridge Family vibe. Gotta love that, right?!

(via Bella-Bijou Jewelry)

Belly Update: 26 weeks

2010-05-24T15:30:00.006-04:00

Per my earlier post, we spent this last Saturday at Mystic Seaport, where Seth was able to snap some fun belly shots while we were aboard the Charles W. Morgan, the oldest surviving whaling ship.

Are horizontal stripes a pregnant girl's best friend? Probably not, but I've loved this little navy and white tunic from H&M maternity anyway.

It was so fun to get away and to feel well enough to travel! This trip didn't exactly count as a "babymoon" since my parents were along (we opted to renovate our bathroom instead of doing a bigger trip this spring...probably not a great choice, but more on that later...), but we had a wonderful time.

As you can see, my belly is really filling out and getting SUPER heavy. I've definitely got my waddle on! At our appointment last Thursday (I got to see the twins on my birthday--how cool was that?!), we learned that they are each weighing in at approximately 2.5 lbs, which is the size a single baby should be at this point (usually twins are a little smaller!). We also got great news in that I passed the diabetes scan and also that the right twin's amniotic fluid is not increasing at all and might even be a little bit less than it was a month ago when we learned that he had too much. Overall, they just keep saying that they look really, really healthy, so we are feeling very relieved and blessed (albeit very, very uncomfortable!).

Blue Monday: Mystic Seaport

2010-05-20T16:18:00.005-04:00

Sigh...slowly coming back around to reality today after a wonderful long weekend spent in Connecticut and Rhode Island to celebrate my birthday.

I've got lots of pictures from our trip to share once the hubby downloads them, but in the meantime, I thought I'd post this sweet vintage postcard from Mystic Seaport. Have you ever been to the Seaport? It rocks, if you like that type of interactive museum experience (which I do). I've been going there, literally, my entire life, and it's one of my favorite places ever.

p.s. Did you happen to catch this awesome documentary on the history of whaling on PBS? It was really, really interesting, and I learned a lot (like that Quakers were the main inhabitants of Nantucket and the biggest whalers back in the day...odd that a group that so aligns itself with peace would have been so heavily involved in such a brutal industry, eh?). This show totally inspired Seth and I to read Heart of the Sea about the gruesome voyage of the whaling ship, Essex.

Perfect Outfit

2010-05-20T15:56:00.002-04:00

I'm such a mix-and-match kind of shopper and outfit builder that rarely (okay--almost never) do I see a picture that makes me say, "Oh! That's a perfect outfit! I would buy every single item and wear them exactly as pictured." Usually I instead take a bit of inspiration from this picture and that, and then piece them together in my own odd kind of way, you know (I know you know)?

But for my money, this picture from Anthropologie, dear readers, is of a perfect outfit. I want it all. Okay--maybe I could live without the grey jeggings since I already have skinny grey jeans, but the top, necklace and shoes should be mine...to wear once the twins are born, obviously! This would be a great 'mommy' look, don't you think?

Belly Update: 25 weeks

2010-05-18T19:33:00.006-04:00

I almost look non-prego here, don't I? Is there a belly in that dress...?

...oh yeah...there it is!

They're ridin' low and heavy!

Jacket: Vintage (previously seen here)
Dress: Liz Lange Maternity
Shoes: BCBG
Jewelry: Mix of vintage, Stella & Dot, gifts from hubby, and Banana Republic
Umbrella: Burberry (a very nice gift from a former coworker!!!)

My 25th week is up today!!! I don't feel like the size of my belly has grown too much in the last few weeks, but it's definitely gotten a lot heavier and more cumbersome. Two weeks ago the twins were weighing in at 1.5 lbs (baby A...aka 'Lefty') and 1.75 lbs (baby B...aka 'Righty') respectively. We have another appointment tomorrow, so I'll be curious to see how big they are. I think they must be getting really strong because their movements and kicks are just unbelievable now. My entire belly undulates and sometimes they kick so hard that it startles me! Honestly, feeling them move is the best part of being pregnant. And as I get closer to my due date, it's becoming harder and harder to wrap my mind around the fact that there are two little people inside of me!

In other baby news...it's been over a week since I've had to take a nausea pill, and I'm eating more foods all the time. It still feels really exciting to feel hungry and actually want to eat after so many months of feeling so sick! We also finished our HypnoBirthing class on Monday night, so now I'm even more jazzed to birth these guys naturally. I also got a recommendation on a really great doula, so I'm getting in touch with her this week to see if she is available to work with us.

Next up: TACKLING THE NURSERY!!! Stay tuned....

Lonely Legs

2010-05-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

Wow. Isn't this a gorgeous photograph from Jacqleen Bleu? The lighting, colors, and those lonely legs feel very Edward Hopper-ish to me.

(via Jacqleen Bleu's Etsy shop)

Blue Monday: Maternity Bathing Suit

2010-05-17T14:29:00.005-04:00

You know how terrifying picking out a bathing suit is when you are your normal size and physique? Okay, now imagine the horror of putting on a bathing suit in the last trimester of a twins pregnancy. Welcome to my world, ladies!!!

With Memorial Day rapidly approaching, I'm realizing I can no longer avoid the reality that I must bite the bullet and buy a maternity swimsuit. When my bff, Nicole, was pregnant last year, she bought a suit from A Pea in the Pod. It was adorable, but frankly, I just don't want to spend that much. So I'm considering this paisley number from Old Navy because one of my favorite bikinis of all time actually came from there about eight years ago. It was super, super flattering, so I'm holding out hope that ON's maternity swimwear will be the same!

DC...I'm missing you!

2010-05-13T14:09:00.007-04:00

For the last four years I've spent this week in DC for work meetings. Other than my annual travel to Chicago in August (hello fall shopping on Michigan Ave.!!!), DC has always been my favorite trip.

But this year, due to the twins and the fact that I'm not returning to work, I'm here in Ithaca, in a funk, missing DC terribly. I've been trying to snap out of it all week, but the reality is, I just really want to be in our nation's capital.

Here are some things I'm missing most:

Dinner at Firefly (the picture above is from two years ago when some really good friends were living in DC). I discovered this little gem four years ago and have gone back every visit since. The last couple of years, my trip has been timed perfectly with their special of sauteed morel mushrooms and fiddlehead ferns, which is--hands down--one of the best things I've ever eaten. That said, the truffle fries also rock.
Shopping at Secondi and Carbon...especially Carbon. This store has the best selection of really awesome, yet really comfortable shoes. And what's really cool is that even though I only go in there once a year, the owner totally remembers me and my previous purchases! Now that's some customer service, eh?
Pizza at Sette Oseteria. I order the same thing every time: Rucola e Finnochio (a salad of arugula and shaved fennel with pecorino and a lemon vinaigrette) and the Margherita Classica. The crust on this pizza is just magnificent...so thin and crispy and flavorful. Plus, after being inside all winter, going to Sette is usually one of my first chances at dining al fresco. Considering that it's been in the 40s here all week, enjoying a pizza outside in Dupont Circle sounds fabulous!
Breakfast at Teasim. Homemade granola, fresh squeezed o.j., and a cup of really strong, really fragrant Earl Grey...what's not to love?
Pollystyle baked goods. They sell these goodies at Teaism, and I always head there on my first day to buy a bag of the rice crispie treats with dried cherries and apricots to eat during the week (okay, okay...I confess...last year they were gone by day 2), then on my last day buy another bag to bring home.
Strolling through the National Zoo. The zoo is right up the street from where my meetings are held, and I always have one afternoon with a few hours to kill, so I brave the wild packs of elementary school kids and walk through the zoo. The pandas are always a treat (of course!), but my real favorites are the giant South American guinea pigs.
A kickass room at the Omni Shoreham. The first two years I traveled to DC, I stayed at the Carlyle Suites, which was amazing, but the cab rides to my meetings were really pricey, so the last two years I've stayed at the Omni. Somehow I've lucked out both years and gotten really awesome rooms. Plus we are members of the Omni "select members" thing, so I get free breakfast delivered to my room every morning, which for some reason tickles me to no end.
A disgusting burrito lunch at Chipotle. We don't have Chipotle here; we only have Moe's, which is soooooo not the same thing (in my opinion). I'm really not one for fast food, but there's something about Chipotle I cannot resist.

I hope you can see now why I'm so miserable. I mean the work part of the trip is always great, and I'm missing that, along with the friends I always see, but the food...and shopping...and FOOD is really what I'm really longing for.

Christen...Elle...E--please go shop and eat A LOT this week for me, won't you?

Blue Monday: Gap Demin Sandals

2010-05-03T13:42:00.002-04:00

YES!!! These must be mine!!!

(via Refinery 29)

Belly Update: 23 weeks and counting...

2010-05-03T10:37:00.004-04:00

Ever wondered what approximately 24 inches and 2.5 pounds of babies looks like?!

Wearing:
Vintage jacket - 1918 Vintage
Wife beater - stolen from the hubby
Jeans - H&M maternity
Turquoise and brass necklace - Stella & Dot
Turquoise enamel bracelet and ring - vintage

Wow. I've made it through 23.5 weeks, ladies!

We were at a little party on Saturday afternoon and someone asked me if I was enjoying being pregnant. My honest response was simply that I feel unbelievably blessed and thankful to be having this experience after thinking for so long that I wouldn't get to, but that no, "enjoy" is not exactly a word I would marry with "pregnancy." I'm totally jealous of those women who love, love, love being pregnant!

That said, my love for these little guys seems to grow in leaps and bounds every day as I feel them squirm and kick almost non-stop now. And I find myself having really funny conversations with them...like my left twin kicks really, really hard, so every time he does it I always say, "Good job, buddy! That was a good one!" Isn't that silly? Seth catches me and says, "Are you talking to the boys?!" He thinks it's so cute.

On Thursday we go back to our doctor for further testing to find out why our right twin has waaaaaay too much amniotic fluid. We're praying that the problem has just gone away in the last two weeks, but if it hasn't then I'll be tested for gestational diabetes. Considering having twins puts you at a much higher risk for g.d. and throwing in the fact that diabetes is rampant in my family, I'm guessing (hoping--because I cannot even let myself consider that it could be something wrong with him!!!) that is the problem. Please send good vibes our way!

Pretty Pink Pedi

2010-04-30T16:35:00.003-04:00

I got a pedi at lunch today (I'm treating myself to a pedicure every two or three weeks this summer since already I can't reach my toes!!!) and stepped out of my polish comfort zone to try OPI's Elephantastic Pink. All my toes have seen for the last two years is OPI's Over the Taupe, so this is really a radical departure. But I'm loving it!

It's bright, but not too bright, and it's the prettiest corally-pink. It would look amazing with a tan, but alas a girl can't have it all.

Have a lovely weekend, ladies! xo

Scary or Cool?

2010-04-29T11:42:00.004-04:00

I'm definitely leaning towards cool, but it's probably too bizarre/scary for the nursery, huh?

(via utilitarianfranchise)

I like this haircut/wig...

2010-04-27T09:37:00.001-04:00

I have a confession to make: Sometimes when I'm really, really, really bored I read celebrity gossip blogs. I do. I'm not proud if it, mind you, but I do it nonetheless. It's mindless. And sometimes mindless is just what you need.

Anyway, I recently came across this picture of Jessica Simpson with short hair (it's a wig!), and I really like that cut. I've sworn I'm not going to do the "oh my gosh I'm a mom now I better cut my hair short!" thing, but honestly, I was thinking about going back to short before I even got pregnant. What do you think?

p.s. I saved this picture without noting the credit. If anyone knows please send it a long (and then I will know that you, too, share my dirty little secret of celebrity blog reading!!! wink...wink...).

Ithaca Farmer's Market

2010-04-26T13:31:00.004-04:00

Saturday morning was absolutely gorgeous here, and we were up and out of the house before 9 a.m., going to our favorite nursery to buy tomato and pepper plants, stopping at our local Tractor Supply Co. to see the baby chicks and ducklings (it was hard to leave there without one!), running bathroom renovation errands, and hitting the Ithaca Farmer's Market. It was a great morning. I picked up two gorgeous bags of baby salad mix, French breakfast radishes (my favorite!!!), and--most importantly--we ate.

I had my favorite sampler platter from Macro Mamas, which is a different mish-mash each week of a hearty grain, beans, and various cooked and raw veg all topped with a salad and this amazing poppyseed dressing they make (I'd kill for that recipe...that's how good it is!). It's a ridiculous amount of food (and this is the SMALL!!!). Seth always ends up getting at least half, but while he waits...

...he scarfs down one of the most incredible egg rolls ever: crispy, but not greasy, with a filling that's tender-crisp, incredible homemade duck sauce and Chinese mustard to dip in, HUGE, and only $2.

Come visit me...we'll go to the market!

p.s. Note to self: new camera + unshowered, make-up free Saturday morning errands = a scary combo! HA!

Oh Happy Day!

2010-04-26T13:17:00.006-04:00

I came home from work last Wednesday evening to find Seth excitedly snapping photos of his favorite subject, Zelda, with our NEW SLR!!! YAY!!! Finally we can take some decent pix again...

...like this action shot of Zelda doing her favorite thing, which consists of simultaneously rubbing around on the living room carpet and growling at nothing (does anyone else's dog do this?)...

...or this portrait shot, entitled "Tibetan Terrier in Profile"...

...or this extreme close-up of the sweetest nose ever.

Stay tuned for a much higher quality photo documentation of the comings and goings of the Brahlers! xo

Bea Arthur Haunts McDonald's

2010-04-23T13:48:00.003-04:00

Have you seen this ad? Isn't it awesome?! Chicken is probably the meat with which I take biggest issue. Commercial farming practices for chicken are beyond nightmarish. So yay! for PETA's clever use of this bequest from Bea Arthur.

p.s. I want those earrings!

MidWeek MidCentury: Retro Patio Furniture at Lowe's

2010-04-21T16:09:00.003-04:00

We were at Lowe's last night making a few final purchases for our bathroom renovation that starts in just two weeks (!!!), and the cutest vintage-inspired aluminum chairs, side tables and gliders caught my eye. We've been on the lookout for a real set of this furniture for years, but when you find it around here, which is rare, it's gotten very expensive. So although I'd love an old set, I'm kind of tempted, you know?

The best part was that they have the same set in miniature!!! Three little chairs and a table! Don't you think the twins need it?!

Can I register at Lowe's?!?!

The Innocence Mission

2010-04-21T10:21:00.003-04:00

Does anyone else remember the band The Innocence Mission? I guess they are still around, but I only have one of their albums, Glow, that I bought my freshman year in college. It's a great album, but it seems like I only want to listen to it in spring. I think it's because the song Bright as Yellow reminds me of forsythia!

Nursery Art

2010-04-19T15:15:00.005-04:00

Giant Squid

Jacques Cousteau vs. the Octopus

Nautical Print

Just did a big Etsy order today for art for the nursery. Can you guess what our theme is?

(via BeatUpCreations, petitemoufette and AfricanGrey)

Blue Monday: Mental Images

2010-04-19T10:43:00.006-04:00

Tonight is our first birthing class, and despite the fact that I have a wicked cold, I'm still really, really excited about it. The birthing technique we are learning is called Hypnobirthing. Have you heard of it? I cannot say enough positive things about it. Calling it a technique is really inaccurate because it's really more of a birthing philosophy. Once you read the book and learn the history and the benefits of having a hypnobirth you are a complete convert. You're like, "Yes! That's right! My body was designed to do this! Why am I scared? I should be excited!"

I learned about Hypnobirthing a number of years ago because bff Molly is a midwife and Hypnobirthing coach (actually she's a full-time mom now, but she is still a crusader for natural labor and women's health in general). She gave me all the Hypno materials two years ago, and last fall as the date for our in vitro got closer and closer, I decided to read the book and start listening to the meditation cd to help lower my stress level and prepare me--both mentally and physically--for the two procedures.

I found the Hypno techniques came in particularly handy the day of our embryo transfer. Although the doctors had prescribed Valium because I was really jumpy during our trial transfer (as you can imagine, it's super important that you remain really relaxed and still as they are injecting the microscopic embryos into your uterus), I really didn't want to take it. So instead, I spent the entire car ride from Ithaca to Rochester listening to the Hypno cd and focusing all my energy on relaxing my abdomenal muscles--in particularly my cervix, and centering my thoughts on having an easy, successful transfer (which we did...x2!).

Anyway...all of that is a very round-about way to get to saying that I've been trying to come up with a few mental images to focus on during labor. Since there is absolutely no place I am happier or more relaxed than the beach, I figure that is where I should focus my attention. In particular, I always have this image of Nauset Beach, on Cape Cod, that I just love....walking up the sandy path through the dunes to get out to the beach, you get almost to the top of the dune and can see a sliver of the Atlantic that is all gold and shimmery like this:

Sigh...I can totally hear the waves crashing, the rustle of the wind through the dune grass, feel the hot sun on my back, and smell the onion rings cooking at Liam's. If that doesn't get me through labor, I don't know what will!

These are the things my husband likes for gifts...

2010-04-16T10:16:00.004-04:00

Seth and I are essentially the same person in male/female form, but there are a few extreme variations in our personalities. For example, when it comes time for birthday, anniversary or Christmas gifts he wants things that are practical, usable, sensible; whereas I come up with a list of at least ten things I want for each holiday, and they are hardly ever things I need--just pure, unadulterated wants (it's the Taurus in me).

Yesterday was Seth's 33rd birthday and although he repeatedly told me not to get him anything, I'm all about buying gifts, so I just couldn't let that happen. But I knew, now more than ever, if I got him something impractical, he never would have enjoyed it. And since he's all about putting up as much veg from our garden and CSA share as possible, I got him a FoodSaver. I have to admit that I'm skeptical about this device, but we'll see how it works once we start freezing fresh veg again in a few months.

As a totally gratuitous birthday celebration, I did convince Seth to go for side-by-side massages last evening at our lovely local spa, August Moon. We then ate Chinese food on the couch and watched some crappy TV. Isn't our life glamourous?

p.s. In an odd role reversal, my birthday is next month and I have asked for a new utility sink (our old one is terrifying...seriously...I'll post some pix and feel confident you'll agree!). Since very soon I'll be spending a lot of time hosing out dirty diapers, etc., I figure it's only fitting to have a sink that won't give me the heebie-geebies every time I look at it!

Sneak Peak of What We Did Last Sunday...

2010-04-15T14:58:00.006-04:00

Last Sunday we met our friend, Bryan, in Jersey City, to have some "pregnancy pictures" taken. Bryan shot our engagement and wedding photos (I'll post some soon), and he's so fun to work with. I am really, really not good at being photographed, and as much as I wish I dared to have some nudie, "glamour shot" pregnancy pix done, that's just soooooo not me; but I wanted us to document this time because I knew I'd regret it later if we didn't. So doing some cute shots of the two of us together seemed ideal and being able to have Bryan take the pictures seemed perfect (I told him he's now the official "Brahler Family Photographer"). We took a few shots in his studio, then headed to Liberty State Park to do the rest. I'm just wading through the files now to narrow down the selection so Bryan can start to retouch, convert to b&w, etc., but I wanted to share a few of my faves so far.

Incidentally, isn't Zelda just the cutest?! That first pic brought the biggest smile to my face because she is so clearly on a mission to sniff, sniff, sniff! It was her first time in the big city, and she took complete advantage of it!

Best. OJ. Ever.

2010-04-15T10:23:00.003-04:00

Keep your eye out for orange juice from Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company. It's 100% fresh squeezed o.j. That's it. Nothing else. It's not even pasteurized.

I previously thought the Odwalla o.j. was good, but honestly I have never tasted anything like this juice. It's sweet--but not too sweet. It's tangy--but not too tangy. It's got just the perfect amount of pulp. If it weren't a wee bit on the pricey-side, I could easily drink gallons of it every day (I have a bit of an orange juice problem, can you tell?).

The redbuds are blooming! The redbuds are blooming!

2010-04-14T13:49:00.002-04:00

There are two things I eagerly anticipate every spring: the blooming of both the forsythias and the redbuds. The forsythias all popped out two weekends ago when we had three or four days of 80 degree weather, but yesterday was the first I noticed the redbuds just starting to peek through. They are such a sweet, delicate tree, and the vibrant magenta blossoms make a striking contrast to all that chartreuse spring growth exploding everywhere.

Several people in our neighborhood have redbuds, and I conspicuously slow down when I drive by to oogle their lovely foliage. Since that always makes me feel a bit stalker-ish, over the weekend I gave my boys--and their dad--a big hint that next year, for my first Mother's Day (how crazy is that???), a redbud sapling would make a wonderful gift!

(via BillCPhotos)

'70s-ish Tiered Layers

2010-04-14T09:23:00.000-04:00

I've been completely in love with long, layered '70s-inspired dresses for years, so naturally I think it rocks that they are "in" right now. It's probably the one spring look that I'm really sorry I'm missing out on (layers + pregnant belly = a VERY bad idea). Something about them just feels so breezy, yet luxurious...like something Jacqueline Bisset's character would wear to dinner in Bermuda in the movie The Deep.

Chloe just continues to kill me season after season, and this dress is no exception. I swear when I win the lottery I will wear only Chloe...

...but then check out how cute Kendra from LookBook and the blog If You Want a Piece of Me looks in this vintage number. Her ensemble reminds me once again that there's very little that comes down the runway that we can't find vintage--so why spend a fortune on our wardrobes?

Here I am in the one-and-only tiered frock I own. I wish I had a better, full-length picture of this dress. It's been a fave for 4 or 5 years now, and it's from H&M. It's got a wide tiered ruffle at the top, then a belted waist with a tiered just-below-the-knee length skirt--all done in accordion-pleated nude jersey. AND it ties at the shoulders, which is one of my favorite dress accoutrements ever. I WILL fit back into by next summer...I swear!!!

p.s. Isn't my bff so pretty?

p.p.s. Doesn't that champagne look soooooo delicious? I WILL be drinking that again by next summer, too! ;)

Belly Update and Other News

2010-04-13T10:06:00.009-04:00

I'm having trouble believing that tomorrow I will already be 21 weeks pregnant. Time seems to be rapidly picking up speed! I feel like my belly is getting bigger by the minute, I'm finally feeling hungry (YAY!), and the twins are moving so, so much now. In fact, for the last week I've actually been able to see them move, which is just the coolest thing ever. They seem to be particularly busy in the evening when I'm in the tub (I think this is a sign that they are going to like the water as much as their mama does!); the funny thing is that they'll be movin' and groovin' and as soon as Seth comes in to see it, they stop! He's starting to think I'm making it up, even though I swear to him my whole belly was jumping just a few seconds before!

Dress - LaRedoute...back when they sold in the U.S.
Jersey cardi - forget the brand, but it was bought at the BonTon
Tights - Target
Black suede studded flats - Sigerson Morrison for Target
Gilda Links necklace and earrings - Stella & Dot

Here I am during my 18th week, in my favorite non-maternity maternity outfit. This silk sundress is one of my summer favorites, bought about 6 or 7 years ago. It's nice and tenty and worked great for early maternity-wear (I even put a black turtleneck under it a few times and wore it like a jumper!). I bought the jersey cardigan last summer in preparation for getting pregnant, and it's been a constant staple.

T-shirt - Old Navy Maternity
Jeans - H&M Maternity
Turquoise and red coral jewelry - Mexico and Passion for Pearls, an awesome jewelry vendor at the National Association of REALTORS' conventions

I can't believe I'm putting this shot up, but it's the only one we got during week 19. I like to call it my "Moby Dick" picture, since I essentially look like big, white whale! This was taken on Easter Sunday, which is miraculous because Easter here is ALWAYS cold and rainy. But since this year it was hot and sunny, I decided the boys and I should work on getting some color! I sat out all afternoon with my parents while Seth putzed around in the garden, weeding and planting lettuce and radishes. It was a wonderful way to spend Easter!

In other news, last week I told my Board of Directors that I won't be coming back to work once the twins arrive. Deciding to stay at home was such a hard decision--for a variety of reasons (finances, I like my job, FINANCES)--but daycare costs are so high here that I essentially would have been working to only bring home a couple of hundred dollars a month. Plus Seth and I both had moms who stayed home when we were little, and it was always our dream to be able to do the same thing when we started a family. Sooooo...it's really scary, and we're taking a HUGE leap of faith, but now that the decision is final I'm feeling a real sense of peace about it and am excited to say that as of July 30 I will be a full-time mom!

Bea Arthur + Pizza = My newest Tumblr Love

2010-04-12T16:18:00.003-04:00

Just when I think I can't find anything more random and fabulous on the Internet--or Tumblr in particular--I stumbled upon Bea Arthur Mountains Pizza, a site that describes itself as "the definitive collection of pictures featuring Bea Arthur, mountains, and pizza." Now, I believe my feelings for Bea Arthur are well-documented, and God knows I love pizza and don't dislike mountains in the slightest, so this discovery really feels like a coup for me! Check it out...seriously.

Sorry for the lack of posting last week--time really got away from me. Work is so, so crazy right now, and things are busy, busy at home gearing up for two big projects: a bathroom renovation and the nursery (more on both to come!). I promise more posts this week!

xoxo

(via bea arthur mountains pizza)

Blue Monday: The Twins' First Shoes

2010-04-05T10:56:00.000-04:00

Navy blue hi-top Chucks for the twins...can you stand the cuteness???

Sandal Shopping

2010-04-01T10:53:00.017-04:00

It's so sunny and gorgeous here today!!! I actually have my fave open-toe booties on and am loveloveloving it! I typically ban socks around March 15, but that can sometimes be an imprudent decision when it's April and still only in the 30s (sadly, often the case in Upstate New York). But with tomorrow and Saturday predicted to be in the low 80s (YES!!!), I'm now itching to pull out all my spring and summer shoes and add a few new lovelies to the collection.

Top on my list are these adorable espadrilles. I've been searching for the perfect espadrilles for at least three years, but every pair I've found has been either sky-high or really stiff and uncomfortable--or both. But last month I did some searching online and found the site Espadrilles, Etc. This site sells the real thing--every style and color combo you could imagine, all made in Spain. I love the bright stripes in this pair and can imagine wearing them with just about everything in my summer wardrobe, but for this year, I think they'll work nicely on swollen, hot pregnant feet!

I bought my first pair of Corso Como sandals last summer, and it was an instant love affair. They were unquestionably the most comfortable sandals I've ever owned. So this year I want to add this taupey-grey and silver pair to the mix. I love the over-sized buckles, and I'm still majorly in love with the sliver wedge.

Words cannot express how much I love this cutie from Kelsi Dagger. The grey snakeskin t-strap would have been adorable enough on its own, but when you pair it with a band of ruched salmon leather, I just can't resist!

And last but not least--the workhorse of the bunch--the flip flop. I have to tell you that three years ago I bought a pair of rubber Tory Burch flip flops, and I thought at $45 it was a completely stupid purchase considering I'd previously spent the same amount on my Eliza B. flip flops that are handmade and super, super sturdy (I bought my first pair 7 or 8 years ago and they still look like new!). Three years later I am amazed at how awesomely the TB's have held up, so I'm going back for another pair. Now that I'm finally daring to wear animal prints, I think I'll go with this black leopard print.

What shoes are on your shopping list for spring/summer?

I'll use it forever...I promise!!!

2010-03-30T14:32:00.003-04:00

Haven't we all justified a splurge-y purchase with the little promise to ourselves that "we'll use it forever?" or that we "won't need any other bag/shoe/whatever?" Of course we mean it at the time, but let's be honest--3 or 6 or 12 months later, don't we break down and buy another bag or pair of shoes or whatever? I know I do. I'm weak. And I'm a liar. What can I say?

But since I am a mother now, and as such am trying to be more fiscally responsible, I've been ignoring those empty promises as I've been eyeing up this Kate Spade baby bag for months (like, since before I was even pregnant...seriously, I've been going on KateSpade.com at least once a week since probably November). However, at $425, I just couldn't justify buying the bag, no matter how much I'd use it.

But guess what? Last week I got an e-mail that it had FINALLY gone on sale!!! And on top of that? It was an extra 25% off!!! And on top of that?? FREE SHIPPING!!! And on top of that??? I still had money left from my 2009 bonus from work!!!

So guess what?!?! That little ole baby bag shipped to me today!!!

And you know what?!?! I'll use it FOREVER!!!

(Well, at least for the next few years, anyway!)

Pretty Movies

2010-03-30T12:31:00.007-04:00

While spending most of January and February laying in bed was frustrating, it did give me a chance to catch up on several movies that had been sitting in our Netflix queue for ages and ages (fyi...the Roku is the best thing EVER when you're under the weather--you don't even have to get up to change the disc in the dvd player!!!).

Three flicks I enjoyed immensely were the 2008 version of Brideshead Revisited, because I love a good doomed romance (and I love the book!)...

the 2007 adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes because I can't resist a good tear-jerker about hard-on-their-luck orphans who triumph in the end (and I love the book!)...

and the 2000 version of Love's Labour's Lost. Shakespeare + Cole Porter + Kenneth Branaugh?! Oh yeah!!! And Alicia Silverstone was surprisingly good, too! (Plus, I love the play!).

But what I enjoyed most about all these movies is that they are set in the late 1920s/early 1930s, which means the costuming is just glorious. From the flapper frocks to the school uniforms to the ballgowns, I want to wear them all!!! As someone who has to fight the urge to be matchy-matchy, you can imagine my delight at how the costumer for Love's Labour's Lost used a consistent color scheme throughout the entire movie for the wardrobe of each couple. I'm alllll about the signature color, so this subtle touch tickled me to no end!

What are your favorite "pretty movies"?

Blue Monday...on Tuesday

2010-03-30T08:54:00.000-04:00

(This was supposed to go up yesterday, but since I couldn't get the pix to work, here it is a day late!)

I'm so obsessed with anything vaguely espadrille-esque right now. And--OMG--have you seen these new wedges from the Robert Clergerie/Opening Ceremony collaboration???

I'm not sure I've ever had shoe lust quite this bad.

(via Elle.com)

What up, Blogger?

2010-03-29T14:35:00.003-04:00

Anyone else having issues posting pictures today? I've tried a bunch of times to no avail. I'll post extra tomorrow--PROMISE!!!

Birthday Girl

2010-03-26T12:55:00.002-04:00

Today is the 9th birthday of someone very, very special: my sweet, sweet Zelda. She's the best buddy a girl could ask for and truly my canine soul mate. Since I got pregnant, we've gotten even closer than ever; she's been my constant companion and protector, even following me into the bathroom when I was sick just to make sure I was okay. And now that we'll be totally outnumbered at home (that's right--we found out yesterday that the twins are both boys!!!), something tells me we'll be even closer...something tells me it's going to take both of us to keep those boys in line!

Happy weekending, ladies! Zelda and I are off to PA to stay with my parents while the hubby heads to Baltimore for his favorite day of the year, his fantasy baseball draft (do your significant others play fantasy sports? Is there something I'm missing about its awesomeness?). My mom is making her amazing clam chowder tonight for dinner--can't wait! It's one of my guilty pleasure foods...even after becoming a vegetarian, I never gave it up. It's just too good!!! Maybe I'll try to get the recipe out of her and share it next week!

xo

Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!

2010-03-24T10:50:00.004-04:00

I have a deep and abiding love for children's books and adolescent fiction. Chalk it up to never growing up, I guess. I'm constantly adding to my collection of Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton, and Trixie Belden mysteries and love finding a new, adorably-illustrated and well-written story for the under-10 set.

So imagine my delight last summer when I stumbled upon Mo Willems' Pigeon series while browsing in the most awesome toy/book store in Glens Falls, NY. I love the clean, graphic illustrations, the irreverent storytelling, and the subtle moral to these stories. But most importantly, Pigeon completely cracks me up!

My bff's sister and her family are here visiting this week, so in honor of our pre-summer hot dog cook-off the other night, I decided to take the two little guys in attendance each a copy of The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! It felt so good to finally buy Pigeon books for some real kids!

p.s. Want to kill some time at work? Check out the super fun web site, Pigeon Presents.

Favorite jacket, maternity-style

2010-03-22T14:49:00.009-04:00

Starting to put together a maternity wardrobe has been a fun challenge for me. I'll be the first to admit that my regular wardrobe is way too large, so the idea of building a small, well-edited selection of clothes--on a teeny budget--seemed like an interesting way to start transitioning my shopping mindset from a dressier "work" wardrobe to more casual, versatile "mom" clothes.

I really have a jacket fetish (along with my shoe, belt, bracelet, and scarf fetishes...) so one thing that has helped to sass up some of the very basic maternity pieces I've purchased so far is that most of my spring jackets still fit (although they may not close!). For the last three years one of my most favorite jackets is one I scored during my brief stint working for The Carlisle Collection. It's the softest tan twill, edged in buttery pewter leather. If any piece of clothing expresses my style perfectly, it's this jacket--kinda classic, kinda edgy.

Here are two ways I've recently styled it up:

Heathered gray jersey dress, Old Navy Maternity
Gray tights, Target
Gray suede booties, Newport News
Silver Gilda hoop earrings (hidden by my hair), Stella & Dot
Hammered silver owl necklace, gift from bff Rach from her trip to South America (thanks, Rach!!!)

(For those of you who don't know, I'm 5'11", so this picture totally cracks me up because my legs look sooooo short. Apparently the Fug Girls are right: longish top + short pants = stumpy!)

Taupe jersey studded-waist top, Liz Lange Maternity
Skinny black ankle pants, Old Navy Maternity
Black suede flats, Sigerson Morrison for Target
Smokey quartz earrings and necklace, Tracy Matthews Designs
Smokey quartz ring, Judith Ripka (gift from my mommy)

Belly Update

2010-03-22T13:48:00.005-04:00

First off, thanks so much for the warm welcome back last week, ladies!!! I missed blogging so much while I was sick and am slowly catching up on everything you were up to while I was away. I promise that Shell is not exclusively going to become a pregnancy blog, but it is obviously a huge part of what's going on with our life right now, so you'll be hearing a lot about it. Hopefully, you'll find it interesting!!!

Anyhoo...remember back in January when my belly looked like that, up there? The irony is, I really felt like I had a big belly! At that point, I had gained about 10 pounds from the fertility drugs, so I was definitely feeling a lot thicker and more bloated than usual. Of course little did I know what was to come...

...because here I am last week!!! Big difference between 5 weeks and 17 weeks, eh? I keep joking with my bff that I think my belly is bigger now than her's was at a full 40 weeks, but I have to keep in mind that there are TWO babies in there!!! Honestly, so far I think having a belly is pretty cute, but I'd be lieing if I didn't admit that I am scared about how enormous I'll be at the end if I am this big already.

I signed up for these weekly pregnancy e-mails from WebMD and the American Pregnancy Association, and for the most part they are kind of worthless, but it is nice to get the messages each Monday if only because it helps to keep in perspective all the craziness your body is experiencing. For example, today's messages told me the babies are each around 6" in length, which means I have almost of a foot of babies inside me. How crazy is that?!

Cycling

2010-03-19T11:04:00.004-04:00

So I know this might sound sacrilegious to many of you, but I actually hate riding a bike. I don't know if it comes from being a kid in the late-'80s/early-90s when the cool thing was to have 10-speed bikes, which--let's face it--have the most uncomfortable seats EVER; or maybe it comes from living in a town where at least a 1/3 of the population bikes everywhere and although there are signs wherever you look that say "Share the Road," the cyclists just don't seem to think it applies to them, which makes for harrowing driving on Ithaca's narrow, curving roads, topped with a fair amount of annoyance. Either way, I just really, really don't like it.

I will say, however, that when the hubby and I took a long weekend to the Jersey Shore last summer, the b&b where we stayed had bikes for guests to use, and we took the longest, loveliest pre-breakfast bike rides down the boardwalk and all around town. That weekend started to change my feelings about bikes. There was something so relaxing about tooling around Spring Lake on a Sunday morning on our bikes, working up an appetite for the Johnson House Inn's infamous Finnish Pancake.

But what could really make me reconsider my long-standing ban on biking are the new Liberty of London bikes at Target. A pink and lavender floral-print bike for a grown-up lady? Yes, please! Totally reminds me of my very first bike, the awesomely awesome Huffy Desert Rose.

Unhappy Hipsters

2010-03-18T15:00:00.003-04:00

Have you seen the Tumblr Unhappy Hipsters? I'm obsessed. It's so clever and sardonic. Plus, being the lover of modernist interiors that I am, the photos do make me drool a little bit. I mean, how awesome is this fireplace?

Seriously, add this blog to your daily reads if you haven't already. You'll get at least one good chuckle a day, I promise.

(via Unhappy Hipsters via Dwell)

My Vegetarian Pregnancy

2010-03-17T10:31:00.015-04:00

One of the really crazy things that happened in my time away from the blog was that after 17.5 years of being a vegetarian, I tried (emphasis on the word tried) to start eating meat again. My decision to do so did not come easily. Although it was partially fueled by fear of the insane amount of protein you need each day when you're having twins (100g!!!) and also pressure from people who kept telling me I'd simply have to eat meat to have safe, healthy babies, I feel like I know enough about diet and nutrition that I really came to the conclusion on my own that it was the right thing to do. And what finally spurred me on was that my body reached this point where I was just so starving from being so sick that I felt like I needed something substantial to fill me up, and meat seemed like the best solution.

The first thing I ate was a meal my mom used to make me as a little girl when I was recovering from the stomach flu or some such ailment. It's a really simple dish of stewing beef (we used grass fed organic beef, of course!), egg noodles and beef broth. Taking the first bite was so gut-wrenching and scary! I mean, after such long time I had NO idea what real meat tasted like, what the texture would be, and morally it was just so, so hard. But frankly, the very worst part was that the beef actually tasted really, really good, and it did provide me some momentary relief from the nausea and the hunger.

But from there it was all downhill. I tried turkey bacon (threw it up), chicken cacciatore (ew--don't even get me started), my mom's ribs (delicious, but they still completely grossed me out), my bff's chicken salad (again, super delicious, but the chicken cacciatore had already done me in for being able to enjoy chicken), a slice of pizza topped with proscuitto (the one meat I always regretted not being able to try was disappointingly chewy, fatty, and tasteless). Trying to eat meat and think about eating meat became this vicious cycle that was making me even more sick. Every day I would think, "I should eat meat today!" I would try to force myself to find something that would sound good and then I wouldn't be able to eat anything, which only made me sicker.

So I gave up eating meat again--almost before I had really started. I decided that getting back to a place where I was eating something was way more important than eating meat and that ultimately I needed to stop listening to outside opinions and do what was right for me and my babies. I started doing research online about vegetarian pregnancies, bought the book Your Vegetarian Pregnancy, and met with a veggie friend who is a nutritionist who helped me put together a plan to reach 100g of protein per day without eating meat. So far, so good. Yesterday I topped out at around 90g of protein, and it was actually pretty easy!

Sorry this was such a long post...it just feels like we have a lot to catch up on!

LBD Love

2010-03-16T16:20:00.003-04:00

I just got out of the house to do some spring/maternity shopping two weekends ago, and I just loveloveloved the plethora of navy I saw everywhere. Navy has become such a staple for me over the past few years. It's slowly replacing the black in my closet because it just seems so fresh and cool and preppy. That said, I have purchased two maternity l.b.d.s (I'm praying they are slimming!!!), but isn't a little blue dress just as versatile?

I've been patiently waiting for this shirt dress from Gap to go on sale, and now that it is, it's mine, all mine!!! I can't wait to wear it with the collar popped and a pair of stripey espadrilles once the weather warms up!

Growing babies is hard work!

2010-03-16T10:34:00.005-04:00

...and I'm back from my very unexpected (and unappreciated) break from blogging. The past two months were two of the hardest I've ever lived through, leaving me with barely enough energy to get to the bathroom to be sick, let alone to blog. But thanks to some meds I started two weeks ago, I'm now slowly coming out of the ordeal of morning sickness and am finally starting to really get to enjoy being pregnant, as well as return to life as normal (well, sort of, anyway).

The above ultrasound picture of the twins is from two weeks ago. Sadly, the only picture we got of both of them was of just the tops of their little heads, but we love it anyway! They are sooooooo cute and are growing really, really well (they are actually ahead of where they need to be, which our doctor says is super important because invitro twins have a high risk of being low birth weight). We hope they stay that way!

I have sooooooo much to catch up on, things to get to people...but it feels good to be back in a physical and mental place where I can actually think about doing anything! I missed you all TONS and can't wait to check up on you and see what you've been doing, wearing, eating, etc., etc.

xoxoxo

Testing...1...2...3...

2010-03-15T14:36:00.000-04:00

Is anybody alive out there?!?!

(via booklover)

Ruffles + Vest

2010-01-28T13:15:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness, you guys...I'm simply dieing over this new vest from J.Crew. Layers and layers of blue chambray ruffles??? Yes, please!!! Obviously, I won't be able to wear it this spring and summer, but I'm definitely picking it up as a little something to look forward to post-babies.

LBD Love

2010-01-26T13:55:00.004-05:00

I am not a Walmart shopper. No offense to anyone who is. I just find going there to be an incredibly depressing experience, and I want to feel good when I shop--not sad and icky. However, I've been wanting to take a look at the Norma Kamali for Walmart line for quite some time and haven't worked up the gumption to go to our local store to see if they even carry it (which I doubt). Then it dawned on me: DUH! Just go to Walmart.com!

And I'm glad I did, because how cute is this black sweatshirt dress?! And--it's only $15!!! I'm in LBD love for sure!!!

Tips for Staying Well this Winter, Part III

2010-01-26T10:22:00.003-05:00

I'll admit that I'm a little bit obsessive-compulsive when it comes to keeping my hands clean. My mom was a dental assistant and every year she'd go to their mandatory OSHA training and come home with terrifying details of all the places disgusting germs can hide. Apparently I really committed that information to heart because I am now one of those crazy people who washes her hands constantly, opens doors with my sleeve or elbow, and always, always, always carries hand sanitizer.

But a few years ago I started reading about how hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial soap could actually be doing more harm than good by killing the good bacteria that lives on our skin along with the bad. I cut out using anti-bacterial hand soap in favor of Kiss My Face's Organic Grapefruit and Bergamot Liquid Soap and started looking for a natural on-the-go hand sanitation alternative. The natural hand sanitizer I like the best is made by CleanWell. It's a spray--not a gel, has a light citrusy scent, and doesn't dry my hands out at all. But the best part? I can now be as OCD as I want!

There are babies in there!

2010-01-25T15:05:00.002-05:00

Thanks so, so much for your sweet comments on Friday about my super exciting news! Part of what has made this pregnancy so amazing for us thus far has been the amazing outpouring of support we've received from our family and friends. Having to go through fertility treatments can be such a scary, embarrassing, alienating experience for so many couples--and that wasn't the case for us at all, partially because we made a conscious decision that we didn't want it to be that way, but even more so because of all the love and prayers we received from so many people. In some ways, that alone has made me feel blessed to go through this experience.

Anyhoo, when we found out about the twins a few weeks ago, we decided to start taking a picture of my belly each week to document my "progress." This is the first picture we took. Can you tell how giddy I am?!

Three months of fertility drugs, plus two rapidly growing babies means the pair of jeans I have on in this picture, plus one other pair, are the only pants that fit me. Honestly--I've completely exhausted my supply of fat pants! That said, look forward to several upcoming posts about how to build a versatile maternity wardrobe! LOL

Tips for Staying Well this Winter, Part II

2010-01-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

I cannot say enough good things about Alkalol. I love this stuff!

I have the world's most temperamental sinuses, but the combination of Alkalol, a nettie pot, and regular chiropractic adjustments has almost completely pulled me out of a cycle of one sinus infection after another. If you are feeling a little sniffle-ish or dried out from the raging heat in your office (like I am), try this herbal-infused wonder! It breaks up mucus, kills bacteria and moisturizes your sinus and nasal passages gently and naturally. You can either order it directly from the family-owned company that produces it or find it at your local pharmacy.

Blue Monday: Jacket/Scarf

2010-01-25T13:26:00.003-05:00

What would you call that awesome deconstructed jacket she's wearing as a scarf? A jarf? A scacket?

I think I'll just call is pure genius and start scouring my local thrift stores for some ratty faux-Chanel to make a copy-cat version!

(via iknowyouloveb)

Foxy Friday Twin Post

2010-01-22T13:14:00.008-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I came across this really beautiful image of twin foxes and, of course, immediately saved it for an upcoming Foxy Friday, never imagining that I would be using it in a post where I would tell you guys that the hubby and I are having twins!!!

We found out we were pregnant back in December, but just learned about the twins two weeks ago. We are feeling so thrilled and blessed and overwhelmed (well...I'm overwhelmed, anyway). It's been a really long, hard road to get here (more on that at a future date), and that just makes it all the more exciting.

I'm sicker than a dog and beyond exhausted, so I hope you'll forgive me for my VERY sporadic posting and lack of e-mail-checking the last few weeks. Most days it's all I can do to get myself to work and then I come home, try to eat dinner and am asleep most nights by about 7 o'clock. It seems the first trimester is all about survival at it's most basic!

Next week I promise I will pick back up my tips for staying healthy and will tell you more about this baby business, but now I'm too nauseous from my lunch to type any more! LOL

Have a great weekend, ladies ! Many Xs and Os!

(via beehive)

Team Conan

2010-01-19T09:41:00.002-05:00

Ahem...(stepping up on soapbox)

Just to go on record, the Brahler household is staunchly a member of Team Conan. I hate Hollywood anyway, and the longer this silliness goes on, the more incensed I get. I don't understand how someone as smart, funny, and downright nice as Conan can get shafted so badly. Is there no justice in that God-forsaken town?

(stepping off of soapbox)

(via fanpop!)

Dino Jr.

2010-01-19T08:38:00.003-05:00

DINOSAUR JR. IS COMING TO MY TOWN TONIGHT!!! I'm really excited--can you tell?!?! I've never seen them, so this is huge for me (for some reason I feel the need to see all my favorite bands live, at least once). The hubby saw them at one of the early (i.e., REAL) Lollapaloozas, and I now sleep in the Dino Jr. t-shirt he got there (What can I say? He prefers rock tees to lingerie! HA!).

This band has so many positive associations for me, not the least of which being all the times they were featured in Sassy. Anyone else remember the awesome pix of them at the Museum of Natural History next to...you guessed it: the dinosaurs?! Oh Sassy--you were so cheeky! The magazine world hasn't been the same without you!

Hmmmm...I think my weekend plans now include putting on my purple Doc Martens and pulling out all the issues Sassy I saved from high school.

Blue Monday: Blue Hat

2010-01-18T16:09:00.003-05:00

I just love her royal blue hat and teal scarf. I always feel the need to have my hat and scarf "match," but this complimentary combo is way cooler. She looks so cute and cozy!

(via STYLECLICKER)

Tips for Staying Well this Winter, Part I

2010-01-18T14:20:00.004-05:00

Something that I'm very passionate about but haven't really focused on here on the blog is natural health care. For as long as I can remember I've hated taking any kind of medicine, but spent many years being forced to take one round of antibiotics after another due to chronic sinus and allergy problems. I finally got fed up with that vicious cycle about six or seven years ago and started to pursue alternative remedies. What a difference I've seen (despite the fact that I was sicky-poo last week)!

All this being said, you can imagine that I am also not the biggest fan of vaccines, so all the current bombardment of media attention--and even commercials for cleaning products--pushing the H1N1 vaccine has me a little bit peeved. Obviously, to vaccinate or not to vaccinate is a very personal choice (particularly when it comes to children), and I in no way profess to have any medical knowledge. Regardless, since we are all looking for ways to stay healthy this winter, I thought each day this week I'd share a few of my sure-fire stay-well-naturally tips, since you all are just too lovely to go pumping yourselves full of scary, scary things!

Tip #1: Traditional Medicinals Organic Echinacea Plus Tea

Much has been written in the last decade about the health-promoting effects of echinacea. Whether you buy into the hype or not, I know that as soon as I start to feel a bit run down or sniffly, I reach for this delightful herbal tea and after a few cups I always start to feel better. I love how the light, minty/citrusy flavor immediately clears my head and soothes a scratchy throat. The fact that the echinacea is helping to boost my immune system is just an added bonus!

Tomorrow's tip: Have you heard of alkolol?

Pale Pink + Neutral

2010-01-15T10:26:00.008-05:00

I'm totally loving how fresh baby pink looks when juxtaposed against serious neutral pieces. Don't you think that even a frothy, ruffled petticoat suddenly seems wearable when paired with thick tights and a pea coat?

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been functioning at the most rudimentary level. I'll try to regroup this weekend and be back on Monday with some good stuff for you. Many thanks to the hubby for his guest post yesterday! XO, ladies!!!

(via Booklover, Audrey Hepburn Complex, and LOOKBOOK)

Guest Post from the Hubby: Alternatives to the Big Game

2010-01-14T11:28:00.002-05:00

The wife is a little under the weather this week, so this is the first time I get to directly talk to the fabulous readers of Shell.

Super Bowl weekend is approaching fast. And I do enjoy the game, but mostly because it is a good excuse to eat something naughty. If it weren’t for the bad food, I probably wouldn't care about the event. I am not a football fan; my sports-love is baseball.

I’m going out on the limb and assuming the majority of you readers are not counting down the days until Super Bowl whatever-number-it-is. (What the heck is up with the Roman numerals anyway?) So while the rest of the country is watching the big game, this is your shot at bucking the system.

Here are three suggestions for Super Bowl alternatives:

1. Organize your makeup kit. Once a year, take out your cosmetic bags, sit in front of the TV, and organize your makeup during the game. In fact, my family actually calls Super Bowl Sunday "Tackle Box Sunday," because for years our tradition has been that my dad and I organize our tackle boxes and my mom and sister do the same with their makeup. Of course, it's essential that you take a break when the commercials come on so you don’t miss out on the water cooler talk on Monday. Make it an annual tradition…it’s a new year, time to get rid of the old and make some room for the new (except you, Rebekah. You have enough makeup. You don’t need to wear it anyway).

2. Buy stuff on eBay. At least 90 million people will be watching the game. Less bidders means better deals.

3. Go out to dinner. Every area has a few restaurants that usually require reservations many days in advance. This is the one time where you can get in (provided they do not have a TV).

What ever you do, have fun...and drink a beer and eat some nachos for me, okay?

Blue Monday: Kitchen Blues

2010-01-11T11:24:00.003-05:00

1. I wish I ever looked half this cute in the kitchen. Somehow my nasty, stained apron doesn't look nearly as chic as this cobalt suit (HA!).

2. I'm in a total cooking funk right now. Nothing sounds good, and moreover, I'm bored with all my recipes anyway. Does this ever happen to you? What inspires you in the kitchen?

(via Like Neely O'Hara)

Foxy Friday

2010-01-08T19:24:00.001-05:00

This post has been in my drafts file for a while with just a URL for the website of this really cool recycled/reinvented clothing line called Stone_Cold_Fox. I had stumbled upon this line via someone's blog month's ago because her sister is one of the designers, but silly me, I didn't bother to make note of how I found it...all of which is slightly irrelevant because what I really want to write about is how beautiful the SCF clothes are (but you all are used to me being slightly long-winded by now, right?!).

Since the early days of Imitation of Christ, I have been such a fan of the concept of giving vintage clothes a new, completely different life, and the girls at SCF are doing it with with gorgeous details, a modern perspective and a design aesthetic that mixes pretty and edgy in a way I always find enviable. I love how the cardigan in the first picture reminds me of a vintage chenille bed jacket that's been reincarnated as a sexier, deconstructed version of itself. Check out their site and let me know what you think.

Have wonderful weekend, ladies!!! The windchill is supposed to be under zero here tomorrow, so I guess I'll hunker down and finally pack away my Christmas decorations...I'm feeling like a total loser because they are still up. xo

You can wear your fur like a river on fire...

2010-01-07T10:12:00.009-05:00

I would never personally wear fur (even though I wear leather--an issue very nicely debated a few months ago over at Leproust Vintage), but it's hard not to be tempted by fur when it's worn the way these ladies are styling it up:

(via Lulu Letty, LOOKBOOK, and StyleClicker)

Have you tried...?

2010-01-06T14:30:00.001-05:00

I'm not usually into those supped up juices, protein bars, etc., even though a lot of people think it's the only way for vegetarians to get all the daily protein they need. I think as a culture we are way too obsessed with protein, and I have happily--and healthfully--lived and cooked using very few of these faux proteins for the last 17 years.

That said, a friend recommended the new chocolate flavor of the Odwalla Super Protein drinks to me the other day, and I decided to give one a try. It rocked!!! Seriously, it's like a chocolate milkshake that's healthy! What's not to like about that?!

Midweek MidCentury: Mod Dots

2010-01-06T13:53:00.003-05:00

The hubby and I are working our way through episodes of the awesome early-'70s show McMillan and Wife (more on that soon), so I'm digging all things from that era even more than usual; hence this post.

I would guess this room is probably from the late '60s--and how awesome is it?! And more importantly--how come no one decorates like this any more? It's so fun and matchy-matchy and wacky!!! I mean, Jonathan Adler espouses wacky, but not like this!

Those chairs look totally uncomfortable, but that's really beside the point because who doesn't want to sit in a polka-dotted chair and play Chinese checkers?!?!

(via Sweet Home Style)

Sneak Peak of Stella & Dot Spring/Summer 2010

2010-01-06T09:22:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Stella & Dot released this little teaser video of the Spring/Summer 2010 line. Of course, being the Lilly Pulitzer lover that I am, the Palm Beach collection is my favorite. Which one do you like?

I'd like to try doing some virtual trunk shows this spring, so if you're interested in hosting one, please let me know!

And p.s. S&D is also having a big 50% off sale--check it out!

Faves of 2009

2010-01-05T13:42:00.026-05:00

So I've been listening to the Top 25 Albums of 2009 on Pitchfork.com, and it inspired me to share a rundown of some of my own top picks from last year, spanning from music to movies to shoes I bought. Here we go...

Song: Spaceman, The Killers - Great lyrics, wacko video featuring a super cute lead singer, catchy melody. Works for me!
Honorable mention: anything by Gaga; Empire State of Mind, by Jay Z featuring Alicia Keys

Movie: Watchmen
Honorable mention: Star Trek - Now you all know what a sci-fi nerd I am!!!

Shoes: Dolce Vita wedges - I've already expressed my love for these shoes here and here. There's nothing more to say really. My best purchase of the year.

Honorable mention: Corso Como Key sandal

Album: New Moon Soundtrack - I know this seems like a dorky choice, but seriously, the line-up of bands on this album is insane. And I love how dreamy and melancholy the mix is--it totally fit my mood this fall.
Honorable mention: It's Not You, It's Me, Lily Allen; The Blueprint 3, Jay Z; The Resistance, Muse

Accessory: the hair bow
Honorable mention: the hair bow - That's how much I love it!

TV show: How I Met Your Mother - Although this show has been out for several years, we didn't discover it until last January, when we spent the entire first eight days of the new year slamming the first four seasons on DVD. Barney Stinson rocks.
Honorable mention: Golden Girls - Another non-2009 debut, but as I mentioned in a few posts last fall, we spent a lot of time since September escaping to Miami Beach circa 1987, so I couldn't leave it out!; V

Food: scallops - I decided in the spring to try eating seafood again after about seven years, and for some reason I decided to start with scallops even though I had never eaten them before. Seth grilled them for my birthday, and it was love at first bite! But the maple bourbon seared scallops we made in the fall really look my love to a whole new level.
Honorable mention: celeriac - Terrifying to look at, but totally worth getting past the fear.

Book: Time Traveler's Wife - I don't typically read "new releases," hence why I just got around to reading this book last summer. Definitely in my top 5 faves EVER.
Honorable mention: The Historian - The Dracula saga revisited and beautifully written--what's not to love?

What were your favorite things of 2009?

LBD Love

2010-01-05T10:17:00.003-05:00

It's still snowing and still freezing cold, so you can bet that I wish I were wearing this breezy little eyelet LBD today instead of the layers of sweater tights, wool dress, velvet blazer, etc., etc., I'm wearing instead...sigh....

That said, JetBlue is have its big winter sale right now--$109 flights to Bermuda!!!--so maybe I'll be baring some skin sooner than I think! Check it out!

(via Like Neely O'Hara)

Thinking Spring

2010-01-04T14:50:00.011-05:00

So it's 3 degrees and snowing here today, but even though I'm totally bundled up at my desk, drinking oodles of tea and running a space heater, my mind is thinking about what I'd like to be wearing once warmer weather hits...

...like lots of crisp, dark denim...

...stripes...

...and more stripes...

...ruffles...

...and pencil skirts.

Sadly...here I am in uninspired cords, a giant wool turtleneck, and a gray blazer. How many days until spring?!?!

(via W by Worth and Anthropologie)

Blue Monday: Navy Walls

2010-01-04T10:04:00.005-05:00

I've been drooling over these two images in my inspiration file for quite some time. I love how crisp and dramatic the navy walls are. The only blue we have in our house is in the hubby's home office, which we painted four shades of the same blue-gray. He's a big Mets fan and loves the Fantastic Four, so there are a few pops of orange (a couple of vintage Mets signs, a Thing figurine) in there--but nothing as chic as this orange phone.

And this room...well, I'd like to just move right in. It's probably the antithesis of my decorating style, but can't help but love the floating shelves, the starfish, the whaling print, the Shaker chairs, the baskets!!!

(via Sweet Home Style)

What're you doing New Years?

2009-12-31T10:19:00.006-05:00

We're such homebodies that even on a big night like New Year's Eve we prefer staying in to going out. For many, many years we spent NYE at my in-laws, a night that would always include a huge lobster dinner and the equivalent of a bottle of champagne per person. It would also include a rousing, slightly-tipsy game of TV Bingo played during Dick Clark's Rockin' NYE.

TV Bingo is an awesome game from the '70s that challenges you to match up the pictures on your playing card with images you see on TV. It's so, so fun (particularly when played after imbibing much champers!)...but when my graphic designer bro-in-law came into the family, it got a tad less fun because his sharp, trained eye picks up things at lightening speed, so he always wins before the rest of us even gets a chip down on our card. Darn him!

Last year we started a new tradition with our closest friends--dinner and a slumber party at their house. We went out to dinner last year, but since they now have a three-month-old, we're cooking in tonight. My bff and I have been excitedly planning our menu all week, and it includes:

a lovely cheese board and baguette
butternut squash soup for the first course
king crab legs with lots of butter, jasmine rice, and fennel slaw for the entree
creme brulee for dessert

YUM! I can't wait! I haven't had crab in years and years, so we'll see if I enjoy it or get grossed out.

The hightlight of last year's NYE was a rousing, slightly-tipsy game of Clue (are you picking up on a pattern here?). I have to tell you, Clue was a favorite among my cousins and me growing up, and they are a very cut-throat group of gamers, so I learned to be very, very good at Clue. The hubby and our friends all accused me of cheating last year, but the truth is that I'm just a very perceptive player (wink, wink).

Anyhoo, despite the nasty weather here, I'm so looking forward to a good meal tonight with some of my favorite people and then kicking their butts at some board games. I wish you all a very fun, very safe, very bubbly New Year's! See you Monday! xo

(via jeongyun)

2009 Year in Review

2009-12-30T09:31:00.009-05:00

jersey shore, august

I'm skipping ahead a little by starting with this picture, but I decided I had to start here because when I came to the pictures of our annual long weekend at the Jersey Shore I thought, dear readers, you might enjoy seeing a young man of Italian descent at the Shore who is neither 'roided up nor overly hair-gelled. However, please note that we go to Spring Lake--NOT Seaside Heights, so maybe that has something to do with it! BAH!

Anyhoo...back to chronological order...

hallway redo, january

We started 2009 off by painting and wallpapering our hallway, something I had wanted to do since we moved in five years ago. I was totally thrilled with how the grass cloth accent wall turned out...it looked just like I imagined. Don't you love when that happens?

chili champ, january

Also in January we held our first annual Chili Cookoff with some friends, and I was totally shocked when my vegetarian chili won! It even beat out a Texas-style chili made by a real Texan!!!

brahler brew, february

In other culinary endeavors, Seth brewed his own beer for the first time--a bock that turned out sooooo deliciously!

mom and i make a jordan sandwich with a side of joe mac, march

In March I got to see my true loves, NKOTB, twice--the second time taking my sweet, beautiful mom to meet them for her 60th birthday. (I'm not embarrassed to say that after they reunited in 2008, I saw them seven times and met them four times. It was so, so fun to feel 13 again.)

front row at nkotb concert in syracuse, march

This night in particular was probably one of the best nights of my life--hands down--because...well...let's just say Joe McIntyre and I did a little bit of flirting! If the 31-year-old me could have gone back and told the 13-year-old me that that night was going to happen, she never would have believed it! I still can't and I lived it! (Okay...now you all know what a huge dork I am!)

veggie dogs at dogtown, march

We discovered Dogtown...the best hot dogs outside of New Jersey--and they serve veggie dogs, so I can indulge, too!!!

tailgating at the spectrum, april

We got to see Bruce (and tailgate) three times...

...and at the Philly show he did a cover of London Calling. E Street Band + The Clash = mind-blowing (to say the least).

garden expansion, may

Seth more-than-doubled the size of our garden and put up this lovely fence to keep out the deer, bunnies, turkeys, etc., etc., who share our backyard.

guest room redo, may/june

In May/June we had more fun with wallpaper, spending a couple of weeks taking down the paper in our guest room and completely redecorating it before my bff from college came to visit. The room is really lovely now (probably my favorite room in the house) and gave us a place to display all the vintage Bermuda stuff we'd been collecting since our honeymoon...

floating on the bay in bermuda, june

...as well as the new things we purchased on our vacation there in June to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary.

me and my bff at her baby shower, june

Also in June I threw a baby shower for my bff, who was expecting her first. Isn't she soooo lovely and isn't her backyard amazing? But let me share a little baby shower fashion tip: If you're not pregnant, don't wear a maxi dress. Everyone thought I was pregnant, too! Whoops!

watkins glen, september 2009

Well, that's it for the review. I had a hard time coming up with highlights from the second half of '09 because 1. that's when I started blogging so you guys pretty much know anything exciting that's happened since then and 2. around that time our year got kind of craptastic.

As I went through these pictures, though, it was nice to be reminded that we had a lot of good times in 2009 to balance out the hard times and challenges. I'm looking forward to 2010 with excitement and promise--promise of much growth and fulfillment. Can't wait to share it all with you! xo

On the Lookout: Vintage Choker

2009-12-29T15:02:00.011-05:00

For about the last year I've been keeping my eye out for a really bold, graphic late-'70s, early-'80s choker. I'd like something I can wear almost every day to break out of my current obsession with the big earrings, giant cocktail ring combo that I've been rocking for at least the last three years.

I think this type of necklace would be a fun contrast to a soft blouse, plain sweater, or even jeans and a tee.

But the challenge is finding just the right one that is unique enough to make a statement, but versatile enough to go with everything.

I find that I'm repeatedly drawn to this same bib-style necklace, whether in plain gold or enamel. What I really wish is that I could find the exact above necklace in two-tone brushed gold and silver. I think I would never take it off.

(via Selection Vintage, Kokorokoko, Red Dolly Vintage, Anna Carina Vintage )

Green with Envy, Part II

2009-12-29T14:55:00.004-05:00

Remember last week how I was crushing on some beautiful green clothes? Well, today I stumbled upon this adorable J. Crew tee. Green really, really isn't my color, but it's so tempting, you know? (Particularly when it's on sale with an extra 20% off!!!)

LBD Love

2009-12-29T08:48:00.001-05:00

I'm such a sucker for ruffles and bows. Don't you think this would be the perfect LBD for sipping champagne and ringing in the new year with friends?

(via LOOKBOOK)

Blue Monday: Navy Stripes

2009-12-28T13:58:00.000-05:00

As I think about refining my wardrobe and honing in on a go-to look, I find more and more stripes in my inspiration folder. I love how crisp a striped top looks, particularly done in navy instead of black. I think late-'60s, early-'70s-inspired preppy, softened with the occasional sweet detail like a pom-pommed hat or a bow, might be just the uniform for me.

(via we heart it and bloo 90 fashion)