warm as toast

places to go

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

chocolate dipped potato chips? YES!

love these fashion week collages.

great sweater.

baked potato bar!

2012-02-14T22:50:00.000-08:00

g and i have never really been big valentine's day people. our 1st valentine's day g made me a delicious dinner. he's made me tons of delicious dinners since that night, but never again on valentine's day. i do like to remind him of this.

but when you have a kid it all changes.

i kind of got into it this year. this meant i made each child a card and spent valentine's day eve with the masses at target, buying bags, temporary tattoos, candies and other crap.

i loved every minute of it.

not exactly what i had in mind. i wanted glassine bags, twine, and natural candy*, but this is what i could get my hands on at 8:30 at night on valentine's eve.

-------------
and this is what he was wearing when g picked him up from school

* i'm sure the parents were cursing my name when they saw the chemical-laden candies i gave to their children.

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

we like to paint

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

on saturday night my folks too ollie for the night so we could go to dinner. it was so wonderful. we went to cesar. we ate paella.

then we came home and watched midnight in paris. i loved it.

happy monday!

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

i don't know why i've been so bad about posting lately. i guess i'm feeling pretty uninspired.

i'm feeling motivated this week. i hope to be here more often.

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

not too much excitement around these parts, except potty training and pink eye.
don't be jealous.

Two things

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

It’s 11:30 PM and I’ve been up since 4:45 this morning. My goal was to leave the house today by 6, which automatically meant I would have a restless night’s sleep. Whenever I have to get up early, I wake up several times because I’m afraid I won’t sleep through my alarm. I've slept through my alarm maybe once in my life.

Last night, I stayed up too late, reading Dear Sugar. Ollie came into our room at 3:45, with toys in his thick little fingers. He cuddled for a second and then said he needed to go get some toy. I told him it was time to sleep and luckily, he listened. Then, a bit later, G woke me up and said I was snoring. I gave up and got up.

Anyway, back to Dear Sugar. It’s so good.

Also, I plan on doing this for the month of February (#febphotoaday). FUN! I love the instagram.

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

loving hello, this is food.

via where the lovely things are.

a few things to make

2012-01-24T00:33:00.000-08:00

+ beautiful gold clay bowls from wit + delight.

+ confetti shooters from you are my fave

+ roasted cabbage with bacon from e is for eats.

i love berkeley

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

many years ago there was a house in south berkeley that had a ton of tvs on the lawn. does it still exist? if so, does anyone know where?

happy

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

ipoo

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001-08:00

from here.

back!

2012-01-16T21:08:00.001-08:00

i thought things were supposed to slow down after the holidays, but they sure haven't. i've been neglecting this space, but the good news is, i've been keeping up on the exercise. yay!

we went to napa to go wine tasting this past saturday. my in-laws were here for the weekend and my mom came up. we brought ollie and he was so good. thank you, ipad.

places to go

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

linda's yearly recap. love this! i might do this soon.

have you heard of stylemint? via whoorl.

january desktop calendar, from geninne.

tree hotels. let's go! via neatorama.

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

someone needs a haircut. he's looking a little like donald trump here, don't you think?

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

yesterday, as he sat in the bathtub, i cut little donald trump's hair. now he has short bangs and it's long in back. so yeah, it's a mullet. when i saw what i'd done, i laughed maniacally. and when i laughed, he laughed, too.

when i lifted him out of the tub and wrapped him in a towel he said, "i'm a princess."

the whole drive to school this morning i checked him out in the mirror trying to tell myself the cut looked okay. it didn't.

we stopped to get him a donut and me a coffee and i asked him if he wanted to wear a hood.

someone take the scissors away.

photos before the mullet.

365 projects

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

fun stuff to check out:

#1
okbb

cliftonburt:
Rules are meant to be…followed! Kate and I made up a rule-based project / game for Instagram in this new year. We’ve given ourselves a photographic assignment for each day of the work week. We call it #y12k which is meant to indicate the year 2012. Turns out that it literally translates to the Year Twelve Thousand which makes it even more awesome.
Here are the rules:
Monday #mondaycolor
Take a photo of something containing a color. Each week rotates through ROY G. BIV. The first week was Red, this week was Orange (we actually started #y12k the last week of December ‘11), next Monday will be Yellow, and so on.
Tuesday #typetuesday
Photograph some typography that catches your eye.
Wednesday #patternwednesday
Photograph, you know, a pattern.
Thursday #thursdaything
Take a picture of a singular object. It can be anything as long as it’s a self-contained thing and you find it interesting. Tell us about it (this applies to all of them by the way)
Friday #fridayfocus
This one’s about focusing on the media you’re into at the moment. It can be music, movies, tv shows, books. Just take a picture of it and share it with us all.

check it out here.

#2
365 days of hand lettering from lisa congdon.

she says:

I am so happy to announce my daily project for 2012: 365 Days of Hand Lettering!
Today is the first day.
The project will be housed here on this blog. Each day for 365 days for the year 2012 I will post an image of something I have hand-lettered: a letter of the alphabet, a word, a phrase, a quote, a name. Some of the lettering will be based on traditional forms of calligraphy or vintage lettering and some will be of my own design. I am taking a calligraphy class right now and will certainly incorporate much of what I learn and practice there. I will be mostly working with ink, nibs and brushes, but will occasionally use pens. Some of the designs will be quite simple and some more elaborate.

check it out here.

o's winter break

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

i am in love with this little boy. he is so joyful, so funny and such a love.

camera

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

ollie got a camera from mimi and papa, for hanukkah. it's a 1.3 megapixel vetch kidizoom. he filled the memory card with in the first 12 hours. gabe made a slideshow.

2012-01-03T00:00:00.001-08:00

new year, new goals

1. post regularly and actually write more on my blog.

2. open an etsy shop. i've said this the past two years, however, i started photographing stuff today! it's going to happen.

3. more playing and less tv for ollie. he's a happier kid when he watches less tv.

4. cook more. bring my lunch to work at least 2xs per week.

5. entertain more. dinner parties are fun.

6. exercise 5 days per week. lately i've not been able to get it together more than 3xs week. i'm in a better place when i exercise. it does wonders for the mind, in addition to the body.

7. post a picture a day on instagram.

8. go out on dates with my husband. i'm aiming for once every two weeks at a minimum. i miss him.

9. plan a beach vacation for next summer.

happy 2012

2012-01-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

well hello there, stranger. sorry for the long silence -- it wasn't planned but with all the activity, it just sort of happened. hope your holidays were great.

happy new year! may your 2012 be bright.

xoox

2011-12-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

about a year ago, i pulled out half of my top row of eyelashes on one eye, when i my hand slipped/i lost my footing as i was curling my eyelashes. i still remember the noise and it makes me cringe. it was disgusting and awful and i've yet to curl my eyelashes since.

my mother-in-law gave me a sample of lancome's cils booster xl and i am in love. it's a base for mascara and i adore what it does.

2011-12-19T21:45:00.000-08:00

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

links

2011-12-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

hey girl. i heart npr. your love is like the john d and catherine t macarther foundation...
via g

lists of note.
via { wit + delight }

magazine bow diy.
via courtney lewis.

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

beautiful clutches

from here

sickie boy

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

o was sick today so i worked from home while he watched a few too many movies. (guilty mama.) most of the day he was lethargic and feverish. late this afternoon he got a burst of energy.

smile, it's monday!

2011-12-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

i'm so in love with good heavens' ties. i want to buy one (or four!) for g. i'm thinking of the hot air balloons. i want some for myself, too.

motherhood in nyc

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

one of my favorite reads is motherhood in nyc. even those who aren't mothers or in nyc or both, will like her. i promise.

here are two favorite recent posts.

lines

devacationization (this one made me laugh hysterically. i think i read it 3 times and every time i laughed harder.)

2011-12-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

my mom is one of my most favorite people.

today, december 7th, is her birthday. happy birthday, mom. i love you. wish i could've spent the day with you today. can't wait to see you sunday.

here's a picture of mom with o, a couple years ago, in our old flat in the city.

i love ilsa loves rick

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

isn't this bracelet a beauty?

by ilsa loves rick, from here.

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

my folks are intelligent. they were and are, great parents. they're excellent human beings. (you know there's a but coming.) but, when it comes to technology, they're a little...unsure.

my dad calls it "doing email." they both tell me the computer deletes their emails. nothing is paid for online with a credit card.

gabe is our resident i.t. guy. patient and cheerful, and calm, he always helps them out.

and, in all fairness, i do need to admit, i'm not the most savy when it comes to technology. i don't care about high definition tv. i keep forgetting how to put more songs on my iphone. i often need to ask the i.t. guy for help with the remote.

when i read this post, by jason good, i was lying next to a sleeping ollie and i'm surprised i didn't wake him shaking with laughter. read the comments, too--they're really funny.

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

since moving to oakland, i miss alembic. wish i'd spent more time there when i lived so close. they have really lovely cocktails. since friday was g's birthday, g and i took the day off and headed into san francisco. we stopped in at alembic, after some book shopping at the booksmith (me) and record shopping at amoeba (g). there's something incredibly satisfying about having a mid afternoon cocktail on a weekday, no?

friday night my mom watched o, so i could attend a great show at the hotel utah.

the rest of the weekend was mostly about chores and errands. gabe powered through mountains of laundry, while i cleaned the house. pretty boring. but there were naps. we love naps!

and of course, cars were everywhere. at all times.

and ollie picked up some new kicks today. he ended up getting the green brobees. so cute. (pardon the blurry shot.)

have a great week. ours looks busy!

mixel

2011-12-04T00:10:00.000-08:00

have you heard of mixel? be sure to scroll down a bit and watch the video. it's super addicting and loads of fun. check out sir + mixel + alot, too. great stuff.

happy birthday

2011-12-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

happy birthday to g!

a wonderful husband, best friend and papa. we love you.

ollie wants to throw you a birthday party at habitot children's museum today.

the artist who gave computing a human face

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

i remember the computer lab at my grammar school, st. lucy's, in campbell. it was full of macintosh computers. we learned how to type. a-s-d-f, will forever remind me of my friend michelle's mom, who was our computer teacher. this takes me back to that computer lab.

the sketchbook of susan kare, the artist who gave computing a human face

via subtraction.

over dinner

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

one of ollie's best buddies at school is named f. f has a little brother, k, who is one. this was our conversation tonight at the dinner table

ollie: f has a k.
me: yes, f has a little brother, k.
ollie: we don't have a k?
me: no, we don't have a baby.
ollie: can we go to the store and get one tomorrow?

hotel room bliss

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

pretty much his idea of a perfect morning: cars 2, which he calls "boat-water," because, well, it starts off with a boat in the water and a donut.

pie

2011-11-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

every year gabriel and my mother-in-law, make delicious pies. this year was no different. there was a pumpkin, an apple and a sweet potato bourbon pie.

ollie's mater (from cars) drove through the pumpkin pie. it was not an accident. i can't say i blame him.

2011-11-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

wednesday night i got to bond with my little niece, j a bit. we went to sushi with her mom and dad. we totally bored her, so she went to sleep.

but when we got home, she hammed it up for the camera. she talked and oooohhed and ahhhed and gurgled a lot.
here she is with da.

and here are three generations. da, her dad (and my little bro) and little baby j.

yep, i'm in love.

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

yesterday was my granny's birthday. she would've been 91.

my aunt sent this photo out with the following note:

remembering mom on her birthday and giving thanks for our rosemary-mom-granny. november 22, 1920-february 21, 1995

dad's (my grandfather's) inscription on the back of this photo: what a bride-nassau '65

in this photo my grandmother was 45 years old and she'd given birth to 8 children. eight. i can't wrap my head around this. she was an amazing woman and i have so many lovely memories of her. she had a fantastic jewelry box and she'd let me play with all of her costume jewelry. she had a drawer of drugstore lipsticks in her bathroom. i remember them all as being coral, though i know they weren't. she'd save all of her many, many catalogs and everytime i'd go over to her house, she'd give them to me...

so many really happy memories of this woman. there's much more to tell about her, but i'll save that for another time. such a beauty, inside and out.

happy birthday, granny.

the golden gate

2011-11-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

i will never tire of driving across this bridge.

2011-11-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

check out numerous drawings.

their mission is
Daily drawings using the same paper, same pencil, no erasers, no photoshop, and some colored marker here and there...

love it.

courtney johnson

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

i really want to check out courtney johnson's see you next tuesday exhibit at parklife in sf. love her work.

photo from here where you can also check out her other great work.
also, find more inforamtion on the park life site, here

happy friday!

2011-11-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

i'm meeting a friend at their bakery saturday morning and ollie's been invited to make cookies with his buddy saturday night. other than that i plan on catching up on sleep this weekend. hope it's a good one!

handmade boots

2011-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

from here.

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

random acts of cookies. excellent!

via here.

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

2011-11-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

just stumbled across these and they seem like a good thing to share for a monday morning. they put a smile on my face.

available here.

the great food series

2011-11-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

the great food series by penguin is so lovely. the design, the lettering, the colors -- it's all so gorgeous.

via simone leblanc.
photos from here

2011-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

lellow yellow
bumbrella umbrella
poncuter computer
wed red

today he was thrilled to be able to use the bumbrella he got for his birthday. (and i'm thrilled that there were no injuries or damage as a result of the bumbrella!)

it's really hard to correct someone when they say bumbrella. so sometimes i don't. i really want to call it a bumbrella myself, but i don't.

2011-11-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

+i have to share this blog, where the lovely things are. there's so much good stuff here.

+ martín azúa's beautiful gold house, which inflates from body heat or the heat of the sun. it also fits in your pocket. wish we could bring this on our next picnic.

from frolic,via lolita. photo from here.

+this paint chip diy from a beautiful mess is making me want to hit home depot this weekend.

photo from a beautiful mess.

happy weekend!

just pictures

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

not a lot to say this week...just pictures.

2011-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

i uploaded pictures dating as far back as january yesterday. here's a favorite.

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

happy monday

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

this mug makes me happy. it's kind of impossible not to smile when i drink out of it.

i bought it for g. years ago. YEARS ago. one of the legs is broken. wish i knew who made it so i could buy more of them.

fall back

2011-11-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

some friends sent o. a turtle that projects stars onto the ceiling and walls. i don't know who likes it better, o. or me.

both mornings this weekend my little buddy woke me up before 6 AM. it was still dark so we had fun with this.

etsy: shirts

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

from here.

from here.

DIY

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

a diy from a merry mishap.

photo from here, too.

2011-11-02T20:56:00.001-07:00

i just realized we have so few photos of us as family. here's one from halloween. i was holding ollie back because he was ready to go, go, go!

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

i dig ♥ & hummus. pair it with some celery and carrots and it's probably my favoite snack.

photo and more info here.

happy halloween

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

ollie carved his first pumpkin today. the pumpkin innards almost made him gag.

my mom gave him this police officer costume for his birthday. it was kind of a hit.

nothing makes me happier than the sound (and sight) of this little boy's laugh.

have a fun, safe halloween!

2011-10-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

years ago, way before ollie, way before marriage, we went to target and stocked up on emergency kits. we put them in jumbo suitcases in our garage. they moved with us from one house in the city to another. when we moved to our current house, last october, g picked through them and put all of the stuff that was salvagable into paper bags and shoved them into a closet downstairs. we have nothing set aside for ollie. we have no water, no food, no matches...no wine.

in the past week there've been three earthquakes, all between 3.6 and 4.0, and within miles of our house. earthquakes never used to scare me and now they terrify me. mostly because i worry about ollie. yesterday's earthquake at 5:30 AM jolted the three of us awake. ollie cried and we told him not to worry. my heart though, was pounding. he had to have noticed.

this weekend, in between dinner with friends and halloween parties, i plan on getting those emergency kits in place.

more on the quakes here.
happy weekend.

links

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

i'm a long time fan of girl's gone child. she had her daughter, fable, right before i had ollie, and i loved reading her blog while i was pregnant. (and before i was pregnant. and after.) anyway, girl's gone child's mom's cooking posts are fantastic. check out this one, about cast iron skillets.

i come from a family of red wine vinaigrette lovers. my nono would make it. my aunt sandi makes a killer avocado-tomato salad that's insanely delicious (and dressed with rwv), and i grew up in a house that either had this or blue cheese nightly on our green salad. i've been trying to duplicate gabrielle's red wine vinaigrette since i visited last month. (for the record, i wasn't adding basil and oregano.) i can't wait 'til dinner tomorrow. it's on!

i went for almost an entire year eating oatmeal every day for breakfast. then one day i couldn't look at oatmeal again. it's been years. this makes me want to revisit oatmeal.

holly, from nothing but bonfires is always a treat to read. she turned me onto birchbox and i signed up tonight.

i was bummed that ollie and i got home tonight at 6:30 and it was practically dark. i'm kind of getting excited about cold weather though, and getting to wear stuff like this cowl. cozy!

this isn't a link, but i'm sharing it anyway because the cuteness is killing me. about a month ago my little brother and his girlfriend had a baby. i want to eat her cheeks.

also, she has my bro's chin dimple and it makes my heart swell with love for her. wish we all lived closer.

header ideas 2

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

gabe's not digging the flowers so much. i'm not sure...

gift idea

2011-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

ollie got a bunch of amazing gifts for his recent birthday.

one present that i thought was really special was a painting from his little buddy, that came with a blank canvas and paints, so ollie could make his own.

ian's

ollie's

ollie's room

2011-10-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

the weekend started off great. we had a really good saturday. (sunday, not so good. i woke up with a stomach bug or food poisoning.)

almost every morning when he wakes up, ollie asks us, "school today?" on saturday he was thrilled to hear that there was no school.

the weather was gorgeous, with temps hovering around 80 both days. we spent saturday outside. we walked to the bakery, to the coffee shop and then to the playground.

these trees are behind the claremont hotel. ollie thinks the claremont is a big castle.

we like to go to john muir elementary school to play on their playground. we also like to sneak in the back and see the chickens. what a magical school. there's an amphitheather and a garden.

talking to the chickens.

playing at the park

hanging on the patio

links

2011-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

i'm loving la in bloom's cooking webisodes. check out cooking with bea, here.

i want to see the being elmo documentary via cup of jo

rainbow village via honestly, wtf

2011-10-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

totally no judgement from me if you like uggs. to each her own. (for the record, i love clogs, birks and sneakers.) but this made me laugh and i had to share. from here.

a case of the mondays

2011-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

i have a bracelet for shauna sitting on a shelf by the front door, waiting to be mailed.
(sorry shauna. i drove it around i my car for two weeks and then moved it back into the house.)

i made soup today and didn't eat it. instead i ate a heavily buttered piece of baguette for dinner. by piece i mean three quarters. the night isn't over yet either.

i don't think my kid ate a single vegetable today. and i know he needed a bath before bed, but i let him skip it, dirty nails and sweaty hair.

i have a shit-ton of work to do.

i haven't exercised in almost 4 weeks, i've been eating like shit and it shows.

i promised to send my brother and his girlfriend something they want to borrow for their new baby and it's going on 2 weeks and i still can't find it. to top it off, ollie left something at my brother's 2 weeks ago and my brother mailed it the next day. i feel extra shitty.

it's late and i have to wake up at the butt crack of dawn. g'night!!

2011-10-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

it's (more) boring (than usual) blog week around here.

i'm obsessed with clouds like an adolescent high school girl taking a photography class for the first time.

see? told you that was gonna be boring.

2011-10-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

after 3 years, it might be time for a new header. some samples:

2011-10-15T08:54:00.001-07:00

loving this necklace from rachel loves bob on etsy.

made from recycled book covers.

from here.

2011-10-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Ollie,

I can't believe you're three today.

6 weeks in his onesie from Auntie GG and Uncle C

Gone are your gooey thighs and rubberband wrists.

You're no longer content to sit still at the park.

The car ads in the newspaper don't give you a thrill anymore. Maybe when you're 16 and hoping for a car. (Don't get your hopes up, kid.)

You say you need things, like you need to watch “Thomas the Train.” You need leche. You need to stay up. We always correct you and say you don’t need that—you only want that.
Now you say, “I need-want to watch Thomas the Train,” or “I need-want to go play.”

You always tell Dad and me, “hold you,” which means you want one of us to hold you.

Your favorite movies are “Cars” and “Horton Hears a Who.” You like to watch “Dinosaur Train,” “Curious George” and much to our chagrin, “Thomas.” You always find a toy to go with what you're watching. If it's "Cars," you hold McQueen. If it's "Horton," you find an elephant.

Sometimes you tell me to be “Oviler” and you’ll be “Twacey.” Then you call me honey and ask if I want to go the park.

You hate taking a bath, except if it’s time for bed.

You love, love, love your best friend, Faelan. When you’re at school and I tell you that it’s time to go and to tell your friends goodbye, you say bye to Faelan only. We’re working on this.

Sometimes you ask if we can “have a cuddle” and my heart melts.

You truly love people, particularly kids.

You love your uncles and you show off for them.

All of your grandparents are mad about you -- and you know it.

When we’re driving you talk constantly and you’re a bad backseat driver. Once I didn’t have my seatbelt on and you hounded me until I put it on. (Not because of the seatbelt, but because of the light on the dashboard.) When we sit in traffic you often ask me if I can drive faster.

You sing the ABCs when you’re excited. On our way to a birthday party? You belt it out.
Waiting for a donut at Fellini’s? ABC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ollie-pepper, Mr Magoozer, MowMow, Ollie-max, we love you to pieces. Happy birthday, big guy.

Love, Mama

fall

2011-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

my office is in our old neighborhood in san francisco. once a week i work out of that office and i really look forward to visiting all my old haunts for lunch. it’s the highlight of my day.

we moved from sf to berkeley last october so this summer was our first official summer in berkeley. while i'm nostalgic for our life in sf and our neighborhood, i certainly didn't miss the fog this summer.

and now, fall is upon us. i hate when the time changes. hate.

while i much prefer the heat, there are some things about fall i love, like halloween, cozy weekends, and comfort food.

here are two ladies who inspired me to make soup last night.

Mushroom Soup with Gabrielle.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese with Frances.

some things i love from need supply co

2011-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

from here.

back!

2011-10-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

excuse the silence over here. i got back from my trip back east wednesday night and i've been going ever since.

the excitement in our house today? ollie started using the toilet. yep, the big boy potty. out of the blue i asked him if he wanted to try it. and then i bribed him -- and i'm not ashamed to admit it. i offered a trip to the store to buy one "cars" toy. and he got up and walked into the bathroom, took off every stitch of clothing but his socks, and sat down and did it. then he did it again tonight.

lots of celebrating and high fiving around our house today. we made a BIG DEAL over his accomplishment.

tomorrow we plan on tackling reading or making the perfect margarita, not sure which yet.

totally unrelated, here's a picture from a walk two weekends ago.

2011-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

have you ever smelled a tatine candle? they're beautiful. the past few months they've become my go-to for host/hostess gifts.

wouldn't it be cool if we could share scents over the internet?

2011-09-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

i'm posting this using one hand because ollie is sitting next to me, watching thomas. thomas pisses me off...i think we'll need to phase thomas out of the offerings.

speaking of hands, i love this little dimpled hand.

elsewhere

2011-09-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

things have been busy. good, but busy.

i have lots i want to share, but not today. instead, i give you links.

galaxy nails from a cup of jo. (i love a cup of jo. so much good stuff.) lalso, check the amazing jewelry, from brvtvs, in the photos.

the design*sponge book. i bought my copy last friday and have been savoring each page. lots of inspiration.

how amazing do the cookies on shauna's blog look? yes please!

consignment

2011-09-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

since we moved to the east bay almost a year ago, i've found some children's clothing consignment stores i really like for ollie. $5 for a pair of brand new vans can't be beat.

recently i also discovered a consignment store for me! sunday's purchases:

bracelets

2011-09-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

my sweet friend jane, who i met when we were 16 and became friends with instantly, has been a friend for almost 20 years. she is also one of my very favorite people in the world. she's my go-to for book recommendations and one of the few people i love to talk to on the phone -- we can yap for hours.

jane worked in a bead store when we were younger. she taught me a ton about different beads and techniques. we spent many a night seed beading and wire working. 16-17 years later, i still have all of the beads i bought way back when. and i've added to the collection often over the years.

i got inspired this weekend and made some bracelets.

i put one on gabe last night but he took it off. send me an email with "bracelet" in the subject, to tmcolla at yahoo dot com and i'll send you a bracelet of my choice, at no cost.

read jane's excellent blog here.

food

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

on friday night we had ollie's best bud and his wonderful family over for dinner. the kids had fun and us parents did, too.

we barbecued hots and hams, made a green salad, and i made pasta ponza. (people seem to love her or hate her, but i'm a fan of giada. i find her recipes to be super simple and always tasty. gabe didn't love the pasta, but i did. two helpings loved it.)

here's the recipe if you're interested.

Ingredients

Butter for greasing
2 cups (12 ounces) red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups (12 ounces) yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs
1 pound ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 ounces) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta. Add the cheese and toss well. Thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

recipe via food network.

after reading through the recipe, i realize i did 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, instead of half cup. next time i make it, i want to add garlic, onion and zucchini.

speaking of food, two of my favorite people started a food blog. their names are gabrielle and craig. these two folks used to live upstairs from us in the city. it was always a treat to eat dinner with them. they're both great cooks. they're my favorite people, along with gabe, to dine with.

seriously, i love these two to pieces. they're some of the sweetest, kindest, and coolest people i know. but enough about my love for them, go see for yourself. e is for eats. read them, i promise you won't be sorry.

p.s., the E shelf pictured on their blog? it's full of food they canned.

2011-09-11T20:42:00.001-07:00

this is beautifully written.

2011-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

check out these singles from the band continental's last show in 2007. available for your listening pleasure, for free here.

2011-09-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

my very first self made margarita! i'm obsessed--they are SO good.

if i am not stepping on a cheerio, i see a spider. it's an either or thing in this house.

ollie, in his backpack, collecting "leafwiches." leafwiches are courtesy of dinosaur trian. backpack is courtesy of our dear friends. please note the backpack was not able to be removed for lunch or movie watching. he's hardcore.

2011-09-05T23:32:00.000-07:00

happy tuesday, folks.*

on friday i was telling a coworker about our grand plans to go to lake anza on saturday. said coworker has twins, who are close to ollie's age. he advised against lake anza (due to high bacteria levels) and recommended cull canyon. he didn't have to tell me twice. cull canyon it was.

i immediately started dreaming up snacks.

the place did not disappoint. it was like barton springs, in texas, except... not quite as amazing.

it was great though, and i expect as ollie gets older, it will only be more relaxing. the place is flush with lifeguards. i know this because i kept telling gabe i wished my stomach still looked like theirs...flat and tan. as i shoveled chips into my mouth.

there were tons of people who brought tents, which really turned out to be like private cabanas.

i loved the woman who brought her own hammock. she was blatantly reading a self help book and her husband/lover/partner, who was wearing a speedo, was eating ice cream out of a carton. gabe asked me who brings a carton of ice cream on a picnic? right! i also loved that the two women with them were mixing cocktails under the hammock and drinking their cocktails out of coffee mugs.

here's the umbrella we bought for vacation two years ago and never used until this year. we've used it a bunch this year but it still has the tags on it. ollie calls it the bumbrella.

family portrait.

2011-09-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

i've been gone for a week (+) for no good reason other than i've been sitting on my couch with pen and paper, instead of computer. (or "pawncuter," if your name is oliver.)

this is from here and it makes me happy.

other places

2011-08-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

how to make getting dressed easier, by maggie.

10 documentaries about powerful women

lemonade stands?!

2011-08-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I told Ollie that if he went potty like a big boy, I’d buy him a Lightning McQueen car. Gabe and I had talked about a bribe, briefly, but this came out of nowhere. I'd been thinking about M&Ms and out of my mouth comes McQueen. A year ago, I never thought I’d even let him see Cars, let alone offer to buy it for him if he'd pee in his froggy toilet.

We’d been planning on heading out to run errands and pick up dinner w/ G. First stop was Amoeba. Gabe jumped out while we circled the block.

Mama, can we just go get my McQueen now?

No Ollie, sweetie. I’m sorry you misunderstood. Mama said we could buy a McQueen if you go potty in the big boy potty.

No, I don’t want to.

Later we go to the grocery store.

Can I go find McQueen?

No sweetie. They don’t have any McQueen here.

So now I feel bad, like I’ve confused him, or that he's not going to believe me anymore. He’s not three yet and they say boys are slower to potty train than girls. And I know that every kid is different. A couple of his teachers have told me they think he’s ready and I do think he gets it. I’m not in any particular hurry at this point.

I did ask him if he wanted to wear his Thomas underwear tomorrow and he said, no his Percy underwear.

2011-08-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

loving these stacking rings by iosselliani.

via here, available here.

this set is gorgeous, too. the band with czs is vintage and the rest she made.

from here.

jojo

2011-08-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

jojo

choose -- the design you like most

act -- pick the project you wish to support

either tree nation or the water project

check-- follow the project you pick

1 pair of jojo's = 1 tree planted in africa

1 pair of jojo's = 1 year of drinking water for one person in africa

via cool hunting.

i'm busy

2011-08-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

video by dad

vacation part two

2011-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

after our beach house stay, we headed down to southern california to see the g's folks.

we checked out the dinosaur museum at the los angeles museum of natural history. it was pretty cool, though a bit too old for o.

here he is, pteranadon in hand, on the way home.

there was froyo at my favorite place to get froyo in so cal, the golden spoon.

we also took o to his first baseball game. we had bleacher seats. tickets came with all you can eat hot dogs, nachos, sodas, peanuts and soda. ollie liked the nachos. that's my boy.

note the pacifier. the minute the national anthem started, ollie also started -- started crying that is. and saying he wanted to go home. pacifier it was. he eventually came around had fun.

food shot

g's folks have a fish pond in the backyard. ollie got to feed the fish. instead of slowly dropping the food into the pond, ollie dropped it all.

finally, here's a pic of us, way back when we were young. (i snapped a shot off g's parent's wall of photos.)

a good read

2011-08-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

maggie linked to erika ray's blog and i'm three pages in. it's a really good read, the kind of blog i could delve into and miss out on a few hours of sleep because i get so into it. and, she's an amazing photog, to boot. go read it if you'd like.

speaking of losing sleep, well lemme tell ya! i started playing words with friends while on vacation. i've been losing sleep over this one, too. not worrying about it...but playing. i think i have 11 games going right now. at first i would get anxious when people would wait an entire day between moves. anxious meaning annoyed that they were dirtying up my list of current games. i've worked through that.

happy place

2011-08-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

yesterday's lunch. a big bowl of fabulous. of phobulous. looking at this picture is making me want another bowl. btw, i finished this yesterday and felt totally comfortable. i think i made my stomach bigger on vacation.

vacation part one

2011-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

last week we rented a beach house in aptos, which is 15 miles south of santa cruz. we went with my cousin, his girlfriend and his two kids. the house was right across the street from the beach.

balcony view

ollie maxin' and relaxin' on the balcony. mama, i'll take a leche, neat, please.

hank the puppy came, too.

we spent our days on the beach.

ollie loved it.

one grey morning we ventured to santa cruz and hung out on the boardwalk, while we waited for the fog to burn off. ollie had his first corndog. and went on his first ride. and then his second, third, fourth...

tuckered out after the boardwalk.

beach palm trees.

not pictured: beers on the beach, really good wine, food, gossip mags and books.

nails

2011-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

so pretty!

photo from here with a step-by-step.

2011-08-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

i'm running out of ideas for o's lunch -- and dinners for that matter. find good ideas here.

2011-08-09T20:58:00.000-07:00