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eloise: oh my, how I love those eyes!
– joining Jodi for the wonderful52 project!
{this moment}
“A single photo. No words. Capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.” -joining Soulemama.
An Experience with Art
Okay, so I love art. I love children’s art. I’ve been waiting so very long to introduce Ellie to painting and making art and hoping beyond hoping she would enjoy making art. I didn’t have to wait any longer. Yesterday I picked up some finger paint at a local school supply store and thought she might be ready. This morning I set her up at her table, put her in an apron that was ten times too large for her (she didn’t seem to mind after she watched me put on my, yes that’s right, Wizard of Oz apron), and we got to painting. It was as if she had always been finger painting. She went right to work, smearing her hands across the paper, trying out different strokes with her fingers and really staying focused on the task at hand. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy her first experience with painting. And that makes this Mama very happy. There will be more art in this home… that I am sure of!
“The Art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children.” – Elaine Heffner
*thanks to Jeff for taking many of these photos today, helping me to document the fun stuff!
Eloise’s Monthly Photo
(I know, I’m a little late getting this one up). Ellie is just growing so quickly. She’s racing around the house now and creating, as Jeff likes to call it, the “Ellie tornado”. She get’s up every morning and first thing she does is sit in front of her book-case, take each book out and go through it like she’s reading. This girl loves books and I’m hoping it stays that way. She is also loving her new walking skills and wants to walk everywhere. It’s been pretty difficult keeping her in a carrier or a stroller. She is keeping us on our toes but we are also just so completely in love with our little monkey. It was hard on our date this weekend to talk about anything or anyone else, but our baby girl!
Weekending!
We were very busy this weekend! Jeff and I got out for our first post baby date. We wanted to celebrate our anniversary by heading down to Santa Barbara and trying out the relatively new Relais de Paris restaurant on State Street. On our honeymoon, four years before, we had fallen in love with the original restaurant in Paris. At the original restaurant, they served one thing, steak and frites and oh my goodness, the meal was the best thing I had ever had. We both ended up going back several times as well as visiting the Relais de Venise in New York City a few years back. So naturally, we were very excited for this date. My mom and dad took Ellie for a few hours (they came to SB with us and walked around and kept Miss Ellie busy while we lunched). It was so very nice and the food was just like I remembered it! Sunday Jeff, Ellie, Auntie Lindsey and I spent a very nice morning at the Avocado Festival. It was a fun, busy day with a fun, busy toddler paving the way for us. In between, we did a lot of playing (especially on and around our new table and read some new library books too).
How was your weekend?
-joining Amanda over at The Habit.
Portrait Project
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eloise: it was so difficult choosing a picture this week. I took a few of you in the beautiful glow of the afternoon sun and of course the first one I took, that doesn’t show much sunlight glow was the one that struck me as the one. When I asked your Daddy and Grandparents, they said the same thing. So, here it is- this week’s portrait. You are at your new table that I found at the antique market this week. It’s been fun setting out new things for you to explore and I think you are enjoying a table, all your own.
-joining Jodi for the 52 project!
{this moment}
“A single photo. No words. Capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.” -joining soulemama today.
Making + Listening
MAKING: I just made another Zucchini loaf in a bundt pan this week. Boy are we enjoying this zucchini bread. We’ve had a few zucchini’s from our own garden and a plethora of zucchini from our CSA share rolling in every week. This is the only way I will eat zucchini and Jeff and Ellie don’t think it’s half bad either. I thought I’d share the recipe. It’s full of sugar, but I’ve cut the sugar in half and it’s still pretty sweet and I’m sure substituting honey or another sweetener of your liking would work just fine as well.
Zucchini Bread (or muffins)
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
yield: 2 loaves or 24 muffins
3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil (I have also substituted coconut oil)
1 3/4 cups sugar (you can swap the sugar out with any sweetener or reduce the amount of sugar by 3/4 and it’s still pretty sweet)
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally or line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.
Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.
Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
I’ve also been working on some autumnal inspired coasters with some scraps that were begging me to do something with them. Almost done with number one and I’d like to make at least a set of four.
LISTENING: We’ve been listening to a whole slew of things lately. A lot of banjo. A lot of Raffi. And a little John Mayer, a little John Denver and a little classical to keep the moods steady.
-joining Dawn over at SImple Things Notebook.
Four Years
We met at my best friend’s wedding seven years ago. He couldn’t take his eyes off of me as I stood in line for coffee. I couldn’t stop talking to him all. night. long.
He proposed on the hottest day of summer in a full suit and tie, nearly five and a half years ago.
We got married in my hometown, with our good friend as the deputy and all of our dearest family and friends surrounding us with love. That was four years ago, today.
Happy Anniversary my love.
Just Write: A Quick Visit
Today I drove past my best friend’s childhood home. I stopped at the stop sign, turned left and then swung a right, right past the blue and white two-story home. The grass in front was well-tended just like it had been when Lauren lived there and that little tree in front was already turning color with autumn approaching.. Memories flooded back in an instant. I can see my mom dropping me off here for a slumber party. I wave her away as Lauren opens the front door smiling, a container of Carnation malt in her hand, ready for making ice cream soda’s. I see Lauren and I sitting in her cool, black Jetta, parked in the driveway of her house, angsty, emotional teenagers listening to Jewel’s Adrienne. Our seats laid back and the moon roof open. I can see us tumbling out the front door, a gaggle of young bodies dressed in Halloween costumes, ready for candy collecting. I see the stretch limo sidled up to the driveway. Girls in gowns and boys in tuxes eager for Prom and the rest of our lives.
It’s funny how a quick drive past a childhood home can conjure up so many memories and feelings. I connected with Lauren today after passing by her home. Texted her. Told her I missed her and the days of our youth. She texted back. I miss you too. It would be nice to go back… maybe for just a quick visit?
-joining Heather for Just Write (“an exercise in free-writing your ordinary and extraordinary moments”).
summerplayshouse 