some observations

My hair is getting ridiculously long.

Being at work and sitting in a cubicle for 8 hours a day while 25 weeks pregnant is getting to be a tad uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable work weeks make me doubly appreciate the weekends.

Having some time to catch up with sisters is truly refreshing.

We were trying to remember the last time the three of us spent some solid time together, and none of us could remember – that’s how long it’d been. Although the time was short, it was so nice to be able to spend the day meandering through some of my favorite places together, and talking/rambling/making hex but bracelets.

25 weeks

 

 Hey now, 25! The bottom of my belly is growing, see?

25 weeks means the baby is the size of an eggplant, so says my helpful and handy 'What to Expect' app.

As long as I can keep wearing dresses and stretchy skits, I'm good to go (I thrifted the dress in the picture above for $2!), but this bipolar weather is interfering with this plan. Chilly mornings call for pants or tights, neither of which I want to wear anymore, and if the weather insists on being 39 degrees in the morning and 70 degrees in the afternoon, I may just slap on some yoga pants and call them work-appropriate.

I'm happy and grateful to report I have actually gotten used to having to wake up several times in the middle of the night to pee, and I am getting the hang out sleeping on my side. However, I seem to be slipping back into the woes of my first trimester when I was tired all. the. time. I've diagnosed myself with the tired disease.  Our bed is quickly becoming my favorite place, and I find myself loving pictures like the one below. Doesn't that look heaven.ly?

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ginger tea

I've been afflicted with a sore throat the past few days and when my sisters were here, my sister, Eunice, suggested I try drinking ginger tea to help the recovery. She brew me up a strong batch and not only did it seem to help soothe my throat, it was pleasant to sip on a spicy hot tea. I've been drinking it every night ever since, and I love how easy and natural it is to put together. Apparently, ginger tea is often used as a home remedy for indigestion, nausea, and to ward off colds, flu, and sore throats.



You'll need:
4 cups of water
2 inch ginger root
honey
lemon

Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger. Cover it and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey and lemon to taste.

richmond's farmer's market

I love farmer's markets and I'm glad that Richmond loves them too.  Along with the really neat finds and fresh products you can buy, I think my favorite part is being able to wander around in an outside place, people-watching, dog-watching, and checking out the cool things that vendors put out on their stands. It's one of my favorite things to do, most especially when the weather is nice, so I was excited to be able to go check out the South of the James Market's winter market with my sisters in town this past weekend. It's the winter version of the farmer's market that happens on Forest Hill Avenue, and it runs from December 10 to April 28, Saturdays 10AM-12PM, at 3411 Semmes Ave, Richmond VA 23225 (The summer version this year will go from May 5-December 1, Saturdays 8AM-12PM, at Forest Hill Ave & 42nd Street, Richmond VA 23225).  Here are the list of vendors for the winter version, which is a little bit smaller than the summer market.

My sisters and I sampled some amazing local honey, stood in line for the best sourdough donuts, saw and petted lots of dogs, and came away with some handmade candles, rosemary potato bread, and apple butter. Success!





















Rusty was really happy, too...

Have a refreshing weekend!

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That's what weekends are for, right? I am excited because this weekend, both my sisters are going to be in town and we are going to have some sister time, which almost never happens. It is also nice that we will be together during Easter weekend. I hope everyone has a refreshing and redemptive kind of Easter weekend!

1. Aren't these shoes awesome, glittery and coral.

2. I've been fantasizing about vacations and feeding that fantasizing by flipping through hotels on this site. My favorite right now is Palm Springs,.

3. Free retro fonts, anyone?

4. Coconut Nest Cupcakes! Apropo.

5. All of these dresses are so lovely for spring: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

6.  25 uses for vaseline

7. I love radiolab. You should too.

8. I am totally going to make some prints like these for the nursery! And here are some more ideas for making some modern art for your walls.

9. Speaking of house decor, have you seen this site?

10. I want to try this body oil!

24 weeks

24 weeks is 6 months – that is so many months!
 

I’ve transitioned almost completely to skirts and dresses now, and it’s a bad day when I have to wear pants. I haven’t bought any maternity clothes yet, so spending an entire day in my regular pants, even with them unbuttoned and unzipped with a belly band, leaves me feeling pretty cranky.  Thank goodness for stretchy skirts and loose dresses. Plus, if I buy more of these, it’s in the hopes that they will be just as wear-able after pregnancy. 

Last month, I had gotten to the point of feeling like I was ready to give birth already. This month, vague anxieties are solidifying into realities. This doesn’t take away at all from the excitement and expectation that I have for the baby, but I’ve got concerns and they are making themselves known. Truth be told, I’m anxious about the physical and emotional trials of post-labor recovery and adjustment, I’m sad about my body never being the same again, and I’m feeling weary thinking about how we won’t be able to go on an extended vacation for a long time even though I’m feeling like I need one now.  I’m pretty sure these concerns are normal, so I’m trying to deal with them the best way I know how – with positive thinking, gratitude, and lots of research and planning. Being fully informed always makes me feel a little more at ease, and I’m trying to not let the emotional parts of my fears creep too far into my perspective these days. Hup hup.

-    At 6 months -

Pros: Having my husband say goodnight to both me and the baby in the belly.
Cons: Trying to consistently sleep on my side, rather than my back.
Currently craving: Fruit. But also, strangely, my appetite seems to completely leave me from time to time.
Outlook on the coming of baby: Nervously anxious, nervously excited.
Feelings about husband: A little needy! Thankfully, he is up for giving hugs and kisses whenever I need them.

Oatmeal cookies

I like oatmeal, but I'm not so much of an oatmeal-cookie-lover. I think most of it has to do with the fact that I think the raisin + oatmeal combination in cookie form is offensive. Throw some chocolate chips in there though, and it's all good.  I recently found out that my husband is a big fan of oatmeal raisin cookies and I thought that was so curious it made me want to experiment and try to make some from scratch to see if I could do any good in this department. Also, we both recently had probably the best oatmeal cookie we've ever had in - of all places - the family lounge of the NBA Wizard's team at Verizon Center, which also served as motivation. It is now a hazy dream and I can't remember if it had raisins in it or what the deal was exactly, but it was delicious.

So far, the oatmeal cookie saga has been pretty uneventful. I first tried smitten kitchen's recipe, but I must have done something wrong because they ended up tasting like scones. Your cookies should not taste like scones.  Then I decided to go super easy and low-brow and try the recipe on the backside of the Quaker Oats oatmeal cover, which is probably the easiest recipe ever. It turned out a little better, but they were still dry and after a few hours, they became even drier still. Undeterred, I put my game face on and did some readjusting by adding in some honey and making sure I took the cookies out on the early side of the recommended baking time. I think that makes a big difference, especially for oatmeal cookies, because they firm up over time. While they are an improvement from the first attempt, they were a still a far cry from the cookie perfection I am trying to reach, so let the experimenting continue.  For my next attempt, I am going to try using rolled oats and maybe substituting applesauce for half of the butter. I shall report back.




 

These are the batch I made with Quaker Oats. Since I am in experiment mode, I usually halve the recipe and then divide that by half again so that after the first attempt I can make adjustments. I also usually make half the batter with chocolate chips and the other half without, so that both my husband and my preferences are well-served.

Clothes Swap

This past Friday, a few friends got together to do a Clothes Swap, aka, a really good excuse for a closet purge and an even better reason to hang out. Everyone brought clothes that they no longer wanted in their closet, laid them out, and we rifled through each other's pile to see if we could give it a second debut. My recent philosophy on clothes is, if I don't wear something for an entire year or year and a half, then it has gots to go. I try to do purges every so often to either donate or sell the ones that I no longer wear, so I thought this was a great idea. I scored a skirt and blouse that I can wear while I'm pregnant, and really enjoyed the time to be able to catch up with some lady friends while talking some lady talk.

Hurray it's the weekend

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This week went by painfully slow, so I am more than happy that the weekend is finally here! I'm doing a clothes swap with some friends, taking photos with my dear friend Saena who is coming in from out of town, and hopefully sleeping a little more than usual. Hope you have a great weekend! Some fun links from the monster web:

1. A good article about our brain on love.

2. Doesn't this place look like something out of Narnia or Lord of the Rings?

3. The coolest rocking horse ever.

4. I am a fan of this letter that Robert Pirosh wrote in order to land a job as a screenwriter - I like words, too!

5. More news about how chocolate can be helpful to the health. But remember, eat REAL chocolate, not the fake stuff (check yo ingredients).

6. Fairy tale inspired Elie Saab

7. I like this mint and perriwinkle blue combo

8. This is totally out of my price range, especially for a beach towel, but I love it anyways.

9. I'm excited to try making these frozen yogurt drops this weekend.

10. I love this Eames rocker in white....Some cheaper versions here, here, and here.

11. Norah Jones is coming out with a new album May 1, produced by Danger Mouse, and its a different sound than her previous albums. Here's a single from the album, Little Broken Hearts, called Happy Pills. What do you think?

12. And in more music talk, have you heard Patrick Watson? Here's a lovely song called, Into Giants, and The Great Escape.

s'mores pie

It's been a funky kind of a week. There were too many hours of work and the weather turned bipolar. It is what it is. Maybe it turns into a complex, maybe it effects your mood. So what does a lady do with this sort of a thing? So far the answer has been: try to get as much sleep as she can and also, make a s'mores pie.

I love s'mores. I love pie. Combined, it makes for a decadent chocolatey, marshmallowy, gooey concoction. The chocolate filling for the recipe below is from Tyler Florence and it is bonkers delicious.

look at that poof!

Receipe from How Sweet It is

To make the crust:
1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 sticks of melted butter

To make chocolate filling:
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. milk
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbslp sugar
1/3 tsp salt
2 eggs

For the topping:
1 large bag of marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Add melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together until a crust forms. Press in to a 9 inch pie plate.

3. Combine milk and heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Watch carefully and once it begins to simmer, remove from heat and add in chocolate. Stir with a spatula until chocolate is melted, then whisk in sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs. Slowly add eggs to chocolate mixture while whisking.

4. Pour chocolate filling in to graham crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Check every 5 minutes after 20 minutes pass until it is no longer liquid.

5. Take out of oven and top with marshmallows. Put the oven's broiler on low and stick the pie in there for about 5 minutes, or until the marshmallows melt.

6. Let cool then refrigerate for 1-2 hours before cutting. Spray a knife with non-stick spray before slicing. Enjoy!

If it is messy coming out of the pan, it's okay. It's still glorious.

photo spin-off

I love this polaroid by Jen Gotch - I'd put it up in the kitchen or maybe the dining room.

Here is a collection of pretty things, inspired by the colors in the photo.




1. double breast trench over some pink and orange 2. botkier caravel satchel 3. maxi pleated skirt 4. top with pleated shoulders 5. two tone sandal 6. blood orange and white pepper body wash 7. orange lipstick 8. kitchen aid 9. scuba colorblock dress

Snappy shots of a weekend

Weekend, I am so sad to see you leave. This past weekend felt incredibly short, but thinking back, I was able to do a lot of non-work related things, for which I should be glad. I watched K. play and win the finals game with his men's volleyball team, watched a really good movie (Warrior), tried to sleep in, did some house cleaning and clothes organizing, did some pre-natal yoga, got some quick shopping done at Clemintine's warehouse sale, watched a documentary about natural births (The Business of Being Born), went to church, and saw some lovely ladies and their men for a viewing of The Hunger Games. K. also had some friends over this weekend and had a randy time. Unfortunately, the weekend ended with a late night tire burst and waiting around for a tow truck while contemplating cost of repairs, all of which majorly cut into some sleep time, but lets focus on the good, shall we? Here are some peeks into what I saw during such a weekend:

grapes and kiwi are quickly becoming my favorite snacks


repainted my nails mint sorbet and then felt like going pink and orange for the last finger




warehouse sale at clemintine's this weekend and next weekend


my new key chain


blah blah dolls at world of mirth! in carytown


a new store opening...


pink blooms on a cloudy day


fluff


carytown cupcakes


can dogs recognize themselves in the mirror?


rusty in the spring


belly, a bird eye's view


Here we go with another week. Weekdays and workdays, please be kind ....

Friday is almost funday

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Hallelujah, Friday is here! I still have to work late into the night today, but afterwards I'm going to crash and sleep as long as my body wants to. Interrupted by frequent trips to the bathroom, of course. Thanks to all the lovely friends who encouraged me and prayed for me this week, it carried me through! This weekend some friends of K.'s are coming down and then on Sunday we are going to go watch The Hunger Games! I'm excited. Here are some links from around the world wide web:

1. Have you noticed I haven't posted about cooking in a while? For some reason, being pregnant has decreased my desire to try new recipes for dinner. It may mostly have to do with being tired, but in the meanwhile, check out my sister and her boyfriend's nifty food blog, Urban Provincial! It's awesome.

2. So many ways to wear the eyeliner.

3. Hey, 20 cool decorating tricks.

4. My hair is getting bonkers long, so I just tried this. It works best if you sleep in the coils overnight.

5. Need to feel like you are somewhere else for about 20 seconds? Click here.

6. A nifty idea for where to put your cellphone while charging it.

7. 33 ways to stay creative

8. 10 of the best drug store beauty buys...I'm interested...

9. This website has been one of my many companions while I work; I love the concept of creating and sharing playlists!

10. What a fun print!

11. If you want to give yourself a quick spa treatment at home this weekend, try one of these.

corn and food photography

I have been craving corn for so many months, and finally this week they appeared in the grocery store! K. made some for dinner last night, and while we miss using our grill for such things, the oven sufficed and I ate through two ears of glorious corn, all while standing in the kitchen.

photo from What Katie Ate

If you love food and photography and don't already know about the blog, What Katie Ate, here is your prompt now. It's my go-to place for when I need to look at beautiful pictures of food. No need for further explanation, just go check it out. And I will leave you with another of her glorious photos of something I hope to make and put in my belly very soon.

My friend Martha sent along this seemingly simple recipe for homemade mascarpone, so I'm feeling like I could make some magic happen.