MARTHA'S GARDEN TEA PARTY BABY SHOWER

Yes, another baby shower!

This one was the last of a string of showers that happened this past month and it was extra fun because several of us gathered together to make up the party planning committee, and what’s better than one head? Four heads.

Martha is one of the ladies that I looked up to while I was pregnant with my bebe. I was lucky to be around several friends who were mothers, but something about the way Martha handled her own pregnancy and transition into motherhood really appealed to me. She was down-to-earth, honest, transparent, all while maintaining a sense of humor about everything. She also remained so much herself, and I would say, she became even more of herself, if that makes sense to you, and it really encouraged me during those times when I would freak out about how having a baby would change me into a person that I didn’t want to become. It helped me see that being a mother could mean that you could become more aware of who you are and who you are meant to be. We all love her for her warmth and genuineness, we have loved seeing her grow as a mother, and we are so glad we are going to get to be around for her second one! 

The shower’s theme was a garden tea party and we did things like make a tea bar with various loose teas for guests to put together their own blends to drink at the shower and also take home as a favor, make lots of food appropriate for a tea party, decorate with greens and flower garlands, and asked guests to bring their own tea cups to use and then gift. It was so much fun and I'm resolved to have more tea parties in my future.

 

elizabeth putting together the pavlova, which was my personal favorite.

pavlova by elizabeth, cake by mignon (with vanilla bean frosting!)

i could have eaten the whole thing

i woke up craving this curried chicken salad made by laura. so addictive.

the scones + clotted cream + jam combo is tea party food perfection (scones courtesy of elizabeth and jams from meghan)

the cold drinks before they were ushered inside due to the heat

make your own tea bar! tea bags from Natural Tea Bags were perfect to create our own tea blends

the ginger + cardamom + black tea combination was killer

there were a few little ladies that joined us for the party 

three bumps with girls in them! 

martha with the hostesses

the lovely ladies who showered!

KISHI BASHI AT FRIDAY CHEERS AND ITS OFFICIALLY SUMMER

Happy summer! Happy longest day of the year!

 

It is worth noting that it being the first day of summer gets two exclamation point out of this gal this morning, even though I am still half asleep. My babe insists on waking up at 5:15AM each morning and is very bossy these days about being allowed to explore the world on her terms. I am fast sipping my coffee and thanking the good Lord it’s Friday.

 

This past week, it has felt like I am getting to know my daughter all over again.  I’m getting to know her as Sloane the toddler, Sloane the wild-ling, Sloane the explorer, Sloane the tiny ball of will. This process of getting to re-know someone and falling in love with them again and again is a familiar feeling, but now it’s happening with my daughter and it makes me feel more like a mom than ever. It also makes me really feel like a parent to wonder and research about discipline issues/methods/idea/philosophies because we are quickly realizing that is our next frontier.  

 

I am especially glad for summertime because we get more chances to be outside to best channel this recent restless and energetic spirit of hers.  A place like Friday Cheers is so fun for us to go as a family because she is entertained, enthralled and interested in all that is going on around her and we get such a joy out of watching her take it all in.  Kishi Bashi played at last week’s Friday Cheers and I am so glad we got to see him do his thing. We three all came away from this with the great satisfaction and buzz of having been bathed in sunshine and great music. Summer, we love you.

as soon as laid down our blanket, i sat sloane in front of this tupperware full of food (ground turkey, potato, onion, peas & carrots seasoned with garlic and cumin - she love sit) and she hunkered down, feeding herself, enjoying the music....

doing her thing

kishi bashi! 

venturing out after her meal to check out the scene

we went up to as close to the stage as we could, and we stood there for a few minutes, listening and watching. sloane also got face deep into a donut peach that she destroyed. observe: dripping juices

waiting to cross the street 

toddling back home. 

SLOANE AND SIMONE

I spent a significant amount of time untangling knots from my hair this morning. I’m pretty sure that it is the work of tiny hands that weave their fingers through the lengths of my hair each day, sometimes to hold on while in route, sometimes to shove in her mouth, and other times for comfort.  This is all to say, my hair looks like a bushel of wild today.

 

I think we can officially declare that we have entered into a whole new era with this little one. I don’t think I can call her a baby anymore, but I’m still gonna. She is a bundle of energy and she is all about getting her hands on and into everything. She was curious and adventurous before, but now it’s at a whole new level because she can move so quickly on her feet, she is confident of her exploring abilities aaaand JUST this past week, she has been catching on that she has the option to ignore our ‘NO’.  This morning, when I opened the fridge to grab some fruit, she practically ran over from where she was removing (throwing) items from the bench to the floor and happily marching around with a box of popcorn she discovered, in order to grab one of the bottles at her eye level out of the fridge and toddle off with it as quick as she could.  This happened in a blink of an eye. If my reflexes have gotten slower in order to accommodate and appreciate the unhurried ways of an infant, I am going to need to sharpen them up in order to keep up with this whirlwind. Ten and a half months seems way too early to be mourning the end of the baby era, but it’s hard to deny that there have been a shift of sorts as I watch her, packed full of purpose and energy.

 

She is my little wildling, and these photos seem appropriate. We got to spend some relaxing hours catching up with our friends the Robinsons this past weekend and having our little girls run around the house under our feet together while we talked was my enthrallment and joy.

 

A SHOWER FOR LAURA

One of the really helpful things that I had when I got pregnant were the friends around me who encouraged me with their support and enthusiasm. I learned so much from friends who were experienced in the ways of the pregnant/motherhood life, but I also got so much love from ladies like Laura, who wasn’t yet a mama, but had so much love in her heart for all babies and children. Her genuine love for little ones is contagious and I definitely caught some of what she had during my pregnancy by just being around her.  Her encouragement for me and excitement for the baby to come was a huge help in helping me feel at peace, and I am so happy that she was a part of my life when I became pregnant with Sloane. 

We were all obviously thrilled to learn about the news of her little one and we got to celebrate the baby with a shower this past weekend.  I love and respect this lady a ton and I cannot wait to see how all of her wonderfulness is going to translate into motherhood.

Here are some photos from the shower, thrown by the lovely ladies, Martha and Elise:

These ladies inspire me:

We love you Laura!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO KEN

one of the songs that appeases Sloane when she is cranky in the car is "bingo".
you know, "there was a farmer, who had a dog..."

on our way to brunch today, after i dutifully sang a round, i told ken to take it away. and he proceeded with,

"there was a cat who scratched a lot and ...sam was his name-o.
s-a-m....m-m
s-a-m-m-m
s-a-m-m-m
and sammm was his name-o"


ken and i are new at this papa and mama thing, and we are learning as we go, but i have to say that we both love our new roles and we are both, 'hee hee our first mother's/father's day!' because of the novelty of it.  i love having front row seats to see my friend and husband grow in this role, and i'm glad for sloane that she gets to have such a man for a father.

and now, a papa for all seasons (from our brunch today):

a papa to protect her, a papa to have dance parties with

a papa to feed her

a papa to make her laugh

a papa to color with. although, she hasn't quite grasped the concept yet.

 a papa to hold her tight (they look especially alike when they are wearing their serious faces.)

 a papa to look up to. 

A FEW OF MY RECENT FAVORITE THINGS

* The day after the rain. The storm scrubs everything to its shiny-est, even the trees and the clouds, and the air is infused with refreshments.

*Best-of music lists. Check out NPR’s best of 2013, so far.

*Freezing food. It’s an art, and I’m into it. At the least, trying to learn how to do it better.

*Our new deck. Thinking about hanging out with friends on this deck, in the outdoors, hurrahing summer.

*Any excuse for more outdoor activities. Friday Cheers.

*Holding hands with my baby. Giving each other face smooshing hugs.

GALETTE FOR BREAKFAST

i hope it's clear by now how much i love breakfast.

"put an egg on it!"

no, but really, put an egg on it.

i am flouncing around in my love for pie-like things by experimenting with different types of toppings for galettes. it was just a matter of time before i got to an egg and called it breakfast. it's not that difficult putting together a pie crust, but Pepperidge Farm's puff pastry sheets (found in the frozen aisle) is the magician's assistant, especially in a time crunch, and that's me, crunched. it does get pricey though, so i need to get into the mode of making a bunch of pie crust and freezing it in order to feed this frenzy of mine.

but if you take two (thawed) puff pastry sheets and roll them out on a floured surface and top them with a list of things starting with cheese, you cannot go wrong. load up the toppings up until about an inch away from the edge of the dough, and then fold the edges over, making a pleat. exhibit 1 is a sheet topped with ricotta cheese & shredded mozzerella cheese, which went into the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. it was then was taken out after the cheese and pastry had time to bake, to add cooked bacon pieces, egg yolks, and spinach, which doesnt need as much baking time. then thrown back into the oven for about 3 more minutes.  exhibit 2 is a a topping of mixed goat cheese + shredded mozzerella + grated parmesan cheese + olive oil, as well as a asparagus and black forest ham pieces. i minced some garlic, mixed it in some more olive oil and spread that over everything, like a drizzle, after which it was sent into the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. And if you want the golden sheen, make sure to brush the folded edges with a beaten egg (note: you can bake both galettes in the oven at 400 degrees, for 25-30 minutes, without having to double or increase the length of time, as long as they are on the same level rack.)

this seems like it would be an excellent weekend morning activity, especially if you have things in your refrigerator that need to be used up - throw them on a pie sheet and call it a galette. I suspect that one topped with a ton of ricotta, mozzarella, and a load of tomato slices and basil would be so delicious. i also recommend that you listen to this playlist while you roam about your kitchen putting this together, it's great company.

with the leftover ricotta cheese i have now in my fridge, i'm dreaming of a creamy ricotta cheese + chocolate or nutella combo atop a pastry sheet drizzled with melted dark chocolate....