Home Sweet Brooklyn

Vintage Eames Rocker

2012-02-14T20:56:00.000-05:00

Like this rocker, wondering if it is not overdone, or if the vintage fabric makes it a more original idea? Or does the discoloration on the fabric just make it look dirty? Hmmmm

What I did today:

2012-02-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

Do you think mid-February is to early to take down our Christmas tree? I know this is so sad, but I just stopped noticing it was there. I think this is earlier than I got it down last year.

B was sick all day. I don't think he got out of his bed except to go to the bathroom, poor guy. He seems to be feeling better, but I just read him books and tucked him in. I had intended to do laundry, go to the grocery, clean house, but instead I sat around in bed with B and played on Pinterest. I did make these cookies. Delicious, not too sweet. They were inspired both by my sweet tooth and lack of butter (or just about any other groceries in the house). This is one of the reasons I love the internet, anything you want, any question, any recipe, any ingredient, any product.....a well-worded google search and you have your answer! This method of research suits my lazy, home-body ass perfectly. Also, due to our lack of groceries, I made a very bland veggie soup with everything that was about to go bad, including some bib lettuce (probably part of why it was bland). I'm going to freeze the rest to use for stock, but I served it over some quinoa, with a little bit of grated Romano and the last of some parsley pesto I made last week and it wasn't half bad. On the other hand I am truly out of food, if we were for some reason trapped in our house for any long period of time, we would starve after the vegetable stock runs out.

I hope my wee son is all better tomorrow, but it was a rather nice day of cuddling with him in bed :-)

Poor B-Boy :(

2012-02-12T09:36:00.000-05:00

B had a great time this weekend at his first sleep-over (without Mommy) play-date at BFF's place. Unfortunately he is a little sick today so we are just hanging out with the bed folded out in our little living room watching netflix. I'm still obsessing on pinterest.

Real or Replica & Pinterest

2012-02-06T23:13:00.003-05:00

Pinterest has renewed my love of surfing the net, it is a way to organize stuff that I GET, which seems to have also renewed my desire to blog. Just another quick note about est, the real or replica is a regular feature. I'm on the second issue, and I am not certain that I absolutely love the magazine (the interiors are a little stiff for my taste) but if it has features like this every month I will eagerly await each issue!

Est Mag

2012-02-06T22:56:00.002-05:00

I used to be a design mag addict (Domino anyone?) and I still am, but I don't have to spend an arm and a leg on all of the European Mags I used to get (and the only ones worth looking at anymore!) I can spend that money on local, organic fare for my wee son (gees that stuff is expensive some days) and get my fix for free online. A new discovery for me is Est Magazine. I liked this feature on the Eames classic shell (the DAW chair, who knew?). I spotted the real one right away, but you know I wasn't quite aware exactly why it was real. This was brief, but super informative; also, loved their styling of the Eames chair. Check it all out here.

Symmetry in an unsymmetrical world

2012-02-06T17:44:00.001-05:00

I am always on the look out for clever ways to deal with odd doors and windows since almost all of my work is in New York City, and every space is small and quirky. Enter this room from Susanna Salk’s summer cottage (via Rue). While not exactly my style, the beautiful mustard curtains behind the sofa and low slipper chair dividing the entry from the living area and then echoed on the other side of the room, give this room a cozy symmetry and sense of depth, despite the architectural detail.

Daily Candy

2012-02-06T17:23:00.002-05:00

Photo by Robin Blair Riley

Daily Candy Conference Room.

I am trying to start putting up some of my own work here.

Designed in 2004. All of the furniture in this shot was painted/altered by me (except the chairs) I had my carpenter build the structure above the conference table to suspend a series of IKEA lights from, and lower the feel of the ceiling to make a small room with a tall ceiling feel a little more intimate.

My love/hate relationship with the experts

2011-12-08T16:32:00.000-05:00

I recently have changed my son's diet, we are now trying to go sugar and gluten free, totally.....We are struggling with some things at school, and I am looking at a lot of different perspectives to figure out how to best help my boy. Here's the thing though....there are so many things, opinions, expert opinions, trends. Sometimes, I am exhausted. Is it just me, do I lack trust in experts, am I so pretentious as to believe that I know better than everyone? I do sometimes, do I really think I am that smart? No I don't, but when I have different experts telling me different things, and well-meaning educators trying to help, but ignoring the substance of what I am saying, I am left standing on a precipice trying to figure out where to go and what is best for this tiny person I am responsible for. I know this wee one better than anyone, which doesn't prevent others from having insight, but when they lack insight and I am left alone to find the answer I feel mired in information. Is gluten free just a buzz word? will it really help my son, or am I just torturing him? I've seen the effects sugar has on him, they are immediate and can be disastrous, but how do I fight that in a world that shoves it in my child's face? He has been stealing candy from a candy bowl that the teacher keeps as a reward.....of course my sweet boy tells me all about it, but I have to tell him that stealing the candy is bad....when will that lead to him no longer telling me what he does? I want to tell him positive things. I want to help him with the things that matter, right now that is learning to control his body, but instead I am stuck teaching him why candy is bad, which I don't even think it has to be bad, when given in moderation and not filled with artificial junk and coloring, and not at school as a reward. This is a pointless, rambling paragraph, but it goes along with my head and my son right now. I can't fight every battle for him, but right now I am sending him somewhere every day that is a battle for him. He is being teased, and I am dismissed when I say that is happening. He is left alone in the hall, and even though I know this is bad, beyond any reason, his teachers are insisting that it is the only solution and a good solution. He doesn't trust the grown-ups there to listen to him, because they don't. They don't listen to me, why would I believe them when they tell me they listen to my boy? My son has some heavy stuff on his plate right now. I just want him to be happy, to learn to love learning, to make friends.

Caribou Design in the Press

2011-11-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

eclectic other design

Jen from The Haystack Needle posted about the vintage soda pop crate wall display I designed for Caribou over at Houzz, beautiful photos! Thanks for the design shout out.

Small Furniture Crush

2011-11-29T11:59:00.000-05:00

Always on the hunt for great, small space solutions and I love this bunk from AVA Room! At 63.5" long and only 53.5" high it would work really well in a low ceilinged room. I also like that the ladder is contained within the frame of the bed so that it doesn't take any extra footprint. Of course I don't think it is available in the states, le sigh.

Family

2011-09-25T16:25:00.000-04:00

People think that B looks like me...and then they see him with his dad and they realize it is just the blue eyes. I think that B is the best of both of us.
What is a family anyway? Sometimes I think that the only 2 choices are to be a couple, or to be a bitter ex-couple with your child in the middle. I refuse to believe that these are my only choices, they are certainly not the choices made by my parents and step-parents for my sister, brothers and I. I believe that A and I made a commitment to each other and our son the day we had him, and that commitment has nothing to do with our status as a couple. We are a family. Our future may be our own road, but it will always end in us being a loving family.

What I am going to do about food at my son's school

2011-09-20T20:00:00.001-04:00

I realize that this has been my personal blog, and that, beyond my mom and a few friends, I really have no readers, which is fine, it is my life. However, I am overwhelmed at the issue of what my son eats at school. He is less than 2 weeks in and his pooping has already changed from eating processed food, he is pooping less regularly and instead of being a good consistency it is either hard and painful for him or runny and gross. It never really smelled disgusting before and now it does. I have noticed the difference in his poop and children who eat processed food before, this does not seem like a good direction. (I'm sure my few readers wanted to discuss poop, at least B would think it was hilarious) On top of that I already see him struggling with impulse control, especially with hitting other kids, either for attention or because he doesn't know what to do with his emotions. This is always a struggle for him, but I have noticed many times the correlation between him consuming sugar (juice counts!) and these issues. He has enough trouble with it, I don't want to set him up for failure by giving him juice and a "bagel" pocket with jelly first thing in the am. This is not a good snack for him or any other child and I find it appalling that I didn't even know he was getting it. This snack was not listed in the school's menu, nor was the fact that they give children a morning snack mentioned...in fact when I asked about this snack, which my son had described to me very accurately, and I described as a bagel pocket filled with jelly (exactly what it was) at the first PTA meeting, school officials told me he must be talking about bagel pizzas (I won't even start on the problems I have with that!)

However, all of that being said, I know that this school has the best interest of the children at heart and they do many things that I respect, and more that I am sure I will learn about as the year progresses. I know that school lunch (and breakfast, and snacks) are truly needed by some students, and may be the only meals those children eat in any given day. I just found this out last week, but my son's school recieves title 1 funding, which means lunch (and breakfast and snacks) are given to all students based on the community's income level. On a practical level this means I can pack all the food I want for my son, but I can not control wether he chooses chocolate milk or the schools pbj for lunch over what I packed. I have asked him to choose regular milk, and have explained to him why and so far he seems willing to do that, but I know that won't always be the case. It seems unfair that I can help my son make these choices, but some children won't even know what choices they are making. I even brought up some of these concerns with my sons pediatrician at his 5 year checkup and she was under the impression that food at schools was getting better. It is not. Unless we are all educated as parents, as educators, as citizens about these issues nothing will change.

I wanted to wait to begin speaking out at the school for issues I see as important until I understood the structure and routine of the school, but this is too pressing a matter to wait. What we feed our children is just as important as any book they read. If we are filling their bodies with things that will make it harder for them to concentrate, give them terrible sugar crashes, put them at risk for awful diseases, how are we helping them learn? I will be speaking out at the very first public opportunity I get. In addition I foresee all sorts of problems with convincing administration to look at these issues when they have so much else on their plates, and little money to address such concerns. I will be using this blog to record research and links as I start to compile information about these issues. I am also going to start a non-profit organization, specifically aimed at supplementing the cost of fresh, real food and trained staff to plan and prepare meals in public schools. I know that this will not be easy, but from here on out this will be my good work, for my son, for all children, for the future.

This ends in tears

2011-09-19T20:40:00.000-04:00

Went to the NY Ren Faire this weekend with BFF & family, + old friends. Fun was had by all, but several sword battles (at the end of a long week of new schools for both boys) led to a few tears, but they certainly enjoyed it while they enjoyed it.
Have I mentioned how much I love these boys?

On another note, I switched B to a different kindergarten class in the same school, this is a french immersion program that I only recently found out existed and they somehow had a space in the class, so B is in. I am excited about this, but not so much B and he had a very hard time at drop off! and a bit of a hard day in general. BUT while this was rough it is par for the course, HOWEVER I was there to see the kids get a morning snack that I didn't even know they get, some sort of processed bagel pocket filled with jelly and juice. I found out from one of B's friends that B was hitting him all day. They are pumping my kid full of sugar at the beginning of the day and of course he is going to have an impossible time. This sucks. I don't know what to do.

Pirates on the Hudson

2011-09-15T01:16:00.000-04:00

B and I took the ferry back from IKEA after an emergency trip on Sunday, lo and behold, there was a pirate ship! I'm sure that this is some vessel with a specific name and purpose, but B and I watched the sunset over Manhattan and watched for boarders. It was a nice day.

B goes to Kindergarten

2011-09-09T23:56:00.000-04:00

The first day was chaotic, the school seemed unprepared and they offered us very little info and prep as parents, so that we would know what to do, but B has already made a friend and the second day, when I knew what to expect, everything went much more smoothly. We are definitely not in Kansas, or at least a tiny montessouri school in Williamsburg, anymore.

This will be an adventure for both of us, I'm sure one with plenty of trials and tribulations, but hopefully an opportunity for my son to grow (me to) for us to be part of a community, and to learn together. The first PTA meeting is next week and I am def going to that! There is actually one at 9am and one at 6pm....I might go to both, just to get the lay of the land.

Great adventure ho! First stop work with Bowie on hand-raising, so he won't get in trouble.

Love you my big boy!

Happy 5th Birthday my Beautiful Boy!

2011-09-07T21:55:00.000-04:00

Today you turned 5. The last year has been a crazy one for us my little one, your mama went back to work in earnest and I didn't get to spend as much time with you this year. I feel every missed minute, but you are turning into an independant little soul (though you still want me to put on your clothes for you, and sit with you while you fall asleep, even if you sleep in your own bed) There is no question about your talking or your charm, you talk to anyone who will listen and charm them as soon as they stop. You like to use big words like cumbersome and despicable. You make me laugh, even if most of your jokes are about poop. You like to play video games with your daddy and do puzzles with me. You are so good at memory, though I don't think you get the competitive nature of the game since you always tell me where my matches are. We got to spend a lot of time with your grandparents this summer, and boy do you love your grandma and grandpa. Your mama is a nervous nellie and sometimes you are to, but don't ever be afraid to do new things or jump into some amazing opportunity, because you think you might fail. There is always failure, but you can't reach greatness without a few failures along the way. You are as beautiful as ever, smarter then I could imagine, and kinder then I could wish for (even if you sometimes knock your friends to the ground) You think of the ones littler than yourself, and do nice things for your friends. You kiss your mama unasked and tell me you love me. Baby boy you are my center, you bring me back to life when I fall into the depths, you teach me to be a better person and a better mama every day. I can not imagine a life where you weren't born. The last five years have been the best I have ever had. Thank you. I can't wait to see what the next year holds as you start kindergarten, a new chapter for both of us. I love you, my Bowie.

Thoughts of Margaret

2011-09-05T17:58:00.001-04:00

My friend's mother died last week, she was 56. I have known his family since I was 15, and I sat with them for two days while they watched her slip away from this life, on the third day she took a breath and not the next. Have you ever had something happen that is so sad that you think you will never stop reeling....but it is not your sadness and the person you ache for is not yourself, but you feel it so strongly that it threatens to eclipse your own life for a moment? I never knew Margaret closely, but I loved her because I loved her son. In fact it would be impossible to care about Jason and not his mother, so much were they a part of one another's lives. She was strong, she fought breast cancer to the end, a three year battle and when I saw her in July she was talking about going back to work in a few weeks after she got past some complications, even 2 weeks ago she was fighting to stay here. As I sat alone in a chair outside her room moments after her death, I watched the family she has held together all these years go in to say goodbye to her. I can not help but cry for her sister, who spoke to her every Sunday and her mother, who never expected to bury her child, and her 2 granddaughters who will barely remember her, and I mourn for her sons, who had a mother who loved them above all else.

20 years ago I moved to NY, I dreamed of being famous, of success, of riches and earthly delights, but all my grandiose schemes have gone and I have a quiet life with my own son, a sweet, charming boy whom I love above all else. If I could be like anyone, in this moment, I would choose to be like Margaret, to raise my son to be a good man, to send him out into the world and spread a little of me to those he meets. Margaret can not disappear from this life, her two sons will always carry her within themselves and in this way anyone who knows them will know her and admire her.

Daily Lunchbox

2011-04-26T09:37:00.000-04:00

I am re-committing to my blog, and what better way to start than with B's lunch! Today the lunch is packed in the fabulous and light weight stainless steel container from Lunchbots, courtesy of the baby and kids store I designed, Caribou Baby. There are a gazillion great products, I am slowly making my way through product testing! Anyhoo, today's lunch contains the following:
organic graham crackers
strawberries
a pear
and a sweet corn, arugula, & cheese quesadilla on a spinach tortilla (left over from dinner)

I am also re-committing to my son's lunches. I must admit that the last several months lunch has been an OMG affair, with many a stop at one of our fave coffee shops (RIP Boneshakers) on the way to school. I miss thinking about his lunch, and I am afraid my wee man has not been getting enough fruits and veggies. He is a picky eater at the best of times, and without patience and creativity on my part I'm afraid it is nothing but apples and peas for this little boy (not that there is anything wrong with apples and peas, but come on! Let's get some leafy greens in there!

What we have been doing....

2011-03-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

I have been working...A LOT.....and missing my BBoy like mad. Here we are this fall on the IKEA ferry....which is appropriate since I have been taking B there like once a week! Luckily he loves it, but let's face it, he is my son, and what is not to love about a place that sells good 'ol swedish style and has a giant ball pit?

Anyhoo, if you want to see the store I designed check out their blog or look at all of the grand opening madness on Treehugger.

My New Baby

2010-12-15T20:03:00.000-05:00

As per usual I have disappeared for a while...been busy (and managed to smash my camera) but this is what I have been busy with....this picture up above. Fellow Brooklyn Mom (and friend) is opening a store and classroom space for babies and parents and I am designing it. It's taking up most of my time right now. See some more pictures of the interior, and read more about it at the Caribou Baby blog.

Uncle M

2010-11-18T13:20:00.000-05:00

When B was little my friend M would take us out to eat, just B and M and I. The hostess would invariably look in confusion at my blonde, blue-eyed boy and then at my dining companion and ask M if he would like a highchair for his son? always with the question mark. I got a good laugh out of it. On the day these photos were taken my parents were visiting and we were around the corner from M's house so I called him up and asked him if he wanted to grab lunch with us. He showed up in a matching outfit to little B. Well, I do aspire for B to get his Uncle M's style sense, so I guess we we are on the right track.

Baby Boy School of Karate

2010-11-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

More video goodness from my sister's library. This is from our vacation on the North Fork over the summer. (PS we go from sweet kisses to karate chops and throwing sand....this is what boys grow into. I can only hope that I teach my boy that both his exuberance and his kisses are important.)

BB and BFF...LIVE!

2010-11-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

Working from my sister's house today, and got distracted by her photo library. Sheesh, she has done a way better job of recording my son's life than I have (I think I've been too busy trying to keep him alive!) Found these videos and couldn't resist posting.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I LOVE these boys!

Reincarnation.

2010-10-14T10:51:00.003-04:00

RB_Makers_Santigo_7
Originally uploaded by Adam Aleksander Presents

I used to be a bartender, (and a waitress, and a bar manager, and a busser, and even a dishwasher) I have worked in restaurants most of my life....in fact I loved it in a lot of ways. It is a mini-economy of beautiful simplicity, it is social, you meet incredible people, and you don't have to take your work home with you (though for years my anxiety dreams were always about a dining room full of people who's orders I couldn't take fast enough!) I also hated it, there is not a lot of respect from your managers, no matter how experienced you are, it is hard on your body, the lifestyle can consume you....too many drugs....too much drinking....(hey mom! just to clarify, I never did any drugs, they are just all over the scene, but def drank enough for 3 lifetimes)

I miss it though, sometimes. I was good at it, especially once I began to move into management. It kept me on my toes, required quick thinking, excellent people skills, it was fast-paced, with something new everyday, plus I got to do the bookkeeping and inventory, which, though I know it is weird, I love!

I have this amazing friend of 17 years, he is a lawyer, a home chef extraordinaire, one of the best friend's you could ever hope for, plus handsome and smart and kind...oh and he can knit! Well he and his equally amazing girlfriend recently started a cocktail club called EVOE! to shine a light on the history and deliciousness of the cocktail! They have been invited to create the cocktail menus for some amazing events, and every now and again I come out of retirement to work with them.

Here I am tending bar at the Red Bull/Makers Faire event (put on by Adam Aleksander Presents) and at the Michelin NY 2010 release party (from their facebook page). Thank you M and N for a few great evenings of fun and the reincarnation of previous self!

Been Gone...

2010-10-12T10:37:00.000-04:00

I'll post some new stuff soon...have a camera full of abandoned shoes, houses i'm obsessed with, B's birthday and school and lunches and BFF.....business has conspired with technical difficulty and blog has been temporarily abandoned....will come back.

Dear Aunt S......

2010-09-09T23:12:00.001-04:00

Besides being one of the smartest and most stylish people I know, you are wise and kind, empathetic and entertaining, loving and lovable. You are amazing, one of those people that everyone wants to know and talk to. I can't believe how much I lucked out being your sister. You are my most dear friend, my most dependable ally, and the best Aunt I could hope for to my little B.

Just thought I would take a minute tonight and tell you how much I love you and appreciate all that you do for us and are to us, to me.

Love you sister.

Happy Fourth Birthday Baby Boy!

2010-09-07T21:23:00.001-04:00

You have filled my life with such joy. I remember the day you were born...I knew you would come that day and I waited, so eager to meet you. You were late, past your due date, but as with most things, once you decided to come out you were quick about it. Dr. David delivered you to me (a million thank yous Dr. David) and he set you in my arms and you were beautiful, sort of pink and yellow all at the same time, with such tiny perfect limbs and fingers. I couldn't bear to be away from you after you were born, I took you with me everywhere, cuddled up next to me in your carrier. As you got bigger we would chat. You always liked people and would smile and coo at everyone we met, they always smiled back at you. You were such a beautiful, round ball of a delight as a baby. Babies grow into toddlers, and eventually you did too. You took a long time getting around to walking too, but one day you just walked, but you still liked me to carry you. You would walk everywhere in the park though, and still you liked to talk to people. Eventually you started to speak in sentences, with your little lisp. You would say "otay" whenever I asked you to do something....bigger still you would kiss me and tell me that you loved me. I love you to my boy. You are good at puzzles, and you like to play games. You love superheros, and I love your theories. Maybe superheros did live with the dinasours....they are all extinct now. You are in school now, and I miss you while you are gone, even though I rush about trying to work. My favorite time of day is 3 o'clock, when I pick you up and you run to me. You were so tired tonight..it was a long day of birthday...you fell asleep before we got to your third book. I finished Little Bear all by myself. I love you my sweet four year old! Such a big boy you are, and so handsome and clever. Sweet too, we keep talking about plans for your birthday party next week, but you just keep telling me about all the gifts you want to get for your friends. I can't wait to see what you grow up to be, but I hope you take a long time getting there, because I love every day I spend with you now.

You are the most dear and best thing that has ever happened to me. Happy Birthday my sweet sweet boy.

I love my son

2010-08-12T00:46:00.000-04:00

Just sayin'. He is the sweetest, most beautiful, delicious boy thing that has ever existed. I didn't get to spend much time with him today and he is asleep now. Asleep in his own bed...lately he has been wanting to sleep there. I worked for months to get him to sleep there and give us some room back in our bed, but now I miss his warm little body, I miss hearing his breath. I still have to get up in the night to make sure he is breathing....I used to check like a 100 times per night, but now just a couple.

I love my son. So inadequate for this feeling.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-07-27T21:39:00.000-04:00

This is actually a lunch from last week, before my camera died and I couldn't find the charger.

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, on pumpernickel bread, with a drizzle of olive oil
Raisins
Snap Pea crisps
Tomatoes (they are in season, and all of their deliciousness is to be found at the Farmer's Market! I am thinking of some gazpacho I want to make!)
Edamame

This lunch was a bit of an experiment...and one that didn't really go well. B has decided that he does not like tomatoes! Alas! Alack! Who is this son of mine? Surely this is only a phase and he will come to his senses soon! He also didn't eat the edamame or the cheese! The edamame I can understand, but why my son refuses delicious Mozzarella cheese I could not tell you, especially since he eats every other kind of cheese imaginable! He did eat the bread though.

Pea & Basil Soup and Thunderstorms

2010-07-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

I had the most delicious (and healthy) dinner tonight. Pea & Basil Soup over some quinoa, with a swirl of basil pesto....mmmmmm...I want more just thinking of it. It was actually very simple to make...some onion and garlic in olive oil for about a minute, added the peas (I used frozen ones that I wanted to get rid of, but would be even better if they were fresh...) cooked for a few minutes, until the peas were bright green, added about 2 cups of water and some salt and pepper then covered and let it simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes. Blended in a handful of fresh basil with the immersion blender, poured it over the quinoa and added a spoonful of some delicious pesto I made this weekend (also very easy to do, something I did not realize until very recently)

I would have taken a picture of it, but the charger for my camera has been missing for about a week now, instead here is another picture from our vacation. My Mom and Baby Boy were watching a thunderstorm out the window of her house. There was actually a tornado warning in the city this week!, but I didn't even realize it until the next day. Obviously we are all okay! In Kentucky, where I grew up, tornados are common, and every spring you have to watch the weather carefully. I used to love the storms, the sky would go from bright to dark in minutes and then the rain would start coming down in sheets. Our whole family would sit on the front porch, watching the rain, ready with blankets and food to dash down to the basement should the storm get dangerous... it was nice in the basement too, we would play card games and wait for the storm to blow over. I'm glad B got to watch a storm with his Grandma.

PS Happy Birthday Grampa! I was going to post a picture of you and B from our visit, but you seemed to avoid my camera all week. Love you though!

I love these boys!

2010-07-25T22:26:00.000-04:00

Was going to post about our vacations, but after a morning of laundry, a full day of fun with BFF, and dinner with Aunt S, I'm too tired. So here are some pics of the boys hanging out. Really what is there not to love? and they love each other so much....nothing sweeter!

Where have we been?

2010-07-24T23:03:00.000-04:00

Well first we were on vacation: Tennesse to visit my parents, then the Northfork with BFF and family...and then my sister bought a place and had 10 days to move, and 12 days before my Dad and Step-mom got here...and in the midst of all of that I put together a kid's room for a client...and have another project in construction. Baby Boy liked the vacations, but has been less fond of his distracted Mother. Yesterday we played in the sprinklers after school and then his Daddy brought home Sorry (the board game) so today we sat in the air-conditioning (mostly) and cleaned his room and played Sorry....oh and I took an hour long nap while Bowie played Batman (he was supposed to be napping with me, but only I fell asleep)

OIL SPILL

2010-06-14T15:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay, I shouldn't follow up that last post with this....I try to keep my personal blog on a lighter note and also things like the oil spill make me feel not just sad, but helpless. I don't own a car (which is not to say I never drive, and I live in NY which makes it easier for me, I realize this is not a choice everyone can make) I try to buy local and vintage, both for myself and my clients (though I definitely have a little bit of an IKEA addiction) and I avoid petroleum based products (did you know crayolas are made with petroleum?) but I can't clean up the gulf. I am a decorator not an engineer. I am a mother not a politician, and over the last several years, though of course I continue to vote, I feel like the system is so corrupt that means very little. So I just feel helpless. I sign petitions and read and try to educate myself and my son, but seriously, there are dead dolphins and they are cleaning it up with paper towels. Thanks? Mother Jones reporter Mac Mccleeland for kayaking into the oil-filled gulf to get some truth on camera.

Thoughts on Food While In TN

2010-06-14T15:13:00.001-04:00

No photo here. I am down south visiting my parents, both of whom have type 2 diabetes. For all of my thoughts on food and pictures of what I serve my son, I live in a place where most of the parents and children I hang with take it as a matter of course not to feed their children fast food and high-fructose corn syrup. You would probably be ostracized from the play-group if you gave your child a sip of soda, but here all of those things are a way of life for children and adults alike. I am not making a blanket, biased statement, I am saying this based on very unscientific observation and a lot of reading. I don't think there are any parents who set out to feed their children (and themselves) poison, but they (all of us really) are victims of not just un-education, but actual mis-education, an under-funded, under-staffed FDA put up against companies with massive ad budgets. Even the companies serving organic are part of the system. They just discovered lead in juice, in brands running the gamut from organic to big company, and no one knows how it got there! What chance do our children have of growing up to be healthy in this environment? To borrow the words of Jamie Oliver, we need a revolution!

Also, I just found this blog, a lot of interesting articles.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-06-09T17:27:00.001-04:00

Banana
Broccoli
Snappea Crisps
Cheese Tortellini with olive oil and Parmesan cheese

This was another popular lunch...though B did not eat the broccoli. The banana is a lot, and I usually try to avoid sending them with his lunch. Though nanas do have some good stuff in them (and they are delicious!) they also have a lot of sugar! which makes B a little crazy.

Peacock Butt

2010-06-09T17:20:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist one last picture from our trip to the Bronx Zoo last week. I don't think I have ever noticed the back of a peacock's tail....I find the structure amazing! Not as technicolor as the front, but certainly as beautiful. Not many animals that are as beautiful from the ass as they are from the front, but because peacocks are so beautiful from the front here is that pic also:

Daily Lunch Box

2010-06-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

Sliced Jack Cheese
Broccoli
Sesame Bread Sticks (these were an experiment, B keeps begging for those gross, little, chemical-laden Snackables, the ones with the fake cheese spread and bread sticks, which the grocery store displays at kid eye-level. Anyhoo, before I let my rant go to far, I tried to make him his own, and made a sort of pimento-esque cheese spread for him, but he, of course, refused to eat it. The breadsticks I bought to go in his fake lunchables he likes however.)
Blackberries

This was super easy to throw together, the only thing that even took a tiny bit of doing was steaming up the frozen broccoli. Successful as well. B ate almost everything.

Vintage Table

2010-06-08T21:41:00.000-04:00

I like this table, spotted at the sidewalk cafe of Five Leaves. The picture really doesn't do it justice (man I need a better camera!) but it has a great patina of age, under the green you can see spots of mustard-yellow, and deep red.
I really like this restaurant in general, beautiful, amazing decor and I could eat their home-made ricotta cheese every night.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-06-07T22:51:00.000-04:00

Jack Cheese
Hard-Boiled Egg
Strawberries (now at the Farmer's Market!)
Red Grapes
Snap Pea Crisps (oh my god, if you have never had these, go out and buy a bag right now, delicious for children and adults alike)

This lunch was a little heavy on the fruit and nary a grain in sight, but B ate almost all of it...except for the egg yolk, came back perfectly intact minus the white. How did he do that?

The Bronx Zoo

2010-06-05T18:01:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have one of those of days? One of those days where you realize you are the crazy Mom yelling at your kid, and talking to your kid, even the things he wants to do, is like talking to a brick wall and you just want to lock yourself in a room for a while? Well B and I are having one of those days and right now he is laying on the floor of his room playing (after a no nap day) and I am sitting here on the computer. So instead of dwelling here are a whole bunch of pictures of a beautiful day we had at the Bronx Zoo earlier this week when B's godfather was visiting from Chicago.

Waiting for the Reveal

2010-06-03T16:39:00.000-04:00

I have been watching this house for a while, in fact I am sure I have a bunch of pictures I never posted somewhere......Underneath that tarp it had been peeled completely back to the original facade...then it just sat there for months, freed of the vinyl siding, but no work. (I wonder if they were doing work without a permit and got shut down?) Walked by the other day and it was completely covered up. I can't wait to see what happens! Probably something hideous....but all that work makes me feel hopeful.

Mother's Day with Baby Boy--a really delayed posting

2010-06-03T16:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes things sit on my desktop for a while waiting to be posted. Take this gold chocolate shoe for instance; this is what B picked out from Jaques Torres to give me for Mother's Day. Odd, but delicious (FYI: it was real gold dust)

Rat Houses

2010-06-03T16:24:00.000-04:00

Made In Brooklyn

2010-05-27T20:51:00.000-04:00

Everyone seems to have moved on to ICFF (which I didn't attend this year, just so big! felt overwhelmed and figured everyone would blog about it!) but I just ran across this bike rack I saw at Brooklyn Designs. So cool, especially in a long narrow NY hallway.

Seriously, someone go buy this awesome vintage Creative Playthings Kitchen

2010-05-27T20:44:00.000-04:00

It's at Junk, on Driggs and No 9th, $50, great shape. Seriously though, been there for over six months and every time I go there I want to buy it, and we really, really, really don't need it (especially since we already have an awesome vintage toy kitchen!)

East Village Edition

2010-05-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before that I lived in the East Village for several years (well back then it was still called Alphabet City and people were still shooting up on doorsteps, but that is another story) This store front is on 2nd Ave, and I find it very comforting. Even as fancy restaurants, little expensive boutiques, and big fancy condo buildings have overtaken the neighborhood (the old CBGBs is a John Varvatos store for God's sake!) this place has remained exactly the same, right down to the really dirty Spiderman sheets hanging in the storefront window. I kinda want the Spiderman sheets.

Balthaup Kitchen

2010-05-17T12:51:00.000-04:00

That wardrobe reminded me of this amazing kitchen storage system from Balthaup which I covet, but will probably never be able to afford. I do have a few friends, that if they ever build their dream kitchens, I might point the way to this....or next time I have a really large budget to do a client's kitchen.

Awesomeness

2010-05-17T12:41:00.001-04:00

Saw this wardrobe in LONNY magazine. So many little storage places, so obssessed. I would use this in a million places...a kids room, as an entire office in say a living room, as a tool closet, oh I could think of more, but let's just enjoy the perfection of a lot of little boxes and bags to organize hoarding tendencies.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-05-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

Whole wheat cheese tortellini w/homemade basil & arugula pesto
Green Beans
Blackberries

My sister says she likes my blog but that the Daily Lunch Box is a little boring...here's the thing though, I think about what my son eats a lot. I feel like in this fast food, pre-packaged, chemical laden atmosphere you have to. It's not like you can trust marketing, or even the FDA to protect your family from stuff that's bad for you, and I want to do my best to nourish him so that at least that is a part of his life and not something he has to figure out on his own. My point, I'm damn proud of the food I put together for him and I want to look back at this and feel a sense of accomplishment.

If you want just a little web-browsing about the things we eat here are a few links (nothing new, all this stuff made the rounds a while back, but worth looking at)

Jamie Oliver's TED speech
Fed up with School Lunch -- a blog where a teacher eats her school's lunch every day -- has a lot of great education guest posts as well
Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign
Gluten Free Girl -- I love how Shauna and The Chef make food so joyful
101 Cookbooks -- one of my favorite sites for cooking inspiration

Brooklyn Designs

2010-05-17T11:28:00.002-04:00

As per my yearly tradition I went to Brooklyn Designs with my sister and my son last week. It was cool, though a lot of the same as last year. This display of found gloves, which wasn't at the show, but at a store nearby, was my favorite thing. I did really, really, really, really love Grow House Grow's new patterns (and the designer is such a sweet woman).

Daily Lunch Box

2010-05-10T20:52:00.000-04:00

Cream Cheese & Cucumber Sandwich on Raisin Semolina Bread (from our favorite baker at the Farmer's Market....what is their name?)
Pea Shoot & Cherry Tomatoes with Brianna's Poppyseed Dressing (I love this stuff, it makes me want to eat salad for every meal, alas, though I got B to eat this exact salad the evening before and beg for more, he didn't touch it!)
An Apple

Daily Lunch Box

2010-05-07T21:09:00.000-04:00

This seems to be left-overs week.
Annie's mac & Cheese, with peas (from dinner last night)
Grapes
the last of the Cranberries, and graham cracker bunnies
Veggie Bootie

I couldn't get all of the food in the photo if I put it in the lunch box, here is what it looked like all packed and ready to go.

Love

2010-05-06T17:15:00.002-04:00

I have a conundrum that I have been trying to figure out for years.....people say that they just fall out of love, but here is the thing I have been thinking....when we fall in love with someone, what we really fall in love with is all of the good things about them....the best them, and the best of ourselves, but no one is ever their best all the time. So when we say we fell out of love, what we really mean, is that we lost our faith. Maybe the best them got so hidden behind their faults or caught up in our own faults, or bad times, or bad fights that you couldn't see it anymore, and one day you just stopped believing that the best existed.

When do you say that? When do you say, I have lost my faith, and just walk away?

Founding Fathers

2010-05-05T21:56:00.000-04:00

Is the spirit of the people an infallible, a permanent reliance? Is it government? Is this the kind of protection we receive in return for the rights we give up? Besides, the spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. A single zealot may commence prosecutor, and better men be his victims. It can never be too often repeated, that the time for fixing every essential right on a legal basis is while our rulers are honest, and ourselves united. From the conclusion of this war we shall be going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, which will not be knocked off at the conclusion of this war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion.

- Thomas Jefferson

Was he prescient, or just very wise? I get so sick of hearing about the founders of our country...what they believed, thought....used as an excuse for all sorts of atrocities and ignorance. They were prolific writers, you just have to read it.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-05-04T23:05:00.000-04:00

Sharp Cheddar with mustard on whole wheat bread
Veggie Bootie
Cherry Tomatoes
Pickle from The Pickle Guys

Okay, not my best effort. We had a long weekend over here at Casa Brooklyn: great, fun, but long. My sister and I threw a huge KY Derby Party on Saturday (we are from Louisville, home of Churchill Downs, and have the party every year) I spent a lot of last week cleaning house and finishing up some projects around the place (pics of the house in coming days....) I was so inspired by the cleaning up that I decided to have a stoop sale on Sunday....perhaps over estimating my energy, but I made $17 (totally worth the like 20 trips up and down our 3 flights of stairs!) and got rid of some stuff. Anyway, long story short (don't really know why I say that, it's a long story longer, LOL) both B and I overslept a bit this morning and were just rushing (or I was rushing, and trying to get my 3 year old to rush, an iffey endeavor at best) to get out the door. Got down the stairs and realized I had not only forgotten to bring his lunch, I had actually forgotten to make it! So this was a throw together, mostly leftovers from the party. He didn't eat the tomatoes.

More wierd things I have seen

2010-05-04T19:32:00.000-04:00

What is that you say? Under the bushes, outside of the McDonald's?

Ahh, its a sculpey fry. Oh and they glued it to the ground. Awesome.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-04-27T16:41:00.000-04:00

Some sort of mushroom focaccia from the farmer's market, I added some marinara sauce
String Cheese
Grapes
Peas

The night before we ate some of this bread to see if B would like it, of course he gobbled it up, but the next day his lunch came back, all the sauce licked off but the bread intact. Sigh.

Spring is here!

2010-04-27T16:37:00.000-04:00

Spring has sprung! Everything is full of color, and life seems good. BB can hardly hold still, the only time he seems to stop is when he is asleep. I love this time of year, even the rain feels good.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-04-26T19:22:00.001-04:00

Hummus--this is Sabra brand
7 grain wheat crackers from Kashi
Sliced Cucumber
Baby Carrots

This came back with what appears to be about 1 bite of the hummus, 1 carrot, and most of the crackers gone....I don't always understand what he eats out of his lunch. Most days I try to send things that I know he loves, like he loves this hummus, but it doesn't seem to matter...hmmmmmmmm.....how can I get him to actually eat these things. Admittedly I am sending him with more than he usually eats, and extra choices...maybe I should send him with just the right amount?

Daily Lunch Box

2010-04-20T12:46:00.003-04:00

Cheddar Cheese on whole grain bread with mustard
Veggie Booty (Baby Boy's version of Cheetos, I swear these are like crack to him, he can gobble a whole bag)
Strawberries
Carrots

Obviously the strawberries are not in season in the US, however B begged for them at the grocery. The baby carrots are just from the grocer as well. I should say, though I buy a lot of our produce at the local green market, I keep on hand frozen peas, baby carrots, and broccoli at all times. They are go-to veggies when B won't eat anything else.

Faux-bois scrap paper

2010-04-20T12:34:00.003-04:00

I like how this present came out. I keep scraps of paper with interesting patterns, this one was from a flower boquet and the red ribbon is a re-use from a gift I received.

Peeling the Onion

2010-04-19T22:17:00.002-04:00

I love it when I see all of the layers that have been applied to buildings being peeled back to reveal their original selves. I especially like it when I find 100 year old buildings in this neighborhood being freed of their vinyl siding.

Daily Lunch Box

2010-04-19T21:54:00.003-04:00

I really enjoy making my son's lunch. I feel like feeding him is literally one of the most important things I provide him. I pay attention to what he eats, where the food comes from, and what's in it. I am not above using boxed food (cous-cous and Annie's mac and cheese are faves in our house) and I'm definitely not perfect, but I try to keep it seasonal and local when it comes to produce, I try to give him balanced choices, full of whole-grains and veggies. Sometimes I have to be a little sneaky about it, like adding arugula to pasta sauce, and sometimes I discover things he loves (asparagus) that I wouldn't have expected him to like. He is a picky eater and I don't ever force him to eat anything he doesn't like, but I make him try everything before he decides he doesn't like it. By preparing his food from mostly fresh ingredients I can control what sustains him rather than a big conglomerate teaching him to like high-fructose corn syrup and re-configured chicken nuggets. I hope that he grow up to be strong and healthy, but also to appreciate food, the farmers who grow it and raise it and most importantly that it does matter what he puts into his body. I've started recording his daily lunches, hell, I'm proud of them, and I thought I would post them here.
Pearled cous-cous with basil. I added peas, dried cranberries, and Parmesan cheese.
Cucumber slices
Baby Carrots
Fruit leather

I feel like this is a little lacking in protein, at home when I make the cous-cous I add almonds, but his school is nut-free.

Spiderman at a Princess Party

2010-03-22T10:15:00.003-04:00

This was the scene at the birthday party we went to this weekend. For a long while B was the only boy there. It was a Prince and Princess party, but B wanted to be Spiderman. He says that Spiderman rescues the Princes and Princesses. Who am to argue with such logic.

There was a dance class involved, and he joined briefly, but then when all the little girls started running in a circle with floaty arms, he just stopped and looked around, the expression on his face bewildered. I snuck over to him to ask what was up and he wanted out, so he came and sat with me and we had pizza while the little girls all floated.

What to do over a rainy weekend

2010-03-16T16:30:00.004-04:00

Clean off your fridge. Obsessively line up every single word from your word magnets, categorized by word length. Create a magnetic movable alphabet, which your son quickly tires of.

Bauhaus - ha ha ha!

2010-02-17T11:15:00.004-05:00

So I am obsessed with the new blog Unhappy Hipsters, which takes photos, mostly from Dwell, and attaches some hilarious copy. Last week this picture appeared:

with the following caption, "Daddy was making them watch yet another documentary on the impact of Bauhaus on American architecture."
This made me laugh aloud for many reasons beyond that it was just funny, not the least of which my Dad was a big documentary/NOVA/politics watcher and forced us to sit through many things, like the presidential debates between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in 1980 (I was 6) or cooler things like the time he woke us up in 1981
a few minutes before MTV debuted at midnight with Video Killed the Radio Star. I recently actually dragged my 3 year old son to the MOMA with me to see the Bauhaus retrospective.
Anyway,why this made me laugh is not really the point. What is my point, well humor. My BB has lately been trying to figure out humor, and so when I laughed aloud he stopped what he was doing and ran over and demanded to see what had made me laugh. I showed him the picture and read him the caption, and he laughed hysterically and said "Bauhaus" followed by more hysterical laughter. So now all I have to do is say the word "Bauhaus" and he cracks up.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T15:58:00.007-05:00

Last week I went to B's school to decorate valentine's "mailboxes" with the kids. It was a lot of fun...I forgot how much fun stickers can be! It was the first time in a while I had so much fun with Valentine's Day that I forgot to cynically comment on this "Hallmark" Holiday. Really what are we celebrating? What about vicious massacre says "I love you"? Well there, I guess I couldn't let it pass completely without comment...

What we had for lunch - adding some green

2010-02-12T13:03:00.005-05:00

B pretty much refuses to eat anything green other than broccoli or peas. I have been forced to become a little sneaky and do things like this. Sautee a little arugula, add jarred marinara sauce (Newman's Own Marinara, in this case) heat and puree. Served on a snowy afternoon with pasta, peas, and some grated cheddar.

Baby Boy says something cute

2010-02-11T19:48:00.002-05:00

Baby Boy watched an X-men cartoon yesterday with his Dad (we were snowed in along with the rest of the North East!) which has led to a new game. Jumping around on the couch and setting things on pretend fire by shooting pretend fireballs out of his hands. He says "SHHHHHHHHOOOOOO! Your Fired!"

Vintage How-To - Playhouse

2010-02-11T14:56:00.004-05:00

This project is from a Better Homes and Garden Book from 1977, Outdoor Projects You Can Build. I actually have a huge collection of vintage design books and how to books that I often reference for work. I thought this would also make a great bunk bed project, sort of like the Kid's Room from Studiomama that made the blog rounds last year.

On another note, more of my tech illiteracy, I need to figure out how to increase the quality of my scans.

Cool Idea

2010-02-11T13:11:00.003-05:00

I love this idea via the kitchn! I also have one of those oven handles that sits very close to the oven door, so little room to slip my towel behind it. This is a project simple enough that even I can finish it in one go.

What we had for dinner last night

2010-01-23T15:51:00.009-05:00

Pizza Toast. This is another left-over/quickie dinner that B really likes, definitely not a new idea (god knows I remember eating this quite a bit when I was a kid!) I started with the photo of the final product, but here is what I had to start with:

A yellow pepper(that I meant to use for a tex-mex take on red beans and cornbread, but haven't gotten around to making this week)
Some baby spinach (from my own salad making ingredients that I never seem to make it through)
3 different kinds of cheese, Romano, sharp cheddar, and jack, with just a tiny bit left of each.
Health Nut Bread from Arnold (My dad always got this for us as kids and both my sister and I love it and crave it. It is yummy and nutty, and full of whole grains, though it does have some sugar in it.)
Newman's Own Organic Pasta Sauce, Tomato and Basil
Frozen Peas (I only buy the Cascadian Farm Organic ones. I thought it was my imagination that they tasted better than the regular ones, but B refuses to eat the regular kind. These really are rounder, brighter, and they hold their "crispness" and "vegginess" when they are prepared.)

Assembling the ingredients is the hardest part of this dinner. I popped the peas and the sauce into a pot and let them heat up for a few minutes over a low flame, just to warm up the sauce and defrost the veggies. While I was doing that I pre-toasted the bread. This is important because if you don't do this it will come out of the toaster oven soggy. I also chopped up about 1 quarter of the pepper and washed the spinach. After the bread was toasted I set my toaster oven to broil, and B and I assembled our pizzas. The real question here, at least in my mind, is whether to put the veggies over or under the cheese...matter of personal preference I guess. For the record I put the veggies on top, except for the peas which were mixed in with the sauce.
I decided to throw some sunflower seeds on the top at the last minute because they were sitting out on the counter and looked good, but they were really too much with the health nut bread. They probably would be good with just a plain whole wheat (or almonds...)
Popped it in the toaster oven, and let it stay in until the cheese started to melt and brown....about 3 or 4 minutes I think.

Simple dinner and easy way to get my B to eat some veggies. Quick too. In fact I think writing this post took me longer than cooking this dinner!

Inspiration: Chalkboard Headboard

2010-01-19T13:12:00.002-05:00

kid room, garnet hill
Originally uploaded by shalomama

I must admit that I am fully on board with the chalkboard wall trend. In this apartment I haven't done one, but in my previous apartment I painted a whole room with chalkboard paint, and the apartment before that (almost 10 years ago!) I created a huge 4' x 6' chalkboard in our entry. I loved this idea that I saw a while back in Garnet Hill's catalog. They turned the wall at the head of the bed into a chalkboard...I know this was just a bit of clever styling meant to sell the solar system bedding (which I also love!) but I see it as an even cleverer solution to changing themes in a bedroom for a growing child. If you were an artsy sort of parent you could do a new wall mural every few months (or even just a few times/year, as chalk smearing necessitated) to reflect the changing interests of your young one. A quick bedding swap from time to time, and walla, it's years before your kid outgrows their room!

Collage?

2010-01-19T12:02:00.001-05:00

Not sure this is exactly what I want, but at least it gets all images together instead of floating about...was really easy to do with Picasa.

East Village Craigslist

2010-01-18T22:28:00.013-05:00

I've been really missing living in Manhattan lately. I started to furnish my imagined East Village abode from Craigslist last night, and today it all seemed to come together with a few additions from Overstock and ebay.

I loved this little round table (perfect size for my new (imagined, but lets be realistic) smaller abode...and have always lusted after the eames shell chairs with the wooden eifel base and these knock-offs are on sale at Overstock for $187/pair.

Next up the living area...I still need to find a coffee table but I love this sofa with the vintage industrial rolling cart as a side table and this rug:

I really love this chair, but feel like it needs something a little more subtle (and a little softer)then the hit you in the face green, so I found this vintage french ticking fabric on ebay.

And of course I couldn't live without books, and everyone needs some extra storage, so these metal shelves from HON (there are 3 available, so perfect to line a wall) fit the bill, but I would add some vintage wallpaper to peep out from the back, maybe this busy, but bright pattern that I keep watching on ebay but never seem to buy:

Finally a few accessories; these antique drafting stools (there are four available) would look great set at different heights with a few ferns on them in a corner or by a window, they also continue the sort of industrial theme I have going in the shelves and tables so far, maybe could even use one of them with a lamp on it for a side table next to the chair:

and finally a mirror to hang over the sofa:

I like this one because it is smoke glass, so a little more subtle than a regular mirror.

That's it for my imaginary move to the East Village...on a side note, I really need to figure out how to lay out a photo collage on the computer so I can put together inspiration boards......

Oh, one more thing, all of these craigslist items are located in the east village (except for the mirror, which is in the west village) so easy pick-up and delivery.

What we had for dinner last night

2010-01-17T11:57:00.004-05:00

I have been embracing soup this winter, and one of the easiest things I do is make what I call my left-over vegetable soup.
Just saute about half an onion and a few cloves of garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt. I don't know exactly how long I saute for, but usually while I cut up veggies. For this soup I had carrots (about 4, medium sized)and broccoli (a little more than one head), since carrots take a little longer to get soft I threw them in the pan while I chopped up the broccoli. Tossed the broccoli and carrots about until the broccoli was bright green, about two minutes, then added two cups of veggie broth (this makes a thick soup, and you could add as much as 4 cups) Bring to a boil, turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 5 min. (I always just test the veggies by taking some out with a fork and tasting to make sure they are tender, but not overcooked) My son will only eat soup if it is pureed so I keep an immersion blender about, which is perfect for this task. Salt and pepper to taste.

I added some sharp cheddar and a piece of whole-grain toast. Probably could have added a little more protein, white-beans maybe? but B and I enjoyed our warm dinner.

Detail

2010-01-17T11:52:00.001-05:00

A little detail of the vintage throw, against the Thomas O'Brien for Target coverlet.

My Bed

2010-01-17T11:49:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the off-colors in this image. Been having a hard time getting good shots in the dead of winter with my little point and click...I am longing for the sunlight to come back! Anyhoooo, I like the mix of patterns on my bed. The art over the bed is a street find. I'm not sure if it is the right scale, I might move it, but I like it well enough for now.

Vintage Curtains

2010-01-17T11:47:00.001-05:00

I cleaned out my fabric closet yesterday...this is my collection of vintage drapes...I used to have even more but I sold some and gave some away. I swear I'll use these one day.

B and his Dad

2010-01-17T11:42:00.003-05:00

Two of the greatest things about living in NYC are The Museum of Natural History, and street hot dogs. Here are my boys enjoying the later while sitting on the steps of the former.

Cache of Los Angeles Vintage Trikes

2009-12-01T12:04:00.002-05:00

It seems that now that I have found out where these bikes are from I keep seeing them. Don't know where I found this pic, it has just been sitting on my desktop for a while, but there are two more of Los Angeles vintage designs sitting front and center amongst all of the modern kid's bikes.

Baby Boy's room at Ohdeedoh!

2009-11-06T20:41:00.003-05:00

I entered baby boy's room at the big color contest on ohdeedoh, and they actually put it up. I am overly excited by this. Now I want to get to the finals, but my photography is pretty lacking I must say. Oh well.

Sweeeeet trash find

2009-11-04T21:27:00.003-05:00

Found this little library table in the trash the other day. I think I am going to do a poor-man's laquer job on it...maybe a bright yellow, or a peacock blue.....hmmmmm. Any suggestions? I want to use it as a bedside table. I can't locate my camera to take a pic of the bedroom right now, but I have the now discontinued Hemnes 4 poster bed in yellow from IKEA:

with the Thomas O'Brien Willow coverlet, in natural, from Target:

Congrats BFF

2009-11-04T20:12:00.004-05:00

This is BB and BFF walking down the boardwalk on B's third bday.. Congrats BFF on turning 3 yourself, and on your fresh out of the oven baby brother!

Kid's room accessories I like

2009-10-29T14:17:00.004-04:00

Love this hippo and elephant made from recycled shoes, available at Anthropologie. They are big enough a kid could sit on them, but I wonder if they are sturdy enough.....also a little pricey for a decorative piece for a kid's room. At $298 you might as well save yourself $8 and get the Eames elephant, at least there is an established resale value there.

R.I.P. Eames Chairs

2009-10-23T17:23:00.004-04:00

I have owned these chairs for many years, 12 to be exact. I bought them for $100 from an architect I worked with at the time, who lived in Sty Town. My ex and I carried them home six blocks to Alphabet City, on our heads. They are one of the few things I took when we broke up. When I bought the pair the original 1978 orange leather was in perfect shape; but several cats, even more moves, and one baby boy later this is what they look like.
Realizing these were from another part of my life, one that I didn't need anymore, I finally put them up on Craigslist. A lovely young couple came to get them, and I watched them carry them down my stairwell, a chair on each person's head.

Dream House

2009-10-23T17:02:00.002-04:00

Look carefully...do you see the house hiding in the back? This is my dream property...a house tucked behind a building and a secret garden. Totally run down and ready for me to give some love to. (it is also one block from the subway!)

Baby Boy's Big Boy Room

2009-10-16T19:47:00.006-04:00

Spent most of last weekend working on B's room. Of course still lots of things I would like to do, but here it is, hopefully ready for play and sleep. Had our first playdate in it today and both kids had a good time. The tiger painting isn't actually ours but it is on loan from neighbor until we find just the right thing.

Yellow doors

2009-09-27T16:09:00.005-04:00

I love this house I walked by the other day. Love everything about it; the inexpensive materials used so well; the way the light glances off the aluminum sheeting; the thoughtful placement of the windows, just high enough that you can't see in from street level, but I'm sure they flood the house with light, and the corner window on the second floor; the fact that the house is off-set on the lot so that you enter through a bright yellow gate, and then the door to the actual house does not abut the street; the yellow gate! and how well it plays off the grey/metallic aluminum; also I think this is one of those properties, that seems to have been common at one time in the greenpoint/williamsburg area where the original house is set on the back of the lot, and this new modern nicety, seems to have been added, while the original house hides, tucked away sweetly behind the yellow gate and front of modernism. I have in fact been thinking a lot about how you deal with residential properties that face busy streets, and the designer of this place dealt with that beautifully.
I am especially charmed by the hand-painted address:

I will say that I have been obsessed with all things mustard lately, and am in fact working on two projects where I am dealing with yellows. I think that mustard yellow (particularly when combined with grey) is becoming a major trend, and just to prove my point, about five minutes after I passed that house I passed an almost completed reno with another yellow door:

Street Shoes

2009-09-23T22:22:00.003-04:00

Have you ever noticed how many shoes are left on the streets of NY. I have pictures of them that I have been collecting pictures of them, here are a few nice tennis shoes hanging out by the mailbox.

Happy New Year

2009-09-23T22:12:00.002-04:00

Last week we had an amazing Rosh Hashanha dinner courtesy of BFF's grandparents. Wonderful night for all and the boys delighted in each other's company as always.

First Day of School

2009-09-22T22:12:00.004-04:00

Here is B dancing on his way to his first day of school last week. So far he loves it. There are 6 kids total, and they all seem to like one another, and they all love their teacher, Ms. C. I love her too. She teaches B new songs and games, and he comes home filled with news of tree exploring and games that I have never heard of. He has one friend that likes to be Batman, which is good because he likes to be Spiderman, so it all works out for crime-fighting and knocking down the robots.
I also must say that I enjoy the almost 6 hours of uninterrupted time I get to actually do work. I think, in my quest to overly record my child's life and please his grandparents with a steady supply of new pictures, that I am going to attempt to blog his outfit every day (so far he still lets me pick it out most of the time, we will see how long that lasts, lol) on his style blog.

Summer is Gone

2009-09-08T22:11:00.002-04:00

This summer was full for us, and I have neglected posting. We went visiting, I went back to work...I may even post some pics of the work I have been doing....but it was delightful, even if our family was soooooo busy I barely slept. However, now it is fall and yesterday was Baby Boy's third birthday. I guess I should start to call him big boy. He is as beautiful as ever, delightful and clever. I can not imagine my life before him...even on our worst days he is a joy to behold. Yesterday we went to the circus on Coney Island and B and his BFF played in the sand and chased each other about. B's aunt gave him his very own camera and he took pictures of the day (though I must say there were a lot of crotch shots, LOL) He said that now he doesn't have to pretend to take pictures.
Today he went to school, just for an hour, as an introduction, but tomorrow, at 9am I drop him off for his first full day. I look forward to packing his lunch and getting him dressed in the outfit we picked out tonight and walking in the crisp fall morning air to drop him off. He is so excited, I predict that he won't even kiss me goodbye at the door. I think I might cry when I leave him.

Happening right now

2009-06-18T20:01:00.002-04:00

WATCH out! The animals are alive?! WATCH out! DADDY and BOWIE and mommy...WATCH OUT, the animals are here?

These are the words (as far as I can decipher them) to Baby Boy's new song that he just made up.

Steel Big Wheel Mystery

2009-06-05T18:02:00.003-04:00

I found this steel big wheel in the trash on the Upper East Side and of course had to pick it up. I have often wondered about its origins,but have been too lazy to actually track it down, but thanks to Daddytypes, I don't have to. He posted this rickshaw:
for sale at modern50. A few quick googles later I found that the company, Angeles, is still making products. Thanks Greg!

update: Go figure, a site called, Tricyle Fetish, has a whole bunch more info about the company Angeles, history and a couple cool shots of their products. Go check it out.

Family Photo--On Vacation

2009-06-05T16:28:00.004-04:00

This is the last picture I am posting in today's desktop clean-up. Last month we went to DC for a few days, before going down to Charlottesville to visit friends. We took Baby Boy to see the White House, and here is the obligatory photo. I think it was a bit of a disappointment for BB though. We told him we were going to see Obama's house and I think he thought we were going for a playdate with Obama. He was very upset when we couldn't go up to the house and spent the rest of the weekend asking when we could go see Obama.

Baby Boy-The Photographer

2009-06-05T15:56:00.002-04:00

This is James, one of our neighbors. BB loves her.

B loves to get his hands on my camera, after which sessions I find images like these. I actually love these portraits....they have a strange otherworldly quality. I think though, that B does live in a world different than mind, all his edges are still soft.

Baby Boy and his Daddy

2009-06-05T15:36:00.000-04:00

I love this picture.

Annoying Light

2009-06-05T15:26:00.003-04:00

I didn't post this when it happened, but this light continues to annoy the crap out of me! Our bathroom light had to be replaced and I picked up the replacement fixture. I had this clever idea to get an inexpensive light that was meant to be mounted over the mirror, and turn it on it's side so it aligned with the mirror, as a side-light. I explained this to the "electrician" (I put that in quotes because this guy barely deserved the title!) but gave him the option of mounting the light in the more traditional manner, if he was more comfortable with that, and left the room so as not to hover over him in a 6' x 8' space. When I came back this was his interpretation of my instructions; excuse: didn't have a long enough wire to lower the light another 4 inches. Like I said, the light continues to annoy the crap out of me, but at least it works, which is more than I can say for the ceiling fixture (which the "electrician" did not bother to remove).

A perfect rainy day we had:

2009-06-05T15:14:00.006-04:00

We painted and baked banana muffins (an ongoing project to find the right proportions for sugarcane processed sugar free baking, note the Agave syrup).
At the end of the day I had a partly blue B covered in batter:

A great excuse for a splashy bath!