ring in the new year

things around here

have slowed to a crawl.

i am cozy at home,

eating, drinking, sleeping, reading,

and it suits me just fine.

i have spent time considering this blog,

how it serves me,

how it serves you,

how i want to continue.

i'm taking a cue

from other areas in my life

and slowing things down here, as well.

i'm reflecting on the year i've had

and setting my intention for the year ahead.

a few things to share...

this treasury:

this song:

this post:

this recipe, which i switched up to make this:

my version:

sautee an onion in olive oil

add a brick of frozen roasted tomatoes

add 2 cups french lentils

add 5 cups of water

add 2 teaspoons of better than bouillon

simmer for an hour, until lentils are tender

and these favorite ornaments on my tree:

i'm enjoying this time of year

and i hope you are doing the same.

♥

♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥

here's to

peace and love,

joy and adventure,

ease and abundance,

clarity and contentment,

in 2014

♥ ♥ ♥

merry christmas

♥

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

♥

mantel

♥

#xmasjammies

♥

kitchen window

♥

new song

annie, my extra daughter,

showed me this music video today.

these are real couples,

even katy perry & john mayer,

on a real mechanical bull.

don't miss it.

i love you, annban.

♥

treasury & a faux fire

countdown

18...19...20...21...

we're getting closer every day.

ready or not

☼here we go☼

no fireplace?

no problem

it's on netflix.

here are 2 notable reviews:

Despite what some other critics have said, this series is NOT a Hollywood Remake. This is the original crackling fireplace we all remember from our living rooms, filmed on location in Washington State. Episode 1 serves an outstanding introduction to the series, showcasing both a crackling fire, and a marvelous fireplace inside someone's home. To the viewer's delight, the fire spreads (Spoiler) to the other two logs in the fireplace! And boy when that happens, the fire really gets going. Things start to smolder a little towards the end of the first episode, but ep 2 lights a whole nother fire. There are some similarities in plot, setting and characters used, but ep 2 has a symphonic yuletide score underlying the entire episode, as well as some stark differences in the burn patterns that appear on the logs.With the strong reviews ths show has been getting, I'm confident Miramax will develop this beloved series into a full length feature (bonfire?), or maybe an NBC reboot with a more modern take on the series (gas fireplace anyone?). Overall a fantastic series that is a pleasure to watch again and again.

5 stars! Yule Luv It!

I found the performances to be rather wooden. 
But there was no denying the heat between the characters. 
There's no doubt a certain audience will love this,
some people just want to watch the world burn.

♥

organic pop tarts & make your own muppets

i love home-baked breakfast treats

as much as the next guy.

well, maybe more, as evidenced

here, here, here, here,

here, here, and here.

heck, we've even made our own pop tarts.

but sometimes,

{like, when marian needs to eat breakfast before hopping on the 7am bus}

i just want to make things easy.

still good & wholesome, though.

thank you,
organic, gmo-free pop tarts.

we think cherry-pomegranate

is the best flavor.

yum, in a hurry.

and,
did you know that you can

make your own muppet?
yes, at fao schwarz you can design your own
& have it made for around $100.00
but it's fun {and free} to play with
the the online muppet maker.

i made this one

ned made these

make your own here.

you can give a gift card
so someone special can make their own.

♥

frosty fog

it's "thermal inversion" time

here in the treasure valley.

we are under a dense layer of fog,

which makes for some dangerous driving

and diminished air quality.

it can hang around for days.

usually, until we get some wind to clear it up.

for the most part, 

everyone really hates 

the dreaded inversion,

but there is an upside...

it is beautiful!

the fog freezes on all the trees,

making them look positively flocked.

and if the thermal inversion

isn't putting you in a christmas mood,

try this:

♥

tree

and ten ways to slow down

at this busy time of year.

{#8 might be favorite ~ especially the "overbuy" advice}

♥

our little lamb

today

two months ago

♥

holiday open house

today, i made 33 cotton produce bags

for casey's holiday open house

right here in boise

this saturday & sunday

december 14 & 15

11:00 - 4:00

get more details

and the address

☼right here☼

♥

up, up, up

i'm not gonna lie...

this was more fun when missy

was reading my blog.

i actually think she is reading, still.

{just from another place, right gretchen?}

she's been so strong in my heart

these past few days, weeks, months.

i'm thinking about her sweet kids,

her husband,

her mother,

her sisters,

as we earthlings

edge closer and closer to christmas.

there's something so holy about

the crystal-clear cold...

the beautiful starry silence

with the moon hung just so.

i feel like she's peering down 

into my snowglobe.

i love winter.

the cold, the long nights, candles.

she loves summer.

the heat, the flowers, the river.

every solstice,

one of us would complain,

and one of us would remind the other

what is so delicious about it.

so, since it's my most delicious season,

i'm lifting up my thoughts

my love

my prayers
my grateful heart

up through the cold, dark night

to my best pal.

{source}

{photo credit: marian}

♥

rainbow loom

have you heard of

rainbow loom?

i read about it in an ad from our local toy store,

then again in the goop gift guide.

chosen by moses,

gwyneth paltrow's 7 year old son,

i figured there must be something to it.

{although the kid did pick a hamster,

and i know i don't want one of those...}

we gave a rainbow loom to ned for his birthday

two weeks ago with the idea that he could

use it to make some christmas presents.

{we also bought an extra bag of rubber bands and clips}

rainbow loom is basically a plastic "loom" to

loop and weave the little colorful rubber bands

into bracelets.

and let me tell you, it is a hit.

ned is 9 and can make the bracelets,

start-to-finish, all on his own.

marian is 14, and she loves it, too.

i'm betting emily will want to take

rainbow loom back to college with her.

{she and her friends make these}

here's a link to lots of fancy

rainbow loom patterns and tutorials.

you know you want one.

♥

everything counts

♥

do you know what tonight is?

warm towel night.

my kids are big.

they take their own showers.

they dry themselves off.

but on warm towel night,

i get to wrap them up

in fluffy towels straight from the dryer.

i announce,

"tonight's warm towel night!"

and they say,

"yay!"

♥