Monday, December 30, 2013

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
♥ ♥ ♥

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

merry christmas




Monday, December 23, 2013

Saturday, December 21, 2013

#xmasjammies




Thursday, December 19, 2013

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.


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

treasury & a faux fire


18...19...20...21...
we're getting closer every day.
ready or not
here we go


no fireplace?
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.


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

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, 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.
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.



Monday, December 16, 2013

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:


Sunday, December 15, 2013

tree



at this busy time of year.
{#8 might be favorite ~ especially the "overbuy" advice}


Saturday, December 14, 2013

our little lamb


today

two months ago


Friday, December 13, 2013

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


Thursday, December 12, 2013

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.
{photo credit: marian}


Wednesday, December 11, 2013

rainbow loom


have you heard of
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.


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

everything counts





Monday, December 9, 2013

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!"


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