Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Missing Work






I'm waiting for another load of laundry to dry so that I can finish packing my son's bag for our trip to San Diego.  I was perusing my photos to see what I've been up to.  I kind of don't know which way is up sometimes during the holidays.  My kids had a wonderful Christmas, I hope they didn't feel the behind the scenes stresses this year.  I think not.  While I'm looking forward to our visit, I'm finding myself missing our day to day routine and {could it be?} I miss work.  That feels pretty nice.  

I'm looking forward to the calming ocean cruises during naptime, a coffee at Pannakin, visits with friends, crock pot dinner with Dad, and just being there.  I love it there.

What you're seeing above is Tonia washing the glorious spinach {the absolute best}, one of our refrigerated trucks loaded up to go to Tucson, a big bin of navel oranges, and the extent of the paperwork that we have at our farm.  I created the "blue sheet" a few years ago to make things easier and  we're still using it now.

I'm off to CA.  Talk to you next year!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Until next year

Our family festivities have begun.  I hope you and yours have a super duper time together making lots of special new memories.  I'm off to watch Love Actually in bed next to my sick sweetie.

Here's what we'll be doing tomorrow night.


Wednesday, December 22, 2010

I need new glasses

As in glassware.  I'd picked out the classic pint glasses and gibraltar tumblers when I'd gotten married almost 9 years ago.  I have since become little miss food lady and I even had a job selling high-end glassware to hotels and restaurants.  You'd think I'd gotten new stuff by now.  Nah, just busy doing other things and not totally sure what to do with the current set.

I finally have a place to send my old stuff too: Kitchen Switchin'.  It has just opened right in my neighborhood and it looks adorable from the street. They've since added french bistro tables and chairs out front, along with some chic potted roses.



As soon as I've made room in the cabinet, I'm running out to get these European classic glasses: Duralex Picardie


These are durable and even a little sexy.  I know Cost Plus carries them.  These will be my Spring cleaning reward in a few months. :)

What I'm baking

Silly me, I forgot to post that I was featured on Chow Bella on Monday.  Check out my interview here.  I love Chow Bella, it's how I keep up with all of the restaurant openings (and closings too) among other Phx food happenings.  See ya over there!

I took this self portrait at Legoland last Summer. :)

Globe Genie

Ohdeedoh featured this amazing site that will teleport you anywhere in the world.  I finally checked out this MIT student's website: 


only about 5 minutes ago and have already hit "teleport" about 25 times.  It's so addictive and so fun.  I've been to Tasmania, Taiwan, South Africa.  Love this.  Check it out.  Your kids will love this too!

Update: I just went to the Netherlands and I spotted this gorgeous road.


I wonder who lives at the end of this brick pathway?  Wait, I wonder who laid this brick pathway? So pretty.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Lingering over at Ruche and Toms

I'm having trouble focusing right now...








navy shorts, 'cause it's still going to be warm here even as we approach Winter



 this great leather bag

Someone on blogland featured a Ruche purchase and this is why I've been hanging out over there.  I'm also thinking I might need a pair of Toms soon.  They've been growing on me.  If when I head down the street to Frances to try a pair on, and I can slip them on while standing and holding a baby, they just might have to be mine.

These are my picks:
men's navy bimini (would it be weird to wear men's shoes)

men's canvas stitchouts (I guess I'm digging the men's styles more)

another men's pair, grey waxed twill cordones
 ah, here's the women's stuff - burlap
grey canvas
gold herringbone

ok, these are my favorite.  Tiny Toms.  Adorable.


Rocking chair for Gretchen

So I don't have an inch of room for another thing in Gretchen's room but I'd really love this rocking chair for those times when she needs a bit more cuddling and care.  I love this chair from Urban Outfitters.

Monday, December 13, 2010

My weekend in pictures


It started off with a little experiment of a recipe that turned out spectacularly!! I used The Stone Soup's base recipe for divine 4 ingredient cheesecakes and added a 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon allspice and zest of 1/2 a small orange.  To die for! Patrick even gave me two long audible "mmm" sounds.


Then while Sean was studying for his last law school exam {wahoo!} the kids and I cruised Paradise Valley for some pretty holiday decor + sunset views and then headed to the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park Holiday lights and train ride with one of his friends from preschool.


The next-door neighboor's mulberry tree was quite pretty and fall-looking this weekend.



We had 2 birthday parties this weekend too.  One at a bear factory and one at The Little Gym.  Both were super fun. {side note: I'm so excited about my shiny hair lately.  I think it's my shampoo.  Yes!}



I'm looking forward to getting the mail this week to see who has sent us cards.  Here's where they will live at our house this year.  Usually we place them on my piano but a 3 year old seems to have broken the music stand.


Oh, and I want to tell you of my fab shopping morning Sunday.  I got some "Mommy time" and headed to my favorite women's consignment shop {taking the scenic route near my house down Central Ave's Bridle Path - the trees are gorgeous right now} where I keep finding the best Eileen Fisher clothes every time I go in...and they all fit perfectly.  Apparently that's all she buys and rotates her wardrobe frequently.  I did some research on Eileen Fisher today {for fun} and she's an incredible woman.  Check out her story and company.  Sustainable design, amazing company benefits.


This is a visual of their design structure above.  Lovely isn't it?


Whoever you are, thank you!  I found something similar to this in charcoal grey today for $15, regularly $150. 

I rounded out my morning with a trip to a local Goodwill {one I'd not visited before} and scored a stellar preschool block set for my kids for Christmas.  These were had for $40, regularly $240.  I'm so so excited to play with them Christmas morning.

This is my last week doing work for the farm this year.  We'll be on a 2 week vacation - the only one we have all year.

Looking forward to a great week - including Sean's graduation from law school.  Time sure has flown! So proud of him.

xoxo
jen

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Oobr Cool

So our kids were needing to move into bigger and better car seats and here's what we got for Patrick:


It's the Oobr by Clek and it's rad rad rad.  So easy to install and it just looks cool.  We got the black one. Buy buy baby takes the 20% off coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond.  FYI. :)

our holiday card


I look forward every day to getting Christmas/Holiday cards from our friends and family.  We've had our cards for a few weeks but I finally addressed them tonight.  I hope to get them in the mail tomorrow.  We'll see how much I get done.  

I love our picture.  I grabbed our bench, a stool {to place the camera with timer set} and the family {early Halloween day}.  We all seemed to be in good moods and I liked that this was what we were wearing at the time - we never have shoes on.  We do live in Arizona after all.  Simple and sweet.

We're looking forward to having our pictures done by a pro next month - wasn't able to time it right with ordering cards this year.  I won a free session with Tiffany Tcheng of Abbott Graphie {she's a friend of a friend} and I can't wait to see how they turn out!  "Capturing Happy" is her tagline.  How darling is that! Here's a pic from a session at a local orange grove. I love bubbles!


We're trying to decide where exactly to have our photo session.  Tiffany has had a lot of great ideas.  Downtown Phoenix has a lot of cool spots to choose from.  I was thinking the farm, or our backyard {done that} or I saw on Tea Talk today that there was some nice red brick at the new Pita Jungle downtown.  Hmm, I think I'm liking it.



Chelsea and her boyfriend are so cute.


Sunday, December 5, 2010

Oh Christmas Tree...



Saturday we drove to Payson {and my husband's sister's family} with our tree cutting permit and my hunky husband chopped us down a Christmas tree.

He used my great-grandfather's saw.  That part was particularly special to me.





We did lots of hiking and the kids had so much fun picking up pine cones, spotting spiders and tossing stones into the stream.  We didn't find the tree on our first attempt {sigh} and we'd gotten pretty tired.  We drove to a second location and let the boys run out and get it while Gretchen snoozed in the car.


Then today we decorated.

I love how the lights from the tree sparkle off the ornaments, and make the tree smell like our own personal forest.  We could have gotten a pinon or a juniper, we got a juniper, and let me tell you, it smells out-stand-ing.  

I love the holidays.

Red Potatoes


I'm always thinking about food.  I wanted to mention this dead simple but delectable recipe if you happen to always have some red potatoes lying around.  I do, 'cause that's what the farm has a lot.

I saw one of the farm employees make this for our holiday party and I was just floored at how easy and fun this was to eat.  She seasoned the potatoes with a mixed grill seasoning but I think it's unnecessary.

Red Potatoes (or any root veg) with Cheese

Ingredients:
Red potatoes
A few slices of cheese from a block (I like cheddar - and slice on the thick side) 
Olive Oil
Salt 
Pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cut up the red potatoes into 1" cubes and drop onto a cookie sheet with a glug of olive oil and generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Mix it around with your hands before putting it into the oven.

Roast until tender {turning once or twice during cooking}

Group the 'taters together on the sheet pan and place the sliced cheese over the potatoes in one layer.

Put in oven until just melted.

It has this great roasty salty creamy toothsome experience.  I love it and made it earlier this week.  Yum num.


Friday, December 3, 2010

compost cookie?


compost cookie ®

pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, chocolate chip

come on.  these are amazing and the twisted pretzel baked in looks so rad.  You can get them at the momofuku store. I might have to try to make them myself though. $10 for 6 {not including shipping} is a bit steep for me. :) this would be fun to make if you're going to a holiday cookie exchange.  You'd certainly win for creative points.  but you might have to call it something different since it's trademarked.  you might also have to add something like Ritz crackers to make it even more full of snacktime food.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Before I forget...


I just wanted to make a quick mention of how delicious last weekend's Thanksgiving meal was.

We had:

Fried Turkey
Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Carmelized Red Onion and Cranberries
Potato and Cheese Bake
Breadless Cauliflower Mushroom Hazelnut Leek Stuffing
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Fresh cranberry blueberry pomegranate sauce

It needs it's own moment.




Ok, I did it.  I feel better now.

Now when I try to remember what we did, I have this post to refer to. :)

On to holiday cookies.

Handmade Wooden Toys by AsherJasper


How awesome are these kids' blocks.  I want them.  For me. :) I'd stack them up really high, then have my Godzilla child knock them over.  Then we'd laugh and do it again.  I'm easily amused.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Sewn Paper Garlands

I'm totally over the moon for my paper garland I made.  See below.  It was so easy and so fun. Gretchen didn't enjoy the process though since she couldn't help out.  I guess being 6 months old is hard sometimes.  Especially with two bottom teeth trying so hard to come out.

I'm sorry for the big break in posts.  I've got a huge list of things I want to talk about but not the energy and time to actually do it.  I think this whole lack of sleep thing is really killing me.  Usually I'm not one to spend time making things, except for when it's easy and fun and the result is stupendous.  This is stupendous to me.  I think it looks really great.  And this particular one could double for Cinco de Mayo decor too.  Ha.


I discovered this neat little project from mini-eco.  So so cute.  And so easy.  She explained how to do it the "right" way.  I just eyeballed the whole thing from construction paper.  I picked red, green, white and grey.  I love how it turned out.  

This is what Kate did:


Check out the tutorial here.  I'm totally into making easy pretty things right now.  I hope you like it.  Let me know if you make one too.  I'd love to see pics.




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