everybody's doing it.

the "fauxdenza"





a much needed boost to our dining room.

we are on a roll!

and tomorrow...

paint the baseboards!

in the throes

the house is nearly complete. the transformation more than i expected. hello bright white walls and ceiling! i love it.





advent is a season of preparation, of waiting, of hope. with all the bustle - i am working to remind myself of this.

to slow down just a little and savour the stillness. to look forward toward the joy that lies just around the corner.

practice makes perfect

most of the time anyway.

as far as house-painting. i rely on the a little help from my friends...

Shepherd's Pie

adapted from an old issue of Everyday Food (November 2007)

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup peas
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup kale cut into ribbons
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups mashed potatoes

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large (5-quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven over high. Cook onion, garlic, and carrots in olive oil until onion starts to clear. Set aside. Cook beef, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and carrots; cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add thyme, ketchup, and flour; stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup water and peas and kale. Cook until vegetables are warmed through and liquid has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon beef mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over beef; using a fork, decorate potatoes with lines and peaks. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until potatoes are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

::

so happy to be spending december with so many friends.



hello old habit.



tonight fancy dresses, shoes, and coats and a night-out at the music center for the nutcracker. an amazing production. worth every minute of traffic.

it has become a tradition. and i really feel the holidays are now in full swing.

let the festivities begin!

holiday shopping

sam has some darling charm necklaces for sale over at our two green chickens shop.



perfect for those good girls on your list!

happy december!

golden

everything seems just right today. basking in the light.

night and day

p.m.


a.m.



we had a wonderful weekend. the weather has been amazing. instead of heading to the beach - which is what my heart wanted - we checked some major items off "the list" - which is what my head needed. it feels good. and there is a new momentum in the house!

follow it here.

::

for us.

for my wonderful family - d and the girls.

family near and family far.

and for friends who have become family.

family defined in a large and beautiful and all encompassing way.

for this amazing community that surrounds us.

happy thanksgiving.



{just home from the most amazing feast created with talent and love.}

i am going to take a break now, and enjoy it all!

xoxo

::

for our house of dreams.

our little cottage in the woods.

"our island".

for always knowing we will be heading there soon.



winter 2008


summer 2010

::

for slow strolls home from school.



we are so blessed to have our girls at our neighbourhood school. the walks to school in the morning are always a little rushed. but the walks home are my favourite time of day.



we talk. and we listen.

::

for meals together.





and a husband who makes the best pancakes ever.

::

growing up pea shoots were a sign of spring. here in socal they are a sign of the wonders of a winter garden.

thankful for the bounty the winter brings us.

i'm going to try and post each day this week.

so much to be thankful for.

a perfect ending.

happy friday.

like candy.

a perfect morning.







a walk. looking up and down.

i just read an article about endorphins that are released when teenagers hear the "beep" of a text message arriving. like candy.

and i think the leaves changing color. when we notice.

loving fall.

::

my camera was finally returned to me late last night. (d went to the fedex depot to get it - i was so excited.) i can't believe it took me so long to send it out. (it quit on me in august!) i was extremely pleased to learn that the repair was at not charge - and it was returned to me within two weeks of sending it off. (yay canon!)

i ran around the house while the girls were still asleep this morning clicking away.





nothing great. it was actually more difficult than i remembered to capture what i wanted. i think i am just trying too hard.

in many things actually. with the holidays around the corner i am committing to not letting this year's festivities get out of control.

keep it simple.

hey California!

participated in an inspiring session of camp educate this weekend.

wish i'd been able to stay for more... but we are ready.

join in the fight for public education here!

p.s. and yes - that is Valerie Bertinelli you hear!

today.

11.12.11



12

years that is.

of our timing being perfect. and sometimes it being just a little off.

but - even with that - of always making beautiful music together.


happy anniversary. i do love you cowboy. xo thanks for the song.

November 08, 2005

E was 4. K 1. (I was - gasp - 35.)

It seems like ages ago. And only yesterday.

While blogging has waxed and waned and waxed some more - I am so happy to have carved out this little space to record our own comings and goings.

Hard to believe (and easy too!) that it has been six years!

Thanks for sticking around ;)




Pics from a 11.05 trip with friends to Disney Concert Hall

lessons learning

it was a fantastic fall socal day. rain. and sun. and more rain.

i shot a whole roll of film with my old pentax k1000 up at the griffith observatory. it must have been 10 years since i last picked it up. it felt very very good. the first few times i actually looked at the back of the camera for the image. the kids were fascinated by the mechanics of it all. now to decide where to have it processed.

and i finally sent my digital out for repair. relief. i need to be better about stuff like this.

because of the rain the girls didn't ride today. instead they had a lesson on horse anatomy that culminated in labeling "Sprite" - a particularly good-natured steed - with chalk. they had a ball.

i stole away with my mother-in-law for a cup of hot chocolate and some catching up at a favourite spot. need to do that more often.

i am still under the weather. i know i need to slow down. but there is just so much (good stuff) going on. my dad used to say that you can be sick for a week in bed, or sick for a week and get things done. i used to believe it - but this time i am thinking some time in bed might have done me good. hoping for a mellow weekend. starting it with this tomorrow. need to pick up another roll of film!

we are all constantly learning new things. i just forget to notice sometimes.

it feels good to notice.

happy friday.