catch-up

May 19, 2008 by Lauren in I can tell that we are gonna be friends, photography, this little life of mine

Thursday: (08/30). How to survive a golf tournament.

Friday: (09/30): Girls weekend. Snacks and drinks.

Saturday: (10/30): Breakfast thanks to Kim.

Sunday = a day of rest.

Monday: (11/30): Party favor.

I have to take a brief break from all these photos and wax rhapsodic about my weekend. My friend Lisa is so generous, in many ways really, but one spectacular way is in the use of her parents' beach house. She offers it up twice yearly for girls' weekends, in the spring and the fall, and this past weekend was our weekend. I don't always manage to make it, but man, this year, come hell or high water I wanted to be there.

I won't share the few photos I took because, well, you know...what happens at girls' weekend stays...yadda, yadda, yadda. But let me just say there was amazing food (even for the vegetarian!), plenty of drinks, ~~a contraband dip in a pool~~, what was that? Oh, never mind. Didn't happen. There were beer fairies, movies, a gorgeous storm that I watched track along the coast from north to south and a perfect beach day. I slept better than I have in months and even missed the sunrise (that almost never happens). It was the setting, for sure, but more than that it was the company. Thank you my dears, for rejuvenating me.

(07/30) the "so sue me edition"

May 13, 2008 by Lauren in this little life of mine

Okay so I left my camera at work over the weekend and yesterday too. Damnit! So many missed picture opportunities. You can't imagine. This is our "Phoebe Lamp." Named after our first dog, Sweet Pheebs who is no longer with us. It kind of looks like Violet now too. I won't tell you the story of how we acquired this lamp. It's not a big deal, but I come off looking so selfish that I can't stand it, and I really don't want that perception about me out there. I'm sure you guys like me just the way I am. The not-selfish me.

On another note, I'm totally intrigued by what Heather wrote over at dooce about blogging and that crazy Kathy Lee. Go check it out.

(06/30): ancient history

May 08, 2008 by Lauren in this little life of mine

(05/30): results

May 07, 2008 by Lauren in the boy

Callum was awarded a stripe on his purple belt today. Neel's results come on Saturday.

(04/30): Blue Rain Room

May 06, 2008 by Lauren in my own family

Here's a close up of Blue Rain Room, a painting from my dad for my birthday. He's been on a real sculpting and painting tear lately and the results are quite spectacular.

Full on: we have it propped on the mantle for now. There's no good spot, nor good light, in the actual Blue Rain Room, so this piece is awaiting a permanent home. It might be the mantle, but it might be somewhere else entirely. Haven't decided yet.

(03/30): bag

May 05, 2008 by Lauren in I can tell that we are gonna be friends, sometimes I make things

Up close.

Full on.

This is Amy Butler's Nigella Yoga bag. I made it for this person:

This is my friend Jean, and today is her birthday! Hooray Jean! You're getting older. In this picture she's dong what she does best. Hanging with her baby while balancing her famous hot wing dip. Really, making her hot wing dip is another thing she does best. Callum just came to read this post as I write it, and he instantly accused me of eating Jean's hot wing dip without him. That's how much we all love it.

We love Jean too. She is one of my favorite people in the world, and it's hard to imagine my life right now without her in it. She make me laugh, she listens and she "gets" me. Who could ask for more in a friend? We started taking yoga together a few months ago, and if anything, we're growing closer. I wanted to make the yoga bag for her birthday to celebrate Jean, but to also celebrate this thing that we do together.

Thank you for taking the journey with me, my friend. And many happy returns of the day.

Namaste bee-atch.

(02/30): not so cowardly

May 04, 2008 by Lauren in the boy

For all of his anxious fans, follow the link for more photos.

macrology: (01/30): bag

May 03, 2008 by Lauren in this little life of mine

What the heck was I thinking when I e-mailed this photo to my work computer? Honestly, I really thought that I'd have a few minutes to write a quick blog post and get started on a little project I'm planning on working on this month. But, oh dear. It was field day and the sun was shining and a sweet breeze was blowing and everyone was outside playing all day long...And then when I was at my computer there were proofs to approve, e-mails and letters to write and other letters to edit. Sometimes my fingers just get typed out.

So it's been a year here in the blue rain room, and I am so grateful for what the past year has given me. One of my favorite things about having the blog is the way it's caused me to look at my life through the lens of my camera and how I connect those pictures of my life with words. I am no photographer, but slowly I'm figuring my camera out, and I hope to take better and better pictures and capture better and better moments.

Orange_30day_badge_2

Did any of you guys see this? orangeflower started it, and yes, I know it's not April anymore. I also know that we're already a couple of days into May, but I want to do it too. Of course, I love structure, but I can't stand rules, so I'm making up my own game. For the next few weeks, you know most of May, I'm going to work on my own thirty photo challenge. I want to spend some time refining my craft here and spend a few weeks celebrating one of my favorite parts of blogging. My rules are this: thirty photos between now, and say, the end of the school year (June 6, 2008). It doesn't need to be every day (can you see how much flexibility I like in my structured projects?), but hey, I'm trying to accomplish something here, so it should be most days.

That means, starting today, for the next little bit, we're on macros. And we still might throw in a blog overhaul or two!

yard envy

May 01, 2008 by Lauren in the hood

We had dinner a few nights ago with another couple in the hood (SOBO expands its borders!), and as soon as I set foot, I was consumed with yard envy.

Follow the mulch path...

...past the corn hole...

And there you are!

Seriously folks, it's my dream yard. Of course, our back yard looks nothing like this, but that's why you have a dream yard. Neel spent Sunday morning putting in some phlox in the front yard and replanting the pots on the front porch, just as contented as a robin in newly-turned earth. And I thought, thank god. Thank god he loves to do this so much. I want it to look nice. I want to be out and enjoying our beautiful yard, but the doing of it, the making it so, is just not my thing. Neel just got started on the back when we had to clean up and head out, and our back yard has a long way to go. That means I must enjoy others while I wait.

Oh the bliss of this perfectly situated swing. The envy is kicking in pretty hard here...

Mmmmm...

Oh! There were people there too. Old friends and new. The kids played soccer and metal detector.

And ball.

We ate some. Perfect cookout food. Grilled chicken and Dorito salad and Planter's Punch. The sun went down and we talked and talked. Kids climbed into laps to curl up and get cozy, and music wafted on the smoke of a cigar.

Spring evenings are here and summer is coming.

marky: UPDATED

April 30, 2008 by Lauren in I can tell that we are gonna be friends

See that bozo on the far right? That's my friend Mark and today is his birthday. He doesn't look a day over twenty-three. Actually, as you can see, that photo was taken in 1996, and he still doesn't look a day over twenty-three. On the left is Mark's partner Fred (also showing youthful vigor), and in the middle is the other Mark, also known as Curve. Are you out there Curve?

These are three of my favorite people in all the world. We did a lot of growing up together and now we have jobs and kids and all sorts of crazy things like life insurance.

Marky, what I wouldn't give to be living down the street from you again (especially now that you've gotten so good at remodeling kitchens). Happy Birthday, dear friend. Go tap that box and have a great big glass of wine on me.

Oh, good...Now that's a happy birthday!

yesterday

April 29, 2008 by Lauren in this little life of mine

We had scary winds all around us yesterday. Scary for us, but wretched and terrifying for many near us. Somehow it doesn't feel quite right to be celebrating my 1 year blogging anniversary, the blog that is so much about my home and my family and my life, when so many who live near us have been made homeless by these storms. Sending out lovingkindness to all of those who didn't have a home to come home to last night. May you soon find someplace snug.

heavy sigh (of the contented variety)

April 28, 2008 by Lauren in I can tell that we are gonna be friends, my own family, this little life of mine

Oh what a lovely birthday. I mean it, I've had the loveliest celebration that lasted days and days. I've had, as I mentioned before, a slew of not-so-special birthdays, from plain old meh to downright miserable. Not this year. This year I felt cherished and loved and celebrated just the way a person should be on her birthday.

In eastern Virginia the lilacs are blooming around birthday time.

I took a great yoga class, and it was thrilling to watch friend after friend walk in to join us. Then off to lunch for more surprise guests and a fabulous meal. Not to mention presents! I wasn't expecting presents!

Neel and Callum took me to the beach for a picnic supper.

Here's Neel putting together the picnic table.

We snacked on chicken and olives and pistachios and champagne and watched Callum chase away the seagulls and the fog roll in. I spent a lot of time thinking about how much I love the ocean and how grateful I am to live near it. But those are thoughts for another post.

On Friday night, SOBO helped me celebrate with a fire pit, lots of food and, ahem, lots to drink too. It was my favorite kind of Friday evening. Hanging out in my most comfy clothes, kids and dogs running around. The buzz of laughter swirling around me.

Tyler made rum punch, Jean made Sangria, Rebecca made this lovely dessert and all I had to do was show up!

Even Bear Grills says there's nothing better for morale than a fire.

I love this picture of the morning after...testament to the wonderful evening we had. And even after that, the festivities weren't finished. Neel took me to dinner on Saturday night and surprised me with even more friends....my very favorite way to spend an evening. Good food, good drink, and the warm and wonderful company of those I am fondest of. My only regret was not having my camera handy, for lunch on my birthday, for dinner last night, for the tulips my dad sent me and for the extra helping of dessert that Rebecca made for my breakfast (right Neel?).

So here we are at thirty-eight, facing a whole new year. This past year has been a good one, and I have high hopes for the next. I guess birthdays are time to take stock, and I've been doing that too. I'll probably process that here as I figure out what is going on. For now it's enough to face the busy last months of school, Callum's play next weekend, and the one year anniversary of this little blog. I've been considering an overhaul...what do you think?

well then

April 24, 2008 by Lauren

Okay, I was totally going to blog about how spectacularly wonderful my birthday was this year, and I still will, I promise, but I had to share this e-mail I just got from my friend Shoshana:

By the way, I just made a mac and cheese with bacon in it that is to die for! You actually use the bacon grease to make a bechamel sauce, so it's basically a heart attack waiting to happen, but it is soooo worth it:)

Aren't you glad she and my friend Megan are working on a cookbook?

she

April 23, 2008 by Lauren

Twenty-eight years ago, that was me. Junior Bridesmaid at the wedding of a family friend. The best part of the whole night for me was my bouquet (fake flowers so I got to keep it and play "wedding" over and over and over and...) and hanging out with my dad. You can tell how much fun we had. I didn't learn about the true high part of the evening until many years later. The mother of the groom offered the best man $20 to talk her son out of marrying the bride. The best man took the $20, said, "Joe, your mom doesn't want you to marry Deborah." Joe said, "No shit." and headed down the aisle.

But that's a story for another day.

The story of the day today is that it's my thirty-eighth birthday. I don't have any words of wisdom or "secret facts about me" to report to you today. My mom sent me an e-mail today remembering that when they went into the hospital to have me it was still feeling like winter in East Tennessee, and when they brought me home, spring had burst forth into full and glorious color. I, of course, don't remember that day. A few funny stories have entered the family lexicon, however. Like how my mom's OB took my dad out for pie while my mom was in labor with me. And how after she woke up (hello, twilight sleep) she kept asking, "Did I have that baby yet?" My favorite is when my dad went into see my mom after I was born, she was alone in her room (hello, nursery!). They chatted a bit ("It's a girl!") and my dad left the room, leaned against the wall of the hallway and promptly passed out. Hello parenthood.

Birthdays have been historically crummy for me, but this year I have a wonderful family and many friends who are taking care to make sure I have a good day. Nothing but good times ahead.

Wednesday

April 17, 2008 by Lauren in I can tell that we are gonna be friends, this little life of mine

My demanding readers (Megan) have taken to calling me to ask if I'm going to write a post for the next day. Never mind that I'm working my ass off slaving for a tyrant of a boss (Megan's husband) from sun up to sun down, and that I'm T.I.R.E.D. Never mind all that.

So, I'm tired. Did I mention that? Unfortunately, that means all you get is my Wednesday night.

Callum was in charge of dinner. And by that I mean he conceptualized it. He went to a cooking-themed birthday party a week or so ago where the kids made their own pizzas and decorated cupcakes. That was fun, let me tell you.

Even Neel got in on the game, but my pictures of his pizza making are too fuzzy to publish. On the drive home from the party, Callum ran through some pizza-topping ideas. He came up with artichoke and bacon, and after I suggested feta cheese, we decided to make it.

And here it is. A little olive oil, some roasted garlic puree, artichoke hearts, bacon and feta. Callum's creation. Gobble, gobble, gone.

He's studying gemstones in school, this kid of mine. A subject after my own heart. (Does that surprise anyone?) And since my screen door is camping out on the dining room table (a story for another day), we ate in front of the t.v. tonight. Jewelry TV and Gems TV. Sapphires, rubies, and diamonds, oh my. This is my life.

technicolor spring

April 15, 2008 by Lauren in the hood, the little gray house

I turned down our street yesterday afternoon and it felt as if the world had burst into amazing technicolor. Like Gone with the Wind after years of black and white movies. It had a lot to do with the sunlight after all those days of gray and drizzle. But the world is bursting with color, spring has exploded all around us.

Last fall Neel planted dozens of tulips like the one above, and they are all coming up now. My favorite flower, all over our yard.

I love the azaleas too. We have these droopy, blousy-white ones in our yard, and I love their cool beauty, but get a look at these, across the street...

Here's a close-up:

The shock of all that pink in a head-high hedge leaves me absolutely giddy. I love the embarrassment of color.

As I write this, it's a regular Monday evening around here. Ina's roasted potato and fennel soup is burbling on the stove, making the house smell like licorice, a deep winter dinner on this early spring day. The dogs keep slamming into the porch as they work out the wiggles after a day cooped in the house. Callum's thrown a strawberry cheesecake popsicle from the Ice Cream Man into the freezer for after dinner and he wants nothing more than to climb a tree. I'm tired, but happy, and I realize that I'm filled with a lot of hope. My birthday is on the horizon, as is the one-year anniversary of this blog, and yeah, I have a lot of hope. Neel's home, I just now hear the slam of his car door. We're coming up on the anniversary of our first date and he's still the person I want to see most at the end of the day. In my heart, hope and gratitude walk hand in hand..

first dip

April 14, 2008 by Lauren in I can tell that we are gonna be friends, this little life of mine

It's done. The first trip to the beach of the season. After days and days of drizzly mist (mizzle) and gray skies, the sun came out and the air warmed up. Oh glorious sun. How we missed you. As soon as the temperatures soared above seventy degrees, we started talking about the beach. And on Friday night, after long weeks for everyone, we headed out.

Super relaxed and easy, we threw it all together. I had to laugh on Friday morning as I was getting ready to leave the house. In a few short (sunny) weeks, we'll have this down to a science and an art. This act of sliding to the beach at the end of the week. It involves chairs in the back of the car and beach bags packed. Everything at the ready. I'm not there yet. Winter interrupted and there are no systems in place. It's like I have to relearn this process every year. I threw two spreaders into my purse and headed to work, knowing that the rest would fall into place.

And we didn't need anything fancy. Throwing things together worked just fine.

The steamed shrimp was perfect, as was the chicken salad and the artichoke dip. Beer and wine were plentiful, as they should be.

The water temperature in the bay is still only 53 degrees or so, but the kids went swimming anyway. The grown-ups sat and watched the sun go down in glorious solitude. The only other people on the beach seemed miles away.

I could seriously do this every Friday night for the rest of my life. Summer can come anytime now. I'm ready.

raindrops and rosebuds

April 02, 2008 by Lauren in I can tell that we are gonna be friends, sometimes I make things, the hood

I've been knitting some too.

This sweet hat is for a baby girl born to the block about six weeks ago. Another neighbor of ours threw a shower for her on Sunday.

As sweet as "rosebud" may be, it seems a bit impractical, so I whipped up a plain old stripey to go along. Both hats are from Itty Bity Hats, my current go-to when it comes to knitting for the infant set.

There was a lot of discussion around the hood about what to wear to this baby-shower. I have learned that baby showers in the South are quite the event. What you wear is almost as important as the gift you give. Back last week when it was spring, the general consensus was pretty skirt, tee shirt and flip flops. There was a flurry of e-mails detailing all sorts of outfits (drawn, by me at least, mostly from go fug yourself) and amazing helicopter hairdos. By Sunday it was sleeting and all any of us wanted was to stay home in our sweats.

We persevered though and all wore pants.

There was some concern that a certain former neighbor of ours would be present at said shower, and we all felt that some pre-party fortification was in order. This is where we're discussing all the amazing baby-shower food we had to look forward to.

Gorgeous cake.

Beautiful table. Fruit salad. Cheesecake thingys.

And that's all. No decadent quiche. No chicken salad. No meatballs in sauce in a chafing dish and no crustless sandwiches. And all this time I thought chicken salad was required at baby showers.

Sigh. At least there was champagne. And all our worry about the former neighbor? She never showed.

It was still a really nice shower for a really nice person who had a girl after three rough and tumble boys. And we're really happy for her whole family.

Less than ten minutes home another flurry of e-mails: "Are you in your sweats yet? I am."

earth hour

April 01, 2008 by Lauren in this little life of mine

Did you hear all the news reports about Earth Hour? Started in Australia by the WWF in 2007, during this hour (from 8-9 p.m.) we turn out the lights to bring awareness to our energy consumption and to even save some energy. Whole cities turned out their lights and even the Google homepage went dark. On the spur of the moment (I really wish it had had more press, but it's a growing movement, so maybe next year) we decided to join in. And had a wonderful evening.

Neel lit all the candles downstairs, and we sat and talked and played Simon Says and had so much fun that we extended our hour, and even after we were ready to watch a movie we kept all the lights out. Callum liked it so much that we're going to have Earth Hour every Saturday night.

Now I'm off to buy some compact flourescents.

I pity the fool, fool

March 28, 2008 by Lauren in food, glorious food

We had a really lovely visit with my mom over Easter. Relaxed and slow moving, there was a lot of hanging out, no question. Poor Ama, Callum really racked up the dough on his $.25/curse word. I guess it's hard to remember to pay attention to those things when you're not used to hanging out with an eight year old. She was able to moderate by the end of the visit, though. Lesson learned.

On her last night, deciding that over eighty Easter cookies (we gave some away, all right?) and all that candy were not enough, I decided to make a fool. We'd had a really lovely dessert at Neel's Chairman's house a couple of months ago, and I dimly thought that it might be a fool. After some research, I decided that it was, sort of. The dessert we'd had that night had lightly whipped cream, mixed berries, with some sort of cordial poured over top. It's not that I couldn't tell, I just can't remember. Cassis maybe? Or Cointerau. The best part of that dessert was the final touch, gourmet malted milk balls to sprinkle over top. Lovely.

This fool was only marginally like that. Tasty though.

First you macerate some blackberries. Half an hour or so. Four cups berries, a quarter cup of sugar and two tablespoons cassis. Let it sit for about half an hour.

While the berries are softening, whip heavy cream (1 1/2 cups) with 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons cassis until stiff peaks form.

After the berries have softened (abut half an hour or so), remove half and mash the remaining until pureed. Strain that mixture into a bowl.

Fold the puree into the whipped cream and chill for at least an hour.

Layer goblets with cream and whole berries and top with toasted hazelnuts.

Swipe finger around goblet to removed all traces of the fool.

*The recipe also called for adding 3 ounces white chocolate, melted, which I did. But next time, I think I'll just shave chocolate into the mixture and onto the top.