Weekend Recap, February 25 edition

February 25, 2013 by Lauren

So. What did you guys think about the Oscars? Kind of a snooze, I thought. When I watched Seth McFarlane announce the nominations, I felt like he was singularly unfunny, and nothing really dispelled that opinion last night. The Michelle Obama part was pretty cool, though. I vote for Tina and Amy next year.

We all focused on recovery this weekend. I'm still fighting an upper respiratory thing, and I'm debating heading to the doctor today. I am getting better, but I'm not well yet and it's been three weeks now. But the doctor is a haul from here and it's such a hassle. This shouldn't be a decision, but for some reason, it is. We stuck with bland food Friday night but braved an oyster roast/fundraiser for a friend of ours who is running for local office on Saturday. The event was held at one of my favorite locations in Norfolk (see that view in #7? not shabby) and it was a misty, cold and drizzly day. To my mind though, this is the quintessential Norfolk oyster roast: steam rising off the grill, trays of hot oysters and rolls of paper towels, bottles of hot sauce on all the tables. It should be chilly and misty (and if the crowd is small enough, there should be bloody marys, but that's for another day). There was a pig at this event too and live music doing Grateful Dead covers. It was a great afternoon, and we were thrilled for our friend. Thrilled for our city too, to see so many young adults come out and get involved in the civic life of our community. That's exciting.

I've been working on a river series of photos in my 365, and my original goal had been to get a shot of the river from its vantage point near our home on Fridays because my commute is shifted a bit to allow me the time. Callum's ski accident a couple Fridays back messed up that plan one week in (this is how things always go for me!), so I got a shot Saturday that week. Okay, so maybe weekend river shots? Because this Saturday I missed too, using this shot instead. Sunday morning, I woke up to early fog. Nobody else was up, so I threw a coat on over my jammies and snuck down to the river for my weekend shot. I'm glad I did it, but I was sleepy for the rest of the day.

Poor Callum stayed mired in make-up work all weekend, but I made him muffins, and Neel hung our Valentine's gift: a photo of all three of our girls, each as their best selves. And then we come full circle, back to the Oscars. We watched with our neighbors who have a new baby. Pizza on the grill and some salad. Some wine and dip and catching up. Slow-moving Sunday. Those are the best, aren't they?

I can't thank you all enough for your sweet and funny comments about our recent travails! I'm hopping on to respond to all of your comments now, but thank you, thank you. We have one more week to get through before Spring Break...I think we might just make it!

Friday, February 22, Our Week of Woe

February 22, 2013 by Lauren

Oh hey! Has it been a week already? Dang, time flies, right? I'm going to abandon my normal Five Things format (because counting is still tricky) and fill you in on how miserable things have been around here over the last week. Because I love you all, I won't tell you just how miserable.

So. Where to begin? How about with the last thing I said to Callum as he dashed to the car on his was to go skiing exactly seven days ago. "Don't get hurt." See, here's the thing. A few weeks ago a buddy of his got hurt snowboarding and it made me think. What would we do if Neel got hurt? Our nearest skiing opportunity is three hours away, and since Blanche (our Mini Cooper) doesn't go on the freeway (she's in pre-retirement), we're down to one car when he's gone. If Neel gets hurt, how do I get to him to get him home? But these guys ski every year, they're seasoned pros. It'll all be fine. Right.

So I relished about four hours of alone time before heading to the grocery store. Halfway there, at a long light, I thought, I'll just shoot those guys a quick text to see how it's going and remind them to take pictures. When I picked up my phone there was a missed call from Neel and a text message that read: Please call me. Callum answered the phone, crying. "I got hurt." I had to pull off the road to sit and hear all the details, and once I did I went to the grocery store and, in something of a fog, bought a ton of junk food to treat my boy when he got home.

Here's what happened. On their first run (of course), Neel was a bit ahead when Cal swerved to miss a skier who was moving more slowly in his path. In a narrow part of the trail, his skies hit some rock and down he went. Neel didn't think he saw the accident but realized later that he saw Callum's skies fly off. They tell me you have to hit pretty hard for your skies to fly off. When Cal didn't get up, Neel made his way back up to him and flagged down an attendant. At first look, it was his knee. He must have hit a rock right on the knee cap because his pants were torn, he had a laceration right on the patella and the knee was already starting to swell. In comes the snow patrol (Shep!) and after checking Callum's knee and his wrist, which he only later realized was hurting, they splint him and wisk him off the mountain in something called a dogsled off to the hospital. That's where they were when they called me. So those guys faced the long drive home, with Callum splinted in the back seat. I called the pediatrician and stocked up on junk food.

The knee looks ugliest, but the wrist has been more troubling. No fracture on the X-Ray, but a severe sprain and bruising. He's in a brace for a week. We're lucky. The leg could have been broken in the fall as could have the wrist. Worst was the disappointment of missing skiing. Two tries now, and no luck for my guys.

By Saturday, my upper respiratory cold kicked back in full force. As I thought about writing my Monday post, I was planning to self-flagellate over the fact that I hadn't heeded my own (let's face it, somewhat strident) advice to rest when you start to get sick. I thought the cold was the issue. But by Saturday night, Mr. Norovirus knocked on our door. Ever heard of the Cruise Ship Virus? That's it. Having a husband who is an infectious disease expert can be handy at times like this. I'm going to skim this part, except to say that starting around midnight on Saturday I experienced possibly the worst 36 hours of my life. Here are some things I learned. 1. I don't like ginger ale, except in Pimms, which isn't really appropriate when you're throwing up at 3 AM. 2. There is very little more comforting to me than a hot bath. 3. Ice chips really do help when you're nauseated and scared to drink anything. 4. I have the most amazing husband and son a woman could ask for. I barely remember Sunday, which is good. Neel stayed home on Monday while I continued to sleep.

By Tuesday my tummy had settled down, but my sinus problems were back full force. Slept all day Tuesday. Callum got home from school on Tuesday, and right before dinner he threw up. Around 1 AM, he and I were dozing on the bathroom floor when Neel came in to say, "I have it." Boom. Boom. Boom. Our whole clan, down for the count.

I still took pictures every day. Cheated and used my phone on Sunday and Monday to capture these shots of my faithful nurse Lucy the Beagle. She barely left my side. Neel missed his first work for illness in the ten years we've been here. We both figure we lost about nine pounds. Callum has missed all week of school. I made a cheater chicken noodle soup yesterday (I'll have a recipe next week for you.) and so far none of us are too rocky. Fragile maybe. In the midst of it all Callum accidentally used Neel's toothbrush and then Neel accidentally used Callum's. And somewhere we have a dead animal in the roof or walls of the house. Nice.

Thank you so much to all of you who checked in on me. This is my first time sitting in a chair all week! It was simply beyond me to look at the computer, much less respond to all your wonderful notes. I know you understand. I have never been happier to see a week end in my life. It can only get better from here, right?

five things, february 15 edition

February 15, 2013 by Lauren

1. I think I promised this recipe earlier this week. I know I keep harping on our breakfasts, but it's where I am right now. I tossed up a picture of Monday's breakfast on Instagram and got a slew of requests both there and on Facebook for the recipe. It looks good, and it really is that good. It's too easy for a recipe, really and if you Google something like egg. baked. avocado, and you'll get a slew of options.

Here's what I did: I took half an avocado and cracked an egg in it. Shredded some cheese on top...I think it was fontina, but it might have been gruyere. Added a couple of turns of the pepper grinder but no salt. (I figured the cheese would add enough salt, but it turns out that was a mistake. I added some salt the next time.) Bake it in a 400º oven for 15 or so minutes (really depends on how runny you want your egg) and then pop it under the broiler to brown the cheese. Also, I put the avocado in the pan I did because I had a suspicion that the egg might run out a bit, and I was right! I love it when I'm right!

Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how yours turns out. My friend Laura made it and wasn't a fan, but after we talked, she and I decided that the cheese needs to be pretty flavorful (I've used Manchengo too.) and that even then you should still add salt and pepper. Also, err on the side of under cooking the eggs. Because Neel and Callum both have egg allergies, we tend to overcook eggs here, but I like my eggs soft and you certainly don't want them rubbery! Bake for a few and then pop it under the broiler to get that cheese browned and bubbly!

2. I think I'm beyond excited for Neel and Callum who are finally on their way off to go skiing today. I sent them on their way just moments ago. It was shockingly easy to get my boy up this morning. We worried a little all week, I'll admit, because Callum's cough just wouldn't go away. He lumbered through (even had to scoot out of his social studies class during a presentation because of a coughing fit...we all know how awful that feeling is!). But they're off. Callum absolutely adores skiing, and he and Neel will have wonderful fun together. Hat tip to my husband for spending the day on the slopes and behind the wheel.

3. I think I'm looking forward to my own day too. The meeting and hike I'd planned for the day had to be canceled when I realized that because of our car situation, I'd be city bound. Our poor Mini Cooper, Blanche is like a church lady, and she won't go on the freeway, so I'm stuck near home. So I'm get some cleaning done, both physical and virtual, and hit the grocery store. Fun times. Necessary stuff that'll feel good to get done though. I'm still a little under the weather, so I might sneak in a nap or a movie. Or something. Like a bath.

4. I think I have another true story for you. Yesterday morning, when Neel and I were standing in the kitchen as the coffee brewed we chatted about Valentine's Day. (A bit late, yes, I know.) We got Callum all worked out (because nothing says "Love" like adding another Nerf gun to a 13 year old's arsenal!) and then I said, "Are we doing gifts?" A look of sheer horror crossed my husband's face. Seriously. I reached out and said, "Okay. Good! Let's do something together." Later. It was pretty funny. He was giving a talk at another school that day, and I knew he was booked solid, and I had my own stuff going on. Total flashback to fourteen years ago. Turns out he had ordered flowers for me the day before, and I did have a little something for him too, so we're not total losers. Another true story? Neel always goofs and calls Valentine's Day Thanksgiving. Which I think is entirely appropriate.

5. I think I can't send you on your way without showing you some images from our Valentine's Day sunset.

The sky was a stunning pink as Callum and I made our way home after baseball last night. I had him snapping pictures with his phone as we drove, and it seemed that with every turn we made the sky got impossibly more gorgeous. Our house faces almost due west, and the river view at the end of the block faces that direction as well. Callum and I drove to the end of the street before we turned into home and got out to snap these shots. Oh to have had my real camera and not just my phone! I have never seen the sky in such stunning splendor, and I feel so grateful to have been given the gift of this view yesterday. Even better was to have shared it with my boy.

Happy Valentine's to my funny Valentines {still + life}

February 14, 2013 by Lauren

True story. Fourteen years ago this week, I was about seven weeks pregnant with Callum. I have no idea what night of the week it was, but I know it was a week night when Neel and I stopped in together to the grocery store (Von's, for my Southern CA darlings!). I was lucky. I never had full-on Kate Middleton-esque morning sickness, just that foreboding feeling of misery and nausea and lethargy for the first part of my pregnancy. As we stood there, silently together, in line with our purchases, I watched idly as someone's steaks, their chocolates, their champagne, and then their roses went down the belt in front of us. Only then did it dawn on me. Valentine's Day!

With a voice born from exhaustion (and a little queasiness), I said to Neel, "I swear, if you did anything for me for Valentine's Day, I might have to kill you."

It was only later that we realized how funny that must have sounded to the people around us.

We roll that way I guess. Sometimes Valentine's Day is all chocolate hearts and big plans, and sometimes it's Thursday dinner at home when Momma has been sick all week. What never changes is that we celebrate the love we share in our family. Even when the moments feel small, that love always feels big. Every day.

So Neel's making his special steak tonight and we'll grill that and have a nice dinner at home. I think that what I've learned over the years is no matter the size of the celebration, the love is what counts. The love is what matters.

And you know what? I love you guys too. Big or small, may all your wildest Valentine's Dreams come true!

house proud, vol. 2 {life}

February 12, 2013 by Lauren

A mid-century modern, on the water, with a granite wall running from the front path through the house all the way to the back deck? I'm sold. After photographing this gorgeous traditional that my friend Bill designed, we snuck over to get some shots of this quirky, mid-century treat. What a gorgeous home! Bill describes this experience as one where the couple was open to anything he threw at them; they pretty much let him have at it when it came to bringing a tired home back to life. The end result included a granite stairwell and wall, laid out in stunning bricks, that runs from before you reach the front door, through the entire length of the house straight out to the back yard. Built into the wall is a fireplace and three bookshelves, one of which (the middle) rotates to become a door, allowing access into the study. In the 10th photo above, you see the study and a painting hanging in the back of a bookcase. This clever trick gives party goers free range to the bar when socializing.

The wall grounds the house, but all is filled with light and air and views of the water. As Bill explains, the wall and its corresponding stairwell separate the private and public areas of the home. Off a soaring hall, perpendicualr to the granite wall, you find a study and guest rooms, and up the stairwell, perched alone with the finest views of the water, is the master suite.

Outside, the green of the house blends into the landscape while the red trim around the windows adds a vibrant pop of color, drawing the viewer's eye towards the interior of the home.

I think about all the mid-century houses I grew up running in and out of and how I never paid attention. What was wrong with me? Sometimes I think this era can tend toward cold and all sharp angles, but with this house it's been turned into something interesting and fun. Bill describes it as a fun project to work on, and you can tell. It must be a fun house to live in as well.

house proud, vol. 2 {still}

February 12, 2013 by Lauren

Weekend Recap, February 11 edition

February 11, 2013 by Lauren

Moving slow today. We had the last of Callum's conferences this morning and I seem to have caught his cold overnight. Go me. I think I'll take all of the brilliant advice offered on Friday and crawl back under the covers pretty sharpish. I'm feeling the need for some tea and sympathy. All in all we had a good weekend though. Callum is feeling much better, despite a lingering cough, and I got to kick things off with coffee with a dear friend on a rainy Friday. A surprise giftie from my mom totally made my day! She and I had both bemoaned the difficulties of my present hand mixer. It had so much power that it was actually somewhat terrifying to use! This one is apparently a bit easier to manage. We'll try with another batch of muffins but maybe tomorrow. That led me to give away the old mixer in the gigantic clean-out Neel made us do on Saturday (see #6). That room was originally the back bedroom of our house, so when our master addition was built, right before we moved in, it became something of a pass-through room. You have to go through it to get to our bedroom, which makes it great for a nursery (not necessary) or office (that's the ticket!). Since we walk through that room everyday and since those bookshelves are what we see from our bed, it's kind of important that the room is a little pulled together. It looks much better now.

It was a good cooking weekend. I did a tuna with black bean sauce, roasted asparagus and coconut rice for dinner on Saturday night. We're trying to cook nicer dinners together on Saturdays, but since Callum was still feeling a bit wiped out and he and Neel were in the middle of a Sherlock Holmes marathon, I took over. It's all good. And I'm not always in the mood to do a big brunch, but this Sunday I was, and that was very good. Neel handled dinner Sunday: don't you know? Beer-Butt Chicken! Our fave! My mashed potatoes have been a bit of a fail lately though. This time, I'm blaming the potato.

I think the high point of the weekend for Neel was getting a new drill. His plan for the weekend involved removing part of our back fence, and his current drill wasn't up to the task. And here's the sweet story. Neel comes home from the big box hardware store saying he'd spent more than he'd wanted to (uh, $20 more, but whatevs). He got lots of help, and initially landed on a drill that was under his budget. Then he mournfully turns to the woman who had been helping him and says, "But it's ugly." After she stopped laughing, she had to agree. Ultimately, he bumped up his budget that last little bit and came home with a drill that I swear I saw him hug once or twice out in the yard. I get it. I totally do. When I order this lens in a few weeks, I plan on sleeping with it.

Okay kids. Thanks for bearing with me and being patient. Things are trucking along here. Lurching, actually. I know it hasn't been smooth sailing here at SPL, but I've brought in reinforcements and I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Soon! We'll be back on track. Love you, my ducks. XO

five things, february 8, edition

February 08, 2013 by Lauren

1. I think that when the sickness isn't a terrible sickness that sometimes a day off to nurse a slight fever and stuffy nose is not a bad thing. Fully aware that this could have been a lot worse, as it has been for so many, we're counting blessings this week.

2. I think I've been having fun looking at jewelry lately. Jewelry! We have some inherited baubles (from my grandmother) as well as some sentimental gems (from both Neel and my dad) that have been sitting in a jewelry case for ages. Criminal, I say. We've figured out what to do with some of it, but right now I'm weighing sentimentality (keeping my grandmother's diamonds) vs. bling (trading them up for a new ring). Anybody have any thoughts? I've never had a true engagement ring of my own (long, good story), so that might be nice to have. But, oh... I'm pretty sentimental. I'd love some input, peeps. One thing I know, I got my broken wedding ring back yesterday as well as another ring that had been broken for a long time, and that feels good!

3. I think, as long as we're talking about girlie stuff, I need to ask, how are you guys keeping your winter skin moisturized during the day? My morning moisturizer is awesome, as is my nighttime routine, but I often feel the need for a mid-day refresher. I noticed this on Erin's post a couple weeks ago but that seems more night or morning squirt than midday pick-me-up. Again, all suggestions are welcome. Weigh in, peeps. I know you're all smarter than I am!

4. I think Neel doesn't believe me (and others may scoff!), but I really could live somewhere colder. I kind of hate it that we pretty much turn the page on winter after January is over. I long for snow. Northeasterners, I envy you. Be safe, but know that I'm envying your blizzard warnings right now. Anyone got an Alpine cabin in the snowy woods they can lend me for a few days? Seriously begging here.

5. I think I have a lot to be grateful for lately, not least of which is a school where my son is getting a phenomenal education and teachers who completely *get* him. We had Callum's conferences yesterday, and teacher after teacher mirrored back to us what we know about our son. Of course it's lovely to hear that he's hard working and kind and doing well, but better than that even is knowing that he's spending his days with adults who understand and cherish him for who he is. Adults who want to draw the best out of him. I honestly can't put a price on that.

sick day {life}

February 07, 2013 by Lauren

Well, we don't think it's the flu. Callum and Neel both can't get flu shots (egg allergy), so I hold my breath every winter. Especially this year, since it's seemed so particularly nasty. But despite a fever and general crumminess, he just doesn't seem quite sick enough for the full-blown flu. It couldn't have happened at a worse time, though. My guys were planning a sneak-away day to go skiing on Friday, but Callum called me from baseball practice on Tuesday, saying, "I can't." I wasn't completely sure that this wasn't about baseball, to be completely honest. He doesn't love these pre-season conditioning sessions and is constantly needing to "study" instead of go!

Why is it when I'm my most suspicious that he's generally his sickest? Sure enough 101.1º when I got him home. So we spent yesterday under the covers and snuggling. Had a mini West Wing Marathon (and we totally need to order Season Three) and smoothies for lunch. He was pleasantly compliant for my 365, and Lucy-the-Beagle followed him from room to room (Her favorite spot in the house is on that rug, in his bedroom, especially when it's sunny.) Today is a school holiday, so he can rest up even more. Ski trip postponed, but we'll get it done. Poor kid.

sick day {still}

February 06, 2013 by Lauren

baking history :: humble muffin {life}

February 05, 2013 by Lauren

I am trying like mad to get interesting, diverse foods on the table for breakfast ... for all of us. It's working sometimes. And in keeping with my desire to have our baked goods be actually, you know, baked here and not somewhere else, I decided to see how muffins might go over. We've never been big muffin eaters around here. In fact, I was never much of a muffin eater at all. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever made muffins for the people that live here with me now. This might explain how, when I first went to make these puppies (on National Blueberry Pancake Day, no less) and had everything assembled, I stumbled when I couldn't find my muffin tins. Luckily, I hadn't yet cracked an egg.

My neighbor Catherine came to the rescue, and the next day we were all systems go. Muffin time. I had plenty of cookbooks to scour through to find a good blueberry muffin recipe, but what I didn't have was time. Thank you, All Recipes! Quick internet searches can be hit or miss, and this one definitely hit. We had them for breakfast (or sometimes lunch, ahem), but I heard tell that those we returned to Catherine in her empty muffin tin were perhaps consumed with ice cream... However you have them, I'd venture to say they aren't so humble anymore.

From All Recipies To Die For Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Batter
1.5 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (or more)
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400º and line muffin tin with muffin liners. (You could skip the liners and grease your tins, but that never seems to work for me.) In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a one-cup measuring cup, add egg to 1/3 cup vegetable oil and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with the flour mixture and fold in the blueberries. Fill liners nearly to the top.

Cinnamon Crumble
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/5 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and mix with a fork (or your fingers, which, quite honestly, are easier), and crumble on top of blueberry batter before baking.

Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The original recipe calls for 8 large muffins, but because of how our family works, I knew that 12 would work better for us. My liners weren't completely full, and I reduced the cooking time just a bit. Enjoy!

baking history :: humble muffin {still}

February 05, 2013 by Lauren

Weekend-Gram Recap, February 4 Edition

February 04, 2013 by Lauren

Oh yawn.... I'm late today and moving slowly. Are you? Of course we watched the whole thing last night. Power outage and all. (My twitter feed was hilarious during that, let me tell you!) And now no more football for six months. I'm sure some of you are thrilled. Some of us (this household) are counting the days until spring training for baseball (eight). Oh, and thumbs down on most of the commercials...I left unimpressed, but you know what? I love Beyonce. You go girl.

Other than that ... we had a really lovely weekend. After two weeks ago, with the high stress of reeling over Vi's diagnosis and then last week with my trip, it was nice just to be home and be normal. Really, really nice. Kicked things off on Friday with some of my favorite gals. Low-key, night it, too many snacks, not many drinks, just catching up in the best way. It's so nice to know that you have a group of women nearby that you can lean on when you need and go months (too long) without seeing each other and still be right there. We all need people like that, don't we?

Neel and I had fun running errands together on Saturday, and our little dogs inspected every move he made, which cracked me up! Look how intent (#11) they are at what he's doing! My mom had pointed out over Christmas that the vanity in the guest bath might need a wee bit more storage space, so we added a shelf over the toilet. That room is done now, except for some art. I'll blog about it so you can see the finished project ASAP.

I finally opened the lens I had waiting for me for the past few days. It's an upgrade of El Cheapo, which has been hunting for focus lately. That Adorama box had been sitting on my kitchen counter since Thursday, but I waited. I'm really good at that, actually. I can't walk past a bag of chips, but I can delay gratification on the big stuff. Go figure. Good news! The lens is great. I played with it a bit this weekend and plan on digging in more this week. I'll admit, it's not quite as thrilling as a totally brand new lens, two of which are on my radar, but hmmmm...this is a pretty darned nice improvement so far!

We unexpectedly had one of Callum's friends for dinner Saturday night, so I unexpectedly made cookies from a mix that my friend Jackie gave me. I need to track down the recipe for the homemade mix earlier because they're delish! With Cal's friend visiting, we had just enough people to play "Spoons" by the fire. We could have used more kids, but we managed. I was blissed out. It really was my perfect evening. Kids willing to hang with us. No TV, just cards and laughter and a fire and music in the background. Who could ask for more?

We rarely go to brunch, which is a shame because I love brunch, but yesterday we tried a new local place called Chow. It was awesome. Neel's crab pot pie won the day. And I'd go back anyday too. My Bloody Mary was awesome. And it's a good thing Neel took a nap on Saturday AND Sunday because the Super Bowl was long, wasn't it? But a fun game, even with that freaky power outage. We spent the evening at a school chum of Callum's. It was great and we had a lovely time. We came home early and were in the car for most of the excitement, but that meant for extra puppy snuggles before bedtime. Our Violet continues to truck along. She was a bit wobbly on Friday and Saturday which had me worried. Obviously, at some point the steroids will stop working, but not yet, please not yet. By Sunday, she was full of pep and even followed us almost all the way upstairs to the second floor before we rescued her. It wore her out, but she's smiling and wagging at us still, which is good.

I have all sorts of stuff planned this week. Reading all the amazing links you've sent me, working on posts and the blog itself. Carving out a massive to-do list and some nice meetings thrown in. I still want to stick my butt in a bubble bath, though. What do you guys have going on?

five things, february 1, edition

February 01, 2013 by Lauren

1. I think I had a wonderful time speaking to some teen artists about blogging last night. They're part of an apprentice program at MOCA, where I took my first photography class. I'm not sure how great my talk was, but it was great fun to be there, and I'm sure these guys are going to do great things. Their blog is private for their program, which is almost too bad, because I'm sure it'll be amazing.

2. I think that despite the fact that we're only a month in, this 365 project is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I'm lousy at follow-through, so I'm pretty much congratulating myself profusely for making it a whole month! YAY ME. I had decided to give myself January to simply take pictures of whatever struck my fancy, and then once we hit February to decide if I should work through any themes. What think you? Keep on keeping on? Capturing my every day life? Or try to work through some stuff. I don know I have some photography goals that I want to share with you next week. Maybe being intentional about those goals will be part of my project going forward.

3. I think we really couldn't be more pleased with Violet's reaction to the steroids. We know we're not getting a miracle here, but honestly? I was afraid to hope that they'd work at all. And yet. And yet. Each day she gets back a little of her old self. As I write this she's even out back, hunting in the backyard the way she loves to do. We're not looking forward with this disease, but we're loving all the extra moments with her. And that means more bacon. Oh, and Erin, you asked if the other girls were jealous? They're totally not. Everybody, even the dogs, had been so, so sad, and everybody is much happier now. You can tell. Lots of extra love to go around.

4. I think that all of your comments and emails about my post on FBS meant so much to me. Blogging is a funny thing isn't it, and really, what would I do without you guys? It's been a crazy busy week as I played catch up and got ready for this presentation, but I'll respond to all of your comments this weekend. You've given me a lot to think about and a lot of comfort too.

5. I think, given that tonight is a south-wide happy hour sponsored by Southern Living for some joints, it's only appropriate that I kick off the weekend with some of my favorite gals. Long overdue. Long overdue. What are you guys up to this weekend? We'll watch the Superbowl, of course. And have some other fun too.

supper club, january 2013 edition {life}

January 31, 2013 by Lauren

Supper Club, January 12, 2013
Theme: New Year, New You: Comfort Food Edition

Attending:
Neel and Lauren (hosts)
Tracy and Mark
Artemis and Pete
Julie
Jennifer

Not attending:
Catherine and Michael
Bill and Alli

The Menu:
Jarlsburg Dip
Pimento Cheese and Crackers
Pomegranate and Wine Braised Pork
Cauliflower Mash
Brussels with Balsalmic
Blue Cheese Mac & Cheese
Scones (Cheese and Plain)
Rum Bundt Cake
Apple Brown Betty
(homemade) Tim Tams

Next Supper Club, March, Tracy and Mark's house.

supper club, january 2013 edition {still}

January 31, 2013 by Lauren

what have I learned? {life}

January 29, 2013 by Lauren

Despite having lived for 28 years in the south (18 in Tennessee and nearly 10 in Virginia), I don't feel like a Southerner. Even though I write about food, photograph food and think about food a lot, I don't really feel like a food blogger either.

Fraud! Perhaps I'm just not a self-identifier.

It was funny, being there. We were all shy, all of us who came alone. I talked with several women about how we assumed that everyone else was supremely self-confident, but really, they were probably all feeling the same way we were. Shy, nervous. Heistant to reach out. Aren't conferences funny things? Aren't groups funny things?

I listened to a lot of conversations about SEO and pageviews and selling ad space and sponsorships. What I enjoyed most were the conversations about creating communities. What was clarifying for me is that the conversations about branding and getting my name out there aren't really for me. Do I want more readers? Well, sure I do. But do I want to think in terms of leveraging myself and promoting my brand? Eh, not really. Not when it comes to the blog, at least. I do want to tend to this space (And trust me, it needs some attention these days. I'm on it, I promise!), but I realized that for SPL at least, I want it to more of a space to gather my friends together than a way to get my name out. It was a clarifying weekend. I want to write and take pictures of the things that interest me and the things I love without worrying if they fit in with my marketing scheme. It may not take my blog far, but it'll keep me happy.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great time at FoodBlogSouth, and I'll likely go back next year. I loved hearing the stories behind food and communities, and I loved talking with people about what I always talk here about: how food connects us all. But. For me really, it was and always is, about the photography. I realized, standing in Helene and Tami's workshop, that really what I should be be signing up for are more photography conferences and workshops. Good to know. Helene's workshop in Charleston quite literally changed my life, and I need to be doing more to tend to my craft, either here on my own in the studio or abroad with other teachers. Something to look forward to. And I was reminded that every time I get behind the camera to take a picture of anything, but especially, especially food, I feel like I am sinking back into my skin. It's time I did a better job of honoring that.

I've felt stuck for awhile, and this past weekend, I might have come a little unstuck. Seeing Helene, and being reminded of her faith in me, can do that to a person. I have some thoughts about some of the next steps I need to take, but really, really. Where do I go from here?

Oh, and I'm guessing you want to know about the food! The pork and cabbage were what we served at our Supper Club a few weeks back. I'm hoping to have that post up this week, and I'll definitely make that dish again. It's from Dinner, a Love Story, and definitely a keeper.

what have I learned? {still}

January 29, 2013 by Lauren

Weekend-Gram Recap, FoodBlogSouth Edition

January 28, 2013 by Lauren

So, I did it. I'll have a lot more to say about the actual conference tomorrow. It was a really clarifying experience for me, and I learned a lot. As you know, and my wonderful friends, really understood, it was hard for me to leave the warm cocoon of my home this time, but it was really good to go. Violet is doing great! She didn't miss me at all! She's practically prancing about the place and is even wagging her tail a little bit again. I hated leaving the snow behind too, but Neel and Cal had such a good time together...it's good for those guys to hang, just the two of them.

My flight was delayed into Birmingham, and halfway there a miserable headache kicked in. Nothing like cabin pressure, social anxiety, and a 20+ degree temperature change to wreak havoc with my sinuses. I felt simply awful by the time I got to the hotel, and I knew I couldn't manage the pre-party. I grabbed a bowl of edemame at the hotel bar and called it an early night. Should I have gone to the preparty? Maybe. But not going? I was totally down with that. The conference itself started with an amazing breakfast that focused on the international influences on Southern cooking (honeyed couscous, scrambled eggs, scones with whipped butter, meats and cheeses). Morning sessions ranged from "How to Write a Really Great Blog Post" with the witty and charming Adam Roberts of the The Amateur Gourmet to "Gathering the Stories Behind the Food: An Introduction to Collecting and Sharing" which was presented by the Southern Foodways Alliance (Now that's an orginaztion I'd like to learn more about!) and a panel of food bloggers including Lindsay Landis of Love and Olive Oil sharing basics of blogging. Lunch was an amazing soul-food Southern BBQ and included a fascinating talk about "Global Eats in the South," which I again quite enjoyed. An afternoon panel on niche blogging featured Caitlin Van Horne of Roost, but I went instead to a branding workshop presented in part by the ever-delightful Virginia Willis. "Blogging About Restaurants," a talk by a former restaurant critic rounded out the afternoon. That was fun!

By far, the whole reason I was really there, was Helene and Tami's Food Styling and Photography demo. Of course the room was packed and of course they knocked it out of the park! These two women are used to working together and they clearly have a lot of fun. I stood in the back and it was hard to see, but I still learned a lot. I always do when Helene is around, and I always end up leaving inspired. More on that tomorrow. Promise.

The Keynote was a great talk by Kenji Alt-Lopez, who writes The Food Lab for Serious Eats. He was awesome as he dissected the science behind blogging. Have you ever seen this post? It actually made it onto In-N-Out's Wikipedia's page, and Kenji talked us through the whole post from conception through publication. Pretty cool stuff.

The after party was held at a great brewery in Birmingham (see #16) and afterwards, I tagged along with Helene and some other new friends for a late-night dinner. Definitely the high point for me, along with making some lovely new friends and meeting the super-charming Taylor Mathis (I would LOVE to hightail it to Charlotte to follow him around on a photoshoot or eleven, and I'm definitely buying his book when it comes out!) and it was totally worth staying up past my bedtime. Coming home was easy and happy and totally lovely to find my happy boy, Neel's special Beer-Butt Chicken and three (!) wagging tails waiting for me. It was a good trip, and I'd do it again with much less trepidation (and hopefully less worry) next time! But it left me with a lot to think about too, and I guess that's a good thing. I'll say a bit more about that tomorrow, if you'll indulge me. (wink) I hope you all had great weekends, my dears. I have a ton to catch up on (grocery store, blog, emails!), and I missed you all. Time to hunker down, but that's okay.

five things, january 25 edition

January 25, 2013 by Lauren

1. I think I can't believe that as you're reading this I'm heading to Food Blog South. A super big part of me does not want to leave the safe cocoon of my home right now, but I know, I know. Good things will come of this. This isn't really a food blog, we all know that, but I'm anxious to learn more about photographing food and writing about food and the experiences we all have around food. I'll tell you all about it next week.

2. I think I also can't believe I'm likely to miss our only appreciable snowfall of the year. Now, I am superbummed about that. Not fair. Can the universe arrange to have another for me, please?

3. I think this is a brilliant idea. I don't have a lot of meetings, but I'd have more if I could do them like this.

4. I think there are not enough words to thank the many, many of you who have reached out to us and who have continued to reach out to us in this dark week. Violet had a really nice day yesterday. She was walking much better, she seemed perkier and more present (if you can call a laser-beam focus on me all day, "more present") and she even bolted across part of the yard after a squirrel! It may be a fluke, but whatever. We'll take everything we can get!

5. I think I've been in a bit of a restless funk lately (as Callum would say, "no dip."). Who's been reading some inspiring books? I have to admit, I'm not sure how I felt about the Fire Starter Sessions. Anybody got any other recommendations? I could use a kick in the butt.

So I have no idea what my weekend will hold, except me powering through my shyness, what about you guys? Anything fun going on?