Playhouse!

I am plotting to steal wood scraps from the new construction across the street to make Clare one of these. I've had a few awesome playhouses, there is nothing more special to a little girl.

Who wants to work for Pizza?!?

I also had an amazing hand-made doll house which my mother and I wallpapered in oversized-patterned 70's wallpaper scraps. It was my favorite toy for most of my childhood. Maybe that is a more realistic first wood project.

Sunday Dinner: Carnitas

This is one of my favorite meals that Rick makes. The basic idea is that you throw some garlic, dried chilies, salt, pepper & cumin on top of a Boston butt roast (pork shoulder, picnic?) and cook on about 325 for 5 hours, turning it over about halfway through. Then you shred and serve with warm corn tortillas and fresh pico de gallo. Rick had this meal ready for me when I flew to Guam one Christmas Eve, the night before he proposed. He doesn't remember. HA!
In looking at recipes, it seems that most people cut the roast up first. That would give you more of the delicious crispy bits but might not be as moist. Here is a recipe from a David Lebovitz who's opinion I trust whole-heartedly. If you live in a region where Summer is a time to leave the house (whereas Texas is a place that you hide indoors) then you should definitely make this in the Fall. A lazy football Sunday with Carnitas is perfection!

Mod curtains

You may say they are a little bit Brady Bunch and that I am secretly creating my own 1970's childhood dream room (and you wouldn't be completely wrong) but I am soooo excited about the curtains in Clare's new bedroom! The fabric is from Jessica Jones of How about Orange?. I also love the products in her etsy shop featuring her own fabrics. They are great for those of us who aren't so handy with a sewing machine. Thank goodness for a mother-in-law with curtain making skills! Now we just need the perfect art for the walls.

The Freshest Bagels

My friend Brookes has been telling how great this book is for a while now. The title pretty much says it all...Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking.
Today we were invited over for fresh bagels and they were absolutely delicious! I need to get this book. How else am I going to get hot from the oven NY bagels in these parts!



YUMMY!

Wedding fun!

Have I mentioned that lil Clare is going to be a flower girl for my Aunt's wedding in September? Weeeeeeeeee! (that's me being excited.) Really I think every mother wants their little girl to be a flower girl once. Regardless of my excitement, I have been slacking on my "mother of the flower girl" duties so my lovely aunt sent a selection of shoes for us to pick from.

Option 1: Silver
Very sweet and totally reusable



Option 2: The same style in an iridescent white
Gorgeous but not reusable

(bad photo but you get the idea)

Option 3: Aubergine (color of bridesmaid dresses)
Less dressy style, very fallish, love using the wedding color as a shoe accent and totally reusable



Here's the dress (but with aubergine petals)! If we went with the aubergine shoes, maybe we go more subtle on the dress accents.


What do you think?

Oh and PS, isn't Clare a well-behaved little model? We can only hope that she will be so cooperative on the wedding day.

I would like one of these please.

Why I even know where I would put it.

via my blog-pal Brooke at Magnolia Grace

For my snickerdoodle

Rick doesn't like many sweets but his favorite cookie is the famous Snickerdoodle so I whipped up a batch from my friend Jaime's mom's recipe. They are super yum. Clare says "Mama, I yuv snicka-doo-doos!"