Now that it is officially summer I have decided that we should probably get a pool. Ahem, specifically this pool made from a shipping crate...
June 9
I've got a lot floating around in my mind this week; only one more day of preschool left, a big stack of books from the library on my nightstand, new recipes to try. I'm not sure where to begin so I'm just going to start unloading...
I am reading this stunner of a book by the poet Elizabeth Alexander. My heart hurts but also swells reading her prose. Maria Popova of Brain Pickings wrote a review about it here. Elizabeth also has a wonderful conversation with Krista Tippett on "Words that Shimmer."
I've been loving this super basic and comfortable bra from Lively. It feels so nice to ditch the underwire for summer...
I just got this perfect little summer dress from Zara. It would look great with a pair of these earrings I'm still wishing for...
I pre-ordered Pamela Salzman's cookbook which finally comes out next week! I've talked about her and shared her recipes here many times. She cooks how I like to cook and like me, the woman loves to eat and eat well. I'm excited about this one. She'll also be here in Seattle at Book Larder later this month...
I want to get a few of these Turkish Towels to bring with us to the beach and the pool this summer...
I'll also be wearing these classics a lot this summer...
I bought this rad letter board a few months ago which hangs in our dining room...
I'm also doing some major organizing at home, specifically the shelves in my husband's office and the hall closets. I love these stackable bins that I find at Storables and have been using them at home and at my studio for the last several years. They are great for toiletries, batteries, light bulbs, paperwork that needs to be filed, you name it. I have both the small and large ones.
And just for fun, Jacques Pépin dicing an onion...
Happy weekend!
Beyond
Vamos a la Playa
My son and I are getting ready to take a little trip with my mom to Mexico. I'm packing light with just a carry-on that I can carry on my back which isn't too challenging considering we only really need the essentials: swimsuits, sunscreen and flip flops.
A few things I'm packing...
This Stella McCartney Adidas swimsuit that I super love (especially the back)...
My favorite Beautycounter sunscreen has to stay at home because of the size but I'm bringing along their body stick and this stuff in the 2.5 oz version that my friend Omar likes. And my favorite face sunscreen from Suntegrity...
I'll also be wearing my favorite trucker hat from Machine Machine...
And my new favorite denim shorts...
My son has these swim goggles which are fantastic. More like a mask than traditional goggles and they are super easy to adjust. I bought an adult version for myself as well.
I am also using this great (and affordable) linen shirt from Uniqlo as a beach coverup...
Forever and ever Ray-Ban New Wayfarer shades...
I'm also packing a small medical kit my husband put together and this elderberry syrup that we all take regularly at home. It's great for extra immune support and is anti-viral and anti-microbial.
And this is the bag everything is going into, the MLC from Patagonia...
I'm also using this pared down backpack from Topo Designs...
Packing cubes are super helpful to keep everything organized.
Last but not least, two new paperbacks for me! This and this. Uno, Spot It, a Koosh Ball, crayons, colored pencils and a coloring book.
Now it's time to brush up on my Spanish.
From my wishlist...spring edition
I love these very cool Jenni Kayne sandals with a detached ankle strap...
This multipurpose balm from Olio e Osso in currant...
And this jewelry case from Cuyana...
(All of these would make primo Mother's Day gifts I might add.)
The Latest
It finally feels like spring around here. My peas are coming up through the dirt, the rhubarb is thriving and the morning light is returning.
The last several weeks have been intentionally quiet and lovely. Lots of time in the kitchen and increasingly more time digging in the garden in between the rain showers. Lots of music, little news. Lots of thinking about my work and composing a meaningful life, and that my son will be turning five in a few weeks. It feels like a proper spring renewal.
On the music front I've been listing to Bon Iver's latest album 22, A Million on repeat. Specifically this song cranked up...
I bought a set of these multipurpose stainless clips last year and they remain one of my favorite and most useful things in the kitchen...
I also love this little strawberry huller...
I have a few pairs of jeans that needed an update and I was inspired by these photos...
Above image from Could I Have That
So I got out the fabric scissors and hacked off the ends to give them new life, and now they are pretty perfect.
The recipe is in Franny's cookbook (which Melissa Clark co-authored) and also in Melissa's newest one. In her book the recipe is in grams which I prefer and also makes it super easy to double or triple the recipe. (We let it rise for the full 48 hours by the way.) You can also find the recipe online here.
Happy spring!
Opening to Our Lives
“We call ourselves homo sapiens sapiens. That’s the species name we’ve given ourselves. And that comes from the Latin sapere, which means “to taste” or “to know. “ The species that knows and knows that is knows. And now maybe we need to live ourselves into owning that name by cultivating awareness and awareness of awareness itself and let that be in some sense the guide as to what we’re going to invest in, how we’re going to make decisions about where we live, where we are going to send our kids to school, how we’re going to be at the dinner table. Whether we’re going to take our bodies and our children and our parents for granted, or whether we’re going to live life as if it really mattered moment by moment.
The more we can sort of learn these lessons, the more we will not be in some sense running towards our death, but opening to our lives. There’s a huge distinction between the two. And all the scientific evidence is suggesting that when you choose life in the way I’m talking about, your brain changes in both form and function, your immune system changes, your body changes. I mean, we start to really take care of what’s most important. And there are very, very tangible results at the level of the body, the mind, and the heart, and most importantly our relationships with the world and with our loved ones and with our own bodies.”
From Becoming Wise.
Outdoor Voices
As someone that teaches fitness for living it might be surprising that I don't have an extensive "athleisure" wardrobe. I have a few favorite pants like these and these that I often teach in. But when I am doing my own Pilates workout I don't like any fancy tops with crazy straps or fashion forward cuts. I prefer the same high-waisted, knee length Nike tights I've had for years (similar to these) and my standby cotton tank tops from Target that I wrote about way back when I started this blog four years ago.
However, I have been eyeing a few upgrades from Outdoor Voices. Namely these leggings...
This crop top...
And these merino sweats...
From my wishlist...
I'm looking for a new pair of jeans and keep coming back to these ones...
I love this beautiful oversized cardigan...
I've had these Annie Costello Brown earrings on my wishlist since last spring...
And my favorite Melissa Clark has a new cookbook coming out!
Love as a Skill
Photo from OnBeing
As a gift to yourself (and in turn a gift to everyone else in your life) listen to Alain de Botton and Krista's conversation on "The True Hard Work of Love and Relationships." It's your assignment for the week.