Hello? Is it me you're looking for?

It's a beautiful fall day in the PNW and I'm feeling inspired to try and get back into blogging. The last time I posted B$ (as he shall henceforth be referred to) wasn't even born yet and now he's a smiling happy 8 month old baby!

I am back to work and feeling like I am finally starting to balance between home and the office, some weeks being more successful than others. I'm loving being B$'s mom and I feel blessed to have such a happy boy who wakes up happy every morning with big wide eyes and a toothy grin. 

I'm not sure what form this blog will take from here on out, but it feels good to be back! 

Hello! 

See you soon!

M.

A baby and French Macarons

Wow...I have been totally absent from the blog-o-sphere lately. Life just seems to run away with itself sometimes. To quickly catch anyone up who still stops by here...my husband and I are expecting a March baby!

Needless to say we have been very busy making preparations baby Ieshee (my nickname for our little one since we are not finding out the sex). My husband has been busily preparing the nursery which includes pulling up carpet to refinish the hardwoods underneath, adding wainscoting and painting. We are going with a very neutral color scheme, a rich gray with yellow accents to the room.

I've also found myself baking more and more lately. I got this determined idea to try and make French Macarons this weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome:

They look like little pink hamburgers, but they are much more delicious than that! I was nervous about how they would turn out since I've heard they are pretty time consuming and finicky to make. Luckily I found a great easy recipe, and my first batch turned out perfect! My husband was super impressed. Here's the recipe if you're interested: French Macaron Recipe

Letters & Postcards

Out going mail for the week!

On the left are 3 friends I met during high school through Foreign exchange programs. I never pursued the opportunity to study abroad but I did become good friends with students who did. Georg and Mic were students at my high school from Germany and Italy. Olga was part of the host family that my best friend lived with during her Junior year abroad in Madrid (and that I stayed with during my summer graduation trip to Spain). I've kept in touch with all of them, which has never been easier due to facebook. But hey! I like writing the old fashioned way. 

On the right are a few postcards sent to friends in New Orleans and Olympia.  My mail goes near and far!

All this mail enthusiasm has led to me to want to try a little "boomerang" mail art project which I will tell you more about after I nail down the details.

George

 

It's looking as though my photo blog is turning into a mail art blog! This is what you get I suppose when you have an obsessive personality that floats from one idea and passion to the next.

As for George, he was a good buddy from my photography days at The Evergreen State College.  I have many fond memories with GG...working in the darkroom or bumming around town with our cameras.  He is a fabulous photographer working out of Brooklyn, NY, check out his site George Barberis.

Miss you old friend!

Third Thursday

 

Yesterday was an extremely relaxing and enjoyable evening after the 4th day in a row of stressful work blues. It was the perfect day to come home to not one, but two surprise packages! The first was a belated wedding gift from a dear friend and the second was a  cute felt floral pin from a total stranger!  

The rest of the evening included an impromptu picnic at a friends and Arts Walk adventures downtown...a lovely spring day in the Northwest.

Teeny Tiny Postcards

More mail! I found this fun template on the Photojojo site.  I spent a chunk of Saturday afternoon mining through old photos of my friend Rachel who I met my Sophmore year of college, so I've collected quite a catalog of our shenanigans.

I took these photos as my little keepsake of our memories.

Pen Pal Project

A friend of a friend told me about a pen pal project that she was involved in.  Being a lover of sending a receiving mail I decided to join.  This will be my first send off and above are just a few photos of what I have included to some lovely stranger.

The project has inspired me to continue to create and craft mail for friends and strangers alike.  So who knows, you might receive something from me one of these days!

Momma's got the goods...

 Red Onion and Blue Cheese Spread

This is one of my favorite recipes that my mom gave me.  It's super easy and great to bring to parties as an appetizer.  I made it last night for a social event I was attending and it was a hit. 

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped kalamata olives

2 garlic cloves minced

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

freshly ground pepper to taste

Baguette slices

Red grapes for garnish

In a dry pan toast the walnuts, set aside. Put olive oil in a pan over medium heat and lightly the saute the red onions and garlic. Add olives and heat through. Stir in the walnuts. Put the blue cheese on a large platter or serving dish, pour the heated olive and onion mixture over the blue cheese. Gently stir to mix.

Pepper to taste and add red grapes to garnish.

*I also made another super easy appetizer which is what the basil in the first photo was for.  I stuck mini mozzarella balls on a toothpick followed by a quarter slice of a cucumber, a basil leaf and a cherry tomato.  I brushed them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper and voila!

I see nothing but the horizon ahead

{View from our lil' cabin in Mar Don Resort, Eastern Washington}

I am very excited about 2011.  I feel like this is going to be a great year, and much of that is due to the fact that I have DECIDED 2011 is going to be a great year.  I have lots of ideas that I want to explore creatively and I have of hopes to dedicate myself in a more outwardly fashion.  








What are your big hopes, dreams and goals for 2011?

Adventures at Christmas time

 

Hello again!  Seems like I might never come back to this space, but I had such a wonderful Holiday weekend and a fun Sunday afternoon adventure with my sister that i had to share.

My husband and I had everyone over to our place for Christmas which included his family for Christmas Eve dinner (minus Anna who is in Cambodia...we miss you!!!) and then my family joined everyone for Christmas morning breakfast.  

It was such a blast to have everyone celebrate the Holiday in our home.  Peter made Christmas Eve dinner which was Cioppino over roasted garlic mashed potatoes with a side of crab cakes.  My sister in-law brought a great Broccoli salad and I made my Aunt Lynda's famous Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls.  Breakfast Christmas morning included Norwegian Pancakes, fresh fruit, bacon/sausage and mimosas.  Yum!! We definitely know how to eat well around here.

My niece and nephew ran around the house so excited for Santa and church and dinner at Uncle Steve's.  We played Dominoes, Scattergories, an insane version of the TV show "Minute to Win it" and the Box of Things which is a pretty hilarious game to play with your in-laws. All in all it was a great Christmas with the family.

Sunday was all about hanging with my sister!!  We started off with a coffee and then decided to do a little tour of Tacoma which included visiting the home where Bing Crosby was born, then onto Stadium High School where my husbands grandparents went to school and the famous Heath Ledger movie Ten Things I Hate About You was filmed.  Then we took a stroll across the Bridge of Glass with original blown glass pieces by Dale Chihuly.  We ended our adventure with a stiff Martini at the Harbor Lights...made popular by Tacoma elders who love a good early bird special!

I hope you all had a great Holiday with family and friends.

* [All photos taken by Alanna Hart except for No. 6 - face behind the martini.]

Send me the pillow you dream on...

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Wow!  I can't believe it's already December...I have been a very absent blogger lately but I did have some time to put up some fun gift ideas I've seen while shopping for the lovelies in my life.  Granted these are the things that caught my eye, but I can't post you the awesome finds I found for my friends and family until after Christmas...because that would spoil all the fun!

1.  Dean Martin - I love listening to him croon.  If you lived in my neighborhood you'd see me dancing like no one's watching while I walk my dog while listening to my Dino Pandora station.

2. Kelly Green Buckhead Pillow by Reagansbrain -  The color of this pillow is so vibrant! I have been ridiculously into animal themed decor lately, if you peaked at my mantle you'd see 2 Ryan Berkley portraits of squirrels, some pheasant feathers in a vase and an owl pitcher on display.

3. Wool herringbone clutch by Sans Map - Love the yellow print on the inside!

4. Peacock Feather dish towels by Michelle Brusegaard - These are so sweet.

5. Joy Ride Locket by Wiyomu - I've been wanting a locket for a while, the last one I had was from middle school and had a photo of my summer camp crush, Colin.  

6. Penguin Classics  - Gorgeous hardback designs of some of the greatest classic stories.

7. Face Painter by Sophie Blackall - Strange but interesting.

8. Fences debut album - I've been really into Macklemore lately and on his album, Vs. The Redux there is an AMAZING remix of Outside which features another Seattle artist, Fences.  Thanks to Brittany being on the look out we're going to see Fences and Neon Tree's next week at the Showbox!
 
What type of gifts are you giving this year?

Darling Diptych :: Confection

Left: Mo

Right: Brittany O 

Ah!! Celebrations abound!!  It's both Brittany and my birthday week.  My birthday was Wednesday and Miss B's is today.  I had a lovely birthday which included a surprise from my sister with flowers and a picnic lunch.  We were so lucky to have a beautiful crisp fall day to enjoy lunch at the park!

I'm excited to be celebrating our mutual November birthdays with Brittany again this year.  Last year we were up in her neck of the woods and this year, my husband and I are hosting.

AND...It was Brittany who first made me aware of Movember.  "Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache."  (Hense the mustachioed pecan pie!!)  

Check it out!

p.s. In light of the fact that Brittany, her hubby and my hubby are all Irish (and I'm a wee bit as well) I baked Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes...just like the ones my sweet Aunt Lynda baked for our wedding!!

Darling Diptych:: Soft

Left: Mo

Right: Brittany O

Wow!  It has been a long time since I've posted.  It's been a busy fall, but after a few weeks break we are back at the Diptychs.  Hopefully I'll have time to post some other fun projects I've been working on in the near future.  Hope you all have a great weekend!

Choice jewelry

I have been wanting dainty little necklaces like these for a while...I love the simple chain and the small little beads or charms at the end.  

I remember a guy asking my a long time ago, what my favorite feature of my body was, and I replied "my collarbone"... and I think any of these would show off my favorite feature beautifully.

1. flat sterling necklace by roundabout
2. lamina - antique gold by edor
3. cherish - au naturel by edor

Darling Diptych :: Little Treasures

Left: Mo

Right: Brittany O

Happy Friday!  I'm battling a nice head cold that seems to be going around, so I may be bagging my plans to run the Oktoberfest 1/2 Marathon and stay home in bed instead.  Boo!

I hope you are all feeling better than me!

Darling Diptych :: Facedowns

Top:  Mo

Bottom: Brittany O

This week's diptych was fun!  Brittany suggested the idea a while back, you may recognize it from such blogs as I love facedowns and Facedowns.

You might be wondering, where is that cool wall with the octopus tentacles?  Well dear readers, that is the outside of Seattle's first distillery...Sound Spirits.  Cool right!?  Very.  

My friend Rachel and I decided to stop in Wednesday night for a taste and a tour of the small batch distillery located in Ballard.  Steven Stone, the owner, is super friendly and chatted us up while pouring us each a sample of Ebb+Flow, his single malt vodka made from Washington Barley.  This vodka was different from anything else I've tried, it's a bit sweet and very fragrant, great for sipping. The hint of citrus has me thinking it would make a great lemon-drop.  I decided to buy a bottle for my sister whose birthday is today, and will be celebrated tomorrow night...with lemon-drops!  (She won't see this before tomorrow.)

Not a vodka fan?  Worry not, Steven is currently working up recipes for Gin, Aquavit and Absinthe.  He was kind enough to let us sample a bit of each.  Rach was a BIG fan of the Gin...I now know what to get her for her birthday!

It's a miracle I didn't  end up facedown myself after all the tasting!

Darling Diptych :: Blue

 

Left: Mo

Right: Brittany O

Happy Friday everyone!  It's been nothing but rain and fog around here lately, so blue seems fitting.

Mic + Somaly :: The Wedding

 

As promised, here are some photos from the Castro's wedding over Labor Day Weekend.  It was such a fun wedding with tons of dancing.  Somaly is a 'long lost' high school friend I reconnected with via facebook, you may remember her and Mic from their engagement photos. It was great to get to hang out with her all day and chat with some other old friends I hadn't see in years.

Thanks to Brittany for second shooting and hanging out with me all day!

p.s. - My blogger template is currently under construction, so things might look a little bare for a while.