success

As a mom, life is constant. One big clean up, following around a giant moving tornado of giggles and messes and whines and spills. Some days I have achieved to-do list 'success' : 4 loads of laundry, made a scrumptious meal, got my toddler napping & eating, gone to the bathroom in peace, bought groceries and done it all in a cool, calm & collected manner. Other days I don't get any thing 'done' except manage to stay in my pj's all day and be available to hug my toddler as often or as little as he wants. But even on those days I know I succeeded because I have LOVED him. 'Success' is subjective and it's definition is exclusive to your set of values, but as the quote below describes, it's all about the little things, and people matter most.

~ To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

the [belated] one year old gift

When Ruehl's first birthday was nearing, I began thinking about birthday gifts.

What do you buy for a one year old? More noisy toys to fill up the box? More clothes to dirty? Which, we bought both. But I kept thinking there has to be something more substantial to buy him, more meaningful, more special! Like a keepsake.

And then an idea bloomed in my heart: An art collection. Buy him one piece for every birthday and then when he is all grown up he will have a beautiful collection of one of a kind art.

I've been browsing Esty for the past 4 months looking for the perfect [and not $$$] piece to buy for his [belated] birthday gift, and I finally found it! A Toronto based Esty artist Siiso creates beautiful oil paintings full of vibrant colors and shapes. Her stuff totally floors me and I am so glad that she sells high quality Giclee prints of her work starting at $20. Squee!

This is my favorite for Rue:

And I'm loving this for my room:

Aren't they beautiful? Check out her Etsy to see more beautiful work.

Love, Y

the GREATEST

I love finding good things! Things that works, that you can rely on. Like a really great recipe, or a cleaner...you name it. I am going to share with you some of my favorite 'greatest' things!

The Greatest Roasted Chicken

It's called 'Engagement Chicken' because it's so good that when you make it for your boyfriend, he will propose soon after! It's a Barefoot Contessa classic. So simple. Seriously it's the best roasted chicken I've ever had and/or made. I can always count on it, always rely on it being amazing every.single.time. The chicken is salty and crispy, the onions are slightly burned on the edges. And the pan juices are blow your mind delish. My tweaks: when I don't have wine [or am to lazy to make the sauce, or would rather drink the wine] I just skip it completely and you don't even miss it. Pair with some lovely Basmati and roasted Asparagus and you have yourself a fancy week night meal.

The Greatest Banana Bread

I have searched HIGH and low for the perfect banana bread recipe and by George, I think I've got it. I did tweak it a bit: I halved the sugar to 1/2 cup [and it's still sweet enough] & added a generous teaspoon of lemon zest. The lemon added that perfect lightness and tang. If you are feeling super saucy you can add a crumble on top [which I do every time but that's besides the point] of butter and brown sugar.

The Greatest Water Bottle

I bought Rue a Camelbak and we have used it every day since. It's so great because it doesn't leak, it's large enough for us both to use it and it's kid friendly.

The Greatest Stainless Steel Cleaner

Bar Keeper's Friend. Stuff is amaze-balls. This cleaner is to stainless steel what Chuck Norris is to your face. Roundhouse kick dunzo! It also cleans sinks, ovens [which came in handy after our bacon grease oven fire a few weekends ago] tubs etc.

The Greatest Stain Remover

The Magic Eraser. I was very skeptical at first, but now I'm a believer. I had some wicked stains in my claw foot tub that I couldn't remove, not even with bleach. Magic Eraser got 'em out. It's scary. Who knows what the heck is IN that thing and how BAD it is for the environment, but I'll take another box please.

The Greatest Flour

I bake as often as my skinny jeans allow. Bread, muffins, pancakes & pizza taste best with all purpose white flour, but dohhhh! Not so good for the body. Which lead me to this: King Arthur Flour. It's an all natural, unbleached white whole wheat flour that tastes almost as good at the white stuff. It has a good texture and isn't too grainy. Bakes great.

And there you have it. Some of my favorite 'greatest' things. Dang, too bad a girl can't get endorsements, 'cause I'd be rollin' in the deep by now. Got any favorites you could share?

xo, Y

14 months

'look Ma, no hands!'

My sweet Rue!

I am getting used to the word 'Toddler'.

I guess that's because you've grown so much since your birthday.

You have 4.5 teeth now [the .5 part is a gem of a story, to be shared later]

You love to climb the stairs....up and down, and up and down. I let you.

YOU LOVE DIRT. Getting it under your nails, in your diaper and your favorite...in your mouth. When we go into the backyard and you get really, really dirty, I make sure to strip you down before we go back inside. Then you run around in your diaper with a dirt-stache. It makes me laugh.

You still love to be naked, but you don't love food so much anymore. All the things you loved last week, now you loathe. Gotta admit I get very frustrated and feel helpless. I am sure there is a verse in the bible 'baby cannot live on Cheerios alone...' ?

New words: "waattzzzz zzaatt?" "shheeeze" "sshoooooooooze" "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh booyee"

Translation: What's that, Cheese, Shoes and OH BOY.

One new thing: you lay down on your belly as you play with toys. It's very little boyish, as I imagine someday you will play with army men or lego's in the same manner.

You and I had our first art time. It was so sweet. When I put the colored pencil in your hand and showed you how to mark the paper, you moved the pencil from your right and into the left and started drawing. Makes me think for sure you are a lefty. I hope it sticks!

Well, your naptime is almost over and I have plenty of things to do before you wake up. I love you so much little man!

xo, Mama

kick in le pants.

Today I woke up and thought 'I need a swift kick in the pants. I need to GET GOING! I need to seize the day. I need to juice! Exercise! I need to create art, and cook and clean and raise my son with joy. No one is going to hand me my creative energy on a silver platter! Hello!?'

After my mental pep talk I found this quote on Leigh's blog.

The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who’ll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and somthing else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that’s almost never the case.”

- Chuck Close

Quote, Photo

Kick in le pants just got seriouz yo!

So if you needed a kick, I hope you got it. Now scram! Go make/do/be something productive and lovely and inspiring and wonderful. We all have it inside us, sometimes we just need someone to reach in and pull it out, even if that someone is yourself.

so much love, Y