Domestic Notions

Hanging out with Grace

2012-01-24T16:11:00.003-05:00

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ebelskivers

2012-01-22T12:36:00.001-05:00

Weekend breakfasts are a real treat at our house and I try to make pancakes at least once a week. No Bisquick here--after getting a buttermilk pancake recipe from Martha Stewart, I realized how easy it was to make them from scratch. It's been a few years and I thought that maybe my pancake-skills were ready to be tested. Introduce the ebelskiver pan from Williams-Sonoma...the Danish-inspired filled pancakes are awesome! My first batch was a little burnt, but after a little practice I turned out perfectly golden orbs. The beauty is, they can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. I've included a recipe for the batter, below. It's a little more work than simple pancake batter, but whipping up the egg whites separately results in a light and fluffy batter that makes it all worth it.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolks and buttermilk. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.

Put 1/2 tsp. butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Put filling in the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Using 2 wooden skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.

recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Lath Feature Wall

2012-01-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

I have been obsessed with doing a feature wall somewhere in my house using reclaimed lath. Turns out that a lot of free lath is available from demolitions. I'm still trying to convince Darren to let me drive into a slightly sketchy neighborhood in Baltimore to pick some up!

image via Erin Martin Design

image via Remodelista

image via Parliamentology's flickr

For a totally easy, step-by-step tutorial of making a feature wall from lath, see Remodelista's post here.

Happiest Baby on the Block

2012-01-13T20:46:00.002-05:00

I admit, I'm biased...but she's got to be one of the happiest kids ever.

Little Sister

2012-01-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

The relationship between siblings can teach you about unconditional love sometimes. Grace wants so much to be just like her big sister, even if the feeling isn't returned all the time. Sophie makes a "car" out of two chairs and Grace does the same, parking her car right next to her big sister's.

Tinkerbell

2012-01-08T19:37:00.000-05:00

Tell Sophie to play quietly in her room and she will gladly do it--trying on about 15 different princess/fairy outfit combinations. This one is definitely a girly-girl.

Calm and Bright

2012-01-08T19:22:00.000-05:00

image via Elle Decor

I'm a believer in Feng Shui, and if I had this bedroom I'm sure I'd be a lot more relaxed.

Random Obsessions

2012-01-05T20:51:00.000-05:00

Leather Luggage Tag, $14

Giraffe Bust, $68

Weehouses, starting at $80,000

Rustic Leather Journal, $28

Resolutions

2012-01-01T20:48:00.001-05:00

1. Savor the time I have with my kids, and not rush through the day.
2. Drink more green juice. Ideally once a day.
3. Walk. Ideally at least 30 minutes a day.
4. Do more reading. I'd like to read 30 books in 2012. I think I can do it!

image via Beauty Sweet Spot

2011 in pictures

2011-12-30T21:30:00.001-05:00

I took my first trip away from my baby Grace when she was about 7 months old. Sophie and I went to Los Angeles to visit my cousin Jenny.

packing and missing Grace already

Sophie meets her doppelganger, Snow White

We had great a great time together, just Sophie and me.

In retrospect, there were a lot of ballet classes this year.

My two girls began to get to an age where they could play with each other.

In the first half of 2011, I had a lot of quality time with Grace on Fridays, my days off from work.

Valentine's Day.

I started my own stationery business on Etsy. I recently put it on hiatus because I found that I wasn't enjoying it as much as I should. Hopefully, 2012 will bring forth new inspiration and energy.

She just got cuter and more fun every day. She was the best baby I could ever imagine. So fun to take pictures of.

Sophie was "Black Swan" at her ballet performance.

We went to Clemyjontri quite a few times this year.

And we took our annual trip to the National Zoo.

This was the best Easter ever. My cousin threw a great party at her house, complete with egg dyeing, an egg roll, and an egg hunt!

Oh, and who gets to go to the White House Easter Egg Roll? We do, that's who! Thanks to my cousin :)

My parents really love their grandkids. They are really really great grandparents.

My sister and I had a yard sale. It was a lot of hard work. My sister made $80. I made $10. That was not fair.

Grace went through a bout of multiple ear infections this Spring. It was a trying, exhausting time.

But Spring ended on a high note! We went to our family's usual Memorial Day reunion at my aunt's home in New Jersey. It was the best one yet!

Sophie is becoming quite a character.

We took the greatest vacation ever to Atlantis in The Bahamas. This is now my favorite vacation destination.

Sophie was already so excited on the cab ride from the airport to the hotel.

One of my favorite memories is this particular morning when Sophie and I went down to the beach on our own.

Sophie and her loving dad at the aquarium at Atlantis.

I took Sophie and Grace to my company picnic. What a hot, tiring day.

Grace turned 1!

It was a very hot summer.

Grace is really developing into a girl who loves necklaces and high heels.

We took a quick trip down to Virginia Beach and it was so much better than I remembered it to be.

The Cox Farms Fall Festival was another annual event we couldn't miss.

Sophie wishes that her hair was long and blond!

And our last trip of 2011. We went to Los Angeles again to visit my cousin Jenny. And we happened to celebrate Sophie's 4th birthday at Disneyland with her favorite people. No, not us--the Disney princesses.

I'll never forget to the gorgeous drive to Malibu.

Eating at Neptune's Nest. A biker joint! :)

We also went to the Shenandoah Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival. Alas, no hot air balloons that day. I don't think we'll be going back.

Sophie also had a small birthday celebration back at home with my parents.

A little shy from the attention at Guapo's, our favorite Mexican restaurant.

It was the first year that Sophie was really excited about Halloween.

The Thanksgiving-Christmas season was so hectic this year...not as enjoyable as it could've been. I loved seeing my family so much, but I had so much work stuff going on that I never got a chance to send out Christmas cards, or bake all the cookies I had planned to, or make homemade ornaments. Maybe next year...

A Christmas photo for a card that was never sent out.

And that was it! The end :)

Roast Turkey

2011-12-30T20:32:00.002-05:00

I know this is late, but I'm writing about it for posterity...

I made a Christmas meal for Darren's family for the second year in a row. Last year, I cheated a bit and ordered a ham then only made the side dishes. This year however, I slaved over a turkey all morning and made all the fixings from scratch as well. It's probably laughable to veteran cooks, but turkeys have always seemed so daunting to me. Choosing to brine, stuff, baste...it was all so confusing. Thank goodness I ran across a recipe for roasting turkey which worked out so well for me--I have to share it with you all. The key: roast the bird upside down so that the breast stays extra juicy. Works like a charm!

My Christmas menu:
Roast turkey
Cranberry-clementine sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Corn bread dressing
Buttered corn
Blanched green beans
Rolls
And for dessert...Buche de noel (OK, I ordered this from Whole Foods--heavenly!)

And here's the recipe for Roast Turkey:

INGREDIENTS

1 turkey
Juice of a lemon
Salt and pepper
Olive oil or melted butter
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
Tops and bottoms of a bunch of celery
2 carrots
Parsley
Sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme

METHOD

1 To start, if the turkey has been refrigerated, bring it to room temperature before cooking. Keep it in its plastic wrapping until you are ready to cook it. Allow approximately 5 hours of defrosting for every pound. So, if you have a 15 pound turkey, it will take about 75 hours to defrost it in the refrigerator, or around 3 days.

Remove the neck and giblets (heart, gizzard, liver).

2 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3 Wash out the turkey with water. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Lather the inside of the cavity with the juice of half a lemon. Take a small handful of salt and rub all over the inside of the turkey.

4 Put in inside the turkey a half a yellow onion, peeled and quartered, a bunch of parsley, a couple of carrots, and some tops and bottoms of celery. The neck cavity can be stuffed with parsley.

Truss the turkey (tie up) with string, so that all the cavities are closed up and the legs and wings are held close to the body. I watched this great Alton Brown video demonstrating a trussing technique:

5 Rub melted butter all over the outside of the turkey. Sprinkle salt and pepper generously all over the outside of the turkey.

6 Place turkey BREAST DOWN on the bottom of a rack over a sturdy roasting pan big enough to catch all the drippings. Cooking the turkey breast down means the skin over the breast will not get so brown (but this doesn't matter much if you cut up the turkey anyway). All of the juices from the cooking turkey will fall down into the breast while cooking. And the resulting bird will have the most succulent turkey breast imaginable.

Add several sprigs of fresh (if possible) thyme and rosemary to the outside of the turkey.

7 Put the turkey in the oven. Check the cooking directions on the turkey packaging. Gourmet turkeys often don't take as long to cook. A good rule of thumb is a cooking time of about 15 minutes for every pound. For the 15 lb turkey, start the cooking at 400 F for the first 1/2 hour. Then reduce the heat to 350 F for the next 2 hours. Then reduce the heat further to 225 F for the next hour to hour and a half.

If you want the breast to be browned as well, you can turn the bird over so that the breast is on top, and put it in a 500°F oven or under the broiler for 4-5 minutes, just enough to brown the breast. Note that if you do this, you will have a higher risk of overcooking the turkey breast.

Start taking temperature readings with a meat thermometer, inserted deep into the thickest part of the turkey breast and thigh, an hour before the turkey should be done. You want a resulting temperature of 175°F for the dark meat (thighs and legs) and 165°F for the white meat (breast). The temperature of the bird will continue to rise once you take it out of the oven, so take it out when the temperature reading for the thigh is 170°F, and for the breast 160°F.

9 Once you remove the turkey from the oven, let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Turn the turkey breast side up to carve it.

recipe adapted via Simply Recipes

Baby Animals Nursery Art

2011-12-22T21:02:00.000-05:00

Have you seen the baby animal prints from Sharon Montrose? They are so adorbs! So simple and graphic...perfect for a kids' playroom, bedroom, or nursery. She also carries prints of adult animals for the rest of the house.

all images via The Animal Print Shop

ICE Experience

2011-12-22T20:49:00.000-05:00

Sophie and I met up with some friends today for the ICE Experience at the Gaylord National Hotel. We were one of the first to arrive, so we had the entire thing almost all to ourselves! It was freezing, but the slides were definitely fun. Not sure that I would go again because it was so pricey and short-lived, but it was worth experiencing once!

Lazy Sunday

2011-12-18T19:59:00.000-05:00

We had a much needed lazy Sunday today. The kind of day where we don't change out of our pajamas all day...

A playhouse (not) built for 3.

Sophie enjoying hot cocoa from her new mug.

Teacher's Pet

2011-12-18T19:52:00.002-05:00

I've read in many-a-blog that teachers prefer to receive gift cards at Christmas, so for the past 2 years that's what I've been doing for Sophie's teachers. Starbucks, Cheesecake Factory, Target...I've bought them all. This year, I wanted to be a bit more creative and decided to go with some vintage-looking housewares from Anthropologie. I saved a bundle of cashola and I think Miss Bobbie will love it!

A "b" monogram mug, $4 (on sale for a very limited time!)

A set of 4 chocolate-colored latte bowls, $2 each at the store -- not online (yes, $2!)

Reindeer Chat

2011-12-15T19:37:00.000-05:00

It's probably going to be defunct soon, but I love google+.

Christmastime is here

2011-12-10T23:15:00.001-05:00

Christmastime is my favorite time of year, however I've been incredibly busy with work these past few weeks. This weekend, I'm making it a point to do some traditional Christmas activities with my girls. We're baking, decorating, and spending some quality time together...and tomorrow--The Nutcracker Ballet!

Gifts arrived from my talented cousin Mylene....original collage and acrylic art! Best gift-giver ever!

Sophie and Grace got these cute animal-themed boxes. I may mount these on their walls.

Sophie loves helping me bake. And she has such Christmas spirit!

Grace got her first haircut yesterday.

Sophie has been wanting to make her gingerbread house for a month now.

She and I did a pretty awesome job together.

Sophie and Bodhi are besties.

The finished product!

This says it all!

I got blogged about!

2011-12-09T06:49:00.004-05:00

Oh, It's Just Perfect!

I am so swamped right now and can't write more, but check out this shout out to The Pied Paper!

Little Me

2011-12-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

Sophie and I after a birthday party this afternoon.

Snapshots

2011-12-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

I'm been so incredibly busy these last few weeks and won't be able to come up for air for at least another two...so much so that my Christmas tasks are falling way behind. I haven't even bought my Christmas cards yet and usually I'm ready to send those out the day after Thanksgiving! Well, my lack of posts doesn't mean that we haven't been doing a lot of family activities. It was a wonderful, amazing Thanksgiving weekend filled with the thing I'm most grateful for this year: my family (extended and immediate)!

Grace loves baths, but her skin is so sensitive she can only take them once in a blue moon. Poor kid.

Sophie has a great imagination and can play for hours with the simplest toys.

My dad with his two baby granddaughters. He's a great grandfather!

Ashley, my cousin and nanny/photographer/kid chauffeur extraordinaire!

Celebrating Darren's birthday at his parents' house.

Sophie was very excited about her advent calendar.

Sophie and Grace with Darren's parents.

A bunch of my cousins came over to hang out the night after Thanksgiving. Here is my niece Remy with Grace. I absolutely love these girls!

Sophie had so much quality time with her favorite person, Uncle Daniel.

Sophie visits the Ice Princess before meeting Santa.

Santa, Babies

2011-12-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

Cozy Ski Lodge

2011-11-19T20:35:00.001-05:00

What do I love about Aerin Lauder's Aspen home? The white palette mirrors the crisp snow outside. The wood throughout adds warmth. The spare use of accessories doesn't compete with gorgeous views. I've never skied before, but if I could stay in a place like this I'd definitely take it up!

images via Vogue

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2011-11-16T22:16:00.000-05:00

Snapshots of my life lately (even the ugly parts):

Grace in her too-big jeans

Yep, I know you can see the pile of laundry on the floor. Ditto with the goldfish sprinkled on the carpet. Thank you, Grace.

Belle is waiting around at my sister's birthday lunch.

Sophie playing with Play-Doh during dinner.

My niece Remy is so adorable! Like a china doll.

Told you I would post the ugly. Sophie at the beginning of a tantrum. She wasn't very happy that I took her picture, by the way.

Here's Grace trying to copy me.

I think she may end up very domestic, like me!

Grace's favorite hide-out. The lambskin rug inside makes it super cozy.

Grace tantruming on the floor. Luckily, she was just testing it out.

Haynes-Roberts

2011-11-12T11:39:00.001-05:00

I just discovered the work of Haynes-Roberts, an NYC interior design firm. Being the slightly obsessive person I am when it comes to decluttering, I really appreciate their classic/modern/minimalist aesthetic.

all images via Haynes-Roberts

Preschool

2011-11-12T09:42:00.000-05:00

Sophie in her preschool photo, 4 years

'Tis the Season Soon!

2011-11-11T23:13:00.002-05:00

Are you thinking about Christmas yet? I am. I think I'm going to go with this kraft paper/red ribbon theme for my presents. I like to keep it simple.

Black Nursery

2011-11-11T11:30:00.001-05:00

Forget the pinks and blues and the predictable-baby-name-on-the-wall. I am in love with this chic nursery.

image via ohdeedoh

Chicken Milano

2011-11-09T22:49:00.000-05:00

I made this tonight with ingredients that I had around the house...it was delicious! Very similar in taste to my Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Fennel, but it was easier to make. I would definitely make this again.

Chicken Milano

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 cup chicken broth, divided

1 cup heavy cream

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

8 ounces dry fettuccini pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
2.	Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until the meat feels springy and is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a board; cover and keep warm. Discard the fat from the skillet.
3.	In the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil; stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add to the cream sauce; stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
4.	Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce.
5.	Cut each chicken breast into 2 to 3 diagonal slices. Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with chicken and coat with the cream sauce; serve.

Reward Chart

2011-11-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

We've been going through some trying times with Sophie lately. Who once was our little princess, attentive, focused, polite...has turned into a Jekyll/Hyde creature who can be distracted, picky, emotional and selfish. We've been trying one thing after another, trying to keep it positive, and trying not to scar her for life with our obvious inexperience. A friend of mine has recommended using a star chart and as luck would have it, Small for Big recently posted a free downloadable reward chart on her site. I'm going to give it a try starting this weekend and see how it goes...

image and reward chart via Small for Big

A prayer for moms

2011-11-07T06:48:00.001-05:00

I ran across this prayer on one of my favorite blogs this morning...no truer words have ever been written for me. My singular daily mission is to fulfill this...

image via Oak Ridge Revival

Quality Time

2011-11-04T13:07:00.000-04:00

It goes without saying that my favorite times of the day are when my kids are asleep (yes, I admit it!), but my second-favorite times are when I'm alone with either Sophie or Grace and there are no TVs, no gadgets, no running around on errands, no cleaning the house or making them food---just me and one of my girls spending quiet, quality time together. I enjoyed one of those fleeting moments today.

Skip to my lou

2011-11-02T21:06:00.000-04:00

When my sister and I were very young, my thrifty mom would scour garage sales and come home with records and toys for us. We may have been poor, but we felt rich with the few things we had. One of the best things that my mom bought for us was an old LP called Disney's Children's Favorites. I spent countless hours listening to songs such as "On Top of Old Smokey" and "Skip to My Lou" over and over again. I recently found the LP on sale on ebay, and I'm on a mission to get this music for my girls. Unfortunately, I don't have a record player anymore...anyone know how I can convert an LP to digital music?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:06:00.000-04:00

Sophie as Rapunzel from Tangled

Grace as a spider

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-30T23:26:00.000-04:00

Sophie with her dad's handiwork, Halloween Eve 2011

Anthropologie Winter Kids Collection

2011-10-30T17:26:00.000-04:00

I am loving these new pieces from the Anthropologie Kids Collection. I only wish they weren't so expensive. At these prices, I'm going to have to wait until they go on super-sale and see what's left!

Love Letter Dress, $228

Tussie Mussie Skirt, $168

Switcheroo Beanie, $58

Ladies' Brunch

2011-10-29T22:39:00.000-04:00

I had a small brunch for a couple of my good friends from the office today, which I think went really well. I tried out a bunch of new recipes and luckily, none of them failed horribly.

Menu
Oven Scrambled Eggs
Bacon
Butter Croissants
Chocolate Croissants
Yogurt Parfait
Spiced Cider (it's autumn, after all!)

I'll put up the recipes in the next few days!

More Peas, Please

2011-10-29T22:31:00.000-04:00

Grace's favorite food right now is peas (yippee!!). Here she is enjoying a rare peaceful moment on Friday, eating her favorite food.

Girlfriend

2011-10-24T21:34:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about having a 4 year old is that she's like a girlfriend who comes along to all my personal grooming appointments and can wait patiently. I shouldn't even be admitting this, except that she looked so cute in the picture that I had to share.

Sophie waiting for me to get some hair lasered off, October 2011

Etsy Goody: Wild Things

2011-10-20T23:11:00.001-04:00

I am dying to buy this dress for Grace!

Little Fox Girl's Dress, $55

Happy 4th Birthday Sophie!

2011-10-20T22:59:00.001-04:00

Sophie stopped being a baby long ago. She's now my kitchen helper, travel buddy, drama queen, superhero and princess, all rolled into one. She amazes and exasperates us on a daily basis. She turned 4 this year, but she's going on 16...

It was a low-key celebration this year for Sophie...cupcakes at her school and dinner with her cousins and grandparents at a local Mexican restaurant. Much fewer gifts than she usually gets...and she LOVED it. Life lesson learned...kids know how to appreciate the simpler things in life.

Cupcakes I rushed home from work to make for Sophie's class

Celebrating with Grace and Remy at Guapo's

Happy Birthday Señorita!

Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival

2011-10-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

Friday

2011-10-14T23:08:00.000-04:00

Today was very chill as Fridays usually go....Sophie, Grace and I braved a torrential downpour to go to Sophie's ballet class, we went to lunch and an indoor playground together, we made a mess playing around in Sophie's room, gathered fall leaves for a bouquet, had our stove repaired, went to the pediatrician's office to pick up paperwork, went to Sophie's new preschool to buy uniforms, and finally, went grocery shopping. Sounds horrible, right? Still, it was relaxing compared to most of our hectic Fridays!

Santa Barbara Style

2011-10-12T21:32:00.000-04:00

This past weekend's excursion to Santa Barbara was truly inspirational. You know the feeling you get when you are drawn to something immediately? You just know you love it without knowing the exact reasons. That's how I feel when I'm strolling along the Santa Barbara streets in the midst of all the beautiful architecture. It's a mix of Spanish Colonial Revival, Mediterranean and California styles, everything melding gorgeously together.

images via Traditional Home, Martha Stewart, and Canary Hotel

LA Baby!

2011-10-11T01:11:00.001-04:00

What a great trip we had to LA! We did soooo many things in the few days we had. It could've been more relaxing, but we were a little too ambitious with our plans. The absolute best parts of the trip were seeing my cousin Jenny and our drive to Malibu. The only bad part (and it was bad) was the atrocious traffic. 30 miles in 3 hours? Oh yeah...every day, every time of day. Needless to say, we had a very L.A. experience while we were there. Ate at cool places, drove along the coast, and hung out among the beautiful people. Here are the highlights:

We celebrated Sophie's 4th Birthday at Disneyland. This was the only really touristy part of our trip, but one that Sophie has been looking forward to for months now. All she wanted to do was to meet the princesses.

Sophie actually had a party at the My Disneyland Birthday Party. Two words: rip-off. We could've had more fun just walking around the park.

Eating the birthday cake she designed herself.

No one had more fun at the My Disneyland Birthday Party than Grace!

We experienced the most perfect drive to Malibu...it epitomized what I love about California.

Look at the beautiful coastline!

The kids conked out after a while.

Eating among bikers and surfers at Neptune's Nest. Great seafood dive joint!

...we decided to continue up the coast to Santa Barbara....

Sophie enjoying Yogurtland froyo.

Looking for treasures at the Melrose Trading Post flea market:

She really really really wanted some vintage-looking Batman posters.

Chilling at the hotel pool. We always stay at the same hotel in Century City (for about 10 years now!), the Century Plaza Hyatt. Best. hotel. ever.

A final breakfast at The Farm of Beverly Hills. It was delicious!! And some of us saw David Spade!

Local and organic. I love the way Californians eat.

So talented

2011-10-01T10:47:00.001-04:00

Check out this amazing music video by my cousin Ashley (she's the one playing the keyboard) and her friend. She's so talented, but too humble to promote herself.

Black and white staircase

2011-09-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

I recently spotted this black and white staircase over at the Land of Nod catalogue. I love the aesthetic...neither too modern or too traditional. But replacing my current builder's-grade colonial-style staircase would be too expensive. Maybe just sand it down and paint it black and white?

Sophie on a roller coaster

2011-09-20T20:07:00.002-04:00

See how she puts her arms up? I love her fearlessness!

Tangled

2011-09-19T22:40:00.001-04:00

Just three years old and she already wants to have long, blonde hair. I have no idea where she gets this from...certainly not our family. Is the desire to look like a Barbie doll instinctive?

Cox Farms

2011-09-17T15:01:00.000-04:00

Has it already been a year since we last visited Cox Farms for the Fall Festival? It's amazing how the years fly by...this year, we were visited by my cousin Ashley from New Jersey, who became our nanny extraordinaire! I've said this a million times, but I have an amazing family! They constantly visit and help us out with the kids, which is the only way Darren and I are still relatively sane. Sophie had the most fun this year, even though the weather was quite dreary. Grace was docile and sedentary, so it all worked out very well for us. Thank you Ashley, for all your help this year!

Virginia Beach

2011-09-05T21:14:00.000-04:00

We just came back from a short weekend trip to Virginia Beach--the first time our family has been there together. Since coming back from Atlantis earlier this summer, I knew I had to adjust my expectations for the beach, but we had a great time! The weather was perfection and the kids both had a blast playing in the surf. I couldn't have asked for more!

Fiddle Leaf Fig

2011-09-03T16:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my five-year wedding anniversary. People always say "time flies", and in my case, I feel it's so true! It feels like last year when I was graduating from law school and preparing for my wedding during the summer of 2006...and now, five short years later we've made our first real home together, changed jobs, and completed our family with two great girls. It's been a wonderful journey so far...

On our honeymoon in Carmel, CA.

...but the real point of this post is about my other passion. Decorating. I've been lusting over a fiddle leaf fig tree for at least two of those years, but haven't been able to pull the trigger on one because of its price. Well, to my surprise, Darren went out and bought me one as an anniversary present! Other women might desire jewelry, handbags, clothes...I got my perfect present...my fiddle leaf tree!

My new fiddle leaf tree...it's in a gorgeous terra cotta pot that I bought today. I'll also pick up some moss to cover the roots.

Here were some inspirational images I obsessed over before I got my tree...

images via Elle Decor and House Beautiful

Sunday at the Park

2011-08-29T22:50:00.000-04:00

Gracie's first time on a swing!

I am so lucky to have these girls in my life!

Rustic Serenity Bathroom

2011-08-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

Look at this gorgeous bathroom remodel, spotted over at Design*Sponge. All the elements were thoughtfully chosen by the owners. I love the white brick wall, the reclaimed wood shelves, and the dresser-turned-vanity. This is totally my inspiration for my master bath one day!

all images via Design*Sponge

Oreos are Evil

2011-08-26T12:44:00.001-04:00

Grace and I joined the masses at Costco this morning. Everyone else was stocking up on water, milk and bread in preparation for Hurricane Irene. We were getting San Pellegrino and Hansen's soda because we had coupons! Grace decided that she wanted to feel everything she passed, so it took me a while to get through the store.

Her exact words when she saw the sheepskin rugs: OOOOHH!

Even Grace knows that bathroom rugs are yucky, hence her less-than-enthralled expression.

Hmmm...these towels are a little better!

And now to the finale: the evil Oreo cookie sample!

National Harbor

2011-08-20T22:26:00.002-04:00

National Harbor for brunch, August 2011

Girly

2011-08-18T15:25:00.001-04:00

Grace wandered into my closet while I was reading my e-mail and this is how I found her...

Grace trying on my favorite necklace, August 2011

Sick Weekend

2011-08-13T09:27:00.000-04:00

Three out of the four people in my family are sick with the flu this weekend. Guess who is the well person who has to take care of them all? Yay.

Breakfast and Antiquing...before it all went bad...

2011-08-12T14:17:00.000-04:00

Grace coming home from "antiquing" in Clifton with her aunt Michou and Mama.

....and as we were headed out to our second destination, Luckett's Store, Sophie's school called and said she was feeling sick. I picked her up, and she projectile vomited in the back of the car.....beautiful day over.

Chicken Breast Nuggets

2011-08-09T20:30:00.001-04:00

Chicken nuggets are one food that I can count on my kids eating. Unfortunately, the options for healthier nuggets are pretty limited, not to mention that the meat is usually "mysterious". So, when I ran across a "Real Simple" recipe, I knew I had to try it. And you know what--it was so easy and delish. And where else can you get organic chicken nuggets? I've already made it twice in a week!

Here's how:

1. Cut chicken breast into 1-inch pieces.

2. Season the chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper.

3. Dip into buttermilk.

4. Drag it through flour.

5. Fry in 1/2 inch of light oil, like Canola.

6. Drain off the pieces of chicken on a dish lined with paper towels. Let cool and enjoy!

Singing in the Rain

2011-08-09T20:07:00.000-04:00

Sophie, August 2011

Random Obsessions

2011-08-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

The Napa Valley...

....and specifically, Calistoga Ranch *sigh*

Private cabins at Calistoga Ranch, nestled among the trees.

and outdoor showers!

all images via Calistoga Ranch

Homemade Linen Pinboard and Photo Display

2011-08-05T13:12:00.000-04:00

Remember a while ago, I posted about a DIY Photo Display? Well, it's something that I've been wanting to do for a long time, but I wanted to cover an entire wall and couldn't find anyplace that sold bulletin boards in the large size that I needed. Pottery Barn sells big linen pinboards, but at $150 each, it would easily cost me over $1000 to cover my wall. Soooo...I made a wall-to-wall linen pinboard myself for about $100!

Darren and I are not handy people (we wish we were!). So, the fact that we were able to do this project speaks to how simple it really is. The only downside is that the boards are so huge and unwieldy that it's really a 2-person job. Other than that, it was a breeze! I'm thrilled with the results and am excited to share my tutorial with you:

Before: my little photo ledge looked a bit pathetic against that big blank wall.

1. Start off with a big sheet of Homasote. This is compressed recycled paper that is commonly used for soundproofing. It's the same size as a sheet of drywall (4 feet by 8 feet) and can be found at Home Depot or lumberyards for about $25 per sheet. It's not heavy, but it is very big. Because my wall was so large, I used two entire sheets.

2. Drape your homasote with the fabric of your choice. You will need 3 yards of fabric to cover an entire sheet of homasote. I chose white linen and this was the most expensive part of this whole project. It cost me about $65 for all of my fabric. I've seen people do this with patterned fabric too and that can be very pretty, but it's hard to line up the pattern with the edge of the board.

3. Using a staple gun, staple the fabric to the board. I used binder clips to hold my fabric up as I stapled. When I got close to the binder clip, I would remove it and stretch the fabric with my free hand while stapling with my other hand. Make sure you are pulling the fabric as you go, to ensure a smooth surface.

4. Once the fabric is all stapled, trim off the excess fabric so that you don't have a bunch of loose fabric in the back. Then, flip the homasote board over and pre-drill holes where you want the screws to be. I made three holes along the top and three on the bottom.

5. Line up the board against the wall exactly where you want it to go. This can be very hard if you are using a huge board, like I am. To manage this, I decided to use my dining table to hold up my board and pushed the board flush up against the wall. Using the drill again, drill through the holes on the homasote right into the wall. You are marking the wall where the drywall anchors will go (sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this). Put the homasote board back down and install drywall anchors.

6. Put the homasote board back up, right back in the exact spot where you had it last against the wall. All the holes should now line up with the drywall anchors. Screw the board in using drywall anchors and finishing washers (optional). Once you line up one hole, all the other ones should be a breeze.

Drywall anchor and finishing washer. I intend to cover these up with photos.

Voila! Here's the finished project! I love how it easy it will be to add and change pictures. Plus, I won't need to spend money on frames every time I want to print out new pictures. We often have guests over and I think it will be fun for people to look through our family photos and see how we've changed over the years. I'm looking forward to making new memories to add to our new photo wall!

Random Obsessions

2011-07-29T20:21:00.000-04:00

I'm starting a new category for this blog called Random Obsessions for all the little things that crowd my head every day. There will be no rhyme, reason or organization...much like my mind.

Faux Bois wallpaper by Nobilis

Napa Valley electric bike rentals from Change of Greenery

Snow leopard throw pillow by High Street Market

Keeping Cool

2011-07-29T20:00:00.001-04:00

It seems like in the DC area, it's either unbearably hot or unbearably cold. Why can't we have milder weather once in a while? Right now we're suffering under the former, and there's little that we can do but sit at home, cooling ourselves down with ice cream.

Grace and Haagen Das, July 2011

The Princess and the Pea

2011-07-26T22:44:00.000-04:00

I'm determined not to make the same mistake with Grace as I did with Sophie, and train her to eat vegetables right from the beginning. It's working out pretty well!

Birthday Brunch

2011-07-24T22:29:00.000-04:00

We went to brunch today to celebrate my dad's birthday. It was good, but chaos. I was exhausted by the time it was over. I think afterwards at home, I actually fell asleep with my eyes open for a couple of minutes while the kids were crawling all over me. Unfortunately, there was little time to rest--it's Muuuunday tomorrow and work beckons!

My parents and their four grandchildren: Bodhi, Grace, Remy, and Sophie

I really need to start putting shoes on this girl.

Silky

2011-07-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

Temperatures are near record highs this week all along the East Coast. For those of us who have to don business-y attire and leave the comfort of our air conditioned homes every day that means we are sweltering beneath our blazers. Well, how about an easy, breezy silk tee shirt from Blue Desert? It's comfortable, but definitely still professional and chic enough to wear around the office. I think I just cooled down 2 degrees.....

Black and White Inkblot, $88

Black Mirror Inkblot, $88

Bluegreen, $68

Coral Nightdrop, $72

Music Video

2011-07-20T22:15:00.000-04:00

My cousin Ashley came down from New Jersey and has been spending the week watching Grace. Here's how she kills time.

Balmy

2011-07-18T22:35:00.000-04:00

I am totally loving having my cousin Ashley stay over this week. She's been driving Sophie to school and helping babysit Grace in the afternoons. And not just that, she even takes pictures for me to post on my blog! I have to say, we are really lucky to have such great family.

Sophie at the fountain on a balmy summer evening, July 2011.

Happy Birthday Gracie!

2011-07-16T23:14:00.000-04:00

Wooohoooooooo....my baby is one year old today!! It's been a draining, tiring, tough, but wonderful year. I can't imagine an easier baby. Sleepless nights were rare, and she was a champion breastfeeder, decent eater, and all around happy and gentle kid. Grace got sick quite a bit more often than Sophie did, but *knock on wood* nothing ever serious. By now, Grace saying "mama", "baby", "helloo?" and "uh-oh". I'm not sure if she knows what she's saying, but I think talking is just around the corner! She's not quite walking unassisted yet, but loves practicing while holding our hands. I'm kinda sad that she's growing out of babyhood, but at the same time excited about the fun times we have ahead of us. We can't imagine our lives without her....she completes our family.

sweetest.baby.ever.
Grace at exactly 1 year old.

Busboys and Poets

2011-07-10T14:14:00.000-04:00

Phamily ladies' lunch with Sophie, Remy, Michou, Jenny and Quynh

Afternoon Delight

2011-07-07T22:32:00.000-04:00

OK, get your mind out of the gutter! For Sophie, this means...having a cakepop with her dad after school today.

Sophie and her "afternoon delight": Starbucks cakepop after school.

Gracie's 1st Birthday Party

2011-07-04T11:28:00.000-04:00

We held Grace's first birthday party yesterday at the park--two weeks earlier than her actual birthday because so much of our family was able to be in town for the holidays. It was fun, but seriously hot outside. Thank goodness we had some shade and a beautiful view. Add yummy BBQ and Phamily and the result is a perfect day!

Grace chose a mirror from the tray. Does this mean she'll be beautiful, or vain?

ONR Picnic

2011-06-30T22:27:00.000-04:00

I gathered up the courage (or foolishness, whichever way you look at it) to bring both Sophie and Grace out to my company picnic. It was great for Sophie to play with my friends' little girls, but it was sunny, hot, and right in the middle of naptime. Chaos ensued. Needless to say, they probably won't be going again next year!

A Day at the Lake

2011-06-25T21:16:00.000-04:00

I spent a good part of the morning today scouting out the location for Grace's first birthday (next week, can you believe it already?). A lot of my family will be there, so it's gonna be a great time, regardless of where it's held!

I get an F in facial sunblock application today! Poor kid.

Of all the horses in the merry-go-round, she always picks that darn bench seat!

Virtual Phamily Reunion

2011-06-25T12:14:00.002-04:00

New Jersey, No.VA, and the OC....it's good to know the Phamily remains close :)

Group Phamily chat, June 2011

Etsy Goody: kikiandpolly

2011-06-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

I have a very personal reason for loving art from Etsy. Everywhere I look, people seem to be painting or drawing pictures of my girls! Maybe it's just because they are so dear to my heart, but it seems like so many pictures are of little girls with short, dark bobs. This one really speaks to me. It's Sophie on the beach. I bought it right away, of course!

Girl in the Yellow Suit, $20

Troublemaker

2011-06-24T21:19:00.000-04:00

Gracie messing up Sophie's room as I try to clean up.

Look at the devilish grin!

Bye bye anonymous readers

2011-06-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

Starting this weekend, I'm going to start restricting access to my blog to people who request permission. I realize that I don't know all of you personally, and that's OK, it's a risk I took when I started this blog two years ago. However, so much of my life is accessible online these days and it's not too hard for someone to do a google search, connect the dots and glean more information than I feel comfortable putting out there. So, if you would like to continue reading this little 'ole blog, please don't be shy! Leave a comment with your email address, or email me personally if you know my address and let me know. I'll add you to the list and you can sign in anytime. Until then, it's been great everyone!

Father's Day Brunch

2011-06-21T23:24:00.000-04:00

My parents are so awesome. They took us to a famously delish brunch at Westfields Marriott to celebrate Father's Day. We tried to pay, but my dad sneakily took care of the bill even though it was Father's Day. This is why my dad rocks!

11 months

2011-06-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

Grace, 11 months 5 days

It's been a trying month for Grace. She's been sick with a double ear infection, a possible food allergy to eggs, roseola, and a cold. So she's lost a bit of weight and not her happy usual self. And although she took her first international vacation at 10 months, she didn't have a chance to enjoy it. Poor baby....I think she's on the mend though, and we're seeing an allergist in a few days. Here's hoping that next month, she will return to the happy baby we know and love.

I am a cliche

2011-06-21T19:33:00.000-04:00

Whole Foods shoppers and Prius drivers like us will find this video so funny and true. I am such a cliche wannabe....

Bahama Mama

2011-06-18T15:02:00.001-04:00

I've been absent from this blog for way too long, but I have a good excuse (don't I always?). We just returned from our summer vacation in The Bahamas, where we stayed at Atlantis. Paradise Island was truly amazing. The beaches were pristine and the people were so friendly. I would highly recommend The Reef Atlantis for families. It was a splurge for us, but The Reef had all the amenities that you could possibly need and then some. My only wish was that Gracie would've been feeling better during this trip. She moved right from a bout of roseola into a cold. We never really had a mealtime without a meltdown. Sophie, on the other hand, had a blast. Never complained about the long flights, the hot weather...anything. She was always happy and excited about all the fun things we were going to do. All in all, a very tiring, but good experience. I'd do it again, when the kids are older!

Taxi from the airport to the resort...tired, but excited.

Sophie was so exuberant, you would've thought the taxi was what we came for!

Waiting in line for breakfast. Sophie looks so old here.

Sophie and I went to the beach by ourselves, while Darren stayed with a sleeping Grace in the room.

We had a really nice "Mama and Me" time.

Grace at the kiddie pool.

Sophie fell asleep at Johnny Rocket's at dinner.

Sophie and Grace in the lobby of The Reef. Truly luxurious!

Sophie and her dad with "Flotsam and Jetsam" (see Little Mermaid)

Princess

2011-06-08T21:12:00.000-04:00

Sophie at Nico's First Birthday Party, age 3.5

Corn Raita Salad

2011-06-07T22:08:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for a fresh and tasty accompaniment to your steak this summer, you should really try this recipe, from Todd English's appearance on The Nate Berkus Show. It's a breeze to whip up and it's very seasonal, since corn is plentiful in the summer. We eat it instead of mashed potatoes or another starchy side dish when we have steak. But you can have it with chicken, fish, or even on its own. I was never really crazy about greek yogurt, but now I can't get enough of it!

Corn Raita Salad
Yield: Serves 6

The inspiration for this recipe is from the classic Indian condiment, raita. The addition of corn makes it a whole new dish. Toasting the corn draws out all its lovely sweetness and adds a great texture to the corn. This is so simple, yet so satisfying. I try to keep a batch on hand in the fridge to add to tacos, sandwiches, or to top crab cakes, but I usually end up eating it one spoonful at a time every 20 minutes or so over the course of a day. Try a few spoonfuls on top of grilled summer fish such as striped bass or bluefish—nirvana.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh corn kernels (this is preferable to frozen or canned corn because it's firm)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups thick, Greek-style yogurt
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a dry cast iron skillet over high heat, toast the corn. Let the corn cook about 1 minute, then scrape and stir it around the pan, until it gets browned in spots. Be careful, sometimes the corn will pop and jump in the pan. Remove to a plate to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the onion, cilantro, cumin, yogurt, and corn. Stir gently, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Friday Fun

2011-06-04T15:30:00.000-04:00

Best Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-30T22:42:00.000-04:00

For the past four years, it's been a tradition for my family to gather in New Jersey on Memorial Day weekend. My aunt, uncle and cousins have a gorgeous house in Holmdel and about 30 of us gather there to barbeque, play cards, sing karaoke, and just spend some quality time together. This year was the best year yet, in my opinion. We celebrated my cousin Ashley's graduation from college. More family members were able to come (more cousins for Sophie to play with) and we spent Sunday at the beach in Long Branch. After the beach, we went to what is now my favorite buffet, Ichi Umi, before heading home. As you can see from the pictures below, my kids had a blast!

Grace really enjoyed exploring the maze of rooms.

Congratulations, Ashley!

Sophie and her 3 cousins were addicted to the bubbles.

S'mores!

Doing Face Time with Jenny, who was absent for the first year ever.

She can't be smiley all the time!

Sophie at the beach with her second obsession: UNCLE DANIEL.

Uncle Daniel text to friend: "FML"

Uncle Daniel is a teenager who definitely has better things to do than play with toddlers!

The next day, we are at home already, but boy are we beat!

She Stands!

2011-05-30T22:07:00.000-04:00

Nautical dresses

2011-05-22T01:12:00.000-04:00

I love all things nautical, and I immediately fell for these two new designs from Perryfinalia on Etsy. Now the question is, which one should I get for Sophie and which one for Grace?

Shiftmod mod tunic, $38

Simple mod jumper, $42

Farmer's Market and Fine Arts Festival

2011-05-21T21:35:00.000-04:00

From the garden

2011-05-19T21:10:00.000-04:00

Peonies cut from my mom's garden.

10 months

2011-05-19T21:07:00.001-04:00

Grace, 10 months 3 days

Her babyhood is almost over...*sniffle* Every day Grace is more fun. She epitomizes the happy baby. She loves to joke by growling and imitating sounds, blowing raspberries and smacking her lips. She's babbling and singing all the time. Grace pulled herself into a standing position and spends her time crawling from room to room. Bedtime is a dream...she falls asleep at 8pm on the dot! But it wasn't all fun and games this month....her double ear infection and eardrum rupture were no joke! It was two weeks of forced medicine, tears, whining, no appetite, weight loss....thank goodness it's all over!

Remy's Birthday Party

2011-05-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

More pictures from my niece Remy's birthday party became available today...

Saturday Snapshots

2011-05-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

Sophie waiting for her dad to take her to ballet class.

Grace and I "editing" Sophie's toys while she is away at class (this is a never-ending task).

Spending some QT with Mama while Daddy and Sophie are away.

Miss Sophie getting a haircut.

What a week!

2011-05-13T23:57:00.001-04:00

Wow, where do I start...it's been a week and a half of highlights and some very low lights....I'm still too tired and not quite recovered enough to even talk about it in detail. So, I'll share my story with some pictures....

Last weekend started off with Gracie being irritable, cranky, and whiny (not like her usual self at all). She was diagnosed at the sick clinic with a double ear infection and was put on Antibiotic A. In the meantime, I still had to organize and participate in a community yard sale the next day....

My sister setting up at 7am in the morning. We were very organized!

I think our displays looked the nicest.

Pretty good visual merchandising, right? And I just used things I had lying around the house!

To be honest, these clothes were WAY too good for a yard sale...

Sophie woke up bright and early and hung out on the stoop all morning.

The babes hung out in shade of the garage.

Things took a turn for the worse over the weekend. Grace's fever never abated even though the antibiotic was supposed to make a difference within 24 hours. I took her back to the clinic on Monday and the doctor said her left ear looked even worse. She had us switch to Antibiotic B, which seemed to help immediately.

Then, two days later, on Wednesday, Grace's eardrum burst. Apparently, the pressure was so great that it ruptured.

Grace's eardrum is filled with pus from her eardrum rupturing. Strangely, she slept through this.

At the clinic for the 3rd time this week. Waiting for the doctor to come in.

Luckily, she's on the mend. She's back to her old, smiley self and we had a wonderful belated Mother's Day dinner at Maggiano's tonight. Seeing her happy again totally makes up for a really cruddy Mother's Day weekend.

Four generations of Pham women: Grace, me, my mom, and my grandma.

Sophie and my dad. He is one of the WORLD'S BEST GRANDPAS! Right alongside my own grandpa :)

My girl is back!

Gracie's Sick

2011-05-07T00:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a really exhausting week since Grace has been suffering from a double ear infection and I've been organizing a yard sale for my neighborhood. It's heartbreaking to see your baby whimpering and sad, when she's usually such a happy girl. There have been some highlights however; Sophie and I had some quality time getting our pedicures and I had a chance to work on some new products for The Pied Paper. Here are a couple of snapshots I managed to get in this week.

Here's a memory that I want to keep forever: Gracie peeking at us from the hole in her highchair.

You can tell she's sick by the bags under her eyes and the weight she's lost.

Sophie really likes the Batman Happymeal toys.

It's an indulgence, but I love sharing this experience with Sophie.

I'm kinda a big deal

2011-05-04T23:25:00.000-04:00

So, I was on the local news yesterday.

No, not because of my blog. Not because of my Etsy store. I had two milliseconds on the news because I forced my way into a Liz Crenshaw interview at the mall during my lunch break!

Grace's Birthday Invitation

2011-05-04T21:23:00.000-04:00

...is so perfect. My favorite Etsy artist, Inky Livie, designed it for general sale in her shop, and it was kismet. Three elephants holding up a baby elephant...can you say ca-uuuute!

It's Friday, Friday...

2011-04-29T21:02:00.001-04:00

...and we did what we usually do on Fridays...run errands! Exciting, right? Well, I still prefer to spend the day running errands with my roly poly over sitting in my grey, soul-sucking cubicle any day!

Grace, Sophie and I piled into the car and drove Sophie to school.

Sophie acting silly in front of her school.

Afterwards, Grace and I had to go buy some supplies for The Pied Paper.

Came home and had some "brunch". Yogurt with a side of cell phone and lip gloss. Yummm.

....fast forward eight hours where I was too lazy to take pictures: we did laundry, cleaned up the house a bit, napped, I finally ate lunch at 3pm, went to Whole Foods, picked up Sophie from school, went to Target, came home and made these omelets for dinner (they were so good), and the ended with a great finale to the busy day:

Strawberries with fresh whipped cream!!

I'm pooped. Grace is in bed now and all I want to do is curl up with my nook and immerse myself into my Dennis Lehane book. It's time for "me time"!