My awesome babysitters

This summer has been great for Darren and I, partly because my younger cousins have been generously helping us out and babysitting Sophie at a moment's notice. We've been able to do a lot of things that parents of toddlers rarely do--go see movies, eat out alone, and best of all: go shopping and run errands in peace. I'll be sad when they return to school in the Fall. Besides the babysitting bonus, it's just been nice spending more time with them than we usually do during the school year.

One of the girls, Lyndsey, has a fantastic photojournal. Click here to see her day with Sophie.

Lake Anne Farmer's Market

Every four or five weeks, Darren, Sophie and I will have the energy to drag ourselves out of bed early on a Saturday morning and join the crowds at the Lake Anne Market in Reston, VA. This combination farmer's and crafter's market is arguably one of the largest weekly outdoor markets in the Washington area. It draws both large crowds and a good variety of vendors selling anything from local produce to Peruvian goods.

The produce was abundant and fresh this morning.

I'm trying heirloom tomatoes for the first time today, to see what all the hype is about.

Sophie has a cold this morning and looks a bit disheveled and grumpy.

Lake Anne has a variety of stores, residential buildings, restaurants and fountains.

Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup

I made chicken noodle soup tonight for the first time (I'm a late-blooming cook). It turned out to be quite delish...I loved that it was rustic, simple, and all natural.

I used organic ingredients and they were so flavorful that no additional salt was needed. Here's the recipe I used:

RUSTIC CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth 1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast

1 1/2 cups egg noodles 1 cup sliced carrots 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.	In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

While the soup was simmering on the stove, I looked outside the window and saw a sweet scene...this is what it's all about.

Sophie and her daddy playing outside on the driveway

A multitude of small delights constitute happiness

One of the best things about summer: rainier cherries!

Skirted table

I have been loving the idea of a skirted console table for a while now. A skirted table is so practical, allowing one to hide baskets, shoes, or various miscellaney under the fabric. The thought of making one was out of reach, however, because I don't know how to sew. This little to-do project kept nagging at me though....

Well, today's entry on one of my favorite decorating blogs, Little Green Notebook, pushed me over the edge to attempt this project. Just look at the skirted console table that was made by Jenny's mom of Little Green Notebook:


And apparently, no sewing is needed! Another blog, Newlywed Diaries, kindly provided detailed instructions which I plan to follow to a tee. Now, I just need to find someone who needs a skirted console table...I've got no more room at my house!

Another day, another dollar...

Sophie and her cousin, Bodhi, who I babysat this morning

...and sometimes I'm reminded of why I keep on keeping on.

Adding Architectural Details via Molding

As I was surfing the website for Vastu, a local Washington, D.C. area design firm and furnishings retailer, I noticed the elegant picture frame molding in all of the rooms. In the past, I had considered molding to be too old fashioned and fussy, but these images prove that molding can complement contemporary settings as well. If the molding is the same color as the wall, it provides a subtle relief effect and won't compete with any adjacent artwork.


My home has high ceilings and that means vast expanses of blank walls. Picture frame molding could accentuate the ceiling height and allow the walls to look "finished" without needing to be filled up with art. I'm going to investigate this option further. Does anyone know how much it costs?