There are certain blogs I go to every few days just to torment myself. Please, please tell me Pinkpeppers isn’t your secret torment!
One, for me, is decidedly Christian and the Christian part is fine, in fact a great Christian blog would be, well, a great thing. But the one I go to when I feel like tormenting myself, never disappoints. It always has posts that let me know I’ve missed the mark… again. Things like, “God needs to be first in your life, and if you are not waking up at 5 AM for your quiet time with Jesus, you are doomed for failure.” Or, “When your kids are sick and throwing up every hour, toss a picnic blanket into the middle of the living room and make it fun, make them little rocket ship shaped sandwiches and watch a fun movie… if you’re a godly mother” ”Cranky kids at bedtime? Just toss them in the car for a jolly ride around town and end with an ice cream cone and then they will sleep like angels.” Or, “If you are having problems with your marriage, focus on your husband’s godly traits, say godly things to him and poof he will be godly, the end.” And, I think just ’cause it’s so dang easy to do, modest dress is always a ready post, good for poking you in the eye, swimsuits are the easiest and then it moves into cleavage and the length of your skirt, and you call yourself a Christian!
Of course, somewhere in the midst there is truth; it’s just that the delivery is so, Camelot, so, life is perfect here, hope you can get your act together too.
I much prefer to hear from someone who is willing to say, “you know, I’ve been there,” I prefer honesty like, “Have you lost the reality of God, not the belief in God, but the reality of His sure presence? Do you have periods in your life when you pray, read your Bible, lead a decent life and you just feel empty and alienated from God? You’ve checked off the “Good Christian” to do list and you still feel depressed. Do not lose heart, this condition will come upon you if you are a Christian. David cries out about this in spades, Job was put through a wringer which made him question everything. Christ on the cross even asked, My God, my God why have your forsaken Me?
Even though we are mere mortals, this deadness and drought may not come necessarily because you’ve done anything wrong. “I will say to God my Rock, why have You forgotten me?… Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?”
We need encouragement that sometimes the kids will be throwing up and you will not feel like throwing a picnic party and in fact, you haven’t read your Bible that morning (and maybe you skipped the day before too) because you were up to your ears in dirty sheets and just now you would like just a little more sleep and furthermore, you probably won’t have it together by dinner time. We need to know that we will go through periods of darkness, deadness and drought and it might not be the result of any particular sin and that there is a way out.
So, I go off into cyberspace and torment myself at Christian Women’s blogs like a cat with a mouse and then head straight to the man who has changed my life.
As if turning 30 this year wasn’t bad enough, I just got in the mail the other day my very own AARP card. Eric thought it was hilarious and insisted on putting it on the fridge.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against using this birthday for all it’s worth. And right now I’m trying to convince Eric that this wonderful peacoat by J Crew would be a great consolation prize for someone turning 30. Does it get any more cheery than that fabulous aqua blue? And right now I think I need some cheeriness.
The perfect beach day, sunny, 90 degrees and a light breeze...
My dear friend made the long trek from California to visit me this last week (actually she came to visit all her Seattle friends but I like to think she just came out to see me). It felt like old times going on Seattle adventures and hitting up the best happy hours and I took a Thursday and Friday off just to fit everything in. This visit to West Seattle and Alki beach was very memorable since I had never been to this amazing little corner of the city. It had a very California feel (or at least I think it did since I’ve never been to California; it’s the way I’d imagine California to be) and had a boardwalk lined with great open air shops and eaterys. A visit to Husky Deli provided some of the best homemade ice cream I’ve ever had, all nestled inside a fresh homemade waffle cone. The coconut, complete with real chunks of coconut, and the rum truffle ice creams make an especially delish combo. A BLT sandwich complemented the meal quite nicely. After sitting in the sun for hours and doing a little longboarding we faced the sad fact that we were sunburnt and dehydrated and had better head back home before we turned into human raisins.
One day a chair suspended high in the air on a pole appeared in a vacant lot near where I live. There was chatter on some of the blogs and everyone was asking where this mysterious chair had come from. Lately the chair has become part of an entire “exhibit” located in that vacant lot.
Apparently there are plans to throw up an enormous high-rise apartment building with a grocery store below on the lot but until work starts on it, the artist has been given the OK to continue his work there (according to some neighbors of the lot that I talked to). The other day I happened to see the artist at work and snapped a picture of him as we drove by.
His name is B K Adams and the H Street Love Peace and Harmony Sculpture Garden is apparently just one of his many installations. He has also started a viral marketing campaign putting his “I AM ART” stickers up all over the city, with different groups following him on-line and posting pictures of all the places his stickers show up.
Valiant and I took a walk down to the lot the other morning before it got too hot and snapped a few pictures.
I never really liked the wood color or the handles. Originally I was collecting all different kinds of knobs from Anthropologie and was going to use them. But in the end I decided to spray paint original drawer pulls.
I finally got it done. It’s only been on my to do list for about two years. I finally gave my bedroom dresser a coat of paint and I love it. I don’t know why it took so long because it was really a quick job, the actual painting that is. The dry time is something else.
I have the bad habit of bringing into the house furniture that is only mostly dry and then the things I set on the dressers somewhat adhere to them, ruining the lovely glossy finish. So I made myself promise that I would leave it to dry at least two days.
This is the finished product in Martha Stewart's Toasted Marshmallow.
One of the simple pleasures I enjoy in life is looking in my sock drawer and having it beautifully papered. Silly I know but I like it.
A friend and I were sitting on our front step having a glass of sangria the other evening when a few runners started to pass by the house. Soon the trickle turned to flood but they weren’t the typical stream-line, spandex-clad crowd. Some had dread locks and beards or were running in cargo pants, and a number of them looked very out of shape. So we finally started asking them what the occasion was. Was there a race or something?
“We’re running for Jesus!” one guy yelled over his shoulder. “Because it’s a good night to run!” someone else said. Eventually a jogger stopped and told us there were about 200 people gathered behind our house drinking beer in the alley and we left our stoop to investigate.
We walked out our back door and sure enough, a van had pulled up behind our place, a couple folding tables had been set up and about 200 people were drinking Yuengling out of plastic cups, eating oreos and doritos, milling about, talking and carrying on. So we joined the party and discovered that they were a random group of people called “hashers” who basically run and drink beer every Thursday. They have a website and each week someone scouts out a route, starting at a metro stop somewhere in the city and ending (hopefully) in an obscure alley where no one will notice or call the police. And honestly, if no one had told us, we never would have known they were out our back door. We hung out, drank beer and chatted with folks for thirty minutes or so until we heard a siren and someone alerted the hashers that the police had arrived. Immediately the tables were broken down, the van was packed up and the crowd disappeared. The alley was completely empty in a matter of seconds– no trash, no plastic cups, nothing.
Aileen brought Jarrett Taite and Matthias down for the long weekend and I kind of wondered if we would be able to find enough to do now that we don’t have the sights of Seattle to entertain us. But between a bon fire, squirrel shooting, late night games, Saturday farmer’s market, and a package of stamp on tattoos, we had as much together as we always do. The weather wasn’t great but we took advantage of Saturday afternoon’s break from rain to go mushroom hunting north of where we live near Joseph Canyon.
After a couple false alarms in which all 7 of us would tear through the forest toward the yells of, “I got one, I found one, everybody come over here!! . . . .oh, wait never mind. . . . it’s a toad stool ” we became expert morel mushroom hunters. These odd little fungi look like small brown Christmas trees with a brain-like texture and grow around Wallowa County in late May and into June. They are a rare delicacy because they can’t be farmed, but instead have to be searched out on the forest floor. After a couple hours of “shrooming” we turned up with 25 morels, roughly a pound which could sell for $20 an ounce! Dried Wild Morel Mushrooms
The thrill of the hunt got to us and we started identifying where the fungi liked to grow best. Not too dry, not too wet, with a little undergrowth and m0ss in the surrounding area, and dark rich soil.
The happy hunting party
Aileen turned out to be a natural morel finder
Jarrett Matt and I (with Jude's help of course) found a small jackpot on an exposed bank of rich soil.
Zac's findings
We hiked, discovered streams, animals, birds and lots of poop that Matthias was good enough to identify for us at every point, and then the boys reverted to putting moss up their noses and any other clever place they could think of. Next Jarrett entertained us with his back flips off of stumps. Then everyone decided they were hungry and we headed home to fry up our prize in a little flour and butter to serve with cocktails and soda before dinner. Perfect end to a perfect day.
I can’t remember who first introduced us to Jinglebob’s Vintques, but whoever it was, I’d like to shake her hand. And buy her a drink. And maybe a really nice car too.
Jinglebob’s was top on our list when Meghan and Taite came to visit the other week, Meghan was looking for pencil skirts, Taite just wanted something that would fit (she’s in that pesky in between size- not a kid, but not grown up yet either), and I wanted some colorful things for summer. All of us came away with a hefty addition to our wardrobes, and I’m not going to name numbers here, but you might drool on your computer a bit if you knew how little we spent. Jinglebob’s really is the best bargain I’ve ever found in vintage fashion. Clothing of less quality will sell for twice the price in Seattle.
Now, you do have to get over the idea that someone else once wore these things, but let me quote this wonder of a book “The Little Guide to Vintage Shopping” on the subject of old clothing:
( This book is a ton of fun, my mom gave it to me in my stocking last Christmas and of course you kind find it online, here)
“[Modern] Manufacturers also increasingly rely on spandex-infused fabrics to eliminate the need for a range of sizes, opting instead for the catchall S-M-L. But unless you have a perfect body, stretch alone will never replace a decent fit. Without proper proportions and well-placed seams, shoulders will strain or droop, necklines will gape, waist and bust-lines will ride up or fall down. Vintage clothing by contrast was made in all kind of sizes for the mature figure. With such a range, you’re bound to find nice-fitting clothing in vintage.”
I’ve really found this to be true and because of the superior quality, I’m amazed at what good condition the clothing is in even if it’s 60 or 70 years old. Besides that, there is something pretty wonderful about knowing no one else will be wearing that delicate 1950′s sun dress this summer but you. Even if you decide the Rothschild sorbet orange wool coat really isn’t you after all, you can usually re-sell things easily at stores or online. After one winter in said coat I re-sold it to a vintage store in Seattle for almost what I bought it for.
If you love finding designer pieces and high end vintage fashion, here’s a great resource for researching brands and the history of different labels. The Vintage Fashion Guild online.
The shop owner is your best friend, ask her for help and you won't be disappointed. She has an incredible eye for what will look good on you.
Half the fun is poking though all the clothes that she has. Some things are hillariously funny and worth trying on even if you'd never buy them. You might even be suprised.
It's not just clothing she has but also vintage purses, books, hats, decore and even this darling swim cap. (I wanted to buy it as a hat but couldn't hear a blasted thing with the rubber over my ears!)
Perfect for a wedding I think.
The details on some of the vintage dresses is just beautiful.
Meghan desperately wanted this little '50's housewife dress to fit, but alas, both our ribcages were just too big.
The dress had embroidered roses all along the bottom. Really, it was quite adorable.
Are you a vintage junkie or an energetic novice to old clothing shopping? We want to hear about your shops for finding the best out there! (That is of course, if you are willing to share your secrets. . . . ) East coast or west, tell us about your favorites!
I’m not sure if you’re like me, but I like to see people’s trips documented by the purchases they made along the way. Is it food they love to bring back home, or perhaps clothing and shoes, or maybe postcards or shirts with the names of the most memorable places they saw?
So while in D.C. we got to see the usual sights Ford’s Theater, the Magna Carta, and of course the art museum and they were all very wonderful, but I got to shop. I love to shop. I told Erin I wanted to go to the second hand stores in D.C.. I figured I could find some real treasures there. She warned me, though, that they are all pretty scrubby and I have to admit, they were. I did find some things.
So I could show you some pictures of the Capital, which you have all seen, but I thought it might be more fun to show you all the things I found, stuffed in my suitcase and still managed to come home 5lbs under the limit.
I found these little vintage cups at the secondhand store and was completely smitten. There are times I wish I was sophisticated and had only white on white, but the truth is I gravitate toward colors. I love them. So I bought these and think they will make lovely children's cups.
I'm particularly taken with this tomato color. Even the writing on the bottom that says "Perma Hue" is in a charming font that I like to look at.
I got this this artist's print at the secondhand store. Originally I thought it would be great in the boys' room but when Eric saw it he wanted it for his new office. So that is where it will be going.
This I found at an antique store while shopping with a friend. She said she had one and loved it, so I thought I had better get one too. It seemed such an odd whimsical piece.
As you can see it is a triptych that opens up to the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus flanked by two angels. It looks Russian Orthodox to me.
This has been the month for visiting sisters. I just jetted back from DC and hope to have some wonderful photos of our trip to show you soon, but right now I am now in Oregon visiting Caitlin and helping her decorate her new home. We are also planning a trip to a super fun vintage store and hope to let you in on the shopping experience and all the treasures we find. In the mean time here are some photos of the cousins.
“First thing we gotta do is belittle, deride and heckle them.” If that is what the mainstream media’s reaction is to someone or some group, my curiosity is piqued and I figure that person or group must have gotten something right.
I am not a tea party-er, but there we were in Washington D.C. on 4.12.10 right when the big happening was happening so we jumped in the truck and found a fantastic parking spot a few feet from the event and were there for Tucker Carlson and Rev. C. L. Bryant’s speeches.
Listening to Rev. Bryant was very rousing. I had heard that the Tea Party group was a bunch of wackos and here was this guy giving a very emotionally packed speech and the reaction was supportive and vigorous but way, way short of riotous and wacko. Way short. The crowd thought he was marvelous and they cheered with enthusiasm but one week old Valiant was safe in this crowd.
I hear that Tucker Carlson is the hotty of the conservative movement. He was at the Tea Party too.
At the very end of the event, people were walking through the crowd saying, “Clean up your mess, don’t leave any trash,” and other incendiary things like that.
I left wondering why there is such vitriol against this group, they are polite and neat as a pin, all they want is for big government to leave them alone.
I don’t think that’s asking too much and the Tea Party does so politely.
Post-race, it's never felt so great to just be standing there drinking water!
I have never considered myself to be much of a runner or much of an athlete at all so when I decided on a whim this January that I should run a 1/2 marathon I didn’t really expect to go through with it. But there’s nothing like putting some money down to motivate yourself… so I signed up and paid up early just to further motivate myself. My boyfriend’s parents also signed up and I was thrilled to not have to run it alone. After about 8 weeks of training and a lot of freaking out that I was not going to be able to do it (two of those weeks I was out with a knee injury!) I crossed the finish line 5th in my age group in the Wenatchee marathon! You can see my stats here, I was really just wanting to do it in under two hours and was able to, at 1hour, 50 min and 42 seconds! Running is pretty addictive, though; I’m already plotting my next 1/2 marathon and have a 5k and 10k lined up within the next two weeks. Who knows maybe I’ll even graduate to a full marathon some day!
I finally did it! I got the wheat grass planted just in time to hopefully be ready for our Easter table. I thought I should post about it sooner rather than later so that should you want some for your festivities, there may yet be enough time.
I was told the ideal time to plant is about fourteen days before it’s needed. Now I have never really grown grass, but assuming it works this is all I did: soil enough to fill desired planters and some wheatberries. I bought mine in the bulk section at our grocery store but I think craft stores sell them too. They need and like a lot of sun. Then just spritz everyday with a spray bottle to keep moist.
Obviously a simple project that my kids have been waiting to do ever since I put it on the calendar. They enjoyed it and it took all of about ten minutes.
This is my sweet little juicer that I scored at an antique store. It was so pretty that I just wanted it to sit on my shelf. Happily, though, I also use it.
I have been wanting to try out a lemon pound cake ever since I began anticipating spring. The problem being that Eric and I couldn’t possibly finish a whole pound cake between the two of us but we had guests and so I finally got to make one.
Perhaps the real reason for wanting to make a lemon pound cake is that I get to use my zester and my little juicer. The juicer I found at an antique store and thought it was so adorable that I couldn’t resist buying it. It is true that a fork works just as well to juice a lemon, but why use a fork when you could do it so much more beautifully? I think that every kitchen should be equipped with these two tools.
Served with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and lemon curd, the pound cake was all I had hoped for and more. It was quintessentially spring. (I more than doubled the lemon zest that went into the cake and it was perfect.)
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” -John Lennon
Profound coming from a Beatle.
We can get so bogged down in getting through our very important schedules that we forget to simply enjoy right now.
Ecclesiastes can be misconstrued as a real downer,
“Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.” Ecc. 2:11
It could be read as, “work your little heart out, who cares, you die in the end anyway; vanity.” But I don’t think so.
Rather we are given the blessing to go ahead and work but in the end do not forget to enjoy life.
When was the last time you sprawled out on the sofa with a good book for an hour or more?
When was the last time you took your children and blew half the day doing something for the shear fun of it?
When was the last time you let your house fall into the least bit of disrepair and chaos to enjoy the moment?
Recently, smack in the middle of our school day, Taite, Matthias and I set out to see the fort that Matthias and his buddies have been building. The fort was a sight to behold. I could not believe the planning and detail that went into it; Oregon Trail folks would have been proud to call it home. Its lumbered walls included shelves with found objects of glass, a window with a hub cap for closing, and a door with brass hinges. Right outside was a fire pit where they cooked potatoes and onions.
The unusual warmth of that sunny day in February as the three of us walked through the sage brush, truant will be remembered longer that any old grammar lesson. The countless hours spent at our little table will have its own reward but the blessedness of knowing my dubious effort is not the last word in smart children is total freedom. That is why I totally get it when Solomon says,
“Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.”
Solomon understood that when we think our work is the ultimate say in a matter we are doomed to a life of constant worry, hustle and defeat.
Mostly it is good to work, work hard and God will bless that. But we need to beware lest we think it is our working, our planning that matters most and makes things happen.
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the lord directs his steps.” Prov. 16:9
