I asked B to take Parker to get his haircut tonight.
I told him to go the the Hair Saloon.
I suggested that he request Grandma Kim. She, apparently, is the best.
B took my car with the boys.
I packed Fin up in B's car and realized that all of my mall returns were still in my car.
I drove to Hair Saloon.
I circled the building.
I peered inside.
There was no B. There was no P.
I drove to Great Clips.
I saw Parker and B getting their haircut.
I think B is one sneaky guy.
He wanted to go there all along. Well played B. Well played.
The blogosphere was abuzz a few months back with the discovery of the NYPL's digital archives becoming available to the public. Meaning, every single image that is housed in any of the millions of books housed there is now available for purchase. It gets better. You can search by subject/color/book/etc. You can crop images. You can have them blown up or shrunk. And they are all printed on gallery quality papers. You're looking for a vintage blueprint of your capital building? Maybe the perfect watercolor? Look no further.
I have a thing with botanicals. I'm not sure what it is but I seriously swoon over them. After an afternoon of searching the archives and finding the perfect pair for my living room I was ready to order...then I got to checkout and realized the completely and totally reasonable price tag of $50 per 11x14 print was still too much for me to be spending on wall decor. Lightbulb. The prints were from the same book. The book is sold on Amazon. The ENTIRE book was $4.83. Shipped.
Once it arrived I found about ten more prints that I just adored. My plan of two quickly turned into eight. I used the razor cutting thing-a-ma-jig from my paper cutter and out they came.
The usual go tos were a total bust for thin gold frames. I almost justified custom because, well, you know...book was only FIVE DOLLARS. Enter Goodwill. Oh, I love me a Goodwill lately. On this Sunday's visit I found two hand painted gold leaf frames for six bucks a piece. Mine.
A razor blade to the existing {loveley} prints, a little cleaning and ta da...perfection.
A pretty little set of botanicals. I think they turned out just lovely. All for less than $15.
Won't my new shield back chairs look fab on either side of the bar? I need to find the perfect fabric...
Not to be left out our sideboard got a little face lift too. Gold. Gold. Gold. I have been really into gold lately. New $13 pulls {for all five} and a totally new piece. Love.
Won't my new shield back chairs look fab on either side of the bar? I need to find the perfect fabric...
Not to be left out our sideboard got a little face lift too. Gold. Gold. Gold. I have been really into gold lately. New $13 pulls {for all five} and a totally new piece. Love.
Just wait until you see what I found Craig-ing the other day...
I discovered these on the side of the road.
We made a screeching stop and a totally illegal u-turn.
I think the babes were frightened by my moves.
Painted a creamy cream with something like this on the seat and they will be divine.
And they were going in the trash! Who does this...
It's difficult not to smother him in kisses...
And pinch his cheeks...
And squeeze his thighs...
And eat him up!
Invitations are out.
A million miles of bunting has been made...
And a million sandwich flags...
And we have a million more projects to accomplish in T - 22 days.
Sometimes B walks in the door and tells me that my blog was weird.
He did this yesterday.
It made me laugh a little bit.
My mom does that too. In fact, she's probably thinking that I'm being weird right now.
Today I was toddler-less. What better to do than go shopping.
Shop I did. Starting with my favorite Antique stores that are totally off limits with three under three.
{Brian will probably dislike this post too...albeit for totally different reasons than yesterday.}
Case goods that I wish I had room for:
I fell in love with these for our bedside tables...glass and gold. D. Lightful. {and only $27 a piece}
And this for a desk. So vintage glam it almost came home with me.
There were six of these. I was drooling. Pure perfection under our mason jar chandy...then I discovered they were $195. A PIECE! Needless to say, they remained in the store (and in my dreams).
I can't explain why, but I really loved these antique dress forms. They were salvaged from a factory downtown. I want one.
Maybe because they remind me of Stephanie's office which I adore...
Then we hit our favorite Goodwill and Value Village. Full of milk glass to add to my growing collection. All for $12.
On collections, I have started quite a few. Funny, because I never really thought of myself as the collecting type- brass candlesticks, gold frames, milk glass...Then there's the collections that I want to start- Fire King jadeite and pink milk glass are on the top of my list. Along with colored glass goblets. I love a great table setting...Speaking of which, aren't these vintage tablecloths and napkins fabulous?
And then I was spent. Literally.
Mimi and Pops are coming tomorrow to pick up P and F...for FOUR days...in Indianapolis...without us.
They are both soo excited. I am nervous.
Three states away. I can't seem to turn the 'what-ifs' off.
It's not like we haven't been separated before- even farther distances.
I get nervous every time.
I am going to be a wreck when the first day of school rolls around in September.
Wreck.
I may cry. They may {most likely} not.
There's something so unsettling about the stillness when they're not around.
Or that I'm not there if something happens, or to kiss a boo boo, or just to make lunch...
I am thrilled for them to have some QT with their grandparents.
And for me to have some QT with my Harry Bear.
And my husband.
And my house- projects abound.
At two years and eleven months old packing is easy.
Clothes, p jams, underwear, swimsuits, sunscreen, tylenol, blankets, and their penguin night lights.
That's it.
{Well, maybe baby Goey and accessories- I'm not sure Finny would leave without her}
The list of dos and do nots is pretty simple too:
1. naptime is between 1p and 2p {this is only mentioned because there is a definite window of will sleep/will not sleep}
2. they like to have their water bottles with them during the day {milk at meals. in cups. chocolate for P. white for F.}
3. juice causes bad things to happen to their tummies {proceed with caution}
Ta da. That's it. Simple.
Now I just have to finish the six loads of laundry in order to pack the above mentioned...
Simple Brooke, simple. Deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale.
Because dreams are made of it...
*Be forewarned, this cake is not easy to make. It takes a dreadfully looong time. HOWEVER, if you do you will not be sorry. I promise. Swear. And besides it's marshmallow- totally worth it!
Lemon Marshmallow Cake
Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour (don't substitute!)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp each baking soda and salt
3/4 cup unsalted, softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1 large egg plus 3 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (no substituting!)
Lemon Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (not out of a bottle!)
Fillings
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup lemon curd (splurge and get the nice stuff!)
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves (don't be cheap...)
Marshmallow Topping (mmmmm...)
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Cake: heat oven to 350. Coat two 8x2 inch round cake pans with baking spray; line bottoms with parchment paper (don't skip this step!)
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl until blended. Beat butter, sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl with paddle attachment until light and fluffy (3 min). Beat in egg, then egg whites and vanilla, until blended. With mixer on low, alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk until incoporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and continue to beat batter 2 minutes until very smooth. Divide batter into two pans and spread tops until smooth and even.
3. Bake 33 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen edges of cakes with a knife and unmold onto rack; remove paper. Invert cakes and cool completely on racks.
4. Lemon Syrup: While cakes are baking, combine sugar and waer in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.
5. Filling: Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in mixing bowl with whisk attachment until stiff. Place lemon curt in a medium bowl and stir 12 cup of whipped cream into it to loosen; then fold remaining whipped cream until combined.
6. Assembly: Cut each cake layer in half horizontally using a serated knife. Place one layer on a cake plate and brush with lemon syrup, then spread one third of jam. Top with one third of the lemon cream and gently spread over jam layer. Top with the second layer and repeat above x3.
7. Marshmallow (i.e. the part you've been waiting for): Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in large metal bowl. Set over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are very warm to the touch (about 4 minutes). Transfer mixture to bowl of stand mixer. Beat 5-7 minutes, starting on low and gradually increasing to high until stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spread over top and sides of cake with a metal spatula. Use handheld torch to lightly brown the marshmallow...
My mouth is watering...no, I'm positively drooling. This may be one of the best flavor combos in the history of all flavor combos- what beats lemon, raspberry and marshmallow?!
I have so many fond memories of books from my childhood...Babysitter's Club, all things Roald Dahl (remember the BFG?!), the classics like Where the Wild Things Are. I don't remember watching much tv, just lots and lots of books. I remember coming home after school and curling up with great novels...Alive when I was in eighth grade was one of my favorites. While perusing the local book store a few days ago we came across Amelia Bedelia...remember her?! The wacky maid who did everything literally...
In the original, she makes a lemon meringue pie for Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. This morning after reading it for the third time Parker and Finley requested to make a 'wemon mang pie' too. And so, at exactly eight am we were off- with bear and our own personal shopping cart in tow.
Five ingredients later and we were home whipping up meringue, a second cousin to marshmallow. Of which, I'm pretty sure dreams are made of. Oh, marshmallow. Meringue and marshmallow. The only thing better than lemon and meringue would be lemon and marshmallow...
An hour later we had a pie and a house full of our neighborhood besties- all five of them. None of which liked our pie. Parker spit his into the trash. The trash! I suppose three (gulp!) year olds don't quite have the palettes for such things...ah well, more for me. (See that crust? The perfect mix of Anna's lemon biscuits and (because I added too much butter) little Italian breadsticks. D. Licious.)
I wonder if Amelia Bedelia would approve of leftover chocolate chip dunkers and fruit snacks...a much more crowd pleasing snack.
My babes turn three in almost one month. One more month before another finger is needed to tell people how old they are. Three! I can't believe it...
Last October (don't judge- I get into these things) I started planning their party. Having girl/boy parties at this age is tough- he wants pirate and she wants princesses. Since gender neutrality is key we're going with magic...the magic of three. So corny you love it, right?!
Food has been ordered, the magician will be here at noon, and I have a whole lot of magic capes to make. Currently my dining room table is filled with top hats and white bunnies. I'm knee deep in these:
Disappearing ink, hand buzzers, cards, and wands have arrived. The boxes are getting out of control. I have a to do list that's four pages long. Oh my I love birthday parties. Love love love...
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