5 Random Summer Things That I Like

Here are 5 random things, in no particular order, that I especially like this summer:

1. Coppertone's Water Babies stick sunscreen. This is fabulous if your child is particularly adverse to having cream smeared all over her face. The stick is quick, handy and oh so easy to apply. Warning: keep this stick away from the crafts table as it may get mixed in with the glue sticks.

2. Sauteed spinach with garlic and Craisins. If you don't want to spend too much time over a hot stove but you want to have a satisfyingly healthy, tasty side dish, try this. On medium heat add about a tablespoon of olive oil, then add a small clove of finely chopped garlic. Once the garlic has infused the olive oil, add handfuls of prewashed spinach. Using tongs, turn the spinach in the pan until well coated with the garlic and olive oil and until slightly wilted. Transfer to plate and sprinkle with Craisins. Serve immediately.

3. Okay, so I've committed myself to reading at least 4 Hemingway novels this summer. I've started on "The Sun Also Rises" and am enjoying the transcontinental dialogue immensely. I like that the characters don't get mad, instead, they get sore. And, instead of leaving, they shove off. I also like that the female characters handle their liqueur just as well, if not better than the men. The story meanders through the cities and countrysides of France and Spain. There's bull fighting, fiesta's, The Running of the Bulls and much more. I'm looking forward to reading Hemingway throughout the summer.

4. Backyard yoga practices. I've been practicing yoga in my home yoga studio a.k.a. the basement, for months now. But, on Tuesday and Thursday nights, I get to practice yoga with several other woman in the beautiful, serene backyard of a Greenlake home. My friend Molly, yoga instructor extraordinaire, has a bounty of flowers, herbs and fruit to make backyard yoga feel like a retreat. Often at the start of our practice while doing our sun salutations, hummingbirds zip by and perch themselves high in the trees. And later in the evening the bats come out and circle the area. It's been an amazing experience.

5. My Target tote. I take this bag everywhere I go. It's large enough for extra sweaters for me and my girls, water bottles, snacks, you name it. It's durable and stylish and it only cost me $13. I love this bag and it's absolutely perfect for the summer.

What are your 5 favorite things for this summer? I'd love to hear from you.

Suspended Serenity

I was talking to my friend Lisa the other day and she was telling me how she was entertaining the thought of buying a suspended bed for her son. The thought behind it was that the suspended bed would have a calming effect and would be a nice way to have a little quiet time. And as luck would have it, I found myself stumbling across amazing pictures of blissful suspended beds and chairs. I think we can all use a little calming every now and again. I hope these photos help to bring a little bit of calm to your day.

Green Scene

Sand Point-Magnuson Park at one time used to be a Naval Air Station. Here you see "Kite Hill", a large grassy man-made hill that was made from pieces of the old aircraft runway.

The Fin Project is part of the public art at Magnuson. The solid, onyx, fin structures protrude from underneath the ground in juxtaposition of the surrounding green area and is a bold reminder of the previous inhabitants of this park.

Father's Day 2009

My husband seriously enjoys skateboarding and owns quite a few boards of varying sizes and styles. For Father's Day, I bought him a brand new board from Pacific Wave Surf Shop. I placed the board at the front door so he would see it first thing in the morning but he missed it -- walked past it several times before I had to walk him over and show it to him. Once he saw it, he was super excited. The post it on the door read: "Happy Father's Day! Enjoy the ride!"

My sister-in-law Julie makes the best desserts. They're gooey, chocolaty and delicious. We celebrated Father's Day as well as her son's 11th birthday with this decadent mint chocolate chip ice-cream/chocolate brownie cake.

Oh, and did I mention that there were chocolate chips in the brownie and that the whole thing was covered in melted chocolate. It was blissful I must say.

Butterfly Cookies

Milk and butterfly cookies. See Sugar Cookie recipe from my All Things Floral post.

Big Yarn

I told myself that I wouldn't post pictures from other sites, but I stumbled across these fabulous knits while perusing Style Files and just fell in love with the photos. I love the ginormous, nautical rope ball and humongous knitting needles.

I like this pattern on the wall and would love to own the same pattern in a sweater.

This rustic scarf clearly would cozy up any room simply draped over the arm of a chair, sofa or even at the foot of a bed.

This ottoman is incredible and would dress up any patio or porch. I'm so glad that I found these styles.

Scrapbooking Art

Scrapbooking is something I've never spent much time doing. I don't think I have the patience for it. Now, with so many online scrapbooking services, I find it difficult to switch back to the old school style, manual way of storing photos. However, after visiting my friend Yuri Nishiyama I must say that I'm tempted to learn the art of good old fashion scrapbooking.

Yuri has an arsenal of scrapbooking paper, albums and even a fire engine red diecutting machine. I was so impressed with the heft of this gadget and even more so at the ease by which it cut perfect shapes out of ordinary card stock.

And did I mention that her scrapbooking studio is filled with wonderful dies of all shapes and sizes? You see, Yuri is not only a hobbyist but while in Japan she wrote several books on the subject.

You may see more of Yuri's work on her website, http://www.crop-happy.com/. The website is written in Japanese but please visit just to see some of her work.

Fresh Finds

I've driven by this store so many times, slowing down whenever the opportunity presented itself to peer through the window. Sadly, I never could get a good look from the car going 25 miles per hour. So yesterday I finally had a chance to pop in for a close-up look.

Fresh is exactly how it sounds. From the clothing to the home accessories everything is very much in style and suitable for all taste. One pet peeve of mine is that many home stores carry accessories and furniture for much larger homes. I mean honestly, do you really need a bowl the size of semi-truck tire to display fruit? I think not. Fresh carries a dainty assortment of timeless, affordable upscale products - no semi-truck size bowls in here.

When I first saw the lavender glass bottles I knew this was the store for me. These bottles are actually candle holders and I'd love to buy several of them to hang in the tree in my backyard for a summer evening dinner under the stars. But, instead I opted for the much more needed make-up bag. Maybe the candle holders will be my next purchase.

I simply love the color of these butterfly pins.

My 3-year old daughter was with me and she loved the scent of these magnificent soaps. For a 3-year old, she's got good taste.

Stop in to Fresh, you'll be presently surprised.

Fresh is located at 7309 35th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98115. 206.522.3774. http://www.freshseattle.com/.

All Things Floral

I made these cookies in May for my youngest daughter's birthday and decided to make them again for my other daughter's kindergarten class. These cookies are perfect for spring. They taste and look great and they're fun to eat. These were decorated with a simple Royal Icing but you can also dress them up with sprinkles or other edible embellishments.

The cookie cutter is from Crate&Barrel and it actually came in a set with varying sizes of the same shape -- this cookie can be made bigger or smaller.

Sugar Cookies

2 1/2 Cups all-purpose white flour, sifter after measuring

1 Teaspoon baking powder

1 Cup (2 Sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 Cup Sugar

2 Large egg yolks

Generous pinch of salt

2 Teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and sugar until well blended and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, then the salt and vanilla, until evenly incorporated. Gradually beat or stir in the flour mixture to form a smooth dough.

Divide the dough in half. Place between large sheets of wax/parchment paper. Roll out portion 1/8 inch thick;cut out shapes then place on a sheet pan and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake the chilled cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 8 to 11 minutes, or until lightly colored on top and slightly darker at the edges.

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month.

The All American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett, Houghton Mifflin

Decorating with Flowers

I wish I had a beautiful flower garden but I don't. So instead, I take what I do have, cut them, and bring them in the house. Here is a lovely, floppy Peonies that I placed on my coffee table. I wish it would last forever.

The other day I was speaking to another mom about the butterflies we're keeping in a netted tent -- they only live for 2 to 4 weeks. I told her I wished they would live longer because they're so beautiful, and she replied, "If only we were as beautiful as butterflies then the short life would be worth it." I suppose the same sentiment can be applied to Peonies.

This is a type of Jasmine that grows in my backyard. I placed it in front of a window in my bedroom so that the air would blow the aroma throughout the room.

There are several Rhododendrons that grow in my yard -- they've been here like forever. I've got hot pink, purple and pale pink. The pale pink ones are my favorite because they almost look white and I love the color against the deep green foliage.

Here is a lovely floral card that I received from Yumi Yumi Studios -- a Japanese artist that I bought a print from. You'll hear more about her another time when I post about redecorating my children's bedroom.

The floral bag is just plain cute. I think it looks nice just hanging over my shoulder or on a door handle.

Cute Knits

My sister-in-law, Charlie, is passionate about knitting. Her creations are always snugly and drenched in beautiful colors. Here you see a beautiful blanket that Charlie made for my daughter Alex though I mostly use it for those cool spring nights when I need something to cover my legs.

Charlie made this scarf several years ago and the color still works with just about anything that I wear. The shape has held up very well even after several tugs from my daughters and me carelessly wrapping it a little too tightly around my neck.

Charlie is not only my sister-in-law, she's also my knitting instructor. She's given me these books for inspiration:

Hollywood Knits Style by Suss Cousins reads like a fashion magazine. Every page is filled with wonderful photographs of soft and supple, warm colored knits. Cousins presents knitting as incentive for social gatherings and pairs different menus with various knitting events. For instance, for a mother-daughter knitting occasion, try serving Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce.

Funky Chunky Knitted Accessories by Jan Eaton is a playful guide to transforming your simple knits into high fashion.

Springtime Dinner and Dessert

Pound Cake couldn't be more simple but dressed up with a dollop of freshly made whipped cream and a sprinkle of rough-cut strawberries this dessert can appear to be much more decadent than it really is. And don't let the name full you. Pound Cake is refreshingly light and pairs well with ice-cream and sorbet too.

For the dinner, grilled chicken with sun dried tomato pesto sauce and chevre on a baguette.

For the side, how about a tangy pasta salad. Orzo with a splash of fresh squeezed lemon juice, shallots and mint. And its easy to pull together in a pinch. Most importantly, it fills you up without leaving you feeling like you have to loosen your belt.

Orzo Salad with Lemon, Mint and Ricotta Salata

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup minced shallots

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, or more to taste

1 cup uncooked orzo

1/2 cup very finely diced yellow or red or orange bell pepper

1/2 cup finely diced seedless cucumber

1/2 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (about 3 ounces)

3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

1. Stir together the olive oil, shallots, lemon juice, garlic, and lemon zest in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Cook the orzo following package instructions. Drain pasta completely in a colander, running under cold water. Transfer orzo to a bowl, stir in the olive oil mixture, and let cool. Sir in the bell pepper, cucumber, ricotta salata, and mint until combined. You could serve the salad immediately, but it taste best if you let it stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

The Dean & Deluca Cookbook, Random House, New York

Guest Blogger and Artist

Excavations

By Tom Hobson

I've been carving books, magazines, catalogs and other publications for a little over a year now.

The basic process is to use a small, sharp knife to cut into the book, carefully working on one page at a time, hunting for images, words and shapes to carve.

I like old books in particular. I’m attracted to the wear and tear of having been read and handled by others before me. It’s like being part of a secret society. Old library books, like those I pick up at Seattle Library System book sales, are perfect. I’m especially attracted to books that cost a dollar or less. These “dollar books” are the ones headed for the landfill. Most deserve life, but have simply gotten too old. I feel like I’m rescuing them.

Although the results look like carvings, the process is more like an archeological dig. Cutting away one page at a time is, I imagine, similar to the way scientists sweep away fine layers of dust on buried bones or ancient ruins.

I begin each excavation with a theory of what I’ll find, but there are always surprises, especially as unexpected juxtapositions come to light.

It’s interesting to me to carve the words from a book (the muscle of the book, to carry the dino dig metaphor forward) leaving only the bones of its illustrations. Often the results are almost obscene in their raw nakedness. I’ve had people say that some works made them feel queasy.

And there is certainly a ghastliness to the act of gutting a book. As a book lover and teacher, it’s not lost on me that there is an element of desecration in the act of taking knives to them, exposing their innards for the world to see. That’s why I make sure to only choose books that I’m certain are on their way to the landfill. I try to think of them the way medical students think of their cadavers.

Alongside this element of horrible truth, however, is an equal measure of beauty, it seems to me.

Carving magazines is different because they have already almost been entirely consumed by the web. They already seem like artifacts; iconic pieces to be displayed on coffee tables.

Each magazine title is a self-contained world for hobbyist and fetishists. They’re communities of fashion, grooming, sports, decorating, literature, pets, real estate, and vacations. The Internet has already ingested those narrow communities for which there isn’t enough demand to sustain traditional publishing. What is left on the newsstands are magazines that host broad swaths of people, affiliated by either the overwhelming numbers of adherents (e.g., dog lovers, knitters) or the overarching principles they embody (e.g., it’s fun/important to look pretty, it’s fun/important to follow sports).

I’m working on the theory that the magazines we see at the drug store each hold some central truth about who we are as a people. That’s what I’m trying to unearth in my magazine art.