wow, i took a really long bloggin' break. there is so much to catch up on! well, right now i am 28 weeks pregnant with my third girlie! i know, i know, crazy but we are so happy and so blessed that everything is going well. a little while after my last post in march is when we found out and i probably had about a week until the mother of all morning sickness gave me a visit. holy moly i was a mess! for all those mamas out there who know what i am talking about, it's a rough existence. and it lasted over 16 weeks! anyway, that is mainly the reason for such a long hiatus.
so, what's new? well, i have put design work on hold and maybe for a long while because i graduated from integrative nutrition last month. woo hoo! it was truly a great year and i actually miss my classes. after the baby is born and things settle, i am going to put my focus towards this next venture. until then i am looking forward to nesting, cooking away, being creative, blogging and maybe even catching up on some reading. it is going to be a peaceful autumn. aaahhh. here's a little recap of our spring and summer. peace + love.
we had a glorious time at the shore this year. we really just absorbed the beach from sun up to sundown. the girls were happy because they both love the sand and the water and mom and dad were equally happy because there wasn't an ounce of bickering while we were on that shore.
being a california girl and then raised on long island, the beach has always been well, right there. a spiritual resource for me to tap into when needed. but after moving out of daily driving distance to the ocean (or the sound) i definitely miss it in my life. i do live on a river now thank goodness. at least i can sit at the waters edge an feel it's flowing energy but to "go to the shore" on vacation is still so funny to me. in order to store up some ocean time, i spend as much time sitting on the beach as possible.
my annual ritual at the shore is to get up every morning before everyone else and head to the ocean - ALONE. i walk long and far or sometimes just sit and stare at the grounding horizon line while listening to my ipod. (i always create a new little playlist just for this ritual) sometimes i just read - a whole chapter! it's something i truly look forward to all summer to recharge my spirit and my energy for the upcoming school year. it is my special time to press pause, look within, contemplate new paths, and store some inspiring energy. i highly recommend the whole insisting on "me time." at the shore or wherever you may be. it may require some finagling but it's so necessary.
a few weeks before our vacation i came to a realization (one of those moments when you think, this has been here all along, but NOW is the time.) i have been feeling a bit unfulfilled with my design work over the past few years. although i love being creative and visual for a living, and i am blessed with steady work, the passion just isn't there anymore. maybe it's because i do not have sufficient 'creative' time anymore or maybe it's because the work space and time just isn't working for our family. for a long time now, i have been feeling like i need to make more of a difference in this world. i want to help others in some way but i just never could think of what exactly i wanted to do or was passionate about. but the answer it seems has been right in front of me the whole time. what am i passionate about? well, i thought, i am passionate about family and keeping them healthy by feeding them wholesome foods, creating new recipes, sharing my thoughts about keeping life simple, the list goes on... but, but, but... so one night i just fell into the integrative nutrition website and it all just clicked. even my husband said it sounds so perfect for you. soooo i'm a student now and on my way to becoming a certified health counselor. there are so many paths to take after graduation but i believe it will be women & family nutrition. from fertility to postpartum to feeding your kids and teens to school cafeterias. i'm so excited!!! i have already started and i love it. so that was a long rant but it was on those morning "me" walks that i meditated on it and came to a decision that this was my next step in life and that this is what my spirit wants.
now comes the hard part...balance family, work, school, oh my
so back to the beach for a minute. i'd like to share this easy and super fun beach craft. sand casts! i used the directions here. this is actually the second year we did this but this year was by far more successful. first, we chose our shells, next we made 1-2" imprints in damp smooth sand. we had a foot print, a heart, a peace sign... (we did a hand last year but the fingers are difficult).
then, we arrange our shells, face down, in desired design.
i mixed up the plaster and then poured it on top of the shell design and filling up the imprint. when the plaster is almost dry, we wrote our names and the year on the back with a stick.
before we knew it, they were hardened and we lifted them out of the sand. viola! a beautiful momento of your beach trip! let dry overnight to truly harden and dry.
oh and be careful where you start your sand cast. we had to make a sand wall because the tide was coming in.
i want to share my august reading as well. an all time favorite beach read, "gift from the sea," by anne morrow lindbergh (wife of charles and mother to i think five). a wise and insightful book addressing the age old question of balance in a woman's life. i love this book and could read it over and over. if you haven't read this yet and you are a woman who feels at home on a beach, then it's must read for you.
i also got a copy of amada blake soule's new book, "the rhythm of family." the gorgeous and cozy book goes through each month of the year with insights, ideas, recipes, crafts, etc. that makes the most of that month and that season. this book illustrates how the simple life is fulfilling and meaningful. amanda, her husband and their five children live on a farm in western maine and blog everyday. this is the blog i have been following the longest. check it out if you haven't yet.
i am off to soak up the very last goodies of summer. still daylight at dinnertime, an abundance of fresh tasty produce, flip-flops, short sleeves and skirts, the smell of cut grass, the sound of birds outside our windows...
as the summer comes to a close i find myself in the kitchen more, relishing in the tastes of this year's local harvest. from tomatoes to apples i can't help but celebrate with yummy recipes. our new favorite (well the grown-ups) is a simple pico de gallo that can be whipped up in no time. every thursday, i head to the farmer's market (or i try to run into my garden guru neighbor for some extras) for a bag full of red and yellow tomatoes, a small bunch of cilantro and a red onion. the only things i need to buy somewhere else are 2 limes. then, as the kids play on the back porch, i chop chop away while listening to them laughing and pretend cooking themselves (and please let me be honest, bickering, too but then i just turn up wfuv...) this recipe need not be precise. these 4 ingredients just work. i start by chopping and seeding the tomatoes - pretty small pieces - and placing in a large mixing bowl.
then, comes the chopped red onion and cilantro. i mix these together to blend the flavors and add salt & pepper o taste. then about 10 minutes later i squeeze the juice of 2 limes into the bowl, mix and let sit until dinner. of course, a mexican meal would be the best route with the pico de gallo but it really can be added to so many things. i'm thinking eggs, small pasta or even just pita chips. the last few times i made it, i just served with plain old rice and beans. always a winner and so easy.
my secret mission is to somehow find or emulate the recipe for 'green cactus grill's' (my hometown fav) salsa. i've been trying for years. no success yet...
the end of our summer was a busy one yet we still found some simple moments and for the girls, simple play - which always warms my soul :) the simplest of objects seem to be the most intriguing, especially for my two year old. she will play for hours with shells, driftwood, acorns, beach glass, dried beans, pom poms, pieces of moss, wood chips, flower petals.....
i love watching her arrange these objects, put in and take out, stack, pretend cook, draw on... inspiring. what was even more magical was my eight year old's fairy village that she created and set up in our side yard. it makes me smile when her playing does not involve a nickelodeon pop star or batteries. it's like i want to take her imagination and protect it in a box so that she never loses it.
eden, my older girlie, has taken an interest in fairies and building fairy villages. she spent a lot of the summer creating her very own in our yard. one day i joined her in her efforts. so fun! ah, to be eight again! here are some pics of the tiny village.
the season has changed and with that always comes yet another home project... shall i say more. it's exciting and grueling all at the same time. i'm in the midst of making over our bedroom. that's right, my college dormlike, shoebox sized master suite (i know, i'm the one who insisted on the 100 year old house with "character" - over it). my hand me down ikea 'messer' has been broken for over a year so i figured it was time to get it together and get organized like a grownup. the plaster ceiling that was sagging was also a good reason to get this project going. so far the ceiling is replaced and the next step is painting. i wish i had taken a photo of this room before it was emptied into the rest of the house (it's actually fun having our bed in the livingroom though - it's like camping!). it was a sight for sure. but a shot of the empty room 'before' will have to do.
i am thinking very light and airy yet comfortable for our new room. cream or very light neutral with white trim. white curtains, pull shade. the previous curtains were very, very dark, a dark quilt, dark wood dresser, stuff everywhere. i want this new space to be a breathe of fresh air and a blank palette for the beginning and the end of each day. a book shelf would be nice. well, the 'after' pic, i am sure will not be posted for months as we piece together our new room but i will be posting updates and items worth sharing. can't wait to open and close my dresser drawers!
