Cooking: LAX is BACK!

What a weekend. My father in law was here again this weekend and went with us to The Belle's first lacrosse game. Parents of athletes are patient people. Freeze your butt off for 2 hours to watch your kid play for 5 minutes. Yep. 

Totally worth it. She loves it and is fired up about being on a team. Of course, she sat on her rear on the sidelines most of the game. That is how we roll. 

Today is Lundi Gras and my children, like me are die hard Mardi Gras fans. So, last night I made not one but two king cakes. From scratch. They take about 4 hours and a million pans to make, but they are so worth it.  I am a sainted mother for sure. Especially since I will not get one bite of either of those.

 

Whatever: Drive to the farm

Farm on the way to my parents

 On Saturday, we took a drive to my parent's farm an hour away. The day was one of those days where you cannot believe how beautiful the sky is. I rode in back with Ellie and took a few pictures with my camera, noticing all the things I never do when I am driving.

Dirt: My Favorite Daughter (of the second)

Whew! Friday is finally here. I love my job and my family, but I am exhausted this week and part of the reason is them.We had two swim meets in three days, play rehearsals, lots of homework, last minute snack runs and I worked 40 hours.  But it is now Friday and that means...wine, laundry and cleaning out closets at my leisure.

Last weekend, during the break of the middle school swim championship, I came home and cleaned out Ellie's room. Two bags of garbage and a lot of sharpies (at least 100) later, it is clean. Almost still clean.

She is a big time artist and I know will at least study it in high school all the way to AP Art, and may continue on in college. So, all of her drawers are full of art, art supplies, art books and doodled on pieces of paper. I saved almost all of them. She really likes to look back and see how far she has progressed over the years. One piece I found was from two years ago and had a note on the back of it. 

She is my favorite daughter.

Whatever: Checking things off the list

As summer rolls on, I am trying to finish several projects that get pushed to the wayside.

One is hanging my extensive collection of art. I have had pieces stashed since we painted last summer and it is finally time to get them all hung.

I am a huge fan of the gallery wall and have several in my house. 

I like that they show off my (very) eclectic tastes and also visually,  to me at least, they are stimulating.

via

Another project I am trying to finish is framing my collection (2) of concert posters that I started, oh...this year. I bought my husband the poster from our new year's eve date and he bought me one at a show we went to this summer. I hope to add to my collection to make it a real one.

Maybe I'll add one of these VIA

As concert tshirts don't last forever, I wanted something that we both could appreciate. 

 I found a slew of photos I want to frame to make a gallery wall of shame (as my sister refers to the hallway of family photos every Catholic family seems to have). I love quirky photos of my kids. I think I need to find some of Steve and I to hang.

I love checking items of my mental list of things that need to be done.

Gratituesday: Two for one

I am a day late (always a dollar short). 

But, I was super busy yesterday with work and mom stuff, so today's post is two-fer!

I am painting Ellie's room. She is long over due some fun in her room and so Sunday I started in on it. Turns out, it needs a lot of work. Baseboards, chair rail and the walls all need attention as well as the doors. For now, I am painting walls three different colors, including chalkboard!

Photos later this week.

Inspiration photo

Source: fashiongrunge.com via Tanya on Pinterest

I have to squeeze the painting in around laundry, groceries, cooking and work. 

Work is the thing that I am most grateful for, and as an offshoot of that, prayers answered. 

I asked God to bless me with 10 courier deliveries a week. 

Last week. 10

This week already? 4, with three scheduled tomorrow and one on Thursday. 

I am not sure if I actually said the number 10 in my prayers, but I did pray asking for enough to make a difference. 10 makes a difference and 10 was what I had in my head as the number I needed to do.

Life is crazy, we have doubts about God and whether He is listening. 

I pray daily at least "Thanks". I am terrible at communicating with my friends. I am a mostly introverted person and putting myself outside of my head is hard. Talking to God is the same.

But, I know that I am better off when I do. And I know nothing is too small, ever. 

So my gratefulness and full heart are prayers answered.

I am cooking like crazy still. We are eating hot foods and enjoying the cool sunshine.

Menu for the Sunshine Week @  Casa Swann

• Manhattan Chowder with shrimp and cod
• Soup from the freezer ( chicken and southwest veggie)
• BBQ chicken, spinach salad with pears and parm, baked sweet potatoes
• DALS Pork (mama's going to the Moth Ball!)

Cooking: I covet, therefore I am

I admit it.

I am a coveter. 

I covet like it is my job.

Gollum...I am.

Only, I don't necessarily covet a precious gold ring (more like a gold horseshoe necklace ala Carrie Bradshaw). I covet random things. I covet dishes and boots, milk glass and beads from the 1950's, art and  good blue jeans. I wish for weird things like garden gnome cookie jars and vintage lamps.


I am a sentimental fool, and I have lots of random things to prove it.
My mother-in-law has given me various things of my husband's and their family's over the years and I have kept most of them (his baby moccasins, the pewter sugar and creamer, and of course, her turquoise necklace that pinches like the devil when I wear it to  name just a few) because they are part of his life story. I have cookbooks and recipes from three grandmothers and I have my grandfather's dog tags.

All of these things are historical to me and will be passed down to my daughters as they get older. But the things that are not my own personal story are the things I truly  covet. I am always looking for for shell backed chairs, milk glass, vintage boots (Frye Campus size 7 if you come across a pair), and old levi 501s. Large paintings that grace walls at my favorite art gallery in town are always sighed over when I visit them. Weird owl mugs and Mexican pottery are things I notice when I am out and about. Why? I have no clue. Maybe I just like random things. Or,  more likely, they trigger a nostalgic memory for me. Either way, I like being a little bit off odd.



I have fairly good self control. My house could be shrine to my weird covetousness. However, I live fully in the realization that I would never be satisfied if I indulged my every whim. So, I convince myself that I am waiting for that "perfect" fill in the blank item that will be the thing that makes me truly  happy. And for the most part, I am already happy with the things I do have in addition to the things that actually do make me happy.

Cookies and a goofy kid, what could be better?

In the meantime, I am reading my cookbooks and getting ready for the Mardi Gras season which starts this weekend. I am hoping I can talk my husband into making his famous jambalaya to kick it off right.  We will be dragging out our tacky decorations and beads and readying ourselves for our favorite season.


Almost Mardi Gras menu

• Chicken tacos/veggie tacos with Mexican slaw
• chili (using chicken from Monday's tacos...recipe to follow)
• baked chicken, baked squash, baked sweet potatoes
• Pork Ragu, spaghetti squash with mushrooms, sauteed greens
•  Jambalaya (?)

Gratituesday: Art

This post has been started about 1,356 times.

I never can get it right. Art,especially visual art,  is a huge part of my life.

My dream as a teenager was to either be a chef or an art buyer  (thank you Whitley Gilbert!).

Both are highly involved in the appreciation of artistic talents. 

 I have a lot of artists in my family, including my great aunt who painted the above painting of me as a toddler, my step mom and a few others lurking around.  My grandmother is an art collector and got me started by giving me one of my first pieces in college.

 

 

 

Art history was my favorite class in college and I have spent a lot of time in both the St. Louis art museum and the local one here in Chattanooga. My kids both are into art and even my husband has a great appreciation for art. I think that is one of the things that drew me to him. I am always amazed by how people express their emotions via drawing, painting or sculpting.

Art makes me happy. And, as I like to be happy, I have a lot of art in my house.

I would rather spend my money on art. Now, I don't necessarily buy expensive art, my budget is more beer than champagne. But I would rather have art than clothes. Hence, my walls and mantel are full and my closet empty and dated. Some of my best gifts have been art pieces.

Birthday

 

Mother's day

Christmas

I am very grateful that both of my daughters love art as well. They both enjoy making it, like most other kids, and are very creative. However, they both have an appreciation for other people's art. We have been lucky to live in an art centric city and have spent hours at art museums, festivals and just walking around, looking at installations. One of my daughter's wants to be an artist when she grows up and the other is always creating models and blue prints of buildings she wants to build one day.

Daughter # 2 art

Daughter #1 art

I feel that having creative object around you inspires you. I only have to look up from anywhere in my house and see something that creates an emotion in me. I think I have passed that onto my kids as well. My youngest daughter bought her first piece of art in second grade. I am lucky that they are both artists and their art graces my walls along with art that I have bought. Being able to appreciate someone's views is important to being a citizen of the world and art is an outlet for those views. 

Being able to appreciate someone's creativity other than your own is one of the best things about being human.

Heirloom, family and bought all fill my collection.

 I am also lucky that my husband tolerates my art addiction. He even feeds it sometimes and knows that if he can't find me on vacation, I am usually looking at art.

Vacation souvenir

I am grateful for all the creative juices that fill my walls and my life with beauty. 

Whatever: A Christmas list of things I love

I love Christmas.

No really, I do.

I know everyone who has read my Facebook status or come in contact with me the last few days might think otherwise. What I don't like is putting  Christmas lights on the tree and the insane "YOU MUST BUY" attitude that is perpetuated starting in September.

I love Christmas. 

The whole shebang.

The cookies and Christmas Mass. 

The tree and the shows. 

The songs and the planning. 

The food and the fellowship.

I love trying to find just the right gift for everyone I love. 

I think about it all year and listen to what they  talk about and are interested in. Sometimes I want to buy things that I cannot afford, of course. But I truly feel it is not about buying something, it is about finding the right way to say " I love you, I was thinking about you, and I want you to remember that when you see this gift."

I fall short a fair amount. I have bought gifts for my husband, specifically, that I missed the boat on. He is a true challenge. A two-parter. He doesn't ever really want a gift AND if he wants something, he buys it for himself most of the time. 

Impatient.

I on the other hand, will wait YEARS for something. 

I long for it so long that if/when I actually receive it, it's almost a religious experience. I am fairly easy to buy for as I rarely deviate from what I like

Here is a list of gifts that would be highly appropriate this year. 

Either I have received them, have given them, will give them or just really like them.

Happy Holidays!

GoodHew Socks.

My husband got me hooked on them. They are a local (for me) company and literally  the best socks you can buy. I wore them when I ran Ragnar and no stinky feet!

 Smith's Rosebud Salve
100 years  of keeping people chap free.
This time of year, skin and lips get so dry.
Stick one in a stocking and hook 'em forever!

 Art
I love getting and giving something artistic. Here is my newest favorite shop. Not only do they sell local artists works, they also create artistic and unique weddings and events. Love!

Lucchese 1883  Mad Dog Goat Boots

I went to Texas and tried these on. 

They are my favorite shoes and I have worn them everywhere including New York City.

Best boots EVER!

Infinity and beyond
this is the softest and thickest tee scarve I have seen.

cozy and soft

Orla Kiely 
Coveted and graphic, this bag is the workhorse of all bags.