Ho ho ho

We are up too late around here scratching out quick designs for an early morning contest deadline. There are three (rough) holiday submissions  now at Minted. Whew.

Not even the sunglasses and scarf can hide the truth

If I was a facebook status updater, my status would say, "So grateful that P gave me the day off today so that I could be a tourist in my own town. I just wish that the women that were staring at me on the Charles Bridge were admiring how Euro-fabulous I looked and not staring at the fact that I was mindlessly drinking my water out of a sippy cup."

Yes. I am alarmed. 

Unbirthday Dessert and Birthday Dal

Neighbor B would not tolerate me bringing my own cake to dinner. Nor would she tolerate me celebrating her own special day last month. So she had to suffer unbirthday acknowledgments on my birthday. I think the marzipan/bitter chocolate combination opened her heart enough to forgive me.

Despite stacking it lopsided, overbaking the layers, and forgetting to toast the pistachios---the unbirthday cake was pretty tasty. Smitten Kitchen cakes are amazing. Always.

Rowdy Gus found wearing his dad's shoes (and clapping to himself) is amazing too.

 

And a homemade lacy knitted scarf in fab colors from a talented sister is really amazing.

Eating two slices of cake is not amazing, but it is enjoyable. Neighbor B's dessert took the prize; it was a flourless, mascarpone wonder.

My good day began with old friends, coffee, and pastries and ended with new friends, Leffe Brune, and Indian food. I'm a lucky girl!

 

The Birthday Litany

It's a good day. I woke up to two handsome boys, breakfast in bed, a gift certificate to the local spa, and the best coupon ever. And then the lovely Odens emerged from the guest room, where I was blessed with Patrick Oden's new book among other wonderful gifts. After they tolerated a morning at the park with sand-eating Gus and too-many-theology-questions-asking-Me, we wished them well on their European travel adventures (sniff sniff) and spent the rest of the morning blowing out a trick candle with Neighbors M, H, and E.  So nice to share a special day with old and new friends. 

And despite Neighbor B's warnings of bad luck, I'm cooking my own cake and planning what to order from the neighborhood's new Indian restaurant.

While I pick out my paneer and tandoori chicken, perhaps you want to log in to Minted and vote? 

Sand-eating, hat-throwing, cookie-holding, new-shirt-wearing Gus.

Book-and-shirt-giving, question-answering, baby-tolerating (much missed) Odens.

Quick drawings equal bad decisions

Not all the designs are making my cut. For good reasons. 

Here's card salad (cute-o-rama...barf):

And this one is awaiting decisions. Tacky? Too brown? Tulips gone wild?

 

Shameless Self-Promotion

Yes. There is some self-promoting. And it's not really thought out well since I don't have a clue what I'm doing. But I love Chronicle Books and am excited about a current contest; with a crazy Gus underfoot, I don't have time for the details. You can view my first posted design (and critique) here. More to come.

A peek into the weekend sketchbook

Super-spouse P has put in overtime this weekend, taking Gus to wet playgrounds while I work on my bad posture at the drawing table.

 

Alecheladas? Si!

That pretty, witty, and Northwesty Kaye Syrah. Her sweet potato alecheladas were dead on. I wasn't sure I was up for a mole sweet potato medley, but Kaye Syrah--you've done good! (of course)

Thanks to a fab potraviny, I've always got a supply of sweet potatoes within walking distance.

And thanks to a creative Gus, I've got at least 8 minutes to chop those potatoes as long as he has his play-dough and extra-long straw.

The results were delish. I told a neighbor to tuck a pb & j in her purse in case my efforts were a bust, but these enchiladas are now a part of the family rotation. I worried they would be cloyingly sweet, but the black beans, beer (Staropramen Granat), and chipotle balanced the rich sweet potato with the right amount of savory. I think our chipotle peppers and chiles must be uber-hot here in Praha, as I only added about 1/4 the amount KS listed and things were quite caliente. Likewise with the chile powder.

The guest tasters all seemed happy despite the four-alarm melt-down from Gus and my brain cells functioning only on a "did you hear Maria and Arnold split?" level. Sigh. Thank you, Kaye Syrah and tolerant Guest Tasters.

(insert transition to art here)

Sneak peek at something soon to be in the mail to celebrate a so-very-exciting-and-blessed wedding from, oh, a year ago? 

 

Joy the Baker

This post was cheer I needed last week. 

How's your "resting face" today?

Nine Door Sketches

Grabbed a few moments to doodle this weekend (While P pampered me, chased Gus, and booked me a Mother's Day massage appointment. That guy. He's so great.). More mix-tape cards for do-gooders:

(Name has been deleted...it is still awaiting delivery!)

Sisterly love

My talented big sister is an art wizard. Textiles, paper, whatever. She recently sent me the sweetest homemade mother's day card---amazing papercraft:

The pictures really don't do the pop-up wow-factor justice. It's glorious. Happy Mother's Day back at ya, K!

Five years and many refrains of "three little monkeys" ago.

Look at these crazy kids. (thanks for the pic, Annika!) Living the good life in Southeast Asia. Sweaty. Newly married. At a martini-brunch-as-if-that's-normal. Bad angle (big-head-Becky) aside, are these really the same folks recently caught saying, "Once again, there are too many boogers on this sweater for me to wear it a second time"?

I think there's a little of this in us. We've a sushi date Friday night. Maybe the chopsticks will bring our hip selves back. And if not, I'm really okay with that. My Saturday oatmeal brunches with a silly Gus are pretty glam and require a lot less awkward small talk and forced acceptance of foie gras. 

Things are getting even more boring. But we like it.

The following things are all true.

1. Green bees are real.

2. There is a human-sized hole in the fence at the truly fascinating archeological dig site only HALF A BLOCK from our house. And that large hole is very tempting should someone want to do some night exploration (M? You up for this?).

3. On day three of coffee-reduction I caved and had an afternoon cappuccino, which I never ever have, but Neighbor B brought it by. And what can you do.

4. I have found a way to order books that doesn't cost a million dollars, go through the (miserable) post office, or require paying duty. Hallelujah! And better yet--I get to practice my high school German while ordering.

5. Setting up the Scrabble board in the living room yesterday (to-cringe-play against myself) resulted in a lot of satisfaction but also a lot of time wasted. Does this mean I am a loser or a wordsmith or one of those oddballs from Word Freak?

6. Despite recommendations otherwise, I am not singing the praises of the Happy Hippo confectionary treat. Sorry Z.

7. Absolutely no art has been created unless you count thank-you cards that feature Gus's gigantic mug collaged on with a hand-drawn bow-tie. 

8. I am secretly hoarding quinoa and cous-cous recipes for the first day P declares them acceptable foods again.