one year in about four minutes

Posted on July 3, 2011 | 2 Comments

i swore i would edit this, but you know?

it’s like that.

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Posted in birthday!, elsa pearl, family, for elsa

beer. knives. tears.

Posted on June 30, 2011 | 2 Comments

(BIRTHDAY WEEK MORE MORE MORE)

I was looking through more party pictures and some of them were less flattering (maybe a little misleading) but kind of hilarious. Shall we?


Yes, that is my 200 year old Boston Terrier.
Yes, my daughter is fighting to drink that beer.
Maybe everyone saw my underwear the whole time we opened gifts.
No, I don’t really smile like that usually.


Yes, my baby is playing on the stairs.
Yes, she’s wearing a knitted winter hat and jumper in June.
Yes. That is a (faux) knife.


Yes, it’s past her bedtime, there’s trash on the floor and yes – we laughed at her tantrum. It was just so pitifully adorable.

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Posted in birthday!, elsa pearl, family, inadequacies

cake.

Posted on June 28, 2011 | 2 Comments

Birthday Week continues… and I’m diving right into the best part.

The always messy, always funny first cake photos.

Never mind the fact that this kid had chocolate cake boogers until bath time, flattened cake inside her bathing suit or that I found a live ant crawling on my neck 9 hours later…

Her little belly was visibly stuffed. Juice. Cheeseburgers. Cake. Cheese. Fruit. She was in a cranky food hangover the following day and I can totally relate.

Overall, her party was near perfect – even better than I’d expected. Of course, the experience provided some mom wisdom. A few suggestions to hold on to for next year (free advice)…

1). Have it after 4pm (i.e. after universal nap time).
2). Make time to get ready and wear something you love. Those pictures aren’t going away.
3). Keep track of all gifts so the thank you cards make sense.
4). Bring extra clothes in case the birthday girl gets in the pool in her special birthday dress.
5). Balloons. Outside. Duh. 

I’m so grateful for the friends who were able to make it, and to my parents who hosted, (and helped fund) so much of the planning and food. We’re lucky to have great friends and family and I try to remember that every day.

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Posted in birthday!, elsa pearl, family, food, friends!

happy birthday, baby!

Posted on June 27, 2011 | 2 Comments

As you may have read via Twitter, Facebook or my big mouth – Elsa turned ONE this week!

Her big party was today, so we’re all full, exhausted and a little overwhelmed. I’ll post more birthday fun over the next few days (as any proud mama should)!

For now I give you Elsa’s first morning as a one year old…

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Posted in birthday!, elsa pearl, family, slow your roll

carbs, fat and peppers.

Posted on June 25, 2011 | 1 Comment

I don’t cook at home much. Kevin is a grill expert and he exercises those skills almost daily. It’s a wonderful thing. I’m a lucky lady.

But I love to cook. I miss it. I like to experiment but who has the time with a toddler (OMG did you know that she’s a toddler now??!) and who has “extra” grocery money lying around for that nonsense, really?

So I go to work and cook for my coworkers. I’m anxious to try new ideas. Management wants everyone to have “product knowledge.” The staff are hungry and willing to try new things. I get very honest feed back.

Anyway, I made these quesadillas. They were fantastic. Enjoy.

Sweet Potato Jalapeno Quesadillas

2 large sweet potatoes
2 jalapeno peppers (chopped)
1C shredded spicy cheese (trader joe’s pepper jack blend)
1C store bought black bean & corn salsa (trader joes brand)
8 whole wheat tortillas

First, you’ll have to mash your sweet potatoes. I boiled them until they were soft, drained them and beat them with a hand mixer until they were mostly smooth. It’s okay if they’re still kind of lumpy – when they look pretty creamy, add your chopped jalapeno peppers.

Throw a tortilla on a greased pan (I used Canola spray) and spread on 1/4 of the potato mixture and 1/4C salsa. Top with 1/4C cheese and another tortilla.


Heat until brown – flip and repeat.



Serves 4 hungry people.

Try some sour cream, chili sauce and/or guacamole on the side… whoa.

Enjoy your new best friends. People are going to love you for this.

Seriously. The boys at work took my trash out for me AND I was walked to my car after my shift.

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Posted in food, the job

baltimore universe

Posted on June 14, 2011 | 4 Comments

I’ve never had a knack for determining which items would make great keepsakes. I have a perfume box in my dresser of notes, ticket stubs and maybe some cards and stickers. It’s not even the size of a shoebox. I wouldn’t describe myself as a minimalist by any means, I just don’t care for clutter or the extra responsibilities associated with making space for things and preserving them. Elsa’s baby book is a mess. I really need to get on that.

Tonight I’m thinking that saved memories shouldn’t be a wedding favor in a hope chest or a dead flower carefully pressed in a book. That’s silly. Keepsakes should be sneaky. They should catch you off guard and make you remember without deciding to dig through a box to see them.

The key to our old house that hangs from the light switch over our dryer.

Elsa’s impossibly tiny newborn socks mixed up in my top drawer.

A friend emailed this to me tonight -

I immediately remembered going to the city to see our friends. Pregnant. Eating at that diner. Accidentally realizing that there was a skinny drawer in the table right where I was sitting. Finding all the little notes from other people who had made the same discovery. Leaving our mark and leaving it as I’d found it.

And this guy just happened to sit in the same chair and make the same clumsy discovery only to find a note from a friend… and a boston terrier mermaid. I know, it’s far from amazing – but still pretty funny. It has made my night a little happier.

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Posted in friends!, maryland