solitary confinement

A few weeks ago, I asked a friend of mine if she'd like to attend the next Party in the Tropics at Phipps Conservatory... have you ever been? Held in the tropical forest conservatory, this reoccurring event sounds like a dream night: cocktails, canapés, a presumably adequate DJ, and of course the most beautiful setting. So steamy! The first one I ever knew about was coincidentally scheduled on the very first birthday I celebrated here in Pittsburgh... but due to lack of a date/lack of a babysitter, I missed it! And it seems I'll be missing this one, too! Bummertown. Dragsville. 

But it's not so bad... who even likes parties, anyway? It's been a long time since I had a proper Ball at a social gathering. Parties always sound fun, but in real life, they can be exhausting. Either there's no one to talk to, or you get cornered by some weirdo. It's inevitable. Or maybe it's just me? Judging by this recent post, Women Having A Terrible Time At Parties In Western Art History, blogger/kindred spirit Mallory Ortberg knows what I'm talking about, at least. 

Clearly this is my way of consoling myself in the face of my longstanding inability to partake in social activities past 8:00pm... but, motherhood is great, I promise! And if you have super fun plans this weekend, please enjoy them! Enjoy your freedom!

images via the toast

praise ostara!

I know it was nearly a week ago, but isn't easter the most magical holiday? And I feel it must be the oldest one, right? The return of springtime? As a secular catholic, I feel I ought to celebrate certain holy days despite having no religious conviction with which to endorse their purported messages to my son. In this case, I'm relieved by considering the fact that the story of the resurrection of christ is itself a retelling of man's oldest story, that of the sun. Setting aside the moribund cross, none of the various life-and or light-affirming symbols of the holiday--eggs, rabbits, flames, white lilies--have anything to do with jesus per se, and it so clearly doesn't matter because they all just mean the same thing, the best and happiest message of all! The only real issue I take with the catholic celebration of easter is this: why insist on celebrating it on the sunday following a full moon when you could just celebrate it the natural way, weekdays be damned? Sometimes I wonder if might achieve more internal rhythm, or find greater peace of mind, if the world around me followed a lunar calendar. Why adhere to a somewhat accurate system of logging celestial events when you can just watch them happen? And to think of that pink moon this year, especially?

Of course we're all free to let the easterly light of the sun find its way to our hearts in its own way--preferably, nine days ago in the form of pink moonlight. But, due to work schedules and cloudy weather, we spent a gregorian easter after all--in beautiful, charming nearby-ohio-farmland, no less! I'm very lucky to have somewhere so proximal and idyllic to escape to! It was the best most relaxing weekend, after one of the busiest weeks I can remember. And o, what a day! I sat in the sunshine for simply hours! We ate tasty snacks, a delicious roast lamb, and, just like Jane Fonda and Barbara Striesand, the best cake in america.  In fact, I don't think I did anything all day except eat and read all about northwest (per hamish bowles) and easterly smybols in this book, which is maybe a little apocryphal but again, it's hard to disappoint me when discussing symbology and springtime. It was wonderful! I felt like I could see the land growing into life all around me! Isn't it magical?! I hope you're all feeling this way!

valentimes!

Working in a bakery in February, surrounded by pink buttercream and little red sugar cherubs, you have a lot of time to think about Valentine's Day but no time to actually celebrate it. Or at least not in a romantic capacity with your valentine (especially when he works nights!) Lucky for me I have two valentines to choose from--Felix gets more excited about this kind of thing anyway. Decorating cookies probably wasn't the wisest way to celebrate, given amount of confection we've received for the holiday, but Felix was also just gifted these new heart-shaped cookie cutters, and I didn't know what else to do! Anyway, he loved it! I like doing these baking projects with him start to finish so he can see the process: we made the dough on wednesday; cut out and baked the cookies on thursday; and mixed royal icing for decorating on friday! He takes his duties very seriously, and always wants to do everything himself. 

It all came together for a jolly valentines day tea party. Felix wore his halloween kitty ears, to be festive, and we invited a new friend over for cookies, a cuppa, and tarot cards. She even brought us a balloon! Magic! Seriously, having people over for tea is the only way I even know how to interact socially anymore. I never go out, and I never even want to! It's the best! 

giving the gift of gold

Topping my list this year are a sewing machine, a soda stream, and a $1,000 Sephora gift card--but I understand this won't work for everyone. So let the gift-guiding begin!

It's hard to name a better palette than white and gold to capture the holiday spirit. It's warm and familiar but appropriately magical, so hot and cold at the same time. Spot on from Thanksgiving through New Years Eve. Black and gold makes for an elegant, if somewhat less jolly, combination, but really it doesn't matter as long as you've got some shine. These gifts are festive, but will look striking all year long. Because how could one possibly tire of gold? It's immortal.

Firstly, I'm obsessed with these golden menagerie objets! Any one would make an impressive, unexpected host gift--more masculine than soap or candles, more permanent than wine. $35, Dwell Studios. 

 For a more useful host-gift option, how about this set of gold plated cheese knives? Most people don't have knives just for cheeses, but I'm pretty sure if you did, you'd use them all the time! $29, West Elm. 

These tiny gold-dipped porcelain spoons toe a similar line between function and frivolity. Tied on a beautiful silk ribbon, they're a sweet and portable hostess gift, which is useful if you're traveling. Also, good DIY-inspiration, no? $20, Leif.

  This golden quilted Boysy backpack is a little pricey, but so Ashley Olsen. $68.97, Asos.

Is it stupid to gift a phone case? But people do "need" them, right? These ones are pretty cool, I think. They're made from deadstock charms and broches from the 60's and 70's, set in lacquer-like phone cases in whatever shape and size you require. Obviously, I recommend choosing their zodiac mascot for a more personal gift. Very Charlotte-Olympia-for-Pandora, right? $13.99, Case Cavern.

Like tea towels, stationary, and serving trays, this desk set may seem a humble suggestion. But people don't realize how easy it is to stay organized when you have the right materials. And if those materials are so beautiful you can't help but hold them, you're considerably more likely to use them effectively. Everyone needs someplace safe to keep their important documents, and who couldn't use a beautiful notebook or two? This entire collection, sold as a set or individually, is functional and gorgeous. $6-43, Poppin. 

Same goes for these Tracey Tanner leather pouches. You may not think you have need of something like this,  but once you get one, you'll wonder what you ever did without it! $35-45, Catbird. 

Or instead of gifting them what they don't know they need, and give them what you know they want: A gold-and-brown box of chocolates from Goumas Confections, of course! Hand-made sea salt caramels, english toffee, peanut butter fudge, chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows... the list goes on! Find gifts for every price range in white, milk or dark (and even sugar-free!) at Goumas Confections.

Don't forget the little ones! Everyone deserves a little glamour in their lives. A golden rattle can run you several hundred dollars (I looked into it) but these golden lambskin maryjanes are the sweetest things I've ever seen. Yes, it's a little silly to spend so much on something that will be worn so briefly, but come on--it's Christmas! $40, Acorn Toy Shop. 

Finally, a little logo goes a long way. These various golden Marc Jacobs studs make a seriously glam gift, with a surprising price tag. $42-48, Marc Jacobs. 

happy holidays you guys!

So, Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, and now Christmas Season is in full swing! I can't tell if I'm really in to it or if I'm faking it for Felix, but either way, I've got spirit! Christmas carols are on soft rock radio twennyfourseven in the kitchen; I've seen three cars topped with giant plastic menorahs driving down Murray Ave in the past five days; and I can't stop thinking about this blue-eyed beauty, star of Oscar de la Renta's Children's Holiday Collection 

She's the one ♥

That bow is nowhere to be found on the internet, btw. Find it for me!!

tricks, treats, and selfies

Happy November!

First of all, please excuse the selfie--this year, instead of getting ready with a bunch of tipsy twenty-somethings (*sigh*) I prepared for Halloween with a sweetheart of a toddler who, shrewd though he may be, still hasn't mastered the art of smart-phone-photography. As it turns out, I got all dolled up for nothing--we didn't even go trick-or-treating! I think the rain, and a persistent case of the sniffles, had something to do with the decision. Instead, Felix decreed that we indulge in our typical Thursday night ritual: an apple juice at the bar while we wait for daddy to get off work (an extra special treat these days, as we recently put the kaibosh on at-home-juicing, per Doctor Glick's instruction). I'm a little disappointed by the lack of fun-sized snickers around the house, but for the sake of Felix's little baby teeth, it's probably for the best. I'm sure Doctor Glick would agree.

However! I did  discover something thanks to my erroneous 'mommy black cat' costume, which should serve us all well as the weather turns cooler: xhilaration fleece-lined leggings. They're amazing! Somehow, the fleece doesn't add any bulk, so they look just like normal leggings, but so so so much warmer.  At under $10, they're worth every penny. I've been wearing mine all week!

Do yourself a favor, guys! 

happy halloween!

I don't have any be-costumed, trick-or-treat pics to share just yet, as I'm posting In Real Time. But, here are some sweet, silly shots of us dicking around our local pumpkin patch--we didn't even buy one, since felix already imported two from Ohio! Nevertheless, I'm starting to think it's both fun and important to orchestrate this kind of goofy, seasonally-themed photo-op. You know, for posterity!

Have fun out there tonight, you guys!

xo

what do you wear to a rustic fall wedding?

Because you can assume the vibe will be warm and rustic (why else choose a farm in October?) you won't want to look like you're going to a gala or a nightclub; you'll have to avoid the ritzier, more delicate things you might consider wearing to spring or summer nuptials. Then again, you don't want to look like you're on a farm, either--it is a wedding, after all! Color-wise, your neons and pastels are out, as they'll clash with the heartiness of the surroundings (and probably the wedding theme) as are graphic black and white, which read too 'city' in a rural setting. And don't forget about the unpredictable October weather--you'll want to be cool (but not too cool) in the day and cozy (but not too cozy) at night.

So, all that said, whatever will you choose? I don't know about you, but for me the solution is obvious: go floral! While traditionally the print of spring, recent trends (Dolce and Gabbana, a/w 2012 for example) have changed all that, and these days it's almost too easy to find a floral that's suitably autumnal. Now, I've done my share of e-shopping this week, and I can tell you that Zara is your best bet for cute, cozy floral dresses that, while technically out of my price range, won't break the bank:

 floral dress with full skirt, $79.90 special quality dress, $79.90; printed dress, $89.90

That last one is my favorite. You can wear them with boots just like in the pictures, if the wedding is truly rustic--only you will know. In fact, its the shoes that still confuse me: do heels make sense if you're walking around on the potentially muddy earth? Are flats appropriate for a formal occasion? Keeping in mind that the 'flats' I have to choose from are a five-year-old pair of Old Navy ballets, some second-hand suede loafers, and a pair of brown leather sandals... it's times exactly like this, that I think of the once relatively magnificent shoe collection I sacrificed to my dream of nomadic life, and cry and cry. But you just never know what other people will wear to anything. I wonder what I'll see?

labordayfun/goodbyesummer

If you're curious, the main reason I haven't been posting a lot is because I'm truly very busy! But I like having a different excuse, like company. Did you know? Over the labor day weekend (already a week ago!) my dearest only twin sister Becky came to stay with us! Earlier this summer, she hosted us briefly in her new city, St. Louis, so it was fun to return the favor. I love it when people come visit! Apart from being fascinated by the art of hosting, it's cool to show people around Pittsburgh, enjoying all the city has to offer with someone for whom it's brand new--like it still is for us! We thought, what with the lovely weather--and almost every restraunt in town closed for the holiday--what better way to spend labor day than a picnic in Point State Park, my favorite spot in town?

 The people were out, with their dogs, and balloons; wearing red white and blue, riding their bikes, and splashing around in the fountain... it felt like the Last Day of Summer! So bittersweet! 

But seriously, have you ever even been to Point State Park? Obviously, I highly recommend it--there's something for everyone! Sweeping lawns (not too big), shady gardens, grand hill-and-city- scapes... and of course, the fountain, with its panoramic view! I wonder if they keep it on in the winter?  Arriving as we did in January, increasing fairness of weather has corresponded to the more our family has settled here in pgh. So it will be interesting, watching the city transitioning into winter. There's nothing like coming full-circle, seasonally, to make a body feel like they really live someplace. 

We miss you already, bwod! Come back soon!