5.25.2011


Sun hat, swimsuit, sunscreen, sandals, et al, all packed.

Be back soon...

[image: prettystuff]

5.24.2011

photographer found: vivian maier



In the winter of 2007, John Maloof, a 26-year-old realtor who was co-writing a book on his Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, stumbled upon a box of negatives at an auction house. He paid $400, hoping it might hold some vintage photos of his neighborhood. He stuffed the box in a closet. There the images sat for a couple of months, until he had time to scan a few into his computer. There were no photos of Portage Park, but they were captivating images, and it became clear they belonged to a single photographer. "Little by little I realized how good they were," he told me. He learned the auction house had sold more boxes of negatives, and so he sought out the buyers to purchase those, as well. In the end, he collected more than 100,000 negatives, including a few thousand rolls of film. In one of the boxes, he eventually found an envelope with the name Vivian Maier scrawled on it. He googled her name and found a Chicago Tribune obituary. She had died a few days earlier. She was 83.

Read more of the article about Vivian Maier over at Mother Jones.






5.17.2011

sarah's affogato

I can't wait to try my sister's affogato, mentioned here in the Wall Street Journal (!), when we visit New York this summer.

I acquired such a sweet tooth post pregnancy. My internal dialogue goes something like this: Vegan banana chocolate cherry walnut scone at my coffee shop? Well, don't mind if I do. A little chocolate ice cream for dessert? Yes, please. Extra plop of jam on my morning toast? Couldn't hurt...

It's a good thing breastfeeding and carrying around a 16 lb baby everywhere keeps me trim.



Espresso + Gelato? Certo!
If you love a milkshake, and the prospect of iced coffee is enough to turn a dour day upbeat, it's time to embrace the affogato—the Italian version of a grownup soda-fountain drink. The caffeinated wonder combines hot espresso with cold gelato to create a melty, spoonable (or gulpable) treat. A newfangled rendition has turned up at Blue Bottle Coffee in Brooklyn, N.Y., where pastry chef Sarah Cox pours a single pulled shot over a half-cup of homemade double chocolate stout and milk chocolate ice cream. You can try it at home with whatever scoop you prefer—keep in mind, if it's a richer flavor, follow Ms. Cox's modest measurement; if a milder choice, make it three quarters of a cup of ice cream.

Mmm, mmm...sounds tasty, right?

5.06.2011

5 months

Stella taking a little nap
Happy 5 month birthday our sweet, sweet Stella girl.

You've come a long way, baby...

5.05.2011

florida



We spent the last week in Palm Beach Florida. J has been traveling so much for work that we decided to join him, last minute like, on a shoot. Chatting on Skype every night just isn't the same. And he misses Stella so much when he's away.



I'd never been to Florida before. It's hot and very humid. I'm astonished we didn't come back with sunburns. My favorite time of day in Palm Beach is early evening when the sun begins its slow descent, and the air starts to cool. We stayed close to the ocean, so these lovely breezes would waft up the avenues when I took Stella out for early evening walks. We took a lot of walks.

The sky over Palm Beach

We spent Sunday together as a family so we took Stella to the beach for the first time.

Beach baby

Palm Beach palm



It was nice to get away, but I'm glad to be home. I missed all my friends. I missed my kitchen and our house. I missed the mild spring in Oakland.