living in the russian wilderness

I just finished reading this fascinating Smithsonian article by Mike Dash about a Russian family who fled into the Siberian wilderness in 1936 and weren't seen or heard from for 40 years until a team geologists found their home, more than 150 miles from civilization.

"Led by Pismenskaya, the scientists backed hurriedly out of the hut and retreated to a spot a few yards away, where they took out some provisions and began to eat. After about half an hour, the door of the cabin creaked open, and the old man and his two daughters emerged—no longer hysterical and, though still obviously frightened, "frankly curious." Warily, the three strange figures approached and sat down with their visitors, rejecting everything that they were offered—jam, tea, bread—with a muttered, "We are not allowed that!" When Pismenskaya asked, "Have you ever eaten bread?" the old man answered: "I have. But they have not. They have never seen it." At least he was intelligible. The daughters spoke a language distorted by a lifetime of isolation. "When the sisters talked to each other, it sounded like a slow, blurred cooing."

[photo: The Smithsonian]

[hat tip: Kottke]

we're expecting...

16 weeks and feeling good with my little funny-faced girl

...Baby #2 to make an appearance in mid-July! The constant nausea has abated and my energy is finally picking up. I can't tell you how good that feels.

We've been so lazy this time around with taking photos of my growing belly. I think that means this little person is already being treated like a #2, right? Less pictures, less hoopla in general. This is about what I looked like at this point when I was pregnant with Stella:

Still, we can't wait to find out who this next little person is going to be...

xoxo

straw hats

I'm still dreaming of warm weather and sunshine. No surprise there. It's a good thing we've got a trip planned with friends to Mexico in a few weeks. And, of course, when thinking of all that sunshine I can't help but think of straw hats. I love a good hat, and I've got quite a hat collection already... But I just can't stop myself from looking.

Goorin Brothers Macey

Roxy Swim In Straw Hat

San Diego Hat Company Straw Hat

Brixton Castor

Michael Stars Fedora

recipe mania

the smitten kitchen cookbook: butternut squash and caramelized onion galette

I am happy to report that I have been avidly working on my New Year's resolution to try 2 new recipes a week. I've discovered some real winners, like these butternut squash and black bean enchiladas (I've made them twice), this chicken and artichoke lasagna (I turned it into a casserole by using orecchiette pasta instead of lasagna noodles), and this grilled yogurt chicken with cucumber salad (I'll definitely be making this again). I've been pinning recipes like crazy and am finding inspiration looking through all of my cookbooks.

On the menu for dinner tonight: Smitten Kitchen's butternut squash and caramelized onion galette and a green salad with lemon and parsley roasted cauliflower (the salad is my own creation).

What recipes are you loving right now? Inspire me!

dressing for spring

OK, maybe it's just because I'm getting older but the Garnet Hill catalog (usually not my bag) came in the mail yesterday and I'm coveting a few of the dresses. Also, I'm so ready for spring.

Favorite Knit Tank Dress

Caren Dress

Blossom Knit Kimono Dress

Goddess Knit Dress

Calais Knit Dress

"perfect"

Stella at her first ballet class

This morning Stella decided that she wanted to nurse her Tiger. She held Tiger up to her chest and said "Tiger is having boobie."
I couldn't help but ask, "Does Tiger like boobie?"
She nodded.
I continued, "how does Tiger feel when he has boobie? Does it make him happy?"
She nodded again.
"And do you like boobie, Stella? How does it make you feel?"
After a little pause she looked at me and said "perfect."

And, as I am midway to weaning her completely, my heart melted.

(Also, where did she learn that word and how did she come to understand the feeling associated with it? I just don't know...)

wanderlust: morocco

I am absolutely loving, and living vicariously through, M's Morocco travelogues and gorgeous photos over on Bits By Pieces. Have you been?

[all photos by Mary]

stella the ham

 
This one and more over on Instagram...

jiro dreams of sushi

You guys. Have you seen Jiro Dreams of Sushi? I've been blabbing about it to anyone who will listen since we watched it the other night. I went to bed dreaming about sushi, and a trip to Tokyo. Seriously, so good.

hello to 2013

Happy New Year!

It's inevitable that the start of each new year begin with a little reflection... what do I want to accomplish/do/learn in the coming year? Blogland is abuzz with resolutions: Exercise! Travel! Learn a new language!

I've thought a lot about it over the last few days, and have tried to come to terms with what items I will actually be able to accomplish. So here's what I've come up with:

Make at least 2 new recipes a week: 

I'm kick-starting this resolution this week with these two recipes: Vegetable Lentil Shepard's Pie, and Roasted Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas. My friend Melissa is going to help me keep to this resolution as she is currently in the process of launching a pretty fantastic app called Five Plates. The app feeds 5 quick and seasonal dinner recipes to your phone and populates a grocery list to make market visits super easy. I've been beta testing the app for a few months and LOVE it. More information to come...

Carve out more “me” time: for yoga, reading, working on creative projects, and rebuilding my energy stores.

De-clutter: This includes regularly cleaning out closets and giving away or selling clothes I do not wear, dealing with piles of mail, cleaning out the refrigerator (my most hated household task), managing Stella's books and toys, recycling old magazines, etc. Part of this resolution is also being more thoughtful about what we bring home. Do we need five new books if collectively we've accumulated 15 books to read on our bedside tables? Does Stella need that adorable dress? Do we need more stuff? The answer is usually no.

Get into the garden: This resolution has been on every list since we bought our house 2.5 years ago. This summer we finally managed to get our act together and hire an architect to design and create a backyard space for us. Months later and our backyard is almost done, complete with a fire pit area, space for a vegetable plot, a patio for eating outdoors, and built-in herb and plant boxes. It's looking so amazing. All that we need to do now is put down dirt, plant, and get outside.

Travel to 2 new places: We inevitably travel to spots we love and where we have friends and family like Portland and New York. This year I want us to discover 2 new places. Want to join us?

What resolutions have you made for 2013?

[image: Uta Barth, Field # 8, 1995]