oakland gnomes

This weekend I was reminded about this NPR segment on the gnomes of Oakland, the anonymously-painted little wooden creatures nailed to the bottom of utility poles around the city. Walking up a side street by Lake Merritt on Saturday I saw at least seven of these guys. They add cheer to the Oakland streets; every time I see one I smile. Isn't this guy cute?

madewell thundercloud jeans

At two months postpartum I'm still about 10lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight which means that all of my favorite jeans and pants are still a tad bit snug around the waist. Last week I finally decided to just buy a pair of interim jeans to wear. Thankfully, I found a pair that I am loving. They've got the perfect amount of stretch and give and they go with everything. I've worn them every single day.

Madewell: skinny skinny ankle jeans in thundercloud

I love them so much I bought the camo equivalent.

a few midweek links

Walloon Lake, Michigan

My dear friend Melissa created an super awesome meal planning app called 5 Plates! The app delivers 5 dinner recipes every week with a grocery list. How easy is that? It debuted on iTunes today so go get it.

We went to Michigan at the end of August. My sister-in-law Mary wrote about the trip and posted some pictures on her lovely blog. I also posted some photos from our trip on Instagram.

I only read one book while in Michigan. But I've just started this based on a rave review from Jordan. Also on my nightstand: Wild, The Happiest Toddler on the Block (yep), and The Cuckoos Calling.

Shakespeare with its original pronunciation. Fascinating!

Doesn't this Tangled Thai salad with peanut cilantro coconut dressing look tasty?

A few months ago I started using this light foundation on my face. It's a bit on the pricey side, but totally worth it.

I've enjoyed reading these guest posts about parenting around the world.

We finally finished watching the first season of this show. Loved it! I'm going through serious withdrawals... Thank goodness there are three new episodes of Foyle's War airing soon.