juxtaposition

I love juxtaposition, especially in design. I love texture and the combination of old + new, formal + informal, rustic + modern. One of my very favorite blends is that of organic and raw materials + really bright pops of color. Something about it speaks [no, screams!] to me every time and somehow sort of defines my aesthetic.

Lucky for me, there are tons of creative people out there right now turning out really inspired combinations of materials in all sorts of unique ways. One of my favorites locally is David Rasmussen, a very talented furniture maker and designer in Carbondale, CO, who I first discovered at the early Firefly Handmade Markets here in Boulder. In addition to the really interesting furniture pieces he's crafting, he also does a line of housewares that epitomize my love for this style. He starts with gorgeous wood, lets it speak for itself and then spikes it with pops of perfectly blended color. I confess to having amassed one of nearly every piece he's made and I'm always looking to add to my collection.

David Rasmussen's WUD platter

Here's a roundup of some of the other gorgeous things I've come across that speak to my love of this aesthetic [there are lots more on Pinterest and things i love] Housewarming gift? xo

Props for the goods:
[Side note...We are incredibly lucky here in Boulder to have a vibrant creative community. Several of the items in this roundup are crafted by locals whose work I LOVE, namely Ash & Ore and by elke, who is currently featured on terrain.com. Much more on these extremely talented gals in the near future...]

: beautiful twig dipped pencils / Garza Marfa round stool / I'm so making a hand painted antler
: cleverly painted tree stump / fun painted bowl + plate / handmade Roxy rocker
: dipped mini bowls / sunny wrapped twigs / by elke hand stitched leather bracelet
: David Rasmussen large WUD plate / Ash & Ore leather clutch / Pantone dipped pencils

inspiration: kitchen

I used to be pretty organized + punctual. I was reasonably articulate + sometimes even interesting. The sleep deprivation and intensity of early motherhood robbed me of both latter virtues (+ personal hygiene, but that's for another day...). This reno project has all but obliterated the former of those traits. I have been in fight or flight mode since January 1, with my hair perpetually on fire. I'm exactly 20 minutes late to pick up my boys from school every time and come racing in disheveled, with whatever lunch I was lucky enough to cram down in the car all over my pants. I try to eloquently explain my tardiness, but end up mumbling something weird + unintelligible while wiping a stray black bean from my hair. Fortunately, the boys' sweet teachers just smile and say "no worries," but they must think I've lost my marbles. I'm late to meet the contractor. I'm late with dinner. I'm super late with my blog posts. I feel a little crazy.

I know there's an end in sight for the project, which is reassuring, but I also know that life will just get that much busier as the boys get older. With that in mind, we've very deliberately designed the new spaces, especially the kitchen, with efficiency in mind. I'm hopeful that the easier it is for me to complete my daily tasks, the more time I'll have to spend with my boys outside + doing the things we love to do. The kitchen will be the center of the house, both literally in placement and figuratively in function. It will be bright + open and will have enough storage so that I don't have to waste precious time trying to figure out where to put the salad bowl I somehow wrestled out of the cabinet, but can't seem to fit back in.

Here is a bit of my inspiration (check out my Pinterest kitchen board for more). I love the simplicity of white, combined with the richness of wood or the coolness of grey. I love pops of color. I love unique, but subtle details. I cannot wait to show you the finished product, because it'll be really fun + it should mean that my hair is no longer on fire. xo

1. Different color cabinets + island, via Houzz. /  2. Rich cabinets, via Viciously Cyd. / 3. Leather drawer pulls, via Camp. / 4. White shaker cabinets, via Houzz. / 5. Beautiful grey shaker + cool hardware, via Greige Design. / 6. Big pop of gorgeous color, via Desire to Inspire. / 7. Salt + pepper, via Etsy. / 8. Pops of color, via Domaine Home. / 9. Love the contrast in textures, via Home Life.

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baking cheek to cheek

B and I love to bake together. It's rare, sweet time we spend together, just the two of us, while R is napping. He sits on the counter so we can be eye to eye + cheek to cheek. We most often make muffins or "donuts" (Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious Doughnuts have been a hit with both boys and their friends since their debut at B's first birthday party. Did you know that all you really need to be a super cool toddler mom is a mini donut pan?!).

LOVE

Lately we've been experimenting with granola bars. We've tried a few recipes now, but the best by far have been from one of my favorite food bloggers, Kelley Epstein at Mountain Mama Cooks (I made a modified version of her Puff Pastry Wrapped Turkey Burger Sliders the other night...OMG. That's all I'm saying for now). We've made her Chewy Granola Bars a few times now and they're always delish + easily modified to suit just about everyone's taste. This time we tried the Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars. I went to 5 stores looking for the cinnamon chips called for in the recipe to no avail, so I had to carry on without them. Next time I think I'll have to just order some because I have a feeling they're the hidden gem in this recipe + B would love them.

T-rex was a big help.

Recipe:

1 2/3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (her recipe calls for oat flour, which we'll try next time)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup cinnamon chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs melted butter
3 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs almond butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, raisins, almonds + cinnamon chips
In a small bowl, combine vanilla, honey, olive oil, melted butter, brown sugar + almond butter
Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until evenly combined
Press mixture into a 9x9 baking pan that has been greased + lined with parchment paper
Bake for 20 minutes or so
Let cool completely before cutting into squares or rocket ships or whatever shape you want
Store in an airtight container or wrap individually + freeze
Nuzzle your baking partner + share the yummy granola love

Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars

banana oat smoothie

B calls this the "sugar smoothie" because it's deceptively sweet + delicious and because it includes a dash of maple syrup. It does taste much more like dessert than a healthy snack, but it's filled with protein and nutrients. It's a hearty way to fill up little bellies mid-morning to help keep them happy until lunch. Bottoms up, sugar. xo

Modified from Martha Stewart's Pear, Oat, Cinnamon and Ginger Shake recipe, which is also yum.

Banana Oat Smoothie
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (or plain if you want to skip the sugar)
1 large banana or 2 small ones (or 1 pear)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 heaping tbs almond butter
1 tsp maple syrup
a few shakes of cinnamon
1 tbs ground flax seed
a couple handfuls of ice
blend well + serve with a kiss on the head

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just like that

We've been talking + drawing + measuring + planning + remeasuring + redrawing for months. Then just like that, once you say "go," the change is super quick + so dramatic. Of course, there are still miles to go, but it's incredibly gratifying to see concrete progress and know instantly that you made the right choice. The house feels so good.

The root of most of our issues with the layout of the house can be blamed on this thing...

This monolith was on the chopping block from the second we walked into the house. It's blocking the flow, the light + probably the chi or something. It's certainly easy enough to knock over. BUT, this little gem housed the only pantry and coat/utility closet. Ugh. So the bulk of our redesign was focused on relocating those two seemingly minor, but very important amenities. We restructured the staircase to make space in the front for a closet + bench seat.  It also creates a proper entry so you aren't welcomed into our home by a long, steep staircase that works equally well as a bobsled track. The pantry will be in the awesome addition we're putting on the kitchen. Problem solved. The demolition of the "thing" and restructuring of the stairs was quick work and so gratifying to see. We were nearly in tears. It's coming along. It's real. We might actually live in "the new house" someday... xo

Without the "thing," the space is wide open. Just the way we like it.

Monday \ Wednesday \ Friday. Just like that.