"Brain Dump"

As my favorite blogger Darby from Fly Through Our Window would say- its a "brain dump" posting type of day today. I haven't posted in a while and have a bunch of stuff to share- much of it somewhat mundane, and unrelated- but I will share it just the same!

Part I
On the home design front- I went to Brimfield a couple weeks back- and had a blast!!!  I will definitely be going in May for anyone who wants to join!  Much to my dismay- I did not find a set of retro yellow tables lamps as I had hoped.  So, we made an IKEA run recently and I found a cute, textured gourd lamp that will do the trick!  Here's what I did...

Here is the little guy beforehand (I wish it was a little bit larger, and I have plans to change out the lamp shade to a larger natural linen, but the price could not be beat.)

I picked up a $3 bottle of yellow spray paint from Home Depot....

and went to town- not having a whole lot of experience with spray painting I was shocked at how fast (5 min. for both lamps) and how smoothly it went on.

Here's the finished product in our newly painted bedroom, I will do a full post on the room after the artwork for above the bed is completed- but I am SUPER happy with how its coming out!

Part II

On the food front...I have been very stressed lately- with work and preschool , and baby sitter scheduling, and mural projects, and broken cars, etc.- so  I have been doing a whole lot of stress reducing baking and cooking this week;)

Tis the season for apples- and we make a weekly trip to the orchard this time of year.

I had a late night snack of this delicious apple crisp below- paired with some Trader Joe's tart frozen yogurt- INSANELY delicious- it's a must try combo!

Mom's Apple Crisp

4 cups apples sliced and put in an 8"x8" square baking dish

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/3 cup butter

I combine them all in a bowl- and mash them up with a pastry blender until they are a coarse, crumbly texture.  spread it evenly on the fruit and bake until crispy and brown, and more importantly the fruit is soft- 375 for about 30 min.

Favorite dinner so far this week- breakfast

Ciabatta cinnamon french toast (crispy, not soggy, with powdered sugar, and lots of real maple syrup). Scrambled cheesy eggs with sauteed Swiss chard, onions and green peppers. Roasted baby potatoes. Salad with mustard greens, bibb lettuce, herbed goat cheese, candied almonds, and lemon honey mustard vinaigrette- It was delicious!

Part III

On the kid-front- here is little Sassafras on her "wooden bike"- you know the one she refused to ride for more than 2 min. like, last week?  Well- good ole' Shuggie and Pop were over while I was at work on Sunday, and I don't know what they did- but she is a pro now, riding for over a mile at a time, and the whole way  saying "I just woooove my wooden bike, I am soooo good at riding on my wooden bike...."  Its pretty hilarious.  Doesn't she look like a mean motorcycle chick in this picture? Gotta love the rain boots too!

Oh- and the necklace- is her "transitional object" (flashback to psych 100).  I can remember my mom sending a little lizard pin of hers to school with me when I was feeling extreme separation anxiety (which was most days up until high school- I had hardcore separation anxiety, and have always been a homebody)  So, although Z is loving school, I think that transition, coupled with my new crazy work schedule and me not being around for bedtimes a couple days a week has made her missing Mama more than she used to. 

I called from work on Saturday at 9 am- I had been at work a few hours at that point, and had left the house when everyone was sleeping- D said she had been crying all morning.  I talked to her and she was soooo sad- and kept saying "Mom, I just want you to come home right now".

So I suggested that D take her upstairs to my jewelry box to pick out one of my necklaces- when I got home from work she showed me her "Mommy necklace" and said that when she's sad she rubs it and says "Mommy loves me"- so cute.  So now, she wears it everyday.

And last but certainly not least- my little-big man.  He is OBSESSED with baking.  He happens to have inherited my sweet-tooth,  perhaps all the cannoli and apple cider donuts when I was pregnant???? anyhow- as soon as he sees me turn on the oven he starts babbling excitedly,  pulls out the oven mitts, and plants himself in front of the stove- its really hilarious. A little pastry chef in the making perhaps?

(please excuse the blurry picture- I will possibly be getting a new camera soon!)

Part IV

On the marriage-front.  We are off for the weekend for some much needed Me and D only time.  I really cannot wait!  This is technically for our 6th anniversary- which was back in May- we have never been away for the night together- ever since the kids were born. The plan- we will be going on a zip line tour in the Berkshires (pics and posting will follow), and spending the night in a ritzy hotel- and capping it all off with breakfast in bed!  Now, let's just hope that the angel babies behave for Auntie!