Hibernating

Cabinessa is hibernating for a time.

I'll continue to journal my suburban life on our family blog. I'd love to have you follow me there -- just leave a comment or send me an email for the link!

Miss Pettigrew Book Club

" 'Oh!' though Miss Pettigrew blissfully, 'I think I'd like to die to-night before I waken up.'

They arrived."

I chose the 1930s/40s era fluffy book Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson for a recent book club, the tale of the difference one poor, dowdy middle-aged woman makes when she's thrown into the silly world of young opulence. There are romantic tanglings, sparkly jewelry, satin stockings and velvety nightclubs.

My own home, which was built during the time period, was the jumping off point for inspiring the monthly discussion, light dinner, and viewing of the movie adaptation of the book (starring Amy Adams). I accented with ultrafem pink satin ribbon, and quite literally used the book for decor.

To set the mood, I hung topiary balls made of petals from the pages of the book attached with pearl-topped pins and accented with the same white flowers I used for the centerpieces inside. I tied layers of satin ribbon on my sparkly boxwood wreath.

Inside, on our mantle and the gilded mirror behind our dining table, I hung pink tulle banners made from the charming illustrations found on the pages of the book.

I served a salad, cheeses, berries with lemon creme and a toasted coconut cake. We used my mother-in-law's cut crystal tea plates and cups.

I cleared all of the kid stuff out of our bathroom and laid out all of my fancy perfumes. The girls took home their own mini-makeover: petite pink nail polish.

Even one of our antique iron English Bulldogs got dressed up for the occasion!

Happy National S'Mores Day

I don't know who decided it, but I'm sure glad they did:

August 10 is National S'Mores Day!

S'Mores are HOT in the culinary world these days. Take, for example, my recent trip to ultrahip New York City: the campfood favorite was demonstrated and served at the Martha Stewart party, the headline of the entire Hershey's campaign (they had a suite where bloggers could visit and make their own), and featured on the cover of this month's Everyday Food magazine.

Celebrate this "holiday" by making the treat with your family. Try something less traditional, by adding a different type of candy bar, sprinkle with nuts or try flavored marshmallows. Can't get a fire going outside? Don't forget my Baked S'Mores.

Decorating with Driftwood

Hanging Driftwood Heart from Chasing Fireflies

Driftwood is a symbol of nature's processes at work. It is created when wood, with origins from a simple fallen tree to an ocean shipwreck, is worn and smoothed by water. While usually reminiscent of saltwater beaches, driftwood could technically be created by nature near any water source -- rivers and lakes included.

So evocative is driftwood, it plays a role in ancient Norse legend: it is believed the first man and woman on earth were created from two pieces of wood washed ashore.

Each piece of driftwood is bit of mystery; once the wood is tossed and aged by the surf over an extended period of time, there's no way to really determine where it came from. Still, there's a story in every piece, right down to the little holes bored by tiny creatures looking for home. When driftwood eventually lands, it often becomes home to larger creatures, including birds and mammals. The craggy pieces could also become something else -- beautiful, treasured decor.

Driftwood Mirror from Pottery Barn

Driftwood End Table from Crate and Barrel

Driftwood Clock from Etsy seller Woodwise

If you'd care to source driftwood for decor or projects, first check rules for collecting locally. Make sure your finds are properly dried and potential bug friends removed. There are some etsy sellers who offer it raw. For high quality material akin to artwork, try Nettleton Hollow. I could shut my eyes and imagine a heavy, twisted piece of driftwood as a mantle in a cozy beach shack.

Yay, Me!

By senior tryouts for high school cheer, I was on little flippy skirt burnout. It was my fourth year, and I was vying for spots on two squads, plus the captain position. I know what you're thinking: Go, fight, win! Right?

I must've been so overwhelmed practicing my various routines (highly technical combinations to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, I'm sure) that I didn't plan my big entrance. So when the moment came, when my name was called and I was supposed to run in front of the judges to show off my little kicks and fist pumps and whoops and hollers of all nature, I panicked. What words was I supposed to shout?

There are pivotal moments in a woman's life. When time slows and your thoughts race. Just say Go, Bears! Simple, be true to your school. No, didn't make sense -- I wasn't at a game. There were no bears in sight to cheer for. I'm not cheering for bears today. Then who am I cheering for? Aha! I've got it: I'm cheering for me! No, Al, don't do it. Bad, cheerleader. Don't... stop...

But there wasn't time to stop myself. With all the triumph I could muster, I shouted:

"YAY, ME!"

The record player (if there had been one) screeched to silence. The judges leaned in to each other and whispered. "Did she just say 'yay, me'?" "Yes, I do believe I heard a distinct 'yay, me'." I was embarrassed, wounded. Let's just say my routines weren't quite as funky as I had rehearsed.*

After I got over high school (like, two months later), "Yay, Me!" actually turned into a rallying cry. I've even shared the magic with a few close friends. Appropriate for prom date success (or failure), landing a dream job, baking perfect brownies, surviving a c-section.

Fast forward. I recently learned one of my Cabinessa blog posts was chosen as a finalist in the national BlogHer Voices of the Year competition. When I go to the national conference in NYC in a few weeks, my post will be the inspiration for a piece of art to be sold at the benefit auction of the opening night gala. So...

Yay, Me! Or something like that.

The Fruits of Very Little Labor

Just picked a few more than a dozen strawberries from the bush spreading along our cedar fence, typical of every day for the last few weeks. This is our first "boom" year; I sort of gave up on the patch when we only got one little struggling berry last summer.

Our little girls is the perfect picking age. She gets so excited to scout out the richest red berries and toss the few with worm holes for the birds.

There's something so charming about backyard strawberries. They are soft, sweet and imperfectly shaped (but I think they're cute). And you know what? They really do smell like that Strawberry Shortcake doll I had in 1987. Take that, grocery giant.

The Graduation

Boo graduated.

Two words -- well, technically a nickname and a word -- that mean more than that. My brilliant childhood shadow completed the intense Physician Assistant program at UC Davis this spring.

Boo isn't messing around, never has. Since our childhood running around wild in the ten acre woods, what didn't come to her naturally, she worked her teeny tiny little bum off to conquer. School was one of these things; girlfriend studies. With the sort of compulsion she used to roof her own house and pack hunting gear in the rugged wilderness, Boo spent minimum 18 hours a day with her books. Her study group became her sisters.

It wasn't just tackling the curriculum that was a victory for Little Sister. You see, we both actually remember attending our mom's college graduation as kids, and that degree she sacrificed so much for ended up saving our family when she unexpectedly became a single mother years later. Our mom's example taught us that no matter the cost or commitment, a woman's education is vitally important. For both of us, earning a degree was a milestone we actually fantasized about.

Boo started out on a college volleyball team in SoCal, then transferred schools, then fell in love with (and followed) a gorgeous military man during deployment and military reassignments, then completed various educational programs as she struggled to get into a nursing program. All this time, I never knew her to juggle less than three jobs, usually waitressing.

So this moment, it was more than a walk across the stage. It was sacred.

And I cried.

Then, we celebrated! Took pictures, ate cake.

The aforementioned study group sisterhood. They were fantastic stand-in sisters in my absence. I love them for the great care they took of my little Boo.

The aforementioned little Mommy. No really, she's little. Like 5'2". Boo, a human gazelle, is folded in half to hug her.

The aforementioned husband. I learned the Sheriff department calls him "Ken" and her "Kelly" (since Barbie's blond). Can't you see it? He's silently and masculinely embarrassed now. Sorry. It had to be said.

More pictures of family (including her great in-laws) and more on the celebration (including a fantastic party at a beautiful home at the end of a gorgeous tree-flanked long gravel driveway).

Celebrating Summer Weekend

Spent a happy Father's Day weekend on the boat with these guys, the best dads on the planet.

Celebrating all around -- besides Father's Day, it was my birthday and our baby's first cruise on the boat.

AND... new tube!

Stick with us -- it is gonna be a FUN summer!!!

UP! First Birthday Party

We based our baby girl's first birthday celebration on one of our favorite films about life and love, Pixar's UP. Set in our backyard, her birthday gift played center stage: an outdoor playhouse with nearly 100 balloons strung to the top.

We tried to maintain the integrity of the movie without overdoing the licensed elements. Some of the details, if you'll recall the film:

INVITES. Hand-delivered with a whimsical house on front, tied to a single helium balloon.

BALLOONS. Of course. We rented a helium tank from our local party store. Besides the outdoor playhouse, we also used balloons on a smaller dollhouse on our buffet table.

FAVORS. Guests left with chocolate bars like the one Kevin the Bird loved so much. Plus, the ultimate sign of friendship: a bottle cap pin. We served bottled sodas with our BBQ, then my husband used a small drill attachment to make holes on either side for a safety pin. We attached the friendship pin to a card with a touching line from the movie.

DOGS. Our daughters' stuffed dog friends anchored the balloons to the outdoor playhouse and we invited our favorite real life dog, Woogie.

ADVENTURE BOOK. Disney's website has some great printables, including this cool Adventure Book with a series of discovery activities for kids. Would make a cute favor for guests, but we printed the cover only for a guest book that highlighted photographs from throughout our baby's first year.

DRESS. There are plenty of dress-up options for film-based parties. Heck, my niece won a Halloween contest last fall when she dressed as a scout and her date dressed like a crusty old man. We didn't have time, but I did put together an Ellie-inspired getup for the baby with a vintage onesie and GAP overalls. She hated the aviator hat, not one photo.

Pink Lincoln Logs

Lincoln Logs, those quintessential stackable wooden pieces barely changed since our own childhoods, may be the cabin toy. Just for little girls (for which I have a personally vested interest) -- Pink Lincoln Logs.

We waited until we arrived at the cabin to open our Little Prairie Farmhouse set,

with over 100 log pieces and cutesy accessories like pink windows and doors, ponies and a ...

... Little Bug!

The set came with instructions for building two cabins and a paddock for our ponies (the pink one romantically named "Nyla" by Bug, the blue one sensibly named "Blue Horse" by Nephew).

After following the instructions, we allowed ourselves a little artistic freedom, something I love about Lincoln Logs. We built mansion cabins, super corrals and plain ol' log towers.

Loved:

• The basic design of the log pieces hasn't changed since the creation of the toy in 1916. Holding those wooden logs in my hand, my mind tiptoed back to Mrs. Sivori's third grade classroom during rug time!
• The set was organized, easy to clean up and store in the sturdy, roomy container it came in
• There was opportunity for structured engineering or creative invention, depending on a child's age and/or skill level and/or interest

I have a feeling these Lincoln Logs will be a beloved cabin toy for years to come!

Thanks to the fantastic folks at K'Nex for sending my girls this set for an objective review.

Pumpkins?

Never mind that my little girl hit the Slip and Slide today. I'm planning my future. More to come.

My inspiration: http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/09/my-pumpkin-patch-from-seed-to-harvest.html

Style: My Workout Uniform

Victory Top (Athleta): a flattering tank with ruching detail on the racerback. Soft poly-spandex in six colors. Longer length with a relaxed fit across the tummy, built in bra support. ($44)

Walkabout Knicker (Athleta): lightweight but firm stretch pants. Perfect length for movement and comfortable temperature, just below the knee. Soft drawstring at the waist, smooth side pocket for keys or cash. ($49)

Thrifty Find

Note: three year-olds do not make excellent bargaining partners.

For mommy-daughter time last weekend, we hit a flea market. The Kiddo was quick to notice that at several booths, I'd ask the same question: "... and how much are you asking?" So when she spotted a beat up old toy horse, I pushed her to practice the skill (nay, art) of flea market haggling.

"Ask her," I prompted, as we approached the merchant.

Silence. Nudge. Poke. "Ask her," I said again.

"Um," sweet little voice suddenly gained confidence. "I want that really bad . Can I buy it? I really want it."

Let's just say I didn't get a deal. But, hey -- new friend, definitely headed to the cabin.