the gang's all here

the kittens have arrived! they are sisters, and we named them sophie and alice.



they are soooo cute and sweet, and they are adjusting really comfortably.
it's a really nice feeling to have taken them from a rescue league (north shore animal league) and seeing them adjust and have fun running around and playing is very meaningful, knowing that our adopting them made that possible, that we've given them a happier life than they would have known. now that i've had the experience of adopting from a shelter, i don't think i'd ever get a pet any other way.

one really nice thing is that sophie and alice's brothers are orange and white, just like abe. it's nice that they come from a litter that has orange in its genes; it's like they're somehow related to abe.

it's interesting to see how their personalities are already different from each other at only 12 weeks, and to think about how the way we raise them will impact the personalities that will emerge as they grow.

it's really nice to have little loved ones to come home to again.

a new beginning

we're getting kittens!

we're picking them up tonight, and i could not be more excited. i have been saving the tops of milk jugs for months, knowing that cats love playing with things like that.

even mitchell, who was slightly resistant to the idea of two is really happy about it now. we don't know what they'll look like yet, or even what gender they'll be, so we don't have names picked out, though we've tossed around a few ideas. mitchell's top pick is "bubbles." really?

since we made the kitten plan earlier this week, we've been prepping, and my feelings have been mostly of excitement and the unique joy of anticipated happiness. it has been only a fleeting thought that our sweet cat abe who died over the winter might feel replaced. now of course i know he probably doesn't feel anything, especially now that he's no longer alive, but i can't help but feeling a little melancholy about him watching over us as we get two new kittens to love.

mitchell and i have talked a few times about how we would never get an orange cat again - we only want to love one orange cat in this life, and that was abe. and we don't want our memories of him to ever blend in with our memories of another loved cat. it's a funny thing, moving on. there's a part of me that is almost afraid to love a new cat (or two, in our case) because i'm afraid of comparing them in my mind. i keep telling myself i won't do that and that there is no comparison, that every animal is different, no two are alike.

what i am realizing though, is that while every animal is different, our love for them is in many ways the same. our relationships are not as complex as they are with people, and in that way, while lost pets don't get replaced, i think in a way our relationships with them are a thread that's continued through all the pets we have in our lives. in a way, mitchell and i will pick up with the new kittens where we left off with abe - and i hope we do. i hope we can apply all the lessons we learned in abe's final days about compassion and selflessness and mercy.

and i hope that if abe is watching over us, he knows that my love for him is what has brought us to the decision to get two more, and that my love for him is what makes me already love the kittens i've yet to meet.


kittens in basket from www.great-pictures-of-cats.com (yes, there's a website called that)

oh, that martha

as you know, i often marvel at martha stewart, and her "organizing tip of the day" was a good one yesterday. it touched on some of the same notes as the article i posted about a few weeks ago detailing how she does all she does. that one was more about personal care, while this one is more home-related. either way, they are things to aspire to doing with the dedication she does.

here, she shares six things to do every day, and they are simply put in that very martha way.

make the bed
tidiness begets tidiness. a crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly, which makes it less likely that you'll let other things -- such as clothes and papers -- pile up around it.

manage clutter
whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn't where it should be. pick it up and put it where it belongs. insist that everyone in the household do the same.

sort the mail
take a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. keep a trash bin near your sorting area for junk mail. drop other mail into one of four in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, catalogs, and filing.

clean as you cook
instead of filling the sink with pots and dishes, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal.

wipe up spills while they're fresh
whether it's tomato sauce on the cooktop or makeup on the bathroom counter, almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately.

sweep the kitchen floor every evening
once you've finished washing up after dinner, sweep the floor. this will keep tough-to-clean dirt and grime from building up, which will make the weekly mopping much quicker.

everything seems a little easier and quicker when martha says it, i know, but her approach is so matter-of-fact because it's just a way of life for her. though it's not really in my nature to be so tidy and clutter-free, i work at it. hard. what i do know is that each of these tasks yields tremendous pleasure and enjoyment in return...they make home a more beautiful, relaxing place to be. and maybe that appreciation and effort is how you become someone who is naturally that way.

martha's simple directives remind me of the general concept of the book zen and art of motorcycle maintenance (which i'll be rereading soon) - about mindfulness and quality...it reminds me of lessons from my dad about using the right tool for the right job, clearing a workspace and working carefully, including cleaning as you cook. no wonder martha's advice has a familiar ring to me.

multiple choice

sometimes online quizzes are awfully lame...and sometimes they're really on-point. this "stylescope" quiz in the homegoods newsletter is fun because the choices they provide in their questions are actually viable answers with great pictures and they offer some really excellent suggestions on the results page. my results were awesomely accurate.

carla, you're earthy casual.

you're interested in creating a welcoming home where people feel comfortable and happiness flourishes. you appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. you love mixing up different textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. and you are never taken in by the trend of the moment.

you value serenity. while there are probably a lot of interesting things in your home, they are joined by your taste or a certain palette that keeps them in harmony. you appreciate the beauty in simple forms. whether fancy or plain, you appreciate things that are well made and function as well as they look. you also have a strong respect for the environment and craftsmanship. you care about how things are made, and how they are used.

they go on to tell me that my biggest design challenge is "light" and give some suggestions, while my friend cara's design challenge was "experimenting." (i was happy to see that the results actually differ based on answers). they also give some really nice general ideas that don't even push homegoods! (not that homegoods needs any pushing).

so fun! take the quiz and see what comes up.

local harvest

yesterday, my sister molly and i visited a farmers market on 47th and 2nd that is open all day every wednesday. i didn't even buy anything this time and i felt like it was the most nourishing lunch hour i've had in a while.


one of the nicest things about summer is that produce is in abundance almost everywhere, and much of it can be found pretty locally at farmers markets. while exotic foods from far-flung places used to be appealing to many, it seems that as environmental and health concerns have become the focus of many peoples' eating habits, the opposite has become true - the closer, the better. local harvest has a feature that lists farmers markets all over the country searchable by location, and most are in operation through at least the late fall. their website is a great source in general for information on all things local and organic to every region.


the farmers market appeal is partly because local food leaves less of a carbon footprint as it doesn't get shipped or flown, and for that same reason it's often fresher as it doesn't spend days in transit - essentially, it's sold sooner after harvest. also, most people just feel good supporting farms and farmers. there are just so many things about it - being there is an event in itself.


whenever i'm at a farmers market, i feel good about it. to me, there's something wholly different about buying produce in a store, even a nice produce store, versus buying it directly from the people who grow it and live off their land. they are always open to questions and they give suggestions and advice, much like the staff at trader joe's and whole foods, both of which i appreciate for being informed, helpful and friendly. but these sellers are much closer to what they sell and it shows.





i love being so close to the produce in its natural form - it's uncut, unwashed, unpackaged and it's all so gorgeous looking. now don't get me wrong, i love me some convenience cut fruit and veggies for ease and speed. there also exists a middle ground to be had, which i find at the grand central market where the roots are trimmed and the stuff is rinsed and neatly tied, but this is just a different kind of experience for a different kind of use. in summer, when it's available and bountiful, i am just in love with the idea of looking to see what looks best on that very day and buying it, washing and prepping it, tasting it and finally cooking with it. each step of the process feels a little bit zen - the selection, the display, the preparation, the display again when it takes its final form. there's a connection to what i'm doing and eating in each step of the process, while the experience of pre-cut and washed produce is about connecting with the train i need to make or the dinner i'm too tired to cook. also important connections, just different.



farmers markets are also a great place to find unusual types of produce - peppers and eggplants in crazy colors and shapes, purple basil, pink garlic, white raspberries, gooseberries. every piece is one-of-a-kind, and you really feel that while you're browsing.





it's debatable to me whether farmers markets are more or less expensive than stores- in my experience they're either the same or even a little more, while kelly tells me that hers in bethesda is way less - basically, she spends forty dollars a week and gets pastries, breads, flowers, herbs and like, a kilo of fruits and vegetables. i guess it varies (and kelly will have a tagalong in a few weekends when we're visiting).

i also find the shelf life issue to be variable - sometimes it lasts longer than store-bought produce probably because it doesn't lose all those days in transit, while other times it doesn't seem to last as long, probably because of a lack of chemicals and preservatives, and i'm okay with that. i just try my best to store and keep them well. besides, the shelf life of produce at most stores is less than variable - it's just non-existent.

i'd love to know your experiences with price and shelf-life and any special tips you have. comment below, if you like.

usually on a farmers market excursion, i have one bold moment where i feel the essence of the local, healthy experience. yesterday, it was seeing these small cardboard boxes of berries which looked as if there were just enough berries to fill them, so that you intrinsically understood the idea that a person harvested these and brought them to this spot to sell. it struck me as so sweet, and so humble somehow. i was charmed by the fact that they harvested all they could, and here they were. no pallet in "the back" or coming off a loading dock. once the lucky people who spot these buy them and take them home, there are no more until next time - it's as simple as that.

also, charmed by the certainty that no modern factory assembly line created any part of this perfect little package for mass distribution or consumption, no mass anything - no label, no inner lining pad at the bottom, just berries in a box, undoubtedly placed there by hand - probably by the hand of the farmer who first planted them years ago.

freefall into fall

but it's july, right? that was how i felt a few weeks ago roaming through the aisles of target, shocked and chagrined to see that the summer accessories are being clearance ghetto-ized while the back to school merchandise takes center stage. and that was a few weeks ago! by now, they're probably holding s.a.t. prep classes in the flip flop aisle.





no matter how well i come to understand how retail merchandising and buying works, i still feel robbed as a consumer when places like cvs and target are rolling out pumpkin merchandise while i'm looking for sunblock. most of us function at least a quarter ahead at work on the things we do daily. how are we supposed to try and be "present" when we're being pulled into the future all the time? it's upsetting, it really is. LEAVE ME ALONE TO ENJOY THE SUMMER.

sorry.

luckily, not all change is bad, as i was reminded as i looked through the most recent pottery barn catalog. they make fall look like the dream it is, and i can embrace the fact that it is just around the corner. it has always been my favorite season, and these images helped me to remember that and actually start to get excited about it.




both things i loved in this catalog are actually chandeliers (is it a coincidence that i've been dying to replace the one in my dining room?) and are entirely autumnal in style, or at least they'd work very nicely that way. the first is what they call the french wire chandelier and i absolutely adore how it is designed to hold stuff in the middle.

shown here, in autumnal glory, are dried flowers and leaves, but it would totally work to hold all sorts of other things - balls of various materials like moss or rope or shells...you could use ornaments or other holiday themed fillers, fresh or silk flowers, pinecones, faux fruit (tastefully faux of course)...really the possibilities are endless. what i love about something like this is that although the base item is a consistent part of your decor, the details (and therefore the whole look) can change as often as your mood, season or color scheme does. it also looks great empty if you're in a less is more mood.

what's also nice is that pottery barn is showing some other french wire items this season which smartly don't match the chandelier exactly, so it's not that matchy matchy, cloying kind of ensemble. instead, the embellishments are slightly different from one another and they look more evenly acquired over time - not like you went to pottery barn and walked out with a dining room in a bag. then, if it's a style you really love, you can acquire other wire pieces without being concerned about matching.

if i were to get this chandelier (which i'd reeeaaaallllly like to), i also might get the placecard holders or a three-tier stand, like below, to casually pick up on the french wire theme.

the other fabulous chandelier situation this fall is what they're calling the wine bottle chandelier.

i really love the piercing green of the bottles and think it is so unique looking. i could see using this in a chicly rustic kitchen or dining room setting, as it has a real tuscan, vineyardy feel.

however, (and this is often my problem with unusual items at chain retail stores) it's one of those things where everyone knows where you got it. not to say i would ever be secretive about my shopping, because i enjoy sharing my finds (clearly), but i hate the idea that the same "unusual" chandelier is hanging in millions of homes and that it can be spotted from a mile away as "the pottery barn wine bottle chandelier." to me, the second it feels mass-produced, it loses something, and what it loses is the uniqueness that attracted me to it in the first place.

the use of two of these chandeliers in the picture below exemplifies how much is lost when you realize they come out of a factory and a box. for some reason, the french wire chandelier doesn't present this problem to me - probably because it's customizable, and also because it's not as memorable, or as much of a statement piece.

i guess it comes down to the same thing most of us already know, which is that stores like crate and barrel and pottery barn are amazing sources for wonderful but basic glassware, dishes, furniture, kitchen accessories, etc. but when it comes to more unique items, the stores are too ubiquitous for their own good. so in a way, their popularity is their downfall.

but enough about fall!

i am determined to take the encroaching notebooks and scientific calculators and backpacks as a gentle reminder to enjoy the rest of july and august, and take pleasure in as many summer delights as possible - sunsets late enough to enjoy, fireflies, barbecues, wildflowers, outdoor dinners, flip flops, birds, and the distinct feeling of summer that magically descends on memorial day weekend and goes away just as quickly by the time labor day ends.

fall road picture is from http://www.punitsinha.com/

the comforts of home

there are certain situations where most of us can’t help but feel a little on edge – these experiences can include shopping, traveling, doctors’ appointments, even our jobs. while we’re often able to control our environments at home to provide maximum comfort and ease, when we’re out in the world, we have little say in even the small things. sometimes, it is this lack of autonomy itself that feels so disorienting and powerless.

a confirmed hypochondriac, i find doctors’ appointments relentlessly stressful – the waiting doesn’t help, and if i’m feeling particularly anxious that day, it feels downright harrowing. most recently, i had a quick procedure that, while minor and routine, was nonetheless less than pleasant. so i was quite pleasantly surprised when i went to wash my hands in the restroom and discovered that the soap had a pretty, lavender scent.

the experience was an “aha moment” for me, because in an instant, i felt more relaxed. the situation immediately felt less cold and clinical to me, and it was as if i could breathe deeper and easier than only moments before. this moment made me realize that the simplicity of something like a nicely scented soap in place of an antiseptic smelling one can make all the difference in the world. it made me feel, very strongly, that the world would be a better place, full of happier and kinder people, if everyone was treated to nice smelling hand soap, even in a hot, stuffy mass transit bathroom.

there are several situations in which this lesson would be useful – the first thing i thought of was a care package for a hospital patient, someone ill or injured, or a brand new mom. at a time where the patient probably feels least comfortable and at home, it would be a comfort to have a prettily scented soap and hand lotion to use, rather than the sour or sharp one likely to be in the hospital’s dispenser.

paired with a variety of chenille socks, a cozy throw and a pretty coffee mug and water glass, it would bring the comforts of home to them, and give them the gift of feeling human in a situation that has the potential to feel less than dignified. sipping morning coffee out of a tiny styrofoam cup, and sipping it out of a generous and pretty mug are two different things -- the coffee might taste the same, but it sure feels different. while the hospital would surely supply the bare minimum, it takes minimal effort to provide so much more and the difference it can make is huge.

someone with a lot of travel ahead of them would also appreciate pretty smelling lotion and anti-bac gel (in travel-size containers of course), cozy plane slippers and a buckwheat neck pillow would seal the deal. while you can't save them from sitting between chatty or invasive row-mates, at least there can be comfort and rest.

a set of nice products is also a welcome accessory to a well-equipped guest bedroom or bathroom as well as a few bottled waters, plenty of fresh towels, current magazines, even a spare toothbrush and razor. fresh flowers and a good candle with matches are also nice touches. i heard a great tip years ago - that a guest should be able to find everything they need without asking their hosts, so they don’t feel like a burden. also that you should spend a night in your own guest room to determine what could be improved. that might be a little much, but the point is well taken. in our case, our guest room has become a combo space - den, office, gym, guest room - so keeping those items in a generous basket in the linen closet so they're ready when guests come is an easy solution.

with all the scented products out there, it would be easy to choose a scent well-tailored to suit the needs of any receiver: a new mom would be a perfect candidate to receive a collection of mustela or aveeno baby products, which are gentle and safe for the new mom and baby alike.

for someone recovering from surgery or illness, aloe vera, tea tree or rosemary scented products, all known for healing, would be perfect. and really for anyone, lavender is always calming and euphoric smelling – sweet but not too sweet, woody and ever so slightly floral. in my experience, some great sources for products that always smell full but not cloying are whole foods and trader joe's (all organic, which is nice), sabon, and in some cases bath and body works (always runs specials and you know how i feel about my coconut lime verbena). also, sephora and bliss are good sources, and i often find stuff in boutiques and other random places - i always sniff avidly whenever i encounter something sniff-able. for example, i found these amazing smelling bar soaps at pier 1 for one dollar each around the holidays and they last surprisingly long.

anthropologie also always has an incredible selection of bath products if you can stand to go in there without losing your mind out of want. but that's a convo for another time, and a post is soon to come on that matter. i'm sorry i put the anthro link here - i just had to - i know it makes you love/hate me - i think we all feel that way about anthro.

if you're still reading this and haven't gone off to anthro land, i will close the loop here... as a gift to yourself, while traveling and even at work, why not ensure that you have small comforts you prefer as opposed whatever is simply there? it could be a series of pictures you love on the wall of your cubicle or office, a favorite sweater for when the air conditioning has run amok or an indulgent hand cream in your desk drawer. at my desk, i really enjoy the avalon organics lavender hand lotion which i get from trader joe's, and i'm even thinking of getting the soap and putting it in the bathroom. even with everyone using it, it would probably last almost a month and would be well worth the five dollars i'd spend each month on it. when traveling, a favorite candle or a small vase of flowers can make an already comfortable hotel room that much more personal.

i think it’s mainly about the idea that small details make a big impact on our moods, our happiness and what we get out of each of our days. they’re worth paying attention to in our own lives, and the lives of the people we love. the simple act of giving that to ourselves or someone else communicates feelings of love and worth that are even more significant than the gifts themselves, and that's the best gift of all.