boo!

halloween last year

We're pretty jazzed for Halloween at our house. The pumpkins have been carved, spooky decorations have been hung from tree branches, skulls and spiders adorn many surfaces in our house. We all love candy and two out of the four of us like dressing up for Halloween (Chris is a dress-up hater and James is currently on the fence about the whole costume thing). Rhys is going as a SWAT team member this year; James as a dalmation (or maybe a drug-sniffing dog to go with his Bro?) Good guys seem to prevail at our home - last year we had a strong showing of the Light Side of the Force with Luke Skywalker and Yoda making an appearance (see photo above of cutie 1 and 2).

The weather forecast is for rain, so if trick or treating is a total bust, we'll watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown while eating pizza margarita on the floor of our den. Candy will definitely be eaten for dessert.

p.s. here's a spooky song to set the mood tonight.

Happy Halloween, -s.

friday: dance party u.s.a

Mr. Klein has been sick with a terrible cold for a few days; poor thing. It's been cold and damp all week and everyone seems a little Eeyore-ish this week with the gloomy weather. Hopefully the weekend will refresh us.

 

here's a song to kick-off the weekend ... and a cocktail to start it off right.

 

p.s. making this for dinner tomorrow night.

 

p.p.s. pretty funny.

 

p.p.p.s. so pretty and useful, too.

 

p.p.p.p.s. the sweet and savory side of pumpkin (and winter squash) that must be made this fall:

 

herbed pumpkin-seed mole



pan-seared salmon with pumpkin seed-cilantro pesto

baked pumpkin and sour cream puddings

roasted butternut penne with pistachio pesto

pumpkin stuffed with everything good

And finally, the quote of the week: The secret to getting ahead is getting started ... -Mark Twain

happy eating, -s.

friday: dance party u.s.a.

As much as I love summer, fall is my favorite season. With so much texture, color and coziness all around - our house always feels more like home in the fall; probably because we're inside more. Woolen blankets are at easy reach, a bowl of winter squash has become the centerpiece of our dining room table and soups and stews are working their way into the weekly menu.

Pumpkin picking is in our future and lots of apples (eating, cooking, baking) and maybe some homemade cinnamon ice cream. We're going to tackle some furniture rearranging this weekend to better establish a landing zone in our house now that coat season has arrived. Pickle wants to make caramel apples, to which I cannot say no.

p.s. here's a song to start the weekend. Get your dance party going! 

p.p.s. seven lovely ideas for au natural halloween decor.

p.p.p.s. As a former Dairy Queen, I loved Amy Poehler's essay on her first summer job.

p.p.p.p.s. oh my goodness.

Happy eating, -s.

coveting ... buca boot

Covet: to want (something that you do not have) very much. While I don't even own a bike (I know; I live in Madison, WI, Bike City of the Midwest ... shameful), I want a Buca Boot nonetheless.

The Buca Boot is the super-stylish and genius invention of my gorgeous, smart, fun and utterly charming friend, Kathryn, who indeed owns a bike and rides it EVERYWHERE in her adopted home of Boston. Like a postman, Kathryn rides her bike no matter the weather, but as a successful economist, she cannot schlep into work soaking wet or covered in snow ... enter the Buca Boot. Place those Louboutins in the Buca Boot and they arrive safely and soundly - with a stop at the cafe for coffee - to their final destination.

What's great about the Buca Boot is that it has the flexibility and ease of a bike basket with the security and weather-proofing of a car trunk. Plus it's just plain beautiful with wood and brass and lacquered finishes.

So, while you can't have instant gratification ... you can have a Buca Boot if you head over to kickstarter and pledge a buck or a cold $200 to make this really smart and stylish accessory a reality.

Happy wanting, -s.