THANK YOU ever so much for all the suggestions yesterday! I am thrilled to get books and read and make fish tacos this weekend. Thank you for taking the time to get me going! I really appreciate it.
It's just so nice out here this morning. I feel like I could just absorb summer right through my skin. Sunshine and birdsong. Taking it slow today. Andy off today. I love this.
Thank you for all of your incredibly sweet comments about the new office. You guys always say the nicest things, honestly. Thank you. I will update yesterday's post with some details about where stuff comes from. And if you were wondering where that room is, it's the one on the other side of the French doors in my craft room. I know, I'm really spoiled. Andy had a huge computer in there for a long time, but my stuff, like yarn and bolts of felt and plastic boxes full of ornament kit supplies and all manner of random unattractive junk, including a broken dresser filled with fabric I didn't even want and other things we didn't know what to do with just kept making their way in there and piling up. It was like a sand dune. We would sort of balance things on top of other things until they slid off. He recently upgraded to a laptop, still uses the desk for his stuff (but doesn't actually have to sit at it to use the computer anymore), got rid of a ton of old stuff that was just taking up space for no reason, and now this is sort of a combo office/Posie storage annex. Greta (new assistant) has gotten all of the ornament kit stuff organized in the big white cabinets and down in the basement, and she is completely taking over the assembly of the ornament kits this year. What I will say about craft stuff is that it just takes up SO much space. But I think we're all really happy with the new office, even Andy (thanks babe!!!). The room hadn't really been overhauled in the past ten years, so it was way past time. I don't think I had any photos of the old version. Every time I went through it (a thousand times a day) I basically shieled my eyes from it, so I doubt I ever would have stopped to take a picture of it because it's hard to take a picture when you're running and have your eyes closed.
I made a good shrimp thing last night, I think. I sauteed two cloves of garlic (minced) in a tablespoon of butter, added the tomatoes from a can of stewed whole tomatoes (not the juice, just the tomatoes), added a teaspoon of sugar and some salt and pepper, and broke the tomatoes up with a spoon. Let them simmer and reduce for about five minutes or so, then added a bunch of peeled and deveined raw shrimp. Let those cook for a few minutes until they were pink. By this time the pasta was almost done (oh yeah — forgot to say, I started some thin spaghetti boiling at some point). I added about a half a cup of heavy cream to the tomatoes, simmered a bit more. Added a big handful of chopped fresh basil and parsely from the garden, and then spooned it all over the thin spaghetti. Anyway, it's not the prettiest picture of it, but I have to say that although I don't normally wing it when I am making dinner, this time it actually worked and was really good.
Just remembered about the vanilla cake recipe. Okay. Tomorrow.
Oh, what a week. But how can I complain when we have this pretty new office to play in?
There are still a lot of empty drawers and shelves and baskets (just put the daisies in there until I figure out what to put in them) that have to be moved into, but it's been so hectic with other things around here that I'm still not quite finished with that. Think I'll just lie on the carpet.
***Here's the skinny on the goods:
Glass cabinets and desk: Hemnes collection from Ikea
White cabinets: Home Depot (ten years ago)
Baskets in and on top of cabinets: Target
Wicker chair and cushion: Ikea
Desk chair: Antique, from Stars in Portland
Rug: Overstock.com
Calico curtains: CountryCurtains.com
Gingham curtains: Retro Barn Country Linens
Pillow: I made it myself from this pattern!
Ceiling light fixture: Rejuvenation
Lamps on desk: Target
Bag on door: Etsy.com
File cabinet: Ikea
Baking : : Movie night Friday (we loved it) : : Birthday lunch with dear friends : : New-neighbor BBQ with old friends : : Much embroidering and much crocheting at all other times : : More movies (this one and this one and this one) on cable : : Andy working : : Broken computer (needs new battery, on order) : : No email (kind of nice, admittedly) : : Recipe for cake is on my other computer, will share when new battery arrives : : Ham and egg sandwich for one on Sunday morning : : Still-raining Monday.
*Here is the recipe for the cake! It is frosted with Cloudburst Frosting, of course.
Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray and line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Spray again and flour.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, in a large mixer bowl; whisk to blend. Add the butter and 1 cup buttermilk to these dry ingredients and with the mixer on low, blend together. Raise the mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Mix eggs, yolks, vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk. Add the egg mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the side of the bowl and mixing only until thoroughly incorporated. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.
Bake the cake layers for 28–32 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes; then carefully turn out onto wire racks, peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.
Thank you for the Midsummer sampler orders (and thank you for the sweetest wildflower book, Rae Jean)! We are sleepy folk here this morning. It's been a really busy week, actually. We finished the "new" office and it's making everyone really happy (especially me). Built all the furniture and moved the yarn over into its new home and some fabric too, and more to do there when time allows. In the clean-out of the old stuff, I found the almost-finished punch-needle pillow project I'd started over three years ago (remember this?). Made a pillow for the new chair in the "new" office. I'll take some photos next week. Agreed to work on an embroidered cover for Random House for a young-adult mystery novel that's coming out next year and have been either reading the manuscript or embroidering test pieces non-stop. Did some fussing in the garden and hilled the potatoes (thank you for the advice there), weeded the beds, and almost fell over with excitement because I grew this candy-striped Chioggia beet after all (isn't it pretty?). Baking a vanilla cake today from the recipe my little sister (the pastry chef) gave me and can't wait to see if it works. I'll keep you posted. So inspired by all the lovely little Swedish cooking films here. Hoping to go see Moonrise Kingdom tonight. It will be good to get out a bit.
The puppers is currently charging back and forth across the living/dining room waiting to be taken to the park. Her enthusiasm for mornings is unequalled, but I'm going to grab another cuppa joe and see if I can match it. Unlikely, but I try.
Oh yeah. Bring it.
I gave all of my wooden utensils and cutting boards and bowls a nice conditioning yesterday. They were parched. Wood butter (spoon oil) is good for this. I keep a jar in my pantry at all times, and just add more beeswax and mineral oil as necessary. I guess we try to do it every six months or so. I also oiled the entire surface of the table. The first picture is before oiling and the second and third pictures after (for what it's worth). Everything now has a beeswaxy sheen. Pretty.
I have no idea if you're really supposed to use it on furniture, but this table is a workhorse, so I fed it. You might want to research it before using it on yours.
It's so cold here. It's 63 degrees in the house. I'm wearing winter clothes and, obstinately, sandals.
Ina's shrimp salad with some pasta, and a pretty little kitty catching some Zs. That's all. Nothing much. (And a whole lot, really. Favorite kind of day.)
One project (Quill) is on the needles, one project (Alpine Frost) is on the hook. Both are perfectly suited to my mood lately. I alternate between them. I need 97 ridges of garter on the Quill and am somewhere in the 60s; then I can start the first lace border. The pattern for the Alpine Frost just goes on and on, and I don't know why it doesn't bore me, but it doesn't. Mine will be big, like a shawl. I gave myself permission to sputter a little bit this week. I sputtered on over to the couch. I sat and crocheted and watched tennis on Sunday morning for several hours until they finally called a rain delay at the French Open. It was kind of a bummer because it was such a good match (well, I have to admit I was rooting for Djokovic), and I have no idea when they finally broadcast (if they broadcast) the rest of the match after it resumed, but I didn't see it. (Wah.) My TiVo didn't pick it up (even though I asked it nicely; maybe it really was never on). As the least athletic person on the planet, I watch a surprising amount of tennis, and I love it.
We are still in the process of reorganizing the office. I am ready to be done with it and get on with life. We painted it white, which as weird. I don't know if I've ever painted a room white before. What is up with me and white these days??? Weird. I have no idea.
Oh! I forgot to say: We were bubbling with laughter all day yesterday as we read your comments with more kitters dialogue. SO FUNNY. Thank you for making me laugh! Silly animals!!!
I have four rows of nine done on my Irish Chain. Today is cloudy and cool. The light is as flat and gray as it can be. The sky looks like a piece of frosted glass. I'm sitting in front of the open windows with Clover snoozing against my leg. Little cat's perched on the top of the couch above my shoulder, watching the yard. Birds are singing outside everywhere. I like all these animals so much. It smells cool and woodsy out there. Big drops of water on the leathery camellia leaves. Earl Grey and cinnamon toast. Shrimp salad with the dill from the garden for dinner. The sound of tires going by on the wet pavement. I can't wait for Andy to get home.
Spinach! And lettuce! From seeds! Proud.
I am way overidentified emotionally with my garden and will need years and years of therapy when it fails but until then I am taking every single victory as personally as I possibly can.
If you look at the pet pictures again I think you can see exactly how the kitterses seat exchange went down. The Bee's like, "Oh, actually yeah, I think I'd like to sit right there. Kthx. 'K, take my picture." All I know is that I was taking a picture of Violet and then the next thing I knew I was taking a picture of Bridget. And I didn't even have to refocus.
(Clover's face is so funny.)
They're all pretty cute. They love to be out in front with me when I'm messing around with m veggies. We have a few teensy green tomatoes, an eggplant flower, many pea flowers, four great big potato plants (and I'm supposed to put soil on their stems or something? Probably too late), and the cucumbers and squash look like they're starting to wake up a bit. I sowed more lettuce and spinach seeds a week or two ago, and they're starting to come up. Yeah, I'm pretty psyched.
We have another nice sunny day around here. That makes two in a row! Wow.
My name is Alicia Paulson
and I love to make things. I live with my husband and daughter in Portland, Oregon, and design sewing, embroidery, knitting, and crochet patterns. See more about me at aliciapaulson.com
