brag part 1

it's the little things that matter most. we had a busy and super fun day today and tonight as i prepared for the week ahead (putting groceries away, washing dishes, doing laundry, and catching up my blog) my sweetheart must have noticed my energy flagging. when he found me in a heap "resting my eyes" while our pictures uploaded he slipped upstairs and returned with a hot mug of tea, a drippy, runny fried egg and two pieces of buttered whole wheat toast for an evening snack. what a treat- both the snack and the man.

brag part 2

so i guess this evening i'm making up for my lack of participation in the blogging community for the last several months- this is my third post tonight but i've got so much GOOD STUFF to share!

so one thing i didn't mention in my earlier post BECAUSE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO KEEP A SECRET was the absolutely best time i had preparing for our holiday photos this year. because it's our first year with jonas i wanted to give the snapshot my best shot- i hope i can get my act together every year so that we have a collection of pictures that mark our years together.

two maybe not so secret pleasures of mine are planning and shopping and i've often fantasized about being an apparel buyer or designing layouts for catalogs or magazines. it's back to my love of themes. i love a theme for a party, a photo, a vacation... often when i'm flipping through the jcrew catalog i think about how much fun it must have been to take pieces of the collection and put them together against a foreign backdrop. i enjoy the scenery as much as the clothes (do you remember the summer jcrew catalog shot in palm springs at the famous architect's house? or the one in the scottish fields with the tartan blankets where the girls were wearing party dresses and wellies? or how about the "roman holiday" themed shoot on the vespas?), i just love how it all comes together, and particularly in that catalog how there is (nearly) always the perfect mix of classic pieces (the jackie cardigan, a smart navy wool sheath), feminine pieces (layers of pearls, ruffley blouses), and something whimsical (a ribbon belt with a giant peony, a swarovski crystal ladybug, or a collegiate tie over a button down shirt paired with a bubble gum pink taffeta skirt). sometimes i think they live inside my head because they seem to know exactly what i like to see and what i'd love to wear. ahh. makes me smile just thinking about it. anyway, back to my planning for our first photo shoot...

now that i've revealed my silly enjoyment of staging and styling, i'll tell you that i had the BEST EVER time coming up with our holiday attire for the pictures. i wanted something christmas plaid for this first year. i decided on the requisite red and green and then shades of blue, grey, and black (classic meets modern). i had picked up a simple red sweater for myself a few months ago and was giddy everytime i came across it in my closet as i conjured up different layouts. we have a great fireplace mantel for holiday pictures two gorgeous forest green chairs on loan from micah's parents so i knew i wanted something using those elements. over the last few months i've been collecting pieces for each of us to wear whenever i found something on sale. my absolute favorite find was a tiny red union suit for jonas with the word "naughty" appearing on the fanny panel. SO CUTE. i immediately pictured a shot of him reaching up to snag at his stocking hanging from the mantle. can you picture it? as soon as i bought it i called my photographer friend and filled her in on the plans. i also picked up two different adorable plaid shirts for him and then found complimentary pieces for mommy and daddy.

so today it all came together and i had so much fun and satisfaction! micah was great about it, he even agreed to wearing something he hated just because he knew how much it meant to me (i couldn't get him to wear a scarf- this is something i've been working on the last few winters but he continues to draw the line and refuses). my photographer friend brigett was great too, she always humors me when i have these big ideas about how i'd like her to shoot us. i just viewed the pictures and like i said, i was trying to keep a secret because i wanted them to be a surprise as part of our holiday card but i'm just too excited to keep them from you.

if you're curious you can check them out at our fantastic photographer's website:

www.pureimagephotos.com

go to "online ordering"
scroll down to the Yarborough gallery
enter the password "jonas"
and look at the christmas gallery

i wish we could have gone on location in the alps, of course that would have required another set of attire entirely- probably something with stocking caps and puffer coats- but for a modest budget and our living room set they turned out pretty cute. happy holidays everyone! vote in the comments on your favorite to appear in our holiday card...

good eats

some delicious cooking has been taking place around the Yarborough home lately. it all began with lima beans in cream. at first you may not be all that excited about the idea of lima beans and i can't say that i blame you but take a look at this and tell me you're not at least curious:



i certainly was when i stumbled across the recipe on one of my new favorite blogs (see other interesting reads in the sidebar) lima beans are among the four green vegetables my husband will actually eat and he LOVES this new take on the blander traditionally steamed version. mmm.

lima beans were candidating for the coveted "newly introduced side dish" spot on the thanksgiving table this year. among the other candidates was this:



again, you're probably a little shy when it comes to cabbage but i assure you, if you haven't acquainted yourself with the savoy you are missing out. braised savoy cabbage with triple cream french cheese? one word- amazing. made it for dinner last night along with a succulent roasted chicken prepared with sage and course sea salt a day ahead. the braising leaves the cabbage limp and moist, having absorbed much of the broth it's cooked in, and the leftover broth begs you to bathe your crusty bread in it. mmm. finished the leftovers this morning with another hunk of rustic, toasted bread and a runny fried egg. mmm. mmm.

oh, in case you're wondering? the lima beans won. mostly because my finicky sister actually liked them when we sampled them for her and she called begging for the recipe but the braised cabbage could definitely make an appearance at Christmas!

pictures courtesty of Orangette.

holiday events

i really ought to have been an event planner. just thinking about holiday parties makes me giddy. here are the things i'm looking forward to:

1) family thanksgiving feast. grandma is hosting this year and i've been asked to bring a few sides. i can't wait to try some of the new recipes i've been collecting. every year i make it a personal mission to introduce my family to something new. they are a rather traditional (and if i do say so, unadventurous) bunch. we grew up mostly on canned corn and green beans. our typical thanksgiving meal consists of turkey, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, watergate salad, and pumpkin pie. good eats, don't get me wrong, but pretty much what's being served on every other thanksgiving buffet. my father and sister Jessica turn their noses up to my holiday innovations but each year they come around a little more and now they love things like asparagus, brussel sprouts, cranberries without rings from a can (!), creamed spinach, ... okay, maybe i'm still the only one eating the creamed spinach but that's just fine with me. my grandmother, in the past few years, has really enjoyed the food network so she looks forward to trying new recipes as well and my mother has really broadened her culinary horizons. taylor, my little sister, has always been up for trying new things. i think i'll make a pecan pie for her this year, that's one of her favorites.

2) friend's first thanksgiving. my friend Miriam is hosting thanksgiving at her house this year for the first time. she's naturally a little nervous about bringing it all together but she's going to come over sometime this week and we're going to sip mulled wine and leisurely go through all of my holiday recipe files and create a fantastic menu for her guests and then we're going to use my fall dishes to create a beautiful table setting she can enjoy. i can't wait to help!

3) lisa's holiday gift exchange. my SIL lisa is hosting a cocktail party and gift exchange at her house. this might be my excuse to dress up for the holidays. i've got my eye on a festive tank at ann taylor, would be super cute with black slacks and the right pair of heals and definitelly wearable again. but then there's also my fav black pencil skirt that i always love to wear during the holidays. or that cute taffeta one that rarely makes it out of the closet...???!! i haven't dressed up in so long, that will be half the fun! i think i'll get a new holiday makeup look too, just for fun! i'm really looking forward to helping lisa shop for festive and fun things for the party and then helping andy get everything ready while lisa is at work. i also can't wait to see some of her friends from seattle and meet some of her new Portland friends.

4) MY COOKIE EXCHANGE. micah looks forward to this event every year and last year it was a tremendous success with something like 34 people attending, many of them toting in SIX DOZEN COOKIES EACH. this year we've lowered the requirements. if you're reading this and didn't get an evite please give me your email and i'll forward it to you. the more the merrier!

5) jonas' first visits. first to santa. this will be an event as well. i'm already dreaming up an adorable little outfit for him to wear. we'll have to make a trip of it, maybe get peppermint lattes and spend a little time at the mall. i LOVE to be at the mall when it's all decked out for Christmas! and speaking of adorable costuming for Jonas, i can't WAIT to take our first family photo for our holiday cards!! and then there is jonas' first trip to the Christmas tree farm. that will be super fun. we'll feed the ducks at the pond, sit on Santa's lap, shop for ornaments, drink cocoa, and find the best doug fir EVER. and then there is the tree trimming and wrapping parties...

some of my favorite things in the fall

i heart early fall. it's perhaps my favorite time of year. however... by november, when it's beginning to be dreary grey and dull all the time i just want to hibernate. it's nights like these that i like to think about all the things i enjoy about this time of year, like:

apples
back to school
the smell of freshly sharpened pencils
glen plaid skirts with opaque tights
early october weather
apple cider
cozy sweaters
chai lattes with pumpkin scones
roasted root vegetables (particularly sweet potatoes)
football games
raking bright yellow, orange and red leaves
the smell of the first rains
cool, fresh morning air
the heaviness of our down comforter
my son in his fuzzy footie jammies
my slipper socks
cranberries, creamed spinach, & pumpkin pie
family time
mulled wine
good books
scarves and wool coats

what about you?

yeah ladies, weep with envy...

i know it's been awhile and i'm not making any promises but maybe these candids will make up for my absentee blogging. :)

let me share with you the back story on these... disturbing images.

perhaps it goes without saying that micah is NOT A FAN of shaving. it's the one area of his personal hygiene that i feel is desperately lacking. this is not to say he's not handsome in his spotty, technicolor dream beard but it was the all-american, boyishly charming, clean-shaven, prominent jaw look that initially hooked me and it's still my favorite despite these looks which he proudly refers to as

pornstache:




and copstache:




oh the many moods of micah. and, btw, in case you can't tell, he took some of these himself. seriously.

don't call it a comeback...

like b.spears i'm trying to make a comeback. be patient with me as you have been with her. :)

today in ediblePortland i stumbled upon a blog (see new link at right "other interesting reads"). this woman occasionally posts recipes, some of which look interesting but i particularly liked her comment on 09.22.08 regarding the need to clean her baseboards in her apartment, a nuisance chore that i, personally, abhor and have found little time to do since jonas' birth. of the dreaded baseboards she writes:

"They’re like little tiny shelves - Barbie™-sized, almost - only instead of holding useful objects like tiny plates or tiny books, they hold tiny dirt."

exactly.