• Made my favorite minestrone soup in the Instant Pot.

• And this onion tomato dish from Giulia Scarpaleggia’s Vegetables the Italian Way that I’ve had bookmarked since Aran posted about it weeks ago…

• Dropped off two bags of clothes at a great consignment shop I heard about from my friend Sara.

• Took a walk Sunday afternoon with my friend Megan in our favorite park.

• Soaked my son’s shoes and some soiled tote bags in the Branch Basics Oxygen Boost for the afternoon before throwing them in the washing machine with Dirty Labs detergent.

• Made Greek-style chicken meatballs for dinner on July 4th (still tweaking the recipe before I put it on my recipes page)…

  

• Chuckled to myself thinking about this scene with Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson’s War (which may be my most favorite film scene of all time). Warning: foul language.

I’ve taken to wearing a non-smart watch during my non-working hours. When I’m teaching I appreciate being connected in case my son needs to reach me or a client texts that they are running late. But if I’m in the garden, at home, or enjoying some personal time, I’ve been wearing this Timex T80. I’ve also been eying my son’s white Casio…

In the studio my clients and I work on unlearning patterns just as often as we’re learning new ones so this James Clear take on why improvement is hard resonated with me:

“Part of the issue is everyone wants to improve, but nobody wants to destroy. Change often requires destruction. Or, at least, unlearning.

Let’s call it gentle elimination. You may have to leave little habits, update current beliefs, eliminate comfortable patterns. When you want better outcomes, your daily norms may need to change. The process of improvement is not just about adding things you like.

Sometimes habits and patterns belong to who you were, not who you are trying to be. If you’d like something better, then a routine you are comfortable with may have to die.”

Have a great week. xxK

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

I also use these foot wedges to help my clients feel their arch and midfoot. Initiating movement from the feet is important for good strength training technique and was the focus in last month’s Thursday Strength class.

Another tool we use regularly are light and medium mini bands. They provide excellent feedback that help guide positions and turn muscles on. These fabric ones from Target are great…

These EDGY fingernail cutters are fab. I learned about them from my friend Omar.

I have an appreciation for good eyebrows. I always keep mine brushed and love a good brow gel. This clear KJH.Brand nano set brow gel is my favorite:

In time for summer, this Heat It bug bite tool is legit.

On the home front we upgraded two of our old Coway air filters with this lower-profile sage green version…

Earlier this year I also upgraded my 8” and 10” nonstick ceramic fry pans with these Misen carbon steel ones which are excellent.

My son just returned from a trip to Taiwan and brought us back some delicious tea which we’ve been brewing in this Hario 700ml tea pot. (I also use a Hario carafe to make my morning coffee with my ceramic dripper. Blue Bottle’s Bella Donovan has long been my house coffee of choice.)

I have a pretty standard teaching uniform these days: Adidas track pants and a muscle tee/sweatshirt from Tibi. This new red clay color is 💥…

And THIS from the delightful Emma Straub:

“I was texting with my fairy godmother Lin this morning about how I was nervous, and he said, and this is a direct quote, caps included: DON’T BE COOL. DON’T EVEN PRETEND TO PUT A LID ON IT.”

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

Right now tarragon is overflowing in my garden.

So I made my favorite simple pasta—spaghetti with tomatoes and anchovy butter…

I used the rest of the tin of anchovies along with chives from the garden and made The Store’s green dip.

I also tried this riff on a chicken caesar salad from Jenny Rosenstrach. We put our cast iron griddle on the outdoor grill and made the chicken patties the same way we make smash burgers. I used Julie Turshen’s Caesar dressing from her cookbook Small Victories which remains one of my very favorite cookbooks.

I baked my first French strawberry cake of the season using Liz Prueitt’s GF flour mix.

We’ve also been enjoying strawberries with this Wallaby vanilla bean greek yogurt which is like really elevated yogurt. The creamy texture and flavor paired with fresh berries make an excellent dessert.

I’ve discovered my summer drink of choice in this Brew Dr. iced tea lemonade kombucha…

Our neighbors have these fluted acrylic drinking glasses for outdoor entertaining and I just ordered the pitcher. It reminds me of a more elegant version of those big pitchers of soda at Round Table Pizza gatherings as a kid.

Enjoy the weekend. xxK

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

I used half of it to make my favorite rhubarb cobbler. It’s maple syrup sweetened, with vanilla bean and ginger, and the perfect amount of tart.

The biscuits are gluten-free but you can sub the same amount of regular all-purpose flour for the oat, white rice, and millet flours.

I like to let it sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so it’s not hot but pleasantly warm, and always with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

And if you have neighbors in walking distance, I highly recommend walking two bowls over after dinner. This is the kind of dessert made for sharing.

The equipment being used can all be found HERE.

This video and others that I make for my clients can be found on the Movement Videos page of my website.

Speaking of the garden (I am always speaking of the garden), I am smitten by my Blue Star (Amsonia) plants. They have proven to be a very easy going yet show-stopping perennial. They’re one of the first to emerge in the spring and the first to bloom with lovely pale blue flowers. Blue Stars have volume like a shrub but maintain an airy feel because of their feathery leaves. They’re drought-tolerant and don’t mind the harsh western sun.

And they change into this insane color in the late fall…

My friend Liz gave me this Japanese Hachiman bucket and watering can that I have been putting to good use…

This is my favorite garden kneeling pad…

The Day Dew sunscreen from Beauty of Joseon and Innisfree Korean spf 50+ stick are my go-to sunscreens these days. Other ones I use and like can be found on the skincare and personal care lists on my website.

My son has a new favorite meal at home—Fly by Jing Chili Crisp Noodles (I find them at Whole Foods) with jammy eggs. Jammy eggs have a perfectly set, tender white with a thick, custard-like yolk. The secret to getting that perfect texture every single time is precise timing combined with an immediate ice bath. We like ours on the firmer side, this is our protocol:

1. Boil water.

2. When the water is boiling, carefully lower the eggs into the pot. Turn the burner down so the eggs are not jumping around and set a timer for 9 minutes.

3. While they cook, fill a medium bowl with water and ice.

4. When the timer goes off, lift the eggs from the water and put them in the ice bath.

5. Let sit for a few minutes then drain. Eat right away, or put them in the fridge for later.

This afternoon I baked this chiffon cake (also affectionately know as The Mistake Cake). I made half the amount of whipped cream and served it with a pile of sliced strawberries, no sauce.

I read and really enjoyed Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series. The first season of the show just came out and it is well-done and delicious fun.

Have a good week. xxK

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

“This is one of the joys and challenges of love: the more skillfully you love someone, the more held, encouraged, and accepted they feel, the more they change. If you love someone well, you have to run to keep up, growing your heart to hold what they are growing into.”

and…

“This, to me, is one of the most profound rewards of love: that it can expand you so that more of the world becomes real to you. You can provide others with the love and care they need to transform and discover new aspects of themselves and of reality, and then, by meeting them where they are now, you can learn to see what they do, and so see further.

Which will change you.

And so change them again.”

Also this week, Aaron and I mark our 17th year being married.

Karlsson’s timely essay made me think about what I wrote on our anniversary last year.

My criteria for a good partnership is not just about being “good” together as a unit, but how the partnership enlarges me as an individual and helps me become who I want to be as a person.

Looking back to who I was when I met Aaron, I feel like a completely different person. I have changed, and evolved, and become who I am now in large part because of his stewardship. I think he would say the same of himself.

But one thing is the same as it’s always been. We learn as we go, we make adjustments, and we’re always rooting each other on. Like a good coach—with patience, respect, and kindness.

For birthday dinner we picked up our favorite fried chicken tenders and fries from Ma’ono. I ordered 24 hours in advance for the gluten-free option and made sure to order extra for leftovers. I love cold fried chicken straight from the fridge.

In the morning I usually sit at the dining room table with my coffee and write. But for the last two weeks I’ve been taking my morning coffee out to the garden to walk around, listen to the birds, and see what has changed since the day before. The dramatic difference from one day to the next never ceases to amaze and delight.

Speaking of delight…I have watched the choreography in Yung Lean’s STORM II over and over and over again. The magic starts around the 4:20 mark…

Two years ago it was Jungle’s Back on 74 video that I watched on repeat…

I have a new pair of readers from Look Optic that are the most comfortable pair I’ve ever worn.

This quote from the artist Daniel Arsham resonates with me this week.

“The longer you wait to take that chance in your life, the shorter the future is going to be when you arrive there.”

Have a good week. xxK

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

I also bought five Sungold tomato starts. It’s still too cold at night for them so they are resting under cover for the next few weeks.

This week I removed all the heavier weight sweaters from my dresser, de-pilled them with the Nori Trim fabric shaver and stored them in this sturdy, breathable bin from Target with lavender sachets.

I also picked up this mini Biom canister with hand sanitizer wipes for my car. I don’t like most scented things but this one is pleasantly mild. I have the larger Biom canister with disinfecting wipes at my studio for cleaning handles, foot bars, dumbbells and anything that needs a little extra wipe down.

I made this simple pesto yesterday with some left over arugula. It’s the one I make most often as it’s so easy. Just throw everything into my Vitamix immersion blender with its mini-food processor attachment.

I drink a whey protein shake after workouts—Promix vanilla (or chocolate) blitzed with water and a small handful of frozen berries.

For breakfast I love this cinnamon whey from Momentous shaken with water. It has a smooth, clean flavor that goes well with my morning coffee.

Between perimenopause and allergy season, these Blink lubricating eye drops have been a godsend.

Aaaand I think I finally found my perfect version of The 90s brown lipstick. Merit lightweight lip blush in Bespoke. It’s just slightly darker than my natural lip color with a soft, blurred matte finish that doesn’t feel dry.

A good nugget from James Clear:

“So much of what we believe is the residue of someone else’s thinking.

Pause and question things for a moment. Is this really how it has to be? Is this really what you want?”

Enjoy the weekend. xxK

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

We had lunch at Din Tai Fung, my son’s favorite spot and made sure to order extra green beans to bring home.

I fell asleep to my son practicing Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here on the acoustic guitar.

We watched the Orion hatch opening after splashdown with our morning coffee.

My brother stopped by to help me with a computer issue and we ended up chatting and catching up for over an hour. We agreed that we need to get together more often.

The highlight of the week was hosting a group of clients for lunch yesterday. We have all been getting together on Zoom for our Pilates mat class every Saturday for the last two years. They see each other mostly through the screen so this gathering was such a lovely opportunity for everyone to connect in person. Here is what I made:

Tartine’s herb quiche with a yukon gold potato crust and a crustless asparagus quiche…

A French carrot salad and a shaved fennel and cabbage salad…

Samin’s miso and labne onion dip, this fennel pollen pistachio cake, and lemon bars…

“We were designed to give; the gifts were meant to circulate. Love is too often discussed as a sort of good you want to stockpile, harvest, collect, even extract, but to be loved without loving is a sad accomplishment, a miser’s hoarding of someone else’s wealth. The work of loving is also the work of forging a self and a life.”

- Rebecca Solnit

Have a great week. xxK

We keep a photo of the Pale Blue Dot in a place where we pass by it multiple times a day—on the salvaged locker in our living room.

As I wrote last year:

Whenever I look at this photo, I feel grounded and it bolsters my sense of purpose in the world.

There are so many ways in which we hold ourselves back. Whether it’s fear of failure, or hanging on to things (and ideas) that no longer serve us. Embracing my finitude helps me find the courage to show up the way I want to in my life:

To learn new things.

To say “no” to things I don’t want to do.

To sometimes say “no” to the things I want to do.

To take a risk and make a go of it.

To be of service to others.

The Pale Blue Dot reminds me that I have this one finite life, on this little speck. So I might as well give it a go.

Today on this “little speck” there is a wide open blue sky over Seattle. I taught my online strength class. Class today was more technique focused, specifically recruiting and feeling hamstrings.

I baked a vanilla orange Afternoon Cake to deliver to my son’s piano teacher who’s sweet dog passed away.

And I picked up eight bags of soil booster and Aaron helped me set-up the second trellis in my garden where the tomatoes will be planted next month…

From Rebecca Solnit’s Guardian essay What Technology Takes From Us:

“I once read an essay in which a man tried to figure out how much per pound his garden tomatoes would cost if he factored in the price of all the materials and the hourly rate for his own labour. It was ridiculous and intentionally so, because growing tomatoes gives so much more than a certain number of pounds of fruit. There’s the exquisite smell of tomato leaves, and the sense of time that comes from watching a plant grow, observing pollinators visit, seeing a flower become a fruit, tracking its ripening. There is the pride of doing something yourself.

What the tomato-grower was pointing toward is what my friend, the environmental activist and author Chip Ward, long ago called “the tyranny of the quantifiable”. You grow tomatoes for the process, not just the product, to garden as well as to eat. To do as well as to have.”

Have a great rest of your week. xxK

Parenting. Stewardship.
The subtle measures of progress.
The importance of having a coach. The value of reassurance.
Craftsmanship and beautiful things.
Anxiety over the future.

I’ve found two things that dramatically reduce my anxiety: A good talk with my husband. And gardening.

This week I finished cutting back all the perennials in my yard, weeded my two garden beds, amended the soil, and Aaron set up my new planting trellis from Seattle Urban Farm Company. (Their book on growing crops at home has long been my go-to guide.)

I plan to string trellis my tomatoes this year like this…

I am excited to also try it with these climbing squash varieties once the weather warms up…

I mean how cool does this look?!

My drummer son has been captivated (like so many others) by the incredible French Canadian duo Angine de Poitrine. I really enjoyed listening to Justin Hawkins of The Darkness talk about them.

Last weekend, we donned our finest to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday. My life is pretty casual but man, I love putting on a pretty dress. A pretty dress with pockets and ease (Tibi, naturally) worn with cool and comfortable shoes so I still feel like me.

We had Sunday dinner at our neighbors’. I brought this fennel pollen pistachio cake for dessert. (I made it gluten-free using Liz Prueitt’s flour mix.)

And then yesterday I filmed the movement prep/warm-up for a client’s custom April strength programming. I chuckled at my directed (read: intense) look at him through the lens at the 17:25 mark - “Do NOT give your tension away at the bottom.”

Many of the videos I make for my clients are available on the Movement Videos page of my website.

And a helpful reminder from mymind…

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes someone decide to do something different. Something they’ve never done before. Or changing something they’ve been doing for a long time.

When I look back on my own path, my decision to change course pretty much always aligns with when things go awry. The persistent and painful cystic acne that showed up after my son was born made me prioritize fixing my gut and paying attention to what I ate. The labral tear in my hip that I had “managed” for years started to make my day-to-day life difficult. Surgery wasn’t a good option so I researched and found a PT that I aligned with and I started strength training to build the muscles I needed to support my body.

And when I think about my clients, nearly everyone first came to me for a similar reason. A history of falls. Chronic low back pain. Repeated shoulder injury. It makes sense. Why would someone care about something they don’t yet feel to be a pressing problem?

Of course I know this—but when I make a change that dramatically alters my life for the better, I want to grab everyone, shake them, and shout enthusiastically “you have to do this!”

It has been very challenging for me to accept that it’s virtually impossible to get others to see the same “light” I’ve seen. We’re all looking in different directions often for different things. We each have to get there in our own way with our own unique self-motivations.

I’ve found that the only thing I can do is just Do The Work and share it with people. And every so often, someone asks, “How can I do that?”

This weekend my son registers for his high school classes. Damn. Where did the time go? As it turns out, all the parenting clichés are true. Time has flown by but we are collectively ready for this new chapter. It is a treat to be with my teen, to delight in his developing humor, and to discover what he finds interesting. Music continues to be a major influence and currently Alice In Chains in having a real moment in our house.

Speaking of clichés, the writer Catherine Shannon has a really fantastic piece: A brief defence of cliché:

“So-called clichés, whether in wisdom or in experience, are easily understood; they tie us to one another, and they clearly endure. Clichés are not intellectual or aesthetic crimes, but grounded, commonplace truths, repeated endlessly. When we dismiss clichés outright, we risk dismissing the common life they articulate. Spoken with love, the most familiar words remind us that we are not so alone in this life; they place our private sorrows and joys in the shared custody of language.”

and

“We also shouldn’t avoid clichéd experiences. As our lives increasingly lose touch with everyday experiences in the real world, perhaps we should aim to have more of them (the everyday experiences, I mean). We live in a world riddled with disaffected irony. Social media rewards the unusual, the exaggerated, the hysterical, the false; it’s why we’re bombarded with bizarre things like elderflower cappuccinos. Too often, clichéd experiences are maligned for being “basic” when they’re actually just normal (and often quite good). A secure person can unironically enjoy a pumpkin spice latte. If you’re on page 37 of the SSENSE sale, you may never know the happiness of going to Target to get some fall candles. But I hope you do. (I hope we all do.) Red roses for Valentine’s Day? Well, what were you hoping for instead? A bunch of snapdragons? I would encourage all of us, especially the disaffected urbanites reading this, not to nibble around the edges of life but to devour it, to take in its most foundational and clichéd experiences without irony or reservation.”

Our living room lighting arrived! Now we’re just waiting for two blackened steel pipe tables hopefully in the next few weeks.

And a good reminder from James Clear about the importance of friction.

“The modern world is optimized for convenience, not improvement…But the body and mind only grow when placed under a stimulus. If you want improvement, you have to choose something different than convenience.”

Enjoy the weekend. xx

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

Filming client videos for my Movement Videos page during my studio breaks. I thought my interior-photographer-extraordinaire-husband would be proud of my set-up on this one (Aaron, look at that beam of light!)…

Some videos are made for my clients who have equipment at home like the Pilates Spine Corrector barrel above. This Basic Reformer video was made for a client who wanted to see what the work they practice in the studio each week looks like from an outside view.

Split squats are my absolute favorite all-purpose strength exercise. Learning how to do them well improves absolutely everything else you do. I made a series breaking down the proper progression HERE.

Practicing my Gua Sha skills with Sandra Lanshin. She focuses on hydration and restoring the healthy flow of circulation in the muscles of the face and neck. In a recent course she said, “I always think of the cosmetic benefits of Gua Sha as like the “side effects” because the main effect is that it improves the health of your tissues. And it’s by improving the health of your tissues that you look better.” She offers several great on-demand courses but this video below is a good place to start. My favorite tools: Pro Gua Sha Tool / Lanshin Acera Massager / Sculpting Spoon

Cooking my way through Joshua McFadden’s excellent Six Seasons of Pasta…

Listing to Amy Smilovic read her new book Almost Reckless: A Creative and Pragmatic Approach to Taking Risks on audio. I have the hard copy too but hearing her voice tell her story of how she grew up and ultimately went on to build Tibi is wonderful.

From Amy:

“There are two things many of us agree on: the algorithm feeds us crap, and following old industry frameworks is often nonsensical. But even when your gut is telling you something entirely different, you can get lulled into following others lockstep.

Almost Reckless lays out a framework to help you live according to your own principles—while always remaining grounded in reality. I share how I learned to define my principles and build my own measuring stick for success. I hope this book empowers you to follow your own gut and live the life that’s best. For you.”

Have a great weekend. xx

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

This is challenging as I tend to instinctively mute what my body is telling me so I can “push through” in an attempt to meet the undefined expectations I’ve subconsciously set for myself.

But I’m starting to gain some competency with this skill and it feels good to be able to help myself and care for the body I rely on. So this week I’m moving with a slower rhythm, taking more rest, and prioritizing feeding myself well.

Speaking of rhythms, I’ve been really enjoying revisiting the work of Andy Goldsworthy. His calm demeanor, thoughtfulness, and patience is inspirational.

“Instead of art being about expressing yourself, it’s about understanding.”

- Andy Goldsworthy

I rewatched the 2018 documentary Leaning Into The Wind…

I also love Andy’s words below from this profile (via Austin Kleon)…

“There is a hugely underestimated intelligence attached to manual labor…. When you use your own energy, your own body, you have to be economical about how you do it. If you’re picking potatoes all day, or picking stones, you are working repetitively. You have to work with a rhythm and a fluidity, and you can’t be fighting it or forcing it. That’s really important for what I do as an artist—if you work with the right flow and rhythm, you give the work that rhythm.”

However the sourdough starter looked a little lethargic this morning so I re-fed it and pivoted, choosing to bake something different in the meantime using the sourdough discard. I picked Aran’s Sourdough Molasses Cookies with Chocolate Chunks. It was a very good pivot.

I was feeling a bit run down and tired last week (possibly fighting off a cold from my son) and had a strong craving for congee. I made a batch with lots of ginger and garlic and topped it with some Taiwanese goodness from Yun Hai in Brooklyn. My Yun Hai faves:

Mala Sichuan Chili Crisp / Cilantro Chili Crisp / Amber River Soy Sauce / Miso Soy Paste / Vat Bottom Soy Sauce (and get the soy sauce pour spouts)…

I added a new “Movement Videos” page on my website where I’ll be adding all of the workout videos that I make for my clients. I have a lot of ideas and a lot to add but you can check it out in its current state on the Movement Videos link on the website or by clicking “Movement Videos” at the top of my substack homepage.

When I’m working on a creative project like my website or client programming, my brain tends to swirl with a lot of threads. I keep a notepad by my bedside so when an idea wakes me up at 3am I can manually “download” my thoughts, but something that also helps me are Bach Homeopathic Flower Remedies.

White Chestnut is indicated for those who have repetitive, unwanted thoughts. It helps calm the mind and brings thoughts under control. White Chestnut is particularly helpful to slow down racing thoughts in order to be able to fall asleep.

Bach also makes a Rescue Remedy for sleep but the one I’ve been committed to for the last few years is this Les Fleurs de Bach Sleep Elixer…

I really love this recent nugget from James Clear:

“In the modern world, it is easy to feel like a passenger: reacting to notifications, responding to demands, consuming whatever you happen to drive past on your screen.

But joy is found in being the driver. It’s the act of looking at the raw material of your circumstances — your time, your energy, your relationships, your skills — and seeing what you can make from it.

It is the act of creating the life you want (in big and small ways) that makes you feel alive and imbues life with extra meaning. The fact that you can hold a vision in your mind and then, however imperfectly, bend reality a few degrees in that direction.”

Have a great week. xx

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

We began by caring for our feet, did our mat work with the intent of enjoying ourselves (“if you can’t smile while you are doing this, you are working too hard!”), and we finished with the leg series on the spine corrector/small barrel.

Links to the equipment used can be found HERE.

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

I always travel with a couple of Baggu bags. They look great, are washable, and take up no space. They are also great for KelsiBakes™️ deliveries…

These new pleated Baggu bags are a little more elegant and could absolutely hold their own with fancier attire…

I recently discovered Saba Jam and it is the jam of my dreams. Clear and vibrant in flavor, with a more loose consistency…

We had friends for dinner last week and I made Carnitas Like No Other. They go from the pic on the left to the pic on the right in three hours. All you have to do is remove the lid after hour two, turn up the heat, and stir occasionally.

I am always the first one to go to bed in our house. This small LectroFan white noise machine provides just the right level “hum” that helps me sleep soundly no matter what The Bros are up to.

I clean my glasses multiple times a day. These CarbonKlean Peeps eyeglass cleaners are the best thing I’ve found that make them spotless.

I really love Mike Macdonald’s coaching ethos.

“I think that's been an edge for us all season. Every time we've gone into a new experience together, knowing that we have principles that we want to abide by and those are kind of our guiding lights in terms of how we want to operate and make our decisions. At some point, you're going to get distracted, and that's OK, but it's about how relentless can we be in coming back to center, back to being in this moment."

The way he uses first principles to guide decision making and his “loose and focused” mantra feel similar to my own 3/10 mindset.

Anything I link to here or on my website is NOT an affiliate link. These are just things I love and like to use.

A significant component of my personal style is the addition of something that feels playful and makes me smile. (For you Tibi peeps, my modifier is “joyful.”) The Porsche key ring for my Subaru Impreza key. My laptop sleeve with airbrushed dogs wearing bows. Pockets on a “formal” dress. A super sparkly earring. At home it was the addition of the salvaged middle school locker that made our living room revamp start to really feel like home. The bag I carry most often is this canvas tote with the Goyard-like print from My Other Bag…

Last summer when we were waiting to board our plane to NYC I delighted in seeing my canvas tote juxtaposed with the real deal…

My son was given these Chilli Bomba sour watermelon gummies by his cool aunt and uncle who always find the best snacks. I stole them because I have a gummy problem. And now I’ve been buying my own secret stash..

I have a file folder of my favorite recipes that still need to go up on my recipe page.

Whenever I feel like working on my website, I type them up, print them out, and make revisions. For the ones that still need a photo, I’ll pick whatever feels most interesting to me to cook or bake that week and work it in. I really enjoy the process.

I just added these ones:

• The beef tenderloin my brother makes for his family every Christmas Eve

• An elegant potato galette, that’s essentially a giant hash brown

• Pea sauté with turkey bacon

• The kale and Brussels sprout salad that I take to most potlucks

• These insane hazelnut toffee + latte cream shortbread cookies

• Mini pavlovas

And a good reminder…

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

- Arthur Ashe