Mayfly

I'm taking the plunge again. But this time I've got someone to hold hands with as I leap! Yipee! Heather and I have been contemplating and scheming, and after lots of work this week, we've opened an etsy shop to accompany our Noticing Project. We'll keep a few of our favorites stocked, and you'll be able to custom order your favorite pair- but only for a limited time. We'll offer them for one month past the date they are posted on the Noticing Project website. Tricky, aren't we?

We really are enjoying the project, and we're so thrilled about your response to it- thank you. So if you go visit the shop, double thank you!

p.s. I'm planning on a Shop Mayfly update sometime in mid-February too. Poor little neglected shop...

xoxo.

Posted by Alicia at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

She's a happy girl. She had her (family) party and opened her gifts, blew out her three candles and ate yummy chocolate cake. Really yummy. Our family favorite, but we only make it a few times a year. It makes all the other cakes feel bad.

It is Black Magic Cake. The coffee makes it deliciously moist. But it's the frosting that makes this one to die for. Sooooooooo good, like two sticks of butter good. And because a few of you asked, here's the recipe.

Fluffy White Frosting:

Cook five tablespoons flour and one cup milk over low heat until VERY thick, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cool COMPLETELY. This is the crucial step. Let it cool for an hour or two. I'm serious. I have had several batches go south because I rushed this step. When it goes south like that, the frosting looks like curdled milk.

Cream one cup room temperature butter or stick margarine (butter is better) with one cup sugar. Beat for several minutes. Beat in one tbsp. vanilla and beat a few more minutes. Add the flour mixture in and whip until light and fluffy. Be patient here too. Sometimes you have to whip for a bit.

Good luck and enjoy!

Posted by Alicia at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

a fresh powdered sugar dusting of snow and a heart pendant gift from a friend.

Thanks, Shari for the week. It was so calming and inspiring to see them all.

I'll be back next week hopefully with birthday party photos, exciting Noticing news, and (gasp!) some handmade goodies. Have a perfect weekend, friends.

Posted by Alicia at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

birthday sprinkles on a paper towel; someone is about to turn three.

Posted by Alicia at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

a hot shower and a warm breakfast.

and thinking of Emily while I'm standing on a stool taking a photo of my oatmeal.

Posted by Alicia at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

sideways morning sunlight on fair hair and cotton sheets.

Posted by Alicia at 9:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

snow and snow-reflected light.

and for my family: one down, one to go.

Posted by Alicia at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Good morning, everyone! Photo-less posts depress me, so here are a few pretty pictures from others. Please click through to Flickr to see the credits. And while you're enjoying their neutral-palleted loveliness, I have a few quick things to mention.

First, please let me say how happy we BOTH are with your response to our Noticing Project. We are having great fun, and it is so gratifying that you are responding so positively. It's thrilling actually. Links and mentions have been popping up all over our little bloggy-world. Thank you from the bottom of my extremely happy heart.

Second, it appears that Shari is leading a winter whites photography/arts week next week and I'm all over that one. Therefore you may just be seeing double the photos from me all week. I'm terribly behind, and ideas are bursting out of the top of my head, which makes it all the more difficult to concentrate on the tasks at hand: Laundry. Making the bed. Preparing birthday party treats. So this challenge is very timely. If I comment less on your sites too, forgive me. I REALLY need to keep myself on task. OK?

Third, to my local peeps, stay warm and cozy this weekend!!! Yikes! 3 degrees is not enough.

Posted by Alicia at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Today's the kid's birthday. We woke up to a lovely blanket of white- two inches or so. It made him squeal. But not enough snow to even turn on the T.V. (Can you guess where this is going yet?)

Scrambled eggs with cheese (his favorite) were eaten off the red plate. "You are special today."

He got dressed, tied his own shoes, loaded up his trays of cupcakes, helped daddy scrape off the car, and headed to school with a giant smile on his face.

Then turned around and came home when it was discovered that the school was all locked up.........



for a SNOW day! Now that's a great gift for a SEVEN year old!

Posted by Alicia at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

This is my work table- flat files my mom adopted from an architectural firm for which she worked. It was her work table for years (she was, IS an artist too) and then she passed it on to me. The photo is hazy; I had a hard time dealing with the strong cross lighting.

I've been working on it so much more lately (woo hoo!) but I keep getting a strange crick in my upper back (boo hoo.) So my sweetie built me a new base for the table to raise it up to counter height. I love my sweetie. He does it all. He really does.

Posted by Alicia at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

I'm helping out my good friend Penny with a quilt square she got wrangled into completing.

One of my favorite parts of patch-working is the long string of flags that appear in process.

The color scheme is not my style, but I do love the traditional wedding ring pattern and sentiment that will go into the quilt. Will this intricate, exact pattern work in this cross-country quilting bee style project? For the sake of the woman assembling the quilt, I hope so, but I have my doubts. I send her good-luck vibes.

Happy-Monday Vibes to all of you!

Posted by Alicia at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

I've been having prints made of some of my photographs, hunting for a high quality yet affordable option. So far, I think whcc.com is the contender, but it would be nice to find someone local. I'll let you know how it goes. Any suggestions?

Heather sent me the two prints in the foreground. They are beautiful. Thank you, friend! And thank you ALL for visiting the Noticing Project and for leaving us such supportive comments. Heather has done a thank you post of her own today, and she links to a bunch of you who have mentioned us. It is so flattering and uplifting. This all couldn't have come at a better time.

This time of year is notoriously difficult for me, yet I feel like I have new eyes. This morning I was dashing out to the recycling bin to snatch out a coupon before the trash guys get it, saw the incredible pattern in a frozen puddle, and had to run back in for the camera. I couldn't help laugh at myself in my jammies, robe and old slippers squatting down in the drive way. A bright spot this blustery morning already. AND quite the entertainment for the morning commuters.

The retrieved coupon is for Hobby Lobby. I really shouldn't, but I'm off this morning for some new acrylics. I have some paintings to begin, and I do believe it is time for an upgrade. Hopefullly Liquitex is a step in the right direction.

That's it, kids. Have a great weekend! And to some of you lovelies- see you tomorrow...

Posted by Alicia at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Although it seems like much is resting this time of year, when you look closely you can find all kinds of things living out their destinies. Leaves are rotting, pods have dried out, seeds are falling.

I took these photos this weekend. The weather has turned cold and drizzly; we're hiding out inside. Even my Noticing photo will have to be taken indoors today.

Oh, look! Now it's snowing. I suppose the seeds from these pods will have to wait a little longer.

Posted by Alicia at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

The weekend was balmy and very pleasant. A perfect time for the ceremonial burning of the Christmas tree, a tradition for my firebugs.

She was a big, crackling fireball for about 90 seconds, going out in quite the blaze of glory as all very dead little trees should. Last year some helpful folks ran over from the park to make sure our house wasn't on fire. : )

It's warm again today. We're off for a long walk to the post office, with party invitations and camera in hand. Happy Monday, all!

Posted by Alicia at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

I'm so excited to tell you that I will now be working with Heather on the Noticing Project!

I loved the idea of this project, and after we took these two photographs on the same day, I was completely honored when she asked if I'd consider collaborating. So only two days and much hard work on Heather's part behind us, the project has a brand new home and we're off and running.

We'll be posting daily photographs Monday through Friday all year, and we hope you'll join us over there now and then!

Posted by Alicia at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Canceling our plans for New Year's Eve (just good friends and dinner) was disappointing. My little guy was coughing so hard he nearly vomited, and that's not the kind of love you want to share. So we ate pizza- just the four of us- and toasted with sparkling grape juice.

I toasted to our blessings, Brian to a wonderful 2008, N toasted to Mickey Mouse (?!?!) and the cougher didn't want to toast. Sharing their favorite memory, J told me "the beach" and N said, "playing at the lake." Those are some of my favorites too. But there are so many small, wonderful, everyday moments I don't want to forget either.

All of these photos remind me of some really big and really small good things from the last year. (Thank the internet gods for Flickr.)

As it always does, the turning of the calendar has me cleaning out closets and setting goals. But my biggest wish for this year is not only to have many perfect big and small moments, but to have the wisdom to revel in them while they're happening. Bring it on, 2008.


Oh, and in his typical fashion, J woke up New Year's Day with hardly the trace of a cough. Stinker.

Posted by Alicia at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

I'm having trouble starting again; my long holiday was too relaxing. So this evening I'll just post these photos that I took today in the spirit of Heather's new Noticing Project. It took me quite awhile to figure out how to capture that tiny reflection. Click on the photo to see what I noticed. Do you see it?

Happy Brand New Year, everyone! I'll be back tomorrow.

Posted by Alicia at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)