on-hand modern

8-layer icebox birthday cake

first off, thanks to each and every one of you for reaching out to ryan and meredith, in ways both seen and unseen. i am deeply touched and inspired by

your compassion,

strangers helping strangers,

the generosity of the human spirit.

just wow. thank you.

really.

thank you.

and now--

on to something totally unrelated.

cake!

we celebrated an 8th birthday last weekend. it's become tradition for the birthday girl to 1) choose her own cake and 2) have a hand in making it. her requirement for this year's cake was simply this:

8 layers.

8 layers?!?

fortunately, google led me to the icebox cake, which just happens to be an american classic, though prior to finding this recipe i had never had the pleasure of sampling it, let alone making it.

for shame! this has got to be one of the easiest, yet most satifsying and aesthetically-pleasing desserts to make. you will need a box (or two) of nabisco famous wafers, whipped cream, and vanilla.

and that's it.

three ingredients.

traditionally, according to the recipe on the box, this cake is made by stacking layers of cookie and cream into a sort of log/roll form. but we chose to break with tradition and layer it up on a cake stand like this and this.

start with a layer of 7 cookies: one in the center and the other 6 laid out in a circle surrounding the center cookie. layer with 1/2 cup of barely sweetened vanilla whipped cream. continue layering until you have reached your desired number of layers.

or until you run out of cookies.

then chill in the refrigerator overnight. garnish before serving (optional).

simple! fun! and did i mention tasty? the birthday girl was able to make it pretty much own her own even. which, let's be honest, is actually a birthday gift to me.

cake!

***

meredith's shower

 

it was my great privilege and honor to host a gathering recently on behalf of my very dear friend meredith. she is 39 weeks pregnant with a baby who was diagnosed at 14 weeks with a rare condition called anencephaly.

this is a fatal birth defect.

words cannot express my admiration and love for meredith and her husband, ryan. i don't usually talk much about the really personal stuff in this space. but let me tell you a little about this couple.

they are real.

they are good.

they are funny.

really funny.

they are people of faith. courage. strength. determination. in short, they are, well, pretty much awesome, these friends.

i know most of you who are reading this post don't know ryan and meredith. that's unfortunate because if you did, you would like them. everyone does. but perhaps i may ask a favor of you anyway? would you join me in sending whatever you can--your positive thoughts, a kind word, maybe even a prayer on behalf of this little family?

they've been through a lot, and there are still tough days ahead.

your collective energy across the world wide web would be no small thing.

thanks, friends.

***

before and after: "ceramic" owl

i spray-painted two second-hand plastic lawn ornaments high-gloss white. (click here for the before photo.) one of them now lives in the playroom, in the space that was vacated by the globes (which, if you're following along, were just recently relocated to the living room). i haven't totally decided what to do with his twin yet. possibly a lamp for the children's bedroom?

what do you think? not too scary, i hope?

speaking of owls, have you read poppy? it was our read-aloud on a weekend roadtrip about this time last year. highly recommend.

have a great weekend!

***

 

sprucing up: the living room

i stole an idea from my sister and moved the globes from the playroom into the living room. also added the chair to the right of the piano. it's a sidewalk find that's been sitting in the garage, awaiting reupholstery "someday". it needs a good cleaning for sure, but the peachy-cream color is not as hideous in the room as i thought it would be so...

the pillow inserts on the same chair--i am sewing covers for them. tonight.

maybe.

also! big news. we got curtains, which (doh) are not pictured here. k picked them up on a recent business trip to seattle that included a handy detour to ikea. sadly, the 12-foot long curtain rods that were also on the list did not fit into k's carry-on, despite the fact that, hellooo, he's An Engineer. we figured it out anyway by combining parts from various hardware we already had on hand (left by the previous owners) so, in the end, the engineer saved the day again, of course.

notes for my own benefit:

i like white walls (don't fight it)

i like neutral furniture

i like pops of color in accessories

i like wood floors (a comfy rug would be nice too, but which one?)

i like floor-length sheers mounted close to the ceiling (they definitely give the room a homier feel, and the ceiling looks taller too)

***

a fresh start

With the start of another (home) school year comes the introduction of more structure into our lives. Strangely enough for me, I find myself welcoming it. A naturally organized, goal-driven, task-oriented person I am...not. Far from it, in fact. But I do appreciate the measure of calm and stability that seems to go hand-in-hand with what I would describe as a well-ordered life.

Ritual, rhythm, routine. Lately, I find myself craving these. Not in a restrictive way, mind you. I won't be a slave to a to-do list (mine or anyone else's) or the almighty Mr. Clock. 

What I aspire to is simply this: order. Clarity. In my life. In my home. Not to mention these crazy, mixed-up thoughts of mine.

Not because I want to get more done--I have no illusions of "doing it all" or being some kind of mythical, idealized Super Woman--but because I want to make sure that the things I am doing are the *right* things. The things that really matter. The things that mean the most to me and to my family. In my experience, there is joy, satisfaction, and (dare I say it?) fulfillment in doing these things.

It's easy to get distracted, though.

So I'm experimenting.

Weekly (no more than an hour) Sunday night planning sessions and a (loose) schedule of daily priorities for the week. New bedtime rituals. A renewed motivation to spruce up and organize around the house.

It's all a work in progress, a few wobbly steps towards a daily rhythm that feels productive yet natural for me.

I'm liking it so far. Ask me again in January.

***

three kinds of s'mores

and what did you do this weekend?

***

p.s. also read the much-anticipated mockingjay on sunday night. sadly, i was...underwhelmed. have you read it yet? what did you think?

***

fat, tacky, and happy

you might have noticed that this cheap vinyl tablecloth ended up gracing the table all summer.

tacky? pretty much. but low-maintenance = bliss. and you know what? i'll be darned if it didn't make every meal feel like an almost-picnic.

also.

we made whoopie pies. i learned that, in baking, sour cream is not a straight-up substitute for buttermilk.

and.

i think i need this book.

***