Ins, Outs, What Have You's Vol. 2
A few weekends ago we went on a sort of “staycation” in Chicago. We’ve lived less than an hour outside the city for over a year now. Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way and the kids and I have only made it in a few times. We wanted to bridge the gap between locals and tourists and wander around a bit. We had a great time. Can’t beat the skyline over Maggie Dailey Park!
This week, I wrapped up the Build a Family Reading Culture Series here on the blog. If you haven’t already, check it out. I hope the tips and resources I’ve rounded up will be helpful to families “fighting the good fight” of literacy.
Last weekend we took part in our first Trunk or Treat. Years ago, we took our oldest to Trunk or Treat at his school in Texas. But, this was our first attempt at decorating the trunk. I went to Pinterest for inspiration.
“The Pinterest” can be a great tool, but when I throw a fairly generic phrase into the search bar, I usually feel overwhelmed with the results. So, no I wasn’t going to create an elaborate Emerald City out of plywood. And no, our Trunk or Treat décor didn’t include a multi-sensory, extravaganza. But, all and all, I think we did ok.
The stuffed animal (including bob the giraffe who was a big hit) we already had. I ordered the grass skirt, bandanas, and flower vine from Oriental Trading Company. I’m not particularly crafty, but it turned out pretty well.
We’re wrapping up a renovation project and preparing to start a few more. If you’ve read anything I’ve written about home décor (here and here), you’ll know that I am not a fan of “farmhouse chic”. I’m also burning out on mid-century modern. There’s just a horrible sense of sameness today in design and décor.
Which, is why I was really glad to hear one of my favorite interior design bloggers mention that traditional décor is making a comeback.
I’m thinking something like this:
Or this:
But definitely not this:
Hold my lip smackers, and pass me my favorite Lisa Frank notebook. Yikes!
It’s also prime soup season (although I’m a soup all year round kind of gal). A few weeks ago I ended up with a lot of leftover Chicken Shawarma. I briefly thought about some kind of middle eastern-inspired fried rice. But, I wanted soup, so I went with mulligatawny.
First, and probably last attempt at food photography.
Not exactly the same flavor profile as Shawarma, but I made it work. I used this recipe as a base and tweaked it a bit.
I read this quick article and got the warm and fuzzies thinking about all the hands that held these rosaries over the years in prayer. Mamas holding babies late at night, old men praying at their wives gravesite, construction workers on lunch breaks, kiddos, etc
Have a great weekend!
