Art party

What a weekend! We had so much fun at the Bucktown Arts Fest -- Molly too! Jason's booth looked great, the weather couldn't have been more perfect, and we had a steady stream of friends come by to hang out and keep us company. Special thanks to Josh Ford for purchasing 2 pieces and to Brett Mackie for helping build the display frames :) I'm so very proud of Jason and hope this is the first art show of many!

Back of the booth -- color!

The proud artist with his daughter and the popular "black series"

Jason was also lucky to have 2 very talented neighbors who were veterans of the art fest scene and able to provide him with some tips for the future. The artist to our left, Anna Todaro, even won one of the "best in show" awards. Since Molly has recently learned how to say "bird," I bought a print of one of Anna's paintings for Molly's room:

Sweet Talk

We weren't in the market for lamps, but if we were, I would have bought one from our other neighbor, Ronda Ruby.

I was in the market for earrings, which I purchased from Connie Hinkle, who we met at the kick off party. I also got a really cute belted tunic (on sale!) from Megan Lee Designs.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Poor Jason had to jump straight into a business trip, so no rest for the weary. But hopefully he will get some time to relax over Labor Day weekend!

Bucktown Gothic

Tonight was the kick off for the Bucktown Arts Fest. Jason and I went to a silent auction at the Jackson Junge Gallery and ended up with 2 paintings and a really cool photograph for next to nothing. Woo hoo! We also posed for our own version of American Gothic:

More pics to come from the fest this weekend! And if you're in Chicago...come see us at booth #98. Senior Citizens Park, 2238 N Oakley, Chicago, IL.

A Visit From the Goon Squad

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved it, loved it, loved it. Each chapter stands alone, like a book of short stories, but the same characters pop up throughout, so it ends up feeling like a novel. I actually read 2 of the chapters in the New Yorker, not knowing they were part of a larger book, and loved them even more once I had the backstory.

One of the main characters is Bennie, a punk bassist turned indie music producer who sells out and later finds redemption through one of his oldest friends. But really, I think the story is Sasha's -- Bennie's assistant who we meet in the first chapter and then see again through the eyes of her best friend (Rob), her boss (Bennie), and then finally, her daughter (Ally -- a fantastic chapter all in PowerPoint).

Love, loss, friendship, music, the things we go through in life and have to overcome, even the impact of technology on our lives, this book explores so many themes, through many different pairs of eyes. A wonderful read!





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SO proud...jazz hands!

Archie (newest addition to the blog) and B

Susie, Sean, Betsy, and Archie (see picture on right) came over for dinner tonight and Molly decided she was going to entertain. Her newest trick is that she can stack nesting blocks, and oh, she is so proud of herself when she does this. She sticks her hands out -- jazz hands -- and smiles her biggest smile, demanding applause and praise. She's so cute, we can't help but give it to her!

Check it out (twice):

Fun night tonight hanging with the sisters and the boys. Susie and Sean are off work now, and Betsy and Archie are fresh off a vacation, so it kind of felt like a weekend. I'm bummed that I have to go to work tomorrow :(

Molly and the boys

Pic from today at daycare:

Molly, Brendan, Grant, and Evan

Molly is also covered in paint, but her color is light pink and harder to see. Awwwwwww!

A successful vegetarian entree--burrito casserole

I found this recipe in Family Circle and thought I would share. It's yummy, healthy, easy, and makes enough for daaays of leftovers.

2 packages (8.8 ounces each) brown rice, cooked
1 jar (15 1/2 ounces) salsa
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can (15 ounces) refried beans
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (we just used regular chili powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat taco cheese blend
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, salsa, and oregano. In a second bowl, combine the refried beans, corn, chile powder, and cumin
2. Coat a 12x8x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half of the rice mix evenly in the bottom of the dish. Layer the refried bean mix and half the cheese over the rice. Spread the spinach on top of that. Top with the remaining rice and cheese
3. (Optional) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days
4. Heat oven to 350, bake uncovered for 35 min or until internal temp is 140. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving

Jason and I also topped with hot sauce for a little extra flavor. Yum!

The recipe makes 6 servings. Each serving has 382 calories, 9 g fat (4 g sat), 19 g protein, 61 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 788 mg sodium, and 26 mg cholesterol. Not so bad, right? Kind of high in carbs and sodium, but nice and low in calories!!

PS. We did our shopping at Trader Joe's and remembered to bring our bags from home :)

An environmentally-friendly August: mid-month progress

How have I been doing with my list?

Most things have been easy to remember and have already become part of my daily routine:
2. Use a plastic cup for water at work
3. Turn off the lights
5. Unplug my phone charger
6. Turn off the water when brushing my teeth
8. No more printing unnecessary documents at work
9. Turn off my computer screen

A few things have been more difficult, but I've made progress:
4. Air dry my clothes. I've let a few loads air dry, but have still been putting towels and most of Molly's clothes through the dryer.
7. Stop the dishwasher before the dry cycle. Sometimes I catch it in time, but not always.
10. Have a Meatless Monday. I've been good about staying meatless for breakfast and lunch, but haven't really made an effort to cook vegetarian for dinner. Next week, I promise!

And one thing on the list, the top thing, the reason for creating this list in the first place, has been SO hard to remember:
1. Bring canvas bags to the grocery store. I keep forgetting! I think I need to get a bag that fits in my purse. Maybe that will help. Arrrgh!

Playdate in the 'burbs

My main reason for taking every other Friday off was to have a day where I felt like a straight-up mom, not a working mom. A day to just play with Molly, without having to worry about getting anything done. Of course I've ended up working some of those Fridays anyway, or using the day to travel, so that mom feeling still hasn't really hit me much yet. But yesterday was great. It was just the kind of day I wanted my Friday off to be! 

Molly and I drove to the 'burbs and had a real-deal "playdate" with my some of my coworkers' kids. Marnie and Joanne are 2 of my best friends at work and both have Fridays off too. We all sat on the back porch drinking lime-aid and talking while our kiddos splashed around the water table.

Jake and Molly at the water table

Playing away

Perfect summer afternoon on the deck

I also got to meet Marnie's new baby, Matthew, and my friend Soyoon's new baby, Paul. Total cuties! It was a great day and kind of made me want to move to the suburbs a little. Molly was running all over Marnie's house and bouncing from one toy to the next. She just had so much room to MOVE. She loved it. And I loved being able to go outside to play without having to walk 10 minutes to a park.

But then it took over an hour to get home and I remembered why I love living in the city :) 

A girl and her horse

My Grandma and Grandpa O (Molly's Great-Grandparents) sent up a hobby horse for Molly's first birthday. I sent them photos of her enjoying her new toy, but thought I would also post them here.

I've been neglecting the blog and promise to post more this weekend. We've been busy busy busy, but life is still good. Jason started his new job this week and is SO excited about it. And Molly has been doing her Frankenstein walk (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know Frankenstein isn't the name of the monster, but that's what we call it) all over the house.

Now I must turn my attention to the So You Think You Can Dance finale. Ahhh, what a show!

Monticello

Jason and I left Molly with Grandma and Grandpa O'Grady for a couple of days so we could have some time to ourselves. We decided to drive up to Charlottesville, VA to tour Monticello, take in some history, enjoy a massage, eat a nice dinner, and sleep in :) Heaven.

Monticello was really cool -- a bigger tourist attraction than I would have expected!

Jason and Jefferson

My turn to pose with the man

Walking up to the house. Can you believe Jefferson was a self-taught architect?

One of the many gadgets around the place. Jefferson was obsessed with the weather so he had this gauge hooked up to a weather vane to allow him to check the wind twice a day from inside the porch

Side view -- check out the dome

Wine cellar. Jefferson spent a boatload to have crates of wine shipped in from France; he even tried to grow French grapes in Virginia. We sampled a bottle of Virginia's finest at dinner on Sunday night and enjoyed it quite a bit!

View from the veggie garden. Jason and I both agreed Monticello would be a nice place to live :)

And while we were enjoying our time away, Molly was having the time of her life with Grandma and Grandpa:

Playing

Tasting glass

Chow time

Obviously, Grandpa lets Molly do whatever she wants!

The first trip away from Molly was a success. However, the reunion was a little rockier than I would have liked. She woke up from a nap a few minutes after we got home and cried when I first picked her up, which just about broke my heart. Jason and I aren't sure if she was confused or if she was angry that we abandoned her. She seems to be over it now and I'm glad we have a month at home before the next trip! Time away is wonderful, but time with Molly is better :)

Feeling confident

Molly can now get across the room on her own 2 feet! It helps if we cheer :)

I'm an aunt!!

Welcome William Gordon O'Grady to the world! He was born sometime last night. Not sure how much he weighs or anything like that, but the important thing is that he's here and Megan and Jeremy are both doing well. I can't wait to meet my little nephew!

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