make: pumpkin soup

Yes, it's true. It's full on pumpkin season. And I'm not immune. After last week's pumpkin bread, I was left with several extra cups of pureed pumpkin. And the fall weather gods agreed that it was time for soup. I ad-libbed this one, so I don't have a recipe to share (but you can find a bunch of delicious pumpkin soup recipes that I've been pinning over here). It was a combo of light coconut milk, caramelized onions, veggie broth, green curry paste, and toasted pepitas. As you can see in the photo, I supplemented and made it the ultimate fall meal with a side of roasted brussels sprouts.

pinning for friday #7

When it comes to art there are a few themes that tend to catch my eye. Portraits. Works on paper. References to art history. Fashion and art. This week each of these themes made a showing on my Pinterest boards. I'm especially dying for the above photographs by Miguel Vallinas as they hit upon several of these themes. There's fashion. There's reference to Old Master portraiture. If you want to follow all my pinning throughout the week you can find me over here. Have a fabulous weekend!

Images 1, 2, 3

and do: get dressed #6

For the past two years, when it comes to shoes, I've been obsessed with booties. Love the cool girl look. Love that you don't have to worry about your skinny jeans bunching or the leather around the ankles softening and ending up with a pair of unintentionally slouchy boots. But, just like by the end of summer when we're all ready for sweaters, I feel the need for a counter to the bootie. Namely, a tall boot. Perhaps even an above-the-knee? I don't know if I can pull it off, but this week I'm dreaming of pairing tall boots with wispy dresses. A counter to my more typically minimalist, sporty style. I'm dreaming of something romantic. Something bohemian. A different decade's cool girl.

Image via Vogue.

make: lists

Are you a list writer? I'm totally guilty of loving lists. I won't deny the claim that lists can be overwhelming, as long as those who make such a claim won't deny that checking something off a list can be so satisfying. I'm one of the people who adds already accomplished tasks to lists just for the satisfaction of checking them off. I know there are others out there. Perhaps you're the crossing out type? I make grocery lists. And work out lists. And goal lists. And cleaning lists. I have to add "put laundry away" to a list to avoid the laziness of leaving clean clothes in a laundry basket. That's not to say I won't spontaneously accomplish something or tend to a task straight away. But lists are like my diaries. I think it's part of a need to make a record of what I'm doing. Or want to do. It's a mechanism for turning plans into reality. On a grander scale (as in grander than putting laundry away), it's a mechanism for turning dreams into reality. And like I wrote about a couple weeks ago, I'm going to stop being afraid of making big plans. Lists are the little steps to getting to the dreamed of future.

To-do list notepad by Knock Knock.

and do: go for a walk

I started this blog as a commitment to make or do something everyday. And for many days that do was going for a walk. But I hadn't been walking much lately. Besides walking to and from the bus stop. Which involves stairs and a steep hill, I'll have you know. But that walk up the hill at the end of the work day isn't what I would call mind-clearing. The mind is more likely going at a rapid clip of, "Ugh. Why do I insist on carrying this piece of luggage I call a purse. Surely I don't need to bring this full water bottle everyday. I don't even remember to drink out it. That's why it's still full. And I who am I kidding, half the time I don't pull out my book on the bus. I really should leave it at home." So, I've stopped taking afternoon walks. But this past Saturday was a beautiful day and my Seattle guilt (the guilt that insists all sunny days be taken advantage of) drove me out for a walk. It was great. I remembered why I love walking. I experienced the mind-clearing and the creativity-sparking magic of walking. I remembered why going for a walk always counts as a do for the day.

Image via here.

make: pumpkin bread

Do you have a favorite you always reach for when confronted with a pastry case? A croissant perhaps? Maybe doughnuts call your name? If I'm picking up an accompaniment to my morning coffee, I almost always go for a scone. I will even admit here that I kinda like the super dense and sometimes a little dryness of coffee shop scones. I know. It's breakfast pastry blasphemy to not favor the light, flakiness of a croissant.

So, why is the picture of pumpkin bread up above? Because it's officially fall and it's officially totally appropriate to bake pumpkin bread. (And because I have never made a satisfying scone. Hence, I buy them at the coffee shop.) Most mornings, I am an oatmeal kind of girl. I do believe in a good filling breakfast. So, this pumpkin bread is whole wheat, low sugar and totally yummy. Begging for a warm cup of coffee enjoyed wearing a chunky sweater, boots and wool socks. Welcome back fall. I've missed you.

PS -- I followed this recipe for the most part, with the exception of olive oil instead of coconut oil and for flour I used this ratio: 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/4 almond flour, 1/4 coconut flour. I didn't use millet, but I threw in a couple of tablespoons of uncooked steel cut oats. Also, I must note that I thought the step of adding the baking soda to hot water first seemed fussy, but I think it definitely made a difference in the rise of the bread.

pinning for friday #6

Easy. Minimal. Chic. That's my attitude towards dressing and cooking this week. P.S. -- never tried a fried egg over pasta? Stop. Go to the kitchen. Do it now. All you need for deliciousness is pasta, an egg, salt, and parmesan. If you're not hungry now, have it this weekend. Enjoy it and everything else this Saturday and Sunday brings. And if you want to follow my pins throughout the week, you can find me wishing and daydreaming over here.

Images 1, 2, 3, 4

and do: get dressed #5

With the changing of the seasons comes the changing of the clothes. A month ago I was dreaming of chicly dressing down a fancy pencil skirt with a casual t-shirt. Today, I'm looking to stay a bit warmer. So I'm loving all the ladies rocking fancy skirts with the most comfy casual of all closet items -- the sweatshirt. It's inspiration to carry me through till legs must be covered too.

Image via

and do: go to a museum #3

A primary disadvantage, as I see it, with not having the means to teleport is missing museum exhibitions in cities far away. Really, I just want to pop in and pop out. There is so much to see. And when it comes to art, a computer screen just doesn't cut it. For this edition of go to a museum, I'm daydreaming of visiting the upcoming exhibition "A Queen Within" opening October 19 at the World Chess Hall of Fame (yes, really) in St. Louis. From the exhibition website:

Produced by an international team of thought-leaders, curators, fashion insiders, and chess players, the exhibition focuses on the how storytelling as well as the various archetypes of the queen have captured the imagination of innovative fashion designers.

Image: Charlie Le Mindu, SS2010 via World Chess Hall of Fame 

make: lemon yogurt cake

Lemon yogurt cake is my favorite cake. All you need is a bowl and fork...and the ingredients, which is a short list as well: yogurt, a lemon, flour, baking powder, eggs, olive oil. It's simple, easy and delicious every time. I follow this recipe, but with olive oil instead of canola and I usually bake it in a loaf pan. But, this time around it's also a birthday cake. So to make it a little more special, I baked it in a round pan and made a glaze out of confectioner's sugar and lemon juice to top it off. The lemon and yogurt make it tangy. The three eggs make it rich. And the olive oil, well, it takes the cake.

pinning for friday #5

There doesn't seem to be a pattern to what's catching my eye this week. What I've loved in the past seven days: painterly photography, yoga in beautiful places, and matchy-matchy pastels (because I love skirts and dresses paired with sneaks). If you want to follow my pinning throughout the week, you can find me here. I'm looking forward to enjoying some Indian summertime this weekend. Hope you are too!

Images 1, 2, 3.

make: a statement #2

A very wise little sister sent me the above card on the occasion of my recent birthday. She rightly noted that I always seem worried about my birthdays. I do worry. And I don't like my birthday. I like my friends' and family birthdays. I like frosting and champagne. I just worry about birthdays. More so than New Year's. I enjoy the time for reflection and resolution setting that comes with January 1. But birthdays provoke the same sort of reflection and goal setting, but with the added reminder that you are now older. And then there are the comparisons that happen when you look at other people your age. And all that they've accomplished. And that creates a downward spiral that can lead to drinks stronger than champagne. This year, though, despite my dread leading up to it, I felt more at peace with my birthday. I didn't do much reflection and no goal setting -- I'll leave that for January 1 -- but I let the day pass peacefully. I enjoyed time with family and friends. I enjoyed something sparkly and several cakes. It was nice. And I'm going to carry the above message with me for the rest of the year.

Compendium card.

and do: work out (yoga)

Don't hate me. I'm a morning person. Not like a jolly, bouncing off-the-wall with energy at 6:00 am morning person. Like a productive morning person. And it starts with working out in the morning. When I was a swimmer in my teens it was a herculean task to get me out of bed to a 4:45 am swim practice. But in my 20s? Apparently I will get myself out of bed at 4:30 am to go for a run. But my schedule has recently changed. I'm still waking up in the morning to run, but I am no longer able to attend the a.m. yoga practice that I loved. So, for the past few weeks, I've been testing out evening yoga classes. I was worried. I thought I would be stiff and inflexible after a work day. Or that I'd be too full because I can't give up my afternoon snack habit. Turns out, I love evening yoga. I'm more flexible in the evening. And it's great because the Baptiste vinyasa style I practice wipes me out and my mind is more at peace so I'm not tossing and turning trying to fall asleep at a reasonable hour. I wish I could say I've also managed to avoid the afternoon snack attack, but unfortunately back-bending on my stomach is still a bit uncomfortable.

Image via here.

make: plans

I don't know when I stopped making plans. I'm not talking about daily, weekly or monthly plans. Those I make and keep. In general, I love having a plan. For my day. For my week. I like a schedule and having tasks to accomplish or places to go. Plans are well-suited to my need for something resembling control over my life. And yet, at some point, I stopped making plan plans. The sort of plan that materializes out of a dream. The sort of plan that you make because you have a goal and you need concrete steps to reach it. It's not that I stopped having goals either. I set goals and resolutions, but they are little and often immediate. One year, it was my goal to stay connected to art, so I started volunteering at an art museum. The sort of plans I'm lacking are the five-year, ten-year plans. It's one of the interview questions I dread. In middle school and high school having five and ten-year plans was so easy.

Ok. The first sentence is a lie. I know when I stopped making plans. I stopped making plans in college. All my childhood dreams of what I would be when I grew up had fizzled or no longer appealed to me. Instead, I was much more interested in just taking classes that I loved. With no looking towards the future. I don't regret my course of study. But I do wish that I had a plan that led towards something big. It's been on my mind lately. It's still kinda hazy. But, where I've spent most of my life being practical and tackling those daily, weekly and monthly plans, I find myself thinking that a long-distance, like to-the-moon distance, plan holds a kind of appeal. I'm working on it. I'll keep you posted.

Image via here.

pinning for friday #4

It seems a bit of wanderlust has struck me this week. Is it the end of the summer and the end of hope for a romantic, adventurous romp? I don't think there's ever an end to hope, so I'll just keep compiling my list. If you want to follow all my lists, you can find me here. Hope you all have a little adventure planned for the weekend!

Images 1, 2, 3.

and do: get dressed #4

This post was originally conceived in my mind about being about all black dressing. Yes, it was on my mind last week and there it has stuck. I have dressed in all black (exception being shoes) twice this week. But I was strolling around the web when I caught sight of this pic and it has brought up that undeniable thing on all our minds when it comes to getting dressed -- covering up for fall. Are you a hat person? In previous times, I have walked and ridden the bus to work and I'm back on that schedule, which means, come fall and winter, hats are kinda necessary. And I'm loving the idea of a wool baseball cap replacing knit beanies.

Image via HonestlyWTF.

make: stuffed eggplant

Before I traveled to Italy, I thought I didn't like Italian food. I soon learned that I didn't like Americanized Italian food. I love thin crust pizza. I love pasta dressed with nothing more than sharp cheese and black pepper. I love fried zucchini flowers and fresh mozzarella. Italian food is simple. And delicious in its simplicity. I made this stuffed eggplant recipe the other night. It had been over a year and I'd nearly forgotten about it. Thank goodness something tapped my memory. It's simple. And it's delicious. The recipe is from the cookbook/memoir A Year in the Village of Eternity by Tracey Lawson -- a book I read several years after my travels to Italy and one of the many things that has me dying to go back.

and do: go to a museum #2

Let me start by saying that Links: Australian Glass and the Pacific Northwest at the Museum of Glass is really an exceptional exhibit. Still I also have to say that one of the most whimsical and conversational pieces of art that I saw during my excursion to Tacoma was this stump (what do you even call these things that often bridge the space between the sidewalk and the crosswalk?) that was covered in the museum admission stickers. It made me laugh. It made me pause and take a picture. And it made me marvel at the fact that the first person to most likely simply casually dispose of their sticker in this way probably had no idea they were starting a collaborative piece. It's fun to think of all the art lovers and tourists who have contributed to this piece of work.

I also loved these pieces by Janice Vitkovsky.