(in)definite

It has been...so long since I've sat down to see this space. I've felt contemplative and we've been busy, and this writing space got forgotten. Tonight I'm up listening to music while the two I love best and brightest slumber deeply and moonlight haunts my eyes.

Earlier, I sat just to watch the sun settle down in the sky from my seat at the window and felt awed with how beautiful and captivating the sun is as there is less and less of it visible to our eyes. This evening, this weather, both remind me of days spent walking along sandy beaches with our dog panting hard and trying to get at the seagulls, tugging his leash and giving us doggy grins as the sand flies in our eyes before Little Berry was even a dream. We were young and fresh and crazy in love, wild for one another and begging for more stories of the lifetime spent before the other came along.

Those days seemed to go on forever, holding hands and making jokes about old couples sitting in the sand while the world went on without them. It reminds me of the first day we spent in Paris and how long the day was because we'd flown in with the sun, how bright the sky, how fresh the world. The sun set so late there, we stayed up staring out our window over the rooftops hearing people whistle and musicians singing songs from their patios, us practically foraging for food, uncertain what the menus said and too hungry from walking, walking, walking- to care what we were served.

I have memories of watching airplanes go by as a child and wondering if I would ever fly in one. Wondering what it would feel like to sit in one, what exhilaration would overcome my heart, what mystery spoiled at the glee of flight? Wanting to see the world in a different way and believing strongly that it was never going to change. I know now that the world can change in an instant. That our lives are mere puffs of smoke- or fragile, finite frames of glass made to look at but not to alter. We might be transparent and fragile, easily turned to slivers and shards, but I do believe we are ever-changing, growing stronger, and by nature weaker, all at once.

Motherhood brings out the whispery side of me, the side that plans tea parties and sees magic in rainbows again. I make bubbles from scratch and play dough with home made dyes because I want the best for my little one, while what she will remember is not that I made it by hand, but that I played with her, making orange ducks and squishy blue clouds. And it is indefinite, because I never know how long it will last, when she will wake up and no longer want my snuggles or kisses, no longer need to fall asleep in my arms. The magic of childhood is rarely in the recipe you
use, its instead in the giggles while you share over a dish made together with miniature spoons and served on tiny plates that are painted with strawberries in a makeshift fairy garden with a dog by your side.

DIY Sharpie Tee for kids!

We had a bag of plain white Tee Shirts sitting around that I kept meaning to do SOMETHING with, maybe kidpossible glue batik or freezer-paper stenciling? Anyway, Little Berry kept saying she wanted to "make one" for her bestie back in NC. I may have tuned her out at first, but she's persistent and asked again+again. Fortunately I finally asked what she had in mind& she informed me she wanted to draw on it. The only permanent drawing implement I could think of we're Sharpies, so I pulled them out& she went to town. Occasionally I made suggestions or clarified how to spell a word-but mostly this is all her. My friend K suggested doing this as a party-favor idea at a b-day party, and I think it would be fun to do one for all of us & have a family photo taken in them just for kicks. The benefit of letting your kids actually draw right on the shirt over glue batik and stenciling is that they can make much more detailed pictures on the item, have better control over it, and require much less supervision on your part!

In any event, all you'll need is a blank white tee shirt, sharpies- there are "fabric" sharpies available now called STAINED by Sharpie (we own 1, lol) but I recommend just using sharpies with wide+fine tips (we had more fine-tipped ones than not, and it was tricky for her to color things in fully), and clothes you don't mind your kiddo getting ink on (as well as a surface to color on that won't be ruined by the markers accidentally getting on them).
And let your little one go at it! I've been told tossing it in the dryer&/or ironing it on the highest setting with no steam helps make the design last longer, and I suggest encouraging your little one to take breaks and come back to the shirt later if they're getting frustrated or running out of inspiration. It's easily a project that could be spread out over a week.

Lucky's bakehouse

There's this super sweet brand new bakery called Lucky's Bakehouse in Boulder that we've got quite a sweet spot for.

We've popped over a few times now and each time they seem to have more+more lovely treats.
And delicious ones too. They also offer GF goodies- including some really yummy cupcakes& cookies, they have Gelato, and marshmallows, and coffee.

The decor is simple but pretty, and Little Berry loves their colorful chairs. They have outdoor seating for the warmer days, and operate in what appears to be a converted garage, complete with garage door that opens into the store making it an indoor/outdoor space when the weather is nice. If you're over that way definitely check them out!
We recommend: the salted caramel brownie pie, the Chocolate Mint Pudding (made with fresh mint), GF lemon bars, handmade marshmallows (nom) and the hand spun cotton candy (which they won't sell you but happily serve you a sample of)- and from the Gelato case, the Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk is divine.

Next door to Lucky's Bakehouse is the equally quaint Lucky's Market, where you can get your groceries, food from the deli, as well as buy local goodies if you are inclined. Both are very cute establishments and I promise you'll find yourself coming back again and again just because it's so pretty, the treats are tasty, and the groceries are convenient!

Lucky's Bakehouse is holding a fun Valentines Cookie Decorating Open House on February 10th from 2pm-4pm. The cost is $5/child for which they will receive 4 cookies (with option of Gluten Free) and can chose from available decorations to pretty up their 
cookies!

You can follow Lucky's Bakehouse on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!