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i have a problem {with projects}

Published on May 2, 2013 by cara.b.b.5 Comments

hi, my name is cara, and i’m addicted to projects. i always have a few in the works and a few in my pipeline, but i have a problem too. i get too many going, and then i get all overwhelmed and just sit paralyzed not knowing where to begin to get them completed. here’s a small sampling of what i have in the works currently. they all sit. unfinished in various rooms. and here I sit writing a blog post instead of diving into something.

{exhibit a: box that i am going to give a treatment to and show you how to diy. half done.}

{exhibit b: one of two chairs. i’ve made pillows for them, but they need a new paint job and to be recovered. half done}

{exhibit c: frames to be hung in the dining room. have no art for them, and they’re sitting on the floor. half done.}

{exhibit d: future drapes for beckett’s room. they’re cut to the correct length, but not yet sewn. half done}

{exhibit f: mirror to be hung in our stairwell. currently sitting in the dining room. classy. half done.}

Part of the problem is that I can’t really devote hours at a time to anything. i’d like to, but i also want to give my full attention to the kids, need to nurse Chloe, make eye contact with my husband. i swear, though, if there were two more hours in the day, (or if I could get by on 4 hrs of sleep…or if we could hire a housekeeper and chef), I could really make some magic happen around here. I have a lofty goal to become a morning person (when Chloe is sleeping thru the night…here I go making another excuse). in my head, i wake up at 6 and have a whole hour to myself before the circus begins…to finish projects, do yoga, or just sit and drink a cup of coffee. i feel like it would get me started on the right foot, and i’d be good and awake by the time the rest of the house wakes up. we’ll see if i can make it happen.

so, whether projects, work, or something else, what’s your secret? how do you get it all done?

in other news, it was 80 here yesterday, and it’s currently sleeting. i am thrilled to be spending may 2 cooped up inside. maybe you can’t sense the sarcasm? but it’s a damn fine day for napping. if only i had time… ;)

sharing a secret {fleur de sel}

Published on April 16, 2013 by cara.b.b.4 Comments

we all know that sweet + salty is a darn good match. well, recently, i had the idea to add a special little touch to a batch of chocolate chip cookies that i baked. i topped them with a light sprinkling of fleur de sel, a lighter tasting salt that is a great compliment to sweets {you may have heard of fleur de sel caramels?}. it lends the perfect salty bite to keep a it from being too sweet, and it takes your regular ol’ chocolate chip cookie up a notch.

feeling a little {greek}

Published on April 15, 2013 by cara.b.b.3 Comments

we were lucky to take an amazing trip to greece in 2009, and have so many wonderful memories of the sights, people, and food. it was kind of our last hurrah before kids.

we ate our weight in greek salad and gyros, and it has become a go-to in our house. i have tried to recreate a version of it at home, and tonight was pretty darn close. it made us think of the amazing islands, whitewashed buildings and wine….ahhh, yes, the wine {as evidenced above}.

thyme chicken

chicken boobs – as many as you like
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt & pepper
leaves from 5 sprigs of thyme
greek seasoning {i like cavender’s}

preheat your oven to 350. throw your chicken in a baking dish and drizzle it with evoo. hit it with some salt and pepper and half of the thyme and some greek seasoning. flip the chicken and do the same thing on the other side. bake for 30 minutes.

pita bread

pita {i like kronos}
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt

heat a frying pan or griddle to medium on the stovetop. drizzle a little evoo on both sides of the pita and salt on one side. brown each side slightly.

greek salad

cucumber {peeled, halved, and seeds scooped out, then cut into 1/2 inch square pieces}
red pepper {chopped in 1/2 inch square pieces}
purple onion {sliced thinly}
tomatoes {chunked}
feta
salt & pepper
extra virgin olive oil

chop all your veggies and hit with a little salt and pepper and a light drizzle of evoo. add a sprinkling of feta when you’re ready to serve.

enjoy! preferably with white wine. on your patio. with thoughts of greece in your head.

also, beckett went for a walk in my wellies tonight.

diy {glitter barrette}

Published on April 8, 2013 by cara.b.b.8 Comments

i had been eyeing this barrette for a while, but just couldn’t bring myself to pay $15 for it (plus another $5 to ship!), knowing i’d probably find it in the bottom of a drawer by the end of the year. i thought i’d take a crack at diy-ing it. here’s what you need:

the barrettes i found aren’t as wide as the ban.do one, but it works. you could stack two to get a chunkier look if you like.

ok, slap a coat of mod podge on your barrette, liberally sprinkle it with glitter, and then dab (so you don’t brush off the glitter) another layer of mod podge on top of the glitter. it will look all milky white like you see below, but it dries clear. i used a foam brush for the mod podge and flexible cutting board (hence all the knife marks) so i could easily get the glitter back in the jar.

let your barrette dry overnight, and you’re good to go. throw it on to tame your bangs, do a half-up do, or even under your top knot for a little surprise twist. i used only a teeny tiny bit of glitter so i have a ton left to share or slather other things with. i’ll let you know what i do next.

a little project {in the basement}

Published on April 5, 2013April 4, 2013 by cara.b.b.6 Comments

i’ve mentioned before that, while we love this new house, it is pretty much a box ‘o beige. i mean every single wall in the house (except bedrooms) is beige. it’s kind of amazing…in not-my-favorite way. we will slowly be making changes, and now that i’m no longer pregnant, we’re back in project mode. a quick one that we tackled a few weeks ago was in our basement. you might know that i have a love for chalkboard paint, so we went and slathered a pretty big wall with it. it was highly motivated by the ncaa tournament so jared could put the bracket on it. it’s both hilarious and awesome. otherwise, we are doodling away down there and i think we’re having more fun than beckett is.

a go-to {spinach & strawberry salad}

Published on April 4, 2013April 3, 2013 by cara.b.b.Leave a comment

as you well know, things have been a little hectic here lately. after several weeks of eating quick, and sometimes unhealthy meals, i have been on a real spinach kick. i’ve been trying to have a big salad for lunch most days, and this one has become my go-to. mom, thanks for reminding me about this one.

spinach and strawberry salad {with a few extras}

large handful of baby spinach
4 – 6 strawberries, sliced thinly
6 – 8 slices of mandarin oranges {i just used canned}
slivered almonds, toasted
craisins
raspberry viniagrette

beckett & chloe {2 1/2 & 1 month}

Published on April 3, 2013April 5, 2013 by cara.b.b.5 Comments

ok, so i know i’m way late to the party on this one (since chloe turned two months on monday) – i’m way late to the party on just about everything these days. if i could just figure out how to get 26 hours in each day, i think i’d be swimming instead of feeling like i’m just treading water. we are figuring out life with two littles, and while some days feel like we’re cruising, others feel like we have a lot left to figure out. here’s what’s happening with our short people…

beckett, you are a wild man at home. you love to ‘go fast’ {sprinting up and down the hall} and use your ‘outside voice’ far more than we’d like {we’re working on that one}. it has been a looooong winter trying to burn all that energy at home. it’s funny though, once you’re in a place with a lot of other people, you do a 180 – you turn quiet and observant. we’ve been going to story time at our library for over a year now, and while you’re excited to go, once we get there, you pretty much park it on my lap. it’s so interesting to see a completely different side of you, and i wonder what is going on in that little head of yours.

you are now potty trained! it was not awesome, but it’s done. we’ll leave it at that.

you still love trains, and we have succumbed to letting you watch train videos most mornings just so we can lay in bed a little longer. i hope to can this once we are getting some more sleep around here. paw-paw and mema took you to parkville to see the trains while we were in the hospital having chloe. since then, we’ve gone a handful of times, though you’d like to do it every day. your favorite part is to watch the ‘ding-dings’ go down to block traffic. you beam when you see the train, and immediately ask to see another one.

you are really starting to have great sentence structure now, so you sound like such a little man. it has been amazing to see your language develop. you are now counting from 1 – 10 in spanish, which you learned from a song i sing from sesame street when i was a kid. the term ‘kids are sponges’ has never resonated more.

you are starting to make-believe a little, acting out something that you saw on tv or in a book. you still love music, and have a new love for making and playing in forts.

you got your hair cut after these pictures because the back was just plain unruly all the time. it has made you look so grown up. between your new do and your big boy undies, i can hardly bear it.

chloe, you put even beckett’s surfer baby demeanor to shame. you are so peaceful, and pretty much only cry if you’re hungry or cold, and rarely very hard. you are a happy little camper and smiled for the first time on your one month birthday. you kind of forget that a little person is inside until this happens.

you’re starting to hold up your little head and hold someone’s gaze, studying whatever it is you see.

as far as looks go, if i’m being honest my dear, one month was a bit of an awkward spot. you are bald on top {we call this the dr. phil look} and have baby acne {why do these poor babies have to get this??}. you are also getting some pretty incredible little cheeks, which i think are divine. we’re not sure yet what color your eyes will be. they seem to be getting lighter.

we are calling you chloe, of course, but your nicknames include clostine {middle name is christine}, clover, clobell, and clobule {the name of my dad’s grandfather – yes, that’s real}.

you’re sleeping pretty well considering you’re a newborn. i’m usually up twice a night, but sometimes just once, and you’ve gone stretches of up to 4 or 5 hours, which is a win in my book. during the day, you’re up about an hour at a time.

when these pictures were taken, beckett was still just loving chloe. at two months, though, i think the honeymoon is over and he is testing the limits quite frequently around here. while there is a lot of sweet, there is a little more spice than usual. more on that in the next update, which i hope to put up before c is 3 months old.

{yes, chloe, you’re stuck with us…and mama needs a pedicure}

nutella. banana. muffins. {i.e. heaven}

Published on March 23, 2013 by cara.b.b.2 Comments

ok, so if you follow me on instagram {@carabrooner}, you know what we had for breakfast. nutella banana muffins. well, i received so many requests for the recipe (which i wish i could claim as my own) that i thought i’d just throw it on here for all to enjoy (good suggestion lindsay!). i have made these a few times, and they are the perfect way to use overripe bananas – because, let’s be honest, even if you buy just two bananas, one will go bad. i am warning you, you will want these for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and just try not to eat any nutella while you’re making these. i say it’s impossible. at least in this house. so without further ado…..

nutella banana muffins

yield: 18 muffins

ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans {i left these out since i’m not a huge fan of pecans}
nutella

directions:

preheat oven to 350°F. line muffin pan with liners.

in a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined. set aside.

in large bowl, whisk together banana, sugar, brown sugar. beat in egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. slowly whisk in the flour mixture, until there are no lumps. fold in pecans.

fill muffin tins 3/4 full. top each muffin with about 1 teaspoon of nutella and use a toothpick to swirl it into the batter.

bake muffins for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

serve warm or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

in other news, we’ve done some fun stuff around this house the last few weeks that i’m excited to share. hope to do that soon.

go {basecamp hotel}

Published on February 24, 2013 by cara.b.b.2 Comments

a quick note – you might notice the blog looks a little different. well, the new year always puts me in the mood to organize, and since i was baking a baby in january, my efforts have been a little delayed this year. i’m trying to pare down at home, and it’s no different here. i’ve tried to put some of the more popular posts in easy-to-get-to areas so they can be found quickly. it’s a work in progress for both, and if you’ve got a suggestion, pipe up – i’d love to hear it. now, onto regular business…

we are currently buried in snow, with more to come tomorrow – enough already! thursday brought white-out conditions, and i was thankful that our little family could stay safe at home and just watch it come down. it was really like a mountain snow – you know when you’re at the top of a ski slope and it just starts dumping and the wind kicks up and then you can’t see? ok, maybe i have just had the misfortune to have had that happen. i heard that the official measurement for kansas city was 13 inches, which is more than we’ve had in two years, and it was kind of fun to have a good old-fashioned snow day. well, all this snow has me daydreaming about a little adventure to a place called the basecamp hotel in south lake tahoe. equal parts funky and rustic, it looks like a great place to add to our must-do list for either summer or winter – or both!

{‘the great indoors’ room, complete with a tent}

{how fun would this be if you brought a herd of people!?!}

{family style}

introducing {chloe christine}

Published on February 12, 2013 by cara.b.b.9 Comments

i am way behind here…well, on a lot of things. but better late than never…

we welcomed chloe christine into our family on friday, february 1st. we ended up having to evict her since she didn’t seem to want to come on her own – i was induced at about 8.00 am, and by 11.44, we had chloe. words cannot express how much i love this girl. she is peaceful, social and sweet and changing every day. i cannot wait to see what her little voice sounds like, what color her eyes end up being, what her personality is like, and eventually, the woman she will become. we have been overwhelmed with love and support from our friends and family, and for that we are truly grateful.

{morning of febuary 1st. let’s have a baby!}