diy | toy kitchen

DIY Toy Kitchen

nowadays the conversation
inevitably turns to children
it’s that Time, you see,
after Marriage
actually,
it’s been that Time
for awhile,
since i’m in my 30s

i like kids
though it has been easy in
the past for me to say otherwise
truth be told,
i adore children
but since i was sixteen
i’ve been assertively
against procreating
i have a running tally of
Reasons Why I Don’t Want Children
it’s in the millions right now

the main reason though,
the only reason that counts:
i don’t want to be a Mother
it has nothing to do with
the fact that i didn’t meet
bio mom until i was 30
or that i have barely concealed
passive aggressive emotions
twds my stepmother
but it has everything to do
with the fact that
motherhood is just not my thing

know what is my thing though?
being an aunt
like i said
i like children,
other people’s children
i see a kid
of holding in your arms age
and i will butt in line,
elbow grandmothers out of the way
to hopefully be the first Asian
to hold that child
when poop and tears make an
appearance
the package is returned
and my uterus can stop panicking

dw is a fine man
i wouldn’t have balled&chained him
if he wasn’t
and everybody knows
my lurve for him is so deep
the goddamn ocean is jealous
so when i see him like this
my ovaries quiver
and i start to think about
having babies with this man
and how our kid would likely
have shitty eyes
cus both of us have shitty eyes
or that our kid would be lanky
cus lord knows dw has a bottomless pit of a stomach
despite the amount of food he puts away
and i was all knees & elbows
until i discovered alcohol
and the Waffle House in college
he makes me realize that
fathers do participate
willingly,
that motherhood with him
could be my thing
if only the other million + one
Reasons Why I Don’t Want Children
didn’t exist

DIY Toy Kitchen

diy toy kitchen & what i learned:

|| i’m useless with carpentry stuff: i’d been wanting to make a toy kitchen since before pinterest came along. so when dw’s friends’ kid expressed interest in the culinary arts i decided the time had come. i basically told dw what i wanted and he went forth and made like Jesus and did a bunch of wood-working while i sat on the couch & told him what to do.
|| things add up: we thought that it’d be a quick and cheap project. then we realized we didn’t have any tools, like, oh, a drill. in the end it still was a relatively inexpensive endeavor because we added to our inventory of tools. i meant to keep tabs on all the costs but with the holidays and birthdays the receipts got annoying.
|| dw is detail oriented. i wanted knobs, he measured every single space to ensure it all lined up and made sense. had it been me, i would’ve plopped the dang things anywhere there was a smooth surface.
|| on the one side of the stand that i did not photograph there is a dry erase magnet board attached to it, for menus or you know, doodling. initially i wanted to paint a chalkboard surface but it seemed a lot of work.
|| miniature kitchen tools are adorable. i damn near bought an entire set for fake cooking use.
|| for the sink, the bowl is actually a doggie dish from the dollar store and the faucet is a plastic pipe i painted grey.
|| for the burners, i bought wooden circle thingies from Michael’s and painted the top red. i almost did the spiral but again, it seemed like a lot of work.
|| the side table was a craigslist purchase for $15, it used to be a record stand holder.

inspiration & resources:
i wanted a backboard to either put a shelf or hang kitchen tools.
for extra counter space.
knobs are from anthropology.
other supplies from Ace Hardware and Home Depot and Michael’s.

DIY Toy Kitchen

birthday | peppermint chocolate chip ice cream

Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream

today
yes,
today
of all days
i will indulge
in all manner of the word

i’m such a liar
i’ve been indulging all week
every year around this time
i reflect on all that has happened
in the last 365 days
and
in the last 36 29 36 years

quote

exactly one year ago today
i was so incredibly humbled
when i thought about the grace
i’d been given
i am still awed by it
there is no adequate way for me to express how
grateful i am
so i won’t
to expand on that particular post,
35 random things i’ve done this year,
in no particular order

Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream

|| got engaged
|| looked for scarlett and avery, but to no avail
|| had the best bo kho, in Nashville of all places. dined there everyday we were there
|| went to my first honky tonk
|| saw the pacific ocean with my beloved
|| read this book
|| picked 22lbs of blueberries
|| catered my very first, and technically only, party
|| planted an illegal rooftop garden. well, dw did. i helped. by watching.
|| finally watched the entire West Wing series, josh lyman is kinda beast
|| witnessed Thunder from Down Under
|| i ran just 2 races. (will rectify in the coming new year)
|| saw Jim Gaffigan, yes, he did talk about hot pockets
|| attended dw’s high school reunion. what.a.trip.
|| we climbed a wall
|| visited a local organic animal farm, i may have informed dw that i wanted to own a pet pig AND chicken
|| compared atl’s aquarium to baltimore’s; we win
|| for 5 whole days i had long lashes
|| practiced twerking, failed
|| painted a picture
|| after 8 years of it, apparently illegally, lost gave up cable
|| saw matt nathanson twice, in one week. hashtag groupie
|| chopped my hair off, like, most of it
|| approved for lasik eye surgery. eek!
|| attended a football game, whereby i went through a whole spectrum of emotions in a span of 2 minutes
|| walked to indiana
|| swam in the bay
|| purchased THREE wedding dresses
|| started using the public library in earnest, using dw’s library card. it’s a long story
|| broke up with Parenthood
|| began a torrid affair with candy crush and ruzzle
|| decided on a new celebrity crush
|| went to a book signing by Tyrese Gibson and Rev. Run. Tyrese is hot in person, Rev. Run not so much
|| received my new social security card with my new name on it. boom.

Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, lactose free
mashup/inspired by Sprouted Kitchen and David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert

*note: i discovered Organic Valley’s LACTOSE FREE half&half and omg. my coffee has never tasted so good. dairy ice cream can now be re-introduced into my life. i’ve made this particular dessert a few times using coconut milk (from the can) and so delicious’s coconut creamer, using various different techniques and always with great results.

Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream

serves: 8 (though, really i ate the majority of it. oink) calories: 174 | total fat: 4.9g | saturated fat: 2.9g | cholesterol: 4.8g | sodium: 87.5g | total carbs: 30.1g | sugars: 24.4g | protein: 2.9g

holidays & birthdays | gift guide

december is the busiest month for me
holidays
but more importantly:
birthdays

the items i am listing
are not set in stone
they’re things i own
and can endorse
or they’re items i covet

this post is not sponsored
by anyone
and of course,
all opinions are my own

gift guide 2

||moroccanoil treatment, $43: since chopping my locks the time spent at my vanity in the morning has been cut in half. i still do have to style my mop and i use this prior to turning on the dryer, it leaves my hair feeling really soft and silky
||trumpets for crumpets ring, $9.99: when dw proposed to me, there were two rings in the tiny box. this was the other
||citrus trees, $85: i gifted a key lime tree to nuria for being my bridewench and it is thriving. in the winter months it will be kept indoors and when spring and summer come it will be housed outside on their porch
||wordsmith leather chair, $1049: i know. it’s a hefty price but this chair is so pretty in person
||svpply coat racks, $29-200: discovered by dw, these are so practical and simple
||ashwood cutting board, $20-56: beautiful as a place setting too
||agustav book rack in walnut, €160: a unique way to display your books
||king arthur dough whisk, $12.95 – 16.95: when i don’t feel like lugging out the kitchen aid mixer, i use this to mix my bread dough
||the hobbit: an unexpected journey (extended edition) blue-ray, $24.99: do i really need to explain this one?
||Takeya Double Wall Glass Tea/Coffee Tumbler, $19.99: i kinda baby this, for fear of smashing it. i gets lots of compliments for it, it keeps my coffee hot
||C9 by Champion® Women’s Active at Target, $7-14, as the bff says: j’adore. when i cross the finish line my bum is dry.
||tieks, $175-295: apparently they’re super comfortable. i’d like to find out for sure
||ProEdge, $1-25: knife sharpening. this is a local company to us, but i’m sure there are services like this around elsewhere

the best gift guide. i hit up her lists, during non-holidays even, when i need inspiration.

knit | sparkly wedding shawl

Wedding Shawl

when the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends. -Japanese Proverb

which basically tells you that
i’m batshit crazy
i’m incredibly blessed
and undeserving
from where i am sitting as i type this,
in the fading light of october,
a nostalgia has stirred in me
that must be indulged

Wedding Shawl

you know,
i have four much younger sisters
three on one side
one on the other
sisters who i did not pick
but are indelibly part of me
like an arm i could not cut off
even if i wanted to
but to have a heart sister of my choosing
well
it can be easier said than done
nuria makes it super easy though
she will bully her way into your life
she will watch really bad medical dramas with you
she will make you bawl when she hands you a kindle for xmas,
(a toy you’ve been coveting)
she will drive your car like a maniac
during her driver’s test
(which she failed)
she will have poop talks with you
she will pick meat off chicken wings for you
cus you have braces on
she will braid your hair like the
bohemian gypsy you want to be
she will run the zombie race with you
while your beloved runs ahead
she will take you home to her motherland
and basically feed you stupid
she will also drive you crazy
she will make you question if metallica really
is the greatest band ever
and she will take 5 weeks off of playing video games
to knit you not one, not two,
but three shawls for your wedding

Wedding Shawl

she is indelibly part of me,
of my choosing,
and i would never want to cut
that piece of me off

me+nuria

this is the pattern she used
wedding photo courtesy of Jonas Wilson, used with permission. my edit.
me+nuria pic courtesy of nuria gonzalez montelban mcintyre, used with permission. my edit.

november | remember

november

know that feeling
where you have to much to do
the to-do list is long,
you’re not crossing things out,
instead you keep adding
and what you end up doing is
taking a 3 hour nap?

felt … the crunch of leaves underfoot. autumn is on her way out, leaving behind a fading trail of yellows, reds and oranges
smelled … paint. we’re working on a craft project that i am excited to share with you, eventually
touched … yarn. i’ve been busy busy crocheting my fingers off
heard … a reading. do not go gentle into that good night!
saw … an overturned vehicle on the way to work this week. be careful out there people, get there in one piece, the turkey will hold till you arrive

wedding cake - NC

a few pinterest & internet discoveries:
|| organization is not my forte but if i could just get my shit together, i’d make this
|| you guys. tutu + sweater tights? mind exploded
|| this pumpkin soup + coconut panna cotta: yes please
|| this rosemary laced buttercream piques my interest
|| i am so in love with this vintage campaign desk
|| my high school, in thailand, aerial view
|| last, if you’re not already tired of hearing about our wedding, our photographer posted a few more pix

wedding cake - KY

photo captions:
on a very quick trip to NC to visit the bff and this guy, she made a tiny replica of our wedding cake, this time sans the dairy doom. it’s now safe in our freezer
then a few weeks later we visited with dw’s family in Louisville and i made the same cake for the family gathering, this is the recipe that i always use for for sure results. picture taken by my brother in law Jonas Wilson, used with permission, but with my edit
finally, pulled pork tacos. so good. recipe: 2 lb pork shoulder + 1 bottle ginger ale + salt & pepper + 1 onion sliced + a few cloves of garlic in crockpot for 12 hours on low = sweet tender pork. thanks erin w.

pulled pork taco

meanwhile: hello december!