life without my vacuum

October 19, 2021 in family

(me and my vacuum in happier times)

i’m sure you’ve all been on pins and needles wondering how i am faring without my vacuum… NOT WELL i would say. as i write this my vacuum has been in the shop for NINE days and we have never been separated this long. i DID make some rookie moves in the first two days - i served toast and eggs for breakfast on day one. lucy munches her toast like a wood chuck… crumbs go flying. normally, i don’t let this flap me (remember she has not yet attended cotillion) because i have my trusty vacuum to clean up her storm. but this time i had to wipe down the floor myself.

my vacuum is my security blanket

October 05, 2021 in family

i may have mentioned how much i love my vacuum… there is something about the way it sucks away all the yucky stuff that has fallen on my floor and makes that satisfying clickety sound as the crumbs or the little edges of lined paper from a spiral notebook that theo tears off his homework or the bits of the chewed up sticks that hank brings into the house go into the tube that gives me a much needed sense of peace. i imagine it’s how most people feel after meditating. when i try to meditate, i end of thinking about all the things i need to do, like vacuuming, which is calming in its own way, but not as nice as actually vacuuming.

hank's FOURTH birthday

September 21, 2021 in family, hank, holiday

(baby hank at his first birthday)

hank celebrated his fourth birthday last week…he’s TWENTY-EIGHT in dog years. this year his birthday fell on yom kippur… that’s a bit of a bummer because it’s not the most festive day (it’s “the day of atonement” in judaism.) the morning before, he skipped his breakfast. i can’t tell you how unusual that is so i thought maybe he was fasting a day early in order to get yom out of the way so we could properly celebrate on his special day. or maybe he was just being really cagey. of course, the fact that he wasn’t eating made me super worried so i scrambled him some eggs to entice him. he DID happily eat those. i forgot about his food bowl full of kibble and left for a meeting. when i returned he had eaten that too, so ultimately he had TWO breakfasts.

yom kippur

September 14, 2021 in family, holiday, recipe

(theo at his bar mitzvah)

this week is yom kippur, the day of atonement in the jewish religion. while i never converted, i am raising my children in the faith of their father (with santa and the bunny thrown in) and i have spent more time in temple than i have in any other religious setting. i have hosted loads of seders, rosh hashana dinners and break fasts (i can cook all of the holiday food, except brisket - my brisket is TERRIBLE - so we have roast chicken instead), i know a fair bit of the prayers, or at least the tunes and i have a general understanding of the fundamentals of the religion.

happy, happy 80th birthday to my darling father

September 03, 2021 in family

(my father in the early 60s)

my grandmother was a force. while most women of her generation were getting married and having children, she was working as a telephone operator by day and having a fine time being squired around the restaurants and nightclubs of minneapolis by night on the arms of a bevy of young men. she never did get her driver’s license, but also never lacked for rides to whatever social event she was meant to attend. she almost always got her way and when she was displeased she would dismissively wave her hand and say, “oh FISH!” unconventionally, she married my grandfather at forty and had my father on september 3, 1941 when she was forty-one… EIGHTY years ago today. she absolutely ADORED my father.

weekend with dad

August 24, 2021 in family, hank, travel

i spent the last few days with my dad… my mother went to “quilt camp” for the week with her quilting girlfriends as she has done for probably the last thirty years and i came out to berkeley to keep my father company for the weekend (i am so HAPPY that flying is an option now!) it is strange to be in the house without mom… we always have our coffee together early morning which she prepares in her very fancy, complicated machine - dad does not drink coffee - and sit at the kitchen table chatting. so i had to make my own coffee with her machine that is as fragile as an orchid and as demanding as a toddler. the first day the machine cooperated nicely which made me feel really competent and possibly a bit cocky. but the second day panic set in as he refused to carry on after i pressed the cappuccino button and red lights started flashing. i thought the little drawing was indicating that he was low on beans, but when i opened the top, there were loads of them in there. finally i realized that i was meant to empty the grounds. this is tricky as the large, flat pan is also full of mucky water that you don’t want to spill as you awkwardly make your way to the sink. finally i got everything dumped and reinstalled and then more red lights were pinging at me… this time he was low on water. HAY SEUS! he makes really good coffee but needs so much attention (this is why i have a VERY simple drip maker) and honestly this one is a VAST improvement from her last machine who was even more finicky and difficult to understand. that one had to go to the shop for detailed repair a few times before he was finally put down. my mother mourned him deeply until she brought this current guy home. she does not have pets, but caring for this coffee machine is far more consuming than feeding and cuddling with hank.

rumble tummy

August 17, 2021 in family, hank

whenever my dad cannot find a term or phrase that adequately expresses what he wants to say, he just makes one up. i grew up being told to, “sit up straight and stop SLUNCHING!” at the table or asked whether i was going to finish the “dritzel” on my plate - the last of my sauce or remains of my dinner or received announcements that someone was a “GROMP” … very unpleasant, far worse than a “grump.” (he is generally very communicative and if for some reason he cannot speak - like when my mother is saying something - he does not dare interrupt her - he finds another way. he frequently stands about a foot and a half behind her chair at the kitchen table and indicates how he feels with his eyes - he makes outrageous faces while my mother is speaking which sends my children into peals of laughter. about twenty five years ago he had his jaw wired shut for many weeks after a throat surgery and had to physically write down what he wanted to share on a yellow legal pad. my mom thought he would be spare and discriminating in what he wrote because it took more effort… instead he filled notepad after notepad with ALL of his thoughts and ideas both deep and trivial. and he made sure my mother read every single one in real time.)

restoration

August 03, 2021 in family, hank, holiday, pet, travel

each summer when we return to boulder from our long stay in california i have “reentry” problems… i feel jumbled and foggy and a bit overwhelmed. so i have developed a (compulsive?) process of restoration that helps me adjust back to my boulder life - basically i CLEAN everything. i start with the laundry, of course. the last two summers we have road tripped to berkeley and back (the first summer because of the corona and this summer because hank can’t fly anymore… he used to travel as an “emotional support” dog but all the airlines changed the rules as people started bringing “therapeutic” peacocks and donkeys on their flights. hank is too big for the carrier you can keep at your feet and with his smush face it’s not safe for him to be placed in the underbelly of the plane so the only way to get him to california is to drive.) even if we leave the west coast with suitcases full of clean clothes, after a week in the car we have tons of dirty stuff. this may take several wash loads, which gives me time to clean out the dressers and pull all the items that are too small or otherwise deemed unnecessary. this year i was delighted to realize that i’d sorted through the dressers and closets right before we left so i could put the clean clothes back straight away.

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i left my heart in san francisco

July 20, 2021 in family, art, holiday, travel

we are preparing to road trip back to boulder from berkeley this week. last summer we drove out because of the corona but this summer we drove because hank is not allowed to fly anymore. he used to travel as an “emotional support” dog but people started boarding with peacocks and donkeys in tow and now the whole program is cancelled.… i am reposting this story from a couple of summers ago because i am always so sad to leave… we DID hit up all of our favorites, except bartavelle because they closed during the pandemic. we’ve had an absolutely lovely time and are so excited that we will be able to come back for thanksgiving this year! x0x

fentons

July 06, 2021 in family, travel

i am reposting this story about fentons ice creamery because my daughter just survived a TWO NIGHT stay in the woods with her friends and counselors at camp kee tov. i always promise my children a banana split if they manage to stay alive while sleeping out in the nature and so far this incentive system has ensured that they return intact, if incredibly filthy. some may think i am a bit dramatic about the dangers of this sojourn in the forest, but the bay area is famous for its vicious gangs of wild, maurading turkeys and last week hank and i happened upon a gaggle of them down by the marina. despite my great fear, i managed to get a photo of a couple of them (there were SIX in total)… look how HUGE and gnarly they are. so you see that my worry is completely merited… we have one more sleepover to go this summer and hopefully one more visit to fentons.

my "welcome back" story published in the summer issue of boulder county home + garden

June 15, 2021 in family, residential interior

it is beyond exciting that we are getting vaccinated and able to welcome friends and family back into our homes. i had so much fun writing this piece on friendly, welcoming home decor items to help you usher in your dearest this summer. MANY THANKS to the talented vendors who participated in this piece: artepera, atomic avocado designs, 42nd circle design, the novogratz , fermob, think outside, wanda collection, kartell, bludot, gloster furniture and mosaic birds. x0x0x

interviewed for "shoutout colorado" about starting my interior design business! x0x

April 21, 2021 in press, residential interior, family

i was so thrilled to be interviewed by shoutout colorado’s kimberly chang about starting my own interior design business and the MANY people who have supported my work. THANK YOU, THANK YOU in particular to amy hubbard, my accountant and dear friend, ashley wick of wick and co. for her incredible guidance, heritage school of interior design for expanding my knowledge, my delightful classmates for inspiring me, my SUPERSTAR clients, heather knierim of HBK photography for her lovely photos, my darling friend, jess braun, for the portrait of me and hank and finally, my BEST cheerleaders - my hilarious children. x0x

here is the full article

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to read other interviews click here or here

easter comfort food

April 02, 2021 in family, holiday, recipe

my whole life there have been two essential easter recipes served at our brunch: my mother’s mushroom crust quiche and her easter buns. they are both a little trashy… the quiche has smashed up saltines in the crust and the buns are made with the dough that comes in a can you bang on the counter to pop open. but they are both delicious. the quiche (or KWEE-CHEE as theo used to call it) LOOKS a little more elegant, but the buns are never pretty. the filling always squirts out and the jam slides around so they are just a mess. i have tried and tried to clean them up to no avail. when new people come for easter, they usually bypass them on the buffet and i have to force them to try one… no one has ever been disappointed. AND they are both still yummy, cold, the next morning as leftovers. happy, happy easter all! x0xx

published on the COVER of 5280 home! x0x0x

March 30, 2021 in art, dining room, family, family room, garden, living room, residential interior, sofa

i am beyond THRILLED to have my pine street project for the adorable zeldner family featured on the COVER of the april/may 2021 issue of 5280 Home. many thanks to editor michelle johnson and the team she assembled: angela ufheil (writer), aaron colossi (photographer) and natalie warady (stylist) for the wonderful article and beautifully styled photos. i had so much FUN on this project with my SUPERSTAR clients who were such a pleasure. and i am delighted to see local boulder artists shayna larsen (elephant painting in the breakfast nook), laura morningstar (“little mama” ceramic vase in the bedroom), sammy and sawyer (children’s art in the hallway) and william irving singer former artist in residence at the boulder creative collective (portraits in the living room) in print as well. THANK YOU all! x0x

the seder plate

March 28, 2021 in family, holiday

i feel like we should have invited the flintstones to passover this year (except for the corona) because i am pretty sure the butcher gave me a brontosaurus bone to roast for the seder plate. it’s always a bit of a crap shoot about what they deem a “lamb shank” and honestly, i have never totally figured it out either. i am not at all familiar with the anatomy of a sheep (or the anatomy of a human for that matter… when i used to take my bar class pre pandemic i could only do the exercises if the teacher demonstrated what we should be doing. when they started saying things like, “lift your deltoids” or “squeeze your quadriceps” i would have to look around the room and see what everyone else was doing. that’s what happens when you don’t pay attention in biology and get all of your medical knowledge from gray’s anatomy.) wishing you all a happy, peaceful passover! x0x

lisa stamm's bespoke animal portraits

March 26, 2021 in art, family, hank, pet

(hank by lisa stamm)

i met lisa stamm in my twenties when we were tottering around new york city in impractically high heels, drinking martinis, going to gallery openings and late night parties, brunching on sundays and having pre children adventures. she introduced me to my first husband at a champagne bar, did my make up at my wedding and supported me through all kinds of milestones and changes. she has been an incredible friend and i have known her a long time. but i had no idea that she is an artist. about two years ago i was scrolling through my facebook feed and saw a soulful, impassioned pencil drawing of a beagle that she shared and was completely captivated. i was not alone. lisa received such a big response to the tribute drawing she had done of her beloved dog, scooby that for the first time she considered taking commissions. and so began the pet project shop.

right now things feel terribly OUT of order...

March 23, 2021 in family, holiday

as i am sitting in my north boulder home this evening there are two horrible incidents being dealt with by the boulder police and additional swat teams: the north boulder high school has been locked up (all students who were at sports practices brought inside) and a shooter in a south boulder king soopers market, who as i write this, is still “active.” i don’t know if these situations are related but i can say that it has been a frightening afternoon and none of us have enough bandwidth for this after the past year of the corona, BLM, fires, electrical outages, floods, me too, the crazy election and all of the isolation. my favorite of the jewish holidays is approaching - passover - the one that puts everything in order and i am hoping that all the madness that seems to exist in our current world will somehow be safely dealt with because this is just TOO MUCH! i am reposting a story about passover and vacuuming because it calms me down…

bunky

February 23, 2021 in exercise, family, hank

(hank anxiously contemplating going on a walk)

despite having the absolute best of intentions hank and i have been having a bit of a setback with our walks and exercise routine. after hearing from his doctor that he really needed to lose some weight (i think MY doctor might recommend the same for me given that my candy intake has remained steady - i DID just receive the most gorgeous box of see’s scotchmallows from a dear friend for valentine’s - and my exercise has NOT because my bar studio closed) we intended to make a real effort to take regular, rigorous walks.

remembering gg

February 16, 2021 in family

last year i spent valentine’s weekend in west des moines with my brother and mother celebrating and mourning gg, my grandma. we toured around my mother’s hometown driving by her high school (which has been completely rebuilt), her old house and attended gg’s service in her tiny hometown church in Audubon, iowa. it was an intense, emotional weekend where i got to meet many distant family members and friends of gg’s (AND go to the cracker barrel TWICE for chicken n’ dumplins - which are pretty delicious!) and learn even more wonderful stories about a woman who was all goodness (except for the fact that she put raisins in my oatmeal when i was about six, triggering a life long disgust for brown, dried fruit - other than that, she was an AMAZING grandma to me and my children.)

i think i'm okay! x0x

February 09, 2021 in family, hank

(it’s a new dawn… hot pink sunrise from a few days ago)

today at the start of my writing group we had a check in. for the first time in about a year i said, “i think i’m okay.” it felt weird to articulate that but i DO actually feel pretty okay. i am still watching the news, but not nearly so much. every time i turn it on biden is doing something helpful and normal. his awesome press secretary is polite and informative (and has the most gorgeous red hair) and of course i am just delighted every time kamala makes a speech… i might have mentioned that she and i attended the same elementary school!