the (real) practice

The following was one of the stories I shared during Week 1 of the Chickadee Road :: Studio Sessions last fall. Throughout the Studio Sessions, Kelly and I give some real glimpses into our own practices because as you know, I believe that it is okay to tell the true stories.

*****

September, 2012

As soon as Kelly and I brainstormed the Studio Sessions and came up with a start date, I began to envision how my first morning of my practice would unfold.

I would get up, get my two-year-old Ellie ready for school, Jon would take her, and then I would change into my yoga clothes and head out to my studio ready to spend about 30 minutes doing yoga. Then I would tuck into the couch and the words would just drip out of me as I would write a morning poem. And it would unfold like this each day because we were creating space for me to reconnect to the yogi within and the poet who longs to write more words each day. Reconnecting to the person I missed when every morning was filled with taking care of a little one with not much time for me.

But then Ellie woke up in such a bad mood. She wouldn't eat. She didn't want to get dressed. She was literally weeping in her bowl of oatmeal. I ended up letting her wear her pajama top to school. She cried. A lot. And then Jon bookended the experience by being in a really bad mood too and losing his patience several times. I kept breathing and focusing on what needed to happen to get them out the door so that Jon wouldn't be late to work.

When they left, I stood in the middle of our suddenly very quiet kitchen thinking that there was no way this exhausted in need of a shower to wake up and some food in her belly mama was going to head straight to her studio for poetry and yoga.

So I made breakfast and then showered and tweaked the day a bit. I let go of my vision and instead just committed to breathing and writing a few words.

When I made it to my studio, I lit a candle and then went to grab my yoga mat. It was no where to be found. Deep breath. I let it go and just got onto the floor into child's pose because my body was longing for it. 

Until I got into child's pose and found myself totally uncomfortable. 

The mind chatter was getting louder, but I pushed myself to treat myself as though I was my own student. Gently reminding my body how to stretch and how to move to get comfortable and reconnect with my breath.

Yes.

I eventually eased into child's pose and stayed there until I began to melt into the carpet.

Yes. This.

Then I chanted and sat in the quiet for a few minutes.

I ended the practice by letting my poet self write a few notes as I drank tea and ate a piece of dark chocolate.

It wasn't ideal. It didn't look like the world of the yoginis and writers I see online (or make up in my own head). But it was my practice. It was what I needed. And it was a beginning. A first day. 

*****

The Studio Sessions begin Monday! Join Kelly Barton and me for the Chickadee Road :: Studio Sessions, a four-week adventure into creative practices with a community of kindred spirits.

The premise of the sessions is that you choose a creative practice, from cooking to art journaling to yoga to writing (the possibilites are endless really). Then each day we send you little "lessons" and stories via email while you also you gather with like-minded souls for support, encouragement, and community.

Throughout the four weeks Kelly and I share glimpses into our studios and practices, a few tools we use each day, and other really good things. There will also be two live video chats (available by recording for those who can't be there) where we'll share stories and answer questions.

We'd love to have you join the incredible group of kindreds already coming along. This is really going to be good!  

Find out more and register here. And feel free to send over any questions. 

pinned it. did it. {with meg}

Today, Meg is sharing another "recipe" inspired by Pinterest. I love these posts! And this way of creating iced coffee sounds fun and pretty easy and delicious. I'm going to try it with my favorite vanilla soy creamer and see what happens.

Meg and I hope you enjoying these posts! And let us know how you've been inspired by Pinterest lately. Share in the comments today.

*****

I am a coffee lover. Almost ten years ago as a college student, I got a job as a barista at Starbucks. I was one of those baristas that started out drinking the very sweet drinks that resemble dessert more than a drink. To this day, they still hold a small soft spot in my life. However, as a barista, I learned to love black coffee. Really high quality black coffee (read: I’m a coffee snob). Still to this day I prefer my hot coffee black and unsweetened. Although I don’t drink it quite as strong as I used to.

 

However, in the summer, a hot cup of black coffee doesn’t always sound good to me. I want a cold, refreshing beverage on hot summer days. I have always liked iced coffee - sweetened a little bit - but after pinning various iced coffee recipes on Pinterest, I have decided to fall in love with iced coffee this summer. 

Iced Coffee Pins That Inspired This Post

Maple Iced Coffee
Totally Decadent Iced Coffee
How To Make Cold Brewed Coffee
Perfect Iced Coffee
Mexican Iced Coffee 

There are various methods for cold brewing coffee. Some involve fancy equipment, and others require very little. Some get left out on the counter over night, while some steep in the fridge. Some just let hot coffee cool down to room temperature. Some even go as far as making coffee ice cubes to keep it from tasting watered down. The possibilities go on and on. And I believe after doing some serious coffee brewing and testing, I am falling in love with iced coffee.

I basically took everything I learned from the pins linked to above and squished them all together into one ultimate recipe for iced coffee. I liked the idea of coffee ice cubes. I also loved the idea of sweetening it with condensed milk (yum!).  And the thought of finishing it with maple syrup put a smile on my face. There are so many possibilities for future cold brew coffees. 

I chose to brew the coffee in a glass pitcher on the counter for the day and then put it in the refrigerator over night. I didn’t care for the route that allows hot brewed coffee to come to room temperature as that made it bitter. I put about a cup of coarsely ground coffee and water went into the jar. I am terrible about following precise measurements in the kitchen, so I just eyeballed it. I stirred it a time or two during the day and then placed it in the fridge for the next day. Then in the morning, I strained it through coffee filters (paper and fine mesh from my coffee pot) and filled an ice cube tray. (Side note: The straining process was a bit tedious so I can see the appeal of brewing a cup of coffee and allowing it to cool to room temperature. If you’re pressed for time, it’s the route to go). 

Then came the finale. Ice cubes, cold brewed coffee, and sweetened condensed milk. And as an added fancy treat, just a touch of maple syrup. What I ended up with was smooth, divine, bold iced coffee. I had to resist the urge to top it off with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkle of coffee grounds for garnish. The barista in me really wants to go the whole nine yards. But this time it was really just about the brew itself. So I kept my focus. Cold, refreshing, and smooth perfection. And the melting coffee ice cubes pushed this over the top from good to amazing. No watered down coffee? I think I need to put in a call to Starbucks and find the market to get that on their menus. Seriously. 

Do you make your own iced coffee? Which method do you prefer? I would love to hear about it and add it to my cold brewed coffee repertoire. 

Not A Coffee Drinker? Try These Iced Drinks Instead

Chai Tea Iced Cubes in Almond/Soy Milk
Maple Iced Tea
Lemonade Ice Cube in Tea “Arnold Palmer”

Meg Brothers is an artist, photographer, mama, and dreamer. She loves cooking, tattoos, and sporadic dance parties in the kitchen. She prefers dark chocolate, black coffee, and flip flops when weather permits. She is a lover of Pinterest and truly believes in integrating ideas and inspiration - big or small - into normal life. Meg lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, Dustin and son, Julian. Meg writes about photography, family, and creative inspiration at megbrothers.com. Find her on Pinterest here and on Twitter here. 

***

Note from Liz: Over here in my corner, I'm trying to "use Pinterest for good." I really see it as a community of people trying to see the beauty and possibility in their lives. I'm adding a few new features here on my blog inspired by or directly about Pinterest as a way to invite others to look for this beauty within a social media community. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds. Connect with me on Pinterest here. Read other "Pinned it. Did it." columns here.

here

She started the day refusing to put her bare feet in the sand with her hands over her ears because the waves were too loud.

We just let her do her thing.

She ended the day singing "mr. water. MISSSSTTTEERRRR WAAAAAAATERRRRR. come here mr. water." amidst laughter that shook her entire body: 

 

It was an awesome BIG day.

(And I'm letting go of the need to finish blog posts and instead making more room for these moments while we're traveling. It is a really good thing to make more room for this stuff. Yes.) 

(Oh and let me know if that gallery isn't really working above. My hope is that it almost feels like stop-motion animation, but it's my first time using this feature in a blog post. Thanks!)

five (really) good things

1. Another Chickadee Road Chat! Join Kelly and me for brunch/lunch on Tuesday, July 30 at 9AM PST/12PM EST for a chat all about finding your kindreds. (Actually I'm calling it "finding (and keeping) your kindreds" when I think about it because when you find those special people who feel like home, you will continually uncover new things about yourself that will push you to know you have to work a bit to stay connected in this crazy, awesome world. Yes.) On Tuesday, just join us right here over on Spreecast.

2. I read through Donald Miler's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story in about two days. As in I read through naptimes and until midnight. I saw him speak at WDS and I kind of swooned. (Not really kidding.) His blend of honesty + storytelling + self-deprecating humor had me actually looking to see if he was wearing a ring. (He's engaged. And I'm, you know, married.) As a dear friend said to me, "As if a ring is the biggest obstacle between you." Ha! That still makes me laugh out loud. But seriously, I was deeply moved by his talk and by this book. I hope you will read it because I'd actually love to chat with a few people about the concepts in it - identifying what makes a good story and then deciding to live a better story. I could go on and on. Find out more about him here.

3. And here is something kind of awesome: Earlier this week, I mentioned that maybe I could paint as my practice during the Chickadee Road :: Studio Sessions this August and a few days later, here I am joining in with Pixie Campbell's Visual Quest class. I can't wait! 

4. Love Viv's "Dear 35" post and this idea of writing a letter to yourself right around your birthday to thank the year you're leaving. A new session of Viv's Be Your Own Beloved self-portrait ecourse begins next week. Check it out here. (Highly recommend.)

5. And since I seem to be in a confessional sort of mood as I write this in the middle of the night (see #2), I might as well share that I'm slowly but surely becoming obsessed with unicorns. Never was much of a unicorn, rainbows, my little pony kind of girl. Was more into pretending pretty much all the time that I was Laura Ingalls and lived on the prairie.

(As in I pretended that for a LONG time and still miss the mid- to late-80s long soft buttons up the front denim skirt with layered "petticoat" my mom found for me. That I wore. A lot. To school. After school. You get the point.)

Anyway, I'm kind of blaming this new love for unicorns on Kelly. And this. So Wednesday evening, we might have found ourselves in Barnes and Noble buying a couple of these (and by a couple I mean two that had totally different box designs but then when I got in the car and realized that the unicorn inside was a "surprise" and not the one shown on the front of the box, my husband might have had to go back inside Barnes and Noble to buy a few more...for me...while my three year old and I waited in the car...said three year old in the backseat content with her new BOOK...me needing just "the right" small plastic unicorn figurine). 

Anyway, an idea for a fun project appeared in the wind, so watch for these little guys to appear here and there (probably mostly here). And they are available at Barnes and Noble stores (near the board games section), but not in their online store. And doing this middle of the night post might have led me to seeing that they are a bit like Beanie Babies circa 1996 where the "hard to find ones" are "worth" a lot and all I can say is let that one go right now honey and just buy the "blind" box for $6 something at Barnes and Noble and love what you get. Or just get this because dude she is CUTE!

Oh and a post about unicorns would not be complete without this. (Obviously.)

Have a beautiful weekend over in your corner. I'm writing a post about envy that I hope to share over the weekend or Monday...because WOW what a topic that is.

Blessings,
Liz 

it tastes like...adventure

You find yourself on Pinterest a lot these days (4 million followers will do that to a girl). You keep seeing inspiration for caprese salad, a favorite you make from time to time. You've even seen roasted caprese stacks. Yesterday, in the middle of all of it, when you notice you still have a whole lot of basil from one of those "live" basil plants hanging out by the kitchen windowsill, you think that maybe it is time to make something new in the kitchen.

You ask your husband to get some ingredients at the store: little mozzarella balls, little tomatoes, and penne, and armed with this Pinterest inspiration, you are just going to wing it.

Your little family is out on a walk, which means you still have some time alone. Alone. In the kitchen. A few suggestions, add a glass of wine (or cider if that's all you have) and turn up a playlist involving The Beatles and maybe even some Jim Croce and Michael Franti, and just for a minute you might even think you are living a past life where you didn't spend half the day neck-deep in potty training.

So you'll preheat the oven to 350 and slice the tomatoes with the insides facing up and drizzle them with olive oil and Fini balsamic and salt and pepper and even a little sugar (inspired by this recipe). You'll pop them in the oven just as The Beatles finish up "Come Together" and you find yourself with the arms of a three year old wrapped around your legs.

"Are you making dinner Mama Kitty? For me?"

And the past life fades away as you answer, "For us. Yes." 

A dance party begins as you watch them kind of work together clearing a space on the table so you can actually eat there instead of on the couch. There are moments of yelling and moments of giggling and you focus back in.

The tomatoes are doing their thing (for about 12-18, longer if the tomatoes are large) and the pasta water is beginning to boil. You slice the little balls of mozzarella in half, knowing you will use more than you really need because too much mozzarella feels like something you all need.

Pasta goes in. Penne takes a while and you forget how long and the instructions in Italian are nice and romantic but help you not at all. So you just keep winging it. Then you wash the basil and slice it with kitchen shears and admire how kind of gorgeous it is as the smell swirls around you.

You turn the oven off after about 12 minutes knowing it would be easy to forget the little tomatoes are in there because you are needed in the bathroom. Two to three minutes later you pull them back out of the oven and put the slices of mozzarella on top of several. Then pop them back in the oven for 4-6 minutes.

Somewhere in there you tried the pasta and it tasted like a twig, so you went with 5 more minutes.

Then it all comes together. Pasta goes in the bowl, tomatoes + mozzarella piled on top, basil on top next. Stir. Add a bit more olive oil and balsamic to taste.

But of course you remember where you are and put plain pasta + plain cheese + edemame aside for the three year old. Later, she will stir them together so her pasta looks like yours. And although you will try to get her to eat that green stuff that looks like lettuce, you will just be really happy that she gobbles up her own concoction.

You will try though and it will go like this.

"You should try this basil."

"Why?"

"Because basil tastes like adventure."

"Like adventure (said as abebenture)?"

"Yes. It tastes like an afternoon spent wandering in a small town in Italy when you meet someone who takes you back to her home for a huge afternoon meal on a little porch with a large table full of cousins and sisters and brothers and a Grandpa who makes you laugh. And the Grandma will bring out pasta that smells so good you cry. And there will be basil picked that afternoon and mozzarella from a farm down the street. And it will taste like nothing you've every experienced and you will know your life will never be the same."

(Between you and me that is some kind of crazy mashed up scene from Letters for Juliet meets Eat Pray Love meets that movie about the wine with Keanu Reeves that might be called A Walk in the Clouds meets some sort of dream I have about being brave enough to just go to Italy and wander and meet people so that I can host a retreat there soon.)

She will smile at you.

And she won't try one bite.

About five minutes later she says, "Mama Kitty, does basil taste like a dream?"

"Yes, honey. Yes, it does."

it tastes like adventure caprese pasta inspired by Pinterest

Wing it. Do whatever tastes good. Have fun. Check out Pinterest. But if these photos look like your kind of thing, here's a place to begin:

• Two pints of cherry tomatoes (we used yellow and red, some were oval so I sliced them the long way so they would lay flat)
• One container of small round mozzarella balls (you certainly don't need to use them all, but you could)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp if sugar (optional)
• Heavy drizzlings of olive oil + balsamic
• Basil (about one cup)
• Penne pasta (we used about 12 oz)

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Slice tomatoes and then drizzle olive oil and balsamic to taste + sprinkle salt and pepper to taste + sugar if using.

3. Cook for 12-15 minutes (this will vary depending on your tomato size). Watch for the tomatoes to begin to blister.

4. While tomatoes cook, put pasta water on to boil. Salt it if you want. Put pasta in when water boils. (Follow directions for cooking pasta that should be on the package. Or wing it if they are in Italian.

5. Slice mozzarella balls in half (eat one or two because you know you want to).

6. Wash and slice basil into strips.

7. When timer goes off, take tomatoes out of oven (you could turn oven off at this point) and balance mozzarella slices on as many tomatoes as you have cheese. Put back in for 3-6 minutes (watch them as you want them to just be melting but not browning).

8. When pasta + tomatoes and cheese are done, put them in a big bowl together. Add basil. Stir.

9. Add more olive oil and balsamic to taste.

10. Make up a story about how basil tastes. That will be the best part. Well, right after the eating part.

Makes about three adult servings + one three year old sized serving if it's your main meal and you are the Lamoreux family.

If you need things to be more precise, here are a whole bunch of caprese pasta recipes to peruse.

***

Over here in my corner, I'm trying to "use Pinterest for good." I really see it as a community of people trying to see the beauty and possibility in their lives. I'm adding a few new features here on my blog inspired by or directly about Pinterest as a way to invite others to look for this beauty within a social media community. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds. Connect with me on Pinterest here. 

could i really paint?

Over here I'm sifting through ideas for my own creative practice to play with during the Chickadee Road :: Studio Sessions. As I mentioned in our Chickadee Road Chat last week, it seems like I'm not really in a place to do the same practice at the same time every day. It is summer and Ellie and Jon are home every single day, so I'm squeezing in bits of creative play here and there, and often in my moments alone I'm either working or trying to rest a bit. 

This is why I'm so excited about the Studio Sessions. I want to be surrounded with kindred spirits who are finding their way to make room for creative play even when the day is full, even when it seems hard. I want to practice what I know and gently push myself to make time for what I know I need.

And I keep coming back to a strong desire to paint more. 

The truth is I always want to paint but there are so many reasons I don't...I'm not very good. I don't know how. I really can only paint when Kelly is here. It makes too much of a mess. I have too much work to do and not enough time to get the supplies out. And how the list goes on.

I'm pretty good at excuses. (Can you relate?)

But still, I keep coming back to this question: Could I really paint?

We're heading to my mom's for a few days soon and I'm thinking about taking my watercolors + Moleskine and just playing. Just putting color to the page and seeing what happens. Watercolors are so easy to travel with, and Kelly's taught me some pretty fun techniques at the retreats this year. Why not?

And then just maybe I will be in a bit of a groove and can continue to play in August. Or maybe I'll decide that I want to try something else.

This is the fun thing about creative practices: You get to create your own adventure.

If you've been longing to play, just PLAY, in your corner of the world - from art journaling to cooking to taking a photo walk each day - consider coming along with Kelly and me for the August Studio Sessions. We are going to have so much fun!

An incredible group of women is already gathering and we'd love to have you come along. 

because poetry should be read aloud

I've recorded a poem for you today.

Because sometimes there are just words you need to hear...words you think someone else might need too.

Because sometimes you need to hear these words aloud so you can write them on your heart...so you can feel less alone.

The poem is called "Flotsam."

It's written by me and you can find it in the poetry collection Five Days in April in my shop.

Just click "Flotsam" below to listen to this short poem.

Blessings,

Liz

flotsam

love this: ellie's current favorites

Ellie was looking over my shoulder and saw this post and said, "Mama, why is your purse in that photo?" I explained I was sharing some of my favorite things I like to wear, and she (no kidding) said, "Can I share my favorite things too?"

So here we go, a few of Ellie current favorite things (and note she has explained that all of these will be going in the suitcase when we go to visit Grandma Fina).

1. Hanna Andersson's Ruffle and Twirl Skirt. Ellie says, "I like all the skirts in the world. And I like this one because I like to wear it with my Mickey shirt." (The aforementioned Mickey shirt would be on this list if I could find it online. We have three and she's been wearing them for almost two years. You've probably seen them on Instagram. She is a bit obsessed with the mouse.)

2. White eyelet tank top from Target that Ellie explains is something "I like to wear to bed like a night shirt."

3. I found this adorable elephant purse at the T-Spot in Manzanita (love that store); you can also find it online here. Ellie says, "I like to take it on BIG trips with me like when I get to the date with the green circle when I wake up really early, I'm going to take my elephant purse with me on the plane." Phew! (The date with the green circle means the day we're going to Grandma Fina's that is circled in green on the calendar in her room.) 

4. Tiny Tom's are an everyday favorite. She actually has a pair with butterflies that I couldn't find online, so we went to the site and she picked these out as a possible "second favorite." We learned at Nordstrom that most kids need half a size down because the canvas stretches. This has been true for EJ.

5. Threadless tees make us all happy in this house. And what's not to love about a self-portrait? As Ellie says, "I like wearing it so much!"

6. Zutano tights are our favorite favorites! Because Ellie loves wearing skirts almost everyday, these are a must on cooler days to keep her legs warm. And all these stripes and polka dots are just happy. Ellie says, "I like to wear them to school. They're cool!"

This kid cracks me up. I'm thinking Ellie's favorites might be a new feature around here. Thinking we'll share her favorite books next!