lingering daydreams

{dreaming of} new home addition

by Lila on March 29, 2012

… raising urban chickens. I am reading this great book, A Chicken in Every Yard by Robert & Hannah Litt. It is awesome and I am learning more than I ever hoped to know about having happy, healthy backyard birds. I want at least one Ameraucana in my little flock, they lay bluish green eggs and are supposed to have great personalities.

… going to Night Life at the California Academy of Sciences. Did you know that they have drinks and a dj Thursday nights over at the incredible place. Now that I live in the city it shouldn’t impossible to get to, right?

… fixing our chimney. We have a fireplace! That is what really matters. But it is currently killing me because smoke billows into our little home every time the wind blows and a fire is lit. And the wind blows a lot. Our chimney guy said it can be fixed, now we just need to save up the funds.

… seeing the wildflowers in our backyard sprout. After digging in coffee grounds a week ago, Jeff and I spread lots and lots and lots of wildflower seeds throughout our backyard. Even though I know they can’t possibly be peeking out above the ground yet, I have sat and stared at the dirt just in case.

… finishing reading Hunger Games for the second time round. I want to see the movie badly, but I can’t do it without getting all of the images I imagined solidified in my head first. I think I will be done by the weekend!

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{home} a dream come true

by Lila on March 28, 2012

I’ve heard it said that many little girls dream of their future wedding. Although I am not entirely sure of this, I know that I didn’t. I dreamed of my future home. Both of my parents were carpenters and as a result I spent a lot of time on construction sites. At age five my favorite activity was hammering nails into a 2 by 4 that my dad had set-up for me. When we were at the office I sat with graph paper and architecture stencils and designed my dream home, drawing spiral staircases and fanning through paint swatches.

Now the sketches on the page have finally become a reality. Jeff and I have found ourselves in a little home on top of a hill in San Francisco.

On our first night we ordered in, lit a fire, and camped out on the floor of our new living room. The very next day our family knocked on the door with paint brushes in hand. We picked between large painted swatches on the walls as the ceilings were getting their first coat of white.

That very same weekend, one of the first things we did was plant the little lemon tree that my dad gave us when Jeff and I moved into our first apartment together. There is something so nurturing about laying down actual roots. It is official, we have our first home.

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{commute} the essentials

by Lila on March 27, 2012

We had movers come on a Wednesday. Were officially in the house on a Thursday. My car wouldn’t start Friday. It was as though my car had made it across the bridge and didn’t want to go back. It wasn’t the end of the world because I had intended to start taking BART to work, but it did make that plan non-negotiable. I have learned many lessons in my first week of commuting including that I really enjoy having protected me time. That might sound odd, me time as time spent on BART, but in just this week I have finished a book, worked on my blog, caught up on others’ blogs, and pinterested to my hearts content.

The harder lessons have involved rain, lugging around too much stuff, and paying a lot of money for lattes in the morning. So I have decided I need a couple essentials.

{one, two, three, four, five, six, seven}

1. A cross body bag. I am currently carrying a computer backpack, purse, and lunch bag. The madness has to stop. I also don’t like the feel of the backpack for my mile walk on either end of the train. I want to carry less and have my hands free!

2. Travel Mug. I have become very accustomed to my morning latte after only a week. It is so nice to pick one up after I get off the train and sip on it as I walk to work. I have decided to try and cut back on the spending by making my own cup in the morning.

3. The clipper card. It is my new best friend. Swipe it at BART, Muni, AC Transit and go! No waiting to purchase tickets or worrying about exact change. In the beginning I was rolling with cash. It was tricky.

4. Ipad. Oh the dream of an ipad. I wouldn’t have to carry my computer. I could read my blogs on a bigger screen. It would be beautiful.

5. Umbrella. I learned this lesson the hard way. It wasn’t raining when I left, but it sure was on the other side of the bay and I got soaked on my little walk to work. Must buy an umbrella this weekend.

6. Pretty Notebook. When the internet fails it is nice to have a spot to write down ideas, to do lists, impromptu poetry.

7. A Pencil. See #6.

Happy commuting!

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Welcome! Lingering Daydreams is back and better than ever!

by Lila on March 26, 2012

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{from scratch} butternut squash soup

by Lila on December 27, 2011

When cool weather reaches the bay I love the idea of soup. Soup + squash, how much better does it get on a foggy day.

Good ol’ Martha Stewart provided the original recipe and her readers offered some suggestions that I incorporated. The results were delicious and I will definitely be making it again. The recipe below includes the alterations that I tried, yummy.

The ingredients:

2 tbls butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 piece fresh ginger (3 inches), peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into cubes
2 3/4 pounds butternut squash, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
A pinch of nutmeg, cumin, turmeric, coriander, red chili powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Sour cream (optional)
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

The steps:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, parsnips, squash, and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 4 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in two batches. To allow the heat to escape while blending, remove the cap from the lid and cover the top with a dish towel. Stir in juice and season with salt and pepper.

The seeds:

1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 tsp fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin seeds, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coarse salt, and fresh lime juice; toss to coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until puffed and browned, about 10 minutes.

Top warm soup with sour cream and pumpkin seeds and serve with toasted baguette.

Enjoy!

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{dreaming of}

by Lila on December 21, 2011

{my photo}

… starting my own etsy shop. I took a trip to the Renegade Craft Fair and was so inspired by the incredible artists there. Early in the season I participated in a small, backyard craft fair and really enjoyed the experience. I hope to write a post about Renegade very soon. It is a trip I will definitely be taking again.

… warm socks like these.

… taking any class from Workshop. Riding in the car, jamming to NPR, I heard a woman being interviewed. Her commitment to diy and design caught my attention and when I looked her up online I found that all of her classes allign with my many dream activities. I think it is a sign. Screen printing has been an art that I have wanted to master for awhile, I think I will start there.

… Christmas decorations. The mister and I just got out all the boxes last night. We again took part in our urban adventure, walking our tree home from the Depot through the streets of Emeryville. This might be that last year if we are successful in buying a house in the coming year.

… making soup. Squash has eluded me up to this point, but I am ready with a pot, a soup recipe, and a blender. We’ll see how it goes.

… finding more time to blog and create. Ahhh time, when will there ever be enough.

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{over the weekend}

by Lila on November 28, 2011

What a beautiful weekend to spend with friends and family! The mister and I always pack our holidays to the brim with celebrations. This year was no different. Started with a Thanksgiving morning football game with the boys and continued through the weekend. On Saturday we even made it down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. We got to see the little ones, read stories, and eat delicious food.

I love traditions and holidays and am so excited that the season has officially begun. Good-bye pumpkins, here comes Christmas!

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{dreaming of}

by Lila on November 16, 2011

{photo}

…baking ginger bread. Why does it sound so good when the weather turns cold and the leaves start to drop.

…on a similar note, homemade marshmallows. I have to admit I have not tried these before, but I have a recipe from the Miette book. One of those bad boys floating in a cup of hot cocoa, that has got to whisk worries away.

…finding a fabulous home. One of the things tying up my mind and my time right now is house hunting. The mister and I are pretty close to being ready to buy our own little spot. The process is tricky though, I’m trying to be sure to add a little whimsy and romance to it. We are looking in the city of San Francisco and last weekend, between wandering around unfamiliar neighborhood, we made sure to stop by Bi-Rite Creamery for the first time. It definitely added to the sweetness of the day.

…projects, projects, projects. I am busy making a couple cute things for a local Artsy Holiday Gift Party. I have ideas and patterns for hand-painted mugs floating around my head. It is quite inspiring. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

…learning to surf. Crazy to come up with this one in November, but I just found out that a fellow hockey player also surfs and has invited me to learn. This is the second person who has recently been ready and willing to give me lessons, it must be a sign. Cross one of the bucket list!

Hope you are having a great week!

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{diy} officially refurbished wicker

by Lila on October 25, 2011

The mismatched set of $150 wicker furniture (with cushions) has been a work in progress for quite awhile. Gotta love craigslist. It all started with the ideas, then the paint, and finally I have finished the pillows. The end result has made me really happy. It took some convincing, but the mister finally went for the Shock Red Montana Gold spray paint.

It is a favorite spot. Few things are better than being in the backyard with a book sitting in some wicker furniture…

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{decor} pillow love

by Lila on October 23, 2011

I feel like every magazine I have ever read has mentioned the ability to makeover a room by changing the accents. In a living room pillows are often a topic of discussion. The living room has been a focus of my new found desire to spruce up our home and it is definitely coming together. I created a bird pillow not too long ago that I posted about here. Now I went a little crazy and ordered a pillow… or two… or three… to add to the mix. Here are the recent arrivals!

I was inspired by Emily Henderson’s Secrets of a Stylist. One episode in particular really lit my fire :) I have to admit that I have bought more than one item from the etsy shop owners featured in this redesign. The California pillow is from Plumed, an adorable handmade shop that will custom embroider a pillow just for you. I wanted to reflect my love for the East Bay. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. The grey chevron stripe also caught my eye. It is from a fabulous store called Moxie Mandie. I heart her prints and she also was willing to make a custom size to meet my needs (and the pillow insert I already owned…). I can’t wait to have the couch restyled and to share it with you!

Happy Sunday!