Way back when, I did an internship with the DC area food bank and one of the tasks I was given was coming up with easy, healthy recipes that people who came to the food bank could make with the food they were given. The recipes had to use ingredients from the boxes they received, and they had to involve minimal cooking (since...

Continue Reading

  The Norfolk Public Library has been offering some amazing free programs this summer. Last week, the Larchmont branch hosted one: a visit by the Norfolk Fire-Rescue. Even though she has declared she has no interest in firefighting since red is no longer her favorite color (a serious consideration for future career priorities), A. enjoyed seeing the fire truck up close and even...

Continue Reading

We've been really interested in origami since our visit to the Above the Fold exhibit at the Hermitage last week and can't stop looking for more origami creations to inspire us! Here's a few of the things we found while poking around:  A folded paper activity book that combines reading skills with art  A bright origami pillow For older kids (and the grownups), a game of...

Continue Reading

tank: Children's Place, skirt: Crewcuts via thrift (similar), shoes: Target (similar) Sometimes in the course of thrifting for Anne, I'll come across a piece of clothing that doesn't fit -- now -- but is too good a deal to leave behind. When that happens I always ask myself: is this worth storing for the two, three, or four seasons until my kid fits into...

Continue Reading

10:00 AM: After a hectic morning (in which I forget to take photos), we meet up friends at the Hermitage to see the Above the Fold exhibit. Because we're there a few minutes before them, I take the chance to snap a few shots of A. by the fountain. I love taking photos on the grounds of the Hermitage, they are so beautiful...

Continue Reading

For those who have never been, Jockey's Ridge is one of the most amazing places on the Outer Banks. There's nothing else like the sight of giant sand dunes towering on a strip of land between the ocean and sound. The dunes are so huge and so high that being at the ridge is a little like being in a desert or on...

Continue Reading

We've been spending a ton of time at the pool this summer, and have learned that packing the pool bag is an art rather than a science. You've got a lot of things to consider when deciding what to bring with you: comfort, safety, and play. Here is the basic plan we've come up with for making sure we've got all needs met....

Continue Reading

The word this June was "vacation" -- first we had our annual beach trip with (generous!) friends to stay at their place in Kitty Hawk, and then we had James's parents, sister, and BIL rent a house in Chic's Beach to visit with us. Two full weeks of awesome! By contrast, July feels positively lackluster (though we're doing our best to make our own fun). ...

Continue Reading

We're coming up on the last week and a half or so to see the Above the Fold exhibit at the Hermitage before it ends July 26. For adults, this exhibition of contemporary origami, inspired by DNA, religion, architecture, nature, and science, is as thought-provoking as it gets. For kids, it's folded paper in interesting shapes and sizes and colors! Woo hoo!  Our...

Continue Reading

I picked up this crazy fabric at an estate sale a few months ago and knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to make something for Anouk with it. The dress came together in a couple of hours as I listened to episodes of Radiolab. The top was originally a black long-sleeved tee that I made into a tank top...

Continue Reading

When I get questions from readers, they are usually on one of three subjects: venues around town, what A. is wearing, and thrifting, probably because I can't resist instagramming all of the amazing things I find on our (at least) weekly thrifting trips. The most frequent thrifting related question I get goes something like this... I'm new to thrifting and wondering: what should...

Continue Reading