Tess!

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning I was honored to have been woken up by the call informing me that our darling Susie had a beautiful baby girl!! Tess Vivian Borkin was born June 9, 2009, a healthy 7lbs., 7oz. Sus is absolutely amazing, did it all naturally and somehow had the strength to be standing up in the first pictures they sent!

I can't wait to meet this little one!

Everybody loves to see their name in print.

Recently Brian and I were at a fundraising thing for this nonprofit he volunteers with, and we spent the whole time chatting with the college student interns.  They were so adorable and in the middle of college excitement, getting all concerned with future plans, grad school, jobs.  When I told them what I did and mentioned that I didn't know how much longer I would work there before moving on to some other unknown job, they expressed extreme surprise that "someone in their mid-twenties can STILL not really know what they want to do!"  

HA!  I feel like none of my friends is certain about what they want to do!  But I totally understand the interns' viewpoint: once you get in a career, usually you stay there, right?  That's what I always thought too.  

I've had lots of other stuff occupying my mind lately, so I haven't given much thought to changing jobs in a little while.  For a long time, there I was searching all kinds of possibilities, memorizing the weekly job posting days and times for certain sites, looking into programs I'd previously never considered, etc.  I've felt that there isn't a huge amount of growth possible for me where I currently am, though it is fulfilling and often fun work, and I really truly use both my abilities and my education daily.  And my schedule is really flexible, which can't be discounted as a perk.

Things got sort of fun lately at work, basically because one of the events I had done went really well and got me lots of compliments from my boss and confidence from those I supervise.  At the beginning of the school year (I work in education at a non-profit), I felt a little lost, having been thrown into a role I never had ("YOU asked for more responsibility!" my boss snarked, even though I know they just put me in the role cause they desperately needed someone).   I got some exciting program ideas, and also decided just to get started on the current spring and summer stuff and scale back a little, not think about work too much at all and focus on the wedding, the weather, and all the other fun stuff I've got going on.

So imagine my surprise when I got to work this morning and discovered a box of business cards on my desk, with MY name on them.  Hilarious, since I've worked here for three years and filled out the form for the cards about a year and a half ago.  What was this, some sort of reminder that I'm still attached and committed to this place?  "Psst! We heard you were thinking about leaving, but look at these pretty cards! Whhoooooooo....pretty caaaaaaards..." 

Sadly, that kind of worked for a second, too.  I mean I wouldn't hesitate to leave if I found something else, but having a box full of my official deets on a cheaply printed card with colorful logo was kind of exciting.  Too bad I didn't have it at the conference I went to two weeks ago. Sigh!

This is not a home blog.

However, I do have a new home, and I'm planning a wedding, which means that lots of the time (not free time, of course-- I only do this when I should be working in some way), I find myself browsing around many many design/decor/inspiration blogs that are filled with photographs that I know I will never get around to replicating.

They are beautiful though, aren't they? My sister said that she's tired of "inspiration," and I understand the sentiment: let's just pick something and move on! But then again, that's how she and I are different-- I've never been good at making decisions. I need to look at examples first. And it's rare to have a blank canvas the way I do now, so for the moment I'm going to pretend I'm a real blogger, and pick a decor category and show you a bunch of fun pictures!!

Today's decor category (and there may only be one, ever): Plate collages!

I have a small collection of antique plates given to me by my grandmother and my great aunt. They are pretty, and fragile, and painted with really cool flowers. I'd always wanted to do something with them, and then I started noticing the trend of hanging them on the wall, but in really interesting and unexpected ways. Check it out:

From Apartment Therapy
**Bonus detail! I like this birdcage, although not the fake bird. But I have an amazing old birdcage of my own that actually housed parakeets during my childhood...what could be done with that? You tell me.

From Apartment Therapy

From Living Etc.

From Domino

Pretty, huh? Now, how in the world does one actually hang plates?!

Uh-huh!

Yes I did make this soup last night! And yes it did only take about 15 minutes from start to finish! And yes it did taste delicious!




Note: I actually didn't use the fava beans or artichokes-- didn't have the beans and didn't feel like steaming the artichoke, and it was still totally yummy. This is one of those recipes where you can use whatever is in season. I definitely recommend the mint though, it really brightens up the flavor!

Spring Vegetable Soup

Serves 4

• 1 small bunch leeks
• sliced prosciutto
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup fresh fava beans
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup asparagus
• 8 small artichokes
• sea salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons mint

Using a big, deep pot, sauté a handful of chopped leeks and several torn prosciutto slices in olive oil. After a few minutes, pour in 6 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. Mix in 1 cup each peeled, blanched fava beans, chopped spinach, chard and asparagus, plus 8 cut-up steamed artichoke hearts (setting aside a dozen chunks for Tuesday's kebabs). Simmer soup for a few minutes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with a couple tablespoons chopped mint leaves. Serve with crusty bread and a hunk of English cheddar.

You're welcome!

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Inauguration.

We went. Drove 12 hours, stayed with Abbey's dad... crushed ourselves happily in with 2 million other ecstatic people.

It was incredible.

My newest nephew.

This is Lorenzo.

Ready for the first day of puppy preschool!

He was technically my Christmas present to my sister Annie, although he entered our lives just a couple of days after Thanksgiving. His shelter name was Twitch, which Annie quickly changed to the more majestic and fitting Lorenzo de Medici, after the great Renaissance patron of the arts. I think he lives up to his name. Just as the original made his way into so many of the paintings and murals of the great Italian masters, so has our little man made his way into our hearts! Obviously it wasn't hard for me, I've wanted a dog my entire life, but this doggie has some major power. I have never in my entire life seen my mother pet a dog, and she actually willingly held him on her lap and fed him, while my dad slips him meat under the table!

He's our little man!

HOORAAAAYYYYY!!!!

This has totally not set in yet.  I am SO excited about this election, the climate, and Obama in general.  I could barely tear myself away from the TV this morning to go to work, and when I walked in a group of people were standing near the elevator and we all looked at each other and cheered.  

Yesterday was an amazing day-- after I voted, Shannon and I drove to Indiana to do some final day canvassing for Obama since that state was so crucial... we got back and had people over to watch the returns, and Brian got a ticket to the election party in Grant Park!  I really wish I could have gone, but by that point we already had people over.   It must have been incredible.  I watched the speech and cried.  

And Annie made amazing food, of course: kale and prosciutto soup, salad, homemade bread, and to top it all off, the most American of apple pies!

GOBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!