organic wine tasting.

as you know, i love wine. (simon and i went wine-tasting on our honeymoon and we also typically drink a glass or so every day... for the health benefits of course.)

so, i recently collaborated on a delicious new project... an organic wine tasting with fellow boston blogger, sara from more than merlot.

sara is a certified sommelier, amazing foodie, and an a+ friend. together with our husbands we taste-tested two organic wines* and one sustainable one. all three are less than $12 and easy to find in your local wine shop. 


             

a blend of merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel 

sara says: a good wine, but after seeing bonterra all over the place i was expecting more. granted, this is a table wine and not one of their pure varietal wines, so you should not expect it to be super well defined. of all three this is probably the one i would be least likely to buy again. 

nina says: i liked it, although i agree with sara. this was my least favorite of the evening. 

a blend of carignane, zinfandel and syrah  

sara says:  this wine was great!  i would buy this wine again, it is soft and easy to drink.  i would most likely drink it on its own, because with food i felt it got a little washed out. lovely wine with bright, ripe fruits and a touch of floral/herbal notes.

nina says: yummy! i loved this one. it tasted like a spring day. my favorite.

a blend of zinfandel, syrah, cabernet sauvignon & carignane

sara says:  big and beautiful - a wine after my own heart!  this was my favorite of the three.  it really held up against the food we were eating but super smooth and delightful on its own. i will be buying this again for sure! it also pairs well with a blue cheese.

nina says: i liked this one too, but it is definitely bold. simon's favorite.

and finally, a few more photos from the event:

sara and her husband have an exquisite dining room. note the pretty tulips!

sara also taught us to look at the color of the wine in the candlelight.

it was a wonderful evening and i learned so much. we are planning many more future collaborations, so stay tuned. and cheers to a happy weekend!

*what makes a wine organic? it is made from grapes grown on organic farms, which means no chemicals, no pesticides and no unnatural flavor enhancements. organic and sustainable wines also reduce their environmental impact during production and are said to be healthier for you. 

my stitch book.

remember this post? well, at long last, i am excited to share my latest crafty project.

a stitch book is a soft, hand-bound book (i made mine out of felt.) where you can store little pieces of fabric, old cherished buttons, pretty trim, embroidery samples and ribbons for safe keeping.

i had so much fun putting mine together. christine kindly let me dig through her huge stash of supplies, and i felt like a kid in a candy store.

i picked out vintage buttons, part of an old tape measure, and even added a place to write a special note.

i also used a whole page just to practice some stitches.

finally, on the back of the book, i made a little pocket to store a tiny knit heart. :)

it's a fairly easy project, and i am looking forward to adding to it and continuing to make it special in the years to come.

if you're interested in making one for yourself, you can buy a pdf tutorial here... or you can just come on over to my house and we'll make one together! i'll make tea. :)

multiple choice.

 

i have been a bad blogger lately. this is because:

a) i have been watching trees blossom in our neighborhood. (also known as, spying on the neighbors.) 

b) i have some exciting projects in the works. (i cannot wait to share!)

c) simon and i have been spending lots of time in quiet, beautiful maine (which often reminds me of home).

d) there are not enough hours in the day. (universe, just a couple more?)

e) i have been craving time offline.

f) i've been eating watermelon every day.

g) all of the above.

p.s. loves, i'm sorry my posts have been sporadic. the good news is i have some great things lined up for the next couple of weeks. thank you for sticking around. :) gros bisous.

(photo credit: emma louise)

happy earth day!

i've been glued to my computer lately working on some new projects, but i just wanted to pop in today and wish you all a fun weekend.

simon and i will probably end up working a lot this weekend, but i'm planning to make us mojitos later today in celebration of earth day. (the truth is, we have an abundance of fresh mint in our fridge and that seems like the most responsible way to use it.)

do any of you know of any great mojitos recipes?

(photo credit: half girl)

big, little things.

after a yoga class this morning, i confessed to a fellow teacher that i still get nervous before teaching sometimes. i finish each and every class and think to myself: "wow, i pulled it off again! phew."

he reassured me that if i love it, (which i do) i have to just accept my nerves and show up anyway.

so i've been thinking... how much of our lives is just about showing up and doing our best?

all of it, actually. right?

"we show up, burn brightly, live passionately, hold nothing back, and when the moment is over, when our work is done, we step back and let go." - rolf gates

(photo credit: xanthe berkeley)

bottoms up.

it may have been a thursday... but we didn't care. more on our organic wine tasting party coming soon! have a beautiful weekend, friends.

making a mess.

on tuesday, i drove to providence to visit one of my favorite people, christine. we spent the afternoon in her beautiful studio, rummaging through boxes of fabric, sewing things, picking out adorable buttons, listening to music, playing with her sweet baby, and talking about being brave. our goal was to make me a stitch book, and i can't wait to share the final product with you soon.

the funny thing was - i kept wanting to clean up. christine can attest, i couldn't quite handle the fact that we had covered her studio floor in thread, felt, scraps and ribbons. but half way through the project, i realized i was going to have to let go of my urge to tidy and just embrace the process.

it turns out, messy is good when you're letting your creative juices flow. and unsurprisingly, i'm finding this to be true of life in general. my journey as a yoga teacher, writer, and photographer has definitely been bumpy, messy and chaotic. but without it, i wouldn't be where i am today.

so, here's my question for you. what can you do to make a mess today? i promise it's crazy fun.


(first photo by christine chitnis)

spring showers.

it's raining buckets outside as i type this. so, while my boots dry off, i am hunkering down with some music and an old issue of frankie magazine.

here is my playlist, in case you'd like to enjoy it along with me. perfect for a rainy day.

sunny road - emiliana torrini

train song - ben gibbard & feist

one and only - teitur

devil's prey - olle nyman

mt. washington - emily wells

seeing stars - meg hutchinson

i aint leaving - mary gauthier

the great adventure - dunham van durham

better man - james morrison

(photo credit: riley salyards, painting by julie arphi)

spring rituals.

last night, i decided to start a new spring ritual... it's called "open up all the windows in the house, pour a big glass of white wine, spy on the neighbors, and eat handfuls of chocolate chips straight out of the bag."  it is highly recommended.

note: when the neighbors notice you staring at them, you have two options: smile and wave, or duck. you can guess which one i did.

wishing you lots of sunshine and warmth this weekend. 

through the window.

yesterday, it was pouring rain outside. i sat quietly in a cafe window, and watched passersby maneuver their umbrellas and step over puddles. i had a lot of other things to do, but couldn't quite bring myself to do them.

halfway through my chai, i started making up stories about how the man rushing to his car was late for a business meeting. he also wished he had listened to his wife who reminded him to grab an umbrella on his way out.

and the woman who was dragging her five year old by the hand would eventually finish her errands, then go home and realize her daughter's sneakers had been soggy for the past two hours.

suffice to say, i've always had a knack for procrastination.

today, on the other hand, is sunny and i'm checking things off my to-do list. it must be that elusive balance, right?  :)

on my bookshelf.

imagine you're sitting in your local dive bar, drinking a pitcher of beer, and a struggling indie band is rocking out in the background. in walks mark oliver everett, front man of the band eels, and he sits down and starts telling you hilarious stories about his life. this is what the grandchildren should know.

unlike a lot of memoirs, this book is painfully real at times. there is no exaggeration, no pretense, no sap. it's just an honest portrayal of one man's life, told in a witty, thoughtful and fascinating way. the style reminds me of both kurt vonnegut and nick hornby, and you don't have to be an eels fan to enjoy it. highly recommended.

back to basics.

i learned how to crack my first egg while helping my mother bake chocolate chip cookies. 
at least, this is how i remember it.  maybe it was the first time i didn't drop a piece of shell into the dough. either way, it was a cause for celebration, and the celebration involved eating lots of cookies. 

i've been baking lots of new-to-me things in our house over the past few months, but yesterday's gloomy weather called for an old favorite.

here is the recipe i used:

3 2/3 cups minus 2 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds chocolate chips (i used a mix of milk and semi-sweet)

preheat oven to 350. mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside. using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes. add eggs. stir in vanilla. reduce to low speed and add dry ingredients slowly, mixing until just combined. fold in chocolate chips.  drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. bake for 10-12 minutes.

p.s. my next trick will be learning how to crack an egg with one hand.
p.p.s. i got my lovely little cake stand here.