Laowai

I finished painting my closet. This seems trivial but it's not because every room in my started out sort of dingy and outdated. Every little part needs a refresh and a little love. And it all takes time. I bought some new knobs for my cupboards and added a rectangle of color to the cupboard doors. I feel so lucky to have a window in my closet – the light in there is great. It makes me happy.

I'm really appreciating being able to picking things in my yard and bringing them inside. Yesterday I took all the buds off my lambs ear and stuffed them in a big bowl. So pretty and so soft too.

I made rhubarb jam – the only recipe I ever buy a vanilla bean for. 

And I've started a new project. I'm painting my closet. When I painted my bedroom I didn't paint the closets and they need a refresh. I've cleared everything out, sanded and patched holes. I hope I can get it all finished and put back together before Memorial Day. Here are the before photos.

I took off a board that had hooks – it was just in the way above the cabinet. Looks like at some point there was some blue in this room.

I thought I wanted to paint this little room an interesting color but I can't seem to pick a color. Instead I might add a little character to my cupboard doors. Maybe changing the knobs and painting them to look like they have raised panels. Just something interesting to glimpse from the bedroom.

Stay tuned.

I saw a robin splashing around in my birdbath first thing this morning. Not sure why I get such a kick out of that but I do. Here are some photos from Fort Sheridan – the prairie plants are just getting started.

I got a chance to go for a walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden this morning. Aaaah so pretty!

Do you see who's perched in the middle of the photo below? The birds were so loud and happy everywhere!

Claire turned eleven this week. We celebrated with a special outing – a trip to the Friends Experience in Chicago. It's an exhibit all about Friends the TV show including recreated sets, costumes and artifacts like scripts. Somehow Claire and her friends got into watching Friends a while back so it was a perfect thing to do for her birthday. 

Balloons in the car on the way home:

Then we just celebrated as a family with birthday doughnuts and birthday cake.

The cake details – I made a big german chocolate cake from the Baked cookbook. And I made an ermine frosting from the Midwest Made cookbook. I replaced the white sugar with brown to make a sort of caramel flavored frosting. This type of frosting has become my favorite for cakes because it's light and fluffy and not too sweet. You cook flour and milk first and then add butter later. Some recipes have you cook the sugar with the flour and milk and some have you add the sugar later with the butter. It's so easy – have you tried it? The chocolate cake itself was good but I'm not sure it beats Grandma Dice's chocolate cake recipe. 

Here she is with her birthday cake. I really hope next year we will have photos of Claire and her friends without masks. I want to see those smiles!

Happy Birthday dear. 

How can it be May already? 

Here's Claire heading off to school. She will be eleven tomorrow! I still don't know what kind of cake I'll be making for her. Maybe angel food cake?

Lilac season is here!

A good oatmeal cookie recipe from Midwest Made.

I potted up some of my winter sown seeds. These are Salvia or blue sage. They are so tiny but they seem to have good strong roots. 

I bought a new (old) lamp for the basement. I needed something tall and found this vintage one made in Oregon. The wood is very pretty – it's myrtle wood – I'd never heard of it but I guess it only grows in the Pacific Northwest.

I've done a little sewing lately. I made a pair of shorts for Claire and she has actually been wearing them! I used this free pattern from Purl Soho.

And I made a summer weight robe for myself.

I was very pleased with it until Bea said the pattern looks like corona viruses (hmmmm).

The weather has been up and down but we are enjoying eating outside whenever we can. The other night it was warm enough for Brian and Claire to work on homework outside in the dark.

On to May.

Another quiet week. My girls are back to school full time now (no more remote learning days). So that makes it especially quiet. Brian is still spending endless work hours in his home office. And me, I'm just enjoying spring and looking forward to warm days ahead.

I discovered a park in our town that I had never heard of before. It's just a sliver of land that goes down to the lake but it makes a nice walk from our house.

I picked my rhubarb and made a pie. I just wish my rhubarb was a more pink variety.

I have ten globe thistle plants. I potted them into bigger containers and I hope they keep growing strong.

The Amelanchier that I planted in the fall is growing and flowering nicely.

I finished painting my garage doors. The garage still looks a little rough in this photo but it's an improvement. I'm happy with it.

Bea and Brian went down to the Shedd Aquarium today.

And last but not least. Because I needed more scallop in my life and I don't like the look of our patio table. I made a scalloped edge tablecloth.