Adjusting to the Light

(kinerific’s photostream via Flickr)

Hey! Hi! I’m still here! And thanks, thanks, thanks to those of you who’ve said you missed Shiny Brite.

It means a lot.

Turns out the hiatus I announced in January was a little longer than I thought it might be…. 2012 has thrown all sorts of big-time curve balls at me. Like, is there ANYplace to hide curve balls. But, you know what, 2012?

I haven’t given up on you yet.

This post is about what’s been going on. And going down. And it’s a lot. Things will lighten up around here, though, and get back to normal — don’t worry.

Still. Here it is.

***

Funny how things stick in your brain. Just lodge themselves there, for your subconscious to pull up as needed.

“Losing love is like a window in your heart; everybody sees you’re blown apart” — Paul Simon. “Graceland.”

The title of this post, too. It’s what I’ve been doing — adjusting to a new way of being.

Then there’s this:

“Feel my earth turn over darlin’ till I’m rootless and unbound.” — Bonnie Raitt.

Newer still, from Florence + the Machine:

“Leave all your love and your longing behind; you can’t carry it with you if you want to survive.”

Adjusting to the light.

It’s not just the now that’s new and strange — it’s the looking back.

History seems questionable; memories look different.

Lots of uncertainty and moving parts, but the heart of the matter is clear:

Jasper + Magnolia. Jasper + Magnolia. Jasper + Magnolia.

They are here — real and present and wonderfully demanding.

There is only forward motion, with them at the center. There is no looking back.

Currently Obsessed with…. Butter London and Shabby Apple

From left: Bossy Boots, Disco Biscuit, Knackered, Slapper, and Trout Pout.

On this Friday afternoon, I give you…. Thoughts of spring and summer — they will come, one way or another.

On my mind: Butter London’s Spring 2012 nail colors. I could do with a happy shot of one of those (I’m thinking Disco Biscuit, that fab hot pink.)

And this adorable swimsuit — a bikini, no less! — from Shabby Apple. It’s only $26.

Cockatoo Island Bikini

$26!

You’re welcome.

Last: a quote I’ve found enormously helpful lately. And I’m not really a quote-y type. I came across it while working on a freelance editorial project recently for Parenting.com:

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” — Jill Churchill

As my friend Amy says, RIGHT ON.

Happy weekend, mamas.

 

Time to Hit Pause

Time to hit pause here at Shiny Brite — I hope (think!) it will be a short one, but I’ll have to see how things shake out here in the next little bit.

Mmm, hmmm.

We had an awesome month of December, so thanks for finding us and for reading! It makes me feel better to know you’re there.

Here’s a little something for you today: The Best Beaches for Families, via Parents.com

More to come. Just don’t know when.

Keep an eye out!

XO

– Melisa

Have Yourselves a Merry Little Christmas!

Hope Santa brings you everything you want. Really. Everything.

Merry Christmas, y’all!

 

December 17 – 18: Weekend Links for Brooklyn Mamas

{photo via Peony / Melbourne}

Merry Almost-Christmas!

Holy crap, it’s almost here.

On my mind:

Good news — someone ELSE is cleaning my house this morning! And if you live in New York City, they can be cleaning yours, too. And you can pay with a credit card, no need to make sure you have cash on hand. And you can book online and they won’t cancel on you at the last minute. Call MyClean.

I don’t think I can make it through the holiday without some beautiful, perfect macarons from Laduree, now in NYC — must try to make it there this week, despite the fact that a friend went and had to wait in line an hour…. I’m thinking this can be avoided if I get there when they open — 9am Monday through Saturday, 10am on Sunday.

Speaking of cookies, I want to make these SmitKit gingersnaps.

And speaking of NYC, did you hear Gwyneth + Goop launched the first of their city guides this week, and of course it was NYC? Buy it as the app store.

Have fun buying, wrapping, baking, and eating!

It’ll be time for the fat man to come to town before you know it.

{photo: Peony / Melbourne}

‘Tis the Season for Holiday Prep

This ginger-y, lemon-y cake = holiday goodness. (photo by Lisa Hubbard)

Things are moving into full swing around here now that it’s December:

* the Christmas cards are here and ready to be addressed.

* the tree is en route in the mail (yep, we order it for delivery to our home).

* the kids have been to see Santa at Macy’s (surprisingly manageable, really).

* the stockings and decorations, including Groovy Dancing Santa, have been unearthed from the depths of the storage space (thanks, babe!).

* I’m getting ready to make a personalized Santa video for the kids via PNP, Portable North Pole. We did this last year and it *blew* their minds. (It is very cool.)

* and the holiday bake-fest is on.

So far we’ve made:

* dark chocolate almond clusters with sea salt

* chocolate chip cookies with sea salt (both salty finds via This Homemade Life). Couldn’t decide which chips would be best to use, so I divided the batter into three batches and tried semi-sweet, milk, and butterscotch. After serious methodical sampling — hey, somebody had to do it — I have to say I liked the milk chocolate the best. The salt is a great foil for the sweeter chocolate.

* this super-awesome gingerbread cake with lemon curd and whipped cream. Made the house smell great! And the kids loved it. Via the December Bon Appetit.

Happy Holiday Prep, mamas!

Related:

Cutest Christmas Tree Skirts for 2011

7 Recipes for a Perfect Holiday Trifle

Cute Paperless Holiday E-Cards

 

November 19 – 20: Weekend Links for Brooklyn Mamas

Nan Goldin's Scopophilia at Matthew Marks

Nan Goldin's Scopophilia at Matthew Marks

Yesterday, I went to see the new Nan Goldin exhibition at the Matthew Marks Gallery in West Chelsea. Goldin, who lives in Paris now, was invited to photograph works of art at will in the Louvre, with total museum access on Tuesdays, when the institution is closed to the public, over a period of eight months. With the help of a French friend and a ladder for height, she took thousands of photographs — and then paired them with images from the span of her career.

Can you imagine? Free access to the Louvre?!

The result is sensual, absorbing, stirring — some photographs are even (for Goldin) oddly sweet. And, as is often the case with her exhibited work, there’s a satisfying slideshow as well. When you have a day in the city without the kids, head on over to see the wonderfulness before it closes, on December 23rd.

Here’s what The New York Times had to say about Scopophilia (translation: the “love of looking.”)

And for the kids this weekend? Oh, right — the damn kids. Two ideas, both via Mommy Poppins, so click through for the deets:

* The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens — it opens this weekend; beat the crowds and get your brood in there early.

* Junior Detective Day (Saturday) at the New York City Police Museum. Sounds way cool.

And now, more for mom — because, really, can there be enough to keep a mama happy?

My Friday pick-me-ups:

OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark, voted one of the best dark nail polishes of 2011 by In Style, on my nails. Get outta muh way, people.

Dark purple-y fun for your nails.

A chocolate cherry cupcake from Billy’s Bakery. Gulp, all gone. Sssweet.

Gwyneth Paltrow is on Facebook and Twitter now. And I feel better knowing that. I hope you do, too. (She’s in Beijing, right now, in case you were wondering.) That, and I am totally grooving on Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto (say what you will — in a rare turn, I side with the masses on this one.) See a video for one of the tracks, Paradise, on their site or on YouTube.

Last: This fall picture I took in the city yesterday.

Color me blue. And purple. Lots of purple.

Hope there are many, many little treats, pick-me-ups, and pockets of happiness in your weekend.

See you back here next week!

Recipe of the Week: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Marinated Gigante Bean Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Summer’s over, but we’re still making this light, lemony, garlicky salad and loving it. Don’t have gigante beans? Use butter beans or cannellini beans instead. No watercress in your fridge? Use any kind of greens or serve over sauteed spinach.

One note: Marinating the beans in olive oil, garlic, and scallions (or chives) for several hours before preparing is a key step in the recipe and makes a big difference in flavor. So do that earlier in the day and then assemble later for dinner — it’s fast and easy. And delish.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Marinated Gigante Bean Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Watercress.

What else is cooking:

Pork Shoulder Ragu

Spicy Veggie Burritos

Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze

 

 

 

November 5 – 6: Weekend Links for Brooklyn Mamas

Tea time! (photo by Leslie Kalohi)

Thanks to Halloween, jury duty, and some fun new freelance ventures, I’ve had precious little time to blog this week. But I’m pulling my crap together today to get something short and sweet out — since I know there are, like, three of you sitting on the edge of your seats out there wondering, “God, when are they going to post again?!”

Well, my dears, here you go.

It’s pricey — $25 a kid — but dying to take the kids to this DIY (but with the help of a NYC chef) Yummy Tea Time Party at lovely DUMBO shop Pomme tomorrow. (Reserve a spot by email.)

Can’t wait to make tracks to the new space for the Children’s Museum of the Arts. Looks awesome.

On tap to cook this weekend — gotta knock out the last CSA squash for the season — is Mark Bittman’s Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Bacon. If you’re looking to take down a lurker squash or two at your house, I recommend these Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes and Squash — made them last night and yum, yum. The balsamic vinegar adds a ton of flavor. One other late-breaking idea, from a friend I just had lunch with: Butternut Squash Risotto. This one, a Chez Panisse recipe, looks good.

I’m also eyeing this chili, from the fine folks over at Dinner: A Love Story.

Happy cooking, eating, socializing, wine drinking, kid wrangling weekend!

(flickr photo: Leslie Kalohi / never cool in school)

Happy Halloween! Weekend Links for Brooklyn Mamas

Boo! at the BBG.

How it is that I’ve been a Brooklyn mom for the last seven Halloweens and never been to the Botanic Garden’s Ghouls & Gourds seasonal kid-fest, I do not know. But tomorrow I’ll right that wrong by putting the kids in their costumes (Darth Vader and “pink” Batgirl, in case you were wondering) and heading over for some fun, rain or shine. On tap: dancing, music, crafts, big puppets, books and authors, and the garden’s pretty fall colors.

Other fall random-ness:

* 6 Yummy Soups

* Pear Cranberry and Gingersnap Crumble from Smitten Kitchen

* An over-priced but possibly irresistible little lounge-y chemise from Anthro that I can totally see myself padding around the house in this autumn. Mmm-hmmm.

* And…. Last: A little bit of life wisdom from working mom SJP — “The firsts go away — first love, first baby, first kiss. You have to create new ones.”

Keep it real, people. Keep it new, keep it fresh, keep it fun.

Go love life this weekend.

Meet you back here next week.