my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week.

1. this shelf.
{because three new surfaces in this tiny apartment. more soon}.

2. this tea.

{because even though it warmed up again this week, it's still cool enough for hot tea}.

3. this home office arrangement.

{because: productivity}.

4. this new closet shelf.

{because, finally. more soon}.

5. this charcoal.

{because we finally decided to give it a shot}.

other things:
the everlane seedstich. so cozy.
this rings true.
i want one.
this is mind blowing.
this sounds delightful .

things by me in other places:
gone wild.
best made in bricks and mortar.
the lodge!
hand-forged garden tools.
world's prettiest lawn.

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wilderness gardening.

For your viewing pleasure, my sister Laura's wilderness garden.

Part magic-maker, part badass gardening guru, I'm bursting with all sorts of big sister pride over this one.

Head over to Gardenista to read Laura's tips for planting a garden in the middle of nowhere.

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two fifty: life in a tiny apartment.

If I were to give a simple tip about making a small apartment bathroom appear larger, I'd say use a clear shower curtain liner instead of a fussy curtain. Seeing through a clear liner keeps things open and bright and doesn't make a tiny room appear tinier.

But not everything can be so simple.

Think of this less as a tip and more as an entreaty. A hope for a public forum wherein each of you weigh in on the Great Shower Curtain Debate so that I might finally make a decision and move on.

What, pray tell, do you do about your shower curtains?

In our tiny apartment, with a bathroom that is only as wide as our bathtub is long, I've been relying on clear plastic shower liners since we moved in. Mostly this system works well, but every 6 months or so, the curtain needs a change. The soap scum builds up, the bottom edge blackens, no amount of scrubbing gets it clean and I cave and buy a new one and offer up my mea culpa's to the Earth. I know I should probably overlook the mold and soap scum and suck it up for the sake of the planet, but I can't get past the gross-out factor.

This past weekend I bought a clear plastic liner from the local hardware store. Yes, instead of buying the nominally better eco shower curtain I've been using, I went to the store that's two blocks away and filled my home with a toxic version instead. No amount of vinegar or tea tree oil remedied the odor. Just rewards.

All of this got me to researching. What's the most eco-friendly approach to shower curtains, that's not also gross? These seem to be the options:

• Clear eco shower curtain liner {Still adds an awful lot of plastic to the landfill}.
• Duck cotton shower curtain {I'm afraid of shrinkage and mildew and a heavy haul to the laundromat}.
• Hemp shower curtain {They're purported to resist mildew, but they're pricey}.
• Cheapy cotton curtain {Still afraid of shrinking and mildew, but would be a lighter load than duck cotton}.
• Washable polyester shower curtain {Might be less prone to shrinkage and stand up better in the wash}.

So, what's a girl to do? More importantly, what do you do?

{Disclosure: I used affiliate links throughout this piece, read more here}.

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talking sweet to cast iron pans, and other things.

Cooking on a cast iron skillet can sometimes feel like being in an a relationship with a volatile friend. Most of the time the relationship is lovely and wonderful and then suddenly it sours and everything gets ruined. Okay, not everything, but definitely that frittata.

At my sister's house the cast iron skillets play a role that's closer to doting elderly aunt. The cast irons are hulking, gleaming things. My sister and her husband don't have to wipe them down with oil or whisper loving words to them. They just perform like the work horses they are.

But even if we've had tempestuous moments in the past, I'm proud to say that lately things with our cast iron skillets have evened out a bit. We've seasoned and seasoned again, we still coddle them with good oil-y rub, and one day soon, I swear I'll be brave enough to fry eggs in them without fear of catastrophe.

Here, a few tips:

Season. Even if your pan says its pre-seasoned, season anyway. Coat that thing with as much oil or vegetable shortening or grease as you can stomach, put it in the oven with a large cooking sheet underneath it, and let it cook at low heat for a good long time. Longer than you think. If you don't let it cook for long enough you risk a sticky mess. Burn, baby, burn.

Scrub, sans soap. Washing a pan without soap feels kind of creepy until you work really hard to season it, and then you'll never let a drop touch the thing. Hot water, a little bit of coarse salt and a scrub brush should be all you need to get off any burned bits.

Rub down. The trouble with giving a pan an olive oil rub down is the mess. We don't keep paper towels in our house, so a disposable option is out. Lately I've been using the same rag throughout the week and stowing it in a glass jar in between swipes. Less oily mess in the hamper, less questionably hygienic use of bath tissue..


 

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my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week.

1. this fern.
{for still being alive post vacation}.

2. this bee's wrap.
{for keeping things fresh, sans plastic}.

3. this candle.
{because going without a good candle for awhile makes the pleasure of a new one all the sweeter}.

4. this peanut butter toast. 
{because i'm on a pb toast kick}.

5. these magazines. 
{because i'm working on a story for gardenista. and they are delightful. more soon}.

other things:
i adore this idea.
dream dress.
dream jeans.
these three.

things by me in other places:
ready, set, forage.
sip on this.
i'm trying to convince james he needs this.
activism in the lettuce bed.
water from a stone.
seafood.

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two fifty: life in a tiny apartment.

At the risk of being a culturally insensitive boor, let me say that spending some time in a canvas tipi in the middle of the Wallowa Mountains of eastern Oregon has helped me put our tiny place into perspective. With a shower and a tub and sink and toilet mere steps away from a stove and refrigerator, the modern conveniences we enjoy in our apartment are impressive by any measure, regardless of their close proximity. We are spoiled rotten by the comfort of our bed. Not to mention a couch, which is large enough for two even if it does require lacing our legs together pretzel-style to fit comfortably. Have I mentioned the fact that we enjoy four different light switches and their accompanying lights?

I'm not bashing tipis—mobility! firepits! a view of the stars!—but I am saying that even tiny apartments have a lot in the way of comfort that I'd be wise not to take for granted.

What about you? What's the one modern convenience in your apartment that would be hardest for you to live without?

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silver and green: the oregon coast.

Anyone who tells you that the Oregon coast is always gloomy lacks experience, or at the very least, imagination.

When the sun's not shining golden, the sky glows silver instead, offering the senses a whole different brand of magic.

We're back in Brooklyn now, missing the crash of the waves and the heavy sureness of the salt air, but trying our best to institute the habits we relearned on our vacation into our life here: more breakfast, less coffee; more books, less time in front of a screen; more moving, less standing still.

More about our west coast adventure, soon.

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v-a-c-a-tion.

 
Every once in a while it's good to disappear. To pull on your coziest fleece, to tie on your sneakers, to escape into the woods or underneath the covers or anywhere that gives you a rest from the sameness of your usual days. If nothing else, disappearing reminds you that your usual days don't really have to be so usual. For the past week, James and I have been exploring the Oregon coast from our perch at my brother-in-law's family beach house. There have been checkers played with beach stones, big pots of fresh tomato sauce on the stove, breathless hikes, and foggy, spruce-filled forests.

If you'd like to follow along, I've been posting instagrams when I've been able to find a signal. If not, I'll be back in this space next week. Refreshed, renewed, and ready to begin again with more breaks for reading good books and beating James at board games.

Cheers to disconnecting.

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summer fruits and veg.

It never feels like summer has fully arrived until there are field tomatoes and peaches at the market. The tomatoes are gnarled and bulbous and leaking with ripeness; so ugly they're beautiful. The peaches are like fuzzier, softer tennis balls; the perfect size for the palm of your hand.

On Sundays, there's a new farmers' market in town. If you're in the neighborhood, Down to Earth markets has gathered a tiny group of farmers to sell their goods at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Fresh meats and veg to enjoy on the grill? Sounds like a perfect match to me.

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