It’s November! Pause for a second and let that blow your mind. Also, momentarily freak out about having less than 8 weeks until Christmas and then remember you have almost 8 weeks and Amazon so there’s nothing to worry about.
Read MoreToday, we’re introducing “looks we like,” a line up of some things that caught our eye, including beauty tutorials, fashion finds, new hair-dos, home decor, diy projects, and so much more! And since it’s October, we’re throwing in some fun costume ideas, so check that out below.
Read MoreWe’re changing up our Saturdays here on Beneath the Crust. Instead of just this & that each week, we’ll rotate through a few different series: Recipe Roundup, Looks We Like, This & That, and Mixed Media. We figure this way we can incorporate a broader range of interests and material.
Read MoreI’m not a very decisive person. I overthink everything. It’s stressful and unproductive. Maybe it would make sense if I had a position of high risk. But that’s not my life. My setting is the toothpaste aisle in the grocery store; my conflict is what to cook for the week; my nemesis is picking a restaurant for date night. The paradox is that I’m also a big planner. Lists give my days structure and my life meaning. The problem is when I’m trying to pick the best toothpaste or plan the most cost-effective meal plan or figure out exactly which food I’m craving most. All the options and variables collect in my head until I nearly explode. And then how often everything ends in disappointment…! The toothpaste doesn’t make my teeth sparkle white, meal plan gets thrown off, the restaurant doesn’t live up to expectations.
Read MoreToday my bread rose up into the puffiest plumpest little loaf you ever did see. It’s the third time I’ve made this recipe (easiest softest white bread) and it has turned out differently each time.
Read MoreWhen a kid's birthday approaches, I can't help brainstorming cake ideas. And something about kids just demands that it be a shaped or themed cake. To me, at least. I can't help it! I wonder if an old family photo of my older brother grinning behind a sprawling cake train has anything to do with it. Very likely.
Read MoreWe were watching the latest season of Chef's Table. The first episode came to a close, the credits began rolling, Noah turns to me and says: "I want that cake for my birthday."
Game on.
Read MoreWe're halfway into this year. Crazy! That also puts me halfway through my new year's resolution to read 26 books. Or, it should. After setting my challenge, I figured I should read two books a month and then divide the two leviathans (I'm looking at you, Ulysses and Infinite Jest) into "manageable" monthly portions. Halfway through the year, I've read ten books, am on target for Infinite Jest, and about a month behind in Ulysses. Phew!
Read MoreThe news has gotten me down this week. The suicides of two hugely successful people makes my heart ache wondering what interior sadness or despair they were carrying. Without turning their tragedies into occasions for commentary or morals-of-the-story, can we still at least appreciate together how a person’s inner life can be so little known even to those closest? May we be compelled to bolster those around us with our love, and to strive to fortress ourselves with true inner peace.
(There’s really no graceful segue into a bunch of relatively trivial links, but isn’t that often the way the transition from reflection and prayer into daily life goes?)
Have a great weekend! Don’t forget to plan out ways to celebrate your husband/dad/grandpa for Fathers Day (and share any ideas you might have, please and thank you!)
Read MoreVisiting the Florida Keys, particularly Key West, particularly Hemingway's Home, has been on my bucket list for ages. After nine years of stalling, we finally decided to make the trip with some friends over Memorial Day weekend. We were doing this! The decision was made. We booked a hotel on Key West. And then...murmurings of a less-than pleasant forecast for the weekend began to emerge. Tropical Storm. Possible Hurricane. High winds. 100% chance of precipitation. Probably blinding rain. Some likelihood of water spouts. Maybe tornados.
Read MoreJune! When did that happen? (Also, does commenting on the rapid passage of time ever become old? It just always seems surprising!)
"Summer" takes on a whole new meaning in Houston. Unrelenting heat and humidity means fewer opportunities for outside play, a lot of watermelon, and pool time every day. We're still learning how to shape our days to beat the heat.
Read MoreI remember, when the second Batman film came out, how everyone was struck by the depiction of pure evil in the character of the Joker. My dad, a philosopher often throwing a wrench in the common consensus, commented on how that’s not what evil really looks like. It’s a glorification of evil, he would say. Real evil in the world is far less spectacular, far more, if you will, innocuous.
Read MoreHappy mother's day to all you mamas out there! I hope your tomorrow is lovely. And if you're not a mom, happy mother's day to your mother! I hope you call her, at the very least.
Mother's Day is a funny balance of being appreciated for what you do as a mother and just wanting a day off from being a mother. Oh I'm kidding of course. Or am I? I find it to be a tricksy kind of day. I've got some Mother's Day musings coming. Stay tuned.
For now, join us for some Saturday morning reading, Mother's Day edition!
Read MoreWe're in Columbus, Ohio this weekend for a family wedding so I haven't had as much time to gather good links, but I've got a couple to get you through your Saturday breakfast. Speaking of, do you have Saturday breakfast traditions? In my house, it's sweet breakfast on Saturday (pancakes, waffles, crepes, etc) and savory on Sunday (breakfast sandwiches/burritos, omelettes, etc.) Everyone is satisfied ... although that's not too tough in a house full of people who really love breakfast food. Anyway, whatever you're eating, here are some links to get you through!
Read MoreLast weekend of April! Visions of pools and sunshine and long summer days are starting to look like more of a future reality than a mere pipe dream. Have you all started to plan out your summers yet? Do you like to stick close to home or fill your days with camps and outings and vacations? We're in the middle of house hunting and a big part of me wants a pool because I'm definitely more of a home body. Also I'm 30 weeks pregnant and Texas summers are hot and heavy - a lethargy-inducing combo. The idea of lounging pool side all summer is obsessing me almost as much my craving for chocolate.
We've got a bunch of great links this week so grab your coffee, tea, or whatever you drink to kick off your Saturday and join us!
Read MoreAnother week, another collection of this & that links for your (hopefully) quiet, peaceful Saturday morning. Some weeks seem to trudge by at a vengefully slow pace, don't they? This one passed in a blink for me. Either way the weekend comes as a welcome reprieve. Kick it off with some light internet reading!
This weekend is a busy one over here at Beneath the Crust. Maria is off in California hiking with a childhood friend (at 28 weeks pregnant, mind you)! Her energy and commitment to staying active is truly remarkable. If you missed it before, here's a crash course in Maria's approach to fitness.
Read MoreIf you've noticed how quiet we've been this week, it's because we're all a little burned out by Easter preparation. It doesn't seem to matter how well I schedule my time or how much I do ahead of time, when the day after Easter rolls around I. am. beat. All I want to do is sit and read and eat jelly beans. (Which is a little what I did.) This week has been a good decompress, but it's time to get back to normal - meal plans, grocery lists, dinners more involved and nutritious than mac and cheese. But I'll take full advantage of the weekend first. :)
Read MoreAs you'll notice from the links below, we're kind of obsessive about holiday baking. The list of links for this week could easily have been solely food interests. And even still, we really had to hold ourselves back!
For us, holidays sort of completely revolve around food. It's not a celebration unless the feast is decadent. In some ways, it can pose a problem, like when we overstretch ourselves, or when we are consumed with food preparation and forget to enjoy the company of our family and friends. But in so many more ways, the centrality of food in celebration is a good thing, a great thing. It creates a sense of history and tradition (especially when you begin to associate certain foods with certain celebrations--Sophie has some great thoughts on this subject). It can be a way to connect with your cultural heritage.
Read More