Friday Love

Published on August 30, 2013January 25, 2016 by poolepartyof52 Comments

I am thrilled to share that Poole Party of 5 is featured on Assemble Shop & Studio’s website today! Andie Powers interviewed me as their Favorite Friday Friend today!

I used to work with Andie Powers years ago at Paper Source and always respected her talent and vision. We ran into each other at Alt Summit this summer and I got to meet her business partner, Emily Grosse. I had been following these ladies ventures for awhile, but it was so wonderful to get reconnected in real time. I am in awe of all that Andie and Emily are up to on Assemble and beyond. The ladies recently completed a kickstarter campaign and are definitely moving and grooving with lots of cool projects on the horizon. Go check them out!!

Click here to see the Poole Party of 5 interview: Assemble Shop and Studio: Favorite Friend Friday: Lesley Poole of Poole Party of 5

Thanks so much to Andie and Emily for the feature! I can’t think of a more fun and inspiring spot to be featured than Assemble.

Lucky

Published on August 25, 2013 by poolepartyof5Leave a comment

Tomorrow is my 36th birthday and I just feel so, so very lucky in my life. “I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend. Lucky to have been where I have been. Lucky to be coming home again…” (Lucky by Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat) My best friend realized that the best gift he could give me this year was a morning to myself. As I was out running, this song came on and I couldn’t get over how appropriate the lyrics feel to me right here, right now. Hope you enjoy it too!

Click below to hear Lucky by Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat

Lyrics to Lucky

Do you hear me? I’m talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I’m trying

Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooh ooh ooh

They don’t know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I’ll wait for you I promise you, I will

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again

Lucky we’re in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I’m sailing through the sea
To an island where we’ll meet
You’ll hear the music fill the air
I’ll put a flower in your hair

Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you’re all I see
As the world keeps spinning ’round
You hold me right here, right now

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again

I’m lucky we’re in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh, ooh

Book Bags and Goldilocks

Published on August 22, 2013 by poolepartyof51 Comment

Can you smell the pencils being sharpened? Yep, it’s that season again. The start of school is around the corner. This always brings feelings of excitement and nostalgia for me. Have you done your back-to-school preparations yet? We’re part-way there, but I got distracted when a custom request for a preschool book bag came my way. Then I realized that Duncan could use a little newness to start his year off right!

My quest for the perfect “preschool book bag” has been a bit like Goldilocks searching for the perfect chair:

too big… too small… just right…

Last year’s bags (Book Bag Fever) got the boys through the year, but improvements were needed. As time wore on and washings were necessary, the bags required some maintenance and a few of the fabrics didn’t hold up as nicely as I would have liked.

Lessons learned…

I’ve brushed up on my tote-making skills this year with a few amazing classes at make*do*mend, a wonderful sewing studio in Ballard, run by the lovely and talented Keli Faw. First, Keli is wonderful – she is just someone you want to know. I guarantee you will want to move in to the comfortable and hip crafting space Keli has created! If you are in the Seattle area and curious about sewing – take an intro class! Or, if you already sew, but want a little community – go to their open sewing times!
My favorite bag from last year’s selection was the Kokka Elephants, so I learned that using a little heavier weight fabric works a bit better than quilting cottons for an unlined tote. It happens that the fabric I am using this year is also a Kokka fabric that I purchased last year without a clear plan in mind, but look for any home decor weight fabric, or canvas.
Handles were another source of frustration. I didn’t love how my fabric handles became wrinkly over the course of the year. A much better solution is cotton webbing for a durable and attractive handle.
And lastly, thank goodness for Pinterest, where my friend, Adriane, happened to pin a fantastic simple tote tutorial by Purl Bee. Purl Bee has a tutorial for The 20-minute Tote that just might be “preschool book bag” perfection (as well as many other uses)! I love this tutorial. Although it took me a little longer than 20-minutes, the instructions are clear and all worked according to plan!

I’m really excited to think we’ve got a winner to start Duncan’s preschool year off just right. Duncan is excited because his new school bag is blue and has “race cars”. Thankfully my preschool age audience isn’t too picky (about some things at least)!

Brie and Fig Jam Panini

Published on August 15, 2013 by poolepartyof53 Comments

So often I look at a project I have completed in the past and think to myself, “Okay, I’ve done that. Now how could I do it better next time?” I think this is part of the creative process. We are always looking at things and wondering how they could be improved. (You’ll see more on that in a few weeks when I look at my pickle making process.)

But this week, I’d like to stop and say that last year I made loads of delicious fig jam. Admittedly, fig is my favorite fruit preserve. It just really makes me happy. I made lots of it because the year before I ran out. This year, I am not making one change to that recipe. Shoot, I lied. One teeny change… (I cut the figs into eight pieces instead of four pieces this year) But it really is perfect just the way it is. No (read: very little) improvement necessary! So, you are welcome to look at last year’s recipe for fig preserves in my post called Ambrosia (here). I really do think you should try it… it could change your life.

But, since I still want to offer you something new today, here is my favorite thing to do with fig jam, as mentioned in Ambrosia.

Brie, Salami and Fig Jam Panini

yield: makes one sandwich

ingredients

bread (sourdough, ciabatta roll, whatever you like)

4-5 slices of salami

3-4 slices of brie

Good amount of fig jam slathered on one side of the sandwich

Throw it all together. Place in a panini maker or grill on the stove, like your favorite grilled cheese.

Voila!

A sophisticated, savory sweet sandwich that borders on heavenly. I find that this is a wonderful lunch to make at home with the kids, as it is easy to pull together and make right alongside their traditional grilled cheese. Add a simple salad and it also makes for a nice light dinner!

Enjoy!

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Published on August 11, 2013 by poolepartyof5Leave a comment

The kids picked out peaches this week and we decided to make ice cream. When the weather is warm, who doesn’t like a little ice cream to cool things down? We have an ice cream maker that we have owned for years, but only recently discovered how easy ice cream can be! In only a few steps we were ready for a little weeknight ice cream social!

We adapted a recipe from our Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipe Booklet for fresh strawberry ice cream and used peaches instead. This ice cream is best made when peaches are at their peak of freshness – this ice cream is light, sweet and fruity!

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Makes about 5 cups (ten 1/2-cup servings)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, pits removed and cut in half

3/4 cup whole milk

2/3 cup granulated sugar

pinch salt

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Put peach halves into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse peaches until rough/finely chopped (depending on preference). Reserve in bowl.

2. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Stir in reserved peaches with all the juices. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Turn on your ice cream maker and follow instructions for your maker. For our Cuisinart ice cream maker that means, pouring the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

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Dill Green Beans

Published on August 7, 2013 by poolepartyof51 Comment

Pickled beans have always been a favorite of mine. I remember once when I was about 12, we went to a silent auction and the only thing I wanted to bid on, besides a flourescent pink ski parka, were the pickled green beans. I remember savoring that jar of beans. Weird how those memories can stay with you. Anyway, since then I have been pickling my own green beans and am excited to share my favorite recipe with you! This recipe comes from one of my favorite canning books, Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for the Modern Kitchen by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler. I have mentioned this book before, because it is one of my favorites for a quick and dirty lesson on canning and the recipes included both capture the traditional as well as the innovative.

Since time is short and summer is busy, we’re going to get right down to it today. We grew green beans in our garden again this year. They are doing well, but I did need to supplement with more beans from the store. If you have never pickled, this is an excellent recipe to begin your canning adventure with. It is incredibly easy and the only part that takes any time at all is trimming the beans. It is so easy and you will be very happy once you have tried this project… Your bloody mary recipe will thank you as well.

Dilly Beans

yield: approximately 4 pint (500 mL) jars

4 cups white vinegar

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 cups water

3 tablespoons kosher salt

4 pounds green beans, trimmed to fit in jars

Per Jar:

3 dill sprigs or 1 dill head

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seed

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

Prepare canning water, jars, and lids.

In a large steel saucepan, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve salt.

Place dill, garlic, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in each hot jar. Pack the beans in tightly.

Pour boiling brine over the beans, leaving 1/2 inch headspace and making sure the beans are covered in liquid. Check for air bubbles, wipe the rims, and seal.

Process for 10 minutes in water bath, adjusting for elevation.

A few more tips: Remember that canning is about preserving great produce, so can with the best ingredients you can find. When packing jars for pickling, pack the jars as tightly as possible, without bruising produce, as the liquid will make everything float and ingredients will shift around. Canning, especially if you are just beginning, is always more fun with a friend or two. Use this project as the excuse to get together with a like-minded friend! The act of having a project to do together always takes away the guilt I feel when just getting together with someone for coffee and a much-needed catch up. That may not be your hang up, but it is one of mine.

Happy Pickling!

Author Note: You might notice that one of these jars has carrots in it. That is another quick tip. If you have extra jars all ready to go, give your fridge a quick look to see if anything else in there could stand to be pickled! Fun way to experiment with new combinations. Also, this project happened in a post-bedtime burst of productivity, so the photos are not perfect. These projects happen when they can happen in my life, so that’s the way it goes! Hope it still inspires you to create!

Block Party

Published on August 5, 2013August 7, 2013 by poolepartyof54 Comments

Neighbor: neigh·bor /ˈnābər/

Noun

A person living near or next door to the speaker or person referred to.

There is a house near us that has children a few years older than our own. For months my husband has been encouraging me to knock on the door to meet this family. For whatever reason, I had resisted. I was feeling shy, or just wasn’t sure how to connect. I have found myself feeling a bit bolder as a result of the conference I attended a few weeks ago (possibly because I was talking non-stop to strangers for 36 hours). This past week, I saw the family unloading their car from some fun summer activity and I turned my car around and stopped. I crossed the street and said “hello”. I introduced myself and asked if any of their kids might be interested in being a mother’s helper for us. They were all incredibly nice and friendly. I learned that this family has chickens, which is glorious, because now I don’t need chickens. (My kids are obsessed with getting chickens.) Now they can go and hang with the chickens at our neighbor’s house! I don’t know where this relationship will go. We gave them apricot jam and they gave us a bowl of fresh eggs. But, I am so glad I stopped and said “hello”. Sometimes, all it takes is stepping outside one’s comfort zone and being a little bolder than normal.

Community: com·mu·ni·ty /kəˈmyo͞onitē/

Noun

A group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership: “a community of nuns”.
All the people living in a particular area or place: “local communities”.

As I have mentioned a few times this year (okay, maybe a few dozen times), our oldest will start kindergarten this fall. I feel the typical growing pains associated with this transition; nervous, excited and a teensy bit anxious. But, I have also begun to feel confident. Confident that the community we have chosen to live will help with this process. This is a pretty new feeling for me and I find it really exciting. We moved two years ago to the town where we live with the themes of “community” and “education” in mind. And over the past few years of living in this place, we have grown to feel more and more comfortable.

Randomly, on multiple days this week, a “suspicious individual” has been spotted discreetly snapping photos of children playing at a local elementary school playground. Obviously this is a creepy situation that no one would like to see occur near your home or progress to something worse. But instead of quietly stewing, parents called the police after spotting this guy and another parent sent out an email to alert friends of these strange incidents. I heard about it, but didn’t expect much follow-up. In the last few days, I have received at least five forwards of this original email alert from other sources within my community. Our police department has been taking this threat seriously and patrols the parks more regularly. In a different frame of mind, I could get pretty paranoid about this. But, from this negative event, I feel the strength within the community where we live. I hate the idea of anyone dangerous being anywhere near our children, but I find myself feeling hopeful as I see that this community truly cares for our children’s safety.

By speaking up and making sure that people know to be on the look-out, we are seeing community in action. This is exactly what I hoped for in choosing a community to raise my family. I realized today that I am putting my trust in this community. I will still send my child to kindergarten in less than a month. The alternative is staying in at home all day and night with the doors locked and starting to home-school come September. I see that children are still playing in these parks, but eyes are open and people are talking.

August 6th is Seattle Night Out, an event “designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, increase neighborhood support in anti-crime efforts, and unite our communities.” (http://www.seattle.gov/police/nightout/whatis.htm) This block-party type event is the perfect time to get together with neighbors and get to know one another! If your block doesn’t do this yet, start this year! You can find out more information and register your event with the Seattle Police Department here. We used to celebrate this annual event in our old neighborhood, and I am going to take my newfound boldness and make sure that we start doing it in our new neighborhood.

The Dalai Lama said recently, “A compassionate community will not be achieved only through prayer; I pray myself, but I accept its limitations. We need to take action to develop compassion, to create inner peace within ourselves and to share that inner peace with our family and friends. Peace and warm-heartedness can then spread through the community just as ripples radiate out across the water when you drop a pebble into a pond.”

Community can come in many forms. It can be people in close proximity to one another or a group of people you feel a connection with. It can be people with whom you share interests or activities. It can be family. The important part is connection. It is easy to live anonymously these days – technology makes this even easier. But, our lives are less full when human connection is missing. I want this connection for all of us. To live in places and in ways that people speak up, smile, and offer help to one another. We are all better for it.

Author note (added 8/7/13): Sometimes it is necessary to admit momentary defeat… I wasn’t able to pull a block party together on our block this year, but there’s always next year! On this particular day we just had one too many activities and we all benefitted from a quiet night at home. That was just the right choice for the day. Happy Summer!!

Apricot Jam (3 intriguing ways!)

Published on July 29, 2013January 25, 2016 by poolepartyof52 Comments

So, (surprise, surprise) things don’t seem to be slowing down around here! Despite the fact it is summer, we just seem to have more things we want to see, do, and eat! We were at the farmer’s market last Sunday and I noticed that apricots are in season. For some reason I thought it would be later! Well, the guy said it was time, so we bought 25 pounds of apricots. As I look back at the blog though, this is the exact same time as last year. I posted Apricot Rosemary Jam on July 25th, so I guess we are right on schedule! Between the time we bought them and when we made the jam, we ate a whole lot of apricots and also took out the pits… and were left with approximately 12 pounds of apricots. So, we made four small batches of jam!

As pleased as I was with the interesting herbal quality of the Apricot Rosemary Jam, I wanted to try something new this year. One of my other favorites from last year was the Heirloom Tomato Basil Jam, but I didn’t love how long that recipe took to make. So, this year, I decided to try Apricot-Basil Jam to try to get the best of both worlds. As I mentioned in last year’s post, apricot jam is one of my favorites because it retains so much brightness in the flavor. It is also very, very easy. The prep is simple and quick and those are all important elements for those of us who enjoy preserving, but don’t have loads of time. This is a fruit worth preserving!

I also happened upon a great magazine this summer that I want to share with you. Better Homes and Gardens produces some Special Interest Publications that seem to be seasonal in nature. I saw that this year they have a Canning: preserving, freezing, drying edition of their magazine this summer (supposed to be displayed until September 9th and is $9.99). It is a great guide to the basics of preserving. The magazine is affordable and contains so much great information as well as both traditional and innovative recipes. If you are curious about preserving food and want to learn more, but don’t feel like buying a bunch of books, this would be a great first step in learning more! As I was flipping through the magazine I saw that they created some fantastic variations to try. They were making peach jam and some of their variations were quite nice: cardamom-peach, sweet basil-peach, bourbon-peach, and chipotle-peach – intriguing, no? Based on their great ideas, I decided to follow their example and try some of these variations for our apricot jams.

Without further ado, Apricot Jam 2013!

Apricot Jam

yield: makes 7 half pints

6 cups (3 lbs) apricots (halved and pitted)

6 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mash apricots, not necessary for them to all be the same size. Place apricots, water, and sugar in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Stir fruit mixture regularly. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until fruit thickens and runs slowly and thickly off back of spoon. Remove pot from heat.

Ladle jam into half-pint jars. Wipe rims of jars with wet paper towel, apply lids and rings and process in your boiling water canner for 5 minutes.

Remove jars from pot. Let cool. After about 20 minutes, turn jars upside-down to disperse fruit. When jars are cool enough to handle, test seals. If seals are good, store jars in a cool, dark place. If any of the jars did not seal, place those jars in the fridge and use within a month or two.

apricot jam with cream cheese on crackers (clockwise: apricot-rye whiskey, chipotle-apricot, sweet basil-apricot)

Variations:

Sweet Basil-Apricot Jam: Prepare as directed, except stir in 1 cup chopped fresh basil after skimming off foam.

Apricot-Rye Whiskey Jam: Prepare as directed, except stir in 1/2 cup whiskey with the sugar, apricots, lemon juice and water.

Chipotle-Apricot Jam: Prepare as directed, except stir in 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce with the sugar, apricots, lemon juice and water.

Alt SF – Down the Rabbit Hole

Published on July 26, 2013July 26, 2013 by poolepartyof5Leave a comment

This past week I was lucky enough to attend the Alt Summit in San Francisco. The minute I read about Alt SF, I knew I would do almost anything to go. It seemed like a mecca of inspiration created just for me; an event to support community within the design and blogging environment. My husband was wonderfully supportive and helped to me imagine that all could be covered at home during my trip. Arrangements were made and I found myself on my way! Add to this that San Francisco is one of my favorite cities and I was primed to have a fabulous trip. When we were notified that the after-party would be held at the new Pinterest headquarters, I knew this was going to be big! Alice in Pinterland was the theme of that party and it turns out this was the perfect description of my entire trip. There is something incredibly exhilarating about jumping into a new experience with both feet.

As you might know, I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 6 years and there is a certain hibernation attitude that is possible to adopt in this particular lifestyle. As frenetic as raising children is, it can be a bit isolated and insulated. As I launch this new chapter of self-discovery through the blog and Poole Party Designs, I realize that it is time for me to emerge from this cocoon and broaden my world once again.

Altitude Summit was the perfect launchpad for this. Although the attendees experience levels ranged from novice to professional within the design world, there was a warm sense of community that made this a very welcoming atmosphere. A shared attitude of innovation was present and a strong feeling of comradery that I don’t think was just imagined on my part.

Early in the day, an attendee handed me a quote along with her business card. Maybe I was just in the right mindset to soak up everything coming at me, but, it read:

“Go as far as you can see;

when you get there you’ll be able to see farther.”

I feel like the message was meant just for me on my little journey. I made my way to Alt, by myself, not knowing what I was getting myself into. Once there, I began to dream about what could be next for me around the bend. Had I not made the choice to go to San Francisco, I wouldn’t have been able to see that far.

Altitude Summit picked phenomenal speakers that no matter one’s background, you couldn’t help but be impressed. The speakers’ perspectives were varied, and all very inspiring. Mariam Naficy, founder and CEO of the lovely online stationary site Minted, reminded us that set-backs are part of the story that you don’t always see from the outside. Throughout her career she was told by others that her ideas wouldn’t work. Through this process she learned that entrepreneurs don’t care what other people think. Mike McCue, founder and CEO of Flipboard, an amazing social magazine site, closed out the day with heartfelt and inspiring messages from his experience with start-ups. Despite the difference in scale, these entrepreneurs made their business experiences feel accessible (and one element of their life that they balance with other important things such as family).

1. “Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” (Jon Acuff, author)

Emily Olson LaFave of The Startup Couple reminded the group of this important message about comparing oneself with others. We are all in different places with our creative process. When starting something new, it is possible to get overwhelmed, looking around at others and not taking into account that these people might be much farther along their path. Good things take time. It is important not to get frustrated with ourselves when things go more slowly than we might like.

2. “Understand what you are good at.”

Take the time to figure out where your strengths are and what makes you unique. Spend most of your time where your personal strengths are. Keep happy and passionate. As you begin to employ others, try to retain the part of the process that you are best at and enjoy the most.

3. “Spread the love.”

Caring about what other people are up to is a good way to get people to care about you too. Community is important. I have been working in a bit of a bubble and it was such a good reminder that finding one’s community can be a great source of new ideas and collaboration.

4. “Be a sponge.”

These were Rena Tom’s words from Makeshift Society. She reminded the group that inspiration comes in all forms. Get out of your comfort zone and actively be in the world, one can find inspiration in all things. Soak up inspiration in all its forms and don’t be afraid of trying something new. If it fails, you will probably still be moving forward, just in a little different direction than you had imagined from the start.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed after going to something like Alt. There are so many amazing people, innovative ideas and creative stimulation. I came home with a feeling of wanting to start over completely in all my projects and begin again… right now…this minute! Strangely, this created a paralysis. It took me a full week to slow down my thoughts and remember that, for me, this is just the beginning. Alt allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and slip down the rabbit hole for a day to dream like Alice in a Wonderland of inspiration. And, now that I have been to Wonderland, my dreams will be different from before. I navigated the city, met new friends and felt myself intoxicated with all the creative energy around me.

I will try to utilize all the lessons I learned at Alt, but know that I have time. Time to keep discovering what I am great at. Time to invest in my community. Time to absorb the world around me. I am not an expert in anything (yet!), but rather a jack of many trades, that loves to dabble. My life is still mostly about being a mom. I grab moments here and there in an effort to infuse creativity into our lives. This is the curse and beauty of my life in this moment. I have the freedom to explore and try to figure out what is next and, most important, enjoy the journey!

And now, here are some photos of the fabulous party that Pinterest threw in honor of Alt SF! Certainly a fun element of the journey and a rabbit hole I would recommend to anyone!

Thanks so much to Altitude Summit, Pinterest, Michael Miller Fabrics and all the other sponsors that made this event possible!

Photos courtesy of Alt Summit and atly.

Summer Pool Party Birthday

Published on July 21, 2013July 21, 2013 by poolepartyof53 Comments

What says “summer has arrived” better than a pool party? We celebrated Sam’s 6th by diving into his birthday festivities. As long as one has enough parents on hand to watch the swimmers, a pool party can be about as easy a party to throw as there is. The kids couldn’t have been happier splashing around! Just add water and let the fun begin!!

We kept the food super simple by serving sandwiches and watermelon. I felt inspired to create a “water noodle garland” that I saw here. And the cupcakes topped the Pool Party theme off with aqua blue icing and gummy bears floating around in their own mini-inner tubes (gummy lifesavers)! I couldn’t resist adding a few sharks to the cupcakes, just to keep things exciting!

Happy Swimming!