Curious Bird

things I like: the groovy illustrations by wayne pate

Slowly but surely, I am inching toward having a glass of basil lemonade in my hand...

photos from the weekend

Hi there,

Time kind of got away from me there. I'm still here, just very, very busy bouncing and singing and diapering and feeding and bathing and, well, spending my days with a very sweet 6-week-old baby boy. 
Here's a little glimpse of my weekend.

 

Felix laying on his changing table (a favorite spot of his) sporting a Baby Bird raccoon onesie I made way back when. If only I had the time to make more Baby Bird items...one day it will happen. One. Day. But, lucky for Felix, I had put back a few choice items for my own little baby bird one day.

This is basil syrup. I finally made a batch using basil from our garden. Haven't quite found the time to use it for making basil lemonade. Good thing it stores for a little while.
One of our favorite snacks these days. Honey makes it perfect. 
Wish I could remember what these are called. Either way, they are really pretty sitting on my dining room table and I have a hunch they might last a while. Hope I'm right.
Now we have one for the house and one for the car. I've worked with kids long enough to know how important a good first aid kit is. 
A new outfit from his great aunt and uncle came in the mail. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't having fun dressing him up.

Until next time, take it easy,
L.

oh my!

Felix had a couple of days there where he refused to be put down for a nap. He preferred being held as he slept, thank you very much. After a couple of exhausting days, it seems he has found his nap mojo again. Good thing, because Dustin stumbled across the Zakeez website and jokingly sent it my way. We both agreed we're not quite ready to order a set of fake hands. Hilarious.

Hope you're staying cool out there.

More soon,
L.

Hope your weekend is going well. It's hot here, but we've been trying our best to relieve our cabin fever by getting out, even if it means running from one cool spot to the next. Yesterday Felix made his very first trip to Ikea (some people go to malls or the movies on hot days, we apparently go to Ikea). He was pretty unimpressed and sleepy, but D and I had fun looking around and buying frames for a few new photos I plan to add to the mix of family photos hanging in the upstairs hallway.

Speaking of, my friend Mary Beth recently snapped some great shots for us -- here are a few of my favorites.

Until next time, have some fun
-L.

Thanks for all the sweet one month birthday wishes for Felix. We are still spinning from how fast a month has flown by. I suppose we had better get used to it, eh?
Just for fun, I thought you might get a kick out of a photo I found earlier today while uploading some shots to my computer. Check out that finger! Another hilarious one month birthday photo -- he may not be a master at sleeping through the night, but he already knows how to count. Sweet.

 

Before I go...two more things.

First, I am up to my eyeballs in basil from the garden. Since I'm nursing I can't really do pesto (too garlicky) so if you have some ideas for what I can do with tons of fresh basil, please send 'em my way. Any ideas for using basil in drinks (I'm sooo thirsty) are especially welcome.

 

And lastly, I am super excited to share that an interview with me and a tour of my home is currently up over at The Stir. It was a little nutty to embark on such a project so soon after Felix arrived, but I did it anyway and had a lot of fun. Go check it out. 

More soon,
L.

Happy Happy

Hard to believe but today marks the one month birthday of our favorite little bug, Felix Augustus!
It has been an amazing first four weeks spent getting to know and to snuggle this little guy. We can't get enough of him, so much so that I have even admitted to D, more than once, that I miss him when he's taking a long nap...even when said nap is much needed by both Felix and me. Like I said, I can't enough of him and his sweetness. He's the bees knees, and we're still settling into the notion that we get to keep him. Man, we feel so lucky!

Some highlights from his first month include:

He gained over two pounds and one and a half inches in length at his two week pediatrician appointment (the doc said that those numbers are proof that the nursing is going very well and Felix and his mama are a really good team. Amen!)

He started smiling at us a little the other day (chin caresses help).

We have discovered that our boy loves a good, sudsy bath. He especially likes to wear a sudsy beard so he can be like his dad!

He also loves a stroll around the neighborhood when the dang heat isn't record-breaking. Like me, he's not a fan of the heat. We like ourselves a temperate climate.

Also, Felix has given the stamp of approval to all of his grandparents. They have visited and Felix thinks they are all very nice and good at holding him, something he enjoys very, very much.

Happy One Month Birthday, Felix!
May the longtime sun shine upon you.

More soon, friends. Stay tuned for a little something special later in the week.

Be well out there,
L.

things I like: homemade apricot bars

 

Sometimes I happen upon a recipe that I can't seem to get enough of. The most recent example of this is a new-to-me recipe for homemade apricot bars. I am not exaggerating when I say I've made these delicious bars twice a week since my friend Amanda shared the recipe with me over a month ago. Super easy and extremely tasty --and waaaay better than those store bought bars I sometimes feel the need to get.  I thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy!

Homemade Apricot Bars 

Apricot filling:

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup water
1/4 c. raw sugar
1 tbsp. flour

Dice apricots and simmer in water for about 5-8 minutes.

add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tbsp of flour to the mixture when it looks like the apricots have broken down and are starting to resemble the consistency of jam.

cook for an additional minute to thicken.

Crust:

1 cup flour

1 cup quick oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter (melted)

Mix ingredients together until crumbly.  Press into a 9x9x2 pan (or a round springform pan if you're me)

Reserve about 1/2 cup for crumbly top.

Spread apricot filling
Sprinkle with reserved topping
Bake 350 for 30min or so



Happy Sunday and happy eating!

we have a winner...

  
The lucky winner of this sweet table runner from Knotted Nest goes to:

Morgan

she commented:

"love the blog and, of course, the table runners...it would love awesome in our new home. all her stuff is super cute and good quality..i bought some of her flags a while ago for my baby's bday and later for her room...CUTE!"

Congrats, Morgan!

sponsor spotlight: knotted nest

Hi there,

Surprise. Surprise. Things have been a bit hectic around Curiousbirdland due to Felix's arrival and all that comes with adjusting to being a new mama to a brand new little person. However, I have not forgotten about my amazing blog sponsors for June and July.

I am head over heels for the sweet creations by Kristen of Knotted Nest. She sews such beautiful and colorful housewares and accessories out of vintage fabrics and repurposed materials.  I have one of her lovely leaf table runners and there isn't a visitor that comes by that doesn't compliment me on it or ask me where it's from. Kristen also has a nifty blog, check it out for posts about her recent projects and new additions in her shop.

And today might just be your lucky day because Kristen is offering one of her snazzy table runners (the one pictured below) to a lucky reader.

Please leave a comment below (by midnight tonight) for your chance to win. I'll pick a winner tomorrow morning. 

 

**If you are interested in becoming a sponsor and would like to place your ad on Curious Bird, please email me at leya(at)curiousbird(dot)com.