M and the girls surprised me with this planter that I’ve wanted for ages, and my sister and family gave me a gift certificate to a favorite nursery to purchase a plant to go in it. I went with something else in mind – something shorter, with broad, variegated leaves. But then the girls spotted this tree, with four intertwining branches as the trunk. Four like us four. The right size. The right exposure. The right price. It’s perfect.
Big day coming up – January 20th. And I’m not talking about the inauguration, I’m talking about a distraction from it. The 20th is the day we hand over so much of our work to someone else. (Choirs of angels singing.)
We are tired, and it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. I will be largely absent here between now and then, and largely absent from my bed as well. I’m already yawning through everything, but I’m excited too. And stressed. But mostly excited. Until five minutes from now when I will again be mostly stressed.
I’m looking forward to sharing many more details soon, but for now, I thought I’d let you guys do the writing work for me! I’d love to know something that you would love to have in your kitchen – maybe something you’d do if you had more room or would tackle in a future renovation. Or it could be something you already have now that you couldn’t live without.
Here are two things to get the ball rolling:
Don’t laugh, but I want to install a large paper roll / cutter like this on the wall of the kitchen. Maybe even more than one. Not to write lovely menus on the wall – although that’s adorable, but I really would love a giant roll of parchment paper mounted like that. I guess I could write on it occasionally, but it would really be for using. I love the natural colored parchment paper, and use it for baking, roasting, wrapping, covering, etc. I put a roll in my shopping cart every three weeks.
And pot rails. Cue the pot rails. I can’t wait.
Sneak peek at the range as well.
Your turn.
Since the Broadway hit Hamilton is a frequent topic of conversation in our house – to the point that the seven-year-old will bust out lyrics like nobody’s business – “Hey guys, I want to be in the room where it happens!” – I thought I’d highlight a few fun things we’re considering for holiday gifts in these parts.
But first, I wanted to recommend the fantastic documentary – Hamilton’s America, the first in PBS’s Great Performances series.
It aired on PBS last Friday night, but my understanding is that it is available for streaming for four weeks, and after that point, you can still access it if you have PBS Passport (a benefit for PBS supporters, as we are). It was phenomenal. We loved watching the back story of how Miranda and his talented team worked for six years on this production, but it’s far more than just the story of how a show gets made. There are interviews with historians, politicians, artists, playwrights, musicians. Cast members visit and tour historical sites and view and touch journals and writing desks and weapons from the story. At one point near the end of the documentary, as they are discussing the inspiration behind the song “One Last Time” about George Washington stepping down from power, and the peaceful transition to a new leader, we were all pointing at the screen and shouting “This is so RELEVANT!” It’s just so much fun to deep dive into a subject in a new way, and it’s a testament to this living, breathing work of art that it’s so profoundly engaging and smart. So watch it!
This book is purchased for the little one:
I’m picking these up at the Book Fair next month for the big one:
And t-shirts, right?
I’m already excited for Christmas morning.
If you’ve got other Hamilton-inspired items, please let me know!
