I can't believe it has taken me this long to visit Umami Mart. I mean, it's conveniently located two blocks from my work office and I even pass by it nearly every Friday when I go to the Old Oakland farmer's market. I finally made a visit and I was floored. It's expertly curated with a variety of kitchenware, Asian snacks, barware, Hasami porcelain, local/artisanal goods, Japanese magazines, and art prints, all of which I wanted to buy on the spot. The displays even made me want to buy Pocky Sticks, something I could just as easily get across the street at Oakland Chinatown. What I loved most about the space was the clean, Japanese/Scandanavian aesthetic mixed with a little industrial brick.
Recipe: Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup
In an attempt to save some money, I have been trying to go through our cupboard and make meals out of what we already have (thanks for the tip, Lisa!). It's actually been a fun little challenge so far. I mean, sometimes it's doctored up ramen for dinner, but other times it's something refreshingly new like this Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup. The only thing I needed to get were the leeks. After a rave review from Nick and my mom (who typically doesn't like lemony things), I've added it to my recipe book.
LEMONY CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUP
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
- 1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
- 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill ( I used dried which is all I had on hand)
- Lemon halves (for serving)
PREPARATION
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve with lemon halves for squeezing over.
Recipe via Shutterbean (thanks Tracy!) via BonAppetit
Design: Lucas' Birthday Invitations
It's that time of year again -- Lucas will be a year older and I get to plan his birthday party. Yay and holy crap at the same time! First of all, I can't even believe he's going to be four in April. Where did the time go? I clearly remember all the details on the day he arrived and now he's going to be four?
One of my favorite parts of party planning is designing the invitations (naturally). Here are the last three invitations I designed for Lucas' birthday parties. Stay tuned for this year's party details. Let's just say it's going to be super.
// 1st birthday - modern circus theme
I have received numerous requests for customization of this invitation. Please email me if you'd like a quote.
// 2nd birthday - round theme
Lucas really liked balls and round things at the time.
// 3rd birthday - letters and numbers theme
I had the most fun styling this invitation using PB&J sandwich cut outs.
Snippets: Some recent favorite Instagrams of the boys
I take a lot of photos of my boys and love using Instagram to document them. Here are a few recent favorite snaps of my boys. You can see more of my pics on the VSCO Grid. This shot of Lucas and his buddy Cashel was even chosen for one of VSCO cam's weekly selects. So sweet.
// Photos by Good on Paper
Good on Paper Redesign
Hello everyone! Welcome to the new Good on Paper site. The site and logo redesign are long overdue -- between having two kids, another design job, household chores, and freelance work, the redesign took a backseat. Working for months at night and weekends after the kids were down, I am so happy to finally share this with you. I love how simple and clean the new site is. Thanks to Squarespace and their exceptional 24/7 support team who answered my numerous questions in the wee hours of the night, I was able to get through it all. I also want to say a huge thank you to Deko Design who programmed my last site. They have been phenomenal to work with over the years and if you ever need programming, I highly recommend them.
I'm happy to say that I'm also working on a ready made wedding collection that will come out in late Fall 2014. And I also started this little blog here. I never thought I would start a blog but I'm just going to do it. Nothing fancy, just some snippets of my work, my family, inspiration, and things I love and want to share.
Take a look around and let me know if you see any errors or glitches. Thank you all for the love and support.
LEE Magazine - Japan
I'm so honored to have my home and family featured in Japan's LEE Magazine. It was such a fun photo shoot with minimal styling (a.k.a. keepin' it real = stuff everywhere!). Thanks to friend Lena Corwin for suggestion my home. Everything is in Japanese so I have no idea what it says. If anyone wants to translate, let me know! I must admit I was a little sad not to see Pixel in our family shot. Not sure what he was up to when we took that photo, but I'd like to think he was basking in the sun by our front window. And that thought makes me feel happy.
// Photos by Kikuko Usuyama
Favorites: Instagram Finds No. 1
I must say I love using Instagram. Thanks to my friend Sally Shim who really encouraged me to try it out a while back, I was instantly hooked. I also love using Visual Supply Co. (VSCO) for editing (thanks to other talented friend Bonnie Tsang for this discovery). You can see more of my pics on the VSCO Grid.
Not only do I love taking pics of my boys, food, adventures, and other random things, but I love discovering new people to follow. There is so much inspiration out there. Here are a few of my recent favorite Instagrams, each with a bit of a common light and airy theme -- perfect for the spring season. I hope to share more in the future. Who are some of your favorite Instagrammers?
// 1. Pretty tea leaves @thethingswekeep
// 2. Gorgeous calligraphy and flowers @maybelleimasa
// 3. One of my very favorite blogs @100_layercake
// 4. Lovely crib shot of amazing designer @evablack_
// 5. Seriously mouthwatering eye candy @matchboxkitchen
// 6. Love every single one of her photos - best eye ever @bonnietsang
// 7. Especially loving this shot @dabito
/ /8. Inspiring @carissajg
//9. A guide for the modern woman @clementinedaily
Plum District customers
If you are a Plum District customer trying to use your voucher code at checkout, you must use two codes -- use one code for $30 off your total order and use the same code but add "1" at the end of it to get the free shipping. Sorry for any inconvenience. Please contact me for any questions or problems. Thanks again for purchasing a Plum District deal!
How to Hang a Picture
I am so proud of my talented and hard working friends, Suzanne Lagasa and Jay Sacher who designed and illustrated their new book, How to Hang a Picture (And Other Essentials for the Stylish Home). The foreword was written by the lovely Anh-Minh Le of Anthology magazine. It features step-by-step instructions, tips and tricks, and beautiful watercolor illustrations of real spaces -- including our home. We were so honored and appreciative to have a few little nooks from our home illustrated by Jay. The one of Lucas' room is my favorite. I especially love how the clutter magically disappeared in the illustrated versions.
Playdate featured on Refinery 29
I was so honored to be Jeanne's "first date" for her wonderful series called Playdate for her blog, Shop Sweet Things. It was featured on Refinery 29. Theo and I took Jeanne to Summer Kitchen, one of our favorite lunch spots in Berkeley. The amazingly talented Eva Kolenko was there with baby Parker (best cheeks ever) to capture all the fun and good food. Here are some of my favorite photos from the playdate.
// Photos by Eva Kolenko via Shop Sweet Things and Refinery 29