eRin/Growing Up Senge's Profile

Ah, but interestingly, it is a faux pas to touch the fruit in France, no? You are supposed to let the fruit vendor select the perfectly ripe fruits for you. Funny that the same is not true for cheese.

Yes! We always used to have one with us, we kept it in our carry-on sized suitcase that we always took in the car. But then I carried it on the plane and TSA threw it away. It wasn't anything special to look at, just a cheapy little one, but we got it on our last trip to Paris to open all the bottles of wine. I was about 6 months pregnant and definitely cried all the way from security to my gate...

I do this! For two reasons; space and inspiration. We installed a narrow book ledge along one wall of our dining room, next to our kitchen, and down the hall. It is a narrow space and a walkway, with weird and narrow corners next to a door frame and kitchen, so regular shelves would have been too wide. We store my toddler daughter's books on the bottom shelves, where she can easily see and reach them, and I store my prettiest and most used and inspiring books on the top shelves. I keep my craft and sewing books there, because I sew in the dining room, and my favorite cookbooks are closest to the kitchen. We love the way it looks, it adds a lively and ever-changing element to the decor. I'd mix in frames but I have too many books! And to Pi's narrow-minded and unimaginative point, ALL of our guests have loved the shelves and display and everyone comments on how inspiring it is to see such pretty book covers and how it would make them want to use their cookbooks more and cook delicious things all the time. And it does!

Naturally, much of my inspiration for this idea came from Apartment Therapy and Ohdeedoh, and we used Ana White's building plans. We love it!

Yay for Mandy!! I was saying to my husband just this morning that Mandy is super awesome and I wish she lived nearby because I'd love to hang out with her and think my daughter would have a great time playing with her super adorable kiddo. Alas, we'll just have to settle for the blog!

I've been collecting images that inspire me since I was a high-schooler, taping them to my bedroom wall. That evolved into a binder where I stored pages torn from magazines and catalogs, and organized them by room, function, category, etc. Pinterest is just the most current form, for me. It takes up much less physical space in my house and I can browse tons of stuff more easily, including what my friends are inspired by. I guess I just don't have that inferiority complex, because none of this makes me feel like my life isn't good enough. It just inspires me to be more creative and to look at everything around me more creatively. And when I have an idea for something, I have TONS of inspiration at my fingertips to help me make it awesome!

We always try to have something appropriately festive for dinner during the opening ceremonies. I'm pregnant and don't feel like cooking much these days, so we settled on Indian take-out! Not totally British, per se, but certainly very popular in London!

I love a cookbook with good headnotes, especially one where the author brings a special voice to the table. It makes me feel like I'm sharing the meal with them, and makes me feel more intimately connected to the food I'm making (or dreaming of making). I think that's especially attractive to me because I don't have a rich collection of family recipes passed down through the ages.

Some of my favorite headnotes come from Dorie Greenspan and David Lebovitz.

Both of these are brilliant ideas. And this is why I love the internet!!

Oh, Pike Place is always my first and favorite stop in Seattle. I love finding all kinds of delicious treasures, but my very favorite part is gorging on Beecher's Cheese!!

What a beautiful post and a beautiful sentiment. And lovely, lovely photos. Thanks for the inspiration, and the resource!