The many faces of Q...

oh, if I could record them all! It would take a lifetime.

 Another gorgeous evening at Lakeside, our local vintage amusement park.

 Summer is a time for morning walks, when the light is pale gold,  the air still cool, and the flowers illuminated from below.

in zozobugbaby

 This aardvark...this aardvark I made by hand in the months while we were waiting to travel to China for her, when I only had a couple of pictures of her to look at, and didn't yet know who she would turn out to be. This aardvark was made from the quilt squares that those adopting from China tend to exchange, a quilt "made by a village" to welcome a child. But I'm no quilter, so I made animals instead. For the first couple of years, she was not interested in this aardvark. Just last week, she rediscovered it, and they have been fast friends ever since.

 My girl who loved basketball even as a baby, even before she could say the word "ball", and would just make a dribbling motion with her hand to indicate the word "basketball", her eyes bright with eagerness. My girl who, at two, could tell you where every hoop in the neighborhood was located. 

She has discovered other interests since, and is not so singleminded about basketball. But she will still hop on the court any time she sees a ball going begging. Even in her sparkly shoes.

 Double dribble.

 I'm so proud to see my illustration in this wonderful room by Daan Rot of MaandagDaandag. 

Daan (in Holland) is so creative in every aspect of her life, and the world she creates for her children is pure magic, from their rooms to their toys, their meals and their wardrobe.

In fact, Q has several of Daan's creations (made from her exquisite hand-carved rubber stamps) in her wardrobe. One of Q's very favorites is this mustachioed moon tee that she chose to wear for her early "birthday" party (and that she sometimes also wears to bed).

 When I have a moment to browse the blogosphere, I frequently find myself lost in Daan's world, going through page after page of her dreamy blog. There is so much love, beauty and creativity (and DIYs) to be found there.

Thanks Daan! You make our world a warmer place. xoxox Maia & Q

Q dug this up in one of my studio file drawers recently, and kept telling my how much she likes it. 

It's a drawing I did several years ago of my mother on the rim of the Grand Canyon. 

She and I were, at the time, doing a mother/daughter show on canyons of the Southwest for Kiesendahl + Calhoun Fine Art in Beacon, NY. 

This was not one of the pieces in the show, but just a drawing I did because I wanted to remember the scene. A good memory, me and my mum camping in the desert, as we so rarely have the chance to do these busy years. 

Since Q liked it so much, I figured I would post it.

Pssst.....check out my girl's pictures (twice!) in Buzzfeed's list of "50 Pictures of Children Who Are Cooler Than You"

Thanks Yoli for the tip-off, I probably would not have seen it otherwise! It's not my doing, but I have to agree with them, she is quite a bit cooler than, well, most of us!

in Zara Kids, Club Oceanus and Made In Mommy sarouels

It's a mommy-and-Q day today...

this is the other side of summer, the part where daddy goes to work and Q and I spend the day entertaining one another. Busy, busy! So for this morning, here's another random picture that I love.

 Two photos that I just love.

in Club Oceanus and Une Sardine a Rio

 We started the morning yesterday by making tart dough and setting it to chill. Or, she did, I should say. All I did was dictate instructions. She carried out every single step from slicing butter to setting up a bowl of icewater and carefully adding a tablespoon at a time to the food processor. She even gathered the dough into a ball, wrapped it, and set it in the fridge. Tart dough by Q!

I think she misses school. She needs things to learn, things to accomplish.

 After she and daddy went off to the river to cool off the dogs, I set to work  on the cake I'd been yearning to make, a Persian love cake that I fell in love with on Marie-France Thorisson's site, Manger.

Let me just say that there is something extremely satisfying about making a cake from scratch. Separating the eggs always reminds me of childhood (my grandmother always made her mayonnaise from scratch). And the brilliant yellow of organic egg yolks is one of the wonders of nature.

For this cake, the airiness of stiff-whipped eggwhites folded gently into the dough is essential to the ephemeral nature of the cake.

 Once the rest of the family returned, Mike set to work adorning Q's tart dough with layers of Cabrales blue, baby arugula and sauteed onions.

 Meanwhile I set the Moroccan saffron threads to steep in heavy cream, and began the hard labor of hand-whipping cream and confectioner's sugar into frosting.

 During this process, as you can see, I became fascinated by the beauty of the elements. I mean, just look! It's like a painting. I don't know how long it's been since I whipped anything by hand, but I have to say, it has its gratifying qualities!

 Chocolate mint and pink roses from the garden for garnish.

 

Mike's savory tarts came out of the oven smelling heavenly.

 And my Persian love cake? I changed a few elements about it, substituted candied violets for candied rose petals, added chocolate mint and a grating of lemon rind across the top.

 I was more than a little nervous, since this was the first time I'd tried this recipe, but the result was a revelation. The cardamom in the cake, the rosewater and saffron in the icing, the pistachios...the result of this combination of flavors is like a sonnet in the mouth. Truly a recipe not to be missed.

 And all this preparation? For an artists' garden party at our friend Sandy's house in Boulder.

 Q's punk face, rocking out to music in the car on the way up the Boulder turnpike.

 I actually lived in this beautiful house under the Flatirons when I first moved to Colorado. I was recently divorced and feeling rather lost,  trying to find a place to live in the mountains. Sandra Bierman, a wonderful artist, had been a friend of my mother's in Woodstock before she and her husband moved to Boulder, and although I didn't know her at the time, she was kind enough to put me up, feed me, and introduce me to the neighborhood while I got myself back on my feet. I still remember this house with its gracious kitchen, its lovely, peaceful balcony, with such fondness.

 So it was nice to bring my family back for one of Sandy's gorgeous parties. Sandy is such a consummate hostess. The potluck spread was extravagant, organic, and superb. I think everyone who came put in as much time as we did with their dishes.

 Sandy and me.

 The banjo player was a dead ringer for Zack Galifianakis. Actually it might have been Zack Galifianakis ;)

 Q was instantly enamored with Sandy, and spent much the afternoon following her around, calling for her, leading her by the hand, and generally interrupting her hostess duties.

 Q had been determined to enter the "silly hat contest"...

 ...and overcame her stage fright to stand up there with the grownups and wait for judging.

 Lucky for her, she won "most creative hat"!

 The gorgeousness of Arapaho Avenue by the foothills - such a beautiful part of a beautiful city.

I do miss Boulder sometimes!