father's day... pt. 2

this is what my husband woke up to on sunday morning...

waffles from scratch* (see recipe below, i use a hard-to-find traditional waffle iron, like my dad used when i was a kid, NOT a belgium waffle iron), warm syrup, iced coffee, fresh raspberries, the "good" china, cloth napkins... (not shown - the tv remote is on his chair).

we all had a nice breakfast together as a family. he opened his present - a HUGE bag of m & m's (a treat he likes to keep in the freezer to snack on at night). we try not to go crazy with the gift giving for every occasion - we've been together for so long and there are soooo many to celebrate (birthdays, anniversaries, christmas, valentine's day, mother's day, father's day, etc...).

now as much as i'm NOT daddy's little girl, that's exactly what our daughter is to my husband. he's mushy and spoils her and oh yeah, he doesn't ever want her to get married.

me: don't you want to walk her down the eisle?
him: no!
me: don't you want to dance with her at her wedding?
him: no!
me: don't you want grandkids? (ha! i've got him there!)
him: our son can have the kids... (yes, we only have one kid. no, i'm not pregnant. yes, we might end up with all daughters).

while i was pregnant, after i knew we were having a girl, we were watching "father of the bride". after a while he said: i don't like this movie.
me: what? why?
him: it's sad
me: why?
him: well, the daughter grows up and gets married
me: yeah, and?
him: she gets married and leaves her dad
me: i know, and?
him: i don't like that she leaves her dad

another time i was getting ready to go to work (i work a few nights a week at a restaurant) and he was asking me what movie he should watch with her that night...

him: i need to figure out a movie to watch tonight. like something good for a father to watch with his daughter.
me: sure, like "toy story" or something?
him: well, i was thinking like "sleeping with the enemy"
me: wait, what?
him: or "enough". you know, something that would make her never want to get married...

and you thought my toddler was a handful...

*waffles from scratch

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
confectioners' sugar and fresh fruit or maple syrup

directions: 
in a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. in a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. in a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form; gently fold into batter.
     
bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown. top with confectioners' sugar and fruit or serve with syrup.

love and happiness...

my dad and me (1980-ish)

there are a billion reasons why i love my dad. here are 10: 

1. he is the best cook in the world

seriously. ask anyone who has ever eaten his food. he makes things from scratch (i.e. pizza dough, tacos without using the pre-made seasoning packets or hard shell kits, chicken stock...). he can time a meal perfectly so that everything is done at once. if he wants to make a turkey dinner on a random tuesday night or make hot dogs for a special occasion, he will. he's been a line cook (among many other jobs) in a restaurant, he's been in cookbooks (written recipes, was featured in photos, created "how to" illustrations, and in an upcoming cookbook even has a "with" credit next to the author).

2. he is talented

a cook (see above - also writes recipes, food stylist), an artist (paints, draws), a musician (piano/keyboard, clarinet), musical engineer (owns a recording studio), director at the high school's performing arts center, just to name a few. he is always learning something new and i always tell him it's just another thing to add to his resume.

3. he is humble

he's confident but not a jerk about it. he's excited and proud of his accomplishments and you can't help but be excited and proud too.

4. he is young at heart

people don't believe he's really 61 (i'm glad i have some of those genes). picture the above photo, shorten the hair and add a touch of gray, take away the mustache, turtleneck and jean jacket, add a flannel button-down over a t-shirt - that's pretty much what he looks like now. OK, maybe add 10 years. yes, in 30 years i think he's aged 10. he's a freak of nature!... besides looking young, in the past 3 years he got married, had a baby (yes, i have a younger brother who is 2 1/2), and started a new career.

5. he is really cool

he listens to all kinds of music from jazz to the beatles. from stevie wonder to outkast and radiohead... he was in a rock band with guys my age & was still doing gigs up until a few years ago. he totally fit right in. he likes cool movies, he likes cool things, he knows cool people, he has cool stories... yeah, he's just cool.

6. he is really funny

my husband has a big personality and is very outgoing and entertaining. my dad is more quiet. they get along great and like to make fun of each other. my husband was jokingly giving my dad a hard time, then my dad mooned him. my husband was speechless.

7. he is supportive

my husband called him to ask for his blessing before proposing to me. my dad said something like, what are you asking me for? it's up to echo... he doesn't judge. he has always encouraged whatever decisions i have made, even if he didn't agree. he offers advice but in the end, leaves it up to me.  

8. he likes simple

he has never had a dishwasher or microwave. he owns 1 suit (which he got married in). he'll buy 1 pair of shoes, 1 - 2 pairs of pants and 1 - 2 shirts and wear them until they fall apart. he still reads the newspaper. he's not on facebook or twitter (not because he doesn't know what they are but because he chooses not to). he doesn't have a smartphone or even text.

9. he saves things

mostly typical stuff from when i was a kid - drawings and other artwork, books i "published" in school, toys, photos... he has also saved wrapping paper, grocery lists and random notes...

 

10. we don't have a typical father/daughter relationship

we are incredibly close. i'm the oldest of his 5 kids and the only girl. we have a lot of similarities - our interests, our mannerisms, our calm and laid-back disposition. we talk on the phone a lot and have really long conversations. but we are so not mushy and i'm so not "daddy's little girl". at my wedding, we danced to a fast song - "love and happiness" by al green and it was perfect. 

happy father's day to my dad! (it was really hard to just limit myself to just 10)...

the SHOES!

i can't believe my sister-in-law's wedding is in a week and a half! i wanted to show you just how much i love her...

these are the bridesmaids shoes...

sold out in pink, still available in black through www.macys.com

first of all, yes, they are fabulous! we're all wearing long metallic dark gray dresses so you'll just catch a glimpse of them peeking out the bottom as we walk and think of the cute pictures!


back in april, the bridesmaids dresses were ordered but we still didn't know what we were doing for shoes. then my sister-in-law bought these shoes to wear to her bridal shower. of course we all loved them but at the time they were $90. oh, too bad because we would totally wear them for the wedding. but $90 is just too much to spend on shoes. well, then they went on sale...

i don't know if you can tell from the picture but these adorable shoes have 4 inch heels. for those of you who know me, i am not really a heel person. in college i wore huge platform shoes (even while working at a busy restaurant for 8 hour shifts! ah, to be young). at the time i had a bit of a complex about my height (i'm just under 5 feet tall) so the taller the shoe the better. yeah, i got over that. now that i am chasing a 25-lb toddler, i alternate between flip-flops, sneakers, uggs, proper restaurant shoes (non-skid soles and all), flats and the occasional sandals or sling-backs with a very low heel.

i'm a little afraid of walking in 4 inch heels. in a long dress. outside. and did i mention we'll be on grass? oh, and there are 2 stairs involved?!

i wouldn't be strapping these to my feet for just anyone... yes, i will be practicing in them and yes, i look crazy tall in them (5-foot-4 woo-hoo!). i keep telling myself i just have to get down the aisle and back, stand for the ceremony, stand for the pictures and then i got these 3 1/2-inch platform flip-flops to change into from victoria's secret (in fuchsia) which are super comfortable:

wish me luck on those stairs!