Freeform Friday

This rainy weekend my sister and I are hosting a pop-up dinner that required lots of last minute adjustments given the rainy forecast. We're pretty pleased with our revised location, so fingers crossed that the space looks as good as the pictures! Sunday my son and I are going to a performance at our favorite local theater; we splurged on season tickets this year, and I'm looking forward to some precious one-on-one time with him.

I hope your weekend is a good one, and I hope you enjoy clicking through these links:

This look into the creative use of titles in films has fascinating information about Saul Bass's work in Hitchcock movies, Woody Allen's trademark font, and a ton of  other great info.

Celebrate your freedom during banned books week and read one of these great (frequently banned) titles.

Stop pretending you don't know why people hate Hillary Clinton.

This is at the top of my must-try list of recipes.

Love the easy style and fun print in this tunic for my daughter.

Apple cider sangria? Yes, please.

A fun map of where book lovers live.

[Photo from our pop-up dinner at the Wave Field.]

Freeform Friday

We're keeping our fingers crossed this weekend and hoping the weather holds for soccer and a trip to Art Prize, a fantastic, free event that takes over Grand Rapids each year. Otherwise, I'm happily curling up with an old favorite and current book club book. I hope your weekend is a good one, and I hope you enjoy clicking through these links:

Intimidated by hosting a dinner party? Try a low-stakes crappy dinner party.

Best. Mock-Instagram. Ever.

Beautiful photos of Truman Capote's Brooklyn.

Looking forward to using my new weekender bag for a fall getaway.

It isn't just an election. It's a tipping point.

It's decorative gourd season, motherfuckers.

Who wouldn't want a magical house with a cupboard under the stairs?

Idiocrarcy is more timely than ever (and back in theaters this election season!).

[Photo of Grace Kelly chillin' with a good book.]

Freeform Friday

We have a fun night planned at a ciders and sliders event with friends at a local museum, and I'm hopeful that this 80 degree weather will be around for an impromptu pool party at a pal's new house Sunday. Both seem like the perfect way to get the most out of this Indian summer.

I hope your weekend is a good one, and I hope you enjoy clicking through these links:

Here is an incredible parade that has floats covered in fresh dahlias.

Love this sarcastic take on women in the workplace.

This is one American cultural standard that I could do without. I'm with her.

The Thug Kitchen Cookbook might inspire you to get your shit together, too.

The best "New York" deli reuben in the world is at Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor.

This is the most exciting thing to happen in the NFL (at least for viewers like me who ordinarily don't give a shit about football). Way to fight the good fight!

After school or work meltdowns a problem in your house? There's a condition for that.

[Photo of Grace Kelly with double the fun in Rear Window.]

Freeform Friday

Like all teachers who went back to work this week, I'm exhausted. Tonight's going to be a wild one full of hanging on the couch with the fam and watching a DVD until I fall asleep. I'll be happy to be rested up for my son's first soccer game tomorrow (woo hoo!) and my book club on Sunday.

I hope your weekend is a good one, and I hope you enjoy clicking through these links:

Why not smiling is okay. 

Boomer will go blue!

Our book club has been flying through this great read.

Back to school meal plan help.

Bread never looked so beautiful.

Eek! This will make you think twice about what you put in the garbage.

This roast of a nasty character made me laugh out loud.

[Image from Hitchcock's Notorious and what I imagine my house to look like by 9:00 tonight.]

Dealing with the Loss of a Pet

Earlier this summer we lost our beloved 11-year-old terrier, and it was heartbreaking for our whole family. I cried for days. My three-year-old kept insisting that maybe Gus was upstairs or would be coming home soon. My five-year-old, who had an affinity for wrapping our patient pup in blankets and snuggling with him in bed, suggested that maybe Gus could come back as a spirit like Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. His creative approach to dealing with Gus' loss didn't stop there.

By the time we were home from the vet, puffy eyes stinging, our son was proudly presenting us with a crayon illustration he'd made of the dog. He had also created an admittedly odd looking rendition of our dog if he had been a Mr. Potato Head; while the green nose as a dog tail was a little out of the ordinary, it was also funny and a relief to see my son dealing with his grief by making as many artistic versions of our dog as possible. I decided to follow suit and create things with and for my kids to remember our sweet dog.

We made a photo book with favorite pictures of our adventures with Gus and quotes from kids about their best memories about him. This was an especially cathartic experience because we all talked about funny Gus stories and other memories that helped us focus on our good times with him.

I also put together a shadow box with pictures and mementos like his worn dog tag, paw print, and photos of our good times together. He was best buddies with our older dog who passed away two years ago, so I put all of their things together because that's how they always were.

Two months later, our fridge is still covered in drawings from the kids. We have my son's crayon illustration of the dog up as well as a drawing my five-year-old niece made for us of our whole family (both humans and canine).

This fall we're buying a tree for our yard, and we're going to put some ashes from Gus and Mazey in the ground when we plant it. I like the idea of having a new, growing tree in the front yard that will make me smile each time I see it and think of them.

Freeform Friday

It's all sunshine and warm weather in the forecast this Labor Day weekend, and we'll be soaking up the last days of summer at the pool, the lake with friends, and a picnic with family. Change is certainly in the air; our oldest is headed off to kindergarten Tuesday, and he had his first soccer practice (with Coach Dad!) yesterday afternoon.

I hope your long weekend is a good one, and I hope you enjoy clicking through these links:

Really excited to see this 60 Second Doc on our hometown's favorite monster.

I completely agree with this approach to teaching writing (and even use it for the opening assignment in my Creative Writing class!).

I love John Dingell.

Another great reason why you should be using Nextdoor.

John Hamm is a big fan of Wilco.

I fall in love with this supercut a little more each time I watch it.

Check out this outrageous ticket a friend's two-year-old was given in D.C.

(Photo of my friend Sean's delicious freeform tarts. Find more photos on Instagram.)