officially obsessed

if anyone asks, i always freely admit to being less than skilled in the kitchen department. have you had my cooking? i didn't think so. and that's because it consists of mostly three food groups: cereal, salad, and chocolate. er... i guess none of those count as 'cooking' anyway.

it's really unfair to be the only woman in your family who doesn't have a natural aptitude for putting ingredients together. so when it came to registering for the wedding, i was determined to register for things that would magically transform me into a culinary goddess... and what is more necessary for a a culinary goddess than the beloved, widely sought-after and dare i say coveted KitchenAid Mixer? nothing, my friends. there is nothing more necessary. at least to me.

and yesterday, i arrived home to find a large brown box waiting on our front porch. i could barely get the door open while juggling my purse, computer, said box, and excitement. KitchenAid, you've finally come! i had struggled for maybe hours, trying to decide upon the color of my mixer. normally i would have gone with white or chrome (you know how i like my neutrals). but for this precious tool i decided to go wild - i got the color ice (shown above!). i love it. it's so fun and flirty - can a mixer flirt? mine can! when i took it out of the box and placed it on my counter, i immediately wanted to throw on a cute apron and whip something fabulous up. problem - no idea what to whip up or how to whip it. nevertheless, i was convinced my culinary skills were forever changed.

and that night - i made... whipped cream! it was fluffy. it was sweet. it was just 3 ingredients. it was what i could handle. and spooned atop a warm chocolate dessert, it was heaven. i made whipped cream! perhaps tomorrow will bring bigger KitchenAid adventures. if you have a good KitchenAid recipe, please do pass it along!

ps - how awesome are these? i want one! i know... i'm a little crazed about the Mixer today.

happy weekend!

whew! we made it. friday, how i love you. i hope you find yourself drinking good wine and laughing often this weekend. i hope to do the same!

m & i are beginning the house hunt. my one requirement: a bathtub. this photo above is why.

have you been following jamie's journey through new york fashion week? love her take on grace kelly.

mmm. trying this recipe this weekend?

this photo. ah. missing summer like mad.

how awesome is this coat rack?

this wedding is ah-mazing. a picnic reception and a ceremony at sunset! tons of details and yet the whole event seems understated and relaxed.

monday morning pick-me-up

in honor of V-day. this is cute.

poms and stamps

last weekend, i invited some girls over for brunch, mimosas, and crafting! now that the wedding is just five months away (!), it seemed high time to put some action into all those diy plans i'd made. the craft party was a wonderful success, and i couldn't have asked to share it with more lovely friends!

i spent the friday before the party preparing. my sister (and fabulous MOH) and i headed out to get all the essentials: ingredients for brunch, champagne, orange juice, fabric, a movie, and chocolate (ok, the chocolate and the movie were for us).

we set out all the crafting supplies:
1. tissue paper (i had bought the paper in bulk from this paper mart)
2. pipe cleaners, scissors, tape, pencils
3. cards (in one of our wedding colors! a total score from the Michael's sale bins)
4. thank you stamp (i splurged! thank you, ampersandity!) and ink pads
5. fabric (in various prints and textures, all in our wedding colors, from JoAnn's)

and then we turned on some music and went to work in the kitchen. we made this delicious egg strata (though we used 8 eggs, tore all the bread into bite size chunks and sauteed all the veggies beforehand). we made it the night before, so the next day all i had to do was pop it in the oven (along with some cinnamon rolls!). and finally collapsed on the couch to watch this movie (which was actually pretty good!). i LOVE time with my sister. we had a blast.


(that picture wasn't taken while we were making egg strata... though we have been known to strut around the kitchen in the dead of winter in our bathing suits. i love our matching freckles!)

the crafting party turned out beautifully! i had made poms earlier in the year for a party (pre-engagement), so i did a quick tutorial on pom-making since we'll be using a lot of them at the wedding. all the girls quickly became pom-making pros and set to work. my good friend natalie, known for her wordsmith skills, added stamping to her skill set and stamped ALL of my thank you notes. and maureen began to craft our fabric wedding banner.

the egg strata was a big hit, the mimosas were delicious, and the conversation was sweet. i'm so excited to see all of the diy decor coming together. i've had this vision growing in my mind since september, and it's going to be all the more beautiful knowing so many friends contributed to the finished product! i feel very loved.














thank you so much to all my beautiful friends who helped! i'm so sorry i didn't get photos of all of you but your presence was much appreciated. i wish i could post all of the finished products, but some things will have to be left until the wedding.

i'm back!

whew! can you believe the holidays are over? i hope yours were restful and cheery. i had the best time at home, having a slow week full of family, some wedding planning, and my first bridal shower! now that i'm back, it seems i've hit the ground running and all that r&r has fallen by the wayside.

does this happen to you? it's like all week i got plenty of sleep, worked out every day, ate delicious meals, read a lot, lounged, wondering just how in the world i would fill up all the hours in the day. and then bam! vacation is over, and i'm wondering just how in the world i'll have time to work, eat, plan a wedding, work out so i fit into my wedding dress, and maybe sleep. and why, oh why did i not get more done during vacation? but that is what vacation is for, i guess. a reprieve from the constant roar of accomplishment.

so here are the very few non-accomplishments i checked off my list while i was gone:

1. painted my nails the most glittery gold (see above photo). it chipped off after 4 days, leaving my fingers in a sorry state of post-christmas hoopla. but i still enjoyed looking at them, like the sweetly sad feeling you get when you see all the wrapping paper balled up in the trash around noon on christmas.

2. listened to a new friend talk about the life he left in mexico, his love of painting, and how he once won a singing contest in front of 300 strangers. this might have been the most meaningful conversation i had all christmas season, and it happened when i volunteered with my church at an event for the homeless.

3. watched old home videos. oh my goodness. i haven't laughed that hard in a long time. my parents were strenuously committed to documenting all of their young daughters' lives on camera, and the result is pure entertainment. as the oldest, i exhausted myself in front of the camera, coming up with anything, anything to bring the attention back to myself (as my sisters would say, oh how things have changed). hilarious.

4. made these no-bake cookies (my grandma was famous for them around our house).

5. saw this movie. i highly recommend it. colin firth is amazing, and this story warms my heart.

6. read a lot of this book. a must read. it's changing the way i think. more thoughts on it to come.

would love to hear how your holidays were!

chronicle books giveaway!

i love books. so when i discovered the chronicle books giveaway via mary, i had to enter. chronicle books invited bloggers to make a wish list of books up to $500 that they'd like to 'haul' away for the 'haul-idays' (har har). AND if i'm chosen, one of you lucky readers will win all the books too! to enter, simply leave a comment on this post!


here's my list (including all of the above!):

1. Humanity i love photography books, especially those that feature real people in real life.

2. Top Chef: Cookbook i'm no cook (though i'm improving!) but my family and i love to watch Top Chef (i think my mom could take any of 'em!). this would make a nice gift for her.

3. Handmade Hellos i've mentioned before that i love letters, and this book features eunice of Hello!Lucky - love!

4. Allure for a fellow fashionista, my roomy, elise.

5. Garden Anywhere m likes to garden but i'm afraid we won't have much of a yard next year.

6. Paper and Craft this just looks fun.

7. Deep Dark Chocolate for maddy, my pastry chef friend (and the baker for our wedding!).

8. Apartment Therapy Presents i'm addicted to apartment therapy, aren't you? for my aunt carol, the interior designer.

9. The Power of the Invisible Sun my sister, kirby, would love this philanthropy turned art book.

10. Fast, Fresh, & Green lots of veggie recipes. perfect for my farmer friend (now at, ahem, harvard) connie.

11. Little Book of Letterpress for maureen, one of my (many) creative friends.

12. The Life & Love of Trees i've seen this book over at o' suz's for months. it's so gorgeous.

13. This is For You i love paper cut-outs and this book is chock-full. my artist sister audrey would love it.

14. Curiosities a book dedicated to vintage adornments? yes please.

15. Flour for le, who also loves to bake.

16. Polaroid Notes for kate, a great photographer.

17. Creative, Inc. could use this for sure!

18. All for Love i think a fellow avid reader, erin, would enjoy this anthology.

19. Mastering the Grill i think of a dad and brother-in-law who might enjoy this.

and that brings us close to $500! leave a comment if you'd like a chance to win! and if you're a blogger and you make one, let me know so i can comment! you can find the contest here.

happy weekend!

happy weekend! this weekend, i'm officially kicking off christmas. i'll be going to the AQ christmas party this evening followed by a christmas concert that m bought us tickets for! tomorrow i hope to make christmas cookies (maybe i'll try these) with some dear friends and then head to a gift exchange party. in the midst of the hubbub, i hope to make this wreath (out of book pages!).

do you have any fun holiday plans?

here are a few fun links from around the web:

just discovered this stress-free, down-to-earth site for all you brides-to-be. her guest post here is great reading.

hilarious gift guide for an ornery little brother.

loving sequins this season.

obsessed with this song. and check out this cute baby dancing to it.

cutest pregnant woman ever. complete with red lipstick.

wouldn't you love an indoor swing?

diy food

Green Wedding Shoes had an amazing post about a do-it-yourself cupcake topping bar. i couldn't resist re-posting. i love diy wedding food. the more choices for guests, the better. m & i are thinking of doing a mashed potato topping bar, complete with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, white potatoes, cheese, bacon, you name it!



check out the entire post here!