you + me

nerd alert: harry potter world

2012-02-13T04:44:00.000-08:00

warning: robert & I are harry potter nerds. we're they annoying type who watch the movies on the first day they're out & subsequently buy them on dvd. or visit platform nine & three quarters in king's cross station on a trip to london. or admit to wanting to be like sirius black (robert). so it was imperative that we take a trip to the wizarding world of harry potter at universal studios.

this place is pretty magical and the details are just incredible: chocolate frogs in honeyduke's candy shoppe, moaning myrtle in the bathroom, carts serving butterbeer (insanely sweet but pretty delicious), muggle t-shirts, squealing mandrakes. even employees who tell you that "the ministry requests your signature" when making a credit card purchase. and the best part- the place was filled with even nerdier harry potter fans! people of all ages dining at three broomsticks wearing house robes or scarves or carrying wands around the park, attempting to cast spells. we kind of loved it.

{the train to hogwarts}

{"please respect the spell limits"}

{"anything from the trolley?"}

{vomit-flavored jelly beans, anyone?}

{the owl post}

{the employees ask you if your wand has chosen you yet}

{animated wanted poster}

{we got some delicious pear cider & fish & chips at three broomsticks restaurant}

{all these potter nerds made me feel quite at home}

valentine's day packages o' love

2012-02-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

inspired by pinterest, here's a super easy valentine's day craft that is fun for kids and, let's be honest, adults too.

to start, cut out various sized hearts from kraft paper. be sure to fold the paper so that it's doubled-up & each heart has a front & back. decorate them with sweet messages & designs. I also think they look pretty just leaving them undecorated.

sew around the edges, leaving a hole for stuffing. don't have a sewing machine? you can do this by hand with a needle & thread, making the stitches a lot longer. or seal using some fun washi tape on the sides. or heck, take a sharpie and color the top of some staples & then just staple around the edges. whatever works.

now the fun part. fill with treats: candy kisses, lollipops, confetti, lip gloss, hamburger erasers... you know, normal stuff.

stitch back over the opening so that it's secure.

pass these "packages o' love" out & watch your friends rip into them with joy & excitement.

ps- what I made for robert last year for valentine's day.

jason wu for target

2012-02-07T04:36:00.000-08:00

did any of you get in on the jason wu goodness at target this past sunday? I'm embarrassed to admit that I hit up three targets & still managed to make it to church by 9am. the dress I was after was already sold out in my size. but I managed to pick up some other really cute pieces that I think I'll get a lot of wear out of (who am I kidding? I say that every time I buy something). plus, every item was under $40! not too shabby. thanks tarjay!

super bowl snacks

2012-02-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

the only two reasons for me to watch the super bowl: snacks & commercials (oh, & tom brady didn't hurt either). we made some pretty delicious snacks this year. "preeetyyy preeetyyy good," as larry david would say. here are my two faves. robert made joy the baker's mini pretzel dogs and they were amazing! like, auntie anne's good. and then I made spoon fork bacon's chocolate covered ruffles. so addictive. I don't think we'll be waiting for another super bowl to roll around to make either of these again.

january cookie: chocolate toffee cookies

2012-02-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

chewy chocolate. rich ganache. toffee crunch. that pretty much sums up these chocolate toffee cookies I made as my january cookie (in case you're wondering, 2011 was a year of cakes so 2012 is going to be a year of cookies). a good start to the year so far.

{recipe from here}

before + after: vintage vanity

2012-01-30T19:42:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share my mom's latest diy makeover. she found this 60s vanity at a garage sale for $25. the piece was in good shape, minus the fact that it was pretty hideous. with a little light sanding, some primer, spray paint & cute fabric, she totally transformed it. right now it sits in the guest room, which is decorated in lots of silver, black & white. this pop of bright color really livens the space & adds a lot of warmth. nice job, mom!

{before}

{lovely pink cushion}

{after}

{fabric by amy butler}

{I found these handles at anthropologie for $6 each}

butternut squash tortellini

2012-01-26T04:33:00.000-08:00

robert made me the most delicious meal last weekend: giada's roasted butternut squash tortellini with cranberry sage walnut sauce. in case you're feeling up for a challenge, you should totally try this. it was amazing.

giada de laurentiis' butternut squash tortellini with brown butter sauce recipe:
squash tortellini

1 butternut squash, approximately 2 pounds, cubed (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 large shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
4 small amaretti cookies, crushed (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package small wonton wrappers

brown butter sauce:

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2 tablespoons torn fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, or chopped dried cherries, or mixture of both

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions:

to make the tortellini, preheat the oven to 375 degrees f. on a foil-lined baking sheet toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, herbs de provence, salt, and pepper. bake in the oven until soft and golden, about 25 minutes. meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. cook the shallots and garlic until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

in a food processor, combine the butternut squash mixture, the shallot mixture, and the ricotta cheese and pulse a few times to blend. add the crushed amaretti cookies, the nutmeg, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. pulse until smooth. the tortellini filling can be made one day ahead (I would highly recommend this).

to make the tortellini, lay out 6 wonton skins, keeping the remaining skins inside the package or under a very lightly dampened paper towel. place 1 tablespoon of squash mixture in the middle of each skin. dip a pastry brush in a little water and wet the edges of the skin. gently fold the square wrapper into a triangle, making sure the edges are securely closed and there are no air pockets inside. dampen the two bottom corners of the longest side of the triangle and gently bring them together, pressing lightly to secure. place the formed tortellini on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. before laying out another 6 wonton sheets, be careful to dry the work surface. this will help keep tortellini from sticking to the baking sheet. continue until all the butternut squash mixture is used. there should be approximately 36 tortellini. (the tortellini can be formed, frozen on the baking sheet, transferred to a tightly sealed plastic bag or container and stored for up to six months. to cook, simply toss the frozen ravioli into the salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.)

to make the sauce and serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. meanwhile, melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

add the sage, walnuts and cranberries and let cook until the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes. turn the heat off and season with salt, and pepper.

stir to combine. then, gently place the tortellini in the boiling water and gently stir. when they begin to float they are done, about 3 minutes. using a slotted spoon, gently spoon the tortellini onto a serving platter, top with the brown butter sauce, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

30th birthday party

2012-01-24T05:11:00.000-08:00

and as part of "treat yo self 2012", robert threw me the sweetest dinner party with some of my favorite people at a local wood fire pizza restaurant. it made me feel awfully blessed to have so many special people in my life to celebrate with. I'm a lucky girl.

{invite designed by robert. a compilation of all my birthday pics. in case you didn't notice, I'm kinda into birthdays}

{robert surprised me with these cute buttons he designed with fun quotes on the sides}

{vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream frosting}

{robert ordered a bunch of different wood fired pizzas for everyone}

{bob + reba}

{kristy}

{bill + debbie}

{troy + jenny}

{monica}

{my parents}

{my amazing husband. thanks for an incredible 30th}

treat yo self

2012-01-23T04:35:00.000-08:00

in honor of my birthday, my amazing husband made the theme of the weekend "treat yo self" (and in case you aren't familiar, watch this video). all my favorite things in one day. it really was "the best day of the year."

{flowers made by mom: treat yo self}

{mimosas: treat yo self}

{birthday sign: treat yo self}

{gifts: treat yo self}

{the best donuts in the city: treat yo self}

{a flash dance card: treat yo self}

{fried zeppole with chocolate-espresso dipping sauce: treat yo self}

{flowers from hubby: treat yo self}

tassel garland

2012-01-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

so. bad news. this is my last week as a twenty-something-year-old; on saturday I turn the big 3-0. I feel like I should be excited, but I'm not. to be quite frank, thirty sounds kinda old (no offense to those of you reading this who are older) & I'm not quite ready to be an official "grown up".

in order to lift my spirits a bit, I made this adorable tassel garland based off this tutorial. it was a little time consuming cutting all the strips, but really easy to make. I may have to make this decoration a permanent fixture in the house.

in bruges

2012-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

it's hard to pick a "favorite" anything. I've been to a lot of beautiful cities, but none quite compare to bruges. it quickly became my favorite city on the very night we arrived (back in may when we visited for our 5th anniversary. I'm a wee bit delayed in writing this post).

we arrived in the city at night, coming by train from london. we made it to our b&b & were greeted by the sweet owner, who gave us late a night snack & showed us our room. it was an adorable space, with high ceilings, wooden beams & modern art on the wall, created by the owner.

we decided we'd have a very late dinner & walked to the most amazing bar/restaurant right around the corner. it was almost midnight, but this dimly-lit local hangout was packed. we grabbed a high top table in the corner & perused the giant beer menu (see first photo). it was an amazingly romantic first night in a new city. and the rest of our time there only continued to impress us.

walking the streets of bruges is like stepping into a storybook. it's almost medieval-looking, with cobblestone streets & little bridges over canals that are filled with swans. it is certainly the most beautiful & friendliest city I have ever visited. and if you haven't seen the film "in bruges," you must! not only is it a wonderful film, but it really captures the magic that is bruges.

{check out that beer menu- seriously insane!}

{the bell tower}

{366 narrow, squeaky steps to the top}

{and the view from the top was worth it}

{47 bells in the tower, weighing from 2 pounds to 11,000 pounds}

{frites with mayo. seriously delicious- if you like mayo!}

{we stumbled across a carnival in bruges}

{there are swans in the canals}

{sugared waffles = amazing}

{the market}

{a freshly baked meringue}

{basilica of the holy blood}

{procession of the holy blood, which only happens once a year}

{we did a tour of the half moon brewery}

{you might recognize this from a scene in "in bruges"}

{I told ya it's romantic here}

{the best chocolates in bruges are at dumon!}

{windmills!}

{we rode bikes to another adorable city, dame}

{cafe vissinghe - the oldest pub in bruges - est. 1515}

around town

2012-01-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

sunday after church we took the cruisers out for a spin around town. here are a few shots I captured along the way. I love you, weekends.

{we got hungry so we stopped for a pint along with some fish & chips at an irish pub}

365 project

2012-01-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

have you guys heard of the 365 project (or ever done it?)? basically, you document a year of your life by capturing one photo a day. it sounds a little intimidating. but I think it would be pretty fantasic to look back as an old lady in my rocker & see what my life was like everyday of 2012 ('cause lord knows I won't remember- I can barely remember my age).

you can help keep me accountable & follow me here if you're interested. or better, sign up & do it yourself!

{photo by tiffany manning}

2011

2012-01-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

this post is a little delayed, but I wanted to quickly recap the year of 2011 (mainly for memories sake). previous year-end recaps for 2009 & 2010.

we had a little relaxing beach staycation.
lots of family time on the river, in the summer, in the winter & in the rain.
we celebrated our five year anniversary!
to celebrate, we took a trip to some amazing cities, including london, bruges & amsterdam (I still need to post photos!).
robert turned the big 4-0 & we threw him a party.
some good bands came to town that we got tickets to see: junip, fleet foxes, the walkman & tv on the radio.
robert entered a fun poster contest.
we rearranged some rooms in our home a bit & got some new furniture.
I can't neglect to mention the royal wedding.
I went blueberry picking for the first time in july & plan to make it an annual occurrence.
we got lost in a corn maize.
a visit to palm springs & san diego (need to post pics of san diego too!) to visit good friends.
I successfully completed a year of cakes!

thank you guys for reading & for your sweet comments. I have a feeling there will be lots of good things to come in 2012!

{photo by tiffany manning}

before + after: vintage folding chairs.

2012-01-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

over the summer my mom & friend jenny convinced me to buy these cute vintage folding chairs at an estate sale. I ended up getting all four of them for ten bucks! while they were really cute as-is, the fabric was worn & looked pretty dated.

I knew I wanted to paint & recover them, but just wasn't sure what type of fabric to use. my mom found this great michael miller bicycle fabric in a vinyl material, which was absolutely perfect. I took apart the chairs & just wrapped & glue-gunned the new fabric over the existing fabric. I also sprayed painted all the pieces gray (taking the chairs apart was easy; putting them back together... not so much. thanks to robert & daddy their help, which kept me from ripping my hair out).

the best part about these chairs is that they fold up, so we can store them in the garage & them pull them out whenever we need more seating. $37 for four chairs = not too shabby.

chair $10
fabric $15 (free shipping)
spray paint $12

{before}

{after}

happy 2012

2012-01-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

wishing you a new year filled with joys & blessings!

{me & my sis on christmas eve. tights from urban outfitters}

december cake: layered peppermint cheesecake with white chocolate mousse frosting

2011-12-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

well well well. I officially made it through an entire year of baking a new cake every month! my only rules were to make something new & to make it from scratch. I had so much fun doing this every month that I'm considering doing it again next year. I'm thinking, "a year of cookies," perhaps?

for december, it was another happy birthday jesus cake. this recipe is from southern living: a layered peppermint white cake & cheesecake with a white chocolate mousse frosting. everyone loved it. generally, only chocolate turns me on, but this was really good & perfect for christmas. the icing didn't do quite right (it was a little runny), so I left it un-iced on the sides, as inspired by the cover of my miette book (thanks, santa!).

thanks for following me on my highly caloric adventure.
ps- to see my entire year of cakes, click here.

christmas day

2011-12-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

only in florida can you put on shorts & flip flops & take a boat ride on christmas day. it was an incredibly beautiful, peaceful afternoon. a wonderful way to celebrate jesus' birth. merry christmas!

annual ornament

2011-12-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

I got a bunch of felt at an estate sale in atlanta last weekend for $1, so I thought I should probably make something with it. I found this diy post & decided to use the felt to make an ornament. my mom's friend used to make my sister & me a handmade ornament every year as kids & it has always been a sweet tradition. so I thought I'd start this year & attempt to make a make new ornament myself. knowing me, I'm sure I'll get around to making this new "tradition" happen every year...

a gift for everyone

2011-12-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

it's so hard to buy for people who have everything (that's most of us). i hate giving people junk they don't need, just to give it - picture frames, bath beads, candle holders, etc. I'm all about practical gifts... which to me usually means something edible.

I have always loved these ceramic baskets from anthropologie (especially after reading this somewhat ridiculous blog post about having a pretty refrigerator, which I couldn't help but enjoy). I bought a couple of them & filled them with fruit: tangerines from our tree, meyer lemons from a co-worker's tree & some limes. attached a delicious sangria recipe (I used this free mason jar template), coupled with a bottle of wine & this makes the perfect gift, in my opinion.

and if you're interested in the sangria recipe, here it is:

1 bottle dry red wine
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1/3 cup orange juice
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
2 cups+ ginger ale or sprite

in a large pitcher or bowl, mix together the red wine, brandy, triple sec, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate & orange juice. wash fruit & float slices of lemon, orange & lime (and any other fruit of your choosing) in the mixture. refrigerate overnight. add ginger ale just before serving.

christmas around the house

2011-12-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

{vintage bulbs}

{mini tree}

{gift made by mom}

{I love presents!}

o christmas crack, o christmas crack

2011-12-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

obviously I've never done crack (or any other drug for that matter), but I can't image that it could be any more addictive than this christmas toffee (a.k.a. "crack"). I've been making it every year since probably high school. I only allow myself to make it once a year at christmas, or else I'd be about 400 pounds. because once you pop a piece, you can't stop.

it's extremely simple to make & is great for gift-giving. photo below in case you need 'em.

saltines (I use the generic version)
2 sticks butter
1 cup light brown sugar
a bag chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
crushed nuts (I like pecans or walnuts)

preheat oven to 350
melt butter & sugar on low in a small pot on the stove until completely blended.
cover a raised-edged cookie sheet with aluminum foil (I used a silpat mat instead).
completely line the cookie sheet with saltine crackers.
pour blended butter & sugar mixture over crackers.
bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
remove from oven. sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee.
put back in the oven for 2 minutes to help melt the chocolate.
remove from the oven & carefully spread the melted chocolate chips with a spatula.
sprinkle some chopped nuts over the toffee.
let cool & then put in refrigerator until hard (do not freeze).
once toffee is hard, remove from foil & break apart.
store in an airtight container in the fridge. I promise it won't last that long, though.

vintage garland

2011-12-15T04:36:00.000-08:00

my sister found this vintage garland at an estate a few weeks ago. isn't it beautiful?

temporary christmas art

2011-12-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

I love decking out the house for chirstmas. but we have a small house & don't have tons of extra space for keeping all of my christmas decor. so I'm always looking for creative solutions for storage.

I saw this beautiful print (I adore maps) designed by angela hardison & thought it would look perfect in one of the frames I already own. I downloaded it here on her blog for free (yes, free!) & then had it printed at mpix in a size that would fit the frame. when christmas is over, I'll just put the photo behind the poster that was already in the frame. perfect, easy storage. or I may even decide keep it up all year. such a great reminder of what christmas is all about.

antique shopping

2011-12-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

I had a fun weekend with my sister in atlanta at the scott antique market. they host the "world's largest indoor antique show." and boy, is it ginormous. we probably could have spent several days there (and it was both inside & outside). we didn't buy anything, sure had a fun time looking.

{love this "tree" made from vintage broaches!}

lemon icebox cookies

2011-12-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

for those of you with an overabundant supply of lemons from lemon trees this season, this martha recipe is a very easy & tasty cookie recipe. I used meyer lemons, but any lemon will do. and the best part is, you have to freeze the dough, so you can make it a month ahead & have it ready to go when your sweet tooth calls or when guests pop by.

ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

directions:

In a food processor, pulse flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, and lemon zest until combined. Add butter and process until sandy. Add egg yolks and lemon juice; pulse until dough comes together. Divide dough in half and form each into a 1 1/2-inch-wide log. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 1 month).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Spread granulated sugar on a piece of parchment; roll logs over sugar to coat. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

chevron wrapping paper from a potato

2011-11-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite parts of christmas is buying & wrapping gifts. each year I try to do a little somethin' fun to beautify the gift (see last year's wrapping here). not only is it fun to receive a pretty package, but it also looks nice sitting under the tree all month.

this year I decided to stick with simple kraft paper & then stamp some sort of design onto it. I don't know if any of you have ever checked out michael's or joann's craft stores for stamps, but they really suck. they all look like microsoft office clip art from 1999. and I knew I didn't want to wait to order a stamp from etsy, so my next thought was to buy a carving block to make my own, but neither store carried those either.

so I regretfully returned home, feeling defeated, & decided to rid my sorrows over some comfort food in the form of thanksgiving leftovers. and then it hit me- potatoes! duh! why didn't I think of that earlier? I grabbed a small knife (an exacto would work well too) & cut a shape out of the potato (I went with the zig zag pattern). I dapped the "stamp" onto a paper towel to get out some of the moisture & then dipped it in gold ink & then onto the kraft paper, over & over again. it dried all shiny & pretty and looks just as cute as this expensive anthropologie wrapping paper, if I do say so myself.

it's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-11-29T04:51:00.000-08:00

christmas! I know, I know - I just posted about thanksgiving. but I'm one of those annoying people who starts listening to christmas music the second the weather turns chilly (chilly being like 60 degrees here in florida). of course, I don't do it in front of others (in fact, when people make comments like "it's the second week of november & they're already playing christmas music! can you believe that?!?!" I'm all like, "gosh, I know! is nothing scared anymore?" and then I hop into my car & secretly turn on lite 96.1 - "all christmas music, all the time").

so by the weekend after thanksgiving, I am totally antsy to go get the tree & start decorating the house. we got an awesome tree this year (as well a second little mini tree so we can have one in each of the rooms that we hang out in). I swear the house smells just like one of those pine-scented tree-shaped air-freshners... but better!

{there's something not right about picking out a tree while wearing shorts}

{a bus full 'o trees}

{and it was so hot, we had to stop for ice cream on the way home}

thankful

2011-11-26T18:27:00.000-08:00

it was, yet again, a wonderful thanksgiving. it was on the small side this year, as some of the family was traveling. and my sis works in retail, so therefore she couldn't make it into town (thanks, black friday!). but other than that, it was a beautiful day at the lakehouse, with lots of super-delicious food. I am reminded all the time how incredibly grateful I am for the countless blessings in my life. god is good!

{prepping to smoke the ham}

{grammie is still the world's best thanksgiving cook}

{we are thankful for the lazy susan}

{post-meal walk around the lake - to help make room for dessert}

{too chilly to swim}

{robert trekking through the weeds}

{the lake at sunset is a beautiful thing}

november cake: sour cream chocolate cake with cream cheese peanut butter frosting & chocolate peanut butter ganache

2011-11-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

phew. that was a long title. but I didn't want to leave out any of the goodness. this three-layer november cake was really really good. I mean, what's not to like about the chocolate + peanut butter combination? It sounds a little complicated, but this cake was actually pretty simple to make. you should totally try it (recipe here). the chocolate cake was really moist. and that peanut butter icing was just heavenly (I even saved some to dip my bananas in for breakfast!). and the ganache on to top is really what threw it over the top. a reese's peanut butter cup in cake form.

boys weekend

2011-11-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

last weekend robert had a little male bonding time with all of his vw buddies. they all caravanned over to tampa for the annual vw bus show. they camped out in tents & some in their buses & cooked all their meals over a fire. how cute is that?

marisco's taco truck

2011-11-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

before we travel to new places, I love getting on the computer & doing tons of research on the location. what to do, what to see, how to get around & most importantly, what to eat. a bunch of people on several different websites had mentioned marisco's taco truck for the most authentic fish tacos in town. so we headed there for lunch on the first day of our visit. I was not prepared for the all-spanish menu (or the fact that the person at the window didn't speak much english), but we managed & got some really delicious, fresh, hot food in return. I love this food truck rage!

{there was quite a line}

{fresh fish tacos}

{this is what we got when we ordered a coke}

{the fanciest thing on the menu}

vintage finds: glass cake plate

2011-11-14T04:33:00.000-08:00

I have a wee bit of an obsession with collecting cake plates. I have... well, let's just say... a lot. they are so pretty & delicate & hold cake, which also happens to be one of my favorite thing ever. when I find a cake stand that is different than anything I already own, I feel like I have to have it. robert spotted this one for me at an estate sale we went to a few weeks ago. I like it because it's simple & taller than any of the other cake stands I own. it has a few little scratches on the top, which just means it's been loved with a lot of cake over the years. and it was just $6.

music poster show

2011-11-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

a few months ago robert designed a poster for a local poster show. the rules were simple: choose a song that inspires you & then design a poster around it. he chose m83's "midnight city" (so envious that my sister got to go see them last week in concert!). listen to the song here (oh, and just for the record- this was before victoria secret started using the song in their commercial!) then check out his poster. pretty clever, huh? he's good. ;)

{music inspiration}

{see the city in the keys??}

{there were over 75 posters in the show!}

{loved these simple cotton clouds hanging from the ceiling}

{tons of great designers}

{see the tv reference in this one?}

{bryant in front of robert's poster & robert in front of bryant's winning poster: sergeant pepper's lonely hearts club band!}

ricotta pancakes

2011-11-07T04:32:00.000-08:00

it was a cold & dreary saturday, so I brightened it a tad by making a (rather larger) stack of ricotta pancakes (after eating them at the ace hotel, I'd been craving them). they are easy to make & so delicious. they also freeze well, if you want to save them for another weekend (not that we had a single one leftover). I used this recipe and just added a little vanilla. hot cakes always make for a good start to the weekend.

{I took a melon ball scooper to the butter to make these little discs - it reminds me of "cloudy with a chance of meatballs"}

happy november

2011-11-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

to welcome november, I made some of of these pumpkin whoopie pies with a maple marshmallow cream filling. here's the recipe if you're interested (or check out the chocolate peanut butter ones I made last november). the recipe is from the two fat cats bakery in portland, maine. robert & I were lucky enough to get to visit the bakery last summer while visiting some friends (see photos here). their whoopie pies are delicious & I was really happy with how these turned out. they were really moist & delicious, with just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. happy fall, ya'll!

october cake: dark chocolate layer cake with salted caramel buttercream frosting

2011-10-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

I should have titled this post, "how to make instant friends." here's how:

1) bake a homemade chocolate cake. slice a piece out of the middle so the delicious-looking layers in the center are visible.
2) carry the cake on a pretty cake plate into your local restaurant (in this case it was for our friend brian's birthday- but who needs an occasion for cake?). people will begin to approach you in the parking lot. they'll pretend to be interested in you husband's car - but we all know what they're really after.
3) once you're in the restaurant, all the servers will greet you like you're they're long-lost sister. the bartenders will offer to barter drinks for a slice. they'll even ask if they can put the cake in the back so you'll have more room at your table (don't fall for this one). the people in the restaurant will also begin stare- but don't worry, they're just jealous. they are just waiting for that moment when you finish your meal & cut the cake, hoping they'll a catch a break in the form of a crumb.
4) now, sing "happy birthday" (this step is optional - but note that this is the point when your fellow patron's jealously turns to envy & they begin thinking "I wish I was sitting at their table", so I'd recommend not skipping that part).
5) finally, cut & serve the cake. the people in the restaurant have now had a few drinks & are feeling friendly. they will take this opportunity to come up to your table & tell you how awesome you are & what an amazing baker you must be & do you think you might have a slice (or two) leftover. they're practically your friends at this point, so go for it. now, be prepared, because some more people might come into restaurant & gush over the cake (because they can see that you've served other people in the restaurant & can hear them shouting about how "amazing" it is). so you will probably make even more friends.
6) by the end of the night, the cake will be gone (hence the reason I said to take a slice out in the beginning!) & enjoyed by all your new friends. they're so ecstatic & their bellies are so happy, you'll feel like scott in the final scene of "teen wolf" where he scores the winning basket & gets hoisted up on everyone's shoulders to be revered & praised.

so if you're interested in making this actual cake (although any chocolate cake will do, really), I highly recommend it. the recipe can be found here (thank you, pinterest). the only modification I made was using hazelnut-flavored coffee instead of regular coffee, because I love the flavor.

*true story. and also just a side note that I did call ahead to make sure it was cool with the restaurant that I b.y.o.c.

aqua mason jars: diy

2011-10-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

I've had a crush on these vintage aqua mason jars for years, but every time I see them in antiques stores, they are always expensive. I really wanted to use them for robert's birthday party, so I figured I'd just try to make them myself. I found this tutorial online & followed the steps exactly, using the same turquoise vitrea paint & paint thinner. there were still some streaks, even after baking, but you don't notice them at all once the jars are filled with water & flowers. a pretty cheap + easy substitute, don't you think?

the corn maize

2011-10-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

robert & I took a lovely little ride out to the country on saturday in his vw bus. and I mean country. like, no stop lights, cell towers, anything. we wanted to walk through the giant corn maze at conner's a-maize-ing acres (get it?). it's a family farm, complete with with a two mile corn maze (ok, it's supposed to be "maize" with a corn stalk for the "i"), bon fires, hayrides, homemade ice cream & live music. we had such a great time walking through the maze with flashlights at night (and perhaps pretending to be harry potter in the tri-wizard challenge). see if there's one in your area.

{conner's}

{the two mile maze at dusk}

station tavern

2011-10-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

another delicious restaurant on our trip to san diego: station tavern. back in the 30s & 40s, there was a trolley line that ran over this piece of property. the owners have incorporated that trolley theme into the design of the restaurant. the space is totally open and almost all outdoors (ah, san diego weather!). plus, the food was really good, too.

{check out the foot rest- it's an old rail from the original trolley line}

{local beer: green flash}

{and a tasty margarita}

{who knew a turkey burger could be so delicious}

{gimmie some of your tots}

pigment

2011-10-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

robert & I stopped in a great store in san diego called pigment. they have really unique home deco, stationary & gifts. but one of the coolest things in the store is the make-your-own-terrariums. they sell these beautiful hanging glass orbs, which you can fill with sand or rocks & then a plant of your choosing (miniature succulents, a cactus, etc). wish I had snapped a photo of them - they were rad.

I felt like I needed to leave with some sort of treasure, so I picked up these pretty little stacking ceramic bowls. they are handmade, so each one is a little different shape & size. they'll be perfect for jewelry or buttons or even to use in the kitchen. I love finding awesome stores in new cities.

king's highway diner + lounge

2011-10-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

as if the ace hotel photos I posted didn't make that place look hip enough, they also have this restaurant on the property that is just as awesome. the owners restored an old denny's restaurant & turned it into a super-hip diner, serving the most delicious food, most of which is organic & locally grown. one of the best parts is linda, "the singing hostess", who slienced everyone in the restaurant so that she could sing to us (and apparently she also hosts bingo on monday nights!). pretty rad.

{our great hosts for the week, eric + megan}

{these ricotta pancakes were heavenly. I fully intend to make them at home}

{and breakfast chilaquiles}

ace hotel, palm springs

2011-10-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

so in case you are ever feeling down-in-the-dumps about yourself, do not visit the ace hotel in palm springs. you will leave feeling old, lame & extremely uncool. I have never been surrounded by so many skinny, aviator-wearing, tattooed, asymmetric-haircut hipsters in my life (I should also mention that there was a photo-shoot going on for american eagle, so there were a plethora of 95-pound models hanging around too). it was depressing. but this place is incredible. amazing design & signage everywhere you turn. it could not be a hipper hotel.

{the pool, which is aptly named the "swim club", complete with bar & DJ}

{great signage everywhere}

{pool rules. I'm pretty sure there's one on there that says, "must be young & hot to enter"}

{the rooms - some had patios with fire pits & couches}

{how cool is this? by the second ~~pool~~ swim club}

{the american eagle spring photoshoot. just look at those beauties scowl at me ;) }

{our room}

sprinkles cupcakes: san diego

2011-10-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

gosh, I ~~like~~ love cupcakes. and one of my favorite things to do in a new city is to explore the cupcake shops & taste test until I find my favorite. so far, I keep going back to sprinkles. I've visited the beverly hills location (here) & the dallas location (here). so when we were in san diego this past week, it was only appropriate that I cross one more location off the list. their vanilla milk chocolate cupcake is seriously the best ever. ever. good thing we don't have one in florida or I'd be broke. and fat. "not that there's anything wrong with that."

food + drink pinterest board

2011-10-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

I've been quite obsessed with pinterest since I joined a few months ago. it's such a convenient way to keep images & ideas organized in one place. lately my "food + drink" board has become my favorite. I've found some really great recipes that have inspired me to stop making the same old boring thing time & time again (am I starting to sound like an infomercial?).

to celebrate making it through the work week last week, I made these fresh corn cakes, served with a little peach salad + these take five balls for dessert. very tasty.

{fresh corn cakes}

{take five candy balls}

photobooth

2011-09-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

here are some more photobooth pics from robert's party. we truly intended this to be for the guests. honestly. but somehow, the kids & robert & I managed to monopolize it just a tad.

{robert's sweet little niece}

{the adorable brent + jennifer}

{this is pretty much the most awesome family ever. ever. I want to be like them when I grow up}

{the "put on your best disguise" pose}

{so cute troy + jenny}

{this is the part where we forgot there were other guests at the party we should be attending to}

{and in case you didn't already think we were vain-enough, we set up the booth again the next day & took more pics of ourselves.}

{show me your best "toddler & tiara" I-didn't-win-the-ultimate-grand-supreme-title-but-still-want-a-pony face}

robert's 40th birthday southern picnic party

2011-09-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

robert's a pretty special guy, so I thought he deserved a pretty special party for his 40th birthday. and I think we definitely accomplished that in a laid-back, southern-sort-of-way. thanks to my incredible parents, with their endless gifts & talents for helping me pull this off (oh, & for owning an awesome party-house). and my sweet sister who used her vacation time to drive six hours just to get here. and to all our friends & family who came (several from other cities & states!) to help shower my "old man" with lots of love & support on the big day. we both feel so blessed to have so many funny, creative, kind & thoughtful people in our lives.

I didn't take pictures of many things that I wish I had- like all the amazing people who came to celebrate with us. but I managed to get a few right as the party started. hope you enjoy.

{so I made the birthday boy design his own invites. is that so bad?}

{I filled lots of little mason jars with wildflowers for decoration}

{this was a perfect project to practice my sewing skills - 45 cloth napkins}

{I had a poster printed with all of robert's childhood photos}

{this was my mom's cute spin on the tired (& much-hated by myself) veggie tray. robert made the pimento cheese}

{what would a southern party be without two giant pots of boiled p-nuts?}

{we had mint, sweet tea & lemonade for people to make arnold palmers. refreshing!}

{watermelon on sticks}

{my mom made the cheese grits & robert cooked the shrimp. I think everyone went back for seconds}

{pulled pork sammies, sweet potato chips, cornbread & deviled eggs}

{in lieu of birthday cake, I made a bunch of pies (one not pictured). we had parchment, wood fork & baggies to take a slice-to-go}

{"ya'll come back" moonpies as favors. yes, I have eaten all the extras by myself}

{only one of my corn hole bags busted. can someone teach me how to double-stitch?}

{I took this brilliant idea from this woman via pinterest. so easy to set up & tons of fun}

{my dad set up some bait + poles for people to fish}

here are a few pics from the surprise "photobooth" that my dad & I set up. we actually didn't get many people it in, but the kids loved it. will post the rest of the pictures later.

{happy birthday, lovah}

september cake: a bunch 'o pies

2011-09-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

september was robert's birthday month. we did a southern picnic theme (pics to come next week), so instead of making a cake, I made a bunch of different pies. unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of all of them, but I ended up making an apple crumble pie, a brown sugar white peach pie and a chocolate peanut butter pie (pecan pie shown was not made by me). they disappeared slice by slice & we were left with four empty pie plates (don't you just love guests who actually eat?). I heard they were delicious ;)

happy birthday, husband!

2011-09-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that my adorable mister turned the big four-oh yesterday. we had a southern themed party last night that was tons of fun. I'm just now getting around to downloading the pictures, so I will definitely share later in the week, but it was a blast! happy 40th to the sweetest, smartest, funniest, kindest, most talented husband on the planet. I adore you, robert.

missoni

2011-09-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

eeek! I got a little credit-card-happy with my missoni purchases at target yesterday. the super target that's closest to us is near some upscale neighborhoods, so they were totally sold out. but robert had the idea to drive to another target in a, how should I say this, "less-cultured", area of town. "they won't know about missoni!" I know, shame on us for stereotyping, but he was totally right! there was tons of stuff left. I was a bit overwhelmed by the selection all over the store & didn't have time to think, so I just threw everything into the cart. have no fear, I will return most of it (or maybe I should ebay it; the $40 throws are going for $200 +). but I wanted to have time to take my picks on what I wanted to keep (definitely the headband, some tights, those bowls, a candle, the tray, the mug... yikes this is difficult). if there are any super-bummed missoni fans who didn't get their pick (because of greedy people like me who filled up their carts), let me know if you're interested in anything below. fun night!

ice cream sammies

2011-09-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

the perfect snack on a hot summer day. I used this recipe. hope you had a wonderful long weekend!

"rick rack"

2011-08-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

my mom & I hit up three estate sales over the weekend & I was lucky enough to find a little something at each one. I got a few really neat things for my sister, but I'm keeping them a surprise for her, so I won't post those photos just yet.

at one of the sales, there was an entire room filled with every sewing accessory you could ever image. the lady who had lived there had labeled each little bin with it's contents. my favorite was the was the tub labeled "rick rack". and not just because of the awesome spelling ("you can call me rack. rick rack"). it contained some beautiful trim & for $5, why not?

{"rick rack" -awesome.}

{this is seriously the tinniest ric rac I've never seen. how am I ever supposed to attach it to anything?}

busy

2011-08-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile because I've been a little preoccupied making things for robert's (big) birthday next month. I'll share more pics soon. happy weekend!

tgif + popsicles

2011-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

ah, sigh of relief - it's friday. I'm celebrating with a popsicle (made with grapes, strawberries, raspberries, topped with lemonade). happy weekend!

tea & scones

2011-08-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

going through the photos from our high tea at kensington made me wish I was still over there. so I thought I'd bring some london to florida. last weekend I made a clotted cream with this recipe (ok I cheated; real clotted cream takes like days to make & let's face it- I don't have the skill or patience). and scones with this recipe - and then threw in a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I just closed my eyes & pretended it wasn't 100 degrees.

august cake: vanilla wedding cake with swiss buttercream frosting

2011-08-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

as I mentioned, my parents 35th anniversary was this past weekend. so for august's cake, I decided to try to recreate the top of their wedding cake. in total 70s style, it was topped with white daises and lots of baby's breath. so sweet. I had so much fun making this cake; we even had mom & dad cut it just like they did on their wedding day!

{35th anniversary vanilla wedding cake with swiss buttercream frosting}

{my parents in 1976, cutting their wedding cake}

thirty-five

2011-08-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

toady my parents celebrate 35 years of marriage! I know that every marriage takes work, but mom & dad sure do make it look easy. they enjoy each other's company & find pleasure & laughter in the smallest things in life. they have set an amazing example of love, patience & loyalty for both my sister & me to follow.

check out this sweet wedding photo. isn't my dad styling in his frilly blue suit? and I think my mom looks so beautiful & natural. she said at the time it was almost taboo for a bride to wear her hair down.

I captured a little piece of their love story in this book as a gift for their anniversary. I had so much fun making it & sifting through all of their old photos. here's a little snippet. happy 35th anniversary mom & daddy!

tea at kensington palace

2011-08-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite parts of our trip to england was having high tea at the orangery at kensington palace. the gardens were so beautiful & manicured. and tea in the greenhouse was splendid. I ordered the chocolate tea & robert had darjeeling tea (plus some champagne!). they served it with three-tiered trays of delicious pastries & tarts, orange scones with cornish clotted cream & delicate little finger sandwiches. I totally felt like marie antoinette. it was a lovely afternoon.

river city

2011-07-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

father-daughter bonding activities have been going on for as long a I can remember. and even now that I have a husband, I still cherish the time I get to spend with my daddy. on a rainy sunday evening, the two of us took the boat out for a cruise down the st. johns river. it was a beautiful, peaceful evening (well, except that part where we stopped at the landing to eat dinner at hooters. can you believe they still wear those scrunchie socks?!).
our city looks really lovely from the river at sunset.

portobello road

2011-07-26T04:42:00.000-07:00

this is the soundtrack that played on repeat in my head the entire time we meandered down portobello road. if it wasn't so crowded, I'd probably have been skipping. the street was buzzing with activity; everywhere I looked there was something beautiful or interesting. giant piles of handmade breads and pastries, tightly bound croquet balls that smelled of leather, white flowers that appeared to be dripping off the buildings. portobello road is certainly one of a kind.

christmas in july

2011-07-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

my mom gave me a heads up about an estate sale in an older neighborhood across town. I happened to be in the area, so I stopped by. one thing that annoys me about estate sales is when the family puts them on & doesn't have the items marked with prices & then on top of that, doesn't want to part with anything because it's too sentimental. which I totally get... but if you aren't ready to part with things, then don't have a sale & haggle with people over every item that elicits some sort of memory. that's why hiring a company can be such a great service & well worth the money.

ok, enough complaining. so if you don't know, I love christmas. and these vintage santa glasses were just too cute to pass up. a lot of them broke as the family was pulling them out for the sale. and then two actually broke in my car. so I don't have full set of either, but I still think there's enough to mix & match for a holiday dinner party.

I also picked up some vintage christmas ornaments. if I can find a few more boxes, I'd love to make melanie's ornament chandelier! $12 for everything. not bad.

{love the progression of santa coming out of the chimney}

{dried pine needles & shiny tinsel of christmases past}

stonehenge

2011-07-20T04:29:00.000-07:00

on our 5-year anniversary trip to england, we took a quick trip to stonehenge. I really never expected a bunch of rocks to be impressive. but there is something totally mysterious & intriguing about stonehenge. what is it? an astrological chart? a calendar? a sacred burial ground? and how'd those massive 30-ton stones get there? by glaciers? aliens (this one's my personal fave)? just the thought that it was built around 3,000 BC is totally incomprehensible. it was definitely worth the trip.

{the real stonehenge? you'll never know}

macarons

2011-07-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

while in london, we made a point to stop by ladurée in covent gardens for some macarons. my sister bought me this cute book awhile back but I had never made or even tried a macron! and I gotta be honest...they are beautiful, but don't really look like they would actually taste good. boy was I wrong. they are heavenly! the outside is slightly crispy, but when you bite into it, it's super soft & light -almost chewy- with the most refreshing, sweet flavor. they are to-die-for & were totally worth the ridiculous £

the guest room

2011-07-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

my mom has great taste. she has this seriously amazing ability to walk into an estate sale or thrift store that is packed to brim with junk and spot the treasures. it's a gift. and she also has a real knack for arranging old pieces in new, modern, creative ways. these are some photos from my parent's "guest room" (my old bedroom, before I left the nest) that I snapped the last time I was over there.

{old suitcases stacked up make the perfect night stand. I love how she painted the stripe on the curtain to blend with the walls}

{mom's collection of vintage hats on display}

{vintage martini glasses are used to display old jewelry}

the blues

2011-07-12T04:50:00.000-07:00

I found a great estate sale in the neighborhood last weekend (thanks, craigslist). the family didn't use a company for the sale, so everything was really reasonably-priced. I got this pretty, low milk glass cake plate for $5. then I spotted these blue glass canisters in the kitchen for $1 each. when I turned them over, they were made in belgium, so I was sold (we just got back from a trip to belgium). and I really like these blue cloth napkins - they will be perfect for eating out on the deck this summer & were only $1. oh, and the scarf is for my sissy. not sure if it's vintage or not, but I just loved that blue & green print! and all of this for a crisp hamilton (I had to google that).

blueberry picking

2011-07-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

{3 pounds of berries for $9!}

singing in the rain

2011-07-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

rainy days in the river are almost more fun than sunny ones.

july cake: brownie flag cake

2011-07-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

ok, so this is definitely not an impressive cake. in fact, it's so simple that I'm not sure it's even allowed to count as part of my series. I might decide to make another "july cake" later in the month. but I needed something to take to our friend's annual 4th of july cookout & this was the perfect, festive dessert. happy america day!

happy 4th!

2011-07-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

happy july fourth weekend! we're taking it easy & enjoying pool time, riding bikes & doing a little grilling. robert made jamie oliver's cilantro & mint marinated chicken & shrimp zucchini kabobs with baked beans & sweet corn with a rosemary butter. it was fantastic. the perfect start to a long summer weekend.

june cake: coconut cake with coconut lime glaze & coconut cream cheese icing

2011-06-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

we celebrated father's day with a wonderful afternoon of boating, skiing & swimming with dolphins in the river, followed by an evening of eatin' fried chicken & the best cake I've made all year (at least according to my critics).

if you like coconut, I highly recommend this cake recipe. it was light & refreshing & fairly simple to put together. a perfect father's day cake for the perfect father & grandfather!

gender cake pops

2011-06-22T04:50:00.000-07:00

I made bakerella's cake pops for a baby shower last week (and also some for an adorable first birthday for a very sweet little boy). the couple is keeping the gender a surprise (I love that!), so I thought it would be fun to make the cake pop filling a surprise, too. for the "boy" cake pops, I used a vanilla recipe and added blue food coloring. and for the "girl" cake pops, I made red velvet cake (although next time I'll probably use vanilla cake and dye it pink). people had fun predicting their future baby's gender. and the couple both got blue cake pops on their first try, so we're convinced it's a boy. robert says the cake pops don't lie.

the streets of london

2011-06-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

summertime snack

2011-06-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

need a quick, easy & refreshing snack for summer? wrap some paper-thin slices of prosciutto around pieces of ripe melon. the sweet + salty flavor is delicious!

been bakin'

2011-06-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've been bakin' up a storm these past few days for a baby shower, first birthday party & june's cake. hopefully I'll have some cute stuff to show you next week (really crossing my fingers that this stuff turns out ok!).

windmills

2011-06-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

hallo! we are back from the most amazing vacation. thanks for all of your travel advice! I hope I don't annoy you by posting a bunch of our photos over the next few weeks. there are so many pretty images to share!

{series of photos I took on a bike ride between bruges and damme}

cheerio!

2011-05-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

robert & I will be leaving for a much-needed vacation this week. we're going to london, belgium & amsterdam & are beside ourselves. I'll be away from the blog for awhile, but will do my best to post photos here, in case you're interested. cheerio, mate!

{photo from my first visit to london in 2001}

may cake: vanilla cake with mango curd filling & swiss buttercream frosting

2011-05-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

I made this feminine pink ruffle cake when my sister came in town for her 26th birthday. the cake was a simple vanilla cake, with this fresh mango curd filling, covered in this swiss buttercream frosting (which I will definitely be using again). it was pretty tasty & definitely the purtiest cake yet.

five year anniversary

2011-05-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

on friday, robert & I celebrated our five year anniversary. each year we give each other the traditional wedding gift (see year four here). year five is wood, so I surprised robert with a little indoor tent (thanks to my daddy for building it & to this great post for the instructions). my parents set it up while we were out having dinner at 13 gypsies (and it was an amazing meal!). robert was totally surprised; we camped out in the tent & reminisced over our wedding album, ate cake & drank prosecco. it was a wonderful evening with a wonderful husband. thanks for five incredible years, rh.

{robert's anniversary gift- a wooden radio}

streamers

2011-05-17T04:25:00.000-07:00

the big five year anniversary is this week and I've got a little something up my sleeve. I made jordan's fringy streamers for the occasion, and they turned out great (I just used a regular roll of crepe paper instead of the sheets).

pizza night!

2011-05-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

robert has been on a mission to find the best pizza dough recipe. in fact, I think it's safe to say it's been a bit of an obsession. he makes sample menus of ingredients that he thinks will work well together, makes the dough by hand, perfecting it with each new batch, and then we eat amazing-tasting pizza for weeks. it's heaven.

I always love a good margarita pizza (below). but his latest creation was a mortadella pizza with buffalo mozzarella & garlic (mortadella is a salty italian sausage with pistachios!). it's my new fave... until the next menu comes around!

countdown

2011-05-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

robert & I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary this month! I can hardly believe how quickly five years have passed - five of the most amazing years of my life thus far. we've been planning a little trip away & have been counting down for eight weeks. we are going to london, belgium & amsterdam. I've never been to belgium or amsterdam, so if you have any recommendations, please let me know!

ps - how do you like my new black globe? my mom & I went to a great estate sale this weekend where I picked up this beauty. I think my collection is now complete (but, I mean, there's always room for one more...)

pictures from easter sunday

2011-05-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

{three generations. missed you, kara!}

{the easter bunny did good. he must know I collect mid century modern china}

april cake: goat cheese cake with strawberry grand marnier reduction

2011-05-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

I made april's cake for easter - a goat cheese cake with a strawberry grand marnier reduction (sounds fancy, but you really just boil the sauce until it thickens). I'm not a huge cheesecake person (give me fluffy cake or chocolate any day!), but I wanted to make something different that would go well after a big easter lunch.

this recipe is by tyler florence and can be found here. it was really good - the crust was my favorite part. I thought the goat cheese + cream cheese in the cake gave it a nice texture. and the strawberry sauce was a bit tart which helped tone down the sweetness of the cheesecake.

royalty

2011-05-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

my mom put together the cutest hat box full of vintage goodies for my sister & me to wear for the royal wedding last friday. because if you can't be royalty, you can at last pretend like you are. did anyone else wake up at 5:30am to watch the wedding like I did? I loved every minute.

happy 26th birthday, sissy!

2011-04-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

such a ham, that kid!

{kara in 1987}

the royal wedding

2011-04-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

anybody else getting into the royal wedding? I just can't help it. maybe it's because I really wanted to marry prince william in high school. but once I saw how happy he & kate were together, I accepted fate. sigh. I actually happen to love kate & feel a bit sorry for her & all the scrutiny she's under (don't you love that I talk about her like she's my bff?). I think this wedding graffiti rocks.

happy good friday + easter

2011-04-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

happy good friday & happy easter! here are some easter cupcakes that I made last year. enjoy the long weekend!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” - John 3:16-17

kara's vintage collection: gloves

2011-04-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

thanks so very much to all of you sweet readers for following along with kara's vintage collections. I had so much fun photographing her collections & she enjoyed writing about why she loves them so dearly. knowing my sister, in another year she'll have started collecting all kinds of new things and hopefully we can do this all over again.

a word from my sister:

my favorite, ever-expanding collection is my delicate and dainty glove collection. about four years ago I purchased my first pair at an antique store, admiring the tiny fit and detailed stitching. they also happened to fit me perfectly, as I have very petite hands.

my collection has grown so much since then that I now have a glove for every possible occasion: the opera, church, an evening drive, tea & cocktail parties. though some pairs look practically new, most of my gloves have been well worn. I’m fascinated when I find a lipstick stain or cigarette burn and wonder how many parties, love affairs and social events each pair has lived.

my newest addition, given to me by a friend, is a beautiful red leather pair with black piping, size six and a perfect fit. my glove collection now stands at sixty four!

"the big salad"

2011-04-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

this is the lettuce that we have left from the tour de farm last weekend! reminds me of that episode of seinfeld where george's girlfriend takes credit for "the big salad" that george bought elaine.