That's it. Next party I throw, there WILL be pinatas. Most likely fancy geometric ones.
When was the last time you played with pinatas?
{Images by Prospect Goods}
Sleep under the stars in an outdoor hotel room.
Fun first look photos underneath a parachute.
The world needs more little free libraries.
20 simple pom pom DIYs.
A very good reason to let things go.
A vase that tells you when to water your plants.
The hilarious solution to picnic wine.
A gorgeous bohemian wedding dress.
What to do when you run out of space on your bookshelves.
And some posts of mine you may have missed...
Dancing the tango built up an appetite! A lot of brides say they either weren't hungry at their wedding, or they didn't have time to eat. Not the case here. I was ready to stuff my face. A late afternoon dinner was provided by Skillet, the acclaimed Seattle food truck. They served up our favorite comfort foods out of their vintage Airstream trailer.
Chef Josh Henderson worked with us to create a custom menu to satisfy me and my family, the veggies, Hal and his family, the meaties, and everyone in between...
PASSED APPETIZERS:
DINNER BUFFET:
My dad lovingly made us the chalkboard menu door. I'm currently trying to find some wall space in our house to hang it up. I almost don't even want to erase it!
My pops also built the bar, using scraps of old wood. Scott Mallard, our bartender, served up two signature cocktails. Hal's was named, "Hal In Washington", made with whiskey and Martinelli's. Sounds strange, but it was delightfully pleasant. Mine was called, "Green Eyed Lady", made with gin, cucumber and mint. We served local beer from from 7 Seas & Sound Brewery kegs, and cold non-alcoholic drinks out of a canoe filled with ice.
Kelly of Tortes and Tarts baked a lovely assortment of dessert table goodies: brownies, cookies, pie pops and cannolis, presented with the tea party china I was given at my bridal shower.
I initially wanted a cake made of cheese, but it would have melted in the sun. And Hal craved the real deal. So we asked my cousin, Isaac, who decorates cakes in his spare time, to make us one. We asked for something small, simple, and chocolate. He delivered, beautifully.
We fed each other to the duet Hal and I recorded for our soundtrack.
No cake fights here. We played nice and didn't make a mess. Although I'm sure Hal was mighty tempted!
I happened across Julie's Instagram feed and instantly fell in love with her food collages. They started off as a way to showcase seasonal fruits, veggies and herbs from local growers at the Santa Monica farmers market, a spot near and dear to my heart. Since then, her photos have turned into a ongoing highly anticipated art form. To her, she's simply playing with her food.
Produce sure is beautiful. I think Julie should turn these pieces into wallpaper for the kitchen!
{Images by Julie Lee}
SOFT & CHEWY VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
There's toast. There's fancy schmancy toast. And then there's baguette toast, an even fancier schmancier toast, in my opinion, with a sophisticated European flair. Reminds me of the sandwiches I'd eat for lunch every day while studying abroad.
Today is Day 1 of "toast week" on Joy's blog, but I don't think it could possibly get any better (or prettier) than this.
How do you like your toast?
{Images by Joy The Baker}
25 mouth-watering grilled cheese recipes.
A beautiful winter wedding with a sleigh ride for guests.
Did you know you could live on the back of your bicycle?
A miniature wooden record player.
Incredible snow art.
Wait, cookies for breakfast?
Darling hand knit crowns for kiddos.
A medieval hotel in Italy.
How to make a heart-shaped cross stitch sweater.
A great idea for Super Bowl snacks.
And some posts of mine you may have missed...
{Images via: 1-4: Martha Stewart; 5-6: BS In The Kitchen}
Hi friends! I'm back from my birthday weekend at Mount Rainier. We stayed at Wellspring Spa & Retreat, an easy 1.5 hour-drive from Seattle. This place is unreal. I truly think it's one of Washington's best kept secrets.
Wellspring is a boutique eco-resort near the base of the mountain, nestled within a 10-acre forest sanctuary. The property is sprinkled with with cozy cottages, safari huts, and even a tree house. Sunny, the owner, kindly put us up in the Tatoosh Lodge, the main cabin with a huge stone fireplace, a full kitchen and custom built 10-foot cedar dining table. Al Gore stayed here once upon a time. We suspect his visit was the inspiration behind An Inconvenient Truth.
Upstairs is an 8-person sleeping loft where our friends slept. It felt like camp!
Hal and I stayed in The Nest, a super romantic room with a hanging bed and skylight above to watch the stars. It felt like we were sleeping on a boat, being gently rocked to sleep.
The first morning, I sat with my steaming cup of tea in front of the fire, feeling giddy with content. No cell phones or internet to disturb the peace. I should go off-the-grid more often.
Well, I do admit. I sort of missed reading Facebook wall posts on my birthday. But that could wait. I was in a gorgeous rustic cabin surrounded by quiet natural beauty. I was more relaxed than I've been in quite some time.
Icicles!
For dinner, we set up a gourmet baked potato bar. Inspired by Joanna's smorgasboard, I went all out with toppings. There were the basics: butter, cheddar, sour cream, green onions and black pepper. And the more unusuals: steak, chicken and bacon (for Hal and the omnivores), goat cheese, gorgonzola, brie, parmesan, balsamic mixed veggies, mushrooms in white wine, grilled onions, sauteed garlic, sweet corn, broccolini, brussels sprouts, heirloom tomatoes, roasted red pepper spread, vodka marinara, artichoke dip, hot sauce, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, black beans, pickled jalapenos, baby cornichons, fresh basil, rosemary, cilantro and parsley. Phew! Best baked potatoes of my life.
In lieu of gifts, I asked my friends to bring a board game. Surprisingly, the most used game of the night was one that we found in the closet. Headbanz! Before you judge, it's harder than it looks.
Tomorrow, I'll show you around the magical snow-covered grounds!
OUR WEEKEND AT WELLSPRING - PART 2
{This post is courtesy of Wellspring Spa & Retreat}
Not just a tea party. But a tea blending party. Briar of Marble & Wilkweed shows us how to warm up a winter afternoon by making personalized custom blends with exotic loose leaf teas, spices, and pretty packaging supplies. With a corresponding playlist to set the mood.
Here are 3 of her recipes:
{Images via: 1-2, 6-8 by Briar Winters; 3-5 via Whole Living by John Kernick}
How was your Christmas, darlings? We celebrated over the weekend since my sis-in-law had to work yesterday. This was fine by us, because on actual Christmas day, Hal got to also celebrate Jewish style with a movie and Chinese food. We saw Life of Pi. Favorite flick of the year, hands down.
Our first Christmas as husband & wife and auntie & uncle was just perfect. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know we went a little crazy with Christmas crafts. And late night poker, which I dominated, ahem. Every year, my family selects a different international cuisine for Christmas dinner. This time, we chose to have an Israeli feast! All-vegetarian, of course.
I made hummus (with extra lemon and garlic). Hal made challah bread. Christopher made potato kugel. Akiko made eggplant moussaka. My dad made kibbutz salad. And my mom made spinach bourekas, vegan lamb skewers, and honey cake with mint tea for dessert. It was divine. And naturally, we stuffed ourselves silly.
Tell me about your holiday celebrations. I'd love to hear!
{Images via Brit by Anjelika Paranjpe}
Tonight, we're sampling our wedding menu! My mouth is already watering. Remember when I was going to multiple tastings and having a difficult time deciding on which caterer to hire? We eventually went with Seattle's infamous food truck, Skillet. Mainly because they're unstuffy and creative with their ingredients. And who doesn't love the vintage Airstream trailer kitchen?
We're doing a family-style buffet for an al fresco sit-down dinner. Luckily, the chef was open to a few of our recipe ideas in order to fulfill my vegetarian-heavy gourmet comfort food requests. And the menu? I'm dying to spill the beans, but some things must be kept a surprise. One thing's for sure. This bride will eat!
{Images by 1-2, 4-5: Mastin Studio 3: Laurel McConnell}
“Bring the same consideration to the preparation of your food as you devote to your appearance. Let your dinner be a poem, like your dress.”
- Charles Pierre Monselet, French journalist
{Images by Alexander Crispin}
Summer's prettiest cocktails.
4th of July printables.
Do you know your neighbors?
A wedding dress with a show-stopping back.
Make a gigantic banana split.
She makes me want pixie hair.
A picnic basket and boombox in one.
Where I'll stay if I'm ever in Sicily.
Ladies, would you rock the ombre lip?
A cozy garage-turned-art studio.
And some posts of mine you may have missed...
{Images via Finch & Thistle by Chantal Andrea}















