Pastis

My first experience with anise liquors involved my father and my cousin Maria, a large bottle of Ouzo and a fair amount of sputtering. Even this cocktail buff is occasionally felled by a new recipe or liquor!

That said, anise liquors are nothing to fear-especially when you cut them with a little cold water (my rookie mistake). While Greek Ouzo will make you feel like chucking a few plates this weekend, something about Pastis feels a bit more refined, even if only in my imagination. The association with Manhattan's Meatpacking District restaurant certainly doesn't hurt.


Pastis

1 oz of pastis
5 oz of cold water

Pour pastis in glass; add water. Add ice cubes if desired after mixing.

Notes: Pernod or Richard's Pastis are the best known, and for good reason-they're inexpensive and perfectly herbal. Don't be afraid to try different ratios of pastis to water if you find you can't get enough of the flavor!

Cheers, darlings!

Photo by Two Tarts.

Ombré

Ombré has made its way into table design, nail art and even hair color recently, but I think this confection by Cake Coquette in San Francisco is my favorite incarnation of the trend! I prefer the deepening of a single shade to multiple colors, but I think that's just the perfectionist in me-how do you take your ombré, or are you tired of the look?

Photo by Lisa Lefkowitz.

Kae and Dmitiry

There's just something about bloggers: they always have an extra French stripe shirt on hand, they've got an eye for lovely, clever things and they plan one hell of a wedding. Kae, who writes paper morning, is the perfect prototype of a stylish blogger and stunning bride!

A girl after my own heart, the bride had scheduled every detail and booked every vendor months before their wedding. When life threw the couple a major curve ball and they learned both their ceremony location and caterer had double booked them, they chucked their sensible celebration and started planning the dreamy wedding they first imagined, under an oak tree in the middle of a field at the Fort Vancouver Historic Reserve.

The bride wore a gorgeous gown from Pronovias that she tried on and ordered in under an hour at her very first gown appointment. Her bridesmaids wore charcoal dresses from Anthropologie that compliments the groomsmen's dark slacks and vests; Dmitiry wore a matching three piece suit on their big day.

Kat walked down the aisle to the classic "Moon River", a song the couple had hummed to each other countless times during their courtship, and the couple was married beneath a crystal chandelier the bride's father and the groom spent six hours building. The tented reception that followed was cozy, thanks to the 600 glass jars Kae and her mother spent months collecting. Anastasia Marie, who designed the stationery suite, and Flowerbelle, the talented florist, are both close friends of the bride, and gave each aspect of their celebration a personal touch. Svetlana Kopmar catered the intimate reception, and incorporated the couple's favorite foods into the menu. Desserts were homemade by aunts and sister-in-laws, while the stunning four-tier cake was a labor of love by their favorite restaurant, Papa Haydn.

And luckily their photographer, Daniel Usenko, didn't double book this gorgeous couple-the photographs are simply stunning. Thank you to Daniel and Style Me Pretty, where this wedding was first featured, for letting me share this beautiful wedding!

Spotless

We've seen stunning shoes perched on chairs, settees, chaise lounges and even greenery, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a shoe shot in the bathroom, and I absolutely love it! I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that a gorgeous bathroom is pretty irresistible!

Do you dream about a spectacular powder room remodel, or a divine pair of pumps when the day gets long?


Photo by Adrienne Gunde.

Marshmallows

San Francisco summers provide a shock for out of town guests; while heat waves stifle the rest of the country and even towns just miles from our City by the Bay, San Francisco hovers around 65 degrees-precisely the same temperature it was in February and November! So when our dear friends and soon-to-be-neighbors came from Houston for a visit this weekend, they were shocked by the chill in the air and the cocoa on the stove!

One surefire was to ensure a smile rather than a grimace over the cool temperatures? Serve hot chocolate with delicious artisan marshmallows-toasted coconut with a lightly spiced Mexican cocoa was truly out of this world!

Are you all mortified that I'm serving cocoa in July? Wishing I would stop bragging about the chilly temps and year-round down comforter usage?

Tell me, heatwave warriors–what's your favorite summertime drink?

Marshmallows by Butter Baked Goods.

Bloodhound Cocktail

Today I thought I'd share a cocktail that's perfect for a week of 1920's inspiration, and for the produce in season-it's a Bloodhound, a Savoy cocktail that combines gin, all the vermouths in your liquor cabinet and strawberries! If your markets are anything like mine, they're practically giving away strawberries, which makes this the perfect time to experiment with those gorgeous red fruits!


Bloodhound Cocktail

3/4 oz of gin
3/4 oz of sweet vermouth
3/4 oz of dry vermouth
1/4 oz of simple syrup
2-3 crushed strawberries

Combine gin, vermouths and syrup in a cocktail shaker; add strawberries and crush. Shake for 5-10 seconds, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Notes: John and I had all the ingredients on hand to whip up this cocktail in anticipation of this post, and while the Savoy recipe doesn't call for simple syrup, it's a well-liked addition that brings the flavors to life. We also tried Small Hand Foods pineapple gum syrup, which was simply delicious!

Regular readers of my cocktail posts know what a devotee I am of Plymouth gin; that, or any light gin (Beefeater, for example) are perfect for this libation. Cheers, darlings!


Photo via 12 Bottle Bar, a wonderful resource for at-home barkeeps.

Baubles

While the drop-waist dresses, feather fascinators and pre-Prohibition era cocktails are irresistible, I'm not sure there's anything more divine than a 1920s engagement ring! Featuring Old European cut diamonds, milgrain details and a singular personality, I think Deco engagement rings are simply dreamy! My favorite places to browse, besides the wonderful estate shops in San Francisco? Erstwhile Jewlery Co., where I spotted this beauty, Doyle & Doyle, and 1st Dibs, which represents jewelry dealers from major cities-it's the perfect place to scout estate pieces online that you can actually try on in person!

Blog Around the World: Out of Africa

Simply spectacular.


To see the rest of this stunning safari shoot, visit:

Bubble Rock Studios
Cap Classique
The Unreal Bride
Brancoprata
Bijoux Bride
Bridal Musings
The Oceanside Bride
Hey Gorgeous
Sparkle and Hay
Wedding Pickle
The Perfect Palette
Oh Lovely Day
Brenda's Wedding Blog
Fab You Bliss
Landlocked Bride
Bow Ties and Bliss
A Paper Proposal
Engaged and Inspired
The Charity Wedding


And the talented vendors who put this shoot together?

Location: Out of Africa Wildlife Park, Camp Verde, AZ
Coordination and Concept: Alicia French of The Charity Wedding
Event Design: KD Event Designs
Photography: Fancy Fin Photography
Bouquet: Glamorous Occasions
Cake and Pastries: Kick Ass Kakes
Invitations and Paper Goods: Wedding Girl
Model: Dahlee
Makeup: Sabrina Sweet Makeup
Hair: Erin McDonald of Aveda Red 115 Salon
Gown: La Belle Reve
Jewelry: Genevieve
Cupcakes: Homemade by Alicia

Melissa and Vincent

When an art director and a style director for Condé Nast online decide to tie the knot, you can be sure their wedding will be nothing short of chic. Melissa and Vincent were married at Brooklyn's Montauk Club, and their flapper-inspired nupitals are the perfect modern reinvention of a speakeasy celebration!

The pair designed their elegant invitation suite featuring calligraphy by Tara Jones; they were letterpressed by Enormous Champion. Melissa always made the darling ring pillow out of vintage state handkerchiefs.

The bride wore an Amy Kuschel gown and Sara Gabriel feather fascinator, both purchased at Manhattan's Gabriella Bridal Salon, and carried a bouquet of ranunculus, magnolias and dusty miller by Nicolette Camille.

Montauk Club's chef, Mark Usewicz catered the event, while cheese plates were designed by Saxelby Cheesemongers. One Girl Cookies created an assortment of cupcakes and classic black and white cookies, while the grooms cake was baked by Park Slope's Blue Sky Bakery. The newlyweds hired New York music conservatory alumni to provide a string quartet soundtrack to their wedding ceremony (as a music school grad myself, this is the mark of one fantastic couple), and let their friends DJ the reception.

Melissa credits day of coordinator Christine Viola of Exquisite Affairs Productions for the smooth-running celebration, and I have to thank Weddings by Two for allowing me to feature Melissa and Vincent's gorgeous affair, first spotted on 100 Layer Cake!