Oyster Bed

I spotted these Oyster Bed d'Orsays at Jeremys the other day and couldn't resist slipping them on.
I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but boy were they lovely!

Oyster Bed d'Orsays by Something Bleu for BHLDN.

Bands of Gold

Monday, Monday...

After a busy week, I was thrilled to see the expanse of Friday afternoon open up before me. I headed out of the office at a reasonable hour and meet John and our best bud for beers at a cozy dive bar in the Tenderloin. After catching up (3 operas will have an effect on your social life), we bid AJ adieu and headed back to our 'hood for–what else–Indian food! There were curries and naan breads, but best of all, there was the promise of a quiet evening just the two of us. We made our way home with visions of The West Wing dancing in our heads and couldn't even make it through a full episode.

John was up early the next morning, and I happily dozed while he dashed around with the laundry. I spotted a hummingbird in our lavender just before he delivered breakfast to me in bed, and I knew then we were in for a good day. I spent the morning cleaning up my inbox and doing some blogging, and after some cheese and apples, dove into research and writing while John focused on practice and arrangements. It was dark before I realized that we were expected at a birthday party, so I threw on my best riding boots and John packed up the juicer–his addition to the celebration was his bartending skills! We sipped mezcal cocktails and played a hysterical game of Celebrity before serenading the birthday boy and calling it a night.

I was the one up early on Sunday, with John dragging behind me. I met up with a blogging friend for a fabulous breakfast at Mission Beach Café, then headed to the San Francisco Public Library for a date with the microfiche machine. When I got home that afternoon, John was just waking up from a nap and we settled into our to do lists and dinner planning with ease. I starting prepping for our trip to Boston this weekend before doing a bit more blogging and some ballet (eggs Benedict for breakfast will make a girl crave a little activity!). We took advantage of the warm San Francisco weather to enjoy a big salad with grilled haloumi for supper and headed to bed early with a big week ahead!


Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Learning a new skill, like coding, enjoying a cocktail with friends or diving into a great book, perhaps?
 

Blush and gold cake from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Coffee

"Coffee–the favorite drink of the civilized world."

Thomas Jefferson

Image by Laura Nelson.

So Fresh

This week I'm loving inspired daytime celebrations, soothing color palettes, modern invitations and these lovely links! Tell me, what are you loving this week?

Calligraphy in action!

This Seattle celebration marries chic and sweet.

Whimsical and romantic, this wedding is absolutely dripping in stunning florals.

I can't resist a classic–especially when the bride carries a single magnolia!

“So Fresh” invitation by Stacey Meacham for Minted.

Pamela & Robin

You can imagine an assistant editor at a floral magazine would have a pretty good handle on all things pretty; when Robin got down on one knee to propose to Pamela, she had already been dreaming about her wedding day for many years. Inspired by English gardens and her family's country home in Alabama, the bride and her wedding planner, Blair Bullen, pulled off a spectacular celebration that will change the way you think about your own backyard.

Wearing a delicate Reem Acra gown, ornate studs and a simple net veil tucked into her loose curls, Pamela was the picture of the modern romantic bride. Her maids wore minty pleated gowns in various styles by Jim Hjelm, and carried diminutive versions of the bride's English garden-inspired bouquet by Sybil Sylvestor of Wildflower Designs, who incorporated peonies, roses, olive branches and dusty miller. Robin and his groomsmen wore classic white dinner jackets, while the youngest attendants were outfitted in vintage lace dresses and navy blazers.

Tradition and family played a tremendous role in Pamela and Robin's wedding day; stationer and calligraphist Holly Hollon memorialized Choctaw Bluff in a letterpressed map sent alongside the classic invitation, and the bride walked across the lawn to the Riverbend Chapel to "Amazing Grace" in honor of her beloved grandmother. After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests spilled onto the lawn for glasses of Champagne and Southern hors d'oeuvres from Clifton Morrissette. One slice of cake and a final spin beneath the café lights strung through the trees, and the new Mr and Mrs were off on their honeymoon, arm in arm. 

Images by Mandy Busby, first spotted on Snippet & Ink.

Peppermint Toes

Aren't these perky mint pumps adorable? I just love the combination of a retro silhouette and a modern color!

Image by Diana Marie Photography, "Camdyn" mint pumps by Sam Edelman.

Minty Posy

Friday marked our company's annual holiday picnic, and since the fête was being held in Golden Gate Park, not 10 minutes from our apartment, I decided to spend the morning working from home rather than dashing across town. After empanadas and chai at Hollow, where John and I worked on his to-do list for the day and talked upcoming trips, we headed home to get some work done before I dashed off to the park. BBQ, bubble soccer and beers kept the team smiling despite the overcast and occasionally drizzly weather, and I headed home happy to get out of my soaking wet shoes! We devoted the better part of the late afternoon to our projects, but an Indian food feast pulled us both away from our agendas and into the living room, where we curled up with The West Wing. 

The next morning, John trekked to Andronico's for provisions while I sipped a cup of tea and cleaned out my inbox. Toasted challah and fresh berries proved to be the perfect Saturday morning breakfast, and kept our clean kitchen spotless–win win! We spent the day hard at work on our projects, me at the kitchen table and John pouring over his scores, but a visit for a new musical friend did break up the afternoon's proceedings. We took a quick jaunt to our favorite grocer for dinner supplies and a bottle of Grenache, and after cooking up a simple Spanish tortilla, nearly polished off the wine while we watched Bill Pullman wax about his true love–exotic fruit.

We'd resisted the temptation to eat the entire tortilla the night before, and gently warmed alongside a toasted slice of challah, it made the perfect breakfast. John brought me a tray in bed, and we enjoyed our tea and an episode of West Wing all before 9am. Though I tried to write through John's morning devotionals, I quickly realized that the apartment wasn't really big enough to accommodate both our goals for the day. I packed up my laptop and my notes and bee-lined to the public library, where the sixth floor San Francisco History Reading Room provided an oasis of quiet and a pile of books. On my way home, I grabbed John and we picked up butternut squash for a fall-inspired risotto recipe. We each had a juice glass of Grenache and after supper, took a long walk to the beach. After an early episode of West Wing, we were ready to call it a night–and tackle the coming week!


Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Pulling out your cozy cableknits and thermoses filled with spiced cider, or maybe attending a football game? I want to hear all about it!

Image by Dear Wesleyann, white peony and dusty miller bouquet by Myrtie Blue.

Brooklynite

A variation on a classic Daiquiri No. 1, the Brooklynite is a rich citrus cocktail perfect for the first glimmers of fall. 

Brooklynite

2 oz aged rum

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 oz honey syrup

 Combine rum, lime and honey syrup in a shaker with ice; shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass; garnish with a lime peel. 

 Notes: I am a sucker for Haitian rum, particularly Barbancourt, and I think their 15 year Estate Reserve is absolutely perfect for this cocktail–but the simplicity of this sipper makes it ideal for experimenting with different rum regions and production styles so you can find your favorite. To make honey syrup, combine equal parts honey and hot water, then stir or shake until honey is dissolved. Cheers, and happy Friday!

Image by Laura Sant for Saveur.

Good Sir

This week I'm loving moody fall shades, cocktails with girlfriends and lots of incredibly lovely support during wedding planning. I've found the whole experience quite challenging, despite my best attempts to be "cool" (that's probably what's throwing me off...), and those of you who have listened, consoled and conspired have helped me more than you know. Now for some loveliness! 


This garden wedding is impossibly pretty.

This fête is a fall classic–I can't wait for cider and cashmere!

This winter celebration is terribly chic.

I am head over heels for this romantic fall wedding.

PS–Oscar de la Renta gowns for every celebration.

Image by Meg Smith, stationery suite by Mr. Boddington's Studio.

Emily & Marco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Big Apple-based couple met in college, and their friendship turned to romance before graduation. After five years of dating and a trip to the South of France where the pair got engaged, Emily and Marco turned their attention to a black tie celebration on the 28-acre public garden at Bronx's Wave Hill. With the help of Ang Weddings and Events and Jillian Mitchell Photography, Marco tackled the logistics, while Emily focused on the event's visual aspects–starting with a hand-drawn invitation letterpressed on thick ecru paper by Katie Fischer Design with calligraphy by Paperfinger.

Emily chose a romantic ballet-length Dior skirt in an abstract rose print and an ivory J. Mendel shell for her wedding day. Metallic rose gold Dior pumps, a long strand of pearls and a loose, handtied bouquet of roses, dahlias, chocolate cosmos, astrantia, passion vines, and hydrangeas by Saipua completed her re-imagined retro look. Marco took advantage of the fabulous occasion to wear a white Ralph Lauren Purple Label dinner jacket, inspired by Emily's favorite film, Casablanca. 

Two years after the proposal, Marco's sister officiated a nondenominational ceremony in front of the pergola on Wave Hill's lush lawn. The couple exchanged self-penned vows, and after saying "I do", a five-piece jazz band, The New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, lead Emily, Marco and their 140 guests in a second-line parade to the historic Wave Hill House for dinner and dancing. Elegant white tapers flanked garden-inspired arrangements of dinner plate dahlias, roses and chocolate cosmos by Saipua, and tree branches brought the lush gardens inside. After dinner of foie gras, lamb and swordfish catered by Great Performances, the band played "April in Paris" and the newlyweds took their first twirl on the dance floor as husband and wife. Coffee and biscotti prepared the revelers for a Manhattan after party that stretched until 5am, and as Emily and Marco fell into bed the next morning, they must have known this celebration was one for the record books.

Tell me, what's your favorite detail or image captured by Jillian Mitchell Photography? 
I can't get over the looks of pure joy on the newlywed's faces!