Chartreuse

I spent Friday afternoon running errands all over the city, so I was happy to have a few quiet hours curled up with John before dinner. After a little Anthony Bourdain, our Friday night foursome indulged in curries, dosas and naan all washed down with a wide variety of beers. We even bumped into friends at the restaurant, and curled into bed happily exhausted.

I woke up on Saturday morning to noises coming from the kitchen; despite our late bedtime, John was banging around in the early dawn hours. Rather than fall back asleep, I cozied up with my laptop while John set up brew kettles. We made a trip to Andronico's for supplies, including cheese and charcuterie, and made it home before the arrival of the birthday girl! There were mimosas, coffee and donuts for all as we brewed batches of beer, and eventually we pulled out savory goodies, too. After saying goodbye to our guests, John and I dug into a little work before some wonton soup and Wag the Dog.

I slept through John's early morning routine on Sunday, so I was delighted when he brought me breakfast in bed! After poached eggs over avocado toast, we made to-do lists for the day and got to work. We took a mid-day break for a big salad, and while John ran errands I spent some time with my yoga mat. We delighted in our new feather duster and generally cleaned up the house before whipping up a saffron risotto with roasted butternut squash, and after dinner took a stroll around our neighborhood, picking up a little dark chocolate along the way. We curled up with Mud and a few tiles of Poco Dolce before falling fast asleep, and both agreed it had been a wonderful weekend.


Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Starting an herb garden perhaps, or soaking in a little sunshine?

Cheerful bouquet of freesias, roses, hydrangeas and parrot tulips from Fresh Flower Arranging.

The Copper Top

A complex cocktail, the Copper Top features Scotch, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, apricot liqueur, bitters and even a splash of sparkling rosé. This sophisticated sipper is perfect for serving at your next soirée, and bridges the gap between winter and spring!

The Copper Top 

1 1/2 oz blended Scotch

1/2 oz sweet vermouth 

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 oz apricot liqueur

3 dashes Angostura bitters

sparkling rosé

lemon peel 

Combine Scotch, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, apricot liqueur and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake for 10-15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, top with sparkling rosé and garnish with a lemon peel.   

Notes: A bad bottle of apricot liqueur can really spoil an otherwise excellent cocktail (as evidenced by the nearly full bottle we picked up on a lark on Friday evening and never opened again). I adore Rothman & Winter's Orchard Apricot, and have been tempted to try Luxardo's sweet spirit as well. Cheers, and happy weekend!

Image by Thayer Allyson Gowdy, recipe from Cavallo Point via Martha Stewart Weddings.

Ostara

This week I'm loving this gorgeous Ostara rose gold ring from Brilliant Earth, leaving my sweetheart little surprises (like his favorite chocolates with a handwritten note) and these lovely links–what are you loving this week?

This elegant celebration at London's Royal Opera House photographed by Ann-Kathrin Koch and featured on Snippet & Ink is absolutely stunning.

It's rare for me to be so enamored with a rustic celebration, but this two-part fête photographed by Elizabeth Messina via Green Wedding Shoes is impossible to resist.

There are few wedding venues more romantic than a castle in Ireland, captured by Lisa O’Dwyer from Elizabeth Anne Designs.

The Bride's Cafe featured a beautiful celebration at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens photographed by Suzi Varin of Q Weddings.

Any wedding that Gaby of SouthBound Bride loves this much is worth checking out.

Megan & Chris

When Rhode Island-raised Chris proposed to Texas beauty Megan, the DC-based couple used their wedding as an opportunity to show off Megan's hometown, Austin, to their East Coast friends and family. Elegant invitations by Smock invited guests to celebrate with the couple at The Four Seasons following a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Austin’s Church, and Megan and Chris had the help of the team at 36th Street Events to make their wedding day dreams a reality.

Boutique buyer Megan chose a striking Vera Wang mermaid gown with a full tulle skirt accessorized with beaded Anne Barge sash. Silver Christian Louboutin platform peep toes, an elegant updo, simple veil and Van Cleef & Arpels earrings completed her sophisticated look. Bridesmaids wore Shoshanna dresses in shades of white, blush and blue, and carried petite versions of the bride's peony, rose and ranunculus bouquet designed by Posey Events, while the groom and his pals looked handsome in black tie.

Determined to give The Four Seasons's ballroom a romantic makeover, Townsley Designs draped the space in gauzy linens and Ilios Lighting filled it with soft pink light. Ivory and blush arrangements of peonies, roses, ranunculus, hydrangeas and sweet peas from Posey Events set off the sequined LaTavola Linens, which sparkled almost as brightly as the bride. "Light & Stormy" cocktails were passed, a fitting combination of ginger beer, Tito's vodka and lime juice, and guests could enjoy a freshly rolled cigar from Bobalu on the deck overlooking Lady Bird Lake before a sumptuous sit-down dinner. The couple's five-tier vanilla wedding cake was gorgeous, but guests also dug into Chris' groom's cake–a donut tower covered in coffee, glazed, caramel and chocolate confections. SoulSations had everyone dancing, and after slipping into a sequined party dress, the bride and her new husband jumped on stage to sing "Born to Run". The newlyweds made a sparkler-filled exit before heading off on their romantic honeymoon–and won't stop reminiscing about their wonderful wedding weekend for many years to come!


A big thank you to the lovely and talented Jennifer Lindberg for sharing these beautiful images with me–tell me, do you have a favorite detail from this Austin celebration?

Fifi

Christian Louboutin Fifi Strass pumps in light peach–I think it's safe to say that some dreams do come true!

Rosy

I picked up John from the airport on Friday afternoon and was so overwhelmingly glad to see him after a few days apart I wondered if I'd had withdrawal symptoms. We bee-lined home to drop off his stuff and headed for Indian food before he'd even taken a shower, cozying up with our favorite beers and curry dishes as the hot day grew cool. We were finished with dinner before most normal people even showed up to the restaurant, so we strolled around our neighborhood for a bit before making our way home, where we curled up with an early 90s classic, Dave, and were fast asleep before 10.

Naturally we were both up early the next morning, and cooked up a feast for breakfast. After our favorite poached eggs over avocado toast, we tackled our to-do lists and some housekeeping with our coffee and tea. Once every surface sparkled, John pulled out his guitar and I grabbed my latest read. I sweated out Friday's decadent meal before we headed downtown for a special shopping trip and then across the park to our favorite brewing supply store. We met our usual Friday night companions for a fun evening of brewing, beer drinking and Chinese takeout, and even though we'd all agreed it couldn't be a late night, John and I didn't crawl into bed until the wee hours.

Despite our late bedtime, John was up hideously early for a run (though I was certain we'd slept in embarrassingly late). I managed to convince him to kick back a bit with an episode or two of Frasier before we set about making breakfast, which was more divide-and-conquer than collaborative; while I roasted and scrambled, John grabbed avocados and tortillas for our breakfast tacos. After an enormous feast, we tackled laundry, grocery shopping and the other mundane errands that grown up life requires and which can quickly take up the better part of the afternoon! At home we curled up with Ocean's Eleven and each other, relishing quiet time together before the busy week began. After a roasted corn and avocado salad (and Ocean's Twelve-what can I say, we both like Brad Pitt!), we felt prepared to tackle whatever this week has in store.


Tell me, what were you up to this weekend? Catching The Grand Budapest Hotel, doing some spring cleaning or indulging in your favorite treats perhaps?

Image by Jemma Keech, garden rose bouquet by Melinda Tualima.

Royal Air Force

 Inspired by the classic Aviation cocktail, this sparkling sipper is the perfect treat for an early Spring weekend!

Royal Air Force

1/2 oz gin

1/3 oz Crème Yvette

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

scant 1/4 oz syrup

sparkling rosé

Combine gin, Crème Yvette, lemon juice and syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake for 10-15 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Top with chilled sparkling rosé and garnish with a rose petal. 

Notes: Crème Yvette is a 100-year old violet liqueur made with blackberry, raspberry, wild strawberry and cassis, honey, orange peel and vanilla (sounds heavenly, doesn't it?) that's only recently been revived. If you already have a bottle of Crème de Violette on hand, you can easily substitute one for the other. Use a floral gin that's light on juniper to pair prettily with the violet liqueur and the sparkling rosé–cheers!

Happy

This week I'm loving Cosmos, fresh flowers on every table and the first official day of spring–to say nothing of these gorgeous links! Tell me, are you as crazy as I am for springtime? 

This glamorous California soirée photographed by Matt Edge and featured on Snippet & Ink is simply stunning.

Jose Villa may not need help styling pretty paper products, but here's a helpful "how to" for the rest of us from Camille Styles!

This Charleston celebration captured by Gayle Brooker and featured on Grey Likes Weddings is a preppy dream come true.

Tulipina, Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls and Christina McNeill are teaming up for the next Petals and Penmanship workshop in San Francisco, and I'm counting my pennies!

A wildly romantic love story practically demands an outrageously romantic wedding; photographed by Feather and Stone via 100 Layer Cake, this French fête fits the bill.

Image by Jose Villa, stationery suite by Happy Menocal.