|
|
---|
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Special Guest: Will Bryant
We love nice people who make cool things and the awesome original designer of this cool thing (who is also very nice) is going to be our special guest blogger this week!
Join us in welcoming Mississippi State University student, Will Bryant as he tells us what is really cool in his part of the world starting Monday!
will-bryant.com
flickr: photo blog
store: willbryant.etsy.com
Labels:
special guest
Friday, August 29, 2008
mish: mango, raspberry, and kiwi
{ bella figura 'please be my bridesmaid' card by pepperinapress }
ok, first, i know i'm not supposed to torment those who have already made all their decisions just days before their weddings with new things. i know. but i feel bad to just skip over mishmash29 here, who is getting married in a couple of weeks, so here goes.
delicious. happy long weekend to my friends here in the states, and congratulations mish!
{each photo links to its shop}
Must See List @ The Renegade Craft Fair (Chicago)
The Renegade Craft Fair - Chicago is coming up in a couple weeks (Sept 13 & 14), and we did a little "must see" post today for it. These are vendors we noticed and picked some of their items out of their shops. There's a longer list below the images as we couldn't fit an image in for all of them (we just wanted to show items not yet seen here). Have a great weekend!
(Clockwise from the top): Wire basket plaque by PickalaPoopa.etsy.com, Number 2 jar by PickalaPoopa.etsy.com, bird plaques, deadbird.etsy.com, yoyo by suddenly it's real (ben floeter).
Poppy stationery by 16 Sparrows, The Happy Couple card by Sycamore Street Press, Gift tags by Tartella
Pillowcase by Maramiki, Toast card by Cracked Designs, Ship print by Tugboat Printshop
eleveneleven.net, 16sparrows.com,afavoritedesign.com, abbywynne.com, artgoodies.etsy.com, catiachien.com, chainchainchained.etsy.com, chikabird.350.com, CircaCeramics.etsy.com, cursivedesign.com, deadbird.etsy.com, dolangeiman.com, donovanbeeson.etsy.com, deniseannsimon.com, FigsandGinger.com, Handmade Nation (Film & Book), Jessica Gonacha, kstudiohome.com, Lucky Bee Press, kindling, Made by Hank, maramiki.etsy.com, Michelle Brusegaard, nice-etc.com, Orangey Porangy, paperparasol.net, paperstories.com, pearlmarmalade.com, PickalaPoopa.etsy.com, pinkeye.etsy.com, thepostfamily.com, redprairiepress.com, Small Screen Designs, Sofia Masri, Suddenly It's Real, tartella.com, Tugboat Printshop and last but not least, Wolfie & the Sneak!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
contest news and other tidbits
hello all! am back, sorry. work is kicking me lucky charms this week. that makes no sense, mainly because i'm at work still, haven't eaten, and am all kicked charm-wise. the magazine has opened a can of whup-ass that will not be closed. but enough of my excuses!
first, mari of bel canto (featured just last week) wrote to tell me weddingbee.com is having a contest giving away a $75 gift certificate to her amazing shop, but you must act before 8pm PST *today* (that'smidnight 11pm eastern time, for the math challenged like myself. i had to count on my fingers, as always.) yes, in less than 4 hours. sorry for the short notice! contest is easy -- just pick which piece you like best!
second, in blatant and hopefully forgiveable self-promotion, i was so surprised to get an email about blog features and it was actually a feature on my own sadly neglected-while-i-blog little etsy shop! thank you so much to lynn at the handcrafted wedding, who picked one small star as her daily feature back on the 21st. i can't tell you how encouraging that is, given my struggles to keep up with things recently. the handcrafted wedding has been a sidelink on here since almost the beginning -- a great resource, please check it out!
there was definitely something else i was supposed to tell you today, and i can't think of what it is, and i don't want to waste any more of your precious bel canto contest-winning time. more soon!
first, mari of bel canto (featured just last week) wrote to tell me weddingbee.com is having a contest giving away a $75 gift certificate to her amazing shop, but you must act before 8pm PST *today* (that's
second, in blatant and hopefully forgiveable self-promotion, i was so surprised to get an email about blog features and it was actually a feature on my own sadly neglected-while-i-blog little etsy shop! thank you so much to lynn at the handcrafted wedding, who picked one small star as her daily feature back on the 21st. i can't tell you how encouraging that is, given my struggles to keep up with things recently. the handcrafted wedding has been a sidelink on here since almost the beginning -- a great resource, please check it out!
there was definitely something else i was supposed to tell you today, and i can't think of what it is, and i don't want to waste any more of your precious bel canto contest-winning time. more soon!
new blog: smitten (glamour magazine)
Congrats out to Joanna Goddard and her new blog up at Glamour Magazine, called Smitten (a relationships blog). I've always enjoyed reading her A Cup of Jo, so this should be a new and interesting side.
clever clipboard bulletin board
Most of you who subscribe to Martha Stewart Living or picked up their September issue, have likely seen this "good thing", but we couldn't resist bringing it here. Using decorative paper or wallpaper, they covered the clipboards by creating a template first, then cutting with a craft knife and brushing a thin layer of decoupage glue onto the clipboard. It's just so clever and such an easy and affordable way to create a unique bulletin/inspiration board.
Labels:
budget living
Cooking with Ladies & Gentlemen
Dylan and Jean from the fun vintage shop, Ladies and Gentelmen are offering up a couple recipes today which I was thrilled to see! Visiting their blog this past spring (they are the couple that came up with that cool hanger frame idea before we saw it in Oprah's magazine), I saw their outdoor camping cooking, and was hooked. When they offered something here, I couldn't wait. Look at the color of that tzatziki! Thanks you guys!
Every week, Dylan and I get CSA (community supported agriculture) produce from Oxbow Farm that's outside of Seattle, and it really motivates us to stay home and cook. The fun part is that we get to experiment and try making new dishes using organic ingredients.
This time Dylan & I got inspired by the New York Times Magazine recipe where every week they focus on creating dishes featuring one specific ingredient while providing a little story about it.
We went with the whole Greek-themed meal because we found recipes for beet tzatiziki and roasted feta with honey & thyme. The best part of making this meal was that most of the dishes were just roasted or broiled in the oven with light olive oil and seasoning! pretty much just chop, season it, and put it in the oven! well..there's just one more step to the tzatziki and pesto sauce, but you just blend it for 15-20 seconds or so, super easy.
So here's what's on the menu:
roasted rosemary garlic chicken
roasted carrots brown sugar
honey baked feta with thyme
homemade pesto
beet tzatziki
sauteed beet greens
toasted pita bread
Beet Tzatziki
The NYTimes recipe says to cook the beets as whole for 45min and then peel it after it's out of the oven, but I actually cut down the time to 20min or so by slicing it and just peel the beet before cooking it, so it's less of a hassle.
4 small yellow beets
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped dill.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets and trim their root ends and peel if skin is think. Slice them about 1/4" think and then lightly coat in oil and set in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add ½ cup water and cover the pan with two layers of foil. Roast in the oven until tender when pierced with a fork, and then take it out to let it cool. This should make about 1 cup.
2. Place the garlic, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in yogurt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Fold in the grated beets and dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. You can use a blender to quickly mix it, leaving pieces of beets adding texture. Puree it if you don't like chunks of beets with it.
Serve with meats or pita. and TA-DA and you get this AMAZING vibrant fuschia-colored tzatziki! and it stays that color, too! This is also a really refreshing salad dressing!
Roasted Feta With Thyme Honey
1 8-ounce slab Greek feta, blotted dry
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Greek thyme honey, or other honey
Freshly ground black pepper
Greek-style pita bread, toasted and cut into wedges
Heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables (optional).
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Select a small oven-to-table earthenware dish or a small ovenproof sauté pan lined with aluminum foil to help transfer the cheese to a plate after roasting. Bake until the cheese is soft and springy to the touch but not melted, about 8 minutes.
2. Preheat the broiler. Heat the honey in the microwave for 8 seconds or so pour the honey over the feta with it. Broil until the top of the cheese browns and just starts to bubble. Season to taste with black pepper or thyme. Serve immediately with pita wedges and, if desired, sliced heirloom tomatoes, roasted beets, nuts or pickled vegetables. Serves 4 to 6.
Labels:
ladies and gentlemen
Fall organizing + housekeeping
When September rolls around, so does the urge to hit the reset button. Like ringing in a new year, the school calendar year is a time to organize, buy new clothes, and do a little housekeeping that the warm days of summer kept us from doing. Here's a few things to help out.
(Above) Clockwise from the top: 12 Utility Task Clips, Sticky Notes, Blah, Blah, Blah, A to Z's Home Journal, Sky, Lollipop Journaling tags, Woodcut floral file folders, Nantaka Joy (available at anthropologie.com)
Clockwise from top left: Short broom from rice.dk, Refrigerator freshener from teatroverde.com, Clothespin bag from frenchgeneral.com, Threadbanger/Janome sewing machine from threadbanger.com, Rubber gloves from cathkidston.co.uk and Martha Stewart recipe box from macys.com.
Letter Craft Decorating Ideas
Country Living online has a few inspirational ideas for decorating the home using letters. Click here to see the how-to's and resources.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Intimate wedding in Mijas, Private Villa
Here is a lovely, intimate wedding we did in Mijas, again with the popular fresh lime green colours, supplying Sue Danker at Spanish Dream Weddings with lime green sashes, Swarovski green table crystals, green rose petals, aisle runner and white personalised fans with lime green ribbons. The client had already had their main wedding in Ireland and was having this lovely family wedding ceremony and dinner at a private villa in Mijas.
Saudi Royal Family Party Al Riyad Palace Marbella August 2008
Our most prestigious event of this year was to design and decorate a family party for the Saudi Royal family at the Al Riyad Palace here in Marbella. We were commissioned by Puente Romano to provide the decorations for this event as they were supplying the catering which was amazing
I had a few sleepless nights and have never rushed around so much to get this party ready in time.
The theme for this party was a peppermint green colour and we used lots of crystal candles, crystals, swarovski table crystals couried in by USP on an overnight delivery!
Cream Moroccan lamps, lanterns, organza table cloths in peppermint and whites and it was certainly the night of candles and lanterns I have never seen so many
The princess was charming when she came down to see us and check over the progress, she changed a few things and instantly the party was a much more pared down low key family event and her taste was perfect and the result was beautiful.
It was an amazing day and such a fabulous venue to work at, the palace is exquisitely decorated, unfortunately it has made my little townhouse here in Marbella look rather drab!
I am hoping I might get some better images, if I do I will post some more as these photos do not really do justice to the setting and the grand scale of the event.
Spanish Andalucian Patio Party Puente Romano
The brief for this party at the Patio Sur in Puente Romano was green, red and white.
To stop it looking Christmassy we again created the lime green with a tropical feel which looked lovely in such a beautiful Andalucian setting. This is such a popular colour this year for weddings and for parties, it is a fresh, vibrant colour that works so well with the bright colours of the Mediterranean
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Our wedding is on 9/14/08 and our colors are "mango, raspberry, & green." In keeping with the fruit theme, I like to say "mango, raspberry & kiwi".