One month

For the last ten months I've been counting down to our wedding day.  But now, the reverse countdown has begun!  Happy 31 day anniversary, Ryan.  You're the greatest.

{dustyroadgurl}

Scaring schoolchildren

Last night Ryan and I cleared the table, got out the sharp knives and the newly purchased carving set, and carved scary pumpkins.  He spent a considerable amount of time drawing a sketch of his zombie (on the right), while I just started hacking at my pumpkin.  His is detailed and intricate, but I'm proud of mine, too, considering I've only carved a few pumpkins in my life.

Our front window is now complete with Halloween decor, and those fun, battery operated tea lights are awesome for leaving our jack-o-lanterns unattended. 

I hope the kids at the nearby school will walk by and get a good fright! Muahahahaha.

This made my morning

{via techcrunch.com}

Wow.

It seems like a few of these would make the day sooo much better...

NUTTER BUTTER COOKIES (by Nancy Silverton)

Yield: 36 cookies

Cookies:

12oz unsalted butter, cool, 1 vanilla bean, 2 cups quick cooking rolled oats, ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup chunky peanut butter, I prefer JIF, 2 ¼ cups AP flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp salt.

- In a medium sized skillet, melt 4oz of butter over medium heat. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Toss the seeds and the pod into the butter along with the oats. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until the oats are lightly toasted and golden brown. Transfer the oat mixture to a bowl, discarding the vanilla bean pod, and chill in the fridge.

- Place the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

- In a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for a minute with the paddle attachment. Slowly pour in the sugars and continue creaming until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and mix just until combined. Lower the speed and add the chilled oats, mixing until just combined.Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball.

- Roll the dough into 2″ balls, or use a scooper to scoop out individual portions and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten each cookie and use a knife to score each cookie with criss-cross patterns. Chill the dough for about 15 minutes.

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. They should be lightly browned. Cool completely.

Filling:

3oz butter, cool, 1½ tsp salt, 6 TBSP powdered sugar, 1 cup + 2 TBSP natural chunky peanut butter

- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and salt on medium speed for about a minute, until the butter is softened.

- Add the sugar and peanut butter and mix another minute to combine.

- Assemble and Enjoy!

{image and recipe text via lookimadethat.com}

Thank you (notes)

This afternoon I've been working on thank you notes to all the sweet people who gave us wedding gifts.  Now, I have a small blister on my right thumb from holding my pen the wrong way.  Sad.

Despite the hazards of card writing, it's so nice to reflect on all the super generous people in our lives who showed us more love and support than we could have ever asked for.  Thank you, everyone!  We're so lucky to have friends and family like you. 

Meet Sloane

I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to hang my martini glasses upside down.  ;)  My chance has finally come!

 

Image via www.marthastewart.com 

Thanks to our generous friends and family members who supplied us with a healthy stack of Crate and Barrel gift cards for our wedding, we purchased this lovely bar/bookshelf over the weekend.  I can't wait until it arrives next week...

Signs of the times

Northrun Farm.  Stevenson, Maryland. 

+++

Fall isn't typically my favorite season.  In fact, it's sort of been my least favorite of the four.  But since my husband (wow! writing that will take some time to get used to) loves this season so much, I'm trying to show Autumn some love.  

So far, 2010 has been the best fall yet.  I love you, Ryan. 

Now that we're married

Tender Rocking Cradle

Felt Moses Basket

Kidding.  But aren't these cradles the sweetest (and most creative) little things you ever did see? 

Live from our living room

What a fabulous way to kick off our wedding celebration!  Thank you, Rosie! xoxo

 

 

Je suis revenu

I have returned. What a busy few weeks! Wedding.  Honeymoon. 9 Flights.  A gazillion hotel rooms.   Everything in between. I'm back online and ready to delve into the blogosphere once again!

+++

I'm happy to report that life is well, we've survived the pre-wedding, wedding, and honeymoon chaos, and are slowly readjusting to life back in Baltimore.   Between the Sera Cahoone show we saw in town, the Rosie Thomas living room concert we hosted in our own living room, the busy week of last minute wedding planning and coordinating, BBQ'ing and socializing before the wedding, OUR WEDDING, and our fantastic trans-Pacific honeymoon...I feel like we've not only survived, but have lived something truly great.  What a fabulous three weeks it has been.

+++

Now, Fall.  After a quick trip out to Pittsburgh last week, it was clear that Autumn has hit the mid-Atlantic.  The bright yellow and red colors were spectacular as we drove through southern Pennsylvania.  The changing trees got me dreaming of a weekend trip up to New England before all the leaves fall.  We'll see.

In the meantime, we took a trip out to the corn maze Sunday afternoon and bought our share of pumpkins and squash and came home to create a Halloween window display.  (Here in Baltimore, people typically put holiday decorations inside rather than out on their porch since naughty passerbyer's often steal stuff right under their noses.)  Ryan's annual "October scary movie film fest" begun last night with a viewing of Silence of the Lambs.  And my neighbor and I caught up with a little fall cooking by making a delicious curried pumpkin with green beans for dinner Saturday night (and served it in my new, gorgeous, Anthropologie bowls!).

The man I married.  Doing karate in a corn maize.

+++

Looking forward to updating you all in the coming weeks, hearing your comments, and sharing life together. Keep in touch! xoxo

While I was away...

Sunday in French Polynesia

By day or night, wouldn't these pieces come in handy for a Sunday in French Polynesia?

I'm loving the bright olive tones in the swimsuit and skirt with the warm pink in the glasses, glosses and the sandals, too! 

+++ 

Sunday in Seattle

It's true... it's Sunday in Seattle and I'm on a plane there right now! 

Although I would love to be caught wearing this set, don't count on spotting me in this outfit this morning.

+++

Hooray for the Northwest and for our wedding in less than a week! xoxo 

Have a happy weekend!

Tonight I get to see Sera Cahoone play a show here in B-more and tomorrow Rosie Thomas is playing in our living room!  But Sunday...Sunday I leave for Seattle to be reunited with family, friends and to get married in just one week. I can't quite believe the wedding is almost here, but am thrilled that it's true.  We have so much to look forward to.

I'll be take a few weeks off the blogging front, but have a few posts lined up in advance...so stay tuned.

+++

These little inspiration boards can be a bit corny, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to do a little self-affirmation.  So here goes...

{via littlebrownpen}

Enjoy your weekend! xoxo

+++

Pesto Trapanese

Okay people.  This recipe for Pesto Trapanese is so easy and delicious- you have to try this recipe over the weekend!

Pesto Trapanese is a variation from the classic basil pesto that we all know and love, as it calls for almonds instead of pine nuts and utilizes fresh, raw tomatoes within the sauce.  The almonds and the tomatoes truly change the character and texture of the dish altogether, and the level of creaminess achieved due to the almonds will make you swear this recipe was packed full of butter. 

My version was vegan (for calorie saving purposes... I know, I know).  Despite not adding cheese, the finished version was fantastic.  I wouldn't change a thing.  That said, feel free make up for the cheese I didn't eat and include it on top of your piping hot dish of this utterly fantastic pasta dish. 

Pesto Trapenese served with Spinach Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unsalted, raw almonds
2 big tomatoes, quartered
*1/4 cup pecorino, romano or parmesan cheese (The sauce tastes great without the cheese, I promise!)
2 cloves garlic
Sea salt and pepper
1/2 bag spaghetti, linguine, or a package of Trader Joe's fabulous pre-made gnocchi.  (Fresh pasta would inevitably taste 10x better, but we're not fooling anyone into thinking we eat fresh pasta regularly, are we?)

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, boil the pasta water. 

While the water is boiling, toss the almonds, garlic and olive oil into the food processor.  Let it chop chop for a good minute until chunky and the solution begins to look creamy.  Add the basil and tomatoes and process for another minute until smooth.  Season with a healthy dose of salt and pepper. 

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, until al dente. This is very important- don't overcook your pasta in the water.  Drain the pasta when it is still chewy on the inside, but reserve one cup of the pasta water. 

Add a little pasta water back into the pan with the pasta and turn your stove on to medium heat.  Add the pesto sauce 1/4 cup at a time, stirring with a spatula so the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce.  Alternate by adding more water and sauce and stirring generously.  The pasta will gently cook the sauce for a few minutes while it absorbs the starchy water that it was cooked in.  The sauce recipe should leave you with a little extra left over.

Serve the pasta hot or cold with a little extra salt and if you so choose, a few shavings of a nice ripe, dry Italian cheese on top.  Bon appetite!

+++