Happy Halloween!

And happy birthday to my favorite guy in the world… I feel lucky every single day to have found you.

Tonight we’ll do a little bit of trick-or-treating and a whole lot of celebrating.  We may have already had our night out (my big surprise — dinner, a hotel room, and a haunted pub crawl… terribly cheesy but also amazing… okay ya I’m a huge nerd) but tonight we’ll get to blow out candles and open presents, and come on… that’s the real fun of a birthday right?

(It’s possible that I am actually more excited than Mark for his present.)

What about all of you?  Do you have any big plans for the night?

Photo: The Coveteur

We’re Still Here

No damage to the house, the power is on… actually we’re not just here, we’re as good as ever… and feeling seriously lucky for it.

(Lemon is still feeling uneasy, but he’s kind of a wimp.)

This morning my thoughts are with those who can’t say the same.

Photo: Our Labor of Love

Quiet Sundays

It’s quiet around these parts… ominous even.  Frankenstorm is on its way.

Photo: Oh, Pioneer!

Friday Already?

Time is flying by… but I’m excited for a special surprise I have planned for Mark’s birthday this weekend.  His birthday is actually on Halloween, so we’re celebrating a little early, but usually the day of is reserved for trick-or-treats and hot mulled cider with rum, running door to door with Austin and then handing out candy at our own… especially since this year it falls on a Wednesday.

Poor holiday babies never get to celebrate on their actual day… but that’s why we have to make this weekend extra special!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend yourself!  Tell me, what are you up to?

Here are a few things I’m loving this week…

Speaking of destination weddings… this one is gorgeous.

I need these studded loafers in my life.

Tell me how I do this.

Also… oreo fudge.

… or maybe this salad, because it really does look delicious. (Do you feel like there’s a little devil and a little angel on your shoulder right now?  I do.)

This is a really cute DIY.

Sometimes we like to shoot giant robots with pumpkins…

How do you know you live (kind of way out) in the country?  You might find yourself shooting giant robots with pumpkins, or watching uncomfortably as your six year old maneuvers what looks like a tank with ease.

Sunday afternoon, we took an impromptu trip up the road to visit a farm where we heard you could shoot punkin’ chunkin’ cannons yourself.  Since I’m pretty sure Mark has dreamt of this day since he himself was six, there’s no way we could pass it up.

But really, as totally crazy as they were, the most impressive thing about the whole deal wasn’t the cannons — it was the size of the robots!  I can’t even imagine what it must take to build these things.

{Real Weddings} Keith & Lauren

Thank you guys so much for all of your awesome book recommendations yesterday, I can’t wait to dive in!  Actually I’m kind of dying, I wish I had the time to start now.

I get all sorts of wedding submissions… big parties, small parties, venues where everything is pre-planned, elopements that were planned in 3 days… there’s no one formula for a beautiful wedding.

But in the end, what really gets me are the emotions.  The bride dancing with her father… the first time the groom sees his bride… the pure joy on each and every person’s face.  That’s the best part…

Here’s the story straight from the bride…

Keith and I met through a sorority sister at UCF, who somehow knew “we were meant to be” and that we were perfect for each other. And sure enough we are. Keith and I love being outside, boating, beaching it up, and other fun things. We dated long distance for a while which was hard, but we some how managed to make it this far.

He proposed simply on April 9th in my bedroom. I think he tried to get my little beagle Lucy involved somehow but she wasn’t cooperating with him. Aka, I found him under the bed trying to get her to come out moments before the proposal.

I will move to wellington fl once I graduate. We are pretty simple people and love to have fun.

Photographer: Root Photography / Venue: Longboat Key Club

Hello Fall Foods

Fall is one of the only seasons that enjoys an undeniable connection to a particular set of foods.  In fact, it might be the only… unless we count certain holidays on their own, in which case winter might also stake a little claim.

When the air gets crisp and cold I immediately begin to crave pumpkin, apple, and all things spiced… and long to ring in the new season with some of the best goodies around.

These are just a few that I’ve been dying to make…

1 // Brown Butter Spice Cake

2 // Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Cinnamon Butter Glaze

3 // Two Minute Carrot Cake à La Mode

4 // Nutty Hazelnut and Almond Pear Crumble with Elderflower Cream

5 // Pear and Cinnamon Frangipagne Tartlets

6 // Pumpkin Pie Bars

{Real Weddings} Lauren & Chance

A small, beautiful church, a happy couple, and their closest family and friends… as far as I’m concerned, the gorgeous simplicity of this Nashville wedding is as good as it gets.

Photographer: Alicia Looney Photography / Venue: West End Church of Christ

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

All week, Mark has been going on about this thing at the farm. He wasn’t really sure what it was, but it was on Saturday, maybe in the evening. He thought it might involve food…

By Saturday, this whole thing was barely on my radar, but finally, the morning of, I got some answers. It turned out we were headed to a potluck.

So of course we all know I was excited. I’ve been rambling on about a potluck for months. I didn’t even mind the scramble to find something to cook (ah-hem).

Really though, the scramble just meant that I had a great excuse to fall back on a favorite.

If there is one blog I use as a constant resource (a cookbook more than a blog) it’s Smitten Kitchen. I’m sure it’s not news to most of you that Deb’s incredibly tasty, highly vetted collection is nothing short of amazing (I kind of want to steal all of her recipes… and while I’m at it, make off with her incredible storytelling skills). Not one of her recipes has ever let me down… and this one is no exception.

Of course… poor Mark, he may never look at a carrot the same again.

I totally buy in to the Julia Child quote “…nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should.” So when Deb says you should grate the carrots by hand?

Well… I ask Mark to grate the carrots by hand.

Really, though… I’ve never made this cake with a food processor, so I can’t speak to the difference, but I believe wholeheartedly that the teeny tiny shreds of carrot you get when you use the small side of the cheese grater (and grate… and grate… and grate) allow for the truly incredible nature of this moist, mouth-watering, truly perfect carrot cake. If you’re looking for a recipe, seriously… stop with this one. It’s the best.

The Rich History of Wedgeport

While in Nova Scotia, we learned all about the rich history of Wedgeport, a now-sleepy fishing village that, once upon a time, hosted celebrities, trail-blazing fishermen (and women) and as many as twenty-eight different countries during its annual International Tuna Cup.  The match was held from 1937 to 1976, and put Wedgeport on the map.

Though it no longer stakes claim to the title of sport tuna fishing capitol of the world, Wedgeport is still quite the little mecca, and continues to attract Anglers from across North America to its Tuna Tournament & Festival each year.  If you’re just dying to hear more (I know you are) you can read all about it at the museum’s website, and even take a virtual tour.

This is it for my Nova Scotia ramblings, I promise, but if you ever get a chance, go… I mean it.  In case it wasn’t obvious, Wedgeport kind of stole my heart.