Are you out there?

Wanted: SF, must heart crumbly old mansions, French champagne, and rainstorms. HWP not important, engaged status and flair for the dramatic a definite plus. A love of moss, feathers, mushrooms, branches, seed pods and vines is preferrable. If interested, correspond via letterpress.

Photos by Scott Andrew, first two via Snippet & Ink.

recent work

One of these kids is doing their own thing...

Real Weddings: Katie + Grant {Just a preview!}

Shannon and Krystal from Mint & Sage just sent a few of the early fave pics from Katie and Grant's May 2 wedding. Sorry to the regular readers--I know I'm going to subject you to several more posts about this wedding because a) Katie is my super amazing/kind/beautiful sister, b) I think this is one of the prettiest weddings I've every seen in my entire wedding obsessed life, c) I'm already finding it difficult to pick my favorite pictures because Shannon is TALENTED in a major way, and d) have I mentioned THE TRUCK???

Here are some early releases, more to come in the following days! (and check out the slideshow available here if you want more but can't wait).

P.S. All the girls from Mint & Sage are super dooper talented, specialize in this vintagy, boutiquey, charming style of photography, would be fun to share your wedding day with, and are dying to take a trip to Seattle! Or Boston, or Napa, maybe even France if you begged...

got a thing for bad boys...

In a total frenzy this morning of unpacking, laundry, keeping the house clean in case buyers stop by, and wiping noses (still think my job is awesome?). And in the middle of it, trying to find a house to buy TODAY. Lost the other, and have an offer on ours, so it's got to be fast. So of course I'm wasting time checking out design blogs, trying to acquire inspiration and hope, and even ideas for the decrepit old thing I found this morning that I'm falling more in love with every time I think of it.

You know how some girls just can't resist the bad boys, no matter how many times they've been stomped on and had their hearts ripped to pieces? Apparently I'm THAT GIRL; those bad boy houses are just totally irresistible. And believe me, I've been burned before. And here I am, comin' back for more...


But while I was scouring design and house sites, I found pictures of this converted church in England that is making me want to dust off my passport. (I was horrified last week when I realized that I haven't used mine since I was pregnant with Hayes. That was 2004 people! Do travel muscles atrophy?). I've always wanted to buy an old church, but here's one you can rent for a little vacay time. Maybe when I need a break from my bad boy.

Back in town!

Just a preview of Grant and Katie's wedding! I don't really have a lot to say about it yet--I'm still processing all the wonderful friends, family, and moments of the week. More pictures and details to come.

Update!

So much going on...I'm in Birmingham, Alabama right now, getting ready for Katie's big day on Saturday. I'm not giving anything away before the wedding, but here are a few little pics from Katie's shower that my youngest sister Kerry and I threw a few weeks ago in Perdido Key, Florida. All decorations chosen for their ease of packing on a plane. We had such a good time showering her with gorgeous lingerie, and I loved getting to spend time with all the girls that have been such a great part of her life. Our little gift for everyone at the party was pretty fun if I do say so myself--pretty coral and pink lace undies so that everyone left with something new and fabulous! We finished up the evening at the infamous Florabama (a once-in-a-lifetime event, never to be repeated). I love the picture with my sisters--this is how I always feel when I'm with them, even if we're not tearin' it up on the dance floor.

And in the meantime, we did put an offer down on the house and have put ours on the market. It's going to have to sell fast for us to get the other, so please, please, please let one of the three open houses taking place while we're out of town produce someone to love our little abode. I almost feel like I'm selling one of my children--it was my first baby so this is hard, but exciting too. I'm ready for a new adventure!

And speaking of new adventures, a baby was born today! Welcome to the world Wolfie. I love you already and can't wait to get home and snuzzle your little burrito wrapped body. Oh what good times we have ahead! Congrats to my dear friends.

Real Weddings: Melissa + Kevin

Melissa and Kevin's bright and sunny wedding from last June...filled with tulips, party dresses, paper lanterns, and petal cones. (And if I don't say it, he'll be very mean to me, so yes...thank you to my award winning delivery person for making it all possible...it wouldn't have happened without you!)

Wedding at the University of Washington, reception held at Pravda Studios.

Tweet Tweet!

Busy getting ready to head to Birmingham for my sister's wedding next week, and realizing how hard it is to work on a wedding from a distance--you brides amaze me! Katie has an awesome color palette--dusty turquoise and bright red, and will have antique birdcages and little birds in the gorgeous garden of the Cate's House.

We've been trying to figure out what to do with the branches above the buffet table--orchid strands were considered, but they seem a little formal and elegant for a southern sweet tea afternoon wedding. Then...I saw these darling little bird cutouts from Once Wed's weekly DIY feature that features lalaLaurie. She always does the cutest stuff! (Here for directions on the birds, including the template).

Chocolate Pavlova

I've always loved ballet and the image of the classic Russian ballerina. I danced for years and still dabble in classes sometimes. My crazy brain seems to need the occasional opportunity for that all-consuming concentration that an hour and a half in the dance studio demands. It clears my head of all of the junk, stress, and distractions that seem to accumulate.

I think my love for ballet began back in fourth grade when I read Anna Pavlova's biography. While my friends were obsessing over Mary Lou Retton, I was transfixed and mesmerized by the legendary Russian dancer from the early 1900's. You know that dinner party question..."who would you have dinner with if you could invite anyone in history, living or dead?". Anna would definitely be on my guest list even today.

So...it's probably no surprise that one of my very favorite desserts is the Pavlova. (Yes, of course it's named after her). This past Valentine's Day I was assigned dessert for our potluck dinner with friends, and found something even better...a chocolate Pavlova. It received rave reviews for the crispy outside, chewy dense meringue center, luscious ganache, and fluffy topping of whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Hungry yet?

The recipe is here, and I'll add in one little word of warning. On Valentine's, a few of us tried to cut the meringue into serving sizes, and had a helluva time. I don't think it was entirely due to the yummy Gloria Ferrer we had consumed either. I was lucky to be spending Valentine's with five other people I'm totally crazy about instead of just one, because we ended up putting the Pavlova in the middle of the table and descending upon it like messy, cozy vultures, silverware be damned. If you see this as a problem or if you are making this for a first date, you could easily just make 4-6 individual meringue shells from the same recipe. Personally, it was extra fun to be goey and chocolatey with friends and I'll be keeping the recipe as is.

Springtime in Seattle

I know I promised a real wedding, yummy food, and attention paid to the blog. But it's only Tuesday, and the weather is even better than predicted.

Also, I spent the morning wandering through a potential new house. Help!!! I'm so conflicted...we live in a 100 year old gorgeous cottage that is exactly how I want it. We have the most amazingly kind and generous neighbors. Over the last eight years, we've poured ourselves into remodeling, painting, gardening, more painting, finding authentic old matching moldings and doors, gutting the kitchen and building the one I dreamed of with wood counters and a farmhouse sink...and I've been busy planning the rockin' blowout I was going to throw for it this summer for it's centennial. BUT...what if we could cut about 10 hours+ of driving a week from our combined commutes? What if we didn't have 14 years of paying for private school ahead of us because we lived where the public schools are awesome? What if the new house had a huge yard? What if it also needed tons of work for the long term, but was entirely livable and fabulously quirky already? WHAT WOULD YOU DO????

So no more blogging today. I'm off to go read design blogs to get ideas of what I would do with the bizarre family room that so isn't me, and to lay in the sun until inspiration or a decision or at least hunger strikes. Help if you can. Please.

Weather report from Kurt Riedi