stop and smell the lilacs...

in the midst of what has been just a crazy few weeks, i was reminded this weekend of how important it is to stop and notice all the little things in life. and that yes, even in the midst of all this rain and dreariness, that there is a bit of beauty to be found. and for me, that beauty is found in the lilacs i plan to stop and smell on my way home today.

this new mantra also includes includes getting back to blogging. and blogging in a big way. stay tuned!

{image via pinterest - my newest obsession}

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tuesday shoesday: sparkle.

i am having an internal debate about wedding shoes. frivolous and silly, i know...but some times the bride in my just takes over (this often happens when mr. f is sports center or reading the NE patriots blog)

but the debate is over weather i should go plain and simple and classic or fun and colorful and sparkly. so i have to say, i love the way this little guy from anthropologie captures both elements. it's like the mullet of dancing shoes: business on the toes, party on the ankle.

what do you guys think? do they get the job done?

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fill it with family and friends

i'm back! what a few weeks it has been - the royal wedding has come and gone, spring has finally sprung her in vermont, and i made a few new vermont discoveries that i will be sharing with you all over the coming days as i jump back into blogging in a big way. so, to kick things off, i bring you: vermont farm table.

long story short, if i had a beautiful old home and all the money in the world, i would spend my money and fill it with piece after piece of beautiful furniture and i now know that this furniture would all be from vermont farm table - my newest and most favorite made in vermont discovery.

i mean, how can you not love everything created by a company whose mission statement goes a little something like this: make it yours. love it. beat it up. fill it with family and friends, and then plan on passing it down.

trust me: it's worth a trip to burlington to see their beautiful brand new show room (it smells good too) at 197 college street.

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after i do...

i can't wait for the day when i become the mrs. to my mr. but i have to admit that the best part of the whole wedding thing is how excited i am for life after i do. and this inspiration board (spotted on sparkle & hay) pretty much summed up all those reasons. and trust me, it has nothing to do with the eiffel tower.

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wedding wednesday: a woodpile engagement

i love woodpiles. you all know this. so when i came across this rainy day woodpile engagement session, my little woodpile-loving, wedding-planning, engagement session-idea hunting heart just melted.

mr. frederickson and i are dreading our engagement session - even though we have the most wonderful photographer. but what can i say? we're nervous and awkward. what about you guys? any great ideas or ways to make it easier? i think a great woodpile might help.

{photos via}

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tuesday shoesday: absurdly fantastic.

check out these stunners! sparkles, flowers, absurdly high heels and a price tag to match. let's just say that there could not be a less vermont-y pair of shoes, but i just couldn't resist. sometimes a girl has to dream....

{via}

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here comes the sun.

days like today are precisely the reason that we live in vermont. it makes it all worth it. and here's the thing: warm and sunny days like today mean more to us up here in northern new england than they do to those a bit further south. why? cause we worked a little harder to get here.

these first warm muddy days of spring make the long winter seem like it was ages ago and the first glimpse of green sprouting out between the snow banks makes us forget the months of snow and ice and all that it entails. days like this remind us that it's time to get out and enjoy every second of these well deserved days.

so, wherever you are, i hope you enjoying the sunshine and spending it with the someone - or the someones - that you love. and i promise (yes, i can do that) that the feeling of today will carry you all the way through the next mudseason.

xoxo

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tuesday shoesday: belles & whistles

confession: i get more junk email than any one i know. i sign up for every possible mailing list out there. every company on the planet has my contact info. mr. frederickson thinks it's dispicable, i however, can't get enough. i love being in the know - even if it's just about the goings on at pottery barn and city market.

but, every once in a while the value in these emails becomes overwhelmingly apparent. saturday was one of these instances. kate spade sent me an email and she told me about her fabulous new wedding line: belles & whistles. {i mean seriously, kate, how cute and fabulous are you?} so since kate took the time to tell me of this launch, i felt the need to spend several hours perusing not only the website, but also the style me pretty archives to try and decide how kate would influence me and what kind of bride i am going to be: the classic kind? the sparkly kind? the colorful kind? or the kind that hides cute little slippers under layers and layers of tulle? decisions decisions.

so, while i might not know what shoes to wear for the big day (details, details) i know that i love my gmail account and all the stylish folks that email me.

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paper.

it's been a long time coming, but today was the big day. save the dates are in the mail.

after months of designing (thank you, shanna!) and weeks at the printer (thank you mom!) and hours or sticking and stuffing (thank you, mr. frederickson!) they are on there way! and i could not be more excited.

and as a wise man recently taught me - things are only official when the paper has been received.

so kids, the decision has been made: it's official.

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signs of spring.

just when you think you can't take it anymore and that spring will never ever ever make it all the way up to vermont....the smallest little burst of green appears and changes your whole outlook on life. (well, mine anyway...) happy april!

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comfort food thursday: sweet potato pie.

it's maple sugar season here in vermont. and believe it or not, all this crummy, snowy weather has made maple syrup producers happier (atleast someone is excited about the blizzard expected tomorrow!) and apparently, temperatures hovering right around freezing may be bad for travel, but good for rising sap. also, according to farmplate.com, "the plentiful rainfall this past fall and record-breaking snowfall this winter are two predictors for a good syrup season." who knew!?

so, with all this syrup (1 in every 4 trees in the state is a maple!) it seems only necessary that we take advantage of our little state's big business. so, here is my first attempt of taking syrup off the breakfast plate and on to....well pretty much the anytime-of-day plate. plus, any recipe with gingersnaps makes me weak in the knees.

maple sweet potato pie from FarmPlate

what you need:

• 2 cups (8 ounces) gingersnap cookie crumbs


• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


• 2 tablespoons demerara or raw cane sugar


• 2 generous cups cooked and mashed sweet potato


• 3 large eggs


• ¾ cup maple syrup, preferably dark amber


• 1 cup half-and-half


• 1 tablespoon bourbon or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


• 2 teaspoons ground ginger


• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg


• A big pinch ground cloves


• 1 /8 teaspoon salt

what you do: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press into a deep 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 425ºF. In a mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes and eggs until blended. Mix in the maple syrup, half-and-half, bourbon or vanilla, spices and salt. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake until set, about 25 minutes more. Serves 8.

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home.

my parents just sold the house that i grew up in. 25 years we lived there. 25 years of fights and laughter. 9,125 breakfasts and 9,125 dinners. 10 years spent while there was a teenager in the house, and 3 years when "the kids came back home." it was a great house, for an even greater family.

and i have to say, after all the memories and all the time spent at a great grey house at the end of a long, muddy road, i didn't shed a tear. not a single one. it's not that i wasn't sad, because i was, i am. it certainly is the end of an era. but what i realized, and i think i speak for the rest of the fam as well, is that weather or not we still have that place, we will always have the memories we created there. memories like sitting on the stairs christmas morning waiting for dad to let us scamper in and see what santa left (and giving him time to eat all the cookies), building easter snow-bunnies in the front lawn, eating turkey tetrazzini for a week straight after thanksgiving, walking down the street to the best halloween party ever (right, mom?), coming home one night in april and hearing the peepers for the first time, watching all sorts of wildlife do all sorts of things, listening to the laughter (from the bathroom) of all the people i love most in the world...

and we created our last memory at 29 partridge last night. the 4 of us huddled in the kitchen and ate a fridge full of leftovers, them moved the party upstairs where we sta on the floor drinking cafe patron out of a plastic cup before we all curled up in sleeping bags and passed out on the floor of my parent's bedroom...

so, more than anything, the last night in our empty, sad looking house, reaffirmed the fact that a home has nothing to do with the style of furniture, or the color of your drapes, but rather it is all about the memories you create there and the people with whom you share them. long story short, i love you guys. xoxo

"home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

- robert frost

{image via pinterest}

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tuesday shoesday: forcing spring

so friends, as you may know, yesterday was the first day of spring. yes, believe it or not, it was! here in vermont the snow and sleet came down with reckless abdanon and made us use every bit of inner sunshine to get through the day. you know what else helped? these summery little numbers from the queen of all things summer - lilly pulitzer. you know what else helped? staying up until all hours of the night riding my closet of all grey and black, wool and velvet and any shoe that dares cover my ankles. until this morning when i had nothing to wear. whoops.

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tuesday shoesday: party shoes

a bridal shower inspired by champagne and cute shoes? hmm...what a clever little idea.{via green wedding shoes}

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field of dreams.

happy monday, friends! i hope you all had a yummy weekend and are as excited as i am for the longer days of spring ahead. 5:13 and the sun is still shining bright...what's not to love about that!? pretty soon it will be time for picnics and sunset walks, right...? right...?!

well, just when i thought i couldn't be more excited for summer, the roaming culinary experience known as outstanding in the field just announced their 2011 tour schedule - and once again, they are blessing vermont with what is sure to be a night unlike any other.

what do you get when you combine fresh food, local ingredients, a long simple table and a super cool vintage bus...um, pretty much the best night ever.

so friends, what do you think? august 11th, craftsbury, vermont - who's with me?!
click here for the full tour schedule.

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i can see clearly now...

i have made a decision. the decision is, that as of right now, this very moment. my winter funk is over. why? just because i can't stand it anymore, and really there is a whole lot to be happy about.
here are just a few of the reasons why i'm (forcing) a smile today...

1. this picture of mr. frederickson: it will make me smile today and i have a feeling, for the rest of my life.

2. patent leather shoes: especially when they are tiffany blue and cost $19.99. hurry - head to your local tjmaxx! they have zillions of these talbot's ballet flats in all sorts of punchy colors that are sure to add a little hop to your step.

3. flowers: on my to do list this weekend is to puruse blog land for some floral inspiration. it's off to a pretty lovely start thanks to these beauties.

4. daylight savings time: turning your clocks back one hour might mean we loose an hour of sleep, but it also means we gain an hour of evening daylight. heaven.

5. our wedding photographer: she was just featured in the new issue of wellwed (sister publication to vt vows) and her images are just stunning. i am so honored she is going to be part of our day!

6. the weekend: and one with mr. frederickson all to myself. it also helps that we are going here for breakfast and just made a snowshoeing date with some of our fave friends!

...and there, just like that, the funk is over...so what about you? what are some of your favorite things these days?

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an invincible summer: vermont style.

well friends, let me tell you. we had the snow day of all snow days yesterday. a record snowfall here in burlington (25.8 inches!) that dumped on us for what felt like days and came with a howling wind and white out conditions.

so, as a delightful silver lining to this spring blizzard, mr. frederickson and i were cooped up all day long. we enjoyed some tasty leftovers, some really bad tv and some much needed time in our leisure gear. but, i have to say, the highlight of the day was when we finally ventured out at sunset last night. the sun peeked out of the clouds for just long enough to say goodnight and the snowdrifts towered over us both. it was nothing short of magical. the streets were silent and for a brief moment, we weren't even mad about the 2 feet of snow that might very well last through june....
and after all that, the sun really did shine again this morning. it goes to show, you just never know what the day might bring...or where you might find that little bit of sunshine. just in the nick of time.

“In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer”.

-Albert Camus

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daydreaming...

well folks, another epic winter storm here. to top of the most epic winter ever. another 2 feet of snow was dumped on us today. and it was coupled with howling winds. now, i love a good snow day (especially when mr. frederickson gets to stay home too!) but really? aren't we about done??

so, instead of focusing on the winter wonderland that awaits us outside, i am staying inside and doing a lot of daydreaming. dreaming about bare feet and late afternoon swims. drives with the windows down and walks at sunset. sunburned cheeks and daylight happy hours. while here in vermont, we work hard to find the best in all seasons, sometimes the best part is looking ahead to the next. and i have a feeling this next one, is going to be pretty epic as well (-:

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wedding wednesday: the light.

there is nothing prettier than the light just before the sun sets. especially over lake champlain, and especially after the long dark winter we have had. and yesterday, for the first time since i can't remember when, i was aware of that brilliant and romantic light at the end of the day. (spring is in the air, i can feel it!)

furthermore, i have to admit, that i love when this light is captured on film. the warm and dreamy colors are just to die for. especially on a wedding day in september, don't you think?*

* please note that the heavy sell on this concept is because mr. frederickson just about passed out when i told him we might have to leave our wedding party for a few minutes for a cocktail hour photo shoot. (miss a party!? him? never) but i am hoping that maybe these lovely images will sway him...

{sunset via, weddings via}

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tuesday shoesday: mud season prep.

wooo hooo! we did it. we made it through the long dark tunnel. and to celebrate the arrival of march - the muddiest of months, i bring you some colorful - and puddle friendly - footwear. i don't know about you, but my feet are sick and tired of being cooped up in winter boots. so baring my pasty little ankles for the first time this spring will be a very welcome change! what about you? besides shoes, what do you look most forward to in march?

{via jcrew & jcrew}

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please, please, please.

...the sooner the better, in my opinion...
{via mary ruffle}

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comfort food thursday: the carbonara

mr. frederickson has some pretty fantastic friends. legendarily fantastic in fact. however, i have to say the best thing about said friends is the women they have all chosen to share their lives with. it is such a treat when you get to meet such fabulous folks through the wise and romantic choices of yourself and others, don't you think?

anyway, i digress. as the real purpose of this post is to share with you one of vermont's culinary masterpieces introduced to me just last weekend by one of these friends. so here is how it all unfolded...

the backstory: our friends have a terrific tradition of coming to the woods for a few days in february. this year, the group was better than ever and we wined (and LITed) and dined until the cows came home. but the final meal of the weekend was at storm cafe - an adorable little bistro on the bank of otter creek that, to the astonishment of our out of town friends, neither mr. frederickson or i had been there for dinner. they were appauled. so from that moment they learned of this, the lofty expectations were set and the anticipation began for what was apparently the world's best penne carbonara. (a sub par recipe can be found here)

the meal: they did not lie. it was life changing. and i too will be dreaming about this cheesy goodness until next year...cause even though it is in our backyard, i am certain it tastes better with friends. fantastic friends help too.

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wedding wednesday: the bags.

first of all, i have to apologize for disappearing the last few days. life, once again, got in the way of blogging. the good news is that i have been stockpiling some fun little blog ideas, so hopefully i will be back at it with avengence this week.

(just wait until my comfort food post tomorrow! i think a few lovely ladies out there are already salivating over this heavenly concoction - and they probably have been since sunday night...!)

but since it is already wedding wednesday, i must share with you this adorable made in vermont treasure that was featured just the other day on the vtvows blog. i mean, c'mon, how perfect is this for wedding welcome bags? or just a trip to the grocery store?

seriously. it's green, it's local, it's reusable and just too darn cute to pass up. love love love. i think i just might be making some phone calls today.

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wedding wednesday: the words.

i had a wedding epiphany last night. in one brief and brilliant lightbulb moment i realized why i am having trouble focusing on any sort of a theme for the wedding. the problem isn't that i don't have a dress. or the ability to picture what a space looks like when it is not covered in snow. or the skills to create the perfect inspirtaion board. the problem is words, or lack thereof.

the thing is, i love quotes. they are part of who i am. and currently, i am in desperate need of some wedding inspiration...a few brilliantly chosen words to carry us from now until the big day. (which is 7 months from today!!!!!) so below are just a few cute and clever quotes i stumbled on this morning as a begin my tireless search.

{erin jane shop}

{the EeeBee}

{the love shop}

so, any thoughts? any favorite quotes about life, love, trucks, woodpiles, vermont, seasons, or marriage?

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tuesday shoesday: mardi gras

i am back from a whirlwind trip to the big easy. all work, little play, but an amazing time nonetheless. {bonus, i got to see one of my faves cross the finish line at the rock and roll marathon! and she rocked it!}

it will take me a few days to catch up on all the brilliant blogging that has come and gone over the last week, but as a quick nod to the colors of mardi gras, i must share with you this festive footwear. these beauties, from bhldn, anthropologie's new and oh so fabulous bridal line, have me reminiscing about bourbon street, craving spring and rethinking my wedding colors all at the same time....that's a multitasking shoe, if you ask me!

{saffron slingbacks & celery slingbacks}

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life is weird: one year later

wow. i realized yesterday that my blog-iversary came and went without much notice (exactly how it should have been) but, to honor the occassion, i spent a little time wandering through the archives and came across my first ever blog post. and i have to say, it was by far the best discovery of the day. and it reminded me that sometimes it's important to look back, as it often surprising how the more things change, the more they stay the same, and that alone can be a very good thing.

* * * * *

life is weird. i've been saying that a lot lately. perhaps TOO much. so much so that my friend finally asked me recently, "kate, what the heck do you mean by that? what is so weird about your life?"so i got to thinking, and thinking and thinking......and then it came to me.

halleluah! i figured it out!!

i was in love. i moved to vermont and fell in love. (and yes, in that order) i'll say it again. i love vermont. and it's not like a "kindasortamaybe, it'll do for now till something better comes along" kind of love, but real, deep, meaningful love. the kind of love that makes everything more beautiful and exciting - the snow sparkles, the farmers market vegetables taste better, the moon is bigger and more brilliant than ever before and the air is the coldest i have ever felt (wait...where am i??)so, that's it. i have fallen in love with the state of vermont and all that it has to offer and all that it has taught me.

* * * * *

bottom line: i am still in love, just finding it all a little less weird (-:

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wedding wednesday: snow day

it is the snowiest of snow days here in vermont (and from what i hear, just about everywhere else in the country!) and really what better way to spend a snowy day then curled up in my giant new sweater, drooling over these wintry and romantic winter weddings...? exactly.

{1/2/3/4/5}

there really is something romantic and unexpected about the winter, don't you think?

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february is...

february wears its heart on its sleeve.
she has many things she loves.
february never skates on surfaces.
she is lyrical.
february always gets to the heart of things.
she loves to slow dance.
february can surprise you.
she writes love sonnets in cafes.
february loves paris.
she is a friend forever.
february believes that the heart can do anything.
she has the ability to touch. and dream.
february is a good thing in a small package.
she sees life as poetry.
february loves chocolate.
she believes in love for love's sake.
february will never break your heart.
she is a song.

{image via}

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have a great {earthquake free} weekend!

is anyone else out there soooooo ready for the weekend? cause i sure am. i have to admit, this was a no good, very bad week. well, i should say it started out that way. but sometime on thursday things started to turn around a bit. the sun came out, and the mercury rose just enough so that going outside once again became a possibility, and the details of life just started coming together. and it was definitely one of those weeks where paying attention to the little things was paramount. little things, like these..

• quotes (thank you, eeyore)
• seb, one of my faves, is back in action!
• thank you notes for thank you notes
• emerson made: the spring collection, anthropologie: the bridal collection
• the blanket
• all of the awesome determiNation runners here in vermont (training starts tuesday!)
• the launch of matchbook mag (i want to be a matchbook girl!)
• the warm your soul soups at city market, healthy living, chef's corner & stone soup
• sunny, snowy days

and to make sure that smile stays put, my to do list for this weekend...

• 1/2 price mani/pedis at mirror mirror? yes, please!
• cozying up at the parlor at farmhouse tap & grill
• getting our registry on at simon pearce
• making valentine's plans for mr. f & i ...
• checking out a winter fest (or 2 or 3) in shelburne, stowe, or bennington
• laundry

hope you all have a terrific and earthquake free weekend!

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zoe ink.

i can't even believe it, but tomorrow i get to meet with the amazingly talented (and super fun!) zoe ink. zoe creates the most magical paper products out of her one room letter press studio in the sodafountain building in burlington.

this means that tomorrow could quite possibly be the best day in the whole wedding planning process. i have a thing for paper, and really (according to my brilliant mother) the theme of the wedding starts with an invitation...so tomorrow, i get to cozy up with zoe and start the creative process. and the fact that i get to do it with someone as fun and talented as zoe makes it that much more fun! stay tuned, i will surely have lots to report tomorrow!

any ideas out there for me? any favorites that i need to see?! i need all the help i can get (-:

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