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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tuesday shoesday: to the moon...

i have many a memory from my childhood that involves these boots. all the parents in town had them, and could stand for hours in hockey rinks and at the bottom of ski mountains...watching their kids attempts to become olympic athletes no matter the temperature. and while the moms and dads complained about cold hands and frostbitten noses, no one uttered a word about cold toes. and i know now that that had a whole lot to do with the magical and oh so fashionable footwear known as the moon boot.

now, i went through a phase (a pretty long one in fact) where i refused to put anything but the trendiest footwear on my feet, and at times wouldn't even be seen with my mom as she walked down the street in these. but, as per usual, mom was right, and these toasty, fluffy boots are just what i am dreaming about on this very cold and very snowy tuesday shoesday....

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brrrr....

there is nothing to say about today other than it's freezing. the temperature at home this morning was a balmy -20, and it has just now crept above the 0 degree mark. it's the kind of cold that hurts and makes the inside of your nose stick together. the kind that, as my brilliant friend seb said, "makes me want hot cocoa, a grilled cheese and my couch" and i wholeheartedly agree! so, here's to an evening with a steamy mug of yumminess and some quality time under the blanket...cause really, what else is there to do!? so, c'mon old man winter, bring it on!

{via}

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wedding wednesday: on a thursday

thanks to the fabulously unsolicited tip that i recieved last night from a fabulous old friend, i have spent much of the afternoon getting lost in one photography website after another. eventually, i found my way to wedding chicks where they featured this beautiful vermont wedding...

thank you orchard cove, you had me at milk bottles.

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wedding wednesday: the ring shoot

i am just loving these ring shoot ideas from eve event & daria bishop photography. we may not have a venue or a guest list figured out, but it's never too early to think about the details... right? and a good ring shot is certainly one worthy of some thoughtful consideration.

what do you guys think? any favorite ring shoots or details that are must dos?!

{via vtvows}

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i love you more than...

it's hard to believe it's already time to think about valentine's day, isn't it?! luckily, however 2010 brought with it the discovery of etsy and poppytalk and other online craft sites, so shopping, especially for the perfect card, is now a whole lot more fun....

{via tokketok, etsy and poppytalk}

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happy {hockey} weekend!

it's a big weekend up here in vermont - well, for my mr and i anyway! we have friends coming from near and far not just to see us, but to be part of hockey history. the middlebury panthers are celebrating the anniversary of the 1960-61 team (which was pretty impressive by even mr. frederickson's standards) and they are doing it up right! so we will be bundling up and cheering on the 2011 team and celebrating at our favorite spots (here & here) with many of our favorite people. it's a good weekend in our world...

{image via}

i hope your weekends are full of all of your favorite things as well! stay warm (-:

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comfort food thursday: engagement soup

the night that mr. frederickson proposed began with left-over soup.

we were both under the weather and curled up by the fire and the idea of putting our coats on to leave the cozy living room to go to dinner or to the grocery store seemed completely overwhelming. so, we dug through the freezer and found some concoction my mom had made a few months (i hope just months...) earlier and stuck it in the microwave. 5 minutes later we right back in front of the fire eating like kings - portuguese toast and chicken & squash stew. 20 minutes later, with full bellies, i said yes and we popped a bottle of champagne and danced among the dirty dishes.

so, long story longer, this soup is now our version of "engagement chicken" and therefore will always hold a special place in my heart and in our kitchen. so, if you guys are looking for a little leftover romance, give it a try. afterall, you just might be surprised by what can happen on a chilly tuesday night...

what you need:

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 leeks, trimmed, chopped and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 pound turkey (or chicken) cutlets, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• salt & pepper, to taste

what you do: Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth, squash, thyme and cumin; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add turkey and corn; return to a simmer and cook until the turkey is just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lime juice and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

{recipe via eating well}

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snow day poetry.

brew me a cup for a winter's night.
for the wind howls loud and the furies fight;
spice it with love and stir it with care,

and i'll toast our bright eyes, my sweetheart fair.

~minna thomas antrim

...the snowy, grey world just feels poetic today, don't you think?

(image via)

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wedding wednesday: things i love...

things i love: riddling racks, mason jars, milk bottles, vintage trucks, barns, chalkboards

things i am currently swooning over: this wedding that showcases all of my favorite things, plus a to die for vintage-y dress. (thanks, abby!)

sometimes just looking at pretty things can just brighten the greyest of days, don't you think? now fingers crossed this snowstorm makes its way all the way up north. a little bit of that white fluffy stuff would go a long way...

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the doily tee.

you know how i feel about a certain new hampshire clothing designer, so it should be no surprise that i have been drooling over the emersonmade spring clothing line since it previewed a few weeks back. and trust me, you all should be drooling as well over the polka dots, scalloped edges, ruffles and bows. each piece is better than the next.

however, her new line of signature tees, just released this morning trumped it all. i mean really, is it just me or is this the cutest thing ever!? (just ask mr. frederickson, he will tell you how i feel about doilies.) and with one simple image, this romantic little tee just rocketed to the top of my valentine's day wish list...

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comfort food thursday: cupcakes

question: what food is more comforting than a cupcake?

correct answer: nothing

and now, since the grand opening of my little cupcake in essex, they are a whole lot easier to come by. what a perfectly decadent way to start the new year!

i think i just might have to take a little detour on my way home tonight...

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wedding wednesday: the truck.

my dad has a really old jeep truck that has been taking up space in our garage for years. it's the coolest thing ever and he has been dreaming of fixing it up for as long as i can remember. so, i am hoping that my upcoming nuptials will be just the motivation he needs to start tinkering with it again. (hint, hint!)

while it might not be the getaway car, it should certainly have a place in the wedding landscape. just check out all the fabulous and creative uses - it could help direct people around the site, or be the spot where people leave the gifts or even a fabulous dessert buffet. plus, just imagine the photo shoots...

{1/2/3/4/5/6}

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dream home + car barn.

ok, so something bad just happened. my day was going along smoothly and i was actually getting a fair amount done, when all of a sudden, my friend emails me a link to some online contest. normally, i would have ignored such a thing and continued on with my day, but this was NOT just any contest or any link. it was for the hgtv dream home sweepstakes, which this year, is in one of my most favorite spots in my very favorite state - stowe, vermont.

so, thus began my useless afternoon, as i spent the last hour perusing the site and drooling over each and every photo. plus, i have obviously already entered for my chance to win. i mean, it has a car barn, a ski dorm, a mudroom to die for and view that i probably wouldn't complain about...

see? what is not to love? click here to enter. just promise, if you win, you will invite me over for cocktails and a nap on your porch.

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january is....

...and we're back! after a festive and wonderful (and exhausting) holiday season i could not be more excited for the new year. tis the season to look ahead, to get organized, to dream, and to plan - pretty much all of my favorite things. although i really do hope there is a little time left over to relax and relish what is sure to be a happy little month and the beginning of a dreamy 2011. oh, the possiblities.....

january believes in miracles.

she loves new beginnings.

january is history's mirror.

she is happiest looking at the stars.

january's house has many windows and doors.

she looks forward more than back.

january is the beginning og things.

she keeps resolutions in her pocket.

january is known for making fresh tracks.

she loves a new book.

january is a great project manager.

she feels alive when she's dancing.

january is a state of mind.

she is known for her initiative.

january loves a good sale.

she's not afraid of the unknown.

january holds the database of dreams and resolutions.

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