cookies & milk & love

oh, how i love cyber space, especially on bitterly cold winter days when you have just eaten a bowl of yummy soup, the sky is turning dark, and your to-do list is a mile long. such a wonderful place to escape to and find such wonderful treasures. treasures like this tasty and romantic tablescape courtesy of the city cradle.

cookies and milk will most certainly be a part of our big day (we both love our sweets and you can't get much more vermont-y than milk) and i think this photoshoot just might be the perfect inspiration i didn't even know i was looking for! now all i have to do is find an "&" cookie cutter and some vintage suitcases...back to cyberland i go and i couldn't be happier!

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baby, it's cold outside!

i have party planning on the brain these days in a big big way. and i fell instantly in love when i came across this ice skating party. the bonfire, the mason jars, the burlap table cloths, the hot chocolate, the candles, the tubs of beer....cozy, romantic, fun and oh so vermont-y. plus, my husband to be (yup, that's right, mr. frederickson and i are making it official!) is quite the skater. i think maybe we are on to something....

so, a winter wedding? what do you think!?!?

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a candy corn upgrade.

oh, hello, monday. you snuck up on my once again. i really hate when you do that! but this week is going to be full of sunny warm days here in vermont (woo hoo!) and lots of anticipation for the weekend to come (eek!) and not to mention, it's the last week of october, so there is lots to be done before november hits (yikes!)

but, before we get to all that, i have to share with you a few of my foodie favorites from last week that i just didn't get a chance to post before the weekend got a hold of me. i promise, less food, more vermont fun this week. but, let's indulge just one more time in some seasonal sugary inspiration (yum!) who needs to treak or treat when you have these lovely confections? (ok, i still do - i love me some candy corn)

...i love me some pop tarts too - and how amazingly gooey do these pumpkin pop tarts look!?

individual pumpkin pies in mason jars?! yes, please.

king arthur flour does it again...creepy & tasty is a tricky combo, and they have simply mastered it.

how tasty do these chocolate pumpkin cupcakes look? (obviously, i love the placemat and wicker balls too)

reasons to have a halloween party include this dessert buffet from the talented ladies at twig & thistle.

so - any clever halloween ideas up your sleeves?!?!

ok, now back to your regulary scheduled monday morning! boo!

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fall gatherings & happy weekend!

i am a believer in dinner parties. there is something so magical about the conversations that happen around a table filled with tasty food, great friends and good wine. it may be more work than going out, but i have to say it never fails to be well worth the effort.

i also believe there is something even more sensational about a dinner party this time of year. the air gets cool at night and things move inside (or better yet, you bring blankets and candles outside) the conversations get more intimate, the ambience a bit warmer and the food a bit tastier and bottom line, they are just more fun to plan.

further more, i believe that a dinner party with a good tablescape is the best dinner party of all. so, to start off your weekend, check out these inspiring photos and get your imaginations going.

long story, longer - i believe in the magic of fall.

figs + beet colored flowers + bread + a burlap table runner = a perfect new twist on fall decor

ok, this may be a brunch table scape, but it still works in my book! just substitute wine for mimosas (or don't...) i am also in LOVE with the milk bottles.

emerson made can do no wrong, especially when it comes to her dinner parties and table linens.

simon pearce can do no wrong either. and what's not to love about jack-be-littles?

and if you feel like going really big...how about this dreamy barn setting? shut the front door. amazing.

{inspiration via snippet & ink, the sweetest occasion, emerson made, simon pearce, riverside farm }

so, on that dreamy note...i am off! happy weekend to you all! XOXO

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wine wednesdays - simply sinful.

i am soo excited! this weekend i get to host a little get together for my favorite girls, all in celebration of the most angelic bride to be. the theme this weekend is all about the seven deadly sins (see the invitation here)

obviously wine is an important part of this occassion, so one of the weekend's featured wines will be the 7 deadly zins. get it? sins/zins? zinfandel. (again, i'm easily amused) and i may or may not have my bags packed with several bottles of this varietal. also, i am not so secretly hoping that our residence mix master - of b.o.p. fame -will be able to use it to concoct some sinful sangria....

eeek! is it friday yet?!?

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party planning perfection.

have i mentioned that i love this time of year? why? well, because there are just so many reasons to celebrate - birthdays, weddings, long weekends, and graduations (just to name a few) and since i am in the party spirit today, i have to share with you this eco-fabulous grad party thrown just down the road in shelburne, vt by the party planning pros at martha stewart living. (oh i wish i had known! i soo would have crashed it!)

the details:

• the event: a graduation party for a recent university of vermont graduate - whose mom happens to be the editorial food director at martha stewart living. lucky him (and lucky us!)
• the venue: the coach barn at shelburne farms
• the theme: "sustaining family through education, connection, community, and, of course, food." oh how i love a good theme!
• the food: all local - including cheeses from shelburne farms and vermont butter & cheese creamery, meats from vermont smoke and cure, and local pickled vegetables. burgers were made from misty knoll farms turkey and grass-fed shelburne farms beef (served in recyclable paper bags rubber-stamped with various vermont motifs.) and dessert was island homemade ice cream.
• the drinks: colorful cocktails from vermont spirits maple vodka and boyden valley rhubarb wine. and magic hat beer (obviously)
• the photo shoot background: a map of vermont, on, what else, but a chalk board.
• the favors: popcorn. maple spiced kettle corn served in vermont branded paper bags.
• the result: party planning perfection.

{go here for the whole story - plus more photos, recipes and party planning tips}

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wine wednesdays & cinco de mayo!

(emiliano rodruguez via amy atlas)

as my friend in the super burbs said today - "i love may, i love mexican food, i love margaritas, and i love a good flirty dress - cinco de mayo is soooo up my alley" i couldn't have said it better myself. plus, i always appreciate a good excuse to celebrate life...and when you can add guacamole and party hats to the mix, it just makes it that much more fun!

but i was having a bit of a cinco de mayo conundrum - the holiday is all about tequila and coronas, but it's also wine wednesday here in vermont. what was a girl to do?! what is she to post about? but then, my debate was answered thanks to the brilliant folks at cooking light who just today released an article about wine & mexican food. oh, how i love when i'm not alone in my angst!

according to the experts at cooking light "wines that are high in acid stay bright in the mouth. like a sharp knife, the acidity in the wine cuts through even the most extroverted spicy flavors, leaving the diner on that wonderful seesaw where a sip of the wine makes you want a bite of the food and a bite of the food makes you want a sip of the wine."

and what type of wine is that, you ask? well - it can be any of the following varietals...

• whites - sauvignon blanc, a dry riesling or a spanish albarino
• reds - spanish riojas, italian chiantis or french pinot noirs.

also recommended wines to pair with your adobo sauces and other hearty flavors are those with a "plush, thick mouth feel...with thick, supersupple, superberried flavors of these wine are like a soft cushion for the robust seasonings to dance upon. " the dancing wines include - an australian shiraz and a north coast zinfandel.

so off i go to the store with my post note of wine suggestions and a shopping list fora adobado pork tenderloin, pineapple-chipotle salsa, and jicama salad. cooking light did me well today. thank you, once again!

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picnic inspiration.

today was a happy day in blog land for lots of reasons - it's friday, the sun is shining (seemingly everywhere!) and warm may days are just around the corner. and with all these happy circumstances, came lots of happy blog posting, including quite a few about a fantastic summer tradition - the picnic.

so, needless to say, i had to hop on board the picnic trend. with april showers on the outs, and nothing but may flowers ahead, i totally see where my blog friends are coming from and i for one am totally on board.

one of said friends (ok, i think we are friends, she might not know that yet) at cup of jo came up with the idea of a summer picnic club and i really think she is on to something. her concept:
inviting friends to meet at different locations every other weekend, bringing their own blankets, some snacks to share and some games to play. sounds pretty doable, don't you think?
and luckily for us here in vermont, there are dozens of great picnic spots all across the state. so if this idea alone doesn't make you think happy summer thoughts, see below for a little more inspiration...oh the fun we could have...

happy weekend!

(images via whole living / ruffled / vermont brownie company / hostess with the mostess / the kitchn / hey hot shot / flickr / oh hello friend)

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invitation excellence.

my best friend (of super burbs fame) is tying the knot this summer in what is sure to be a wedding to remember. she is marrying the love of her life in one of the most beautiful places on earth - excluding anywhere in vermont of course. plus she is the ultimate planner and has the best taste ever, which together will make the whole event so incredibly magical. i can not wait!

so, when i was given the honor of being one of her bridesmaids i was thrilled (i mean how could i not be? just look how she asked me!) and i couldn't wait to start celebrating and party planning with her. my first task - the bachelorette party. the first priority - the invitation.

let me explain, both superburbs and i loooove stationary (perhaps more than most) so that was clearly the place to start when concocting what i hope to be a sinful and indulgent weekend that our seven friends will remember for years to come. and i could think of no better person to put to the task than the ever talented kayla hodgdon, a super talented graphic designer, based in, you guessed it - vermont! all i gave her was the theme, colors and voila - invitation excellence!

to see more of kayla's brilliance stop by her blog or email her at kaylahodgdon@gmail.com. she is tremendously talented, soo soo fun to work with and the best part is she is up for anything. oh the projects i have in store for her! xoxo

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she is correct.

my fabulous friend in the superburbs & i seem to always be on the same page in life. we have been known to dress the same, finish each others sentences and we always seem to click at the exact same moment. we also use phrases like "that is correct" and "you are dead on" a little too often. although, i have to admit, there is something so magical and comforting about having people in the world who are always on your page, no matter how many dirt roads may lie between you. and that, my friends, is the beauty of the blog world - you can stay connected and in sync from miles away.

and today, from the woods of vermont to the superburbs of rhode island, we are both in the midst of a love affair with barns and the rustic simplicity that they bring to the table. she is correct, the inspiration board above is just a little piece of heaven.

(inspiration courtesy of style me pretty)

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mudseason tablescape.

there is no such thing as spring in northern new england. the seasons are fall, winter, mudseason, and summer. needless to say, this unique season comes with its own set of challenges - specifically when it comes to getting dressed, nesting, and throwing fantastic imaginary dinner parties. but this morning, i discovered the perfect mudseason tablescape.

rustic simplicity with just a hint of winter and a glimpse of things to come.

pinecones + tulips + numbered apothecary jars = perfection

...now all i need is the perfect party barn to host this wonderful dinner. well, that and someone to tell me what to wear today...

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