maybe it’s the practically neon blue tinge of a bluebird’s little feathered face. and sometimes it’s just a tree caught in the most idyllic ray of sunshine.

my grandmother is an artist and i’ve known her over the years to comment on the remarkable hue or color saturation of a particular item – whether it’s a piece of apparel or white snow. and it’s one of the things i most love that we share in common.

how absolutely stunning is this sugary number? it was most definitely a winner and it made us so happy to share it with our best friends and family.

what was the wedding color scheme you may be wondering? shades of white – champagne, cream, ivory – chocolate brown and metallic silver and gold. it made for a yummy autumnal ambiance.

are any of my charming fans in the midst of planning a wedding? i would loooove to hear all about your bright & beautiful flair!

xxo

over the weekend i put together a little something for the etsy shop. here’s a sneak peek of my palette as it was in the works. it might be included in the world’s most spectacular exhibition to date … when that happens.

in related blue news, one of my all-time faves recently posted about pickled blueberries. yes, this is a real thing in real life. check out this magic.

xxo

spaghetti and meatballs.

my honey had requested this comfy dish a few days prior, and a lazy sunday afternoon was the perfect time to jump in the kitchen and get to work. thanks to my handy dandy food processor, the whole thing came together like a good magic trick.

and now for some recipes you will like (along with some commentary):

marinara sauce

prep: 15 min

cook:1 hr 20 min (+20 or more minutes to simmer with meatballs)

4 servings as a first course

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 dried bay leaves

note: you can chop all the veggies in a food processor; it does save time especially if you are doing a larger batch. (yep, it sure does!)

in a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. remove and discard the bay leaves. season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste.

the sauce can be made 1 day ahead. cool, then cover and refrigerate. reheat over medium heat before using or freeze for up to a month.

recipe from giada de laurentiis everyday italian

don’t like to see raw meat rolled into perfect little meaty balls (i.e. this post’s namesake)? then close your eyes and scroll really fast all the way to the bottom to see the glorious finished product).

meatballs

prep: 15 minutes

cook: 15-20 minutes (+20 or more minutes to simmer with sauce)

ingredients:

a slice of good quality white bread (i used soft, whole wheat because it makes me feel better about myself when eating delectable carby pasta)

1/3 cup milk (i used almond milk because it’s my ‘dairy’ of choice)

1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 egg

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

whole nutmeg (not sure about the whole nutmeg thing, so i put in a dash of the powdered variety for good measure)

salt & black pepper

*fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs, spread on a plate (needed only if you plan on frying the meatballs – this will help to keep them from sticking to the pan)

vegetable oil

trim away the bread crust, put the milk and bread in a small saucepan, and turn on the heat to low. when the bread has soaked up milk, mash it to a pulp with a fork. remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

into a bowl put the chopped meat, onion, parsley, the egg, the tablespoon of olive oil, the grated parmesan, a tiny grating of nutmeg – about 1/8 teaspoon – the bread and milk mush (yum. it’s like liquid bread.), salt and several grindings of black pepper. gently knead the mixture with your hands without squeezing into balls about 1 inch in diameter. roll the balls in the breadcrumbs (only if pan frying, which i opted not to do).

if baking:

put on lightly oiled baking sheet, cook at 375 for 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. remove from tray with slotted spoon, place in marinara sauce and simmer gently together for about 20 minutes.

if sauteing:

choose a sauté pan that can subsequently accommodate all the meatballs in a single layer. pour in enough vegetable oil to come ¼ inch up the sides. turn on the heat to medium and when the oil is hot, slip in the meatballs, sliding them in with a spatula will avoid splashing hot oil out of the pan. brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so they won’t break-up. add meatballs to the marinara sauce and simmer gently together for about 20 minutes.

serve over spaghetti – yum!

recipe from marcella hazan’s essentials of classic italian cooking

my masterpiece! one for you and one for me. xxo

i’m happy and proud to announce that i have selected one of these exquisite beauties as my wedding day fragrance. * ta da! * this is very exciting stuff. it smells like happy and love. the selected fragrance was named to honor the dear victims of the september 11th attacks … and that’s something i can get behind.

how much do i wish to collect bond no. 9 new york perfume bottles? soooooooo much! they’re just so pretty and colorful and smell so nice – they’re the perfect little gems about which good dreams are made.

my mom (a.k.a. the fabulous wedding task master) and i this past weekend plowed through mountains of wedding planning. it was fun and exhausting all at once, and it feels mighty fine to have crossed so many lines off our to-do list. do any of you lovelies have tips for a bride-to-be? please share the genius!

xxo

ahhhhh … the sweet taste of summer. i treated myself yesterday to my first peach of the season, as well as splurged on some magical rainier cherries. those little suckers are expensive, but as far as my taste buds are concerned, well worth it. have you tried them? they are one of my fave seasonal treats that will knock your socks off if nabbed at the right time.

and now a little ditty: ‘an apple is an excellent thing — until you have tried a peach.’ – george du maurier

did you have a good holiday? ours was filled with tons o’ bright and sparkly things – fireworks to be sure, but also diamond engagement bands. hello, pretty sparkles! this wedding planning stuff can actually turn into a good time every once in a while.

xxo

what’s better than cake and ice cream? vacation. (especially when said vacation includes cake and ice cream … )

we just last night returned from the most glorious vacation to colorado and wyoming where we spent the days hiking and fishing and enjoying the company of dear family members and new friends. it was definitely a trip for the memory (and scrap) books.

it’s tough getting back into my real life routine, but it’s not easy to complain about that after having been off the grid for a week in the lap of luxury. i mean, i could definitely muster the strength, but i don’t want any haters hating. i’m too tired to deal (thanks to a certain airline for losing our luggage).

despite the pathetic airport ending to said trip, i’m cheerfully still feeling the vacation high. i’m a lucky lady this summer – between last week’s tremendous family vacation and my upcoming bachelorette weekend, i’m a happy camper.

xxo

i just like to look at them. i rarely ever make physical contact with said beauties for fear that i will blemish any part of their perfectly shaped form.

it’s irrelevant that i used to call them ‘crans’ and that my brother referred to these darlings as ‘crowns.’ the waxy little numbers performed no matter what names were used.

it was with tongue in cheek that my darling fiance placed amongst my birthday presents this year a gigantic box of new crayolas. this is why he’s my favorite.

the exquisite box sits prettily on my shelf and with just one glance, i’m smiling. i guess it’s no surprise that i grew up to have an etsy shop where i sell colorful artwork – just for fun.

what item from your childhood makes you smile and reminisce?

and just for fun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayola_colors

xxo

i have a problem come this time of the year. what’s that you ask? too much glorious produce from which to choose! i know … things get rough come june.

so what’s the easy solution? buy a ton of it and eat like a health nut for days! it’s my favorite food season.

i treated us last night to some gigantic brussels sprouts. we’re talkin’ huge – practically mini cabbages. (yes, i realize they’re quite literally baby cabbages, but these nuggets were large.)

i chopped ‘em up, tossed in some delicious olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder … and then roasted ‘em like the southern summer sun (i.e., at 400 degrees f until they were tender and so tasty.)

i accidentally ate most of the tray before we actually sat down for dinner. i don’t feel guilty.

here’s the finished product:

don’t mind the crispy bits – those are the best part! next time i’m considering roasting a batch of just brussels sprouts leaves. they’re like healthy seasoned chips from nature. this is all true.

xxo

so one of the perks of having a facebook fan page is that apparently your fiance sees things you post … like mentioning that today is red rose day. i’ll be honest with you, guys and dolls, i was actually not dropping hints. surprising, perhaps, but it’s the truth.

imagine my sheer delight when these beautes were delivered to my office just moments ago!

it all happened so quickly. maybe it’s just a coincidence (yet to be determined). it’s only been one hour since i made the facebook post – is that even enough time to order flowers and have them delivered?! i’m thinking not, which means that my honey now deserves even more bonus points for surprising me (unrelated to any facebook posts) with a lovely arrangement of flowers and a card simply-but oh-so-perfectly saying ‘i love you.’

you’re the sweetest boy, s! i love you, too.

xxo