I enjoyed a lovely Fall Sunday with a gorgeous brunch at Aquitaine in Boston’s South End with a few of my favorite ladies.
Peach Bellinis and Brioche French Toast topped with fresh berries and cream were perfection.
That’s all.
Happy Halloween!
As the cold weather continues to creep in I find my self wanting to add a polished scarf to pretty much every outfit. Nothing like a pashmina in a pretty color to make your comfortable day way look sophisticated. This one from Etsy is right in every single way.
Can’t you just see it thrown on with a tee shirt and leggings and a pair of boots, maybe for a casual Sunday brunch? I love the big pull over cowl construction and the yellow saffron hue. Is it too early to be starting my Christmas List?
Our trip to the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts was lovely, simply put. The Foliage was beautiful, our Inn was heavenly, and it was just so relaxing. I took so many pictures while we were there Ive decided to share them in two parts. The Bed and Breakfast we stayed at was so unique- it was filled to the brim with antiques and old country charm so you can just imagine how enamored I was.
Despite being right on the Main Street in town there was a barn out back that was home to two sheep, a donkey named Bob, and two baby goats who were to die for. The grounds were covered with English style gardens that were teeming with sprawling flowers and plants even in the late October air. Each morning Ali the Innkeeper prepared incredibly delicious gourmet breakfasts (Hello fresh chevre souffle, and Belgian waffles!) with hot fresh tea and coffee to start our day on the right note. I can’t say enough great things about this place, so if anyone is looking for a relaxing get away look no further!
While we’re on the topic of pumpkins, how about we talk about Martha Stewart’s Glitter Pumpkins? I caught a glimpse of them during a commercial while watching TV the other night and I had to look in to them a little more because they were just that pretty.
Image via MarthaStewart.com
Even though it’s a bit late in the game for Halloween decor I think I might try my hand at a few of these. Pumpkins and gourds make great Fall seasonal decorations and will lend them selves nicely through Thanksgiving. (Especially all glammed up!) Looks like a trip to Michael’s for the Martha Stewart glitter along with a stop at the store to pick up a few pie pumpkins will be in my future this week!
Well we missed apple picking season this year but, Mike and I finally picked up our pumpkins last weekend (just in time for Halloween) and we made a nice little afternoon out of it, by stopping by the Sauchuk Farm. The Farm is just a stones throw from the town Mike grew up in, and was perfectly quaint to say the least. We strolled the farm stand, picked out a few pumpkins, and of course couldn’t leave with out fresh cider and warm cider donuts!
We took home a nice mix of traditional and ugly pumpkins, I think we must have taken almost nine home with us! This has just started the itch for seasonal decorating and has me looking forward to this Holiday Season which scarily is right around the corner.
Mike, Bowser and I are preparing to head out to get our weekend in the Berkshires started and we couldn’t be more excited! We’re staying at a quaint old Bed and Breakfast that offered gourmet breakfasts, has a wonderful fire place, and farm animals out back.
Can’t wait to take in some Fall Foliage, do a little antiquing and get our relaxation on! I’ll be sure to share some photo’s when we are back.
Autumn weddings can be simply beautiful, filled with rich colors and vibrant foliage. Sometimes though to be quite honest, there can just bee too much brown and orange. I love this fresh take on an Autumn wedding centerpiece put together by Hatch Creative. It has the whimsical nature of something you might see at a Spring or Summer Wedding, but is filled with beautiful Fall foliage such as thistles and Figs.
*Image via 100layercake*
I also feel as though this arrangement *might* be something a crafty bride (along with a few crafty bridesmaids and friends) could pull together before a reception. There is something special about using found objects such a this old Urn to display your wedding flowers. I especially like the thought that a lucky guest will be able to take home something that you took care and time to put together.
I love when the weather starts to get cool and the air begins to feel crisp. It always makes me want to bake! Nothing says fall like a warm pecan pie with the warm comforting filling topped with sweet and salty pecans. We always managed to make a pecan pie or two around the Holidays growing up, and that’s what they remind me of.
The scent of a Pecan Pie in the oven is heavenly, and the best part is that they are Oh so Easy to make! Topped with some fresh Vanilla Bean ice cream, it was hard to put the Fork down!
My recipe was adapted from Southern Living’s Farmers Market Cookbook – the original recipe was for a triple nut tart.
Pecan Pie Tart
1 packaged refridgerated pie crust
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
4 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 cups or 1 large bag whole pecans
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Unroll Pie crust in to a greased and floured 9.5 inch tart pan. Prick bottom of pie crust with fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden. cool on wire rack, reduce oven to 325 degrees. Stir together sugar, corn syrup, and butter over medium heat until the butter melts and sugar disloves. Cool slightly before adding in eggs vanilla and salt. stir well. Pour mixture in to cooled tart shell, and top with Pecans. Be sure not to overfill your tart as it will rise slightly while baking. Bake for 55 minutes or until set.
This post is long overdue. This past spring I took an upholstery class with my good friend Kate, and I never got around to sharing the results of my first stab at upholstering. I unfortunately never did take a true before shot but, trust me when I say this little guy was all kinds of ugly!
Here it is after stripping some very tacky (and very dusty!) fabric as well some decrepit batting:
After it was stripped, I removed about 150 staples and gave the whole piece a light sanding and a coat of fresh Jacob Bean stain. After several classes the little foot stool really was given a new life. Several layers of cotton, muslin and foam later, it was beginning to resemble a real piece of furniture!
After all of the finishing touches, I think it turned out pretty great!
After completing this project, and seeing how difficult upholstery truly is, I think I will be mostly sticking to simple projects such a basic chairs, and ottomans…at least for now!
