A Graveyard Smash

We now interrupt our feather frenzy (here, here, here, here, and here!) for a holiday special...

For the couple who loves Halloween, the holiday provides a wonderful opportunity to create a unique and personal event- whether it be a wedding or simply an elaborate holiday party.

Row 1: L to R- Hostess with the Mostess, The Martha Blog, Greg Bumatay via The Bride's Cafe
Row 2: Tori & Mark- Kelly Moore, Richard Israel Photography, Hannah Read-Baldrey via The City Sage
Row 3: Ben Chrisman, Melanie Favreau via Supermarket, Photogen Inc.
Row 4: Gemma Comas via Black Eiffel, Christopher Record Photography via Southern Weddings, The Knot

For all of those celebrating- Happy Halloween!!

For the Love of {Feathers}- Jewelry

Anna Korte Vintage Jewelry at Tobi

Alex and Ani at Shopbop

Betsey Johnson at Nordstrom

Urban Outfitters

And, if I had a million dollars...

H.Stern at Neiman Marcus

For the Love of {Feathers}- Home

When I realized that my feather bit wasn't stopping because I had just a few more feather items to share, I decided some "For the Love of" posts were in order.

Roost Porcelain Ornaments- Velocity Art and Design

Williams-Sonoma Home

Print- Leah Duncan

Gift Tags- Moth to a Flame Studio

Stay tuned for the remaining posts in this feather series!

Stuck A Feather In His Cap

While I don't imagine these pieces resemble the feather Yankee Doodle wore, these headbands from Etsy shops FeatherBrain and sewsephine are feathers I would happily don.

The fascinators and hairpieces I mentioned before were mostly ones that felt perfect for a special occasion, but these would work with a variety of outfits.

FeatherBrain

FeatherBrain

sewsephine

sewsephine

sewsephine

sewsephine

sewsephine

Stuffed Cabbage with Quinoa + Roasted Sweet Potato

Quinoa stuffed cabbage. How's that for nontraditional?

It was a dark and stormy night... 

Wait. This is a recipe post. Let me start again. Got your cocoa? Are you settled?

Chapter 1.

The tight blue tiled kitchen glowed in the afternoon sun that slatted through the western facing junipers and spilled across the cupboards in a honeyed glaze so dazzling she had to lower her eyes to keep from squinting like a cowboy as she grabbed a frayed dish towel and cracked the oven door. The scent of sweet potatoes, apples and onion laced with garlic, nutmeg and cinnamon filled the room. She tugged her worn wooden spoon from the mustard crock and stirred the tender jewels bathed in apple juice. For the first time in days she felt connected to something tangible.

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Karina's Kicked Up Colcannon Recipe

An Irish classic- colcannon. Mashed potatoes with a twist.

Traditional colcannon is an Irish potato recipe thick with cream and sticks of butter. If served for the Celtic New Year, a bowl of colcannon might include a lucky coin hidden in its pillowy depths; the charmed recipient- if she didn't break a tooth on it- kept the buried treasure for a New Year's worth of kind fortune. 

My version of colcannon is anything but traditional. I'm a half Ashkenazi-Jewish-Scot-Irish shiksa zen Jungian humanist, after all. So you know I had to change it up a bit. It had to be vegan. And it had to be spiked with the flavors I crave. Flavors that love snuggling up to potatoes.

Because when it comes to this turning-back-the-clock dark and spooky time of year nothing beats a good potato recipe. 

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Tribal Back girls

Cute Tribal Back tattoos ideas for girls

Tribal Back Tattoos

Tribal Back Tattoos Ideas Gallery

Birds of a Feather

Since I am on a bit of a feather kick (see here and here.) I wanted to create a board that highlighted the use of feathers in the attire and decor for a wedding, and the brown and black feathered shoes and hair piece in this board felt like perfect inspiration for a late fall or winter wedding.

Row 1: L to R- Ryan Phillips, Brittney & Mike- Jennifer Skog Photography, Stephanie James Couture
Row 2: Gentl & Hyers, Penn Carlson Photography via Southern Weddings, Janne Peters, Mi Belle Wedding Photography via The Bride's Cafe
Row 3: Country Living via Perfect Bound, Eryn & Scott- Mary Jane Photography, Stephanie James Couture
Row 4: Carrie Patterson Wedding Photography, Vanilla Bake Shop, Sara France via Snippet & Ink

Completely Fascinated

A few years ago, I had a pair of heels that I loved. When I first spotted them, I fell head over heels (ha ha) and I knew they had to be mine. They were a little flashier than any of my other pairs, but I was in L-O-V-E.

E, however was not. He thought they were, well, hideous and weird. I slightly doubted my choice, but I tried to stay strong in my conviction that they were amazing.

Since I did love them, I wore them proudly, and it turned out, every time I wore them, compliments were inevitable. I have to admit that I gloated a little every time I received one (not everyone found my selection so horrible!)

I especially loved receiving a compliment when E was present. He knew I loved it too. He would laugh every time and say, "I never said other people wouldn't like them! I don't claim to always understand what women love."

Lately, I have been quite obsessed with hairpieces and fascinators, particularly of the feather and flower variety (well, perhaps I am just obsessed with feathers all-around these days.) I

think these would be fabulous to wear to a holiday party, but I have to wonder whether E would find these interesting or more along the lines of my very-loved shoes...

K.Autumn

Originals By Lynnette

Miss Lola by oh my deer! (sadly, no longer available!)

Miss Erma by oh my deer! (also, sadly, no longer available!)

qgdesigns

I would want to wear this piece by House of Telsa all the time!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Easy, delicious gluten-free pumpkin pie.

This will be one of our little secrets, okay? Just make this impossible pumpkin pie recipe and serve it with a smile. No apologies. No caveats. No waffling or waggling. You don't have to label it vegan. Or gluten-free. Or lactose-free. Which it is. Because no one will ever know. It tastes that good. And you'll score serious points with your vegan guests. You'll be a hero to gluten-free pie lovers. A goddess to egg-free pumpkin-cravers. A rock star to dairy-free angels.

My secret? It's in the details. First- no tofu (yes, Babycakes, my pumpkin pie is soy-free so you won't have to put up with your cousin's tofu jokes on Thanksgiving). Second- it's also rice-free. No gritty rice flour (which, come to think of it, I am hardly using any more). No cornstarch (for those of you avoiding corn). In a sweet little nutshell, it's very food allergy friendly. Even your Aunt Sadie who is allergic to Wyoming might be able to eat this. Unless she's allergic to pumpkin. 

Then you're screwed.

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Tribal Neck Tattoo

Tribal Neck Tattoo ideas for girl

aries tribal tattoo

aries tribal tattoo in arm

Body Tribal Tattoo

Body Tribal Tattoos

Fire Arm Tattoos

Fire Arm Tribal Tattoos

For the love of {Plaid}- Part 5

For now, here's one more look at Hatch's work (previously mentioned here and here.)

Perhaps it's because I've found myself a little infatuated with plaid (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4,) but I love Hatch's branding and design for their client, MacLean Winery.

Craig MacLean, the founder of the winery, wanted to reflect his Scottish heritage in his brand, and Hatch incorporated elements of his family crest and tartan into their concept for MacLean Winery.


Their wine, with its festive red plaid design, looks like something I would love to break open for the holidays!

Charmed, I'm sure

Have I mentioned yet that I am a complete sucker for packaging and product design? Well, I am. So much so, my wine selections are often swayed by a pretty label- and, man, there some amazing wine bottle designs out there!

When I spotted this bottle at The Dieline, I immediately decided I'd love to serve this wine at a Halloween party. It seems perfect, not in a spooky, ghoulish way, but in a magical, Bewitched sort of style. And I would happily serve it along side these.

The entire product line of JAQK Cellars, branded and owned by Joel Templin and Katie Jain of San Fransisco based Hatch, is equally as lovely. Check it out; you might be completely Charmed. I certainly am.

Karina's Enchiladas Win the Whole Foods Budget Recipe Challenge

Enchiladas photo courtesy Whole Foods Market © 2008

I am very excited to announce that my recipe for Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas has won the Whole Foods Market Budget Recipe Challenge. Thank you all who voted for the recipe- and highlighted this gluten-free vegetarian entry. I am overwhelmed by the support. Over 1,300 of you took the time to vote! And I appreciate it with all my heart.

Congrats to the other talented finalists who participated with their mouthwatering array of unique dishes- Jaden of Steamy Kitchen, Rachel of Coconut & Lime, Hannah of Bittersweet, Michael of Cooking for Engineers and of Katy of Sugar Laws. Your recipes rocked.

To celebrate I am going to give away:

Five $25 Whole Foods Market Gift Cards!

To participate in this random drawing leave a comment below.


Five lucky winners will be picked out of hat
by my favorite little burro, Sparky
on Friday October 31st.


Good luck!

Contest is closed- Sparky picked the winners-

see the winners here.

Here is the winning recipe on Gluten-Free Goddess:

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Visit the Whole Foods Market Blog

Shoe Love

These shoes would look wonderful with the inspiration board I posted earlier, but I don't need a wedding to want these! I am absolutely in love.


I am going to be out-of-town for the next few days, but I am hoping that I will be able to post while I am gone. If I should not, I'll see you soon!

A Room Reveals A Wedding {A Mod Mix}

It has been a while since I've posted "A Room Reveals A Wedding." Today's inspiration room is a little mod and a little Hollywood Regency (I know, I know- she declared it dead!) courtesy of David Jimenez (via Desire to Inspire.)

I really like the composition of this room with the mix of patterns and colors, and I think it would translate well into a chic and modern wedding.

The Room

The Wedding

Row 1: L to R- David Jimenez, Elum, Artfool
Row 2: Drew B Photography via Southern Weddings, Cannelle et Vanille, Richard Israel, Cannelle et Vanille
Row 3: Brides, Brides, See by Chloe at Nordstrom, Anna Beck at Max and Chloe
Row 4: Douglas Benedict via The Bride's Cafe, Cannelle et Vanille, Lisa Vorce & Docuvitae via Style Me Pretty

Leg Bone Connected to the Knee Bone

My mom sent me the link to these a-mazing cookies made by Heidi Kenney at My Paper Crane. I am absolutely in love with them and think they are the most perfect Halloween cookie ever.

The detailed bone-work is simply perfection. I'm not sure I could bring myself to eat them; I think I'd just want to stare at them and enjoy their utter cuteness! Love. Love. Love.

Brides Across America

It is not Wednesday, but when Laura Novak posted about this event/organization I hadn't yet heard about, I simply couldn't wait until Wednesday to share.

Brides Across America is an organization founded by Heidi Janson. It is a non-profit organization that unites military brides and bridal salons through an extraordinary event to support troops and their families.

Watters Brides

In conjuncture with Veterans Day, participating salons will be giving away a designated number of wedding gowns to women who are engaged and are on active duty in the military or who have fiances serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Watters Brides

The gowns, available in sizes 4-22, will be given away on a first come basis; most dresses are samples and overstock ranging in price from $500-$3000 from designers such as Watters and Watters, Allure Bridals, Impression Bridal, and Marisa Bridal.

Watters Brides

I am in awe of the generosity of this organization and the participating shops and designers. What an extraordinary acknowledgment of the service and sacrifice that men and women in the military and their loved ones make, most especially during an oversees deployment.

Impression Bridal

This is a topic near and dear to my heart. For those of you who have been reading for a while, you might have gathered that my husband is in the military. While I haven't elaborated greatly on this before, he was Active Duty until this past June, and he is now in the Reserves.

Impression Bridal

We married two years ago in a civil ceremony before he deployed to Afghanistan, and we had a wedding and reception for family and friends this past March, after he returned home from his deployment.

Allure Bridals

The shop Laura posted about is in Delaware, but there are participating shops in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Marissa Bridals

I don't know how many readers out there are military brides, but if you are or if you know any, this looks like an event worth checking out. To participate, all military brides must show proper ID, copy of deployment papers, orders or other qualifying proof.

Now, if only they'd had this event last fall when I was planning my wedding ;)

Our March 2008 Wedding. Image by Alison Portis Photography

**All gowns shown above are simply examples of the mentioned designers' work, not necessarily dresses that will be available at the events.