lovely tuesday: october or bust

guess what? michael and i set our wedding date. in october, we will get married and celebrate with the best bunch of our family and friends.

wedding planning hasn’t been a cake walk. several venues fell through or flaked out. i cried many times in frustration. i even pretended to write a book called love in the time of pinterest (inspired by an email to tania).

i’ve realized now that we don’t want a perfect wedding. we expect a day that is filled with love, joy, giggles, blushes, minor mishaps, and hopefully small moments of serenity. oh, i can’t forget— thrifted decorations.

p.s. if you like the cameo illustration, it’s available for you and your sweetheart here.

delicious monday: compact caprese

whenever we have guests, i think of two appetizers: potstickers (dumplings) and caprese. i don’t serve them together; they’re just terribly easy to make.

michael and i usually make caprese the traditional way with large tomato slices. on friday, we changed it up with bocconcini  because i saw some photo on pinterest. are you on pinterest? of course you are. i am, too.

i’m sure this recipe has a real name, but i’m calling it compact caprese because alliteration is awesome.

MATERIALS

• 1 container of fresh bocconcini (mozzarella balls)
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• kosher salt and pepper for seasoning
• toothpicks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. sandwich a piece of basil between a mozzarella ball and tomato on a cocktail toothpick. repeat until done.
2. drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. season to your liking.
3. try not to eat them in one sitting.

dearest thursday: silk sophisticates

every couple of months, i receive emails from readers inquiring about silk blouses. when i moved to texas, i began buying more silk and cotton tops to help with the summer heat. as fashion editors say, natural fibers breathe. i wear them to school with skirts and on weekends with shorts or jeans.

my favorite blouses are equipment shirts, but at full-price, they are true investment pieces. however i occasionally find them at nordstrom rack or last call neiman marcus. equipment shirts fit beautifully; the blouses are tailored with elegant shoulders and bodies versus the stereotypical giant silk shirts from the 80’s and 90’s. the signature style is slightly oversized so size down. i wear an XS or S. equipment is known for solid colors but they also have stripes, dots, and quirky prints.

grechen (of grechen’s closet) highly recommends everlane blouses. the everlane line runs less than $100, and it offers similar colors to equipment. i saw her in an everlane blouse in april, and the fabric was a lovely weight and color. grechen notes that everlane blouses are more forgiving at the hipline.

i also own blythe blouses by j.crew. the silk is thinner, but they fit well. i wear a 2 or 4. plus, they have two flap pockets like the signature equipment blouses. the best part about j.crew is the promotions! you can usually find a blythe blouse on sale and sometimes with an additional discount.

do you wear silk blouses? what are some brands that you like?

collage by me. images via shopbop, everlane, and j.crew.

the picks | equipment blouse | everlane blouse | j.crew blouse

p.s. i planned on sharing this post with you yesterday, but i shot (or typed) myself in my own foot. i was thrilled about having our internet back and then it crashed again. on the bright side, a technician will visit over the weekend and hopefully solve our problem for good. sophie can’t wait to bark at him (or her).

lovely tuesday: porch suppers

it took a long time— almost three years to be exact— for michael and i to pick out furniture for our deck. everything we liked cost the same as “real” furniture so we finally settled on a classic wooden picnic table and an outdoor rug from lowe’s.

every warm weekend, we look forward to porch suppers. i cover the table with a neutral tablecloth and table runner, move our flower vase from inside to outside, block sophie from escaping into the yard, and we’re set. we even have a chalkboard for the night’s menu.

because i’m debating whether to paint our table, i’m only sharing a few snapshots for now. by painting i mean stenciling it with stripes or triangles or turning it into a giant slate. you’ll have to wait and see.

delicious monday: kale soup

my parents eat kale and other dark, scary greens regularly. in elementary school, the cafeteria served steamed, chopped kale and i couldn’t bear taking a bite. now i don’t mind it for two reasons: soup makes it less bitter, and if you roast it, it supposedly resembles japanese seaweed. i haven’t roasted any yet (i’d rather eat seaweed) but i like kale soup.

i’m not quite sure where we got the original recipe; michael tore a picture out of a magazine (possibly cooking light or southern living) when we lived in dallas because he thought it would be a healthy lunch. we usually make it in a big pot and divide it among containers for two or three days worth of food. few things make you feel more productive than a pre-packed lunch!

MATERIALS

• 1 large can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
• 1 package of mild italian sausage links, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon of herbs de provénce
• kosher salt and pepper for seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

1. preheat a skillet to medium. add the sausage pieces and brown them. wipe up access oil and sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are softened and garlic is fragrant.
2. transfer the sausage and onions to a large pot. pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. reduce the heat and add the chickpeas. using your hands, add small bunches of kale to the soup, stirring as you go.
3. season the soup with herbs, salt and pepper.