The Truth

As our blog ages, we are moving away from being so strict about content and letting some of our other interests in. One of these interests is a...study...of pop culture. Like many of our peers, we devoted a fair amount of time in college and our early 20's to J Simp, LC, and, eventually, debating whether not Brody is a decent person because of how nice he is to LC, or if LC just inspires niceness in otherwise sketchy people.

We are amazed that these people are still around. They just keep getting older and we stay the saaame aaaaage. Isn't that how it goes? To prep for the season premier of both The Hills and The City, we will revisit Heidi and Spencer's wedding episode. Oh Heidi. You really were a swan princess.

Boo!

We can't believe it is almost October!

If you are looking for invitations for an upcoming Halloween bash, check out the supply at Tiny Prints. As low at 99 cents each, these cute designs cannot be beat!

Wedding Styling

I was flipping through Town & Country Weddings yesterday and came across the prettiest pictures from Olivia Chantecaille's wedding. (This picture is from an interview with her over at Darcy Miller's The Bride's Guide.) It may be hard to see in this picture, but what caught my eye is the way she has both a flower and a veil in her hair. I don't think I've ever seen a bride styled this way- generally you see a flower or a veil- and I think it's quite nice. Also like the front tied sash and, of course, the gorgeous material of the dress.

We Die

For these Fall lovelies from Anthropologie....

Frayed Bouquet Top

Plaza Cardigan

Button Duo Dress....

Sale

I'm sure many of you know about this sale, but I just picked up a duvet cover at Pottery Barn for a great price. If you have your eye on any of their bedding, head over to your nearest store. Stuff that is "sold out" online may still be available.

Wedding Wednesday: Calm Before the Storm

People have been asking how wedding planning is coming along. I say it's going well and that I'm not very stressed, which is true. I think I'm very lucky to be able to use established vendors who are low-maintenance, and the reception will be at a hotel (easy easy easy, both for you and your guests!). Most of my personal touches are confined to the welcome bags, which means I am not obsessing over tons of details. My mother has been very nice about taking care of a lot of the vendor research and communication (thanks mom!).

Inevitably the response is that this is the calm before the storm, and that the last few months are going to be bad. So blog readers, please share what unexpectedly stressed you out the most in the last months or weeks before the wedding. (My first guess is the seating chart...)

It's baaaaack....

Candy corn season is upon us. At Target today, I think I counted 5 different varieties, not including those little orange Mellowcreme pumpkins.

Fall is here!

Classy Guacamole

My husband's cousin shared this awesome recipe recently. I served it at a cookout this past weekend and one of the boys called it "classy guacamole," which I guess is relatively true! I meant to take a photo, but it was gobbled up pretty quickly. Give it a try for your next dinner party or tailgate; it does not disappoint!

Avocado and Goat Cheese Spread
1 ripe avocado
3 1/2 ounces goat cheese, softened
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 dashes of hot pepper sauce
3 oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
garlic salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Mash avocado with a fork until smooth. Add goat cheese and mix until creamy in texture. Add in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Serve with crackers, pitas, baguette, etc.

Wedding Wednesday: Blame it on the Alcohol....

"It" being the blown wedding budget. How many of you chose the flat per person rate for alcohol at your wedding? How many of you paid per drink? How did it work out? Did you estimate correctly?

Hello College Football

Cupcakes to celebrate college football's kickoff weekend, made by an acquaintance in Atlanta:

Fall is Here!

Well, not officially, but the college football season is! We know some schools kicked off their season last night, but UVA's home opener is tomorrow against William and Mary. Farrell will be rooting them on in person in Charlottesville with lots of fun tailgate pre-partying, while Lauren will be travelling down South for a wedding.
Whether you are tailgating, grilling out on the deck, or celebrating some other way, have a great long weekend!

Sharpie Pens

I admit it, I LOVE school/office supplies. This time of year, I always wish I someone to do back to school shopping for!

I am super-picky about pens and am always excited when I find something I like. When you are out this weekend, pick yourself up a few Sharpie Retractable Fine Point Pens; they're amazing! Almost enough to make me want to go back to class and take some notes....almost.

Figs!

In these last few weeks of summer, we have been trying to make it a priority to get to our local weekly Farmer's Market. After picking up some lovely figs on Saturday, we decided to try Cooking Light's Ginger-Garlic Chicken with Fresh Fig Pan Sauce (for some reason, CL doesn't list the recipe on their site, but it is on page 141 of the July issue, as well as on this external link). It was SUCH an easy recipe and so delicious. We served it as recommended - accompanied with grilled carrots and bok choy.

And speaking of Cooking Light, who doesn't LOVE their new reader-friendly format that debuted this month?!