Cheers to Twilight

Breaking Dawn, Part 1 is finally here!  (insert eye-roll from all you non-Twilight fans).
In celebration, work these cocktails in to your weekend repertoire:

New Moon


1 oz. vodka
1 oz. triple sec
1 oz. creme de violette

Stir contents in a shaker and serve up in a martini glass. Garnish with a piece of citrus cut out with a star-shaped cookie cutter.



The Edward

1 ½ oz. Plymouth gin
½ oz. Licor 43
½ oz. Plymouth sloe gin
½ oz. lemon juice

Served on the rocks with a lemon twist

Maybe for a child's room?!

You can find it (and some cool state options) here, at Old Try Press.

Wedding Wednesday: Fall Florida Wedding

Design*Sponge in Richmond

For those of you in the Richmond area, Grace Bonney will be leading seminars and giving a talk during lunch on Wednesday.  The event is sponsored by Richmond Home.  Click here to learn more and buy tickets.

Wedding Wednesday: Fall RD Centerpieces

From this past weekend in Florida.

Skinny Soup

My go-to meal for cooler weather is soup.  This lightened up version of an old-school classic hit our menu plans last week.  At 300 calories per serving, it was a hit!

Light French Onion Soup

2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter (I have also used OO)
2 tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme 
1/4 cup Cognac/brandy
1/4 cup white wine
9 cups light beef stock
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
sliced, toasted, crusty bread (Italian, etc)
sliced RF swiss or gruyere cheese(if you can find it)


In a large pot, sauté the onions with the butter, until soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Add flour, mixing well another 2-3 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaf,  wine and brandy, and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes.


Add the beef stock, salt & pepper to your liking, reduce heat. Cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf and ladle 1.5 cups soup into oven-safe bowls or cups. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Place sliced toasted bread on top of soup and top bread with cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is golden.

Fall Cheese Board

It's been perfect weather lately to stay inside, light a fire, pour some vino, and enjoy something like this.....

Crock Pot Habits

After a good ten years of being advised to utilize a crock pot, I have finally paid heed.  Last night we had sausage and pepper pasta and tortilla soup is on the menu tonight.  I am obsessed with this thing.  So my question is...do you leave your crock pot unattended?  All day?  Usually I'm home but I left it for a while today without really worrying about it.  However, some people do (and, admittedly, that is one of the reasons I never used it in the past).  They say it uses as much electricity as a lightbulb, but I don't put a gallon of liquid in my lamps...

October Birchbox

We're back with another Birchbox review.

This month our box included: a new mascara (really great, although a little odd coming off), an organic facial scrub (great for your travel bag), a Redken shine spray, all natural lip exfoliator, and some fun mints.   I am loving the fact that a lot of the items we've received are great for travel -- things we would buy anyway for our weekends away!

What did you think of your Birchbox shipment this month?

The Red Cups

Living in a college town, I had to share this article.  Solo cups are a college staple, in so many ways. 

I actually once heard of a foreign exchange student who was asked "What are you most looking forward to experiencing during your time in America?" 
She replied, "Going to a party with the red cups!"