and the changes begin

On my trip back to France, I was able to visit the venue my sister had reserved for her 2010 wedding. No one had seen it yet but the pictures were beautiful and led us to think it would be the perfect setting for a romantic country wedding. Upon our arrival, we immediately met the owner/ wedding coordinator who was cold and short. We asked the questions we had prepared to ask:
"May we sample the menu before the wedding?
Can we move the dance floor to the patio since the ceilings are low and the bride and groom tall?
Are you sure we can fit 180 people out here?" (the venue was actually set up for another wedding reception that evening with 100 guests and it seemed a little tight!)
Unfortunately, it is 'impossible' to taste the menu beforehand. Whaaaa!? And there is 'no way' we can move the dance floor outside:
"En êtes-vous certaine? Vraiment aucune possibilité?" (are you sure? Is this really not possible?)
"Non, non, non. Mais vous verrez, c'est très joli," she answered with cold-pitched speech. (No, no, no. But you'll see, it'll be very pretty).
Wonderful. That IS reassuring.
The last thing I dared to ask was whether we can reserve the entirety of the inn (only 10 guest rooms). Of course, the answer was "non." The excuse: we have regulars, and we cannot turn them away. Um, do your regulars really book a year and a half in advance? And if they really LOVE the place, shouldn't they be able to come a week later? It's not even a holiday weekend!
Disappointed, I couldn't hide the sour taste the visit had left me with when I phoned my sister. We had to find a new venue.
As I write this post, no venue has been selected. Below is my sister's current favorite (as we try to negiotiate an affordable price).

Hotel La Vigne, Ramatuelle, France

So, I have created a new inspiration board to adapt to the colors and setting of 'La Vigne' to give her some decoration ideas and preserve some of the colors she had initially picked for the previous venue. See below!

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Getting closer to color

I have been spending a lot of time making the inspiration boards below for Jelly. She and BIL decided they liked the colors teal, lavender (their living room wall is teal!), and a vintage-natural feel. Here is a new inspiration board I have created to match their ideas:

[images borrowed from theknot.com, marthastewart.com, brides.com, and Béa's La Tartine Gourmande]

What do you think? Do you have any fun ideas to match their color scheme?

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Inspiration time

Newly engaged Jelly has appointed my little sister, Kiwee, and I maids of honor for her big day. In true maid of honor form, I have put together a few inspiration boards with what I know she likes to help her get an idea of what she would want. I tend to find inspiration in the vibrant colors of fresh produce and plants. Which inspiration boards do you like best?

Farm chic with red, white, and green.

Fresh and romantic with teal, peach, and green.

Country and sweet with peach, orange, and white.

Farmer's market and local charm with green, yellow, and coral.

Vintage provence with lavender, mauve, purple, fuchsia, green, and gray/silver.

Fun and quirky with orange, pink, turquoise, green, and yellow.

[images in the collages are borrowed from theknot.com, marthastewart.com, realsimple.com, and thedesignspongeonline.com]

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My Big Sister is Engaged!

So, part of the reason I have been slightly MIA these past few weeks is because I was helping BIL (future brother-in-law) stage his proposal. :o) After many sticks trying to send the wheel off-track (i.e: my sister deciding to stay home the day of the staging... which was planned on the roof of their apartment!), BIL was able to ask for my sister's hand under a tent decorated with multi-colored chinese paper lanterns, and hanging orange and fuchsia orchids. A table was draped with a white tablecloth and adorned with four large vases filled with sunflowers, and a bucket with iced 2000 vintage Dom Perignon. After a call to my sister's boss by MOI the day before, she was 'forced' to go into the office... teehee. Needless to say, BIL did a wonderful job. My sister was so surprised and overwhelmed with emotion. She is so happy and I will take yet another moment to publicly say congratulations.

BIL and jelly.

After she said 'YES', the family (my little sister and her boyfriend were in on the secret) gathered for a dinner that I had prepared. On the menu:

Homemade Ravioli with asparagus-ricotta filling
[image thanks to sonicwalker according to this license]

Tagliatelle with cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and edible wildflowers[image thanks to Pabo76 according to this license]

Jumbo Shrimp and cherry tomatoes skewers drizzled with olive oil and flambéed in whisky

Strawberry-Rhubarb Clafoutis (recipe borrowed from Béa on La Bonne Tartine) [image borrowed from La Bonne Tartine]

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When it's raining...

It's been pouring in New York City. It seems that it has been raining a lot everywhere. Atlanta, Los Angeles, Paris, London... no sun. We're 2 weeks shy from summer and people are still wearing boots, jackets, and scarves. Ah.. miséricorde!

I don't know about you but this weather makes me want to curl up in a hole (or my bed) and stay in there until the sun calls my name. However, since I am of an optimistic nature, I have decided that I am going to set aside my disillusion and disappointment and welcome the rainy days (*ahem*) with some comforting indoor activities. Here are a few ideas to help you make the most of these grueling almost-summer-yet-no-sun-to-be-found days:

#1 Host a board-game night with Cranium Wow. This fun game combines pictionary, charades, and trivia to really get the party going. Another entertaining game that triggers some hefty clowning around is Apples to Apples. I played this word association game on a rained-on camping trip in New Hampshire and I can count that moment as one of the silliest and enjoyable moments in recent years!
Bonus snack to keep everyone fueled with energy: Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips with Tribe 40 Spices Hummus

#2 Curl up and reminisce 1990's TV series night with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, or, what the heck, Dawson's Creek! Make delicious popcorn with this easy DIY recipe:

3 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup corn kernels
1 3-quart covered saucepan

Heat oil in saucepan on medium/high heat. Put a few kernels in pan and cover. When kernels pop, add rest of kernels. Cover and remove from heat and count to 30 seconds. Return pan to heat. When the corn starts to pop, shake pan gently. Once popping noises start to slow down, remove from heat and put in a large bowl.

Seasoning option #1:
1 to 2 tbsp Brown sugar and cinnamon (to taste).
Seasoning #2:
3 tbsp parmesan, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tsp sea salt.
Seasoning #3:
1 lime, squeezed. 1 to 2 tsp chili powder.


#3 Relax an unwind with a hot shower. Stimulate your senses with Yves Rocher Vanilla Body Wash, leaving skin soft, smooth, and fragrant. Then pick up a book you've been meaning to read for a while, or a book you really enjoyed and always wanted to reread. Mine is Seeing me Naked by Liza Palmer.

[image 2 thanks to {-Maria-} according to this license]

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Throwing a popsicle party

With Summer around the bend, rooftop and garden chatter galore, it may be time to host a popsicle party. Light and colorful, popsicles or ice pops are simple to prepare and refreshing to eat on a hot summer afternoon. You can be creative with recipes by blending your favorite fruits, adding chunks, chocolate chips, yogurt, etc. You can either use a store-bought popsicle tray or cups with wooden sticks.

Spice up your event with cute popsicle party favors like popsicle shaped soaps, a popsicle-themed frozen margerita, or wear popsicle earrings (as shown in picture; can be purchased on esty.com)

You can get fun ideas for recipes with POPS!: Icy Treats for Grown-ups by Krystina Castella.

Here is a simple recipe I came up with as I was eating a kiwi.

Kiwi-Raspberry double-decker popsicles

In a blender, purée red raspberries until smooth but still thick. Pour raspberry purée in the popsicle tray until half full. Drop a full raspberry at the bottom of each. Purée kiwis. (use as many as you deem necessary to fill your popsicle tray) Pour them over raspberry purée (1/4), and top with 2-3 small dices of kiwi.
Freeze and serve!

If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you can add mint leaves in preparation.
If you're not a big fan of kiwi, you can add 2 more full raspberries and then top everything with icelandic yogurt.

I personally don't like to add sugar to my popsicles because I love the natural sweet taste of fruit as it is (especially when I'm making these for summer snacks), which is why I just purée and freeze. However, there are some terrific recipes that use fruit coulis for a sweeter and more dessert-like confection. If you're throwing a popsicle party, you can make an assortment of popsicles and creamsicles that include both kinds, and creamy flavors too. If going for the fancier popsicle feast, I especially enjoy the Rhubarb and Raspberry Ice Pops from La Tartine Gourmande blog (pictured in montage on right side). This is a great dessert and is so pretty to serve!

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satisfying my sweet tooth...

Fun to make and delicious to eat!

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