mochi mochi.

Inspired by a thorough perusing of Oh Joy's foodie blog, which I just discovered, I picked up some new items at H&L Asian Supermarket in North Charleston. My favorite? Mikawaya's mochi, a Japanese dessert consisting of ice cream wrapped in a chewy rice dough.

stop drop kaboom.

I bought something from Little Rock-based Roll & Tumble Press for the wedding. I'm not gonna tell you what. But look how cool their stuff is.

formula for a perfect weekend.

This weekend was nothing short of epic. It included but was not limited to:

• An intimate bachelorette party that included sweet gifts, amazing cocktails, and a leisurely dinner at one of the best restaurants in town. 
• Farmers market followed by a few hours at the beach, where I got burnt to a crisp. And I didn't even care, because it's October and I was at the beach.
• A sunset fashion show by the docks, with lots of wine, followed by a mind-blowing art party. And more wine.
• A bike ride around the peninsula that included a car-less King Street, run-ins with friends, a rest on the Battery, a s'mores bar from Baked, and tacos at Santi's. 
• A trip to a local farm with my nephews, where we got to see them dork out over cows and goats and pumpkins.
• Grilled pizza and Mario Kart and friends and family.

P.S. This dude's doing our wedding. There will be a photobooth, but it might be a little more low-key. Apologies.

bacon makes it better.

I'm compiling a list of things to make when the wedding is over and I'm not so worried about getting fat. Top of the list: Crispy Turnovers with apple, bacon, and caramelized onions. Via The Kitchn.

leaf your mark.

 

I love this idea. I wonder if things would get messy?

wonderland wedding.

This has to be one of the most fun weddings I've ever seen — it's so whimsical it's almost surreal. I love how they use giant paper flowers instead of traditional bouquets. So fun! Head over to 100 Layer Cake for the full post.

california here we come.

It's official: We're headed to California for our honeymoon in early November. Into San Francisco, out of L.A. Part of me just wants to head out there without an agenda and explore freely, but the other half knows I'll miss some amazing things if I don't do some planning.

***

And that kind of planning on top of everything else I have to do is turning out to be a really unwelcome stressor. I have to figure out where to stop on our way from SF to LA, where to stay, where to eat, where to shop, etc. And there are many places betwixt the two. I'll be stalking some of my favorite West Coast blogs for insight, like Oh Joy!, CaliVintage, and SFgirlbybay. Suggestions for other blogs and places to go (and skip!) are welcome and appreciated!

xxx

day by day.

I know the year is 3/4 of the way over, but I just wanted to share something that I've enjoyed all year long: these free printable calendars from local designer Cameron Blazer of Cottage Industrialist. Besdies being cute, they have a list of in-season produce and suggestions of things to make. Print some out for your fall!

nice stems.

My wedding to-do list is still insanely long, but today I feel like I got the final piece of the puzzle in place: the flowers. Originally I was going to forgo them altogether, because I couldn't justify spending that much money on something that would die in a few days.

But isn't that the nature of weddings? The food and drinks are consumed, the party shuts down, guests leave town, and all that's left is the memories. And flowers are — or they can be — a big part of setting the tone of the day. 

Luckily for me, Charleston's most popular florist took forever to get back to me, so I started searching around and discovered Stems, run by Anne Bowen. I met with her today, and I've never been more excited about flowers. She's creative, enthusiastic, understanding of my budget concerns, and I trust her completely. I was so excited, I rewarded myself with a cupcake from Sugar.

(If I only had the cajones...)

gville.

Last weekend I went to Greenville with Todd for Euphoria, a wine/music/food festival. Opportunities like this are what I love most about my job. We spent the weekend eating, drinking Firefly, lounging in our luxe hotel, and exploring the surprisingly charming little city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was the perfect slow-paced, romantic weekend.

clean sweep.

I've been feeling the serious urge to purge lately. I don't know if it's because of fall, or something about the wedding, or something else. I've ruthlessly ripped through my closet, reducing my wardrobe by half. Dresses I've never worn but felt too guilty to give away, purses I haven't used in years, T-shirts I've kept for sentimental value. It's scary, because I'm afraid I'll change my mind, but it feels good.

I'm moving on to the house now, to the furniture that we bought in our super-poor post-college phase, particle-board and yard sale stuff that makes me cringe every time I look at it. Gone. Next step is my office, the paperwork and postcards and magazines I've held on to but never even look at. Not even Facebook and Twitter are safe.

Like I said, it's scary. I'm afraid I'll really need something or miss something down the road, or that my life will feel empty. But every time I commit to letting something go, I breathe a little easier.