A Farm in Maine

We have the chance to buy the beautiful farm inn where we got married ten years ago this August. We're going to head up for a visit to celebrate and maybe just to fantasize. What do you think?
In the meantime, planning for a bonbon kind of fall with all kinds of very bon things...

tables i wish i were sitting at with you

table from: a sweet wedding that my favorite nadia photographed
(see more on la porte rouge)

table from: emily hansen's kitchen via d*s

table from: a beautiful photoshoot inspired by amelie by nonpareil magazine

all these tables via outstanding in the field

"To be a friend is to step into the stream of another’s life."
-Todd May*

I imagine if we could all get together in real life, which when we are geographically lucky sometimes we do, but if we all could, we could hypothetically sit for a long time and enjoy, immerse.

*From today's NYT on friendship in a time of economics. Very good reading.

a little color

credit where credit is (totally) due for brightening my (very wet humid gray rainy) day:
1. pretty dresses in a row via chloé van paris
2. emily henson's pretty office (via design sponge)
3. an iced heath ceramics tea set
4. simply lovely celebration flags and photo (by simple lovely)

First Harvest on Tiny Farm

uno mas rose and some good looking tomatoes etc.

more little things: two figs, some little cherry tomatoes,
green beans and a yellow cucumberer

seriously dudes, that was one big squarsh

mid-summer heat and tiny insectual assholes eating my nasturtium and biting my nicotania.
YOU WILL NOT GET MY ROSES! I'll get you critters.

man blossoms and the second yellow cucumber all gathered on my favorite plate

For weeks I thought I was destined to eat squash blossoms and herbs I don't know the latin names of all summer. Apparently and according to something I happened to read, squash blossoms for fritter-making are the male flowers. And suddenly the other day, I combed through my tiny farm garden and saw it: The biggest squash in the world (probably), growing out of some female blossom's ass! Squash is the ass of a lady flower!

Disregard that if it sounds unappetizing when I say, we shaved that blossom's ass (aka the SQUASH) thin, doused it with olive oil, a few drops of sherry vinegar and chopped garden mint, seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper, served with thin slices of prosciutto and fig quarters.
Sliced the tomatoes, sprinkled with salt, great olive oil Vanessa just brought us back from Italy, tore some basil on top and served with some justifiably expensive French feta cheese from Whole Foods, which was the only international--read here: not local, dish of the evening. The rest was from Tiny Farm, the new name of my high-yield-for-now garden.

Jennifer el Knox

My best pal and best American poetess Jennifer Knox is guest blogging this week on Best American Poetry's blog. I'm loving all her posts but her post today about people who leave nasty comments on blogs is stellar. Especially the comments.

Cindy's Big Bonbon: A Bridal Headpiece Story

cindy cutie-pie's inspiration and dress

The Piece, modeled so Cindy could take a look

The Story starts with lovely Cindy, my little Hungry Girl Por Vida, a blog pal who has been an incredible bonbon supporter and such a dear friend over time, even though we've never actually met. She wrote last August after getting engaged and asked me to design the headpiece for her nuptials in June '10. She gave me total freedom to do what I wanted, sent her cutie-pie inspirations and this picture of her dress with the only instructions, THE BIGGER THE BETTER.

It's always a little difficult when you can't actually consult in person--she's in Nevada and I'm here in Brooklyn, so we did our best back and forth over the interwebs. Then last October in Paris, I found the most gorgeous vintage flower and thought: Cindy. Perfect.

It took me almost eight months to get it right, Cindy cheering along the way, "BIGGER! BIGGER!" and because I had time to play, I had oodles of fun with it, regarding and then adding flowers and feather wisps and more antique pieces to go with the playful colorful mood and also look bridal and elegant for her big day.

Look on Cindy's blog for more pictures–photos of Cindy's wedding by Courtney Wilson)

But look!~I think it worked! She looked so absolutely prettily perfect and I hope it was just the way she wanted. Love her and so happy for her new happy life with Sean!

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Oh Ambridge! Oh Anne Boleyn! Oh Tamora and Lady Emma Hamilton! Oh beautiful sisters, thank you for coming and then when you left, thank you for coming back again. Thank you for the beauty and thrill you bring to each morning, when I run outside to see if there are more of you (second batch is on it's way). Thank you for multiplying in the sun and in the rain and in the heat. And thanks for smelling so good too. You smell really good. Thank you roses, for being you.

My Niece Sophie Stein

My niece Sophie Stein:
-Rescued a burning house. She saw black smoke coming out of it from the car window and yelled for mom to call 911. She is a good samaritan.

-Decided she LOVED pork ribs on Friday night during a super BBQ meat-fest held by her father, with Uncle Jim the grill-meister at the helm.

-Is never afraid to inquire with the lifeguard what time the tide comes in and save our beach blanket from a mini-tsunami.

-Won two packs of gum from Jim in a rousing game of badminton. She also informed him on the ride to the gum store, that even if they had to buy the gum at the gas station where the choices are somewhat limited, she could easily find two packs she'd enjoy. When she came home she yelled, "WHO WANTS A PIECE OF PIÑA COLADA GUMMMMMM?"

-Sophia Hana Satchmo Stein is considering signing a contract that states she will still let me hug and kiss her even when she turns 21. In return, I promise her a lifetime of grilled meat, piña colada flavored chewing gum and to continue to perform all auntly duties with extra enthusiasm and love.

niece sophie and aunt debbie's guns looking buff here huh?

A Summer Interlude in the East End

Life got sort of unruly for the past few weeks. I got busy with things that didn't feel too summery, but difficult and sad and rough going. And then at the house of one of my sweetest kindest friends, right by the beach

greeted by a beautiful garden

and the ocean a few yards away

life was suddenly really really good, a world away from the week before, the brooklyn before, of missing Jim, missing my dad on our first father's day without him, of too many things going wrong, moms getting sick (and better) and then an invitation I am so so happy I said yes to...thank you.