Happy Halloween!

{Image c/o Amy Atlas. See more here.}

Happy Halloween, gals + ghouls! Fingers crossed that some trick-or-treaters actually show up on our doorstep. J has been trying to gently lower my expectations for the last week or so, but I'm holding out hope.

DIY Friday: Dictionary Art

I'm actually juggling quite a few projects myself right now (that will debut in future DIY Friday posts, promise!), so today I'm featuring the project of someone else: Mrs. Limestone of Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone.





As a wordy sort of person, I love her idea for "dictionary art." Definitely a project I will have to tackle in the future! See the full instructions here. And happy Friday!

Alterna-Bedding

Y'all know about my well-documented love affair with this bedding (see more here). Yes, yes, it is beautiful. It is also, unfortunately, VERY expensive. We're talking $129 for a king-sized Classic Bed Skirt, $229 for a king-sized Classic Sheet Set, and $44 for ONE Classic Standard Sham.

Behold:





What can I say? I'm a sucker for that beautiful black embroidery.

But clearly I'm not in a position to be buying a $129 bed skirt. Clearly. And even though Christmas is coming, I really have no desire to ask someone else to buy me a $129 bed skirt.

For someone who is proficient with a sewing machine, embroidering a double row of black thread probably wouldn't be all that difficult. After buying a less-expensive skirt I could take it to a seamstress and pay for him or her to embroider it.

And this tailored cotton bed skirt from Garnet Hill is a nice stand-in for the Rubie Green version, don't you think? It's $68 for a king size with a 14" drop (an 18" drop would be $78). Add $15 for embroidery and I'm still saving $46.



I also like the Signature Hemstitched Percale Sheets from Garnet Hill (highly recommended by the dearly departed Domino!). If I bought a king-sized pillowcase set ($38), fitted sheet ($60), and flat sheet ($65), plus paid another $15 for embroidery, I would still be saving $51 over the Rubie Green pieces.

So what do you think? Still too expensive, or palatable? And for those of you who have experience with hiring out embroidery: am I budgeting too little? What would be a reasonable price for what I want done?

Dreamy

Yes... this might be my dream dress. It's got polka dots and a bow, just like the dress in my all-time favorite wedding, it's got a sweetheart neckline, and it's got a soft tulle skirt. Love. All photos by Jasmine Star; see more of this wedding here.

P.S. It's the Melissa Sweet "Dora." According to the MS website, it retails between $3,001 and $5,000. Ouch.

Veggie Week

{Image from Everyday Food}

This past week was Veggie Week in the Peach & Pearl household! As promised, the recipes we tried, as well as our ratings.

Monday: Grilled Pita with Greek Salad from Gourmet (found on Epicurious)
3 stars

Tuesday: Grilled Bread and Tomato Salad (we mashed two recipes together, one from Epicurious and one from Everyday Food) with Herbed Bean Salad (found on Epicurious)
4 stars

Wednesday: Grilled Tomato Linguine (from Everyday Food) and Crusty Bread
3 stars

Thursday: Chickpea Pasta with Almonds (from Real Simple), Green Beans with Sweet Onion Vinaigrette (from Epicurious), and Crusty Bread
2 stars

Friday: out

Saturday: Black Bean and Rice Soup (from Rachel Ray) and Crusty Bread
4 stars

Sunday: Black Bean Quesadillas with Salsa
3 stars

Monday: California Grilled Veggie Sandwiches (from All Recipes)
5 stars

As you can see, the Grilled Veggie Sandwiches were the hit of the week! They will definitely be added in to our regular repertoire.

Side note: Can you tell we like bread? Seriously. We buy it loaves at a time, then slice and freeze it in plastic bags so that we always have some on hand. Bread is very important to us.

Overall, I think this goal did exactly what I was hoping it would: we looked up some new recipes, tried them out, and found a few to add to our regular roster. Success!

P.S. Curious about how I'm doing with my 101 in 1001? Check out my progress here -- I update the list regularly, and I've got less than a year left!

*We rate on the Netflix scale, which is as follows:
One star: Hated it
Two stars: Didn't like it
Three stars: Liked it
Four stars: Really liked it
Five stars: Loved it

Also, we don't believe in rating inflation.

Balsa wood bouquet

{Photo c/o Gia Canali}

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy. This might be the coolest bouquet I have EVER seen in my life. Srsly. It's made out of -- wait for it -- balsa wood and coral. Balsa wood and coral! Isn't it beautiful?

See more of this wedding here and check out the florist's site here.

Falling for fall

{via Black*Eiffel}

I want to live here. Seriously. Amazing. It might just be that it's fall, and it might just be that I miss New England... but then again this just might be my dream house. Don't you just want to curl up in that quilted nook?

See more at the New York Times here.

Wedding weekend brunch: the recipes

Our menu was as follows:

Chocolate raspberry muffins (Recipe here. These are amazing! Make them tonight if you can.)
Banana bread (Recipe here via That Wife.)
Sharp cheddar + Triscuits
Deviled eggs (I put lots of brown spicy mustard in them.)
Crudite
Sausage stars (Recipe below. Kind of a weird name but they are delicious!)
Red grapes
Cream cheese sugar cookies (Recipe here via inchmark.)
Raspberry lemonade with fresh mint
Orange juice

Sausage stars
1 pound cooked crumbled sausage
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack
2 ounces chopped black olives
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup ranch dressing
wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 350 F. Squeeze sausage dry. Combine sausage with all ingredients except wonton wrappers. Grease muffin tins. Place wrappers in tins; bake for 4 minutes. Remove from tins and fill. Bake on cookie sheet 4-6 minutes or until bubbly.

Wedding weekend brunch

John's and my brunch was just lovely, if I do say so myself. We had about twenty family members from across the country in attendance, piles of food, and some festive decor. The best part, though, was just having so much extended family in one place, especially since we've been missing our friends and family so much since moving down south.

I did, of course, throw in a few special details...





The white square plates are from Walmart ($4 each!), and the white cake stand is from Martha's collection at Macy's.



The descriptive signs were hand-stamped on paint chips.







We decided to buy plain white paper cups but use my collection of old china saucers for plates. I was a little worried because we had just enough plates for everyone to take one (with maybe one extra), but it worked out fine. The pitchers are also from Walmart.



I had grand plans to send everyone home with a sugar cookie packaged in a glassine bag sealed with a handmade sticker. The bags didn't exactly work out, so I ended up just putting the cookies out on the table, but I thought I'd share my hard work on the stickers with y'all, anyway. I designed them in Publisher, printed them, and then ran them through my Xyron.



Recipes coming up next!

Board No. 52: Bond + Baby's Breath

{Click to enlarge!}

Bond. James Bond. Isn't the dinner jacket in the upper left so 007? It served as the inspiration for this classic black and white soiree, made a bit more complex with touches of cream, camel, celery, and blush. The clouds of baby's breath, too, get an updated look in this board.

The Details
First row, left to right: dinner jacket photo by Leigh Miller; crinoline photo by Shyla Photography via Once Wed; cupcake from Martha Stewart Weddings

Second row: classic car photo by Jose Villa; buffet spread by MSW; centerpiece from Martha Stewart Weddings

Third row: baby's breath bouquet and ceremony decor by Leigh Miller; cheese and crackers from Country Living

Fourth row: cake from Brides; chair decor via Classic Bride; heels photo by Leigh Miller

Monday, Monday + Leaf Portrait

{Photo c/o Erin Hearts Court via Style Me Pretty}

Well, I accomplished my weekend plans! What about you?

This week on P&P: an inspiration board, a brunch recap, a few wedding photos, and, among other things, my new favorite house (it's really, really lovely...).

P.S. I may (may) have worked on a Christmas project this weekend. Is that bad? Don't laugh -- I just really, really love the Christmas season. Any other early preparers out there?

P.P.S. It's Veggie Week at Peach & Pearl HQ, per my 101 in 1001. Any delicious recipe suggestions?

City Guides + Weekend Plans

Have you ever checked out Design*Sponge's City Guides? D*S was always one of those blogs that I heard lots of gushing over but was off-putting-ly overwhelming whenever I paid a visit. Recently, though, I've been delighted with the links I've followed (as evidence, see my posts about Grace's upholstered headboard DIY and Joy and Amy's sneak peeks). I still haven't added it to my Reader, but I am happy to share my newest D*S discovery: City Guides!

They've put together a guide of wonderful places to eat, shop, and check out for tons of cities in the U.S. and abroad. The ones that are of the most interest to me, of course, are the Raleigh Guide and the Durham Guide, but just to prove how plentiful the guides are...

...there's a Providence Guide for Miss Wanda, she of the cupcake liner recommendation
...there's a Twin Cities Guide for Sistah Peach
...there's a Boston Guide for Sistah Pearl
...there's a Portland Guide for cousins Molly + Hannah
...there's a Charlotte Guide for Charlotte cousins
...there's a Dallas Guide for my girl Jenna
...there's a D.C. Guide for Meg
...and there's a Paris Guide for my dreams

Courtesy of the Durham Guide, I now have a plan for tomorrow! First I'm going to visit the Durham Farmers' Market (hopefully to find some bittersweet!). Then I'm going to pick up a tasty sweet from Daisy Cakes (They sell cupcakes! Out of an Airstream trailer!). Before heading home I'm going to browse at Southern Portico and The Scrap Exchange, both super-cool-sounding stores right down the street from Daisy Cakes.

Looking for something to do this weekend? See if there's a City Guide near you!

DIY Friday: Painted Furniture

One of my most lovely friends, Jackie (a devoted P&P reader since its inception ahem), sent in these equally lovely photos of her bedroom furniture before + after. Jackie had just started her first year of graduate school and moved into her first post-college apartment and was looking for bright and cheery furnishings for her cozy abode. I'm very proud that she took matters into her own hands and then decided to share the DIY results on Peach & Pearl.

The before (minus a few pieces, but you get the idea):



And the after:











Squee!! I love her color choices, and (side note) I LOVE her blue and white shams! Fantastic job, Miss Jackie!

Moving Announcements

Loving these moving announcements from Blonde Designs (featured on their blog here). You've all seen what J and I sent out, but if I had to do it over again (and had moved to Las Vegas!), I'd happily have mailed something like this.

Sources

{Image c/o Postal Press}

In case you didn't notice, I've recently updated my left sidebar to reflect some of my favorite DIY sources. I've personally ordered from most of them (and those that I haven't have come highly recommended). Perhaps my list will motivate you to try a project this week?

P.S. I've also updated my Favorites (my favorite vendors) and my Loves (the blogs I love the most). They're all worth a look!

My new favorite...

...bread basket. From the Martha Stewart Collection for Macy's. I love how it looks like an antique, but the best part? It's only $6.72! Now that's a steal. Buy it here while you still can!

Board No. 51: Blue and Orange for Catherine

{Click to enlarge!}

This board is for Catherine, who is getting married next fall. She's planning a blue and orange color scheme, and I've been helping her hone in on the exact shades she wants to work with (remember these palette options?). Catherine liked the blues from Palette No. 1 and Palette No. 5, and liked the orange from Palette No. 3. From the images she's sent me so far, the vibe I'm getting is of a modern, classic, clean celebration.

I'm not usually a huge fan of calla lilies, but I think they would work well for Catherine's bouquet and tablescapes. They have such a sculptural form that only a few of them make a lovely statement in a range of tall, thin vases grouped down long tables (with tall taper candles interspersed in between). The dahlias would look handsome as boutonnieres and scattered in between the vases. Catherine specifically said she didn't want to use any pumpkins, cornocopias, or other blatantly "fall" themed decorations, but I think the orangey-yellow pears (maybe one at each place setting as a combined favor and place card?), are a subtle nod to the season.

Lastly, I really like the idea of dressing the maids in a range of blue dresses. Chic looking, and everyone's comfortable with the choice of dress. I hope this board helps in your planning, Catherine!

The Details
First row, left to right: dahlia boutonniere from Martha Stewart Weddings; escort card envelopes from MSW; dahlia and mum centerpiece by Ariella Chezar via Snippet & Ink

Second row: baby's breath wreath by Matthew Robbins Design; patterned ring pillows from Rebecca Thuss; Paloma Cooler from Martha Stewart Living; pears from Cannelle et Vanille

Third row: tablescape from Modern Day Design; blue dress maids photo by Love Life Images via Style Me Pretty; calla lily bouquet

Fourth row: beribboned cake; blue shoe bride photo by Jenny Ebert

Monday, Monday + A Writing Desk

via {this is glamorous}

Happy Monday, friends! I had a marvelous time with my family and at the wedding this weekend, and am a bit sad to be starting another week without the excitement of an impending visit to look forward to. We'll relive them through photos this week, though, okay?

Mulled Cider

My family isn't getting in until 11pm or so tonight, and though I know we'll probably all want to go to bed pretty quickly, I also know we'll likely end up staying awake and chatting for at least a little bit. My plan is to have mulled cider simmering on the stove when we return from the airport, filling the apartment with its amazing fragrance and ready to ladle into mugs. Doesn't that sound delightful and oh-so-fall? Here's the recipe I'm using, from Martha:

Mulled Cider
(Serves 8)

2 quarts apple cider (8 cups)
4 strips lemon zest
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise (optional - we won't be including as we haven't been able to find them)
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves

In a large saucepan, bring cider, lemon zest, and spices to a boil; cover, and remove from heat. Let steep at least 20 minutes (or up to 4 hours). Ladle carefully into mugs, leaving most of the solids behind.

P.S. I might have to make this for someone as a Christmas gift. Too cute!

Brunch Inspirations

{Click to enlarge!}

So sorry I haven't had a chance to share more of our party preparations with you this week -- my only excuse is that I've been too busy preparing to write! As a small consolation, here are a few of the things I've been inspired by - cinnamon sticks, red and white baker's twine, glassine treat bags, burlap linen, tree trunk cake stands, and mini pennant flags. Stick around next week to see how it all came together, complete with photos and lots of recipes!

My new favorite...

...bag. From J. Crew. For $298. Beautiful but sad, isn't it? Pick one up in one of three colors here.

Joy + Amy at home

Joy Thigpen and Amy Osaba are two of the coolest, most genuine people I've had the chance to work with in the wedding industry. Being around them, you just get the sense that they know who they are and that they are totally okay with that. It was a pleasant surprise to see sneak peeks of each of their houses on Design Sponge this week; it was not surprising at all, though, that their respective living environments are as unabashedly unique as their personalities. I loved both of the sneak peeks and wanted to share them with y'all. Make sure you click through to see the full features!





See more of Joy's house here on D*S.







And more of Amy's house here.

If you'd like to see more of Joy's work, click here (she's a creative director + stylist). For more of Amy's, click here (she's a floral and event designer).

Board No. 50: Prizewinning Party

{Click to enlarge!}

Well, it's not exactly a fall-inspired board, but I couldn't resist the pull of vintage horse show ribbons (top left). This board's palette of lettuce green, champagne, rose, pale rust, and goldenrod would be lovely for spring, don't you think? I like the idea of dressing your maids in green and your maid of honor in a coordinating floral, as well. And the hand-painted sign posts and antique metal garden chairs are whimsical, care-free touches.

The Details
First row, left to right: vintage horse show ribbons via {this is glamorous}; hair bow photo by Jenna Carver via Weddingbee; mismatched chairs from Flickr

Second row: cake by K. Rose Cakes on Style Me Pretty; bridesmaid fashion from J. Crew; bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings

Third row: ring pillow by Llubav from Martha Stewart Weddings; floral specimens by Johnny Miller; ceremony programs by Wren Handmade on Once Wed; china from Martha Stewart Weddings

Fourth row: ballet flats from J. Crew; sign posts photo by One Love Photo via Once Wed; tulips photo by Karl Juengel; citrus fruit photo by Lara Ferroni

Monday, Monday + Vintage Fall

{Via The City Sage}

Oh boy, it is going to be a doozy of a week on Peach & Pearl, let me tell you! Seriously! We have recipes, party planning, wedding outfit inspiration, home sneak peeks from two lovely ladies, a DIY home-improvement project, and fall fashion finds. And probably more things that I'm forgetting.

But first, we have an inspiration board. Check back soon for that!

DIY Friday: Brunch invitations!

{Please excuse my poor Photoshopping skills!}







Cousin getting married + extended family traveling to my new hometown = the perfect opportunity for entertaining! We've settled on hosting a brunch for the morning of the wedding, and these are the invitations I sent out. Stay tuned for many more planning details coming up next week in addition to a few last-minute apartment improvement projects (yay!).

DIY Details:

1. Establish the size of your envelope, then layout a design in the style and graphic program of your choice. I used Microsoft Publisher. If you like the look of my type, try selecting the "distribute all lines" alignment option.

2. Print and cut.

3. For extra pizzazz, I added fabric to the back of the invites with the scraps left over from this project. If you'd like to do this, too, lay out two invites at a time on newsprint and spray them with 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Adhesive (DO THIS OUTSIDE!!). Quickly smooth the paper onto the fabric and let the glue dry for a few minutes. Carefully cut around the edges of the invitation.

P.S. If you're a member of my family and think you should be getting an invite after reading this post but haven't received one yet, don't worry! I only sent them out on Wednesday, so rest assured it is in the mail. And I apologize for ruining the surprise. :)