Tribeza mag asked my hubby and me to spill details on our perfect evening together for a “Date Night” feature in this month’s Romance Issue. And I must say, this was one of the most fun shoots I’ve been part of. Of course, our perfect night means sipping wine and grilling homemade pizzas together on the back patio, so for the shoot, we rolled out dough, chopped up toppings and got in a cherry tomato fight. Photographer Chad Wadsworth did such an amazing job capturing our personalities and the fun we always have together…so much so, that we ended up covered in flour by the end of the shoot. Hop on over to read the entire interview (don’t miss my husband’s “words of wisdom” at the bottom…really?!) And keep reading, ’cause I’m sharing a few of my favorite outtakes here!  more +

See that girl, chowing down on macarons? Look familiar? I think it’s officially the first time I’ve ever been illustrated, and I couldn’t be more in love with Katie Rodgers’ handiwork. The Blogger Side-by-Side feature is always one of my faves in Rue Magazine, so I was thrilled when the Rue gals asked me and Meg (one of my college besties and author of Mimi+Meg) if we’d be up for spilling our secrets in the January issue. Hop on over to check out the entire fab issue…and flip to page 26 for our fun little interview!

I know we’re on an all-white kick, but I thought it would be almost impossible to look forward to the new year without looking back on some of the wildly colorful parties we saw in 2011. From a spectacular Halloween cabaret to Grace Coddington’s birthday, we nearly died flipping through Vogue’s photo’s chronicling the best fêtes of the year (I mean, have you ever seen anything more fabulous than this shot by Mimi Ritzen Crawford?) The gatherings were star-studded, to say the least, and while I’m absolutely baffled at where my invitations must have disappeared to, I’m having a ball seeing the fun through the lenses of these amazing photogs. Follow the jump for a few of my favorite snapshots, and be sure to hope on over to Vogue for the full gallery. more +

Now that most of the people on my list have received this year’s Christmas cards, I can finally show them to you guys. These fun mostly-black & white cards from Minted were just what A & I were looking for: playful and modern with a surprise element. Printed on super heavy card stock, the designers added a red back so I could use my fave silver sharpie for inscribing personal messages. Keep reading for more images, and I’d love to hear: are y’all sending cards this month, or do you send them at a more unconventional time like Thanksgiving or New Years?  more +

Greetings from San Francisco! You guys, I have seriously fallen for this city over the past 2 days. This is the first SF trip where I’ve really had time to soak up the city, and the sunshine-y weather, breathtaking views and creative culture have left me determined to figure out how I can come back here as often as possible. Oh, and the food. SF might be tied with Paris as my new favorite food city on the planet. We’ve somehow squeezed visits to Zuni Café, Nopa, Cotogna and El Paseo into 2 days, and every meal has been practically life-changing. Can’t wait to share lots of photos next week, including snapshots from a super fun blogger party I hosted at Clift Hotel on Thursday night. But for now, I’m off to the farmers’ market. Hope you all have a lovely Saturday, and enjoy a few of my favorite links from the week! xx

Watercolored confetti…wish I had thought of that!

Loving the idea of a pink Christmas…

And my outfit would look a little somethin’ like this.

These festive mittens would make even the coldest days fun (spotted via Bri.)

Could it be…my favorite 1st birthday party ever?

This carnivalesque wedding looks like a total blast.

I shared my favorite gift picks for the hostess with the Ampersand girls.

Christiane & family have the coolest style at home.

Did you catch this gilded holiday buffet…or our sage & silver table?

Completely obsessed with these mini wreath holiday cards. more +

Woohoo, it’s the weekend! How are all of you celebrating this morning? A and I are headed to our favorite bakery to get caught up on a little work over coffee + croissants, then hoping to spend the rest of the day soaking up this sunshine-y fall weather! It’s been a fun but busy week prepping for a Valentine’s craft shoot for HGTV, launching our new site and wrapping up some other projects that have been in the works for a while (such a great feeling!) Hope that you all have a lovely weekend…are all of you planning your Thanksgiving meals yet? xo

Sienna, blush and hot pink gorgeousness.

Sneak peek at the new Sweet Paul.

I want to live in this English countryside wedding.

The prettiest lighters you ever did see, via Bri.

You’re invited…Thanksgiving at my house.

A big happy dose of holiday spirit…on wheels.

Did y’all catch my little interview on West Elm this week?

On my weekend baking list.

Double your chances to win these perfect pillows with giveaways from Erin and Caitlin.

These natural stone platters are officially the prettiest things I’ve ever seen, & I need them all. more +

After spotting this cake, I just might have to hit up the donut shop for a Sunday morning sugar fix. Designed by the baker extraordinaires at Sweet & Sauce Shop, the cake was featured in a retro photo shoot on Style Unveiled, and I can’t imagine a more perfect way to add a touch of whimsy to a wedding or birthday party. Follow the jump for a few more luscious images…just gazing at them is enough to give a gal a serious sugar rush, don’t you think?

more +