friday's fancies #10.

Happy Friday! After a long week, I was excited to pull together today's Friday's Fancies! I've been thrilled to have other bloggers link up with their own Friday's Fancies over the past few weeks..and I can't wait to see who joins me in dreaming this week :)

With the snow, ice, and general winter ickiness in New England, I'm thinking warmer thoughts and imagining the outfit I'd wear for date night in sunnier locales down South. It may be three months before I could wear an outfit like this here in Rhode Island, but if {cv} and I were somewhere a bit more tropical, this outfit would be perfect for a night out on the town!

{images are screenshots from the websites linked below}

1) During my days working retail in DC, I fell in LOVE with Kenneth Jay Lane. I have also had a bit of an obsession with coral {the color and the marine organism}, so this 22-carat gold-plated coral-inspired necklace immediately had me thinking warm thoughts.

2) Theory ranks as one of my favorite brands, so it was no surprise that this Hilda Woven Stretch Silk Blouse caught my eye. I think it fits a relaxed vibe and even has a touch of that peasant blouse phenomenon spotted in this spring's collections.

3) I first encountered a Mulberry bag in 2005. I've been aching for one ever since...they're classic bags which give off a preppy and put-together vibe. I love the braided handles and the color of this Oversized Alexa leather bag. {I only wish I could put it in my bag rotation!}

4) Fun fact: My first conversation with {cv} included Stuart Weitzman. Weird, I know. In any case, these Exit Crisscross Strap Espadrilles carry that exquisite braiding in the Mulberry bag down to my toes. These Stuarts looked relatively comfortable--and definitely shifted my sights to the spring and summer.

5) I know. I know. It isn't Labor Day yet....but I love the red+black+white vibe and thought these white Vince Denim Ankle Skinny Jeans would complete the look perfectly. And remember this is a dream outfit...so I can't be faulted for fashion faux pas ;)

Want to join in on the fun?! Dream about the outfit you'd love to be wearing tonight! Are you going out with the girls? Or on a date? Or just staying cozy at home? Whatever you're doing, I'm sure you've got your eye on something! Friday's Fancies are the post where you can dream big--since you're looking at the fashion and not the pricetag. How wonderful is that?!

Don't let the graphics intimidate you--feel free to take this Friday's Fancies wherever you like! If you choose to play along, you can use this logo if you wish. 


If you do link up...make sure to add your link below! Don't forget that your Friday's Fancies also earns you an extra entry in my Minted giveaway {which ends on Sunday}--just make sure you add an extra comment so your post counts!

Have a fantastic Friday everyone--for those who link up, thank you so much for taking the time to pull your look together! I hope you'll join me again soon :) xoxo, {av}

my postal love affair.

In Sunday's post, I promised to share more about the evolution of our wedding. This post seemed appropriate because during these weeks last February, I was slaving away on our invitations...which would each eventually hold one of each of these seven different stamps!

photo by {av}

I know what you're thinking...

a) WHAT?!

b) are you crazy?

c) why??

With our long engagement, we didn't begin the discussions around "paper" until early August 2009 for our wedding in April 2010. Thankfully, we chose very capable hands to handle our invites...those of Rhode Island's own, Paper Moss. {And the bonus? The owner and creative genius behind Paper Moss is one of my closest friends here in RI!}

I don't know where in the wedding blog world I first spotted the multiple-stamp envelope. I only knew from the minute I saw it that I. had. to. have. it. From the blogs, I noticed most people chose a color of stamps to pursue. I decided to take a different...and a much more colorful route.

The final products looked a little like this...

photo by {av}

Each stamp represented something different for us as a couple...

Lighthouse stamp = Maine Statehood stamp...{cv} spent his childhood in Maine

George Washington + Flag stamps = with our rich history in DC, along with actually having the wedding there, it was only appropriate to have a few of these included

Indiana stamp = Indiana statehood stamp, aka my home state stamp

Dolley Madison stamp = the former First Lady escaped to the Dumbarton House, where we got married, during the war of 1812

LOVE stamp = no, we don't have a connection to Philly...the artist, Robert Indiana, also hails from my home state

I must admit that the final product made me so happy...it was the first real tangible item {other than our save-the-date} that our guests would receive and I really wanted to set the tone for our big day. I had to glue each stamp on individually, so they wouldn't fall off in the mail...and thus not make it to their recipients. By the numbers, I sent a few more than a 100 invitations...which means I glued more than 700 stamps. OY! Each envelope took a lot of TLC, but in the end, it was absolutely worth it.

One surprise on the wedding day? Our wedding cake! 

I left it in the capable hands of my wonderful planners...little did I know my new stamp obsession would carry through to our key-lime+blueberry cake heaven.

photo from a family friend

A few words of advice...

-make sure you weigh your invitation with EVERYTHING in it, including any sort of ribbon or ties around the invitation suite. You need to know how much postage is needed before you spend $$$ to find the stamps. {Since you'll probably be planning for postage before you receive your suite, ask if your invite designer can create a mock set for you.}

-it takes time {and a considerable amount of it} to track down the stamps...so start planning what stamps you might want. I found a lot more success in finding the stamp sheets I wanted after I identified the "scott" number. Once I had that, it made eBay much less daunting.

-make sure to find mint, uncancelled stamps...if they're cancelled, they're no good.

Despite the endless hours spent scouring eBay for these stamp sheets and then having to bid for them during dinners out with friends, I wouldn't change a thing. I loved having glue caked on my fingers for weeks. I just wish I could have received my own in the mail ;) 

I'm sure I don't need to remind you that tomorrow is Friday. And what does Friday bring? Friday's Fancies! YAY!  I made a new logo for you to use if you like... and I also made one in a blog button size, available over in my sidebar.

Consider Friday's Fancies to be the shopping spree like the one on this week's Bachelor. Dream big. Your goal? Pull together the outfit you'd love to be wearing during your Friday night activities--and don't worry about the pricetag! It's therapeutic {and fun!} to admire fashion without thinking about your wallet for once! {If you want to see a few other examples, click here.}

Get excited :) It's a chance to dream of being a Parisian fashionista--and to find a few new blogs to explore on your Friday afternoon! The best part? If you do a Friday's Fancies post, you get an extra entry in my Minted.com giveaway which ends this Sunday! {Make sure to add a comment to the giveaway page to make it count!}  I'll have the link-up ready to go shortly after midnight on Friday! 

If you're still reading at this point, thank you ;) I hope you all have a fantastic Friday--and liked my little postal love affair today. As always, I'm an open book...so if you have questions, feel free to comment or email me! xoxo {av}

P.S. I made a new blog button too...inspired slightly by my love of stamps. Check 'er out...

real swiss goodness.

My maid of honor, {ch}, makes her home in NYC these days, but she spent most of her childhood in the outskirts of Boston. When she told me she was headed to Boston to clean out her childhood bedroom last weekend, I jumped at the chance to see her. {cv} and I live just under an hour outside of the city--so we made the quick trip this past Saturday night to see her!

{ch} invited us to a dinner party at her house and originally promised fondue. {I'm a HUGE fondue fan, so this suited me just fine!} One of my favorite random facts about {ch} is that she was actually born in Switzerland. After we arrived, she informed us that plans had changed slightly...

and instead of fondue, we'd be having Raclette.

Now, it's not the first time I've looked at {ch} dumbfounded when it comes to something food-related. She's much more adventurous than me, but over the past seven years, she has certainly helped me to broaden my food horizons...and we can now add Raclette to that mix.

I flipped back in my mental rolodex and remembered my first introduction to raclette, just over two months ago via Sara in Le Petit Village. When I read her post, I was both immediately intrigued and instantly hungry. Raclette is actually a type of cheese. The act of consuming Raclette is a lot like fondue--in the sense that it involves cheese and togetherness, but instead of dipping, the consumer must "scrape" the cheese. {Yes, scrape...in French, "racler" is the verb "to scrape".}

Essentially, you put a few pieces of Raclette cheese on something which looks a little like a small frying pan...and then put it on the grill {see above}. Once the cheese starts bubbling a bit, you scrape it over small potatoes {or for more adventurous eaters: pickled onions and gherkins}. We also ate some yummy veal bratwursts cooked on the top of that grill {as {ch} shows us in the top right picture}. Paprika and mustard are also available on the table to spice things up.

With our dinner, we enjoyed some Fendant--a traditional Swiss white wine. After we were sufficiently full of all that real Swiss goodness, we then topped off the night with some Kirsch {otherwise known as "cherry water"}. 

{ch} and her parents were so kind to open their home to us and to share one of their favorite Swiss traditions. Our first experience with Raclette made me wish I'd asked for a Raclette grill on our registry last year! {We did get a fondue set, so I guess I can't complain!} Cheese and togetherness are always a perfect recipe to me. 

 What new adventures have you taken lately? 

Or is there anything you'd really like to try?

Let's discuss!

For those of you affected by this winter wallop, be cozy and safe...

for those of you who escaped the wrath, be thankful ;) 

Can't wait to hear what adventures you're taking these days! xoxo {av}

P.S. I'd love to have you join me in sharing your Friday's Fancies this week! It could even get you an extra entry in my Minted giveaway. Here's a new graphic you can use!

the ohio cozy.

Over the last month, the white stuff has reared its beautiful 

{albeit inconvenient} head more times than I choose to count. 

When I woke up to this scene today...

Hipstamatic Print by {av}

I decided to make the most of it--

and make some Cincinnati Chili, a favorite in our wee little loft.

PLEASE NOTE: Vegetarians, you should probably just continue to admire the snow...

Growing up in southern Indiana, I made visits across the border into Ohio a few times a year. I don't remember the first time I tried Cincinnati Chili, I only know I was in love from the beginning...because it came without beans. {Picky eater here--and I loathe beans}

Fast forward to my years in DC: I discovered that Hard Times Cafe carried the Cincinnati goodness I knew and loved. Besides the lack of beans, Cincinnati Chili is heavy on the spices but is typically a little "thinner" than other chili you may have tried in the past. If you're from the Ohio Valley, you also know it tastes phenomenal over any breed of noodles.

Hipstamatic Print by {av}

In the efforts to finish this post before I adventure into the snow, I didn't pull out all the spicy goodness which makes up my Cincinnati Chili. I just pulled out the biggies...and the chocolate, to reign you in...because, yes, there's chocolate in this chili--so who can argue?

Anywho, here's the recipe we use...with the adjustments we normally make:

Ingredients

1 med. white onion - chopped

6 cloves garlic - minced

2.5 lbs. ground beef {we often use ground turkey}

1 can (14oz.) low sodium beef broth

1 can (6oz.) tomato paste

1 can (8oz.) tomato sauce

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon {we typically double this}

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground tumeric

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cardamon

2 bay leaves (Turkish)

2 tsp. ground cumin {we also double this...up to you!}

6 tbsps. chili powder

2 tbsps. Worcestershire

a few shakes of hot pepper flakes**

4 cups water

Salt (to taste)

**{cv} has come to love this chili too. He's a fan of all things HOT and spicy. 

He doctors our pot of chili to his liking and I promptly get my sinuses cleared ;)

Directions

-bring water to a boil

-when just warm, start adding the beef {or turkey}

-crumble with your hands into a fine consistency as you add it to the pot

-bring this "meat soup" to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low

-add everything else to the pot--including the garlic, onions and all of the seasonings {typically I measure everything out in a smaller bowl while the "meat soup" comes to a boil}

-stir and then let simmer for three to four hours on medium low heat

-chili will thicken over the course of those hours...but a little extra time won't hurt it either {we often keep it on for five hours...and if you want a more graphic description of what to expect, click here...eeks!} 

-serve in a bowl or over cooked noodles

-many times, we top our chili with shredded parmesean....which equals HEAVEN on earth

Though I don't share recipes often {mostly because my husband is a better cook--I'm the baker!}, I thought I'd share this one with all of you because I know many of us will be affected by this snow and ice. I will admit that the first time you make this, there is a little bit of buy-in with all the spices. In my opinion, it's worth it. 


Do you have any chili favorites? How else do you stay cozy??

As a sidenote, I cannot thank you enough for your kind words and agreement on yesterday's post. Blogging truly is one of the best blessings I've received in the past few years :)

Stay cozy and safe, everyone! 

Much love, {av}


P.S. If you're homebound today, you could work on perfecting your Friday's Fancies 
to get an extra entry in the Minted giveaway....just a thought ;)