animal, vegetable, miracle

I absolutely adored this book. The story follows the life of the Kingsolver family as they attempt to spend a year growing their own food or procuring it locally from neighboring farms. Thanks to Barbara Kingsolver, I'm daydreaming of sweet summer squash and raising my own Bourbon Red turkeys. Definitely a must read if you're interested in the local food movement. Below, is one of my favorite quotes from the book...

"Here I stand in the consecrated presence of all they have wished for me, and cooked for me. Right here, canning tomatoes with Camille, making egg bread with Lily. Come back, I find myself begging every memory. Come back for a potholder hug."

paris city guide: montmartre

{you can do the cancan dance}

The lovely folks at Schmap were kind enough to include my photo of the Moulin Rouge in their Paris city guide! Be sure to check out the section on Montmartre... it was one of our favorite neighborhoods in Paris.

*You can see more photos from our Paris honeymoon here.

so long summer

{image via the sartorialist}

Today I started my last year of dental hygiene school! The first day of school is always so exciting, but I am definitely going to miss sleeping in, overdosing on daytime television and lazy days spent reading by the pool. So long summer, it's been real.

office space

{images via design sponge}

Now that school is starting up again, it's time to work on organizing my home office. I needed a little inspiration, so I turned to the Design Sponge Best of Offices series for ideas on how to perk up my workspace. I'm a sucker for beautiful bulletin boards and a freshly sharpened pencil.

*For tips on how to whip your workspace into shape, check this out.

pizzeria bianco

{pizzeria bianco}

{bar bianco}

{playing the waiting game}

{we're in!}

{enjoying a glass of vino}

{the wiseguy}

{margherita goodness}

After Pizzeria Bianco was voted "The Best Pizza in America" by Oprah viewers I knew I had to check it out. The wait time for a table can be up to three hours so when our name was called after only an hour and a half we felt like we won the lottery. Thankfully, they have an adorable little historic house turned wine bar next door for patrons to pass the time in, so it really wasn't all that bad.

Once we were seated inside the tiny restaurant service was fast and friendly. After the long wait we decided to sample as many pizzas as possible. We tried the Margherita, Sonny Boy and Wiseguy pizzas. My favorite was the Sonny Boy, made with fresh mozzarella, salami and salty Gaeta olives.

Final verdict? The pizza was fresh and flavorful and the atmosphere was charming. I highly recommend it, but only if you have an entire evening to dedicate to your dining experience. We will definitely be back... I'm dying to try the pistachio pizza!

eat pray love

I am ridiculously excited to see this movie. It contains all my favorite things... food, travel and Javier Bardem.

*Have you read the book? Check it out before you see the movie, it's amazing.

our mad men premiere party!

{libations}

{martinis for everyone}

{garnish}

{vintage accessories}

{the inspiration}

{we heart mad men}

{with a twist}

{mix it up}

Kiwi and I are Mad Men fanatics {okay, mostly me but Kiwi is pretty hooked too} so when Season 4 kicked off I knew we had to celebrate. We drank martinis and Manhattans and snacked on retro appetizers like pigs in a blanket and port wine cheese balls. Add a little Chubby Checker on the stereo and you've got yourself a party. I think Don Draper would be proud.

*Grandmas are the best source for Mad Men inspiration. Mine was kind enough to lend me the awesome fur stole and vintage pearls. Man, those were the days...

max + margaux

{photos by our labor of love via once wed}

The wedding of Max and Margaux has been oft blogged as of late, but I just couldn't help myself. Yes, the decor was stunning and the bride and groom are supermodel gorgeous... but In-N-Out Burger, Ricky's Fish Tacos and a killer dessert table? Now that's a wedding I would want to attend.

*That dreamy ribbon canopy is not too shabby either.

i heart japanese masking tape

I heart Japanese masking tape. Imagine the crafting possibilities! These little packages from Design Within Reach are so perfect I almost wouldn't want to open them.... almost.

*Bonus: The wooden tape dispenser is on sale!