and the hallowe'en spirit award goes to....

...this house in my neighbourhood. They really went all out in their decor! I'm sure this will be THE house to visit tonight. And how great is this balmy 20 degree weather for trick or treating? I remember some Hallowe'en nights so cold that we had to wear snowsuits under our costumes. Which of course ruined the effect of our costumes altogether!

Happy trick or treating!

boo-tiful!

Happy Hallowe'en! Check out this boo-tiful cake courtesy of Martha Stewart. These have to be some of the non-scariest ghosts I've seen...they are adorable!

I had a little Hallowe'en 'scare' of my own last night. I opened the cupboard doors under the sink to throw something into the green recycling bin and before I could touch it, the cover lifted and out popped a mouse! I let out such a scream that I think I took five years off my poor husband's life. So we are currently living with a mouse...roaming around free...somewhere in my house. And it's really cute...but ewwwwwww!

Pumpkin cupcakes

Happy Halloween! I'm celebrating with these amazing pumpkin cupcakes.



I made them in the mini size, partly because they're easier to share, and partly because I find the ratio of cream cheese frosting to cupcake to be ideal.

Anyone dressing up this year? What costumes did you find?

Also, I know I'm mean with the Friday teasers, but I just can't help it. I'll be back on Monday with a very special (and kind of long!) post.

dexter for decor?!

In a desparate attempt to find a last minute Halloween costume, I stumbled across this blog that had a clever idea to host your own Dexter halloween dinner party! The inspiration for the party decor was inspired by the 'Dexter Dining Room' Amy Lau created for the Metropolitain Home's Showtime House. Apparently Showtime Networks and Metropolitan Home spent $20 million renovating a 19th century Gramercy Park townhouse by using six Showtime original series as inspiration for the decor. They enlisted top designers to transform each room into a modernist masterpiece. Such a crazy but cool concept!! Being a HUGE Dexter fan (and having a not-so-secret crush on the sexy serial killer!) I so wish I could have been involved in that design project!

Check out these pics of Amy Lau's 'Dexter Dining Room'. Its so absolutely, fabulously done I kinda want one of my own! Just not sure how I would explain it to the guests....

Forcing fall

The weather has been up and down here, so I'm trying to tempt fall by whipping up seasonally appropriate recipes.



Applesauce is comforting because it simmers away on the stove without much work and it makes the house smell heavenly.



I decided to make the simplest applesauce possible - apples (unpeeled, because I hate to get rid of the nutrients and fiber in the skin), a little bit of water (approximately 1/4 cup per 4 large apples), and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice for acidity. Cook on low for 25 minutes and then use an immersion blender to make it smooth.



I made such a large batch that it's obvious I'll have to freeze some for later use, which is fine by me.

Au revoir

Off we go... to Paris and Germany/Bavaria. Any last minute travel tips of places that are a "must see".

(images by the talented jen gotch)

Halloween Party

Last night, my parents had another fantastic ghoulish bash and we were able to attend. (yay!) Aren't those different costumes a hoot? V had a hard time (freaked out, actually) about grandpa 'blue man' but she loved everyone else... including the big bad wolf. It was hilarious to see her reaction to things.

Harpy

Thanks to Gentle Pure Space I've fell in love with another Flickr account. If you haven't done so already, go meet Harpy (photographs by Kari). She takes lots and lots of beautiful photographs.

Need a disguise?

It's almost Halloween, after all.

Wouldn't these temporary tattoo mustaches make an awesomely understated costume?

From PishPoshPaperworks on Etsy.

Wheelbarrow Love

Awww... Isn't this cute? via NIBS (from British Cosmopolitan Bride).

Halloween Invitations

Look at these splendid invitations that Caroline made. Aren't they spookily delightful. She even posted a recipe for the fingers.

Jenna Lyons' House Tour

Have you seen J. Crew's creative director Jenna Lyons' house tour in Domino? I am swooning and smiling over pretty much every inch. See the video clip showcasing a wee bit more. I love her advice of never letting your home be "finished", but constantly evolving.

french girl fashion

I have always admired French girls and the way they instinctively know how to dress - the just-thrown-on-yet-really-put-together look. I was happy to find this section on Lucky magazine's website - a glimpse into the street styles of Paris. Such great fashion inspiration here! Since I work from home, there isn't much opportunity to dress up a lot, but maybe - just maybe, these pics will inspire me to change out of my comfy track pants!

who would have thought...

Martha Stewart is famous for her innovative wedding colour combinations - like marigold and pewter {one of our brides chose this stunning combination this year}, fushia and taupe, emerald and aqua. But I was surprised to see this combination - lavendar and red! In addition to being a paper nerd, I am also a bit of a colour nerd, and could stare at colour swatches all day long. But I would never in a million years have paired lavendar and red ...yet they really do look so lovely together. Check out these beautiful photos from Martha's website!

Pencil Tree

A Merry Mishap finds the coolest products, like this pencil tree.



It reminds me of this project by Fernando Brizio.

Classic quiche

You know how I said I always make two pie crusts, even when I only need one?



This is why. Growing up, quiche was one of the ultimate treat meals in our house. Few things beat a flaky crust and a rich, eggy, cheesy filling. Traditionally, my mom makes quiche with swiss cheese and a layer of asparagus. I've branched out and starting tossing in whatever combination of fillings I have on hand.



This time it was thinly sliced, caramelized onions, a scattering of sundried tomatoes, and some fresh basil. I used Pyranno rather than Swiss, for a little more flavor.



Classic quiche (makes 4 - 6 servings)

Place in a 9" pie crust:
Whatever filling you desire
Beat in a medium bowl:
1 cup milk
5 eggs
Add to milk mixture, then pour over filling:
1 small onion, minced (if you don't already have onion in your filling)
1/2 lb shredded cheese
1 tsp salt (adjust if you are using a salty cheese)
1/8 tsp pepper
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.



Go ahead and try to resist a second slice.

part time cat - part 2!

Thanks to my new email buddy Dustin Rabin of Dustin Rabin Photography I've got these sweet shots to add to my treasure chest of prize possessions! He was the event photographer at Virgin Unite Canada's Mad Hatter's Ball and most generously emailed me some of my cheshire cat moments. He caught the crawling in action and somehow made me look like a rock star! Thanks Dustin...I feel special!


Take a moment and check out his website to see more of his awesome work!



Me and Sir Richard Branson (okay fine...so they are his feet!)

Thanks again to Segal Communications for letting me be a rock star cat!