COUNTRY WEDDING

One of my oldest friends recently got hitched in a sweet lil' one-stoplight town nestled against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Picture scenic roads, quaint antique shops, and country eateries where you can pull off for a glass of iced sweet tea. The actual wedding took place at a friend's family home - a big, beautiful, porched red house built in the late 1800's. It was the perfect venue for a vintage country wedding. The decor was exactly how I pictured it should be - vintage doilies flapping in the breeze, local honey bear keepsakes, and a handmade well-wishes tree. The bride wore a gorgeous vintage wedding gown with a brown velvet sash. asparagus studio took her official wedding photos.

photos: asparagus studios

I (HEART) JAKE RYAN

I'm flying out tomorrow for a friend's wedding. She's not just any friend, I've known her since freshman year high school. The summer before I entered 9th grade my family moved to Florida. I'd say it was just about the worst age to start a new school, especially when everyone else seemed to know one another since grade school. So I considered myself lucky when I met not just one but two best friends. You could say we were the product of the MTV generation in that, we hit puberty about the same time music television launched on air. So like most teenagers of that decade we bonded over Duran Duran, John Hughes films, and boys. To say we were boy crazy would be a huge understatement. The truth is, we lived, breathed, and mooned over boys 24/7. All types of boys, but especially those we considered cool.

And who at that time was cuter or cooler than Jake Ryan (sigh)... okay, possibly lots of other boys but Jake Ryan will always be the boy, the very popular and hot senior everyone of us at some point in our lives pined for but always believed was out of our reach.

My all time favorite coming-of-age movie is Sixteen Candles, starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. I'm not embarrassed to admit I've seen the film a hundred times over. I adored Molly Ringwald, loved everything about her from her on-camera personality, cool taste in music and clothes, to her gorgeous red hair. For a period, I was even convinced we were separated at birth. A ridiculous notion because I'm half-asian and look nothing like her. We were twins in spirit.

Maybe in some ways I never grew up because I still enjoy teen inspired entertainment, whether it's books, films, or television. For me, no one did it better than John Hughes. Nor has anyone made me swoon quite like Jake Ryan.

HALLOWEEN BOO!

This Halloween, Noah wanted to be the Big Bad Wolf, not the one from Red Riding Hood but the wolf that huffed and puffed in The Three Little Pigs, he was very specific. I made him the wolf costume he's wearing - pointy ears, sharp claws, furry tail, and all. It was all a big hit with him, especially the face painting part.

Little pig, little pig, let me come in.

No, no, not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.

Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in.

PETER PETER PUMPKIN EATER

ph: via family kitchen

Pumpkin Pie Pops

Follow this recipe for Lollipop Pies, then swap out the filling for the pumpkin one below. One 9-inch double crust dough makes approximately 18 pies pops. 1 (2 roll) package of pre-made pie crust works perfectly in a pinch. It's easier to cut out the jack-o-lantern faces on half the cut out rounds before assembling the pie pops but you can also using a sharp paring knife afterwards to gingerly cut out the eyes and mouth before baking.

pumpkin filling:

1 14-oz can pure pumpkin

1 12-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

IN A JAM

When you're craving something sweet but there's nothing in the pantry but a jar of jam, fruit preserve, or marmalade, then the following recipe is for you. This Easy Jam Tart is from David Lebovitz.

Easy Jam Tart

9 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg, separated

1/8 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup stone-ground cornmeal or polenta

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 3/4 cups apricot, raspberry or other jam

2 tbsp coarse sugar

1. Beat together butter and sugar until well-combined. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and almond extract.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry ingredients, just until the mixture just comes together.
3. Divide 2/3 of the dough, pat into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes. Take the remaining dough and roll it into a log about 2-inches in diameter, wrap it in plastic, and also chill for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to room temperature slightly. With the heal of your hand, press the dough evenly into the bottom of a buttered 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, or springform pan. If using a tart pan, press the dough up the sides to the rim, but if using a springform pan, press dough about 3/4-inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the dough-lined pan until firm, approximately 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Spread the jam evenly over the dough.
6. Cut the chilled dough log into thin discs with a sharp knife. Arrange them slightly overlapped in concentric circles over the jam to form a top crust. Whisk the remaining egg white from the separated egg, and brush lightly over the top and sprinkle generously with about 2 tablespoons of coarse sugar.
7. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. Let cool before serving.

PAPER AIRPLANES

Just because sometimes we need a little instruction on how to let our imaginations fly...

NOT JUST A PAIR OF JEANS

I've been obsessed with vintage jeans for ages. For me they represent a treasure trove of memories, not just of my own adolescence, but also of the decade, the styles that came out of them, and the subsequent vintage ad campaigns. In the 1980's, designer jeans were the style craze. The once utilitarian clothing instantly evolved into high fashion when famous designers started making their own style of jeans and stamped them with their labels. Sales of jeans skyrocketed and everyone wanted a pair, no matter the price tag.

My own love affair with designer jeans started in 1982 with a girl named Amber and CHIC Jeans. We all remember that one girl in middle school who we all aspired to be, the girl who despite being our age always looked older, more stylish, and infinitely glamorous. The first one to wear makeup, the first to own a pair of designer jeans, and the girl all the boys crushed on. Amber in her CHIC jeans spurred my own interest in fashion. I also remember Gloria Vanderbilt were my mother's first foray into designer jeans. I was obsessed with them and often "borrowed" the jeans, even though they were much too big for me. But my own first pair were Calvin Kleins, and nothing came between me and my Calvin's. Here are a list of the most popular designer jeans of the 1980's.

In 1976 Gloria Vanderbilt launched her own line of designer jeans carrying her name embossed in script on the back pocket, along with her swan logo. Her jeans were more tightly fitted than the other jeans of the that time.

Jordache launched an aggressive ad campaign in 1979 to set their brand apart, starting with a television commercial starring a topless woman in tight Jordache jeans riding a horse through the surf. Even though the ad was rejected by all the major networks, independent New York stations aired it, and the label surged to popularity.

In the late 70's and early 80's Sasson popularized their jeans with an ad campaign that featured the catch phrase, "Oooh, la la, Sasson!"

In 1980 Calvin Klein featured a 15 year old Brook Shields in an ad campaign wearing a pair of his jeans with the strap line, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins."

KEEP AN EYE ON

Every woman has wished for glamorous, perfectly-lined eyes. I always wondered how girls managed to line their lids with one steady stroke of liquid black eyeliner. All my attempts came out sloppy, whether too thick, uneven, or lopsided. I watched with envy as Julianne Moore's character in A Single Man effortlessly created flawless retro cat eyes with a few strokes of her eyeliner brush, and thought, "What style!"

Recently, bored with my usual make-up routine, I started playing with black liquid liner again. I have small, almond-shaped eyes, which means I have to be extra careful when lining my eyes. Otherwise, it smears every time I blink, the curse of barely-there eyelids. These days the process is made much easier by the types of liners available to choose from, as well as the many brand on the market. I prefer pointy felt-tipped liquid liners because you can nail the thickness of your strokes perfectly, just make sure it's a stay-put brand. Others may prefer to work with pencils, or powdered varieties that require brushes.

You are not limited to just one eyeliner look either, so experiment with a few of the following:

Winged - You can either go classic retro or try a modern version of the winged eyeliner. The line should start out thin as possible and grow thicker as it angles out toward the outer corner of your eye. How far your wings extend and whether it ends in a sharp point or a blunt line, is up to you.

Egyptian or double-lined - This is a double-winged look that extends straight beyond the top and bottom lashlines.

Theatrical - This is usually a deviation from the traditional eyeliner designs. Experiment, play, and go crazy. With the right amount of confidence and attitude you can pull off just about anything. Just keep it appropriate for the time and place.