Our Four Year Wedding Anniversary

Mr. F proposed in October 2006by putting his grandmother's engagement on our cat, Foosa's collar!

We got married at Shilshole Bay Beach Club in Seattle on August 2nd, 2008 and it was a perfect day, filled with laughter. We still think it was the best party ever.Puget Sound was a perfect background for photos too!This peek-a-boo photo is one of my most favorite wedding photos.

I'm still in love with our favors, little jars of honey with the romantic phrase, "Life is the flower for which love is the honey."

Our vintage Barbie wedding cake toppers hang on our Christmas tree every year! Cupcake Royale remains my favorite cupcake place especially since they suggested and accommodated my sugar bees for the top!

Here are a few more favorite moments captured by Erin Schedler,like my Dad and me before we walked down the aisle, and sweet peek through the wooden fence of our vows!The first kiss photo is great and it also features the amazing flower garland made by my Mom!We had lots of fun at our wedding. Can you tell?Our first dance was to Louis Armstrong's "A Kiss to Build A Dream On".My Dad and I danced to Nat King Cole's Unforgettable.

Mr. F and I left the day after our wedding for Kauai!!

Sunny Times in Chicago

In the last week, it's been in the upper 90s, we watched fireworks from our balcony, and we jumped in Lake Michigan several times!Mr. F had a few days off and went swimming four days in a row. He found that Ohio Street Beach has a lap lane! After a great brunch, we met my cousin, Katy, at the beach on Saturday! 

Today, Katy and I went to BHLDNand looked a lovely white dresses, Cinderella slippers,and then took a cupcake break! We saw doggy cupcakes with tiny little bones on them! I had a delicious Salty Caramel cupcake.We tried on fun hats at Anthropologie!And I had to take pictures in the dressing room!This is my outfit of the day and this is the dress I really want to get when it's on sale!Have a great week!

For the love of a cupcake...

I will run 3 miles! 

 On Sunday afternoon, Mr. F and I ran intervals before indulging in delicious reuben sandwiches and cupcakes at a cute deli down the street. If that wasn't enough exercise already, we ended up walking another 4 miles (roundtrip) to a wine tasting at Lush.

Tonight, we ran from our house to the Sheffield neighbor to go to DMK burger bar. The parmesan and truffle creme fries were worth the 3 miles! They have an amazing menu! 

Check the awesome review and menu pictures on Jeff Eats Chicago blog.

We love running to lunch and/or dinner. We call it "negative calories". What's your favorite summer exercise?

My Weekend Re-cap

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The pressure is starting to accumulate so I spent most of the weekend applying for jobs in Chicago.  I hope I hear back soon, so I can stop stressing so much. 

We also brought cupcakes to a dinner party on Saturday.

There were several roast birds and delicious polenta.

I love playing with Finn too!

Merry Christmas Mix

My family came over for dinner and a few Christmas presents were opened. It was too short, but everyone wanted to get to bed early, I guess! I just had to share our Merry Christmas Mix!! Now back to wrapping a few last minute gifts and getting to sleep before Santa comes!

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We Need a Little Christmas (Glee Cast Version)

Deck the Rooftop (Glee Cast Version)

Last Christmas (Glee Cast Version)

Jingle Bells (Glee Cast Version)

The Most Wonderful Day of the Year (Glee Cast Version)

Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (Arthur Fiedler & Boston Pops Orchestra)

Carol of the Bells (Arthur Fiedler & Boston Pops Orchestra)

Babes in Toyland / March of the Toys (Arthur Fiedler & Boston Pops Orchestra)

The Nutcracker / Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Arthur Fiedler & Boston Pops Orchestra)

The Christmas Song (Michael Bublé, Let It Snow! - EP)

Grown-Up Christmas List Michael Bublé (Michael Bublé, Let It Snow! - EP)  

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Judy Garland)

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Bing Crosby)

I Wish You A Merry Christmas (Bing Crosby)

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Christmas sparkles and sustenance

Mr. F and I are going to a dinner party tonight. I'm so excited! Mr. F made a great bean dish with navy beans, bacon, onion and molasses! 

Ingredients

 

1 quart navy beans

 

8 cups water

 

1/2 lb. salt pork or bacon

 

4 teaspoons salt

 

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

 

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

1/2 cup dark molasses

 

1/2 cup catsup

How to make Dutch Oven Baked Beans

Wash and sort beans.
Soak in water overnight.
Simmer in Dutch Oven about 30 minutes, then skim.
Fry salt pork, or bacon, in skillet until golden brown and nearly done.
Add seasonings and blend.
Then add this mixture to beans.
Cover and simmer about 3 hours.
Tilt cover and continue simmering for 30 minutes to brown top.

Here are a few other things that make me happy on Friday evening, and they all involve sparkles! 

I adore Ivy & Aster wedding dresses and their advertisements!

Photography by Elizabeth Messina

How adorable are these Candy Cane Cupcakes? Find out more about these cupcakes at the Cupcake Blog! There's even a link on how to make these cuties!

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It's one week until Christmas!!

Green-eyed monster Halloween cupcakes and work costumes

Here's a sample of my costume as Boba Fett! I'm the one of the left. There was someone else at work, who had an Italian interpretation of the character. He went as Boba Fettucini! 

Hope you have a wonderful Halloween weekend!

Cupcakes Take The Cake: Green-eyed monster Halloween cupcakes

A new kind of cupcake?!

I saw this post on Cupcakes Take the Cake, "Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked with Sprits, Wine, and Beer by Krystina Castella (who many of you know as the author of Crazy About Cupcakes) and Terry Lee Stone." OMG I want this cupcake. 

 

You can find the recipe for these delicious chocolate devils on the publisher's website! These peachy keen cupcakes look pretty tasty too.