Happy {Haunting} Weekend

Will you be handing out treats or tricks this weekend my dears?


via beauty file

Going incognito? Or perhaps throwing a more sophisticated Halloween fete? Regardless I hope you have a smashing weekend.

Happy Halloween!

Till Monday luvies,
*Mrs. E

I've Got a Crush

By popular demand I had to share my biggest crush these days. I give you....Chloe!



Everyone could use a little cuteness on a Friday morning, right?! She certainly brightens my day, not that I'm biased or anything.

Cheers luvies!

Too Good to Be True

Looking fabulous in heels...



via the sartorialist and {a glamorous little side project}

while riding around on two wheels! Yet, somehow these ladies manage to make it look easy.

I have one more too good to be true moment to share: the realization that this is my 1,000th blog post!

I'm not sure how to properly mark the occasion other than to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who wanders in and out of this little piece of blogland real estate. But a particularly huge thank you to those of you who have actually come back here 1,000 times!

 Here's to the next...well, maybe I'll stop counting now...

*Mrs. E

{Seasonal} Wedding Wednesday

After drooling over a unique briday party last week, I'm continuing to lust after eye catching wedding looks. One of the fabulous perks of a wedding held in a nontraditioanl time of year?



via we love pictures

A stunning nontraditional wedding dress! I love the idea of bringing in a sultry floral layer to tie in the fall foliage.

The Reds Have It

I don't have a Halloween custome prepared for this year...but I'd love to maquarede as a redhead!



images via garnace dore, dress design decor, hanneli, le fashion

It makes abolutely any look pop. And who doesn't want to be a headturner, even if it's just for a day.

Tasty Tuesday {Dressed Up for Halloween}

With Halloween just around the corner, it's no wonder sweets remain on the brain, but I think this year I'd like to add a sophisticated twist to the traditionally kid-centric holiday.



kitchen via delight by design, place setting from kelley l. moore

Why not lift the golden tones from fall foliage and slip them into your kitchen, onto your table and into your Halloween party menu? You can go dressed as the hostess-with-the-mostest and the trick or treaters will love it!

Poires Belle Helene - Spiced Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream by Tartelette

For the poached pears:
6 Forelle pears (or other small-ish pears)
2 tablespoon mulling cider spice mix
juice of one lemon

For the chocolate sauce:
4 oz semisweet best quality chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon honey

For the ice cream:
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
1 cup (200gr) granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean

Prepare the pears:
Place the pears, spice mix, lemon juice and water in tall saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and let them simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pears are just soft (poke with a toothpick to check).
Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and allow to cool on paper towel or baking rack.

Prepare the sauce:
Place the chocolate in a non reactive bowl and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan set over medium high heat, bring the cream and honey to a strong simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes then slowly stir until the mixture comes together.

Prepare the ice cream:
In a large saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, and sugar. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the inside with the tip of a knife. Add that pulp (the seeds) to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let steep as it cools to room temperature. Refrigerate, preferably overnight. Strain if desired.

Process the mixture into your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's intructions.

Monday Workwear {Accessory Edition}

Couldn't resist sharing my latest obsession with all the bag-lovers out there! I bring you the luscious top-handled day bag.




drives van noten via bonnie tsang and sc louis vuitton via le fashion

Totally versatile - you can tuck it under your arm, throw over your shoulder or grab and go. Big enough to carry almost anything, but not too big you can't take it into a crowded space. And endlessly classic. No bells and whistles necessary.

Just like we want our looks and our life to be, right? Can a bag really provide all that? Well, a girl can give it a try!

Monday {Not Quite Ready To} Workwear

After a celebration-filled weekend (I hear you'll be able to see all the revelry here tomorrow), I'm not quite ready to face the work week.

I'd love to take a little of the weekend's energyinto my week an dwhy not do it with my wardrobe selection? I'm loving these saucy options from ThriveLA.






Here's to head-turning hemlines, bright colors, and a fab accessory or two. Let's mix business with fashion-pleasure!

Happy Monday luvies,
*Mrs. E

And the {Shopbop} Winner Is...

I was so thrilled to see everyone get so excited about the Shopbop giveaway. (Trust me I was too!)

What better way to kick off a Friday night then to announce who will get to add a frock this fabulous to their wardrobe?!


via blueproof road

So without further ado, the very lucky winner is.... Mackenzie of Design Darling! Congratulations Mackenzie. I know you're going to get something fabulous and blog all about it, right?!

Thanks again to everyone who entered, tweeted, Facebook-followed and just left nice comments all week long. It's what keeps a blogger going when the world starts gettin' her down.

Luckily, I get to help a certain someone celebrate a fabulous birthday this weekend. That is just the pick me up I need right now.

Till Monday luvies,
*Mrs. E

When Life Has You by the Ankles

Sometimes you just have to grin and bare it.


via bravo claudia

At least that's been the story of my life this week. I'm so sorry to leave you hanging yesterday -  things have been more nutty than usual these days!

Has your week been that way too? I can't imagine I'm the only one. But since there wasn't a new post yesterday I hope you  made some good use of your 30 secs - 1 min  30 secs of free time!

I would highly recommend taking another 30 seconds to  enter the $100 Shopbop giveaway. It's not too late! You have until 9:00 am PST today!

Happy Friday,
*Mrs. E

Wedding {Pretty Party} Wednesday

I know there are endless examples of gorgeous bridal parties out there. If I were to call one the best I'm sure I'd get flooded with a million other wonderful examples, but I will go out on a limb and say this is one of the very best bridal parties I've ever laid eyes on.


photography by jill thomas

I love the mix of silhouettes (I'd wear any one of those dresses any day of the week!), the variety of poppy tones is lovely, the footwear selections are killer and the hairstyles are spot on.

Despite the different look for each girl, they all flow together into a perfectly cohesive buch of lovely ladies!

{Black & White} Tasty Tuesday

I've got my fantasy kitchen pretty well pegged in my head, but when I see such a stunning example of the always-chic black & white checkered floor, I start to backpedal a bit.



 kitchen via flor blog, recipe and food image via cannelle et vanille

It's a kitchen-look so delicious it makes me want to grab a spoon and dig right in. I think I'll stick with some mini chocolate cakes in equally stunning black and white and continue to mull over my kitchen design options for now.

And just remember, despite the absolutely stunning images above, when you're cooking, your food (nor you for that matter!) have to look beautiful to taste good (but a nice presentation can always help your cause a little!)

Recipe: Cherry, Almond and Chocolate Cake


175 grams almond paste
3 eggs
50 grams butter
90 grams bittersweet chocolate
30 grams flour
2 grams baking powder
cherries, pitted and cut into medium dice

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the almond paste with one egg with the paddle attachment. When this becomes a smooth mixture, add the rest of the eggs and switch to the whip attachment. Whip this for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

In the meantime, melt the butter and the chocolate over a double boiler. When the eggs have become thick and make a ribbon, turn the machine to low and add the melted chocolate and butter. Mix until combined.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix. Fold in the pieces of cherry.

Refrigerate the batter for a couple of hours. Pipe into molds (half way up) and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. When the cake has almost set completely, place a whole cherry with its stem on top, let the cake finish baking for another 3 minutes or so.

Monday {9 to 5} Workwear

Ah....another glorious Monday morning. Aren't we all thrilled? If you're at all like me, (bumbling around in your closet at oh-dark-hundred, trying not to wake the rest of the house and get out the door looking remotely put together), sometimes it's just simplier to stick to the basics.

White shirt? Thank you, Theory. The perfect pencil skirt. Yes please Alexander McQueen. Killer classic black pumps? Don't mind if I do Miu Miu.


via net-a-porter

My advice ladies? Keep it sweet and simple. You're going to make a great first impression and good a few good second looks.

Happy Monday!
*Mrs. E

Happy {Fall-Fun} Weekend!

Don't you just love this time of year dearies? The foggy mornings, the softly slanted sunlight, the crunch of fallen leaves...

via nast and hanneli

And the opportunity to wear some luscious leather.Oh SJP - you do no wrong in my book.

I hope you bundle up in your favorite coat and head out and about in the fall fresh air this weekend. It's just so good for the soul!

Don't have a favorite coat these days? Don't fret - enter the Shopbop giveaway and your autumn fashion dreams just might come true!

Till Monday luvies.
*Mrs. E

I'm Loving...

Rockin a sweet and sassy dress with a blazer and  flats!


photo by stockholm street style via dress, design, decor

Of course Olivia Palermo looks fabulous per usual, but her pal is taking a cocktail attire and turning into a great dayware look. Adding it to the must try list!

Wedding Wednesday {Signed, Sealed, Delivered}

Did I tell you guys the story of our wedding invitations? (I promise, promise, promise the big reveal of all the wedding picture details is coming very soon!)

Well, I got very ambitious with our invites - I'm a self-confessed paper addict and just couldn't resist the temptation to go all out, with letterpress,  with envelopes within envelopes, with custom stamps, individualized labels and envelop liners. Handmade envelope liners. Done with my hands. For hours. And hours. And hours.



No, those are not my results (oh how I wish they were!). Let me tell ya, my results...may not have been worth all the work! If only I'd known about Mr. Boddington's Studio and the stunning options envelope options they provide! That's where those stunners are from.

And don't even get me started on Mr. Boddington Studio's invitation suites. I've died and gone to graphic design heaven.




spotted via snippet & ink

Are you drooling all over your keyboard yet?

I'm desperate to design another invitation suite. I just need a proper event. A Sunday brunch warrants it, right?! How about happy hour with the girls? Too much? Come on people, when did Evite take over the world?!

Tasty Tuesday Treat {Shopbop $100 Giveaway!}

My dears, I have a special taste treat for you this week! It may be more useful to fill your closet than your stomach though. Do you ever wallow in the fall wardrobe doldrums where you have nothing to wear. Trust me, I can relate.

That's why I'm so excited to offer one lucky reader a $100 Shopbop giftcard!

There are some finger-licking good trends to infuse into your fall wardrobe right now. Boots continue to abound, as do sherling, pattern, coats, and the always classic fall sweater dress.



Or you perhaps you'd prefer something a little spicier from T-bag dresses? I'm still gobbling up the statement necklace trend.



And no one hits these notes more deliciously than Diane Von Furstenburg. Is there anything more satisfying than Diane Von Furstenburg dresses?



all images via shopbop

Here's how you enter:

~ visit Shopbop and leave a comment about what your fantasy DVF splurge would be
~ tweet about this contest for an extra entry
~ follow the blog for an extra entry
~ find Apartment 34 on Facebook for an extra entry!

The lucky winner will be chosen at 9:00 am PST on Friday, October 22. Start making your wishlist and crossing your fingers now!

Monday {Whit-y} Workwear

What do you get when you combine Parsons and FIT training with stints at Kate Spade and Steven Alan? A lovely debut collection from Whitney Pozgay called Whit!




What's not to love about a flirty skirt, sweet stripes and a perfect pop or two of color? But the collection really had me at the gold lamé.

Hope you (your at least your wardrobe) is having fun this Monday dearies.

*Mrs. E

Happy {Finally Here!} Weekend

Phew, that was a close one. I wasn't quite sure I was going to make it through to the end of this week. But at long last, Friday has arrived and I'm ready to fall back into the bliss that is two full fancy free days away.from.it.all.


image via sacramento street

Sure there is plenty of fall shopping to do {did you catch the Shopbop giveaway on the Beauty File -that is just what the fall wardrobe ordered}, new recipes to try, a friend's big 3-0 party to help plan, and home remodels to get started {kitchen-gasm right here} and an endless RSS reader to catch up on.

Or maybe I'll just scrap it all and focus on making the next 48 hours feel like 480!

Till Monday luvies,
*Mrs. E

I've Got a Crush

On inspiration in white,



and bright,




On practically perfect black pants,





On pretty in pink celebrities,



On deeply hued living rooms,



On Lanvin's luscious arm-wear,



On iPhones as pop art,




And on looking fabulous, come rain or shine.


Go out there and work it my dears!