Bring It, 2011!

click on image to enlarge

There are a lot of motivating new year's resolutions, goals and lists floating around out there. Personally, I'm going with the idea of new year mantras. Reminders to live by on a daily basis. Above is my first one for 2011. I plan to post it on my mirror as a morning smack to the brain to remember to think big.

May your 2010 go out on the highest of notes and your 2011 be filled with endless imagination, opportunity and success!

Till next year luvies,
*Mrs E


images via 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10| quote

New Year's Eve Fashion Fix

Did you, like me, fail to find that perfect frock for a rockin' New Year's Eve? Take heart, all is not lost. You can ring in the new year with statement making style.

Simply pull out your best LBD ( or insert t-shirt + skinny jeans, tank + mini, cashmere sweater + wide leg trousers per your personal fashionista preference) and add an outrageous statement necklace. Any of these from Tom Binns will do quite nicely.




Consider your fashion emergency solved and your NYE look practically perfect. I hope you get your new year off to a fabulous start!

I've Got a Crush {The Best of 2010}

Looking through all of my crushes from the last year, it is evident that I fall often and hard for the lovely things out there in the world. As I tried to pick my faves, I was swooning all over again. At least my taste is consistent!

I did manage to pick some of my very favorites ~ and I discovered reoccuring themes!

Best Crushes of 2010

I've got a crush on eye catching spaces,

On strong looks,

On daily inspiration,



On shoes, shoes and more shoes.

And (perhaps most importantly - though it may be a tie with shoes) on moments in life that make you smile!

Here's to discovering a new set of killer crushes in 2011 luvies!

*Mrs. E

Wedding Wednesday {The Best of 2010}

If you've stopped by here, really...anytime, in the last 365 days, you probably caught on to the fact that this was the year I got married. The process is an exciting, crazy, fun, overwhelming and extremely joyous experience. At least I feel lucky enough to have felt all of those emotions upon getting engaged and suddenly finding myself faced with this "momentous occasion."

But as I've said before, these days weddings can really be anything your heart desires. And for the event planner in me - this was pure heaven! I could not have had more fun dreaming up such a special experience with the man I chose to spend the rest of my life with. Not to mention playing with dresses, shoes, decor, food, paper, photography and everything in between!

So when looking back through the reams and reams of inspiration, the post below is probably my favorite moment in the whole process. When it had all come together, we were about to take off and anticipation was at its peak. It's a feeling I hope to hold onto for a very long time.

Best of Wedding Wednesday 2010
It seems a bride's work, or more accurately, a bride's brainstorming is never done. Even while I'm packing my bags for Mexico I'm still thinking of fun little details to incorporate into the big day.

Things like gorgeous hand calligraphed menus (those are my actual menus!), beautiful varieties of flowers (I ended up ordering polar star roses, ranunculus, alstroemeria and black calla lilies), fabulous shoes and gorgeous hair accessories make the day that much more personal.

1) Our wedding dinner menu, calligraphy by primele, 2) flowers by unknown, 3) manolos by elizabeth messina, 4)Mandizzle hair flower, 5) bouquet unknown and  6) sign by Tanja Lippert via erin ever after

As it has all come together, I've realized that although the wedding details are amazingly fun, what we're really planning is a moment of private commitment and collective joy. It's a special time to bring your nearest and dearest closest to you, turn to the person you love most in the entire world and devote your heart and every lasting friendship to him (or her!). It's an occasion to toast and cheer. It's the moment when you choose your family. Oh, and you get to put on a seriously rockin' dress. Does it get any better than that!? 

Well, I'll let you know in a couple of weeks! Thank you to all of my readers for your suggestions, input, advice and support. It means the world. I promise to share all when I return :) 

*E

Wow, it really was quite a ride that we won't soon forget. As an extra special treat for you, my unbelievably patient readers, here is the very first sneak-peak image of our wedding, shot by the adored Jose Villa!

The rest of the wedding will be revealed at a very special wedding blog very soon. You can also check out our engagement photo session with Jose here. The man does amazing things with a camera!

Finally, I want to say a massive thank you to every reader. Your thoughtful comments, emails, advice and  support meant the world. You were such a huge inspiration and often a huge help to me throughout the planning process and it made the whole experience that much more enjoyable.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Now it's time to start planning the 1-year anniversary celebration! ;)

*Mrs. E

Tasty Tuesdays {The Best of 2010}

Since launching Tasty Tuesdays last summer, I've been thrilled by the response from fellow foodies and I've so enjoyed sharing recipes, gorgeous food photos and the random taste treats I find with you.

Good food plays such a significant role in my daily life and I hoped that talking about food on Apartment 34 might inspire others as well.

So when I looked back to pick my favorite tasty post for 2010, I just had to go to where the inspiration all began ~ the experience of eating decadently through our entire European honeymoon. There are so many meals that I still remember vividly - food memories that I hope will last a lifetime.

I hope you've found some good recipes, kitchen ideas and maybe even a bit of style inspiration from this series. I plan to find and share even more deliciousness in 2011!

Best of Tasty Tuesday 2010

I talk about a lot of different things I love here - fashion, style, design, decor, travel...but one passion I've yet to delve into is...food! I am an out and proud foodie and take this love very very seriously.

It's gotten to the point where I just had to share some of my favorite eats with you. So I give you a new Apartment 34 feature ~ Tasty Tuesdays! Since talking about food could easily overtake everything here, I knew I had to limit it to just one day a week (at least to start!). 

To kick it all off, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite honeymoon meals.

I judge most things by the number of good meals I had, so I made a point to make sure we ate very well throughout our honeymoon travels. Whether it was old Amsterdam cheese, apfelkuchen and beers by the city's canals, or lovely lunches of polenta with squid ink sauce paired with an excellent Valpolicella in Venice we made sure to savor each and every morsel.

1) tortellini in Borghetto 2) traditional Dutch seafood in a modern way at Spelt 3) Venetian cicheri 4) beet risotto at Spelt 5) polenta with black ink sauce 6) Dutch breakfast  at Gartine 7) dessert on the Amsterdam canal 8) black ink spaghetti 9) pumpkin tortellini with amaretti

We tried to sample the local speciality of each city we visited. It ranged from fantastic handmade tortellini outside of Verona, to a beautiful beet risotto (in Amsterdam no less and it was divine!). Feel lucky I didn't take pictures of every gelateria we sampled because those posts would dominate Tasty Tuesdays for weeks.

Now back at home, I'm still hankering for those amazing dinners. I highly recommend my italian speaking readers check out La Cucina, a stunning italian cooking magazine. Every recipe makes me drool all over my keyboard.

Sunday-Supers, the Brooklyn-based cooking school on which I have the biggest foodie crush, also recently held an all italian dinner with delicious recipes. You can check it out here.

Bon appetito luvies!

*Mrs. E 

Monday Work Wear {The Best of 2010}

With how quickly this jam-packed year flew by, for the final week fo 2010 I thought I'd look back over the 365+ posts and pick my very favorites. It's interesting to look back and see how perspectives, personal tastes and trends evolve (or stay exactly the same) over the course of 12 months!

Throughout the week I'll be bringing back my top work looks, taste treats, wedding inspiration and crushes. Because when a fresh start presents itself, its wise to remember the old before you start the new.

I hope you enjoy walk down memory lane!

Best of Monday Work Wear 2010
There are definitely some consistencies in my preferred work wardrobe. Menswear, power shoes, a love of Zara, looks that turn heads and makes you feel great at the same time.

But I think the post below, inspired by our honeymoon in Italy, really captures my workwear mantra: make a statement, make a mark, make people stand up and take notice, because really, what's the point of getting up every Monday and going out into the world other than to make your individual impression on it!

spotted on haute design, images by jak & jil

Original post: These looks spotted during men's fashion week in Milan are right up my alley. Giovanna is a classic and those shoes - need I say more?! I think my fashion is going to influenced by Italy for quite some time.

I hope you head into the new year ready to make an indelible mark luvies.

Happy last week of 2010!
*Mrs. E

To You from Apartment 34

via unknown

A very Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Over the River and Through the Woods

Well my dears we are off ~ the presents are wrapped, the car is packed and we're ready to hit the road.

via blue pool road

We'll be making the rounds over the next few days, popping in and out of the homes of our nearest and dearest, hopefully leaving joy in our wake!

I wish you heaps and mounds of holiday cheer my dears. May your days be merry, your nights be bright and your celebrations be oh so joyful and light!

Till next week luvies,

*Mrs. E

I've Got A Crush {On Last-Minute Gift Wrap}

If you have yet to wrap your holiday gifts (or like me, even finish selecting them) then you might appreciate some of these lovely and creative gift wrapping options as much as I did. They make a pair of socks, a necktie or a bottle of wine (what else do you get your dad?!) a bit more bedazzled!

How about going for out-of-the-box boxes?



A recipe box painted with chalkboard paint makes a great reusable container for giving baked goodies. A regular cardboard box covered with adhesive cork shelf liner makes the perfect tackable surface for a sticky note gift tag, while lined paper makes great gift wrap and the perfect backdrop for the recipients name spelled out in alphabet stamps!  

Then there's there's my first love, simply elegant customized wrapping paper and gift tags.



Or you can make your own DIY wine cozies.



And any present will be on top of the heap when it's in a pretty package tied up with glittery strings.



Thanks to card maker Lion in the Sun, Mae Mae Paperie and Grey Likes Weddings for the inspiration.

Now go put on your best Christmas mix and enjoy some happy wrapping!

*Mrs. E

Wedding Wednesday {Holidaze}

I know the holiday season is not the most popular wedding time of the year, but having just attended a December nuptial last weekend, I've got winter weddings on the brain.

Then I spied the new JL Designs Couture Holiday Collection, combined with the recent Christmas-themed fete a gaggle of wedding planning extraordinaires threw in LA -- the perfect palette and styling inspiration that now has me totally on the holiday wedding bandwagon!


images by leo patrone via green wedding shoes and by mr. haack via jl designs

Especially when it involves a Chloe lookalike named Bossy!

Have you been to any particularly fabulous winter weddings? I'd love to see some shots of your faves. Do send them my way!

Properly Suited

I have always been been smitten with a classic menswear look (alla Katherine Hepburn, one of my long-time style icons) and I am particularly a sucker for a good suit. A great suit causes fashion enduced heart palpatation.

The Burberry Pre-fall 2011 collection is most definitely causing my heart to skip a beat right now.


images via vogue.com

I want to wear that tweed suit to Christmas and the black one to my first Monday back to work in the new year.

Santa do you hear me?!

How Do You Hibernate? {Haute Design}

As the holiday draws ever closer, the dear and divine Sarah Klassen of Haute Design was kind enough to take a moment in the midst of the hustle and bustle to participate in my How Do You Hibernate? series. And I'm so in agreement with her answer!

How Do You Hibernate? {Haute Design}
Comfort for me begins with luxurious lounge wear and knit socks from my Grandma... I love curling up on the velvet sofa, with books and magazines, and a cup of cinnamon or green tea and cookies... usually, my laptop is not far, either.

Are you as ready to curl up with a good book (or laptop) as I am?!

Thanks so much for participating Sarah!

01 Matt Bird, Sarah Kaye Represents.
02, 03, Polly Wreford, Sarah Kaye Represents.
04 Jo Tyler, Sarah Kaye Represents.