* This giveaway is now closed *

Readers,

I’m so thrilled to host the first giveaway on Wit + Delight. Because design plays a huge role in what products I live with, and since I rely heavily on my bike for transportation, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to host a giveaway sponsored by PUBLIC. PUBLIC is offering a $100 gift card to a lucky W+D reader, which is good towards all gear and bike purchases!

Quality design is at the epicenter of PUBLIC, which was founded by Design Within Reach founder, Rob Forbes. PUBLIC’s website is full of resources for beginners and bike junkies alike, and I especially loved this peak into their vision and the development of a design-centric product offering.

So! Here’s how the PUBLIC giveaway works:

1. Head over to PUBLIC‘s website to learn more about the San Francisco-based bike and gear company. Imagine yourself riding one of those classic European city bikes pimped out with all the trimmings (hello, wine carrier)! Or image gifting your bike-loving babe with an extra special accessory for their urban steed. There’s something for everyone, I’m telling you.

2. Let us know what products catch your eye by commenting below. A winner will be chosen at random. Commenting will be open until this Friday (October 21st) at 11pm.

I’m so thrilled PUBLIC offered this giveaway to you guys. I’ve included my favorite PUBLIC products in this post, but if it were me spending the $100, I’d put it towards Christmas gifts, or the purchase of this beauty!Good luck! (Oh- and you can follow PUBLIC on Facebook and Twitter, too!)

my picks available here: bike, basket, seat, wine carrier, lock, basket, bell, leather grips

elise from pennyweight was kind enough to ask me to participate in her weekly “wanted this week” column! i had so much fun putting it together. pennyweight is hands-down one of my favorite blogs. elise is probably my most frequent repin on pinterest, too. click here to check it out.

layout by elise from pennyweight

opulent frivolities for fellow gold lovers… cuz i just can’t stay away from the stuff.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

this weekend i made a batch of butternut squash risotto. it was so light, creamy, and full of fall flavors, i thought i’d share my adapted recipe with you. i used martha stewart’s recipe, but swapped the recommended rosemary for sage, and roasted the squash instead of steaming it. i continued to enjoy this recipe by making risotto cakes with the leftovers. just form patties and fry them in lots of butter.

i loved this recipe, however, i think i’ll swap the butternut squash for wild mushrooms, and leeks for the shallots next time for an earthier flavor. what’s your favorite way to enjoy risotto?


Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto, adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves 4-6

1 butternut squash
6 cups Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 shallots, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Cut squash into cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat stock to a simmer. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add oil and shallots; cook for 2 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add wine to rice, and cook, stirring, until wine is nearly absorbed. Stir in a cup of stock; cook at a steady simmer until liquid is nearly absorbed. Continue stirring in stock, a ladleful at a time, until rice is creamy and firm but not hard in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Add chopped sage. Stir in remaining butter, roasted squash and most of the Parmesan. Serve immediately in shallow bowls garnished with the remaining cheese and sage.

click here for a printable recipe card

images via real simple and bon appetit

ah. the serenity that comes with having no obligations for two whole days. my plan is to enjoy the quiet. maybe i’ll indulge in a dogwood latte at the new urban bean location and finally finish this book. i’ve got the ingredients to cook some butternut squash risotto, and the weather is perfect for long runs along the chain of lakes. i love how the cities are buzzing with energy this time of year. we minnesotans know who to make the best of this weather. sweater n’ stew season will soon be knocking on the back door…

enjoy the fleeting fall days, readers. they are the sweetest, no?

image via kathyrn’s pinterest

have you ever put off a hair cut, so long, that one day you decide you can’t take it any longer? I always do this, declaring that i must cut it immediately, if not sooner, at any hair cuttery that will take me. well that day finally came for me and my blog. instead of the complete overhaul this site needs, i made a few adjustments and cleaned things up before that massive project begins.

the most exciting part of the little makeover? a real search feature! i know what you are thinking. probably something like, “welcome to the internet, kate. you’re about a decade late to the party”. however, W&D’s unique layout and my beginner coding skills have made it difficult to bring you any extra bells and whistles, let alone some necessary tools. so, if you’ve been kind enough to visit the site without standard features, thank you. my gift to you is a searchable and freshly scrubbed Wit & Delight. i hope this helps you guys find the goods you need without clicking past pages and pages of content. let me know if you see any bugs… i’m doing my beginner-best to fix the flaws.

* image: ilon kudiene by ellen von unwerth

happy monday, all! nole at oh so beautiful paper did a feature on these invites i created for jon + alecia. head on over to get all the deats!

design and photos by wit + delight

i stumbled across artist caroline wright while browsing pintrest this morning. this painting pretty much grabbed 100% of my attention, which is an impressive feat amongst all that pintrest eye candy!

i’m particularly drawn to her the drip and the line series, but there’s a lot of variety in her body of work. canvas reproductions of this painting and a many others are available for a reasonable $250

via joslyn taylor, via arthound

here’s to my favorite season of sweaters, stews, bonfires, lattes, football, wool socks, and apple orchards.

via glenn o’connell

and speaking of fall, i recently noticed that my birthday this year will be 11.1.11! kinda cool!

… breakfast at tiffany’s is significantly more interesting when you notice it’s subtleties. (Holly is really a call girl?)

… substituting lunch for a gigantic slice of french silk pie is a great idea only in theory. (hello, tummy ache!)

… anthropologie listed wit + delight’s tumblr as one of their “must reads“. (beyond flattered!)

… spending a weekend helping someone organize their new apartment is extremely theraputic. (love your new home, sis!)

… adding tzakik sauce to an egg sandwich lives up to the hype. (life-altering breakfast experience)

hope you all had a wonderful weekend and cheers to the unofficial start to fall!