Does anyone else get a huge rush out of getting a new notebook? When I was a kid, I would wait all summer for the day I’d carefully select my new notebooks for the beginning of the school year. And of course, the first few strokes of your pen on that newly minted page was the most important entry of all. Things haven’t changed much, I still LOVE to buy new notebooks. Since my youth, I have devoured numerous books with doodles and thoughts, words and letters. Lately the coveted Moleskin notebooks have been my medium of choice, but these notebooks by Scout Books are just too fun to not give a try. I love that you can submit your own design to be printed on the soft craft cover! Thanks to the stylish sfgirlbybay for the tip.

I could totally use this hanging herb pot/fruit basket by Salomonsen. via Design Crush

by photographer Phil Poynter

Thanks to those of you who blogged and tweeted about our save the dates. Your kind words are so encouraging the thoughtful!

xo

K

(Special thanks to nole, courtney, priya, and rachel)

I like these shots from Jason Wu’s show last friday. Everything is very soft, pretty and natural and I love the low buns the girls are rocking. images via elle news blog

(photo by the amazing Deb of smitten kitchen)

Was it just me or did Valentine’s Day feel like it spanned the entire week this year? We celebrated over dinner on Friday night to avoid the crowds and by the time the actual day arrived I was so over pink and red, hearts and doilies, chocolates and candies. So Nick and I propped ourselves in front of the TV and spent the evening watching the Olympics. We vegged out on copious amounts of delicious takeout: 1 vat of mac and cheese and a large brownie in the shape of heart (which was all they had, I swear).

It was a gift in itself to have Nick for an entire day, as I’ve been sharing him with this thing called graduate school and all of the demands that go with it. While the dish we ordered was delicious (how can cheese, noddles, and BACON not be enjoyable), I wish I would have gotten my act together to make him this recipe again.

I’ve only made this mac and cheese recipe once, because… well, I’ll let the ingredients do the explaining. This is a once a year type dish. The first time I made this it was for the perfect occasion for something sinfully delicious: a girls night in. We ate the ENTIRE thing straight out of the serving dish! The addition of paprika is my favorite twist on this traditional comfort food, it really makes the cheesy flavor pop.

Martha Stewart’s Creamy Mac-and-Cheese (as written by Smitten Kitchen)
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics

Now, please be warned, this makes a ton-a mac-and-cheese. Not interested in going on an all-mac, all-the-time diet this week, but wishing to try the recipe at last, I halved it and guess what? We still had three dinner’s worth of mac-and-cheese, or a full six servings. Which is, of course, what the recipe said it would make if halved, but I was in denial.

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

I’m over at Clover & Bee talking about the design process (and practices) behind my save the dates, go on over and take a look!

I finally took the plunge! I’ve been looking for a new pair of glasses for months now. My modern Prada rims have served me well since 2004 but they were looking a little weathered and sad. These retro-esque Chanel glasses were after my heart for a good 3 months, but I couldn’t help but feel a little too much like Woody Allen when I tried them on…which just isn’t cute. I found the D&G pair to complement my face a little better. I do wish they had a warmer tortoise shell color, but I really adore them.

Annnd here’s me being a creep in the eyeglasses store earlier today…

I came across this quote yesterday and liked it quite a bit:

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” Einstein

Happy Thursday.

Oh, and I forgot how much Adrian Johnson’s work makes me smile…

This poster made the blogosphere rounds the past two weeks, but I keep coming back to it. It is the simplest concept: a list of iconic artists and their cultural impact (or in some cases, the one thing they are most remembered for). My favorite line: Duchamp owns Everything.

(click link for enlarged view)

Wishing your home had a fireplace? Conmoto has some really elegant designs that would look gorgeous in a modern space. Most models do not require installation that alters the structure of your home, perfect for those of us who rent!

The talented Suzannah at {adventures in dressmaking} was featured on design*sponge today! She created this awesome tutorial of her chevron print rug. It looks easy and affordable, so consider making your own before you run out and buy one… which is typical behavior of yours truly.

If you’re looking to incorporate a chevron pattern on your walls, check out this affordable art project from Jess Constable over at Make Under My Life. I love the gold and white look. I’m sure you could apply these techniques to a number of surfaces!

I’ve always wanted an excuse to buy big art-deco inspired jewelry. And you bet I’ll be using our wedding day as an excuse to rock some vintage bling. Right now this Lulu Frost fall 2010 collection is inspiring my search. I love the reassembled look of these pieces, they look forward without loosing their vintage charm.

via elle news blog

I was super excited this morning when I saw an email from Ellie of Mint, the amazing design blog! This blog was listed as one of her favorite blogs this month! This blog started as a creative outlet, a place to be candid, sometimes silly and always inspired. I’m thrilled to see readership growing and I always appreciate the kind emails and thoughtful comments.

With that being said, we’re updating our name to fit the changing content on the site. There is now a list of daily reads so you can discover (or rediscover) some fabulous blogs. We’ve also added an rss feed button so you can easily subscribe to daily posts. If you’d like to subscribe to Wit + Delight, click on the rss icon in the upper right corner of your browsers web address bar. Or click on this link: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/katearends/DcwI and click “Subscribe Now”.

Have a wonderful Monday.

xo

Before my hard drive crashed a few weeks ago, I spent a slow afternoon looking for new photographers and stylists to add to my library of inspirational images. It took about a month to get that folder back in my clutches and I was happily surprised with how successful the work was!

Enter Shana Faust, whose resume boasts Deputy Style Editor at Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Shana spent five years at MSW creating and styling editorial features on fashion, beauty, crafts and décor. She totally won me over with her use of typographic and patterning elements. Be sure to check out her portfolio, it’s sophisticated, feminine and whimsical.

Gorgeous patterns for fabric and wallpaper by Neisha Crosland

I made this card for our flowers girls a few weeks ago.I thought it turned out pretty cute!

The majority of these went out the middle of this week. We still have a handful more to put together but I couldn’t resist putting them up.

Here are some printing specs for those of you who have shown interest:

QUANTITY PRODUCED
200

This is such a cute idea. Mrs. Lilien is run by the designer Kelly Lilien. She pieces together gorgeous eye candy to create lifestlye themes and then playfully names each. I just love this quote from her blog: ” Mrs. Lilien styling house applauds luxury, swears by playful sophistication, adores visual drama and delights in the good life – because it’s just better!”

I totally agree Mrs. Lilien!

Here are a few of my favorite looks: Mrs. Sailor’s Delight, Mrs. Kitchen and Mrs. Beach Regency

Check out my wedding planning progress this month over at Clover & Bee!

A really cute way to store your jewelry- complete with how-to directions: here.

there is nothing more attractive on a man than a good sense of humor. that and a fitted flannel shirt. i don’t know what it is exactly, it makes me weak at the knees!

nick’s clearly capitalizing on my weaknesses, he picked up a few cozy shirts and one HOT jacket for christmas. they put a big smile on my face.

images via J. Crew

I love this all denim outfit from J.Crew and I especially swoon over those gorgeous leather shoes. There is something so masculine about wearing visibly worn denim. The fit and detail (rolled jeans!) make this rugged outfit a perfect match for relaxing in this rustic vintage interior.

from nasomatto. via the dieline

I love small spaces and this tiny studio apartment from sweden is no exception. I especially love the contrast of the shiny navy kitchen against the white washed woodwork.

via mustard and sage via desire to inspire

My beach cruiser was impounded last summer when I left it over night outside my office. Sad for my sparkly purple Huffy but exciting for me because I get a new bike!

Right now I am really liking these classic beauties from Electra Bicycle Company.

In the words of Rachel Zoe: I die.

These dresses are SO ROMANTIC, I really think you could wear anyone of these as a wedding dress and forget all about that white dress.

Stunning.

via my new favorite wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes