cute-n-boot

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2011-12-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

wishing you PEACE and LOVE this holiday season.
XOXO cute-n-boot

VIENNAWEEN

2011-11-15T07:21:00.000-08:00

Halloween was spent in Vienna, Maine this year with great friends at Tom and Megs Cabin. The guys and gals got ready all day, working vigorously on the most amazing costumes there ever was.

The fire was ignited and the fun began.
photos courtesy of the ultra talented mrs. ariel ferrel.

apple pickin

2011-10-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

We have a favorite little orchard in East Granby, CT that has the best apples i have ever had! They are crisp and juicy and oh so pretty. It is called Lost Orchards and they have the cutest little old lady who just stays in the kitchen and bakes and bakes all day while her husband peels apples from his rocking chair on the porch.

My ma picked me up an apple peeler and let me barrow her slow cooker so that i could make some apple butter.

Oh how i love me some Apple Butter.

keep on making me smile

2011-09-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

this video is so amazing on so many levels.

Rhubarb compote

2011-08-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Vanilla ice cream with blueberry Jam and Rhubarb compote.Every year i get a boat ton of Rhubarb in my yard, but can only make so many pies! so this year i looked forward to harvesting all the rhubarb and making a compote with it. Its a little on the sour side, just the way i LOVE it. It's best served on icecream and toast.

Rhubarb Compote:

10 stalks of rhubarb peeled and cubed

1/4 C sugar

1/4 sweet juice (i used strawberry lemonade, but Oj works too)

heat on low stirring occasionally until mixture thickens and sticks to your spoon (about 4 hours)
Meanwhile prepare jars for canning by submerging them in boiling water. (caps can stay soaking in hot water until ready to use) Can and store! yum yum yum!!!

new home, new kitty!

2011-08-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

last Thursday we moved into our new home.

and then we got the prettiest kitty in the world!

I'm loving all the extra space, my art & sewing room, my kitchen, even my laundry room. and i especially love little mimisaur!
I made these little moving announcements to send to all our friends and family...

we hope to get some visitors soon!

We have Moved!

2011-08-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we closed on our new home!
I'm in love, and i even got a new kitty!
I will be back monday with lots of pictures! but for now......
let the unpacking begin!

house hunting (and decorating!!!)

2011-06-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Cute.n.boot are excited to announce that they are looking at new homes to make the big MOVE!
we are so excited to start a new chapter in our lives together and think we may have found the perfect setting!
The most exciting part for me is the thought of decorating a blank space and being able to make it everything I've dreamed of come true.
I gathered some decor inspo from some of my favorite blogs. to help get me in the mood.
enjoy

SWOON!

Bruins Parade!

2011-06-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we braved the crazy fans and attended the Bruins Stanley Cup Champions parade in Boston. Cute was the Captain of his hockey team in high school, we love going to game (mostly for the nachos but....) we are a total hockey couple!

the city was a sea of Black and Yellow!

there was even little bruins babies!

After the parade we had a nice lunch and hung out by the water front and ate ice cream.
I've never seen the city so crazy but it was super fun to join in on the fun!
GO BRUINS!

big brother gets married!

2011-06-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

introducing MR & MRS TOLVE

my big brother got married to my best friend!
how awesome is that?!?!
we got to walk Gunner down the aisle......he was such a good puppy!

my gramma was very excited! hehe

my father is happy to have an extra daughter!
Welcome to the Fam Kathy!

Mama's strawberry rhubarb pie

2011-06-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

strawberry rhubarb pie means its officially summer.....
let the games begin.

Mama's strawberry rhubarb pie

Filling

a basket of fresh strawberries quartered
5 stalks of rhubarb, peeled and diced
1 cup shugga
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp corn starch

Crust

2 sticks of cold butta
3 1/3 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
ice water to pull it together

directions

In a mixer or bowl combine flour and salt. With the mixing bowl at low speed, cut pea size pieces of butter into the flour mixture until the butter crumbles and is coated in flour. The mixture should be loose and flaky. slowly add in water a little at a time until the dough begins to pull together. kneed into a ball and place in the fridge.
combine the chopped rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Roll out the dough and place in pie dish. Pour in berry mixture and top with remaining pie crust. Pinch the edges , add a steam hole and bake for 45 minutes at 375*

my new obsession

2011-05-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

i have a couple of new obsessions
one is Cupcakes.
i find myself wandering into cupcake shops and bakery's far to often lately. Recently my favorite cupcake shop is Sugarbelle, their bakers put extreme effort into all there flavors and they have the prettiest cupcakes i have ever seen. have you ever seen a cooler frosted cupcake?

a coffee shower

2011-05-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

My best friend Kathy is getting married to my brother this June! I am so excited for the two of them and am so excited to be in my first wedding party! It is a lot of work being a bridesmaid but its also lots of fun, especially when you like to craft as much as i do!
Kathy's shower theme was Coffee because it is something she LOVES! I designed her shower invites and incorporated the artwork into some cute favor bags.
I screen printed all 70 of them by hand!
it took so long but was well worth it, they came out amazing and super crisp.

I made labels and filled up little bags of Chocolate covered espresso beans for each one!

i was up all night from snacking on the leftovers and decided to make cupcakes for the shower too. Dark chocolate cake with espresso bean butter cream. Delicious.

a cake for maisie

2011-02-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

it was my dear friend maisies birthday last weekend and we made her favorite cake for her.
we call it, "white trash" cake. its the most delicious thing Ive ever tasted and it only has 3 ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla(or sub maple syrup)

1 pkg. (9 oz.) FAMOUS Chocolate Wafers

Preparation:

BEAT cream with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in vanilla.

SPREAD 1-1/2 tsp. whipped cream onto each wafer; stack, then stand on edge on platter. Frost with remaining whipped cream.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours. Cut into diagonal slices to serve.

easy.yummy.cake.
i hope i get one for my birthday! 4 more days!

best valentines ever.

2011-02-16T06:52:00.000-08:00

roses-by-the-dozens.truffles.gummy-bears.homemade-pesto.seared salmon.garlic-bread. cheesecake.blue-valentine.popcorn.rasinets.katie.brendon.love.

winter whites.

2011-02-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

its been a mighty long winter, and a mighty long time since i've found a minute to visit. cute.n.boot got hit with tons of snow in January and we've been stuck indoors with gunnar.

But we managed to dig ourselves out and enjoy the snow. We have been going snowshoeing and cross country skiing on our weekends at northwest park. hikes are super fun with cute, racing and pushing each other (lovingly) in the snow, but my favorite part is after the hike when we sip hot chocolate and eat grilled cheeses.

and as much as i'm enjoying this snow.....
please spring come quick!

bake me a cake as fast as you can.

2011-01-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

i baked Brendon a little (huge) carrot cake for his birthday last week , it's his fave and it was the first time i ever made a carrot cake from scratch.
i however, prefer funfetti so i made a bunch of cupcakes too.
xoxo

New Years

2011-01-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

Cute.n.boot had a low key New Years...
HAHA, no not that boring!
we had a little winter bon fire at the house and had some friends and family over for a few drinks. Then we headed into Hartford to watch the midnight fire works and get some great pictures with my new camera.
we had the perfect view of the memorial arch and the fireworks were super spectacular! Afterwords we got a few slices and people watched all the freezing club-goers.

Happy New Year!

a year for change

2011-01-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

It's never too late to start making resolutions. so i'm making my list today.

1. i want to drink more water. i tried this last year by giving up soda and it worked until about the 20th of January. I don't drink a ton of Soda but i do like it as a treat. So maybe instead of giving it up all together i will only drink it as often as i have ice cream, as a dessert when i'm feeling naughty. But more water it is, 8 glasses a day.
2. i want to work out more. another failed attempt last year. my major problem is that i don't have a gym on my way home and cant see spending $50 a month and an extra half hour of driving each day. anyone have any good ideas for winter workouts besides staying in the bedroom with cute (i came up with that one on my own)
3. i want to visit my friends and travel more this year. I have lots of friends that are far away and i haven't seen most of them since my wedding. i want to make an effort to visit and enjoy their company....i never want to lose touch with my friends.
4 (and this is kinda 3 more resolutions all rolled into one.) i want to make moves! i want to buy a new house and expand my art studio and produce massive amounts of work. massive. like I've never done before.

I cant wait to see what 2011 will bring cute.n.boot
this is a year for change.

Wishing Cute

2011-01-03T11:03:00.001-08:00

CUTE!

it's your birthday today!!!

I love you so much and hope you have the best birthday ever!

I'm so lucky to have you as my best friend, adventure companion, and snuggle buddie, thanks for another fantastic year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

a very merry christmas

2010-12-28T12:28:00.001-08:00

Its been a very merry Christmas in Connecticut.

did i ever tell you?

2010-12-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

that i'm a paid model?
no i'm not talking about the silly photo shoots i do with my friends silly!
i'm talking real modeling! (well kinda real)
I got a side job clothing the models at a Jone's NY Fashion Show and showed up not knowing what to really "do". I met a sweet model (they do exist! ) who i was to work with and she started to show me the ropes. It seemed pretty simple, get the clothes ready so when the model comes off the runway her outfit change goes quick and smooth. I was just starting to get the hang of it when i heard the stylist freaking out about one of the models not showing up. I went to grab some scotch tape and when she saw me she pulled me to the side and asked me what size i was. Turns out i was the exact same size as the model that didnt show! even her shoes fit! I was rushed away to get my makeup done and then i did a few nervous walks down the runway and was done!

getting styled. hehe

here i am in the shows finale!
it was so much fun and the best part was i got paid like a real model.
and boy do those girls get paid!

things we like to do

2010-12-21T05:48:00.001-08:00

Me and my bff like to go on monday night movie dates at least once a month. last month we saw Easy A and this month we saw Tangled in 3d! which i highly recommend because its amazing. I also highly recommend going to the movies on a monday because we have been lucky enough to get the movie theater all to ourselves every time. This is a key factor in getting crappy but awesome cell phone movie theater photo shoot.

so grab some raisinets, a large popcorn (extra butter) gummis, pizza and french fries and go see a movie with your bff. but don't forget the two diet cokes.

its beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

last night cute.n.boot got a christmas tree!
with just a little snow on the ground and the stars shining bright it was the perfect night for tree picking! we got the the most perfect tree i think i've ever had. Far different from the charlie Brown christmas trees that my grandfather used to bring home from Maine every year when i was a kid. This year we found a box of ornaments that we have never put up before, and must have been my grandparents, they were so old and cute, especially this one!i put Mr. and Mrs. Claus on the mantel and put gunnars antlers on, he was a little frightened of the tree at first, but her soon got used to it.
we only decorated a little last night and have lots more to do, but now the house feels a little more festive and a lot more like Christmas. Now for the holiday shopping!

Shop Update!

2010-12-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Well the Christmas preppin is over and i have lots of new cards, gifts and supplies to keep your holiday's extra cheery!
Introducing the 5 Days of Christmas Collection!

5 Golden Rings! (onion rings that is!)

4 calling birds (calling from their i-phones)
3 French Hens (Bonjour!)
2 Ninja Turtle Dovesand a partridge in a pair of Dungarees!!!
on sale now in my etsy shop

A Letter to Santa Kit!
Pick up this cute little kit with everything your child needs to write a letter to Old St. Nick!
Each kit includes:
Holiday stationary for a handwritten letter
A Wish List to fill in with your holiday wishes
A Classic Pencil
A Pre-Addressed Envelope to Santa Himself
and a Gingerbread Sticker Seal!
Its so cute and the kids will be super excited to send off their wishes to Santa!

And if you want the cutest presents under the tree be sure to get your
cute.n.boot Gift Tags!
Each with an adorable hand drawing,
Each pack has 5 gift tags, a cute little package, a Christmas ornament, a holiday stocking, a pretty pine and a pair of mittens.
For all my Cute.n.boot readers i am offering a 15% discount from now until Christmas!
just write *c.n.b reader* on the note to seller.

christmas preppin

2010-12-01T05:49:00.000-08:00

I have a double craft show packed weekend, which explains me being MIA for the last month or so.
my bad.
But i did plan an awesome craft show of my very own! We have over 20 vendors selling just about everything, pottery, vintage jewelry, clothes, baked goods, original art, stationary, children clothes, leather goods, housewares, accessories, photography and more! All the proceeds raise by vendor fees are being donated to charity which is well........ amazing. we raised $400 for HARC, Inc. It is the first time i have raised money on my own for a cause, and with the added bonus of a fun craft show in Hartford, i feel pretty awesome.
But alas i am feeling pretty un-awesome about my lack of blogging, or documenting all the fun things in my life, I'm sure my husband misses hanging out with me too. I've been so wrapped up in holiday etsy prep, creating lots of new cards and learning to screen print and no camera to document my crafting. but i am hopeful that christmas is coming up and i will be back in the photog world. In the mean time i will just post lots of my new drawings for you to enjoy and pictures i take on my cell phone.

cape cod day

2010-11-09T05:29:00.001-08:00

on one of our honeymoon day on the cape we went to Chatham. The seashore is marvelous, and i have always dreamed of being a lighthouse keeper like in Pete's Dragon. I tried all day to convince cute that it surly is the life for us.

we stopped by a fish market on the way home and saw the cutest little seals who hang out by the fishing boats hoping for a snack.

aren't they the cutest?

another perfect sunshine love day aboard the honey train.

HAPPY FRIDAY and

2010-10-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

WE WISH YOU THE VERY SCARIEST HALLOWEEN!

pumpkin heads

2010-10-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

we are trying our hardest to get into the halloween spirit and so we carved pumpkins this week. we learned three important lessions in pumpkin carving...
1. buy multiple carving knifes, those suckers do really make it easy, but they break just as easy.
2. don't let your Pup get close to your pumpkin insides or you wont have any seeds left to bake. Gunnar quickly snatched up the scoopings from our pumpkins, hes a huge pumpkin fan apparently. (i really hope thats not too bad for dogs)
3. dont put the top back on your pumpkin if you have a large candle in it because it will burn the top of the pumpkin and make it rot quicker. BUT it sure will smell delish!

it's almost Halloween weekend and i still can't figure out what to be. I've never had this problem before! what are you going to be for halloween? have any extra costume ideas for me ?

trick or treats.

2010-10-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

last night cute.n.boot made caramel apples for dessert!

my bff Rachel came by to help, because she's pretty into candy.i ate mine (peanuts and m&m minis) and half of Rachel's (reese's pieces) and had a candy hangover this morning. Hey, it is halloween week right? a little candy never hurt anyone.

halloween help

2010-10-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

we still don't know what to be for halloween.

it will be tough to top last years costumes.have any good ideas for us?
what are you being for halloween?

fall-ing in love

2010-10-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

cute and i just remembered that it is fall! we have been so busy we almost forgot! so this weekend we took time to enjoy the last little reminders of summer...

the last sunflower in my garden...

the last fair of the season...

the last living turkey before thanksgiving.....

(okay that one was a joke! JUST KIDDING!)
but really, this week we are in full fall mode to gear up for halloween this weekend.
bring on the pumpkins, candy apples and kettle corn.
WE ARE READY!

vineyard romance

2010-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

we had the time of our lives when we rhode the honey train to Martha's Vineyard. It was cute's first time on the vineyard so i was excited to show him around the island. and we found the best way to do it, SCOOTER! i held on tight to my freshly baked husband as we explored.

we found all sorts of trails running off into the woods, so we went exploring and found the most beautiful spots on the island, a lovely hidden harbor, a mystical forest trail and countless docks just waiting for us to sit down and dip our feet in the water.

more to come....

honey train whale watch

2010-10-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

cute.n.boot couldn't have imagined a more perfect honeymoon, or as i like to call it, the honey train. For our first official day on the honey train we boarded a honey ferry and went on a sunset whale watch from Province-town. It was the first time cute had ever been on a whale watch, and the only one i was on had no sightings, so i was hoping for some whales to show up. it turned out to be one of the busiest whale days of the season and we saw a ton!the sun began to set as soon as we turned to go home and it was amazingly beautiful and romantic. perfect honey train trip.

one month

2010-10-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

a month ago i got a husband.
i am the luckiest.
i can't believe how fast this month has gone, or that i am still not back into the swing of things. I'm feeling a bit over whelmed but I'm so glad i have someone to help me through and support me every step of the way. I'll be back tomorrow with honeymoon pictures!!!

here comes the sun

2010-10-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

(me and my mama- June of 85)

the sun finally came back today.
it's been gone for weeks.
i love the sun.
HAPPY FRIDAY!

a letter to my life

2010-10-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Life,

your throwing A LOT at me all at once! i know you're trying to be helpful and good and fun, but your really stressing me out....

1. i got a promotion at work, which is awesome, but until work finds a replacement for me I'm doing two jobs at once. and i have no spare time. could you get me a helper?
2. Cute and I are looking to buy a house of our very own. which is also awesome, but we have no time to look because we are both so busy at work. Do you know anyone looking to sell a house?
3. I haven't really seen my husband since we got back from the honey moon, could you give us another honeymoon? i miss him.
4. We are sharing one car. We are good at sharing but really, we need to find one QUICK.
5. I would love to do Mass Market this year as well as plan a Market for the crafters in the Hartford Area. Just slow down time for a while so i have a minute to plan.
6. One of my roomates put my camera through the washer and it's not working anymore. Can it be my very merry un-birthday soon?

I hope you can make my it a little easier on me life, but thanks for all the good times, my health, my great family and my awesome jobs. i know i might complain a lot, but i really am grateful for you.

sincerly,
boot
aka katie woodward

hair & makeup

2010-09-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for my wedding was actually very relaxing. I thought i would be running around prepping things and not have enough time to get properly ready. BUT I WAS WAY WRONG! My family and friends helped so much that by noon i was tucked away from site with all my bridesmaids, sipping mimosas. i had my good friend Amber come early and do all of our hair. My best friend Rachel and sister Emily did my makeup and my steady fingered bridesmaid Ariel painstakingly buttoned my dress, while ma stood by to hold my hair and Kathy guarded the door. Brendon's Ma even put my shoes on for me....i felt like Cinderella.

Then i was left all alone in the room while everyone got ready to walk down the aisle. i talked to myself, i talked to my mom, i talked to my grandmother and grandfather. i asked them to watch over us today and as silly as it sounds, i asked them to make everything perfect for me.
and they came through.

The Ceremony

2010-09-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

Our wedding ceremony was not what you would call "traditional" but we did take part in some traditions. Like for example, cute's parents did go down the aisle first, but they didn't walk, they skipped!

usually the minister and groom wait at the end of the aisle, but since cute's sister was not only a minister, but a bridesmaid too, so we thought it only right for her brother to walk her down the aisle.

followed by the rest of the beautiful bridesmaids and handsome groomsmen....

and it wouldn't be complete without a super cute ring bearer and flower girl!

then it was my turn. My brother shot back after he brought Kathy down the aisle so that he could walk me down as well. Since my brother was like a father to me for most of my life, and in my mind he really is who raised me, i knew at my wedding i would want him to be the one to give me away. But as an adult i have developed a great relationship with my father and i couldn't decide who would be the one to give me away. Lucky for me, i got two guys to walk me down the aisle, insuring that i would arrive there safely.

for the majority of the ceremony i was doing my best not to cry, staring off into the distance or focusing on cute's boutonniere..... but once i looked into his eyes, i couldn't help but let some tears fall, he look marvelous standing their in his little vest! we both wrote our own vows and surprised each other with them. I read mine first in fear that i might be crying too much after cute's to chock out my own. I was right, his vows were beautiful, absolutely perfect.

we then had one of the longest kisses in wedding history....but i will spare you the photos of that! :)

After we were finally done kissing, emily announced that now is the time to take the birdseed OUT OF THE BAG and then toss it at the bride and groom.....and boy did they like the tossing. i will never forget the joy on our guests faces as they showered us in seed.
the whole ceremony was an absolute dream come true in every possible way. The setting was beautiful, the bridal party was gorgeous, the minister was top notch and my husbands vows were incredibly touching. my wedding ceremony was perfect, perfect for us!

dance dance dance

2010-09-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

one of the best parts for me at the wedding was the dance i shared with my father, the dance cute shared with his mother, and our first dance as husband and wife.

we danced to "our song" Queen Bee by Taj Mahal.
its music for our souls.

wedding details!

2010-09-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

I am sure that it will take multiple posts for me to properly convey how magical this day was for me, but here is a start! there were many little details that we worked very hard on and our photographer captured them so well!cute's grandmother gave me some lace doilies for my shower and i used them on my ring pillow

cute sacrificed some of his child hood lego men toys to make cool cuff links for all the guys!
my sister Emily patiently made us approx 1,000 paper cranes and they made the whole event more fun and festive!
remember my birdseed bags? They were a hit! i will never forget the joy on or family's faces while they showered us in seed!
Our beautiful cake and cake topper!

all my circle cutting and mason jar collecting made for some pretty cute seating cards!

my bridesmaid kathy and my brother ollie made some cute directional signs to put all around the event! I'll be back tomorrow with some prep pictures!

our first kiss

2010-09-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the Honeymoon and am now Mrs. cute!
I'll be back all this week with stories from the wedding but for now i must catch up on life.
here is my first photo from the wedding and so far it is my favorite.
our first kiss as husband and wife.

our engagement photos

2010-09-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

last weekend we had an amazing engagement photoshoot with the Ultra Talented Emily Woodward of images by emily

you can check out the rest on her blog here.
and she also makes photo cards! visit her etsy site!

our engagement story

2010-09-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

2 very short years ago, before i started this little blog, the man of my dreams proposed to me in the most romantic way i could have ever imagined. this is our story....

It was our three year annversary so we both took the day off and headed to Rhode Island. When we got there we went to this amazingly whimsical place called The Umbrella Factory. It's basically a hippie compound / botanical garden, but is full of cute shops and beautiful flowers, ponds and even a petting zoo. I hadn't been there since I was little and was so excited to go back, it's a magical place.

After that we went to lunch and then had a beach day in Watch Hill. Watch Hill is the most beautiful beach town I've ever been to. It is filled with mansions, lined with the bluest hydrangeas you've ever seen and the beaches and Harbor are breathtaking.

we brought our bicycles up and after our beach day we went for a ride to look at all the mansions. Cute kept riding off into peoples yards, i didn't know what he was doing , but i thought he was gonna get us in trouble, so i told him to stop trespassing and we rode back to the harbor. Little did i know he was trying to scope out a beautiful spot to make his move. Then he found it, and lead me up the sand dunes to the most beautiful view I've ever seen.

this is it, our dune, where he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. It was the most amazing day, and now 2 years later i am finally fulfilling my promise to him and becoming his wife. and i couldn't be more excited!

oh and on our way home.....
we saw a rainbow.

all because we fell in love

2010-09-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had an amazing engagement photoshoot with Emily Woodward, my soon to be sister and the most talented lady i know! keep checking in on emilys blog to see the pics, they all will be up very soon.
it just got me so excited for the wedding! and with only 10 more days left i'm surprisingly calm. now all that's left to do is get a hair cut, enjoy a spa day and marry this fella of mine. I'll be gone for a couple weeks but i promise to come back with ton of pictures and stories for you.

missing

2010-08-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

photo of my mom in highschool.

sorry i have been so MIA these last couple months. just bare with me for 3 more weeks while i plan the best day of my life!
I'll be sure to have plenty of pictures to show when i get back <3
xoxo
boot.

cut the cake

2010-08-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

i am planning to have pies for my wedding but my aunt insists that i have a little cake too for me and brendon to feed to each other and have to eat on our first anniversary. i think all these cakes are adorable and now im really excited to get a cake!

this ones my favorite, from an UP themed wedding HOW CUTE!

my girls

2010-08-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

only 3 more weeks to go till the wedding and i am getting so excited!
i can't wait to have all my friends and family there with me and especially to spend a day with my 4 best girls! my bridesmaids are not only my best friends but i consider each one my sister, and luckily 2 of them will be my sisters someday soon!

Rachel has been my best friend and twinnie since the 8th grade. Before we met people in school would always ask us if we were sisters and mistake us for each other, and we soon found out why. we've gone through just about everything together and when we are together we are unstoppable.

kathy has been my bestie since high school and amazingly is now my brothers girlfriend! we're eachother's housemate, shopping Buddie, advice giver and art critic. i love her and my brother loves her so now shes in our family.

emily is cute's sister. she's simply amazing and i'm so happy to have a sister like her! she's a talented, funny and super smart lady who's also a photographer, baker and world traveler. Shes always there for me whenever i need her and an amazing friend.

Ariel has been my best friend since college. We met on our first day and lived down the hall from each other. We both hated our roommates (who also happened to be best friends) and so we switched rooms and from that day on we've been inseparable. she makes me laugh like no other.

I can't wait to spend the weekend with these lovely ladies and make some amazing memories together.

beach baby

2010-08-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

we made it out to the beach this weekend and hopefully it will not be our last trip of the summer because we had SO MUCH FUN! we woke up early, early and hit the road. It looked cloudy but we had hope. we grabbed a prime spot in the dunes and took a nappy. when we woke up the sun was out and we needed a cold beer so we went to a patio bar right on the water and drank some coronas. we returned to our beach blanket for another nap and then had a yummy dinner by the shore before heading home. oh how i love my best boy, every day with him just gets better and better. three more weeks and i'll be calling him my husband. can't wait!

we have hartford pride!

2010-08-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

cute.n.boot dressed up in our hartford gear this weekend and showed our city pride!
we love hartford!!!

yay its friday!

2010-08-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

some weekend links for you!!!

home made pop tarts are delicious.

stairways to heaven.

a beautiful story told about a very wise man.

have a fantastic weekend y'all!

step one

2010-08-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

step one complete!
we woke up early yesterday, drove through burger king for french toast sticks and were on our way to Massachusetts to apply for our marriage license. so what if we messed up on the paper work a bunch? i guess we both aren't very good direction followers when we are excited.

lemon pops

2010-08-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

this weekend was gorgeous but super duper hot! so cute n boot just lounged around the house, made fresh lemonade Popsicles and worked on wedding crafts!
(I'll be back with pictures of those soon! )

I may be an ice cream girl but fresh popsicles are better than icecream!
i made these with fresh squeezed lemon juice, agave nectar (a natural and delicious sweetener!) and water. i have some fresh lime pops waiting for me in my freezer. i cant wait to get home!

boating

2010-08-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

cute.n.boot went for a little boat float this weekend. we got it for my bridal shower and since then the boat has been put to great use!

look at the little ducky in the background! he followed us for a while quaking and squawking. hes our friend.

up & down , round & round

2010-08-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm lucky enough to have one of the worlds oldest carousels less than a 5 minute walk from my work. its a nice lunch break and only costs $1.00! If your lucky you'll get a horse with its tongue sticking out.

of coarse i have to stop and get a starbucks iced tea first.
oh summer. how i love you.

I'm on a boat!

2010-08-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

me and my best skimmy went for a girlfriends boat ride this weekend. it was the most beautiful day, we packed a lunch with lots of yummy snacks and enjoyed all the beautiful river had to offer, including, pretty birdies, warm shallow swimming holes and friendly kayakers .

NYC weekend

2010-07-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

the perfect trip to New York involves:waterfront concerts with great friends.
sam summers at the surf bar in brooklyn, complete with a floor covered in sand so you can dig your toes in.
pommes frites with yummy dips.
shopping at crazy vintage punk stores.AMAZEBALLS WEEKEND

for best friends who love modest mouse

2010-07-22T12:54:00.001-07:00

my best friend is sicky and we hope she gets better really soon! i love her so much! please wish her well! and listen to modest mouse because i will be seeing them in brooklyn tomorrow...

i have an extra ticket if anyone wants to meet me in brooklyn!

I'll give you a bloggers discount!

Bachlorette Weekend

2010-07-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

my bridesmaid and bff kathy threw me the bestest bachlorette party in the history of bachlorette parties! after my bridal shower i was swooped up by kathy and rachel and taken down to kathys shore house right near the beach! I was so excited! when we got there i was greeted by more best friends ariel and emma!
we had a super night, drinking yummy drinks, playing with sparklers and sneaking into the beach! when it got late we took a long dark walk ( being very sneaky) to the beach. it was beautiful night, lots of stars and a perfect crescent moon. when we got to the beach we hid our towels in the dunes and stripped down our clothes! i had never been skinny dipping before so i figured what better time than my bachlorette party? It was the most amazing night for it too, the water was super warm and there was a sandbar letting us walk out about 50 feet into the ocean. magical, but sorry no pictures!
The next morning we got up early and went to the beach for a fun filled day!
cute was with us in spirit, we brought a long my favorite picture of him as a little babe. the rest of the day was spent drinking sweet tea, playing on the jungle gym, swimming our hearts out and soaking up the sun.

the best part of the day was having my closest friends by my side and all sharing in my special weekend. I couldn't ask for better friends, mine are tops.
(most images by emily, my awesome new sister)

Bridal Shower Weekend!

2010-07-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

I had the most amazing bridal weekend!
It started Saturday with the most amazing surprise bridal shower ever! complete with lemonade, brunch snacks, pinwheels, red velvet cake, eco-friendly presents, and the most amazing friends and family a girl could ask for.
can you believe my cake topper!?!?! My sister Emily found it on etsy for me here!
I'll let emily tell the rest of the story and tomorrow you will hear all about the bachlorette party!

sister love

2010-07-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

my amazing sister did a post about me today, shes so sweet and made me blush big time.
I'm the luckiest.
I'm so happy its Friday! I had a long week and i'm excited for a fun and relaxing weekend, maybe i'll get to blow some bubbles and hopefully work on my tan.
what are your plans?

night shots

2010-07-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Photos by Nigel Neckles.

i had a relaxing weekend and managed to sneak in a few sparklers and a night by the fire.
These amazing photos were taken by my good friend Nigel, with nothing but sparklers, fire light, and a tremendously long exposure. i wish he had a website that i could direct you to! I will let you know as soon as he gets one up and running, which hopefully is soon, so he can share his talents with the world.

BLT minus the B

2010-07-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

we know that there are tons of restaurants in New York and we're sure that they all are great, but when you find something that works, why try and fix it? so when we happened upon BLT Burger again we decided to take advantage of the two window seats and eat some yummy grub.

BLT Burger is cute.n.boot approved x2

CIRQUE

2010-07-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Cute's work surprised us all with cirque de soleil tickets last night! i was so excited for the show i could barely sit still at work! look at our excited faces!

the plot was beyond adorable, a love story between a chubby little lady bug and a blue mosquito!

my favorite part were these crazy ladies who twirled fruit and vegetables on their feet and juggled it like crazy, they should defiantly be in the world cup! they had magic feet!

the cirque tent is amazingly beautiful in the night sky, and it adds a ton of fun to the Hartford skyline. and cute looks exceptionally handsome in this picture, just sayin'

billy's bakery

2010-07-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

cute.n.boot went on a train trip to New York City this weekend. i love living so close to New York, plus the train is really fun to ride with cute, even when i'm just sleeping on his shoulder. we went in search for Billy's Bakery as i could not wait to have one of their famous cupcakes (they're martha stewarts #1 NYC cupcake) ! check out the adorable delivery bike! I'm in love.

It seems like i never get anything but red velvet..... but its so good!!! how can i choose anything but that red and white combo on fourth of July weekend!
it was perfection in a cupcake.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a fabulous 4th!
i spent mine relaxing with my cute and hitting the beach.

happy anniversary

2010-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

happy anniversary baby. i cant wait to make a new one with you real soon!

Shop Update!

2010-07-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

Added some new gift tags to my shop today

these little Polaroid gift tags are so cute! I use them on all my packages, especially the ones that go out to Camera lovers!

the set comes with 8 tags and is only $5!
go get some here!

Mass Market and an etsy update!

2010-06-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Everyone that came out to visit me at Mass Market on Sunday!

It's such a joy to see all of you walk by and giggle at my silly cards and enjoy my little jokes. And an extra special thanks to my friends and family who came and supported me! you guys rock and made my day!

Rachel and cute were a great help! cute even brought us hard working girls a Pizza, everyone was so jello. we had a lovely day and met some cool folks.

I do have a lot of left overs, since i'm always overly prepared! so i will be adding a few things to my etsy shop this week! hooray horrah, get um while they're hot!
Todays update:
Vintage Stamps!
I love vintage stamps, for scrap booking, art and I even throw them on letters just for decoration. I bagged up some of my favorite vintage stamps into a colorful collection. I'm putting them on sale for $2.50 per bag so get um before they sell out!
GO HERE!

you're invited!

2010-06-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

All the invites are shipped out!

I had so much fun making them, i tried to put as much of CUTE-N-ME in it as i could, and show how much fun it'll be to celebrate our love. The invite itself was two sided with a cartoon I drew of me and cute on the front riding our tandem bicycle.

the back of the invite had all the regular info with a little sweetness added to it

our rsvp was a postcard, we left the front blank and asked our guests to get creative with their responses. It's been so fun getting each response back, with a little picture or a sweet note. I printed them in all different colors so that i can make a banner of them to hang at the wedding.

we also included a little recipe card with each invite and asked that our guests bring a pie for dessert, were hoping that this will become quite the pie extravaganza, i cant wait to dive into all the different sweets! I'll have a recipe box on the table so that i can collect all the yummy pie recipes!

we wrapped them all up and stuffed that envelope full!
I'm getting more excited each day, and now starting to have nightmares too, but i know that it will be perfect, no matter what goes wrong, i'll be marrying my cute.
all is as it should be.

happy friday! and mass market!

2010-06-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

have a super amazing weekend!
get on your summa shades, get to the water, grab an ice cold beverage, and soak up the sun! and if youre in Boston on Sunday come see me at...

I'll be debuting a few new accessories and scrapbooking supplies! and if they don't sell out you can look forward to a shop update monday morning! wish me luck!
xoxo- cute.n.boot

HOORAY!

2010-06-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

HOORAY HOORAY!

we found a caterer for our wedding!!!
i can not tell you how much stress that has relieved! He came in $100 under budget too, yippie! to save on some money we decided to buy our own food for apps and cocktail hour, so we are planning to have a cheese and bread table like these...creamy brie and goat cheeses, crunchy breads, cool grapes, sweet honey and jam, and some homemade hummus made by my favorite sister..... AHHHHH i can't wait!

farmers dinner

2010-06-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

i took a trip to the farmers market this week and picked up all they had so that i could make a famers dinner using everything i got. I even got some fresh local strawberries for dessert that were so sweet and juicy i ate half the pail on the walk home. I used the scallions for a homemade mac&cheese and my bunch of beets was used for the tons of beet greens on top, beet greens are my favorite, they taste like spinach or collards.

i roasted up some radishes (did you know you could roast radishes? they taste just like roasted potatoes, i think better, and they're better for you!) squash and zucchini. I even picked some fresh mint from my garden to put in our lemon water. I think i'll roast up the rest of the beets tonight for a midnight snack. yum yum.

bring your hips

2010-06-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down "When We Swam" music video from What Rabbit on Vimeo.

best summer video ever,

I'm ready to go to the beach, dance and blow bubbles.

fathers day

2010-06-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

(my dad with his truck, circa 1971)
happy fathers day pops.

tgif

2010-06-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

have an amazeballs weekend!
<3 cute.n.boot

kitty.

2010-06-16T10:13:00.003-07:00

i met a little kitty this week.we're best friends now.

Proud BFF

2010-06-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend i celebrated my best skimmy's graduation.
It was a fun day of 4 square, basket ball, paddle boat races, fairy house building and cake!
I couldn't be more happier for her

love, a proud bff!

so so busy!

2010-06-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

i'm super busy working on a big freelance job, so dont miss me!
i'll be back soon!

1 year

2010-06-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

happy first year little bloggidy blog.
love you!

bike for ms

2010-06-11T05:34:00.000-07:00

last weekend me and skimmy volunteered at the MS Bike Challenge.
we had the best job ever, snow cone machine duty!
too bad we only had 1 flavor and couldn't make any rainbow cones like last year

which reminds me that - OH NO! i missed my own blogs birthday. boo. I'll have to plan a great belated birthday party. sorry bloggidy.

lobster belly

2010-06-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

i had a long laborious week doing some home remodeling so Saturday night i treated myself (and my brother and buddie) to LOBSTER! I picked out the biggest ones in the tank! i haven't torn into a lobster in over 10 years! i could barely remember how to start, but i soon figured it out.

Brendon wouldn't eat any so i made him a fake chicken pattie,
and grilled corn and baked potatoes!

we didn't eat the heads! yuk brains!
my wallet was empty but my belly was full and it felt really good to reward myself for all my hard work!

monday music.

2010-06-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

all's fair in love and war.

hands down

2010-06-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

handmade and hand drawn gifts are the hands down way to go. i love everything about the notebooks at mainenest, handbound, hand drawn and they are personalized with original artwork by the super talented Ariel Lowther. check out more of her artwork here.shes my favorite.

dont take this the wrong way.

2010-06-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

but aren't these baby announcements totally awesome???
this ones from Rattle & Roll.
haha I LOVE IT!
and no , i'm not prego.

greenery

2010-06-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

i don't claim to be super earth friendly,
yes, i sometimes forget my cloth grocery bags at home, not all my "products" are chemical free, i even litter sometimes.
but i try, i really do.
i have a garden, i compost my biodegradable trash, i recycle, i buy homemade and use recycled paper for all my printing....
so for our wedding we have tried to plan semi Green.
besides the fact that most of the attendants will have to drive a considerable distance, but we left that up to them, they could certainly hop on a bike or row their way there, right? okay maybe that's pushing it a little but....
all the stationary is 100% recycled
my dress is vintage and second hand
our wedding rings are pre-loved
(brendons wearing his grandfathers and i'm wearing my amma's)
we're using vintage dinner plates
we're using linen napkins
we're using glass cups and beer mugs
and found these super amazing biodegradable plates for dessert!

any more ideas on how i can go green?

friday linkup

2010-05-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Over this long weekend please pray for our friends and everyone in Kingston, Jamaica.

here are some links to keep you busy, ENJOY!

squishing beans is so much fun!

what my insides look like.

why i couldn't drink anything but water this week

Litchtenstien is one of my favorite artists, and this just put me over the edge.

get quilting granny and make me this quilt!

I am the queen of cheese and this is my school.

Hartford made logo the cut!

Mass Market

2010-05-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

I'll be vending again this year at the Mass Market June 27th! come see me and snag some of my new products like Vintage Stamps and papers for scrap booking and collage.

pizza pie

2010-05-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

A vegetarians top go-to meal is always Pizza.

and so when we had nothing to make for dinner last night we decided to head out for the best Pizza in Connecticut, Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana. They keep it real, with just one salad and some traditional toppings they have perfected the pizza pie.and made us two very happy vegetarians.

beach roses

2010-05-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

my weekend was perfect,

and by weekend i mean my saturday as me and cute both worked all day sunday. we headed to the beach in the morning and laid out in the sun, picked beach roses and munched on sandwiches and cherries. we may have never left our sandy blanket, if it wasn't for the delicious homemade ice cream drive-in down the road from the beach.

after words we headed to the clinton outlet stores where i held my self back from buying one of those fancy expensive purses and watched cute buy yet another pair of sneakers.

puppy love

2010-05-24T11:41:00.001-07:00

gunnar and i have a very loving relationship.

except when he tries to kiss me with that breath.
YUK!
and if you haven't already, click on the first picture of us and see up close how his paws and legs are the same size as mine, if not bigger.
hes grown up so much from that little pup in my side bar,
but i love the big monster he has become.

sunny days

2010-05-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

what would go perfect with this lovely sun shining day?i'm thinking bicycle rides to get patio drinks.

and a little bit of this guy.

the magic of asparagus

2010-05-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

oh martha, you've done it again....

yesterday i went to my favorite little market and outside was the most delicious looking bouquet of asparagus. i snagged it, along with a bag of cherries.
I was struggling all day with what to make with these yummy spears, so i turned to martha for some inspiration. what i came up with was an easy, cheesey, not so healthy but oh so yummy asparagus tart.i could have eaten the whole thing solo, that's how good it was.The original recipe calls for gruyere cheese, but i had a big block of Parmesan just waiting to get used. It subbed out perfectly.
and now that i have successfully made you hungry, i will now counter act that with a nasty little side note: when cute crawled into bed last night, he told me his pee smelled from the asparagus.
mission complete.

crown of flowers

2010-05-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

Last night my model friend ( i call her my model friend not because shes really is a model but because i think she should be) Courtney came over and we made some crown headbands for my wedding inspired by these.

I started by soaking some grape vines from my backyard.
this made the easy to twist and secure with a ribbon.

I love the natural look of the vines, so i also used some dried climber vines that i had been waiting to use for something. i hot glued pearls to the ends to give it that FANCY look.

the bridesmaids crowns we left simple and pretty.

the one for me we made a little more fancy with the pearl vines and white flower bunches.

we even made a smaller headband
version for the flower girls.

Courtney made the bast head band model (and maker)
and i can't wait to wear these crowns at the wedding!
i want to wear mine everyday!

at the races

2010-05-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

what is the best way to decide who gets to choose what we have for Sunday night dinner?
race for it.

he won.
but i'm convinced it was because i was in a truck.

xoxo

friday links

2010-05-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

finally friday!

hope yall have a lovely weekend, here are some links to keep you busy.

hero's in a half shell nails

Chunky rings from TRIIAN

a cotton wedding

forgetful dinos

sinfully delicious graters

photo-realism paintings are pretty amazing

some great arguments for being a veggie

and last but not least, yum yum cupcakes

ENJOY!!!

for the birds.

2010-05-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

Throwing things at a newly married couple is a tradition that dates back to ancient Rome & Egypt. The custom is intended to give newlyweds good luck, and most of the items thrown at the couple represent fertility and abundance.

Food has always been a popular choice because it symbolizes plentiful crops. Seeds symbolize fertility because a little seed may grow into a big plant, an appropriate sentiment for a newly married couple. Grains such as wheat and rice were thrown over the newlyweds in the hopes that the couple would be prosperous and have many children to work the land.

well we aren't looking for any kiddos any time soon, although it would be nice to have a few children to "work the land" a.k.a. do everything around the house for a $5 allowance, we could use some luck, and lots of abundance.

cute.n.boot made 100 little birdseed bags last night for the wedding.
Birdseed made the perfect filler, especially since there are too little love birds who live at the lake house where we are having our wedding.

we're hoping they will hang around during the wedding.

***PS I'm part of a Polaroid giveaway this week on For the Easily Distracted,
make sure you stop by and enter before Friday May 14th!

flying

2010-05-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

the weekend was lovely.
i flew a kite.

how was yours?

throw away camera

2010-05-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

i got an old disposable film roll developed last week...
the color is totally weird, but i love it anyway.
especially since it had three really adorable pictures of me and cute in our younger years.
xoxo

beach fire

2010-05-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

cute.n.boot only had one day off this week and wanted to make the most of it! It was almost 90 degrees on Saturday and i spent most of the day at a bridal shower so when i got home around 5 cute swept me away to the beach!

on the way we stopped and picked up some animal crackers. obviously.

after a little grilled cheese picnic i gathered some beach grass and drift wood and cute built a perfect size fire to keep us warm.

it was a perfect summer night.
we've missed you summer, please stay a while.