On Birthdays & WarLock Weddings

My, what a busy few weeks I've had. In addition to a successful dress fitting (it zipped!), a cake tasting, a Basque barbecue, a friend's beautiful wedding, and time in Spokane and Seattle with people who are so very dear to me.... I also went back to Gonzaga and got my MRS!

I've been calling myself an October bride, and that's still true- but when the Jesuit priest who'd advised us (and tolerated our antics) through our college years wasn't available for the Autumn wedding, we knew we'd have to make a special arrangement. So, on July 23rd, Adam and I had a sweet and simple ceremony at St. Michael's chapel at Gonzaga. We said our I-Dos with our immediate families there to support us, made a nostalgic visit to the Honors house, and had a marvelous dinner at the restaurant where we worked together. It was, in every way, personal and significant and absolutely beautiful.

We're thinking of this ceremony as one part of a larger event, so although we're square with the Church & State, I don't think we'll feel married until we've exchanged rings in front of friends and family on October 29th. We're not even making it "facebook official" yet! But, regardless of how married I feel, I know I've got the sweetest husband in the world. Today is my birthday, and he's given me a gift that I'll always keep near my heart.

I am, truly, the luckiest girl.

PS: These, and many more pictures are posted on facebook... enjoy!

Wicked Plants

Last Christmas I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of Wicked Plants, a fascinating tome that grafts together some of my favorite topics: history, horticulture... and murderous intrigue!

Wicked Plants has been a major inspiration for some jewelry pieces to be debuting soon at my Etsy shop. After all, Rappaccini's Garden is named for a gothic tale about... you guessed it, a deadly flower. Since I've loved the book, I'm excited to see how the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers has brought it to life with their current exhibit...

There could be no better place to display these alluring poisons than the Conservatory with its dramatic Victorian stylings. The exhibit runs until October, but I'm scheming to visit this weekend. Between this, the Yellow Owl Workshop book signing tomorrow, and the rescheduled Alameda Flea Market on Sunday... my weekend (and my camera's memory card) should be quite full!

Hope your weekend is just as delightful!

xoxo

Elizabeth

Still Giving Thanks

So many thanks to my family who came down from Seattle to spend Thanksgiving with us! We had a busy weekend sharing our favorite shops and sights, being the only 5 people in Berkeley pleased to see the Huskies beat Cal, and feasting upon Ferdinand the turkey.

Mom apparently had Thanksgiving and Christmas confused, because she arrived bearing gifts (who was I to correct her?). This week's blog posts may have a "wonderful thing my Mom got me" theme! For instance, she brought me this charming little pitcher, which not only had the perfect sentiment for the occasion, but also matched my table setting. How does she do that? 

Ferdinand turned out to be the most marvelous turkey I've ever eaten: tender, fragrant, and slightly apple-flavored thanks to his cider and Calvados brine. We'll be enjoying him on sandwiches and in soup for several more days, along with leftover mashed red potatoes, sourdough & green apple stuffing, cinnamon-spiced cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie!

I got a bit caught up in family and food and forgot to take pictures of my Thanksgiving table, but my bouquet of roses, cabbage, and feather sprays is still looking lovely and reminding me of all of our holiday fun. Mom, Dad, Drew (and Ellie & Paige), I miss you already!

I swear I'm still feeling the soporific effects of all of this sumptuous fowl, so I'm spending the day with the Nutcracker ballet and a pile of December magazines. Can it be time to decorate for Christmas already?

How was your Thanksgiving?

Anthology Launch Party Wrap-Up

We made it to the Anthology Magazine Launch Party! We sipped, mingled, and saved! We stood like, an inch away from Victoria and Grant K. Gibson! We basked in the design glory!

Okay, I'll be honest. I shopped a little for me too. Congratulations to the brilliant women behind Anthology! The party was incredible, and I'll be poring over Issue I allllllll weekend.

As you probably noticed, Shock the Bourgeois is undergoing a little makeover. I'm finally shaking some of the recurring problems that came with my old design, and aiming to make the blog more readable (and welcoming to new followers). I'd love to have your feedback! Shoot me an email anytime at shockthebourgeois@mac.com

Happy Weekend,

xoxo Elizabeth

Anthology Launch Party

I woke up this morning to the pounding of a truly ferocious headache. Ouch. The plan is to take it easy until this evening, when I will rally, put on something fabulous, and dash off to the Anthology Magazine Launch Party at West Elm in Emeryville.

Will I see you there?

How We Turned Things Around for Halloween

As I pouted on Friday, our Halloween Party got axed when the attendees dwindled. To add insult to injury, my Tildy-Pumpkin's face caved in. The perfect Halloween that I had envisioned was literally crumbling- and so was I!

I'm getting to know myself fairly well. I'm a perfectionist. I like to plan. I'm not always graceful about disappointment. I'm also realizing that "perfect or not at all" isn't the best philosophy for happiness. 

So this is how we turned things around for Halloween.

First, I literally turned our pumpkin around.

Then, Adam coerced/guilted/bribed/bullied a handful of coworkers into coming over for drinks and snacks on Friday after work. In the hour before our guests arrived we whipped up some guacamole, corn salsa, goat cheese bruschetta, a batch of salty-spicy-sweet toasted pumpkin seeds, and a cinnamon apple crumble. We lit some candles, and we had a party. Was it the costume party I'd imagined? No. Did my guests stand around and talk about science, thereby boring me to death? Kinda, yes.

But we had a good time (and my guacamole was really tasty).

For the rest of the weekend we were without any plans, so we donned our costumes, took the Bart to San Francisco, and found ourselves in the midst of a Giants/Halloween celebration. Plenty of orange and black, many beards to fear, blaring horns, dozens of Mario + Luigi pairings, and what we hope was just a pipe bomb. California knows how to party!

Adam's costume was indiscriminately creepy. Vampire? Werewolf? Zombie? Miscellaneous undead creature? It was open for interpretation, and judging by how few people dared to look him in the eye, it was a success.

 I went as a Mad Men-inspired secretarial type.

All in all, a good Halloween! How was yours?

Halloween at the WarLock House

Only a few days left until our Halloween party, and I'm scurrying around to make our house look appropriately haunted.

Our pumpkin continues the "Matilda WarLock's Ornery Face" theme. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting my Tildy-Cat, this requires some explanation. Tildy has been, since kittenhood, an unfortunate combination of intelligence and malevolence. When crafting our party invitations, I pictured Matilda's expression right before she pushes something valuable off of a shelf. It was the scariest thing I could think of!

Pumpkin carving is a serious tradition in my family, and my efforts fell far short of my Dad's past masterpieces (I can remember people posing their trick-or-treating kids for photos next to our pumpkins every year). I carved a day or two too early, and the wet weather has already eroded what were crisp lines and precise pinholes. Oh well! If it turns to glop before the party, I'll just show the guests a picture.

An adorably wicked welcoming committee, don't you think?

You're Invited (If you DARE)

The First Annual WarLock Family Halloween Extravaganza looms on the horizon! This morning was spent assembling the invitations, which feature Tildy WarLock's grumpy question mark face...

Did I doubt my sanity as I painstakingly snipped each tiny whisker? Clearly, yes.

My perfectionism boggles the mind.

If you're a Bay Area blogger, blog-reader or general party person, would you dare attend our Extravaganza? Say boo if you'd like an invite!

Hot as Hell

I spent the summer whining about how cold I was. Now we've transitioned into fall, and into a new complaint: it's so freaking hot! What is up with the climate in this bass-ackwards state?? We've even had to delay the next installment of Adam's Soup Series because I don't want to eat anything that isn't a popsicle.

Yesterday I made a pitcher of iced tea to combat my afternoon caffeine stupor and the killer heat. I chilled it with skulls and crossbones from my Bone Chillers Ice Cube Tray. 

I clearly don't need chilly weather to get me in a Halloweeny mood. I'm starting to plan for a Halloween cocktail party (would any of you Bay Area bloggers be interested in an invite?), and I'll surely be popping some of these creepy gems into intoxicating concoctions...

Weekend Reading

I decided to take a little break from beading last night to attend the Creative, Inc. book launch party at Candystore Collective in San Francisco and see these lovely ladies in person...

I was so in awe of Joy's presence that I got totally tongue-tied. All I could squeak out was, "uh uh uh... I love your shoes!" In my defense, they were some pretty rockin' shoes.

Aside from this moment of conversational brilliance, I had a fantastic time- eating more than my share of tiny cupcakes and making connections with Bay Area artists and bloggers (like Natalie, whose blog I'll be relying on for fashion guidance from now on). I distributed the last of my beribboned handmade business cards, which were looking oh-so professional after being crumpled in my purse. Thank goodness I picked up a signed copy of Creative, Inc.- I clearly need all the help I can get.

Speaking of freelance business, I'm off to the post office to mail the very first orders from Rappaccini's Garden. I'm over the moon, kids- it's been a happy week. 

Until Monday,

xoxo Elizabeth

Flea Market Finds

If the find is a primal urge, then the monthly Alameda Flea can only be compared to nature's most spectacular feeding frenzies.

Thrifters abandon their favored hunting grounds to converge upon this site of vintage bounty. Each month we take the long walk from some distant corner of the parking lot and pass satisfied hunters clutching their trophies, dragging heavy furnishings off to their cars. I usually spot something rare and delectable on another person's trolley and pick up the pace to join the fray. Once we're inside the gate we're on the prowl. There's enough for each gluttonous shopper with a few bills to fill their rolling cart, but there's still that predatory instinct: don't let that tea set get away, you may never see one like it again!

Adam and I like to work the rows together. He's on the lookout for French kitchen knives and copper pots, I scout for glass cake plates and tole chandeliers. I pounce, he goes in for the deal. We're always in pursuit of the find.

We did so well this Sunday I thought I'd showcase a few of our prizes!

$20 won me a lot of brass flatware. It's actually two different patterns. One I've yet to track down, but the knives, forks, and soup spoons with the tough studded handles are Dirilyte Empress Goldware. Now I've got something new to stalk on eBay!

Adam snapped up this Pyrex thingamajig for $5. We liked the quirky variation on the cloche shape, and it's just right for housing a tiny curiosity (or perhaps an air plant?).

Renegade Weekend

We had quite an artsy-craftsy weekend at...

This was our first trip to Renegade, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd hoped to do a bit of networking, but alas, the classic rock was pumped up so loud I could hardly manage more than "hello" and "love your work!" at each booth. Luckily, I did get to meet the lovely Lisa of Violet Swan and the blog Le Petit Cadeau (remember her?), whose pieces are somehow even more romantic in person.

My favorites included sweet and simple plates by Rae Dunn and a bunny tea towel by Flock Home. Naturally this graphic print by Nora Aoyagi captured my heart (it would be fantastic against the dark walls in my kitchen, fyi).

We had a great time- we even embraced the oh-so prevalent hipster 'stache trend. I sported a "Mr. Gloucester MT" (thanks to Old Tom Foolery), and Adam decided to try out a new look...

Projects

Whenever it's quiet on the blog, you can figure that things are buzzing in real life. In a few days we're headed to Hoopfest, where Adam and his tall athletic family will be playing basketball and getting tan, and I will be short, pale, and harping about sunscreen. Reeeeeeally looking forward to it.

I've got to get back to packing, but I thought I'd tantalize you with things to come.

A cabinet of curiosities...

and my mercantile-style china cabinet.

Back soon,

Elizabeth

Welcome Home, Me

We're back in the East Bay after the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen and a reunion with the friends that I love most. I'm going to spend the day reliving the week's mischief and trying to ignore the pang of each mile now between us. Since I'm tearing up as I write this, I guess I'm not really succeeding with that last part. Becca and Matt, could you please renew your vows soon?

Looking on the bright side, it was nice to come home and find my very tiny garden blooming.

And greeting me with a smile.

A Present for Shock The Bourgeois!

I hope you all survived your holly-jolly holiday (and I hope that unlike me, you're taking an extended vacation). I can't wait to show you what I found under the tree on Christmas morning!

I also received a very sweet gift from friends in the blogging community: I got some nods for an AT Homie Award!

See, here I am!

I can't tell you how flattered I am to be included. It's the best gift that a very new and modest blog could hope for- thank you! Be sure to check out the Homie nominees- add your favorites to the list, and find new favorites for your reading pleasure!

Seattle Favorite: Pat Gallagher's Sculptural Lighting

When you're young, broke, and living in a standard-sized (read: miniscule) apartment, art can be the last thing on your mind. Original art works are pricey, and it's hard to justify buying sculpture if there's no place to put it without bumping into it. That's why I like to seek out pieces that unite form and function, like these light fixtures by Seattle artist Pat Gallagher. After all, you can always use another lamp- especially one with a delightfully steampunk aesthetic that makes you want to brood in the amber glow of its Edison bulb and invent a time machine...

Images Courtesy of Pat Gallagher

Each fixture is completely one-of-a-kind, an amalgamation of found industrial objects infused with new utility. They are forward-thinking ingenuity (the epitome of green design) under the guise of historical permanence. This is exactly the kind of art that Adam and I can agree on- I admire the grace of their curving forms, he'd pick one up and admire how dang heavy these things are! And did I mention that the lamps are extremely affordably priced? We're talking "snap one up for Christmas and still have change jingling in your pocket" prices...

For more information about Pat Gallagher's art, be sure to stop by his website. Better yet, check out his pieces for yourself- Mr. Gallagher will also be selling his sculpture and photography at the Pratt Holiday Art Sale, and you can see new work on display at Avanti Art & Design at the Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk tomorrow!

Thanksgiving Left-Overs

Such a busy Thanksgiving holiday!  Baking pies, watching the Dog Show, shooting guns, eating left-overs, playing with a new puppy, watching the Huskies thoroughly demoralize the Cougars, and most of all... smothering Adam with attention when he flew in for the weekend.

Move over, Faye Dunaway

Speaking of pointing and shooting: I had the special treat of borrowing my Mom's primo DSLR camera to document the events. Ugh, I'm hooked! I suppose if I abstain from coffee for let see... (I'm mathing here) ...the better part of a year, I can buy one of my own. Though I'm quite proficient with my vintage SLR, it's going to take a lot of practice to get me up to speed with this glorious technology.  So, let's go easy on the images and focus on my Mom's beautiful tablescape!

Some finds from the autumnal landscape.

A crisp fall day.

Great-Grandma's silverware shines on Crate & Barrel linens.

The feast!

Proof that I'm not the only one who leaves her Halloween decor up year round!