Before I head out for the long weekend (yay!) I wanted to share a gorgeous engagement party that is so full of beautiful color and flowers that I couldn’t resist it. Seattle residents Mark and Amy met in Montana and share a love of the outdoors, music and tattoos. They celebrated their engagement with a small 20-person party at Via Tribunali, a Seattle favorite in Georgetown. To create an event that would match the couple’s colorful style, Rachel Bowes of Finch & Thistle Event Design picked a vibrant palette of coral, turquoise and gold and paired handmade details with carefully chosen vintage pieces. It was a labor of love (she hand-cut pieces of confetti!) but the final result was absolutely stunning and the couple loved it. I hope you’ll enjoy these photos and ideas as much as I did. I’m totally going to steal that streamer chandelier idea (it only cost $4 to make!) for a party sometime. More details and pictures from their beautiful party continue after the jump (and after the weekly wrap up).

I’m heading to the Catskills for some fresh air and non-laptop time, so I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend! I’ll see you back here on Tuesday- have a wonderful Memorial Day! xo, grace

Below is a summary of this week’s highlights:

• After the Jump (DS Radio): Brooklyn Flea Interview (mp3)
• National Stationery Show 2012: Neon!, Sweet Nothings, Sweet Bella, Seed House, Personal Favorites
• ICFF 2012: Copper + Brass, Geometric Designs, Wallpaper, Lighting, Pattern
• Living In: Cold Comfort Farm
• City Guide: Princeton, NJ
• Biz Ladies: Best Online Tools for Your Business
• Sneak Peeks: Merav Sade, Evan & Oliver Haslegrave
• Sneak Peek Best of: Floral
• DIY Projects: Painted Glass Tabletop
• Sewing 101: Ombre Embroidery Sampler
• Before & After: Closet Makeover, Kitchen Nook Window Seat, Atlanta Loft Transformation
• In the Kitchen With: The Best of Vegan Recipes
• Misc.: oh joy Mouse, Crowded Teeth: Fancy Stamp Ring, Home Terrain, 10 More Etsy Shops You Should Know, Ben Fiess Jars, Baggu Keychains

The engagement party continues after the jump…

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When I went to Australia earlier this year, I overdosed on egg and bacon rolls.  I sent an enthusiastic email to Grace about how I was enjoying recreating my own here at home, and she wrote me back that she is pretty much vegan these days.  I was a bit crestfallen that my enthusiasm for bacon had fallen on deaf ears, but it got me to thinking whether I could ever make that transition.  I took a stroll through our archives to see what dishes we had here for vegans and I decided to just do a Best of.  We have quite a few recipes in the archives which are made with the addition of a sprinkle of cheese which would be an easily skipped ingredient but I have not included those here.  I have however tried to include quite a few recipes that can be easily personalized with your favorite ingredients.  Hope you enjoy our collection!  -Kristina

Above, Green Kitchen Stories’ Portobello Mushroom Burger.  I could say so much about this burger but the photo speaks for itself.  This would definitely make my list of best burgers!  Tuck your napkin into your shirt, roll up your sleeves and have a bite!

Sharon Spain shared her recipe for homemade pickles with us a few years ago.  I sat for a while trying to conceive of how I could make a mouth-watering picture of a pickle, but took my problem to Matt Armendariz (who shot the image above) and he helped me right away with the idea of a pickle sandwich.  Don’t worry, cheese is not part of the recipe, just part of the presentation.

More fantastic vegan recipes after the jump…

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Even though I covered new wallpaper from ICFF yesterday, there was still plenty of pattern floating around the show. From flat weave rugs to incredible woven seating, designers definitely didn’t forget about the power of pattern. I’ve chosen my favorites above and below, so I hope you’ll enjoy them! xo, grace

Images above (including header): Incredible patterned rugs from Inigo Elizalde. You know you have a problem when a designer you’ve never met directs you straight to the metallic patterns because he knows you like them.

Debra Folz‘ patterned stool

I love these Ella Doran roller shades with photos of old 45s.

Malene B debuted some really gorgeous fabrics this year. These were my favorite, from her Transitions collection.

More new patterned design after the jump…

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The stationery show is always full of creative design, but it’s impossible for me to not have a few personal favorites that stand out not for trend or design purposes, but because I love them. Today’s final NSS post is all about the pieces I loved for personal reasons and that I hope to add to my ridiculous stationery collection soon. Thankfully I can hide my boxes full of cards at the office now and they no longer fall out onto the floor when someone walks into my home. Nursing a paper addiction is serious business. xo, grace

Images above: Awesome drink coasters (with illustrations based on drink names) and one heck of of a pretty booth at Rifle Paper Co.

Images above: Bison Press

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ICFF coverage is coming to a close, so I wanted to get a few last minute favorites in before the week is over. There were some really fantastic new lighting designs this year, so I rounded up my favorites for a lighting extravaganza. If you have the space to hang some of these, please do. That paperclip-shaped pendant is calling my name… xo, grace

Image above: Hand woven paper lamps by Tomomi Sayuda

Image above:
Colorful anglepoise lamps from Tse & Tse

Image above: Lindsey Adelman‘s big piece was breathtaking. Seriously, you have to see these in real life to take in how spectacular they are.

Image above: Cute ice cream cone lights from Alex Garnett

More lighting (shaped like bats!) after the jump…

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I feel like this post should be titled, “Shauna and Stephen never sleep”. The incredibly talented duo behind Something’s Hiding in Here and Forage Bowties have done it again, launching yet another fantastic design project called Seed House. Seed House launched at this year’s NSS and included a beautiful selection of cards, tags, paper scents and, my favorite, press botanical stationery with a flower press. I don’t know how they find the time to DO all of this, but they do it well. Seed House is definitely an instant favorite of mine. The light in that section of the show was hard to shoot in, so you can check out more of their work here. xo, grace

More images from Seed House after the jump…

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