the lovely jen hill just launched her brand new “places i have never been” wall calendar for 2010. the 11×17 calendar features one pattern per month, along with tidbits of information about each never-visited location. you can pick up one of jen’s calendars right here for $28. great work, jen! [photos by elizabeth vaughan]

last week i feel a little behind on email and wasn’t able to announce julia rothman and jennifer judd-mcgee’s new show “flora and fauna” at nahcotta in new hampshire. after watching this sweet stop-motion video of julia and jennifer drawing on the front of nahcotta’s windows, i was so bummed because it looks like the opening night was wonderful! julia and jennifer are both showcasing beautiful illustrations of flora and fauna at nahcotta through november 1st, so if you’re in town be sure to stop by and check it out in person. if a trip to new hampshire isn’t in your immediate future, you can check out more info on the show right here, julia’s work right here, and jennifer’s work right here.

the day has finally come when i’m allowed to talk about our wedding! this morning the fall issue of martha stewart weddings if officially on stands, so if you’d like to pick up a copy and check out their beautiful shots of our special day, it should be in bookstores and magazine shops across the country. the martha team will be posting additional pictures, interviews and information from the vendors, artists and friends involved in our wedding each day this week, so you can click here to check everything out.

but since we were so happy with the way our photos (thanks dorothee and annabel) turned out, i decided to share different pictures here this week, on the d*s guest blog. i know weddings aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, so if you don’t want to read them, feel free to skip the guest blog or scroll on by the morning post linking to them.

today i wanted to kick things off with a post about our wedding location, with lots of pictures of the wedding site, reception spot and a few shots of some design blog folks you might recognize. each day i’ll be focusing on different elements (diy ideas, invites, flowers, food/cake) so if you’re up for a little wedding fun, be sure to check out the guest blog this week.

CLICK HERE for the first full post on our wedding over at the d*s guest blog. [all images by our wonderful photographers, belathee]

whew! it has been a big week and i’m ready for a little bit of relaxation this weekend. but before i head out, i wanted to thank everyone for their kind emails and tweets about our wedding. our big day is featured in this month’s martha stewart weddings and starting next week i’ll be sharing some of my favorite photos on the site. the magazine officially hits stands on monday (though some of you seem to have found them in larger cities already) so my posts will start then. until monday, i thought i’d leave you with the entrance to our reception- a little secret garden in savannah, georgia (photo by belathee). i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and i’ll see you on monday! below is a summary of this week’s highlights…

• big news: the design*sponge book! in stores fall/winter 2010
• must-read posts of the week: free october d*s desktop wallpaper from dan funderburgh, d*s home tour in lonny magazine, plate wall display how-to video
• new sneak peeks: michael penney, jean pelle, joy thigpen, kelly teasley
• dear d*s: how to paint brick + paint flow between rooms
• new city guide: shanghai, china
• biz ladies 09: the fortune in the follow-up
• past & present: the history of log cabins + restoring cast iron pans
• new: free d*s desktop wallpapers for october by dan funderburgh
• living in: the godfather
• we like it wild: produce to the people
• new diy projects: plate wall display how-to (video!), kate’s bookstrap side table, kata’s felt glasses case
• new before & afters: steven’s chair + amanda’s office, emily’s armoire + ingrid’s chair, 2 yellow dresser makeovers
• new recipe: in the kitchen with penny de los santos’ heirloom radish salad
• behind the bar: the honeymooner drink from alissa and ryan
• d*s guest blog: new posts from andy at reference library
• interior idea: tie clips as photo clips
• small measures with ashley: heat saving measures
• misc: miriam bereson planner, man shops globe on tv, humble pillows, wooden swing, famille summerbelle papercut nyc maps, bird iphone wallpapers, bird illustrations from london, wooden sunglasses, teapots & jugs teatowels,

Sadly we are home from our glorious honeymoon and oh, what a perfect honeymoon it was! A special “Thank You” to everyone who sent us suggestions of things to do and see while in France. We met amazing people, ate incredible food, drank delicious wines, discovered beautiful shops and even had the chance to buy some exciting new products for HORNE.

Every evening while staying in Provence (at La Bastinde de Marie), our inn laid out the most amazing spread of olives, radishes, breadsticks, tapenade, tomatoes and meats to enjoy with our aperitifs. While eating my nibbles, I discovered Pastis. Pastis is traditionally served alongside a pitcher of water that is used to dilute the liqueur to the drinker’s preference. I found I liked to also add ice but I was later informed that some purists refuse to do so, instead using only cold spring water to dilute the drink and nothing else (not even cold tap water is acceptable).

I so enjoyed pastis that I thought I would share a pastis-based cocktail for this month’s column. I must warn you, not everyone will like this drink. It isn’t as carefully balanced as our previous drinks and the flavors are a little more abrupt (I think the only reason Alissa agreed to let me do it was because of how pretty it looks). What it does do well is complement the pastis in a unique and interesting combination – which is surprisingly tricky to accomplish.

CLICK HERE for the full drink recipe (and more photos) after the jump!

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I was thrilled beyond words when National Geographic photographer extraordinaire Penny De Los Santos agreed to do a recipe with us. Many of you will remember Penny’s fabulous home which was featured in a sneak peek. This week, she brings us an spicy heirloom radish salad, sure to please. I openly admit that I had never even heard of half of the ingredients and was very curious to learn! Try the recipe and let us know how you like it! If you can’t find all of the ingredients but make substitutions, share those with us as well- Have a great weekend! -Kristina

CLICK HERE for the full Spicy Heirloom Radish Salad after the jump!

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A cold wind swept into my cove this weekend. I don’t know if it was from the north, the south, the east, or the west, but I do know that it has moved me firmly out of tank tops and flip-flops and into thermal henleys and wool socks. In addition to a wardrobe shuffle, the change in temperature got me thinking about the impending need to have firewood delivered for the wood stove and propane brought in for the furnace. Firewood and furnaces got me thinking, in turn, about money (and the recession) and the environment. I know I’m not alone here. Not only does the use of winter fuel cost us our hard-earned dollars, it exacts a hefty toll on planet, too. All of those combustible materials disperse into the atmosphere when burned. According to the National Resources Defense Council , electric power plants are the single largest source of pollutants that contribute to global warming in the United States. [image above: swans island blanket and alpaca hot water bottle cover]

In an effort at saving cash and reducing carbon emissions alike, I try to turn low-fi when the mercury dips. I realize what I do won’t warm everyone. My grandmother is perpetually chilly, even in summer, while my brother’s internal temperature renders his cheeks always warm and rosy. In my 1920’s house, though, (way overdue for an insulation makeover, which will happen, when time and funds allow) I’ve found the cold-warrior methods listed below bring a bit of much needed warmth ’round the old hearth. I know the time will eventually come when supplemental heat will become necessary. Until then, and even once that need arises, my heat-saving (and heat-retaining!) small measures provide a hugely welcome thermal injection. Many will seem obvious, others will induce “Ah Ha!” moments (hopefully). I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel or be the high priestess of cold-warring endeavors here, just merely offering a few tips on helping you feel the heat while saving Benjamins.

CLICK HERE for ashley’s heat (and money) saving tips after the jump!

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