I am a sucker for dumplings.  Any kind of dumpling really, from perogies to shumai, I’m into it.  Recently, I decided it was time to try my hand at making some myself ,and boy, am I glad I did.  Not only were they relatively easy to make- there’s nothing like a freshly made dumpling to really hit the spot.  Here’s what I did.

For the filling mix in a large bowl:

• 1 lb pork(ground raw) *substitute chicken, turkey, or tofu to change it up a bit
• 3 tsp soy sauce
• 3 tsp sesame oil
• dash of chili oil
• 1 tbspn ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 chopped scallions

Put a small spoonful of the mixture on the lower half of store bought wonton wrappers.  Fold over and use a little water or egg wash to seal. Make sure there isn’t a lot of air trapped inside your dumpling by gently pressing it out.

Meanwhile to make the sauce mix:

• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth)
•   1/4 cup water
•  soy sauce (to taste)
•  rice wine vinegar (to taste)
• sesame oil (to taste)
• 1/2 clove garlic (chopped)
• chili oil (to taste)

in a saucepan over low heat until everything is smooth and blended.  Make sure to stir often to avoid burning.  Adjust water to make your sauce thicker/thinner. (I like to do all of this to taste so have fun experimenting with ratios til you find your perfect blend.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place dumplings in it.  Cook for a minute or so after they rise to the surface of the water.  Remove from boiling water with slotted spoon and put into hot peanut sauce.  Serve Immediately!

Winter is creeping up on us in the Northeast a little each day. I’ve picked a few of my favorite remedies and essentials for the dropping temps. My biggest go to is a cozy scarf. You can never have too many scarves!

{cozy socks from free people, chevron scarf & leather gloves from Toast, circle scarf from American Apparel, and warm slippers from L.L. Bean}

I think Pia Jane Bijkerk is one incredibly talented lady.  Her styling, books, and kitchen adventures having me swooning. Perhaps most inspiring, is her lovely little houseboat in Amsterdam.  The ‘petit batuea vert’ was featured a few years back in Anthology Magazine.  I still look back at this spread when I want to dream a bit about having a floating house of my own.  See the article and read more about Pia here.

This weekend, we are celebrating Sierra's 30th birthday with a a few days away in the country.  The plan is to cook lots of big meals and to sit by the fire, wearing big sweaters and reading good books.  Here's what I'm thinking…

I am a longtime follower of Mimi Thorrison's blog 'Manger' and think her recipe for pumpkin gnocchi could be the perfect thing for this chilly autumn weekend.

I'm swooning over this sweater from Saint Laurent and would love to have it as a staple in my weekend wardrobe.  Dreaming big…

Jhumpa Lahiri's new book 'Lowland' is out and I for one can't wait to devour it.

What's on your docket for the weekend?

(Top pic courtesy of Jen Huang)

I love vintage educational posters, you know the pull down charts from when there was no “online” and everything needed for a report was in an encyclopedia.  That's why I was so excited when Windsor Terrace Antiques opened up a few months ago.

Filled with old globes, colored glass bottles, typewrites, and SO MANY old classroom charts, Windsor Terrace Antiques is a great inspiration for a day trip to an “undiscovered” neighborhood (full disclosure, I live there).   While your in the hood, walk through Prospect Park, get a beer and a snack at Double Windsor, and maybe a meat pie from DUB pies.  Great colors (original and imaginative images), well priced (most under $100) and you don't even need to worry about framing (at least for the moment).

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

This week we are happy to share a few favorite things from the lovely ladies at Firefly Events. Teissia & Alia (the ladies behind Firefly) are some of the hippest chicks around.  With their keen eye for detail, amazing organizational skills, and all around fun loving personalities these two are the go to girls when you’re planning an event.  Take it away ladies….

#1 This Dresser

Since we just moved into a new office (woo!) we’ve been on the hunt for great furniture items. We love this mid-century dresser from West Elm because it’s simple and classy. A great palette for some fun accent pieces both on top of the dresser and on the wall above it.

#2 These Nails

These fun nails from our friends at Winsome Brave have taken the place of all our push pins! They make any bulletin/dream board that much cooler!

#3 This Scarf

In hopes that it will one day be Spring here in NYC, we’re starting to add a bit more color back into our wardrobes. This pale peach scarf has us dreaming of picnics in the park and days sans coats ;)!

#4 This Necklace

Umm…yes, please! This beautiful from Unearthen has been on our wish list for some time now. The uniting of crystal and empty bullet creates a powerful opposition that we’re simply loving!

#5 The Kin

As designers inspiration is imperative and sometimes it comes from places you least expect. This week it was seeing The Kin play at The McKittrick Hotel. The collaboration between Aussie brothers, Thorald and Isaac Koren is something I hope everyone can witness live at some point. Truly amazing!

#6 This Purse

We love the bags from Coriumi, and have several already, but this is our current fave. It’s light and airy and perfect for Spring/Summer. Can you tell we have warm weather on the brain?

#7 This Umbrella

Continuing with our weather theme, we are loving this Vintage Dot Print Umbrella from ShopBop. As a New Yorker it’s imperative that you have a stylish and durable umbrella, for the many rainy days, and this falls into that category perfectly!

#8 Freeman’s Restaurant

Not only is this Lower East Side gem right around the corner from our new office (literally), but it’s got some of the best food, cocktails and atmosphere in the city! We hold a lot of “meetings” there these days. In fact we had a brunch “meeting” with the lovely ladies from P+P there not that long ago. Cocktails may or may not have been had before 12pm…

Good morning everyone, today we’re off to an upstate photo shoot with a few of our favorite vendors here in NYC. We thought it only appropriate to tell you a bit more about one of our most recent friendships & new vendor obsessions, Patina Rentals, since they’ll be providing all of the furniture for the shoot. Their collection of rentals is curated by a design addicted, vintage junkie who brings pieces from different eras, styles, and far flung places together under one roof in an old garment factory in Brooklyn. Cue owner Corrin Aras; she’s smart, funny, and has an amazing eye for vintage treasures and she’s here today to tell you a bit more about her favorite things!

I’m absolutely loving deep moody blues on walls, rugs, ceilings.   This color (Black Blue from Farrow Ball) has so much depth.  I just painted a room this color and it feels so warm and inviting, and everything – especially metallics like brass – pops against it.  It feels like a beautiful cocoon where you just want to laze away a cold winter day.

I’ve become addicted to Aveda’s Chakra line.  I use it as a room spray at home and in the Studio. It instantly takes away stress so you can relax and think clearly.    #1 is perfect to make your house feel warm and spa like when you don’t want to head out.   We use #5  in the Studio when we are in creative brainstorming sessions.

I’m loving Brooklyn Grange’s Bloody Mary mix-  its just perfect!  They grow the ingredients at their rooftop farms in Brooklyn and Queens www.brooklyngrange – which is also a great event space.  I’ve been on a long search for the perfect Bloody Mary and I think I’ve finally found it.   Soo good!

The cold weather has been keeping us close to home,  we’ve been having lots of in nights by the fire- we recently got Cards Against Humanity which was funded on KickStarter – it is the most hilarious game we’ve ever played-  not for Virgin ears- it is seriously fun.

This week we are so excited to share the favorite things of the incredibly talented Annette Babich, Founder and CEO of Annette Babich Inc. Annette has been in the  Event Planning Industry since 1992 and with her expertise and network of partnerships has successfully planned and executed events across a wide range of industries.  From high-profile weddings to non-profit galas, if you want to throw an event that oozes sophistication and elegance, Annette is your gal!

Take it away Annette-

I love brunch! I love going out for brunch or staying in and making brunch for friends and family.

“Cinema Paradiso” ~ this is one of my favorite films of all time.  I saw it recently, after about 20 years, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time.

I pinned this on my Pinterest board- it spoke to me.  We all need to take a lesson from this and simplify our lives.

While perusing Annette’s site make sure to check out her fabulous line of tote bags!   Sierra & I both love ours.  They are the perfect carry-all for all of our event essentials & make the best carry-on for long trips.

A few years ago an adorable and very sweet couple, Stephanie and her now husband Simon, hired us to design the flowers and decor for their weddings. I mention weddings in the plural because they knew how to throw a wedding the right way. They held a small luncheon with their closest family and friends during the day with a blow out party at BAM to follow the next evening. Both we’re totally different but equally as smashing!

We’re super excited to introduce Stephanie to you in a different light now. She’s a new mommy and a print designer who has an incredible eye for bold prints and color combos. She’s designed for some of our favorite fashion companies such as Betsy Johnson, Urban Outfitters, Isabella Fiore, and Daryl K before taking the plunge into freelance work, which has served her well.  Check out her custom collections exclusively for Poppies & Posies over in our shop and read up on her favorite things below. She based them off of the four senses, which I totally love!

1. SIGHT…Vintage Suzani Embroidered Uzbeki Pillows!

I absolutely love the variation and gorgeousness of the Suzani pillows from Uzbekistan. The technique of the embroidery and colors has a rich dynamic look that brings together culture & worldliness with design & beauty. I adore the way they bring a story to a room without necessarily having anything to say. Even a rock & roller like Mick Jagger can be a bohemian man of the 60’s with these pillows…they take you to another place and then some.

2. TASTE…Lust Lip Stain from Tarte (it tastes kind of minty sweet!)

This is a beautiful red color for your lips…very warm and sexy, yet it’s a stain so it isn’t too loud either. It feels so good on my lips and just adds the touch of color I need on an everyday basis.

3.TOUCH…Tassels & Pom Poms….Shaggy Moroccan Rugs

I love the excitement of a tassel! The way it pops out at you…and acts with spunk! Bringing about texture to things has always been something that really excites me. Whether it is a tassel, or a pom pom trim…something that jumps out from a flat surface and creates contrast both visually and texturally is so fun and playful. I think this is also why i am so drawn to Shaggy Moroccan Rugs. It is flat, but has dimension and crazy pieces that have a mind of their own. I love it! Just recently I created a nursery with my husband. The incorporation of tassels on a lamp shade and valance, a Mongolian fur pillow and then the Moroccan Shaggy Rug were key. My daughter will have a petting zoo right in her own room…without the clean up!

4. FEEL & …LOVE.  My new family…

The unbelievable gift of the birth of my first child happened on February 22, 2013. Aria Semonova Eventov. She is a beautiful gem…I could not have believed I would ever feel the amount of LOVE I do for someone, as I do for her. My husband, Simon, has been an absolute rock for me to grab onto throughout the pregnancy and now, with the adjustment of having this new addition in our lives. I couldn’t imagine life without him…he brings me everything that I need and more, physically, emotionally and will always continue to do so, indefinitely. My appreciation is unending. This “favorite thing” leaves the BEST for last. The 2 treasures in my life: my gem, my rock…my everything.