Handpicked - Nordstrom Dresses for Fall Under $200

I absolutely love Jenna's Picks from J. Crew creative director - Jenna Lyons. Each month she chooses things she loves and it's featured on the J. Crew site! It truly has inspired me to do something very similar, therefore Monday's new "Handpicked" feature is born So today when I received my regular Nordstrom e-mail and saw this dress:

I knew exactly what I wanted to do for baci's very first "Handpicked" feature - Nordstrom Dresses for Fall. The air has taken on a chill and Fall weddings are definitely on the uprise so it's the perfect time to take a look at some gorgeous Fall-appropriate dresses. There are SO many fabulous finds at Nordstrom (if I'm ever on the prowl for a dress, Nordstrom is the first place I look!) so I narrowed it down to dresses under $200 so you can look hot and save some money!!

1) Maggy London Silk Trapeze Dress with Beaded Neck in Stone - $148 2) Suzi Chin Maggy Boutique Silk Chiffon Dress in Lavender - $168 3) MICHAEL Michael Kors 'East Side' Tweed Dress in Shocking Pink - $189.50 (Tweed is the perfect Fall look!) 4) Adrianna Papell Lace Sheath Dress in Black - $178 5) Adrianna Pappel Cap Sleeve Seamed Dress in Navy - $122 6) Patra Bead Silk Chiffon Dress in Chocolate - $178 7) JS Boutique Beaded Chiffon Trapeze Dress in Jade - $158 (The jewel tone of this dress makes me swoon!!) 8) Maggy London Tiered Mesh Dress with Charmeuse Waist in Black - $178 9) Eliza J Ruffle Wrap Dress in Emerald - $158 10) Calvin Klein Satin Dress in Eggplant - $148 11) Suzi Chin Maggy Boutique Pleated Charmeuse Dress in Stainless - $168 12) JS Boutique Beaded Empire Waist Gown in Brown - $178 (What a fabulous fall-version of the oh-so-popular Summer Maxi Dress.)

"Going Green" - My Current Wish List

Recently I've come across some of the most gorgeous and fun eco-friendly products that I would just LOVE to have so I thought I'd share a few of them. It's really doesn't take a lot of effort to help the environment - simply recycling and thinking about what you purchase and where it comes from is a great way to start!

1) This Wine Barrel Stave Side Table from VivaTerra is BEAUTIFUL! Two of them would look amazing out on our back deck. The table is obviously made from a reclaimed wine barrel, but what's really cool is that the legs are fashioned from the barrel's metal bands so nothing goes to waste. 2) I am so sick of plastic grocery bags and I am so bad at reminding the cashier that I want paper so I've been looking for some cute reusable bags and I have finally found the perfect ones! RuMe's "Fall in New York" 3 Bag Collection would be a great start for me. These are so adorable that I could use them for practically anything! 3) As a designer, I have a soft spot in my heart for all things type-related so Veer's Type Coasters made me smile - they're made of bamboo, which is a carbon-grabbing plant that is super sustainable, too! LOVE!! 4) These Stemless Wine Glasses made from recycled wine bottles from Etsy's bodhicitta would be the perfect green (in both meanings of the word!) addition to any household that likes to entertain!

Summer & Sean's Baby Shower - 08.23.09

My dear friend, Katie, was kind enough to share these fun photos from a couple's baby shower she and a friend threw for her sister, Summer, and her husband, Sean, this past weekend. The couple is expecting twins so "Thing 1 and Thing 2" (from Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat) was such a GREAT theme! I just love it!!

Katie created the centerpieces with materials from Flower Factory and Hobby Lobby. I love the color combination!

A banner with pictures from "Parent 1 and Parent 2" hung above the presents table.

The cake is by far my favorite part - so cute!!!

baci would love to feature your party or wedding, too - just send photos with a short description to amanda {at} bacidesigner {dot} com!

baci loves. . . Unearth Malee

I understand that some people don't like bar soap, but personally I love it. It leaves everything feeling so smooth and it makes the perfect suds :) So naturally, I was pumped when Ilario's cousins bought us a Sinamay Gift Set from Unearth Malee. The smells are TO DIE FOR and even better yet they are all natural! All Unearth Malee body soaps are organic and vegan. They are also beautifully wrapped in seeded paper - some of the most beautifully packaged soaps I've ever seen. I'm using the Cilantro Mint Basil right now and the tasty smell lingers with me - SO yummy!! I'm thinking of ordering the Jasmine Sticky Rice Mango soon - I bet it's delicious!

Handkerchief Save the Dates

I'm so excited to share these gorgeous Handkerchief Save the Dates by Benign Objects with you - they are FANTASTIC!!! Rachel, the bride and designer, started collecting vintage handkerchiefs, mostly on eBay, then handscreened each one. She did 160 in all - talk about a work-out! It was well worth it though because these are hands-down the most unique and meaningful save the dates I have ever seen!

Rachel ribbon- tied each handscreened piece to cardstock she printed designs on. Ladies and couples received floral printed handkerchiefs while the single men were sent plain white ones.

Rachel finished the save the dates by lining kraft paper envelopes and attaching adhesive wrap-around labels she designed herself. The finished product is just stunning - I love it!

White House | Black Market, My Current Wish List

I really didn't start obsessing about White House | Black Market until I went shopping for outfits to wear for my head shots Brandy J Photography took in May. I always stared into the store, I just never really went in - why, I have no idea. However, when I purchased this entire outfit below from there, I think I started a habit - I am in love with WH | BM now!!!

Here are a few White House | Black Market items I just have got to have right now!! 1) This Grey Twist Dress is quote possibly the most beautiful thing on earth - the silhouette is amazing and the entire thing is lined in silky soft charmeuse!! 2) I loved the skinny jeans I wore for my head shots so much that I would love to have another pair. The Noir Premium Skinny Jeans would be perfect (they make your butt look great with the perfect amount of elastane)! 3) I never wear regular necklaces, only large statement-making ones so WH |BM's Glass-Pearl/Chain Torsade is exactly what I need. I couldn't resist pairing it with the simple, understated Jet Faceted Post Earrings - LOVE!! 4) This V-Neck Blousant makes me swoon - I love comfortable, flowy shirts that still scream style.

More Food. . .

This week has absolutely flown for me so I apologize for the lack of blogs this week - I'll try to make it up to you though by posting twice today!

Earlier this week I tweeted about my lunch - Just finished off the garlic, garden tomato, green pepper quinoa and lemon/pepper chicken I made for the in-laws on Monday - still yummy! - and Aimee asked me to share the full recipe. Of course I told her I would oblige - bear with me though because this one was all me and I don't exactly measure as I cook :)

Veggie Quinoa and Lemon Pepper Chicken

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

1 green pepper, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

3 large frozen chicken breasts, thawed and cut in halves

1 t. oregano

lemon pepper seasoning

olive oil

Place quinoa and chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cool until all the broth is absorbed (about 15 minutes). The quinoa is done with the grains have turned from white to transparent and the spiral-like germ has separated.

While the quinoa is cooking, place the green pepper, garlic and some olive oil in a skillet and sauté until tender. Set aside. Place the chopped tomatoes in a separate bowl with the oregano and stir. Set aside.

Coat the bottom of large skillet with olive oil and heat on high. Cover with lid because oil will spatter (trust me, I have a scar to prove it!). Place chicken breasts onto hot oil. Cover liberally with lemon pepper seasoning and sear for 3 - 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken. Flip chicken over and cover with lemon pepper seasoning, searing for 3 - 5 minutes again. (I always cut into the largest chicken breast to ensure the pink is gone - you don't want to overcook them either though because they'll become dry). Remove from heat and place on serving platter. Mix quinoa, green peppers and tomatoes in a large casserole. Serve. Serves 4.

The quinoa recipe can truly be tweaked any which way - replace with your favorite veggies and enjoy!!

Housewarming Party

Saturday's Housewarming Party turned out fantastic - we had so much fun hanging out with so many friends and family! Thank you all for coming :)

I didn't have any time to take any pictures because I was running around like a crazy person (usually I'm much more prepared, but I hadn't slept very much so my brain wasn't working very well at the time). However, my lovely sister took a few that I thought I would share.

The dessert table had a few additions later on in the evening, too!

We turned our breezeway into the beverage area - all of the beer was in a huge tub to the left.

I know this might sound insane, but this wasn't even all of the food - I think at least two more apps were added after this photo was taken and there were a few things that we left in the kitchen because they were hot!

My sister, brother and I - he makes us look like shrimps!!

My college friends came, too - it was SO great to see them all!

Our Home, Sneak Peek - Day Three

There was a battle today. The final score was:

Guest Bedroom Furniture - 1

The Cursaros - 0

It was sad (and seriously annoying), but the furniture has a lot of intricacies so it isn't easy to paint at all. So we're postponing a little bit which means no sneak peek into our guest bedroom. However, I will bless you with the ridiculous before and after of our master bedroom. I say ridiculous because it was AWFUL before and it became immensely better just with a paint of coat and all of the furniture/bedding we had in our last house. Once again, it isn't finished because we'd like to get a new king-sized bed with matching dressers, etc., but it works for now. Enjoy!

Oh, yes our bedroom was a lovely shade of Pepto-Bismol pink before we had it painted. Luckily it was done before we moved in and we never had to sleep in the great pink abyss.

Immediately better with a coat of paint, freshly done trim and two-inch blinds (I will never purchase the yicky skinny ones again!!). The gorgeous Pottery Barn (are you starting to see a trend here??) Morgan Duvet and Shams were a shower gift from Ilario's mom. The brown linen pillows, again from Pottery Barn, were a wedding gift from my Grandma - I have them all over our house in different shades because I love them so much! The bamboo bench and night stands, gifts from my Aunt Carolyn, are from Target (sorry I've had them for awhile and they're no longer available). I SO love our matching lamps because they offer the perfect light to read by at night. They were also incredibly affordable since I bought them at my true love, Garden Ridge.

Ballard Designs, My Current Wish List

I know it's not Friday, but the bedrooms just aren't ready to be shown off today (the guest bedroom especially - the furniture that belongs in there is still in the garage being painted, oops!). So I'm switching Friday and Thursday because it's my blog and I can do what I want :)

I have been getting Ballard Designs' e-mails for quite a while now. I don't remember how I came across them, but boy am I glad that I did. Yesterday I received their August '09 catalog and I couldn't stop saying to Ilario, "Oh, I want that" or "This is exactly what I was looking for in the (insert room here)" while flipping through. However, Ballard isn't exactly cheap so purchasing most of these things is easier said than done. So here I go with another dream sequence. . .

1) The one thing that I can actually afford currently is this adorable Pineapple Cast Iron Doorstop. It reminds me of the south and we are in dire need of a doorstop for our backdoor leading into the kitchen (we use the can opener now for God's sake!). This would be the perfect solution. 2) I want two salon chairs very similar to this for baci's office. They're so sexy yet assertive! I would totally take advantage of Ballard's option to send in your own upholstery fabric. 3) The moment I saw this Le Poeme Rug I knew it was exactly what I had been in search of for our breezeway. It tells Jean de La Fontaine's 17th century fable of "The Cricket and The Ant". 4) I've always wanted a large leather chair and a sleeper sofa so Ballard's Continental Twin Sleeper is the greatest combination for me. I love that two people could snuggle in it together!

Our Home, Sneak Peek - Day Two

As promised, today is the sneak peek into our kitchen. We really didn't change very much in the kitchen - the cabinets were actually this gorgeous green when we bought the house, we just added a fresh coat of paint to everything. We also purchased a new refrigerator and micro-hood to save space. There are still a few things I would like to add to the kitchen like a few small pieces of art and black rugs, but it works for now!

At first I unsure about the glass-front cabinets, but I love them now - it forces me to stay very organized and shows off all of the great dinnerware I have. My favorite part here is the little nook above the micro-hood which is the perfect home for my cookbooks.

This is a view of the opposite side of the kitchen - notice the world's smallest dishwasher! It works, but it definitely takes some engineering to load when we have guests over for dinner.

This is our little breakfast nook - it's only big enough to hold two of the table's chairs (similar to this one from Target), but it works well for us. I got these adorable curtains at Wal*Mart. They are from the Better Homes & Gardens line - I love the lace-like detail and that they let so much natural light in while still providing privacy.

Just a few more details in the kitchen: I put this old Mason jar to work as a place to catch change when we walk in the door.

Sometimes I wonder how I survived without my KitchenAid mixer (a wedding present from my Aunt Mary) - I use it all of the time! I've had these simple little containers since college and they rock.

Ilario and I started collecting these fun state-shaped magnets when we were living in Charlotte, traveling to Ohio a lot. We are always on the lookout for more states that we've been to together.

Our Home, Sneak Peek - Day One

I know I promised photos of our new home ages ago, but we have been so busy and haven't exactly had the time to put the finishing touches on it. It's go time though because we have our housewarming party this weekend and everything needs to be as done as possible. So I thought I'd share a few snippets of our home in the days approaching the party.

Today's rooms are the living room, dining room (which are technically just one large space) and the downstairs hallway. Take a look at what the living room and dining room looked like before - the gorgeous (and original!!) wood floors were covered with carpet and the windows were drafty and peeling.

The built-in area was just awful and all of the air vents had seen better days.

After a coat of Sherwin-Williams Stone Lion and a shiny new coat of white for all of the trim, everything looks so much better! Not to mention that we ripped up the old carpet and had the windows replaced with gorgeous (and energy efficient) windows.

From Left to Right Clockwise: I am so in love with this pillow from Pottery Barn - it was a last minute grab when I was buying the new curtains and sheers. Sadly, I think it was only sold for a very limited time. You also get a glimpse of the hardwoods!

We left the mantle the same for now, but added a fresh coat of paint that matched the rest of the trim in the house. I kept the mantle very personal - the black and white photograph was taken by the incredibly talented Chris Coffey, who just so happens to be my brother-in-law's brother-in-law (I know that was complicated, sorry!); the small frame holds a photo of my late grandfather holding me as a baby; the leather frame holds a postcard of a watercolor drawing depicting Palio di Siena that my husband's parent's sent him from Italy the summer before we met; the oversized mirror was purchased for the dining room in our last home from Garden Ridge (I miss that store SO much!); Jess and Glenn gave us the monogrammed candle as a thank you for throwing their engagement party - it's from my FAVORITE boutique in uptown Charlotte called Blis; the mint julep cup was used as a centerpiece at our wedding and is now filled with a hydrangea from the bridal shower my mother-in-law threw me; the large wooden frame was the present I gave Ilario on our wedding day - it's from Willy Jay's in Charleston (where we got engaged); the silver candle holders were purchased on the same trip to Charleston and were on the tables at our rehearsal dinner.

The Lee Gallery Frames from Pottery Barn transformed our downstairs hallway into our own little gallery with the help of some strategically placed overhead track lighting. The photos are all black and white images from our wedding day taken by Brandy J Photography, of course.

Our dining room area is denoted by the white chair rail that I just love! Our mission-style World Market dining room table (sorry, it's no longer available either) fits perfectly between our awesome wine bar and auction-purchased china cabinet (thanks again, Uncle Ted!). The large glass platter was a wedding present made by Ilario's cousin, Domenico Cavallaro, who blows glass and the tin wine label sign was a wedding gift from Jess and Glenn - it has his first name and her last name on it (they're spelled wrong, but they're there - lol!).

I hope you enjoyed this mini home tour! Tomorrow's room: the kitchen!

Yummy Vegan Cupcake Recipe

I've decided to take on the adventure of making vegan cupcakes for my sister-in-law's September baby shower so I found several recipes that I thought I would try out before I try to feed 40+ people with them. I've never tried vegan baking so I was a little afraid of how they would turn out. My fears were absolutely unnecessary because I made the first recipe this weekend and brought them down to Columbus for my sister-in-law and a few other friends to try. They FELL IN LOVE! Jess actually went so far as to say that they were now her favorite cupcake in the world, ever. I was then forced to promise that I would share the recipe here :)

I swear, you would never in a million years know that this was a vegan recipe by tasting these cupcakes. I must give a shout out to The Post Punk Kitchen and Shmooed Food (recipes from The Vegan Lunch Box) for these recipes - I tweaked them a little, but they certainly set me on the right track. Next time I think I would try to make them gluten free as well so literally everyone can eat them!

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Amaretto Frosting

Yellow Cupcakes

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 scant cups plain soymilk*

2 1/8 cups flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/8 cups sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/4 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. coconut extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin cups with nonstick spray or line with paper cupcake liners. Set aside.

Place apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup and fill with soymilk until it equals 1 1/2 cups (*this is why it is 1 1/2 scant cups). Stir well and set aside, curdling is perfectly normal.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another mixing bowl whisk together soymilk mixture, oil, vanilla and coconut extract. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes then remove cupcakes from the pan and place on a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting. Makes 22 cupcakes

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread

2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa Powder

3 Cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup plain soymilk

1 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 t. almond extract

Melt "butter" in a small microwave safe bowl. Place melted "butter" in large metal bowl. Add cocoa powder and stir. Add powdered sugar and half of the soymilk, beat on medium speed adding remaining milk little by little until frosting reaches good spreading consistency. Mix in extracts.

Feel free to cut the frosting recipe in half if you prefer not to have leftovers. Also, this recipe is definitely delicious as is, but you could certainly leave out the coconut extract (though it is a very mild taste). The almond in the frosting makes it taste as though it's flavored with amaretto, you could always lighten up on that, too. Enjoy!!!

Re-wed - My Current Wish List

My husband is going to kill me for even mentioning planning another wedding for ourselves (he had enough the first time around!), but with our best friends marrying one another this weekend I am very much in the "I want to get married again" mood. Don't get me wrong, I loved every little detail and each moment of our wedding day, but I loved it so much I want to do it again! This is my dream, bear with me as I run with it. . .

I love all the unique color themes that are out there now, but since I am quite the traditionalist when it comes to my own wedding I would want the look to be completely timeless. I think I would go with all ivory this time around with pale blush, charcoal grey and crystal accents - candles and full, lush flowers (peonies, ranunculus) everywhere. We'd get married outside under the great big walnut tree in my parent's backyard with the open field behind us (and if I could find wild horses to roam around I would). I would keep the traditional full Catholic ceremony, the guests, the food all the same.

Here are a few details that I would have at our "Re-wed" ceremony: 1) Crystal chandeliers would hang from the walnut tree we would stand under. 2) I am in love with this bride's dress, hair and headpiece - if I could get Ilario to wear the suit I would be a happy woman! 3) This is the perfect pouffy flower bouquet. 4) I totally would recruit a nephew or cousin to wear this amazingly adorable little ring bearer outfit!

Images 1 & 3 from Style Me Pretty, 2 Inspired by This and 4 by Jonathan Canlas Photography.

Please Forgive Me. . .

. . . if I was MIA today, but I was enjoying life at the Bridgestone Invitational here at Akron's own Firestone Country Club. I LOVE WATCHING GOLF! I know, it sounds really weird, but there isn't another sport where you can get THAT close to someone THAT talented. I LOVE IT! Besides there are some pretty men involved :) Seriously, women, you should really get into golf.

I was super pumped that my boyfriend, Adam Scott, was there - I even caught him shooting at his final hole. Isn't he beautiful?

We also got to see Tiger for the first time ever!! The two times we attended the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte he wasn't there.

I also might have fallen in love with Stewart Cink today.

Always so nice to see Kent State alum Ben Curtis, sharply dressed Camilo Villegas, the always amazing Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh.

Oh, we also saw this guy for the first time ever - Shingo Katayama definitely adds a different element to the game of golf! Lol!

Images from World Golf Championships, Golf World, TigerWoods.com, Golf Digest, Red Bulls Readers, and Guardian.co.uk.

Vintage, Shabby Chic Inspiration Board

The moment I laid eyes on these photos I knew an inspiration board would have to be in order! This gorgeous wedding shoot with images by Lisa Lefkowitz was featured on Style Me Pretty last week and it is beyond words. I am especially in love with the pastel petit fours, the flowing ribbon flower girl basket and the incredible usage of vintage glassware! Be sure to check out all of the posts - I, II, III, IV, V.

Absolutely stunning with work done by (list directly from SMP):

Photography by Lisa Lefkowitz / Event Design by Gloria Wong Design / Hair + Makeup by Taylor Pham and Mimi Rickett using Thi Cosmetics / Location, Beltane Ranch / Floral Design by Nancy Liu Chin / Wardrobe Styling by Ameliana Kamstra / Paper Goods by Good On Paper Design / Calligraphy byMaybelle Imasa-Stukuls / Letterpress by Flybird Press / Fabric Crafts by Anne Millett of Mira Aster / Printed Fabrics by Peapod Fabrics / Wooden Signs by Darline Treitler of The Back Porch Shoppe / Stencils for Wooden Signs by Joanie Klein of Creative Stencil Designs / Salvage Parts on Sign-In Table by Ohmega Salvage / Cakes by Cake Coquette / Pies by Schubert’s Bakery / Candies by
Miette / Flower Girls’ Dresses by Ses Petites Mains / Floor-length Lace Wedding Gown by Amy Kuschel / Runner on Tables by La Tavola Linen

Models: Khrystyna Kazakova from Look Agency (Bride) / Justin Belcher from Look Agency (Groom) / Ryan Monroe from Stars Agency (Flower Girl) / Sofia Ruiz from Stars Agency (Flower Girl)

Abigail Jane

Summer Baby #2 was born July 23rd and I wanted to take a minute to wish our dear friends, Alison, Chris and son, Aidan, CONGRATULATIONS on their new addition, Abigail Jane! The whole family is packing up their little one and moving back to NY this week, too! We can't wait to meet Abby and see the new homestead. Congratulations on all of your new beginnings, Alison, Chris and Aidan - we miss you!!