fern, she’s a lovely dress.
whimsy, romance, charm, she has it all. i heart her so.

i just had to share…i went dress shopping tuesday with my mom and best pal at swoon…a bridal salon. the owner, michelle was wonderful and her salon is a perfect jewel box. it is lovely and so glam. i loved it! everything was definitely swoon-worthy.

i tried on 9 dresses and was torn between 3 gowns, one was short and adorable! one was very different with a very full skirt w/ pockets (pockets! delightful!)…and then there was fern with her lace details and sunburst pleating. my mom was very against the short dress, i thought she was going to vomit in her mouth when i walked out of the fitting room. no joke. i guess it helped along the decision making process.

it’s been days since i’ve updated here…dang. life got a little busy, but i’m coming back soon. very soon.

until the wedding! according to my daily project wedding emails. i’ve been trying to organize my thoughts and get this proverbial ball a-rollin. it’s hard and a little overwhelming but, with the help of my friends and sean and my need to write lists…i think we’ll be able to pull it off. i have paper garlands planned and a few other paper-craft projects in the works, that i will post as time progresses. i’m not going to make everything though…heck no. a few months ago, as i was perusing etsy for wedding goods i spied the cutest cake topper ever from lollipop workshop. had to have it, so i convo’d jenny and viola! cake topper! she even added glasses at the last minute. so friggin’ cute! thank you jenny ;)

speaking of cute, i like small, cute food (but really, i like food of all sizes). i think it even tastes cute. like these little lemon tarts…so cute! sunny lemon and toasty meringue…cute!

okay, i’ll stop.

for the crust i used the same sable breton base (i froze it and it was still wonderful) that i used for the raspberry and cream tartlettes from last week. i also improvised a swiss meringue because sometimes i feel like traditional meringue (american style?) is too foamy.

lemon curd
this recipe comes from baking: from my home to yours. i added the juice of one more lemon, rebel that i am ;)

1 1/4 cups sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
1 large egg
6 large egg yolks
freshly squeezed juice of 5 lemons

put all of the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. stir constantly over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture has thickened like custard. be sure to stir without stopping as the mixture will curdle easily. the curd is done when you can run a finger across the back of your spoon and the curd does not run back into the track. pour into a heatproof bow and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. cool to room temperature and srtore int the refrigerator. the curd will thicken as it cools.

spoon cooled curd onto baked and cooled sable breton bases. top with meringue and toast.

swiss meringue
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

in the bowl of a stand mixer combine all ingredients and set over a pan of simmering water. stir the mixture constantly until the sugar dissolves and eggs are warm to the touch. an easy way to check if the sugar has dissolved is to rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers…if it’s smooth you’re golden. place the mixer bowl on the stand fitted with a whisk attachment. beat, gradually increasing speed from med-low to high until meringue is stiff, not dry. spoon or pipe onto tarts and either brown with a torch or toast under the broiler.