Host a Chic Pizza Party

This past weekend I hosted a casual-chic pizza party for a small group at our home.  We had a great time catching up with our friends while enjoying delicious wine, homemade pizza and of course cheering on our beloved Washington Capitals! 

I loved that this small party gave me the opportunity to play hostess and (of course more importantly) the perfect excuse to tablescape!  In order to achieve a balance of casual and chic, I my table setting needed to be a mix of formal and informal.  A centerpiece filled with sunflowers paired with my new favorite navy and white Williams-Sonoma napkins provided the casual spring elements that helped to balance out the more formal crystal and gold elements.  Below I have shared a breakdown of both the table and menu details to show you how I achieved a party that was the perfect balance of both casual and elegant. 

Table Details 

• DIY Herb Bouquet Place Cards
• Pier 1 Dark Brown Rattan Placemats
• Reed & Barton Soho Crystal Highball Glasses
• World Market White Wine Glasses
• Williams-Sonoma Buffalo Plaid Napkins
• Pillivuyt Basketweave Dinner Plates
• Chilewich Dahlia Coasters
• CB2 Bronn Taper Candle Holders
• Centerpiece Flowers: Sunflowers (Trader Joe's)

The Menu

• Hors D'oeuvres: Sprouted Kitchen's Curry Roasted Almonds
• Entree: DIY Homemade Pizza
• Salad: Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing, Roasted Almonds and a slice of Clothbound Aged Cheddar
• Dessert: Blueberry-Lemon Whoopie Pies 
• Wine: Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (Pictured) and Napa Cellars Zinfandel

Every aspect of the party was super easy to create/execute, especially since I had taken the time to have everything done ahead of time (everything cooked/made/set with the exception of assembling and baking the pizzas).  Being super organized is really the key to hosting a successful gathering.  Regardless of size, if you are collected, organized and adequately prepped for your party, hosting will be an absolute breeze!

How to Create the Ultimate Vegetable Platter

Crudités platters have become a staple in my menu repertoire when hosting a cocktail party during the spring and summer months.  Not only are they healthy, colorful and accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions, but they are also an assembly-only hors d'oeuvres option!  If you have ever purchased a crudites platter from the store, it most likely included baby carrots, broccoli, chunky celery sticks and grape tomatoes.  While that is certainly a fine and dandy nibble option when pressed for time, I have personally grown tired of the typical crudites offerings.  Knowing that there are so many fabulous options when it comes to creating a veggie platter, has really turned me off from ever wanting to serve baby carrots to my guests again.  With a little extra effort, you can make a stunning tray of veggies that will have your guests coming back for seconds.   Here is how I went about creating my ultimate vegetable platter:

Veggie Platter Details

To create this most delicious platter, I started with the foundations - a large rectangular serving platter from CB2 and two Marta Tasting Glasses to hold the dips for the board.  Really, its all about the types of veggies used and the way in which you opt to present the produce that can transform you average platter into a true showstopper.  For this platter, I included the following veggies sliced in unique formats using either a peeler, mini mandoline slicer or paring knife.

• Mini English Cucumbers, sliced on the diagonal
• Mini Heirloom Tomatoes
• Peeled Carrots, stems removed and placed below carrots for garnish
• Red and Yellow Peppers, sliced thin
• Tri-colored Carrots (purple, white and orange), sliced on the diagonal
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Radishes, served both whole and sliced thin
• Celery, sliced on the diagonal
• Asparagus, top half only

Veggie Dips

I opted to serve both a lemon hummus and roasted red pepper hummus along side this platter.  Both hummuses were store bought, so I decided to elevate their respective presentations by topping each with a unique/no-fuss garnish.  For the red pepper hummus, I added a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes to kick up the heat a notch.   As for the lemon hummus, I opted to include a few fresh thyme leaves and long thin strips of fresh lemon zest to highlight the current flavors and add some additional flavor complexity.  

This platter was so much fun to assemble and it made for a great addition to yesterday's party menu.  I hope this post has inspired you to look beyond the baby carrots the next time you have to create your own veggie platter and include more unique and seasonal items.  Assembling an ultimate veggie platter is a great/refreshing way to keep a healthy option in the mix at your next party.  

The Perfect Mimosa Recipe to Serve at Your Next Spring Brunch

This past weekend I traveled up to New Jersey with my husband and Dolly to spend Easter with my in-laws.  We had a wonderful weekend together shopping, going out to dinner and just spending quality time together.  The highlight of the weekend would definitely have to have been the delicious brunch my mother-in-law made for us on Easter Sunday.  The menu included - a Garden Veggie Gruyere Fritatta, Bacon, Assorted pastries and the most delicious mimosas (pictured above).  

I have received a bunch of inquiries from followers wanting to know how to make these  fabulous mimosas, so today I am sharing the recipe for making this delicious cocktail.  I love this recipe because it is a unique take on the traditional mimosa and is a perfect cocktail for serving/enjoying during the spring and summer months.  Below I have included a list of the ingredients, a link to the actual recipe (courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis) and a few ideas for how to style/serve this beverage.  

Ingredients

• Prosecco
• Sparkling Water (Chilled)
• Lemons
• Agave or Honey
• Fresh Strawberries
• Fresh Basil 

Instructions

• See here, for details on how to make Giada's Strawberry, Lemon and Basil Mimosa 

Suggestions for Outfitting this Cocktail

• Paper Source's Paper Flower Picks
• Mackenzie-Childs Blooming Champagne Flutes
• Simon Pearce Addison Pitcher
• Spring-themed Cocktail Napkins (here and here)

St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Bar Cart, Part 1

This year I have decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day by hosting a small Irish breakfast for a few friends at my home.  I have outfitted both tiers of my bar cart with an array of breakfast treats that are very fitting for this upcoming holiday.  Today's post will feature the details on my Irish Coffee service pictured above on the top tier of the bar cart.  Tomorrow's post will detail the breakfast items assembled on the bottom tier of the cart.  Both features consist of easy entertaining ideas that are delicious and festive.  The best part?  With the exception of the perishables, most of the accessories used for these two posts are items that I already had on hand.  It is totally worth to take the time to search your own inventory for St. Patrick's Daythemed entertaining accessories (ex. think green, gold, shamrocks, etc.).  I have a feeling that you will be pleasantly surprised by what you already have on hand.

Irish coffee is a must when hosting a festive Irish breakfast.  Serving a classic Irish Whiskey like Jameson alongside a freshly brewed pot of coffee and a few additional accouterments is the perfect way to kick off this day devoted to celebrating the Irish.  In terms of entertaining accessories to pair alongside my Irish coffee service, incorporating my Irish Parian China Coffee Pot into this post was a no-brainer.  From there I opted to use my basketweave mugs not only because they were similar in style to my coffee pot, but also because they were a nod to the fabulous Irish Belleek China. See below for all details on how I went about creating this look.

Bar Cart Details

• Tiffany Weave Coffee Pot
• Pillivuyt Basketweave Mugs
• CB2 Pinch Bowl (Similar Here)
• Caspari Cocktail Napkins
• Green Glass Vase

Irish Coffee Recipe

• Freshly Brewed Hot Coffee
• Brown Sugar (I suggest Dark Brown Sugar)
• Turbinado Sugar (optional - if you don't prefer brown sugar)
• Fresh Whipped Cream
• Jameson Irish Whiskey
• Here is a link to a classic recipe for Irish Coffee

For those of you who have yet to try a traditional Irish coffee, all I can say is that you are definitely missing out!  OMG...WOW, talk about a guaranteed crowd pleaser!!! This is most certainly a decadent and spirited way to kick off your St. Patrick's Day celebration.  Stay tuned- tomorrow I will be unveiling part two of my St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Bar Cart.

Chic Birthday Party Decorations

Spring is a very popular time of year for birthdays amongst my group of friends (and myself included).  Since it has been a while since my last look at birthday decor and celebration ideas (see here), I thought I would share a few of my latest finds that have really upped my birthday celebrating game.  These birthday party extras are both sophisticated and fun, making these items perfect for celebrating almost anyone at any age!

For the Cake

Whether you are baking a cake from scratch or buying super fancy cupcakes (which I am definitely guilty of doing on occasion due to time constraints), no birthday is complete without candles and the traditional happy birthday song!  Once I hit my teenage years, I was over having my birthday candles reflect my age, primarily because it overwhelmed the cake and distracted from the cake's pretty aesthetic (I also didn't need to be reminded of my ever-increasing age).

I prefer to have either a few candles or even a single candle on my cake.  While nothing beats the traditional mini birthday candles sold in most grocery stores, since I tend to opt for few candles I want to make sure that they are special.  Recently, I have discovered Target's Gold Birthday Candles and TOPS Malibu's Big Golden Star Sparkler Wand and absolutely adore these candle options!  The added metallic glitz from these candles makes for a unique and chic addition to any birthday cake.  *To really take the presentation over the top, light the candles with these adorable birthday matches.  

Wrapping Birthday Presents

It can be challenging to find a gift wrap print that is appropriate for an array of gift recipient types (ex. age, gender, relation to you).  Often I find myself housing a ridiculously extensive collection of wrapping papers because I have bought papers based on a single recipient instead of finding a paper that could work for many.  Fortunately, I had my "Ah-ha!" moment a few months ago and have been obsessed ever since!  

Caspari's "Party Animal" line of paper products is a current favorite of mine when it comes to gift wrap, wine bags and gift enclosures.  The sophisticated wild animals decorated in whimsical birthday flare, makes this line of high quality gift wrap ideal to use on both adults and kids.  Caspari has also extended this line to paper tabletop products, which are equally fabulous and another birthday entertaining favorite of mine!

Party On!

If I am going to host a birthday party, then I am going to do it right.  Meaning, I'm  pulling out all of the stops (birthday party essentials), like party hats and confetti! 

Traditional party hats are a thing of the past in my opinion.  They are just too bulky and basic.  Ever since my discovery of the mini santa party hats around Christmas time, I have been totally in love with the concept of jaunty mini party hats worn stylishly tilted to one side of your head.  These Meri Meri Mini Party Hats (pictured below), paired with these super fun and reusable Confetti Pops (pictured above) are fun twists on traditional birthday party accessories that will give any party a fresh and festive vibe.  

Cocktail Time

In addition to outfitting my birthday parties with Caspari's Party Animal paper products, I also love using these "YAY!" Cocktail Napkins.  Not only do they scream FUN, but they are also a pleasantly unexpected/refreshing change from the traditional "Happy Birthday" and "Celebrate!" signage typically printed on birthday party paper products.   

Refreshing my birthday party repertoire with these chic and whimsical additions has me chomping at the bit to host my first birthday celebration of the season.  Simple updates to your party accessories can make all of the difference when it comes to putting together a fun and festive event.  I have always been a fan of birthdays because in my opinion, they are perfect opportunities to single out and celebrate those special people in your life.