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!

DIY Herb Bouquet Place Cards

This weekend we are having close friends over for a fun DIY pizza party.  This type of occasion naturally means -- a perfect opportunity to tablescape!  With all of the traveling I have been doing so far this year, it occurred to me that my last dinner party and tablescape was Christmas!  I cannot believe that it is almost May and I have been tablescapeless.  Needless to say, I am thrilled to have the chance to finally create my first tablescape of 2016!

While the full tablescape and menu details will be on the blog next week, I wanted to use today's post to share the details on the DIY project included in this latest table creation - Herb Bouquet Place Cards.  

Place cards are a tablescape essential for my parties because I find that they are a great way to insure that your guests have the opportunity to chat with new people.  In addition to mixing up table conversation, they can also add an extra pop of color or decor to your table setting.  I absolutely love the fresh pop of green these herb bouquets add to each place setting and the blue cards tie in perfectly with my buffalo check napkins.  These bouquets are super easy to make and relatively inexpensive.  Fragrant and very fitting for entertaining during the warmer months, these place cards are a fabulous tablescape addition. 

Supplies (Makes 4 Bouquets)

• Package of Place Cards (pictured in Night)
• Gold Marker Pen (medium-thick point)
• Scissors
• Gold Ink Pad
• Laurel Rubber Stamp
• Raffia Ribbon
• 4 Packages of Fresh Poultry Herbs 
• 1 Package of Fresh Rosemary
• Hole Punch

Instructions

1. Cut each place card on the fold crease to create 2 individual cards
2. Stamp each cut piece and fill in each guest's name
3. Trim the edges of each card
4. Hole punch the top right corner of each card and then set cards aside
5. Cut raffia ribbon into eight 12" long pieces
6. Arrange one package of poultry herbs into a bouquet adding extra sprigs of rosemary or thyme where needed in order to create a beautiful mini bouquet
7. Wrap an entire piece of cut raffia ribbon tightly around the base and secure the ribbon by making a small knot
8. Loop a second piece of ribbon through the hole punched place card and secure the card to the bouquet by tying a bow
9. I recommend keeping these bouquets in the refrigerator until right before you are ready to use them in order to keep them looking fresh and crisp.

Thanksgiving Tablescape Part 2: Accommodating Guest Overflow

There are only about a handful of occasions where my guest list exceeds my table's seating capacity and this Thanksgiving dinner party is one of those occasions.  So the question became, where to seat my overflow of attendees?  

I spent a lot of time researching various table options (fold outs, party tables, rentals, etc..) and in the end realized that the most practical option would be to convert my coffee table into a separate dining space for three.  This seating arrangement would not only keep the living room/dining room walkways cleared and seat my remaining guests perfectly, but also save me the added expense of ordering/renting an additional dining table.  Such a beyond perfect solution!  

A lot of thought went into designing this table and figuring out who would sit here.  I wanted to create a table look that was harmonious with the bigger table and felt just as thoughtfully put together.  In addition, I needed to decide on 3 individuals who would be best suited for this table.  After much deliberation, I realized that this table would be the perfect dining setting for my husband, brother and brother-in-law.  Why?  Aside from the fact that they are probably the three most easy-going members of my family, this table is situated in front of the living room television (aka prime seating for thanksgiving football watching!).  Yes, I know that sounds a little tacky to have the television going during dinner, but it will be on mute and most importantly, I want all of my guests to be comfortable and happy. 

Mini Tablescape Details:

• Tablecloth- Brown Kraft Paper (Wrapping Paper Roll)
• Placemats- Chilewich Dahlia Pressed Vinyl Round Placemats, Gold
• Chargers- World Market Rattan Chargers
• Centerpiece- Nate Berkus Gold Geometric Votive Holder Centerpiece
• Place Card Holders- Williams Sonoma's Dome Place Card Holders, Bronze
• Place Cards- Small Fall Paper Leaves (Available in Stores)
• Salt and Pepper Cellars- See here and here
• See this post for all remaining tableware details not mentioned above. 

Since this table still needs to remain functional up until right before dinner is served on Thanksgiving, I am not going to be able to leave this table set and ready to go (bummer).  The bright side is that I have taken the time to do a complete dry run, make sure I have all necessary table accessories and document how the table should be set up the night of the dinner.  

I am thrilled with the way this mini tablescape has come together.  With all of the Fall accents, it looks thoughtful and cohesive. Of course the added entertainment (watching football during dinner) is really what has me feeling most confident that these three guys will love their seating assignments.

Now it's time to get cooking!  Stay tuned for Friday's post, where I will be discussing my phase of Turkey Day prep.  Lots of great tips to help you get prepped and ready for serving up a delicious feast on Thanskgiving Day!  

4th of July Tablescape

This year I am hosting friends at our home for the 4th of July.  In the past, my husband and I have spent this holiday in a variety of locations (Beach, Mountains, Bay, DC) with both formal and informal settings.  While I love the idea of grilling on the 4th of July and creating a chic picnic scene, from my experience picnicking in July tends to be most enjoyable when the weather is below 80 degrees and the humidity is at a reasonable level.  Maybe this is just a personal preference, but it is really hard for me to work up an appetite and have an enjoyable dining experience when it's sweltering hot outside (like say, in DC in the dead of summer).  In preparation for Saturday's festivities I want to be mindful of tradition yet still provide my guests with a level of comfort, so I plan on grilling outside and serving dinner inside.  

When creating this tablescape, I wanted to incorporate a level of sophistication since we will be eating inside, but also incorporate a few festive whimsical touches.  I opted for a solids as opposed to patterns so that I could, a) use materials that I already owned and b) keep the table with a classic Ralph Lauren vibe (since he is the epitome of sophisticated American decor).  Here is a breakdown of what I used to create this tablescape:

• Table Cloth: Ballard Designs
• Placemats: Williams-Sonoma (or Similar here and here)
• Rattan Chargers: World Market
• Dinner Plates: Pillivuyt Basketweave
• Napkins: Pottery Barn Hemstitch Linen, Cranberry (love these napkins too!)
• Steak Knives: Laguiole 
• Party Hats: USA Party Hats, Set of 4 (*Recommend Wearing at a Jaunty Angle)
• High Ball Glasses: Reed & Barton
• Champagne Coupes: West Elm (or similar here)
• Wine Goblets: William Yeoward
• Coasters: Chilewich
• Centerpiece: Tiffany & Co. 
• Flowers: Locally Grown Red Tulips and Red African Roses (2 Bouquets of each)

Menu:

• Entree: Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
• Salad: Ina Garten's Panzanella Salad
• Side: Bobby Flay's Perfectly Grilled Corn
• Dessert: Patriotic Berry Trifle and Fresh Cut Watermelon
• Cocktail: Blueberry Ginger Bellinis

Prior to creating this tablescape, I spent a significant amount of time on Pinterest (see my 4th of July Pinterest Board here) trying to figure out how I wanted to go about creating this table setting.  In the end, I realized that I could use a bunch of staple items I already had on hand to create this scape.  The party hats, red flowers and napkins were the only new additions.  **Note- Red Napkins are a great staple to have on hand for entertaining (4th of July, Christmas, Valentines Day, etc…), but it can be challenging to find that perfect shade of red (Cranberry not Cherry Red).  

After dinner, we plan to head down to monuments to enjoy the fireworks.  While I am going against the norm by hosting an indoor dinner, I am still keeping with traditions through my menu, tablescape color scheme and post dinner field trip.  This evening will be a perfect combination of festive and comfortable (2 entertaining musts for me).  I hope this post has given you some inspiration for ways to celebrate the 4th of July with your friends and family.  Happy 4th of July everyone!

Easter Tablescape

Easter is right around the corner and my holiday preparations are in full swing.  As I mentioned in my post on Spring Cheesescaping, this is the first major holiday where I will be hosting my family for dinner.  In preparation for this hostessing first, I wanted to create a beautiful table setting that is both festive and elegant.  

In order to create an elegant yet festive look, this tablescape required a mix of both formal and informal tableware.  A few examples of how I achieved this balance include:

• Framing my formal china with my everyday dinner plates 
• Topping my simple white tablecloth with beautiful gold placemats
• Pairing my everyday green goblets with my formal crystal wine glasses.  

In addition to sharing my formal/informal pairings, here is a breakdown of everything I used to create this Easter tablescape:

• Placemats: Chilewich Gold Pressed Dahlia Placemats
• Dinner Plates: Pillivuyt Basketweave Dinner Plates
• Accent Plates: Bernardaud Constance Salad Plates
• Napkins: Kim Seybert Meander Embroidered Napkins
• Napkin Rings: Brass Napkin Rings
• Steak Knives: Laguiole Ivory Steak Knives
• Water Glasses: Villeroy & Boch Boston Goblets (Green)
• Wine Glasses: William Yeoward Fanny Wine Goblets
• Place Card Holders: Target Threshold Bunny Placecard Holders
• Nests: Touch of Nature Wild Grass Nest
• Glitter Eggs: Boston International Green Glitter Eggs
• Bud Vases: Libbey Adorn Hurricane Vases
• Votives: Tiffany & Co. Rock Cut Votives
• Brass Tray: Barreveld International Iron Round Tray

Flowers

Lilies and Easter go together like peanut butter and jelly!  Even though I am not using white Easter lilies on this table, it still seemed very fitting to opt for bright pink calla lilies to add a pop of Spring color.  To finish the look, I divided a dozen bright pink roses into four small glass bud vases and placed them around the table.  The addition of the roses created a substantial presence for the color pink so that it didn't seem completely random in the sea of green, white and gold.   

My Easter Dilemma

I would like to think that my Easter Tablescape has been finalized, but there is one small detail that has been preventing me from moving on to the next task on my Easter Prep Checklist.  

As part of my process for creating a tablescape, I switch in and out a bunch of different table accessories before finding the perfect look.  Typically this is a fairly effective process, but this time it backfired.  One of my biggest challenges with this tablescape has been trying to determine whether or not I should include my rattan chargers.   They tie in beautifully to this scape because of the dried grass birds nests, but for the life of me I cannot make a decision because I like both looks.  If you have any thoughts on whether or not I should use the chargers for dinner this weekend, please leave a comment.  I would greatly appreciate any/all suggestions as I am totally stumped!

Even if you can't decide whether or not I should incorporate the rattan chargers, I hope you have a wonderful Easter holiday filled with family, memorable moments and maybe even a little tablescaping of your own.