cute cupcakes.

Of course, I've been saving dessert for last - the sugary end to my dinner party posts. Cute and simple yellow and green cupcakes were in keeping with the color scheme and a delicious post-dining delight!

I have been lucky to spend the last few months living at home with access to every kitchen utensil I could possibly need (and not need) - but those who don't have all the icing essentials handy might want some fun and easy help adding a little spark to these tasty treats. Thanks to Betty, topping the cakes with green accents was one of the simplest parts of the whole baking experience. Each of the 6 colors available come with four decorating tips for all of your creative icing ideas!

menu.

I must admit, cooking for fourteen was a bit daunting - all those proportions had me dizzy so I ended up using some creative improvisation with my ingredient amounts! (Lucky me, it worked out.) I decided on two kinds of crostini for passed appetizers - pesto, tomato, mozzarella and basil and hummus with cucumber. Thanks to Lucy's stellar photography you can see the preparation in action!As a vegetarian, pasta is a staple in my diet and fortunately one of my favorite foods. After a failed attempt at a new recipe the night before, I decided to make my all time favorite dish - bowties with roasted garlic-covered cherry tomatoes, arugula, parmesan and lemon zest. I wish I knew who to attribute the recipe too, but Helen has been making the dish for years and is missing the origins and I can't seem to locate it on google. The main course was accompanied by a green salad, consisting of baby mixed greens, cucumber and avocado, lightly dressed with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Yum yum. I'll let you head into the weekend with my favorite photo of my prettier guests!

name game.

Place cards are so small but can add so much. Not only do they prevent the awkward milling around the table moment before the meal is served but they allow guests to be intermixed among each other to create new friends and spark interesting conversations. Let's also not forget that they are pretty! I used gift cards adorned with an orange and pink flower vase to make my place cards for Saturday.

American Greetings has a whole array of place cards that are ready to print. All you need is card stock and a pair of scissors and ta-da! The perfect table accessory. I love these cute pink and green ones. They also have ready to print candy bar wrappers - so not only do guests know where to sit, but they also get a sweet treat!

farewell summer, farewell tri-state.

Finally - my dinner party! Fourteen of my favorite people from the Tri-State area (and beyond) came over on Saturday to indulge with friends. I think it's safe to say we ate too much, drank too much and enjoyed too much!

Just as I had hoped, the yellow and orange gerber daisies popped perfectly against the pink table cloth, while still picking up the plaid accents.


Since last weekend was the final weekend of the summer, I decided to use pinks highlighted with orange, yellow and green to echo the season that was departing. Of course, this was fitting for a dinner party that was intended to casually celebrate my departure too...

Thank you so much to everyone who made the night so memorable - more details to come!

the prettier place?

The move is less than two weeks away - I could not be more thrilled!! I am going to digress from parties for the day (though I have lots to share from my dinner party this weekend) to show you my wonderful almost roommate, Cary, and my new apartment, which I am far too excited about.

This is the living room.

Our kitchen with this pseudo-bizarre/pseudo-chic plastic Legoland floor. (I love exposed brick!)

The first bedroom. (More brick!)

The second bedroom. (There's more brick in this room too!)

I'm sure once we move in and decorate it will be even more enjoyable. I can't wait to entertain in our charming new home!

oops a (gerber) daisy!

It's official! I gave my two weeks notice yesterday at work and I am moving to Boston next month. To celebrate, I'm hosting a dinner party Saturday night with a farewell to summer theme. Along with the classic summertime ambiance of sunset cocktails on the porch and s'mores around the fire pit, I've decided to make Gerber Daisies the center of attention for the evening. Their broad blooms and bold colors create an arrangement that perfectly pops.


Here is a bright and beautiful vase, accenting a wedding featured on the knot. Click over to see how these simple but gorgeous flowers became an underlying theme in the event.

elegant orchid.

A gorgeously complex (yet simple) single orchid makes a very tasteful centerpiece.

Pair with classic hurricane vases to complete the look.

fancy frocks.

Looking for a pretty party dress for fall? Here are a few of my favorites.

Yoana Baraschi's Metallic Pleated Mini at Bloomies

Tibi's Scoop Neck Shift Dress at Shopbop
French Connection's Bonny Dress also at Bloomies (check out the FC website for cute colors)

festive baked goods.

This post is a small part joke and mostly fabulous. My close friends and I seem to end up decorating cookies, cupcakes and real cakes for all of our holiday gatherings. While perhaps not culinary-museum-worthy feats, they certainly bring personality to the affair!

One can always look to Ina for a cake to make the party - my dear little friend Annie has now graced our 4th of July bash with the Contessa's divine flag cake for two years in a row. Complete with sparklers and a patriotic sing-a-long it's a guaranteed way to make the dessert the main event.

Looking for something easier? All you need is fun shaped cookie cutters, appropriate colored frosting and several creative geniuses to add flare to the dessert selection. Last Halloween, ghost shaped cookies were adorned with the names of the party-goers in orange and brown frosting.

hurricane flames.

When it comes to table decor, candles are a staple. It is near impossible to get the soft, warm and unique lighting that a candle provides without one! While standing alone can look quite chic, often these wax luminaries become the focal point of a slightly more intricate design - delicately placed in tall crystal holders or several floating in a bowl.

Creating a simple, tasteful and gorgeous centerpiece is easy! Hurricane vases are one of my favorite looks as they give lots of space for creativity. Supporting candles using sand and a collection of small shells instantly brings the beach right to the table. Gemstones, corks and coffee beans are other great options.

For a totally different look, forgo the candle and fill with glass ornaments or citrus fruits as seen above from Apartment Therapy.

customized candies.

What could be cuter (or tastier) than designing your own personalized M&Ms? Whether an engagement party (seen in my friend Amanda's cute white and blue above), a baby shower, birthday party, company picnic or a football game, you can print names, logos, and even faces on these tiny colored candies. There are twenty-five colors to choose from including shimmer options to add some pizazz!

breakfast delivery!

Just as enjoyable as breakfast in bed!

My adorable friend, Jennifer, has the fortune/misfortune of celebrating her birthday on July the 5th. Yes, she is always surrounded by friends and enjoys a long weekend, but sometimes the festivities surrounding the birth of our nation over-shadow those pertaining to the entry of our beautiful Southern Belle into this wonderful land. This year we had her family to the rescue, and wow did they do a great job.

They called up Rebecca Thorpe with Girl Admiral, an event planning group based in Fairfield, Connecticut. Rebecca delivered a gorgeous breakfast spread for thirty to the door, including mimosas, fresh fruit skewers, chocolate chip scones with nutella, bacon, mini spinach, egg and cheese casseroles, a delicious red velvet cake and flower arrangement. It was an absolutely delightful way to start the morning!

Check out Rebecca's very cute and equally inspiring blog The Girl in Charge.

fold away.

Napkins are an inexpensive and simple way to make a table pop. Add tasteful folding and you have the perfect place-setting accessory! Helen, my-craftier-than-I mother, has the book Napkin Folds by Bridget Jones and Madeleine Brehaut hanging around the house - so I delved in to explore the possibilities. It's probably best if you start with a freshly pressed, square cloth napkin, however, in order to get the crisp edges on the pinwheel I found a fun paper napkin to use instead. If I can do these you certainly can too!

The Parasol:

The Pinwheel:

The Lover's Knot:

The Spreading Fan:

I am so excited to jazz up my next dinner party!!

bloom.

While in Maine last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to visit both the Thuya Garden and the Rockefeller Garden on Mount Desert Island. Both gardens were at their peaks and absolutely stunning. A perfectly manicured melange of colors and shapes - I could have spent a day just sitting with my book amongst the blossoms.

It is so often that flowers are the chosen accessory of an event, whether a bouquet, corsage or a center piece, they add color and complexity to the decor. Naturally, I've fallen in love with the vibrant hues and the little intricacies of flowers.

Continue to quench your flower fix at my lovely budding-landscape-architect-friend Molly's blog, Pottering around an English parterre in Maryland.