Weekend Recap (a bit late...)

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Officially half way through the work week :)

Our dinner party turned out to be a big success, but I will get to that soon!

Friday afternoon was spent going from grocery store to grocery store collecting all of the ingredients for Saturday night. There were four stores in total, luckily Friday nights aren't exactly a happening time to be food shopping! The one item which was the hardest to find was Okra, I almost gave up and went with another green, and then Whole Foods came to the rescue!

After we shopped, we came home to clean the house. It was one of those move all the furniture to vacuum, dust the ceilings cleans, which are basically the bain of Oliver's existence but he happily (I knew he was faking) played along.

We woke up Saturday morning to a limping puppy, it seemed he had broken his nail, so off to the vet we went. They pulled it and gave us some antibiotics, he immediately stopped limping which made me feel better. However I spent the rest of day giving him extra treats to make up for it!

Then the cooking began, I have to say it went incredibly smoothly. I had time to nap, curl my hair and get my eyebrows done which is unheard of in our house on party days! Oliver always teases me that I worry too much about things being perfect, my response: "I get it from my Mom!" I don't think there is one party she has thrown that wasn't perfection!

When our guests arrived I was so happy to see everyone! The food turned out amazing (thanks to Oliver) and the company was the best! We have had a lot going on lately, so it was amazing to have a night to forget about all of that and be with people who make us laugh!

 Here are a few (I need to be better about pictures!) from our Southern Inspired BBQ! Hope you enjoy :)

I re purposed the burlap from Thanksgiving and used my favorite Anthropologie napkins. These fresh blooms were a great addition thanks to Trader Joe's!

 I was the bartender a lot of the night, my signature drink was Old Fashions. I used my favorite Kate Spade His & Hers glasses, good whiskey drinking glasses! also made Southern Spiked Sweet Tea & Vodka Lemonade. I will admit I cheated on the lemonade and used already made lemonade (I felt guilty but there just isn't enough time in the day!)

 

Gift ideas for the 'Hostess with the Mostess'

With the Holiday season rolling in I thought I would share with you some of my favorite ideas for hostess gifts! When I am going to be a guest in someone's home I always try to think of a thoughtful gift they will enjoy receiving. I tend to politely decline when guests offer to bring a dish or dessert to my home. I have many reasons for this but mainly I want my guests to enjoy their time and relax instead of stressing over what they are going to make or bring. I do have an exception to this rule and that is my Aunt who makes a mean butternut squash dish! She makes it every year for Thanksgiving so instead of attempting to recreate it I gladly took her up on her offer to make it for me!

With all that being said, my Mom always taught me you never go anywhere empty handed so I have cultivated a list of staple items I bring to someone's home to thank them for having me!

1. A bottle of their favorite drink- whether it be an aged scotch, or bottle of bubbly I feel it is important to bring something that the Host/ Hostess will enjoy. If they so choose to open said bottle with you it would be lovely, but the intent is that it is primarily something for them to enjoy! Speaking of favorite drinks how cute are this seasonal Chandon bottles?

2. Flowers- know your host on this one, I would never bring flowers to my Mother, she hates them and would likely forget to water them. A dear friend of mine however loves fresh blooms so for her I would certainly find this an appropriate gift. I like to go to Whole Foods or Trader Joes' and pick up some of their loose blooms and arrange them myself. If you want to bring flowers make sure they are already arranged, if you did them yourself or purchased them that way and they are display ready upon arrival.

3. I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back but I absolutely love it! A "Next Morning" box, complete with breakfast items, such as coffee, tea, scones, tea towels & jam.  You could also make a batch of your favorite cookie dough and gift it with instructions for cooking so the hostess can make it on her own time as a little treat! We had a very sweet friend do this for us and I loved the idea! As someone who hosts quite frequently (& loves every minute) waking up the next morning to a messy kitchen is stress inducing, but a beautiful breakfast basket would be the perfect pick me up!

4. A personalized item is always a hit- Etsy is a perfect place for something like this! I received a return address stamp from a friend as a housewarming gift and I love it! Whether it be a cutting board, ornament for their tree or stationary, something with a personal touch shows you planned ahead & thought of the Host!

Regardless of what route you choose to go make sure to drop a "thank you" note in the mail when you leave. Snail mail is a lost art, but is far more meaningful than the "thank you text", which I have without a doubt been guilty of, however I am trying to make a more concerted effort to fix!

Happy Holiday Season!