Gone are the days when I can pick the themes of my kid’s birthday parties. George is completely Star Wars obsessed and requested a party to match that. We typically like to do “experiences” over parties, but this year we decided to do both. He was so excited to scroll through Pinterest with me and come up with ideas for his party.
I’ve gathered up everything we used to pull this off so you can easily re-create.
Raising children really does take a village and I feel so blessed to have some amazing women in my life to “mom life” with. My sweet friend Nicole Digiacobbe (@thedigigirls on IG) is having her third baby girl and we wanted to celebrate that in a fun way.
We decided to do a “high tea” theme and kept everything floral and girly for baby girl #3.
I was lucky to co-host this shower with some fabulous ladies you should check out! My nearest and dearest, Kristen Brust. She is over on IG at @kristen.brust and has a podcost “In Kristen We Brust” that will make you equally laugh and cry. Mallory Ervin (@malloryervin on IG) and Holly of @ourfauxfarmhouse.
For our catering we used High Tea Tennessee. They take care of everything so that the host can actually talk and enjoy the party instead of rushing around to tend to the food and drink.
We really wanted to do something a bit different and special and this was absolutely a hit! Professional wait staff will make your guests feel like royalty while serving your selections in courses.
Set-up, delivery, and collection is included in all of their parties, along with the option of serving your guests, so you don’t have to worry about lifting a finger at your event! All tea parties include vintage bone china, napkins and runners, fresh flowers, tiered serving stands and platters, and complementing decor for you to enjoy the delicacies of a fancy tea party. Traditional afternoon tea selections like bite-size tea sandwiches, warm scones, and freshly baked sweets are served alongside piping hot tea.
It’d make such a unique bridal/baby shower, birthday, holiday, etc. The owner was so generous to offer a discount to use on your first tea party. To book your tea party, use code 20OFF for 20% off your party (book by June 16th for my discount) and check them out at @highteatenn on IG.
Vendors We Used And Loved:
Event Space: Ozari Nashville– Located in the L&L building. This space is wide open so you use it for so many different types of events. It has beautiful natural light and I love that your guests can easily park on site.
Light Up Letters: Alpha Lit Nashville– These make such a BIG impact at your event. They are a showstopper and quickly become the photo spot at any event.
Florals:
Rentals: Please Be Seated– They put on some of the most dreamy events in Nashville and have everything you could ever think of for party rentals! P.S. the owner, Mary, is hysterical and shares all things “delegating parties” on her IG account, @mrssouthernsocial.
We had our first snow in Nashville the other day and while the fireplace was crackling and we were warm inside we decided to make a super “cozy meal.” Trey came up with this meatballs over creamy polenta and we topped it with pesto and mozzarella. It was absolutely delicious and looked super festive!
I love cooking in our Mackenzie-Childs cookware because they can go straight from stovetop to dining table. They are as functional as they are beautiful. For this we used the Courtly Check 3qt. Pan.
Trey’s Creamy Polenta With Meatballs
Creamy Polenta
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups coarse-ground cornmeal
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat the butter on medium-high heat. Add the oregano, garlic and onions. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock along with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the cornmeal while whisking and avoid it clumping up. Cook, stirring frequently, until thick, (about 20 minutes) Stir in the cream, ricotta and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside off the heat.
Meatballs
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
Heat the oven to 450℉. Drizzle the oil into a 9 x 13″ baking dish and rub to coat the entire surface.
Combine the ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large bowl and mix with your hands until everything is entirely incorporated.
Roll the mixture into round 1 1/2 – 2″ round, golf-ball sized meatballs (a #24 cookie scoop works perfectly for measuring this amount if you happen to have one handy). Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. When they are fully cooked remove them from the oven and drain any excess grease from the dish.
Mix meatballs in with your favorite marinara sauce and put back in over for 15 minutes.
Add meatballs over the polenta. Top meatball/polenta combo with a bit of pesto, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. Cook on low until mozzarella has melted, serve! Enjoy.
I was listening to Brene Brown’s podcast and she posed the question, “Are you doing more contributing than criticizing?” Lately, I have been in a funk and not contributing in the way I want to be.
SO… we decided to do a fun activity as a family and make treat boards and some balloons and go drop them on friends doorsteps. When you are down the best way to get back up is by spreading joy to others.
We really loved doing this and how fun is it for a treat board to show up on your doorstep?!
If you want to re-create this to gift to a friend, host with, or have for upcoming holiday parties I’ve gathered up all of the things that I used below.
P.S. I didn’t bake anything…ha! These things were all pre-made and purchased. Items not tagged were purchased from our local Whole Foods. You can make this using anything you love.
FALL DESSERT CHARCUTERIE INGREDIENT IDEAS:
* Grapes
* Apple Slices
* Caramel Dip
* Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
* Trail Mix
* Caramel Popcorn
* Macaroons
* Candle Apple Covered Pretzels
* Mini Cinnamon Rolls
* Apple Chips
* Mums & Pumpkins For Decoration
This BLT Board is simple to put together and sure to please a crowd. Summer recipes are meant to be bright and colorful! Heirloom tomatoes are the star of this board and you can add as many varieties as you can get your hands on! Your local Farmer’s Market is usually the best place to find some great options.
You can be as creative as you like with your BLT board, but I like to include the following:
INGREDIENTS:
Several Variations of Heirloom Tomatoes (You can also do some roasted tomatoes)
Salt & Pepper
Mayo
Basil Pesto Aioli (Just mix in your favorite pesto with mayo and add splash of lemon juice)
Avocado
Bacon
Peppered Bacon
Bib Lettuce
Fried Eggs (We put this one on a separate dish)
Toasted Sourdough Bread (I used a rosemary sourdough and it was delicious!)
Basil For Garnish
SERVE WITH:
We like to serve this with a summer vegetable salad. (Martha’s Stewart’s Recipe is great!) It’s also great with grilled corn on the cob or roasted potatoes.
While most of us may be celebrating Easter a bit differently this year, we can still make it feel extra special!
This easy to throw together Easter charcuterie board is sure to impress your family and tastes delicious. We took ours outdoors for a little picnic.
Typically when I do a board I have several cheese options. This time I didn’t want to make an extra trip to the grocery store so I used lots of pantry items that I had on hand. These are all great because they have a long shelf life.
* Salami & Pepporoni
* Various Cheese Wedges & Slices
* Honey
* Marinated Olives
* Granola
* Dried Apricots
* Chocolate Covered Almonds
* Toasted Almonds
* Cheese Sticks
* Various Crackers
* A Boursin Cheese Dip Topped With Peach Jam
* Grapes
* Pears
* Macaroons
* Mint for Garnish
* Baby Breath Florals For Decoration
You can really just have fun with it and use fruits, cheeses, meats, etc. that you have on hand.
Tips For Building An Easter Charcuterie Board
* Start with your bowls. Follow that with the cheese wedges and items that pair with your cheeses directly around those. (Think meats and crackers.)
* Add in any other large items. (Example, for this board it was pear slices and the honey jar.)
* Fill in with varying remaining items and you can layer them on top of each other to fill the entire board.
Shop The Charcuterie Board
If you love this board I have some for other seasons/holidays too. You can find a hot chocolate dessert version HERE and a Valentine’s themed one HERE.
If you want to make Valentine’s Day extra SWEET this year this dessert charcuterie board will do the trick! It’s no fuss and is sure to please a crowd.
This makes such a fun date night in or fun kid friendly activity. It’s easy to throw together and you can purchase everything pre-made to make it easy.
5 Tips For Making A Dessert Charcuterie Board
Mix in fresh fruits, mint and pomegranate seeds. You can use the mint and pomegranate as “garnish” mixed in on top of other treats on the board.
2. Choose a color scheme. This may sound strange to do when it comes to food, but it makes it more pleasing to the eye. This one was pinks, reds and whites to parallel the Valentine’s theme.
3. Layer the different items. There can be some overlap of the items. I chose to make it look more natural then lines up perfectly.
4. Include lots of options so there is something for everyone.
5. Check your pantry/fridge and use items you may already have.
I’ve also rounded up gift ideas for everyone on your list HERE.
If you loved this idea, be sure to check out a hot chocolate themed dessert charcuterie board I have done HERE.
Even though it is back to school time, the days are still hot here in Tennessee! I’ve got the perfect grilled peach summer salad that is SUPER simple to throw together on a whim, but also sophisticated and sure to be a hit with your guests.
This can be tossed together in less than ten minutes. (No joke!) I can hardly consider this a “recipe” because it is truly chopping a few things and tossing them together. It’s all about the presentation with this one too. My new Mackenzie Childs serving pieces work perfectly for this bright summer salad.
I like mixing classic serving pieces that you can use for any occasion like this pitcher and serving platter with more fun pieces. The bright blue check always looks so fun paired with bold colored summer foods.
If you do not own one of these stovetop grills, I highly recommend. It is so much easier for simple things like this, and great for when the temperatures are cold and you don’t want to grill outside.
Grilled Peach Summer Salad
Ingredients:
One Large Peach
Small Red Onion
Handful of Pecans
Feta Cheese
Handful of Blueberries
One Avocado
Three Cups Arugula
One Lemon
Dressing Ingredients:
Ok, this is how you can tell I’m not a real chef. Anyone can make these recipes! If you have “Garlic Expressions” salad dressing at your grocery store… pick it up and cheat! HA! It tastes sooo good with this salad and very sophisticated/homemade!
Or you can make your own:
Equal parts olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey and greek yogurt.
Directions:
Slice your peach and toss in a little bit of EVOO. Place on your grill for a few minutes on each side and set to the side.
Thinly slice half a small onion. Slice an avocado.
Line your platter with the arugula. Toss on a handful of blueberries and a handful of pecans.
Add your feta cheese to your liking.
Add on your onion and avocado.
Top with ground pepper and a bit of salt.
Add your peaches down the middle of the platter.
Top with just a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Serve with dressing to the side so it can be tossed fresh!
Earlier this year, a dear friend told me when referring to friendships and relationships, to think about a dinner table. Who shows up when you invite them? No matter if you are having a feast or only crumbs to offer. Who pours you water from their cup when you are out, and you will happily pour back into theirs? Nurture those friendships and feed them. She encouraged me to stop squeezing a chair in at tables you don’t belong, and be present at the one that you are at.
This year, I’ve really worked at that concept and I felt blessed beyond belief to sit at a beautiful dinner party with a table full of women who I am so proud to call friends. Women who care, show up, build each other up and offer nothing but love and support.
If you haven’t found your table yet, keep looking and focusing on those who come to dinner no matter what!
With that being said, I feel beyond grateful for my sweet friend Chelsea for throwing this beautiful boho garden party. She was able to do so on a budget and I’m going to pass on her tricks! P.S. She took all these pictures as well and you can find more of her work HERE. She’s incredible!
She found the perfect location at Natchez Glen House. It’s a lovely garden that you can have events in or go and pick your own flowers! (Hello most perfect date night….) I’m convinced someone needs to get engaged in the middle of this garden. Chelsea and I would love to help plan it! You can check out all Natchez Glen has to offer HERE.
The cake was by Copper & Whisk Cakes. Confession… I was never a big cake lover until I tried their cakes. It’s so much better than any other cake I’ve ever tasted. This one was salted caramel and so amazing!!!
This tablescape looked so elaborate and beautiful, but it can totally be done on a budget! Most of these items were found on Amazon and Target. The whole table can be re-created for around $100!
Here is Everything You Need For A Boho Garden Party Tablescape:
I just love, love ya’ll. Any chance there is to celebrate it….I’m in! My good friend and fellow blogger, Hunter Premo, and I were both wanting to have a girl brunch to celebrate Valentine’s. We decided to join forces and really do it up right!
We teamed up with local party planner, Molly Sohr of The Cedar Lane. We both love the boho look and cohesively came up with a chic boho mood board. Molly’s design brought that board to life!
I’m also slightly insane, and chose to host it at my house. (That we moved into 8 days prior. Trey was also gone 7 of those days, and I was by myself (sick) with both children.) Luckily, it all came together perfectly!
We brought a table with mimosas into the front foyer so that guest were greeted with a drink. We also added Proof Cockatail Syrup to the table to add that little something special into the mimosas.
Apple 7 Oak provided beautiful boho rugs, poofs, and a Peacock chair to really bring the boho vibes into the living room area.
Please Be Seated r provided the dining table, linens and beautiful table settings. We were all three fans of a pretty neutral palette. Pops of blush, ivories, whites and grey tones. I loved the goblets and glasses that brought a touch of vintage, and the gold accents kept it chic and updated. Each table setting also had a menu card designed by Studioist . They coordinated with the invites. Shalan (the owner) hand drew all of these. When entertaining it’s really those small details that make the biggest difference.
Mercy & Thyme Blooms provided this B-E-A-utiful center piece. I’m a big fan of adding greenery and branches in with the florals. The “earthiness” really paralleled our theme.
We utilized the kitchen to make the small buffets for the food.
Holler & Dash killed it on the biscuits. We’ve been going there with the babies on Sunday afternoons lately and it’s just SO good. Anyone who knows me well, also knows my love for tater tots. They have AMAZING tots and this “hollerback” spicy dipping sauce that is delicious. I can’t throw a party without some TOTS!
We also had a granola station and a Bloody Mary station.
An easy perfect Bloody Mary:
*Dixie Vodka
* Zing-Zang Bloody Mary Mix
*Extra Dash of Worcestershire
* Seasoning Salt around the rim
* Stick with Olive, pickle, mozzarella ball, sun dried tomato and one more olive for good measure. (The sun dried tomato/ mozzarella ball combo is key here!)
I’m all about watering friendships and empowering each other. It was important to me for our friends to feel loved and even spoiled at our Galentine’s event.
As everyone left we gifted them a cute bag with Cadyn & Charlie bracelet stacks and the best dang smelling Paddywax Candle I’ve ever laid my nose on. We also had these scattered and burning as decor and EVERYONE mentioned how amazing they smelled.
I’m always so grateful to have such amazing girlfriends in my life, and what better way to show them you care than with a little Galentine’s gathering!!
I had so much fun hosting this event! You can check out Hunter’s blog HERE.
If you are looking to plan a fun event, Molly is great! She also blogs for tons of entertaining inspiration. You can find her HERE.
I’ve got ya covered on all the cute Valentine’s day outfits for the whole fam. You can shop the V-Day shop HERE.
