Trick or Treat: A cocktail party

This year, Ben and I decided to have some friends over to celebrate Halloween. We didn't want to put too much pressure on anyone to A) have to come over on the actual holiday and miss their trick-or-treaters or B) feel like they had to dress up. So, we ended up celebrating the night before and most people just wore black.

We had a great time with friends and family. Here are a few photos f the details from the evening:

Fresco del Jardin, a summer dinner for four

Last week, I had the joy of hosting 3 of my closest girlfriends for some much needed food and togetherness. I wanted to make it a special evening with a menu full of fresh veggies from the garden so I called the evening "Jardin del Fresco" meaning, fresh from the garden. 

Here's a breakdown of the main course:

Keep checking back this week as I'll be highlighting some of the recipes I created for the dinner party. For now- here is the menu and some photos of the evening!

The menu

The table

Sweet Potato Fries & Curried Greek Yogurt dip

Maria's Strawberry Shortcake

The Guest Guide: 10 things I do when hosting friends overnight

Hosting guests in your home for a party or small gathering is fabulous. Hosting friends for a few days is divine! I love having people over and when loved ones take the time away from their own homes to spend time with us, it's important to me that their stay be as fun and comfortable as possible. Here are ten things I do to prepare for visitors.

Bake cookies We're not talking fancy schmancy from scratch, here (unless you have time). Simply purchase what looks like the most tasty of the break and bake variety and pop them in the oven about 20 minutes before guests arrive. It makes the house smell great and gives everyone a nice treat to munch on while catching up.

Clean sheets This is a must. Heaven is a place on earth when you slip into fresh, clean sheets for the night. Why wouldn't you want that for your guests? Along with feeling great, it's just nice to know that you aren't sleeping in the same sheets that who-knows-who slept in, who-knows-when.

Lack of bedside tables? Pair a cool stool or chair with a tray.

Stock the medicine cabinet As someone who has been a house guest, I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten toothpaste, a toothbrush or other necessities. That's why I like to keep the medicine cabinet and drawers in our guest bathroom well stocked with those items for when we have people over. In doing so, I just let them know they are free to use whatever they need which can alleviate having to ask for some of the more embarrassing products they might have forgotten.

Buy fresh flowers (unless your guests are allergic!) I love fresh flowers so maybe this is just an excuse for me to have them in my house. I really do think that they add a nice pop of color and scent to your home. If your guests have a certain favorite, try to find it. Recently, I knew my girlfriend's favorite color was yellow so I made sure to have yellow flowers in the guest room when she and her husband came to town. I like to think it's  a subtle and meaningful touch!

Bedside flowers

Acquire ample pet distractions I know it's hard to believe, but some guests might not love your pet as much as you do (take a second to deal if you need to....better?). In fact, some people are not dog/cat people in the slightest so having one around can make them tense, which makes you tense, which makes the dog/cat even crazier. Case and point for why I keep a well stocked chew-toy basket for whenever we have people over.

Supply reading material I like to leave a couple magazines, waiting-room-style, in the guest room just in case guests have a hard time sleeping somewhere new or just need a moment to get away. And I'm not offended one bit when people need a little quiet time during their visit. Odds are it's a jam-packed couple of days so I totally understand and want to make sure that their few minutes of alone time are facilitated as comfortably as possible.

Make room in the closet Time to find another spot for all those craft supplies you've been hoarding. Make some room for hanging clothes, and if you can, some floor space for luggage to help keep their clothes looking good and reduce the clutter from the room during their stay.

Find out what they like to drink ahead of time Just because you don't drink carbonated beverages and only have soy milk with your cereal doesn't mean every one does it that way. Find out ahead of time what their drink preference is if you aren't sure. It's as simple as just including a short line in an email confirming their arrival time. This might be a good time to also ask about allergies!

Set out towels  Depending on what time your guests wake up or what their showering schedule is, you might not always be around or awake. Leaving towels, wash-clothes and other shower necessities out in their room when they arrive gives them what they need for whenever they'd like to use it.

Have plenty of snacks Maybe it's my Spanish heritage, but food is a big part of gatherings for me so I like to be prepared. I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but nine out of ten times, if I'm with friends or family- we all end up congregating in the kitchen and usually while snacking. If you know your guests have something in particular that they like to eat, or if there is something they can only have in your corner of the world, this would be the time to make sure you have it in full supply!

There you have it. Ten simple (and hopefully helpful) little tasks to ensure those who visit feel welcome, comfortable, and hopefully eager to return! What's on your to-do list when you have friends over to stay for a couple days?

A Thankful Success

Hosting our first Thanksgiving has come and gone and I am pleased to say that it totally went well! The food turned out great, the timing worked out wonderfully, and thanks to some planning ahead and pitch-in side dishes we were all able to do exactly what you're supposed to do on the big day. Eat, drink and enjoy being around those that make Thanksgiving worth it's name.

Here are a few photos of the day with some recipes coming up later this week!

{linen prep}

{turkey- buttered & stuffed}

{bar garnishes, ready to serve}

{bacon wrapped dates & goat cheese. chicken & brown sugar}

{Spanish staples- chorizo & manchego with some Edam sage}

{caramelized onion & brie puff}

{relish tray with cream cheese and B's homemade pepper jam}

{Abuela and Mama, two women who I am so thankful for and who have taught me everything I know about hosting and cooking}

{side buffet}

{the finished product, my first turkey}

{close up and carved}

{our table}

{fiesta ware and flowers}

{turkey holders and Godiva pumpkin truffles}

{my mom's turkey dish that has housed cranberry relish every year of my life}

{there was much to drink}

{lots of napping}

{mini pumpkin pies with homemade, spiked whipped cream}

And.... wait for it.....

{yes, people. A real turkey in full strut thanks to my husband's hunting skills. didn't see that one coming, did you?}

Getting Crafty: Bachelorette Style

First, let me say this. The normal bachelorette garb is a bit out of my comfort level and personally, I find it pushing the line of being slightly tacky. That being said, I really don't want to be a prude, that's not the problem, I just think there are more creative ways to get your point across.

For this party I wanted to incorporate some sassy and typical bachelorette details, how much we adore our friend Sayj and the love she has with her fiance, Mitch, and lots of color. I wanted everyone to be as care-free as possible so I tried to create an inviting and interactive party theme.

Here are some of the DIY projects I worked on!

Pom-pom garland:

These are really simple and make me feel like I am in third grade celebrating Cinco de Mayo all over again (that's what we did at my elementary school anyways).

Essentials:
Tissue paper
Scissors
Floral wire
Ribbon

The plan:
1. Stack up about 8-10 pieces of tissue paper.
2. Accordion fold the stack into 1/2 inch segments for smaller poms 1 inch segments for larger ones.
3. Tightly wrap a piece of floral wire around the middle of the folded paper.
4. Piece by piece pull the tissue paper apart so each piece stands alone.
5. Once you have pulled each paper apart, fluff it up to make a round-ish shape.
6. To make a garland, simply tie each pom to one long ribbon at the center of the pom about 12 inches apart.

Favor bags:

What is a party without favors? I wanted to make something for each of the ladies where even the bag containing the favors could be something useful. I had some extra material laying around that I really loved so I went to work making small draw-string pouches. I figured that this tutorial from my friend, Martha, (psh I wish) would be easier than me trying to explain this so here you go!

This is what I put in each bag:
Bachelorette Truth-or-Dare scratch-off tickets
A penny to scratch with
Some lemon and pomegranate hard candies
A few packs of Swedish Fish
A fun colored sleep mask

Origami Fortune Teller Place-cards:

These were a huge hit! I placed a fortune teller at each place setting with their place-card nestled inside. I used regular ol' scrapbook paper (that was on clearance, cha-ching) and got to folding. I am proud to say that I can now fold one of these bad boys in under 30 seconds. Impressed? Yup. (Here's another tutorial on folding.)

On the four outer parts I put the words, "Sayj is getting married". Then I numbered the 8 folds on the inside. Underneath each number there was a fun and racy fact such as "The average person spends about 2 weeks straight kissing in their lifetime".  (FACT: That is one of the least raciest of them all.) I managed to have a completely different fact for each fortune teller.

Mustache(s) on a stick:

Yeah, that's me. Minus makeup and/or hair product, plus some facial hair via kabob stick. These were so very easy and I was able to use up some of the kabob sticks we bought in bulk last summer. To make each 'stache I used this template (thanks again Martha, we should be bffs), some brown foam paper, kabob sticks, and a glue gun.

To display, I put a few leftover poms from my garland project into a tall glass vase and stuck them all into the tissue paper. Like so:

A word to the wise, if you are going to take on 2 or more craft projects, don't do it all in one week. Between this and a number of wedding projects I've been working on, it took a lot of energy. Though, I must say it was totally worth it as soon as I saw how much my wonderful friends appreciated it and how much fun we all had.

One last note: Thanks, as always, to Haley at Haley O'Brian Photography for the sweet photos- even if you did catch me by surprise by making me model my own mustaches!

Sneak Preview: Hosting my first bachelorette party!

Here is a sneak preview of the posts to come all about hosting my first bachelorette party at my home! Throughout the week I'll share some ideas for decorating, easy and fun lunch recipes, and tips on hosting all of your friends with lots of love!

Until then, here is a little preview!

{a party with giant poms}

{fortune teller place-cards}

{what's a party without a mustache on a stick?}

 {me,sporting a home-made handle-bar}

{favor bags and flowers}

So, there's what is on the agenda for the rest of this week's posts! Next up, a great menu for a spring-time lunch get-together!

P.S. Special kudo's to my good friend Haley of Haley O'Brian Photography for the great snapshots!!