Engagement Party for Josh & Claire!

Engagement Party for Josh & Claire!

Last weekend we hosted an engagement party for my brother, Josh, and his fiance, Claire!  We absolutely love Claire (isn't she gorgeous?!) and are excited to officially welcome her to the family.  They've been dating since our wedding (5 years ago) and the girls already consider her their favorite Aunt.
Of course, I love throwing parties, so when they were engaged, I enlisted Jill (my sister) and together we insisted that we host a big party for all of their friends and our families.  It was so much fun to kick-off the wedding festivities by mixing both sides together - their multiple sets of friends from high school, along with their hometown and college friends... and our families.

I'll take you through the details of the decor and menu below.  Tomorrow I'll post a step-by-step for the menu along with a shopping list and to-do schedule for hosting a similar party.   I used many products from the store and will list all of them at the bottom of the post for your reference.

Congrats, Josh & Claire!  We can't wait to really celebrate at the wedding : )

WeddingPaperDivas.com invitation

Josh and Claire (along with Mike and Me, and Jill and Kevin...) met at Mizzou, so we figured it was a perfect way to welcome guests.

Willow hanging basket filled with hydrangea and a new wheat satin ribbon I'll share in a couple of weeks.

The living room has undergone some changes in the last couple of weeks in preparation for the party.   The new (old) ship painting is one of my favorite additions.

And these Laurel Wreath Lamps.  I had little bunches of white roses from my garden throughout the house in my favorite tumblers.

I also had hydrangeas around in pitchers.  I love little setups like this with a candle- it makes every little corner seem festive.

The bar set up in the library with a linen, champagne and white wine.

Linen towel and flowers spruce up the powder room.

Dining table set up as buffet for heavy hors d'oeuvres.  

More little blooms : )

Cheese and berry platter set up on the breadboard.

Jill and Kate sampling just before the party.

Jill ordered these coasters (and coordinating napkins) from Paper-Source.  It is hard to tell in the photo, but they are cream with navy letterpress.  They made the party seem official!

Another shot of the food table just before guests arrived.  This was a real party (and not a photo shoot...) so I didn't have time to take beauty shots of everything.

Beef Tenderloin Platter with Horseradish

Mini Lobster Rolls

Tomato & Mozzarella Platter

Creamy Shrimp Dip in a the Tart Pan - great for dips.

Blanched Asparagus for dipping.

Wedding Cake Cupcakes with Gold Celebration Candles

The outside was set up for seating.  Since it was a cocktail party for 50 guests, we decided on 3 tables of 6, and the picnic table outside.  Everyone else gathered around sofas, the kitchen island and random chairs we had placed throughout the house.  I made the linens with outdoor awning striped fabric and we rented the chairs from a party store.

I wish I had taken a photo later in the night when we had all of the candles, lanterns and fire pit lit - it was so festive!

Here are the couple of honor with their biggest fans!

Products used :

Door :
Hanging Willow Basket

Bar area :
Provence Beige Tablecloth
Classic Ice Bucket for Champagne
Classic Pitcher (with hydrangeas)

Living Room :
Provence Indigo Pillow Cover
Classic Long Tray (holding flowers)
Tumbler with Flowers (as vase)
Dark Grey Herringbone Stripe
Rattan Basket Trays
Tuscany Pillow Cover

On Buffet:
Tuscany Linen Tablecloth 
Marble & Pewter Cake Stands
Classic Service Tray with Handles (Tomatoes & Mozzarella)
Rattan Basket Trays
Multi Stripe Linen Tea Towel (with rolls)
Laurel Wreath Cards for food labels
Classic Maple Cheese Board with Pewter Base
Harvest Basket for Bread with Tuscany Stripe Tea Towel

Bread Board for Lobster Rolls

Creamware Tart Pan for Dip

Creamware Platters

Classic Napkin Holder

Cupcakes :
Celebration Gold Candles
Gold Stripe Cupcake Papers
Marble & Pewter Cake Stands

Raspberry & Blackberry Crostata

Summer's last hurrah is this weekend.  There are a few things that I'm totally over this summer (like 95 degree days), but the abundance of local berries is not one of them.   I'm re-sharing this favorite fromSet years ago.  Have a great weekend : )

I always love it when someone tells me they use one of my recipes all of the time.  I especially love it when that person is my Mom.  Since I am the one usually calling her - "what seasonings do you put in your chili?" or "do you use dry active yeast when you make cinnamon rolls?" - it is nice when I get a call from her... "Do you think I could do blackberries and raspberries in the crostata instead of pear raspberry?"  Why yes, yes I do!

Last weekend my Mom and Jill put together this crostata together for our family dinner.  My brother asked, "What is this, a pile of pie?"  Hum, interesting name... but I think we'll stick with crostata or galette or flat pie (ala pioneer woman).  One this is for sure - it is such an easy dessert to make and it is just as delicious as any pie.    

Raspberry & Blackberry Crostata
serves 4

1 large pie dough (hers is homemade, larger than a normal store-bought crust)
2 cups of blackberries
2 cups of raspberries
3/4 cup of sugar (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of orange juice
1 tablespoon of butter, cut into pieces
.........
1 egg
1 tablespoon of sugar

In a bowl, mix blackberries and raspberries with flour, sugar and orange juice.

Roll out pie dough into a 12-14 inch circle.  Pile blackberries and raspberries into the center.  Dot with butter.  Fold up the sides of the dough.  Create an egg wash by beating 1 egg, then brushing it on the pastry.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the dough.  Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.

Fall-ish Table Setting | DIY Coral & Peach Roses with Privet Berries | Provence Beige Linens

Setting a pretty table is so much fun.  During Summer months our entertaining is very casual and usually takes on the form of very simple table settings... or none at all.  As Fall rolls in I'm getting excited for more cozy dinner parties leading into full on entertaining during the Holiday season.

I'll walk you through the elements I used to create this table below.  While this is pretty fancy for a typical dinner, just using one or two elements for your table would be a great way to recreate the look at your home without being over the top.

As always, creating the very simple DIY flower arrangements is my favorite part.  So many get intimidated by creating florals, but it really is fun so simple.  I'll take you through step-by-step at the end of the post.

The candles are really what make this setting so special - they instantly upgrade your table.  They are 18" and come in the five colors below plus ivory, not pictured.  For $15/pair, they are an inexpensive way to make a big impact.  I have them on my bare table right now and even on an empty table they look special.

Shop 18" Very Tall Tapers, here.

I used the Falmouth Grey on this table.

I use the Provence Beige Linen Tablecloth with the Tuscany Napkins for a bit of a mix and match look.  They colors are the same, just the patterns of the stripes are swapped.

I always order 54" square tablecloths because I like to see some of the wood peaking through.  If you have a longer table, it will be help bring the eye to the center of the table.  It also works perfectly on round tables.  I just love how versatile the size is.  I'll be using them this weekend for my brother's engagement party... stay tuned next week for lots and lots of photos of that!

I used the Oak Tree Folded Cards for place cards at each setting.  I love doing this for even small parties.  Each person feels special, and it helps to make sure that everyone is seated by someone that they'll enjoy.

This is the first version of  the arrangements that I made - only with the peach spray roses.  After setting the table, I decided that it looked a little too sweet for a fall setting and added the orange roses, too, to make it feel a little more fall-ish.

I made them in my favorite "vases" the Fleur de Lys Tumblers that I also used as water glasses at the table.  They are the perfect size shape for a small grouping of flowers.

You can find very pretty spray roses at Trader Joe's or your grocery store.  Both of these colors are fairly standard.  They do a great job of opening up, too.

I started by trimming each the privet berries into little sprigs and put them around the base of the glass to create a "collar."

 Then, I trimmed the roses to be just taller than the berries and put them in groupings in the middle.

Too easy, right?  But very pretty.  I love this type of arrangement for the table because it is not too structured or overly fancy, and they are low enough to easily talk over during dinner.

I also made orange versions, which I eventually mixed together with the peach to give more of a fall-ish look.   This would also be a great arrangement to do with mums later in the season.

Truffled Mac & Cheese in Idividual Gratin Dishes

Well, it is no wonder that the Creamware Gratin Dishes (and Tart Pans) were the first things to go last Friday for the launch of my Fall products.  We all love the idea of something simple to add fresh inspiration to our kitchen and menus.  I also think it had something to do with the fact that they were filled with Truffled Mac & Cheese.  Now that so many of you have these on the way to your house (most were sent yesterday, some today!) I thought it best to post the recipe... because this is the first thing you're going to make, right?  I also think they'll make perfect individual apple cobblers topped with ice cream... or banana split bowls.

Creamware Gratin Dishes, Set of 6, $30

For those of you that missed them last Friday, I've reordered another shipment (of Creamware Tart Pans & Gratin Dishes!), expected to arrive here on Friday.  You can order them from my store now, but be aware that they are not able to ship until next Monday.



These are great along side a steak for a comfy dinner at home, or a fancy dinner party.  They can be made a day or two in advance, making them great for entertaining.

The best news about this recipe is that it is a very simple tweak to any existing Mac and Cheese recipe you like.  The basic idea is to add the flavor of White Truffles (from butter or oil) and to make it look as truffly as possible by using tiny pieces of mushrooms.  Truffle oil is easier to find than truffle butter, but both can be found at Whole Foods.  Be sure to get the White Truffle products instead of black, for the better flavor.

Truffled Mac & Cheese
makes 4-5 side servings

1/2 box of shaped pasta (shells or cavatapi)
sea salt
...
1/2 stick of butter
3 mushrooms, minced
1 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups of milk
1 cup of white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons of truffle oil OR 4 tablespoons of truffle butter
salt & pepper, as needed

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water.  Strain.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, add minced mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add flour, stir to coat mushrooms and garlic until flour is absorbed into the butter.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add milk immediately, then stir constantly until all flour is mixed into the milk.  Continue to cook on medium until it thickens and is bubbly.  Remove from heat and add most of the shredded cheese, but reserve some for the top.  Stir cheese in until smooth, then fold is pasta until it is all coated.  Add truffle oil or butter in and stir until melted or mixed in.

Spoon pasta into small baking dishes and top each with shredded cheese and set aside.

If serving immediately, place under hot broiler in oven for 2-3 minutes until cheese on top is bubbly and slightly browned.

If you are making them ahead, keep in the refrigerator, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, just until heated through and slightly browned on top.

Get the mushrooms as small as possible.  They should look like flakes or bits in the sauce.

For making cheese sauce, I always shred my own cheese.  Pre-shredded cheese is usually coated with something to keep the shreds from sticking, but prohibits smooth melting.

After sautéing mushrooms and garlic, add flour.

Then mix in flour, immediately.

Then add milk while stirring - whisking helps too - until smooth.  When it bubbles and starts to thicken, remove from heat.

Add cheese into the milk and stir until smooth, then fold in pasta.

Top with cheese - or breadcrumbs, if you'd like.

This is our favorite dinner - balsamic vinaigrette tossed greens, seared steaks and truffled mac and cheese.

Hope you try it soon!  Here is the link for the Creamware Gratin Dishes, $30 for a Set of 6.  I can't wait to play with more ideas for these this Fall.