Between the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo this weekend, there are no shortages of parties or reasons to celebrate! We’ll never turn down a good margarita, but when it’s countered with a refreshing mint julep, a derby hat and a garden party, we may need to pause.
Now that we are finally getting settled in our new home, I’m always looking for reasons to host an outdoor gathering. So with the Kentucky Derby this weekend, we’re going all out! Whether you’re looking to host a last minute gathering with your gals or wanting to host a swanky derby soiree, we’ve got you covered with our Kentucky Derby Entertaining Essentials!
We’d love to thank Laurie Louis Design for sponsoring this post. While products were supplied for this post, all opinions are my own.
Searching for the perfect baby shower idea to celebrate the mother-to-be in your life? Drop anchor and settle in for our nautical baby shower brunch co-captained by our friends at Laurie Louis Design!
I’m thrilled that this brunch was our maiden voyage at our new house (that finally has a real dining table!) and am absolutely swooning over the nautical theme with a southern, beachy and classic flair.
Jump on in, the water’s great!
This baby shower screamed summer prep with our red, white and blue party decor from Laurie Louis Design, which we paired with some of our favorite nautical lanterns, ship wheels, fishing net, and, of course, life ring buoys! Laurie specializes in custom and southern-inspired stationery and gifts, so I knew that there was no better way to bring our vision to life for this nautical brunch than with some of her custom decor – especially her crab themed line, which helped pull this entire party together!
The invitation sets the style and mood for every party, so it had to be a stand out! We loved creating this adorable “Ahoy It’s a Boy” invitation using Laurie’s designs.
We sure love ourselves a good Cinco de Mayo party down here in Texas! It’s the perfect way to kick off summer entertaining and get your crew together before graduations, end of year parties, and summer vacays pick up. Plus any party centered around a good marg and some queso is one I want to be at.
So top off that drink and check out our favorite entertaining essentials that will help take your fiesta to the next level!
In honor of Landon’s birthday this year, we are sharing inspiration for our favorite build your own pizza bar parties!
This year for Landon’s birthday, we celebrated it, as he would say – “sorority style,” meaning he had a week long celebration (that lucky guy)! We started the week off with a fun gathering with all his friends at Peticolas Brewery to enjoy good beer and games, had a delicious dinner just the two of us at his favorite restaurant, Texas de Brazil, and completed the week long celebration with a make your own pizza bar party with our family!
Now I have to admit – the pizza bar party started off a little selfish. We have been so bogged down with moving and unpacking, that I just didn’t have the energy to make a full sit down meal for everyone, plus I honestly don’t know where all our kitchen supplies are right now – HA! No matter what the motivation was – this ended up being one of the best birthday parties we have ever thrown!
The pizza bar was a total hit! It was interactive, fun, creative and everyone could personalize their meal to their preference!
Thank you all so much for being so patient with us as we have been taking some time off to get settled in our new home! As most of you know, Landon and I bought our first house a few weeks ago and we have been up to our elbows in boxes, packing tape, paint samples and fabric swatches!
So many of you have expressed interest in the process of how we turn our vintage little charmer into a home suit for everyday entertaining! We can’t wait to show you all the exciting projects we’ve been working on, but in the meantime, we wanted to share the inspiration board that we put together which has been serving as our guide in designing our home!
Style wise – we are going for a sophisticated glam look with vintage and traditional touches. Our home was built in the ’50s but has been updated in the past few years, so we are trying to build off the vintage charm and continue to bring in a sophisticated and contemporary vibe. We want it to have a sense of formality but still be comfortable and approachable for our guests and a little oasis for us when we get home.
We are focusing on a color palette consisting of gray, seafoam, white, gold and dark brown accents. We are carrying this color scheme throughout the entire home to give it some unity, with the exception of our guest room and study, which will be a bit more bold.
We are having so much fun with this process and have some big updates for you over the next few months, but in the meantime, be sure to check out our Instagram story for daily projects and updates in real time! We can’t wait until our little project is fully entertaining ready!
Move over kiddos! Easter baskets aren’t just for your favorite little ones! This Easter, surprise that special guy in your life with his own manly edition of an Easter basket!
Of course, we love seeing the kid’s running around, wide-eyed with excitement as they look through what fun goodies the Easter bunny brought them, but it’s also important to keep it special for your honey! Easter baskets for him are always extra fun to put together because you can be as unique and creative as you want and bring in a fun theme based on his interests.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite manly Easter baskets to help inspire you this season and hopefully bring a little extra magic to the season! Enjoy!
And the award for cutest interactive Oscar’s watch party goes to….
We are back at WFAA this year sharing some of our favorite award-winning Oscar’s Watch Party decor! Last year, we talked about the best way to throw an Oscar’s Party on a budget.
This year, we’re incorporating a photo wall to bring out your guests’ inner paparazzi, and we’re bringing back an adorable printable Academy Awards ballot. These fun, themed activities are sure to get rave reviews – and the best part is you can furnish the whole thing on Amazon and Etsy, so you’ll still have enough free time to watch this year’s Best Picture nominees!
Peep the details in our video with WFAA Daybreak anchor Kara Sewell:
Now get to planning and perfecting that red carpet strut! Need an idea for food and looking for something that’s equal parts easy and adorable? We nominate this Oscar’s popcorn bar from our visit to WFAA last year!
If you’re anything like my husband and me, you LOVE to escape a mild winter climate for some spring skiing! And, whether you’re looking for some après ski or taking a day off from the slopes, there’s no better way to enjoy quality time with your Mr. or Mrs. on the mountain than with this wintry picnic and a glass of Le Grand Courtage bubbly!
A little rustic flare beautifully complements our snowy backdrop. Who doesn’t like hammered copper? (It’s not just for Moscow mule mugs, folks!) The copper pitcher and vase blend with the earthy color palette of the tablecloth, napkins and chargers. And, oh my gosh, the geode napkin ring is the perfect pop of color to make your setting stand out!
Cupid’s making his debut in just a few days, but it’s not too late to plan the perfect romantic dinner for your Valentine!
If you’re like me and you missed the reservation window for all your favorite restaurants in town, or if you just prefer to skip the crowds and enjoy a quiet night at home with your sweetheart, we’ve got everything you need to put together a trendy, stylish, and romantic night at home! Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hot Chocolate Bars are the perfect addition to any winter party. Whether you’re inviting some friends over for a low key hang out or looking for a reason to celebrate and want to throw a winter soiree before Valentine’s Day, a hot chocolate bar is the perfect set up to include!
We recently shared all our Hot Chocolate Party Entertaining Essentials but if you’re looking for a little extra inspo, we’ve got you covered here too! Check out some of our favorite Hot Chocolate Bars from our fellow styling friends to help getting those juices flowing!
