Party Recipe

This was a great baby shower! A giant group of fun women coming together to celebrate the pending arrival of baby girl Wayland. And it was a relative breeze to put on. Here are the details: Decorations: Three big bouquets of sunflowers with yellow and blue wildflowers. Chambray napkins lent by the guest of honor.…

This was probably the best and the easiest dinner I’ve ever cooked – a nice combination! Appetizers: A trio of cheeses – havarti dill, tomme de savoie and cambazola – with seeded crackers. Small bowls of dried apricots, cranberries and raw almonds. Guests: Nine altogether – requiring a borrowed chair. Two pregnant women, three engineers,…

One of my favorite parties of the year and certainly the most educational! Our earthquake commemoration party is always a blast. This was our first time hosting the party at our new apartment. The new space worked out perfect for the candlelit evening. Guests: We were 13 all together, starting at 7:00pm. Just in time…

The book-themed shower was a hit! Thanks to the help of Amanda, my co-hostess, we put together an event that was a perfect match for my cousin and nine guests. Decorations: Yellow and green flowers for her favorite colors. I made arrangements of white lilac, green snowballs and yellow roses. Green and white books stacked…

I’m helping to throw a book-themed baby shower for my librarian cousin in a few weeks. There are so many great things you can do with this idea. Wedding Style Guide – a favorite source from my wedding planning days – has some really cute templates available online for a book bridal shower that can…

Margaret’s 30th birthday party was a smash hit! A couple pretty simple ideas came together for a really fun day with the whole family: Supplies: Disposable coveralls bought for a steal on Amazon. Sharpies to decorate the backs with mud & dirt themed nicknames. Everything is more fun in coveralls. Guests: 14 of Margaret’s friends…

What a great party! I didn’t have much time to plan. Thanks to Trader Joe’s and your ideas everything came out well. Here’s the quick run down for this year’s holiday brunch. Food: Giant glazed spiral cut ham Skewers with tiny red potatoes and spicy chicken sausage Mini bagels with lox and capers Spiced citrus…

Rob and I are hosting a dinner party tonight for a visiting friend from Japan. I tossed around ideas for classic “American” dishes (roast turkey, meatloaf, banana splits) and eventually settled on a menu that makes the most of California’s summer produce and relaxed spirit. Cocktails California white wine Pistachios in shell Dinner Pan-fried artichokes…

My first-ever baby shower went very well. I love the challenge of hosting a theme party using what I already have in the house. I can’t wait to host the next one! Decorations: Pandora‘s disco station provided the tunes. I made a big centerpiece with sunflowers, kermit mums and blue delphinium in a round blue…

I’m throwing a 70’s themed baby shower this Saturday. Amber is a fun friend preparing for the arrival of twin boys this summer! Here are my plans for the luncheon: Theme: It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right Decorations – Lots of orange and green. Sunflowers on the table. 70’s music on the…