Fête Friday

It's Fête Friday! We're talking recipes and menu planning this week.

Last week we talked all about how to plan out your menu, what things to pick up vs. making yourself, and speaking of making things in the kitchen, it seems only natural to share a few fun recipes that I've enjoyed for past celebrations! 

I happened upon this amazing recipe (and I mean seriously delish!) for a peach cake on Pinterest this summer, and when planning a summer soiree to celebrate my favorite season and birthday, it seemed only appropriate to use this luscious fruit. Not only was the cake moist and light, but the subtle sweetness of peaches mixed into the batter, coupled with the delightful whipped frosting made for a perfect combination of flavors that enchanted every guest! You'll certainly want to bookmark this one! It's easily tweaked to add any kind of fruit for flavor, hello possibilities!

Two of my favorite (and oh so simple) appetizers were my go-to for a sparkling NYE celebration. Most apps are high in calories, overly filling, and easy to feel guilty about later. Satisfy your guests with something sweet, savory and waistline-friendly (score!) that they'll talk about all night long! 

This comes together so simply, yet packs a lot of flavor. Thinly slice your pears, and sprinkle a handful of crumbled goat's cheese and a handful of dried cranberries on each piece. Finish with a drizzle of honey (if desired), and serve! You'll want to double or even triple this recipe depending on the size of your guest list. 

This tasty crostini is flavorful, rich, and a staple in my entertaining arsenal. It comes together with a few simple ingredients that you can quickly assemble into a savory snack. Begin by slicing up your french baguette into bite size slices (I tend to make these kind of thick because who can resist a big, warm slice of a great baguette??) and spread with hummus. There's many varieties of hummus flavors, but the roasted red pepper, lemon, or even plain tend to be great choices. Chop your celery and green onion (some grocery stores have this combination pre-chopped, if so, save time and pick that up!) and garnish each slice with a generous handful. (Note: you can also add a few chopped green or black olives to each slice) Drizzle with olive oil, and top with freshly cracked black pepper & salt for some extra flavor! This is an excellent addition to a cheese plate, or served alone, but make sure to prepare enough..you're going to want to go back for seconds! 

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What are your favorite party foods?

Have a favorite recipe? I'd love to hear it (or get a link to it!). 

Leave me a note in the comments below, or email it my way! 

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Fête Friday

As I might have mentioned once or twice...ok, ok, actually a bunch of times, I love to host a good party! There's always a reason to celebrate, and throughout the many years of parties & events, I've found things that worked, others that didn't, and learned a thing or two about making entertaining fun, stress-free, and beautiful. After many emails from readers about where to find this, or how to make that, or even the process from paper pad to party, it seemed only natural to designate a day on here to answer questions, share ideas and inspiration, as well as some tried and true recipes, so I'm introducing Fête Friday.

What's a Fête, you ask?
 Fête 
noun \ˈfāt, ˈfet\
a : a large party or celebration, a lavish often outdoor entertainment
b :  a large elaborate party

A lavish party, yes please! Sounds fitting, right? We all want to throw the most fabulous of parties... ones that will be enjoyed, talked about, and remembered for all the wonderful memories, good times with friends, delicious food, and your amazing skill as a host! Enough gabbing though, let's jump right in!

So, where do we begin? Glad you asked! Whenever a celebration is to be had, the best place to start is your inspiration. Often times, we throw parties around holidays and major events, so those may have a pre-existing theme, but you might be wanting to do something a little different, so start by finding what speaks to you! Maybe that is a theme, person, a color, team, game, book, movie, an idea or even a random something that struck you as a great thing to throw a celebration about! Choose whatever inspires you, or fits the occasion, and begin with a few ideas that relate.

Here's an example: My recent Christmas party was inspired by the book, and recent film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's, The Great Gatsby. The idea of hosting a 20's themed soiree seemed so enticing, and it was actually a stack of art-deco printed napkins that set me on the hunt to find pieces to emulate the glamour of that era for this year's holiday party! When I began to piece together how I wanted to throw the party, I started with a little research. Some of the scenes from the book, as well as the movie, depicted the lavish, sparkling decor of that time, so I chose my theme colors from that, black, gold and white. Next, I loved the idea that the movie brought up, which was the fact that actual parties from the 20's had this thing for animals, like zebras and lions, and so I chose to toss a few golden creatures into my table decor.

(color palette ideas!)

What helps me is to put together an inspiration board of color palettes, tablescapes, decor ideas, recipes, and other party pieces that all help to bring your theme to life. My Party Inspiration board on Pinterest is constantly being updated with ideas that will help plan my next event! (hint: you can always tell when something exciting is in the works, due to the massive amounts of themed pins on that board!!) If a particular photo inspires you, I enjoy using the ColorPalette Generator or Design Seeds for color combinations!
Pinterest is also extremely helpful when it comes to locating photos and ideas of others who may have hosted similar or related events, as well as any random ideas you might want to incorporate into your fabulous fête (been there, done that!).

So, you've narrowed down the theme, picked your colors, and now you're ready to move on to the next step, choosing your menu! Next week, we'll dive into your meal planning, when to buy vs. make, and...I may even have a few tried and true recipes for you, yum!!

(if you have any questions about anything party/entertaining related, I'd love to answer them in an upcoming post! Send them my way via my Contact page with the subject line Fête Friday!)

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The Easiest DIY Project Ever

Ok, so here's the thing, I like doing DIY projects, as long as it's not too intricate...otherwise I start to lose interest. When I came across this idea on Pinterest, I knew it was right up my alley. It's cute, inexpensive and super easy. Ready? Let's do it.

Necessary Objects:

Ceramic mugs (pick these up at the Dollar Store)

Paint pen or Sharpie marker (fine point and regular sizes are best)

Oven

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pick your design, quote or whatever you're choosing to draw/write on the mug.
3. Put your Picasso skills to work, and then bake in the oven for 30 min, and voila!

Enjoy your cute new mug, and then make a bunch as gifts for other people to stuff with their favorite coffee or tea!
(How cute would this be for a Valentine's gift..filled to to the brim with
little chocolates and a tea bag or two? You can even do personalized or monogrammed designs)

Have you made these before? 

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Plum & Peplum

(Top: TJMaxx, Pants: Target, Shoes: BCBG, Clutch: Thrifted, Bracelet: Thrifted, Rings: Old Navy, assorted silver, Necklace: c/o Anjolee, Nails: Manhattan by N.Y.C.)

Peplums and jewel tones are a perfect combination in my book. You'll also find these pants in my book as well..tailored, comfy and just the right bit of stretch to feel like I'm wearing leggings. Yes, please. Oh, and this book? Just the archive of things I love..sometimes referred to as 'My Style Pinboard' on Pinterest which has been taken over by a plethora of cozy fall sweaters, boots and scarves. This is about as fall I'm going to get for awhile, as it's still in the 90s here. Hey, I'm not complaining. 

Ready for fall yet?

Happy Monday!

-Candice

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Wordless Wednesday

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Mermaids

(Outfit 1: Dress: Loft, Necklace: J.Crew via Ebay, Shoes: Zara, Purse: Louis Vuitton, Bangle: Tobi,

Outfit 2: Dress: F21(similar here), Shoes: Lilly Pulitzer, Bangles: Tobi, Lilly Pulitzer, 

Earrings: c/o Frock Stock, Necklace:my design)

Kahlil Gibran once said, "In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans." 

There's something so soothing and mysterious about the ocean; the colors and textures beautifully melding sea and sand to create a consistent yet watery chaos. It's no wonder that we find ourselves there to think, dream and play. 

Thinking about summertime's swift arrival has my mind out to sea..daydreams of sunshine, crystal blue water, starfish, seashells, and not a care in the world. My wardrobe has suddenly found itself in shades of sea, adorned in nautical and ocean-inspired motifs. 

Perhaps its the frequent trips to the shoreline to catch the sun's brilliant departure as it leaves the world in a blaze of color, or maybe the sudden spike in temperatures that has me thinking about making everyday a beach day...regardless, I'm planning on being near the water as. much. as. possible. this summer. Mermaids, I just might come join you. 

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Weekend Wanderings

Hi guys!
I'm off on an adventure this weekend! Can't wait to tell you about it when I get back, but for now, enjoy some weekend wanderings..

(all images via pinterest)

Happy Weekend!

-Candice

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