Entertain Archives - Page 2 of 2

NYE ready.

December 29, 2014

Are you over talking bout NYE yet?! I know it’s a lot of hype and have talked to so many who are planning to just chill this year, but we actually have really fun plans so I’m stoked to dress up for a change! I gave my NYE outfit a test drive during a quick trip to NYC with my sisters earlier this month. In between ice skating in Central Park, hanging with Al at the Today Show, and selfies in front of the big tree, (tourists gone wild!), I had the opportunity to shoot with Bekka, a super cool, super fun and amazingly talented photographer. There’s nothing strange about wearing a crop top on a sub-30 degree Monday morning in December, right?! Only normal in New York City. After going back and forth among my holiday favorites I decided to mix in a new Tibi top with this skirt that has been on repeat the entire holiday season. I can’t wait to ring in the new year with good friends in this party skirt!

outfit details: skirt *40% off!! / top / hat *on sale / pumps / clutch love this and this but wish I would have added some faux fur like this gem
shop this post here:

photos by Bekka Palmer

Beauty, Entertain, Fashion, Featured, Gifts

gift guide: gifts under $50

December 8, 2014

Happy Monday! So how’s the Christmas shopping coming along? I’m doing most of mine online this year with the exception of the Santa gifts for the kids. To make our gift quest a little more exiting, the hubs and I started an annual Christmas shopping date tradition last year and it’s one of my favorite dates of the year. I’m sure he would rank a shopping date right below a couples dentist appointment, but he was a good sport. We started with breakfast (how rare are breakfast dates once you have kids?!) and then knocked out some gifts on our list. The Frozen soundtrack blaring in the Disney Store is so much more tolerable when you have a shopping buddy. In case you’re avoiding lines, crowds, and all that craziness, here are 18 great gifts under $50 to jump start your week….

Gifts Under $50

1 Bauble Bar stud stud earring 2 C. Wonder monogram square dish *30% off! 3 L’Occitane gift set 4 CHIC gloves 5 bucket bag *25% off 6 buffalo check cheese knife set 7 Nate Berkus glass candle holder 8 Smashbox set 9 faux fur mittens 10 Urban Decay Naked basics palette 11 monogram lucite tray 12 monogram stemless champagne 13 NARS nail polish 14 jingle bell wine stopper *30% off 15 Camile Styles Entertaining 16 2015 note card set 17 calf hair iPhone case 18 Gigi NY python pouch

Eats, Entertain, Gifts

gift guide: hostess gifts

November 25, 2014

Hey party people! Don’t wait until the last minute to throw a bottle of vino into a leftover gift bag (guilty as charged). Here are some spectacular gifts for your hostess friends. Let’s be honest, hosting isn’t exactly easy and stress free. At least not in my house. So shower your hostess with these gems this holiday season…

Laguiloe cheese knife set in tortoise *tortoise=chic cheese knife / Diptique candle *my very favorite candle, such a relaxing indulgence / Tory Burch “In color” coffee table book *the latest in coffee table candy / Michael Aram butterfly ginkgo ornament *this gorgeous gold + silver gem will stand out on any tree /marble ceramic serving board *my personal favorite / Ina Garten make it ahead recipes *her latest book is perfect for hosting / wine bottle stoppers monogram + antlers *a little something extra to accompany the go-to bottle of wine gift / C. Wonder ikat polka dot tea set *move over coffee, this tea set is calling my name / Charbonnel et Walker champagne truffles / Rance magnolia soap set *amazing soap + pretty packaging/ Mr. & Mrs. cocktail glasses

P.S. Be sure to enter L. Avenue’s giveaway for another fab hostess gift that you’ll love so much you won’t be able to gift it away!

Eats, Entertain, Featured, Gifts

Thanksgiving appetizer + a lucite gift idea

November 24, 2014

Have you started meal planning for the big Turkey Day feast next week? Since I’m been known for coming up with recipe ideas that are uber aggressive and aren’t finished until the day after Thanksgiving (whoopsie!), I’ve opted to take on pre-feast food this year, afternoon appetizers. This butternut squash ricotta and sage crostini was a crowd pleaser last Thanksgiving, so I’m going to give it another whirl. The ingredients are seasonal and just scream Thanksgiving to me. I love this recipe because it mixes sweet and savory, and isn’t too heavy, the perfect kick start to your Thanksgiving feast. And you can make part of the recipe the day before, which is clutch when it comes to one less prep element in the kitchen.

How fun is this lucite serving tray? Who doesn’t love a good personalized item, and lucite is so chic and goes with everything. These gems are custom made and you can choose from a wide range of colors and patterns. And the inserts can easily be swapped out, which means options for holidays and also a go-to design for the rest of the year. These trays are perfect Christmas gifts for the hostess with the mostess in your life.

lucite tray c/o Rockey Paper & Design

p.s. The hubs is also getting into the cooking mix this Thanksgiving and making this carrot soup recipe. It requires a pressure cooker and looks pretty involved. I’m pretty pumped he’s going to represent our fam this year in the uber-aggressive recipe department!

p.p.s Don’t forget to enter to win this fab Christmas serving platter here!

Eats, Entertain, Featured, Gifts, Interiors

Christmas entertaining giveaway with Azulina Ceramics

November 20, 2014

I know I keep cheating on Thanksgiving over here, but my motives are genuine. I just want to get all of my favorite Chrtimasy things on your radar in time for the holiday season. Help me, help you! 😉 So today, I’m teaming up with Azulina Ceramics to bring you an awesome giveaway for the holiday entertainer in all of us. Azulina is a global home goods company, (based right here in H-town!) that specializes in gorgeous hand painted stoneware pottery that’s affordable and practical (dishwasher safe, microwave safe, etc.). I have this 8 piece table setting and use it on the reg. The blue & white pattern is classic, timeless and super versatile. I’ve used it for anything from an outdoor barbecue to a recent dinner party in our formal dining room. Today is the official launch for Azulina’s holiday collection, which is a the top of my Christmas wish list this year. To celebrate the launch, Monica from Classy & Fabulous and I are giving away their gorgeous Navidad trio serving platter. I plan to use mine for appetizers, dips, nuts and olives this holiday season. Enter here to win yours!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

How yummy do these vegetable birds nests look on the Navidad platter?!

Entertain, Kids, Minis, Motherhood

MLM: A pumpkin patch birthday party!

November 3, 2014

Hey guys! I wanted to share photos from Miss C’s pink pumpkin patch (alliteration intended!) 1st birthday party for today’s Mom Love Monday series. From the moment I had an October baby (3 weeks early, mind you) visions of first birthday pumpkins danced through my head. I had a blast planning this party, thank goodness for Pinterst (here’s my inspiration board) for help getting the creative juices flowing and then of course Etsy for helping the DIY-challenged bring our ideas to life. The biggest shout out goes to my sisters for helping me pull off a party with 50 kids under the age of 4 without any major snafus (well, besides the flour based smash cake frosting…hey, it’s easy to confuse with sugar!). There is no way I could have gotten all of my crazy ideas finished in time for the party without their help. One of the most time consuming parts of the planning process is figuring out WHERE to actually find all of these Pinteresty things, so I wanted to share those details with y’all. And some fun party pics because who doesn’t love party pics?!

Pink Pumpkin Patch Party!
My inspiration for this party began when I saw a Facebook photo of monogram pumpkins at a fall birthday party. Fast forward years later and I could still remember that photo and wanted to recreate it for C’s birthday. When I told friends about my idea most thought I was totally crazy, but when I get an idea in my head there really isn’t any turning back. I was on a mission to create a monogrammed pumpkin patch. Not only is this super cute but since the pumpkins were also party favors, guests of the party actually cleaned up the decor. Genius! Putting party guests to work with the clean-up. Ha. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed the favors at least.

And no Z fam party is complete without these fabulous tassel garlands from my girl Jules. She’s an incredibly talented artist on Etsy and her party decor is so fun. She does custom tassels, so when I wanted to incorporate gingham, leave it to Jules to find the perfect tissue paper to create these beautiful decorations for the party.

Here are some more of my favorite shots from the day…
Continue Reading…

Eats, Entertain, Featured, Kids, Minis, Motherhood

Mom Love Monday: Last minute Halloween treat ideas

October 27, 2014

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I’m still coming down from a major sugar high from Miss C’s first birthday festivities over the weekend. In keeping with the tradition of baking my kiddo’s birthday cakes myself, I made C a pumpkin shaped cake. This recipe has such a special place in my heart, as my grandma made this cake for me every year on my birthday. It’s more than a recipe - it’s a childhood memory that brings me right back to times spent with my grandma.
For the rest of C’s birthday party desserts, I teamed up with Three Brothers bakery, my all time favorite bakery in Houston, for some cupcake creations that were off the charts cool. It’s a rare find for a bakery to serve up the best tasting cake and deliver beautiful, artistic creations like these yummy treats….

If you’re feeling creative this week and want to knock out a super cool Halloween treat, I love this halloween gingerbread mansion idea from Three Brothers. If you have any gingerbread house making experience, this is a great Halloween take on the classic Christmas version. Such a fun activity to do with the kiddos. With a little (or A LOT) of icing (my kids’ fave!) + plastic decorations (you can find these at Target, Walmart or the Dollar Store) you have a festive edible Halloween decoration. Voila!

Here’s a quick how-to video. You really can’t go wrong in the decorating department—the more imperfect the better if you ask me! It’s all about having fun and eating lots of icing along the way.

Happy Halloween week ya’ll!!

P.S. More yummy Halloween treats here.

P.P.S. If you are more into savory, this goblin cheese ball is a crowd pleaser!

*cupcake photos by Traci Ling

*this post was brought to you in collaboration with Three Brothers Bakery