Category

Entertaining

Category
Entertaining

Personalized Party Supplies

It’s all in the details. This is probably the most widely used phrase that comes out of my mouth when planning a party. No matter the size or formality of the event, it’s always the custom little touches that your guests leave talking about.

You can throw the simplest party that requires very little planning, but by including just a few personalized details, it looks like you have put way more effort and time into your event.

Two Funny girls and everyday hostess personalized stir sticks

Napkins and cups are always the two most popular items to customize, but my absolute new favorite item to include in events is personalized drink stir sticks! These adorable stirrers from Two Funny Girls add an extra sophisticated and stylish flare and can be customized for any type of event! I love monogramming them, but you can also add a single initial or even a design of your choosing! I recently had a Bachelorette watching party and Two Funny Girls was able to design an adorable red rose on them for me! You could even have your team’s mascot or logo added to them for your tailgating parties this fall!

Strawberry Mojito Summer Cocktail

No matter the formality of your next party, these stir sticks are perfect! They always make a big statement and your guests will be incredibly impressed! Definitely check them out, as well as Two Funny Girl’s wide inventory of adorable party supplies!

The Everyday Hostess Cocktail Recipe, Strawberry Mojito, Memorial Day Recipe
This post has been sponsored by Two Funny Girls. All opinions and comments are my own.

Keep Reading
Entertaining

How to Host a Summer Soirée

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer Soiree

As originally seen in IBB at Home.

Summer is officially here, so it’s time to dust off the patio furniture, bring out the lawn games, and prepare for your summer soirée! Whether you’re looking to host a formal seasonal dinner or casual pool party, these tips and tricks will help to ensure your summer gathering goes off without a hitch!

Choose a Theme – The theme will dictate every step of the party prep process, so it’s important to determine it early on. Do you want a laid back family pool party, formal summer dinner party, or even a backyard luau? The possibilities are endless! For my summer bash, I opted for a more casual picnic gathering with some close family and friends!

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer Soiree

Guest List and Invitations – A well-done invitation gives your guests a glimpse of just how classy your summer soirée will be. It’s the first chance to sweep them off their feet, so make sure your invitations help portray the theme and experience you want to create. If your event is more casual and you want to send electronic invitations, I always love Paperless Post or Evite. To create a more formal atmosphere, send some good ol’ fashioned snail mail! Swoozies is one of my favorite custom invitation shops. I also love Etsy for predesigned printable invitations! Check out my friend Tara with PrintSmitten who designed this beautiful and festive invite for our summer soirée! 

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer Soiree

Decor – Decorations turn a simple gathering into its own little world for your guests and set the ambiance and formality for the entire evening. Select a simple and bright color palette and incorporate it into all aspects of the decor. I am a firm believer that it’s all in the details, so be sure to add a few extra special touches to completely transform the party. For my backyard summer picnic, I went with a yellow, coral and aqua color palette, which helped create a light and airy atmosphere. The yellow picnic blanket with the decorative pillows, paper straws, gorgeous floral arrangements, and table settings all helped create a casual yet sophisticated summer soirée.

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeView More: http://lindsaydavenportphotography.pass.us/kate-styled-picnic-4-17-2016-printThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer Soiree

Menu – No gathering is complete without the perfect menu! Summer is all about highlighting fresh foods, so try and incorporate some seasonal ingredients. I always like to provide easy, servable and bite-sized dishes such as watermelon, my favorite Bacon Cheeseburger with Onion Ring Sliders, and chips and guacamole.

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeView More: http://lindsaydavenportphotography.pass.us/kate-styled-picnic-4-17-2016-printThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeServe up some ice cold refreshing beverages. In addition to beer and wine, it’s nice to serve a signature cocktail such as a fruit sangria or margarita. Also be sure to provide a non-alcoholic drink such as a fresh lemonade. This Strawberry Moscato Lemonade is the perfect addition to your next gathering and the alcohol can easily be removed for all the kiddos!

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer Soiree

Entertainment – It’s always fun to have an interactive element to a party to encourage mingling, especially if your guests don’t know each other that well. For a casual backyard party, I love the idea of lawn games like croquet or bocce ball. For those inspired by graphic design, cute scorecards could be added here! You could also set up a fire pit so people can make s’mores! Make sure to have a fun playlist going in the background to help set the mood for your party as well!

The Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer SoireeThe Everyday Hostess and IBB at Home Summer Soiree

Finally, relax and enjoy your party! Don’t worry about cleaning while your guests are still there. That can wait until they leave! Have a cocktail or two and enjoy! You’ve worked hard!

Share your summer party ideas by tagging @the_everyday_hostess on Instagram.

 Styled by: The Everyday Hostess | Invitations: PrintSmitten |

Florals: The T Shop | Photography: Lindsay Davenport Photography

Keep Reading
Entertaining

Mother’s Day Tablescapes

It’s no secret that May is one of the busiest months of the year. Between graduations, end of year projects, finals, trips, weddings, recitals, and Mother’s Day, May tends to be jam packed with activity!

Mother’s Day is sneaking up on us a bit earlier this year, so let’s get a jump start on preparing for it now before we get busy with all of the other commitments that are surely on our calendars!

Every mother wants to feel extra loved on this special day, so consider hosting a fun brunch or outdoor lunch for the special mamas in your life! To help inspire your Mother’s Day gathering, I have compiled a few of my favorite tablescapes!

Enjoy!

View More: http://katezimmermanpictures.pass.us/camille-styles-garden-partyCamille Styles

Eatwell 101 Mother's Day TablescapeEat Well 101

Lillian Hope Designs Mother's Day Tablescape Lillian Hope Designs

The TomKat Studio Mothers DayThe TomKat Studio

Sugar and Charm Mother's Day TablescapeSugar and Charm

The Decorista TablescapeThe Decorista

Tory Burch Mother's Day Tablescape Tory Burch

I would love to see all the beautiful tables you set this Mother’s Day! Tag #theeverydayhostess on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our feed!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Keep Reading
Easter

Easter Tablescapes

Is it just me, or has Easter completely snuck up on us this year?! I feel like I was just celebrating New Year’s Eve, and now I’m rushing around trying to get everything I need to host an Easter brunch! If you’re like me, you may be looking for some last minute inspiration for your family gatherings this weekend, so I have compiled some of my favorite tablescapes. I hope you these inspire you as well! Happy Easter!

Easter Tablescape pizzazPizzazerie

Emily Henderson Easter TableEmily Henderson

Easter tablescape minamalistMinimalisti

Easter_table_decor room for renetRooms for Rent

Easter tablescape FrontgateInspired Living

Easter tablescape dear lilyDear Lillie

Keep Reading
Appetizers

Tea Sandwiches

easter-109

One of the best parts of this Alice in Wonderland themed tea party that I hosted is that it had all of the magic of a tea party (both real and imaginative) that I had as a little girl. Part of that magic is that you get to eat with your hands.

Besides the fabulous company of course, my favorite part of any tea party is the tasty variety of finger tea sandwiches. I mean what is better than sitting down for a formal soireé and still getting to eat with your hands?

easter-115

For our recent Easter Alice in Wonderland themed tea party I made a selection of tea sandwiches including a Lemon Dill Cucumber Sandwich, Pimento Cheese Sandwich, and a Chicken Salad Puff Sandwich and served them on a traditional three-tiered tray. There are a wide variety of popular tea sandwiches, but I find that with this classic combination every guest is sure to be pleased.

Check out all of our favorite recipes below for your next tea party!

Lemon Dill Cucumber Sandwich
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  2. 1/3 cup chopped dill
  3. 2 tsp. lemon juice
  4. 1 tsp. lemon zest
  5. 1/4 tsp. salt
  6. 1/8 tsp. black pepper
  7. 1 large cucumber
  8. 12 to 16 slices white sandwich bread
Instructions
  1. In a medium sized bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until creamy. Add dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and mix until fully combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  2. Once the spread has completely chilled, remove it from the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to assembling sandwiches. This allows it to spread more evenly.
  3. Thinly slice the cucumber.
  4. Spread a thin layer of the Lemony Dill Spread on each slice of bread and arrange cucumber slices on top.
  5. Place an additional piece of bread on top of each cucumber bread slice creating a sandwich. Using a serrated knife, cut the crust off the bread and then cut the sandwiches into preferred shapes (triangles, squares, rectangles, etc).
  6. Garnish tops with additional fresh dill. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 2-3 hours in an airtight container
The Everyday Hostess https://www.theeverydayhostess.com/
Chicken Salad Puffs
Yields 2
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Puff Dough
  1. 1 cup water
  2. 4 oz. unsalted butter
  3. 1 cup flour
  4. 4 eggs
Chicken Salad
  1. 1 cup chicken breast, poached and chopped
  2. 1/2 cup of finely chopped celery
  3. 1/2 cup diced apple
  4. 1/2 cup diced red onion
  5. 2/3 cup red grapes, halved
  6. 1/3 cup Craisins
  7. 1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts
  8. ¼ cup of mayonnaise
  9. 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  10. 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice\
  11. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  12. 1 tsp of kosher salt
  13. 1 tsp of ground black pepper
For the Puffs
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil.
  3. Remove the pan from heat and add the flour all at once. Mix the flour in to form a ball a dough, then stir in each egg one at a time until completely incorporated.
  4. The dough should be smooth and satiny.
  5. Pipe the dough or or form into rounded 1-inch balls and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the puffs are puffy and golden. Turn off the oven and allow them to cool in the oven with the door slightly cracked for 3-5 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven let cool on cooling rack.
For the Chicken Salad
  1. While the puffs are cooling, combine all of the chicken salad ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir until fully combined,
To Assemble
  1. When the puffs are cooled, slice the tops off horizontally.
  2. Scoop some salad into each puff and cap with the puff top.
The Everyday Hostess https://www.theeverydayhostess.com/
Pimento Cheese Sandwich
Yields 1
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  2. 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  3. 1 (4 oz) jar sliced pimentos
  4. 1/2 tsp. salt
  5. 1 tsp. grated yellow onion
  6. 12-16 slices white sandwich bread
For the Pimento Cheese
  1. In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
  2. Spread on 6-8 slices of white bread and top with the remaining 6-8 slices of bread.
  3. Using a serrated knife, remove the crust and slice the bread in the preferred shapes (square, rectangle, triangle).
Adapted from Ten at the Table
Adapted from Ten at the Table
The Everyday Hostess https://www.theeverydayhostess.com/
Just one more little tip! While all three of these sandwiches can be served on a simple white bread, I like to mix up the breads and the shapes of the sandwiches so that the serving tray is a little more appealing to the eye. You can easily cut these little bites into rectangles, triangles, squares or make different sizes of the puffs for a little variety!

Keep Reading
Easter

Alice in Wonderland Easter Tea Party

easter-69In Part 1 of “Hosting a Tea Party” we talked about our tips and tricks for creating the perfect tea party. Now we are taking it a step further and talking about how we designed our own Alice in Wonderland themed Easter Tea Party!

With Easter right around the corner, it is time to start planning ahead for all of the festivities! A traditional Easter brunch following a morning church service is always a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. However, this year, I decided to put a little spin on our traditional Easter brunch plans and had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Holiday Warehouse in Dallas to host the perfectly styled Alice in Wonderland themed Easter Tea Party!

easter-56

We hosted our tea party in my friend’s forested backyard retreat, which was the perfect backdrop to create a magical and whimsical atmosphere. We kept the guest list small, and just invited about ten family friends, which was an ideal size for an intimate tea party, but still big enough that the kids could enjoy a festive Easter egg hunt!

easter-18easter-10

I worked with Holiday Warehouse’s stylist, Nancy, to design this beautiful scape, which came together and absolutely exceeded my expectations! She worked with me to understand my vision and brought in all of the decor needed to create this colorful and playful Wonderland! Decorations are what make a simple gathering into its own little world for your guests, and that it was! These life-sized rabbits, beautiful serving trays, floral arrangements, wreaths, lanterns, and even the beautiful sheep are just a few of the decor pieces from Holiday Warehouse that brought my Alice in Wonderland vision to life.

easter-4easter-55easter-51easter-49easter-90easter-92

If you are not familiar with Holiday Warehouse, go check them out! I worked with them earlier this year to decorate my Christmas tree and thought they mainly sold Christmas decor, but boy was I wrong! They have an incredible selection of products for all holidays and events including Easter, Wedding Season, Summer beach parties, baby showers, and much more! They also have an incredible in-house silk floral department that can design arrangements for anything that you could possibly imagine!

Now, no tea party is complete without the perfect menu! Of course I served a selection of hot teas, but also made a chilled peach iced tea in case one of our guests wanted something more refreshing. Based on the timing of my Easter tea party, I decided to serve a combination of light tea sandwiches, scones, and a few sweet treats. I made three different tea sandwiches including a pimento cheese sandwich, a traditional cucumber tea sandwich, and a chicken salad puff sandwich. easter-99

To cap off the perfect tea party and menu, the creative and talented ladies at The Best Dressed Cookie and We the Birds Macarons provided the most incredible desserts, which took my tea party to the next level!  

easter-54

The Best Dressed Cookie made the most adorable decorated Easter cookies, which helped pull the entire theme of the party together! Alason made a combination of Alice in Wonderland themed cookies (Do you see that AMAZING clock with the Rabbit painted on it?! Or the cookie with the stacked tea cups?! SWOON!) Plus she made some adorable decorated Easter egg cookies and tea cups that matched the patterns in my tables perfectly. I am a huge believer in the saying that “It’s all in the details” and theses cookies absolutely prove that! The intricate designs paired with the bright colors were an incredible way to tie together the theme of my tablescape and the holiday, not to mention they were absolutely delicious – I could not get these out of the kiddo’s hands!

easter-47

We the Birds Macarons also provided us with these gorgeous macarons! Don’t these mint chocolate chip and raspberry macaroons just look incredible?! I didn’t know it was possible, but I can tell you they tasted even better than they look! I took one bite and could not stop myself! Natalie with We the Birds Macarons is so incredibly talented and she worked with me to make sure the colors correlated with the pink and mint colors in the porcelain tea cups and painted them with edible gold paint to bring in the metallics reflected in the silverware. Her attention to detail is amazing and she can customize any order. No tea party is complete without macarons and these were the perfect addition to our party!

easter-67easter-64

Thanks to Holiday Warehouse, The Best Dressed Cookie, and We the Birds Macarons, this tea party went off without a hitch. The company was a delight, the food was impeccable, and the decor transformed our backyard into the perfect magical Wonderland that everyone dreams of.

easter-40

Tea Party Details:

Styled By – The Everyday Hostess | Nancy Intrator | Holly Haaf

Food –  Tea Sandwiches: The Everyday Hostess | Macarons: We the Birds Macarons | Cookies: The Best Dressed Cookie

Decor – Floral Arrangements & Easter Decor: Holiday Warehouse |

Tea Cups: Gracie China | Cup of Tea Print: PrettyLovely Prints | Straw Flags: CURLbyJSD | Easter Basket: Target

Photography – Beckley & CO.

Keep Reading
Chili Bar

Chili Bar

02.07.16-2

One of my favorite ways to spend cold and rainy days like today is curling up on the couch with a big bowl of homemade chili. Since my house is the primary gathering spot for all our friends, my boyfriend and I set up this super cute Chili Bar for them to come and enjoy as well!

02.07.16-36

This setup is really easy to throw together last minute. The morning of our Chili Bar party, I whipped up a batch of my favorite chili recipe and let it cook all day on the crockpot then about an hour before our guests came, I made some quick and easy Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins, threw a few baked potatoes in the oven, and a skillet chocolate chip cookie for dessert! A quick and simple menu, but filling and SO delicious!

02.07.16-35

Since chili is a pretty casual dish, you don’t need a super elaborate set-up either.  To put together this simple and casual-rustic styled bar, all I did was use some extra burlap as a semi-tablecloth to create texture, used my favorite wooden crates to hold the baked potatoes, beverages, and corn muffins and most importantly add some height to the tablescape,  added a cute “Chili Bar” sign that I downloaded and printed at my house from Etsy and then just placed the chili stockpots on the table for easy serving!

02.07.16-12

But seriously, how cute is this sign? This took 5 minutes to purchase, download, and print off of Etsy, but it makes the whole bar look like I put WAYYY more effort into it than I really did. It really is all in the details, my friends!

02.07.16-14

Don’t forget to lay out some toppings for the Chili! I just picked out my four favorite condiments and put them in some mason jars for guests to serve out of. Mason jars fit perfectly with the casual-rustic feel I was going for, plus they are easy to clean up! All I had to do to put it away was screw the tops back on and put it in the refrigerator for next time I needed them!

02.07.16-1502.07.16-29

As for beverages, I just picked up some cute Coca-Cola bottles from the grocery store and served them with paper straws. Once again, super easy and convenient, but looks like we put way more effort into the whole set up than we really did!

02.07.16-33

Now sit back and enjoy this chilly afternoon with some tasty chilly and great friends! Enjoy!

02.07.16-40

For the full details of the set-up, check out some of our favorite products below!

Decor:

Chili Stockpot: Le Creuset (similar) | Wooden Crates: Amazon

Burlap: Amazon | Chili Bar Sign: SprinkledDesign

Lantern: Amazon | Natural Wood Slabs: Save on Crafts

Food:

Easy Crockpot Chili | Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

Design:

Styled By: The Everyday Hostess

Photography: Beckley & CO.

Keep Reading
Cocktails

A Classic Moscow Mule

One of my favorite cocktails of all time is a good ol’ Moscow Mule. It’s a total classic! They are super simple to make, yet taste like a craft cocktail that a mixologist labored over forever!

How to make a moscow mule

Besides the absolutely delicious taste, my favorite part of a Moscow Mule is that it only requires a couple ingredients that are easy to keep on hand, so you can quickly mix one up for a last minute guest. It is always fun to offer something a little bit more special than a bottle of beer or glass of wine, and this is the perfect beverage to have ready in your back pocket.

And of course, no Moscow Mule is complete without the signature copper mug! The cold mug brings a sense of formality and authenticity to the cocktail that I swear makes it taste like 10 times better! I have been eyeing these mugs for a year now, and my boyfriend’s mother just got me a beautiful set of hammered copper mugs for Christmas, and I am OBSESSED! (Thank you again!! 🙂 ) Literally obsessed! Now that I own these little gems, you can bet we will be making Moscow Mules at our house regularly!

Keep Reading
Entertaining

How to Properly Set a Table

Setting the table is usually the last item on the to-do list when hosting a dinner party. If you’re like me, you’re probably more focused on making sure that the meal comes out perfectly and on time rather than on the table. However, when you go to set it last minute, it becomes a hurried and stressful event trying to figure out the correct placement of each fork or spoon.

Avoid the stress and the guess work of which side the bread plate goes on and check out our handy guide for setting a proper table!

How to Set a Table - The Everyday Hostess

Keep Reading
Entertaining

Preparing for House Guests

Merry Christmas week, everyone! If you’re like me, you’re probably focused on finishing up the last minute Christmas shopping, finalizing your menu, taking a few final trips to the grocery store, and cleaning up your home as quickly as possible! However, one of the most easily overlooked aspects of hosting during the holidays is preparing your home for your overnight guests.

Follow these few simple steps, and your house will be the perfect oasis for your friends and family this Christmas!

A Welcome note and fresh flowers – This is the best way to welcome someone into your home! Place a fun seasonal flower arrangement and a welcome note on a desk in the guest bedroom or on the bedside table. They are sure to see them right when they walk in and immediately feel at home. Include any necessary passwords or codes that they may need while staying at your house (wifi, alarms, etc.).

TEH Guest Bedroom

The Everyday Hostess - FlowersStyle Me Pretty Living

Bedroom – Create a retreat in the guest bedroom by minimizing personal items and simplifying the decor. Simple art or pictures, an alarm clock, bedside lamps, fresh flowers, a soothing color scheme, all help create a calm getaway for your guests.

The Everyday Hostess - Guest Bedroom Neutrals

A double/queen bed and comfortable bedding are both key to creating a welcoming atmosphere for your guests. Provide a couple extra cozy blankets at the foot of the bed as well. Make sure there is plenty of space in the dresser and closet, so that your guests may hang or put away any clothes that they want to unpack. Don’t forget to provide a few hangers as well!

Guest Bedroom - The Everyday Hostess

Bathroom –– Stock the guest bathroom with the essentials! Make them feel like they are in a hotel suite. Consider what it is like for you staying in someone else’s home. What may you have forgotten? Include a little basket with small shampoos/conditioners, new toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, soaps, and tissues! This will make them feel right at home. Especially if they accidentally forgot something and may not want to ask for it!

Guest Bathroom - The Everyday Hostess

The Everyday Hostess - Guest Bathroom Accessories

My two favorite items for the guest bathroom is this delightful Lafco candle and these personalized monogrammed soaps! (These are also perfect hostess guests, if you are staying with someone else!)

Most importantly, don’t forget fresh bath towels and washcloths. Include two bath towels and two wash cloths for each guest. I know I am not the only one out there who uses a separate towel to dry my hair, so make sure there are a couple extras, just in case!

The Everyday Hostess - Guest Bathroom

Food and Drink — Stocking your refrigerator and pantry with your guests favorites snacks and drinks will help them feel right at home. If you know they like a certain type of drink or coffee, pick up a little extra for them at the store! Not only did you set up a calm retreat for them, but you went above and beyond to make sure they felt as at home as possible!

The Everyday Hostess Guest SnacksBrooklyn Limestone

What are some of your other favorite ways to prepare your home for guests! I would love to hear your tips and tricks!

Photos from Pottery Barn unless otherwise noted.

Keep Reading