Tablescapes
A Fall Tablescape
I love fall decor – pumpkins, gourds, eucalyptus, deep burnt orange and red flowers, and gold candlesticks galore! It’s such a pretty time of year to entertain outside and pull all of your friends together. My friend Jen just moved to the neighborhood and let me use her beautiful backyard for this story. It’s so cozy – very Venice with the overhead lights – and just has the best, relaxed vibe. I picked up these autumnal looking flowers at Gjusta and plates from Hudson Grace which is one of my go-to home decor shops in Brentwood. Also, I pulled rattan placemats from Pottery Barn and marigold linen napkins for a pop of color. I kept the food simple! A great grilled chicken, butternut squash, a crudite platter, grilled zucchini, a salad, and a big loaf of sourdough bread from the farmer’s market – and then of course red wine! Since it’s still so warm in LA, I wore one of my favorite linen midi dresses that I also own in tan. It’s super flattering, feminine, and ideal for any occasion. I throw a leather jacket over it to go to dinner or wear sandals with it to run errands around town. You can shop it here!
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A Backyard Book Launch Party
This past Saturday I had the pleasure of throwing my friend Candice Kumai a party in honor of her latest book; Kintsugi Wellness. This is Candice’s 6th cookbook and I could not be more proud! She talks about her wellness background and the Japanese art of nourishing the mind, body and spirit. Plus, she shares the most delicious recipes like her famous matcha chocolate chip cookies!!! I remember ordering her 5th book Clean Green Eats years ago when I was living in NYC and wanting to get into healthier cooking/recipes. I didn’t even know her at the time – but became obsessed with her attainable, well rounded approach to cooking and wellness. A few months later, a friend introduced us in the city and we completely hit it off. She’s an insanely hard worker, takes such pride in anything and everything she puts forth, and is a professionally trained chef from Le Cordon Bleu (no big deal!). You may have seen her articles on Well + Good or Girl Boss where she’s a contributing writer – or maybe even caught her on an episode of Top Chef! It was such a fun occasion to bring together a group of 50+ creative friends to celebrate her new book!We enjoyed an afternoon of vodka ginger spritzs, miso avocado toast, matcha chocolate chip cookies, and mochi rice cakes! Women supporting women, good food, good cocktails, and sunshine – is there anything better?!
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Moroccan Engagement Party Pt. 3
Happy Friday! Here are the last few pictures from the engagement party! For this post, I wanted to focus on and talk about the FOOD! I hired my dear friend Alex Thomopoulos who is also the head chef at my favorite restaurant in Venice; Great White. Her food is classic comfort food with a gourmet twist – it’s healthy, fresh and colorful – and DELICIOUS DUH! I told her that I wanted the menu to be family/buffet style, California meets Moroccan dishes – with grilled chicken and vegetable skewers, a Tabbouli salad, cucumber feta watermelon salad, a gorgeous meat and cheese spread, tons of fresh crudite, hummus and tzatziki. She went above and beyond and to this day – friends and family are still talking about the food. The salmon was one of my favorite dishes along with the gluten free citrus cornbread cake! Enjoy your weekend!
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Moroccan Engagement Party Pt. 2
There were just so many special moments from my sister’s engagement party it was hard to narrow all of them down! To fit with the Moroccan vibe… we set up a beautiful tea station with fresh mint, citrus, and 4 different kinds of tea. The tables were adorned with vibrant flower arrangements and citrus to give it that bohemian, backyard feel. I used this bar cart from Serena and Lily to set up a cocktail station with tons of fresh juice and handmade floral ice cubes. The floral ice cube idea was my event planner’s and really made a huge impact! They elevated the cocktail station to a whole new level! We picked up colorful macarons and stacked them on cake stands and filled bowls with even more citrus to draw attention to that corner of the yard. Everywhere you looked – there were bits of color! Layered rugs, tea lights, lanterns, and candles made the event feel intimate and welcoming – and guests lingered well after the party was set to end which you know is always a good sign!
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