I love Valentine’s Day but I also love celebrating the ladies in my life with Galentine’s Day. Although officially (according to Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation) Galentine’s day is February 13th, I usually invite my girlfriends over the Sunday before Valentine’s Day for a Galentine’s Brunch. It’s the perfect occasion for easy brunch food and mimosas.
Mimosa Bar
You can’t have a Galentine’s Brunch without Mimosas! Setting up a serve-yourself mimosa bar is the way to go for easy entertaining. I usually place it away from the food in an easy to access place. I use an ice bucket to keep the bubbly cold and along with glasses, juices, and garnishes. You can place juices in their own carafes or set out juices that are similar in size and brand to keep things cohesive. Berries were set out along with tongs to garnish and muddler if guests really want to mix the fruit into their drinks. You can also add cute napkins and drink markers or charms so guests can keep track of which glass is theirs.
Pink is my FAVORITE color, so I love that Galentine’s brunch is an excuse to pull out all the pink. A white tablecloth makes a clean backdrop for a simple table. These pink cotton placemats and pitchers were from Ikea. They no longer have them but you can find similar ones elsewhere. Simple white napkins and plates keep the pink from being overwhelming. For a centerpiece, I kept it really simply buying a few bouquets of white and blush pink tulips scattered in various bud glasses.
Skip the traditional red, gold, and silver for a pink and blue Christmas Tree! I love to change up my tree a little every year so this year I decided to stray away and bring a little whimsy to an already magical time of the year. You may think it would be hard to decorate for this cotton candy colored theme but it’s actually easier then you think. Starting with the garland.
Felt Ball Garland
When doing this theme I decided I really wanted to go for it including the garland. Since I’m particular about colors I decided to make my own by purchasing the felt balls that I like from an adorable Etsy store called Thicket Company. I purchased 40 of each color and the colors being; aqua, light mind, magenta, baby pink and white. Then I used a large upholstery needle from the craft store to string on embroidery thread. You will most likely take apart the embroidery strands to about half of the threads. It took no time at all to put these together. If you are not the crafty sort, Michaels has a large pom garland in similar colors.
I hope everyone is enjoying this spooky holiday with candy and maybe watching Hocus Pocus! I wanted to share decorations for a fun Halloween party hosted by a couple that are good friends from a bit back. There was great food, drinks, and lots of awesome costumes.
Decorative Touches
The decorations for this Halloween party were classic with a black, white and gold color scheme. I’m not one for really scary decorations so I loved putting things together that kept the Halloween vibe but still on the glam side with gold and sequins. To me you can never have too many lights so candles, battery lit signs and fairy string lights illuminate the various decorations. I bought these inexpensive skulls on Amazon but wanted them to be a little “prettier” so I spray painted them solid white and used a gold paint pen to color the eyes and nose. We even had a DIY day to make the floating candles inspired by Harry Potter from toilet paper rolls. Although, next year I may work on a better/easier way to me to make them.
I love how versatile craft pumpkins are and you can put them out every year! I used paint markers to draw these Halloween sayings on my pumpkins. I was able to use carbon paper to transfer text to trace for the white pumpkin. Since the other pumpkin was black I had to wing it. I think it came out pretty good and love the gold on black to keep with the theme. If you have a Cricut you can use that to cut vinyl text and stick them on for a quick DIY.
This sequin table cloth was perfect for some glam decor but still feels like Halloween. All that sparkle didn’t require much with different sizes of candles, dried red roses and a few gold spray painted mini pumpkins.
Everyone loves a little friendly competition with a costume contest at this Halloween party. These skull jars were perfect for voting on the categories of best overall, scariest, most creative, and funniest costume. When you see the costumes, I bet you will know which costume got quite a few votes!
Free Party Printables
I’m sharing my Halloween party printables with you guys. You can see in the pictures above there are two 4×6″ options for the Pick your Poison Sign and Costume Contest Sign. I also have included four category cards you can cut for voting. Lastly, There are food label cards. These are fillable and printable, you will not see the boxes but if you click in that area you have three separate lines you can type what food items you are making. Cut along the lines then fold at the dash above the pumpkins. I recommend printing these on plain white card stock. Enter your email to receive these free printables.
Photo Wall
With so many great costumes you need a place to take photos as a Halloween party. This skull fabric was so much fun as the back drop but looking at the photos, it may have been a bit too busy since it was so contrasting with the black and white. I love how the skulls fit with my Halloween style but still on the demure side.
Here’s a photo of my husband and I. I love he decided to go with a superhero costume with me. I did buy everything for my costume but made everything for his Superman Costume since I hated the stuffed muscle one at the store. This DIY superhero costume was made by first buying a pair of those athletic like matching shirt and leggings in Navy. I then sewed on red fabric for the cape and painted on the costume details that I saw from the newest superman movies. The finishing touch was the Superman emblem from Amazon that I put on with a hot glue gun. Just be sure to put a piece of cardboard in between so you don’t glue the front to the back. The paint I used for the details was acrylic paint half mixed with fabric medium to keep it pliable and from cracking. Spray painting some old rain boots red completed the costume.
The wonderful hosts of the evening! What amazing DIY costumes as Quail Man and Patty Mayonnaise from the cartoon Doug!
It’s no surprise this crazy cat lady costume was such a hit and did so well in the costume contest!
And you can’t forget Quail Dog!
There were so many amazing costumes! We had such a great time and I had so much fun helping with these decorations for this Halloween Party, thanks again to the lovely hosts! I hope everyone has a great Halloween!
When your feeding a crowd, one of the easiest things to put together that everyone is sure to love, is a taco bar. Tacos are a crowd pleaser for any occasion, and easy to make for a large group. It’s one of my favorite things to serve when I have guests with different dietary needs since guests can put whatever toppings that suit them and is super easy to put together.
Taco Bar: Tacos, Rice Bowls or Salads
If you have guests who are more health conscious, vegetarian or maybe have a gluten allergy, it’s a great idea to offer other base options then just putting out tacos or tortillas. By putting out greens and dressing (green goddess avocado dressing?) guests can opt in for making their own taco salad. Another option is having large lettuce leaves like bib lettuce so people can use that as a taco shell or tortilla replacement. If you have others that maybe prefer a less messy or maybe are avoiding gluten, putting out rice lets guests make taco rice bowls. If you offer something like Spanish rice, it would make a good base or a great side dish.
Taco Meat
There are tons of great meat options for putting out a taco bar. Whatever meat you choose I highly recommend cooking it in your crockpot or an instant pot or at transferring it afterwards to one to keep warm. This makes it so you can cook your meat in advance and have it ready for guests as they pick or go up for seconds without fear of getting cold. You can stick to the traditional with ground beef. You could slow cook beef chuck until tender and shred. Shredded chicken is a great leaner option, again great for the crockpot. I really like this instant pot Shredded Mexican Chicken recipe. I also love things like broiled lime shrimp or fish. One of my favorites is shredded pork shoulder. You can get a large pork shoulder that will feed a crowd really inexpensively.
Easy Carne Asade Shredded Pork
I like to make perfectly tender pork shoulder using my instant pot and the Taste of Inspirations Carne Asada marinde. I purchased this marinade at my local Stop and Shop Grocery. You could cook this in your crockpot as well by following all the prep directions and cooking on low for 8 hours instead of using the instant pot.
I cut up a pork shoulder (about 8lbs) into about 2” chunks. If your pork butt is bone in you will have to cut around the bone. If your making a lot, most butchers even at your regular grocery store will cut it up for you. Then place the pork in your instant pot and coat generously but not completely submerged in the marinade (about a 3/4 cup). Add about 1/2 cup of chicken stock or water, seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes and let naturally release for another 20 minutes. Quick release (changing the knob to vent) any additional pressure and remove lid when pressure gauge is down and shred the pork with two forks in the sauce. Serve on warm setting with fixings.
Taco Bar Fixings
There are endless possibilities on toppings for tacos. Only a few are really needed depending on the style of tacos you are going for but you can go crazy and offer a ton as well. Here are a few of my favorite toppings and fixings. My favorites are avocado, pickled onion, lime wedges, fresh salsa, sour cream, cabbage slaw (Dole has a great kit you can buy in most grocery produce sections), and cilantro. You can also do things like guacamole instead of avocado, shredded cheese, crumbled cotija or feta cheese, plain shredded cabbage, and re fried beans. Other ideas are diced tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeños, or roasted veggies.
Keep Hot Things Hot and Cold things Cold
I mentioned earlier about keeping meat warm in crockpots or pressure cookers. If you are serving warm refried beans you can use a smaller crockpot meant for dips to keep them warm. If you are leaving things out awhile, it’s a good idea to keep cold things cold as well. Especially in an outdoor setting where it may be warmer. For cold things they have condiment containers just for this purpose with ice underneath or you can do like I have here placing condiment bowls in a tray of ice.
Putting out extra additions like Spanish rice and a salad are perfect for creating different taco options as I mentioned earlier like taco salads and rice bowls. They are also great side options for people making traditional style tacos. You could make a corn salad ahead of time and put out as another great side to a taco bar. Refried beans are also a good side as well as a taco filling. I think a jalapeno cornbread would also make a delicious side to a taco bar.
I hope this gave you a ton of inspiration for making your own taco bar at your next party as an easy and delicious way to feed a crowd. Check out the menu page for other make ahead bar style menus for every gathering.
Easter is this weekend so I wanted to share with you some small simple Easter Basket ideas that are for children and the fur kids in your life. A simple little Easter basket that doesn’t include any additional sugar but still a fun little something. If you’re like me and have fur kids why not include them as well with these fun little pup Easter baskets. Lastly, I’ll show you our simple blush pink Easter Table that feels light and airy and ready for spring.
Blush Pink Spring Table Setting
This blush Easter tablescape is filled with soft pinks and the brighter napkins add a little bit of pop. I was able to get this white cotton tablecloth and the place mats from Ikea pretty inexpensively. I personally like low flower table arrangements at a dining table so it doesn’t’ obstruct guests view across the table. These pink tulips and white hydrangeas made a big impact but still felt easy and simple. This keeps costs down with bigger flowers having to buy fewer stems and easily accessible from the grocery store. Water glasses, flatware and silver napkin rings were the last finishing touches.
These little Easter Baskets are perfect for littles in your life. With some items that encourage outdoor play and are easy to put together. The Easter Basket on the right has a book, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, this little hopping frog and a stamp marker. All these things you can find inexpensively. The Easter basket on the left has most of the same things with a little bit of a different take. Instead of a box, I used a small white metal pot from Ikea. Underneath I added a bag of soil and some seeds that they can plant themselves. Make sure to pick seeds that are appropriate for the container and the sooner they germinate the more excited they will be to see them grow.
Puppy Easter Basket
As I mentioned earlier we do not have children and although we have a ton of nieces and nephews on my husband’s side, there are none on my side of the family. However, we all have dogs so I decided why shouldn’t the fur kids get doggy Easter Baskets. I bought these little pots I believe two for a dollar. I then decided to add a little gold paint to give them a little something extra. Then I filled them with Easter cookies from Pet Valu, balls and treats. Since the chihuahuas were so little I decided they did not need a ball and could share their treats.
I placed each pot in its only little clear bag to help keep the items in. I purchased a pack of them for a few dollars at Walmart. When it came to the names I actually wrote them on the plastic bag instead off the pot so they could easily be re-purposed. To write them neatly, I simply typed out the names with my computer in the size and font I wanted. Then I just slipped the paper inside the bag and traced on the outside with a sharpie.
I hope everyone has a good weekend getting together and enjoys giving these little treats!
The first weekend after Thanksgiving, I love getting out all the holiday decorations. This year I started with the outdoor holiday decorations. For me, the more sparkles and string lights the better. Along with the inside of my house, I enjoy holiday decorations on the outside as well.
Porch Decorations
Every year I add a few more items to my collection of decorations and find new ways to display them. My side door is what we use on daily bases along with our family and friends, so I like to decorate this little alcove for a warm welcome.
Having outdoor holiday decorations at varied height creates interest, and lights add sparkle into the evening. Since real poinsettias can’t tolerate the cold, I purchased these glittery faux ones at Michael’s. They always have sales on holiday decor and get many of my decorations from there. The flocked faux tree was from Amazon along with these battery string lights.
Front Door Decorations
My front door is also where I like to add some festive cheer. I use command hooks to hang garland around the door. The garland, wreath, and small sign were purchased on sale at Michael’s craft store. Like I mentioned earlier, I LOVE string lights. I feel like they make it getting dark so early so much more tolerable. The same LED battery string lights on the side porch are used here. Having the remote is really convenient. Through the glass door I can turn on and off the string lights without actually having to go out in the cold.
Roof Lights
This year was the first time we did lights on our roof! When my husband agreed, he said he did not know what he was getting into. Thankfully, our house is a ranch with a simple roof line. However, I do like when all the lights are facing the same direction and secured to make a nice clean line. To do this we used these roof clips that clipped to ever light to ensure they were all straight and without creating any damage to our roof.
I hope everyone is enjoying the lights and holiday season! Check out other Christmas ideas and color schemes from previous years as well. I look forward to sharing more holiday decor with you and this year’s tree color scheme.
