Bridal Shower Brunch Menu

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As promised, the menu from our Greek Chic bridal shower.

 

The "Julie' cocktail

Makings for the “Julie”

Prosecco, St. Germain and Elderberry

granola parfait

HK Granola Parfait

Scones

Pea and Soft Boiled Egg Toasts

Ricotta, Lemon and Chili

(I’m so sorry I didn’t get a picture of this. I was giving a toast! Imagine charred peasant bread with a thin layer of ricotta topped with bright green pea mash. Add slices of perfectly soft-boiled eggs, still warm.)

poached trout with new potatoes

Poached Brook Trout and Asparagus

Shallot and Herbed Crème Friache

mason jar layer cake

Layered “Mason” Cake

Lemon-Lavender with Rhubarb

The pictures don’t do it justice. Thank you to Chef David Mawhinney of Haven’s Kitchen for such a gorgeous meal.xx Sarah

Greek Chic Bridal Shower

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Baby M and I have just returned from a whirlwind two-week trip that included my sister‘s bridal shower at Haven’s Kitchen in New York City.

Haven Living Room

 

 

maidenhair fern

 

Haven Gallery Wall

We couldn’t host this party at home, but we still wanted a space that felt warm and inviting. Consider Haven your cool city friend’s dream pad, complete with stripes, pretty table vignettes, and a black gallery wall.

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Our bride-to-be loves peonies, so Haven filled julep cups, jam jars, and bud vases with every shade of pink. My cousin collected wedding portraits from both sides of the family (a tradition that began with my wedding shower) and framed them all in silver.

Don’t my grandparents look excited to begin their lives together?

bridal shower place setting

Black sesame and raspberry macaron favors sweetened the black, white, pink and grey color palette.

photo confettiThe bride’s good friend Lauren ordered adorable photo confetti made from pictures of the bride and groom and scattered them on every surface.

Nars favors

One good trick when planning a themed party is to go for the non-literal interpretation. To celebrate Julie and Matt’s upcoming honeymoon to the Greek islands, we found “Greek” elements that worked with the party’s overall look. Here, our game prizes: Nars make up with Greek names like Corfu and Greek Holiday.

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I’m a bit obsessed with this last detail! As a guest “book” we framed a collage of Jackie O learning to use a camera while summering on Skorpios. Bonus- the collage matched the bride’s dress!

Julie’s friends wrote wishes for her on archival paper which we then glued to the back of the frame. A party and honeymoon momento all in one! We can’t wait to see it hanging on the new couple’s gallery wall.

 

bridal showers hosts

The bride with her big girl and baby girl hostesses.

A big thanks to all my co-hostesses and congratulations to my beautiful sister!

On Friday, the menu.

xxSarah

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Stripes

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If you guys are like me and have an entire draw full of striped shirts you are probably dusting them off right about now. They are like snowflakes, each unique in there own way, there fore you can NEVER have too many. Here are some fun ways style up your Breton stripes for summer.

 

All images from Pinterest.

 

xo,

Lydia

How To: Host a Sip & See

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Baby Food Jar Vases

photo by Beth Liebetrau

 

Friends! We hinted at it last week with our baby food jar bud vases but the big new is that wrote an article about hosting a Sip & See party for PaulaDeen.com! We are just thrilled to be talking Southern traditions on the same site as the Queen of Southern cooking. Check the story here and please leave us a comments (so Paula knows you stopped by).

Have you been to a Sip & See? Have you ever hosted one? We want all the details.

 

xo,

Lydia & Sarah

 

 

 

 

How To: Paint Dipped Baby Food Jar Vases

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I paint dipped some baby food jars for a article we wrote about How to Host a Sip & See Party and am now obsessed with the technique. Baby food jars make darling bud vases for any baby related celebration. Dipped in a thick layer of latex paint they look elegant and sophisticated, like grown up vases. Below is a step by step “How To” tutorial should anyone want to try this at home.

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 Use a strong cleaner to get the labels and glue off the jars. Wash and dry well.

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 Place your chosen color of latex paint in a shallow disposable container.

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 Dip the base of the clean jar in the paint and start swirling it around.

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 I like them to look a little uneven so I made some sides higher, you can easily go for a uniform look.

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 Place the jars upside down on a paper towel and allow to dry for 24-36 hours (this much paint takes awhile to dry.)

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 The finished product! I love the drips and imperfections.

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 Repeat with any other colors. For the mint green I added some water to the paint to get more coverage on the jars. A little water goes a long way so be careful to add a teaspoon at a time.

photo by Beth Liebetrau

Once totally dry, fill the jars with water and a few simple blooms.

photo by Beth Liebetrau

Simple white flowers looked fresh in the mint and gold jars.

Photo by Beth Liebetrau

I can’t get over how pretty they look all lined up (credit goes to Beth Liebetrau for the excellent pictures.)

photo by Beth Liebetrau

The only problem with latex paint is it will come off if washed in warm water so be very careful not to get the outsides of the jars wet! I learned that lesson the hard way…

 

xo,

Lydia

 

The Homegrown Collective

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I have finally found the perfect gift for the person in your life who has everything (assuming they don’t have a kit to make rose hip infused raw honey.) I was very lucky to receive a delivery of the Homegrown Collective Green Box from a friend. The motto of the company is “delivering a homegrown lifestyle to your doorstep each month.” Each monthly box contains all the the supplies to make your own green products and step by step instructions for easy and informed execution. Great for Eco-conscious families, curious kids and busy professionals who don’t have time to make their own Kombucha starter.

The Homegrown Collective

The packaging and literature are artfully crafted. Each box has a different theme, the one I received was called “How Sweet It Is”, with projects, food stuffs and recipes featuring all things honey bee related.

The Homegrown Collective

Honey, Bee Pollen and Bee’s Wax oh my.

The Homegrown Collective

All the supplies to make shea butter and beeswax lip balms flavored with almond and citrus oil.

The Homegrown Collective

Local raw honey and rose hips to infuse the honey in the provided mason jar.

The Homegrown Collective

Delicious and nutritious bee pollen and a recipe for a protein packed vegetarian smoothie.

A single box costs $39 + shipping and there are discounts for 3, 6 and 12 month subscriptions. Don’t you love this concept?

xo,

Lydia

Heath Ceramics Seasonal Collection Summer 2013

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Heath Seasonal Collection Summer 2013

I let out an audible gasp when I opened the Heath Ceramics newsletter today and saw that the seasonal collection this summer is a range of BLUES! Remember last summer’s Poppy & Grapefruit and the epic Yellow in 2011? Fond memories. Hey there Horizon Blue, Indigo and Tea Green…it is a pleasure to meet you.

Heath Ceramics Seasonal Collection Summer 2013 Heath Ceramics Seasonal Collection Summer 2013 Heath Ceramics Seasonal Collection Summer 2013 Heath Ceramics Seasonal Collection Summer 2013

 

This is NOT good news for my bud vase addiction. If I call it a “collection” is it still an addiction?

 

xo,

Lydia

 

 

 

 

Raspberry-Vanilla Gluten Free/Vegan Scones

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Raspberry-Vanilla Vegan Scones

These are way too easy to make friends. One mixing bowl and a baking sheet later and you have Vegan scones (mine were Gluten Free as well.) I even used frozen raspberries because I didn’t have fresh berries on hand and they worked just fine. Fill your house with the scent of vanilla and then attack these scones over a cup of tea. You won’t regret it.

Raspberry-Vanilla Vegan Scones

 

Raspberry-Vanilla Gluten Free/Vegan Scones (adapted from the BabyCakes Cookbook)

makes 8 scones

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour OR Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup coconut oil, plus extra for brushing the tops (make sure it is high heat sustainable)

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, scraped of seeds

1/3 cup hot water

1 cup fresh raspberries (frozen work too)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. Stir in the oil, agave nectar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Stir in the hot water, then lightly fold in the raspberries until well incorporated but not smooshed to bits. Scoop 8 even mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with more coconut oil. Bake the scones for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let the baking sheet cool completely on top of a rack. Remember Gluten Free baked goods taste better when cooled for some reason so try to resist.

 

xo,

Lydia

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