Showering Ashley

Over the weekend we hosted a bridal shower for one of my oldest friends. Ashley and I have known each other since we were five years old, which means we've been friends for twenty years!! Ashley and her man knew each other prior to dating, but made it official while basking in the sunshine of Cedar Island at my 17th Birthday party.  To continue their beachy relationship, the couple is getting hitched in the Dominican Republic in May! I can't wait to celebrate some of my closest friends in the tropics.

Nell (bridesmaid and hostess), Ashley (the bride to be) and myself at age 6!

Most of the super cute decor came from Table Seven Antiques in Norfolk. I found the paper straws, silver wine glasses, chalk board paper, chevron table runner, engagement ring napkin holders (they stand up, so we used them to hold the food signs!), and vintage bride and groom picks.  This shop has everything for a perfect party!  Table Seven was recently featured in the latest issue of Vow Magazine.  I made the garland out of tissue paper and twine. Super easy and a great addition.

Chalk board paper table runner. Silver wine glasses. Chevron and striped paper straws

Wine and Sangria!

Crockpot Queso

You will need:

1 block of Velveeta cheese

1 pound of cook ground sausage

2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, drained

Combine all ingredients and heat on high, stirring every 10 minutes, until mixture is melted. Then put crockpot on the low or warm setting and serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

Vintage inspired Bride and Groom picks

Sangria

You will need:
One large bottle of Moscato
Two liter of Diet Cherry 7-up
One liter of Club Soda
One can of frozen lemonade concentrate
Sliced fresh fruit (lemons and strawberries)

Pour together all ingredients into a large pitcher or carafe. Give it a few big stirs until the concentrate is dissolved. Serve over ice, and in our case with a paper straw!

Cupcakes from Carolina Cupcakery. Brownies from Costco.

Mac N Cheese Cups

Mac N Cheese Cups, SO YUMMY!

(makes 48)

You will need:

Two boxes of your favorite Mac N Cheese (I used Velveeta Shells and Cheese)

2 eggs

Cayenne Pepper

Bread Crumbs

Garlic Salt

Parmesan Cheese

Make Mac N Cheese according to package. Return to the pot and add two eggs, some bread crumbs and the seasonings. As much as you desire! Grease a mini muffin tin and sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Spoon in the Mac N Cheese mixture and top with more cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 15 minutes on 410 degrees.  Let cool for a few minutes and then pop them out with a spoon. Delicious and easy appetizer!

Some of the food spread

Meatball Sliders

You will need:

One package of frozen meatballs (or homemade!)

1 jar of marinara sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Hawaiian rolls

Combine meatballs and sauce in a large pot and heat over medium until hot. In the mean time, open the rolls and toast in the oven for 3 minutes. Take out of the oven and place a piece of cheese on each roll. Top with a meatball and some sauce. You're done! 

More food!

Caprese Skewers

You will need:

Fresh baby spinach

Grape tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella pearls

Dried basil or Italian seasoning

Balsamic glaze

Toothpicks or skewers

Skewer together the first three ingredients in any order you would like. Sprinkle the skewers with seasonings and then drizzle with balsamic glaze. Enjoy!

Ahoy! It's a Boy!

Last weekend Joe and I hosted a couples baby shower with our good friends Jillian and Taylor in honor of the future baby boy of Brittany and James! James was deployed in Afghanistan for the majority of Brit's pregnancy, so he requested a couples shower upon his return.  We did a sailor theme in honor of James being in the Navy.  Since boys were invited too, we did not do typical shower games. We had a chugging contest out of baby bottles, pin the sperm on the uterus and we also had the guests write funny notes on diapers for mom and dad.  We served beer, oysters, burgers, mac n cheese and a salad. Delish!

My good friend Ashley at Fairview Place created the invitations and the cute little signs. She's amazing!

The invitations!

I made this "life saver" out of diapers.

Jillian made this banner! Too cute!

Brittany is due in 4 days!! Can't wait to meet baby Thomas Bradley!

Summer Bucket List: Beach Darty!

Saturday's weather couldn't have been better for a beach party with my closest friends!  I was literally waiting by the door for my friends to arrive. I was so excited!  Around 1:00 Taylor and Jillian arrived at the my house and we headed straight for the beach with a cooler of beer and lots of snacks. About an hour later, our friend Leslie arrived, followed by Britney, James and their little nugget brewing in Brit's belly.  Some more friends were down the beach a little ways and walked over to hang out with us.

Living down at the ocean front has spoiled me rotten. We were able to sit and enjoy the beach for about 4 hours and head up to the house to start cooking. We probably drank a total of four cases of beer throughout the day. We cooked chicken kabobs, hot dogs, and peppers on the grill. And we had mac and cheese and potato salad on the side (and of course pimento cheese).   After dinner we meandered onto the front porch and enjoyed the perfect weather with great friends by candle light. Our evening finished with a free firework show down the beach!! I really couldn't imagine a better summer day.

Nothing like a beach day with my friends!!

Jillian decided to bring Skinny Girl Cucumber Vodka. It's so refreshing and light! We paired it with Perrier sparkling water for a perfect beach bevvy.

** If you were not already aware a "darty" is a day party. Hence the name!

Belated Birthday Post

This year my 25th Birthday fell on a Saturday (May 11), so of course we needed to celebrate the fact that I was turning a quarter of a century old! With the help of my family, coworkers and amazing boyfriend I was able to throw the best birthday ever! My dad came over early Saturday to drop off the canopy tent, as well as bags and bags full of plates and platters from my parents house.  We starting setting up immediately for our party with about 30 of my closest friends. Unfortunately I didn't take my pictures.

Table Seven Antiques provided a lot of the decorations. We used vintage milk bottles in the original crate with green striped paper straws to serve the punch.  I labeled the punch by writing with chalk on an old piece of slate found in the backyard. The table runner is made of brown paper which made for a super easy clean up, also supplied from Table Seven.  Vintage crates and buoys added a nautical theme to the party.

The birthday cake was made by my amazing coworker. She has such a talent. Everything you see is edible. She even made those white chocolate shells! It was strawberry flavored inside. INCREDIBLE! Probably the best cake I have ever had (sorry, Mom).

Birthday Menu:

Appetizers:

Clams

Pimento Cheese

Corn and Black Bean Dip

Dinner:

Burgers

Ramen Noodle Salad

Linda's Famous Mac and Cheese

Chips

Desserts:

Homemade Nutter Butters (original recipe)

 Birthday Cake

Bevvys:

Whisky Sour Punch

Keg Beer

Wine

Vintage Milk Bottles with Paper Straws

Best 25th Birthday ever! How awesome is that cake??

 Shout out to my sister, Margaret for making the Corn and Black Bean Dip and the Homemade Nutter Butters!!

Stella and Dot Party!!

Last night I hosted a Stella and Dot jewelry party with the amazing Tamy Medalis!! She puts such an unique and personal spin on the party with "props" including vintage suitcases and cameras, beautiful display frames, and vases of flowers. Her set up is incredible, I absolutely love how she incorporates the vintage suitcases in her display. Stella and Dot is a jewelry brand that sells the goodies online and through home shows. Jewelry ranges from about $30 to $200.  Tamy is a "Stylist" for the company, meaning she comes to your home, displays the beautiful jewelry, and takes all the orders. Hostess perks are the best! A percentage of the total sales goes to the hostess in FREE jewelry, and she will also receive a certain amount of items at 50% off. So far I am up to nearly $300 in FREE goods, and that amount is still rising. Here are a few pictures from the party:

Hostess with the Mostess

Here are some hostessy things that I incorporated into the party!

I purchased Sparkling Lemonade from Trader Joe's. The bottles are too cute!! This picture was taken before I added ice and wine. I also served Jello Shooters!! 

Spinach Artichoke Dip Bites

Here's what you need:

8oz cream cheese, softened in the microwave

1 can or jar of artichoke hearts, chopped

1 cup chopped spinach

a dollop of sour cream

a dollop of mayo

garlic salt

chili powder

shredded mozzarella cheese

2 packages of Filo Cups

Mix the first seven ingredients together in a bowl. Add a handful of mozzarella cheese and mix it all together. Scoop a small spoonful of the mixture into each filo cup and top with a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. Then broil on low for a few minutes to add the golden brown top. Makes 30 cups. I baked the remaining mixture in a small casserole dish and served with multigrain crackers.  These were a HUGE hit! I should have made more.

Strawberry/Angel Food Cake Skewers

One container of strawberries

one small angel food cake (mine was made with Splenda)

20 wooden skewers

Cool Whip

Wash the strawberries and cut each one in half. Cut the cake into small one inch cubes.  Add the strawberries and cake to the skewers, alternating the pattern so they look pretty. Serve with a small bowl of Cool Whip.

**Optional: Drizzle chocolate sauce over the strawberry skewers before serving.

Thank you Tamy for such an amazing night!!!