Entertain

No cries, just many new memories to make. Another one of my friends from LA has made the move east for a wonderful new adventure on another coast and I love that for her. But of course I like to celebrate everything in life and Samantha’s next chapter is most certainly worth commemorating. So I threw together a little something before she left so we could once again gather with cake, champagne and absolutely no tears because these napkins are too nice. And apparently summer

Well it’s the end of summer and just the start of celebrations for myself and family. August is jam packed with fun each year as it’s my 33rd birthday, 3rd wedding anniversary and 11th year living in Los Angeles. My whole life everything seems to start and end come the month of August, the height of summer and therefore quite a time for moi! So how does one celebrate their birthday with girlfriends, beyond the traditional birthday lunch? This year’s celebration with the ladie

While we’re all quite familiar with the summer cocktail of cocktails, the aperol spritz, I was delighted to find a way to actually enjoy another one of Italy’s top spirits come summer in a more digestible way. Limoncello was first introduced to me at the end of long dinners while living in Italy in a strikingly strong shot format. Pungent to say the least! However, since then I’ve been loving my lemon infused French 75s (which I always order with ice in a wine glass) and I fi

Well it’s been one whole year since mister Parker made his debut and what an adventure it’s been! As all new parents can attest that one year milestone is a BIG ONE and most certainly one worth celebrating. And so we did! I wanted something small and invtiing, loads of snacks and centered around Parker. And what a nice little afternoon to do just that with my one year old bébé! And now my one year old self, Monica the mama version! T o make it cozy I laid some blankets down

Take a seat, lover. Is it too early for pastels? I get we are all on board with pink, but you know I loathe red outside the confines of coral and it’s neighboring communities. Sometimes even pink can get aggressive, especially around Valentine’s Day so excuse me for wanting to soften the bow. And after my epiphany that pale green could be spooky I’ve decided traditional color palettes be damned, anything is amenable to what you love. And I just loveeeee my candy colors. Henc

The new year is fast approaching and I can’t help but be baffled by 2021? Perhaps I just put too much hope into a year that certainly seemed to be one of great transition: for myself and possibly the entire country navigating the shockwaves of 2020, attempting to find a way out of the mess the pandemic and political unrest created. I think we can all agree 2020 was a grave disappointment, but was 2021 actually worse? The promise of change without any real significant change?

Yes, I’m officially one of those moms. You know, the kind who celebrate half-birthdays, insist on matching their kiddos, essentially relive their own childhood through the lens of her kids. All good things I used to smirk at in my younger years, now things that I feel serve as the golden prize after a long day. Our kiddos don’t define us and I’m the first to support any and all efforts to allow them independence and space from the wishes we want them to fulfill for us, the bu

It’s party time! For most of us, myself not exactly included as I am continuing to celebrate with caution, keeping a safe distance from too many people at once. But whether a party of one, two or 300, bring on the cheese pleaseeeee! Keep in mind any and all cheese plates can be made mini and just as cute, like I did here for my small, outdoor baby shower. Feel free to add more oranges and pomegranates too for larger spreads, they make lovely color additions to break up all

Well here we go again, we’ve finished the Halloween cocktail hour, readying ourselves for the Thanksgiving hors d’oeuvres before the main course that is Christmas/Hanukkah and a decadent New Year’s Eve dessert. The all encompassing season of the seasons is here and ready to rumble, exciting me in all the ways, especially given our newest addition to the family. But yet again I can’t believe how quickly it has come! As someone who loves to create, this time of year can feel su

Boo! Well have I got another well appointed table for you… Best of all, it doesn’t include the eerie shade of orange we see blasted around this time of year. Just as the Sanderson sisters fought to keep their youth, I’m fighting to keep my precious summer pastels, as pumpkin orange is just as horrifying these days as are frown lines on the streets of Beverly Hills. Feast your eyes, as there shall be only smiles from this point on! Alas, all my attempts at true CHIC-O-WEEN hav

Bachelorette parties tend to incite a very particular theme in America. Starting with an overwhelming number of young women vacationing together, all in connection somehow to the bride-to-be, who is the one and only with exclusive rights to white ensembles for the weekend. Everyone appears collectively in pursuit of colorful cocktails and phallic shape paraphernalia while fraternizing in an Instagram worthy locale like Charleston, Austin or Miami, to name just a few. And most

As we continue indulge in these last warm months I can’t help but crave a little adventure somewhere seaside on a European coast, perhaps along the esteemed Mediterranean, a fabulous stretch playing home to some of the world’s most desirable summer destinations. This summer served as a the homecoming for many of us eager to escape the constraints of the pandemic, however, it appears we are still not quite there. And for me after bringing home bébé a taste of the Mediterranean

фото Last minute gatherings are quite the thing around here, especially when you have a baby and two sets of grandparents within walking distance from your home. My husband and I are both natural entertainers, him also going to the extreme of preferring feasts at home to my beloved supper-clubbing all over the city. But since the start of the pandemic and timely arrival of bébé, an evening at home with lots of welcoming arms and a diaper changing station nearby seems to chec

My sister Becky came to town to meet her new nephew, so naturally we needed to celebrate her arrival, especially given that fact that I haven’t seen her since my wedding thanks to COVID-19. And I’d imagine this summer will serve as an overdue reunion for many friends and families alike as we start to crawl out of pandemic life and back into the beauty of non-distanced gatherings. Finally! Intimate dinner parties tend to make the best moments especially now that there is light

If you’ve seen my recent TikTok post you’re likely less intimidated by the prospect of hosting this 4th of July after seeing me out together this super easy flag-like board, perfect to impress your guests or relieve your host of figuring out a nibble ready festive spread. And if you’re new here I cannot stress enough how easy cheese boards are make and get your guests together. People love to crowd around and chomp down and you won’t have a messy kitchen to show for it! All

As someone who really hates cooking but still loves to host all my entertaining accolades must derive from two skills; setting a lovely scene and delegating the menu to someone or someplace else. Obviously, I have gotten better with both, especially since meting my husband who by the grace of God loves the kitchen, making us a great team. So while Arthur cooks, I make things pretty. And this new centerpiece , is beyyyyond pretty! Flowers are always a non-negotiable staple any

Summer is here, and I’m so lucky I had the chance to enjoy a preview prior to baby this past April, thanks to the lovely Southern California weather. My best friend from high school, who is entirely responsible for my move to Los Angeles following college, decided on a very much welcomed whim to visit me from Chicago before I gave birth. I was so overwhelmed with the idea of a friend visiting, something that clearly hasn’t happened in quite some time. And since Emma lived her

A misty warm breeze, big brilliant colors, blended fruity cocktails, a collection of picture perfect seashell souvenirs … these are the things I imagine when I think of the Caribbean. Granted a place I’ve never truly been, unless Cancun is considered a member? Island life is what I’m picturing, and after 2020, it’s high up on my lustworthy list of adventures to embark on one day soon… Throughout this past year I have managed to remain incredibly grateful to be faced by challe

Friends, not friend, it’s plural which hasn’t been the norm for quite some time. Obviously I’m beyond grateful for these little moments on my patio at this point, it was the first time I got to show two good friends my home in it’s fully renovated state and spend some quality time catching up. Simple things we used to take for granted that are making all the difference now. Hence why I make such a fuss about hosting a coffee date, because it’s literally the best feeling to be

After a year of exclusively hosting at great distances with few family members and friends mostly outside my home, I am beyond excited about the possibility of party hopefully in our near future. Recently I attended a small get together with a few friends that I haven’t truly been able to socialize with since early 2020 and it was a strange experience getting ready to go to someone’s home for some distanced cocktails on their new rooftop. I was cinderella finally going to th