What to Give the Hostess With the Mostess

It’s Friyay! This week went by so quickly and thank the good Lord because I’m exhausted! Hopefully this weekend I’ll be able to do a little Christmas shopping because we all know that’s going to sneak up on us like Thanksgiving has. I could have sworn Halloween was last week. Surprise! It wasn’t. Anyway, last week’s gift guide I focused on the traditional preppy girl in your life (link here) so this week I’d love to suggest a few gifts for the Christmas parties you’ll be going to!

Traditionally, it’s polite to bring a small hostess gift for the lady who is hosting the party. I’m a big fan of gifts that are not only fun but actually useful. My favorite gift on this list are the serving trays. How perfect are they for a party? A great gift is easy to find when the gift relates so well to the event in which it’s for!

!function(doc,s,id){ var e, p, cb; if(!doc.getElementById(id)) { e = doc.createElement(s); e.id = id; cb = new Date().getTime().toString(); p = ‘//shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/widget-script.js?cb=1479430492754?cb=’ + cb; e.src = p; doc.body.appendChild(e); } if(typeof window.ss_shopsense === ‘object’){ if(doc.readyState === ‘complete’){ window.ss_shopsense.init(); } } }(document, ‘script’, ‘shopsensewidget-script’); //shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/#/?options=%7B%22widgetId%22%3A%22582e6d434df128378def3f34%22%2C%22version%22%3A1%2C%22pid%22%3A%22uid3025-28872695-82%22%2C%22size%22%3A200%2C%22columns%22%3A3%2C%22rows%22%3A1%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fapi.shopstyle.com%2Fapi%2Fv2%22%2C%22iframeHeight%22%3A275%2C%22iframeWidth%22%3A705%7D

What are some of your favorite hostess gifts? Leave me a comment!

Summer’s Over Celebration

Happy Friday loves! It’s been such a long week for me full of ups and downs but I wanted to share with you something pretty and creative to make you smile. Since summer is coming to a close, now is the perfect time to throw a little backyard party celebrating the end of the season. The best part is, all the summer stuff is on clearance!

For a summer gathering, you need splashes of color and little vintage touches. I love hydrangeas during this season. Especially white ones because they go with everything. I go to my local grocery store and can find a fairly large bouquet for about $15. They make the best centerpieces for a table! To add a vintage touch, use a wire basket to put them in during the party. Obviously, they can’t live without water for very long so keep them in a vase before guests arrive.

A really nice vintage touch to your tableware is drinks served in mason jars. I know, how Pinterest of me, right? Normally, I hate mason jars for events (especially weddings) but for little BBQs or outdoor things, I think it works. Serve up a fruity drink in these classic containers!

I also love vibrant colors during the summer and I think that they should be a part of our table settings! At Kohl’s, all of their summer table linens are starting to hit the clearance racks. Now is the time to stock up for next year and get at least one use out of them sometime soon.

One of the things that I keep going back to in all of my posts is the great stuff I can find at TJ Maxx. It’s a place I will shop at no matter how wealthy I am. I find so many neat things at great prices there. Just like many other stores, a lot of their summer stuff is on clearance now too so go take advantage of it! Host a little party this weekend and create a beautiful table setting from the fun, quirky things you can find on clearance.

Tell me what your end-of-the-season traditions are!

Saying ‘Thank You’

Yesterday, I promised a shopping haul from my San Antonio trip. Well today you won’t be seeing it because I was sick all day yesterday and didn’t have time to take any good pictures of the cute things I bought much less take pictures of me with/in them. I have some sort of sinus infection that’s stopping me from forming a coherent thought and putting on make up. Story of my life.

Today, I wanted to share with you a cherished tradition that many people are forgetting about- the ‘thank you’ note. Who would have thought that something so simple and important would become a thing of the past? Seriously, the only time I’ve ever received a thank you is after a wedding. Notes like these shouldn’t be reserved for events like that. It should be an ordinary thing. If someone does something nice for you, then you send a note! It’s not rocket-science.

Years ago, I went to a little friend’s birthday party. She was turning 8, I think. Her party was dinosaur themed and I got her a dinosaur gift of some kind. A few weeks went by and still no thank you note. I was brought up believing that you should send these within a week of the party. Regardless, I gave her some slack (I was a very polite kid, you see). 15 years later, I’m still waiting on that thank you note. I should have known not to expect one given that the birthday girl gathered up all of her gifts after she opened them and retreated to her room to play with them… by herself.

Remembering how important it is to send thank you notes, I have quite the stash of them in my desk! I absolutely adore them and stock up whenever I see a sale. Sending these notes says so much about your class, gratitude, and overall etiquette understanding. You aren’t required to send them by any means, but those that do automatically seem more appreciative than those who don’t. Consider that next time someone gives you a gift or does something nice for you!

Let Them Eat Cake!

On Wednesdays we eat cake! This is my own little spin on Marie Antoinette and Mean Girls. “On Wednesdays we wear pink” and “Let them eat cake” are iconic statements from two glamor girls lost in their own worlds. Frankly, if they weren’t so shallow, I might actually adore them. Macarons, cupcakes, pastries, and expensive champagne are all delicious reminders of the aristocratic society Marie embodied. Too bad it started the French Revolution. 

Entertaining on a Sunday

Does anyone else love brunch in the spring? After months of indoor entertaining only, a little outdoor party is so nice! Sunday is always the best day to throw a soiree for friends and family. I love dressing up and putting on my lipstick and high heels for events like these. Low key and classy is the easiest, most appealing way to entertain. I chose this outfit because of how classic it looks while introducing a few bold prints and colors for a modern touch. Outfits like this will make you the life of the party in no time. Enjoy your Sunday!