The idea of how to host a successful home party for 200+ high schoolers and their families sounds like an enormous task, doesn’t it? Just the thought of it can give anyone anxiety!  So, how did I create a large home party (64 kids and 140 parents and grandparents) seamlessly with grace, fun and calm for ... Read More about You Can Host a Successful Home Party

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Popcorn, potato chips, french fries, hot dogs and birthday cake – these junk foods conjure up memories of movie theaters, spring training baseball games, or maybe a child’s birthday party complete with balloons, pinata and birthday candles. Normally these foods don’t recall thoughts of delicacies like champagne, pinot noir, or caviar. But why can’t ordinary, ... Read More about Junk Food and Champagne? How to Pair Fun Food and Wine!

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I’m always looking for inspiration when it comes to setting holiday tables. Sometimes it’s a certain floral arrangement that inspires me, sometimes it’s a color palette and sometimes it’s a vintage entertaining piece that I want to incorporate into my tablescape. This year, I wanted to be able to use my DIY fabric charger plates ... Read More about My Unique Thanksgiving Table: Blue, White & Straw

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If you followed me for anytime now, you may have noticed that alfresco dining is my absolute favorite way to entertain and serve a meal. Most of the year in Phoenix, at least, it’s possible to do this and it’s uncommon to find a restaurant here that doesn’t have some sort of outdoor patio or ... Read More about Alfresco Dining: How to Set an Easy Table

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Sometimes one of the most effective ways to create a dramatic centerpiece is actually by using something very simple. I’m talking about wood branches and how these can be incorporated into any tablesetting, or home decor, for an amazing affect with little effort. A great example is my purple country table that I set recently ... Read More about Purple Country Table: How to Use Wood Branches

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Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only about 6 weeks away? Have you started planning your table decor yet? Maybe not, but for decor geeks like me, I’m always looking for ways to plan ahead and take one thing off my list so I can focus on what really matters: my guests. The inspiration for ... Read More about Time to Plan Thanksgiving: A Purple Table Idea

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The idea of a seafood picnic clambake supposedly originated in New England – Northern coastal Native Americans steamed shellfish (clams, lobsters, mussels) over hot stones covered by seaweed, and this practice was later adopted by early settlers on the Atlantic Coast as a way to celebrate the abundance of the bountiful ocean. I’ve always admired ... Read More about New England Clambake: West Coast Style

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A few months ago, I was asked if I’d like to be featured in a local magazine spotlighting my company, To Have + To Host. The issue was about Mompreneurs – just like it sounds – moms in the metropolitan Phoenix area who have started their own businesses and are their own bosses. Naturally, I ... Read More about Blue and White Garden Dinner Party: Postponed

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When the temperatures start to heat up here in Phoenix, and summer is around the corner, it seems there is an entertaining theme that always becomes popular again: tropical table decor! So, it was no surprise when I saw this fantastic dinnerware collection featuring regal peacocks and floral motifs in the perfect blue and green ... Read More about Tropical Table Decor: Peacocks and Florals

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There has been a lot of uncertainty these past few weeks and a lot of stress that goes along with our current situation. Parenting has taken on a whole new level with a lot of us trying to help home-school our kids and we’ve all had to be a little creative with the social distancing ... Read More about Date Night at Home: Ideas for the The New Normal

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