I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
When I think about throwing a dinner party for friends, it sounds pretty overwhelming. But not because the desire to host and entertain isn’t there. It’s the opposite case; I recently kicked off a monthly supper club with my friends, and together we’re slowly navigating the casual dinner party waters. It only took us a month or two to find that timing the dishes’ cook times, setting a beautiful table and not being stressed out the ENTIRE time comes with lots of experience.
It’s easy to find stunning tabletops, inspiring centerpieces and gorgeous bar carts these days, thanks to Pinterest and Instagram. It’s easy to find checklists of anything and everything you should have on-hand when hosting your picture-perfect dinner party. But while those checklists are helpful, the reality is that you won’t always have ALL of the so-called “essentials”, (and you won’t always want to go out and get them).
That’s why I tapped entertaining guru Amanda Gluck of Fashionable Hostess for a little practical entertaining advice for us here today. Amanda makes it look SO easy to pull together pin-worthy spreads, so she was my go-to gal for some solid insider advice. Instead of having her share everything you DO need when hosting a casual dinner party, I invited her to share the five things you can actually do away with. Whether you have a lot of entertaining experience or not (*raises hand*), I think you’ll find this list helpful when planning your next get-together. Cheers, Kat
No. 1…A full set of silverware. A fork and knife will suffice, especially if you are eating casual. Make dessert finger-friendly, like cookies or brownies so you don’t need dessert plates or forks!
No…2. Place cards. While for large parties it’s great to assign seats so people will mingle, keep small parties casual and let people sit where they choose.
No. 3…A table cloth. I often times use placemats, or even just chargers and plates!
No. 4….Multiple courses. When I get together with friends or family, I put out all the food on on my buffet in my dining room with serving pieces and all at once everyone gets up and eats! I always encourage people to get up and take seconds too!
No. 5…You don’t need to do everything! Ask one guest to be in charge of dessert, another to bring a fruit salad, another to bring wine. You would be surprised but people love helping out!
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I’m a big believer in the hand-hand written note; the intimacy, the simplicity of mail and the comfort in knowing that people can actually still write full words and sentences without BTW or LOL. Thankfully there are individuals that too still believe in what is slowly becoming a lost art, one of those is Pixie Chicago.
Created in 2010 Pixie is a Chicago based company specializing in unique, customized paper designs whose goal is to bring back the personalized touch of a simple piece of mail, whether it be a handwritten thank you or an exquisitely crafted special occasion invitation. In their Etsy shop you’ll find gorgeous save the dates, wedding invitations, chic and modern stationary, various invites, personalized art prints, and even diaper cakes (personally I’m obsessed with the skyline invites and stationary). When not crafting your vision on to paper you’ll find Pixie out and about in Chicago, trying new restaurants (because Chicago has some of the best food in America though I’m not biased), or simply relaxing with her husband and pooch.
Because we knew you’d want to buy everything Pixie has to offer we thought we’d help you out with a $50 gift card to Pixie Chicago (deets below)! Here are some of my favs from Pixie Chicago, but what will you be buying if you win? xoxo
**Please leave a separate comment below for EACH of the entries you’ve completed, the more you do the more likely you are to win! If you already follow Waiting On Martha & Pixie Chicago on Twitter, like us on Facebook, shop us on Etsy or have signed up for emails just let us know in your comment and you’ll be one step closer to winning!**
**All entries must be received by Thursday, March 1st, 11:59 pm CST. Winner will be announced Friday, March 2nd. Gift card can not be applied towards address labels or diaper cakes**
The second that MKR rocked her kilim chukka boots in this outfit post, I knew I had to know more about them and how to get my hands on a pair. She introduced me to Res Ipsa, a local Atlanta company that’s crafting these stunning one-of-a-kind shoes, all handmade from 100-year-old rugs. The company was founded by Joshua Moore and Odini Gogo, a brilliantly stylish duo that knows just how much we all need a pair of comfortable, long-lasting statement shoes in our lives. We recently sat down with the two to hear more behind Res Ipsa‘s journey, their ever-growing product offering and how they continue to source and create truly beautiful handmade products. Cheers, Kat
WOM: Please walk us through your professional journey: an initial dream, how you first started, what made you want to create the company, etc. RI: We started off making ties that we could wear to work. We are both lawyers, and we were frustrated that we couldn’t find neckties that were exactly 3-inches wide (what we call the midpoint between “Get off my lawn!” and hipster). A chance encounter with a manufacturer in Turkey while we were on a fabric-sourcing trip to Istanbul expanded our focus to kilim (hand-woven Turkish rugs) and other interesting fabrics that we could use to re-interpret classic designs like dress slippers, weekend bags, and dopp kits.
WOM: We absolutely love your unique name, and its meaning in Latin for “the thing speaks for itself.” Can you share a little about why you chose the Res Ipsa name, and what it means for the company? RI: The Res Ipsa name comes from the Latin phrase res ipsa loquitur meaning, “the thing speaks for itself.” Every first year law student learns the phrase, so it was a subtle nod to our former day jobs. The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur was first applied in the English tort law case Byrne v Boadle (1863). In that case, the court ruled for the injured plaintiff when a barrel of flour fell from a second-story loft and hit him on his head. The court ruled negligence was res ipsa loquitur. Because the facts were so obvious, there was no need to provide further explanation—the thing spoke for itself.
WOM: Describe Res Ipsa‘s customer…Who is he? Who is she? RI: We make products for modern traditionalists. We make timely updates to timeless styles. Our customer is not defined by his or her age–our customers are persons of style who have earned the respect of others through their classic and confident approach to fashion. They need a brand to cut through the clutter, offering high quality, classic apparel that adds new flare to their arsenal.
WOM: It’s obvious to see that your gorgeous designs are inspired by your travels around the world, and well, we have a major case of wanderlust here at WOM! Do you have a favorite city, country, hot spot? RI: Our favorite place to visit is the next one. There are so many amazing places in the world, we look forward to the thrill of the unknown from some place we haven’t been yet. But of the places we’ve been in 2015, we really love Istanbul for its mix of old and new–a major European city that still has an ancient rhythm. We also love Vienna–every bit as over-the-top and fabulous as Paris, with an under-the-radar charm that sneaks up on you.
WOM: We talk a lot about wardrobe essentials here on WOM, and we’re big proponents of quality pieces that make a statement. Do you have any style advice for wearing one of your unique designs? RI: Saving your favorite pieces for special occasions robs you of the joy of wearing what you enjoy most. If you have something you really like–and we hope our one-of-a-kind loafers fall into this category–wear it every chance you get. Make it a signature piece. And when you’ve worn it out, if that day ever comes, you will have endless memories from how you got to that point.
WOM: With each pair of shoes and each bag handmade and one-of-a-kind, it’s easy to see Res Ipsa‘s dedication to lasting quality. What challenges, if any, have you faced to keep your brand standard so high? RI: Everything we make is completely by hand from skilled artists with years of experience. Plus, we source our raw materials from all over the world. Handmade products take time, and so does assembling a collection with materials from three continents. Our products are an incredible value, but our prices are not as low as disposable, one-and-done fast fashion brands (you know who they are) but ours will last much, much longer.
WOM: Can we expect any new additions to the Res Ipsa offering? The WOM team is crushing on the weekenders, and of course the bold Kilim loafers are easy favorites. RI: We are always working to expand our product mix or re-interpret existing shapes with interesting materials. Our fall collection featured Harris Tweed, and our spring collection features lightweight fabrics like linen. We are working on a prototype of a backpack, and a small ladies bag that is larger than a clutch by smaller than a tote bag.
WOM: We know first-time customers will want to try on a few designs…where can they go to do that? RI: Our products are in over forty stores. In Atlanta, you can see them in person at H. Stockton (four locations). We are also working on opening a showroom in Inman Park/Old Fourth Ward.
