Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Wine 101

After moving to Napa, it occurred to me that I knew NOTHING about wine. Luckily, in the last 6 months I've learned a couple things. Am I an expert? Definitely not. But I know enough to sound like I know what I'm talking about most of the time.

In college there are 4 kinds of wine: white, red, pink, bubbles. There's also expensive wine and Barefoot. For the love of God, step away from the Barefoot. Wine that costs under $10 is not a great deal, its yucky.

This guide should help you pick out a great wine for your guests for dinner parties, lunch dates, game nights... whatever.


My personal favorite white wine is Chardonnay. Some of my favorite memories include my Momma, chardonnay, and a pretty patio. My fav red is a nice deep cab... a glass of cab a day keeps the doctor away, or something like that.

 I am more than happy to give tasting recommendations to anyone traveling to the Napa Valley. Mine and Matt's favorite is Kuleto Estate.


Hope this helps!

xx, M

Monday, November 10, 2014

Mini-Cocktail Party

Can anyone believe it's November already? I sure can't. Like... what? With November comes more family gatherings, more nights with friends, more entertaining, more alcohol and candles (my least favorite part, clearly), and all the home decor we can get our hands on.

Making a small and temporary apartment space feel homey and entertainment-ready can be a real challenge. With a couple tweaks and tricks you'll be on your way to being an effortless hostess in a cozy party space.


Lighting is so so so important when having company over! Turn off the overhead lighting, it doesn't make anyone look good and it's way to harsh to make people feel relaxed unless you're lucky enough to have dimmers installed. For us less fortunate folk, candles, lamps and string lights will do the trick. If you haven't picked up on my copper obsession by now I've done something wrong so obviously I love this Capri Blue Iridescent Jar Candle found at Anthropologie.

If you're new to the entertaining game and don't want to take the pizza route I recommend serving drinks and snacks only. Having the perfect stemware makes the night a little more special and these Gold Stemless Wine Glasses are on sale and so so pretty! Try a yummy sangria recipe instead of a plain old wine.

Obviously, if you have a delicious cocktail to serve and cute glasses to serve it in then you need cute paper straws too.

I love this Stay Awhile wall hook for by your front door. It takes away the need for a cheesy welcome mat too ;)

If you're like me, there is absolutely no room for extra chairs just sitting around in your apartment and I will always say nope to tacky folding chairs, they're a serious ambiance killer. Floor pillows like these from Urban Outfitters will give your apartment a comfy "nest" feel when placed around your coffee table. Add a couple of these super cute fur throw pillows a fluffy throw or two.

Studio Mucci tassel garlands are now available at Urban Outfitters... I'm too excited for words. This tassel garland is a fun addition to fall decor and it gets major points for not being super typical fall colors. Wrap some white string lights from Target around it to add some extra fun lighting to your entertaining space.

A little extra surface space might be needed if your apartment isn't party friendly, set this accent table up in your living room with your sangria pitcher and extra cocktail napkins so there's plenty of space for your Cards Against Humanity game, snacks or whatever blows your skirt up.

Happy party planning!

xx, M