There have definitely been times when I've felt more like a distracted, harried chef in my own home than a calm, welcoming hostess with guests over. Of course, there are certain things a host needs to do to put their guests at ease and set the tone for a good time, but it doesn't ...read more
A few weeks ago, I found myself home on a Tuesday night, and in a celebratory mood for no particular reason. We decided to ditch our original dinner plans (Ma Po Tofu) in favor of an elevated cheese plate. I walked to the cheese store, assembled a board, and popped open a bottle ...read more
Big events, where I'm the guest of honor, are typically not my thing. But in the case of our Ten Year Anniversary Party, I couldn't wait to celebrate—primarily because it felt so much bigger than just me. While I started this brand, there have been countless people supporting me ...read more
This past weekend I threw my first baby shower for my best friend, Rachel. I've been practically planning it since I found out she was pregnant and couldn't wait to spoil her (and her little girl). And while I've hosted my fair share of parties, baby showers are a different ...read more
When I met Heather Taylor a few months ago at a "Parents and Me" event for incoming students (if you can call them that...) at Sloan's school, I was immediately drawn to how pulled-together she looked. Even while pregnant, she always looked beyond-chic with a bright lip, cool ...read more
I don’t know about you guys but it doesn’t need to be game day and I certainly don’t need to be entertaining in order to whip-up a giant vat of cheesy chips topped with all the good toppings. On the menu for today: Fall Nachos!These are loaded with all sorts of fall veggies I ...read more
It's no secret that Halloween's my favorite holiday, thanks to the winning combination of unlimited candy and scary movies. Now that Sloan's old enough to understand and take part in the celebrations, our Halloweens look a little different. In the past, we've invited friends over ...read more
G and I complement each other well in the kitchen, especially when it comes to hosting. He’s an amazing cook and tends to handle most of the grilling, basting, and chopping, while I focus on the aesthetic and serving aspects. Funny enough, after my last trip to visit my parents, ...read more
When we were putting together the holiday gift guides in early December, I encountered about a million things I had to have, but stopped short when I came across Island Creek Oyster Co. (which you may recognize from our Foodie Gift Guide!). They're an east coast oyster company ...read more
As much as I love holiday cookie parties, they can be a production. The timing has to be just right between first making the dough, then rolling it out, cutting the shapes, allowing them to cool after baking, and making the royal icing to decorate them. Biscotti, on the other ...read more
'Tis the season for going over to friends' homes for holiday get-togethers, which means it's also the season for hostess gifts. Over the years, I've made food, crafted gift baskets, and put together flower arrangements, so that I always show up with something a little more ...read more
Even though it’s been a few years since my last dorm party, I still have a soft spot for red solo cups. A stack placed haphazardly between a laptop blasting Ke$ha and a Psychology 101 textbook is a scene I witnessed more than a few times—even at my all-women’s college (except ...read more
When I left New York City, it was a quick turnaround. With two weeks' notice, I had to finish projects at my previous job, pack up an apartment, find a new apartment, sell furniture, make sure my cat wasn't having a heart attack, and say goodbye to all of my friends. Any one of ...read more
I'm constantly getting lost in Instagram wormholes and discovering new accounts to follow. When I discovered Tieghan, of Half Baked Harvest, during one of these scroll-holes, I was instantly impressed with the quality of her entertaining ideas and food photography. She struck me ...read more
I recently hosted a brunch at our place for a few friends, assisted by our food contributor Gaby. One of my favorite things about living in L.A. is the abundance of farmers' markets. It's long been a tradition of mine to head to my local one on Sunday with a straw tote for ...read more
Rachel and I met our first week at college, where we lived two doors down from each other, and became friends immediately. Rach has always amazed me with her near obsessive organizational skills, especially when it comes to planning parties. Case in point: she planned her ...read more
When we have friends over for casual evenings in, we often rely on the same go-to meals. While there's nothing wrong with ordering pizzas, last week I wanted to do something just as easy, but that felt a little special. We live a couple miles away from Los Angeles' Koreatown, ...read more
Entertaining is still a priority for us and we always have some staples on hand (i.e. chilled champagne, cheese, a pint of gourmet ice cream) to quickly assemble a casual get together. Over the years, we've added a few unique items to that list to help elevate a simple party ...read more
I have a long-standing relationship with the team at Estée Lauder and was thrilled when they offered to help me throw a winter garden party in collaboration with their line, AERIN Beauty. The new fragrance, Rose de Grasse, launched yesterday and we celebrated with a ...read more
There's nothing wrong with bringing a bottle of wine to a friend's house for dinner (it's what I do most of the time), but every once in a while, I'll bring something more unexpected. I've shared my ideas for bringing the hostess breakfast for the next morning or a beautiful ...read more
Joan's on Third is a Los Angeles institution (read about it in my LA Guide) and one of my favorite places to grab a bite to eat, whether it's for a casual meeting or just when I need a pick-me-up. Joan McNamara started her restaurant out of a booming catering business, and now ...read more
When I'm craving a low-key night in with girlfriends, there are usually two requirements: good food and a classic movie. We'll usually opt for take-out and something we've seen a dozen times, just so that we can still chat without feeling like we're missing the entire film. But ...read more
When I threw my first dinner party at twenty-two, I was a nervous wreck. It was a simple menu (spaghetti and meatballs with a caesar salad), but the overall preparation time between buying ingredients, cooking and cleaning took me days. But when everyone was seated around my ...read more
My mom typically prefers understated celebrations, where she isn't the focus of the event. However, that's kind of hard to avoid with Mother's Day and while I won't be with her in person this year, I created a simple sangria bar in her honor, complete with nostalgic tags and ...read more