Fall Table Inspiration

Fall is in the air! I am sharing five tips for creating a perfectly layered, cozy, and inviting fall table—seasonal recipes and wine pairing resources included!

Creating a table like this may seem overwhelming, especially if looking only at the finished result. Here is the break-down, step by step.

1. DOUBLE UP ON BASE LAYERS

Don’t have a big table cloth to cover the entire table? Don’t have a beautiful wooden table worth showing off? No worries! Using multiple linen cloths to layer on top of each other does the trick and helps create a more casual and cozy look. For this white picnic table I used the signature FOLD hand-stitched cloth in heather gray and a solid version of the same cloth to cover the picnic table.

Stacking plates for each place setting may seem superfluous if you only end up using the top plate, but the stacking does serve a visual and textural purpose. It allows for more options for combining and alternating colors if you are mixing and matching plates, and the circle-within-a-circle look creates a dynamic and cohesive place setting pattern. For this dinner, each of us brought one or two (or three, or four) plates, and they all worked together beautifully.

Table cloth and linen napkin in mulberry: FOLD. Salad plate: Jos Ceramics for FOLD. Flatware: FOLD styling inventory. Photo: Silas Fallstich

2. GO FOR FLAT VS VERTICAL FLORALS

Vertical arrangements have their place, but unobstructed eye contact can be so valuable when sharing a meal. Laying flowers and greenery directly onto the table allows for food to be placed on top of them, too, without too much moving and rearranging of the flower vessels. Featured here are persimmon branches—with leaves and fruit attached—cascading down the table in place of vertical arrangements. Seeded eucalyptus, dry yarrow, and fresh rosemary were scattered around to add an extra layer or texture. Seasonal fruit (Bosc pears, pomegranates, jujubes) and whole nuts added visual interest and punctuated the otherwise wild and free-form branch placement. Best part: it only cost a few dollars to pick up the fruit at the local farmer’s market. The rest was foraged.

Copy of Above photos: Viktoriya Filippova (Copy)

3. MIX UP THE STEMWARE

Adding different colors of glass to the mix—especially smoke glass or amber hues this time of the year—can add some dimensionality and extra sparkle to the festivities. I always combine tall stemware with short, stemless tumblers for a chic, bistro-like vibe.

Vintage smoker glass tumbler: FOLD. Photo: Silas Fallstisch

4. THROW IN SOME BLANKETS

Having a few blankets on hand can go a long way both functionally and aesthetically, especially in an outdoor setting.

The complete fall harvest table. Photo: Silas Fallstich.

5. GRAZE, ROAST, BAKE, REPEAT

Whether you are hosting or bringing a designated dish to the party, here are some ideas on what to make that will please everyone at the table. Read on for links to individual recipes on this menu.

+ Grazing Board
+ Roasted Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
+ Root Vegetable Gratin
+ Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs
+ Spiced Up Grape Apple Pie

Becky of Baking The Goods put together an amazing array of flavors and textures (brie brûlée included) for this grazing board. Photo: Silas Fallstich.

Above: Roasted Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette (recipe on Wander & Wine) and Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs (recipe on CaliGirl Cooking).

Denisse’s Root Vegetable Gratin (recipe on Le Petit Eats).

Above: Spiced Up Grape-Apple Pie (recipe on Baking The Goods). Danish modern candlesticks: FOLD styling inventory.

Cheers!

The original post was published on November 15, 2018

The creative team:

FOLD
Denisse of Le Petit Chef/Le Petit Eats
Becky of Baking The Goods
Robin of CaliGirl Cooking
Hana-Lee of Wander & Wine

Location and wine contribution: Folded Hill Ranch. Photography: Silas Fallstich (where noted)

RESOURCES

In the shop:

Featured

Square Linen Table Cloth, Small

$125.00

Heather Gray Linen Table Cloth

$145.00

A Favorite Salad

What makes a meal memorable? Sometimes it is an unexpected combination of the ingredients, and other times it is the company or the setting that ignite our senses in a way that leaves a lasting impression. Can a simple salad be one of those memorable meals? Totally. I first made this salad a couple of years ago for a small dinner party I hosted around my birthday. Looking back at that day, I can certainly say it was one of the more memorable meals in my life, and the salad with burrata cheese, tangerines, shallots, and watercress was the unrivaled star of the show. I’ve made it many time since then, and so did a few other guests. It has made many an appearance at potlucks. On this very blog it was discovered by strangers who have since become dear friends. On a personal level, it gave me confidence to launch a cookbook club, Cookbook-ish (now in its second year), for which this particular meal was a test run. It also helped me keep one of my perennial New Year’s resolutions: to spend more time in the kitchen, try new recipes and techniques, and invite friends over for dinner more often.

The recipe for the salad and the entire meal came from Alison Roman’s book DINING IN. Seeing all the gorgeous winter citrus at the farmer’s market this morning and remembering this birthday dinner made me share this recipe with you again. I hope you give it a go. Who knows–maybe it will move the mountains, or at the very least create a memorable meal for you as well.

Above: I painted our dinner menus by hand with watercolor ink and used a sprig of wax flower to pin down the sides of the menus. With each guest’s name on the outside, the manes doubled as place cards. Linen napkins in Heather Gray complement the ne… — Above: I painted our dinner menus by hand with watercolor ink and used a sprig of wax flower to pin down the sides of the menus. With each guest’s name on the outside, the manes doubled as place cards. Linen napkins in Heather Gray complement the neutral table setting.

Burrata with Tangerines, Shallots, and Watercress,
Alison Roman, DINING IN

Ingredients:

1 shallot, thinly sliced into rings
1 table spoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 8oz ball burrata
3 tangerines, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
3 cups small spicy greens (watercress, mizuna, arugula)
Olive oil
Flaky sea salt

Preparation:

1. Toss the shallots with lemon juice in small bowl and season with kosher salt and pepper
2. Tear, slice, or cut burrata into pieces and arrange them on the serving platter.
3. Scatter the tangerine slices around burrata
4. Combine the shallots and spicy greens, and season with salt and pepper. Toss and scatter around the burrata mixture.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.

About Cookbook-ish:

Cookbook-ish is a book club and a community of like-minded foodies and creative people in my hometown. I curate the book selection and ask everyone to choose 2-3 recipes they'd like to make. I then come up with a cohesive menu based on everyone's selections. We cook at home and bring our respective dishes to share in a potluck-style meal. Not in Santa Barbara? You can still participate by following @foldsantabarbara on Instagram, cooking and tagging your posts with #cookbookish_sb.

FROM THE SHOP:

Featured

Heather Gray Linen Napkins (set of 4 or 6)

from $50.00

Thanksgiving Table Inspiration

Holiday season is upon us! With Thanksgiving being just a few weeks away and winter holidays on the horizon, I am sharing five tips for creating a perfectly layered, cozy, and inviting fall table—seasonal recipes and wine pairing resources included!

Creating a table like this may seem overwhelming, especially if looking only at the finished result. Here is the break-down, step by step.

1. DOUBLE UP ON BASE LAYERS

2. GO FOR FLAT VS VERTICAL FLORALS

Copy of Above photos: Viktoriya Filippova

3. MIX UP THE STEMWARE

4. THROW IN SOME BLANKETS

Having a few blankets on hand can go a long way both functionally and aesthetically, especially in an outdoor setting.

5. GRAZE, ROAST, BAKE, REPEAT

Whether you are hosting or bringing a designated dish to the party, here are some ideas on what to make that will please everyone at the table. Read on for links to individual recipes on this menu.

+ Grazing Board
+ Roasted Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
+ Root Vegetable Gratin
+ Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs
+ Spiced Up Grape Apple Pie

Above: Roasted Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette (recipe on Wander & Wine) and Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs (recipe on CaliGirl Cooking).

Above: Spiced Up Grape-Apple Pie (recipe on Baking The Goods). Danish modern candlesticks: FOLD styling inventory.

Cheers!

The original post was published on November 15, 2018

The creative team:

FOLD
Denisse of Le Petit Chef/Le Petit Eats
Becky of Baking The Goods
Robin of CaliGirl Cooking
Hana-Lee of Wander & Wine

Location and wine contribution: Folded Hill Ranch. Photography: Silas Fallstich (where noted)

RESOURCES

In the shop:

Featured

Square Linen Table Cloth, Small

$125.00

Heather Gray Linen Table Cloth

$145.00

Celebrating Summer: Five Tips for Easy, Low-Stress Hosting

Summer offers a lot to be excited about: longer days, sunshine, more time outdoors. What I love most about this time of the year is that your dining space naturally increases and spills out to the porch or back yard. Even beyond that, you can easily have a simple gathering at the park or on the beach. Other seasons are rife with religious holidays and rivaling family traditions that can shape both the menu and the mood (or keep you from having a casual get-together because there are just too many obligatory ones), but summer is not one of them. What I enjoy about summer parties is that they are more relaxed, casual, and inherently more fun. You can throw together a shareable dish, have some chilled wine on hand, and somehow you know everyone will have a good time. A recent FOLD cookbook club gathering captured the feeling of outdoor summer parties perfectly.

Photography: Lerina Winter. Event concept, linens, select tabletop items and styling: FOLD. A complete list of resources and credits is at the end of the post.

Above: table is set for a potluck lunch with the menu composed entirely of recipes from Near and Far by Heidi Swanson.

Here are my takeaways for hosting a no-fuss summer gathering, including a recipe for my favorite dish—the Strawberry Salad.

1. Forgo floral arrangements in favor of loosely hung vines, dry herbs, and foraged stems.

Above: strands of foraged jasmine vines are entwined with the outdoor lights; a single Queen Anne’s Lace and tiny succulent pots adorn the table setting.

2. Instead of designated place settings, have stacks of plates, napkins, cups and utensils available on the table. It can be fun to see which items the guests will gravitate to from a variety of mismatched dishes and glassware.

Above: vintage IKAT textile used as a partial tablecloth along with linen napkins in Red Poppy (both in the shop) and khadi cotton napkins in Blue Daisy (rental collection only).

3. If serving anything in addition to wine and beer, don’t try to make individual cocktails. Instead, opt for pre-made batch cocktails, tonics, or juice to avoid working too hard when guests arrive. This gorgeous and tasty Vin de Pamplemousse from the cookbook Near and Far by Heidi Swanson is made forty days in advance.

Above: chilled beverages in vintage containers; FOLD linen napkin in Nordic Stripe; calligraphy envelope signage by Susan Silverberg.

4. Choose food that can be enjoyed over a longer period of time. Worrying about meat or fish getting cold or dairy spoiling quickly can make it stressful for the host and cause the guests to feel rushed. Vegetarian dishes that can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature work really well. This kind of a menu invites your guests to stay longer and enjoy the food throughout the party rather than in an incremental format based on courses.

Above: having food signs next to each dish makes it easier for the guests to serve themselves rather than asking the host about each dish (especially for those with dietary restrictions).

5. Don’t be shy about mixing indoor and outdoor tables, seating, and textiles. If you don’t have one large table, consider placing a large piece of wood on top of two smaller side tables or using a sturdy coffee table as the base.

Above: the hosts used a piece of acacia wood from Elan Event Rentals, but a piece of plywood or several wood planks from the hardware store could work just as well.

STRAWBERRY SALAD*

Ingredients

1.5 lbs / 680 g strawberries (about 2 baskets)
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly toasted
1.5 tablespoons natural cane sugar or brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup / 1.5 oz / 45 g sliced almonds, toasted
Zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

Pick over the berries well, discarding any that are off. Brush away any dirt or debris with a damp cloth. Core and slice into quarters before placing in a large serving bowl.

Use a mortar and pestle to bruise the caraway seeds. Add the sugar and salt and grind a bit more to work the caraway into the sugar. Add the olive oil and stir to combine. If there is room in your mortar, use a spoon to stir in the almonds and lemon zest. If not, transfer to another bowl to combine.

Just before serving, pour most of the almond mixture over the berries. As gently as you can, mix together, folding and jostling the bowl to coat the strawberries. Do one last fold, top with the remaining nut mixture, and serve.

*Recipe reprinted with permission by the author from Near and Far. Copyright © 2015 by Heidi Swanson. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. www.tenspeedpress.com

Above: party favors featuring dry edible flowers ground up with peppercorns—Flower Pepper from Near and Far. Label design by Irene Hoffman; handmade leather tray by hostess Lea Worob.

About Cookbook-ish:

Cookbook-ish is a book club and a community of like-minded foodies and creative people in my hometown. I curate the book selection and ask everyone to choose 2-3 recipes they'd like to make. I then come up with a cohesive menu based on everyone's selections. We cook at home and bring our respective dishes to share in a potluck-style meal. Our next book is Sweet Laurel by Laurel Gallucci and Claire Thomas. Not in Santa Barbara? You can still participate by cooking and tagging your posts with #cookbookish_sb.

RESOURCES & CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS

Photography: Lerina Winter

Floral design: Margaret Joan Florals

Ottomans and Table Top: Elan Event Rentals

Caligraphy (envelopes with names of dishes): Susan Silverberg

Graphic Design (Party Favors Jar Label): Irene Hoffman

IN THE SHOP:

Featured

Nordic Stripe Linen Dinner Napkin

from $56.00

Square Linen Table Cloth, Small

$125.00

Square Linen Table Cloth in Mustard and Pink Gingham

$90.00

Heather Gray Linen Table Cloth

$145.00

Linen Twill Napkin in Red Poppy (set of 4 or 6)

from $45.00

Vintage Silverware Pewter Plate Ceramic Plate.JPG

Vintage Silverware (set of 4)

$45.00

Spring Forward: a Luncheon Inspired by the Season

When it comes to hosting, I use the seasons as my inspiration for planning the menu as well as setting the table. Where I live, the transitions between the seasons are ever so subtle and, if you blink once, you might miss them. This means you have to look harder to find the faintest signs of seasonal change, but it makes for a fun exercise of the senses. I find that if you can slow down, look up and around you, then grab onto what you see and magnify it in your home or on the table—that’s where the magic happens.

While it was still February at the time of planning this luncheon, the first signs of spring were starting to pop up everywhere—branches began budding, birds chirped restlessly each morning, and lush, green patches of grass started to replace what once lay dry and dormant. We received a significant amount of rainfall this winter, and I wanted to encapsulate that fresh, light and airy feeling you get after the rain while drawing from the general ideas of renewal, awakening, and a fresh start that are often associated with spring.

The occasion was the first Cookbook-ish gathering of the year (you can see last year’s round-up here). As is always the case, the cookbook as well as the location of our gathering influenced my styling direction, including the choice of linens and other tabletop items. I knew I couldn’t go wrong with a cookbook that had the word “salad” in its title for a spring-inspired gathering. But there is more to it: Salad for President by Julia Sherman, much like her eponymous blog, is a compilation of recipes inspired by the artists whose photos and interviews are included in the book. The location of our gathering was a small art gallery space within Santa Barbara’s SBCAST. Featuring the work of four emerging Santa Barbara artists, the gallery exhibition, curated by LUM Art Zine, went hand in hand with the concept of the book. By keeping both the gallery backdrop and seasonal inspiration in mind, I was able to create an experience that in itself served as a blank canvas for the shared meal, each dish being a piece of art on the table. Read on for inspiration and resources.

All photography, event concept and styling: Viktoriya Filippova for FOLD

Above: painting by Madeleine Ignon; SBCAST gallery

Another source of inspiration was the seeming contradiction of nature’s work this time of the year. On the one hand, it is delicate in its overall expression; on the other, it is powerful and unstoppable in its force. Choosing materials and textures of dramatically different properties and assigned values helped carry this concept out in the table setting.

Above: disposable cups and plates alongside vintage silverware; linen napkins from FOLD against cotton canvas drop cloth from the hardware store

Above: artist Ellen Altfest’s Very Green Salad; buffet-style table next to another Ignon painting

Above: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Cornmeal Croutons

Above: Baked Goat Cheese with Lettuces

Above: Cookbook-ish guests enjoying food and conversation; a coffee nook featuring a juxtaposition of elements: hand-thrown ceramic pitcher / disposable cups / FOLD signature linen cloth / paper flower next to live branches

Above: not your average deviled eggs (Sherman’s recipe calls for squid ink and salmon roe); radishes topped with miso ghee and black sesame seeds

Above: tahini, sea salt, dates, aka my new favorite dessert

About Cookbook-ish:

Cookbook-ish is a book club and a community of like-minded foodies and creative people in my hometown. I curate the book selection and ask everyone to choose 2-3 recipes they'd like to make. I then come up with a cohesive menu based on everyone's selections. We cook at home and bring our respective dishes to share in a potluck-style meal. Next month's book is Near and Far by Heidi Swanson. Not in Santa Barbara? You can still participate by cooking and tagging your posts with #cookbookish_sb.

RESOURCES

In the shop:

Featured

Square Linen Table Cloth, Small

$125.00

Square Linen Table Cloth in Mustard and Pink Gingham

$90.00

Oyster White Linen Napkin (set of 4 or 6)

from $48.00

Ceramic Pitcher

$45.00

Cookbook-ish by FOLD: a Year in Pictures

You know that feeling when you have an idea you want to share with the world, but want to try it out quietly first, to make sure you can actually pull it off? Cookbook-ish was one of those ideas. While cooking from the same cookbook with your friends and sharing the meal together is far from being original, it is something I had never done before. My motivations were simple: justify hoarding cookbooks, cook more, host more, and connect with FOLD friends, customers, and collaborators in real life. Before extending the invitation to anyone who would want to join, I tried the idea with a few close friends who are always up for my antics. The occasion was my birthday, so they couldn’t really say ‘no’ anyway. The book was DINING IN by Alison Roman. You can read about the dinner we put together here. It was fun, it was delicious, and it inspired me to move forward with Cookbook-ish on a bigger scale.

Five public gatherings followed based on five fabulous cookbooks. Each event attracted a bevy of fellow cookbook addicts, avid home cooks, and some of the most talented creative entrepreneurs in my home town. Many participants contributed so much more than the dish they prepared—from professional photography to graphic design to floral arrangements. It was wonderful and inspiring to see such a positive community response to this project and witness all the creative connections made at each dinner table. Here is the lineup of cookbooks we enjoyed in 2018—including the “trial” gathering—and the corresponding photos. Enjoy!

1.
DINING IN, Alison Roman

Location: my house
Favorite recipe: Burrata with Tangerines, Shallots and Watercress. You can find the recipe here. Sourdough bread is from a different cookbook, and we really enjoyed it with the salad.

2.
Feast By Firelight, Emma Frisch

Location: private residence
Favorite recipe: Chile-Lime Festival Corn with Feta Cheese and Cilantro. You can find the recipe here.
Floral Design: Margaret Joan Florals
Redwood tables and benches: All Heart Rentals
Wine recommendations: Wander & Wine

3.
Moosewood Cookbook, Molly Katzen

Location: 1970s time capsule residential club house
Favorite recipe: all were excellent
Floral design and styling assistance: Margaret Joan Florals
Event photography: LaFemme Photography

4.
The Art of Simple Food, Alice Waters

Location: Fairview Gardens
Favorite recipe: Onion Tart. More photos and tips for hosting a large crowd can be found here.
Event Photography: Lerina Winter
Plates: Otis + Pearl Partywares
Calligraphy (food signs): Susan Silverberg

5.
How to Eat a Peach, Diana Henry

Location: West Beach
Favorite recipe: hard to pick just one, but the Pear, Blackberry and Hazelnut Cake takes the cake. You can find the recipe and full event menu here.
Event photography: Lerina Winter
Floral design: Margaret Joan Florals
Beach cabana and umbrella: The Cabanas

6.
SIMPLE, Yotam Ottolenghi (or any book by the author)

Location: The Valley Project (wine tasting room)
Favorite recipe: all were excellent
Photography: Lerina Winter
Graphic Design (dinner menu): Irene Hoffman
Plates: Onyx and Redwood
Specialty cocktail and event assistance: Lea Worob

Other cookbooks I enjoyed last year that did not get scheduled in the 2018 Cookbook-ish line-up:

Wine Food, Dana Frank and Andrea Slonecker
Tartine All Day, Elizabeth Pruett
Near and Far, Heidi Swanson

2019 is upon us, and with the beginning of the year, I am really excited about the possibilities Cookbook-ish can create for FOLD and the community we built together. Our first book of the year (scheduled for February 2) is Salad for President by Julia Sherman. Not in Santa Barbara? You can still participate by cooking and tagging your posts with #cookbookish_sb to join in on the fun.

ABOUT COOKBOOK-ISH

Layering Up for Fall, Table Edition

Fall is a season for layers—be it in our wardrobe or in our living spaces. We take our cues from nature, where thicker, winter coats grow on our furry friends, and falling leaves create the magically crunchy, layered blankets under our feet. And while the transition from summer to fall is very subtle in my neck of the woods, and “sweater weather” is a term all too relative, I take every opportunity I can get to create cozy, textural environments and make time for gathering with friends and family. One such opportunity was a recent dinner collaboration with some of my favorite local creative entrepreneurs. Read on for my tried-and-true tips for creating a perfectly layered, cozy, and inviting fall table—seasonal recipes and wine pairing resources included!

The creative team:

FOLD
Denisse of Le Petit Chef/Le Petit Eats
Becky of Baking The Goods
Robin of CaliGirl Cooking
Hana-Lee of Wander & Wine

Location and wine contribution: Folded Hill Ranch. Photography: Silas Fallstich (where noted)

Creating a table like this may seem overwhelming, especially if looking only at the finished result. Here is the break-down, step by step.

1. DOUBLE UP ON BASE LAYERS

While a white picnic table doesn’t immediately evoke a sense of coziness, having multiple linen cloths to layer on top of each other often does the trick. In this case,natural fibers and linens in a light grey tone softened the bright white table top and provided a perfect neutral backdrop for the rich, colorful food. I used the signature FOLD hand-stitched cloth in heather gray and a solid version of the same cloth to cover the picnic table.

2. GO FOR FLAT VS VERTICAL FLORALS

Vertical arrangements have their place, but unobstructed eye contact can be so valuable when sharing a meal. Laying flowers and greenery directly onto the table allows for food to be placed on top of them, too, without too much moving and rearranging of the flower vessels. It is no secret that I drive with garden shears in my car and forage whenever I can for wild flowers, herbs, dry grasses, seeds and pods. My mother-in-law has a gorgeous persimmon tree, and it is especially fruitful this year. When she told me that the fruit was so heavy that it was breaking off some of the branches, I knew I could put them to good use. And just like that, persimmon branches—with leaves and fruit attached—became the star of the show, cascading down the table in place of vertical arrangements. Seeded eucalyptus, dry yarrow, and fresh rosemary were scattered around to add an extra layer or texture. Seasonal fruit (Bosc pears, pomegranates, jujubes) and whole nuts added visual interest and punctuated the otherwise wild and free-form branch placement.

3. MIX UP THE STEMWARE

It’s hard to think of glassware as something warm and cozy, but adding different colors of glass to the mix—especially smoke glass or amber hues this time of the year—can add some dimensionality and extra sparkle to the festivities. I always combine tall stemware with short, stemless tumblers for a chic, bistro-like vibe.

4. THROW IN SOME BLANKETS

Having a few blankets on hand can go a long way both functionally and aesthetically, especially in an outdoor setting. If you are still reading, you’ll remember that the table we used was white, and so were the benches. “Work with what you have” was our mantra for the day, and casually spreading the three blankets over the two benches worked like magic for visually tying the scene together and providing an extra layer of comfort. Bonus point: they served as protective layers for hauling the dishes and other breakable pieces to and from the location.

5. GRAZE, ROAST, BAKE, REPEAT

While most fall days in California are too warm for me to turn on the oven, the food that’s made in the oven is undoubtedly my favorite this time of the year. I can’t imagine a cozy meal without anything roasted, baked, layered or topped with melted cheese, or all of the above. Our menu for this fall harvest dinner was off the charts in every category:

+ Grazing Board
+ Roasted Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
+ Root Vegetable Gratin
+ Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs
+ Spiced Up Grape Apple Pie

Above: Roasted Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette (recipe on Wander & Wine) and Red Wine Roast Chicken with Grapes and Herbs (recipe on CaliGirl Cooking).

Talk about layers: Denisse’s Root Vegetable Gratin (recipe on Le Petit Eats).

Above: Spiced Up Grape-Apple Pie (recipe on Baking The Goods). Danish modern candlesticks: FOLD styling inventory.

While all the wines from Folded Hills were delicious, some were just spot on for each dish. Read Hana-Lee’s pairing notes on Wander & Wine. Cheers!

RESOURCES

In the shop:

Featured

Square Linen Table Cloth, Small

$125.00

Heather Gray Linen Table Cloth

$145.00

How to Eat a Peach, or What I Did Last Summer

Those who know me well know that hosting my cookbook club gatherings has become my biggest passion this year. I enjoy every aspect of it: from choosing the next book, to sifting through all the bookmarked recipes to arrive at a cohesive menu, to curating and crafting every last detail. And the details are many, location being one of the more challenging ones. While most people in Santa Barbara (including me) live in pretty tight quarters, we are truly blessed with endless outdoor options to host a crowd of any size, from a casual picnic with a few friends to a large wedding celebration, and everything in between.

As beautiful and accessible as an outdoor space can be, in most cases it resolves the imminent challenge of just that—space—as everything else has to be hauled in. From real to makeshift tables to crates and totes full of dishes and glassware, I certainly hope that I will never run out of schlepping favors with my husband, Brett, and my gracious guests who help load it all back into the trusted Honda Element. But what can I say? Providing a beautiful space for people to commune over a delicious meal and conversation is just so incredibly rewarding. Read on for photos of a recent outdoor gathering I hosted and the recipe for Pear, Blackberry and Hazelnut Cake we all enjoyed at the end of the meal.

All photos are by Lerina Winter.

Our last gathering featuring Diana Henry’s newest book, How to Eat a Peach, was held Santa Barbara’s West Beach, and was pretty much the sum of all the challenges that an outdoor space can present. But what hurdles cannot be overcome in the name of the meal that tastes as delicious as it looks, with cake and homemade ice cream to top it off? I certainly can’t think of many.

Why am I writing about a beach party at the end of October, you may ask, when most people find themselves firmly planted with both feet in the pumpkin patch, apple cider in hand? Because with all the hustle and bustle of the new school year, I completely forgot to tell you what I did last summer, which still hasn’t quite transitioned into the next season in my part of the country. This brings me the point I have been trying to articulate for a while now: given the effects of climate change, fall (or any season for that matter) has to become a state of mind rather than the weather report alone.

THE SPACE

To help anchor our gathering space on a widely-stretched public beach, I chose to work with The Cabana, Santa Barbara’s only resort-style cabana, umbrella, and beach chair rental service. Their team helped me with the key necessities for a successful beach gathering: shade, seating, and shelter. In addition, the bold white and red stripes of The Cabanas’ material were the perfect complement to the iconic West Beach setting, visually reaffirming once again our town’s rightful nickname—the American Riviera.

THE TABLE SETTING

To keep the sand out of the food, and the food away from the sand, I used two tables: one—a proper, albeit basic folding table—to serve the food, and another—a table of sorts—to gather around to enjoy the meal. The latter presented yet another challenge, logistical mostly, but in the end proved to be a worthwhile effort. A set of doors (hardware intact!) borrowed for the day from Restore, Habitat for Humanity’s building and home refurbishing warehouse, rested on wooden crates that were used to carry supplies to and from the beach. Layers of linen cloths covered both tables and provided much needed hiding space for extra supplies and containers.

THE MENU

Culling an entire menu from How to Eat a Peach was not hard, and it honestly felt like I could not go wrong with any of the possible combinations. Henry’s recipes are easy to fall in love with, but to know that she herself is the master of putting menus together (starting from the age of 16) is a fact that can hang over your head should you read the preface of the book. Nonetheless, the menu came together beautifully, and we managed to find the best of local produce (even some late harvest peaches in September) to use in our respective dishes.

TO START

melon and goat cheese with red wine & lavender dressing
ceviche de sierra
zucchini, ricotta & pecorino fritters

TO FOLLOW

green salad with hazelnut dressing
roast tomatoes, fennel & chickpeas with preserved lemons & honey
sarassou + lamb kofta + sweet pickled cherries
olive oil-braised leeks with harissa & dill

TO FINISH

pear, blackberry & hazelnut cake
pink grapefruit & basil ice cream
white peaches in chilled moscato

To keep the food safe from birds (yet another challenge in outdoor settings), I used various covers which I collected over time and refurbished with driftwood and palo santo sticks as handles.

THE CAKE

Having hosted a few potluck events for Cookbook-ish, I am now able to easily spot the recipes that will stand the test of time and distance. Time, as in make-ahead recipes that don’t look stale or soggy the next day. Distance, as in easily transportable without any special containers. This Pear, Blackberry and Hazelnut Cake checked all the boxes and many more. I hope it will become your go-to dessert to bring to any gathering, indoor or outdoor. I know it is already my favorite.

Pear, Blackberry and Hazelnut Cake
from How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry

Serves 8

unsalted butter, for the pan
1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 large pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup blackberries, plus more to serve
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup packed soft light brown sugar
pinch of sea salt flakes
1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
½ cup regular olive oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
finely grated zest of ½ orange
⅓ cup hazelnuts, toasted and very coarsely chopped
confectioner’s sugar, to dust

Preheat the oven to 375ºF and butter a loaf pan measuring 9½ x 5 x 2½ inches. Line the bottom with nonstick parchment paper.

Toss 2 big spoonfulls of the flour with the pear and blackberries. Put the rest of the flour in a large bowl and add the baking powder, sugar, and salt.

Mix together the yogurt with the regular olive oil in a cup and the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.

Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, making sure the flour is properly mixed in, carefully fold in the floured fruit, and then the nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Leave in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully run a knife between the cake and the pan and invert onto a wire rack. Turn the cake over so it is the right way up. Let cool, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve in slices, with extra blackberries on the side.

Diana henry suggests serving sweetened crème fraîche or whipped cream with it, but we enjoyed a scoop of pink grapefruit and basil ice cream with it, also from the book.

Cheers to summer, friends—past, future, or the kind that likes to linger well into November!

RESOURCES

In the Shop:

Featured

Oyster White Linen Napkin (set of 4 or 6)

from $48.00

Heather Gray Linen Napkins (set of 4 or 6)

from $50.00

Elsewhere:

Photography: Lerina Winter

Floral design: Margaret Joan Florals

Beach cabanas, chairs, and umbrellas: The Cabana

Vintage Milk Glass Goblets: Otis + Pearl Partywares

Paper cards with event hashtags: Irene Hoffman

About Cookbook-Ish:

Cookbook-ish is a book club and a community of like-minded foodies and creative people in my hometown. I curate the book selection and ask everyone to choose 2-3 recipes they'd like to make. I then come up with a cohesive menu based on everyone's selections. We cook at home and bring our respective dishes to share in a potluck style dinner. Next month's book is SIMPLE by Yotam Ottolenghi. Not in Santa Barbara? You can still participate by cooking and tagging your posts with #cookbookish_sb.

The Art of Simple Table

Hosting a large crowd can be daunting, but it does not have to be. It is easy to fall into the mindset of worrying about what we don't have—or what we don't have enough of—in order to invite people over for dinner. With Thanksgiving and other major holidays just around the corner, some of us will probably end up with a few extra people at out table. Here are five things I learned while hosting a dinner party for twenty-five last month, as part of my cookbook club dinner series, Cookbook-ish. When dinner is at your house next time, I hope these tips will come in handy.

All photos are by Lerina Winter. Location: Fairview Gardens Organic Farm.

MAKE IT A POTLUCK

Unless it is a catered event, the obvious choice for organizing a large dinner party is a potluck. One thing I remember from hosting potlucks in the past, is that while people often want to bring a dish to share, they don’t always know what dish to bring. So, before it gets easy, it can get hard with everyone asking you the same question, "What can I bring?" One way to navigate this part of the process, and the exact mechanism I use for my cookbook club gatherings, is to ask everyone to cook something from the same cookbook. Chances are most people already have a trusted classic cookbook, or they can borrow your copy. For this Cookbook-ish gathering I chose The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.

We ended up with quite a feast of four appetizers, two salads, and four main dishes. There were cookies with fruit compote for dessert, too. I knew that having individual menus printed for each guest was out of the question (did I mention twenty-five people and over ten menu items?). Enter Susan Silverberg, hand-lettering and calligraphy extraordinaire, who wrote the names of dishes on various objects and surfaces that were displayed next to the food.

MAKE IT NEUTRAL

Choosing a neutral color palette for the table can provide the perfect backdrop when you have a variety of food and serving dishes to display. Think of it as a blank canvas for the communal art piece that everyone will have tried their hand in. First off, a neutral tablecloth. Nobody (including me!) has a big enough tablecloth to cover a table that seats twenty-five, and most people don't have a long enough table that's pretty enough to go uncovered. I don't use the term "life hack" lightly, so when I say "use a painter's drop cloth if you don't have a proper tablecloth", I really mean it. They are inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes. Just be sure to get one without the protective plastic lining, or you won't be able to machine wash and dry it. Layer smaller tablecloths over the drop cloths for a more dimensional look.

MISMATCH, BUT NOT TOO MUCH

Choosing one color for all the dishware helps keep the mismatched look from edging into the hodgepodge territory. Especially if all the chairs are different, too. Chances are you already have some plates in a solid, neutral color and can easily buy, borrow or rent a few extra ones in a similar color and style. I used vintage ironstone plates I collected over time and supplemented them with similar ones from a friend and long-time collaborator, Gretchen of Otis & Pearl.

White plates aren't the most exciting choice and can certainly make the long table look like a scene from a cafeteria. To avoid the other extreme of having the table look too uniform, I mixed in salad plates in earth tones and vintage pewter.

When it comes to flatware, I suggest using the same type of a metal while mismatching the patterns and styles.

SPLURGE ON ONE THING

I might be slightly biased here, but I firmly believe that having high-quality napkins can make a lasting impression. Not everyone will have a chance to try all the dishes on the table, but everyone will touch the napkins and use them often throughout the meal. Natural fibers like linen are always my first choice. They have beautiful texture, won't leave any lint on your lap, and add an extra degree of style to the table. There is really no such thing as too many napkins and, unlike extra plates and cups, they take up very little drawer "real estate". I used FOLD linen napkins in mulberry for this event.

ASK FOR HELP

After hosting a few larger gatherings for Cookbook-ish, I learned two things. One: I can't do it all by myself. Two: people like to help. By now I am not too shy to ask my guests to bring a few extra chairs unless it's a picnic, in which case I ask them to bring extra blankets.

RESOURCES

In the Shop:

Featured

Vintage Silverware (set of 4)

$45.00

Elsewhere:

Vintage Plates: Otis + Pearl Partywares

Calligraphy and Signage: Susan Silverberg

Photography: Lerina Winter

Location: Fairview Gardens Organic Farm

About Cookbook-Ish:

Cookbook-ish is a book club and a community of like-minded foodies and creative people in my hometown. I curate the book selection and ask everyone to choose 2-3 recipes they'd like to make. I then come up with a cohesive menu based on everyone's selections. We cook at home and bring our respective dishes to share in a potluck style dinner. Next month's book is How to Eat a Peach by Diana Henry. Not in Santa Barbara? You can still participate by cooking and tagging your posts with #cookbookish_sb.

A Beach Picnic, Elevated

Summer is officially here, and for those of us who live on or near the coast, this means many beach days ahead. I am really looking forward to soaking up the sunshine with friends and family, "toes-in-sand, drink-in-hand", style. I am the first one to agree that most days all you need is a beach blanket, a hat, a bag of chips, and sunscreen to enjoy your time at the beach. But there are definitely those moments that call for a little extra effort and intention to put together a beautiful spread with your friends and loved ones. The kind of a gathering that makes you linger past the sunset. The kind that makes you forget your smart phones for a couple of hours. This is why, when Hana-Lee of Wander & Wine invited me to a beach picnic with a couple of local female entrepreneurs, I immediately jumped in on the opportunity. I knew it was one of those times! Ours was a brunch affair, complete with fresh seafood dishes, wine, and a pie I am still thinking about daily—a month later!! So, I filled up my car to the brim with napkins, larger linens, one-of-a-kind textiles, and some of my favorite vintage treasures and joined my new pals at a secluded beach on Fernald Lane in Santa Barbara. Here is my recap of the experience, including recipe ideas from Cali Girl Cooking, The Oyster Tin, and Le Petit Chef. A very special thank you to Megan Sorel for capturing the scene.

THE SET-UP

To anchor our picnic space, I used a very large linen table cloth with alternating white and heather gray panels that I custom made for a friend's baby shower last year. I had no idea I would use it many, many times since the occasion. The large size cloth worked really well to create a base layer big enough to house our makeshift table (two wooden pallets side by side) and kept the sand out of the food. A long and narrow French vintage linen cloth with dark blue stripes was used as a table runner. Linen napkins in Pink Clay and Aqua alternated between the 6 place settings. When it came to plates, glasses, silverware, and serving pieces, we went for the eclectic mix of new and vintage items to create the casual, mis-matched, but purposefully collected look. I contributed gold-tone forks and knives, as well as stemless vintage glasses in blue and clear glass. IKEA and World Market treasures filled in the gaps (as they always do).

The French vintage linen cloth used as a runner is from FOLD rental collection. Pink Clay linen napkins are available to purchase or rent, and the linen napkins in Aqua are only available in the shop.

Pink Clay Dinner Napkin

Aqua Linen Twill Dinner Napkin

THE DETAILS

For the table decor, I used larger pieces of driftwood and eucalyptus branches, nothing else. They looked like they were picked up from the very beach around us, and thus created the immediate connection to the surroundings. Once the "table" was set, we added layers of pillows and blankets to create a casual seating arrangement. A few small seagrass baskets added an extra layer of natural texture.

Vintage Ikat Cloth

Vintage Rebozo Cloth

FOOD + WINE

The menu was nothing short of a seasonal feast with three types of sea food and a strawberry-rhubarb pie for dessert. We enjoyed raw and barbecue oysters sourced and prepared by The Oyster Tin, Poached Lobster Salad with Peaches, Shaved Fennel and White Corn by Le Petit Shef, Crab Toasts with Heirloom Tomato and Charred Scallion Aioli (also by Le Petit Chef). The wine pairing by Hana-Lee was spot-on: crisp Chenin Blanc, dry Riesling, and bubbly with dessert. To read through her process of choosing each wine, read more here.

DESSERT

For our final course, Robin (CaliGirl Cooking) served up some truly amazing summer goodness in the shape of a Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie with Amaretto Crust. It went really well (and really fast) with the sparkling wine from Riverbench Winery. I call myself a "pie-shy" person. Not shy when it comes to the eating, just intimidated by the making. I know they say "easy as pie" for some reason, but it never comes easy to me. So, I am putting it out there for all the universe to witness me say: I am going to make THIS pie this summer for sure, and you can, too. Thank goodness Robin shared the recipe and her secret ingredient for the perfect flaky crust here.

While this type of a beach picnic is not anything that most of us can throw together every weekend, the experience is definitely worth putting the extra effort. Perhaps for a special celebration? And if anything on the table caught your eye, be sure to check out my shop to see if you can find the items there. Or, here is my edited list of the go-to pieces for an elevated beach picnic experience.

FROM THE SHOP:

Featured

Pink Clay Linen Napkin (set of 4 or 6)

Taking it Outside, Potluck Style

In my hometown of Santa Barbara we are spoiled with beautiful weather pretty much all year long. With the exception of a few months when the temps fall below or rise about 70℉, most people (including me) really enjoy bringing a picnic to the beach or to one of the many parks.

Looking ahead to long summer days and inspired by my favorite new outdoor cookbook, Feast by Firelight by Emma Frisch, I decided to host last month's Cookbook-Ish gathering outdoors. For those who are hearing about Cookbook-Ish for the first time, it is a passion project and a book club for foodies that I started this year (more here).

A friend and a creative collaborator, Margaret Lloyd of Margaret Joan Florals, hosted our group in her back yard surrounded by huge trees and her perfectly imperfect garden. She also created all the floral and foliage arrangements for the event. And while there was no crackling campfire or marshmallows, the setting truly captured the spirit of the book. The tables and benches provided by All Heart Rentals couldn't have been more perfect. Read below for a favorite recipe from the menu and highlights of this no-fuss outdoor gathering that's full of intention and communal spirit.

All photos are taken by me unless otherwise noted.

Table Setting

Picnics and camping require a lot of packing, which often translates into taking the easy route and bringing disposable plates and napkins. As an alternative I chose all the lightweight, non-breakable and reusable materials I could find. Black and white plaid linen napkins completed the look. An assortment of blankets and throws lined the benches, and some were available to the guests to use in the evening (April is still a bit chilly here).

The Feast by Firelight Menu:

Aperitif
Strawberry Campari Sangria Spritz

Appetizers
Smokey Baba Ghanoush
Pan Con Tomate

Main Course
Lemon and Parsley Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Chile-Lime Festival Corn with Feta Cheese and Cilantro
Raw Kale Caesar Salad
Foil-Packed Salmon with Lemon, Thyme, and Blueberry, and a version with Sunflower Seed and Basil Pesto

Dessert
Ayla's Lemon-Olive Oil Thumbprints
Coffee

We enjoyed wine recommendations by Hana-Lee Sedgwick of Wander & Wine: Rosé, Pinot Grigio, California Chardonnay, light Pinot Noir.

Above two images by Robin Deem, caligirlcooking.com

One of my all-time favorite foods to eat outside happens to be corn on the cob. I can easily put away two ears in no time. So, it was no surprise that my husband and I chose to make the Chile-Lime Festival Corn with Feta Cheese and Cilantro. And as a staunch "butter-and-salt" only person, I am converted to this magic concoction that's spicy, tangy, and really satisfying. Like many recipes from the cookbook, this one allows for the sauce to be made ahead of time and easily transported to your campsite or the picnic table. Here is the recipe, which I've already made once again.

Chile-Lime Festival Corn with Feta Cheese and Cilantro*

INGREDIENTS:

1 lime
3⁄4 cup finely crumbled feta
1⁄2 cup plain yogurt
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 ears corn, shucked
Olive oil for drizzling (optional)
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

prep: About 5 minutes
cook: About 8 minutes
yield: 6 servings

PREP:

Finely grate the zest of the lime and set aside. Cut the lime into wedges and juice as many wedges as you need to yield 1 teaspoon lime juice.

In a lidded jar or airtight container, combine the feta, yogurt, mayonnaise, red pepper flakes, lime zest, and lime juice and stir to mix. Seal the jar and then chill for up to 3 days. Pack the remaining lime wedges in a ziplock bag and chill for up to 3 days.

Fire the grill or campfire to medium-high heat and position the grill grate 2 to 4 inches above the coals. Place the ears of corn over direct heat and, using tongs, rotate every 2 to 3 minutes until the ears are uniformly charred and the kernels bright yellow, 10 to 12 minutes. For a darker char, drizzle olive oil over the corn so it drips onto thecoals and the flames jump up to lick the corn.

Transfer the corn to a serving plate or baking sheet. Shake the feta mixture to reincorporate and then spread evenly over each ear of corn and sprinkle with the cilantro.

The meal was a combination of family style and buffet, with some menu items grilled on the spot and others made at home and brought to the gathering.

When the sun set, the guests were enjoying the cookies, coffee, conversation, and a combination of candle light, moon light and solar light. A friend and I joked that the #feastbyfirelight turned into the #feastbysolarlight with the LED lanterns from Solight that she discovered at the Santa Barbara Earth Day festival the weekend prior to our dinner.

As a party favor, everyone took home a smudgestick of fresh sage, lavender, and reship berries, made by Margaret. Once dried, it can be burned at home to release the fragrant scent that would hopefully remind us of our time together. Let the feast by firelight continue!

Interested in joining the Cookbook-Ish community? Reach out via the "Contact" tab at the top of the page, and be sure to sign up for the News and Updates!

Resources

From the Shop:

Elsewhere:

Blankets: Drishti Yoga
Reusable bamboo and corn pastel drinking cups: Zuperzozial
Solar Lights: Solight Design

A Cookbook-ish Birthday

It was the beginning of the year, and the air was filled with New Year's resolutions. But, since "resolutions" has become somewhat of a dirty word, I will use "intentions" and "goals" as its euphemisms from now on. One of my personal goals was to spend more time in the kitchen, invite friends over for dinner more often, and to connect with other creatives in my town beyond the social media.

I also wanted to get out of the cooking rut I found myself over the last few months, possibly years. My husband and I found ourselves cooking the same go-to things over and over or simply making Trader Joes frozen meals. If it’s not broken, why fix it, right? Plus, living with a five year who old wants to eat dry pasta for every meal really puts a damper on adventurous cooking.

I am sure you noticed, there are SO many new cookbooks out there, and the rate they are coming out at is growing exponentially. And while I want to try some of them, I don't necessarily want to buy all of them, or at least not before I know that they are any good. Plus, I already have a good dozen or more of cookbooks at home. Thus, an idea of sharing cookbooks while sharing the meals lead me to start a cookbook club. I called it Cookbook-ish, and on my birthday in February I decided to try it out with close friends before extending the invitation to more people. It was a great success, and I am now ready to let it see the light of day. So, if you are reading this and want to be a part of it with me, please reach out!

How it Works:

1. We meet once a month or every two months.
2. I choose a cookbook (a new one or a classic).
3. Those who already have the book (or choose to buy it right away) pass it around to those who aren't ready to commit in advance of the meeting.
4. Each person puts their name on a few recipes they are interested in making (but in the end will end up making just one).
5. A week before the event I come up with a cohesive menu based on what everyone chose and assign specific dishes to people who chose them.
6. Everyone cooks their respective items at home and brings them to the potluck.

For our inaugural meeting, I chose the book I got for Christmas—Alison Roman's DINING IN. I have heard so many good things about it, and her chocolate chunk short bread cookies were becoming an internet phenomenon. Naturally, I made the cookies first, and they became my gateway drug to the rest of the book.

Our group was small (5), so adding a few extra touches didn't take too much time. I painted our dinner menus by hand with watercolor ink and used a sprig of wax flower to pin down the sides of the menus. It served a functional purpose and it looked pretty!

Since my dining table is wee, keeping table setting simple made the most sense to allow space for the food (the important part!). Having a business specializing in table and kitchen linens came in very handy. Since I always test the items I put in the shop, I have a set of almost everything in my linen drawer. For this dinner party I used linen napkins in Heather Gray. A complete list of tabletop items is at the end of the post.

While we all agreed that every single thing on the menu was stellar, the one dish that everyone raved about was the burrata salad with tangerines, shallots, and watercress. Here is the recipe.

Alison Roman's Burrata with Tangerines, Shallots, and Watercress, from DINING IN cookbook:

Ingredients:

1 shallot, thinly sliced into rings
1 table spoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 8oz ball burrata
3 tangerines, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
3 cups small spicy greens (watercress, mizuna, arugula)
Olive oil
Flaky sea salt

If you'd like to be involved in the future Cookbook-ish gatherings, be sure to sign up for my news and updates or send an email to foldsantabarbara@gmail.com and let me know how you would like contribute. I am looking for passionate home cooks who want to try new recipes and share them with people. I am also looking for hosts, photographers, guest stylists, vignette-arrangers, flora foragers, dish washers, and story tellers. AND...there is always a spot at the Cookbook-ish table for those who may hot love to cook, but are rich in wine, bread, or sparkling water. If this sounds like you, I would love to have as part of the Cookbook-ish adventure!

Resources:

From the Shop

Featured

Heather Gray Linen Napkins (set of 4 or 6)

from $50.00

Elsewhere

Matte black flatware: IKEA (link here)

Recycled glass water tumblers: Hawkins New York (I got mine from NEED Supply Co.)

Double Old Fashioned Duralex Picardie glasses (we used them as wine glasses): World Market (link here)

Proust Questionnaire

I have this quirky habit about reading magazines starting with the last page instead of front to back, like most people do. My favorite content happens to be there, in the back: lighthearted, short, and sweet—just what I have the time for these days. I love reading the last page of Vanity Fair and it's famous Proust Questionnaire. And, since I probably won't ever be interviewed by the magazine, I decided to interview myself.

Photo credit: Lerina Winter

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Cross-country skiing by myself while my husband watches my daughter.
What is your greatest fear? Losing a loved one to gun violence.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Self-doubt.
What is the trait you most deplore in others: Indecision.
Which living person do you most admire: If Marimekko was a person, I would say him or her.
Which is your greatest extravagance? Designer vintage clothing (even if it has moth holes that I discover later).
What is your current state of mind? Content.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Maturity.
On what occasion do you lie? When my daughter asks me about a half-eaten piece of candy I have thrown away a week ago.
What do you most dislike about your appearance? My legs.
Which living person do you most despise? He currently lives in a big white house.
What is the quality you most like in a man? Ability to sew on a button.
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Ability to whip up a meal or an outfit seemingly from nothing.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Think about it!” and “Well, let’s see…”. My husband thinks it is "Blasted!"
What, or who is the greatest love of your life? My husband and my daughter.
When and where were you happiest? In recent years, in a small village in Switzerland in January, when it was quietly snowing.
Which talent would you most like to have? Be a badass prose writer like Nabokov, who wrote in both English and Russian and translated his work from one language to the other.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would like to have a better poker face.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Leaving my day job and starting a creative business not having a clue what I was doing.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? My chocolate lab Hazel. She has a pretty good life.
Where would you most like to live? In a place with 4 seasons.
What is your most treasured possession? My LANVIN wedding dress. Following that—my teeth. I paid a lot of money to make them straight!
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Loneliness.
What is your favorite occupation? Doing something with my hands.
What is your most marked characteristic? Sense of style.
What do you most value in your friends? Being up for any of my antics.
Who are your favorite writers? Teju Cole, Joseph Brodsky.
Who is your hero of fiction? Little Prince.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? None!
Who are your heroes in real life? All of the moms.
What are your favorite names? Elsa, Sommerset, Beckett.
What is it that you most dislike? Heat and sunshine 364 days of the year.
What is your greatest regret? Not teaching my daughter Russian when she was learning to speak.
How would you like to die? Without fear.
What is your motto? “Start anywhere.”

On Creativity and Constraints

Our little town made it into the national news a couple of times recently. First, it was the Thomas Fire, then the heavy rain, flooding, and destructive mud slides immediately thereafter. Many people in our community were displaced due to evacuations, loss of homes and businesses, and many lost their lives. Since our community is so small, we were all affected by these natural disasters directly or indirectly. Our home was never in danger of being burned, but we did encounter some hardships in the process.

It was the beginning of December when the fire first started burning in the hills of Santa Paula, moving to Ojai, Ventura, and eventually north toward Santa Barbara. November and December are by far the busiest months of the year in my work. As a small business owner, the idea of NOT working during December was hard to grasp. The task that was on my plate for mid-December (when most of the Christmas orders had been packed and shipped) was to photograph new inventory. I really enjoy taking photos, styling, and visual merchandising, so I was actually looking forward to this task. By mid-December the air quality in our town reached hazardous levels. Reluctant to leave, we packed our bags and headed south toward Los Angeles, to find clean air (oh, the irony!).

Packing for a family that includes a 5-yr old and a dog for a week-long hotel stay (that could last longer) was hard enough. Packing for a mini-photoshoot, should I pull one off, was even harder. I am not exactly in the line of work in which a laptop is all I would need to work remotely. I don't even own a laptop. I work with sewing machines, ironing boards, measuring and cutting tools, a DSLR camera, and many, many styling props for photos. So, challenge #1 was, "What exactly do I grab on my way out the door?" I took a couple of sets of new napkins, my trusted Canon, and a few props that I had recently acquired. My only hope was that the hotel room had plenty of natural light and looked half as decent as its website.

The hotel we found is called Native, and it proved to be a real gem in terms of hospitality (they allow pets and offered a special rate for the Thomas Fire evacuees), as well as design. Located in Malibu, it was originally built in 1947 and recently refurbished in the mid-century-meets-LA-bohemian style (that's my best shot at describing it!), with a shed for yoga out back and plans to add yurts to the property, gourmet coffee, you get the idea. Bob Dylan is said to have stayed in Room #13 back in the day. My heart plunged for a split second when I saw the unassuming facade when we arrived late at night. But then we checked into our room, looked around, and hope returned. I decided that if it was good enough for Bob Dylan to create music there, surely it was going to be good enough for me to photograph my stuff.

Our room was a bit of a parallel reality for us. First of all, the room number was the same as our house number in Santa Barbara, and the bed was by the same designer as the one we have at home. It had a patio, a snack bar, and lots of natural light. Pretty much home away from home (minus the hammock and the snack bar).

It took us a day or so to settle in, process why we were there, and try to find some sort of routines in a town we passed through many times in the past but never spent much time exploring. It was unnerving, discombobulating on top of (or maybe because of) the circumstances that had led us there in the first place. With a home-based business such as mine, being away from home also meant being away from my studio, my office, my shop (even though it is all in one and the same room!), and my work routines. Nonetheless, little by little, we got our bearings. New routines emerged, inspiration bubbled up, and a photoshoot happened. What would normally take me a couple of hours at home took about 3 days to accomplish. Nonetheless, I am really proud of how the photos turned out, and wanted to share this post partly to journal all the things that this experience taught me, and partly to use this as a refill on my virtual "gratitude jar".

Once I realized that the place was absolutely perfect for me to take some photos of my products, other challenges emerged. I kept thinking, "What if the hotel does not allow me to take photos (challenge #2)?" And, "How am I going to do this with my 5-yr old and my dog in the same room (challenge #3)?" My husband had to go to work during the day (his office was 20 minutes away from the hotel, which was part of the reason why we settled there). Little did I know that the hotel staff would be so gracious and allow me to photograph not only in my room, but also anywhere else I wanted. And, I was quickly reminded that my daughter has amazing social skills and was making friends left and right with hotel staff, other guests, and the resident dog. So, between all the socializing and free WiFi, she was perfectly occupied.

Here are the photos I took while working from a hotel room for a week and some of the things I learned from this experience.

1. Use what you have on hand, literally. This is a Gingerbread Man Decorating Kit I brought to entertain my daughter. It worked perfectly with the chartreuse linen napkins. Also, the markers came in handy.

2. Look to your surroundings for props and styling inspiration. I lucked out because the hotel's snack bar had these Matcha Pocky cookies and other amazing stuff, but it took me a while to notice this perfectly matching tray in the hotel lobby and piece it all together.

3. Don't snub CVS or a local supermarket for inexpensive but usable props. This tissue paper served as a textural element and a photo surface!

4. Don't be afraid to go off-brand or out of context. Sure, I don't use disposable coffee cups in my photos. Or house plants, or other people's pet portraits for that matter. But having allowed myself to just go for it really surprised me with how much I loved the result.

This may sound like a cliche, but it confirmed something I've always known and only accidentally experienced: we do our best work when we work outside our comfort zone. Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired magazine, said something along these lines in his interview with Krista Tippett (On Being Podcast, January 18, 2018):

“When you are an artist, you discover that having constraints is actually a lot of the source of creativity.”

As a creative individual who only recently embraced the creative lifestyle, I understand that I can bring a lot to the table (pun intended). I also often think that being fully creative means I must bring all of me and all that I have. What I realized from this experience is that I don't have to do it every time and everywhere I go. It's ok to leave most of it behind, travel lightly, focus on what's directly in front of you, and allow the magic to happen.

Santa Barbara's Spectacular Pie Contest

As we head into the holidays, we inadvertently start craving (and making) more comfort food. Comfort food, like comfort itself, comes in many shapes and sizes. For some, it is their family Thanksgiving turkey stuffing, for others it is mashed potatoes. For my 5 year old daughter it is undoubtedly gummy bears. One thing that’s on everyone’s comfort food list is pie. The idea of pie immediately evokes the sense of home, coziness, tradition, and of course, comfort. Santa Barbara’s Spectacular Pie Contest (in its 3rd year) combines all these attributes and then some. The recipe for the event is simple: pie makers enter their pie into the contest, people gather to eat every one of them to the last crumb, judges and eaters cast their respective votes, and the winners receive prizes from sponsors along with some serious small town fame. What drew me to contribute to this event last year by sponsoring one of the prizes was the fact that the proceeds from the event went to Santa Barbara Transition House, and thus to the people in our community who lack the basic level of comfort—a home. This year’s proceeds will go to another local charity that provides nourishment to the less fortunate: Santa Barbara Food Bank. And again this year, for all the same reasons, FOLD is proud to join the event as a sponsor.

Below are some photos capturing some of the moments of the 2016 Pie Contest, with all the credits at the end of the post.

2017 Santa Barbara Spectacular Contest Information: {UPDATED}

Sunday, January 28, 2018
3-6 PM
Potek Winery//406 E. Haley Street #1, Santa Barbara, CA

To enter as contestant, follow this link.

Welcome/Registration table backdrop featuring contributing sponsors//artwork by event organizers Joya Rose Groves and Leela Cyd

One of the pies in the line-up.  Contestants came up with clever ways to describe and name their creations. Signs by Joya Rose Groves. Foraged seasonal garland by Olivetta Flowers and Foliage. — One of the pies in the line-up. Contestants came up with clever ways to describe and name their creations. Signs by Joya Rose Groves. Foraged seasonal garland by Olivetta Flowers and Foliage.

The cutest contestants arriving to the event.  Every contestant has to bake two identical pies. — The cutest contestants arriving to the event. Every contestant has to bake two identical pies.

Crowds lining up outside Potek Winery for their slice (or two).  Popular votes are being cast. Judges are getting ready to deliberate. — Crowds lining up outside Potek Winery for their slice (or two). Popular votes are being cast. Judges are getting ready to deliberate.

The aftermath (and a glimpse of the linen runners supplied by FOLD to style the pie feasting tables).

One of the winners proudly receiving my screen printed towel as a prize.  Original artwork by Joya Rose Groves. — One of the winners proudly receiving my screen printed towel as a prize. Original artwork by Joya Rose Groves.

The courtyard at Potek Winery looking festive with our linen garland and greenery by Ella & Louie.

Event organizers: Leela Cyd and Joya Rose Groves
Event Illustration/Graphic Design: Joya Rose Groves
Location: Potek Winery at The Mill
Table Linens: FOLD
Photography: Viktoriya Filippova, FOLD
Table greenery: Olivetta Flowers and Foliage

Dinner at the Long Table

Today is the second day of November, and as the leaves are turning the colors of autumn in Santa Barbara and the temperatures drop (finally!), our minds are turning to all the upcoming gatherings with friends and family, including my favorite holiday--Thanksgiving. Why is it a favorite, for a person who did not grow up with it, you may ask? I have grown to like it for the simple reason that at the center of it is, first and foremost, a meal. A meal that is more often than not is eaten together as well as prepared together, with all the competing traditions, family recipes, and new takes on old classics. There are no gifts to fret about (other than a hostess gift perhaps), no resolutions, since at this time of the year you can still surrender to all the abundance and extravagance with food and the diet "cheating", unlike the later holidays, when the aftermath of overindulgence sinks in. As I think about Thanksgiving, I look back at this dinner party I had a pleasure of attending as a guest and help the hostess set the table with our rental linens and all the extra dishes and glassware I collected over the last couple of years for various styling projects and photoshoots.

The dinner took place at the home of Margaret and Mark Lloyd. Margaret is a local floral designer who works under the name of Margaret Joan Florals. The arrangements she made for the long tables were nothing short of unique, quirky, and seasonal. Herbs, berries, vegetables got along marvelously with simple white flowers, pillar candles and mercury glass votives, and worked really well with the 5-course meal prepared by Dinner With Two Girls. The full list of contributors is at the end of this post.

For the place settings I chose FOLD Cloud Grey linen napkins from the rental collection. Tying a sprig of rosemary with a piece of twine on each napkin went along really well with all other edible herbs Margaret used throughout the table. Mismatched but cohesive glassware and silverware added the eclectic, collected over time touch, the kind you see in someone's home rather than a restaurant or an event venue.

Susan Silverberg designed and hand-lettered the beautiful dinner signage and place cards. The place cards was a last minute addition, and she impressively whipped them out minutes before the first guests arrived.

When the guests arrived, they were greeted with the prettiest Prosecco cocktail, served in Margaret's floral studio adjacent to the house. The guests got a mini-tour of the studio while sipping this refreshing beverage.

Charlotte and Lauren, the chefs of the LA-based duo Dinner With Two Girls, made all 5 courses in Margaret's spacious kitchen, and paired each course with red and white wines. After giving a brief taste notes description of each, the guests decided which one of the two options they wanted to have with the dish.

And last, but not least, the dessert. Home made ice cream from scratch served with fresh grilled peaches. A beautiful finale to a beautiful dinner!

Resource List:

Host and Floral Designer: Margaret Lloyd//Margaret Joan Florals (website)

Linens and table styling: FOLD. Link to rental collection here.

Dinner and paired wines: Dinner With Two Girls (instagram)

Calligraphy: Susan Silverberg (website)

Film photography: Lerina Winter of Winter Creative Co. (website//instagram)

The Great Outdoors, Indoors: A Camping-Inspired Table

While we love going camping as a family, we are not always good about reserving camp sites ahead of time. So, when we found ourselves wishing we had been more proactive this summer when we could not find any spots on a last minute whim, I decided to recreate the feeling I crave that comes from sitting at the camping table surrounded by nature.

For the location of this styled table setting I couldn't think of a better place than All Heart Rentals showroom. Their tables and benches are made locally from sustainably harvested red wood in Northern California.

Location: All Heart Rentals (website)
Concept, styling, linens and tabletop sourcing: FOLD
Photography: Lerina Winter//Winter Creative Co. (website)

PLACE SETTINGS

1. Nothing reminds me of camping more than enamel plates. The ones I used belong to the owners of All Heart Rentals, and were their wedding present, but are no longer available through West Elm. The couple is self-admittedly notorious for breaking dishes, hence a full set of metal ones for the every day use in their household. Utensil marks and chips in the enamel added to the worn feel of the table.

2. Plaid Linen Napkins add the cozy feel only a blanket with big checked pattern could lend. The napkins are our own, available in the shop here. Leather ties on the napkins contribute to the outdoorsy feel, and were sourced from Michaels Craft Store. The simple, utilitarian flatware with wooden handles is from IKEA.

3. Place Cards were hand-lettered with watercolor paint on torn scraps of watercolor paper and displayed in specimen picture frames with dried leaves and flowers (from an earlier flower press project).

FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE

1. The day before I collected all the wild berries, flowers, and sticks I could find in my neighborhood to create a foraged, unfussy look for the table decor.

2. I used a mix of vintage and new bottles and an aluminum milk jug to display the flower arrangements. Mixed metal (pewter and copper) drinking cups added warmth to the table settings.

EXTRAS

A coffee "station" with melamine and stainless steel cups, tall matches in the vintage copper match holder, a blanket, a travel bag and a pair of binoculars added to the cozy outdoor feel around the table and the sense of adventure.

Summer Solstice Dinner at Sunstone Winery

The Santa Ynez Valley is a short drive north over the mountain pass from my home town of Santa Barbara, and is perhaps most known as one of California's premier wine regions. Over the past decade it has also been attracting out-of-towners and locals alike with its growing culinary scene. And when you combine great food, excellent wine, and the most picturesque sprawling vineyards set against the golden hills of the Santa Ynez mountains, you have the perfect formula for destination weddings, celebrations, getaways, retreats and day trips.

Just as FOLD was beginning to expand to include a line of table linens that can be rented for events, I was thrilled to supply a set of linen napkins for a dinner party that brought together some of the best event and hospitality professionals from Santa Barbara and the greater Los Angeles area. It was held on the day of Summer Solstice at Sunstone Villa, located on the same property as the Sunstone Winery and Vineyards. I worked with Percy from Percy Sales Events to choose the style of napkins that would complement both the striking elegance of the classic Italian villa and the worn, reclaimed wood style dinner tables and stoneware plates provided by The Tent Merchant. Percy and I narrowed it down to my best-selling signature FOLD napkins in charcoal grey linen with light grey sashiko stitch detail. Now part of the rental inventory, this style can be used for events up to 80 guests.

Courtyard view at Sunstone Villa. Flowers by Jaime Sanchez of Casa Blanca. — Courtyard view at Sunstone Villa. Flowers by Jaime Sanchez of Casa Blanca.

The best part about this event: in addition to being a showcasing artisan and vendor, I was also invited to be a guest at the party! I got to enjoy the food and cocktails prepared on-site by Chef Luca Cresta of Santa Ynez Kitchen, wondered around the Villa, and met some pretty inspiring event planners, designers, and other creative professionals who, like me, were in our element for the evening. Here are some of the pictures from the evening.

The Villa is new in the sense of the time it was constructed (2004), but as I learned, its building materials—doors, windows, and other fixtures—were imported from France and are just as old as some of the oldest old world estates. As Annamarie Kostura, the Villa's sales manager told us at dinner, the owners brought forty shipping containers of supplies from France that were discarded after the World War II as a result of the government mandates to either "fix or tear down" old, dilapidating buildings. Where was I when this stuff was sitting on the curb with a "FREE" sign?? But I digress.

Marble and plaster for days....

Photo on the wall by Elizabeth Messina

In addition to several guest rooms and suites, the Villa has many shared spaces for guests to enjoy such as the office (detail above and below), a spacious kitchen, living and dining rooms, lounge areas, patios and courtyards. There are also multiple nooks and crannies that are the size of individual rooms in my house.

Office Detail. If an antique cash register isn't your thing, there is also a functional modern-day printer (not pictured).

The color palette of the interior is reserved and hushed, the color of limestone permeating throughout the residence. The monochromatic effect creates a sense of calm and peace that appears to be enhanced inside the buildings that have been around for a few hundred years. This one seemed like an old soul to me. A mix of modern and rustic furniture provides a dynamic juxtaposition of old and new.

The outdoor areas are a combination of cosy courtyard spaces and big patches of grass, big enough to accommodate outdoor parties of up to 80 guests. And the views of the mountains and the vineyards are simply breathtaking.

I could keep going about the Villa itself, but it was a dinner party after all, not an architectural tour, so some food photos are very much in order. Chef Luca Cresta and his team prepared the most delicious array of fresh, honest, seasonal Italian food that I have tasted in a long time. The salad course included a green salad with three kinds of green peas, a classic panzanella, and a warm grilled octopus salad. Fresh pasta course with shaved truffles followed, and the main course was grilled salmon and roasted vegetables. Since I was too busy eating, I will use some of Jenny Quicksall's photos of the food below. (Thank you, Jenny!)

JennyQuicksallPhotography_www.jennyquicksall.com_SunstoneWineryandVineyards_SummerSolsticeDinner_SantaYnezCalifornia-124.jpg

JennyQuicksallPhotography_www.jennyquicksall.com_SunstoneWineryandVineyards_SummerSolsticeDinner_SantaYnezCalifornia-122.jpg

JennyQuicksallPhotography_www.jennyquicksall.com_SunstoneWineryandVineyards_SummerSolsticeDinner_SantaYnezCalifornia-134.jpg

JennyQuicksallPhotography_www.jennyquicksall.com_SunstoneWineryandVineyards_SummerSolsticeDinner_SantaYnezCalifornia-131.jpg

JennyQuicksallPhotography_www.jennyquicksall.com_SunstoneWineryandVineyards_SummerSolsticeDinner_SantaYnezCalifornia-133.jpg

At the end of dinner, everyone rode this converted school bus to Santa Ynez Inn to continue the festivities. The bus was provided by Jump on the School Bus, and there was a cooler full of wine on board (that's what I heard). I drove myself home (because, Wednesday). All in all, it was a wonderful evening of networking, enjoying good food and company, and I am really pleased to have met new friends in the event and hospitality industry. A huge thanks to these gracious hosts:

Sunstone Winery & Villa

SY Kitchen

Santa Ynez Inn

Percy Sales Events

Adventures in Plant Dyeing

You don't need to twist my arm to take a day trip to Ojai. So, when I heard that Shelter Social Club was hosting a plant dyeing workshop with Kristin Morrison of KAM Textiles a few months ago, I was on my way, camera and notebook in tow. Below are some photos from an afternoon spent in the back yard of Ojai Rancho Inn with a group of creative and inspiring women, learning about local plants, the natural dyeing process, and the treatments that can modify the color result.

Ojai Rancho Inn's pool and bar, Chief's Peak.

Our work table, color charts, yarn strips, and some of the plants used in the workshop.

Adding color modifiers can alter the intensity and the tone of the end resul.

Color chart: cochineal, marigold, elderberry, acorn, oxalis, scabiosa, and madder root, five ways (treated with alum, iron, wood ash, lemon and lime)

Final project: simple shibori-style handkerchiefs.

All in all, this was a very informative workshop, and I am eager to try this technique in the coming year on linen.

Hosting and Toasting with Wild Heart Events

When it comes to hosting dinner parties, it goes without saying we want our guests to enjoy the food. But we also want to impress our friends with the way we set the table. And while there is definitely a time and place to go all out and have the most extravagant display on the table, dinners at home—especially around holidays—call for a style that’s tasteful, comfortable, showcase the host(s)’ personality, but not too stuffy or overdone. “Purposefully unstyled” hosting was the theme of a recent workshop held by Jaime Kostechko, owner and creative director of Wild Heart Events, who shared her tips and tricks for hosting a stylish dinner party that achieves three goals: impresses your guests with the presentation, showcases your personality as a host, and does not cost more than the food you put on the table. A part of the workshop was also dedicated to crafting a thoughtful hostess gift that beats your standard go-to bottle of wine by a long shot.

The workshop was held at The Mill, Santa Barbara’s hub for the latest and the greatest in food, wine, beer, and lifestyle experience. Millworks, the design and retail showroom for the award-winning design and build firm, Becker Studios, located at The Mill, graciously hosted the event. Workshop participants enjoyed wine from Potek Winery and small bites from Wildwood Kitchen, also located at The Mill. For my part, I was thrilled to sponsor the event by providing napkins, table runners, and napkin rings for Jaime to demonstrate her points, and for guests to practice place setting styling.

The courtyard at The Mill and entrance to Millworks

Guests arriving and mingling before the workshop started

Here is the low-down as I remember it.

Most people, including myself, start in the middle of the table and work from there. Jaime always starts with individual place settings. Three things to take away in this regard:

1. Use real stuff.

Even if it is a school night pizza party, don’t settle for disposable plates. Also, don’t use your nicer china sets on special occasions only. The same goes for heirloom pieces.

Ceramic plates from South Africa (available at Millworks)  pared with vintage glassware and silverware from Otis & Pearl, and FOLD signature napkins in charcoal linen. — Ceramic plates from South Africa (available at Millworks) pared with vintage glassware and silverware from Otis & Pearl, and FOLD signature napkins in charcoal linen.

2. Don’t skimp out on glassware and napkins.

Glassware and cloth napkins make the most impact in a place setting and really elevate the tone of your party. Use a separate glass for each beverage, including water. Using mis-matched glasses makes it visually striking and keeps it easy to keep track of what goes into each glass.

3. Style each place setting differently.

It makes for a dynamic presentation and earns you more points in the style department by showcasing a wider range of your skills and personality. If using name cards, Jaime tries to strategically “couple” people who might strike an interesting conversation and “uncouple” the married guests (they sit next to each other every day, right?).

As for the rest of the table, here are Jaime’s main tips:

1. Use mixed-use textiles vs a proper table cloth or runner. Off-centering and layering ok, too!

A throw blanket in Ikat pattern from SB Millworks used as a runner

2. Don’t serve anything in original containers. Instead, put the ketchup in an interesting ramekin and pour your liquor in a decanter with a cool hand-made lable.

Jaime's collection of containers and bottles

3. Go for different shapes, sizes, and materials if using candles or additional decor objects such as terrariums or vases. Try not to use candles that are too low (and will start a fire if spilled) or too tall (and block your guests from making eye contact).

But if there was one thing to take away from the entire workshop, is was the motto “invest in important stuff, but be creative and use what you have”. And, P.S., give Michael’s a second chance. We often discount that store for being for scrapbookers and kid crafts only, but it has some real gems if you look hard enough. Case in point: a bag of leather remnants for under $10 that Jaime snagged and used to tie napkins (and tie around crystals on the ends).

Jaime bragging about her treasures from Michael's

Towards the end of the workshop, guests got crafty and enjoyed making a personalized hostess gift (for when they get to go to a dinner party). They played around with hot glue, cords, tassles, moss, air plants, and some cheeky note cards that read “you are so cool and I am not even mad about it.” In the near future, Jaime plans to host another workshop with a focus on hostess gifts alone. Stay tuned!

Hostess gift supplies waiting to be used

Zinc planters before adding personal touches

Finished planters and two happy hostesses (or party goers)

Source List:

Facilitator: Wild Heart Events
Location: The Mill, Millworks
Appetizers/Wine: Wildwood Kitchen/Potek Winery
Vintage glassware and flatware: Otis + Pearl
Brush lettering (place cards): Sophia Loves Letters
Linens: FOLD
Plates/Textiles/Planters: Millworks
Notecards: ban.do
Photos: Viktoriya Filippova for FOLD