Shopping: Day of the Dead Style

While I was perusing my favorite flash sale sites, I came to this fun sale from Gilt for Day of the Dead items. Every other holiday seems to be celebrated with shopping, why not Dia de los Muertos? So, I have found the best and most unique things from Mexico to share with you today. The best part, no passport required!

The Rosa Mexicano salsa from Gilt is a great price and a good deal. I just ate dinner at Rosa Mexicano on Saturday night; it's one of my favorite restaurants! The chile pasilla salsa is outstanding.


Doesn't this Uriarte talavera urn remind you of the Lilly Palooza print? Puebla is famous for talavera and Uriarte is one of the most respected names in talavera. Each piece is unique and is a true work of art.


Many people didn't like the Lilly Palooza print, but it was one of my favorites. When my daughter first saw the Newberry tunic from Lilly Pulitzer, she said that it looked exactly like my urn!


Your favorite drink will be delicious served in this pretty colored glass from Novica. Each glass is handmade using traditional techniques.


This aged tin 12 pointed star from Direct from Mexico will look fantastic on a patio or terrace.


Here's a real treat! Order custom papel picado for your next party from this fabulous etsy seller. Perfect for birthdays and other celebrations. I love this wedding chandelier paper.


The Gilt sale ends tonight at midnight, so let me know what you find!

xoxo

Day of the Dead

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Skeletons and skulls are not scary; it's a celebration of life.

Day of the Dead is an important traditional holiday celebrated

in many parts of Mexico on November 1st and 2nd.

Less like Halloween and more like Memorial Day, Day of the Dead is a time when families remember loved ones who have died.
Just as we place flowers or flags on graves,
people honor their deceased relatives with altars, special offerings and prayer.

Ornately decorated altars are set up in homes and businesses. Often the altars will have a path for the loved one to easily find the way
"home" with a trail of marigold flowers.

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Papel Picado, used as a decoration on altars and homes,
is tissue paper that has been cut using chisels and special designs.
Sometimes up to 40 banners are carefully cut at once!

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Paper Mache figures imitate real life and are funny and satirical.


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Altars and arches are prepared for loved ones who have died. Candles, flowers, and food are some of the most typical decorations found on an altar.

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How would you like to receive one of these dazzling hand decorated sugar skulls as a gift? Many bakeries will personalize the skull with the name of your choice while you wait.

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Local markets burst with color from the marigolds,
called cempachucil, used to decorate altars and arches.

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For weeks prior to Day of the Dead celebrataions, local bakeries fill their shelves with
Pan de Muertos, bread of the dead.
The sweet, doughy bread is only made during this time of the year.

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xoxo

Happy Halloween

After a yummy dinner with my cousin Kristen,

I'm going Trick or Treating with

a Grecian Princess, a little Purple Witch and

gaggle of other little goblins.

What are you going to do for Halloween?

xoxo

Never fear, pumpkins are here!

Flash back to a year ago and you were probably scrambling to find canned pumpkin. Or else you were hoarding it. Last year, bad weather led to a major shortage in the pumpkin supply. People were selling cans of Libby's pumpkin on ebay at amazingly inflated prices, sometimes at 3 or 4 times the actual value!

Luckily, my mother had a hearty supply of pumpkin and Halloween and Thanksgiving were a success with delicious pumpkin pies!

Mother Nature looked favorably on the farmers and their pumpkin crops this year, and cans are in stock at stores after nearly a year's absence. If you can't find canned pumpkin in stores yet, don't worry! It's on the way and there is plenty available this year.


Here's a secret family recipe for Pumpkin Pie that will delight your Thanksgiving guests.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
4 heaping TBS Coffee Mate (original flavor)

4 large eggs
1 can (29 oz) Libby's 100% pure pumpkin (orange label ... never the brown label)
2 cans (12 fl. oz.) Carnation Evaporated Milk

2 prepared pie crusts in 9" pie plates - deep pie plates, not shallow

METHOD:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 425 degrees.
1. Mix: sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and Coffee Mate in a small bowl until blended well.

2. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and blend. Add sugar/spice mixture and blend well.

3. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Blend well after each addition of milk.

4. Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pie shells.

5. Sprinkle tops of each pie with cinnamon ... just enough to give it a few dashes here and there on the top of each pie.

6. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature of oven to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes. (You will know they are ready to remove from the oven when you can insert a sharp knife into the center of each pie and the knife comes out clean.)

7. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. The best pumpkin pies will have slight cracks on the top of the pumpkin pie and also moisture beads will form on top of the baked pie while it is cooling.

This recipe won 1st place at the Frederick County Fair,

a blue ribbon, in the pie category several years ago.

xoxo

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Liberty of London at Target

Earlier this spring, the Liberty of London flew off shelves

in some Target stores on the same day it was released.

Online, the popularity of this fantastic collaboration was also a huge success.

Many items were out of stock within minutes or hours.

So imagine how excited I was not only to find a good selection of Liberty of London items,

but to find these items on sale.

Liberty of London Dunclare tumblers are lovely for a pink themed party.

In Shakespeare's play 'Anthony and Cleopatra',
Cleopatra says “My salad days, When I was green in judgment”.
Enjoy youthful innocence while eating your salad from this plate.

Here's my theory on toys in children's rooms. . .
If it's in a bin or a bucket, it's cleaned!
Pretty and organized.

Check out the fabulous collection from Liberty of London
online at Target.com before it is gone!

xoxo

Decoding the Dress Code

You probably will attend a myriad of holiday events in the next few months. It's that time of year when every weekend seems to have some kind of social event planned. Knowing how to decode the dress code for each event allows you to plan your ensemble and feel comfortable at the event. Wearing nice clothes makes any occasion special, even if it is dinner for two at home. My own two children seem to stand taller and behave better in dressy dresses.

Considerate hostesses make the dress code clear to guests and considerate guests show the hostess respect by dressing appropriately for the event.

Poor Elle Woods was not dressed like everyone else at the Halloween Party in Legally Blond, but she made the best of it in a lighthearted way. But ideally, your outfit will match the level of formality of the party.

Here are some guidelines to consider and some of my favorite options.

Black tie and white tie  For ladies, there is not much variation between Black tie and white tie.

Of course, white tie mandates a floor length formal gown.   Lately, I've seen many women attending Black tie events in cocktail dresses,  but I'm old school on this one.  To me, this means a floor length gown. Feel free to wear color in the sea of black dresses, too!  I love this dress from Badgley Mischka and the blue color is stunning.

After the two most formal types of dress, the lines slightly blur, but don't worry.

I have some advice and options for you!

Black tie optional

Seriously, this should not be an option, but you'll probably receive an invitation to an event like this. There will be women in floor length gowns, cocktail dresses, evening separates, and anything else you can imagine.  You'll be perfectly dressed in this Galleria Bette dress with bow from Kate Spade. The color is gorgeous!

Semi formal
Of course, a long formal gown is not appropriate at this event, but how do you give a degree of formality to the event without looking overdressed. My mother, who is of course, very, very wise, always says that it is better to be slightly underdressed than to be overdressed. Cocktail dresses, black dresses, and dressy separates are fine, but I'd stay away from overly sparkly, more formal fabrics. My recommendation is to play it safe with a Little Black Dress. This ruffle collared dress from Milly is ladylike and elegant, without being over the top.



Dressy casual  Yes. I have seen this on an invitation. What does it mean? Is it an oxymoron? Interpretation of this dress code could vary tremendously, but you're always safe with a cute little dress or skirt with nice shoes. I'd avoid jeans, even if they are your nice jeans worn with a dressy top. Wear the Connie sweater dress from the newest Lilly Pulitzer resort and you'll be comfortable playing cards with friends or mingling with the crowd at a party. For this type of occasion, shoes, jewelry, and accessories can make the outfit more or less formal, depending on the situation.

Festive I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is one time I'd love to be a guy. How much fun would it be to wear some crazy uber preppy GTH pants to a holiday party? Big plaids and embroideries are perfect festive attire. These pants from Orvis are fabulous!


Next weekend, I'm going to a black tie wedding and am going to wear a one shouldered full length gown. The color is somewhere between a deep burnt orange and red and the fabric is cut on the bias and is multilayered. It's difficult to describe the dress, so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures to share with you. Now, I'm just hoping the Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry I ordered from Rue La La last night arrives on time!

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo

Everyone needs an Elsa!

Lilly Pulitzer Resort is popping up all over the internet! C. Orrico wins the prize for being the first to have the collection online. How thrilled am I to see the Elsa top for resort?

There are not enough words to say how incredibly versatile this top is! It can be worn practically year round and looks fantastic dressed up or dressed down with jeans. The neckline is also fabulous.

So, how many Elsa's does a person need?

You know what Lilly says, "Too Much is Never Enough."

I'm going to adhere to that motto with some stellar repeat styles in the Resort line.

(Image via C. Orrico)

What is at the top of your wish list for Resort?

xoxo

Kids Euro Festival

Recently, the girls and I enjoyed a show called "Twice Upon a Time." This performance from Austria is one of over 200 free events scheduled in Washington, DC from October 14 - November 10 as part of the Kids Euro Festival. Workshops, performances, and special events are held in many public locations. You can see a full schedule of events at the festival website. What a fantastic way to celebrate the culture of more than 27 European countries!


The Maison Francaise at the French Embassy was the venue for this show. In Twice Upon a Time, the very talented Karin Schäfer and Peter Hauptman delighted the audience with this puppet show that makes you wonder what would happen if someone really were "pulling all the strings." The show was very entertaining and fun to watch. Natalia especially liked the piano playing marionette who really appeared to be playing a masterpiece! Alexia's favorite was the skateboarding teenage marionette. A variety of musical selections set the different moods of the show. The underlying theme and message of the show touched the girls deeply. You can see a clip of the performance here.


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Take advantage of these unique cultural activities before the festival ends in mid-November! It's such a fantastic opportunity.

Of course, Alexia had to blow some bubbles while we were waiting for the show to begin.



xoxo

Washington DC Vacations

Perfect Party Props

Sometimes I see something so creative an unique that I want to organize a party just to be able to use it! Aren't these monogrammed stirrers fantastic?

And guest towels with your monogram are so preppy and can be a constant in your guest bathroom.

But my favorite has to be disposable party cups with a monogram or other personal touch. Of course, I'm old school and would get the monogram!

Now, I just have to think of what to plan...in the meantime, I'll get the cups and guest towels for the next time!

xoxo


PS Many of you lovely ladies have requested the link where you can find these goodies. Here it is! And here's the best news of all! From now until October 29, take 20% off these items and get free shipping with the code TABLE. Happy Shopping!!

Preppy Favors and Decoration

As I mentioned earlier this week, my cousin is getting married today. I'll also be attending two more weddings in the next month and a half in addition to Courtney's wedding!

You probably guessed correctly that I really love a good party, especially a wedding. At baptisms, birthdays, anniversaries, and holiday parties, I enjoy seeing unique decorations and favors. Little details like favors or candy buffets make events so special!

At my wedding, guests received little pewter trinket boxes with candy in them. Traditional Mexican shawls called rebozos were tied in bows on the chairs and were later worn by party guests. Are you surprised that you don't see pink and green?


Here are some unique party favors that I found that have a preppy flair. Not just for weddings, these would be fantastic goodies for any party! The location, degree of formality, and season of the event all influence party favor choices. These preppy plaid mint tins are personalized and come in a variety of plaids to suit any theme.


Etsy always has amazing options and I love the idea of supporting small businesses. This wine bag is a unique way to display table numbers. It serves a purpose while adding beauty and originality to the event.


For beach weddings, a centerpiece also serves as a favor for guests.


In today's wedding, the minnies are flower girls. They are beyond excited and are taking their job so seriously! Last night at the rehearsal dinner, Natalia was getting autographs from the wedding party in a book that my cousin gave to her! Too cute. I'm going to wear a black Lilly Pulitzer holiday dress called Holly and a pink pashmina and huge Wilma Flintstone pearls that tie with a pink ribbon.

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo


Etsy, Nautical