Luck of the Irish

Whether you’re Irish or not, St. Patrick’s Day is a fun holiday and an excuse to throw a festive party!  Since this holiday only happens once a year, there’s no need to go buy themed flatware and leprechaun decorations.  With these ideas you can decorate your house for St. Patty’s Day without breaking the bank!

1. Sprinkle shamrock confetti or metallic garlands in a hurricane vase (or any other glass vase with a wide mouth) and place a green candle inside for a glowing centerpiece. 

Max Hurricane Vase and Echo Verde Candle
Crateandbarrel.com

2. Purchase several packs of plastic gold coins, available at most dollar or craft stores, to scatter around the mantle or table for extra glitz.

Gold Milk Chocolate Coins www.candywarehouse.com

3. Cut shamrock garlands in 5” sections or use green ribbon to wrap around wine glasses, making simple stemware fun and festive.

Source: www.favecrafts.com/St-Patricks-Day/
Go to website for template 

4. Create delicate napkin holders by tying twine or ribbon around your napkin rolls and embellish with an artificial, or real if you can find one, four leaf clover. 

Source: bhg.com/holidays/st-patricks-day

5. Give the gift of luck!  Purchase bags of oxalis seeds, more commonly known as shamrocks, from your local nursery and send your friends home with a gift that keeps giving.  Write your guests’ names on them in green pen and they can double as a place card!

Lucky Gold Shamrocks
www.amazon.com/Lucky-Shamrock-Seeds-Oxalis-valdiviensis

6. Create a beautiful mantle with shamrock garland made from wire & construction paper. You can also use dried flowers, green vases and other found items around your house. If you want to go the extra mile, print out the Irish Blessing, frame it and place it where it will be seen by your guests during dinner. 

Source: hoosierhomemade.com

Text: Amanda Harris 

 

An Evening of Wine

Wind down this month with a wine tasting event. Whether you decide to visit a local winery with friends for an afternoon of perfect pairings or you choose to host a blind tasting party in your own home, At Home Tennessee’s Stephanie Alexander has all kinds of tips, from adorable cork place cards to tasting techniques.
Text Stephanie Alexander, event planner| PHOTOGRAPHY Phindy Studios
FLORALS Terry White, The English Garden| VENUE The Winery at the Belle Meade Plantation


This month is all about wine. When planning your tasting party, you’ve got multiple options—we’ve provided tips for two versions of a wine tasting event here. The first type of wine tasting is one in which you and your guests visit a local winery. The second type is a blind-tasting party hosted at your home.
If you’re lucky enough to live close to a winery, you’re in for a treat. You can gather several close friends and schedule a tour and tasting and let the experts handle all the details! If you visit a local winery, you’ll get to taste wines that are exclusive to that location as well as enjoy an expert-guided tasting. If you’re new to wine tasting, this can be a great way to spend time with friends and learn together.
This month’s party took place at the Winery at Belle Meade Plantation. The winery opened November 2009 and offers tastings seven days a week. Located in the heart of the city of Belle Meade, the winery’s grapes are grown in Hampshire, Tennessee, south of Columbia. Keg Springs Winery has produced award-winning bottles and its talented wine maker, Brian Hamm, is also at the helm of crafting Belle Meade’s wines.




Meet the Wines: An Overview of the Winery at Belle Meade’s Bottles
•Blackberry A deep, dark, sweet wine with pronounced berry flavor, this wine is a perfect companion for flavorful cheeses, pork tenderloin or ribs, a full-bodied steak or as a reduction for a sauce. It also makes a great ingredient for a host of unique recipes, such as Easy Blackberry Cake, available on Belle Meade’s website.
•Muscadine is a traditional Tennessee wine that was made on the plantation for more than a century. Muscadine is a true American grape and is recognized today for its high antioxidant qualities. Many muscadine vines still grow wild along the fencerows surrounding the plantation. This wine is best served chilled on a front porch while rocking!
•Carriage House White Made from a Tennessee-grown grape, Carriage House White surprises you upon opening with the aroma of apple pie and citrus. Once on the tongue, the fruity characteristics continue as this semi-dry, full-bodied wine offers a crisp taste of Tennessee. Serve as other whites with seafood, chicken, nuts and cheese or as an aperitif.
•Blush The best of Tennessee grapes joined to create a blush that makes an ideal light sipping wine as well as an accompaniment to a wide range of foods. Serve slightly chilled at your next picnic, or dress it up this fall with Thanksgiving turkey.



If you don’t have access to a winery or would rather host a party in your home, hold a blind tasting for your friends. To start, find a fabulous wine-themed invitation to send to your guests. Because of the nature of wine tastings and the discussions they evoke, keep your guest list small, between six and 12 people. Also, on your invitation ask each guest to bring one of their favorite wines to the party.

Themed Tastings
You may want to limit the wines you will taste to a certain type. For example, sample all whites in summertime or specify that the bottles brought should be organic. Or try some of these fun suggestions:
Grape Geography If you want to taste wines from a certain region, such as South America, make sure to specify that on your invitation.
Budget Bottles Try putting a price limit on the bottles your guests bring. It’s fun to see what $15 or less tastes like!

The great thing about wine tasting parties is that they can be relatively easy to organize. Keep the food selection simple and allow the wines to be center stage this evening. Do serve light hors d’oeuvres that pair well with the type of wines; experts recommend providing snacks like fresh breads, artisan cheeses and crackers to help clean the palate between wines.
If you have a plethora of wineglasses on hand, the best option is to allow the guests a different wine glass for each type of wine. Another option is to rent inexpensive glassware from a party rental company to ensure that each guest gets a fresh glass for each wine. On the other hand, if you do not have enough glasses, provide a bucket that guests can pour their wine into between tastings.
Once all the guests have arrived, cover each wine bottle label (do-it-yourself instructions follow), affix a number to the bottle and set the wine bottles in numerical order.
Pass out your guests’ wine journals, which feature a wine tasting grid (instructions to follow), or provide simple notepads or scorecards with a wine tasting grid. Encourage your guests to take notes so that they can compare with other guests after the tasting.
Once everyone has sampled all the wines, it’s time to reveal what each one is!
Ask participants to write down the name of the wine next to a number in their journal. Also, have everyone vote on his or her favorite wine of the night. Give a small gift to the guest who brought the evening’s favorite bottle!



For Do it Yourself tips and more, pick up the August issue of At Home TN!

An Outdoor Affair

Celebrate summer with an outdoor dinner party complete with a locally inspired menu and eco-friendly decor. This is all about your own personal touch—pick flowers from the garden, reuse decorations and enjoy all that Tennessee has to offer!
Text Stephanie Alexander, event planner| PHOTOGRAPHY Summer Harris Hancock



Recently I had the pleasure of hosting several friends for an evening on our patio.
The weather was absolutely wonderful, and that’s no small feat here in Nashville in summer! I wanted to throw a party on my patio and eat out under the sky, eventually getting to watch the fireflies and stars after the sun set.

Menu
Garlic and Red Wine Pork Tenderloin Medallions
Warm Goat Cheese and Apple Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Josh’s Signature Roasted Potatoes and Onions
Assorted Mini Pies



Setting the Scene
I made this party as eco-friendly as possible, and encourage At Home Tennessee readers to entertain this way as well! Some simple steps are all you need to turn your next event into a green one.
First, keep the décor minimal. I gathered roses from my friend Julie’s yard, arranged them in assorted bud vases and scattered those around my tables. Julie’s roses come in a variety of colors, so I grouped them in similar shades and used those in clusters on the tables. If you aren’t lucky enough to have a friend with a fabulous garden, no fear! You can easily go to your local farmers’ market and pick up a bouquet of fresh flowers to use for your party. Try to stay local to keep the party green.
Also, incorporate lots of candlelight. Candles help add visual depth to a party and at nighttime, they really create an enchanting ambience. I have an assortment of glass cylindrical vases that I use for events and weddings. My collection includes short vases, tall and deep vases, square vases, glass bowls, and the list could go on and on. Whenever I have a party, I go through what I have on hand and develop my décor around those items. This time, I used two extra large vases and floated a trio of candles in each of these. They lined the entrance to my back patio. In addition, across my stone wall I placed several large cylindrical vases with large white pillar candles in them. In between these candles I added multiple small votives with tea lights. On the tables I placed small cylindrical vases with floating candles, along with small votives. I also positioned tiki torches around the perimeter of my patio, which not only added some warm glow but also helped repel the mosquitoes. Anytime you entertain outdoors in the spring or summer utilize tiki torches that have been filled with a citronella-based oil. The last thing you want is for your guests to be bothered by mosquitoes and bugs all night! You want them to enjoy the party and focus on the food (not swatting bugs).
Once the candles and flowers were on the tables, I added the linens and place settings. I used white ceramic plates for the table, along with chocolate brown and tan linen napkins. In addition, at each place setting I placed a menu card.
To go with an assortment of homemade desserts (recipes to follow), I also served ice cream from a locally owned and operated business to keep with the “eco-friendly” theme. I purchased individual ice cream cups from the Nashville-based Purity Dairy. If you want to serve a local item as well think about your locally-owned ice cream shop, or pick up treats from an individually owned bakery. Not only will you be buying local, but you’ll save yourself some time in the kitchen!

Green Party Tips
1. Use seed packets at place settings. They make a cute addition to your table, and guests will have a fun favor to take home.
2. Ask your guests to take home the floral centerpieces and enjoy them in their own houses.
3. Use organic fruits and vegetables from local farmers’ markets.
4. To create a visual impact but not leave a huge environmental impact, use candles, paper lanterns, tiki torches and natural light.
5. Include seasonal foods in the menu to highlight locally-grown products.
6. Buy organic meat from a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). To find one in your area, go localharvest.org.
7. Utilize items you already have for the décor—for example, I used vases from other events, or you can borrow from friends and keep decorations to a minimum.
8. Utilize natural elements in your décor such as burlap, wood, candlelight, etc.
9. Use floral clippings from your friends and neighbors. With a little research, you may find out that your good friend has some amazing hydrangea bushes that need clipping or another friend might have a fabulous rose garden she’s willing to share.





For Do it Yourself Decor like these "Drink Me" Straws and the recipe for the Summertime Strawberry Mini pies (and more!) get the July issue of At Home TN out now!

Summer Parties!

In our June issue, we asked two fantastic event planners to throw the perfect summer party. And boy did they ever! Our friends at Soireés in Chattanooga threw a Swapping Soirée and Stephanie, our Entertaining contributor from You're Invited in Nashville threw a Garden Gathering.

Here is a look at their parties!

Swapping Soirée
Party by Soirées in Chattanooga



Gather 10 to 20 of your best friends together to host this swapping soiree, an up-and-coming trend that rivals the more common clothes-swap parties. This is great for fashionable women on a budget who are interested in cleaning out their houses and getting some cool new items in return. We chose to swap household items, but this party can be tailored to meet the needs and wants of your closest friends. All newlyweds? Swap kitchen items to ensure everyone has just what they need for cooking bliss! All moms? Swap kid’s furniture, toys and clothing to meet the need of your growing families. Hold this party at any time of day, inside or outside. For stay-at-home moms who need a break, host an afternoon swap or if you’re aiming for a more intimate event, swap in the evening. This party is easy to personalize! PHOTOGRAPHY by Holritz Photography




This casual invitation reads:
“Join Morgan for a
Swapping Soirée! Tired of some of your household items, but can’t find time for a yard sale? Bring 10 of your gently used, unwanted items to trade with your friends!”

Be sure to specify a
drop-off time for the items prior to the party.




Guests can sign their names on small clipboards or simple index cards placed next to the items they like. At the end of the party, draw names for items with multiple shoppers.






Garden Gathering
Party by You’re Invited in Nashville



A summer garden, girlfriends and good food are the perfect reasons to host this outdoor garden gala! It’s a great excuse to get together with some close friends and take advantage of the beautiful summer weather and blooming flowers we’re blessed with here in the South. To keep the party intimate, limit the guest list to about eight people. Host your party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the perfect time for a light lunch and gathering with friends. (You can also hold the party indoors in a sunroom or screened in porch if the weather is too hot and humid.) Simple, delicious snacks and creative do-it-yourself decor add a personal touch to this whimsical summer party!
TEXT Stephanie Alexander Photography by Jonathon Campbell Photography



TIP: Incorporate your color scheme into every aspect of the party, from the tablescape and invitations to your clothing!




Rim drink glasses with colored sugar and arrange them on the table for a fun tablescape twist.




For more on these amazing parties, including recipes and DIY decor, pick up our June issue of At Home TN!

Spa Party!

Mother's Day may have passed, but it is always a good time to throw a spa party! Stephanie, our entertaining expert, threw the perfect spa party for our May issue. Here is some of her article.




A mother/daughter spa party is a great way for women to celebrate Mother’s Day or any day, in fact. Why not invite several generations of your family and spend a day getting pampered and enjoying each other’s company? It can be as easy as a phone call to your local spa for reservations or as budget-friendly as setting one up in your home. Whichever route you decide to go, enjoy the relaxing time with family and friends! All of us need some time in our lives to slow down and be pampered.
If you decide to host the party at your home, try hiring professionals to perform the spa services. Good sources to contact are a local beauty school, an aesthetician school or your favorite spa or nail salon to see if they’ll come do a private home party. Oftentimes, if the party happens outside of peak business times, you’ll be able to book a team of professionals to come to your house. If hiring professionals isn’t in your budget, don’t hesitate to give each other manicures, pedicures and facials with the great mask recipes that follow.

Menu
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Pimento Cheese in Mini Tartlet Shells
Pasta Salad
Fruit Skewers in Watermelon “Boat”
Crudite Shooters
Chocolate Covered Strawberries with White Chocolate Drizzle
Custom Smoothie Bar



Setting the Scene
Transform a living room or family room into the main spa area. Make sure to set the tone with soft lighting, lots of candles, relaxing music and plenty of comfortable chairs and fun magazines to read. Take inspiration from the spas or salons you’ve visited and try to recreate them in your house. If it means moving large, comfy chairs from other rooms of the house, do it! If you have oversized floor pillows, set them out for your guests to lounge around. You want everyone to be relaxed at this spa party.
For treatments, set up an area for each guest with small tables or wooden television trays. Make sure to include the following: a mirror, head band and rubber band, nail files and clippers, nail polish remover, tissues and cotton balls. Supply a warm washcloth at each station for guests to remove their makeup prior to the facials as well as small bowls of warm water for cuticle soaks for the manicure. If you have individual foot basins, use those as well for the pedicures. You can purchase deep bowls that can serve as foot basins at discount stores and dollar stores. Remember, this party doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s all about getting the girls together for a fun, relaxing day!
If you don’t have individual tables, you can always set up stations around a large table. The key thing is to make sure that each guest feels special and pampered. Try to include as many spa-like service items as you can, like glass apothecary jars filled with cotton balls, bath salts and nail polishes.
If you have masseuses coming to your home, set up separate rooms in the house for massages. Play soft music, dim the lights and don’t forget to incorporate candles to create that spa-like environment.
In another room you’ll want to set up the food and beverage table. For a spa party, serve one or two warm items along with plenty of fresh fruit and veggies. As for beverages, provide pitchers of water with assorted fruit slices in them. Besides limes and lemons, grapefruit slices are a perfect addition to water. The pink color of the grapefruit, along with a yummy hint of citrus, is a great combination for a spa party.
And men, if you’re trying to think of an extraordinary gift for your wife or mother, buy her a monogrammed terry cloth robe and as she opens it, tell her that you are treating her to a spa party. (You’ll score major brownie points by doing this!)


For do-it-yourself facials, mix up these refreshing masks:

Balancing Facial Mask

1 small avocado, mashed (about 2/3 c.)
1/2 small cucumber, finely grated (about 1/3 c.)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. green clay powder (sold at natural foods stores)

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork to blend. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. Apply a thick layer of the mixture to clean, dry skin on your face and neck, avoiding the eye and lip areas. Keep fairly still for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the mask to dry in place. Wipe skin clean with a damp cloth; splash with cool water and pat dry.

Recipe from wholeliving.com


Sensitive Skin Cucumber Mask

1 Tbsp. brewer’s yeast
1 Tbsp. finely ground oatmeal
1 cucumber
2 Tbsp. plain yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp. honey

1. Mix yeast and oats in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Peel the cucumber, place it in a small food processor and process until only liquid remains. Add the yogurt and honey and process further to blend. Add the brewer’s yeast and oats to the cucumber/honey mixture and process to mix fully.
3. Chill mask in your refrigerator before use to make it especially soothing.
4. To use, apply to clean face and neck and leave on for 15 minutes to a half hour. Rinse well and follow with toner and moisturizer.

Recipe from spaindex.com





For more on the Spa Party and the rest of At Home TN, check out our May issue, out now!

My Favorite Things Party

By: Stephanie Alexander

In the spirit of Oprah’s “favorite things” (and seriously, who doesn’t love a good insider tip from the woman who has everything?), host a “My Favorite Things” night with your girlfriends. The rules for the evening are easy. You simply bring your favorite thing, whether it’s a beauty product, a kitchen gadget, a book or a combination of smaller items. But there’s a catch— you can’t spend more than $10. I recently hosted this party at my friend Lori’s house in Brentwood and when our husbands found out the money limit, they all wanted to see if we could really pull this off!
I imposed the money limit because it forces people to get creative! I have a group of girlfriends who get together at Christmas, and we all exchange gifts, but they have to be less than $10. You would not believe what amazing presents we receive each year, and what lengths some women will go to in order to stay under $10. I have one friend who buys the day after Christmas for the following year, just to stay under the limit. I thought it would be fun to do a similar gift exchange during our monthly girl’s night.
As guests sent in their RSVPs, I asked them to bring an appetizer or dessert. Once again, it had to be a favorite! The night of the party, each girl showed up with her gift bag in tow (all items had to be wrapped). While we waited for everyone to arrive, we nibbled on some yummy appetizers and desserts.
Asking everyone to bring her favorite food item turned out to be a huge hit of the evening. Our appetizer table was filled with sushi, homemade stuffed mushrooms, shrimp cocktail, mango chutney cheese ball (recipe follows), brie with raspberry jam, and crudités with dip, just to name a few. We even had Chick-Fil-A nuggets (We all know adults love them as much as kids!)
The conversation around the food and who brought each item definitely started the evening on a great note! Not to mention, after we stuffed ourselves full of delicious savory appetizers, we had a whole buffet of desserts to conquer. The girls really outdid themselves in this category. We sampled cream cheese and Oreo balls dipped in white and dark chocolate, gingersnaps with a pumpkin spice dipping cream, mint chocolate chip mini cookies, and mini-turtle cookies (recipe follows).
After everyone got their fill of delicious favorite foods, we moved into the family room for the excitement to begin. I wanted to make the evening very casual, and I wanted to make sure we all left knowing a little something about each other. As part of the decorations, I created a “Favorite Things” tree that would determine the order each girl went in (do-it-yourself instructions follow). On this tree, I hung individual cards from pink and silver ribbon. On the back of each card was a number and a question. We had 27 guests, so each card was numbered 1-27. In addition, each card asked a different question ranging from “What is your favorite date night spot?” and “Where is your favorite place to vacation?,” to “What was your favorite TV show in the 80s?” Once we knew everyone’s order, each guest started by reading her question, answering and making her choice from the bevy of gifts. Once the gift was opened, the woman who brought it explained why it was her favorite thing.
Another catch to the evening was that each gift could be exchanged a total of three times. (We use this rule— “You Pick It, You Steal It, You Keep It,”—for our annual ornament swap.) This rule makes the game a little more entertaining because the gift can exchange several hands before it is considered “dead.” As the night went on, I kept a running list of the items each guest brought and emailed the list to each participant after the evening. It was a great way to help everyone remember what we all brought. Since we shared what we love, I made individual pink heart cookies in glassine bags to give to each guest as she left.

Need gift ideas? These great products are $10 or less!

•Gouguenheim Malbec 2007 Argentinian wine
•Covergirl Outlast lipstick in “Forever Fawn”
•Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo
•Pampered Chef ice cream scoop
•Walgreens’ Alpha-Hydroxy face cream
•Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
•OPI nail polish in “Suzi Loves Sydney”
•Vaseline Intensive Rescue Clinical Therapy Body Lotion
•Trapp candle, mango-scented





For instructions on how to make this banner, other DIY projects and recipes, check out our online April magazine!

http://www.createmagazines.com/showMagazine.php?mag_id=k6eaop+YpqFhdKZ7oaCXdKKlm59kY2Nj