I am just so excited about the 4th of July holiday coming up this week because we have lovely, low-key plans. Fingers crossed for some sunshine so we can make it a beach day, followed by a little grilling at home and hopefully making it back to the beach for the local fireworks. We plan to spend the weekend catching up with a few friends, so casual entertaining is top of mind for me! I put together a festive berry-inspired tablescape to celebrate the holiday, full of my favorite red, white and blue hues. Scroll down for all of the linked resources, and Happy Independence Day!  read more

I am SO excited to share pictures from the bridal shower that I hosted for my sister this weekend along with my mom and her bridesmaids. My sister is my best friend, closest confidante, and just about one of the most stylish people I know — so when I started brainstorming this party with my mom and the bridesmaids, we all knew it had to be something really special. We are alike in a lot of ways, but perhaps the way my sister and I are most alike is in our love of being very involved in the details of planning. I wanted her to be surprised with all of the details though, so I asked her if she had any input or request up front, and then swore everything else would be a surprise! She had two requests: 1) a spiked Arnold Palmer signature cocktail and 2) she loved the floral patterns and colors in Rifle Paper Co’s party goods and fabrics. We rolled with those ideas and hosted a colorful, floral-inspired bridal shower with lots of nods to the bride and groom-to-be’s love of food! read more

I was recently digging through my good ol’ fashioned magazine clipping pile that I use for pulling inspiration for content, and I came across an old Country Living summer entertaining spread that featured the most darling vintage nautical flags. I love the colors and graphic design of the flags, and of course their nod to seaside life. They sparked an idea in me to pull together a tablescape design with a few simple DIY tricks that make for a lively, yet inexpensive maritime-inspired display. To start, I used a few primary colored acrylic paints and gave simple bamboo cutlery a little facelift; painting graphic stripes that I borrowed from the flag design (bonus: they’re compostable!). read more

This post was created in partnership with GOOD THiNS. All opinions, images and content are my own, thank you for supporting brands that support this site.

I am easing into the week after an amazing weekend away. I spent a few days in Chatham with my four best girlfriends for what we dubbed as our “first annual” gals getaway weekend. We had the best time relaxing, enjoying the sunshine, and more than anything: EATING! It was a snackstravanza all weekend long. I packed up a little travel cheese plate to bring along with me for the weekend so we could have some pre-dinner snacks on our airBnB’s pretty porch. Whenever I head away for a quick trip and have access to a fridge I like to pull together a version of this “traveling cheeseboard” with a few favorite essentials, like cheese, charcuterie, berries, and a crunchy accompaniment like GOOD THiNS! read more

I received the most beautiful peonies for Mother’s Day from my friends at Winston Flowers — the bouquet was breathtaking and took on a life of it’s own as the flowers opened up over the course of the week. They started off in a rich, deep coral toned hue and blossomed into the most cheerful, soft pink and orangey tones. Every single morning they looked a little bit different, and after several days they had opened up to about the size of a salad plate. I couldn’t let the chance to use these beauties in a tablescape pass me by so I pulled together a few pieces from my pantry for a preppy and festive party table. read more

This post is created in partnership with Christmas Tree Shops andThat! — all opinions, images and content are my own.

We are slowly getting our yard and outdoor space ready for the warm weather. My husband put together some raised beds for our first-ever vegetable garden, Jane has started to pull out all of her summer toys (chalk and bubbles have been refilled!), and the most exciting thing is having the grill is uncovered and back on our patio! Barbeque season is upon us, and it makes me so darn happy. We grill several times a week for easy dinners once the weather is warm, and barbequing is one of my all-time favorite ways to entertain. My friends at Christmas Tree Shops andThat! invited me into their store recently to check out all of the new items they have for the season and I found some really great stuff to pull together an easy, affordable and stylish barbecue party! read more

My friend Dina at Honey and Fitz Collection sent me some of the most amazing summer entertaining pieces to play with, and naturally I had to follow my personal “go big or go home” mantra with a festive grazing board. They have the most beautifully curated selection of wood and marble boards (this whale board is going to be on rotation all summer), entertaining accessories (dying over the lobster picks and whale coasters!) and linens that are perfect for styling out a New England-inspired spread. I had to share a few of the pictures here and give you my super top-secret tip for making quick work of a grazing board like this. Are you ready? Hit the salad bar at your local grocery store (Whole Foods is great for this!) and grab the pre-sliced peppers, broccoli and cauliflower, cucumbers and tomatoes. You can snag just what you need and have a colorful variety of bites to choose from. Sometimes they even have cubed cheese and charcuterie if it’s well stocked. A few crackers and a selection of some cheeses is all you need to finish it off! read more

Cinco de Mayo is always a cause for celebration at our house. It happens to be my fabulous little sister’s birthday so we have been known to break out the margaritas to toast her on May 5th each year. Also given my own personal affinity for the food and drink associated with the holiday, I’m on board with a fiesta regardless of the date. If you need a little inspiration for an easy fiesta-themed fete, scroll down for my most recent Cinco de Mayo display. I found the prettiest pastel paper picado banners to hang over the bar, and used a brightly colored striped towel for a tablecloth and some bold neon baskets for serving snacks. A few rustic wooden risers added some height to the scene, and I filled the table with colorful flowers to tie it all together. To plan your menu to go along with this fiesta check out the Sparkling Strawberry Basil Margarita I mixed up, add some Crispy Avocado Fries and Fire-Roasted Mexican Street Corn Bites for tasty appetizers, and cook up some Instant Pot Green Chili Tacos for an easy main-course! read more