If you’ve ever read one of my blog posts, chances are you’re aware of my affinity for cocktails, bar carts, and all things drinking-accessory related. My collection of striped straws and cocktail stirrers rivals the prop closets at my favorite magazines (and could actually be teetering on hoarder status). With the holidays upon us, it’s the perfect time of year to get your own bar cart stocked with all of the essentials for easy entertaining (and more importantly, impromptu cocktail mixing!). I broke down all of my favorite pieces that are absolute must-haves to stock your holiday bar cart, from the bar itself, to glassware, tools, and all of the fun stuff that makes our drinks look festive! 
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After all of the fun we had putting together some DIY details for Thanksgiving, Julie from Posh & Prep and I got crafty and created a few fun handmade elements to add your Christmas parties and celebrations. Julie lent her fabulous hand-lettering to create the easiest place card favor: a classic christmas ornament personalized with gold ink calligraphy in each guests name.
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‘Tis the season for holiday spirit, and drinking those holiday spirits! One of my favorite parts of getting ready to entertain is setting up my bar cart with festive accents. I pulled together tons of inspiration for bringing pops of metallics and lots of fun details to your own holiday bar cart (all of which are under $75!). Add a classic bar cart — this one is a steal from Target — to get your entertaining game in tip-top-shape before Christmas and New Years.
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Just a few days after we had moved into our new house in October I got an email to participate in one of the most fun photo shoots I’ve worked on to date — a holiday entertaining piece in the Improper Bostonian. We had a tiny window to shoot this holiday DIY feature and by some amazing luck, a group of talented, creative ladies got together with me to help pull it off (with stacks of my unpacked belongings in the nearby background). Below are a few pictures from the shoot (and two more behind-the-scenes pictures from that day); you can read the full article here: Improper Bostonian – Home for the Holidays.
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I finally got around to doing a little bit of styling of my new Society Social bar cart, it’s a work in progress, but I felt like it was time to share a few snaps of what I’m working with! I propped up a vintage painting that my parents gave us as a wedding gift, and culled together a bunch of pieces I already had scattered around our apartment, like a green lacquer tray from Target, my Kate Spade coasters (that coincidentally were a gift from Roxy of Society Social!), my Mrs Lilien Cocktail Book, and lots of little drink accessories, like striped straws and flamingo cocktail stirrers (what, you don’t have those lying around your house?). I also added my new ‘shake, rattle, and roll’ cocktail shaker which I get a total kick out of! I need to hang a few more pieces on the wall above it, and I’m hunting on Etsy for some more vintage barware, but it’s getting there! I get so excited every time I turn the corner now and see it as I walk into the apartment — it makes me so happy!
I am anxiously awaiting tonight’s premier of the new season of Mad Men. As I’m counting down until it airs, I was reading an interesting article in the Boston Globe about the evolution of the cocktails throughout the 1960s and what that means for this season (say ‘so long’ to the dry Manhattans and ‘hello’ to vodka martinis). The goods news is that this means a while new era of cocktail glasses and fun drink accessories for their prop stylists to impress me with. Who’s going to be watching with me tonight?
Clockwise: Dress, lipstick, pen necklace, lighter, decanter, cocktail shaker, bar cart, glassware set
In the age of online shopping, sometimes I just get a little burst of joy when a really great catalog pops up in my mailbox. Which is exactly the case when the Spring Boden catalog arrived this week. To me, it feels so bright and fresh and playful — and the styling is spot on. In fact I was almost as excited about that vintage bar cart in the background of one of the models as I was about the adorable patterned pencil skirts! 
It normally takes about 3 days to fully recover from New Year’s Eve, right? I’m working on it — it’s so hard to get back into ‘reality’ mode after a long holiday! Which is why I’m a little late sharing some pictures of our annual New Year’s Eve bash. Having a few extra days off after Christmas gave me the time to craft some fun decorations and think up some tasty dishes and cocktails. It was a great way to kick off 2013, and I hope it sets the tone for many more fabulous parties to come this year (like, ahem, a pretty exciting wedding coming up in May). How did you celebrate the New Year?
Perhaps its that Valentine’s day is just around the corner and I’m in a mood for hearts? Or perhaps it’s the idea of mixing a drink off that bar cart that appeals to me? Either way, I’m feeling this little nook today. I love the bright red and pink hues and all of the bold pattern — it’s loud in the very best way.
Image via Lonny
I’m in a Craigslist conundrum. The cabinet I use to store my cocktail ingredients is overflowing, which can be a good problem to have — but my multi-month search for a more permanent home to the beverage station has turned up dry.
Bar carts seem to be few and far between, so I’m starting to expand my horizons for an alternative solution. These two pictures have adorable bar areas set up on top of bookshelves and dressers and are serving as my inspiration. Aren’t they chic?
Images via Design*Sponge and Time Out Chicago and Decor8
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I'm Kate, and I like to
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