Southern Thursday: Tailgating

It's opening college football weekend, and we're in SEC country, y'all! Now down here in the South, we do things a little differently. Game day in the The Grove at Ole Miss is like Christmas in September! Bring your chandeliers and sterling silver and call your florist - it's time to load up the SUV and head to Oxford for the fashion show... I mean, football game! I can't tell you how much I love going to Oxford during a football weekend... it's just Southern hospitality at it's best! Here are a few tailgating essentials...

Wonky Wednesday: Bar Carts!

South Seas Bar Cart from Serena and Lily

The bar cart is back! Southern Hostesses love bar carts - they make it so easy to entertain guests all around the house, patio, or yard! Traditionally, bar carts were make for holding liquor, wine, & champagne... but they are also fantastic for serving desserts or holding party favors! I have several bar carts from Society Social on my wish list right now, but I also love the rattan bar cart above from Serena and Lily - it's almost beachy! You can also use bar carts as a buffet for holding your dishes or as an end table. I am sure you Southern Hostesses can come up with many uses for your bar carts - tailgating, anyone?

 

Bar Carts from Society Social

Tapas Tuesday: Sausage Apps

Sarah's GAMEDAY Recipe for "Sausage Apps"
Ingredients:
1 Package of Sausage

1 Tube of Crescent Rolls

Onion to taste

1 Package of Cream Cheese

And here's how to make it:

Brown Sausage, drain, and add onion.  Mix in cream cheese.  Spoon meat and cream cheese mixture into unbaked crescent triangles and fold over.  Bake according to package directions.  As football season rolls around, these are a great pick up appetizer!  They are also great for brunches.  You can even add a little cut up apple.  Enjoy!

Party Supply Monday: Stripey Straws

Southern Hostesses love stripey straws for parties! You can buy them in all sorts of colors (we used yellow and gray straws on the bar for Saturday night's party) and they are available from many sources online, such as Etsy. They are also affordable, which is a bonus! I use red and green straws for Christmas parties and red and blue straws for 4th of July and Ole Miss tailgating (Hotty Toddy!) I keep a stash in various colors and put out the appropriate color straws for the party / game in a julep cup on the bar. You can order your team colors (Sarah needs purple and gold straws for her LSU Tigers) and pull them out on game day for tailgating! Can you tell that this Southern Hostess is ready for football season?!

Secret Source Sunday: Cake Vintage

Southern Hostesses love unique pieces for entertaining, and Cake Vintage (based out of Nashville, Tennessee - Yay Tennessee) has many fun options for creating a unique table! Whether your choose the fabulous disposable place mats above or sets of mismatched flatware, you are sure to create conversation at the dinner table! I love the flatware napkins rings below... at $34 a set, they are so much more affordable than sterling silver napkin rings! This Southern Hostess loves Cake Vintage!

Party Friday & Outdoor Saturday: Engagement Party

A group of us hosted a "Southern-Style" engagement party for our dear friends Meg and Kris at a friends' house last Saturday night... it was so much fun! We kept it casual with live music outside in the grotto, BBQ sliders for dinner, cupcake bar for dessert, and awesome rustic signs (made by Meg's sister Lauren and brother-in-law Will.) Globe lights and wooden lanterns were strung over the deck and grotto to give a little sparkle to the backyard. The bride and groom loved the rustic signs, which they plan to put up in their backyard after their beach wedding in November! Oh, "Mimosa" is the street they live on... that's why there is a little house on it. Can't wait until the wedding!  

Southern Thursday: Gameday Runway

It's that time of year - college football season! Down south here in SEC country, it is our favorite time of year - Hotty Toddy! Pour me a Bloody Mary and let the games and tailgating begin! Where are you going to find the latest trends that will make you the fashion star of the tailgate party... oh, and the game too?  Gameday Runway, of course! Started by my friends Mary Hyneman and Lindsey Myers (beautiful sisters-in-law and Southern Hostesses), Gameday Runway has fabulous tips on how to dress for your team for all the big games this season... without looking like a team mascot. Their blog is super fun - you can even send in photos of your gameday attire! Check it out today so you will know what's hot this football season! 

Photo credit: Gameday Runway

Wonky Wednesday: Engaged!

This Southern Hostess has some big news- Scott and I are engaged!!! In case you were wondering where I was this past week (sorry for not blogging), we were on vacation in Destin / Miramar Beach, Florida. We got engaged on the beach at Tops'l after dinner at The Ocean Club on Wednesday night! So excited! My mind is racing with ideas, and we cannot wait to pick a date! We are both from Memphis, so it's looks like we will be having a big ole Memphis wedding this Spring to celebrate with dear friends and family! We have lots to do but I am really looking forward to enjoying such a special time in our lives... I'm one happy, lucky girl!

Tapas Tuesday: Tennessee Lemonade

Who needs another round? I do!  Another great refreshing cocktail that reminds me of summer is Tennessee Lemonade. There are so many organic or natural lemonades in stores now that it is very easy to make. But here is a great "from scratch" recipe:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup fresh lemon juice
5 cups cold water
Jack Daniels to taste
6 lemon slices
Fresh mint for garnish
Combine sugar and boiling water until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and store in fridge until ready to use. Add cold water and jack Daniel's when ready to serve. Fill glasses with ice and lemon slices and generously pour lemonade. Garnish with mint. Enjoy.... And have another!

Party Supply Monday: Nathalie Lete Plates

Southern Hostesses love unique dinnerware for dinners and parties, and these beautiful dinner plates by Parisian artist Nathalie Lete available at Anthropologie are perfect for entertaining. At $24 a piece, they are affordable, and you can add to your collection over time since they also put out new designs every so often. These plates are definitely a conversation starter at the dinner table! I want to start collecting one plate that reminded me of each of my friends and family to keep at home... I would get myself the blue flower plate (above right) and I would get the [LSU] tiger one for Sarah to use when she comes over! I would get the angel fish one for my parents - they love the beach! It would be so fun to start collecting! These plates would also make a great gift! Whether you like this special set of dinnerware or something more traditional, Southern Hostesses should always have a set of dinnerware that they love to use for entertaining!

Secret Source Sunday: Knot & Bow

I love Knot & Bow, a fun little supply shop that I found on Etsy.com! They offer unique basics, such as the neon pink and metallic gold heart stickers (above) that I ordered recently. They came in this precious package in the mail - I love great packaging! Based out of Brooklyn, New York, Knot & Bow sells bags, confetti, gift wrap, stickers, tags, twine, and adornments. Their mission is charming, uncomplicated, pretty packages. Their items come beautifully wrapped... it is like getting a present in the mail! I love supporting small businesses like Knot & Bow that take the time to package their goods with care. I will definitely be a repeat customer! 

Outdoor Saturday: Oyster Shell Votive Holders

I love my oyster shell votive holders! My sister and I purchased them at a seaside shop on Highway 30A near Grayton Beach, Florida. Can you tell the beach is on my mind this week??? Can't wait to head there on Wednesday! I have three of these beautiful votive holders - they're great for a seaside or low country dinner! These could also be a fun DIY (do it yourself) project... if you're into that sort of thing and half a few dozen oyster shells hanging around! I like having a trio of them - odd numbers always look better together for some reason. When you place a candle in these, they glow beautifully... especially when you're outside! I think you could also find other items outdoors and make votive holders like these. Any ideas?

Party Friday: Beach Table Setting

Southern Hostesses love to set the table - even if we are the only ones who appreciate it! I am feeling beach-inspired this week since I am heading to Destin next week. So excited! If you are not at the beach right now, you can bring the beach to your dinner table by creating a coastal inspired table setting. The mix of coral and sea blue with the rattan chargers and bowl of shells is a very simple way to use items that you have collected to set the table for a special dinner. You can also use these items to create a tablescape on a coffee table or a bookshelf. Seaside inspired table settings are especially wonderful when paired with a meal of delicious seafood. Your friends or family will love the change from the normal basic table setting! I always collect seashells at the beach, and I will them back to Memphis to use on the table and maybe in my fairy garden! It's fun to decorate with nature... and it's inexpensive or even free! Love that!

Southern Thursday: Cafe Du Monde Chicory Coffee

Photo Credit: Garden and Gun

Southern Hostesses love to serve Cafe Du Monde Chicory Coffee because of its unique taste and Southern roots. Coffee came to North America in the mid 1700s by way of New Orleans, brought by the French as they began to settle along the Mississippi River. As coffee became scarce during their civil war, they began to experiment with chicory to add flavor to their morning brew. What is chicory? Chicory is the root of an endive plant, which is a type of lettuce. The chocolate flavor that you notice while drinking Cafe Du Monde coffee comes from the roasting and grounding of the chicory. The best way to serve Cafe Du Monde coffee is Cafe Au Lait, which is a mix of half and half and hot milk... that's the way they serve it at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans! Obviously, it taste even better with a beignet!

Wonky Wednesday: Hair Ties

Do you wear elastic hair ties?  I discovered them about a year ago and I am not sure how I ever survived without them! The great thing about them is that you can put your hair up (which I do almost all the time) and your hair will not have a crease when you take the tie out. Also, they prevent breakage of your hair, which is a bonus! I have had basic colors in the past, but I decided to order some fun glitter hair ties online and I am waiting on them to get here. I also love the neon ones above! In the past, this Southern Hostess always had a ponytail holder around my wrist... now, with hair ties, it almost looks like a bracelet (especially when I color coordinate with my outfit.) I know I always say this, but these make a great gift and you can buy them in packs or in bulk on Etsy.

Tapas Tuesday: Smash! by Sarah

Now that I have headed back to school (to teach), the idea of a crisp, refreshing adult beverage is very appealing to me when five o'clock rolls around.  As I am a huge fan of seasonal fruit, fresh herbs, and whiskey, the article "Smashed" I found in Bon Appetit magazine caught my attention immediately. It has wonderful recipes for all kinds of "smashes", including the traditional whiskey smash.  I loved the way the recipes incorporated the seasonal fruit and herbs with a wild and crazy twist, such as honey, lime, and fresh sage in the Chartreuse Smash, or strawberries, cucumber, and balsamic vinegar in the Strawberry-Balsamic Smash. In Memphis, you could definitely use local honey, herbs, and some fruit.  Here is the recipe for a classic whiskey smash:

Mash 7 fresh mint leaves, 1 lemon half, quartered lengthwise, and 1 Tbsp. Simple Syrup in a mixing glass or a cocktail shaker 4-5 times just to release the juices and oils.  Add 1/4 cup whiskey (I prefer Jack Daniels.) Transfer to an Old Fashioned glass.  Fill halfway with crushed (very important that it is crushed,) stir, and then mound more crushed ice on top.  Garnish with mint sprigs.  Enjoy!

Party Supply Monday: Washi Tape

Photo Credit: CuteTape.com

Have you ever used Washi Tape? Washi tape is a paper tape that comes from Japan... it's like masking tape, but a lot prettier! You can makes hundreds of crafts with it (search "washi tape" in Pinterest and see DIY inspiration), but this Southern Hostess loves it for gift wrapping and letters. Yes, I still send letters in the mail to friends and family. Call me old-fashioned, but Southern Hostesses are often a little old-fashioned and we like it that way! 

There are many online retailers that sell washi tape, including CuteTape, but it is starting to show up in stores like Target too. You can use it to decorate just about anything from Easter eggs to glass vases to invitations. Your imagination can run wild - it's easy to use even if you are not a DIY crafter (like Sarah!) Ha! Washi tape gets a thumbs up from me because it is inexpensive ($3-5 per roll) and makes a big impact!

 

Secret Source Sunday: ConfettiSystem

Southern Hostesses love unique party supplies, and there are few things more unique than celebratory decor by CONFETTISYSTEM. Their garlands and pinatas are so artsy and glam! You see their use of simple materials like cardboard, silk and tissue, and think "I could do that." Then you try it (like I did) and realize there has to be an art to creating tissue and tinsel garland - I'm pretty crafty and my garland was a disaster. Having tried it myself, I admire their craft. I immediately think of bachelorette parties, fashion shoots, and glam weddings when I see their work. Their party art comes at a price (garlands at $130, pinatas at $140), but their pieces will be the talk of your event. The duo at CONFETTISYSTEM is very hip in the fashion world, having done various art installations and fashion shows. As a Southern Hostess, I think they bring a little bit of the big city to the South!