Holidays: Passover 2013 aka St. Pats-over

We got sloppy.  That would have been the theme in Passovers past.  My adorably wonderful and game-for-anything friends are a passionate group that really embrace the 4 glasses of wine during the Sedar, Jewish or not.

This year was slightly more tame given the rising number of toddlers crashing the party these days.  Still we set the table, sat back and toasted the day with the official honorary chugging of the first bottle of Maneschevitz.  (Yep, it's a thing and it actually made the Haggadah this year!)

Our 2013 Sedar was held early, on St. Patrick's Day actually.  We honor the spirit of Sedar but as many travel for the holidays there is rarely an opportunity to celebrate together.  Additionally, there are no concerns for those observing Passvover with an accidental (delicious) breadcrumb topping.

As a co-host of the 7th annual Glassman Gershon Sedar, I take great pride setting a huge, gorgeous table and insist that each year I kick it up a notch. This year was no different and since this shindig also took place on St. Patrick's Day I knew green had to be in the mix.

We set a long table for 30 with navy tablecloths and custom napkins I made from a selection of fabrics I found online. I adore, among many things, a bold, printed napkin and when looking for massive quantities without breaking the budget, making my own was the ideal choice.

Placed on top, we had our custom printed Haggadah. For placecards, I painted a river rocks from my local Lowe's in color blocks and personalized each for our guests. What's better than a dinner where you are forced to drink 4 glasses of wine? Getting a new pet rock of course!

Each year, we split the parts among our friends and give this amazing group of nutty people an outlet and some (an abundance of) creative freedom to really go for it.  We are always impressed but this year was even better than expected.  We got an infomercial-style pitch of the Super Saver Sedar Plate from Schlomo himself, a "Let My People Go" style rap to Thift Store by Macklemore and among others, a really smart baby Springer answering the four questions from the womb (we clearly spared no expense on technology). 

Our meal was really a massive contribution of potluck and convenience but it tasted delish.  Ordering rotisserie chickens is my go-to for the main dish for the last 2 years as brisket for 30 just isn't in my repertoire with a toddler running around.  We had some unbelievable latkes made in a cupcake pan.  No frying and thanks Pinterest for the how-to!  Yummy potatoes, roasted veggies, stupid good charoset and so much more. 

More than anything, it was a lovely day with lovely friends.  Passover is always the start of Spring and one of my favorite times of the year.  And in the Spirit of Spring cleaning, my co-host tossed a partial pot of matzo ball soup on my new entry rug so it got an early deep clean.  #SilverLining

And for a disclaimer, we find Passover to be a celebration of freedom and love of our friends and family. While we depart from the traditional Haggadah, some parts in rather bold fashion, the spirit of the content is there and our creativity is not meant to offend anyone.  This is likely one of the least offensive things I will post, so if you hate this, you  might just want to jump on this train as it's only getting better.

The Big Reveal: My New Entry!

Imagine walking in a house and being greeted by your wrinkled dress, having just exited your car, or the spinach left in your teeth. Yep, the giant mirrors that were the closet doors hitting you the minute you entered my house did just that. While it might have been nice to do a discount double check on your way out, the entry for guests really left something to be desired. It was like "Welcome to my home. Enjoy our giant mirrors. We are vain and judging you."

Off to the side we had our "go station". What is a go station you might ask? Well, simply, a place to put your crapola when you walkin the door. Keys, bags, etc. The closet wasn't functional and kind of hideous and the go station was even less desireable as it was bascially behind the door. And then it hit me. (And by then of course, I mean after many, many, MANY hours on Pinterest.)

Lets ditch the closet doors and create something way more useful, colorful and welcoming. Alas, we are done! So how did we do it? Fairly simply and inexpensively actually!

The walls.  Oh, the walls.  I had wanted wallpaper but after weeks and weeks of searching for just the right one, I concluded that my taste was more sophisticated than our budget for this project.  I was way less afraid of paint than trying to a roll of wallpaper worth a few benjis so a stencil seemed perfect.  This particular pattern, Nagoya, came from Cutting Edge Stencil.  Seriously people, it was easy.  It took some patience but it was less than one day and I was trying to cram the majority in during naptimes. 

The bench/cabinet looks way more custom than it really is.  How might you ask? I'll share my little secret!  I measured the width of the closet and found a perfect tv cabinet at Target with mid century lines.  Seriously, we couldn't have asked for a more snug fit in the closet frame. The only problem?  It wasn't as deep.  El Husbando to the rescue!  We purchased an inexpensive desk top from Ikea in the same brown/black shade, measured a few hundred times, and cut it to fit the closet, making it look totally built in.  We'll let future house owners bask in the genius that was our entry hack.

Aa few finishing touches, including a large carpet tile rug from Flor, an Ikea mirror covered in an ungodly amount of yellow spray paint, some shelving, a new pendant light and custom bolster pillows using a fabulous Ikat from Spoonflower designer Scrummy by Sharon Turner. pulled it all together.  The cabinet is the perfect amount of room for the little things we like to keep on our way our the door, little man's hats, sunglasses and sunscreen, umbrellas (for all that LA rain) and of course, a wooden elephant.

House Crashers: Behind the Scenes

I seriously can't believe it's taken me a year to come back and write this post.  It's been an insanely amazing year and we are even more in love with our new lounge than ever.  So, how did we get this amazing gift?  Lets start at the beginning . . .

Once upon a time, very early one Saturday morning, new parents were awaken by their 5 week old.  What do you do when you can't sleep at 7am on Saturday?  Get coffee and start running errands.  Like all weekends, post house purchase, we were off to Lowe's, lattes in hand.  Seriously, we were starting to look like Lowe's groupies for a while there but that's a whole other story.

We figured we were only hours away from another nap, the perfect chance for El Husbando to install the irrigation system we desperately needed.  As we combed the aisles we spotted Josh Temple.  How did you recognize him?  Easy.  We are OBSESSED with House Crashers and all things DIY Network and HGTV.  In fact, we were watching it before we left for Lowe's that morning.  Serendipitous?  You betcha!

Long story short, the producer spotted us, we chatted, ended back at our house, on camera, touring all the ugly bits we hadn't yet attacked and our wish was granted!

Above you will see some before shots.  This was an unused space, a garage conversion techincally albeit a total bonus in the house.  We were thinking of using it as a cozy playroom for our son and had only gotten as far as painting the walls and installing a super plush carpet.  In the bottom right picture you can see the back of the house that the prior owners had framed in, creating a potential mudroom but in reality, the UGLIEST pass through to our backyard and a dark hallway of crap.

We had the most amazing designer working on our space, Mollie Ranize of Dmar Interiors.  Seriously, she nailed it.  Mollie saw through our barely-started redesign and remodel of our house and honed in on our style.  Best part, she challenged it!  Mollie found a way to put the fun in functional and gave us the best gift of all, something we had never imagined doing.







 A few of the exciting details - 

• Custom bar with a 3D chevron wall treatment
• Gorgeous Silestone countertop
• New wine fridge and a place to keep our second fridge (embarassingly full of Zevia, beer and vodka)
• We blew out the back wall and installed an accordian door opening up the room up to the backyard
• Cork floors (I totally heart them and thanks again Lumber Liquidators!)
• Custom built-ins with a fabulous wallpaper accent 
• A gorgeous custom art piece made from, I kid you not, painted electrical boxes
• A pair of pendant lights from Rejuventation that I swoon over daily

We were gifted a truly perfect space for the ridiculous amount we entertain and the most exciting three days a DIY geek could dream of.

Baby Shower: A Colorful Safari

Josh and Karyn Forge are a few of my favorite people.  This might have been because I caught them holding hands during a Chiefs game and said to El Husbando, "I wonder if they are dating?"  Many years after accidentally outing them, I could not have been more thrilled to throw a colorful safari themed shower to celebrate the arrival of the little lady to be.

With the sun beaming down on one of the warmest days of the year, a co-ed party of fifty gathered to celebrate what we know will be one of the most amazingly beautiful and kind baby girls to grace of with her presence.

In lieu of a traditional guest book, attendees shared a special wish for Baby Girl Forge in a photo book of maternity photos taken by Cara Garcia Photography.

The colorful safari theme was the perfect fit for this festive day.  Invitations found on TinyPrints.com guided the color scheme to turquoise, pink and orange.  Similar signage was made for stations throughout the party.

I adore party favors, especially when they can be a personal reflection on the honorees.  Even better when it reminds you fondly of your childhood!  In white takeout boxes and clear bags, decorated with custom stickers and ribbon, I opted for a Midwestern favorite, homemade Puppy Chow, a nod to the daddy-to-be's roots in Kansas City.  If you haven't experienced puppy chow, let me just say, holy moly.  You are totes missing out!  This amazing mix of Chex, peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar is the perfect treat and very reminiscent of our childhoods.  (I said it was delish.  I didn't say it was good for you.)

Cupcakes from Buttercake Bakert in West Hollywood are not only a personal favorite but the perfect centerpiece to this gorgeous buffet.  I create a pretty, simply display with signage, a variety of platters and sixty home polka dot flags.

It was a perfect, warm day, full of warmer wishes for two very special friends and their new little lady, Camden.

"Make it Rain-Bows

Low and behold, my new favorite purchase. A set of 12 cotton, multi-colored napkins from Crate and Barrel. No two are alike, which lets the inner type A come out when I want to match my napkin and outfit. (Seriously, I do this.) AND it's way more green to be paperless.

So, how do you tie it all together and make sense of a color palette that resembles the flags of West Hollywood?

Brightly colored food and paint chip place cards. Head to your local hardware store and be as sly as possible. But grab two sets, you won't want to do this often. Match the napkin to any of the colors on the paint chip. I would suggest using the long skinny ones or the wider fat ones, shown here, so you can fold them. A silver sharpie and an ounce of patience for handwriting created a fun ambiance for a dinner as colorful and delicious as my budget for this decor!

Baby Shower: Monkey'n Around

I believe that Mindy told me she was pregnant and asked if I would throw her shower in the same breath.  After all, we had discussed our grand plans of babies and showers more times than I can count. I was seriously SO excited for this day to come!

Ass the first baby in our little group of LA translpants, a co-ed shower was a must.  Those that know the daddy-to-be know that he is obsessed with monkeys.  While I couldn't fulfill his wish of dressing a monkey in a tux and asking him to serve cake, the monkey theme was the most obvious and adorable choice.

I adored the aqua, brown and green theme, inspired by the invitations from TinyPrints.com.  Susie Cakes, of Brentwood, created this amazing two-tier chocolate and red velvet cake. This delicious treat was a must per the Mommy-to-be and tasted better than it looked, if you can believe it.  Some gorgeous belly pictures provided the backdrop for a guest book full of wishes for Baby Connor.

A guest list of around 60 guided us to host the event in the family's large backyard. Tables were adorned with more stuffed monkeys purchased at local toy stores, custom lollypops and white gerber daisies and tulips in bud vases.

If your friends are anything like mine, the drink selection is of the utmost importance and the table, like a kitchen, becomes the social center of the party. For this shower we offered homemade lemonade,  cucumber water, beer and sparkling wine. And of course, all glasses were adorned with hanging cocktail monkeys. 

Such a sweet and perfect day in honor of what we all know to be a sweet and perfect little baby boy!

The Kiwi's Kiwi Sangria

Two words . . . DAMN REFRESHING.

This tangy tonic was the perfect beginning to my summer of boozy concoctions. I am sad, yet thrilled to report that this was a tamer Sunday evening. Just a calm, perfect dinner with friends. Tonight, we paired this with BBQ chicken, black bean and goat cheese quesadillas and grilled veggie skewers.

THE RECIPE - (As edited by me, because I know best.)

2 - 750ml bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (OR 1 giant bottle, 1.5L, if you are on a budget and it is on sale. OR 2 bottles of $2 Chuck if you are currently drinking away your student loans, parent's money or unemployment checks.)
1/2 cup Midori melon liquor
9 kiwis, peeled and sliced into rounds
2 cups pineapple chunks (1 can chunks, drained, if you want to be lazy)
1 cup 7-Up or Sprite

Mix wine, melon liquor, kiwis and pineapple. The longer this sits, the better it gets!!
The next day (that's right, patience is key!), mix in 1 cup 7-Up, a handful of ice cubes and enjoy.