Party Style | House of Earnest

Category: Party Style

July 24, 2012

Styled Events: A Bavarian Birthday

We had a big Bavarian blowout last Saturday for my husband’s 30th birthday. The colors of Bavaria are blue and white, so I carried those colors throughout the even, reinforcing the theme. There was a big blue and white ‘biergarten’ tent, plenty of beer from a retro looking beer truck, and a german-inspired menu complete with wursts, kraut and pretzels. A polka band created a festive atmosphere for mingling and lounging.

I wanted to have a laid-back, social gathering where people could relax while they grazed on goodies and cooled down with a frosty draft. Custom steins with ‘ein prosit’ (a toast) to Matt were perfect for an afternoon of beer drinking, and made cute favors for friends to take home. The pretzels were sleeved in glassine bags that I printed off my home computer, which is such an easy way to personalize the small details.

Earlier in the evening, people relaxed under the tent, or congregated near the beer truck. Later in the evening a big bonfire lit the way for more drinking and some more rowdy events!

All in all it was a ton of fun, and not too much work, so I could really enjoy myself! It’s wonderful atmosphere for a big party, birthday or not!

17 Comments

July 13, 2012

Reader Favorites: Friday Fave Cheese Plate

in friday favorites, Party Style with 5 Comments

* all food items from Trader Joe’s no. 1 multiseed corn crackers, no. 2 grassfed sheepsmilk gouda, no. 3 rosemary and olive oil parmesan cheese, no. 4 feta stuffed spanish olives, no. 5 deluxe salted mixed nuts, no. 6 sliced gala apple, no. 7 maytag blue cheese, no. 8 mini chevre (goat cheese) medallions, no. 9 honey mixed with dried apricots and cranberries. **Cheese Markers from Pottery Barn, Platter from Crate and Barrel

It’s Friday! Do you have plans for the weekend? If you haven’t been following a long this week, I’m in India for work and am sharing some of my past posts which get the most feedback from readers. I get a lot of questions about creating a casual, thrown-together weekend gathering with friends, and this is something I do quite often! I just LOVE when friends drop in on a quiet summer evening and I always make sure to keep a few things on hand for just such an occasion. There are just a few tips I have for arranging a flavorful and diverse cheese plate for house guests.

Use a variety of hard, semi-soft, and soft; aged and young. Choose four – a semi-soft grass-fed cow’s milk cheese like gouda or cheddar, a hard italian cheese like parmesan or asiago, a pungent aged cheese like blue or roquefort, then a soft creamy cheese like chevre or brie. Alongside the cheeses, serve a variety of textures and flavors from crisp fruit like apple or pear to soft tangy olives and everything in between. I like offering my guests the opportunity to create many varied flavors to create a long and leisurely snacking evening.

Have a FLAVORFUL Friday and Weekend!

P.S. Things are going well here in India! If you’re following a long on Instagram or Twitter ( both @houseofearnest) you’re seeing little snippets of my India adventures! Be sure to follow – tomorrow I head to Agra to see the Taj!

5 Comments

July 9, 2012

Weekend Wedding Florals – Hot Pink Traditional

in Party Style with 4 Comments

Have I told you guys how different these two weddings were? Last week’s wedding was at a rustic winery, with many different types of soft, wild, colorful blooms whereas this weekend’s wedding was at a very classy country club, the colors were all black and white, and there was just one thing about the wedding that was hot pink - the flowers.

It was quite impactful to walk into the venue and see the towering clusters of hot pink roses. The bride’s vision was for a very classic design that was clean and simple, while the hot pink color would be the standout factor. We opted for clear, block table numbers which were also very clean, classic, and simple to let the flowers really shine.

I was quite pleased with how the arrangements turned out, and I hope the bride was too! If I can get my little hands on some of the photographers photos of the space, and if I do, I’ll share them with you guys as well!

It sure was a ton of work, but so much fun! I leave for India today and will kick off my ‘best of’ posts tomorrow with some reader’s favorites for those who may be newer to House of Earnest. Check back as I give you some hindsights on the projects, and what people were saying about them!

Have a BRILLIANT Monday!

4 Comments

July 3, 2012

Have & Make: Stars and Stripes

in Hand Made, have, make, Party Style with 3 Comments

If you’re still in need of a little decor for your 4th of July cookout, here is a cute and easy bunting that uses striped paper straws. Don’t have these exact straws? Don’t worry about it! Make them out of traditional solid color plastic ones in a red, white, and blue color scheme for another take on this easy project.

Just string some twine through five straws, tie your two ends together, then reconfigure into a star shape and glue into place. It’s that easy! Tying the stars onto a separate piece of twine threaded with multiple straws ensures they’re evenly spaced.

I had a whole box of these straws, and even after two events, still had a fair amount left over. I knew there was something different from using them for drinks that could be done with these straws. I’ll probably hang mine layered up with my festive fringey string lights for tomorrow’s holiday!

Give it a try (and fold it up to keep for Christmas!)

Have a FESTIVE Tuesday!

3 Comments

July 2, 2012

Weekend Wedding Florals – Peachy Wild

in Party Style with 23 Comments

As many of you know, I was doing florals for a wedding this weekend, and I absolutely love how they turned out. The wedding was in an industrial winery, so the bride wanted the flowers to be summery and bright, but still very natural and organic to keep with the vineyard esthetic.

I used a mixture of light light peach garden roses, mid peach roses, bright orange dahlias, mango mini calla lilies, hydrangea, hypericum berries, and seeded eucalyptus. The pops of orange and yellow kept the peach from being too sweet, and the seeded eucalyptus added a little drape that lended the traditional round arrangements a little bit of wild, natural flair.

I was super happy with how it turned out. My mother helped me with all of the set up and made all of the boutonnieres, which was beyond helpful! I hope to have some photos from the photographer to share with you soon, since I didn’t get photos of the bride with her bouquet or some other in-the-moment shots.

Have a BEAUTIFUL Monday!

p.s. I know a ton of you are still without electricity around the midwest and mid-atlantic regions. We just got ours back last night after being without for 3 days (which was awesome for the whole keeping flowers fresh and cool thing). Stay safe out there!

23 Comments

June 28, 2012

BBQ Bridal Shower with Free Printable Invitation

in Party Style with 5 Comments

You noticed I like weddings, right? Well I pretty much jump at the chance to do anything wedding related, so it was no different when my mom told me about a shower she wanted to throw for my cousin, Cara. Although things are pretty nuts around here with my many other weddings, and I’m heading off to India in just over a week, I wanted to help where I could.

I put together the invitation based on the barbecue theme, but still wanted to keep it light, bright, and fresh for a young couple. I love the way the invite turned out and can’t wait to see them printed!

The good news for you, is that I have a separate version available as a free printable for your next summer gig. Click here to download!

Have a beautiful, summer Thursday!

photos 1 | 2 | 3

5 Comments

June 21, 2012

Pretty Patterned Paper

in Party Style with 4 Comments

Say that three times fast - Pretty Patterned Paper! I came across this wedding on Green Wedding Shoes and was really lured in by the paper kites floating from a string with the guests names attached. Once you get past the name cards, however, it turned out that the amazing thing wasn’t just the pretty paper, but the many beautiful uses for it. Giant paper alter flowers, pinwheels and kites all adorned the fabulous outdoor space.

One of the things I like about it, is that the paper pieces make a big impact, and their scale is perfect for an outdoor event. Usually whether it’s a backyard barbecue, or birthday, sometimes handmade details get lost. These certainly do not.

How do you feel about all of the fun uses and patterns? Do you like it? Chime in!

*all photos from Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Ashley Rose Photography

Interested in more House of Earnest?

4 Comments

June 19, 2012

Little Soldiers

in Party Style with 12 Comments

I had asked you guys a week ago what your favorite part of summer was, and I’ve received so many amazing responses. Everything from going to a family lakehouse to sipping something sweet to the festivities that surround the 4th of July.

I wanted to share with you my favorite part of summer, which is breakfast outdoors. I don’t get to do this but every so often, and it may not be elaborate, but my ideal summer morning is drinking coffee and eating egg-soaked crusty bread outside.

The whole thing seems very European to me, so I put together a perfect scenario for my summer outdoor breakfast complete with a group of friends, and some fresh coffee.

photo 1/ collage 1/ecology pitcher and juicer 2/John Lewis oak egg holder 3/egg cup 4/dipped spreaders 5/egg top cutter 6/dundee marmalade 7/toast rack

Doesn’t it just seem like the perfect summer morning?

Ok, so I know I’m killing you guys here by dancing around the subject of who wins the West Elm give-a-way! Using a random number generator, fate has decided that it is Angela M who will win the splash of summer!

Congratulations, Angela! I’ll be emailing you shortly to work out the details.

I hope you all have a SWEET Tuesday!

12 Comments

June 13, 2012

Have & Make: Summer Cooler Bowl

in have, make, Party Style with 5 Comments

This ‘Have & Make’ has no DIY involved – but is just a quick entertaining idea for summer.

If you have a globe vase sitting around, fill it with ice and snuggle in a bowl that is similar in size to the vase opening. Fill it with whatever summer dish needs to be kept chilled (shrimp cocktail anyone?) and you’re ready to go!

Alfresco dining is probably my favorite part of the summer, but dried up food is not. I use the trick all year long for parties, but for summers, it comes in particularly handy!

Enjoy this quick tip and have a COOL Wednesday!

5 Comments

June 5, 2012

Trade & Made: Marbled Paper Partygoods

in Hand Made, Party Style with 26 Comments

It’s here already! We’ve reached the ‘reveal’ of the DIY mystery trade project between Laura, of A Girl Who Makes, and I. We sent each other a package filled with craft supplies and challenged each other to make a DIY using at least four of the items included in the package. I am excited to report that my idea worked out just as I had hoped.

When I saw the amazing color combinations of acrylic paints that Laura had included in her package, I just knew I had to use them. After a quick little bit of research I did on marbling paper, I found that the ‘adhesive’ used in the project was made from ingredients I had on hand, and everything else was included in Laura’s package. I knew the paint colors I had would look fabulous marbled together for some fun and punchy summer party goods.

Now, here is the disclaimer that you must know… this was surprisingly easy. Like, I was so surprised and wow-ed about how good they turned out with minimal work. It was pretty much fool-proof. Keep reading for the complete tutorial.

26 Comments