thanksgiving 2013

 

it has only been a week since thanksgiving, but we are in full advent mode at casita hart.  before beginning an influx of holiday/winter inspired posts, let me spend a moment on one of my favorite holidays of the year.

i think i love thanksgiving so much because it is the start to a sweet season of celebration that lasts through the new year.  also, i love to eat good food.  and to spend time with others.  and to pick out a christmas tree the next day. 

for our first new mexican thanksgiving, we hosted a friendsgiving feast for 18.  it was so so great.  lots of cooking, lots of eating, and lots of thankfulness for these new relationships.  it is still crazy to think how much has changed in the past year.  this holiday almost felt like the start to our rooted life in the southwest.

the brined roasted turkey was so pretty and even tastier.  so much yumminess was brought and enjoyed.  through the use of danielle walker's thankful i was able to make all of my dishes paleo or gluten-free, which was quite an undertaking, but not as difficult as i imagined.  i highly recommend the recipes in that ebook.  the smoky candied bacon sweet potatoes may be my favorite.  i could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

thank you, friends, for sharing this meal with us.
and for humoring me with the chalk hand turkeys.

a baby shower for arrow no.6

i recently had the great privilege of co-hosting a baby shower for my sweet friend ruth.  what a surreal experience to move from long-distance-never-met-in-person-blog-buddies to doing-life-as-dear-sisters in just 8 months!  and then i get to help throw her a fabulous party?  neither of us could have guessed it.  especially when this baby boy no.6 was an incredible surprise for their family. 

there was a surplus of willing friends to shower love on ruth.  nine of us took on the task.  early on in the planning, we decided upon an arrow theme.  another boy blessing is being added to the simons quiver!  the color scheme of navy, mustard, mint with lots of yummy neutrals and pops of tomato red followed.  ruth's love of all plants succulent also inspired us.

we originally had an evening garden party in mind.  it wasn't until two days before that a change in locale was determined.  my new backyard would have been magical - if not for the crazy new mexican winds and major dip in temperature.  it was 20 degrees warmer the weekend before and the weekend after!   this could have been a major set-back, but who has time for that?  we brought our luminarias indoors and found new ways to set-up the pretties.  i have to say the last minute changes did make for extra work, but it was all worth it.

the paper wheels and flowers would have adorned the fence and made a sweet backdrop for the food tables, but they also looked mighty fine over the fireplace and on the chalkboard.  i used this tutorial for the wheels and this tutorial for the flowers. i raided my bottomless scrapbook paper stash to bring in the patterns and colors.  the luminarias were made with white kraft bags and flameless candles.  i layered fabric strips and lace over an unused curtain panel on the table.  the chalkboard art was decided upon hours before guests arrived and ended up being the star of the show.  aside from ruth, of course.

how about that cake?  one of my co-hosts did a fantastic job with it.  this photo gave us the arrow idea.

the last minute changes in set-up made me neglectful of picture taking.  but here is the mama getting a hug.  she was much in demand that night.

the succulents favors were a huge hit.  i convinced a local nursery to give me a wholesale price on them.  when making the large brown paper flowers, you cut off the bottom of the bags and do not use them.  i repurposed the bottoms along with a little yarn to wrap the plants.

my favorite bit may have been the arrow making station, inspiration from here.  paints, washi tape, feathers, and felt were provided for the guests.  the arrows will help decorate the nursery and bunkroom.

guests also had a chance to write a prayer for baby.  this personal touch makes a beautiful keepsake.

salsa, smores, sangria. . . need i say more?

okay, i will. . .

we set up a gourmet chips and salsa bar and served sangria, margaritas, and fancy flavored water alongside.  for the sweet tooth, there was a gourmet s'mores bar - the indoor fireplace worked as substitute for the backyard firepit.  there was also fruit and cake, with a gourmet coffee bar to complete the tasty treats.

yes, there was a gourmet bar theme going on.

the arrow mobile, tutorial found here, will look neat in the boys' bunkroom.  six arrows for six boys.  i wonder if we will ever have to add to it???

the night ended up being just as dreamy indoors.  i am so so thankful we could love on ruth through this celebration.  

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.

Psalm 127:4

an end of the night photo with mama and 6 of the 9 party hosts

simple tips for a good party

thank you.  you guys are da best.  i felt loved and supported after sharing about my lost groove.  i am hoping to find creative ways to be present, but still get a little break.  today is one example of that.  :) 

last year, i was a guest over at wild olive to help celebrate mollie's birthday.  i thought i would repost my simple tips for a good party here today, since i am kind of a blogging slump.  plus i like to get these guest posts on my own blog at some point to keep them all together.

i love a good party and, in my opinion, a good party makes you feel special.  i don't always have the time or energy to plan out all of the little details, but just a few personal touches can make the smallest event memorable.

 

here are some of my simple tips:

• dress up your food.  whether you get a take-out pizza, make a cake from a box mix, or heat up frozen appetizers, everything looks nicer on pretty plates.  thrift shops and garage sales are great sources for affordable serving pieces.  better yet, borrow from friends and family.  and remember, things don't need to match, just coordinate.
• take photos.  set up an easy photo booth with a flat sheet hung over a bookshelf or on the wall.  take a few minutes to capture some fun shots of your guests.  as much as we all love candids, this is a great way to make sure you get a photo of everybody.
• make a banner!  i love personalizing parties with a banner.  i wrote up an easy tutorial last year that works well for this.  or if you can invest in a set of alphabet stamps, they quickly transform punched or cut paper into something sweet and special.

my biggest tip?  a good party is more about the guests than anything else.  true hospitality is more concerned with a welcoming atmosphere than a perfect menu or beautiful table setting.  if the planning gets in the way of this, you need to scale back.

there are so many simple ways to transform a gathering of loved ones to something special.  what are some of your favorites?

a visit with the adolphes

one of the highlights of last week's house concert was being able to host the adolphe family for a short but sweet overnighter.  i would have been giddy about just meeting karla, not to mention to have her play a show at our casita.  but the fact that her family was able to stay and visit? such a wonderful gift!

our two families got to know each other over dinner before the concert, entertained by the four lively littles.  we then spent a relaxed morning-after sharing another meal and enjoying the great spring weather on our front porch.

they pulled into our small urban neighborhood in their incredible hulk.  a 40 foot rv was expertly maneuvered into our narrow driveway.  great job gary!

this might be one of those seared-into-their-memories-forever moments for luca and gia.  having this parked outside was quite the sight.  they loved exploring the inside.  gia has decided she will live in one someday.

this photo just makes me laugh.  a lot.

hudson, you are hilarious.

a bit blurry, but a lovely group shot, nonetheless.

(gia's turn to be hilarious.)

their ministry is incredibly beautiful.  i was so encouraged by the words of love spoken over me by this lady.  we not only made new friends, but have discovered family and embraced a new brother and sister.  we love you guys!

and here is a quick ten second video of karla's soundcheck.  we are so blessed that this voice graced our backyard.  thank you God for her gift!

my awesome friend and photographer, tracy, took fantatsic photos of the house concert. i will be posting them soon!