A Hollywood Holiday: In Full Swing!

Posing with the lovely @koreanyenta & @thedecorista

Fruit tarts are my weakness. 

 My shining stars @jrummerfield and @luxuryprgal

These mini quiches are more addicting than chips!

 

Rocking around the Christmas tree.

Nancy and @hillaryvaughn comparing furs

One can never have enough smoked salmon.  I should've had ten times this amount!

Ashlina and her handsome cousin Enrique

Asparagus presents with a thin layer of cream cheese and thinly sliced bread.  Delicious!

@sallycolon1 serenading the guests as sugarplums dance in @asianconan's head

I tried my hand at it.  Check out the look on @stephenpetree's face.

@negativenatalie and @yayer tearing it up.

This would've been a chic snap with Nina, but Nick couldn't resist a photobomb,

Big smiles @sadaoturner and @agerhart 

Speaking of photobombs, good one @robertd3

@jkirk22 and Christine singing Unwritten.  Of course we were all singing along

I need Anita's shoes!

 

@karlihenriquez came from an ugly sweater party!

Can it be Christmas yet?! 

Okay, if you insist, I'll open one.  A gorgeous bracelet from Jaime and @danarummerfield!

Festive Feliz Navidad

First stop.  Olvera Street!

My cozy guest bedroom turned vibrant and playful with shiny metallic garland and trees. 

A sweet little bull pinata.  He reminds me of Ferdinand, stopping to smell the flowers.

I had planned to place my candy bar at the entry, but with the rain, the entry became a mud room.  Moving the treats upstairs was the smartest decision of the evening, because it became the coat/candy room!

I covered the Christmas tree with tin and handmade ornaments, loteria cards and small sombreros.

Next stop... old Hollywood!

Ok, this shot was taken at the end of the night.  Wait until you see the revelry!

A Hollywood Holiday

Every year I have a holiday party, from a simple gift exchange, to sporting ugly Christmas sweaters, but this year was all about glamour.  A Hollywood Holiday was inspired by old Hollywood and a little Roman Holiday too. 

My sky high chignon inspired by Audrey Hepburn.

Deep red roses, feathers, a bit of holly and evergreen.

A few red bows to tease what's to come...

The Morning After

Little sleep, my house is a mess and yes, I have an afterglow.

It's the morning after my annual holiday party.

My hairdo is hanging in there, even after I took out the magic that held it sky high.

@RobertD3 and I enjoyed brunch and unlimited mimosas at Eva Restaurant.  {I'll admit one was enough for me.}

Once I finish cleaning Casa Marques, I'll post the photos!

My Holiday Mantle

I am feeling so girly this Christmas and I love buying pretty ribbon, so my living room is covered in bows.

I made the mantle decor with $19.99 lit garland from Costco, sparkly Christmas trees from the 99 Cent Store, with poinsettias and beads from Michael's.

I scored this gorgeous red ribbon for $4.97 at Costco for a 50 yard roll!  

I layered it with sheer red ribbon with white piping from the 99 Cent Store.

O Tasty Tenenbaum!

How sweet are the macaroon trees at Bottega Louie?  They look like something Marie Antoinette would nibble on.  Unfortunately, they're not edible and they're not for sale. I may try making one (if I can find the time!)

I'm obsessed with the pink macaroons set atop the raspberry background.  Click the photo for the gorgeous detail.

A Paige Of Inspiration: All Wrapped Up

I'm wrapping gifts tonight and my lovely niece Paige sends me this video.  For all of us who feel a little stressed during the holidays, whether it's work, finances, school, heartbreak, family chaos or simply the holiday blues... I remind myself this time of year celebrates the cusp of a new year and new beginnings.

Check out Paige's playful, touching and hopeful blog HERE.

Bedding For a (Little) Princess

I've been to two baby showers in the past few weeks, one of my dearest friends is pregnant and a few are hoping to be soon, so I have babies on the brain!


This gorgeous bedding is by Caden Lane, and I saw it on the beautiful shelter.


I love the colors (always a weakness for Tiffany blue, and the blood red bows look so chic tied along the crib.  Seriously, the bows would look gorgeous with any bedding and it's something you could do yourself.  Just buy a spool of satin ribbon and get to practicing people!


Check out the rest of the bedding post here.

My Little Black Lanvin

I still can't believe it.  I just scored this Lanvin for H&M dress in black.  I was shopping at the Sunset Plaza location this morning and spied a rack of voluminous frocks that outshone the rest.  When an outrageous shoulder ruffle winked at me, I grabbed the dress and saw it was my size.  That's when I looked over my shoulder to see if I was being punked.

The adorable salesboy tells me they've had a flood of returns lately - undoubtedly from gals who wore it once and returned it.  Bless those girls for paying it forward.  Now I have the perfect party dress.  Onto the shoes!

An Enviable Entry

I'm starting to build the Christmas candy bar for my entry.  The bowl is begging to be filled with chocolate raisins or m&ms!

My distinguished little birds were replaced by a happy plastic wreath!

Can you believe the wreath is from Lowe's? The Christmas ball tree is from Target and Sears has a great set of apothecary jars here.

Flowers & Feathers

Kind of obsessed with these flower arrangements.  I love how black feathers toughen it up and give it a masculine vibe.  I'm in love with the setting too.  The party is set up at The London, where I celebrated my birthday!

You can't go wrong with the old Hollywood vibe, one of the many themes I'm loving for Christmas.
 
Source: http://www.utterlyengaged.com

Doilies Aren't Dead

Hi Suzanne,

My grandmother gave me about 20 doilies that her grandmother (who was blind) had made. They are beautifully made, incredibly detailed and intricate. But I’m 27 and even in 27 more years I just can’t imagine a use for a collection of antique doilies. She put hers under potted plants. Any suggestions on how to make these doilies hip and stylish? 

Thanks!

Carmen

Carmen,

These beautiful treasures are just begging to be shown off in a bright, sunny room!  I can just imagine your great great grandmother soaking in the sunlight, crocheting each stunning piece.  My grandmother crocheted hers too and they're so special to me.  Below are some of the most creative and current ideas I've found.

How about making a few of the small doilies into starched doily bowls?

To shape a bowl, soak a doily in liquid starch, squeeze out excess, and place doily over an inverted glass bowl covered in waxed paper. Dry one to three days, depending on humidity. 

You have plenty of doilies to make a pair of pillows.  

How to make them here: 

Smile and Wave's tutorial

Isn't this incredible?  This bride made the green dress using a vintage form and crocheted her own doilies too.

The photo gallery here :

100 Layer Cake 

For your favorite pieces, framing them with a high contrast background will show off her handiwork!

How to make them here:

Crafty Nest

xoxo
Suz

Cookies & Cocktails

I had a little holiday baking party with Jaime and Michel (@JRummerfield and @MrDentalHygiene) to prepare for my holiday festivities.

Sure, we made cookies, but this baking party was less about perfect baking and more about eating what wasn't burnt and a little champagne-fueled merry making.

Despite what the package of Easy Squeeze frosting says, it is not ready to use.  It doesn't come with any tips!

The frosting was spread the old fashioned way - with a knife.

The cookies turned out pretty cute anyway... lots of character! ;) Michel made the snowman in the center, I decorated the snowmen on the sides and Jaime created the holly.

For this champagne cocktail, we coated the rims in green and red sugar after a dip in light corn syrup to keep it in place.  A sprinkle of fresh pomegranate seeds gives the champers a tart pop when you sip.

Setting up the display...

Voila!

A smashing success!

Perfect Grilled Cheese

Here's how I make a perfect grilled cheese, with a few influences from the Grilled Cheese Truck.  After a tour from Michele Grant, I learned how they make their incredible Cheesy Mac and Rib, which features macaroni and cheese with sharp cheddar, BBQ pork and caramelized onions.

Psst... a secret.  They use a thin layer of mayo to take this sandwich to the next level.  If I had more time, I'd add mac and cheese and pulled pork to this sandwich, but usually the caramelized onions are enough.

Ingredients for two:

First, saute 1/4 cup of chopped onions in a dash of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper. If you have an open bottle of white wine, add a splash too.

Using fluffy bread (I used 45 calorie Sara Lee wheat bread for the photo) spread room temperature butter over one side of the bread and then spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on top.

Lay one slice of bread with the butter/mayo side down, then a slice of cheese, then layer of grilled onions, then another slice of cheese and then top with the other side of bread.

Grill for two minutes on each side, then dig in.  Prepare the other sandwich for a friend or enjoy the second if you're really hungry!

Magical Mantle

I've been looking for ideas for my mantle and when I saw this one I was inspired instantly!  It definitely has a fashion influence, with the garland hanging like necklaces and long ribbons tied at different spots. 
This is Sherri Shepherd's home, decorated by Michael Russo on HGTV's Celebrity Holiday Homes.
She hosted a Christmas In Harlem party, with lots of gold decor (down to the cocktails) and jazz musicians played while everyone mingled.  It was tres chic.

They demonstrated how to make oversized ornaments for less, using a round balloon and ribbon.
1.  Blow up a gold balloon
2.  Tie a big white ribbon around it (I'm sure tape helps it stay in place.)
3.   Attach some string. 
They attached a magnet to the top of the string so it can hang from a metal source.  Nice tip.

Christmas In Hollywood

Leave it to Slim Aarons to take the most decadent and playful Christmas photo ever. 

I'd love to spend Christmas day floating in the water.  The photo was taken in 1954.  Slim's wife, Rita, lounges on a raft in her swimsuit.   Who needs jewelry when you're surrounded by shiny ornaments?  

But the tree!  The Christmas tree planted in the shallow end is about as tall (taller?) than their home. I can't even imagine how they decorated it all the way to the top.    

The Hollywood sign in the distance? Swoon.

Aprons Away!

I nearly threw a hissy fit when I couldn't find my apron today.  Which decade are we in?   I felt so fifties housewife.    Don't you love the sheer ruffle on @Jrummerfield's vintage apron? Mine comes from Sur La Table.
A photo spread of cookies and cocktails are coming your way very soon...
You can buy the cupcake apron here! 

My Christmas Card

Do you love it?  It's based on the famous "Keep Calm and Carry On" WWII poster commissioned by the British government, meant to help provide a sense of calm during uncertain times.

I've seen this poster in countless homes, but it's a bit too serious for the walls of Casa Marques.  I do think it's the perfect cheeky greeting for the holiday season.  Peace!

$10.99 for a box of 20 cards http://www.peterpauper.com

Tiny Tamales

How adorable are these small tamales with their red and green husks?  I'd love to serve them for Christmas!

Where can I find some like these in the LA area?