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ABC is back at it again with the new season of The Bachelorette, and we are all about Team Jojo right now! To kick off the new season, we had the honor of hosting the most amazing Bachelorette Season Premiere watching party with Hotel ZaZa for the lovely Circle Seven Five members! 

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Set in a private room in the Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa, this watching party was nothing short of luxurious and over the top! The Hotel itself exudes opulence and grandeur, which made it the absolute perfect venue for our classy and extravagant evening. From the signature cocktail coined “Boyfriend Material”, to the open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres and macarons (yes, you read that correctly…macarons!), luxurious lounge furniture for our viewing pleasure, and of course our Bachelorette brackets, no detail went unnoticed! The team at Hotel ZaZa was absolutely wonderful to work with and was so generous by providing the space and our tasty snacks and beverages. Their royal treatment made this event a night our members will never forget!

Strawberry mojitos are the ultimate summertime cocktail! They are light and refreshing and feature some of summer’s freshest fruits to give it an added bit of sweetness!

memorialday-2

I recently made this delicious cocktail as the signature beverage for the Memorial Day party I hosted with Glitter and Spice and boy was it a hit! Plus, with only a few ingredients, it’s easy to make for large crowds as well! What could be better?!

What sometimes gets forgotten about Memorial Day is that it’s dedicated to remembering those who died serving our country.  So first and foremost, a sincere thank you to our service men and women as well as our veterans.

But, as American culture would have it, it’s also one heck of a time to throw an outdoor dinner party that your friends and family will never forget!

memorial day tableThe Everyday Hostess and Glitter and Spice Memorial Day 13

My friend Amanda from Glitter and Spice and I styled the most adorable Memorial Day dinner party to help celebrate the holiday, the warm weather, and the start of summer for a few of our close friends! It was the absolute epitome of patriotic with red, white, and blue everywhere, plus a few bursts of gold!

The Everyday Hostess Memorial Day Party Invitation from Kayla Zimba

To create a classy and patriotic look, we started with a simple white table cloth and adorned it with a navy and white striped runner, the cutest gold sparkly chargers, white beaded place settings and festive red napkins. The T Shop designed a beautiful arrangement of red and white flowers in our favorite gold vases from The Shabby Chic Party to pull the entire look together!

Kate Jolliffe, The Everyday Hostess, Glitter and Spice, Placesetting, tablescape, red white and blue memorial day tablescapememorial day tablesetting

memorial day flowersThe Everyday Hostess and Glitter and Spice Memorial Day 12The Everyday Hostess and Glitter and Spice Memorial Day 7

To make the evening extra special, we dressed up in our Sunday best provided by Kate Spade and Dry Bar and Blushington designed our hair and makeup. It was the perfect (almost) summer evening filled with lots of laughs, good friends, and delicious food!

The Everyday Hostess and Glitter and Spice Memorial Day 6The Everyday Hostess and Glitter and Spice Memorial Day 10

Thanks to all the wonderful vendors who made this event possible!

Styling and Coordination: The Everyday Hostess and Glitter and Spice |

Photography: Beckley & Co. | Florals: The T Shop |

Clothes: Kate SpadeHair: Dry BarMakeup: Blushington |

Invitations: Kayla Zimba Designs |

 

Decor:

Chargers and Cutlery: The Fulfilled ShopPlates and Napkins: Bed Bath and Beyond |

Vases: The Shabby Chic PartyPaper Straws: Outside the Box Papers |

The sun is out and the weather is warming up, so we can finally ditch those movie theater date nights for some fun and creative outdoor dates!

My boyfriend and I have found ourselves repeating many of the same types of dates lately, so I have made it my mission to come up with some unique ideas that everyone can do in their own city and on any budget. So grab your honey and jump in with us as we explore our city and even our own backyard and create easy yet flirty and romantic date nights this summer!

gold dust vintage teepee

Growing up in Colorado, camping was a regular summer activity for us. Now here in Texas, the campgrounds and scenery are a bit more limited, but I still love the idea of a summer camp out date night! So! We created our own little camp out here in our backyard! You can do this with any type of tent or teepee, or if you don’t have these, you can also make your own fort (who doesn’t love a good fort?!) out of the blankets and pillows you have laying around your house!

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We set up this beautiful teepee thanks to my dear friends Gold Dust Vintage (if you are in DFW – you HAVE to check them out!) for our weekly date night. Fox and the Fleur created the most incredible floral arrangements to give my teepee a more whimsical and romantic feel. She draped the entire 12 foot teepee in a gorgeous garland filled with peonies, tulips, roses, and poppies! Could this be any prettier?! I am still swooning just looking at it! She even created a beautiful matching bouquet for the centerpiece of our table!

fox and the fleur flowersfox and the fleur flowersfox and the fleur flowers View More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostessView More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostessView More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostess

I brought out my favorite sheepskin rug and piled the inside of the teepee with some of our comfiest and fluffiest pillows, to create a romantic atmosphere for stargazing.

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And of course, no date night is complete without a tasty meal or snacks! I put together a delicious Mediterranean spread with some of our favorite hummus and bites which paired perfectly with our refreshing moscow mules. (I also brought out some chilled white wine to enjoy while stargazing). We enjoyed our meal on our little floor height coffee table provided by Gold Dust Vintage, which was perfectly set for the occasion.

View More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostessgold dust vintage and everyday hostess shootMediterranean platterMedterreanan platterView More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostessView More: http://cottonwoodroadphotography.pass.us/theeverydayhostess

This outdoor camp out was the perfect way to end a long week and kick off the start of summer! Plus it’s always nice to do something a little different than the typical evening out. The food was delicious, the setting was impeccable and the company was even better! And, of course, the stars that night were absolutely incredible!

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So grab your leading man and surprise him with your own camp out date night! I promise it will be a night to remember!

Stay tuned throughout the summer for more inspiring and interactive date nights!

 

Styled by: The Everyday Hostess |

Photography: Cottonwood Road Photography |

Teepee and Table Rentals: Gold Dust Vintage|

Floral Arrangements: Fox and the Fleur |

 

Outfit Details: 

Dress: Shoshanna (similar) |

Male Shirt: Brooks Brothers |

Watch: Fossil |

kate spade thank you note

Never underestimate the power of a handwritten thank you note. It’s a lost art, which according to Emily Post, “reflects your appearance, taste and character.” In a world filled with text messages, emails, and social media posts, a little handwritten note can go a long way. It is tasteful and demonstrates a genuine gratitude.

As you can all tell, I am pretty passionate about thank you notes! So! How do you know when to write a thank you note? My best advice – when in doubt write one, but here are a few factors to consider!

When You Receive a Gift – No matter the size of the gift, always write a simple thank you note within 3 days of receiving the gift. My mom always told me to write the note before I used the gift, so to this day, I still write a thank you note either before I use the gift or within 3 days…whichever is first. The main exception is wedding gifts. Etiquette suggests you have 3 months to send thank you notes upon receiving the gift.

Get Well Gifts – Thank you notes should be written by the patient or a friend or relative as soon as the patient recovers. You can also call or email closer friends to thank them rather than sending a formal note.

Condolence Notes or Gifts– A thank you note should be written by a close friend or relative of the recipient for each gift whether it is in the form of flowers, notes, or donations. THANK YOU CARDSKind Act – Always write a thank you note after a kind act. If someone invites you over for dinner or to stay with them, it’s proper to send your host a little thank you note telling them how much you appreciate their hospitality.

Interviews – Emails are the most popular way to thank potential employers for an interview; however, I highly recommend sending a formal handwritten note thanking them for the opportunity and their time. This will help you stand out from the rest of the candidates. However, if the employer is making the decision within the next few days, an email thank you is appropriate for the sake of timing.

If you’re not currently in the habit of writing thank you notes, that’s okay! Not many of us are! But start small! If your friend’s parents take you out to dinner or invite you into their home, send a short little note! Nothing lengthy, just a simple display of appreciation. As you start doing this, it will come much easier and will soon become a habit! You will be amazed at the impact it has on the recipient 🙂

 

Margaritas are the perfect complement — or focal point, let’s be honest — of Cinco de Mayo festivities everywhere.

This mango jalapeño rendition of the Mexican staple is the perfect way to spice up your celebration!

Mango Jalapeño Margarita
Serves 2
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 oz tequila (mixologist’s choice)
  2. 2 oz Grand Marnier
  3. 2 oz jalapeño simple syrup
  4. 2 oz lime juice
  5. 3 oz mango juice
  6. Sliced jalapeño to taste
  7. Sugar or salt for the rim
Instructions
  1. For the uninitiated, simple syrup is made by boiling water and adding sugar an equal amount of sugar. Once water is at a rolling boil, add the sugar. Let the combination cool in a separate jar, and add jalapeños to infuse. The longer it sits, the more jalapeño flavor will infuse in the simple syrup -- we went with 24 hours for a nice kick.
For the drink
  1. Add sugar or salt to the rim (coat the rim with lime juice first to help it stick).
  2. Muddle a couple fresh jalapeño slices in the bottom of the glass in which you plan on serving the cocktail. If you don’t have a muddler, the back of a thick spoon or spatula will work -- the point is to crush the peppers to get the juice out!
  3. Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, lime juice and mango juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and pour over ice/jalapeño in glass.
The Everyday Hostess https://www.theeverydayhostess.com/
Now it’s time to kick back and enjoy your Cinco de Mayo with friends! Olé!!