Hosting Tips

A Southern-Style Dinner Party to Celebrate Spring!

Y’all, the countdown has begun: we’re only two weeks away from the first day of spring! Why not pick a free Saturday on your calendar and invite friends to your back patio (or a nearby picnic spot) to celebrate with an open air dinner party? When warmer temps arrive, I want to eat as many […]

How to Throw a House Party in Your 30s

It turns out that throwing a house party in your thirties is (like a lot of things) not much different than it was in your twenties, only undeniably better. The main difference is this: all that hard partying experience you now have enables you to host a bash where A) the cops don’t show up, […]

A Valentine’s Day Dinner Party You Have to See to Believe

For regular readers, Timothy Corrigan needs no introduction. Our behind-the-scenes look into a holiday dinner party at his French chateau years ago is still buzzed about; his springtime al fresco lunch gave us total landscaping envy; and his casually elegant Easter brunch gave us a first glimpse into Timothy’s West Coast home. Oh, and as unofficial president of […]

Make Someone’s Valentine’s Day With A Treat That Isn’t Sweet

Mackenzie Anne Smith is a woman after my own heart. What makes us kindred spirits, you ask? It’s simple: our shared belief that everything tastes better with a carby starchy doughy element. While I’ve perfected the art of eating things-stuffed-in-pastry (or, pocket foods as today’s guest would say) Mackenzie has mastered the art of actually making them on the […]

Give The Gift of Poetry With These 10 Books

featured photo by kristen kilpatrick One of my goals for 2018 is to practice slowing down when I get home from a grinding work day. Specifically, disconnecting from my phone, television, computer, camera… basically anything with a screen. I’m learning to leave work at the office, and cherish everyday moments with my family. What do […]

How to Throw a Hot Pot Dinner Party

The end of January may not be the most expected time to throw a dinner party, but I think it’s actually perfect. Hear me out. The holidays are over (pressure’s off!), it’s too cold to really want to go out, but everyone’s going stir-crazy from being at home so many nights in a row. Trust […]

Why Vision Boarding is Our New Favorite Girls Night

January is one of our favorite months at Team CS because we have time to dive deep into headier topics like mindfulness and personal goals. With 2017 firmly in the rear view mirror, we thought it would be fun to use our first day back in the office to define our resolutions for the new […]

Rosemary Wreath Place Cards

Why aren’t wreaths a year-round thing? They’re just so pretty, and such an easy way to add a natural element to just about any space. Last year we rounded up our 10 favorite holiday wreaths, and the designs had us feeling so inspired that we decided to craft our own for this season… only our […]

A Chic Handmade Holiday Dinner Party

Around the holidays, adding a handmade touch to the table feels especially in keeping with the sentimental vibe of the season. Crafting your own place cards or centerpieces adds a wonderfully personal touch to the table — and they’re likely to become keepsakes, carefully unpacked year after year. For the holiday dinner party we threw […]

How To Host The Ultimate Tree Trimming Party

Do you guys have any tree trimming traditions? Since this is our team’s first holiday season in the new studio, we have the opportunity to create a few new traditions of our own, and if today’s story is any indication, I think we’re off to a good start. We partnered with our friends at Pints […]

How To Flower Bomb Your Friend On Her Birthday

Ever heard of flower bombing someone? It’s basically when you make a room look like a flower explosion happened, using tons and tons of blooms to create a massive installation — we’re talking total flower overload. And trust us, it’s just as beautiful as it sounds! Caroline’s birthday was last week, so we teamed up […]

This Holiday Kids’ Table Will Make You Never Want to Grow Up

The kids’ table is always a fun place to spend a holiday meal — a safe haven from the boring formalities of the adult dining room. (My cousin and I like to joke that we are “forever kids” because we still haven’t given up our seats at the super casual table in my aunt’s kitchen.) […]

How to Prep a Holiday Wine & Appetizer Party in Under an Hour

Over the weekend, Adam and I sat down with our calendars, pens, and glasses of Pinot and got organized on our holiday season schedules. We penciled in dates for each of our company parties, taking the kids to see Santa, dinners with our families, and the couples dinner party we look forward to throwing each […]

Our Cozy Friendsgiving Feast with Target

Welcome to the season of colorful leaves and scents of cinnamon wafting from the kitchen. For my latest seasonal celebration with Target, I invited my coworker besties to join me for a cozy Friendsgiving meal around the table. This fall celebration is dripping in rich jewel tones, warm metallics, and organic elements like wood, berries, […]