This past weekend we were so happy to host a dinner party for my bestie, John. Conjured up by his sweetie, Danny, we planned and plotted to have 10 of his favorite friends gathered to fete our darling birthday boy.
For this occasion I decided to leave the table bare (I tend to forget how pretty it is…) and set it with silver chargers, white plates, white napkins nestled into silver napkin rings and a small arrangement of white and red roses. It was elegant without being fussy.
This week’s treat comes to us via my buddy, Eddie Ross, who turned me onto these awesome personalized plates. So adorable!
Of course, I’m partial to this one:
La Plates are made of melamine, which means they are dishwasher safe. They are not for use in your microwave, though. Lara Shelton is the force behind these gorgeous settings for your table. She has tons of colors to choose from and much more items to try other than plates. There are cups, placemats, trays, flatware caddies – just everything awaiting your monogram.
And since they are so durable, they are perfect for all those outdoor fetes you are planning this summer. You can tote them to your family reunion, picnic, outdoor concert, even take them on the boat!
There is no reason not to be stylish just because it’s summertime. You have every chance to be stylish with La Plates!
Louisiana, home of creole and cajun cooking, southern mansions and the unbreakable spirit of New Orleans. They have seen hard times, yet always bounce back with graceful resiliency. From Katrina and now the BP crisis, you might be wondering how the Paris of North America is faring.
They are faring quite well, thank you. And you should go and see for yourself. Party on Bourbon Street, enjoy the Garden District, listen to some down home music in Faubourg Marigny and don’t forget the beignets at Cafe Du Monde. With New Orleans only a 7 hour drive from Atlanta, you could be there in no time.
The Party Never Stops!
I have been in contact with my friends in New Orleans, Char Thian at the Ritz-Carlton and Kelly Schulz with the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. who tell me that all is well in their fair city and the best way to support it is to come and visit! Now, how many other ways can you give back by eating the country’s best cuisine and drinking up a storm? Only in New Orleans.
Take a look at this link. Honestly, the time has never been better to support New Orleans and have a dang good time in the process. The folks there are the friendliest anywhere and that food…OMG, that food. I am dieting right now in anticipation of my visit at the end of July. Can’t wait to drink sazeracs and eat all the luscious treats at Galatoire’s Friday lunch. You can even walk around with that Pat O’Briens Hurricane, as they encourage drinking and walking. But please grab a cab or a fab street car if you need to go further than your feet will take you.
But if you can’t get there right now, our own Pacci, in Atlanta, is supporting the cause with “We Cook While They Clean”.
We are very proud to announce that we will be joining the relief efforts in the wake of the devastation caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill with our “We Cook While They Clean” fundraiser.
Beginning Wednesday, June 23, $1 from every seafood dish on our lunch and dinner menu will be donated to the Gulf Relief Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to providing relief to the fishing community of the Gulf Coast and their families. For more information on the Gulf Relief Foundation visit www.gulfaid.org. “We Cook While They Clean” will continue until fishermen are back in their boats.
You could even plan to go down on July 30 – Aug 1, when I’ll be there. I would be happy to meet you at Tujagues for a evening of tippling. Come on down!
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Buckwheat Zydeco – On A Night Like This
On day one, after spending the afternoon on the Crush Pad with Doug, Sharon and Chef Dairen, we drove home to Atlanta where Eric had made dinner reservations at Abbatoir. It was a splendid affair, although no pictures. A couple needs to have some private time, after all.
But on Sunday, we made our favorite baked potato salad and headed over to Jay and Valerie’s house for their fabulous fried chicken, and Curtis’ world famous pulled pork and lots of other goodies. And of course, I brought my camera!
She's A Grand Old Flag, She's A High Flying Flag....
Isn’t it great to have an extra day off? Since Eric had Monday off we were able to squeeze in some extra fun this weekend. Friday night found us at Farm Burger in Decatur for the yummiest burgers this side of your home grill (actually, better than home burgers). Saturday we decided to go back to Dahlonega and visit our friends Doug and Sharon Paul at Three Sisters Vineyard & Winery for a special treat. We started with the wine pairings – my favorite was their Blood Mountain Red paired with Cheetos! Cheetos! Don’t you love Cheetos? Me, too.
Have No Idea How Doug & Sharon Thought This Up, But It's Great!
I know it’s Saturday, but Eric and I went to Farm Burger last night in Decatur. The burgers were incredible. Truly. Nom, Nom, Nom can-I-have-another-please delicious.
Go, if you are in the Atlanta area. Even if you aren’t. Just go.
Today! Go say hi to George, the owner. He’s a peach! And you can get the burger like Eric did – with caramelized onions, gruyere and bone marrow on it. Yes, bone marrow. You can thank me later – and the fries, you need those, too!
I’ll be right here when you get back to tell me all about your special burger. So freaking delicious. You know it must be if I’m writing to you on a Saturday!
Are you still reading? Go to Farm Burger!
Have a happy and safe July 4th. I’ll see you on Tuesday!
I have a special treat for you all today. These gorgeous electronic invitations were found when I dropped by Party Blueprints Blog (love these girls!)
Now I know we all use Evite and they are swell, but these are much more chic. You can even design your own personalized note cards, which I did. This is how the invitation looks when it is delivered:
Tres Chic!
As they are in beta, it looks like they are just getting started, but their invites are very elegant. They have invitations for July 4th, baby showers, bachlorette parties and of course, those gorgeous personalized note cards that I don’t know how I ever lived without.
They will give your party guests the warmest feeling to receive this in their email. To take a look at my cards, click here. Your first 25 invitations are free! Free! I love free!
I promise, they will start your party off right.
Happy Friday!
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Gretchen Wilson – I’m Here For The Party
Last night we were tickled to be invited to the home of Spencer & Allison, co-owners of Black Tie Barbecue for an intimate get together with their fabulous, and recently engaged, friends, Joe and Lauren. You’d think Spencer and Allison would be exhausted from catering constantly, but no, they were up for a tasting party. A bruschetta tasting party. I love being a recipe guinea pig.
Recently I was told by someone I love that I have been misplacing my “pleases” and “thank yous.” You can only imagine my mortification as I value manners above most things. Even though my schedule has resembled the timetable at Grand Central Station, I realized this was true. Busy should never equal lack of manners. My apologies have overflowed, but it got me thinking.
In this incredibly busy world of ours, have we become too busy for manners? Have we lost our ability to allow others to speak without interrupting their story? Has social media turned us into a bunch of self-absorbed ninnies? Have Facebook and Twitter and golly-knows-what-else made us bratty three-year-olds who always need to be the center of attention?
Gosh, I hope not. But I do think social graces have waned in a lot of us.
Take a moment today to tell those you love how you feel. Be lavish with your manners. Let someone tell a story without calculating what you are going to say next. Engage your brain before you open your mouth.
You won’t believe the difference in your quality of life. And it doesn’t cost a thing.
It was the weekend of birthdays this past week. Fun! First, we had Valerie’s birthday wine tour, then it was time for dear friend Tami H. of Running With Tweezers to have her big day.
And what a big day it was! Set up by her sweet boyfriend, Mike, who took great pains to keep it secret. Mike even put together a Chopped Challenge as part of the party. You know what Chopped is, right? It’s a reality/challenge show on Food Network where chefs compete for the highest score from the judges.
Mike chose all the ingredients for the Chopped “Slider” Challenge. Three teams of two competed in the kitchen of friends Brian and Terri. It was a hoot.
But first, Tami had to arrive. A ruse was invented to get her to Terri and Brian’s house and we were all gathered when she arrived, including an dear friend of hers from NYC who had flown in especially for the party. Don’t you love those types of surprises?
The cake was made by Christina Arpante of Mele Cotte. It was the coolest cake I have ever seen.
