Often times I’m guilty of not doing something until I can get it done perfectly; exactly like I imagined it. Hosting can be a great example of this – when I finally decorate my dining room (I’m still looking for a perfect rug for the space), once we have remodeled, when I have time to cook something spectacular (read: complicated and impressive). The list can go on. But should it? And in the meantime, are you still seeing your friends and spending some quality down time together? Isn’t the purpose of friendship having someone who can relate to your messy kitchen, someone who’s willing to sit on your bare dining room floor?
As you’ve likely seen before (like our Halloween post), a number of my creative friends like to get together regularly to craft and catch-up. Oh, and we like to day drink…hence we have coined ourselves “The Cocktailing Crafters.” When the holidays approached (the apitome of not having enough time!), instead of planning something “fancy,” we prioritized seeing each other. Rather than pull together a complicated spread at a time when everyone is already spread thin, we made it simple, casual, and the result was perfectly lovely.
First, the food we mostly gathered from our local Trader Joe’s (a treasure trove for quick and easy entertaining fare). Given that the get-together was mid-day, we decided to do an easy cheese plate (including their Stilton with cranberries), seasonal fruits such as opal apples and persimmons, and popcorn made fancy with the addition of truffle salt and parsley. For a sweet treat, we added the cute star jam cookies (again from Trader’s) and were treated to Trophy Cupcakes’ macarons. The result was as festive as it was delicious!
Of course, the cocktail is central to our gathering. We also kept that uncomplicated by adding a splash of elderflower liqueur to our favorite bottle of sparkling. We garnished with rosemary and a few pomegranate seeds for a festive touch. And, while we enjoyed sipping our bubbles from vintage glassware, we kept the place settings easy yet chic with these Harlow & Grey paper plates (yes, they’re paper!). Clean up was a snap, yet these plates elevate compostable table wear to the next level and complimented our classic black/gold themed decor.
Finally, the craft (because we need an excuse for the day drinking!). Erin from Yay Parties! brought all of the supplies and taught us how to macrame wreaths using chunky yarn, brass hoops, and winter trimmings from her yard. Yes, she did all of this in addition to her day job and thriving party rental business?! We also used the winter trimmings for additional table decor.
Honestly, I want a crafting party to be simple and fun, with no pressure to be creative. This one was a snap and, dare I say, macrame can be so cathartic! I’ve found a simple tutorial to share, but Erin taught us some basic knots and we were on our way to creating. While these wreaths were festively decorated for the holiday, the possibilities for decor are endless. I’ve found some brass hoops and yarn…think Valentine’s or spring decor and your ready to adorn your door! Better yet, find some like-minded girlfriends – the kind that like to day-drink and don’t mind your bare dining room floor, and you’ve got yourself a party!
Erin of Yay Parties!
Sally owns Anders in Ballard – a “must shop” for local artisan home decor and jewelry.
The end result? Uniquely beautiful wreaths perfect to spruce up your home. And, more importantly, we connected and caught-up without the pressure of the perfect…hostess, mom, co-worker, spouse – just let it all go and gather your tribe!
Kristen manages to take both beautiful photos and makes the most stunningly simple design
Kirsty was the only macrame expert among us.
Thanks for reading! I hope you are enjoying reading more about life, and my new diversified content as much as I am enjoying producing it. As always, leave comments, ideas and suggestions are all welcome. ~Jenn
photos thanks to the talented Kristen Honeycutt