Social gatherings with fun people are one of life’s great joys. Being able to throw a party to celebrate special occasions or bring great company together is one of my favorite things to do. Big or small – or no reason at all – I love planning get togethers. It taps into my love of planning, obsessive list-making, cooking, decorating, creating and organizing. And cake. I love cake. As the great Julia Child said, “a party without cake is just a meeting.” I was raised by LL, the Birthday Party Queen. As an adult I find myself always looking for an excuse to get people together, and over the years, I’ve learned a trick or two (and when I don’t have a good idea, LL always does).
I am interested in almost everything. This world is so full of interesting things, it’s overwhelming. I like books, and glitter, and Martha Stewart. I firmly believe that Back to the Future is the best movie of all time, and I have a love-hate relationship with The Great Gatsby. I teach ESOL and English at a High School in Virginia, and I am a stylist for Stella & Dot I have a Masters degree in what can loosely be described as Pirate Studies, and I know more about history than is useful on a day-to-day basis (call me for Trivia Night, though). In the past fifteen years, I’ve lived in Los Angeles (born and raised), Chicago (Loyola University of Chicago – Go Ramblers), Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh), Charlottesville, Va (got married), and now DC. In starting my life over and over in new places, I’ve realized that being a hostess is the best way to make new friends. And you can never have too many of those. (And if you don’t have any of those, make food and buy booze, that’s a good start.)
I love making things – there is no satisfaction like that of creating something didn’t exist before. I think the beauty of life is in the details, and celebrating everything from holidays and milestones to a work day when you didn’t lose your temper with a single idiot is important. Any time you spend with people who matter to you can be a party, and I love perfecting the art of entertaining. I’ll admit I can be a little bit over the top. But what’s the point of life without a little bit of indulgence? We only get one life, and if it’s a party, I want mine to be black tie. That’s why I chose my favorite quote from Oscar Wilde as a mantra for this blog. I like learning new things and I like getting dressed up. Not everybody gets it, but thats ok. I started this the blog to indulge my personal love of writing and to share my ideas and creative adventures with other party-loving hostesses. I want this space to be a reflection of my love of pretty things and crafting a life that that sparkles (literally and figuratively). If you love sparkly pretty things (or pirates), subscribe to the blog and let’s get planning. Follow me on social media for style advice and entertaining essentials. Adventure awaits!