December 04, 2017

WHIMSICAL HOLIDAY DESSERT TABLE

December 04, 2017/ MARLAN

Photo: Jenna Elliott, One Eleven Photography

Since Thanksgiving is over, I'm officially ready for Christmas! Here's a cute little dessert table we put together for our annual Christmas Eve get-together.

Obsessed by these Meri Meri bird cupcake toppers, I went for a theme inspired by The Nutcracker and Mendl's from "The Grand Budapest Hotel," without taking either too literally.

Our Christmas Eve is all about the kids, so I took the non-traditional, sherbert-colored birds and ran with it. The bird garland then set the backdrop, with some added pinwheels. I hung sparkly ornaments from the dining room chandelier, birds to fly over the table, and the table was set with foraged fir branches, amaryllis, tangerines, a wink to the nutcracker and sprinkle-covered ice cream cones. Jenna Elliott, of One Eleven Photography, captured it below.

How cute are the reindeer cups?! I replaced the candy cane striped cups with gold stars to complement the theme.

My little sugar plum fairy in her teepee.

Photos: Jenna Elliott, One Eleven Photography

December 01, 2017

VISITING A CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

December 01, 2017/ MARLAN

I've been on the hunt for a Christmas tree farm since Mila's first Christmas, so I was excited to finally find Peltzer Pines (through JL Designs on Instagram). We visited their Brea farm location, which is less than an hour from Los Angeles.

Mila loved leading the way through the rows of trees.

As a note, these trees are pines (not the firs that we're used to).

Choose your tree and they cut it down for you to take home. That's pretty fresh!

Visiting a tree farm was a fun family activity that I could easily see becoming an annual tradition.

Mila's dress is Tutu Du Monde via Thumbeline and her moccasins are Lil'fut and Company.

November 06, 2017

A THANKSGIVING DINNER INSPIRED BY OUR CHILDHOOD

November 06, 2017/ Laurén

Photo by: Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography

We were so honored to have our Thanksgiving dinner featured on ELLE Decor. It was especially meaningful because this Thanksgiving table was inspired by our childhood. It was our rendition of the table our mother and grandmother would create for the holiday. Our grandmother had wicker cornucopias as the centerpiece of the table with an abundance of overflowing fall fruit -- it was really beautiful and always stuck with us. So we did our own take on that -- using the brass bowls and pedestals to house pomegranates, tangerines, figs and grapes.

The color palette was dictated by our childhood dining room, which had a burgundy vintage oriental rug and deep raspberry upolstered dining chairs. Those jewel tones were the starting point of our palette and mood. Our grandmother’s china and goblets were emblazoned with gold so we decided to play that up by using copious amounts of brass in this interpretation. Then we modernized it by going with a bare wood table and benches.I am obsessed with the carrera marble chargers from Borrowed Blu. On one hand, they have this classic elegance but on the other, they are pretty unexpected.

Sissy designed the flowers and here's what she said: We wanted to create rich and abundant florals. We started out with amaryllis (a Christmas favorite) in a deep burgundy as the focal point and then added maple leaves, purple clematis, coral ranunculus and peonies in burgundy and a pink so light it almost looks white. The coral ranunculus also nestled in brass bud vases right on the guest’s plate to accompany the place card, and in clusters scattered amongst the bowls of fruit on the table.

Concept, Design & Florals: Twink + Sis

Photography: Jenne Elliott of One Eleven Photography

Tabletop: Borrowed Blu

Linens: Town & Country Rents & Events

Misc. Tabletop/Candle Holders: One Kings Lane, Crate & Barrel

Table & Benches: HD Buttercup

Turquoise Hutch: Horchow

---

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! xx

October 06, 2017

TWINK + SIS HALLOWEEN DINNER PARTY

October 06, 2017/ Laurén

It's spooky season! We were so thrilled to have our Halloween dinner party featured on ELLE Decor. Today, I'm so excited to share even more images and details from our Halloween celebration with you.

THE DESIGN: We wanted to create a stylish and dramatic Halloween dinner party for the adult set. Something fun and festive, without losing the beauty of a sophisticated dinner party.

The first two key elements of our table were the black flatware and the Jarrahdale (light grey/green) pumpkins. Those two elements were actually the jumping off point for the whole design.

We purchased the pumpkins from a local pumpkin patch and they really made the table. We knew from the start that we wanted to forgo orange and do something a little more unusual. We were completely in love with these pumpkins and just wanted to cover every inch of the table in them.

Once we had settled on black and the pumpkins being key aspects, that dictated everything else as we moved forward. We added light grey plates, flowers in deep red/purples as another contrast to the lighter colors, and smokey brown (goblets) to finish it off. We also thought that using classic silver for candlesticks, vases and goblets, added a perfect moody touch.

We have a rule to always use fresh elements, wherever possible — even at our kids' parties. Whether it be pumpkins, flowers or evergreens, having an abundance of fresh, seasonal items really creates the most beautiful effect.

The plate decorations are actually chestnuts! We really wanted to have the flowers be a bit spooky and unusual. So when we came across these little brown monsters, we knew they would be the perfect unexpected addition to the table.

We loved the glass cloches. We placed some of the black birds, branches and the chestnuts under them. They created a great eerie vibe.

Make the most of your investment: Load up on heirloom pumpkins. Not only do they make great party decor, but they will keep your home festive all the way through Thanksgiving!

THE COCKTAIL: Our signature drink for the evening was “The Darkest Night.” It consisted of fresh muddled blackberries, bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup, topped off with sparking water. It was like a Halloween soda for grown-ups.

THE DESSERT: The cake was created by Whisk & Whittle. It was a two-tierd (gluten-free) chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. She created the spiders from marzipan and the web from spun sugar.

CREDITS:

Party Concept, Design, Cocktail & Florals: Twink + Sis

Photography: Sarina Cass of Red Anchor Photo

Cake: Whisk and Whittle

Tabletop sourced from: Borrowed Blu

Flatware: Classic Party Rentals

Candles: Yummi Candles

Skull & Blackbirds: Pottery Barn

Pumpkins: Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

October 04, 2017

MICHELLE STAFFORD'S SPOOKY SOIREE IS ON PEOPLE!

October 04, 2017/ MARLAN

Michelle Stafford threw a Halloween-themed first birthday party for her son Jameson and it's on People!

We had so much fun designing the dessert table -- joining the spooky theme with the first birthday by incorporating a toddler piano and candlesticks into the tablescape, filled with Whisk and Whittle’s creepy crawlers cake, vampire bat cupcakes, caramel apples and skeleton cookies. Then completed the look with beautiful grey pumpkins from Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch and Cheeky’s #MakeMealtimeMatter gold plates. We hand-painted the spiderweb tablecloth based on The House that Lars Built DIY.