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

March 10, 2016

SPRING COCKTAIL: THE PUCKERBERRY FINN

March 10, 2016/ Laurén

Photo by: Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography

I created this cocktail for our recent Spring dinner party. There is something about muddled blackberries and fresh, sour lemon juice that is super delicious and refreshing. It's the perfect spring cocktail, if I do say so myself! I have also become a big fan of gin lately -- particularly small batch, organic ones, like Peak Spirits' CapRock. It has a really lovely flavor. The splash of elderflower liquor adds a really nice fruity and flowery sweetness to tie it all together.

Huge thank you to Borrowed Blu for the gorgeous crystal cut and milk glasses and Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography for the stunning photographs.

We were thrilled to have this recipe featured on Domaine Home a few weeks ago. In case you missed it, here it is!

5 Blackberries

1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 oz. Simple Syrup

1+1/2 oz. Gin

1/2 oz. Elderflower Liquor

Ice

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In a cocktail shaker, muddle blackberries. Add lemon juice, simple syrup, gin and elderflower liquor. add several ice cubes and shake vigorously. Pour through a strainer and garnish with an edible flower or blackberries (I froze mine to give them an extra special look). Enjoy!

March 09, 2016

SPRING DINNER PARTY

March 09, 2016/ Laurén

I wanted to throw an early spring dinner party for my best friend's birthday and I knew I wanted to include grey (the birthday girl's favorite color), pinks and copper in the palette. We sourced all of our tabletop items from the amazing Borrowed Blu. To create a mix of glamour and earthiness, I paired grey marble chargers with wooden plates. I love the mix of copper tumblers, milk glass and crystal cut goblets. The antique silver flatware and candlesticks, added the perfect moodiness to the dinner, representing the transition of winter to spring. We added a lot of greens to the mix of pink flowers. It was an honor to have the party featured on MyDomaine! We have included extra, never-before-seen photos of the event here. All images by Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography.

A long farmhouse table and Victoria Ghost Chairs sourced from Town & Country Event Rentals set the stage for a laid-back glamour.

A single ranunculi and fern placed upon a natural linen napkin welcomed each guest to their seat.

I created the The Puckerberry Finn cocktail using muddled blackberries, fresh lemon, organic small-batch gin and elderflower liquor for the occasion. I garnished the drink with edible flowers and frozen blackberries.