4TH OF JULY FOOD AND DRINK IDEAS

Time to get your patriotism on! Here are some fun and festive food and drink ideas for your Independence Day bash!

Photo courtesy of Little Peanut Magazine

Photo courtesy of Little Peanut Magazine

Let's just go ahead and have dessert first. How gorgeous is this cherry and blueberry pie from Little Peanut Magazine?

 

Photo courtesy of RipAndTan.com

Photo courtesy of RipAndTan.com

Now we need an icy cold beverage. This beautiful Cherry Margarita from Rip And Tan looks perfectly refreshing.

 

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Looking for a non-alcoholic beverage option? This Watermelon Punch and Bowl, from Martha Stewart, is genius and simple. And sugar free!

 

Photo by Sierra Prescott - Courtesy of Petty Cash

Photo by Sierra Prescott - Courtesy of Petty Cash

Guacamole and chips are my quintessential summer foods. Let's try this recipe from one of the best Mexican restaurants in town. Here's the recipe from Petty Cash Taqueria, via Los Angeles Magazine.

 

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Time to get the grill going. Bobby Flay's Green Chile Cheeseburgers with homemade queso sauce look like they'd be a perfect fit at our party. 

 

Photo courtesy of Fruitcake.com

Photo courtesy of Fruitcake.com

After those green chiles, cool your mouth down with these homemade firecracker popsicles from Freutcake. The kids will love them!

Happy 4th Everyone!! xx

 

BRIXTON'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

I can't believe it, but my baby boy just turned 2! And as Sis and I are gearing up for Brixie and Mila's rager this weekend, I'm reminiscing on his 1st birthday last year. It was one of the most fun and special days ever! 

All photos by One Eleven Photography.

I wanted to create an animal-themed party with whites, light blues, mint green and silver. I took inspiration from OH HAPPY DAY and created "party animals" by making fringed party hats for each of them. They were my favorite element of the party.

I purchased plastic animal figurines from Amazon and made mini party hats from card stock and tissue paper from Paper Source, and attached them with a glue gun. I love the way they turned out! To create some height, I placed the animals on kraft paper boxes of varying sizes, that I purchased from Etsy. I also purchased the fringe banners on the main table from Etsy. The blue striped cups, napkins and plates are from Shop Sweet Lulu. The extra large white balloons are also from Shop Sweet Lulu. I used twine as balloon string and cut my own tissue fringe in sea blue and green, white and silver.

I wanted to make B's first birthday a celebration for all of our friends and family. I had to think of a location that would comfortably hold over 100 friends and their kids. The Franklin Gardens of The Manor Hotel in Hollywood, was a perfect hidden gem, with expansive grass and waterfalls.

I purchased extra large white balloons and made my own fringe by cutting tissue paper from Paper Source. I had my local balloon shop blow up all of the balloons and brought in my own twine for them to tie the balloons to. 

I made my own organic, low-sugar lemonade and hibiscus iced tea and used my Pottery Barn drink dispensers for easy group serving.

I filled silver buckets from Pottery Barn with sparkling water and flat water.

It was important to me to have great food that both adults and kids would enjoy. We had ComidaLA there making their delicious South American food - arepas filled with organic meats and slaw, as well as rice, beans and quesadillas.

I like to have a lot of food and snack options! Especially with the large age range of the party. I made a huge fruit salad.

I filled treat bags from Paper Source with organic popcorn and chips and I put a variety of organic yogurts on ice for the little guys.

The birthday boy and Grampie.

Mila partying it up.

Not the prettiest ball pit ever, but I made a last minute purchase from Amazon and filled a blow-up kiddie pool with balls. I also purchased animal beach balls, from Oriental Trading Company, for the kids to throw around the large grassy area. It was a all a big hit.

The Giraffe Bouncy house, from Magic Jump, was also a hit.

The main attraction at the party was the awesome children’s music duo, The Beat Buds, who perform and engage the kids with songs and instruments that they can participate in. And their songs are really good!! Even the adults enjoyed them.

Gluten-free cupcakes and donuts were from Erin McKenna's Bakery (formerly Babycakes).

Small kraft bags, purchased from Etsy, were filled with animal sunglasses, stickers, bubbles and mini animal figurines. The sunglasses were a big hit.

Happy Birthday, Brixton!

Event Design: Twink + Sis
Photography: Jenna Elliott, One Eleven Photography
Venue: Manor Hotel, Franklin Gardens
Catering: ComidaLA
Cupcakes & Donuts: Erin McKenna's Bakery
Fruit & Yogurt: Whole Foods
Chips & Popcorn: Gelson’s
Balloons, Baker’s Twine, Cups, Plates & Napkins: Shop Sweet Lulu
Wooden Forks, Plastic Animals, Glue Gun: Amazon
DIY Tissue Fringe, Animal Hat Paper, Paper For Signs, Stencils for Sign: Paper Source
Favor Bags, Brown Twine, Fringe Banners, Kraft boxes: Etsy
Favor Bag Contents: Oriental Trading Company
Drink Bins & Dispensers: Pottery Barn
Vintage Glass Water Bottles: Sur La Table
Cupcake Stands,Large Silver Platters & Bowls: Town & Country Event Rentals
Pop-up tent rentals: AAA Rents & Events
Entertainment: The Beat Buds
Brixton’s Outfit: Muscle Tee - Nununu, Pants - Shampoodle Sweden, Moccs - Freshly Picked
Bouncy House: Magic Jump