March 01, 2018

ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER PARTY

March 01, 2018/ Laurén

TWINK + SIS ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER. PHOTO BY JENNA ELLIOTT OF ONE ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY.

St. Patrick's Day is coming! ELLE Decor was kind enough to feature our St. Patty's dinner party and today we are sharing more photos and details here on the blog!

Our "good luck" themed St. Patrick's Day table is definitely a more subdued side of the holiday than most of us are used to. We always try to challenge ourselves to create events that are festive and beautiful, and a little bit unexpected. The “good luck” theme immediately brought the well-known quote, "Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, you'll have good luck.” to mind. So the very first design idea was to cover every inch of the table in pennies. We had so much fun with it and loved how it turned out.

As for the centerpiece, we had the idea to have a lush Irish “garden" running down the middle. Meagan Vos, of MV florals, used two types of moss, baby tears, pansies, white alyssum, green dianthus, Queen Anne’s lace & white garden roses to bring our vision to life!

On a trip to our local swap meet we found an antique horse shoe which we added to the centerpiece, bringing extra good luck and introduced a bit of a masculine, equestrian vibe — which we played up with the wooden plates, dark napkins and teak and bronze flatware. To ensure we payed enough homage to the holiday’s green aspect, and give the table some femininity, we tied an emerald green velvet ribbon to each guest's crystal cut coupe, and added a beautiful hand-painted, watercolor place card.

We created the "Good Luck Gimlet” as our signature drink for the evening, which was a combination of freshly juiced cucumber and lime, with muddled mint and a really lovely small batch gin. There's nothing like a freshly crafted drink, we always say! I will put in the extra work and juice everything myself right before a party. When guests are greeted with a delicious, freshly-made cocktail, the night gets off to a really fantastic start.

Whisk & Whittle made the perfect cake to go with our St. Patty’s dinner -- a chocolate Guinness cake with a salted caramel & pecan filling. It was so incredibly delicious!

Happy (almost) St. Patty's Day!!!! xx

CREDITS:

Concept, Design & Cocktail: Twink + Sis

Photography: Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography

Florals: MV Florals

Cake: Whisk & Whittle

Tabletop Items Sourced From: Borrowed Blu

Linens: Maison Midi

Place cards & Signage: A Dapper Line

Candles: Yummi Candles

Ribbon: Etsy

June 01, 2017

PICNIC BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR JUSTJARED.COM FOUNDER, JARED ENG

June 01, 2017/ Laurén

Left to right: Laurén LaRocca (Twink + Sis), Jared Eng (JustJared), Marlan Willardson (Twink + Sis)

We designed a picnic birthday party for JustJared founder, Jared Eng. Jared wanted a masculine and refined picnic party and we were all for it! Our goal was to make his guests feel like they were at a real, park-like picnic, with fun games and activities, but with elevated food and decor. Brace yourself for tons of photos (we had a hard time narrowing down on this one -- too many details!!!) and endless summer party inspiration!!

All photos by Sarina Cass of Red Anchor Photo.

Doing a birthday party for a man is something that we don’t get to do very often! We wanted to make it really festive and celebratory, yet sophisticated. So we really played up woods and fresh greens as our main focus. The food table was covered in wood crates, boxes and trays — the continuity of all that wood helped to set the tone. Then we sprinkled in a bit of white (serving pieces and pots) for a touch of modern contrast.

The Iris + Daughter hanging greens installation was one of the main focal points of the party — it was so fresh and alive — really stunning. The splash of copper in the custom signage (from A Dapper Line) added a fun, modern feel to the table.

Jared Eng with actress, Jaime King and her son, James Knight.

Jared wanted classic picnic food, so we went with Heirloom’s yummy sandwiches, a crostini station (filled with cheeses, breads and flatbread pizzas), a green salad, pesto quinoa salad and fresh fruit. We topped Aheirloom’s gorgeous handmade cake stands with eye-popping donuts from Donut Friend and the pièce de ré·sis·tance — an over-the-top, mega delicious caramel drip cake from Whisk and Whittle.

We love using sustainable palm leaf tableware from Leafware and it looked perfect paired with the pretty blue marbled napkins from Meri Meri.

Sometimes the smallest details make us completely giddy. This time is was all about the brass ants from Arteriors Home. Many guests (and our amazing vendors) were equally smitten. They were definitely a conversation piece!

We loved seeing Jared and his godson, James Knight, playing and having a great time together at the party. So so sweet.

The other main focal point of the was the large wooden boat filled with ice and drinks! We had so much fun with that. We made an organic mint lemonade, spiked with vodka and pre-poured them into mason jars. We sealed the jars and tossed them in with the ice (ready for guests to grab), along with a variety of other drinks. We parked a vintage bike behind it and added a cluster of Geronimo fringed balloons. It turned out quite handsome, and festive!

We had a variety of potted plants, succulents and cactus to place around the main food table and at various seating areas at the party. This is a great way to incorporate fresh elements without having to do floral arrangements, especially if your party decor is on the masculine side. You can either give them away as party favors when your guests leave or keep for yourself as home decor.

Weaving in some green into lounge chairs is a simple way to add a summery and festive twist to your outdoor furniture.

Jared really wanted to have blankets on the grass to make it like a real "picnic in the park." We are obsessed with the hand-woven Turkish towels from Odd Bird Company. We layered different prints in blues and greys, and added a mix of pillows on top for cozy lounging. We placed extra blankets in a wire basket where guests could grab one and make a “picnic” wherever they liked. He also wanted polaroid cameras so his guests could take pictures for him to have as keepsakes, so we put together some trays with the cameras and added other fun items like dominos, chips, popcorn and a pretty plant.

A staple for almost all of our outdoor parties -- mini kraft paper bags filled with kettle chips and organic popcorn (or whatever your favorite snack may be!) and place in a tray for guests to help themselves to. It's always a hit with adults and kids.

For your upcoming summer party, try placing some games around, in various locations, that your friends can partake in at their leisure.

Actress, Georgie Flores, presents Jared with his birthday cake, as his friends sang "Happy Birthday."

How about those blue ombré birthday candles from Knot & Bow? Too good!

Happy Birthday Jared!!! Thank you for having us be a part of this fabulous occasion!!

xoxo!!!

CREDITS:

Birthday Boy: Jared Eng

Party Design & Drinks: Twink + Sis

Photos: Sarina Cass of Red Anchor Photo

Location: Airbnb

Greens Installation/Potted Greens: Iris & Daughter

Copper signage (“Jared’s Picnic”): A Dapper Line

Turkish Towels (used as picnic blankets): Odd Bird Company

Food Table, Aculpulco Chairs, Ottoman, Cornhole, Giant Jenga - YEAH! Rentals

Wooden Boat, Vintage Bicycle, Bench, Tree Trunk Tables, Various pillows: Found Rentals

Balloons: Geronimo Balloons

Food: HeirloomLA

Cake: Whisk & Whittle

Donuts: Donut Friend

Cake Stands: Aheirloom

Plates & Forks: Leafware

Napkins: Meri Meri

Brass Ants: Arteriors Home

Ombré birthday candles: Knot & Bow

Mini Paper Bags (Popcorn/Chips Bags): Amazon

Ring Toss: Sunny Life

Trays, Bowls, Hexagonal Objects, Various Pillows: West Elm

Various Pillows: Target

Laurén's Hair: 901too

Laurén's Outfit: Sunglasses - 3.1 Phillip Lim via ShopBop, Top - SEA, Skirt - Current Elliott

Marlan's Outfit: Sunglasses - Tom Ford via Neiman Marcus, Tunic - Marina Rinaldi

May 04, 2016

TWINK'S MAY FAVORITES

May 04, 2016/ Laurén

May is such a fun month for our family! Brixton & his dad have the same birthday -- May 20th! With Mother's Day in the mix, each of us gets to be celebrated in this glorious, late spring month. Here's what I'm eying right now -- for Mother's Day and beyond. ;)

Perennial favorite, HEATH CERAMICS, recently released their gorgeous handmade pieces in this new juicy orange hue, just in time for the coming sunny season. I thought it looked especially great on this single stem vase and would make a great Mother's Day gift.

Since Brixton is turning 3 this month, I'm in the process of converting his nursery to a little boy's room. My number one design item for a kid's room is wallpaper. It's an instant room-transformer and I just love what it does to a space! I recently found this adorable Explorer Kids World Map Wallpaper on Pinterest.

We recently designed a pre-Mother's Day Cocktails & Crafting Party for some of our fellows moms who deserved a little girl time! For the event, we collaborated with MAKERS MESS and made the prettiest seed bead bracelets, with secret Morse Code designs. Their genius bracelet-making kit is perfect for a night in with girlfriends, over a glass (or several bottles) of wine and good conversation.

Cabo is my jam. Overlooking the stunning Sea of Cortez Auberge Resort's Esperanza just underwent a complete, head-to-toe, renovation and it's looking beyond heavenly. Couldn't think of a better Mother's Day gift. Ahem!

If I can't have Cabo, I'll take this Unicorn floaty via Get Floaty in my pool! And maybe a fresh cocktail to go with.

At the end of the day, I just want to cozy up on the couch with my family. Might as well cuddle in style with this gorgeous Aldalora throw from Anthropologie.

Let's be honest though... For a day to really be perfect it needs to end with something amazingly delicious, and preferably chocolate. I might need to whip up Martha Stewart's Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake. In the name of Mother's Day!!

Hugs to all of you incredible moms out there. xx!

March 11, 2016

ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER PARTY ON ELLE DECOR

March 11, 2016/ Laurén

We are so incredibly thrilled to have our "Good Luck" themed St. Patrick's Day Dinner Party featured on ELLE Decor today! CLICK HERE to see all of the details and images! xx!

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!