Holiday Survival Guide

Hello stuffed belly. Hello cyber Monday. Hello holiday craze. While this time of year adds plenty of pep {and jingle} to our step, we know that the excitement comes with a healthy dose of stress, so we have narrowed down our top 15 must-haves to help you stay merry this holiday season - We call it the Style-Architects Holiday Survival Guide! Gifting

1. Download the new Redstamp app! It is a quick {and super chic} way to send out thank you notes to gracious hosts or holiday wishes to friends!

2. Hate gift-wrapping? Save yourself time and purchase gifts from stores that do it for you! Some of our favs that provide gift-wrapping: Patina, Oh Baby, Bibelot, Neiman Marcus, Creative Kidstuff {colorful wrapping for the kids} and Sur La Table.

3. Find some stylish stocking stuffers at stores like Anthropologie, Live Laugh Love, and Paperista.

4. Always have extra gifts on hand {wrapped with blank tags} under the tree for that last minute hostess or teacher gift, or for that friend who unexpectedly pops in. A good bottle of wine, a lovely ornament, or gift cards to Starbucks and/or favorite restaurants are always appreciated.

Décor and Event Planning

5. Make sure to keep your bar stocked. Champagne for the fancy ladies, scotch for proper men, red wine for the risk-adverse as well as a selection of gin, rum and vodka for the complicated types.

6. To accent {and add a yummy aroma} to the table, fireplace mantle or banister, look to Spruce Floral for a swag or garland.

7. Tired of holiday cookies? Try gourmet s'mores.

8. Smells like Christmas Spirit! Add mulling spices simmering on the stove, Alora Ambiance's Festa and Thymes' Frasier Fir to any room for instant cheer.

Stay Fashionable

9. Red lipstick! This is the best way to look fancy with minimal effort. We love NARS Red Velvet Matte Lip Pencil {the same color that make the JCrew models look so fabulous}.

10. Sequins.

11. Heading to a holiday party and want to look smashing? Make an appointment at Jett Makeup - a luxurious airbrush makeup and eyelash bar!

12. A NELLE clutch is a perfect edition to any holiday ensemble {and/or makes for a lovely holiday gift}.

Stress-Minimizing Tips

13. Need to burn off a few calories between holiday parties? Check out the new Ryder Spin classes at Corepower yoga. Prepare to spin off your second helping of Pecan pie for 45 minutes in an 85-degree room. Cozy AND productive!

14. Don't forget to prepare for the celebration of a new year! Make your New Year's Eve reservations NOW, and avoid having to eat dinner at 4pm or 10:30pm by getting a jump on it.

Spread the Christmas Cheer

15. Holidays can be stressful. To keep your head and heart in the right place, volunteer this season! Non-profits like Salvation Army are always looking for volunteers, especially during these busy holiday months.

Always remember what the holidays are all about: spending time with those that you love! Happy holidays everyone!

 

Thanksgiving Shopping Guide

The glow of a warm, inviting home filled with loved ones and friends. A beautifully set table with sparkling stems, harvest-hued floral textures and wonderful linens. People bustling about in the kitchen, whipping together traditional favorites and incorporating their own personal touches - we can almost smell the turkey now. Thanksgiving is arguably one of the key holidays for showcasing your entertaining prowess.  Here’s our guide to Thanksgiving essentials in the Twin Cities.

Set Your Thanksgiving Style - Use invitations and placecards from Epitome Papers or Paperista in Edina - they have an extensive selection of fine papers for your get-together.  Scout out beautiful serving dishes at Ampersand and Style Minneapolis as well.

Centerpiece and Floral Lovelies - Spruce in south Minneapolis designs beautiful one-of-a-kind creations that will bring natural beauty and color to any Thanksgiving soiree.

The Perfect Pairing -  Turn to Chuck at Solo Vino on Cathedral Hill in St. Paul - he and his team will point you in the right direction on what wine will best compliment your turkey and pumpkin pie.   And for beer lovers, Jason at the The Four Firkins in St. Louis Park will provide you with specialty and craft beer. Check out Dara’s recommendations in Bon Appetit Magazine.

Turkey 101 - For an easy yet gourmet option pop into the Golden Fig on Grand Avenue in St. Paul and pick up the Turkey 101 Kit that includes all the spices, herbs and fixings for whipping up a turkey that your guests won’t soon forget.

Sweet Ending - Don’t worry, we didn’t neglect the key element to your dinner… dessert! Patisserie 46, Cocoa & Fig or the Salty Tart offer beautiful and delectable pastries and pumpkin options to put the exclamation point on your Thanksgiving soiree.

P.S.  No worries - when time is tight and you’re looking for a little assistance with your feast - check out the gourmet options created for you by Lunds & Byerlys or Kowalski’s Makets.

Gourmet S'mores

It’s finally that time of year - the light fall breeze is starting to come with the seemingly endless bright blue skies and sunshine. This perfect autumn weather is something to be celebrated while it lasts, but is also a hectic and busy time for many. The thought of planning a party can make one lethargic, but connecting with friends is still a must. Event planning does not always have to be a strenuous activity, and a perfect relaxed get-together for this time of year is a bonfire-themed party, and what is the first food we think of with bonfires? S’mores! Here are our tips for building your own indoor gourmet desserts: Ingredients - A tasty approach is the organic route: raspberry and chocolate very prairie marshmallows and homemade grahams from Sugar-Sugar. When setting up the table for your get- together, go for white square-shaped plates that create a harmonic rhythm with the square graham crackers that contrast nicely with the white circular candles and marshmallows.

Bring The Outdoors In - Give your s’mores party a natural ambiance with real wood. Find some thin sticks in your backyard or neighborhood park, and place them in a glass vase on the table.  I love juxtaposition of the earthy and crooked sticks with the clear modern vase.

Cozy Ambiance - Don't have a bonfire pit? No problem! Set your dining room table with a picturesque candlescape to toast the marshmallows over, with the same colors varying in size (Just make sure to toast the marshmallows over unscented candles!). Toasting marshmallows over a candlescape will be a fun and memorable touch to your party.

 

Photos by Canary Grey Photography

One Last Summer Hurrah!

Only a few more weeks until the humidity clears and we start to feel a faint crispness to the air. Soon swimming suits and sandals will be packed away, traded for sweaters and sneakers. So why not make the most of the warm weather and throw one last summer hurrah! An end of the summer lake or pool party is a great way to create a vivid summer memory that you can hold onto as we head into winter. Start with classic summer favorites. Fun swim caps, colorful flip-flops, goofy sunglasses and vintage-inspired invitations add a touch of childhood innocence that’s sure to impress guests of all ages.

Think simple, and improvise. It’s still summer, so relax and let the sunshine get your creative juices flowing. We talk a lot about repurposing, and this is another opportunity to use what you have around the house. Mason jars are an interesting alternative to party cups that create a distinctive summer flare. A tablecloth from Target makes the perfect photo booth backdrop, and a pair of flip-flops can become an inspired design detail.

Make use of bold summer patterns.  Repeat graphic details. Striped straws and towels, and polka dots on swimming suits reflected in the décor and food, like the sprinkles on minibanana splits!

Have color play a big role. Vibrant red strawberries, assorted water balloons, bright drinks and snacks all give off a fantastic summer vibe.

Put together some fun party favors, try to give your guests something that will awaken thoughts of summer year-round. Pictures taken in the photo booth can later be pinned to bulletin boards and beach towels can be used to dry off any time of the year.

Make a mix CD to set the tone at the party and give away a copy to your guests.“I'm Walking on Sunshine,” “Crocodile Rock,”  “Summer Nights” and “Hot Fun in the Summer” are all songs that will conjure up summer memories in the months to come.

Great news for the Twin Cities - The incredibly creative {and absolutely lovely} photographer that took these blog images is moving to the Minneapols area in September! Stay tuned for more details...

Photography: Kelly Anderson Photography

The Best of Summer Entertaining

The details - small, yet meaningful touches – of your event are what make it memorable, and set it apart from the ordinary summer BBQ. Guests love to reminisce and converse about past experiences, so why not stimulate those visions through vintage-inspired décor? Using bright, floral tablecloths to outfit the dinner table or serving beverages in old-fashioned bottles are just two simple ways to bring the past to life through detail. Scout for props and decorations at vintage shops, like Hunt & Gather, or consider making use of treasures you have in your own home. Not only is this a way to add meaning to the décor of your event, but it is also budget-friendly.

Decorating for an event makes for the perfect opportunity to repurpose things in your already own; try using a Patrón bottle as a vase for fresh flowers (perhaps from your garden) at your next event.

The food and drinks you serve your guests instantly become a part of the décor. Hotdogs are a BBQ staple; personalize the all-American classic by setting up a gourmet hotdog bar. This is an inexpensive way to wow your guests, because everyone loves variety and the option to dress their hotdog just as they like it. You can choose from regular or gourmet dogs.

Provide guests with an assortment of condiments and fixings like onions, relish, sauerkraut, scallions, avocado, banana peppers, slaw, and pretzel. This is an opportunity for them to put a personal stamp on their dinner. Don’t be afraid to try whipping up your own condiments or serving exotic fixings - it’s another meaningful detail added to your event. For a Minnesota influence on your event, try serving locally-sourced food and produce. It’s is a great way to support your community and provide your guests with tasty, quality food.

 

Satisfy your thirsty guests with an eclectic collection of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Again, variety is key. This is a great opportunity for your guests to sample new concoctions, which is bound to add entertainment to the evening. Craft beers are a standard for BBQ’s, but choosing Minnesota brews, like Brau Bros. or Surly, is yet another way to personalize your party. The revival of glass soda bottles is another way to play up the vintage theme of your event.

Rose wines are another summer trend. These wines range in price, so you are bound to find a bottle that fits in your get-together budget. Solo Vino has an extensive collection, and they can help you choose the perfect selection for your event.

Last but certainly not least, no dinner is complete without dessert! Dessert can be one more way to provide great décor for your event, like nautical-inspired cupcakes from Sweets Bakeshop.

A “build your own sundae” bar gives your guests choice and variety, and is a simple way to dress the table with favorites from the vintage, soda shop days. Tall spoons, sundae glasses, and straws are a must. As are the toppings – candy, cookies, sprinkles, fruit, even kettle corn.

Events this summer are all about reinventing and repurposing classics, infusing unique details, personalizing, and providing guests with new experiences. These elements are sure to make your backyard soiree a party to remember for years to come.

Photos by Canary Grey Photography

Written by Robyn Wolfish