New Sponsor: Magnet Street

Invitations and wedding paper purveyor.

In the world of weddings, we all want something unique. We might adore what someone else has done and be inspired, but ours has to be different at the same time. Unfortunately, being unique and different can often come at a lofty price.

Our newest sponsor, Magnet Street, can definitely help in your search for wedding individuality. Their site is filled to the brim with invitation designs that can be customized to fit your distinct color scheme. Flat cards, pocket invites, tri-fold, and many more options are available. And the prices are VERY reasonable...especially for all of the flexibility that you have in customization. Here are some of my favorite designs (I love a square invitation)...





And besides the basic invites, Magnet Street offers components that will complete your wedding invitation and reception paper needs. Address Labels, table numbers, place cards, and much much more.

And of course there is their namesake product...magnets. They are a great option for Save the Dates. Instead of getting lost in the ubiquitous pile of mail, these guys will be a constant reminder of fun times to come on your wedding day when your guest go to the fridge for a late night snack.

Link Love.

Tuesday Inspiration.

Bliss
I love the look of clustered exposed bulbs as a chandelier. Raw chic.



The Selby
These fabric covered books from Jeanne Lanvin’s private library in Paris are just to die.



What Katie Ate
Baked Apricots with Lemoncello…oh my.



Type Depot
Lovely font for free.

Thanksgiving Cocktails

Cocktail Recipes.

During Thanksgiving, I have a really difficult time using my self control when the turkey and stuffing hit the table. In fact, if truth be told...I could eat an entire bowl of stuffing. What usually happens is that I eat my fill and have absolutely no room left over for dessert. I love the idea of pie...but it usually has to wait until breakfast the next morning (healthy...I know).

So when I saw these recipes for cocktails that are inspired by Thanksgiving dessert, I thought they were the perfect solution. They taste just as delicious, give you a little holiday cheer, and take up far less room in my stuffed belly.

I think they are well worth a try on Thursday, don't you?

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Caramel Apple Pie Martini




1 oz. 1800 Silver Tequila (dont skimp here...you want the smoothness in this drink)
½ oz. butterscotch schnapps
1 oz. apple cider
1 tsp. lemon juice

Combine ingredients and shake well with ice, strain into martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice.

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Pumpkin Pie-tini



1 oz. milk
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 ½ oz. Three Olives Vanilla vodka
1 ½ oz. crème de cacao

Using a small amount of honey, rim martini glass with graham cracker crumbs.

Shake milk and pumpkin puree over ice to combine. Pour in remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into the martini glass.

Make them melt

Food DIY.

My Thanksgiving celebration doesn’t include a lot of kids, but if it did I would be sure to set up a fun project to keep them occupied and intrigued for a couple of hours. I think the DIY hot cocoa dippers in this month’s Good Housekeeping, has all the makings of a great activity.



Set up a card table with brown paper, a fondue pot or bowl of chocolate from the microwave and some wax paper. You will need drinking straws, large marshmallows and red nonpareil sprinkles. Skewer the marshmallows with the straws, dip the marshmallows in the chocolate leaving the tops exposed. Be sure to lift the straws straight up to let the additional chocolate drip off. Cool briefly on wax paper, but dip marshmallow bottoms into sprinkles while chocolate is still slightly soft.

If you have a variety of age groups at your gathering this is a great way to get the older kids and younger kids mingling. Designate the older kids to supervise the project and then everyone has great hot cocoa dippers for dessert or a take home gift to celebrate the holiday season.

British Invasion - Living Etc Magazine

Magazine.

While waiting for my gate to be announced at Heathrow, I popped into a newsstand to buy a ridiculously large bag of Cadbury chocolates and happened to catch a glimpse of the cover of Living etc Magazine. The cool styling on the cover reminded my of my dearly departed Domino Magazine. I snatched a copy for the plane and made my way through the terminal.



One hour later, my copy of the magazine had more rabbit ears than the holiday section of target in March...and surprisingly not a drop of caramel or smudge of chocolate on any of the pages. The perfect mix of interior design advise, fun product finds, and food & bev ideas, Living etc Magazine is now officially added as a regular source of inspiration for yours truly.

British Invasion - Russian Spring Punch

Cocktail Recipe.

One of the cocktail lounges that we visited in Piccadilly featured famous contemporary London cocktails. And luckily I decided to give Russian Spring Punch a try. Don't let the "Spring" in the title fool you. It is perfectly lovely to drink it in Fall, Winter, and Summer as well. Add it to your repertoire...you'll be glad that you did!



Russian Spring Punch
Serves 1

3.0 fl. oz. of Vodka
1.0 fl. oz. of Lemon Juice
1.0 fl. oz. of Creme de Cassis
1.0 fl. oz. of Sugar Syrup
Ice
Champagne
Sprig of Mint

Combine all ingredients (except Champagne) in a cocktail shaker with the ice, shake, strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Garlicky Kale and Spinach Dip

Recipe.

This is my go-to healthy dip. It is literally just a few fresh ingredients with a kick of garlic. I always like to have one super healthy snack at all of my get-togethers. My personal way of eating my way through a party is to start with the healthy snack and try to fill up as much as possible and then move on to say, “the cheese tray.”

I’ll be very honest about this dip. It looks beautiful and sometimes that can be deceiving. It doesn’t taste like spinach and artichoke dip. It tastes like kale and spinach. I happen to like both of those flavors so this dip works for me. However, I suggest labeling it for your guests so that they are aware that it is a HEALTHY choice. That way people like my husband who are perfectly happy just eating sliders all night will not make the horrible mistake of eating something that tastes like fresh vegetables.

It’s easy to make and lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge. It is inexpensive and should give you enough iron to power through holding your glass for the entire night.



Ingredients:
Makes 1 ½ cups.

• 1 bunch kale, washed and tough stems removed (about 7 ounces)
• 1 bunch spinach, washed and tough stems removed (about 5 ounces)
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a bowl halfway with ice and water; set aside.

2. Add kale and spinach to the boiling water and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and plunge into the ice bath. Once the greens are cool, remove them from the ice bath, shake off any excess water, and place in the bowl of a food processor.

3. Add garlic, pine nuts, and vinegar and, while puréeing, slowly pour in the olive oil. Continue puréeing, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary, until all of the oil is incorporated and the mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and serve.

Link Love.

Tuesday Inspiration.

Love and Lavender
Engagement photos inspired by the movie Up.



Dessert for Breakfast
The perfect fall dessert…cognac, caramel, pecan and pear pudding.



The Cinderella Project
Great use of flea market finds.



A Cup of Jo
Check out the DIY on how to get this chic, party- ready side chignon.

British Invasion - Limited Edition Twinings Tea

UK Tea.

Wandering up The Strand, you'll pass the posh Savoy Hotel and Theater (celeb central), St. Mary-le-Strand church (where Charles Dicken's parents were wed), the Australia House (site of Harry Potter's Gringott's Bank on film), and a very special store...Twinings Tea.



This narrow little store first opened it's doors in 1706 and remains in the Twining family. If you have the opportunity to visit London, explore the store and even schedule a tasting in their lovely tasting room at the rear of the store.

Luckily for us, you can get a taste of Twinings without a Trans-Atlantic flight too. Twining does export to the states in great volume and their Earl Grey has been a favorite of mine for some time. But these beauties below are a bit special...



Currently only available online, Twinings is offering three Limited Edition teas for the holidays - Rose Garden (rose infused black tea), Blossom Earl Grey (infused with Orange Blossom), and Mulled Spiced Tea. And talk about gorgeous packaging...so lovely. Wouldn't one of these be perfect to serve at a holiday luncheon?

Trend Alert: Russet Lips

Beauty.

Normally on Hip Hostess we talk about ways to make your entertaining process easy and affordable but with the holidays approaching…fashion plays a bigger role in party going. This season the Russet lip is the way to go. I’m not sure what to call the hue? Is it brown, terra-cotta, orange or just a mixture of all? The great thing about it is that it works on dark and light complexions. It is understated yet adds a little color so you don’t look totally washed out. It is going to be my go-to for holiday events. What do you think?