Hosting Bridge

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hosting my first bridge game as a member of the Dublin Girls' Cotillion. When I tell out of town people that I play bridge, I'm usually met with a similar "grandma" remark. I honestly can't remember even being aware of the game of bridge prior to moving here, but in Dublin, it's kind of a big deal.

There are lots of different groups and clubs that teach and play bridge regularly, with annual benefits and competitions. But our group is really social, and it's a great opportunity to get together with some girlfriends twice a month and have a glass of wine while playing a few hands.

I served a homemade pound cake with fresh whipped cream topped with strawberries. Some of my snacks {peanut butter M&Ms for the win!} were served in vintage ice cream dishes. I attempted another batch of my "Fancy Cookies" but the humidity took a toll on the icing, and they didn't turn out as perfectly as I would have liked. Cute though! It's so nice to enjoy some of the finer things in life with friends! And hosting such an event is a really great excuse to do some fall cleaning and decorating too. 

One of my favorite things about playing bridge are all the beautiful card styles and sets. I have one with peonies, one with hydrangeas, and the multi-colored ones seen on the table above. Typically, I shop for all my bridge supplies from Smith's of Dublin, but have been pleased to find sets and score books on Amazon too! Here's a few of my faves: 

Garden Party with Mint & Smith's of Dublin

Barrington Gifts Tote--call Smith's to order (478) 272-5112

Top: Crosby | Bracelets: Hazen | Wallet: Hobo

Top: Crosby | Cuff: Capucine De Wulf Victoria Cuff | Wallet: Hobo

All photos by Molly Hensley. 

Today I am thrilled to share with you the most perfect southern garden party, styled by Mint and Smith's of Dublin! You may have seen a few sneak peeks on my Instagram, as well as my "modeling" on Mint's social media, too. Kelly and Natalie are two of the best girl bosses I know, and I am so honored to work with them to help share their beautiful brands! Kelly's boutique Mint in downtown Dublin carries lines like Karlie, Crosby by Mollie Burch, Charlie Southern, and more. And Natalie's jewelry and gift store right next to Mint is your one stop shop for wedding, gifts, home decor, and more! 

A few weeks ago we worked with the incredibly talented Molly Hensley to show off some of their fabulous new items. Be sure to check out Smith's website for the beautiful jewelry, Barrington Gifts tote, planners, and tabletop items. Mint will have you covered beautiful with a number of Crosby by Mollie Burch items, Hobo wallets, and Lilly Pulitzer Swell bottles. And right now, you can get 15% off on any Crosby item from Mint when you enter the code "PIPER" at check out!

Twinkle, Twinkle, It's a Sprinkle!

This past weekend, I hosted a baby "sprinkle" for my friend Tara and her baby girl! If you're not familiar, a sprinkle is a fun little name for a smaller baby shower that is typically held for second+ children, especially if they're a different gender than the first child. To me, it's almost a little more fun because usually the family has all the stuff they need like strollers and cribs, and you can just buy cutesy, fun gifts!

I saw a cute sprinkle/donut themed invitation online and whipped up my own version really quickly and sent the design off to my favorite invitation printer, Vistaprint! The invites arrived at my house in like four days, just in time to be mailed.

The sprinkle/donut themed seemed super obvious to me, but also super fun! There's so much cuteness on Etsy and Amazon that I could not pass up. If you're planning your own baby sprinkle or donut/sprinkle-themed celebration, I hope these ideas might make getting everything together a little bit easier for you! I even took the theme to the gift and got the cutest little ice cream onesie with sprinkle leggings!

Decor:

• It's A Girl mylar balloon banner over the fireplace
• Tassels to hang on the mantle
• Donut balloon (oops, forgot to blow this one up!)
• Donut garland
• Sprinkle napkins
• Donut wrapping paper (used as a runner on the food table) found at TJ Maxx
• "Sprinkle" confetti (I ended up not using this as it felt a little busy once everything was placed)
• "Oh Baby" cake topper
• Pink and white striped popcorn boxes
• "Thanks a hole bunch for coming" tags that I designed 
• Baby Shower Emoji Pictionary 

Menu:

• Donut cake featuring Krispy Kreme glazed, chocolate sprinkle, and cake batter stuffed donuts
• Chicken Salad in phyllo cups topped with half a grape
• Princess Popcorn: Skinnypop + white and/or pink candy melts melted, drizzled over the popcorn and mixed, then mixed and topped with sprinkles
• Fruit Cones
• Mini Chicken & Waffles: Mini Eggos + Chick-fil-A Nuggets drizzled with syrup 
• Coffee Punch: ten cups of coffee + one tub of vanilla ice cream + two cups of milk + splash of vanilla and as much chocolate syrup as you'd like!
• Sparkling Pink Lemonade (pink lemonade + Sprite)
• Donut "fancy cookies" ordered from a local bakery, Sweet T's 

Oh my word, these shoes!!

c e l e b r a t e

Happy Birthday, Layla Claire! My first furbaby is finally four years old. Layla is a black maltipoo. She weighs eight pounds {always, no matter how fluffy her hair gets or how chunky my brothers claim she has gotten}, loves to kiss, play with her ball, and loves her mommy! She is such a joy to have in my life. I love how excited she gets every time I come home, how she snuggles so tight against my back every night, and how funny she is when she 'fights' her big sister, Samantha. 

To celebrate, I treated the girls to a puppy-approved ice cream party of whipped cream and sprinkles served in vintage ice cream bowls. They were a little suspicious at first as they're rarely ever given people food {although they've been known to sneak a quesadilla or two off the coffee table and into the bed...Layla...} but they seemed to enjoy their afternoon treat! The girls definitely liked the plain whipped cream better than the usual pet store birthday treats I find; I'll have to think of something for Samantha's birthday in August! 

Tassels & Poms

Dress | Earrings | Shoes

Need an easy, breezy look for a springtime garden soiree? Then I've got the look for you! Off the should tops and dresses are one of the hottest styles right now, and this light and airy barely-blush pink dress from Tobi.com is perfect for a steamy summer evening event. I especially love the fun flutter sleeves, and the teeny tiny white pom pom detailing along the bottom of the dress. 

Two of my favorite warm weather staples are tassel earrings and my Jacks. These Baublebar tassels are super light weight and come in over 20 colors! I think I'm due for an emerald pair sometime soon. The Devyn mid-wedge Jack Roger sandal is a great everyday wedge. It's not high, but makes the simplest sundress slightly more "fancy" as I like to say. And of course, it still has that traditional "Jacks" vibe that I love. I tend to lean towards the platinum color of Jacks shoes, but this gold is really fun, too, and still what I'd consider a neutral! 

Now to get to party planning! CJM and I keep discussing a housewarming party...pineapple party or low country boil?  

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