HOW TO THROW A BANG-UP, THRIFTY BRUNCH FOR YOUR CAT! (OR ANYONE ELSE)

HAPPY CHERIVERSARY!!!

As of today, it’s officially been two whole years since this crazy little maniac splashed her way into our lives. So naturally, we had to celebrate the occasion in style!

Brunch style, to be exact.

After some epic menu planning, vibe coordinating & purchasing a LOT of cheap champagne, the Cheriversary brunch bash was born. And I have to say, it turned out to be prettty epic.

Even though I’m obsessed with the idea of entertaining (past life experience, I’m sure), I honestly haven’t yet had a ton of opportunities to throw ~bigger deal~ get-togethers of my own. So despite having to exercise self-restraint at every turn (i.e. no metallic balloons that spelled out “CHER”), it was major fun figuring out how to orchestrate a five-star fab gathering- while also not breaking the bank.

Sure, a bottomless pocketbook is nice, but getting creative is where all the fun is anyway. So we’re here to discuss some of the tips & tricks that helped make this mission possible:

MIMOSA BAR

Who doesn’t love a good mimosa bar? Monsters, that’s who. When it comes to hosting, no matter how big or small, mimosas are ALWAYS a fantastic option. You can go however all out or reined in you’d like in terms of selection, and they can be relatively inexpensive, too!

((if you’re down for J. Roget))

For this round, I filled glass carafes (s/o to the 99-cent store) with orange, cranberry & limeade juices plus fresh mint & insanely thin-sliced jalapeños for garnish. With so many fun juices available nowadays, they’re super fun to play around with. Although, if you get a little turned off by how concentrated & sugary some of them can get, I always like to have sparkling flavored water on hand to help cut it. Extra flavor, a few less calories- it’s a win-win.

EVERYTHING BAGEL & LOX CROSTINIS

The original idea was to use bagel chips. But news flash: BAGEL CHIPS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND. In Burbank, at least. Who knew. Though luckily these garlic butter-drenched crostini’s flew in to save the day, & it totally worked just the same. 

Topped with whipped cream cheese, some slices of TJ’s smoked salmon, slivers of red onion, a caper & everything bagel seasoning…in the words of Rachel Zoe: I die. We die. Ugh, so good.

HASHBROWN CUPS

And speaking of Trader Joe’s, I swear they have the BEST frozen tots. Don’t ask me why, it’s just a fact. So sticking two of them into each pit of a mini muffin tin to bake for ten minutes, then squishing them into cups topped with sausage &/or cheese to finish baking for another ten was next-level. Plain & simple.

MINI GREEN CHILE QUICHES

Two words: PRAISE MARTHA. I’ve never made quiche before, so obviously doing it for a crowd sounds like a great setting to first attempt. But with the help of OG lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, it went off without a hitch. 

Spring boarding off of this basic recipe, I customized our mini quiche moment with bacon, mushrooms, green chiles & some cheese…which will definitely linger in my dreams for the next two weeks, minimum. Coupled with these Cher-approved, leopard print, oven-safe ramekins, it was the perfect nucleus of the menu.

Science. 

BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

While I do love a good bake sesh, there was a ton of other stuff to do. So for even the most novice of bakers, an olive oil cake can do the trick! It’s fairly simple to throw together & best of all, there’s no complicated frosting job required. You basically bake it upside down, plop it out onto a cake stand (in my case, a $2 matching charger plate hot glued onto a candle stick- it worked so well) & bask in the beauty that is caramelized blood orange topping.

…& GRAPES

I thought long & hard about a glam, Pinterest-inspired fruit platter, only to remember how awkwardly expensive fruit always is. So we settled for grapes, which actually ended up being a perfect accoutrement to satisfy the brunchy craving.

I mean you have graduations, birthdays, retirements, whatever. But “gotcha days”? They’re the best of them all. So even if your familiar’s anniversary isn’t anytime soon, hopefully you can get down with these tips & feel the need to go throw a brunch for them anyway.

And if there’s anything else as equally fantastically psycho you’ve ever done for your pet, please do tell.

I’m always looking for inspiration.

xxAA

DIY SPOOKY CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS

Whenever it comes to the holidays, I’m all about putting new spins on things. Instead of kelly green, let’s opt for emerald. Swap Crayola red for ruby. Cartoon snowflakes & creepy Santa prints? I’ll take metallics & faux fur ANY day.

But when we’re talking about infusing tradition with our own taste, there’s always room (& by room I mean a need) for some spookalicious action as well. Which is why last year as K & I pined over the classic struggle of how to decorate an apartment ((not to mention, with two devious kittens in the mix, too)), we hit a road block. 

UNTIL – the solution came…

Stockings! Specifically, made out of the spooktacularly festive fabric we recently saw at one of our fave local horror stores.

So from there, the creation began. Never had I thought about sewing stockings, but hey, it’s just a giant sock, right? How hard could it really be? And I have to say, it felt like they turned out pretttty freaking well.

So kiss the tired, ’80s mantles goodbye! And say hello to the creepy-cute holiday upgrade you never knew you needed…

// WHAT YOU NEED //

+ 1 sheet, tissue paper

+ 1/2 yard, spooky outer fabric

+ 1/2 yard, lining fabric (minky or a short-piled faux fur looks best IMO!)

+ A scrap of ribbon or other thick fabric (for the hanger)

+ A needle & heavy-duty thread

+ Puff paint pens (optional)

// STEPS //

++ Draw your main stocking shape onto a piece of tissue paper. I used the measurements below, but feel free to customize for whatever size you like/need!

++ Cut out your stocking pattern & fold the outer fabric in half such that the right-sides are facing IN; & the lining fabric such that the right-sides are facing OUT (a little confusing, but it’ll all make sense in the end). 

++ Pin the pattern onto your outer fabric & cut, so that you have two, identical stocking shapes. Repeat for the lining fabric.

++ Take your two pieces of outer fabric & stack them with the right-sides still facing IN. Then, take your two pieces of lining fabric (right-sides still facing OUT) & sandwich them around the outer fabrics. Pin the fabric stack together – which should look like it’s totally inside out.

++ Sew around the perimeter of the stocking using a zig-zag stitch, leaving about 1/4 inch of seam allowance. 

++ Flip the stocking right-side out (so the outer fabrics should now be on the outside with lining fabrics on the inside) & fold the top down to expose however much of the fuzzy fabric you’d like.

++ Cut & fold your ribbon/thick fabric into a sturdy loop, then stitch it onto the top corner of the stocking to create a hanger.

++ And finally, if you want to puff-paint names onto each for an extra personal touch, feel free! Or else just hang & admire a darkly festive job well done.

What are some of your favorite twists on tradition?

xxAA