A couple of weeks ago, I headed uptown to toast my dear friend, party planner extraordinaire, Hilary Pereira of Mermaids and Martinis fame, at a book signing at Christofle on Madison Avenue (think Tiffany’s… but French).  Not only was she signing her first book (of many to come, I’m sure), she was doling out some of the best holiday party tips out there… so good, in fact, I couldn’t keep them to myself.  So, I asked Hilary if she’d be so kind as to share her favorite holiday hosting tips with you.  For Hilary, a party is all about creating a memory and here are a few of her favorite ways to get into the spirit of the season in her own words:

“Trim the Holiday Chaos”

The holidays can cause some major nail-biting moments between family drama, overnight visits, and breaking the bank on holiday shopping.  Instead of stressing out before Santa’s visit, here are a few simple tricks to trim the chaos.  When hosting a soiree, why worry about mailing paper invites?  A great website like “Paperless Post” includes beautifully designed evites that you can customize from the envelope liners to the stamps.  Enlist a couple of Hostess Helpers!  This could include hiring staff depending on your budget or assigning a few friends to stay on top of some key elements during your party like checking in on the kids, peeking into the bathroom once in a while to make sure it is fully stocked, or helping you to snap a few, or even answering the door while you are busy mingling.  And, lastly, but most importantly as the host, be responsible for your energy!  A positive hostess is a magnet for positive guests and vice versa!

Signature Bubbly Bar

I love hosting a signature cocktail, but during the holiday season, I like to expand on this by creating a champagne bubbly bar.  Use champange or Prosecco depending on budget…invest in a few different bottles of champagne/Prosecco and then host small bowls of garnishes–raspberries, cherries, blueberries and essences that you can drop into the drinks.  Your guests will feel like they are creating their own signature drink. PS: Always serve a mocktail for those who are not imbibing or those who are driving!

Go beyond the Pointsetta!

Winter flowers are beautiful and this season’s blooms are easy to create memorable centerpieces–you can even dress them up to add some sparkle to your table with fabric or sequins. Some of the most popular blooms of the season are amaryllis, Star of Bethlehem, orchids, evergreens, mums, snowballs and holly berry.  Or, go outside, collect some fir leaves, pinecones, fallen leaves and go crazy with spraypaint.  I love using silver spraypaint and flocking these elements with fake snow.  But, this year, I used a gold leaf paint which looked beautiful on just on the tips of pinecones and fir leaves.

Traditions with a Twist

It’s fun to create new twists on old traditions.  Instead of a traditional tree trimming party, You could host a White Elephant party where everyone brings a surprise gift and you host a “Swap” or one themed “Winter Woodland” where decor consists of faux fur throws, lots of woodsy, pine scented candles, serve your cocktails out of mini steel thermoses and create a buffet of camp-fire comfort food and a dessert S’mores bar.  You could also host a “Destination Celebration” by creating a whole other country or place in your home.  If you live in chilly Maine, host a Tropical Christmas Luau, or, if you live in sunny Florida, host an Aspen Apres-ski party to switch things up a bit!!

New Year’s Eve: Countdown Cocktails

Purchase a few cheap plastic stopwatches and tie them around the stems of glasses–they will all sound off at Midnight in concert–OR, host a Time Traveler party and set your iPad or an alarm clock to sound off every hour from the minute your party begins through Midnight–every time the alarm goes off, you and your guests can celebrate what part of the world/country just entered into the New Year–AND, introduce a new food element or cocktail based on that country (example: When France begins their NewYear, serve a round of Kir Royales, Japan, bring out a sushi platter or fortune cookies with personalized messages, etc.)

LAST BUT NOT LEAST–An event is an opportunity to find out what these ‘holidays’ really mean to you. 

As a hostess, make your guests feel honored, loved, welcomed and appreciated.  Although it truly is of the utmost importance for me to host an event with a beautiful aesthetic and great food and drink–when we have one moment to come together (for some people just once a year), hosting an event should always circle back to what is most important, the people in your life, and that special time you have to toast in good health and to another year.  As the host, own that, and pay it forward.

And as if, Hilary didn’t already just do us a solid with all of these fabulous party ideas, she is also going to give away a signed copy of her book, Mermaids and Martinis: Turn Your Party Into a Memory to one lucky winner!  All you need to do is follow WhyDid and Mermaids and Martinis on Twitter and retweet this message for your chance to score a book chocked full of SO many more amazing party planning tips, tricks, and ideas.

Good luck and happy hosting!

xx,

WhyDid

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Celebrities are always a step ahead of the game when it comes to hairstyles and fashion, thanks to free “samples” from designers, so it makes sense to look to those in the spotlight for up and coming trends.  Whether you’re looking for the perfect outfit for New Year’s Eve or just adding a few items to your wardrobe, take a look at these five trends celebs have been seen sporting lately.

1. Jewel Tones

Rich, vibrant, saturated colors have been seen on everything lately – from eyelids  to clothing, and even nail polish.  Need a little inspiration?  Browse through your grandma’s jewelry collection and draw ideas from your favorite pieces.  Does the richness of the ruby catch your attention?  Or perhaps the deep, dark shine of the sapphire?  Find the color that speaks to you and make a bold statement by incorporating it into your apparel.

Jewel-toned eye makeup is making a major comeback as well.  The bold look adds drama to the eye, with a smoky application of the rich, pigmented colors.  Emerald green specifically, has been touted as the season’s “it” eye accent color.  Pair it with a dark crimson lip color and you’ll be the hit of your next holiday party.

2. Animal Prints

Though animal print may be considered “tacky” to some, it’s back with a vengeance.  Leopard print is particularly hot and can be found on anything from apparel, to tights, and even shoes. Celebrities have recently been seen wearing the stylish prints on the red carpet, at parties, and even in their casual everyday wear.  Adding a pop of animal print does wonders for an otherwise drab outfit. Just make sure to use animal print responsibly – overdoing it can take you from fashionista to fashion disaster very quickly.

3. Autumnal Tones

Earthy colors are on the rise this season, inspired by the warm, spicy palette of fall.  Mustard yellow is a current favorite, and celebrities are particularly loving cardigans and other knits in the vintage hue.  Adding a scarf or handbag in the color will instantly put you at the top of the trends.  Embrace the retro vibe the deep shade of yellow brings by trying pin curls on your hair or wearing red lipstick on your pout.  Spicy shades of red, sunset orange, cinnamon, and yellow-greens are all excellent choices.

4. Faux Fur

That’s right, fur is back, but not in the head-to-toe, Cruella DeVille sort of way.  Instead, it’s appearing on vests, coat collars, gloves, and hats.  Fur adds an air of cold-weather charm, while keeping the iconic look of wealth.  Pair a furry accessory with jeans and a simple tee to create an appealing mixture of retro and glam.

5. Fair Isle

This traditional knit stems from a small island north of Scotland.  Once again the trend is nothing new, but rather a resurgence of an age old fashion. We’ve been seeing this type of sweater in ski shops and woodsy towns for years, but only recently did it make its way mainstream. Try layering the rustic sweater over a collared dress shirt. The juxtaposition of contrasting styles works together to create a high-fashion ensemble.  The look works for males, females, children, and even the occasional pooch. Wear this Scandinavian-style sweater with some lace-up snow boots to complete the look.

Follow this five simple trends and you’ll be looking like a star in no time.

xx,

Lisa

About the Author:  Lisa is an avid yoga enthusiast who enjoys writing in her spare time for Usdirect.com.

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This week, I asked one of my oldest (not in age, but in friendship duration) and very dearest friends if he’d be willing to share one of his recipes.  I know I’m partial, but I can’t believe that not only can my pal speak German fluently, recite Shakespeare, and mix up the perfect purple drank, he can cook!   I mean, ladies, how is this man single?  Anyway, this isn’t some froofy girly girl recipe … so if you wanna impress your main man with something delicious that he will appreciate, keep reading. (Oh… and please behold this amazing school dance photo of me my male bff.  Sorry, dude, had to):

After a pilgrimage to Neely’s Interstate BBQ in Memphis and sampling their phenomenal BBQ spaghetti, I was determined to recreate it for myself.  It’s not nearly as difficult as one would think, but it does take a bit of time.  For the record, if my writing seems disjointed or broken, I’m watching Nigella Lawson and am enthralled by her accent and, um, other attributes.

What you need: 

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• BBQ sauce (recipe follows)
• 1lb pork, beef, chicken, turkey, dog, cat – cooked and chopped to bits
• 1lb spaghetti

First things first, the BBQ sauce:

• 2 cups of ketchup (about 1 20oz bottle)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard (don’t skimp – get Colman’s)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Combine everything in a pot, bring it to a boil and then reduce to a slow simmer for about an hour or an hour and a half.  Length of time depends on how thick you want it.  There’s also a lot of wiggle room in the sweetness/bite of the sauce.  The recipe I listed is Neely’s original and it’s got decent balance.  However, I like a little more vinegar flavor so I added a bit more and cut back on the sugar.  If you want it sweeter, add more sugar/brown sugar.  The sauce as is has decent tang, but if you want some heat, throw in some cayenne pepper or some hot sauce to bring the spice up a bit.
2. Once you’ve got the sauce square, heat up the oil and throw in the peppers, onion and garlic salt and cook everything until it’s nice and soft.  Once done, throw in the BBQ and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, put in your chopped meat and reduce to a simmer.  Bring your pasta water to a boil, salt it appropriately and then cook your pasta til al dente.  Mix the sauce/meat and the pasta and voila, BBQ spaghetti.
3. For the meat, you have a lot of options – you can buy pulled pork (sans any kind of sauce) or brisket, brown some ground beef/turkey/chicken – whatever.  Just make sure you chop it up small enough so it blends well.  When I made this, I bought smoked pork loin from one of the BBQ joints down here and chopped it up and it turned out really well.  I doubled the recipe and it fed a dinner party of 10 perfectly, and I’ll take the lack of leftovers as a testament to how good it was.

OK – back to Nigella.

JC

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They say good things come in small packages, but in a society where we’re always stressing bigger, better, more, more, more, sometimes it seems hard to believe.  Luckily, Stephie is here to remind us just how great the “little things” really can be.

I die for beauty product samples and recently Sephora has been on a tear!  A number of very exciting minis have overhauled my usual summer skincare and makeup routine. A Beauty Insider VIP-sized sample of DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew is my new defacto nighttime summer moisturizer. During the winter, I opt for a thicker formula, but this one is truly hydrating without leaving my face an oil slick. It’s heavy duty moisture without the weight. For seriously sticky days, I turn to Elemis Daily Shine Control, a treatment moisturizer for oily to combination skin that fights shine while it moisturizes.  Two birds, one sample.

Of course, all of this goes under Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, or what many beauty buffs would call the best all-around light coverage product on the market.  Speaking of SPF, a facialist recently told me not to use SPF 15, but  rather 50 on my face, neck, décolleté and hands every day to prevent aging. I took SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 for a test drive.  Not only does it not stink, but it also goes on (YES, girls) in a strangely accurate human skin color not that creepy pasty white.  SkinCeuticals avers it a “universal tint.”  Somehow I believe it.

Sephora hit a sour note with a Father’s Day promotion giving samples of men’s products. Who gifts dad three tiny tubes of random skincare? Awkward.  Rather than waste these samples, I selected a few men’s cleansers I could test myself and compared them with a Kiehl’s specimen stolen from my husband’s drawer (he only gets one). The test confirmed that although men’s cleansers can be truly awesomely gritty (Clinique Skin Supplies for Men Face Scrub) and wonderfully experientially tabacco-y (Kiehl’s Energizing Facial Fuel Skin Buffer for Men) or energizing and brightening (Anthony Logistics for Men Facial Scrub), there are simply no men’s cleansers that can remove eye makeup- ya hear that Adam Lambert?

Forget a chihuahua in your handbag: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is an eyeliner-wearing lady’s best friend. It is also somehow gentle enough that if you left a smidge on, it would be good for your complexion. It has a lovely scent and a famous gelatinous texture (if you tapped a bowlful, it would jiggle). It’s better than anything the boys have got, trust me.

Summer means light and fresh for color on the face too.  Guerlain Terracotta Skin Healthy Glow Foundation is the only bronzer that doesn’t look dirty on my very fair pink-undertoned skin and a Sephora sample is what introduced me to it, (kinda makes up for the father’s day weirdness). Fear not: this gel formula did not make me look like I walked into a dusty clay factory, like some powder bronzers – it actually made me look tan (what a concept)! Smashbox O-GLOSS
Intuitive Lip Gloss provides a pretty pink counterpoint. The O-GLOW (cheek version) will not work if you pile on hydrators, sunscreens and tinted moisturizers like I recommend above, because it needs to come in contact with both bare skin and air to work. But, O-GLOSS provides that magical same out-of-thin air magical fuschia branded just for you – it works with your lip chemistry to create a shiny, entirely non-sticky “custom shade of pink” (usually in the hello-kitty cuteness category).

Now get your summer sampling on and don’t forget to wear your sunnies!

xx,

Stephie

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Like most, I had a Tuesday for a Monday this week (due to Memorial Day).  I initially thought, “Yay, no way will the start of this week blow like the others do!” But I was dead wrong.  I arrived at work with double the usual amount of work and attempted to make it through my day with RedBull alone.  Half way through the day I started up my iPod on my fav song and decided to let Genius do the rest.  A minute and a half into Le Blorr’s “Oh Christopher” I was smiling ear to ear.  I’d like to share this great mix in hopes that it can have the same effect on you fine people.  If I was a Von Trapp these songs would def be things I’d sing about.

1. Bastard LoveChild of Rock and Roll- Oh Christopher
2. Phantograms- Mouthful of Diamonds
3. Fleetwood Mac- Gypsy
4. Jonsi- Go Do
5. Billie Holliday- The Way You Look Tonight
6. M83- We Own the Sky
7. Warpaint- Stars
8. Donora- I Think I Like You
9. Telepopmusik- Breathe
10. YACHT- Psychic City (voodoo city)
11. Ghostland Observatory- Give Me the Beat

xx,

Katie

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