Tag Archives: mackenzie-childs sweetbriar collection

Backyard Brunch for Mother’s Day

May 9, 2019

Hey everyone, if you follow me Instagram, then you know I finally revealed my new backyard space this past weekend just in time for a co-ed Cinco de Mayo baby shower that Blake and I hosted for our friends. I had so much fun decorating the space and it turned out beautifully. So beautifully that I didn’t want to take it down so I left half the colorful decorations up and invited my mom and mother-in-law over for an early Mother’s Day brunch. I of course nixed the taco signs and incorporated my new MacKenzie-Childs pieces into decorations and tablescape. You’ve probably seen me use some of these classic MC pieces before in other dining tablescapes that I’ve created like this bridal brunch post and my friendsgiving post. I can always count on MacKenzie-Childs to a little a glam and whole lot of print and color to my overall design.

table setting

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MacKenzie-Childs Gold Check Flatware – 5-Piece Place Setting, MacKenzie-Childs Sweetbriar Serving Bowl, MacKenzie-Childs Sweetbriar Charger, MacKenzie-Childs Sweetbriar Dinner Plate, MacKenzie-Childs Sweetbriar Salad Plate, MacKenzie-Childs Sweetbriar Napkin Ring, MacKenzie-Childs Parchment Check Two Tier Sweet Stand & MacKenzie-Childs Blooming Tumbler c/o MacKenzie-Childs

floral chair

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Outfit: Similar White Dress | Amina Tan Sandal | Jewelry c/o Julie Vos

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Whitewash Sevilla Outdoor Dining Table | Sevilla Bench | Gray Cane Woven Serasa Outdoor Dining Chairs Set of 2 | Outdoor Chair Cushions | Natural Rattan Fallon Cocoon Chair with Cushion

While I love MacKenzie-Childs’ bold statement pieces, I also love the Sweetbriar collection that I got for my wedding especially when I have a lot of color already going on in the background like I did here with the balloons and flowers. This balloon garland was leftover from my Cinco de Mayo party, but I put together these flower arrangements to tie in Mother’s Day. I purchased three different bouquets of flowers from my local grocery store and arranged them in these three vases to use as the centerpiece. 

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Whitewash Sevilla Outdoor Occasional 3 Seater Bench | Whitewash Sevilla Outdoor Occasional Bench | Whitewash Sevilla Outdoor Occasional Armchair | Round Natural Wood Vallarta Outdoor Dining Table | Aqua 9 Ft Replacement Umbrella Canopy with Fringe | Elementi Workshop Granville Table Cast Concrete Propane Fire Table

How fun are these colorful boho style pillows by MacKenzie-Childs against my white cushions? I love the texture of them too! I would keep them indoors because they aren’t meant to take on weather, but they’re super cute to bring outside for special occaisions.

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Pillows: Bukhara Pillow, Tangiers Lumbar Pillow & Tomcat Pillow c/o MacKenzie-Childs

(pictured: Me and my mom)

My Floral DIY Chair:

To create this adorable picturesque chair, I used my Natural Rattan Fallon Cocoon Chair with Cushion that I purchased from World Market last year and wrapped it greenery and flowers from World Market. The first time I added some floral swag to the chair was for a baby shower that I hosted last month and then I decided to use it again for the Cinco de Mayo themed baby shower we just hosted over the weekend. All we did to change it up was purchase more colorful flowers from Hobby Lobby and use green floral tape and wire to attach the flowers. It’s such a fun way to incorporate more color into your decor. Plus you can always reuse it and change up the color schemes.

My backyard space isn’t completely finished yet so make sure to stay tuned for my updates on Instagram stories. Also, tomorrow I’ll be sharing my margarita and mimosa station for Mother’s Day with MacKenzie-Childs on the blog!

Balloon garland by Animated Art Balloons

This post is in partnership with MacKenzie-Childs, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.

3 Tips on How To Host Your First Friendsgiving

November 13, 2018

Hey everyone, I can’t believe we’re less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving. To celebrate, I’m sharing the details from my Friendsgiving party including the recipes, decor and dinnerware to inspire your own holiday dinner party with friends. You can even use some of these ideas for your Thanksgiving dishes and decor next week.

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Table Runner | MacKenzie-Childs Blooming Tumbler | Gold Check Hostess Serving Set | Gold Check Flatware – 5-Piece Place Setting | Sweetbriar Charger | Sweetbriar Dinner Plate | Sweetbriar Salad Plate | Parchment Check Two Tier Sweet Stand |

 I’ve teamed up with MacKenzie-Childs to give away 3 desserts stands along with a gold check cake serving set to 3 lucky winners. I use these pieces year round, but especially during the holidays. I’m so grateful to all of my readers and IG followers who take time connect with me online each day so I wanted to give back to you this Thanksgiving by sending 3 winners some of my favorite MacKenzie-Childs pieces. Head over to my Instagram (@hauteofftherack) to enter!

See more posts on my MacKenzie-Childs pieces below:

Bridal Brunch Table Setting With MacKenzie-Childs

New Orleans Bridesmaids Luncheon Cooking Class 

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Party Ideas 

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Furniture:  Wood Leona Farmhouse Extension Dining Table | Neutral Linen Paige Dining Bench  | Natural Linen Paige Round Back Dining Chairs | 3 Tier Rolling Bar Cart <—SALE ALERT! Take 40% OFF all furniture with code: FURNDEAL

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Decor: Light Grey Sheepskin | Pumpkin Place Card Holders |Silver and Gold Mercury Pillar Candle | BIRCH VOTIVE CANDLEHOLDER | Gold Fern and Berry Garland | 3×3 Ivory Sugared Vanilla Bean Pillar Candle | Matte White Ceramic Pumpkin Casserole Baker | Velvet Pumpkins 

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Mirrored Side Board | Belen Rug | Light Fixture above dining table | Gold Light Fixtures above island | Gold & Silver Pumpkins c/o MacKenzie-Childs | 14 x 14 Letter board | White Gravy Boat

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Outfit: CREAM CHUNKY BOBBLE KNIT CARDIGAN (similar here) | The Racer Tank | Barbara High Waisted Skinny Jeans (also available here) | Ulani Heeled Leopard Print Bootie (also available here) |

Jewelry: Coin Necklace | Val Rose Gold Hoop Earrings Iridescent Crystal | Byzantine Demi Hinge Cuff, Catalina Hinge Bangle, Catalina Hinge Cuff  & Monterey Link Bracelet c/o Julie Vos

3 Tips on How To Host Your First Friendsgiving

1) Create a menu & guest list! Send out an invite to all of your guests a couple weeks out and begin planning out your menu so you can start prepping the dishes 2-3 days before your party. Decide on the dishes you’re going to cook and the items you’re going to order and make sure you order them with plenty enough time. It’s also fun to create a menu with your friends and host pot luck where everyone brings a dish.

As I mentioned before, we started a supper club with our friends a few months ago where each couple takes turns hosting everyone at their house for dinner once a month. So it was our turn to make all of the dishes ourself. With that being said, we had a lot of food to prepare so we decided to order an already cooked turkey and gravy and then we made all of the side dishes and desserts ourselves.

Recipes:

Mac & Cheese | http://www.thatwhichnourishes.com/the-mac-and-cheese/

Green Bean Casserole | https://thenovicechefblog.com/the-best-green-bean-casserole/

Stuffing | Blake’s grandmother came over & made her personal recipe with me. I can’t think of a more perfect time to learn your grandmother’s recipes than during the holidays. We had so much fun making new recipes we found online, but it’s also nice to use a family recipe and learn how to make it so you can pass it down to your own kids.

Sweet Potato Casserole | https://addapinch.com/sweet-potato-casserole-pecan-topping/

Pumpkin Squares | My mom came over to make pumpkin squares with me because it was my late uncle’s recipe.

  1. 1 can of pumpkin
  2. 3 eggs
  3. 1 large can of pet milk (aka condensed milk)
  4. 2 cups of sugar
  5. 1 tsp. cinnamon
  6. 1 box of Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix
  7. 1 Cup of chopped pecans (a little more is ok)
  8. 2 sticks of melted butter (1 cup)
  9. 1 small Cool Whip
  10. 1 8 oz. Philadelphia  Cream Cheese

Mix pumpkin, 3 eggs, pet milk, 1 cup of sugar and cinnamon. Stir until all blended. Pour liquid mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan lined with wax paper. Then sprinkle the box of cake mix on top. Sprinkle pecans next. Pour melted butter on top of pecans & cake mix and bake for one hour at 350 degrees. After baked, let cool ten minutes. Then turn the cake over but do not take the wax paper off until completely cooled. Mix one cup of sugar and Philedelphia Cream Cheese. After blended, add 1 small container of cool whip. Ice the whole cake and refrigerate. Cut into squares and keep refrigerated until serving.

Irish Coffee Dessert Drink | ingredients: coffee, Pralines & Creams Liqueur (you can find this at your local World Market as well as select grocery stores), cool whip (we ended up making our own whipped cream using a cup of sugar and heavy cream), Clear Irish Mugs, Cream-Filled Rolled Wafers & some fun straws

2) Tis the time to be a little extra! Pop open some champagne! Light some holiday candles and create a Friendsgiving playlist to set the mood. Go out of your way to make your guests feel special by placing custom name cards on everyone’s seats and be sure to always keep their drinks full.

3) Get interactive! Have everyone go around the table and say what they’re grateful for or play a fun game after dinner.

Shop all my Friendsgiving details:

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Table Runner | MacKenzie-Childs Blooming Tumbler | Gold Check Hostess Serving Set | Gold Check Flatware – 5-Piece Place Setting | Sweetbriar Charger | Sweetbriar Dinner Plate | Sweetbriar Salad Plate | Parchment Check Two Tier Sweet Stand |

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Furniture:  Wood Leona Farmhouse Extension Dining Table | Neutral Linen Paige Dining Bench  | Natural Linen Paige Round Back Dining Chairs | 3 Tier Rolling Bar Cart <—SALE ALERT! Take 40% OFF all furniture with code: FURNDEAL

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Decor: Light Grey Sheepskin | Pumpkin Place Card Holders |Silver and Gold Mercury Pillar Candle | BIRCH VOTIVE CANDLEHOLDER | Gold Fern and Berry Garland | 3×3 Ivory Sugared Vanilla Bean Pillar Candle | Matte White Ceramic Pumpkin Casserole Baker | Velvet Pumpkins 

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Mirrored Side Board | Belen Rug | Light Fixture above dining table | Gold Light Fixtures above island | Gold & Silver Pumpkins c/o MacKenzie-Childs | 14 x 14 Letter board | White Gravy Boat

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Table Runner | MacKenzie-Childs Blooming Tumbler | Gold Check Hostess Serving Set | Gold Check Flatware – 5-Piece Place Setting | Sweetbriar Charger | Sweetbriar Dinner Plate | Sweetbriar Salad Plate | Parchment Check Two Tier Sweet Stand |

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Outfit: CREAM CHUNKY BOBBLE KNIT CARDIGAN (similar here) | The Racer Tank | Barbara High Waisted Skinny Jeans (also available here) | Ulani Heeled Leopard Print Bootie (also available here) |

Jewelry: Coin Necklace | Val Rose Gold Hoop Earrings Iridescent Crystal |   Byzantine Demi Hinge Cuff, Catalina Hinge Bangle, Catalina Hinge Cuff  & Monterey Link Bracelet c/o Julie Vos

New Orleans Bridesmaids Luncheon Cooking Class

March 27, 2018

Hey everyone, I hope you had a lovely first weekend of spring! Today I’m finally sharing the details from my bridesmaids luncheon cooking class at Simplee Gourmet in New Orleans. If you know me, then you know I like all of my parties to include games or activities. It’s the best way to get your friends and family members to interact with each other instead of just standing around talking. At my bridal shower I incorporated a flower crown making class so I thought it would be fun to turn my bridesmaids luncheon into a cooking class. Simple Gourmet was so kind to host us and they chose the perfect chefs to teach us how to whip up some New Orleans inspired dishes like shrimp and grits, lump crabmeat salad and crawfish and mirliton soup. Don’t worry I’ll be sharing all of the recipes to these mouthwatering dishes in today’s blog post especially the Crepes Fitzgerald that we made for dessert.

See more details on the MacKenzie-Childs Sweetbriar Collection here—> Bridal Brunch Table Setting With MacKenzie-Childs

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 I ordered my bridesmaids luncheon invitations and menus from Minted.com and they even came with thank you cards to match. It took me forever to decide though because offer so many pretty gold foil designs.

As for bridesmaids gifts, I picked out quite a few different goodies for both my New Orleans bridesmaids and my Cabo bridesmaids. I gifted my new Orleans bridesmaids personalized Mark & Graham compact mirrors, rose gold Loren Hope jewelry, rose gold Yosi Samra flats, Ashley Sievert bronzer and contour brush and some floral appliqué clutch from my exclusive Gigi New York Wedding collection that hasn’t even launched yet to use on the day of the wedding. See a sneak peek below.

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Outfit: Lace Midi Dress | Nude Ankle Strap Heels | Sequin Floral Hoop Earrings | Gigi New York Clutch (will be available soon)

You may recognize the dinnerware and flatware from my at-home bridal brunch and that is because Simplee Gourmet also carries MacKenzie-Childs tabletop and kitchen collections. I’m in love with the new Sweetbriar Collection so be sure to check it out and add it to your registry if you’re a bride-to-be. See more details on the collection here—> Bridal Brunch Table Setting With MacKenzie-Childs

Simplee Gourmet had the most delicious pimento cheese board set out for us as we all arrived and it was the most divine pimento cheese dip I’ve ever tasted. Lucky for you, I’ve included the recipe below!

Jennifer’s Bridal Luncheon Cooking Class Recipes

Pimento Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 C white cheddar cheese, grated 1 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 C mayo
1 t red wine vinegar
4 oz. pimentos
1⁄2 t onion powder
1⁄2 t garlic powder
1⁄2 t paprika
1⁄4 t hot sauce

Directions:

  1. Grate cheese and add to bowl.
  2. Add cream cheese, mayo, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and hot sauce.
  3. Using a hand mixer, blend all ingredients
  4. Fold in pimentos

Serve

Jumbo Lump Crab Salad

Ingredients:
Jumbo lump crab meat
1⁄2 bunch chopped green onions, whites and light greens only 1⁄4 C mayo
3 t jalapeño juice
1 t Tabasco
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Old bay to taste
3 T capers

Directions:

  1. Blot excess crab juice with paper towel once in bowl
  2. Add all ingredients to bowl
  3. Fold in carefully, making sure not to break up crab meat

Serve over lettuce or with crackers

Shrimp + Cheese Grits

Ingredients: Grits:

2 C stone ground cheese grits 8 C water
1 bag shredded Gouda
1 bag shredded cheddar

1⁄2 stick butter, cubed
1⁄2 c heavy whipping cream
S+P
Shrimp:
8 strips bacon, chopped
1 1⁄2 # shrimp, peeled + deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t Tony’s
4 green onions, chopped whites + light greens

Directions:

  1. In a stock pot, bring water to a boil. Slowly stir in grits, reduce heat, and cover. Cook for20 mins or until thickened. Stir in cheese, butter, + cream. Set aside to keep warm.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and reserve oil in pan. Use the oil in the pan to sauté shrimp. Once the shrimp are pink, turn off heat and serve over grits. Top with green onions.

Crawfish + Mirliton Soup

Ingredients:
2 T oo
2 T butter
1 C finely chopped onions
1⁄2 C finely chopped green bell pepper 1⁄2 C finely chopped celery

1⁄3 C finely chopped Tasso 1 T minced garlic
1⁄4 C flour
2 T tomato paste

6 C veg stock 1 bay leaf
1⁄2 t esssence 1 1⁄2 t salt

1 t liquid crab boil
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 C peeled + seeded + diced mirlitons 2 C chopped tomatoes
1 t chopped fresh oregano
1 # crawfish tails
1 T fresh basil, chopped

1 T fresh parsley, chopped 1⁄4 C heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Heat a 4qt stock pot over med high heat
  2. Add oo and butter to pot
  3. Once hot, add onions, bell peppers, celery, + Tasso, cook until very soft
  4. Add garlic and continue cooking
  5. After 1 minute, sprinkle flour over veggies and cook 1-2 mins
  6. Add tomato paste, stock, bay leaf, essence, salt, crab boil, + cayenne
  7. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer
  8. Allow to simmer 5 minutes then add mirlitons and cook until tender, 20 mins
  9. Add tomatoes + oregano cook for 5 mins
  10. Add crawfish, basil, parsley, + heavy cream and stir
  11. Cook about 5 more minutes
  12. Make sure seasoning is as desired

Serve

Crepes Fitzgerald

Ingredients: Crepe mix Cream cheese Powdered sugar Strawberries

25 T Grand marnier 10 oz Sugar
10 oz Butter

Directions:

  1. Mix crepe mix.
  2. Make crepes using a crepe pan.
  3. Spread cream cheese and powdered sugar inside crepes and fold.
  4. In a small saucepan heat butter + sugar, add strawberries and cook for about 3 mins.Add grand marnier.
  5. Pour sauce over crepes and serve.

If you’re looking to do something fun with your bridesmaids, family or group of friends, I highly recommend booking a cooking class at Simplee Gourmet. They did such a wonderful job planning the event from top to bottom and catering to my every request to make it a great experience for my bridesmaids.

Decorative Wedding Cookies by The Little Oven 

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Not only did I host my bridesmaids luncheon at Simplee Gourmet, but Blake and I also registered for some of our wedding gifts there as well. Keep your eyes out for my upcoming post featuring all of the items we registered for. Simplee Gourmet carries the most beautiful selection of dinnerware, flatware and serving pieces. They also carry the top brands for wine glasses, cutlery and cooking pots and pans.

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A huge thank you to the owner of Simplee Gourmet for working with me to make this an an incredible experience for my friends and also to the amazing chefs,  Alexandra Waguespack and Amelia Rosso who managed to teach us how to cook!

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Bridal Brunch Table Setting with MacKenzie-Childs

March 13, 2018

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a nice weekend. As promised, today I’m sharing photos from my at-home bridal brunch featuring MacKenzie-Childs’ latest collection, Sweetbriar! Tomorrow I’ll post photos and details from my bridesmaids luncheon/cooking class at Simplee Gourmet so you can see the collection in action. In case you missed my sneak peeks on Instagram, the collection is absolutely stunning and perfect all of you brides-to-be looking for a neutral dinnerware set to add to your registry. These ivory textured pieces are great for mixing and matching with other MacKenzie-Childs patterns that you already own. I’m sure you noticed that I incorporated a few Parchment Check dessert stands during my at-home bridal brunch. I can’t wait to style my Sweetbriar plates with my Morning Glory pieces for Easter.

Also, you can use Sweetbriar set as your everyday dinnerware since the pieces are microwave, oven and dishwasher safe or save the collection for special occasions since it has such a unique look with all of the different textures.

Light Fixtures c/o Lamps Plus

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Dining: Natural Linen Paige Round Back Chairs | Wood Leona Farmhouse Dining Table | Belen Rug | Mirrored Buffet Cabinet  | Macrame Table Runner c/o World Market

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Custom Oyster Paintings by Christina Fontenot Art

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Dining: Natural Linen Paige Round Back Chairs | Wood Leona Farmhouse Dining Table | Belen Rug | Mirrored Buffet Cabinet  | Macrame Table Runner c/o World Market

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I actually got to see the MC team hand-make some of the pieces at their headquarters in Aurora, NY last August so it’s amazing to witness the whole collection come to life. Check out photos from my visit to the MCHQ here—>Trip Recap

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