Inspired By Plaid and Houndstooth - Our Favorite Prints for Fall!

The air is crisp, boots have been dusted off and the smell of pumpkin spice is everywhere.  Its fall and we are thoroughly enjoying all this season has to offer.  We are busy working on a fall inspired event and enjoying mixing warm colors, textures and patterns.  We've decided to incorporate plaid into this project and it has made us realize how much we are loving plaid at the moment!  We can't say too much yet, but we thought we'd share the inspiration board with you.  The concept is "Rich Fall Meets Warm Boho".  Our vision is rustic, elegant, bohemian, warm, cozy and indulgent.  This unexpected color palette (mustard... where have you been all our lives?!?) is stunning and so very "fall"!

We love plaid because it comes in so many colors and sizes and if done right can be oh so chic!  Another one of our favorite fall patterns is houndstooth.  Although it is classic and has been around for quite some time, it seems to be making a big comeback this fall.  It is everywhere - and for good reason!  It is simple yet bold, classic yet modern and equally appropriate on both men and women.  These two prints are the perfect addition to your holiday entertaining designs.  You can incorporate them in a big way or subtly - whatever suits your fancy.  Below are a few of our favorite ways to use plaid and houndstooth in both decor and at events.

We love these place settings.  The top setting's houndstooth napkin is the perfect touch and looks fantastic agains the tribal linen.  The lower setting's plaid placemat is holiday festive but in an understated elegant way.  We love it!

Photos courtesy of Glitter (houndstooth and tribal print) Everything Fabulous (plaid)

Plaid bridesmaid dresses are not common, but we think they are super cool.  We especially love the large plaid because it is so unexpected.  Consider wearing something like this to a holiday party this season.

Photos courtesy of Bride Power (single model) and Elizabeth Anne Designs (bride with bridesmaids)

We love the simplicity of the blue plaid napkin tied with an orange bow on the place setting.  Blue gingham is featured in the photo on the right.  Gingham is plaids adorable cousin.  Although typically more appropriate during spring and summer months.  We do however, feel the blue gingham paired with the orange cocktail makes for a very "fall" appropriate combination.

Photos courtesy of Ruffled (place setting) and (drink)

Oh houndstooth.  Isn't it lovely?!  The bow tie shown below is perfection and the favor bags couldn't be cuter.

Photos courtesy of Wedding Chicks (bow tie) and Ruffled (escort cards)

These invitations are so striking and unexpected.  Whether used for a wedding, holiday party or any other celebration, we'd love to get something like this in the mail!

Photo courtesy of Hey Wedding Lady (houndstooth) and Rustic Wedding Chic (plaid)

Lastly, we wanted to share with you a few chic ways to incorporate plaid and houndstooth in your own home holiday decor.  These would make great gifts as well!

Photos courtesy of William Sonoma (plaid plates) and Joss & Main (houndstooth pillows)

xoxo,

The Sterling Team

Star's Favorite Things: Halloween Fun!

Happy Halloween!  We celebrated Halloween this past weekend by hosting a casual get together in our home.  It featured yummy festive and fall inspired treats and lots of DIY decor.  Below are a few photos of some of the fun elements.  All photos were taken by the talented Christine Collins of Collins Clan Photography! 

I made a ghost out of cheesecloth and fabric stiffener. This was an easy craft and extremely inexpensive! Thank you Pinterest and the Everyday is a Crafting Day blog for the idea! 

A few years ago I purchased a couple cases of mason jars from my local grocery store and use them all the time!  They make great vases, candle holders and of course, beverage glasses!  I tie ribbon, tulle or raffia around the top in various colors depending on the occasion, and I end up with a decor element that appears to be tailor made for the event at hand.  As you know, I love paper straws (as you can see from my previous post) and utilized black and orange ones for the beverages which were served in mason jars tied with black tulle.  This was super quick, inexpensive and so much more fun than plastic cups! 

A friend of ours brought over the adorable carved pumpkin.  Love the simple yet creative little face on it!
 

Lots of delicious snacks and goodies were served... below are some of my favorites! I've been making the chocolate dipped apricots for a while now and they are super easy. Simply dip dried apricots in melted chocolate until they are halfway covered, lay on parchment paper and top with a whole almond before the chocolate dries. Simple and delicious and very Halloweenie!

We served carrots and ranch in little shot glasses which made for perfect little portions.

The marshmallow people were hand dipped in food coloring then in chocolate and finished off with little chocolate eyes. This was so fun, I know I'll be making them again in the future and I'll definitely share the DIY tutorial with you. Stay tuned!

Cheetos were served in little paper cones and I glued googalie eyes to them to add a little fun!

Because in my opinion, you can't have a party without cake, chocolate cupcakes were served alongside delicious caramel apples slices (which I happen to think are the perfect Halloween treat)!

This is our our little man's first Halloween and we've had so much fun introducing him to all that this holiday has to offer! We even stuck him in a pumpkin for a quick photo. He wasn't too sure what to do so he just started gnawing on the side!   

Happy Halloween from the Sterling Team!

XOXO,

Star

Spring Break Fever: Spicy Cocktails to Kick-Up your Celebration

Hello Darlings! Since today officially kicks off the first day of Spring Break for so many of you out here, I'm posting a few tasty cocktail recipes in honor of the fabulous week of fun that so many are about to embark on.

Red Cedar Sunset

Ingredients
2 oz. orange juice
4 oz. champagne
3/4 oz. grenadine

How to Make It
Pour orange juice, then champagne into a chilled champagne glass.
Gently drizzle grenadine into glass.


















We found this recipe on The Knot but it actually came courtesy of Natalie Bovis-Nelsen/TheLiquidMuse.com

This next drink is just perfect for watching the final four in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. A shandy is a British cocktail that combines beer and lemonade. This is the perfect combo if your not the biggest beer fan but still would like to drink beer with the guys!

Ginger Shandies

Ingredients
Three 11.2 ounce bottles of chilled Hoegaarden beer
One 12-ounce bottle chilled ginger beer
1 thinly sliced lemon
Mint springs, for garnish

How to Make It
In a large pitcher, combine the Hoegaarden with the ginger beer. Stir in most of the lemon slices and mint springs.
Fill 6 rocks glasses with ice. Add the remaining lemon slices to the glasses and pour in the shandy. Garnish each drink with a mint sprig and serve.















We found this recipe on Yum Sugar, but it's actually courtesy of Food & Wine.


POM Springs

Ingredients
2 oz. Pomegranate Peach Passion White POM Tea
1 oz. light rum
1 oz. Myer's Dark Rum
1 1/2 oz. cranberry juice cocktail
1 1/2 oz. fresh orange juice

Garnish
slices of orange, lime and peach

How to Make It
Assemble all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a goblet or tall glass over ice. Garnish with orange, lime and peach slices.
















We found this recipe on the Pom Wonderful website.

Happy Mixing!

Holiday Parties at Home: Simple steps to Success!

Hello all! I'm sorry it took me a bit longer than I anticipated to get this next post out but last week was crazy for me. I had a huge holiday party for 1000 people, I will be posting photos soon and then the very next day we had our own holiday housewarming for over 100 people. Things were crazy and chaotic and somewhere in the midst of things I learned that my Godfather, Uncle Irving, had passed away. Anyway, both events were extremely successful and went very smooth.

In this post, I'd like to share with you my simple steps to having a successful holiday party in your home. This is my absolute favorite season and there's no better way to celebrate it then to be in good company with great food and decor!

1) Plan ahead! Even if your a last minute Charlie which I myself, even sometimes tend to be, always try and at least map out the direction your going in advance. For my holiday party, I made my menu the same night I made the guest list. This points you in the right direction and prepares you for what to respond with when helpful guests offer to bring someting. Plan your menu, your beverages, your decor and your entertainment as far in advance as you can and this will enable you to have more time for prep as the week of approaches.

2) Accept help! While many do like to do everything they can on their own, help is great too! This year I knew as much as I'd love to do everything on my own it just wasn't feasible with such a large event the day before. Instead, I planned to cook all my crowd pleasing appetizers and platters that I could myself, and get help with mini gourmet sandwiches and salads. I called upon a favorite vendor and immediately felt the relief. I then ordered potato latkes as well from a couple local chefs I know and they aided in taking off some of the pressure. In addition, anyone that offered to bring something I accepted. I asked all my generous guests who offered to please bring a dessert. I also ordered mini cupcakes from Yummy Cupcakes in Burbank and dessert was a huge hit.

3) Appreciate all the details... This year I was full of details! Little things that don't seem that relevant are often times the things your guests will notice most.

I hung ornaments from my chandelier using ribbon, added fabric to my mantles and placed holly around the house for a festive smell. I also made sure to place little snacks such as candy bowls, chocolate covered nuts and raisins in every room for guests to much on. I made sure that the food I was serving had little placecards in front of them to identify what each item was and made sure to have a large variety for my veggie, meat and seafood eaters. I also altered our lighting using twinkle lights, candles and dimmers. This added a real ambiance to the evening.

4) Clean up as you go! Throughout the day while I was prepping and the night while I was entertaining I consistently attempted to put away and clean as much as possible. This prevents a large mess for the end of the night and is very easy. Try and remember the guideline full hands in - full hands out. Anytime your walking in or out of the kitchen or dining area always try and multi-task as you go. The more you can do while completing other tasks along the way, the less you will have to do at the end of the night. It's a great trick to follow and is rather simple too.

5) Have fun! Don't forget to enjoy yourself with your guests. This is always one thing I tend to forget myself, I get so wrapped up in cooking and perfecting everything I tend to place enjoying myself lower on the list. But ultimately, your guests are here for you, it's important to share the night with them. Make sure you allow ample time to complete your entertaining duties and still play a part in the night as well.

So those are my top tips for a successful evening amongst your closest family and friends. I wish you all a happy healthy holiday from my home and into your own. I will try to post a few more times prior to the end of the year