Category Archives: Events

10.15.14

Boston Meet & Greet with The College Prepster

 Exciting NEWS!

I am headed to Boston next weekend to host a Meet & Greet with my good friend Carly of the College Prepster. We have both been tweeting about this event lately so I’m excited to finally share the details with you!

As many of you might know, Carly and I both grew up in Tampa and met once in DC while she was at Georgetown. We always make time for NYC brunches, Tampa lattes (preferably nutella) and Drybar blowout dates. She has been such a great support to H&T over the past year as well.

Earlier this year, I also hosted a DC Meet & Greet in Georgetown and we had such a great time that we wanted to do it again – in another city. If you missed that event – be sure to check out my DC recap and hers here to get an idea of what it’s like.

This will also mark my first official trip to Boston – I have planned many events there and worked with vendors but never made the trip myself. Thus, I am equally excited to explore the city with Carly and some of my faves.

We will be hosting at the Tucker Blair Showroom and I don’t think it could be a more perfect space. RSVP below to join us for treats & shopping. I look forward to meeting y’all!

RSVP HERE

P.S. Have any local spots you love? Send my way! AND if you can’t attend in Boston – be sure to follow us along on insta (@bannc + @carly)!

Stay tuned for the second part of my Homestead trip too!

10.07.14

Life Lately – H&T Updates

Things have be a little quiet this past week on H&T so I wanted to do a quick post today to check in and let you know what I’ve been up to! I don’t often reveal too much of my life here on H&T outside the “hosting and toasting” but I think a little glimpse from time to time is needed. First & foremost, I’ve hired a new fall H&T intern – Ashley is the greatest and a tremendous help!

Some more BAC updates?

I just got back from Florida last week after a quick visit to see my family and attend an engagement dinner party that was hosted for my sister. If you followed along on instagram, you know that this past weekend was spent in the DC area with friends – brunching, sailing and celebrating.

On the events front, I am working on some exciting collaborations and events soon with some of my favorite brands and bloggers (more deets to come). AND in just a few short weeks, I will be a presenter at DC’s Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show! Don’t forget to get your tickets and come and see one of my Holiday Tips & Tricks workshops the weekend of Nov 8th-9th (Bobby Flay is also a good reason to come!). I’m so excited to share with you how I host & toast in person and meet everyone!

On the fitness front, I have been on a non-stop barre class plan at Barre Tech (4-5x a week) and am determined to have Jennifer Aniston’s arms by the time my sister’s wedding comes along, ha! If you haven’t tried a class, you’re missing out! There will be a special promo code for H&T readers who purchase classes so stay tuned. I’m working on styling some of my favorite Barre Tech gear this week for my first ever workout outfit post too.

On the beauty front, I have also been following a strict skincare routine with the help of Reagan and Beautycounter and OMG – my skin is absolutely radiant! I’m also excited to try their new lip colors soon in an outfit post. Shop my picks here and click on “Hosting & Toasting Social” for more.

On the hosting front – next weekend, I will be hosting a small fall-themed brunch for a group of friends (spoiler: pumpkin pancakes will be involved) with my good friend, Cori Sue of Bitches Who Brunch.

On the fashion front, the H&T Shop has been updated for Fall – and check out some of my staples in my latest post too. I have a slight obsession with vests and leopard as evident by my picks and new outfit posts are also coming next week (see below).

And finally, if you liked my Labor Day weekend recap post series – stay tuned next week for a fall trip recap. This weekend I am headed to The Omni Homestead for a girls weekend full of wine, dining, spa days and skeet shooting. I have partnered with GM again on this road trip and The Homestead has been so gracious to host us – it’s one of my favorite spots and just a few hours from DC. Much needed R&R!

I have a few more trips lined up this fall and am headed up to NYC soon too – cannot wait! Carly and I have already made some fun plans and I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends up there.

 On top of all that, I have been feeling a little under the weather this week (#seasonsarechanging) and there seems to never be enough hours in the day as I also work full time as an event planner. Who else can relate to this?  So thank you for baring with me as I took a little blog break to catch up on emails and light a few pumpkin candles.

Up next? Stay tuned this week as I share some of my “Fall” tips & tricks to get your house ready and check out my pumpkin patch post from last year & fall drink recipes in case you need some inspiration early!

Phew! Happy Tuesday!

09.26.14

Recap: Stock the Bar Engagement Party!

If you followed along on instagram, you might know that I was recently captured on camera hosting and toasting – literally (thanks to my friend, Dan!). Last weekend, I had the honor of being one of the hostesses for my good friend/former roomie’s engagement party. Today, I am showcasing a little recap from that party and my inspiration for it (see what I wore here).

First and foremost, guests were sent invitations via snailmail with inserts that read:

“a bottle of red or a bottle of white,

maybe tequila and salt for a margarita delight,

glasses, napkins or an ice bucket too –

Let’s stock their bar before they say “I do!”

I went with a “Stock the Bar” theme for this particular engagement (no pun intended). For those of you not familiar with this type of party or shower – guests are encouraged to “stock the bar” for the couple. To some that meant gifting items on the couple’s registry (wine glasses, cocktail glasses, wine openers, ice buckets etc) and to others, that meant giving bottles of nice wine, bourbon, Veuve and the like. The invite inserts made sure that no one had any questions about what to bring or buy for the happy couple.

This party theme also works for “couple showers” since it’s female AND male friendly (what guy doesn’t want his bar stocked?), compared to other showers that sometimes only keep the bride in mind.

I teamed up once again with Nico and Lala for everything from the invites to the details and the perfect favor for an affair of this sort – a custom koozie, of course.

We kept everything simple, somewhat gender neutral and casual as well. Urbanstems provided gorgeous orange roses and I picked up some white spider mums (my new favorite bloom) to arrange in vases around the house.

We kept the menu hearty (because there was lots of toasting, of course, not to mention, lots of men in attendance) with some of the bride and groom’s favorites. Mini grilled cheeses and tomato soup, mini sliders, crabcakes, bruschetta and cookie sandwiches – all of which were gone in a minute (or two!).

For catering and bartending, I worked with DC Taste. They are absolutely amazing and if you live in the DC area, they come highly recommended by H&T. Their staff is delightful to work with and their food is delicious. (I am also pretty sure they thought I was a little crazy because I insisted on helping set up.) For drinks, we did the bride and groom’s beer and wine picks passed plus a bubbly toast that included an impromptu speech by yours truly (cheers!).

It was so much fun having everyone all together under one roof in Sarah’s former stomping grounds (our house), before their big day next year. Also, it is such a small world because two guests just happened to also be H&T readers and had no idea they were coming over to celebrate at my house!

Congratulations again to the newly engaged couple and special thank you to all my fellow hostesses!

08.15.14

DIY: Rise & Shine Bachelorette Kits

TGIF! I know no one wants to talk about hangovers (or Irish flus as I call them) on a Friday but I promise this post takes a different spin on them.

Today, I’m excited to share with you another DIY guest post from my lovely sister, MEC. (If you missed her last one on bridesmaids, be sure to check it out.)

A growing trend with many bachelorette weekends has become the “hangover kit” or “survival kit” (i.e. cute little basket you put together for all the girls with goodies that will help them nurse the previous night’s decisions goodbye). Well, I just love MEC’s spin on this kit trend that she put together for her BFF’s bachelorette weekend earlier this summer.

Before we get into her deets, you must first know that MEC is the more relaxed/go-with the-flow sister and I take on the more high-strung/Type A role in our relationship. It’s a nice little balance (fire & water – aries and pisces) and she’s truly a role model of mine.  After you read below you’ll probably see why she’s taken on the nickname “yogi” or “the zen sister” by yours truly.

Rise and Shine Kit (aka a healthy hangover kit)

This is an all natural way to recover after a night of drinking on a bach weekend! I chose a small pail since the bachelorette weekend had a South Beach theme, but choose whatever you’d like! Burlap bags, gift boxes or bags, beach or tote bags, and the list goes on.. these are all great choices!

Kit Items:

  • Lara Bar: for energy and to cure hunger (made from a few, all natural ingredients)
  • Whitening Gum: to spruce up your pearly whites and cure that bad breath, the mint also helps with stomach issues/acid
  • Ginger Tea: I chose green but can be any kind, the ginger is good for your stomach and tea is great for detoxing
  • Instant Starbucks: although coffee dehydrates you, it would be fine to drink it in a small amount for a caffeine kick
  • La Croix or other Sparkling Water: this will hydrate you, and the carbonation will cure that soda craving that often hits the next morning
  • A Fun Straw: for cuteness/use for the beverages with an inspirational, ” get out of bed and fix yourself” saying. I chose- Rise and Shine!, Rejuvenate! and Refresh!
  • A Fun Napkin: for clean up
  • A Hangover Yoga Sequence: I chose a 5 min video called Hangover Recovery by Tara Stiles (my fave!). Choose something that can be easily accessed from YouTube on an iPhone. And something shorter is always best on a morning like this!

Other suggested items (for larger kits):

  • Coconut Water: for hydration and to replace lost electrolytes
  • Pain Reliever: preferably a more natural type
  • Other snacks: crackers or nutritional bars
  • Makeup Remover Wipes
  • Stomach Settling Chewables: TUMS!

I don’t know about you but I kinda wish I had one of these handy for all post-toasting activities.  Hopefully this inspires you if you’re in the midst of planning a bachelorette weekend yourself or just in need of a new & healthy hungover harriett cure!

Be sure to check back soon for another MEC DIY guest post!

(I’ll give you a hint: see that cute little itinerary above?!)

AND for all the latest on H&T, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest!

08.04.14

You’re Invited: 9W InStyle Party!

Happy Monday!

I have some super exciting news to share with you! InStyle is launching their new and exclusive shoe collection with 9 West. AND If you live in the DC area, you can celebrate with them at an event this week on Thursday, August 7th from 6pm to 8pm in Georgetown.

You can preview their fall collection and InStyle’s Accessories Director, Leah Kapp, will be at the event to consult on styling tips as well.  More details & RSVP info are below.

To attend this Thursday – RSVP to [email protected]

Bring your friends! Hope to see you there!

{This post was sponsored by NineWest x InStyle.}