Lydia Menzies Celebrates
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    Lydia Menzies Celebrates
    Lydia Menzies Celebrates
    • Supper Club
    • Supper Club Prep School
    • Blog
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    Category: Holiday

    white linen square cocktail napkins with bunnies on them in blue purple pink yellow orange and green

    My Top Eleven Easter Gift Ideas from The Hop Up Shop

    April 3, 2023
    • Holiday
    • Home Decor
    • Party Planning
    hunt slonem holding blue bunny painting with blonde lady beside him

    Captivated by the Art of Hunt Slonem

    March 19, 2023
    • Every Day Ideas
    • Holiday
    gift ideas for Father's Day

    Perfect Ideas for Father’s Day Gifts

    June 8, 2021
    • Gift Ideas & Goody Bags
    • Holiday
    cream cheese caramel candy apple dip

    Cream Cheese and Caramel Candy Apple Dip

    March 11, 2021
    • Holiday
    • Recipes
    easter table setting with tulips white napkins yellow ribbons vintage carrot salt and pepper shakers

    Spring and Easter Table Setting Ideas

    March 10, 2021
    • Holiday
    • Party Themes
    Supper Club Exclusive
    tableset with green teal yellow tablecloth and green flower arrangement

    A Non-Traditional St. Patrick’s Day Table Setting

    March 2, 2021
    • Holiday
    • Party Themes
    • Supper Club Membership
    mini rudolph doughnuts with candy cane antlers and candy eyes and nose with santa pitcher in background

    Easy Rudolph the Reindeer Mini Cinnamon Doughnuts

    December 16, 2020
    • Holiday
    pink poinsettia cocktail with pink and green napkin crackers and cheese

    Pink Poinsettia Christmas Brunch Cocktail

    December 9, 2020
    • Holiday
    • Portfolio
    • Recipes
    Supper Club Exclusive
    pink and green place setting with half of a grapefruit

    Pink and Green Christmas Breakfast or Brunch

    December 8, 2020
    • Holiday
    • Supper Club Membership
    • Table Setting
    pink and green poinsettia and jingle bell christmas napkins and placemats with green leopard print

    Designing Tables with Giddy Paperie

    December 8, 2020
    • Holiday
    • Party Themes
    • Uncategorized
    pink and gold christmas table setting with bottle brush trees and colorful ornaments

    Blessings for Bracey at Tennessee Chinoiserie

    December 1, 2020
    • Holiday
    blue and white christmas table setting

    A Charming Charleston Christmas ~ Entertain & Celebrate Magazine

    December 1, 2020
    • Holiday
    • Party Themes
    • Portfolio
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    Let me know what you think! Do you love seeing sti Let me know what you think! Do you love seeing still photos of ideas or do you love seeing the video versions of ideas? I actually love creating videos but also love photography- it would be great to hear your thoughts. 🌸🌱🌸 #flowerarrangment #tulipseason
    You are in for a TREAT with an upcoming issue of @ You are in for a TREAT with an upcoming issue of @entertainandcelebrate ! If you don’t already follow, you will definitely want to- this magazine is one to watch for all things party and celebrating!!! 🌸🥳🌸 The SPRING issue is on newsstands now- tag me if you find it!! They sell out fast and can be hard to find! 🌸🌸🌸 You are going to LOVE all that is coming your way!! 🌸🌸🌸 #collagework #rosemedallion #rosemedallionporcelain #entertainandcelebrate #celebrateeveryday #celebrateeverything #grandmillennial #grandmillennialdecor #grandmillenialstyle #grandmillennialstyle
    🌸 SPRING PARTIES 🌸 Welcome spring and your f 🌸 SPRING PARTIES 🌸 Welcome spring and your friends and family with a garden party! Here’s a party peek with this theme that I am working on adding to my blog. I styled the tables for @thesouthernc Member Party with details from @thesouthernsideboard @giddypaperie @juliemcallistercakes @inthecuriouskitchen @thepreppystitch @theenchantedfrog @carolinescakes @kelliboydphotography 📸 #grandmillennialstyle #gardenpartydecor #gardenpartyideas #gardentrellis #flowermagazine #flowerbaskets #lydiamenziescelebrates #thesouthernc #connectcollaboratecreate #connectcollaboratecelebrate #blueandwhiteforever #springparty #tscsummit #stylemehappy
    🌸👀 SWIPE TO SEE 👀🌸 the speakers and to 🌸👀 SWIPE TO SEE 👀🌸 the speakers and topics for the Easter Workshop coming this Friday!! Grab your *FREE* ticket in the link in my bio and tell me below what you’re looking forward to learning more about!! We can’t wait! 🌸💝🐰💚🌸 See you there!  #easterprep #easterpreparations #grandmillennial #grandmillennialdecor #grandmillennialstyle #grandmillennialhome #grandmillennialeaster #easterworkshop #traditionalhome #celebrateeveryday #springcelebration #tablesettings #tablescapestyling
    ☘️ LUCKY GREEN ☘️ Cheers to having the luc ☘️ LUCKY GREEN ☘️ Cheers to having the luck of the Irish as you make your moves through the day! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🥳☘️💚☘️💚🥳 #buru #dontmindifiburu #greendesign #greenaesthetic #greendress #partydress #partydresses #lydiamenziescelebrates #letsgetdressed #connectcollaboratecreate #tscsummit
    🌸🐰💚 MARCH 25th 🌸🐰💚 Join us for a 🌸🐰💚 MARCH 25th 🌸🐰💚 Join us for an Easter Prep Workshop hosted by @happyhostesscollective with contributors @maryalice.home @inthecuriouskitchen @designedbydixon @penderandpeony @southerndiscourse @thecheerfulbaker and @lydiamenziescelebrates The link to grab your FREE pass is in my bio!
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    Lydia Menzies Celebrates

    Join the party! Let’s celebrate life together ❤️

    © 2023 - Lydia Menzies Celebrates Website by Allison Skinner Web Design & Development

    Forum Description

    You may remember how much I adore Julie McAllister, from For Heaven Bakes.  Julie is a master at sculpted cakes, and she was recently featured in Entertain & Celebrate magazine.  There's nothing quite like being in the Christmas issue of a national magazine! Julie's talent and the cakes that she makes deserve to be featured everywhere, in my opinion. Each one is a masterpiece that is disguised as a cake. Or is it a cake that is disguised as a masterpiece?  Either way, it's mind-boggling every single time I see her cakes!  Julie so kindly asked if I would style the photo shoot based on the cake that she was planning to make for her Entertain & Celebrate feature.  The photo below is the cake that Julie made (yes, it's really a cake! :) cake made to look like a blue and white chinoiserie vase with white sugar magnolia and poinsettia blooms   The cake portion of Julie's creation is modeled after a blue and white chinoiserie vase- it looks so real that you wouldn't realize that it isn't actually a vase.  The flowers and leaves are also made of sugar and handcrafted by Julie. cake that looks like a blue and white vase with sugar flowers Making the flower petals and assembling the magnolias and poinsettias seems so tedious, but Julie makes it sound fun and easy when she talks about it.  She truly has a gift of artistic talent and an abundance of patience. Look at how delicate and beautiful each sugar flower is... close up of poinsettia sugar flower in cake made to look like a blue and white chinoiserie vase   Julie lives in Charleston, South Carolina which is full of inspiration in and of itself.  When Julie and I chatted about the vision that she had for the feature, the emphasis on her home city was at the forefront.  Julie wanted to go with blue and white coastal vibes to complement the cake that she was planning to make. The front doors of Charleston homes are an iconic part of the beauty and history of the city, and so Julie shared more of her culinary artistry with cookies that she made to depict the doors she passes by each day. charleston front door cookie on blue and white plate   With Charleston as the setting of the feature, we wanted to pull in southern ties, customs, and traditions.  Magnolia branches and blossoms are synonymous with the south, and so we wanted to add magnolia branches in the centerpiece to go along with Julie's sugar magnolias.  We were also working in the middle of a pandemic and access to florals were unavailable- and so I suggested we go heavy with greenery and let the white sugar flowers shine.  Julie's husband was able to scout out magnolia branches and cypress branches, and I cut boxwood clippings from my yard to complete our greenery.  The topiaries on the cookies also added the perfect touch of green to the table! blue and white christmas table setting   For the table setting, we wanted the feel to be ultra-traditional.  I started with a pale blue patterned table cloth and then added layers and textures.  I wanted to incorporate a nod to Charleston's historic and iconic sweetgrass baskets and so I placed seagrass chargers at each place.  I also wanted to keep the focus on blue and white and so I incorporated solid white basket weave plates and bone china plates with gold rims to mix into the Canton blue and white patterned dishes.  On top of the seagrass chargers, I couldn't resist an extra layer of blue and white with a beautiful thin charger. Adding a porridge bowl on top seemed perfectly fitting for a Charleston table, too- it would be a gorgeous way to serve their famous She-Crab Soup! blue and white christmas table setting with white napkin and velvet ribbon and orange pomander   As you can see, we didn't add soup to the bowls, but instead decorated with oranges made into classic pomanders using cloves.  Julie was amazed at how quickly I could make those! :)  I also loved the lush velvet ribbon that I tied to some of the oranges as well as each napkin.  Adding a sprig of boxwood not only added color but texture and interest, too!  With a heavy dose of blue and white, the greens, pinks, and oranges helped to add subtle contrasts while leading the eyes to the cake centerpiece. orange tied with blue velvet ribbon and placed in evergreens on a table centerpiece   Another way we incorporated a coastal vibe into this Charming Charleston Christmas theme, was by adding hand painted oyster shells strung with coral ribbon.  I had the oyster shells painted by Pippa Goetz, and we added the shells to mini boxwood wreaths that we tied to the backs of the chairs. chairback with boxwood wreath and painted oyster shell   The centerpiece cake wasn't the only cake that Julie baked and decorated. In the magazine feature, she also shared her recipe for gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting.  How beautiful is the cake topped with cranberries?  It is such a gorgeous cake to add to your holiday line-up. blue and white christmas table with gingerbread cake in the middle I just love the simplicity of the gingerbread cake along with the intricate and detailed sculpted cake, plus the beautifully decorated cookies. They all show the many talents of Julie! gingerbread cake with cranberries on top on blue and white table setting for christmas   Because we like to greet and welcome our guests at the door, I love to have a signature cocktail or other drink available immediately. As soon as you take their coats, handbags, etc. for them, offer a fun beverage option.  With this idea in mind, we set up a cocktail station with a cranberry champagne spritzer.  December in Charleston can be warmer than in other areas, and so a cold drink works well to begin the evening. champagne cocktails with cranberries and napkins on a silver tray   Gabrielle, of The Preppy Stitch, provided the most perfect cocktail napkins to go with the blue and white theme.  The fringe borders and the chinoiserie ginger jars tied in nicely.  I love a statement napkin- it makes an already beautiful drink have more presentation.  Those types of details are wonderful for showing that you care about creating an experience for your guests. cocktail sticks displayed in a rattan glass with cranberry spritzer   We used tall glasses and filled them to the brim with ice and frozen cranberries. We added thyme to make the drinks more festive and then provided a stir stick for mixing.  The stir sticks are designed by Giddy Paperie and manufactured by Acrylic Sticks. They make a fun detail and a really great hostess gift! cranberry champagne spritzer   For after dinner, having coffee, tea, or espresso to offer guests is a treat.  Setting up a warm drink station is a beautiful way to have everything prepared ahead of time when hosting a party.  It's the perfect complement to the amazing cakes Julie prepared and a perfect way to end an evening dinner party! For more details on the drink stations, see The Supper Club blog about the different ideas. (This content is reserved for members of The Supper Club, and you are invited to join here if you haven't already!).   blue and white espresso cups and silver tea pot with greenery and oranges   What a dream to be asked to style this shoot for you, Julie!  You are so wonderful and talented and it is always an honor to work (and play) with you!  Thank you for trusting me to assist you with this feature in Entertain & Celebrate! The photographer behind all of the beautiful photos is Abby Murphy.  Abby is so conscientious and meticulous with her photos which shows in the beauty of each one.  Cheers to both of you ladies and your creative abilities- I loved being part of this team! sculpted cake by for heaven bakes at christmas Also, I want to say a huge thanks to Appointments at Five for allowing me to load up on Canton china to make the trip to Charleston! Wishing you all a wonderful start to the holiday season! Cheers, Lydia xo
    MY FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPE

    Freebie! Comes with a printable cocktail recipe card you could include with a hostess gift!

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