Interiors by Jacquin: Entertaining with Style: featuring We the Birds Macarons

Summer weather is finally here and that means it's party season! I'm excited to launch the summer season of my "Entertaining with Style" series, which is on schedule to be an epic summer of featured parties! If you have a party or specal event that you'd like featured, be sure to send me an email. Today we're popping over to Dallas, Texas to get a glimpse at the chic and intimate brunch of hostess Natalie Knowlton, blogger and macaron baker extraordinaire at We the Birds.

My name is Natalie Knowlton, owner and macaron-maker behind We the Birds Macarons and co-curator of We the Birds, a sister-duo fashion and lifestyle blog. Coming from a transient background, we called ourselves “birds” because we were always on the move. Our blog continues to embody our zest for traveling, fashion, and food - mostly macarons. :-)

Natalie's party theme is "Bucket List Brunch"! Check out how to make these DIY placecards at the bottom.

I am an adventurous food and travel lover. My recent trip to Hong Kong inspired the theme for this Bucket List Brunch. The Bucket List Brunch featured an international breakfast buffet and included a fun destination trivia game highlighting everyone’s bucket-list destination. I invited my two sisters, mom, aunt, and three close friends. I adore everyone that came and loved that all my favorite women were able to meet and mingle in my home.

My apartment style is minimal, simplistic, and chic. I love to mix modern and traditional elements and re-purpose glassware and dried flowers to decorate my apartment. With my minimalist style, the food and company stole the spotlight at this brunch.

Try this recipe for Smoked Salmon Blinis!

Making guests feel at home is my number one priority when hosting. This includes: prepping as much as I can days in advance so that I can be at total ease when my guests arrive; lighting candles in each bathroom with a delicate bouquet in each room; welcoming each guest with a hug and offering them a beverage, and as my mother says, “it is better to have more food than not enough."

ENTERTAINING TIPS

Time Saver Tip: Prepare ahead of time! This includes grocery shopping 3-4 days in advance, cooking and freezing menu items 2-3 days in advance, making gift bags, prepping/setting the table 1-2 days in advance, and making flower arrangements the night before. Leave a very small to-do list for the morning or day of the event.

Money-Saver Tip: Make your own flower arrangements. Start by choosing an accent color then add greenery and one or two complimentary flowers. I chose fuchsia pink as my accent color. My apartment consists of “cool colors” including grey, white, wood, and metals. The fuchsia added the perfect “pop of color” to my neutral aesthetic. Another great way to save money is by re-purposing empty glassware as vases. I used a combination of mason jars, wine bottles, and glass milk bottles. Place the arranged bouquets throughout your home. Flowers bring life to a room and serve as a cohesive element in every room.

DIY TIP: Gift bags are the perfect take-away for your guests and can double as place holders on your table setting. For this Bucket List themed brunch, I found cute luggage tags for each guest and customized each with their name on the tag. I wrapped them in small muslin bags and adorned each with a pretty name tag. See below.