Am a bit scattered today, thinking about my trip west and all that is going on in my life. I recalled some pictures I had taken on my last trip home to "the ranch" i.e. my parent's house in CT, and decided to do a post about an imaginary 30th birthday party I want to have there is this amazing old stone foundation on the property (above). When my parent's bought the land and I saw this space I immediately thought "There needs to be a dinner party in here". Originally I wanted to have my rehearsal dinner in here and then the wedding in the back yard- alas, that did not come to fruition. So indulge me while I hallucinate on my faux 30th...
To start, it needs to be cleaned out, obviously. I would fill the space with candle light and small white string lights wrapped around the tree in the middle. I would find a way to mount small glass votives all over the stone walls. Across the top would hang strings of varying shapes of chinese lanterns in red, pink and white.




I'd fill the area with round tables covered solid orangey-pink linen, the perfect color for a warm August night celebration. The flowers would reflect the same color scheme, red, pink and orange- preferably poppies, ranunculus, peonies, french tulips and dahlias (flowers below by Ariella Chezar). All would be in fantastic varying sized ceramic vases, like these below (but not that color) from Jayson Home & Garden.


The caterers would prepare and serve from the new barn my dad just designed and built next to the foundation. On the big sliding barn doors I'd place wreaths like these that master floral designer Ariella Chezar did for her own 30th.

I would serve my favorite, favorite drink of all time, the Basil Lime Gimlet from Via Matta. To.Die.For. You can find the recipe yourself in Michael Schlow's cookbook.

The paper goods would be by my new obsession, Mr. Boddington's Studio. Hey this is a fantasy right?



Well, I have a year and a half to save lots and lots of money to throw such a party! :)