A Very Beautyfrosting Brandywine Rustic Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving for 15? In a 1000 square foot apartment? What to do, what to do?!

The chalkboard greeting guests on the front door *chalk art by Yumarie Morales

Why, we’re gonna do it al fresco, of course, darlings!

A Brandywine Rustic Thanksgiving with old friends & new friends alike!

And the theme? Wellll…Back in October in Dallas, I fell in love with a turkey. No, I’m being literal here. It was at my fave home furnishings & decor shop, Uptown Country Home, in University Park. I saw her, decided her name was Brandywine and had her shipped to me in LA.

I kissed a turkey…and I liked it

My piece of advice for holiday tablescapes? Let one piece of holiday decor guide the rest of your table. In this case, it was Brandywine and she inspired my Thanksgiving theme, Brandywine RusticI decided to opt for rusty rose and gold as my theme colors, and then proceeded to find the perfect dishes and glassware at HomeGoods.

My Homegoods Happy finds! (With Brandywine, the star of the show, of course)

I let the Brandywine Rustic theme dictate my tablecoverings – and decided to do just a large piece of Burlap (7 yards, thank you very much), topped with Paper Source chalkboard wrapping paper ($34.95) as a table runner.

Burlap fabric table covering (straight from the fabric store, y'all!) and a chalkboard paper table runner

That way, I could write “So grateful for…” and my guests could write their gratitude down as they ate and drank and mingled. BF Tip? Supply gold chalk markers and gold rolling ball pens so everything shows up in the most beautiful of ways! Many of the pieces became such beautiful little works of art that I couldn’t bear to part with them!

So grateful for…the art that this table runner inspired! *succulent ℅ Rolling Greens

Next, flowers. I chose to keep with the rose and gold theme with simple floral arrangements DIY-style from Trader Joe’s. But my real centerpiece showstoppers were succulents from Rolling Greens in beautiful, gold rustic pots.

Beautiful succulents c/o Rolling Greens - the perfect masculine element to my overtly feminine tablescape

After all, when you live in a place that’s called The Cupcake Palace, things can get a little too feminine, when having a coed dinner. Adding succulents brings the perfect harmonious balance of masculine and feminine to the table.

Speaking of harmony, how about a little social lubrication? Well, that’s exactly what my Thansgiving cocktail, Brandywine punch, offered. **and yes, the recipe will be up tomorrow!)

Sipping on my Brandywine punch, thank you very much. *wearing Annabelle dress ℅ Donna Morgan ($196)

As for the food? Oh, the glorious, glorious food!

For appetizers, we had a vegetable tray, my homemade ranch dip, Matt Marr’s legendary deviled eggs, and a  Hickory Farms Signature Party Planner Box ($45). I emptied the box and set them out on a graphite tray, to keep with our rustic theme, and labeled each piece of deliciousness.

Hickory Farms Party Planner Gift Box ($45) made all pretty-like on a graphite, chalkboard tray from World Market

For the main meal, we had Jake’s Famous Turkey (and it’s famous for good reason), a dressing showdown (Matt’s vs. Jake’s!), southern pea salad, my drunk green bean casserole, my Cowboy corn casserole, Nanny’s creamed corn, brussels sprouts and bacon, winter slaw and cranberry sauce. And who could forget the delicious beet and goat cheese terrine that Amy made?

Two turkeys with two turkeys. That's Jake on the right, who crafted that beautiful bird and stuffed it. I'm not talking about the turkey I'm holding here. *wearing Annabelle dress ℅ Donna Morgan ($196)

The al fresco spread...

For dessert? How ’bout my buttermilk lemon chess pie, my pumpkin eggnog bread pudding with spiced rum sauce, fudge pie, pecan pie, coconut cream pie, pumpkin pie and snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches with homemade cinnamon ice cream?

Dessert!! Reminds me of an old church social!

Snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches, pumpkin eggnog bread pudding and utter deliciousness.

Yep. That happened.

A special surprise? When my favorite neighborhood squirrel, Pepper, visited. Love that little lady!

Well, Happy Thanksgiving there, little lady! The friendly squirrel, Pepper, makes an appearance! *wearing Annabelle dress ℅ Donna Morgan ($196)

And, don’t you just love when a dreamy day party turns into an enchanted evening?

When daylight turns to candlelight… (photo by Matt Marr)

It’s a Thanksgiving we’ll never forget, and I’d like to think Brandywine the Turkey for that.

Toasting to Brandywine…and other friends! *wearing Annabelle dress ℅ Donna Morgan

xoxo,
BF

*To buy that melting, bronzed gold dress that I love only SO much? Visit Donna Morgan

BF Asks: How did you spend your Thanksgiving this year? Any friendly squirrels visit?

I’m Featured on @LaurieBStyle today: What Style Makes Me Confident?

Finding our confidence as women is never easy.

I often feel like I was more confident at 6 than 36.

But I have really found my confidence in the last two years.

That’s why it’s such an honor and delight to be featured on Laurie Brucker Image Consultant & Stylist‘s LaurieBStyle.com today where I dished about what makes me confident. Here’s the rundown:

What makes me confident? Simply getting to enjoy being a girl - er - I mean lady. *Photograph by the uber-talented Dan Velazquez of Brown Rabbit Photography

Laurie: “Meet the delicious Dawn of BeautyFrosting! What makes her confident?”
Dawn: “There’s nothing more I love than being a girl. A lady. As such, I love wearing feminine frocks that call on my girly tendencies, pay homage to my southern roots and tip my hat to my 1950s-centered aesthetic. Plus, I love to throw in a little unexpected sexy 60s/70s bombshell when people least expect it. My mom always jokes that my life is one big game of dress-up and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 


Thanks so much, Laurie B Style!

 

xoxo,
BF

 

BF Asks: What style makes you feel confident? 

Thirsty Thursday: BeautyFrosting’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake Champagne Cocktail

Last Thursday, I had a photo shoot here at The Cupcake Palace and, well, I wanted to socially lubricate myself a bit with a mid-day cocktail for the shoot. Don’t judge. I only had one and I must say it did make me feel a bit more photogenic.

I looked in the fridge for inspiration and inspiration found me: Dole Pineapple Juice, One Hope California Brut Sparkling Wine ($19.99) and Ole Smoky Moonshine Cherries. Add a little splash of vanilla extract (which chronic bakers like me always have on hand) and thus, this week’s Thirsty Thursday concoction was born.

So here is my little Pineapple Upside Down Cake Champagne Cocktail for you to enjoy – before a photo shoot, a fun-filled day or maybe even just while soaking in a foam-filled tub.

 

BeautyFrosting’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake Champagne Cocktail

Thirsty Thursday: Pineapple Upside Down Cake Champagne Cocktail (and I love these "Simply stunning…" napkins my Mom got me for Christmas from Homegoods - soooo fun!!)

4 ozs ONEHOPE California Brut Sparkling Wine 

4 ozs Dole Pineapple Juice

2 Ole Smoky Moonshine Cherries 

1 splash Vanilla Extract

Grab your favorite champagne flute (or, I suppose, a regular cocktail glass will do). Drop in a moonshine cherry at the bottom. Fill with 4 ozs pineapple juice and top with 4 ozs champagne. Add a splashStab a cherry with a party pic and place on top or rest on side of glass. Pineapple Upside Down Cake Champagne Cocktail in a glass.

Party for one, please.

xoxo,
BF

 

BF Asks: What was your favorite drink or punch this week? 

Father’s Day Gift Guide: Ideas Fit for Dad

I’ve been sharing my favorite Father’s Day present picks all week long! And today, I’ve got some great ones for you. Perfect for any budget, in any location for any aged dad.

A gift of Nostalgia & Luxury. Let’s start with a stroll down Memory Lane. For a gift with a little bit of luxury from yesterday, get Dad a professional shave. There are shaving salons everywhere these days, it seems. To make it easy on yourself, use Google or Yelp to find the most highly reviewed shaving salons in your dad’s city. No specially designated shaving salon in your town yet? Your dad’s barber probably does a great shave or knows someone who does.
Ask him/her for a referral. Then get your dad a gift certificate so he can get the shave whenever he wants – before an important meeting, a high school reunion or for a date nigth out with mom. Or if you would rather give him a shaving set he can use at home, check out The 4 Elements of The Perfect Shave from The Art of Shaving ($115 at Sephora).

The 4 Elements of The Perfect Shave by The Art of Shaving ($115) available at Sephora

 

Royal Softness. Treat your dad like royalty with the brand that’s the king of softness – Royal Highnies ($79.50). Their boxers and pajamas are loved by southern gentlemen and celebrities alike. Between their 400 count Pima cotton boxer shorts (which won’t shrink, run true to size and come two pairs to a package) and their lounge, pajama-style pants($79.50 for one pair), Dad will feel comforted day and night. And with the Rolex-style crown insignia stitched on their products, any man who loves luxury will love these luxurious personal linens.

Royal Highnies luxuriously soft boxers and pajamas ($79.50)

Cologne at a fraction of the cost. If you’re on a budget – and who isn’t –  buy Dad his favorite cologne or help him discover a new one. These days, discount stores such as Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Loehman’s, Nordstrom Rack and more have a bevy of fragrances that Dad will love – at a deeply discounted price. Not only will he smell like the handsome man he is but he’ll feel good knowing that his wife and kids have good taste.

Happy Father’s Day to all of you dapper dads out there! Hope you’re spoiled silly on Sunday!

 

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What are you getting Dad for Father’s Day?