Add Some "Adult" to Your "Kid's" Party

Who says adults can't have fun at a one year old's birthday party? This past weekend Dare To Be Domestic helped coordinate a party thrown by Mom and kids party enthusiast Courtney Mitchell, for her one year old son Gavin.  Courtney is known for throwing great children's parties and always keeps in mind her adult friends when planning.  Here is a look at how Courtney keeps both the kids and adults entertained.  All of the fun paper goods and signage was created by Damon at The Paper Door.

1. Grown Folks Candy: Adults love candy too. Courtney served candy from the adults childhood.
2. Small Bites: Serve smaller sized treats so anyone on a diet won't be able to resist.
3. Adult Signature Beverages: Stick to one fun signature drink for adults with light to little alcohol.
4. Photo Booth:  Great for both kids and adults.
5. Family Fun Toys: Rentals like Jumpers should be adult friendly.
6. Live Entertainment: Helps keep the kid busy for at least an hour.
7. Cocktail Tables: Give adults a place to talk and keep their drinks out of the way of the kids.

I dare you to be domestic!

A Tart Inspired Pallet

As a final tribute to the summer past, I had brunch at Los Angeles' TART on Fairfax. Not only was the food served with all the accouterment reminiscent of a day on the farm, but the colors of the interiors stuck in my head. I felt as if I was looking through an Instigram filter.  Enjoy the colors of TART LA. Oh and I also learned that during brunch if your entire party jumps in the pool you get half of your bill.

40th Birthday Crab Soiree

A last minute birthday party had the DTBD team working magic.  A  crab feast requires space to eat, the proper tools and nothing is better than your own stash of butter, Old Bay and wet napkins. Take a peak!

DTBD Studios: Home/Work Tour

When you live and work in the same space you have to get really creative with your space always thinking about function and design.  My downtown Los Angeles loft is in the middle of the Old Bank District but feels like my little house in the country. With only 900 square feet and no closets every piece of furniture counts.  Enjoy my home/work tour.

A Charming Housewarming in Miracle Mile

No party makes me more happy than a housewarming of friends. This past weekend Chris and Taryn warmed up their new home with 40+ of their closest friends. I knew they were both creative individuals but their home revealed the love they have for style and each other.

Take note of the custom aprons made by yours truly and a few tips to make your next Housewarming party rememberable. Enjoy!

Great eats make for great conversation.

Welcome sign at front door.

Hers and...

His!

Great shoe storage solution in a great color.

The gift in hand.

A quirky gift for a cool couple.

Taryn and Chris signing out.

5 Fun Housewarming Party Ideas

1. If you need a certain item for your home - theme your party after the gifts you want.  For my move into my studio, I needed lots of pots for my rooftop garden so I hosted a "Pot Party". All guests gifted me pots which together we filled with plants in my garden.
2. Make it a potluck and make it a contest.  Everyone loves a little competition.  You provide a great prize and your guests will bring their "A" game with the food.
3. Have a Brunch!  Have your housewarming a little earlier than norm and serve breakfast food.  Mimosas for everyone!
4. Host a craft party.  Nothing gets folks talking and having fun like crafting.  all you need is a large table, craft supplies and lots of drinks!
5. Take crafting to the next level and have a painting party. Need your hallway painted? Call your friends. You provide the food they provide the labor!

I dare you to be domestic!

An Indigo Tablescape

Deep hues of blue are often colors forgotten when you think of planning a formal table.  Indigo, cobalt and denim mix well with pewters, blacks and creamy whites giving you a masculine yet pretty table scape that can be used for a casual dinner party or a formal wedding. I dare you to be domestic!

A Simply Romantic Wedding by Derrick & Damon

When a childhood friends asks for help with her wedding the only answer a designer can give is yes.  Besides I had been secretly planning her wedding, unbeknownst to her, for at least 5 years.

Kristi was a great bride because she knew what she wanted but just didn't know how to execute it. That's where Damon of The Paper Door and myself come into play.

Here are a few simple ways we helped the bride create a simple yet romantic wedding:

1. Save money and time by selecting a venue that is already magical before you add any of your personal touches. Examples include; forests, beaches and architectural landmarks.

2. Make an big impact with head turning flowers in at least two places.  For Kristi's wedding we choose an arch during the ceremony and a seating card installation where we turned an old window adorned with flowers into a display for seating cards.

3. Don't be scared to make your own bouquette. It's rather simple and even the wildest of floral arrangements wrapped with silk ribbon and pearl pins give a romatic gesture just as well as an higher priced  bouquet arrangement.  Be sure to practice first.

4. Votives and candles save the day.  If your decor budget is limited and your having an evening wedding votive candles in inconspicuous places will really set a romantic mood. Try up stairs, throughout gardens and grouped together on tables.

And always remember less is more.

Tension Rod Solutions

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It seems like everyday I leave my Pinterest profile amazed at the creative solutions people come up with to store items, and re-purpose everyday home essentials. My teams latest obsession is tension rods. When I first came across the idea I was shocked at how an item I normally associate with my grandma and outdated fabric could become a staple in organizing solutions for my clients.

We love using tension rods because they solve some of the most complained about problems we deal with on a daily basis from shoes to pot lids. The best part is that you don't have to be Martha Stewart's long lost relative or have alot of experience with DIY to complete this project. And did I mention it only takes a few minutes? 

When you start on this project I cannot stress enough the importance of measuring the space you are working with. It's easy to think that you can eye ball the area because it tends to be short lengths, you don't want to double your project time by a quarter inch.

Once you have your measurements you can go shopping. We like to try different types of tensions rods but find that they are almost always white. We have found 18" rods at Home Depot in black as well as chrome with white stoppers. We also like Target, Lowe's, and if you live in Los Angeles were hooked to Daiso Japan. We love all the innovative Japanese products they offer, the tension rods are not visible on their website but they carry some as small as 6" to a yard. They also have pink and floral print, the offerings vary location to location so you might want to call ahead. 

As you can see in the photo above one of our clients LOVES to wear flip flops while lounging around her home. She hated the way they looked so sloppy and she always had to be digging through them to find the correct pair. She also wanted to keep them in this drawer to maintain a clutter free look. We found that by inserting a few tension rods we were able to keep all the sandals organized, in pairs, and save space in her closet. 

I bet you can think of a place or two around your house tension rods could be useful. Here are some of my favorite solutions from other bloggers. 

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This under the sink tension rod allows for more efficient storage Thanks to Jen Grant Morris

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We finally found a way to organize those pot lids, Thanks to The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking

Cabinet Divider for trays, cookie sheets, and more from BHG

Modern Office Calendar

I was on the hunt for an office calendar for my work space. I was feeling really frustrated and tired of large desk calendars that always got in the way or tiny calendars that often tipped over. There were no calendars that I felt were efficient, looked good in my work space, or made me feel excited to use them.

I decided to take action and create my own custom, modern, and sleek calendar. I began with the petite pure wall calendar that measure 24" by 24". It is made of crystal clear polished Lucite, solid steel hardware, and silk screened here in Los Angeles. This calendar feels more like a work of art than a keeper of your busy schedule. It is currently available in only gold or black ink and three different hardware finishes that you can customize.

My clients loved the petite version so much that I began creating large 48" by 48" calendars that are often used by businesses, celebrity homes, and some of Hollywood's biggest decision makers.

Purchase yours today via Etsy

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Hiding Wires With A Power Strip and Zip Ties

By adding a few pieces of heavy duty double sided tape to the back of your power strip you can easily get rid of that wire clutter behind your television or any electronic device.  Many power strips even come with screw holes that make it easy to mount to almost any surface. Zip-ties also help keep wires organized and off the ground. So when in doubt - mount. I dare you to be domestic!

The backside reveals a power strip secured to the buffet with double sided tape and zip ties to keep wires tight.