Before I step onto the stage this week, I want to tell y'all a story. When I was four years old, I used to host tea parties in my grandmother’s walk-in pantry. (We don't have a picture of this, and I cannot believe we don't!!) I would corral my dolls around a wooden stool. And I would sit there, very seriously, explaining to them how to host a tea party. How to welcome people.How to pour.How to make everyone feel included. Four years old. In a pantry. Using real china. Talking to my mom's old...
4 days ago • 1 min read
Sweet Friends, I need to tell you something. When I got the call about speaking at TEDx, my first instinct wasn’t excitement. It was hesitation. "Really?! You want me to stand up there and talk about cute dinner parties?!" Because in just a few days, I’ll walk onto the stage at the Wortham Center — the same stage where I danced The Nutcracker as a child. Tiny. Nervous. In a bun and ballet slippers. I can remember waiting in the wings, thinking, "Eesh, will I remember all the steps??" And now...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Happy Wednesday, Sweet Friends! For the last several months, I've used Wednesdays as a "purchase me" heavy list. However, something that I am a huge fan of is NOT purchasing anything new! You do not need a shopping trip to host. You need a reset. When the world feels overwhelming, our homes start to reflect it. Piles. Half-finished projects. Mental tabs open everywhere. And suddenly we think:“I can’t invite anyone into this.” So let’s fix that. Not with money.Not with perfection. With a $0...
11 days ago • 1 min read
Hi, Sweet Friends! If you’re nervous to host… Cook something that has never betrayed you. Not something trendy.Not something you saw on TikTok.Not something you’ve never made before. Reliable is better than impressive. If you’re feeling unsure, here are three no-fail paths you can follow — and I’ve gathered all the recipes for you right here: 👉 Read: My No-Fail Dinner Party Recipes Inside that post, you’ll find dependable options that feel elevated without being risky. But here’s how to think...
14 days ago • 1 min read
Hosting isn’t performance. It’s power. And I don’t mean power like control.I mean power like leadership. The world feels loud right now.Heavy.Overstimulating. And when everything feels chaotic, the bravest thing you can do is set a table. Not because it fixes the world.But because it fixes your posture inside it. I asked recently what’s keeping people from hosting. One answer stopped me. “House projects.” When I asked what kind, she said, "outside projects." She wanted to power wash the...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit! Happy March, y'all! March is “Be the Invite.”This month, we are done waiting for the outside to feel finished before we open our doors. Each week, I’ll give you a simple menu, a steady plan, and a brave nudge to stop waiting and start welcoming. You don’t need to finish the house.You don’t need to complete the outside projects.You don’t need to feel confident first. You need a date. “Be the Invite.” And this is your soft opening. Not a performance.Not a production.Not...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Spoiler: your guests won’t remember the menu — but they’ll remember the feeling. After hosting dozens (maybe hundreds?) of dinners over the years, here’s what I know for sure: No one has ever texted me the next day to say,“Wow, that salt ratio in the potatoes was life-changing.” But they have said: “I felt so comfortable at your house.” “I didn’t want to leave.” “That was exactly what I needed.” That’s the real secret to memorable dinner parties. It’s not the menu.It’s the mood. It’s the way...
25 days ago • 1 min read
As February winds down, I don’t want dramatic.👉 I want dependable. The kind of dinners that feel like they’re holding the house together. We’re in that late-winter stretch — when it’s still cold (although here in AVL it gets warm then cold...), still dark a little too early, and everyone is just a bit tired. This is not the week for complicated cooking. This is the week for meals that show up for you. Everything below comes straight from my Quick & Easy Recipes for Busy Nights collection —...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Happy Wednesday, Sweet Friends! There's something magical that happens when we gather people around our tables - even when (or maybe especially when) those tables aren't perfectly set, and the food isn't Instagram-worthy. 👉 The truth is, the most meaningful dinners are rarely the most perfect ones. They’re the ones where: the bread was slightly overbaked the candles dripped the playlist repeated and no one cared Casual hosting builds the deepest community because it lowers the stakes. Casual...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read