Happy Wednesday, Friends! After the stage.After the lights.After the applause. I came home. And do you know what didn’t change? The house projects are still there.The world is still loud.My to-do list is still long. Nothing became magically polished. And that’s when I realized something. “Be the Invite” was never about one dinner.Or one stage.Or one brave moment. It’s about something steadier. It’s about Radical Hosting. Not radical like loud.Radical like rooted. Radical like:“I don’t let my...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Well, y'all! I did it! I walked off the stage. And here’s what surprised me. It didn’t feel like an ending. It felt like a beginning. Standing at the Wortham Center — the same place where I once danced as a little girl — I realized something: The stage was never the point. The point is what happens after. 💬 The conversations.📲 The texts sent.🚪 The doors opened.🍽️ The tables set. If Dinner Parties Can Change the World, it won’t be because I said it into a microphone. It will be because you...
9 days ago • 1 min read
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...
13 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...
16 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...
20 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...
23 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...
27 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...
about 1 month 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...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read