It is with sheer delight that I present to you Occasionette’s new look.
Starting Tuesday, September 17 you’ll notice gorgeous new patterned bags to tote home your purchases and new punch cards to track all the free cards you’re earning (among lots of other new things!).
This process began at the very beginning of the year, when I reached out to @theheadsofstate to see if they were into working on a brand refresh for us. They were my very first choice - I’ve admired their work for years! I couldn’t be more pleased with the amazing work they produced for the shops. It’s all so Occasionettey and fresh and beautiful, isn’t it? I can’t wait to share more of it in the coming weeks.
While I’ll always have a soft spot for our signature star tissue that we’ve used since the day we opened, this new look just feels like the grown up version of Occasionette. I’m totally smitten and I hope you love it, too. 💕
Yes, I'm totally serious! Holiday card writing doesn't have to be another chore on your list of joyless tasks to complete this holiday season! You can make card writing a little more meaningful by making it uncomplicated this year. We're all tired of the same photo cards in boring cookie-cutter online templates sent to us from the internet via an uploaded excel file.
I love writing out my holiday cards every year. I know I'm in the minority (but I do own a couple little card shops, so it would be weird if I didn't like writing holiday cards, right?) but I think it's a nice way to not only reflect back on the year we've had, but also to think about what big events have happened in the lives of my friends and family.
Here are some of my tips for making card writing something you'll enjoy instead of something to cross off your list at the last possible minute:
And that's it! Treat this little to-do item as something to look forward to, a little self-care, some time to spend with yourself, and I promise you'll find it more enjoyable.
]]>Most of us will be a guest at a Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving or some other festive holiday soiree at some point in the next few weeks. The good news is you have the easy part! Your friends or family are doing all of the things (and there are many!) involved in hosting this get-together. You get to just show up, eat, drink and be merry, right? No! I mean, you can, but we’re grown ups, so let’s put just a tiny bit of effort into being a gracious guest (which will help secure you an invite to the next gathering!)
Ask the host if there is anything specific you can bring… but in a genuine way. This mostly means asking at least a few days in advance and not waiting until an hour and a half before you’re supposed to arrive to shoot a next reading “need me to bring anything?”
Thinking of offering to bring food?
There are so many ways to be a great guest without bringing food or booze!
A lot of work goes into hosting any kind of dinner party, but especially a holiday party! The pressure to be festive is real, people. Be courteous of the work that your host has put into the evening. Don’t forget to send a thank you card a few days after the party! It’s such an easy thing you can do to let the host know you enjoyed yourself, and that their hours of prepping, food shopping, cleaning, cooking, cleaning again, hosting, and cleaning yet again were all worth it.
Cheers!
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You don't have to stick to pumpkins to decorate! It may be decorative gourd season, but beautiful, seasonal faux floral stems will still look pretty through November. Choose faux florals in a limited color palette (think warm fall tones) with lots of different textures for the most interesting arrangements.
Reward the kids with the creative, homemade costumes! Can we all agree that the Elsas and Annas get one pack of Skittles, but the awesome walking bubble gum machine or an old school television set that you know this kid made from things in their house and spent a few hours on gets three Milky Way bars?
Our neighborhood gets a good number of trick or treaters, so I like to keep dinner simple because I'm just jumping up and down to wrestle my dog at the front door every few minutes. My favorite dinner on Halloween is chili, because it's one of those magical dishes that the longer you ignore it while you're cooking, the more delicious it is.
My favorite homemade chili recipe calls for a tiny bit of cocoa powder, which means it pairs well with kit-kat bars.
I have this rule that chili must be accompanied by freshly baked cornbread. You can find my top secret, super artisan, closely held family recipe for cornbread here.
If you have a dog, and your dog still doesn't understand what on earth is happening on Halloween, despite your best efforts to explain it to the dog every year, make sure you at least make an awesome costume for the pup. That way every time she starts barking at the kids at the door, you'll at least have the pleasure of looking over and laughing because she's dressed like a hot dog.
Everyone loves snacks! My favorite summer snacks for entertaining are fresh berries, popcorn, and little skewers with chunks of fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes drizzled with balsamic (this sounds more complicated than it is, and people always go nuts for them!)
Let your guests know what to expect for food! If you're going to have snacks and then order pizza, let them know ahead of time so they don't eat before they arrive! Or if you're planning on just serving dessert, you should definitely invite me, I will eat dinner ahead of time and come ready for ice cream cake.
Light some candles before you guests arrive so that when it eventually gets dark (which it usually does at some point), you're not either running around like a weirdo moving glasses to light candles or sitting and thinking "I should really light some candles" while you should actually be enjoying the company of your guests. How do I know you will do one of these two things? I've done both, of course.
Remember that there's more to the art of entertaining than providing food and drinks. Be prepared to entertain your guests - be thoughtful to invite guests who have something in common to make good conversation, or if that sounds like too much work, pick up a party game. Party games are games that are best when played with a group of people, and usually involve more witty banter than score keeping.
Looking for the perfect summer cocktail for your last hurrah? Join our mailing list and receive Sara's recipe for a Pimm's Cup, inspired by Session Cocktail by Drew Lazor.
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