For the Tastemakers: A Botanica-themed pop-up
The first question you are asked when you apply to become a Chloe+Isabel merchandiser is which persona you fit into the most:
I think I have a little bit of each persona but I lean most toward being a Tastemaker (the crafty creative, baker, entertainer + DIY enthusiast). Probably because for DIY geek in me, one of the most exciting things about being a merchie is getting to plan pop-ups and design jewelry display tables :)
If you haven't yet seen the Fall lookbook, you have to check it out. (Email me your mailing address if you want a copy). It's so beautifully put together and I am loving the #Botanica theme. It was no question that I had to put together a nature-inspired soiree for my grand opening pop-up.
Since the pop-up was going to be at my friend Nikki's place, I started practicing my jewelry display at home a week or so before the party. I found a few items laying around our house that I could actually use (like a small tin watering can and clear wine glasses I used to make terrariums). For the rest of my props and supplies I shopped at online garage sales (check out VarageSale.com) and a few nearby stores. It was a little uncanny that most of the stores happened to have a good selection items that fit the Botanica theme. (do all these companies share the same trend alert memo?) My most frequented stores were the following:
Cost Plus World Market - jewelry box and stand
Home Goods - frames and burlap bulletin boards
Marshalls and TJ Maxx - frames, moss, various other props, tablecloth
Michaels - burlap, easels, clear glass vases (and they have moss too)
Whole Foods and Trader Joes - plants
NileCorp (online only) - linen jewelry display stands
DIY Tip: Cost Plus sells framed botanical prints for $20, but you can save money and make your own. I Googled "free botanical prints" and eventually found this awesome blog that had some good ones: http://christina-g.blogspot.com/2013/07/free-botanical-prints.html
Just print and use a frame that you already have.
All the practice paid off because then I knew where everything went and on the day of the pop-up it took me less than 20 minutes to get set up. (this picture was taken at the end of the party though, because I didn't have time once guests started arriving!)
For food I decided to go vegetarian to match my theme. (and I had a few vegetarian guests anyway). This would have been my ideal menu: (I ended up omitting a couple of things)
Roasted Vegetable Pasta - I don't usually follow a recipe for this, I just roast assorted vegetables in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss with a pasta of your choice and top with parmesan cheese. I used multi-color carrots, asparagus and zucchini that day, but would also add portabella mushrooms and any other vegetable in season. Again this picture was taken after everyone left:
Caprese Skewers - I found the some cute bamboo skewers and was excited to make these... but I got too ambitious by making my own mozzarella balls from scratch and that was a fail, so I had to take these out of my menu. Will try this next time with store-bought mozzarella :) Here's what they might have looked like, but would have drizzled olive oil and a reduced balsamic vinegar over them:
Assorted Cheese platter with crackers, Marcona almonds and grapes - easiest thing to put together. Got Brie, Goat cheese and Manchego.. and served apricot and fig preserves on the side.
Carrot cake -Sorry, no good picture here as there wasn't much left when I got to take a picture. But here's the recipe I used: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/super-moist-carrot-cake-with-cream.html
For the cream cheese frosting I used a slightly different recipe so its not too sweet:
12 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Avocado chocolate-mousse dirt cups - http://haveanamasteblog.com/2010/02/guilt-free-avocado-chocolate-mousse/ (The idea was to top them with ground up oreos and mint sprigs so they would look like this:)
Cucumber-lemon infused water
An assortment of wine (of course!)
I also went to Party City and found these perfect napkins. Then I made some drink markers using some scrapbooking stickers and miniature clothespins.
One more thing to make the event more special, I hired Marina, a local henna artist to do henna for my guests. Here's just a sample of some of her work on me.. Check her Facebook page for more pictures!
It's those little details that the guests will remember after they leave your party. I had so much fun planning this Botanica-themed grand opening, I might have to throw another shindig every few months!