20 years and we are still gathering around a table at my home! We all met in 2006 as a group in our mid 20s from pageantry which evolved into going to the club and dinners into the weekend nights. I hosted a group Christmas and little did we know it would turn into a yearly party for the next TWENTY YEARS!
I have always enjoyed hosting, but I never made it as big of a deal as I do today probably because I didn’t have all of the home entertaining housewares nor did I really know how to cook but all I know is if you opened up your home people will come. I just want remind you that though I have a blog that shows elevated hosting, I really just want let you know that it’s just about inviting— and inviting again and again. Time will allow you to collect the pretty things – though gifts, or visiting the thrift store often and just through the years.
Since this was our 20th year, I had thought I would make really big plans but honestly, I’m surprised I could even muster many ideas with what has happened in my life in the past six months after unexpectedly losing my dad. But we had a date on the calendar and of course I was going to host. I just wasn’t quite sure how elaborate I could be.
I used nutcrackers that I painted since I went on a nutcracker painting obsession after taking a painting class by a friend of mine earlier this month. I went to the backyard and clipped some lemon branches, which are very spiky! I wanted more of a cottage feel. I guess you could say little women, but perhaps not as crafty. I used my Thrifted Wedgwood plates and double-sided red gingham placemats. I’ve had for years from an old collaboration with the Home Depot.
We used to do a potluck style party when we were young which is so helpful with budgeting and if you’re new to hosting, but I decided maybe about 10 years ago that I would handle all of the food. It was easier with timing, the menu and not depending on someone to bring a dish and they got sick or something happened. I just wanted to handle it all. And it didn’t mean that I was doing anything crazy elaborate and sometimes I would just order Flower Child and have one of the girls pick it up on the way but over the past few years I have taken a liking to cooking and feeling more empowered so I did the entire menu and I gotta be honest it is not that hard! I did pick up a rotisserie chicken but that was it.
Most of these recipes are from Skye McAlpine‘s latest Christmas cookbook and I was inspired after attending my friend Lauren‘s Christmas cookbook club dinner party and tasting the dishes. They are easy to make. It is now on sale at a great price and I know while Christmas is right around the corner if you love Christmas like I do this is worth ordering now.
I noticed that the placee setting looked a little boring so I quickly jumped on Canva and created a menu and make sure it was the perfect size for me to cut out into a circle and place on the plate!
This was what I made:
- Drink: Christmas mocktail – pomegranate and ginger beer (from Skye McAlpine’s cookbook)
- Starters: Walnut and Gorgonzola Stuffed Pears (from Skye’s Christmas cookbook), Hedgehog Potatoes (also from same cookbook), Herb Stuffing (GF) from a box from Trader Joe’s which was delicious
- Main Course: Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Roast Chicken (from the store) with the orange and cranberry sauce (it tastes good on everything!)
- After Dinner: Spiced Hot Apple Cider (from Skye’s book) and Brie and Cherry Pithivier (from same Christmas cookbook)
I decided savory instead of sweet for dessert. We just don’t do sweets much anymore now that we’re all in our 40s! I guess I made about 5 items from the cookbook!
As for what we wore, we used to come in our own pajamas and then we started doing matching pajamas when I became a blogger and started working with brands like Hanes and Lilly Pulitzer and then I switched over to these incredible fleece JCPenney pajamas, which I’m still obsessed with and they’re only about $30! I still buy my self a set every year.
But this year since it was our 20th, I did want some elevated pajamas, but then I decided to commemorate the milestone with custom embroidered sweat shirts!
I ordered sweaters off Etsy. I love how I could customize them with our names on the sleeves! They were only $40 and they are so cozy! All of us are wearing size medium, except for one is in a size large.
I love the oversized look! We had a good laugh because we used to have forever Girl getting sweaters for our 10 year and we all ordered size small and I was telling them. Why did we do that and Brenna said because that was the look at the time and we were in that state of mind where we were definitely thinking, “I’m not ordering anything larger than my actual size small!” and we just had the biggest laugh because it was so true. And when you get older, you just realize that doesn’t matter and you just wanna be cozy and oversized is fantastic!
I let the girls pick different bottoms, even though I would’ve loved for us all to match, but to be honest, I didn’t have the brain space or the energy to think about it and thought it might be fun for the girls to be more creative, especially since some run hot.
20 years: 6 marriages, 1 divorce, 1 called off wedding, passing of 3 parents, the birth of 7 children, 25 moves, 20 Christmas parties, 12 Vegas trips, 31 boyfriends (19 of them were from the two blondes), 8 Easters, 27 cars, 41 jobs, 3 reality show appearances, 2 crowning of Miss Arizonas, 1 crowning of Mrs. Arizona, 3 calendars modeling appearances, 5 magazine covers, 0 mug shots, and a hundred showers and birthday celebrations in between.
We do a gift swap and place Left Right Center.
We went around the table and count it to miles. Do we experience together as a group. We shared some of our favorite memories and had some good laughter. There’s so much time when you’re young to build friendships by going to the club and run errands and going to the pool and just doing life together. Then when you get married and you move further away and then kids come in the play you just have to be patient with your friends and all the stages.
Being friends for two decades you have to think about all of the grace, forgiveness, talks, or just go with the flow attitude you have to have with your friends in order to continue our relationship this long. Nobody’s perfect. I know I’m not, and I’m so grateful that we never gave up on each other and we never will. Too easily our people so frustrated or just give up. I understand when people have had enough or it’s too toxic, and you give too many chances, but I’ve never had to with these girlfriends of mine.
They’ve always been supportive, loving, my biggest cheerleaders, and I can tell them anything and I know that they have my back and they always have my best interest. There has never been any jealousy which might seem shocking for a group of girls came by through pageantry, but we truly truly want each other to succeed, be happy, and that is such a blessing and we know it.
And now I can enjoy the holidays and no hosting until a few days after Christmas because I need to spend time with my mom! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you are missing anyone this holiday season like we are (for the first time) my heart goes out to you. Sending our love from Phoenix. Talk to you soon in the new year.
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