It’s hard to fully appreciate the tablescape at Julia’s Christmastime cookie swap without getting the floor-to-ceiling view. Julia always aims to keep her guests engaged, and one sure way is to put décor where it’s not expected. Here, Julia dangled
Instead of opting for the expected pure-white snowflakes in the flurry of cookies hung overhead, Julia chose a muted palette of cream, green, and gold to tie into the colors of her dining room. And to give this cookie swap
Julia loves introducing an element of surprise into every soirée. And this Christmas cookie swap was certainly no exception. Paper invitations are passé as far as Julia is concerned, so she created ones out of kitchen towels. She made iron-on transfers
Edible décor is another trick that Julia often uses to create her signature elements of surprise. At this cookie swap, guests were greeted with this cookie wreath, which they merrily nibbled as the event carried on.
Yet another nod to Julia’s original Christmas cookie swap for St. Louis AT HOME magazine in 2005! Once again, Julia collected the party’s recipes and then tucked them into pastry blenders for easy handing-out to guests. But, this time, rather
Leave it to Julia to make edible boxes for carrying cookies home after this swap! These containers were fashioned from gingerbread and left largely un-iced to contrast the more fully iced cookies tucked inside. The party’s color scheme also found
Julia styled this colorful Fourth of July fête for St. Louis AT HOME magazine from start to finish, beginning with the invitation and working through every element of the party décor. Fortunately for Julia, the party was set on a
Julia took a budget-friendly approach to styling this affair, making the most of what she had or could easily find. The flowers were plucked from her own garden (and patio) and tucked into a quirky assortment of enamel coffee pots
The more you put yourself and your guests into the party details, the more meaningful and memorable an event becomes. Here, Julia incorporated photos of her friends’ children into the invitations – fans crafted from little more than scrapbooking paper and popsicle
This photo is as much about the styling as it is about the cookies! Made for the Fun in the Sun chapter in Julia’s first book Cookie Swap, these cookies were simply iced and then topped with easy-peasy fondant cutouts
Not all ghosts are dastardly! Enshrouded in meringue, these crun-chewy date and nut treats are oh-so-sweet. Made for the Halloween cookie party in Julia’s first book Cookie Swap, these friendly ghosts are an absolute delight both for the palate and the eyes.
Julia’s stock of chutney looks right at home among her collection of antique red tin canisters and kitchen utensils. Check out her rhubarb-apple chutney recipe, originally developed for her Prep School column in Sauce magazine. It’s a novel and incredibly
Rhubarb grows rampant in the Usher family’s communal garden plot near Julia’s summer house in Maine. Early each spring before other interlopers can beat her to the punch, Julia makes a raid, slicing down as many stalks as she can.
The inside of Julia’s holiday open house invitation worked as well as the outside! With a series of index card-size pages, each made from scans of old Christmas cards, it provided every detail guests needed to plan ahead. Since this
Julia’s menu design mantra, as you may already have guessed, goes something like this: “Make it from scratch, or don’t make it at all!” And ideally upcycle vintage things in the process. At her 2008 holiday open house for St.
Without eggnog, that is! Once again, Julia pushed the repurposing envelope at this party. Eggnog was not only served in vintage milk bottles; those bottles were also arrayed in vintage milk crates. But that’s not all! The bottles were then
Cut to the chase! Quickly filter Julia’s blog content by selecting the most relevant category.
Never miss one of Julia’s posts! Click here for the computer-readable web feed of Julia’s blog.
Join Julia’s mailing list for event announcements, news, and special offers.
Copyright © Julia M. Usher, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Be the first to hear about my latest events, tutorials, and product announcements by subscribing to my newsletter!
Schedule willing, I release one each month, roughly mid-month. And, guess what else?! Once you subscribe, you’ll receive a special one-time coupon code for 20% off my online tutorials. The code will be delivered in your subscription confirmation email, so keep your eyes peeled (as it cannot be resent). Thanks in advance for subscribing!
Live sweetly, Julia
