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
The beauty of an event resides in the tiniest of details. Here, at her open house featured in St. Louis AT HOME magazine, Julia even tended to the coasters! An old Santa postcard (scanned), some cork cutouts, and a little
The food at Julia’s 2008 holiday open house was purposefully kept small and simple in order to allow guests to freely graze and greet, while still having some free hands! But small doesn’t imply lack of big impact. Quite the
It’s worth repeating this wreath image just to explain a few more things! First, note the repurposed Christmas gift tag. Others were strategically placed about the table to help guests identify the treats. And, second, you know that saying that
Personalizing party elements always helps to connect guests, be it to one another or to the hosts. At her holiday open house featured in St. Louis AT HOME, Julia wove personal touches throughout, starting first with the invitation and continuing
“God is in the details,” another of Julia’s favorite mantras. For this lovely lid (the top of her husband’s homemade apple butter), she pulled both personalization and repurposing tricks out of her hat, leaving no detail untouched in the process.
“Easy, but striking eats” was the motto for Julia as she prepped for her holiday open house for St. Louis AT HOME. Of course she wanted the party to look great (after all, it was being featured in a magazine),
Décor can also be simple without sacrificing the element of surprise. For her holiday open house in 2008, Julia clipped vintage Christmas postcards to an old order-rack in her kitchen and also scattered them on tabletops and within centerpieces throughout
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