Something Old, Something New…Wedding Gift Inspiration

Hey All!  September is a big wedding month for Nantucket!  Just like “Little Miss Caroline,” I love weddings! I also love giving gifts.  If you read my blog post, The Godfather, you know I always try to give a creative gift for specific events.

This gift idea inspiration is for your best friend that is maybe getting married this month or in the future.

The tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue is still alive and kickin’!  I think it’s one of the neatest traditions at weddings.

So, here is what you need to do!

1.  Contact the bride’s mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sisters, etc.. and have each one give a specific item that correlates with one of the parts of the tradition.  (For example, Grandmother gives something old, mother gives something borrowed…)

2.  Once you get all the items, write a poem that coordinates with them.  I love writing poems, so if you get stuck I can try and help!  Just send me a message!  :)

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3. Then wrap up the gifts!  You can add these Karen Adams Wedding Gift Enclosures from millyandgrace.com to each gift!

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4.  Either the night before or the morning of the wedding, gather all the people who contributed and give her the gifts.  (This would make a great shower gift as well.)  I guarantee she will love it!  It creates a great family tradition that the bride can then pass on to future generations.

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5.  I attached some of the items to her bouquet so she would have them as she walked down the aisle.

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To view my friends’ wedding, head on over to Style Me Pretty and see the beautiful images by Anda Marie Photography.  Haley and Danny’s vintage- inspired Wisconsin Wedding is right up the Milly & Grace alley!

See you on Tuesdays!

Cooking with Caroline

Caroline is in town!  Only for a couple days though.  She is on her way to study abroad in Switzerland for a WHOLE YEAR! We decided to stay in last night and cook together, seeing as we will no longer be able to have Sunday Fundays together for a WHOLE YEAR.  Such a tease to have her here for her whole Freshman year, and then she picks up and leaves for her whole sophomore year.  Not Cool.  Who does she think she is?  All I got to say to Caroline is…”HOW RUDE!” a la Stephanie Tanner.

We decided to make our own pizza.  You can never go wrong with pizza.  This pizza was inspired by a pasta we love to make during the Summer!

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So you start with a pre made pizza dough.   Spread on some creme freche.  Sprinkle crumbled goats cheese.  Sprinkle thinly sliced shallots and corn.  Top with cooked hot italian sausage.  Add more goats cheese.  We got so excited that we just wanted to eat it right away, but you have to bake at 450 degrees for approx 20-25 minutes.

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The pizza needed some color, so we finished it with some arugula!  Just dress the greens with a little olive oil and lime juice!

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Slice it up and then it’s ready to eat!  Bon Appetit!

(We had prosciutto and melone to start!  My favorite.  We got a little hungry while we were cooking.)

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I’m going to miss my little partner in crime.  I have decided to hide her suitcases so she won’t be able to leave or have clothes in Switzerland!  Shhhhh!  Don’t tell her.  Oh and if that doesn’t work then I am going to turn off her alarm clock in the middle of the night so she will miss her flight!  Good plan.

The Moscow Mule

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I love a good cocktail.  I even enjoy making them!  We are always mixing something new at the Hollister house.  This summer we are especially loving the Moscow Mule.  They are really “on trend” at the moment.  You can read a little history on it here – it’s actually quite interesting.

Traditionally the MM is just vodka, ginger beer and lime.  I think adding mint & and a little simple syrup is what makes it.

Here are the ingredients:

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In your cocktail shaker combine the following ingredients:

2 parts Vodka

1 part simple syrup

Juice of  1/2 a lime

5 large Mint Leaves (rip them up a bit)

 

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Add a handful of ice and shake it like a polaroid picture.  I tend to bounce when I am shaking that cocktail shaker.  Try it… it totally helps.

“Shake it” from The Milly & Grace Girls on Vimeo.

Fill a glass full of ice and pour in the contents of the cocktail shaker.

Finish the Moscow Mule by topping it off with Ginger Beer – about 1/3 cup.  ALWAYS taste test before you serve!

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Note:

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Whenever I host large get togethers I find that serving cocktails is one of the more challenging things to keep up with as they require so much time.  Mixing up a signature cocktail ahead of time makes the party run so much smoother and  you aren’t playing bartender all night!  It makes it even easier to serve your signature drink in a drink dispenser.  Above is the Moscow Mules we served as the signature drink for Tim & Santi’s Welcome Party !