Style

The Pink Table

Over the summer, my friend Lindsey sent me a link. It was the kickstarter video for the The Yellow Table Cookbook by Anna Watson Carl. In her video, Anna tells a story about seeing a sign that says, “you can make a wish or you can make it happen,” which prompted her to start working on her dream, a cookbook. After I watched the video, I emailed Lindsey and said, “her video makes me want to have a dinner party.” She replied, “do you want to!?” Me: “Yes!!!” It took us several weeks, okay months, to get it together, but here before your very eyes is our own iteration of The Yellow Table. I was responsible for the decor and Lindsey cooked all the food using recipes from The Yellow Table.

The Menu

Rosemary Lemonade with  Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay sparkling wine

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

Haricots Verts with Dijon-Shallot Vinaigrette

Apricot-Dijon Roasted Chicken with Couscous

Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Lavender Honey

The Decor

For the table, I wanted something girly with a slight Moroccan theme to match the food. My hope was that our friends would feel special and inspired, and I hoped that the calm setting and good food would spark conversation about what we wanted to make happen in our lives. This was the first time I’d thrown a “proper” dinner party with invites, place cards, a signature drink and more than one course! It was definitely worth the extra effort. I felt so proud, and I’m so glad to have these photos to share with you. My favorite part of the evening was when everyone showed up dressed to the nines. We hadn’t put a dress code on the invite, but everyone felt like dressing up and it really added to the festive vibe of the evening.

Have you ever thrown a proper dinner party? What was it like?

 

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[Pier 1 Pillows // Pink Linen Tablecloth // Moroccan Tea Glasses // Pier 1 Bench // Caspari Le Jardin de Mysore Place Cards // World Market Napkin Rings // Pier 1 Yellow Salad Plates // Apilco Tradition Dinner Plates // Caspari Le Jardin de Mysore Paper Guest Towels // Sir Christopher by Wallace Silverware]

What I Learned: Altuzarra for Target

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Did anyone else take Economics 101? About the only thing I remember is the concept of scarcity, which wikipedia nicely reminded me is “the fundamental economic problem of having seemingly unlimited human wants in a world of limited resources.” Well that about sums it up doesn’t it. No matter who we are, this concept applies to us. Whether we work for minimum wage or have a trust fund to our name, we have to decide how to spend our limited resources whether those are time, money or both. That’s what we’re all about here at Kai’li Millner — helping you be more stylish while having you waste the fewest number of resources be they dollars or time. Which finally brings me to the Altuzarra for Target collaboration. The great thing about these collaborations is that you can have a little high fashion in your life without breaking the bank.

What surprised me most about this collaboration, is what I learned from shopping it. As I’m always looking for high quality basics, when I first looked at the lookbook, what I really wanted was the shoes and belts. They looked great on the website, and I could imagine myself using them to pull together any number of great outfits. However, when I saw the pieces in person, I was rather disappointed. I wanted to like them, but if I was being honest with myself in the dressing room, the pieces to have from this collection were not the accessories, but rather the clothes themselves. I was literally stunned when I tried on the skirt because it looked so good, and for $34.99 I could sacrifice not being able to wear it to the office (it has a classic Altuzarra slit, which wouldn’t fly where I work). What made this collection was not necessarily the materials, but how each item was cut. Every piece was literally spot on, and I dare so nobody would realize this was Target material.

So here’s what I learned in a nutshell:

Here’s what I learned:

1. What you see online, is not necessarily what you get in person. The senses don’t lie.

2. Be willing to deviate from your plan and trust your gut in the dressing room.

3. It’s really hard to fake good accessories. Even if they are well-designed, the materials will give them away.

4. A few fun pieces can really inject some style into your wardrobe and elevate those high quality basics.

Did you check out the Altuzarra for Target collaboration? What did you learn?