Happy Birthday to Moi - A Chic & Electric Soirée
The third of January. A day not usually meant for bold celebrations and revelry. However, the third of January happens to be my birthday. So every year, I force my loved ones to rally one last time before slipping into a post holiday haze, an endless sweat set stupefaction for the remainder of the month.
I haven’t always made an effort to celebrate myself, it is a difficult time of year to pull friends together for a final festive hoorah... Everyone is hungover, a little broke and cold/flu/covid season never fails to claim its’ victims. But after spending a few too many birthdays pining for a fancy celebration, I finally decided to take the reins and throw birthday soirées for myself. This is the third year that I have made elaborate plans for the day and every year I tell myself ‘never again’ as I am frosting my cake, only to fall in love the evening so deeply that I plot a whole fête all over again in twelve months time. Birthdays seems to become more and more complicated as we grow up and not for one second do I believe that I am the only one with a love-hate relationship with birthday parties. But I have come to learn that the little soirées and the efforts we make to celebrate ourselves and our wins and additional years make the memories far more sparkly and sweet. Xx
Theme & Execution
For this year’s celebration, I decided to bring to life an electric New Year’s Eve theme. Something fabulous and festive - the perfect start to a new calendar year and a new personal year. Glitzy and chic with pops of electric color from a quirky collection of flowers and nostalgic menu items. I envisioned everyone in black cocktail attire, champagne filled coupe glasses, black velvet bows, a white tablescape scattered with items from my antique silver collection and scrolling black lettering painted across white Kraft paper acting as both the menu and decor. This would all be paired with touches of tinsel and a few of my favorite things. It would be aesthetic perfection. (And from now on, I have decided that no matter the color concept and the dress code, birthdays and celebrations of the like should always be filled with our favorite things.)
*And while on the subject of ‘favorite things’, the little bar setup I created might just be my new favorite way to have booze and bubbles on ice. Kitchen sink full of ice and bottles of wine… throw in some oysters ready for shucking, and you have a beautifully chic and functional spot for beverages and glassware. And if like me, you are tight on space in a mini 1920’s kitchen, this hack might be the best hosting tip of the year. (And for the sake of full hosting life transparency… with a sink in full-chic-use, I was forced to tuck lingering last minute dishes in the oven. A funny little anecdote from a tale of ma mere’s younger days that I have, on occasion, found to be actually quite helpful!)*
The Menu & Flowers
As far back as I can remember, my favorite meal has been a baked potato, artichoke & crab. I think I requested this for my birthday dinner for every year growing up… in fact, I have continued making this little meal for myself as a birthday dinner treat since the whole ‘adult’ thing happened to me. So for this year’s birthday fête, I pulled inspiration from my childhood (and always) dream dinner, creating my perfect mini feast. It was an obvious and perfect choice.
For this evening’s menu, I stuck to my loyal, tried-and-true birthday dinner staples, in leu of crab however, I went with shrimp cocktail (for ease) and added in some oysters, a few heightened ingredients, mini pineapples (because why not), a triple layer funfetti cake and a quirky little arrangement boasting a few of my favorite seasonal flowers on display from my go-to Silver Lake florist. Et voila! The birthday dinner of my dreams to share with some of my dearest Los Angeles friends. (Well the ones who were not taken down by the raging cold and flu season we had this year.)
*When it comes to flowers for a dinner party or mini soirée, I tend to let the selection at the flower shop speak to me. I focus on what is in season as best I can and find fun ways to bring my personality into the mix while still keeping theme and color palette in mind. For this evenings arrangement, I was able to select whatever my heart desired as the through-line for the night was in fact ‘a few of my favorite things’. I worked with my favorite florist to put together something chic yet electric using my newly acquired victorian flower frog vase. My relationship with the shop allows them to know my style and work with me to create something uniquely moi. They know I love a gathered/collected look. Nothing too stuffy, pops of quirky fun and we often mix unexpected and unconventional elements together. Gilly’s in Silver Lake is a flower dream for me and I could not have been more thrilled with the outcome for this birthday fête.
The Cake
Made from Odella Bakes gluten free flour, this funfetti cake was a light and fluffy masterpiece… not too sweet, full of nostalgia and perfect for a celebration.
I had been craving funfetti lately, and my birthday seemed the perfect time to try it out. Using the Soirée cake baking kit from Odella Bakes, I simply added in nearly a cup of naturally dyed sprinkles to the batter and spruced the concept up a bit with a fancy filling. Three layers of perfectly festive cake with a lemon curd and champagne cherry filling all coated in a light Swiss meringue butter cream and topped with even more sprinkles and some festive sparklers… I don’t believe that there has ever been a better birthday cake. It was a childhood dessert dream with an elevated spin and I wish I still had some in my refrigerator.
Decor & Inspiration
With visions of antique silver, electric floral arrangements, black velvet bows, and tinsel dancing in my head, I set out to create a sexy little celebration to share with loved ones. With my menu and color theme solidified, I began to pull inspiration for decoration. And the best place to start when hosting in a small space is the table - It will undoubtedly function as the evening’s centerpiece and set the tone for the night. Whether a buffet style feast, a sit-down dinner or a cocktail hour, the table, flowers and menu work together, building the stage for the evening’s essence.
For this particular tablescape I took a bit of inspiration from the famous balls of the Gilded Age. A time when food doubled as art and a table setting could make or break an entire evening. I wanted an apartment sized wow factor. Something flirty and elegant. I wanted to turn my birthday fête fantasies into a reality.
As I began to arrange my table and the evening began to take a clearer shape, I knew I wanted to incorporate a bit of symmetry within the layout. Height from flowers in the middle mirrored by two matching 1890’s compote dishes. I then began working outward with a smattering of my growing antique silver collection and my great grandmother’s beautiful shrimp cocktail cups. All of this was to to be elegantly adorned with selection of my favorite foods.
For me, a tablescape is personal. Just as personal as a menu and theme of the evening, and it all starts with a vision. A little aesthetic dream that I pray I am able to bring to life. At its core, it is both a personal expression and distinctive reflection of me. I add in my favorite platters and serving dishes. A touch of something unique and quirky to me sprinkled about, and of course, handmade elements. I select every details from the flowers to the serving utensils. I tie every bow with care and often spend weeks letting ideas and colors bubble about in my mind. No detail is overlooked, no element is too small. One might say I am a bit obsessive. But no more obsessed than say a painter or composer… my canvas and music just happen to be dinner parties. And I am simply in love with my art form - For imagining, daydreaming, hosting and capturing soirées will forever be my most favorite form of creativity and expression.
*The tinsel chandelier is its own whole beautiful thing and I promise you that before New Years’ Eve, there will be a whole tutorial on this magically wild and electric creation.
Oven roasted & salt crusted mini baked potatoes, served with chives, créme fraîche and whipped butter
Shrimp cocktail
Oysters with accoutrements
Steamed artichokes with a lemon & garlic aioli
Cheese & honey
Truffle potato chips
Gluten free funfetti birthday cake with a lemon curd & champagne cherry filling and Swiss meringue butter cream
Champagne served in vintage coupe glasses with petite black bows
