Tag: entertaining

OWL CITY

posted by Elshane on Aug 2 2012, under Home Decor/Entertaining

As July flashed by like a Michael Phelps butterfly stroke, the warm summer air grows thicker {literally}… hotter, dewier…someone save our hair from the humidity!  We are left with one month to lay, splash, shop, dine, and bike ride before the school year starts again.Case in point? Pool Party!
A Pool Party can be as quaint as three friends and some ice cold beverages, or, with an easy (cue magic wand) day- before- planning- via- elshane- guidance, can turn into a {properly epic event}.
 

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PREPARING THE ULTIMATE HOUSE PARTY

posted by Elshane on Jun 17 2014, under Home Decor/Entertaining

Hosting is a natural instinct for me, since I have always relished pleasing other people over myself. I love watching friends eat, drink, enjoy their surrounding, and leave a party with an incredible story-- especially when it's on my home turf.

It was only natural, therefore, when Absolut launched their newest gem named Elyx, a premium luxury vodka distilled from pure copper, that a genuine partnership between Elyx and Elshane's World formed. A tequila fan I always was, until I tasted an Absolut Elyx martini and unapologetically switched teams and chose to {fight for the right to party}. 

I hosted an intimate, raging, California cool house party at a friend's bachelor pad/ art gallery/ over-the-top barn/ open-air mansion in Venice, CA-- a perfect setting for my guests to experience what copper-distilled madness could taste like. A venue like this, mixed with a well-curated guest list, and shaken up with a sensory overload of tastes both to the mouth and to the touch delivered the perfect house party environment. Best part? You can re-create this memorable event for your friends, too.

Follow along for how to master the perfect house party...

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ELCHELLA 2014!

posted by Elshane on Aug 27 2014, under Home Decor/Entertaining

Dear Diary,

I had the best 30th birthday a gal could ask for!!! Well fine, I guess I should pat myself on the back and say it was all my "fault". That #ELCHELLA theme, you know, "Elshane's Coachella", was a recipe for success the second my gals started chowing down on my Fritzi Hot Dog truck, serving up LA's finest gourmet 'dogs and accouterments topped on pretzel buns.

Also, it didn't hurt that I created possibly the most epic D-I-Y station of all time, my Harajuku Sunglasses Stand, where I ordered 500 cheeseburger, ice cream cone, and penguin mini erasers, along with pearls, rhinestones, and googily eyes to hot glue onto faux Ray-Ban sunnies.

But wait, maybe it was actually the 16-person "shotski" that made #Elchella, well, #Elchella. Or do you think it was the countless Tribe of Jewels metallic tattoos that I shared with all of my guests to put where they pleased? Ah, yes, that could be it! I remember that four hours into the perfectly chilled and forever free-flowin' Tequila Avion, all of the macho guys were begging us proper ladies to "tramp stamp" their lower backs with metallic suns and tribal symbols!

Although, thinking back, I think my favorite part was actually the 4-member Rock Band that I hired and chartered to travel all the way from Santa Barbara to rock out at 10,000,000 volts of volume to classics like Fleetwood Mac and Nirvana

Wait, now I really remember why it was the best day ever...

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#ELSPANISHOASIS BY SAFAVIEH

posted by Elshane on May 1 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

Welcome home... Welcome home!

It's been a long journey of construction, 4 months in total, but we've officially laid down the last tile, painted the last beam, and fluffed the last pillow.

With our #ElSpanishOasis construction, we focused on 4 key areas. I'm releasing one of them to you today-- our beloved indoor/outdoor courtyard! We took what was simply a long, narrow enclosed driveway that was parallel to our house, and turned it into an indoor/outdoor peaceful abode, with the help of Safavieh Outdoor Furniture.

Here's our old space, a shot facing the street:

Notice the stark white wall hardly shading us from our next door neighbors. Also notice the concrete flooring, the unsightly black swing doors toward the front of our home, and the overall "driveway"-like feel.

Now see the same shot after the construction (but before any of our landscaping grew in)-- you'll notice the following things:

1. The white wall is 3 feet higher (and will soon be covered in lush greenery).

2. The driveway doors were replaced with reclaimed wood doors that are 3 feet taller and much more aesthetically pleasing.

3. The 800 sq. feet of floors have been tiled in Saltillo tile with hand-painted accent tiles.

4.We installed a water feature with light beams against the white wall.

5. We built a reclaimed wood pergola (which will soon be covered in lush greenery) to create an indoor feel outdoors.

6. We built a white wall towards the reclaimed wood doors to hide our garbage cans and BBQ.

7. We furnished the space with the most versatile and chic Safavieh Outdoor Furniture!

Enjoy some great shots below of the new space.

Can you imagine the endless entertaining we've been hosting? As it gets dark and our pergola market lights turn on, along with the surround sound system and soothing water feature, it's been an ideal spot to relax and watch the sunset. During the day, we use the space as an outdoor living room-- an easy flow to and from our backyard pool!

P.S.- Do you melt for these layered outdoor Safavieh rugs? I do!

The greatest part of our space is our outdoor furniture and layered rugs by Safavieh. It's allowed us to feel completely at home, as if we were indoors in our living room, while we are outside. Plus, the maintenance is practically non-existent. Sometimes I cover the couch cushions when I know it's going to rain at night. Otherwise, we just leave everything as is! The rugs are completely waterproof, and the cushions can be unzipped and washed when necessary (but we haven't even had to explore that yet)!

I can't wait to show you the progress of the space in a few months when the landscaping grows in, completing the look. We even planted a large tree in the center of the space. A tree in a living room? Sounds about right.

California living at its finest...

Join my conversation about my #elspanishoasis by following along these hashtags on Instagram - #elspanishoasis and #safavieh. Happy decorating!

Photography by Tori Aston.

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KITCHEN ESSENTIALS: HOW TO ROAST A CHICKEN

posted by Elshane on Jul 20 2015, under Home Decor/Entertaining

There are some things that boss ladies like us should know: How to manage a team, how to spend our paychecks, how to multi-task. Oh, and how to roast a chicken.

It's so easy, yet so impressive, that it can save you in a pinch whether you're cooking for 1, 2, or 4.

** Working Girl Tip: Prep this dish night before or morning of and leave the pan ready to go in the fridge for an effortless evening ahead. **

What you'll need (this recipe serves 4):

1 whole chicken (I prefer organic chickens about 6.5 lbs) // 8 lemons // Kosher sea salt and freshly ground pepper // herbs- 6 rosemary sprigs, 6 sage sprigs, 6 thyme sprigs //  1 bag baby carrots // 2 bags Brussel sprouts (about 30 sprouts) // 1 large sweet yellow onion // 1 bag baby potatoes // extra virgin olive oil // 1 large roasting pan (check my shopping section below for my favorite roasting pan-- mega worth the investment!)

 

1. Clean chicken- wash it with cold water in the sink, inside and out and remove giblets from the inside. With a paper towel, pat chicken dry inside and out and set aside for a few minutes to fully dry.

2. Position a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 400F.

3. Prepare your veggies: Cut Brussel sprouts in half, cut potatoes in half, slice onion into slivers and throw all plus carrots into roasting pan. Drizzle EVOO over veggies and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper-- mix evenly. Throw 3 sprigs of each herb in the pan with the veggies.

4. Place your chicken in the pan, pushing veggies aside as much as possible (or, with my suggested pan, the chicken sits on top of the veggies which is ideal). Cover chicken in EVOO, salt and pepper evenly on both sides and inside the cavity. Cut four lemons in half, take the seeds out, and squeeze them all over the entire chicken on both sides, as well as all over the veggies. Throw the squeezed lemon halves inside the pan with the veggies.

5. Position chicken breast side down in pan. Pierce two lemons with a fork 3 times each and shove the lemons up the cavity. Then shove 3 sprigs each of thyme, rosemary and sage up the cavity, as well.

6. Put the chicken in the oven, then immediately lower the temperature to 350F and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

7. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or gloves, flip the chicken to breast side up and squeeze two remaining lemons (cut in half and pitted) all over chicken and veggies again. Again, toss the halves in the pan with the veggies to roast. Mix the veggies with a wooden spoon. Return the pan into the oven for 1 hour.

8. After 1 hour, remove the roasting pan from the oven and flip the bird one more time. Return it to the oven and let it cook for about 45 minutes (for a 6.5 lb bird), or as little as 15 minutes for a 4lb bird, or about 30 minutes for a 5lb bird. To avoid overcooking, about 10 minutes before these slated times, insert a meat thermometer into thigh-- it should read 180 degrees when it's fully cooked, and the juices should run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork.

(Tip: roasting a chicken at 350F takes approx. 18-20 minutes per lb, plus 15 minutes). Cooking times vary.

9. Let the chicken rest outside of the oven for 10 minutes before carving. Find all 8 lemon remainders and re-squeeze their juices over the top of the chicken and all of the veggies. (YUM!)

10. Enjoy!!!

 

Please leave comments if you try this recipe, and tell me how your BossLady Chicken turns out!

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HOSTING A STUDIO 54 DISCO BASH!

posted by Elshane on Jan 10 2017, under Home Decor/Entertaining

When the chance presents itself, it's hard for me to turn down throwing a party. In this case, my husband was turning 35 this past weekend, and we knew we had a good throw down to give in us. 

I immediately knew I wanted a theme bash, and soon after, picked Studio 54 disco for its ultra glam, high spirited nature. I knew it would be a hit.

When you throw a theme party and require your guests to dress up, it's important to set the tone with the decor. You can't expect someone to go out of their way to find/make/source a costume, only to arrive to a party that doesn't feel 360 WOW. 

I set out to create that WOW effect with endless metallic fringe curtains, properly placed lighting, glitter, sequins, a black and white dance floor, a DJ, festive dessert, and a whooooole lotta FUNK!

 

 

Step 1: Needed a red, wavy wig. (Costume store, check.) Gold sequin turban? (Etsy, check.) DVF sequin wrap gown (how much more 70's can you go...check.) Glittery shoes (Jimmy Choo, check.) Vintage gold belt (Flea Market find, check.) Oh.... and....

Dressing my husband up as Andy Warhol, a.k.a. possibly the biggest known fixture of the Studio 54 era. (Such an easy costume, check, plus!)

And now for the decor...

I bought 100 yards of super cheap sequin fabric online and used it as drapery over all of the furniture to give an ultra sexy, nightclub 70's vibe.

Metallic fringe curtains doubled as entryway details and selfie walls all around the house.

Target sells LED balloons... yes, they literally glow in the dark.

Glitter everywhere... on every table, on the floor, on the bar, in between my toes. It's all in the details.

I rented up lights in red and pink and placed them throughout the house. The dance floor was black and white checkered and I had a disco ball and fog machine to set the mood. F-U-N-K!

All the party staff (two bartenders, two housekeepers, and DJ) were decked in 70's. I mean... if you were at Studio 54 in the 70's, wouldn't your bartender have an afro, too?

And then there's Homer, our son dog in his custom made (by meeeee) Moroccan tuxedo originally worn to our wedding. He partied until 4am, just sayin'...

I presented an endless dessert bar filled with my husband's favorites (ok, and mine, too). I hired Sweet E's Bake Shop to curate the insanely delicious selection. We feasted on double triple chocolate everything, s'mores this, cookie dough that, cookies 'n cream over here, secret peanut butter bars over there, confetti cakes, a tower of mini cupcakes, snickerdoodle blah blah blah, cookies, brownies, oh wait, and more, and more, and more!

Willy Wonka would have been IMPRESSED to say the least!

The rest is history.

I laid it on thick to the guests to give it their all with their costumes. No one disappointed. Out of all 120 guests, I counted about 30 afros, 10 ridiculous mustaches, endless polyester, sequins from head to toe, and laughs to last an entire year.

Considering throwing a theme party? Studio 54 70's Disco is a guaranteed groovy time!

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SUNDAY FUNDAY: A PERFECT 1ST BDAY BASH

posted by Elshane on Mar 30 2017, under Baby/Motherhood

 

And like THAT... (insert swift finger snap)... she's ONE!

In true Elshane form, a celebratory event doesn't come and go without a celebration. Sunday's first birthday was no exception. But I had to be strategic-- this innocent soul wouldn't remember a thing from this special day-- so it had to be just enough, but not too much. 

Basically, we wanted an excuse for our family and friends to gather, eat cake, and take epic photos to last a lifetime. Mission complete!

Here's how it all went down...

 

 

Sunday Funday was a natural choice for a theme-- I guess you can say it's less a "theme", and more a "mentality". But hey, that's how I feel about life in general! So yes, our mentality was Sunday Funday. We celebrated on a Sunday, for Sunday's birthday, which strategically fell on a Sunday this year. Yes, yes, yes!!!

 

 

 

 

The FIRST thing I did when planning the party was book the entertainment. I knew there was only ONE choice- The Beat Buds! They're basically like The Beatles of Southern California. If you live in or around SoCal, there's truly no other choice for kid's entertainment. 

They strolled into the party with endless instruments both for them to play, and for the kids to jam out with, too. Their original songs (like how to say Hello in many languages) are so catchy that I honestly spied many parents boogie'n in their boots. (CAUGHT!)

Sunday said "BYE MOM" and hung out as a Beat Buds band groupie the entire party. No joke-- it's like I wasn't even there. (Ok, it was a little sad, but mostly thrilling to watch her undying independence and jam ability.)

 

 

 

 

And what's a party without Pinterest-worthy splashes of decor? That's where Minted came in. The stationery powerhouse was a one-stop-shop for perfectly pretty banners, photo backdrops, garlands, table confetti, and theme signs that sprinkled the entire outdoor space.

The washed pink canvas "1st Sunday Funday" photo backdrop was the icing on the selfie wall cake.

Shop these items in my Shop The Post section below!

 

 

 

CALLING ALL INSTAGRAMERS!!! You can't forget the must-have party moment for any Instagram-obsessed chick like myself-- a selfie wall!!

With the help of Pottery Barn Kids x Emily + Meritt's newest collection that just hit stores last week, I created a swoon-worthy stars Teepee, lion and cat beanbags, metallic pillows, and pom pom garland backdrop that welcomed tots in for a cozy photo in perfect lighting. 

And who can say no to babies in Teepees in perfect lighting?!

Shop these items in my Shop The Post section below!

 

 

 

 

And lastly, the moment we had all been waiting for... the SMASH CAKE!! I wondered what Sunday would do in that first moment that sugar touched her sweet little lips. Some babies cry, some scream, some dive in face first and never let go!

Well... as you can see from the photos... need I say more?!

 

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BABY'S FIRST PICNIC

posted by Elshane on Apr 25 2017, under Baby/Motherhood

Well this was cool! Sometimes it's just fun to bunker down in your own backyard or nearby park and set up a pretend picnic. Sunday and I utilized a good 45 minutes of playtime here-- setting up place settings, eating "food" (wooden food is delicious, don't ya know!), smelling flowers, and dressing like the pretty garden ladies we were always destined to be.

It seems like these wooden food shapes are the go-to for all babies and toddlers (shop them in my SHOP section below), and my new baby-friendly plates, silverware, and insulated food jar from SkipHop made for the perfect picnic setting.

We really do take these SkipHop items with us to the park at all times! They're the perfect lightweight set to keep Sunday's eating on the run happy, healthy, clean, and cold/warm as needed! Shop all the fun colors and prints below!

 

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HI! IT'S ELSHANE FROM LOS ANGELES, CA
(BY WAY OF NEW YORK CITY)

I STARTED MY BLOG IN 2010 AS A WAY TO ARCHIVE ALL OF THE ONE-OF-A-KIND RUNWAY PIECES THAT I OWNED FROM WORKING AS THE IN-HOUSE STYLIST FOR DIANE VON FURSTENBERG IN NYC.

THEN, IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST... BIO

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