Champagne Grapefruit Mojito + Style Me Pretty Living

Hi lovelies! Hope y'all are having a nice little Tuesday. You've probably noticed that I've been sharing more entertaining inspiration for parties and events, recipes and cocktails, in addition to the paper pretties I love. I guess I never felt it was appropriate to share my love for entertaining, parties and stylish living on my blog, well, because I'd only ever talked about pretty paper and I felt those were the boundaries of my blog. I love the way my blog has grown and how I've learned from it. And I've realized that I fell in love with stationery, not solely because of my design background but because it's purpose surrounds a stylish soirée, wedding, event or just everyday stylish living. This is why I love my job at Style Me Pretty, all my loves are combined. It's funny how things happen backwards sometimes, isn't it? Well, it can be pretty wonderful if you ask me.

I've been sharing some of my recipes and cocktails over on SMP Living (as you may have seen in previous posts) and I couldn't be more excited. Most recently was one of my favorite spring/summertime drinks, the mojito. With a bit of a twist, grapefruit! I love to keep a big pot of mint on my porch in the spring and summertime. I learned last year that mint will take over a garden, so keeping it contained is the best thing you can do. If you've ever grown mint, you know that even in a container it goes craaazzzy but that's OK, because there are so many fun things you can do with mint... top off your ice cream with fresh fruit + mint, toss it in a Tabbouleh salad, or mix up a refreshing mojito! I favor the latter and of course. Head on over to SMP Living for the full recipe.

xo Melissa

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa + Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Aside from the Fourth of July, Cinco de Mayo is most definitely next in line for my favorite holiday/celebration. I love Mexican food, mostly because of the cheese. You can find me at Howling Wolf in Salem at least once a week—if you're local, try the chimichanga... to. die. for. And thanks to my Dad, Margaritas are my #1 go-to cocktail, so you see why my excitement for this holiday is what it is. I have a killer tomato salsa and guacamole recipes but this was my first time trying a salsa verde. Tomatillos have this awesome tangy flavor and when roasted... ¡Ay, caramba! are they delicious. So, if you're having a few friends over this weekend for margaritas and need a quick appetizer, head on over to the fabulous SMP Living for the recipe. Happy weekend and happy Cinco de Mayo amigos! xo

Recipe and photo by Yours Truly.

Paper to Party: Cinco de Mayo Style

In my opinion, a good party starts with paper and ends with paper. From the invitations to the thank you notes, paper is a key factor in the success of a good bash and also a great source of inspiration for the whole party planning process. Whether you're decorating a tablescape or trying to decide what you'll wear, pulling design elements from your stationery will give you a cohesive look throughout your soirée. So to kick off my new series, Paper to Party, (and because Cinco de Mayo is a great excuse for throwing a party!) I rounded up a few style essentials inspired by this Papel Picado Fiesta Invitation from Palm Papers. After all, choosing your party dress is one of the most important parts of the process!

Dress – Pulling from the text on the invitation, I chose a bright red/orange maxi dress, perfect for the weather this time of year. Top it with a jean jacket and scarf if you're heading out after the party.

Earrings – Nothing pairs better with lime green and orange than a bold bright blue. I've had these gorgeous Dayla Earrings in coral on my wish list for quite a while but the cobalt fits this look perfectly.

Nails – This is the perfect excuse to paint your nails blue! Butler Please from Essie will match your earrings and you'll be oh-so-coordinated.

Senorita Margarita – Practice your bar tending skills and memorize this margarita recipe in the shower with this 3 in 1 body wash from Philosophy. Bonus, these would make super cute party favors for the girls!

Bangle – Forget the watch, it's time to party! Toss on this chunky bangle and that wraps up the jewelry for your look.

Sandals – You'll probably be on your feet most of the night if you're the party host, so wear something comfortable but cute.

Straw Tote – OK this last one really has no purpose but it's so cute I had to add it. Day of, you'll be busy picking up last minute items for the party, so that's your excuse! This Tory Burch tote, though adorable, is a bit pricey. J.Crew has a similar tote here, I've had this one for a couple of years and I love it, it's sturdy and makes for a perfect beach bag in the summer.

Mother's Day Card Round-Up

I am not yet a mama myself, but if I was I'd surely want one of these pretty cards! Good thing I have two moms, two sweet mémères and plenty of mama friends to send some love to. And with Mother's Day a short two weeks away, now is the time to order these lovelies online so you can get them in time to send out! 

1. One of my favorite combos, black + white stripes, pink and gold – this bold Lots of Love card from Sugar Paper has gorgeous written all over it. I'll be sending this one to a couple of my mama friends. 

2. With all of it's coral prettiness, the We Love Mom Heart card from Sugar Paper is a good one for siblings to give together and appropriate for mother-in-law too!

3. Can you tell I love Sugar Paper's designs? This last one is one of my favorites. It's always SO hard to find mother's day cards for grandma (or in my case Mémère) and this Grandma Heart card, with it's darling heart lined envelope is perfectly cute.

4. I've been obsessed with the floral patterns from Berin Made. If you can't give Mom a pretty bouquet of flowers, well this card is the next best thing.

5. More pretty flowers and lovely illustrations on the Rosy Blooms Mother's Day Card from Rifle Paper Co.

6. Amusing and witty as always, Mr. Boddington's Studio has this Little Mary Poppins card that's sure to make Mom smile.

7. We all have the best Mom ever, don't we? I love the graphic feel of the Best Mom Ever card from The Paper Cub.

8. Have new mama friends celebrating their 1st Mother's Day? Farewell Paperie has a pretty pink and purple, super sweet First Mother's Day card.

Have a Lovely Weekend!

Ok, can we just talk about this photo for a minute? This gorgeous floral arrangement (styled and photographed by Amy Merrick for West Elm) is a mix of real and paper flowers! This post totally inspired me to hand-pick a few pretties for myself. So gorgeous.

After plenty of April showers this week, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a bit of sunshine this weekend. We're heading into Marblehead tomorrow for a 1st birthday party for sweet baby Lucas and I'd love to walk around a old town a bit before. The harbor is so pretty in spring and summertime, I never tire of it. What fun things are you doing? Hope you have a lovely weekend! xo

Favorite links from my week...

Speaking of 1st birthday parties, this one is completely adorable.

Could these DIY fresh flower gift tags be any prettier?

A little pep talk on savings. 

These vintage blossoms would be a sweet birthday or Mother's day gift.

I've always wanted a meyer lemon tree.

Can't wait to try this healthy smoothie.

My easy but pretty recipe for Spring entertaining, featured over on SMP Living this week!

*Photo by Amy Merrick for West Elm