Holiday table decorating time! Woohooo! Today I am happy to share the simple tricks I use to set a chic yet easy holiday table. With this table decor, I partnered with @homedepot to create a lush and layered holiday table. Rustic simplicity is the theme.  For the first time in history, I am actually planning my holiday tablescape in advance!  I’ll show you the stress-free way to set a table that will make for cozy holiday entertaining with family and friends! Keep reading to see some super simple ideas! Or if you want to watch me walk through it watch the video here!

Throwing a proper dinner party is an art. There is nothing like a perfectly designed and planned gathering. From the color scheme to the people you invite, It is a thoughtfully curated moment. This dinner party in Positano Italy is simply breathtaking. It has me thinking that a destination dinner party might just be the next big thing. Let’s explore what makes this event so stunning and what to wear to your next dinner party.

This year, get the perfect present under the tree for a mom you know with the holiday gift guide for mom. It’s not too late to find the perfect item to make mom’s holiday the best. Give the gift you know she really wants and needs, whether that means noise-canceling headphones, comfy slippers, or a photo printer for all the family memories. Time is ticking, so here are some great last minutes ideas. I’ve got you covered this holiday season.

Photograph: Jess Kirby

This holiday, give the fashionista in your life the perfect present. Don’t stress about finding the right gift with my holiday gift guide for the fashionista.

Photograph: A Walk in the Wild

This holiday, give the beauty aficionado in your life the perfect present with our gift guide for the beauty obsessed. Whether it means staying hydrated, adding a little extra to their skincare routine or getting them the perfect eyeshadow palette, I’ve got you covered.

These are some of the best beauty products around. Maybe give some of these as gifts this year as well!

Photograph: A Walk in the Wild

Give the gift of comfort and utility to those who are always on the go with this holiday gift guide for travelers.

Whether they’re flying off to new places or coming back for the holidays, make the traveler in your life feel comfier with these gifts.

We recently threw a bridal shower for my sister DS at Ivy at the Shore in Santa Monica on the water. We celebrated in their back room called The Bungalow, a bright and welcoming flower-adorned space with exceptional sunlight from the sun roof. It truly was a stunning place. A friend of DS’s arranged this lovely luncheon for 20 or so of us to celebrate my sister’s bridal shower.

My sis DS is perhaps the most kind, sweet, smart, beautiful person I know.  I can’t tell you how happy I was to be there to see her so happy and surrounded by people who love her and are about her.  She and her fiancé AL (my lovely future brother-in-law) are a perfect match. It’s a delight to be celebrating their pending big day and future lives together.  The bridal shower venue reflected how we all feel for DS at this time.  Happy.

Swathed in pink and with colorful roses and lush floral linens and furnishings, this spot was the perfect place for a celebration. I definitely think I will host my next Girl Boss Lunch there! The entire place was just lovely.

Take a look below.

Summer officially ends late in September but when August ends, for me, summer feels like it is over.  Last year, two weeks after moving into this house, I threw an end of summer taco party for about 40 people. This year, I decided to hit repeat and threw another August taco party.  Maybe a tradition is in the making.  Anyhooooo, like last year, I officially decided to throw this party about a week before.  Before I knew it almost 30 of us were gathered in my courtyard for an end of summer taco party under the stars.  Want to know how I pulled it off?  Read on…

I need to brag about my dear friend Linda Grasso for a second.

Linda is the editor of Los Angeles magazine Ventura Blvd and the host of the SheSez with Linda Grasso podcast. She is a veteran journalist who interviews fascinating women about their bold, innovative, and sometimes badass moves. She and her husband Charlie recently remodeled the kitchen in their fantastic Encino home. They’ve lived in the house for years and have raised their sons there.

A little background, Linda and I go way back. We both worked at E! Entertainment Television, where we became friends after working on a project together. She has since been a fabulous confidant and consistent sounding board over the years! You may remember when she interviewed me on her podcast — which you can catch up on by clicking here.

Anyway, I went over to Linda’s house right before the remodel to have lunch with her and to brainstorm with her about fixtures, counters, the works. I loved her old kitchen… it had a Tuscan or French country feel to it. Linda and Charlie were ready for a change, though. This whole project started as an interior paint refresh, but it turned into a whole new kitchen. Like me, she is an avid cook and entertainer — so I understand her desire to create an inviting place that she’s proud of.

Summertime means outdoor dinners out on my patio!

I recently decided last minute (per usual) to cook Sunday night dinner for my family making my famous summer grilled chicken with a lime cilantro garlic marinade. I invited two people and then naturally that number grew to five after giving everyone a heads up only three hours beforehand.

As it goes… I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, but my first step was to set up a simple summer table! I couldn’t wait to put my new AERIN Ardsley collection (by Aerin Lauder) from Williams Sonoma to use.

Happy May! I just made a pretty big update in my breakfast nook. Can you spot it?!

Ok, I’ll just tell you. I recently opted to switch out the chandelier in the nook and I couldn’t be happier with the decision. Sometimes it’s nerve wracking to take the leap on a design switch, but I’m all about following your gut.

Take a look at how my new light fixture changes the feel of the room (below)!

The best made plans…often go awry.  When that happens, I use spider mums!  This lovely spring centerpiece I used for an Easter gathering actually came together by mistake.

It ended up being the perfect, bright and fresh addition to the table setting — and it’s so simple to make, you could throw this together for any occasion!

So here’s what happened… I had 12 members of my family over earlier this month. The *perfectly-planned* plan was for a lovely garden filled with blue hydrangea.  If you caught my girl boss luncheon post… kinda like that! And my menu included barbecue chicken, lightly dressed kale salad, fennel and tomato salad, corn bread and from my Caribbean background the family gathering staple, Haitian rice (red rice and beans).

Introducing my cozy breakfast nook!

I love having a special space in my home that is bright and inviting — the perfect place to have a cup of coffee and start my day!

Whether you have a whole room or just a corner, these ideas will help you create a charming place to grab a quick bite before heading out or dine with the whole family. Have a look (below)!

Ladies who lunch!

I recently held a spring luncheon for four fantastic women to discuss a project we’re all collaborating on. There is nothing more inspiring than being surrounded by fellow girl bosses supporting each other and being able to create together!

I invited everyone over to my house for a gathering on my patio – which ended up being the perfect way to celebrate the beautiful spring weather!

Follow along (below) to see how I pulled it off!

The world changes when we change our perspective.

Every day I’m noticing little things about my new home in Beverly Hills that makes me fall even more in love with this property. The other day I was walking around the back of the house through the gated tunnel to my courtyard, when I realized I had never seen the view from this angle before.

I know this may seem like a trivial example, but it got me thinking about how we have the power to take what we see every day and look at it from a different perspective and be enlightened to even more beauty.

Is it just me or did January fly by? I wrapped 2017 by throwing an over-the-top winter dinner party for about 30 of my family and friends — and I’m just now getting around to sharing it with all of you! Better late than never!

If you watch my Instagram Stories, you know this was definitely a design-as-you-go project… so this one goes out to all the readers who are willing to fly by the seat of your pants!