One of my favorite "trendy" things curated by the internet is: Friendsgiving. I love the idea of hosting a party to show your love and appreciation to your friends while enjoying good food and making more memories. In order to make a place away from your family home, making friends is important and I am thankful for the friends that I have made since moving here.
Since Antero and I drive every year back to Rochester to celebrate Thankgiving it is nice for me to gather some good friends together here in Rhode Island and celebrate in a low key setting.
I wanted to celebrate the holiday season by merging both Puerto Rican and American traditions to make for a memorable night celebrating good friends while enjoying good food, fun conversations and tons of laughs!
Due to lack of time I decided to have wine instead of a signature cocktail. We provided a bottle of Prosecco and juices to our guests. But if you are not sure what kind of drinks to provide your friends just encourage them to bring their own. Each guest brought a bottle of wine and it was perfect to pass around and try new drinks.
For the table setting I wanted to keep it simple to not overwhelm myself. I wanted a clean simple look so I opted for a tan colored table runner and I added white and orange small pumpkins, birchwood inspired candle holders for a rustic look and eucalpytus leaves for greenery. To add a little bit of elegance I added two votives candles on each side of the table. I loved the way it turned out. On top of my guests plates I made a wreath out of garland, added a small bow and printed their names on a tag placed on top.
I wanted to keep this menu easy and mix in both recipes that I knew to make with some new ones. Tip: Its probably not safe to make a recipe you have never tried before the day of your party (hence the turkey dilemma I had!). If you do make a new recipe try for an easy one. You don't want to run into the risk of stressing yourself out. I also wanted to bring a little piece of my culture and holiday tradition to my Friendsgiving. I decided to make arroz con gandulces. Every holiday season arroz con gandules is a must have second main dish in my family.
Two of my guests were vegetarian so I also wanted to be mindful of my menu and make sure that there are options for them as well.
My friend volunteered to bring a dessert and she brought a pumpkin cheesecake. My husband is an apple pie fan so he picked up an apple pie at our favorite bakery here in Rhode Island called LaSalle's. Tip: Its a must visit for new combers in the Providence area.
I knew that my best accessory for the night was going to be my smile. My friends including my husband make me laugh a lot. I also drink a lot of coffee so I have to combat that with a whitening toothpaste. Crest 3D Whitening Therapy toothpaste gave me my party ready smile.
I kept my makeup light and my outfit as well. I wore an off the shoulder black bow sleeve sweater and black jeans. For a fun accessory I added tear drop pearl earrings.
Although I live in a small space don't let that discourage you from your ideas and desires. You can make anything happen. All you need is a little creativity, some helpful hands and genuine good friends! Thank you guys for checking out today's post and stay tuned for a more in depth guide of how I decorate in my small apartment.
Cheers to good friends and the holiday season!