cinco de mayo fiesta

When I think of Cinco de Mayo décor,

I think color, color, color!

I want festive flowers

and lots of bright accessories for my table.

So, this week I went shopping at

the local Mexican Market,

to grab some of these large

multi-colored cans of tomato sauce.

What’s great about these

El Pato cans is there are

no paper labels.

The cute graphic is

printed right on the can! 

And, the little green cans make the

perfect votive holders

to scatter on the table. 

While I was there, I also picked up

some fruity Mexican sodas called “Jarritos”.

It comes in flavors like

mango, pineapple, lime and mandarin.

Tasty and again so colorful!

For some, 

Cinco de Mayo would not be complete

 without a refreshing margarita.

Here's my favorite recipe from

The Barefoot Contessa.

Authentic Margaritas

• 1 lime, halved

• Kosher salt

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 limes)

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)

• 1 cup Triple Sec

• 1 cup white tequila

• 2 cups ice, plus extra for serving

• If you like margaritas served in a glass with salt, rub the outside rims of 6 glasses with a cut lime and dip each glass lightly into a plate of kosher salt.

• Combine the lime juice, lemon juice, Triple Sec, tequila, and ice in a blender and puree. Place extra ice in a cocktail shaker. Fill with margarita mix, shake well, and strain into glasses.

Serves 4-6.

For fun, I’m setting each place setting with

an individual basket of chips and salsa.

These cute baskets are from the Mexican Market too,

and come in pink, yellow, green and blue. 

I added more brightness with the plates and napkins.

Now we're all set for our friends to drop by.

Do you like to celebrate Cinco de Mayo too? 

If so,

Buen Provecho!

ciao! fabiana

adding color with citrus

Today, I made a trip over to our 

local Mexican Market 

to pick up a few things and get 

a little inspiration for

Cinco de Mayo.

And, I picked up a nice supply of

lemons, limes and oranges

while I was there.

The taste of citrus

can really freshen up a recipe

and it’s so good in so many drinks too!

I’ve  also been on the hunt

for a large tiered stand for my kitchen,

and I finally found one

I like at Home Goods.

It fits perfectly

in this little corner

next to my sink!

ciao! fabiana

cinco de mayo recipe ~ horchata

A tasty and nutritious sweet 

Mexican drink made from 

almonds and rice.

Horchata

Ingredients

Yeild : Makes about 1 quart

·         6 tablespoons long-grain white rice

·         1 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds

·         1 1-inch stick cinnamon

·         1 cup sugar

·         Large pinch of coarse salt

·         ½ scraped vanilla bean

·         1 lemon strip (optional)

• STEP 1
• The night before serving, pulverize the rice in a spice grinder. Transfer to a large bowl and add the almonds, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and lemon rind. Stir in 2 1/2 cups hot tap water, cover, and let stand for at least 6 hours.

• STEP 2
• Remove cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and lemon and discard. Puree the mixture in a blender until no longer gritty, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups water and blend for a few seconds more. Set a large sieve lined with 3 layers of dampened cheesecloth over a medium bowl. Pour the almond rice mixture in, a little at time, stirring gently to help the liquid pass through, and then gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze out all the liquid. Stir sugar and salt into the strained liquid. If the consistency is too thick, add water. Cover and refrigerate. Stir before pouring into glasses.

I made it this morning for the boys,
 and they loved it!

recipe via Martha Stewart

ciao! fabiana 

p.s. Need a  great idea for a cocktail?  
Just add a splash of rum!  

how to style vintage tins with flowers

 

One of my favorite and whimsical ways to style flowers is with colorful cans! These fun tin treasures add a charming “pop art” look to any floral arrangement.

 

This Amaretti tin is my latest find on Ebay, and I filled it with forget-me-nots from the garden. The scented geraniums are blooming right now in the front yard in a delicious cloud of pink, and I could resist gathering a big bunch to add a little cottage charm to the table.

 

A vintage Butter Wafer tin make a fun container for this lovely bunch of pink cottage roses from Trader Joe’s. Gather them in a tight bunch, secure with wire or floral tape, trim to desired length and place in the water-filled cookie tin.

Tones of green, yellow, ivory and white flowers harmonize nicely with this collection of flea-market tea tins.

 

The nasturtium are a variety called Peach Melba that I grow in my garden, and I picked up the daffodils at Whole Foods Market, and they smell divine!

 

They certainly brighten up this part of the living room, and add a dose of sunshine, even on the cloudiest of days.

 

This table centerpiece appeared in a 2021 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style. I used only vintage coffee tins, filled with real flowers that I picked up at the market.

 

The main theme for this look was picking up the color red from the striped napkins and working it in with the lovely yellow blooms of the roses and chamomile.

 

Keep your eyes open while grocery shopping for graphic designs on cans that instantly grab your attention. White daisies are just the right kind of cottage flower to fill these inexpensive containers for an effortless look.

 

This is a close up form a photo shoot I styled in Laguna Beach for Cottages and Bungalows magazine

  

 

This colorful look is from a Cinco de Mayo gathering I did way back in 2017. Look for cans that have the graphics printed right on them. There are many Mexican foods that have lovely artwork on their tins.

 

I love this inspiration found on pinterest. The Honey label is so pretty!

 

Even though the flowers don’t match the colors of this can, I still love this look, also from pinterest.

 

Flea markets and eBay are great places to find vintage cans. Grocery stores also have wonderful tin options for styling flowers, houseplants and even cactus varieties.

 

My collection of vintage tins is slowly growing, so you may see a few more flowery scenes like these from me very soon!

 

 

 

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

weekend brunch

I hope you’re having a

happy start of the week, and month!

Can you believe it’s already May?

We just spent most of Sunday

 at home

just catching up

on odds and ends around the house,

and sprucing up the backyard  

but we did get to sit down and enjoy a

simple brunch with the family.

Simple scrambled eggs and toast

are taken to another level
when you get to sit down to

 your very own personal bowl of

 fresh strawberries.

The strawberries here in OC 

are just coming in to season,

and they're so sweet!

More cuttings of the

snowball viburnum from the garden

are perfect with all

the blue and white table décor… 

But wait...
while setting the table,

I was experimenting with

a little red, white and blue color theme
and I couldn't resist a few photos…

I feel like it’s a little too early

to go all out patriotic, but I love how

this blue and white table easily transforms into

 a festive look with the addition of

just a red transferware plate.

These cute 
little seagrass wrapped water glasses

are from Serena & Lily,
 and

I love how they look with

the vintage china and burlap chargers. 

May’s such a festive month,

with Cinco de Mayo,

Mother’s Day,

the Newport Harbor Home Tour,

coming up on May 18th,

and Memorial Day.

Summer’s just around the corner….

are you excited?!

ciao! fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.