Last Saturday was the dreamiest night we’ve had in our new home yet! Valentine’s Day was my excuse to gather a mix of friends–old and new–as the romantic holiday isn’t just for lovers… but for a friend-filled love fest too. I transformed our living room, moving out all of the furniture, throwing down my friend Ali’s rugs and styling-up the scene with soft florals, moody candle lighting, and brass accents for the ultimate Moroccan feast. Our black dining table worked perfectly for the vibe I was going for however our new woven Noir chairs were the true show stoppers. It took an afternoon of cleaning and shifting of furniture (and convincing my guy that tearing apart our place was a great idea) but in the end, it was magical. I was in my element (plus I may have over served myself one too many glasses of wine which is always the sign of a great night)!
The Look | Isabel Marant Skirt (similar) + Tee. Designs by Alina Pave Funk Necklace. Jennifer Fisher Charm Necklace.
It was such a treat to have my college girlfriend, Tara (on the right), in town for the weekend. I hadn’t seen her for a couple years–she was living in Philly when I was living in New York, and just recently moved back to the Bay. Picking right back up where we left off and introducing her to some of my new Sacramento ladies (Gaby on the left!) made me so happy.
The table was set with the most perfectly themed dinner glasses from Anthropologie!, gold flatware, and these black Mrs. Peasy dishes (which I just may need to buy my own set of black dinner plates of these days as I keep borrowing them).
Besides the company, the true highlight of the evening was the food. My girlfriend Ashley’s brother, Tyler, (an incredible chef in the Bay Area who now does private catering!!) came into town to cook for us. It’s actually scary to think what I would have served–or what I was originally thinking when I decided to throw a true Moroccan dinner party, so needless to say when the opportunity came about to have Tyler come help in the kitchen I was thrilled!
We were all blown away, so many delicious flavors–these are the types of dishes I would want to eat everyday! Tyler, when can you come back?
The Menu | Harira Soup (spiced tomatoes and lentils), Moroccan Salad (bulgar, dates, pistaccios, oranges, spinach w/ cilantro orange dressing), Lamb Kefta (spiced ground lamb skewers w/ harissa glaze), Chicken Bastille (classic moroccan savory pie), Vegetable Tagine w/ forbidden rice and Ghoribas w/ honey (moroccan tea cookies).
I was very serious about helping Tyler serve up the soup and getting everyone seated.
The soup was definitely one of my favorite dishes! Going to have to try to recreate soon.
An eclectic mix of serving bowls from Target and Anthropologie.
Styling + Concept | Alicia Lund
Event Planning Assistance | Marcy Kiser
Chef | Tyler Graham (Kitchen 42* he’s hosting a vegan pop-up dinner later this month, Feb 29 for those in the Bay!)
Decor Elements | Chairs: Noir. Rugs: Kechmara Designs. Table: Design Alchemy.
Photography | Michelle Drewes
