how to hostess: by julia lake

if you’re not obsessed with kilim rugs right now the way i...

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:10:00 -0400

if you’re not obsessed with kilim rugs right now the way i am, ya should be. i can’t stop going gaga for them in bright hues.

Napa Valley Location Scouting my instagrams from this past week....

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:02:00 -0400

Napa Valley Location Scouting my instagrams from this past week. sigh. #julialakeparties

happy friday!

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:00:37 -0400

happy friday!

Poodles forever

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:32:11 -0400

Poodles forever

a breakfast table for mother's day

Wed, 15 May 2013 01:45:47 -0400

i whipped these puppies up last minute when i realized i forgot...

Mon, 13 May 2013 21:06:00 -0400

i whipped these puppies up last minute when i realized i forgot to get dessert for a girls dinner party i was headed to. i just baked cookies, scooped warm gelato into my jumbo ice trays and froze them for an hour & then scooped each “cube” out & mushed it between 2 cookies. (gelato has an easy to mold/handle consistency). then i just wrapped each sandwich in some parchment paper i had laying around & added some cute bakers string & voila! it was also a fun way to distribute my new biz cards to my girlfriends!

vision board: scheming up a bel air bohemian garden wedding at...

Thu, 09 May 2013 21:28:19 -0400

vision board: scheming up a bel air bohemian garden wedding at an epic nostalgic los angeles estate.

cinqo de mayo party- napa valley

Sun, 05 May 2013 23:58:37 -0400

in honor of a great holiday & our noble neighbors, im sharing a julia lake parties! event from last year- a mexican fiesta in the napa valley !

i hired a mariachi band, taco truck & made red & white wine sangria & basically used as much color as possible- including of course mexican papel picado.

this party was a rehearsal dinner. check out www.julialake.com for more photos & party decor ideas!

vision board: moroccan tent summer party

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:02:14 -0400

vision board: moroccan tent summer party

Dipped Feathers for #blueribbon pop up tent @thompsonhotels LES...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:22:00 -0400

Dipped Feathers for #blueribbon pop up tent @thompsonhotels LES (at Thompson LES Hotel)

happy friday! this weekend i’ll be scheming a napa based...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:33 -0400

happy friday!

this weekend i’ll be scheming a napa based cowboys & indians party im planning in june!

invites in the making… #dreamcatchers #julialakeparties...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:36:23 -0400

invites in the making… #dreamcatchers #julialakeparties #cowboysandindians (at www.julialake.com)

happy friday!

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:00:23 -0400

happy friday!

vision board for an upcoming napa pow wow party…...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:48:51 -0400

vision board for an upcoming napa pow wow party… #cowboysandindians #julialakeparties (at jlp! nyc)

my mother, barbara esser (aka babsie), is an artist. i get every...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:00:35 -0400

my mother, barbara esser (aka babsie), is an artist. i get every ounce of my creativity from her. here are some snap shots of some of her projects. ill do an ‘in her home’ series on her in a few weeks! the giant birds nest in the lower left corner is by far my favorite. its called ‘ovo’ and stands 3.5 feet tall!

sweet tooth insanity!

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:35:00 -0400

im the kind of person who needs a bite of chocolate after every meal. its a dirty little habit but ive got a pretty nasty sweet tooth, which i blame on my father who is exactly the same way. (he stashes chocolate boxes between the books in the home library!!) on that note…

diy: cake batter milkshakes

Funfetti Milkshakes, makes 3-4 servings

Needed: 1 box of Funfetti cake mix, additional ingredients the box directions call for (except eggs), 4-5 cups milk and 4-5 scoops of vanilla ice-cream. Serve with extra sprinkles if you like! I rub a little bit of corn syrup on the edges of my glasses then dipped them in sprinkles to get this pretty rim look.

Devils Food Cake Batter Milkshakes, makes 3-4 servings

Needed: 1 box of Devil’s Food (or chocolate) cake mix, additional ingredients the box directions call for (except eggs), 4-5 cups milk and 4-5 scoops of chocolate ice-cream. Serve with extra sprinkles if you like! I rub a little bit of corn syrup on the edges of my glasses then dipped them in sprinkles to get this pretty rim look.

genius idea discovered here on a beautiful mess!

Just found my 30th bday dress in my mother-in-laws closet! These...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:11:31 -0400

Just found my 30th bday dress in my mother-in-laws closet! These & a pair of red cowboy boots! #cowboysandindians

in her home: cristina marissa vargas

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:00:00 -0400

red hook, brooklyn

cristina is originally from el paso, texas but is mexican by heritage. mexico is one of my favorite countries to visit & its fearless use of color is, in my opinion, one of the country’s most admirable traits. stepping into cristina’s home is a direct reflection of that heritage. this señorita is the kind of mexican that makes you dream of old world haciendas & makes me want to move to mexico city straight away- a notion ive long debated.

a dinner invitation to cristina’s loft inevitably means a decadent meal, bottomless wine, non-stop intriguing (& brutally honest) conversation topped off with some devious scheming. this time (a monday night) she served oysters & lobsters & the scheming resulted in a girls weekend fly fishing trip. none of us fish, but the possibilities are always endless & no mountain seems too high. I knew when another invitation came (lets be honest I begged for it), it was a great chance to shoot her home.

describe your style: sentimental mexican magpie, but I am a total sucker for anything french.

best find/inheritance: a velvet painting that hangs above my bed. it was in an abandoned trailer park & my dad brought it home as a joke, telling my mom he got this incredible piece of art. it sat in the garage for years, my mom constantly in fear that he would bring it in the house one day. as a joke he sent it up to me and I have displayed it proudly ever since. (displayed above bed in 1st foto above)

most prized possession(s): i. a perfectly broken in mickey mouse sweatshirt that after years of begging, my father finally bequeathed to me. ii. my wedding ring (it belonged to my husband’s grandmother & she is incredibly dear to my heart). iii. a watch that my husband gifted me on our wedding day.

what are you listening to: rhye, soko, solange & erasure & lots of 90’s pandora radio

do you collect anything: brooches/jewelry & virgin mary tchotchkes

favorite place to get stuff for your home: oh my goodness the street! I can’t resist, it gives me such a thrill. it also helps that my neighborhood puts out the best junk/treasures!

if you didnt live where you do, where would you live: paris or el paso, texas.

all in all, she’s the kind of girl who you immediately want to befriend. she’s smart, organized & creative. she was a lawyer for a bit & realized it wasn’t her thing which makes sense because she’s endlessly inspired & inventive. somehow she’s constantly streaming creative ideas & projects & its simply contagious. she’s also a true gem. last year at my holiday party she was sick & couldn’t make it. instead, she sent over her dream-of-a-husband just to drop off the rum cake that, a week prior, she had casually offered to bring. (who does that?!) when i asked her what her weekend plans were, she said she was going to test out a tie-dying project (which i immediately invited myself over for!) & again, most recently when i texted her (in the middle of the day on a thursday) to see if she wanted to go to home depot ( i was feeling creative…) she texted back within 5 minutes & said “in! ill pick you up!” the gal is a mean chef, a stellar hostess, a wildly fun party girl but best of all a badass partner in crime.

Happy Rainy Friday!

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:46:00 -0400

Happy Rainy Friday!

vision board: garden party bridal shower- sage, burlap & creams

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:02:00 -0400

i’m scheming a bridal shower in june for a new client. parasols, flower crowns & white sangria are at the top of the list. its all so dreamy.

julia lake parties! www.julialake.com