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KATIE KENNEDY

Gift Guide for the Hostess

November 26, 2021

Gift Guide for the Hostess
📍 The Vinoy, St. Pete

holidays, hostess, gift guide, Christmas

Cheese Markers || Salad Cookbook || Vietnamese Cookbook || Floral Knife Set || Colored Wine Glass Set || Floral Perfume || Coral Pink Lipstick || Single Rose Bouquet || Fuzzy Slippers || Espresso Cup Set || Jade Gua Sha || Apron and Oven Mitt Set || Festive Candle || Pretty Scrabble Game Board

Outfit Below: Dress (Similar) || Heels ($50 off with code SARAHFLINT-BAKATIE) || Clutch || Cashmere Wrap || Earrings

holidays, hostess, gift guide, Christmas

Now that the Thanksgiving holiday is sadly in our rear-view mirror, shopping for the holidays is sure to go into overdrive. If you haven’t already started, don’t sweat it! I have several guides to help you find the perfect gift for even the toughest of recipients. Since holiday parties tend to begin well before Christmas Day, here is my official gift guide for the hostess in your life. These 12 ideas are sure to delight no matter the personality!

Cheese Markers

Is it truly a party without a cheese board in attendance? Well, at least it isn’t in the Kennedy household. I love that these cheese markers go my taste profile, rather than a specific variety. That way, it ensures your hostess can reuse over and again, no matter the cheese spread. The gold color gives it an elevated look that is a perfect match for the holidays.

Unique Cookbooks

As someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, cookbooks are one of my favorite gifts to send and receive. After all, food is love! With cookbooks, you can help a novice refine their cooking skills or add something new to someone’s already impressive repertoire. As I was shopping, so many new editions caught my idea! The first one, Mandy’s Gourmet Salads, is on the list because I desperately wish I was more creative at making beautiful salads. The second, Vietnamese, is on the list because it’s a cuisine I love but don’t know near enough about. Both options are even prettier in person, allowing the recipient to display proudly in the kitchen. 

Floral Knife Set

Have you ever been looking at knife sets but felt like they all just looked the same? I know there are so many incredible options out there, but I would love to find a pair that was as pretty as the meal I was preparing. This stainless steel knife set looks incredible with a floral makeover. Better still, they are also dishwasher safe, meaning they are equal parts fashionable and functional.

holidays, hostess, gift guide, Christmas

Colored Wine Glass Set

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you probably know that a wine glass set from Estelle’s Colored Glass is almost always on my gift guides. That’s because they are simply stunning and deserve to have a place on the bar cart. They come in a rainbow of colors (literally) and come in stemmed, seamless, and coupe options. Pick a style and shade that best matches the hostess’ style, and they may be tempted to use them right away.

Designer Perfume and Lipstick

Imagine the delight your hostess will feel when they receive such a thoughtful designer gift. If you already know that they have a favorite, I would start with that. If not, I highly recommend taking a look at what Gucci has to offer. Their makeup line is a surprisingly friendly price point, and their new perfume is floral without being overwhelming. I also love their lip balm because they have beautiful packaging while adding just a touch of color.

Fuzzy Slippers

After a night of hosting, everyone deserves to kick up their feet and relax. Especially if you live in a colder climate, these fuzzy slippers from J. Crew would be such a thoughtful and often used gift. There are a few different color options: girly pink, neutral tan, or eye-catching gold. Make your best guess on size, but a gift card is always a great backup plan if you aren’t very confident.

holidays, hostess, gift guide, Christmas

Single Rose Bouquet

A bouquet can be such a sweet gift, but they often don’t long enough to fully enjoy them. Instead, consider gifting an Eternity Rose from Venus Et Fleur. While their specialty bouquets can be as large as you want, even a single rose is a beautiful gesture. With proper care, they can last over a year and smell incredible. It can be a tough decision with so many colors to choose from, but you can never go wrong with a natural blush flower.

Espresso Cup Set

A coffee mug is such a frequent gift choice, but chances your hostess may already have more than they know what to do with. An elevated update on a classic is this beautiful espresso cup set. La Double J has an entire collection of colorful porcelain pieces that will help to create the perfect tablescape.

Jade Gua Sha

Help your hostess take their natural skincare routine to the next level with a calming face massage. Jade Gua Shas are all the rage and for a good reason! As part of a daily routine, they can help to make you look and feel years younger. Pair this with a favorite face moisturizer, and your loved one will feel like they’re having a complete spa day from the comfort of their home.

Apron and Oven Mitt Set

Here’s one last gift idea for the kitchen, I promise! Well, at least for this blog post. The patchwork design is so stunning and can be worn year-round, no matter the season. I love this apron, in particular, because it comes as a set with an oven mitt. It’s perfect for your favorite baker or aspiring boulangère. 

Festive Candle

Gift this festive candle now, and your recipient will have a fun ceramic jar for years to come. I personally would reuse this to be a cookie jar, but the sky is the limit! If you’re curious about scent, it’s inspired by a Medieval Christmas beverage: orange peel, bergamot, and cinnamon. If I could have that recipe, sign me up!

Pretty Scrabble Board Game

When I joined the Kennedy family, I quickly learned how cherished board games were during the holiday. It’s a tradition that I can’t wait to have with my own family. Scrabble is a classic, and the teacher in me just loves it! This particular version was made specifically for Anthropologie and includes a beautiful garden bistro design. No matter the ages at the holiday dinner, this will be a hit with everyone!

holidays, hostess, gift guide, Christmas

Never show up to a holiday party empty handed, even if it’s simply a good bottle of wine! With this Hostess Gift Guide, your friends will feel so loved. Don’t be surprised if you become the favorite guest for years to come!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.


Filed Under: Holidays, Uncategorized

Our Colorful Christmas Decor

November 24, 2021

Our Colorful Christmas Decor
📍 The Kennedy Bungalow, Florida

Christmas Decor, holiday season, Christmas, Christmas tree

Pajama Set (Also) (Similar) || Ballet Flats (Similar) || Christmas Mug (Similar) || Bright Red Lipstick

Christmas Tree || Ornament Set || Tree Skirt || Christmas Star || Nutcracker Set

When it comes to the holidays, I am breaking one of my steadfast rules for festive decor. I don’t know if it’s the cooler Florida weather or the fact that we can actually celebrate in our home. Whatever the causes, I am happy to report that the Kennedy family Christmas tree has been up and running for a few weeks now. After a busy workday, I’ve been relishing in sparking up a holiday candle, lighting a tree, and decompressing with a Vince Guaraldi Christmas soundtrack. This time last year, I was still picking up the pieces from our home flooding, and I had to start over with holiday decor. The reset gave me the perfect opportunity to pick a theme and run with it. Here’s a sneak peek at our cheerful, colorful Christmas decor.

  • Christmas Tree, Christmas Decor, Colorful

A Standard Tree and Lights

Everyone probably already has a preference of tree in mind. Whether you like faux, real, pre-lit with white lights, rainbow lights, or lights at all, pick what works best for you. As much as I would love to have a real tree, the smell alone puts me in the holiday spirit, but David has a slight allergy. That’s okay because my parents passed along a wonderful faux tree alternative that we’ve had in the family for years. Since this option was unlit, I was able to handpick the lights myself. I quickly fell in love with this set of warm white lights from Target. For reference, I have a 6-foot tree and needed at least three boxes to wrap up the tree entirely. 

Retro Toy-Inspired Christmas Ornaments

Curating an incredible ornament collection can take so much time and patience. The queen of ornaments is Melissa Smrekar with her annual Pledge Class. Seriously she is such a delight to follow! Since I started from Square One, I wanted to have something fun to hang on my tree without a big journey. Since Target is always a massive help during the holidays, that’s where I started my search. This year, they have complete box sets of ornament themes. That’s 85 pieces for right at $100. There are several themes to choose from, like Distant Lands and Frosted Blush, among others. I was dangerously close to purchasing the Coastal Christmas, but I felt like Toy Kingdom was a fun take on classic holiday themes. 

Coordinating Tree Skirt and Stockings

Now that the big pieces are out of the way, we can have fun with the more minor details. How perfect is this pom-pom tree skirt? The faux wool is in the most incredible shade of red, while the poms perfectly match my new ornament set. To have a complete set, I also ordered a set of matching pom-pom stockings to hang with these matte silver hangs. While we don’t have a quintessential fireplace mantel, I’m confident that it may come around someday. 

Classic Silver Christmas Star

Are you a Christmas Star or Christmas Angel family? David and I grew up with Christmas Stars on our childhood trees, and we were so happy to continue that tradition in our new home. While we were discussing the merits of lit versus unlit star, this particular one grabbed our attention. It’s subtle but perfectly completes our tree. 

Festive Red and Green Wreath

A few months ago, we painted the outside of your home from a standard tan to a beautiful seafoam green. For those of you interested, it’s officially called Swimming by Sherwin-Williams. Anyway, I was long looking forward to adding some holiday cheer to this beautiful color. While the lights will wait until after the Thanksgiving holiday, I hung up this ornament wreath almost as soon as it came home. It’s such a pretty addition, and I’m almost tempted to keep it up all year round. 

Vintage-Inspired Santa Mug

Since I’m an old soul, I always love sprinkling vintage or vintage-inspired elements with our home decor. While you can scour your local antique stores to find the perfect Santa mug, this new mug I picked up is an instant classic. They also have different Santas and Elves to suit your family. To sweeten the deal, I also bought a vintage-inspired candy bowl. Currently, it’s full of peppermint and sitting on our kitchen counter. It may need to find a new location because it’s become too easy to grab sweets while cooking. One final note, how precious are these tumblers? I picked them up especially for David so that he can enjoy his maple syrup Old-Fashioneds. 

  • Christmas Decor, Wreath, Christmas Tree, Holiday Season

Rainbow Mini Nutcrackers

One of the favorite areas in our home has become the little credenza in the entryway. It continues with some of my most cherished knick-knacks that I can decorate all year long. For the holiday season, I’ve put the extra ornaments in my oversized oyster bowl. I love how it turned out! I also picked up two sets of rainbow-colored nutcrackers (warm colors and cool colors) to protect the threshold. They are small, just a few inches tall, but add so much personality to this corner of the room. 

Inviting Festive Doormat

Because I wanted to add one more fun detail to our home’s exterior, how cute is this doormat from Anthropologie? I think it perfectly matches the rest of the holiday decor and is such a warm welcome for guests. Although ‘All is Bright’ is clearly a Christmas reference, again, I’m tempted to make it work 365 days of the year. 

Pink and Red Pajama Set

One final piece de resistance! I’ve wanted a pair of Sleeper pajamas forever, and this holiday season, I finally decided to take the plunge. While there is a rainbow of colors to choose from, the baby pink looks so chic with the red-feathered trim. If I’m being honest, David wasn’t a huge fan of the feathers, but that probably made me adore them even more. Other colors to love are baby blue, black, or purple gingham. If you happen to need more feathers in your life, J. Crew has the perfect slippers to compliment the look! 

Christmas Decor, holiday season, Christmas, Christmas tree

Now that the holiday season is officially here, be on the lookout for so many more blog posts to help you with your shopping needs. There’s also some incredible travel that’s beginning to line up. What I’m trying to say is, it’s going to be a fun time! Hope to see you there!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.


Filed Under: Uncategorized

St. Pete’s Winter Beach

November 23, 2021

St. Pete’s Winter Beach
📍 St. Pete Pier, Florida

St. Pete, Pier, Winter Beach, Beach, Holiday

Blouse (Similar) || Jeans || Ballet Flats || Handbag || Earrings || Bracelet

Do you live in Tampa Bay and dream of a White Christmas? Not to be a pessimist, but chances of that happening in St. Pete are slim to none. If you live on the sunny Gulf Coast and are looking for a healthy dose of holiday cheer, look no further than the Pier’s newest attraction. Last week, I had a special opportunity to get a sneak peek at St. Pete’s Winter Beach. It’s a unique destination with all of the charm of a winter wonderland, but with water views and 70-degree weather. 

  • St. Pete, Florida, Christmas, Winter Beach

When and Where

The St. Pete Pier instantly became a local landmark when it re-opened to the public in July of 2021. With seasonal events year-round, there’s always something new and exciting to explore. Now it’s the time of year to add Winter Beach to that list. From November 20th through January 17th, you and the entire family have something to enjoy. Once you snag a parking spot at the Pier or along Beach Drive, simply head to Spa Beach for our rendition of a winter village. If this would be your first time visiting St. Pete’s Pier District, there will be plenty of signs to point you in the right direction.

  • St. Pete, Florida, Christmas, Winter Beach

Festive Food and Drinks

Even in Florida, there’s just something about winter where only comfort food will suffice. During my preview of Winter Beach, one of the first stops was at the Kahwa stand to grab a celebratory Hot Chocolate. Kahwa is a local coffee institution, and I’m happy to report that they have a full menu of beverages for the holiday village. If you need a little bit more pep in your drink, be sure to order their Peppermint Mocha. For something a little more filling, you can order either a Smoked Turkey Leg from Uncle John’s Pride or delicious Gyozas from Ling’s Dumplings. For more details on what’s available at the Food Market, be sure to visit here for more details. 

  • St. Pete, Florida, Christmas, Winter Beach
  • St. Pete, Florida, Christmas, Winter Beach

Holiday Activities For Everyone

Sipping Hot Chocolate is only half the fun while visiting Winter Beach. Throughout the holiday season and beyond, they have a jam-packed schedule. From Meet-and-Greets with Santa to Snow Days, it’s sure to be a magical experience. Be sure to mark your calendars for November 27th for the official Tree Lighting and Santa Parade at 6:30. Throughout the event, you can also test your “ice” legs with a 4,000 square foot ice rink with pristine views of St. Pete Pier and the city skyline. Because walk-ups are guaranteed, it’s highly recommended to book in advance. Tickets are $17 per skater and can be booked here.

  • St. Pete, Florida, Christmas, Winter Beach

Once again, thank you so much to the Winter Beach team for letting me a first look at the festivities to come. I can promise it’s an absolute treat to visit, and I already have many return trips planned through the holiday season. Afterward, be sure to keep supporting local St. Pete by dining at your favorite restaurants on Beach Drive and beyond. I hope toes you around!

Love from Florida,
Katie

As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.


Filed Under: Florida, St. Pete

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