May is usually a beautiful month for us here in Florida and I decided I wanted to take advantage of being able to use our outdoor space to throw a mahjong party.  Cinco de Mayo fell on a Thursday this year, so when I was with some friends; we came up with the idea of a Cinco de Mahj party!!  How fun is that??

So I immediately got to work and made a quick little invitation that I could text our to a group of Mahj friends and get the party rolling. 

I decided to have a pretty big group, I think we were around 24 people; so that meant I would need to rent some chairs, borrow a few card tables and throw up all the outdoor umbrellas.  We had 6 tables going and played at our table until people needed to start leaving one by one and then we shifted the tables around as needed.  

I set all the tables up before our guest arrived and used inexpensive colored table clothes from Amazon and one pretty tablecloth from Pomegranate (no longer available) that I loved where we sat outside to eat lunch.  

What do you think?? Are you read to throw your first big Mahjong bash???

The post Cinco de Mahj | A Mahjong Party appeared first on Home of Malones.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be over-the-top to feel special. This year, I’m leaning into a softer, more timeless take on the holiday—one that celebrates connection, beauty, and lingering at the table a little longer. Enter: a romantic Valentine’s Day tablescape inspired by VIETRI, where Italian craftsmanship and effortless elegance set the scene.

I started with classic VIETRI dinnerware as the foundation—pieces that feel both refined and welcoming, the kind you’ll reach for long after February 14th. Layers of soft whites and subtle textures keep things feeling fresh, while hints of blush, deep red, and natural linen add just enough romance. There’s something about VIETRI’s handcrafted details that instantly elevate the table without making it feel fussy—perfect for an intimate dinner at home.

To finish the look, I added simple florals, glowing candles, and glassware that catches the light just right. The result is a tablescape that feels thoughtful and warm, whether you’re hosting a cozy dinner for two, celebrating with family, or gathering friends for a Galentine’s soirée. It’s a reminder that Valentine’s Day is less about perfection and more about creating moments that feel meaningful.

This is the kind of table that invites you to slow down, pour another glass, and savor the evening—exactly the way love should be celebrated. All products linked below!

Papersoft Love Napkins | Papersoft Heart Napkins | Hibiscus Pink Bud Vase | Flatware | Hibiscus Glass Red Vase | Incanto Pleated XOXO Plate | White Heart Mini Plate | Glass Pink Heart Plate | Glass Charger | Scalloped Place Mat | Gold Wine Glass | Gold Water Glass | Red Striped Wine Glass | Red Round Placemat | Red Striped Stemless Wine Glas

The post Valentines Day Table with VIETRI appeared first on Home of Malones.

The Best Pensacola, FL Date Ideas for Every Couple

Whether you’re planning a special anniversary, a first date, or just looking to switch up your usual dinner routine, Pensacola has so many fun, romantic, and memorable date ideas to offer. Here’s my ultimate list of Pensacola date ideas for every season and budget!

1. Sunset Picnic at Pensacola Beach

Nothing beats a classic beach date! Pack a picnic basket with your favorite snacks, grab a blanket, and watch the sunset over the Gulf. Bring a Bluetooth speaker for music and enjoy an evening swim if you’re feeling adventurous.

Want to take it up a notch?  Book Pensacola Picnic Company to supply the whole set up for you and you walk right up to a romantic beach setting ready to go.  They do the BEST job!

2. Dinner & Drinks Downtown

Pensacola’s downtown scene is buzzing with cozy restaurants and lively bars. Try a progressive dinner: appetizers at Jacksons, entrees at Global Grill, and dessert or drinks at The Kennedy.

3. Catch a Blue Wahoos Game

Baseball fans will love cheering on the Blue Wahoos at Maritime Park. Grab a couple of hot dogs, sit back, and enjoy the fireworks show if you catch a Friday game in the summer.  If baseball isn’t your thing, check out our Ice Flyers hockey team in the winter for games.

4. Take a Sunset Sail

Book a private or group sunset sail out of Pensacola Bay. There’s nothing more romantic than watching dolphins play in the wake while you sip a glass of wine.  This is always one of my favorite things to enjoy in our area.  My friend’s captain the Southern Star catamaran which is absolutely beautiful.

5. Go on a Food Tour

Explore Pensacola’s food scene with a guided food tour or create your own! Try sampling oysters, fresh Gulf seafood, and local craft cocktails at different spots.

6. Stroll Through Palafox Market

Spend a Saturday morning wandering the Palafox Market downtown. Pick up fresh flowers, homemade pastries, and local art, then grab brunch nearby at Polonzo.

7. Portside Pickle

Have some fun playing Pickleball together at the new Portside Pickle.  Drinks and food trucks line the courts to make it a one-stop shop.

8. Beach Bonfire Night

Check local rules, grab your fire permit, and set up a beach bonfire (or join a local tour company that handles the setup for you). Roast s’mores under the stars!

9. Couples’ Spa Day

Book a couples’ massage at a local spa like Still Waters Day & Medical Spa, then grab lunch and linger in your post-massage bliss.  If you are close to the beach, check out the Portofino spa.

10. Take a Cooking Class Together

Try a cooking or mixology class at Bodacious Shops or So Gourmet. It’s a fun way to learn new skills and enjoy a delicious meal together.

11. Get Active Together

Go paddleboarding at Quietwater Beach, rent kayaks at Big Lagoon State Park, or take a scenic bike ride along the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

12. Try a Unique Experience

Looking for something out of the box? Book an escape room, take a sunset horseback ride on the beach, or sign up for a ghost tour in downtown Pensacola.  Also, check the schedule at the Pensacola Saenger Theater and see if they have an upcoming show that you might enjoy.

Final Tip: No matter what you choose, the best date is the one where you’re both present, laughing, and soaking up all the Gulf Coast magic.

Have a favorite Pensacola date idea? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to add it to my list!

The post Pensacola Date Ideas appeared first on Home of Malones.

I had been wanting to host my first bagel bar brunch for a while and had seen so many cute ideas on the internet to make it fun and special.  So this past Summer when my 14 year old niece was in town visiting us in Pensacola, we decided it would be fun to introduce her to some girls her age and teach them all how to play Mahjong!

It ended up being so much fun and I was amazed at how quickly the younger girls caught on.

As you can see, I picked up some bagels from our local bagel shop called Bagelheads and then I added some yummy fixings!  I utilized some breakfast options, but also picked up chicken salad from Chicken Salad Chick and put out a fruit plate.

After the girls finished eating, we sat them down at the tables with at least one adult that knew how to play and we taught them the game.

I think they really enjoyed it and definitely caught on a lot quicker than we did!

WINNER WINNERS!

After several games, they were ready to let some energy out with some fun in the sun; so we headed out to the pool!

They were so sweet playing and having fun and including my younger daughters.  I would love to do this again next year with the girls.  I felt like I was hosting a little one-day Summer Mahjong camp for them and I loved every second.

Have you ever thought of hosting a group of tweens to come over and learn mahjong??  If its a game you love, you should consider it!!

If you are interested in host a mahjong party for Valentine’s Day, you can check out my birthday party from a couple of years ago that was so much fun!

The post Bagel Bar Brunch + Mahjong appeared first on Home of Malones.

How to Prepare for Thanksgiving

I thought it might be helpful to write out some of the steps I use at our home to share how to prepare for Thanksgiving and get ready for hosting our family and friends.  We host Thanksgiving quite often at our house and often times it is 20-25 adults plus around 8-10 kids.  I have learned a few tricks along the way and one of the most important is not being afraid to ask for help :). I have linked to old posts through the years to help with recipe ideas and tablescape inspiration, so I hope you find this helpful.  I also love hearing from all of you; so if I have missed something good, please leave a note in the comments for me.

Thanksgiving Table 2020

Plan Ahead

• Get a head count as soon as you can.  Decide if you need to borrow or rent extra tables and chairs for your meal.
• Delegate a dish to each person if possible and find out what they plan on cooking.
• Make sure you have the turkey and any other meats accounted for.  Write down the sides each person will bring.
• Decide on what time you plan to eat your Thanksgiving meal. Some people eat at noon and others like myself don’t get our meal until closer to 3:3o or 4pm.  So decide early and let your guests know.
• If you have a large group, plan your table setting ahead of time.  I use a free service called Canva to do this.
• Once you know the menu, use Canva or a service like Fernandino Paper Co. to type up a menu and print out place cards if you would like.  I always think this adds a really nice touch.  Plus I always love looking back on each year and see what dishes we cooked!
• Decide if you want flowers for you special occasion and don’t wait until the last minute to place your order.  Floral shops book up early.  If you want flowers from your local grocery (I love Fresh Market flowers), make sure to snag them before they are gone.
• If you look online, there are printable out there that can help you organize your food list, so you can make sure everything comes out hot.  Write down the temperature that each item needs to be cooked on and for how long it needs to cook , so you can reference one sheet throughout the day and time your meal out.
• Shop for all your alcohol ahead of time and make your grocery list early.  Certain things sell out quickly at the grocery.  I feel like my Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage can be hard to find the closer it gets to Thanksgiving day, so I always try to grab that early.  I also use a shortcut for my cornbread dressing and LOVE the Fresh Markets cornbread, so I will call ahead and have them hold me a tray to pick up.
• Don’t forget to plan your outfit ahead of time so that you aren’t stressing for something to wear on the day of Thanksgiving.  Here are some outfit inspiration ideas.

Thanksgiving Table 2022

Prepare the Table

If you are having a sit down dinner, make sure you have everything you need for your table and enough of each item.  I love to pull out all of my Thanksgiving decor and any left over items I have from years past and start coming up with a game plan for this years table.  Pick your theme of colors and see what all you already own and what you may need to go purchase for your table.  If you are eating inside, don’t be afraid to go ahead and set your table way ahead of time.  Unfortunately, we often eat outdoors which means I can’t set up until the day of.  That takes quite a bit more preparation, so just be sure you know exactly what you are going to use for your table.

This is a super old post, but this had some cute ideas for setting the thanksgiving table at home.  I made homemade dinner menus and name cards for each guest.  So have some fun with it and even let the kids help too!e

Here are some tablescapes we have done in years past to help give you some inspiration.

Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas

• Simple Thanksgiving Tablescape
• Green, Pink & Blue Thanksgiving Tablescape
• Orange, Blue & Amber Thanksgiving Tablescape
• Green & Orange Thanksgiving Tablescape
• Velvet Pumpkins Tablescape
• Pink and Gray Tablescape
• Neutral Fall Tablescape
• Maroon & Orange Fall Tablescape
• Jewel Tone Thanksgiving Tables

Orange and Blue Thanksgiving Table

2023 Thanksgiving Tables

Don’t forget the Kids Table

I love setting up a special table for the kids too!! The best thing to do for them is make sure they have a placemat or tablecloth that they can color on and keep them entertained while the adults are eating.  I have had luck with collecting cute Thanksgiving plates from Potterybarn Kids and then I pick up paper placemats or tablecloths from local stores or on Amazon.  I love this one.

How adorable is this bread cornucopia I made one year??  Click here to see the reel on how I did it.

What To Cook

Try to plan your food out early.  I always love seeing what other families make for their Thanksgiving meal.  I know my husband grew up with a few dishes that they ate everything Thanksgiving that we never had.  For example, they always had squash casserole and broccoli and rice casserole and those were new to me when I had my first Thanksgiving with them.  So consider what dishes are your favorites that you want to include, but also what others may enjoy or expect at their Thanksgiving meal.

Appetizers

I am always a fan of appetizers and love to have a few things out for my guest to nibble on before the big meal.  Again, it doesn’t have to be a lot; but a few items to graze on while the meal is being prepared.  This can also depend on what time you eat your Thanksgiving meal and since we don’t eat until a bit later, we like to have appetizers out with our cocktail hour.  Here are a few of my favorites.

• Crabmeat Dip
• Baked Brie
• Fall Charcuterie Board
• Curry Cheese Pate
• Pecan Pepper Jelly Dip
• Baked Oysters

Entrees & Sides

I will be the first to admit that I always outsource the turkey (and ham) if I host.   It is too nerve-racking for me when I have to get everything else together.  One of my favorite things to do is order from Heavenly Baked Ham online and they will deliver it right to your home (and I don’t have to fight the crowds)!  If you have someone that will do your turkey on a grill for you and free up oven space or have the opportunity to pick up a fried turkey, these are all amazing options!!! Here are some of my favorite side dishes that you can make for sides.  Also, never feel bad if you have to order sides from a local restaurant to keep your life easier.

• Sausage and Cornbread Dressing
• Oyster Dressing
• Shrimp and Crab Mirleton Casserole
• Sweet Potato Casserole – I love to make half with pecan topping and half with marshmallow because that’s what the kids love.
• Crack Pototoes
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cinnamon Butternut Squash
• Pear Salad
• Spinach Madeline
• Truffle Mac & Cheese
• Green Bean Casserole – everyone recommended the recipe on the back of the French’s fried onion container. Easiest and Best!

Dessert

Again, don’t be scared to outsource these items because there are a lot of great places to buy these items from! If you are not a baker, let someone else do it.

• Homemade Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
• Cranberry and Apple Cake
• Pecan Pie & Pumpkin – I always outsource these from a restaurant to make life easy.
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Cocktails

I always love to have one signature cocktail for the day to go along with wine and anything else you may serve for the day.  If you can make a pitcher ahead of time, this is perfect to have out to let your guest help themselves.

• Thanksgiving Margarita
• Apple Cider Moscow Mule

Tips & Tricks

• Don’t forget a can of cranberries for that one person at the table that has to have them!
• Make sure you have some turkey gravy handy if you didn’t bake your own turkey.
• Buy plenty of extra dinner rolls because everyone want to use them to make sandwiches the next day with leftovers.
• Try to make a breakfast casserole or something easy to put in the oven on Thanksgiving morning a day ahead of time. This one is super easy and one of our favorites.
• If you can invest in some type of hot plate to serve your food on, you will be so happy that everything stays warm when it’s time to eat!  Mine is old but I like this one.
• As I mentioned above, I love ordering a ham directly to my house from Honey Baked Ham ahead of time. It makes it so easy on Thanksgiving day and it makes the best leftovers.
• Take a few minutes before Thanksgiving week and clean out your refrigerator and freezer the best you can, so you can make room for all your food for the big day.  You will thank yourself later.
• A week or two before the holidays, try to schedule a day that you are home and utilize your self-cleaning ovens so your house doesn’t smell like burnt crumbs on Thanksgiving days That’s happen to me before!
• Stock up on some to-go storage containers before the big day so you can send your company home with some of the leftovers.  These are great ones.  I also love grabbing the throw away muffin tins from the grocery and giving those to my guest to fill up and take home for leftovers.
• Have the kids organize a game of football the day of while you are still working in the kitchen.  It’s always fun to even watch the adults jump in.
• Don’t be afraid to play a little game at the dinner table or put some type of table topic on the table.  My kids start this sometimes and it’s pretty cute.
• Don’t miss out on the opportunity to snag your family photos and large group photos with grandparents and grandchildren, etc.  Try to snag them while it is still light outside.
• If you can keep a folder with all of your printed Thanksgiving recipes/grocery lists /schedules, you will thank yourself year after year.
• Try to relax and enjoy yourself.  Remember how much time goes into preparing this meal.  When you sit down to actually eat the meal, take your time and savor the moment.  Engage in conversation and enjoy your time with family and friends.

2024 Thanksgiving Table

Prepare Your Home for Overnight Guests

This is the time of year that many of us will be welcoming guests into our home.  I love prepping my guest room with a few special touches to make my guest feel right at home when they arrive.  A small tray like the one below with a friendly note, a few towels folded up, some water bottles, a bite of chocolate, a phone charger and your home wifi password makes for a very special arrival.  I also always love to place a vase of fresh flowers next to their bedside if possible. You can read my post below on all my tips for making your guest room feel like a luxury hotel stay.

• Welcoming Overnight Guests to Your Home

Phew, this turned out to be a pretty long post; but I hope it was helpful.  I love hearing about other peoples traditions and tips for making the big day fun.  If you have something, please leave it in the comments for me.  Thanksgiving is a week away…there is still plenty of time to prepare!

The post How I Prepare for Thanksgiving + Favorite Recipes appeared first on Home of Malones.

There’s something about a sushi party that just feels cool. It’s hands-on, a little luxurious, and totally unexpected — the kind of dinner that has everyone pulling out their phones to take pictures before the first bite. And honestly, it’s easier to pull off than you might think. With a few key ingredients and a little planning, you can host a night that feels straight out of a boutique hotel rooftop dinner party.

When I first hosted a sushi night, I wanted it to feel intimate and elegant — the kind of evening where people linger over wine and laugh while rolling (slightly uneven) sushi rolls. The secret? Setting the tone from the moment people walk in. For the decor, I leaned into a playful, modern palette — think warm oranges, soft pinks, and fresh greens pulled straight from a sushi roll itself. I scattered blush and coral-toned flowers down the center of the table in adorable Chinese takeout boxes. It was vibrant but still elevated — the kind of setup that makes guests smile the moment they sit down. The pops of color against our dinner ingredients made everything feel natural and joyful, like a spring evening in Tokyo.

For the food, I hired Summer Sushi which is a local company that comes and makes these gorgeous sushi rolls in house.  They make a variety of sushi roll combinations and they were all so incredibly good!! It takes all the work out of the dinner party for me and all I had to focus on was having the decor put together.  They also made the most incredible tempura shrimp appetizer and fresh tuna.

I told my guests that the only thing that would have made this dinner party better would have been if I had splurged on the wooden boats that they sell on Amazon to display the sushi.  That makes for such a fun presentation.

Drinks are simple — a chilled bottle of sake or crisp Japanese beer always feels right, but I also love offering sparkling water with cucumber or yuzu slices. It keeps things fresh and light.

For dessert, I keep it low-key but special. Mochi ice cream is always a hit — it’s fun, colorful, and just the right amount of sweet after all that rice. I served macaroons and cake to keep with the orange and pink theme. Sometimes I’ll serve green tea or a light jasmine tea to wind down the night.

The best part about a sushi party is that it’s not just dinner — it’s an experience. People chat, laugh, compare rolls, and share bites off their plates. It’s intimate without being fussy, elegant without trying too hard. And when your guests leave saying, “That was such a fun idea,” you’ll know you nailed it.

So next time you’re looking for a dinner party theme that feels a little different, skip the usual charcuterie and pasta night. Light some candles, pour the sake, and roll your way into the chicest dinner party ever.

When I am planning a dinner party or a fun table scape, I always love to work in Canva and put ideas together to get a theme or color scheme in mind.  Then I will also use Pinterest to search for cute ideas or get styling tips.  Below is an image that I saved on the left that had fun colors and cute way to display the sushi that I loved and the right was an image I put together in Canva to get ideas for the color scheme.  I hope that’s helpful.  I shared links below of the sushi accessories we utilized and the tablescape items are things I own and have collected for many years.

Party Accessories We Used:

Sushi Boats
Gold Soy Bowls
Chop Sticks
Teal Bird Chop Stick Holders
Chinese To-go boxes
Paper Lanterns

The post How to Throw a Sushi Party That Feels Effortlessly Chic 🍣✨ appeared first on Home of Malones.

We celebrated Molly’s 7th birthday in August with a slumber party that she was sooo excited to have.  I was a little worried that 7 year olds were a little young for a sleepover party, but it turned out to be such a fun party!!  We did it on a Friday night, so I picked up several of the girls right after school and they came over to enjoy swimming and playing together.  I had my Mom with me to help watch all the girls after school and we fit in a little outside time and then we had some bad weather approaching, so we brought things inside.

While the girls were outside;  I had my friend, hairstylist, and event extraordinaire, All Things Nikki, come over and decorate our playroom with all of the girls teepees.  She did such a great job and it transformed our playroom into the most adorable Palm Royale scene.  She brought everything for each of their bed set ups and the adorable balloons that went on each tee pee.  I did my own balloon garland this year that went over the TV with a kit that I bought off Amazon.

We had some cute robes for the girls to wear and I also found the most adorable pajamas on Amazon that we gifted to each of the girls.  These were a hit and a great price point.  Both my girls have a couple of these silky pj sets.  Each of the girls had gift boxes on their beds that included some eye masks and headbands and then the pajamas in them.

The room turned out better than I imagined.  The girls were so excited for their own space for the night.

I was a little worried when the slumber party approached that I didn’t have enough things scheduled or planned out to keep all the girls entertained for the entire time, but thankfully it all worked out!

My ten year old daughter and her friend were a HUGE help to keeping the girls active and playing.  We also ordered pizza and Chick-Fil-A to sit down and enjoy dinner as well as the best surprise from Whim Cotton Candy.  We had individual cotton candy bags for the girls as well as the coolest cotton candy cake to enjoy.

For all the decor I put out in the dining room, I pulled it from our party supply room to use up.  Most of these paper goods were items that I had bought last year for Mollys birthday and we didn’t end up using or needing.  So I was determined to use them up this year :). They worked out perfectly.

The girls spent time swimming in the pool, playing limbo, jumping off the dock and enjoying a fruit platter before it started thundering and lightening.

They came inside and were so cute snuggled on the couch watching a movie for a little bit before the food arrived.

After dinner, the girls enjoyed karaoke upstairs, singing, dancing and a little spa time.

They made up dances to show me, played games, had popcorn and candy watching Zombies 4 and then it was time to simmer down and get ready for bedtime.

Believe it or not, they actually slept and had lights out about 10:15pm and I was really impressed!!!

About 8am the next morning, they were ready to play again.  They ran around outside, jumped in the pool in their pajamas and hung out on the sing until it was time to come in for breakfast.

Matt is the breakfast man in our house and he whipped up some delicious pancakes for the girls while I got all the fun toppings ready for the girls to enjoy.

They loved their bacon and pancakes and were cute going through the pancake bar.  Pick up time was around 10:30am, so after breakfast, it was time to gather their belongings and get ready for their parents to pick them up.

I absolutely loved this idea for a party.  It was so cute to watch the girls interact all night long.  While I was worried about this age being a little too young for a slumber party, it really turned out to be a perfect age.  All the girls were so sweet and kind and there was absolutely zero drama.  There is a lot to be said for that :). The other thing, they are still young enough to be tired by nighttime and keep a respectable bed time!

I loved the theme for this party and how everything turned out.  Nikki is so talented and would highly recommend her to do your next party.  There are so many cute themes out there for all different times of the year.  I would love to hear your favorite theme idea!!

Molly’s Previous Birthday Parties

Tea Party 1st Birthday Party
COVID year 2nd Birthday
3rd Birthday
Fishy 4th Birthday Party
Picnic Pool 5th Birthday Party
Peterbrooke Chocolate 6th Birthday Party

Madelyn’s Previous Birthday Parties

Watermelon & Flamingo 1st Birthday
Winnie the Pooh 2nd Birthday 
Ice Cream 3rd Birthday
Tea Party 4th Birthday
Unicorn Tee Pee Slumber 5th Birthday
Nashville American Girl Doll 6th Birthday
Spa 7th Birthday in Atlanta
Picnic and Pool 8th Birthday 
Watercolor 9th Birthday Weekend

The post Molly’s Palm Royale Slumber Party 7th Birthday appeared first on Home of Malones.

Time for another party!!!  I threw a Master’s party with a friend a few years back and had some items left over that I thought could make the cutest Masters party tablescape! I was right! I had the best time pulling from items that I owned but then also adding this fun strip of turf as a table runner and these cute golf tee picks.

How adorable are these personalized cups, plates and koozies??  These are all from my girls at Nico & Lala as well as the cute food tents and water bottle labels.  I need to make sure I restock a few items for next year!

Next I just grabbed anything cute I had that was green or yellow around the house.  You don’t have to overthink tablescapes too much.  Try to grab items that you already have on hand. I had some natural rattan vases that I used and grabbed some white flowers and yellow tulips from the grocery store.

I loved adding simple details like a golf ball on top of the faux grass name card holders (old) I owned or the cute mini golf cart figurine.  This golf ball container made for a cute vase too!

Don’t forget the egg salad sandwiches!!

My Dress

Sources:

Cups | Plates | Koozies | Food Tents | Water Labels are all from Nico & Lala
Table Cloth – Old from Amanda Lindroth
Placemats – Old
The rest of the items can be found below

:: SHOP THE POST ::

All swag below from Nico & Lala

Are you doing anything for the Master’s this year??

Here’s a few pictures from our party last year too for fun if you need ideas:

The post The Masters Party Tablescape appeared first on Home of Malones.

Last year in February for my birthday, I threw a Mahjong party at my house with friends.  Most of us had just attended our very first Mahjong lesson together in January and I thought a Mahjong party in February would be the perfect way to get us all playing again and try to sharpen our skills.

Because most of us were all brand new with it, I knew we would need some extra help from someone that had been playing longer and knew the game well.  At the time, we did not have any local teachers that I was aware of in our town; so I called in some friends and each of those friends helped play and instruct at a table.  Obviously if this is most peoples first time, I would suggest trying to find a teacher in your area and hiring them to teach your group.  But for us, since everyone had some experience, this worked out to be a lot of fun.

We planned the party over lunch time while the kids were at school and I hired a chef to come in and help us serve lunch while we were playing.

I went with an Asian theme and picked up sushi from a local restaurant and then we served Make-Your-Own Rice bowls chicken or salmon and then all the fun fixings.

I went with a Valentine’s Day theme and ordered some fun accessories from Mahji Mamas and picked up some festive heart balloons from our local Party City.  I borrowed foldable card tables from friends that had them and some extra folding tables and we set up a total of 4 tables to play Mahjong.

I was lucky enough to have friends that had our favorite The Mahjong Line tiles, so we had a set for each table and we all spread out and took a seat.

These are just some fun party options for a Valentine’s get together.  I found most things at Amazon, Mahji Mamas or the Mahjong Line.

I found matching tablecloths here from Amazon, but I also adore this one from Fenwick Fields.

We kept things pretty low key since we were all newbies to the game of Mahjong.  I put out appetizers so that people could graze at their leisure and we started playing.  Then we took a little break for everyone to make a bowl for lunch and then we shuffled the seat around a little bit so that we mixed up the groups a bit.

I made this fun Valentine’s Snack Crak that I shared yesterday on the blog.  It’s a great snack to enjoy while playing Mahjong and everyone from adults to kids love it and you can mix up the ingredients with anything you have around.

My friends daughter who is absolutely adorable made this AMAZING cake for me for my birthday.  Y’all she was in 6th grade last year and made this cake to match my birthday theme just perfectly.  She is a true talent and was so sweet to want to be the one to deliver the cake to me on my bday.

Our crew learning the game in my favorite little Ladies Lounge

My Pink Dress with the Feathers

It was truly such a fun day!! Now that I am writing this now, I am ready to do it all over again this year for my birthday next month!!! Can ya’ll believe that I am turning 40 next month??? Insert all the crying emojis!

If you are interested in buying any of the beautiful tiles from the Mahjong Line that you see in all the photos above, you can use this link and code AnnieMalone10 for 10% off your order.

The post How to Throw A Mahjong Party | My 39th Birthday Party appeared first on Home of Malones.

Welcome to one of my favorite Thanksgiving tablescapes to date! Last year after Thanksgiving, I purchased these Thanksgiving turkey plates on major sale and knew they would be the focal point to my table the following year.  I think my exact plates are most sold out but this set is very similar.

My favorite thing to do when I am scheming up a new tablescape is to make these collages like the one below.  I have been doing it for years and it helps me visualize and put a color scheme together.  It helps me see what I may already own and what I may want to purchase for the table setting and it gives me a great base.   I can’t recommend this enough if you are new to tablescaping or have been doing it for years!

:: Shop the Post ::

For this tablescape, I was lucky enough to have already owned a lot of the items that I was putting together.  My favorite new purchase for this tablescape were these incredible brown mushroom lights that I had been eyeing for a year at a much higher price and found them on Walmart for $9 each!!!  It was of the best dupes I have found in a long time.  I was very excited.  I bought 3 of them to put on my table.

The other thing I had to purchase were these beautiful placemats from Cailini Coastal.  I loved the way they looked on the table and tied the blues and the browns together.  One thing that is so important to note when doing a table, is to never stress if you don’t have enough.  In this case, I was setting a table for 10 people and I only purchased 8 of those placemats.  I looked through my house and tried to see what I might be able to use in the extra two seats and found these great wooden tree trunk chargers that Ive owned from Target (I can only find them here now) for years and used those at the head of the tables.

For the center of the table, I laid out some faux greenery that I already owned, some faux cotton stems I had on hand and then some fresh white roses.  I also sent the kids off to go pick me up some pinecones from the park and scattered those around as well.  You don’t always have to use real flowers to set a beautiful centerpiece.

I always love having candles on my table for height and ambiance and that finished off the table just perfectly.  I loved the way it turned out and I hope you did too.   I will try to link the items the best that I can, but remember to shop your own things first and then add to little by little.

You can find some of our older Thanksgiving tables here for inspiration as well.

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