Hello, hello friends! It’s Kate here.
I shared with the women in attendance that I not-so-secretly wish that I had been born in Scandinavia. I’ve been fortunate to travel there a few times, and with each visit, I feel more and more at home. There is not a space I’ve walked into that doesn’t feel inviting and warm. Not a meal eaten that wasn’t delicious and comforting. And not a face encountered that didn’t couldn’t reciprocate a smile and happy “hi" in passing. This feeling is what I wanted to recreate at Dinner No. 11, and with the combined efforts of 16 incredible individuals, I can confidently say mission accomplished.
Here’s our lovely line-up…
Julia Saltzman - Our incredible chef and host. Everything Julia touches can either be described as beautiful or delicious. The home she and her boyfriend Austin have curated together is stunning and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect space to have our dinner in. Thank you thank you, Julia! Still thinking about the beet dumplings.
Joan Daly - Joan sourced our napkins and added gold flourishes to each of them. This is the least of what this woman does… it seems that every time you ask her what she’s wearing it’s one of her own.
Elise Apffel - Elise put together our amazing wardrobe inspiration per usual, and she also made custom paintings that hung on the wall throughout the night. They were Scandinavian inspired, putting anything you’d find in IKEA to shame.
Katie Marble - Everyone is still talking about the earrings that Katie made for this dinner. They were little sculptures, pieces of art. She created several designs in different shapes and colors and gifted each attendee with a pair that she helped them choose upon arrival.
Sofia Draco - The most creative Swedish woman to have ever existed… Sofia has been so many roles at these dinners (chef, musician, etc.) and this time around she brought hand poured candles with a scent that reminded her of hygge. They were perfectly cozy.
Claire Seizovic - Claire just moved to CA from Arizona, and my oh my do I feel lucky to have her close by! She started and ran an incredible event in Tucson called Cultivate Tucson. It’s a beautiful curated market for creatives with goods and handmade items. So when she said she was interested in attending and styling our event, it was a no brainer.
Kristine Claghorn - Like Katie’s earrings, we’re all still thinking about Kristine’s chocolate bars. She makes each and every bar in her kitchen. I’ve seen it firsthand and it’s a true labor of love. I can honestly say that her chocolate is some of the most delicious small batch chocolate I have ever had.
Molly Jenson - The beautiful Molly with her badass shaved head serenaded us with music. This was the perfect most magical way to end our time together. You can pre-order her album now here: https://www.mollyjenson.com/store We feel so lucky to have gotten a sneak-listen!
Rachelle Schwartz and Emily Owen - Rachelle and Emily came as a package deal and they were so warm and wonderful to have at this dinner. They work together as owners of Wiley Valentine and Piper Grey Life to create Oil Rollers + Paper Goods.
Tori Santi - Tori cut the sweetest video recapping our time together, sharing what every attendee did. If you haven’t seen it yet and want to get a really good idea of what these dinners are like, take a peek at her work here.
Lauren Johnson - Lauren was referred to me by a friend and I am so thankful. She made incredibly beautiful floral arrangements that went around Julia’s home and down the table. It’s the little touches that make these dinners so special, and she delivered.
Jennifer Fine - Jennifer put together a yummy yummy cheeseboard for everyone to munch on while Julia worked in the kitchen. It was the perfect pairing with our tangerine shrub cocktail.
Alice Carbone Tench - Alice wrote a piece and read it out loud to everyone. This was one of the most special parts of the night for me because it was so vulnerable and real. Thank you for sharing SOUL with us, Alice.
Kate Pauley - As always, I captured the night with my camera. It’s so amazing to see how much these dinners differ visually. There’s never a single shot that feels exactly the same, even though our format is largely synced.
