As the countdown to Christmas continues, I really wanted to carve time out of the mad dash to reconnect with friends. Sure there are tons of holiday cocktail parties to attend, but they’re always so crowded, conversations so limited and truthfully, being pregnant over the holidays is a bit of buzz kill! I’m not ashamed to admit it – I’ve been feeling rather bummed about missing out on my annual eggnog {yes, I actually like eggnog – no judgements!}. But how do you carve out time to recconect when nearly every evening is already booked? I thought it’d be nice to change things up with an intimate holiday lunch!

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Even between family obligations, frantic Christmas shopping and work {oh yeah, work!!} your friends should be able to squeeze in a hour to enjoy a civilized meal together. It’s the perfect opportunity to press pause and really catch up with the people you care about.

When it came to our lunch table, we were inspired by our Christmas gift wrap color palette; modern black & white with subtle pops of metallic and just the right amount of red. I was really feeling the festive but not overtly obvious Christmas vibe. We achieved the look by layering our plates, a favorite technique, mixing matte black & neutral dishes from Heath Ceramics with playful print plates from Target. Linen napkins were simply rolled and secured with black satin ribbon and sprigs of rosemary.

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I did want to keep things in the holiday spirit though and thankfully San Pellegrino came to my rescue. While I’ve really been missing champagne, San Pellegrino served up in chic gold-rimmed glassware and topped with sweet cocktail picks felt totally celebratory! Plus I love the little mini-bottles for individual servings, with their cute red stars on the top. Totally fit right in with our color palette!

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To add life to our table, we dotted the center with mini flower arrangements that included chic white blooms, simple greens and golden winter berries to tie it all together. Here’s a great little flower arranging trick – use some of your own glassware as vessels! It’s a super easy way to create varying heights that still don’t block conversation and add interesting dimension on your table without needing a huge stock of vases.

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When it came to the lunch menu I kept it simple – and very pregnancy craving friendly – aka all carbs! A pot of fresh linguine tossed with olive oil, Parmesan and parsley, a lightly dressed green salad with satsuma wedges & sliced almonds and a nice crusty piece of bread is as satisfying as it is delicious! The best part – the entire menu can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less! Now that is a holiday hostess’s dream.

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favorite holiday tabletop decor: Gold Salad Serving Set // Fair Isle Cheese Board // Gold Trimmed Cupcake Stand // Gold Rimmed Glassware // ‘Blah Blah’ & Dot Ceramic Ornaments // Grey Linen Napkins (similar) // Black Flatware (similar)

I certainly have a ton to celebrate this holiday season. From the wee one on the way to designing our new house to all the amazing experiences I’ve enjoyed throughout the year – but all I really want to do is celebrate the people that matter most. And really what better way is there to do that then to share a cozy meal and some much needed quality time.

If that’s all I got for Christmas this year, I’d be thrilled.

 

original photography for Apartment 34 by Ashley Batz // styling by team Apartment 34 // Florals by Tulipina

This post is sponsored by San Pellegrino. Practice the Art of Fine Food, every time you can. All thoughts and opinions are 100% our own. Thanks for supporting partnerships we’re excited about and help us create original posts for you!

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22 Comments

    1. Thrilled you stopped by Layla! Thanks so much for the kind words.

  1. I love the black and gold with touches of green. Are the printed plates from Target coming out soon (or have they already been out for awhile)?

    1. Sadly they have been out for awhile so I’m not sure if they’re still available!