I’m a big fan of a hosting a large rehearsal dinner. And this one, is well, awesome. Held at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum the understated fiesta vibe, is elegant, and oh so fun.

A muted palatte of taupes and creams is given a distinctive fiesta flair with shots of turquoise and bolsa wood flowers that are a twist on the colorful paper flowers usually used for this kind of look.

Of course, if you’re going to throw a proper fiesta, you need a really good mariachi band to set the mood. Add in a menu of delicious tacos and churros and you’ve got the makings of one successful party.

Did I mention, the churro situation? I’ll take one!

Costa Rica is the perfect tropical destination for romance…and one of my ultra-favorite destinations in the world. Vibrant colors, serene beaches…everything you could ever want in a love-filled getaway.

The beach itself feels visceral and authentic…a place to recollect yourself among the sometimes rocky shore of life. Pause for moments of reflection on your recent wedding or anniversary…or simply laugh the day away with your lover, favorite cocktails in hand.

The architectural detail is Victorian meets Neo-classical…transporting your heart and soul to a time when the simplicity of running water was the song that connected one to another. It’s pure perfection.

For your own Costa Rican journey, here are the best places to sleep/eat/see:

Sleep: Villa Caletas…located in the central coast, this luxury boutique resort offers everything you’re looking for in a romance-filled getaway: tropical rainforests, intimate accommodations, and un-paralled views. Stay in one of the property standard rooms, or splurge and indulge in the awe-inspiring superior suite…complete with separate living room and private plunge pool. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy endless hours of one-on-one time in the lap of luxury.

Eat: Kiantis…a local favorite, Kiantis (located in San Antonio de Belen) offers the best in reasonably priced tropical cuisine in everything from seafood to steak. The staff is friendly and the cocktails are divine. Be sure to try our faves…the Arroz con Pollo or Sea Bass.

See: Manuel Antonio National Park…the one destination you can’t miss, this park is both rainforest and beach. Here you can experience everything from snorkeling, fishing and white water rafting, to horseback riding and hiking. It’s quintessential floral and fauna, and the perfect escape for couples of all tastes.

My favorite part of my job is collecting old objects for prop styling or weddings. There’s something so cool about owning a little piece of history… These guys I bought in England and are turn of the century or before. The shape was cast in a mold and then they were hand etched and plated with silver.

I’m particularly enamored with tarnished silver at the moment (which you can find by the boat load at many antique stores). They speak of the way people used to use to live… I mean who really uses a proper silver tea set anymore? Its something about the romance of the time that does it for me…

This pink milk glass perfume bottle with its dainty flowers is so delicate and pretty… I wonder who it belonged to, would they wear it only for special occasions or everyday? So, do you find objects as facsinating as I do? I’m sure all the art historians out there do…

Today I’m super excited to share this never before seen rehearsal dinner I designed and Jose Villa photographed. The client wanted a fun rehearsal dinner atmosphere and asked for a state fair theme. I ran with it and had Bella Vista make custom red and white cabanas for our food and drink booths. Custom chalkboard signs with custom decals were made, and I worked with Duo Events to create some upscale carnival food.

My favorite food that night was the duck confit corndogs. They were way, way too good! We also served french fries in newspaper cones and tray passed sweet tea. I even bought red and white striped ties for the caterer waiters to tie the whole look together.

For invitations, I worked closely with a paper designer here in Santa Barbara. We used hand set metal type for these letterpress invitations and Betsy Dunlap did the amazing calligraphy. The reply and transportation card were made of one piece that was perforated so guests could tear off their “admit one” ticket for their RSVP reply card.

For escort cards, I filled wood boxes with peanuts and tucked in the cards. Kerstin from Blue Magnolia accented the display with beautiful flowers in shades of red and white.

For the bar, I used Zephyr Tents farmhouse style bar. Behind it, I used Town & Country‘s candle wall to create a backdrop.

For dinner, I  used the farmhouse tables from Zephyr and overlayed them with custom red and white striped seersucker runners. A collection of vintage medicine, milk and soda bottles (that I collected over many months) were mixed with milk glass and held flowers such as red ranunculuses, dahlias, and straw flowers. Petite crab apples were also scattered about to add additional fall texture.

I scattered loose hay throughout the party to create that authentic state fair feel.  For the table numbers I made little flags and Betsy calligraphed the numbers on. They were then placed them in old soda bottles. Michael from The Flashdance spun country and rockabilly classics and totally completed the party vibe. Thank you to all the vendors that made this event a success!

Today I’m super excited to finally launch the new look for Santa Barbara Chic. I’m sailing into new water, and my focus will be shifting to producing exclusive content for the blog and highlighting the best of Santa Barbara weddings and lifestyle. I’m no longer planning weddings (and haven’t been for almost a year). Instead, I’m taking just a handful of clients for event design in 2012. In 2013, I will probably be ending this part of my business.

I’d like to welcome the following photographers who will be contributing to Santa Barbara Chic regularly: Nancy Neil, Patrick Moyer, Tim Halberg, and Michael & Anna Costa. Melissa Traub will continue to contribute cocktail recipes for her “On the Rocks” posts and Cynthia Beard will be contributing to our weekly “Escape to…” posts. And a warm welcome to Merryl Brown Events our newest sponsor. Next week we’ll be featuring some of her gorgeous work, so stayed tuned!

This relaunch is the first piece in a complete site expansion. I’m working on a vendor and location guide with some crazy functionality that I’ve never seen any where else (email me at kelly@sbchic.com if you’re interested in learning more about the guide). It will have an archive of the best of Santa Barbara weddings and everything will be tagged with color, vendor, flower, and style information, so if you’re looking for something specific, you’ll be able to find it easily.

And a very special thank you Leslie Sigler of Lilly & Louise for the gorgeous new site design and my husband, Sam, for coding it all up.

I hope you enjoy the new look and I’m excited to see where this next chapter in my career takes me.

PS- email me at kelly@sbchic.com if you notice any bugs.

Have you ever had a “skinny” version of a margarita and thought to yourself….this is pretty good, but it would be better with if it were stronger and sweeter (aka the antithesis of “skinny”). Well this skinny recipe is unlike any other and is sure to blow your minds. Raw Stevia (a natural sugar replacement) has become my new favorite cheat ingredient to make all of my favorite high-calorie drinks for less than half of the calories. I can guarantee that if you don’t tell people that it’s a “skinny” margarita, they will never know!

Poor some kosher salt on a flat surface and rub a lime wedge around a pretty glass.

Place the glass face down in the salt and coat the edges, set aside.

Squeeze lime wedge into glass and add 1 ½ shots of tequila.

Now for the secret ingredient….we all know what makes a margarita so delectable is the sweet n’ sour- which is extremely high in calories (basically it is a very high concentrated lemonade). I’m very adamant on making my own sweet n’ sour rather than store bought because it takes less than 5 minutes and makes a huge difference. For my “skinny” sweet n’ sour, the only difference is that I’m replacing the sugar with raw Stevia.

Skinny Sweet n’ Sour Ingredients:

Sweet:  To make skinny simple syrup,  bring 1 cup of water with 1 cup of stevia to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Make sure that if you’re using Splenda, Truvia, or any other sugar replacement that it is raw and says that the measurements are the same ratio to regular sugar- this is very important.

Sour: 1 cup Lemon juice (fresh or from the bottle)

Mix equal parts skinny simple syrup and lemon juice and refrigerate for an hour (this recipe will make enough sweet and sour for one pitcher of margaritas).

Add a heavy splash of skinny sweet n’ sour and a small splash of soda to the tequila (I skip the triple sec for caloric reasons). Give a good shake and serve on the rocks with a lime.

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Melissa

I don’t know about you guys, but I am seriously craving a getaway that involves laying on a beach and no emails (or databases for that matter).

The sound of the ocean, clear skies…

Maybe a boat ride, definitely a corona or two, and some local seafood sounds just about perfect.

One of the best things about a rainy day is sitting inside next to a fire with a cocktail—let’s be real, who needs a rainy day for that….but work with me here!

Kahlua is one of my favorite cold-weather liquors because it can be enjoyed warm or cold and it is a little something different from what I usually concoct. For this cozy cocktail, I chose a classic…and while I’m usually one to take a classic drink and give it an added twist, I personally think a simple White Russian is delicious without the bells and whistles. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

~1 shot of vodka

~1 shot of Kahlua

~Heavy splash of half & half

XOXO,

Melissa

On The Rocks is back! I’m so excited to share with you this new batch of tasty adult treats that I have worked long and hard perfecting (tough job…I know). My primary goal for my weekly posts is to offer beautiful, easy, and absolutely delicious cocktail recipes that anyone can make. With this new batch of delightful libations, I’m going to walk you through the process of making each cocktail with a step-by-step photo tour. So sit back, relax, and get ready to make some of the best cocktails you’ve ever had!

Citrus is the key to this refreshing drink. Add 2 slices of lime, half of a kiwi that’s been cut into a cubes, and place in a pint glass.

 Add raw sugar to taste…

Muddle (the muddled kiwi should offer a lot of juice)…

Add one and half shots of rum (I use Bacardi Superior)…

Add ice and give a good shake…

Pour into a pretty glass and garnish with a slice of kiwi…

Enjoy!

Recipe:

~1 1/2 shots of clear rum

~1 half kiwi peeled and cubed

~2 lime wedges

~Raw sugar (to taste)

xoxo,

Melissa

This weekend my husband and I are celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary (my how time flies)… I’m looking forward to taking some time for quiet countryside walks and enjoying a margarita or two. What are you weekend plans?

PS “On the rocks” posts will resume next week!