I am so excited for today’s Dinner Party Spotlight with Cassie Kelley, founder of the the blog Womanista and a sweet friend I had the pleasure of getting to know while living in Nashville. From the time I attended a dinner party in her home, I had my eye set on featuring her incredible dining room and beautiful entertaining abilities with my readers. Can you believe at nearly nine months pregnant she pulled this off?! Read on to learn about how Cassie began her blog, what inspires her when she entertains, and all the fun details for her tablescape!

Q & A:

FH: Tell me a quick bio of how you came to start Womanista? Any fun details, awards, stories?

Cassie: I started Womanista as my personal blog in 2012 and partnered with a digital media company in June 2015 to relaunch it as a women’s lifestyle media platform. The response has been so amazing. Not only do I get to share features, but we have an incredible team & writing staff that contributes to a much more broad depth than I ever could running Womanista as my blog. It’s a place where all women can come and read about ways to enhance their lifestyle, live more fabulously, and be their best selves. This month we’ve seen over 11 million page views and hosted nearly 3 million unique visitors!

FH: What is your entertaining style? Traditional, Contemporary, Seasonal?

Cassie: I only have two speeds when it comes to entertaining. Super casual with pizza on the couch, or over-the-top glam & fabulous. I love to make each event special, even if it’s more casual…but I really love to host glam dinner parties with great food, great wine, sparkly details, and great friends. Sometimes my husband says “Do we have to have a full tablescape set when we are just having a few friends over for dinner??” and the answer is always yes, ha ha.

FH: How often do you entertain and for how many guests?

Cassie: Since we travel so much, when we are home we love staying home but also like to see friends so I think we entertain a good amount. I enjoy hosting 20 people for cocktails and appetizers or a dinner party for six, it really just depends. I don’t typically love to have big blowout parties though because I like to do a lot of the hostessing myself (cooking, making cocktails, decor, etc) and with a ton of people that makes it a little harder.

FH: Do you have a go-to recipe or dish {or do you avoid cooking at all costs}?

Cassie: I love to cook. But my go-to when entertaining is always a killer cheese plate. I always have a big assortment of cheeses & fruit in our fridge and various crackers, nuts, and spreads in our pantry in case with have drop-in visitors. It’s easy to throw together a tasty spread and open some good wine, no matter what the occasion!

FH: Do you have a go-to cocktail?

Cassie: I love anything savory with tequila. I usually make a tequila cocktail with fresh grapefruit juice – sort of a take on a paloma cocktail – in the summer. In the colder months I am a red wine girl and prefer hearty italian wines or rich Napa Valley Cabernet.

FH: Did something inspire you for today’s table? A certain color, flower, plate?

Cassie: I love the muted tones & mix-and-match look of the dishes. If you stick to the same color palette, you can mix a lot of your dishes together and it still looks great, so don’t fret if you are hosting dinner for 12 and don’t have 12 pieces of one thing! I started there and wanted to keep it cozy by mixing in different textures like the sheep skin throw, crystals and tarnished silver. The soft florals add a pop of color within the muted color scheme.

FH: Table top… Share all the deets!!

• Plates: DBO home & West Elm (I mixed)
• Salad Plates: DBO home
• Bowls: DBO home
• Napkin rings:  hand tied with cream velvet ribbon I picked up from a fabric store
• Placemats: Vintage – handmade by my great-grandmother
• Water glasses: Reed & Barton silver (my mothers)
• Wine glass: Schott Zwiesel
• Silverware: Gorham Sterling “Strasbourg” pattern (my mothers)
• Centerpieces/ Vases/ Candle sticks: Crystals from Haven in Franklin, TN, Glass vases from Target, Mercury glass vessels from West Elm, Vance Kitira “timber” candles
• Chairs & Dining Table: All custom made
• Any notable Pieces of art behind table: Bar cart from Roost, Crystal decanter & glasses on the bar cart from Reed & Barton, Dining Room Art: Stevie Nicks photo – Morrison Hotel Gallery, Large scale painting: “White beach 5” by Susie Hamilton, also “Amelie de Dos” by Jean Faucheur
• Home location: Nashville, TN

Be sure to follow Cassie on Womanista’s website, her @Womanista instagram, as well as her personal instagram @CassieMKelley, where we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of her baby Boy! Thanks Cassie for throwing such a beautiful party!

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