'Easy Like Sunday Morning' Floral Workshop

Our "Easy Like Sunday Morning" floral workshop had us up in the clouds.

Thank you to Flowers By Ford and Forager Studio for being incredible co-hosts, to everyone who attended and brought their creative spirits and kindness into the space. Thank you to Magic Spoon Cereal for the epic cereal bar featuring their peanut. butter, cocoa, fruity pebbles, and frosted flavors. Thank you to Coyuchi for giving each of our guests a cozy organic robe to take home so they can channel easy Sunday mornings at any time. Last, thank you to The Qi for donating Floral Tasting Samplers to everyone so they could enjoy their beautifully packaged, calming tea.

Most importantly, thank you to all who joined to celebrate strong women! We’re continually inspired by this community and the creativity and kindness they bring to these events.

Dinner No. 17

The theme was Tumbleweed: “a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. It is a diaspore that once it is mature, and dry, detaches from its root or stem and rolls due to the force of the wind.”

It was somewhat fitting for the time of year, spring—a time of shedding, renewal, and growth. The idea of uprooting and becoming itinerant, of movement—underscored the tone of the evening. After a long winter within shuttered doors, the magnetism of openness and detaching from the familiar to forge new connections was in the air.

The space was spare yet luscious, with gorgeous magic hour light to frame an exquisitely designed and put-together table. 99 Scott Studio in Bushwick was the perfect corner of the city for 16 women from all walks of life and thriving creative paths to come together.

Sipping pineapple fizz cocktails, mixed with June Shine's Midnight Painkiller Hard Kombucha (and some ginger-infused fizzies for the non-drinkers among us), the group noshed on a cheese board with a standout sumptuous pimento and various chiles, talking of subway woes (this is New York, after all), hometowns (some came from Chicago to join us!) and passion projects. Kate Pauley took dreamy individual portraits of each guest, along with candid shots as we mingled.

The dinner itself, by Gretchen Brinson and Kathryn Gaines, was Southwestern-inspired, formidable and hearty, including hatch green chili roast pork shoulder, beans with poblanos and herbs, fry bread, and a crispy cabbage, corn, and cactus salad. And wine. Plenty of wine.

What would a get-to-know-you meal be without a reading of poetry and some probing questions? After a recital of original work by Bryn Bottalico, who evoked the freedom of the untamed and at-times unorthodox tumbleweed (“Beautiful, destructive, intense—a walking wildfire”), each woman had the opportunity to answer discussion questions written by Miyuko Ashida.

Two of the most popular: “What is something you’ve fought hard for in your life?” and “Tumbleweeds are known to detach themselves once grown and move across the land. Do you have any experiences where you left your comfort zone and dove into the vast of the unknown?” The former had us embracing self-love, peace with oneself, and a defining and cultivated spirit of fearlessness, while the latter brought up stories of risks taken, cross-country moves, international moves, businesses started, and careers changed.

Aly Rumel had curated a lovely art board inspired by the evening’s theme, and the group admired the unique textures and colors of the group’s contributions. We briefly went around and discussed the personal significance of each item, learning just a little bit more about one another in the process.

As the sun set, into the garden guests went, for music by Gabrielle Macafee, who strummed her guitar and wowed us with her powerful yet ethereal voice (Nancy Sinatra, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga were amongst the musical selections). We swayed along to the familiar tunes while gorging on a decadent dark chocolate ancho chili cake with a hint of lightness from orange sabayon.

Goodbyes were said, IG accounts followed, hugs were given. All in all a magical night. Stay wild, tumbleweeds.

xo Shakthi

GUEST LIST

KATE PAULEY
Art Direction + Photographer

ADRIANNA VAREDI + 99 SCOTT
Host

GRETCHEN BRINSON
Chef

KATHRYN GAINES
Chef

SARAH SAUNDERS
Florist

ALEXA ATAMANCHUK
June Shine

ABENA ANIM-SOMUAH
Stylist

ISABELLA TRIAS
Menu Design

MIYUKO ASHIDA
Conversation Questions

SHAKTHI JOTHIANANDAN
Event Blog Post

ALEXA GRAMBUSH
Artwork

AMIE KESLER
Carolyn’s Krisps

ALY RUMEL
Artboard

BRYNN BOTTALICO
Poetry

EMILY BRADLEY
Soluca Collections (Plates, Cocktail Glasses, and Knife Rests)

GABRIELLE MACAFEE
Live Music

WILL & BEAR
Hats

Women's History Month Floral Workshop

Women are simply amazing, and though this is something we think about often, March (Women’s History Month) feels like an especially appropriate time of year to celebrate that fact.

This floral arrangement workshop with Flowers by Ford was one for the books, with over 40 women gathered together in Blank Studio NYC for an empowering few hours together.

Upon arrival

Everyone was handed spicy palomas made with Mike’s Hot Honey, Topo Chico, and Madre Mezcal — a combo we’re still swooning over. Chips, dips, and salsas were set out for everyone to munch on, alongside Mexican Chocolate Cookies made by one of our all-time favorite female-owned brands, Lark Fine Foods. Every one of their cookie flavors is to die for.

Then it was workshop time!

Guests made their way to their seats, and we surprised everyone with a toast from Tayshia Adams, host of ABC’s The Bachelorette. She spoke about women, how resilient and strong we are. We then did a raffle drawing, where two lucky guests won self-care packages put together by Daughter of the Land.

The rest of our time together was led by Molly, who never fails to turn a few simple stems into works of art.

It’s pretty empowering to sit on the sidelines of one of these workshops and watch the particiants' eyes light up as they watch their own hands create something they never imagined they could. All it takes is a little instruction and encouragement sometimes.

We’re already excited for next year’s Women’s History Month activity. Cheers!

Floral Workshop x Abby J Concert at Cherry On Top

Hi! Kate here.

Another Create Dinners x Flowers by Ford floral arrangement workshop is officially in the books! However this time, we had a special Cherry On Top (which also happens to be the name of our event venue)… a private concert by Abby J.

If you haven’t been to Cherry On Top, I cannot recommend visiting enough. As it gets later and darker, the red lights in the space turn up and you almost feel as though you’ve been transported to club in Paris.

As guests arrived, they were shown to the bar where they could choose between a red, white or champagne welcome pour. Cherry On Top also put out cheese boards, spreads, and fresh breads for everyone to partake in. We all mingled for a while and then after an official welcome and introductions, Molly led everyone in floral arranging. The flowers this time were bold red anthuriums, pink and red roses, and snake alliums. The end results might be my favorite to date.

After flowers, we were grazed by the angelic voice of Abby J, accompanied by her bandmate Cass. It was a packed room with NY energy and good vibes all around.

Thanks to everyone who came out and we can’t wait to see you all at our next workshop in a few weeks!

Dinner No. 16

Hi! Kate here.

I’m so excited to recap Dinner No. 16 for you all. I’ve said this about nearly every dinner, but I actually think this this one was my favorite one to date.

Our theme was FIKA: A Swedish custom that is a break from activity that often involves coffee or tea and spiced cake. It is about slowing down to get in touch with those around you, connecting and recharging on a deeper level.

This dinner stood out to me for several reasons.

1. The women who attended were unbelievably giving with their time and talents.

2. The hanging greenery installation was meant to hang in The Blank Studio. It was such a fun surprise to see when you turned the corner after entering the studio.

3. We partnered with a handful of brands that elevated this event and made it feel all the more special for everyone in attendance. I’ll share more about them below.

4. The jewelry rental from Sense of Shelf that allowed everyone to wear different pieces for the night and purchase them at the end if they wanted.

5. Making candles with Yemmie before dinner was such a fun activity that made the room smell amazing, and also felt very FIKA.

6. The food was next level. We plated everything in courses and each one was a culinary work of art.

7. It started snowing!

One of the silver linings of the last two plus years of COVID is that it taught a lot of people how to slow down, and not just that, but to value a slower pace of life.

Connecting and recharging with loved ones was often the thing that got me through each day. Because this dinner took place in the winter, I wanted it to feel cozy (see: coffee, tea, spiced caked) and also wanted it to be symbolic of the season of sickness and isolation we will hopefully be saying farewell to sooner than later.

This dinner took place at The Blank Studio. It’s an affordable creative studio space for rent in the heart of Soho, where people from all industries can work with ease and flexibility — not to mention its glorious natural light. The Blank Studio is co-owed by sisters Marni and Willa Blank. We weren’t fortunate enough to get both sisters at this dinner, but we did manage to get one.

Here’s the full lineup of Dinner No. 16 women:

Event Planner + Photographer - Kate Pauley, Owner of Create Dinners

Host + Hand Embroidered Napkins - Blank Studio NYC | Willa Blank

Chef and Certified Sommelier - Marcia Sanchez, Owner of Preserving Harvest Catering

Chef - Kathleen Di Scipio

Hanging Greenery Installation + Table Florals - Molly Halpin, Owner of Brownstone Botanicals

Table Stylist - Michelle McLaughlin

Plates - Emily Bradley, Owner of Soluca Collections

Candles - Yemmie Tekletsadik

IG Story - Kirsten Gottbrecht

Poetry - Mariah Freire

Custom Matchbooks - Tessa Goode

Root Elixirs Rep - Hannah Watts

Take Home Cookies - Charlotte Cruze

Cocktail Making - Molly Grizzard

Pop-up - Madeline Ritaccio, Owner of Sense of Shelf

Co-host + Photographer - Breanna Edwards

Menu Design - Jill Sabato

Take Home Favor - Daughter of the Land

Another very important presence I want to call out is Root Elixirs.

This female founded business began when their founder Dominique Gonzales combined her 12+ years of bartending and her passion of craft cocktails with a desire to spend less time “making” and more time with the people she loves. They offer a variety of incredible flavored sodas that easily mix with the spirit of your choice. Truly, cocktail making has never been easier.

For this particular dinner, Root Elixirs equipped us with ingredients to make and serve their signature White Linen cocktail, as well as take home cocktail kits for everyone there. When I say this cocktail was delicious… I mean it was DELICIOUS. It used their Elderflower Cucumber Soda and we garnished the drinks with dehydrated cucumbers and baby’s breath.

All the pictures from Dinner No. 16 really speak for themselves, but from cocktails to candle making to dinner to conversation questions to the bag of swag everyone got to take home at the end of the night, this event was rich in beauty and connection.

If you have questions about any of the women who attended and want an intro, email us at info@createdinners.com. One of our favorite parts about these events is seeing the connections that come afterwards. We’ll be gathering for Dinner No. 17 in East Willamsburg in April and look forward to seeing you around the table again!