Aalayam Parties in April Part 3 : The Tale of two Dinner Parties

                          A feisty Mexican Fiesta! - by Deepa 

My fiesta table comes to life in vibrant colors!

Today we are back with The Tale of two dinners - this time a feisty Mexican Fiesta - that's right! Join  me as I tell you the story of this colorful intimate dinner that I hosted a few days ago.

But first, join me in wishing Supriya  a very Happy Birthday! 

Happy birthday Supriya - stay inspired and stay blessed!

April is her birthday month and so is my husband's! My husband turned 40 earlier in the month and of course, this called for a celebration! He asked for a quiet observance at home! But I knew that a congruous spree to honor his kind hearted, chivalrous, generous, hard working and fun loving spirit would take creativity and planning! And of course, I always have high expectations of myself and this being his 40th, I had to step it up a few notches.  For somebody that is always open to the idea of new possibilities - a weekend getaway to mark the milestone birthday seemed perfect. However, work and logistical difficulties made it impossible to go anywhere that weekend. And so, we decided on a quiet wingding at home with a home baked cake! Yes, wait till you see pictures of the ambrosial three layered, from- scratch strawberry cake that I baked! Anyway, a fiesta felt like a seemly tribute to his charismatic personality - confident, positive and full of life! 

Viva la Mexico! Our fiesta had many details - vibrant colors, delectable mexican food and spanish sign boards. The only thing that was missing was a live Mariachi band! 

My husband takes pride in his looks and sense of style. Timeless style appeals to him and he leads a stylish existence. He is truly 40 and Caliente! This quickly became the theme! I was challenged at first with all the little ideas in my head but slowly but surely it all came together and I was thrilled with the end result.

My li'l one's personal tribute to dad's 40th!

Here are the details of our fabulous fiesta:

Table setting: I chose Guatamelan striped place mats, fiesta salad plates  and a gorgeous Talavera plate from Pueblo for the centerpiece - I was not worried about the color overdose at all - it was entirely intentional!

Decor: I wanted to retain the theme and yet keep it classy. I decided not to do any tacky b'day banners. I used chalk boards and spanish signs for an elegant twist! Feliz Cumpleanos!

For the backdrop, I used a bright red Serape and it tied in nicely with the tablescape and anchored all the decorations 

Give your cakes personality with a cake banner!

Food : We whipped up a few easy dishes in our cantina - honey lime sweet potato and black bean tacos, veggie quesadillas, pico de gallo and some yummy guacamole!

Personal touches: We custom made a fiesta banner for the cake (well, there was a hidden  agenda behind this. I am a novice baker and icing is not really my forte and so, a cake banner was an easy alternative to announce his age!).  The banner was made from two striped straws (love 'em!) and some scrap paper - DIY crafts are a great way to get kids into the party spirit. I also personalized the gift wrap with some fun signs and and red pepper shaped cut outs to incorporate the Caliente theme - who says 40 year olds can't have fun!

Personalize your gift wrap!

Cake: Now, this was undoubtedly the best part of the day. I believe in meaningful celebrations and baking the cake made it a very personal and intimate experience for our family.
 

some butter, some cream but dollops and dollops of love - Happy b'day hon!

 I fondly remembered bonding over a box of strawberries on our first date many years ago and therefore came up with the idea for a strawberry cake. There was no way I could've managed baking an entire cake on my own given my limited baking skills and so, my dear husband lovingly volunteered to help  and what a romantic afternoon it turned out to be too! It was all about learning a new skill and making some fond memories together and it was perfect - the afternoon and the cake!

My husband's passion for life is something I inspire for. This colorful fiesta celebration reflects his mojo, positive energy and great attitude. He is always a joy to be around and this fun filled fiesta was perfect for his 40th!

 Mile stone birthdays are also a time for reflection - a time to look back and a time to look forward. I just added a little color and culture to it, that's all.

And there you have it dear readers - my rendition of a Mexican Fiesta!

Whether you want to try making chimichangas or thai pineapple curry for your next dinner party - I hope we've inspired you through our tale of two dinners incorporating world cuisine. With a little planning and imagination you can bring global cuisine right to your kitchen and serve it up in style! 

We love to bring you inspirational ideas to entertain. Hope you like our posts in the art of entertaining series, so far ? In case you missed posts from last year check out  this and this  
And I will be back with my last post for the month of April in a few- stay tuned!

inspiration credits: I have to mention my favorite online resource - hostess with the mostess

Cheers!
~Deepa

P.S: All images are from my home and taken by my husband and copyrighted to Aalayam. Please do not use without permission.