My love affair with World Market started when I was just a kid. I think I was in 6th grade when my friend and I would sometimes get dropped off at the mall to hang out and we’d always walk over to World Market. They used to sell the most amazing little rose-flavored candies. Yes, roses- as in the flowers. They were so so good. To this day every time I walk into a World Market store, I keep my eye out for them. Now that I’m grown up and actually have use for the amazing household items in the store, I buy more than candy! I buy much more than candy. I love World Market like Kate loves Target. We’re talking serious business here. Some might classify it as an obsessive relationship. I mentioned in a photography post that I did a while back that a huge number of the dishes and table linens you see in my food photographs, including the photos in our cookbook, have come from World Market. They sell an amazing selection of cookware, dishes, and specialty items. Remember the adorable little mugs you all were raving about in my hot chocolate post? Yep. World Market. They also sell a great selection of furniture, housewares, gifts, jewelry, accessories (see the cute floral headband I’m wearing in the next pic? World Market!), over 500 international wines, gourmet foods and specialty drinks imported from more than 50 countries. It’s seriously one of my most favorite places, which is why I jumped at the chance to host a party compliments of World Market and Foodbuzz. I had the perfect occasion this past weekend while I was in my home town of Seattle; my favorite sister (okay, she’s my only sister, but for reals, she’s my favorite) was having a birthday!
That’s my sister Becca. She’s awesome. She’s an amazing cook (I actually photographed her making something this weekend that I’m going to post soon) She’s insanely creative (we’re talking like, she built a to-scale replica of my parents house in gingerbread last Christmas. Okay, and she has a college minor in art, but seriously the gingerbread was sweet) and she does crazy cool stuff like rescue orphaned animals and train them to release them back into the wild. No joke. She taught a half-dead bird how to eat. And then fly. She’s like an animal whisperer. She’s also single. In case you know someone. Just sayin…
I had a perfectly lovely backyard meal in my mind and I found everything I needed at World Market. Sometimes when you envision outdoor entertaining you immediately think of paper plates and plastic tablecloths. I love to mix and match and bring some of my indoor things out. I started out with a crisp white tablecloth, and added a bamboo table runner. I love how the bamboo is kind of rustic and fits in with an outdoor theme.
Then I used some plain white plates. This is a fabulous thing to have. World Market sells a lot of these buffet sets; plain white dishes in all sizes that come in these nice holders. They’re affordable, and great to have on hand for big group meals.
I didn’t want them to get lost on the white tablecloth though so I used these awesome chargers. Aren’t they fantastic? This is my most favorite color so I couldn’t resist. They’re a heavy duty plastic so they’re super easy to clean too. I love these.
On top of the white plates, I placed these fun melamine dessert plates. They’re light weight and inexpensive; perfect for outdoor entertaining! I love the colors in them, and found cloth napkins in a matching color too.
One of my favorite things to do on an outdoor table is light candles. There’s something about a breeze, and summer weather, and flickering candles, that makes you want to stay at that table for hours. I LOVE these purple glass lanterns. Those things are big, and only 8 bucks! They matched the purple in the plates perfectly.
World Market has a gazillion different styles of little votive holders. I’m madly in love with these blue square ones. I grabbed a bunch of different styles and colors and scattered them around. All the colors tied into the plates so they all matched when put together.
See those cute drinks? One of my favorite things.
World Market Italian Sodas. They have a bunch of flavors; my family loves the Blood Orange. The Mango Passion Fruit is yummy too.
The personal sized bottles look so cute on a dinner table. Sort of casual-chic.
My sister bought her own flowers (okay, and she made half of this meal herself too. She’s rad like that.) How crazy beautiful are these peonies??
Seriously I couldn’t stop staring at them. I love fresh flowers on a dinner table, especially an outdoor one.
Just make sure when you’re entertaining that you use shallow vases or bowls so you don’t block people’s faces.
Okay I’ll stop swooning over the flowers. Back to food. For an appetizer, I grabbed a great pesto, and also a Piquillo and Artichoke Bruschetta spread. Both were amazing. I could eat that artichoke stuff with a spoon. Okay I sort of did. Both came from World Market. Did I mention they have food there? Food from all around the world? Ya, they do. And lots and lots of chocolate and treats too.
I need to make a knock-off of that artichoke spread asap.
My family also loves these chips. They taste similar to those Pop Chips that are popular right now.
My kiddos love ’em! They also have lots of fun trinkets, toys, and novelty items at World Market. My kids beg for stuff every time we go there and I usually say no, so this time I grabbed a bunch of toys to keep them busy while the grown-ups ate. It worked brilliantly.
We also grilled up (and by we I mean my husband) one of my all-time-favorite summer meals, Italian Chicken and Vegetable Skewers. Per my sister’s request we (and by we I mean my sister) also made Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip. (Are you starting to wonder if I cooked anything at all??) And a yummy Pear and Gorgonzola Salad.
My sister also made an awesome Orange-Teriyaki Steelhead, which I’m going to share her recipe for soon! Heaven knows our Seafood Section can use all the help it can get. I’m thinking I should have her do a monthly fish feature!
For dessert (seriously I made this one myself. I mean, I bought this one myself. It counts, I swear.) I picked up some Seattle-famed Trophy Cupcakes. I have to be honest and say that when it comes to gourmet cupcake shops, I’ve been disappointed way more times than I’ve been pleased. But Trophy came through! These babies were amazing.
All in all it was a gorgeous night with fantastic company. Nothing better than friends and family on a beautiful summer night at a beautiful summer table!
Questions & Reviews
I would get some new dishes for summer entertaining!
Home Decor and Kitchenware! Love everything they have!
LOVE Cost Plus. Now I’m inspired to decorate our new patio table for a dinner party! A gift card would help!
I am sooo obsesswd with World Market as well. There is this gorgeous vase from India at my local store I will be using the $10 off coupon on! I would be so excited to get the $ 100 gift card and get myself some new dishes! Keep up the amazing blogging ladies!
Just moved away from Seattle and miss World Market! At least I can order online 🙂 Because of the cross country move I definitely could use some furniture and house decorations.
I would love to get some cool serving/display dishes or a sweet clock . . .
I LOVE World Market too!!! It is one of my favorite shops!! I would probably spend the $100 on new things for my bathroom (needs some color!) and household decorating items. Perhaps even a console table for the hallway!
My favorite World Market finds are always in the jewelry and accessories section. They always have great stuff that is more unique than anything you will find at the mall. Their scarves are amazing!
I used to work at World Market and it was a blast. I would totally invest in some furniture for our new house. Or maybe some outdoor furniture, we are finally getting a patio!
Thanks for the great giveaway!!!
Love! Would defenitely have to snag one of their great canvas prints with the motivational quotes! Have the perfect wall for it!
I would use the gift card on some cute dishes!
Wow! Where to begin? Mostly, I would like to use this card for kitchen “stuff”, food, tableware……… I love it all.
so many options!
It’ll take a while to decide.
I’d put it towards a new kitchen table. Ours has been used and abused by small children and I think she’s due for a much deserved retirement.
Oh gosh, I have no idea! I love that place, too. Probably a little bit of everything.
I love the large purple votive candle holders! Their things are so beautiful! I would love to win the gift card, and thanks for offering it.
Three words… Bulldog Root Beer! When I lived in Utah I was introduced to Henry Weinhards Root Beer and it was the absolute most awesome root beer. But when I moved back to Louisiana… no Henry anywhere. Nor could you order it online. So upsetting. Well, luckily for me, I discovered Bulldog at the one-and-only amazing World Market and it tastes ALMOST identicle to Henry. (The closest I have found.) So now everytime we go to Houston or Baton Rouge, “almost Henry” here we come. So, that is what I would spend $100 bucks on. A complete “stock-up” on Bulldog!
It’s so hard to pick! Cute new bedding? Serving pieces for entertaining? Bathroom decor? Save it for gifts? I could easily spend $100!
beautiful table! i was just talking about heading over there to get some new place mats! perfect timing if i won the gift card! 🙂
also – i NEED that pear gorgonzola salad recipe! i hope that’s the one you’re posting soon! i buy several of the fresh express kits a week! lol
sara
Things to brighten my summer entertaining table!
I would love to explore the World Market. It sounds like a fabulous place and I plan on making my first trip there very soon (hopefully at your expense)
Wow, what a beautiful party you put together! I love those chargers so if I won the gift cert those would definitely be on my list…but I would also buy some home items like rugs since we just moved to a new home and need some new rugs for all the wood floors! Thanks for the chance to win!
Hmmmm, a Gift Card for World Market– fabulous coordinating dishes for summer entertaining! Thanks for the recipes and well organized web site
I love World Market! I could decorate my whole house from just that store alone!
I would absolutely love to win this card. I would probably have to buy a little of everything with it. I have been a follower for some time now and have gotten all my friends to buy a cookbook. Now when we all come to work (I work school luch at an elementary) we all tell eachother which new recipes we have all tried. I have also gotten the cookbook for my kids so they can take it into their marriages. Such fun and beautiful recipes. I love getting the email 3 times a week telling me that there is a new post and I rush to see what it is. Thanks for all the brilliance. Would have loved to catch you at Orson Gygi but it was filled so quickly.
I too LOVE World Market! l would use the gift card on those delicious Italian sodas, the beautiful jewel colored candle holders you used for your table setting and some new outdoor serving pieces.
I want to get those candle holders! Love them!
What WOULDN’T I use a gift card for? 😛 We just moved and my list of wants/sorta-needs for setting up this new house is HUGE (and was written with WorldMarket in mind!) For starters, we need a new dining room table and chairs, and then new place settings to dress it, curtains for the giant window in my new living room, and I could really use some new throw rugs (our new house has wood floors everywhere.) I would LOVE to win this gift card–part of the perk of moving is that we left the boonies and now live where we actually have great shopping options like World Market!
Definitely dishes. You can never have too many decorative dishes!
I would definitely spend it on outdoor tableware! PS–I made your baked chicken taquitos last week and they were fantastic! Thank you!