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!
Ooh I think I would spend it on some if everything! Maybe some dorm things?
I’d get some of those buffet sets for sure and chargers. I love having people over for dinner so cute dishes and serving platters are always a happy purchase!
Love the world market table! I want to go to the store right now and get the
Glass lanterns. The purple is amazing! I would buy new dishes for sure…
I LOVE WORLD MARKET!! I go completely out of my way just to get my pound of coffee there. I would love to get some fun outdoor dishes to use outside. We have been grilling a lot lately and my daughter is constantly wanting to eat outside and just get paranoid of a glass breaking outside. I am also loving all of the hawaiian and japanese items they have right now and have been so tempted to buy a bag of the wasabi chips.
On another note, made your pulled pork and coleslaw (for the 2nd time) tonight…my 3 year old just couldn’t get enough of that tender pork:)
There is a World Market near me but I have never entered assuming I couldn’t afford it. I would enjoy some fun summer outdoor decor to accompany some great food to entertain friends and family.
I love World Market! I would love to get some new dishes or some type of decoration. I couldn’t forget a treat for the kiddos too! (And maybe their prego mom.HA!)
I think I would use a gift card on some of those cute votive holders…I’m a sucker for anything involving candles!
I’m also a big fan of World Market and spend hours looking for treasures I can’t find other places. I’ve had to make room in my cupboards for the things I couldn’t live without.
Sara and Kate –
I also LOVE World Market AND Target! After your inspiring menu, I’ve gotta tell you – I am smitten with the purple candle lanterns and the aquamarine melamine chargers. SWOON!!!!
Christina
Oh, without a doubt I would buy dishes!! Absolutely love this store. (Now that I think about it, last time I was there I saw a super cute blue/white striped sun chair too… maybe I wouldn’t just buy dishes 😉
I also love World Market and can’t resist going in if I see one in sight. If I had the $100.00 to spend I would buy a variety of things much like what you had on your site. I love the specialty drinks and food items like the veggie chips and blood orange. So I would buy some of that and some candles as well for summer entertaining. I have the white dishes from there but always love to look at their glasses and dishes. I love the fabrics in World Market lately. They are much like the beautiful ones I see in Anthropology (another favorite store). I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win the 100.00. It would be so much fun to go in and just buy some things I want! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your site and your cookbook. I’m giving one to my sister for her birhtday Wednesday! I have told all of my friends about your super recipes. I actually made 4 of them yesterday! Yes, Four in one day! I haven’t made one yet that my family didn’t love! Thanks girls!
I would buy dishes for my mom for her birthday.
I am LOVING your blog!! I would use the gift card on some outdoor dishes & a nice bottle of wine. 🙂
Love your blog! Love world market. Hownold is Becca!. I may have a great guy for her. I would spend the gift card putting together a party for my sons unit who are currently deployed.
We would buy a ton of stuff and finally decorate our house!
I LOVE world market and would love to win. They have the most unusual and yummy chips along with my favorite miso soups!
i love their kitchen stuff, I could easily spend it there! Love the place settings in your post.
I need new dishes…a neutral white, please! I haven’t bought new dishes since 2000 and they are so chipped and worn…a trip to DI is in order! Love your blog…just had the Strawberry Cheescake Squares and the French Dips, TO.DIE.FOR! Keep the yummy recipes coming! 🙂
I’d spend it on just about everything. I LOVE WORLD MARKET!
I LOVE World Market! Half of my furniture is from there. Your table looks amazing, so vibrant and colorful.
If I won the gift card, I would use it for the potting bench. Love everything on the website, wish there was a store near me.
I love world market too! I would love to spend a giftcard getting some delicious food and also some fun decor items to spice up my little apartment. That store has so many fun things!
New dishes or some fun food items!
Any of the cute summer things they have!!
Oh, I would probably spend it a million different ways in my head and then decide on something practical and fun….like serving dishes.
I would love to spend half of the giftcard on some fine chocolate/drinks/snacks and the rest on their beautiful home decor!
I would get some cute stuff for my front porch!!
First of all, I love your website. World Market has lots of fun things, but we are remodeling our house, so I would choose a fun furniture piece.
ooh, this looks so good! I would get some food, it all looks so good!
I would buy an outdoor rug for my porch to go with my bright green rustic chairs we painted last week. I’d hang Goddess Yellow paper lanterns up above. I’d get myself some international candy I’ve never tried before and then I’d sit at the perfectly-me porch and delight in my little spot-of-BLISS!