Wednesday
Aug112010
Port-a-Party
OKay, you know how we love Mat and Guerrin? Well, as it turns out, Apartment Therapy really does, too! Starting sometime soon-ish, they'll be blogging on the regular over at the Mecca of design sites. So proud! Here's their latest M-Dashing guest post (so you can say you knew them when).
When we first heard that our dear friends Kelly and Greg were moving in together, we knew the housewarming was to be as ritzy as it was raucous. As two of the most stylish people we know (Greg is a fashion photographer and Kelly is the personality behind theglamourai.com--a chic and informative DIY fashion blog), we knew that just any typical housewarming gift wouldn’t do.
Mat: I mean, what do you get for the couple that has it all?
Guerrin: Well, I was recently at a housewarming and somebody gifted the homeowner with cleaning supplies.
M: How chic.
G: Yeah, nothing says “home sweet home” like a box of powdered bleach and rubber gloves.
M: Based upon traditional housewarming party gifts, we can go in one of two directions: get them something for the house or bring a festive cocktail for the party.
G: Hmmm. Why not both?
M: Yes! Come to think of it, I tried a white Lambrusco last night that would go great in a Sangria.
G: Love it--but we can’t very well walk across Brooklyn with a sloshing pitcher...
M: True, we’ll save the “sloshing” for the Sangria-influenced walk home. Let’s assemble the party drink to-go and gift it to them with chic and useful items they can use in their new home!
G: Perfect. But it must be seasonally appropriate...to the Union Square Greenmarket!
M: Yay, the Green Market! Where everyone is so earth-friendly! Should I dred my hair before we go?
G: No. We’ll do it on the way.
G: Woah, the market is jam PACKED.
M: Do you think all these people are making Sangria?
G: From the looks of it...most likely. We don’t have much time, so let’s split up. I’ll head over to Fish’s Eddy and pick up some cute things to present our gift; you elbow through the crowd and scout out the stone fruits. Oh, and don’t forget the flowers!
M: Will do, and keep your eye out for any extra little touches of bling for our glamour-amous hosts.
G: Synchronize your smart phones and meet back here in an hour!
G: Mat, what took you so long? I was starting to get worried,
M: Sorry, that place was like a war-zone. One of those green-conscience market-goers even bit my arm over the last bushel of hydrangeas.
G: Well, these wild flowers and fruits from the market look perfect.
M: Thanks. I may have gotten trampled by a few dozen Birkenstocks in my search, but the fruit made it out unbruised. Oooh, these Mason Jars are so luxe. (Gasp) And I love these beaded sunburst napkin rings. They have Kelly written all over them.
G: I know! I’m going to use them as a little charm on the bow. Although, ten bucks says she transforms them in to hat broach or new collar for her pooch before they ever see a table top. To the party!
Among other fantastical projects, best friends Mat Sanders and Guerrin Gardner have appeared as Sandy the Dandy and Charlie McGee, which was a critics’ pick in Time Out New York, The Onion, and NYTheatre.com. They’re currently developing a multitude of new comedic ventures, including a monthly comedy variety show and a live-action, highly stylized version of the Dick Van Dyke Show. See more of their work at toomuchery.com (and soon at Apartment Therapy!) and follow them on Twitter here and here.
When we first heard that our dear friends Kelly and Greg were moving in together, we knew the housewarming was to be as ritzy as it was raucous. As two of the most stylish people we know (Greg is a fashion photographer and Kelly is the personality behind theglamourai.com--a chic and informative DIY fashion blog), we knew that just any typical housewarming gift wouldn’t do.
Mat: I mean, what do you get for the couple that has it all?
Guerrin: Well, I was recently at a housewarming and somebody gifted the homeowner with cleaning supplies.
M: How chic.
G: Yeah, nothing says “home sweet home” like a box of powdered bleach and rubber gloves.
M: Based upon traditional housewarming party gifts, we can go in one of two directions: get them something for the house or bring a festive cocktail for the party.
G: Hmmm. Why not both?
M: Yes! Come to think of it, I tried a white Lambrusco last night that would go great in a Sangria.
G: Love it--but we can’t very well walk across Brooklyn with a sloshing pitcher...
M: True, we’ll save the “sloshing” for the Sangria-influenced walk home. Let’s assemble the party drink to-go and gift it to them with chic and useful items they can use in their new home!
G: Perfect. But it must be seasonally appropriate...to the Union Square Greenmarket!
M: Yay, the Green Market! Where everyone is so earth-friendly! Should I dred my hair before we go?
G: No. We’ll do it on the way.
G: Woah, the market is jam PACKED.
M: Do you think all these people are making Sangria?
G: From the looks of it...most likely. We don’t have much time, so let’s split up. I’ll head over to Fish’s Eddy and pick up some cute things to present our gift; you elbow through the crowd and scout out the stone fruits. Oh, and don’t forget the flowers!
M: Will do, and keep your eye out for any extra little touches of bling for our glamour-amous hosts.
G: Synchronize your smart phones and meet back here in an hour!
G: Mat, what took you so long? I was starting to get worried,
M: Sorry, that place was like a war-zone. One of those green-conscience market-goers even bit my arm over the last bushel of hydrangeas.
G: Well, these wild flowers and fruits from the market look perfect.
M: Thanks. I may have gotten trampled by a few dozen Birkenstocks in my search, but the fruit made it out unbruised. Oooh, these Mason Jars are so luxe. (Gasp) And I love these beaded sunburst napkin rings. They have Kelly written all over them.
G: I know! I’m going to use them as a little charm on the bow. Although, ten bucks says she transforms them in to hat broach or new collar for her pooch before they ever see a table top. To the party!
To assemble Mat and Guerrin’s Sangria Port-a-Party you’ll need:
Two bottles of white Lambrusco or other sparkling wine
One bottle of ginger ale (The fancy kind, of course)
Blackberry-infused brandy 375ml (The cheap stuff, of course)
1/2 cup sugar (The real stuff, of course)
An assortment of seasonal fruits (We used local sweet plums, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, grapefruit, and lemon)
Three Mason Jars
One large wooden spoon
One large glass pitcher
A basket, ice bucket, or any other useful carry-all
Leaving on the rinds, dice the fruit into small segments. In a medium bowl, combine fruit, sugar, and brandy. Divide fruit evenly amongst the mason jars and seal tight. Chill in refrigerator until you are ready to walk out the door.
At the party, combine Lambrusco, ginger ale and fruit over ice in the large pitcher. Give it a good stir and enjoy!
Among other fantastical projects, best friends Mat Sanders and Guerrin Gardner have appeared as Sandy the Dandy and Charlie McGee, which was a critics’ pick in Time Out New York, The Onion, and NYTheatre.com. They’re currently developing a multitude of new comedic ventures, including a monthly comedy variety show and a live-action, highly stylized version of the Dick Van Dyke Show. See more of their work at toomuchery.com (and soon at Apartment Therapy!) and follow them on Twitter here and here.
in 
Easy Recipes, Gift Ideas, Guest Post | tagged Mat & Guerrin's Guest Post | Email Article | Share Article | Permalink | 6 Comments
Easy Recipes, Gift Ideas, Guest Post | tagged Mat & Guerrin's Guest Post | Email Article | Share Article | Permalink | 6 Comments
Reader Comments (6)
Wow - how beautiful. Those two are really crafty!
this was the PERFECT gift! so chic & fun for everyone!!!
thanks again Mat & Guerrin!!!!!
You guys are so inspirational (and not to mention, photogenic!). I am totally stealing this idea for the next housewarming I attend.
So lovely! It would also make a nice houseguest gift. I would love if houseguests showed up with a port-a-party in tow. Great job Matt & Guerrin.
Thank you! Every part of this process was a blast- especially the tasting portion :)
LOVE!!! Can't wait to use these ideas and make the drink!!! :)