{moroccan dinner party inspiration}

Ever since we returned home from our trip to Marrakech, I have been dreaming about throwing a colorful party inspired by our time there.  Our 5 days in Morocco had such a magical feeling that only comes from being in a place that is so foreign and filled with exotic discoveries at every turn.  I hope I never forget the feeling of wandering through the maze of the souks taking in all the gorgeous trinkets or the intriguing all night dinners in ancient Riads served with the unparalleled hospitality of the region.  With the weather finally warming up I figured the coming weeks would be the perfect time to host a little outdoor dinner party starting at sunset with a decidedly Moroccan theme complete with plenty of romantic lanterns, vibrant colors and a flavorful Mediterranean menu.  Here's the inspiration board I put together for the evening:

I have a few go-to playlists that I use when we have guests over for dinner (as well as a couple for bigger parties or special trips), but I've been needing to create a refreshed version and this dinner party gave me the perfect excuse to mix some classic favorites with some more interesting moroccan inspired tracks.

You can play it directly from the playlist below or subscribe to it right here!

                                     

I can't wait to reveal some of the decor I have been hunting down and share the entire dinner party including the delicious menu with you soon!

Find what speaks to you.

Compensation was provided by Pier 1 via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Pier 1.

{moroccan weddding blanket decisions}

The one thing I was most excited to bring home from our entire time living abroad was a Moroccan wedding blanket or handira from our trip to Marrakech.  I did a good amount of research before heading out into the souks to figure out what I should expect to pay for a nice wedding blanket.   Prices range from $100 to $300 based on how much embellishment the blanket has which is a steal considering back in the US these imported blankets start around $400 and go into the thousands!  I had my heart set on a pretty specific design of variated "stripes" of shag and paillettes which initially was proving to be harder to find than I thought when were first started roaming through the souks.  Eventually we stumbled upon a tiny shop that specialized in handiras and the owner took us back to his gorgeous home/showroom where he had hundreds more rugs and blankets.  I spotted my blanket within the first five blankets he showed us, but since no two wedding blankets are the same we continued to have him show us about thirty more styles just to be sure it was "the one."  

Now that we are back home with my find, I'm struggling with deciding where exactly is the best place for it in our home.  I'm debating between at the bottom of our bed or draped on the back of our larger couch.  I absolutely love how it looks in our bedroom, but I am concerned about having to constantly move it since it is just for decoration.  I also really love how it adds to our living room, but I'm wondering with all the colors and textures going on that room is it maybe a bit too much for that space?  

{see the bedroom before the wedding blanket here} 

 {see the living room before the wedding blanket here}

So what do you think? Bedroom or living room?!?

{moroccan mint tea}

As I mentioned in yesterday's Marrakech itinerary, we drank a lot of mint tea during our time in Morocco and it turned out to be one of my favorite ways to end a meal or wind down in the afternoon. Moroccans take a lot of pride in their own individual way of preparing mint tea and no two places served it quite the same.  After trying mint tea about 6 or 7 times throughout our 4 days in Marrakech, I have found I prefer the ones that are prepared a little more on the sweet side and are garnished with fresh mint.  I enjoyed the traditional tea so much I made sure to pick up a set of 6 gold rimmed Moroccan tea glasses from the souks.  Read below for the recipe on the correct way to prepare Moroccan mint tea- perfect for your next lazy Sunday afternoon!

 {moroccan tea glasses I brought home from Marrakech- find similar ones here or here}

Traditional Moroccan Mint Tea

what you need:

• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• 6 teaspoons gunpowder black tea - I used this one since I couldn't get a hold of gunpowder black tea. 
• boiling water: 6oz per serving of tea
• 1/4 cup cane sugar

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of loose tea to teapot for every 6oz of water (6oz = 1 serving of tea) you plan to make. 
3. Pour in about a cup or two of boiling water and let the loose tea steep for 1 minute.  Pour out water, but leave steeped loose tea in teapot. 
4. Add a healthy handful of fresh mint leaves and the 1/4 cup of sugar to the tea pot.  
5. Pour in boiling water - 6 oz for every serving of tea.
6. Leave tea to steep for 5 minutes.
7. Pour out one cup of tea into a glass and then immediately pour it back into the teapot.  This will help dissolve the last of the sugar. 
8. Garnish tea glasses with a sprig of fresh mint and pour tea into each glass until it is about halfway full.  Not filling the glass all the way to the top allows for the mint aroma to build in the top of the glass.
9. Enjoy!

{4 days in Marrakech}

Normally my travel itinerary posts are 24 to 36 hour itineraries, but for Marrakech you are going to need at least 4 days to really experience and enjoy the city.  Spending time in Morocco was truly like nothing I have ever experienced- the culture is so welcoming, the food is insanely flavorful and the general vibrant energy of the city is contagious.  Read on for all the places we enjoyed during our trip:

stay at:  We chose to stay in a traditional Riad which was a really unique experience- almost like a Arabian bed & breakfast.  The staff are incredibly accommodating and truly want you to feel as if you are in your own home.  If you are less adventurous and prefer the comforts of a traditional hotel experience then I would recommend looking into the Four Seasons Marrakech- but keep in mind it is not located near the city center and you will need to take cabs to get almost anywhere you want to go, but the grounds are gorgeous!

go shopping:  Give yourself an entire day to wander through the souks shopping for rugs, spices, textiles, teapots and a menagerie of Moroccan trinkets.  Our riad provided a guide to take us around and I would highly recommend you look into one for your day of shopping.  Guides are generally inexpensive and will help you to not get completely hopelessly lost in the endless maze of alleyways that is the markets.  I probably could have brought home an entire 50lb suitcase of goodies from the souks, but if you can only bring one thing back with you then you simply must splurge on a hand-made rug or a moroccan wedding blanket.  I found the moroccan wedding blanket of my dreams tucked into a tiny shop and I can't wait to share it with you soon (you can see a sneak peek here). 

grab lunch at:  Stop in for an easy lunch at Cafe des Epices which is conveniently located in the center of all the markets.  Make sure to ask for a seat up on the third floor rooftop for a incredible view of the city.  Enjoy a leisurely lunch here that includes tasty kefta and avocado toast. 

afternoon break:  While you are in Morocco you will drink mint tea....all the time.  You will drink mint tea in the morning, after meals, while shopping for rugs, as an afternoon break- it just never stops and you won't want it to.  The presentation is so gorgeous that you might be tempted to pick up a Moroccan teapot for yourself!

have dinner at:  Make reservations at Pepe Nero for an Italian meets Moroccan menu (sounds odd, but it works. I promise).  The interior of the restaurant will make you feel like you just stepped into a movie set complete with tranquil pools, flowers everywhere and perfectly dim lighting. 

spend a day at:  A must see in Marrakech is Yves Saint Laurent's gardens, Jardin Majorelle.   Plan to spend a good half of a day here and make sure to get the additional tickets to enter the Berber museum.  There is also a cafe on the property that has a great menu for lunch including some great desserts!

grab cocktails at:  Reportedly one of the best rooftop bars in the world is Kosy Bar so you probably don't wanna miss this one.  Sit back and enjoy the sunset alongside a cocktail before heading to dinner. 

dinner at:  Book a table in the traditional Moroccan room at La Maison Arabe (they have multiple dining rooms which might confuse you).  The service level here is unmatched and the food is an amazing spread of traditional moroccan dishes- order the lamb for 2 because it's amazing, but know that it serves almost 6 people!

spa day:  One day in Marrakech should be used to lounge poolside in the morning and then head out for 3 to 4 hours at a traditional hammam.  Heritage Spa had some of the best reviews and it certainly lived up to its reputation.  For about $70 we each received a detox scrub with traditional moroccan black soap and a 60 minute relaxing massage.  The entire experience left us all feeling both incredibly relaxing and invigorated at the same time. 

bonus points:  If you desire to ride a camel into the Sahara, sleep in the desert and trek up to the Atlas mountains then you will need to add on another 4 days to your trip.  We did not have time for this on this journey, but I would absolutely love to go back for it.