Caplan Miller Events Blog

Don’t let this summer pass you by without knocking some things off your bucket list! Austin has so much to offer that it is hard to work it all in, and the summer is the perfect time to see and do things that you have missed. Here are a few crazy-awesome ideas to pass the time in Austin!

1. Try a new restaurant. For the first time since I have lived in the great city of Austin, I ate at the popular Perlas restaurant located on South Congress. Right in the hoppin’ part of town and surrounded by trendy people this seafood and oyster bar definitely lived up to the hype, not to mention the seafood was fabulous!

2. Step up the creativity on date night. The High Ball offers cocktails, dining, karaoke, live music, and bowling all in one!

3. Use this hot weather to your advantage. Barton Springs and the Greenbelt are personal favorites of mine. Barton Springs is a unique place to catch some rays and relax, while the Greenbelt offers multiple hiking and biking trails. Both great for the family or to spend time with friends!

4. Find a new hangout spot. Tired of Starbucks and Coffee bean, I traded in my usual skinny caramel macchiato for a tasty iced Toddy Rico from Spider House Café. Probably one of the most Austin-y places I have been in a while, Spider House is a hipster café perfect for daytime studying and nighttime cocktails. Located just a couple blocks north of the University of Texas campus, it’s a must for students to check out!

5. Become an expert chef on one new dish. Search the world of Pinterest until you locate the one appetizer, entree, or dessert that you can make your specialty for these summer months!

CME INTERN
HAYLEY

If you’ve dropped into the CME office lately, you’re likely to have met Miss Olive and Mr. Cooper. One of the best things about Austin is how dog friendly we are. I have three dogs and I love to bring them to variety of places to socialize and get them some exercise!

A few of my favorite spots:
Red Bud Isle

Trail at Ladybird lake: Auditorium Shores

Red’s Porch (on the patio)

Clive Bar

PS: Please pick up after your babies and and be responsible for their actions! Don’t ruin it for the rest of us!

We’ll see you around,

Wendell & Hadley (aka “shop dog”)

I love hosting a dinner party, but why limit yourself to dinner, brunch can be fun too! For those of you who love getting creative and trying new things, here’s a recipe that is definitely worth showing off the next time you decide to host brunch. The best part about this creation is that you get two great things in one bite-size creation. Talk about YUM-O!

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 12)

4 eggs
1 tbsp cream
2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/8 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Baby potatoes, thinly sliced

Process:

1. Set a pot of water to boil to blanch the potatoes. Thinly slice them using a mandoline and blanch them briefly in the salted boiling water. Shock in an ice bath.
2. In a pan made for mini muffins, arrange the potato slices to form a small cup. Cut out circles of parchment and place in the potato cups. Fill with baking beans to weigh down the potatoes and make sure they retain their shape.
3. Bake potato cups at 350 for 15 minutes until golden brown.
4. In the meantime, chop the chives, parsley and dill. Beat together with eggs, cream and seasoning.
5. Heat a small pan with a tablespoon of olive oil or butter. Pour the eggs into the hot pan. Using a spatula, fold the eggs over and over onto themselves. Don’t let the pan get too hot and cook until the eggs are the consistency you like.
6. 30 seconds before the eggs are done, add the two kinds of cheese and cook until melted.
7. When the potato cups are crispy, remove the beans and parchment and fill with eggs. Top with a little more fresh herbs and enjoy the creamy, warm taste of breakfast.

If you would rather someone else do all the work, here are some fabulous places around town that do a great brunch too!

The Park
Olive & June
Abel’s on the Lake
Moonshine
Chez-Zee
Z-Tejas
Fonda San Miguel

CME Intern
xo Christine

Get em’ while you can!
DL

Thought taper candles only belonged on your grandmother’s Thanksgiving table? Think again! I feel they instantly create a bit of elegance within your decor. Go all candlesticks for a simple, modern look or keep it classic and pair them with your beautiful floral arrangements. Just one piece of advice; go with the dripless varieties, and make sure your tables are not directly under air conditioning or heating vents. Otherwise, you’ll be dripping wax all over those elegant tables!

Shout out to our friends at BZ Events – the last two pics are from one of their oh-so-cute weddings! Love it BB and CZ!

Cheers,
SM

Ok, people red has gotten a bad rep in the wedding world and I think it is high time I set the record straight. Because red has been used so much in the past, many looks can start to look dated and over-done.

Not to worry all of you red lovers out there, there is a new way to use this vibrant color and it can look updated and fresh! Here are some of my simple rules for using red:

Pair red with new color combinations like baby blue and gray. Unless you are going for a Moulin Rouge theme, steer clear of black and white. Red with black and white has been done… and done…. and done again….

Solid red (especially dresses) are hard to pull off. Update the look with pattern. The wedding world is all about pattern right now, have fun with it!

Use bright vibrant shades of red. Dark red is definitely out and a lot harder to pull off.

Keep your bouquet current by using a mix of flowers that are in now and don’t be afraid to mix in succulents and other forms of greenery. Red roses have a time and a place and your bouquet is not it.

So dont get caught red handed looking like this, stick to my rules and keep red current!

XO,
KW

It’s summer and that means Fredericksburg peaches. I wish I was in Houston having some of my grandpa’s famous peach preserves! Locally here in Austin, there is one queen of the jams, and that is Confituras. Stephanie McClenny decided to teach herself how to make preserves, focusing on locally sourced fruits, produce, and herbs. Confituras, her line of seasonal products, debuted at Austin area farmers’ markets, and soon after, her spectacular jams and preserves had generated big time buzz.

McClenny starts with our amazing Central Texas produce, such as red plums, blueberries, and Fredericksburg peaches and heirloom tomatoes, and makes jams, jellies, fruit butters, preserves, and confits in the Spanish and French fashions. She also uses Round Rock Honey, organic local herbs, and other sustainable and organic ingredients whenever possible.

Bestsellers have included her salted-caramel pear butter, heirloom-tomato jam, and fig-and-walnut conserve. Going into the holiday season, you’ll find cranberry-jalapeño jelly, ruby-red grapefruit marmalade, Meyer-lemon curd and marmalade, salted-caramel pear butter, and pear jam with Round Rock Honey and fresh sage. Confituras can be found at the Barton Creek, Downtown, and Triangle farmers’ mar­kets, Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, and Breed & Co. to name a few. Products and other locations are available through the Confituras website.

In the event world, preserves make the sweetest favors and they are perfect at any time of year!
xo,
CC

I have no idea why I love antlers, but I get giddy when I’m asked to incorporate them into a design. Paint ‘em, hang ‘em or just leave them au natural on the table – I love it. Its just not for rustic events anymore. Check out these really unique ways to incorporate a unique texture. Not sure if its PETA friendly or not, but I figure since deer shed the antlers? Don’t they? Note to self: google deer antler shedding.


This is singer Miranda Lambert’s wedding

WENDEE

If you’re attending a wedding this summer and have been shopping for a new dress, chances are you’ve found one that’s perfect. Except for one thing -it’s white. Traditionally white is reserved for the bride on her big day, so you’ve probably looked at it, maybe even circled back around for one more glance, but you’ve probably decided that you shouldn’t even try it on. So, brides, listen up. Stock up on those white dresses now! You might want one for a shower, rehearsal dinner, or brunch sometime soon. And as one of those wedding guests circling back around for one more glance at that almost-perfect dress to make sure it’s actually still white, trust me – you have so many lovely options right now. Happy shopping!

xo
Allison

Here is a little taste of what you can expect from these designers!

WEDNESDAY :: LISA KAMINSKI & TESS DESIGNS

THURSDAY :: BOUDOIR QUEEN & ALLO MARTINEZ presented by RARE TRENDS

FRIDAY :: HERFF CHRISTIANSEN & LEAGUE OF REBELS

Ticket Info | Designer Info
xo
DL