Home is Where the Cake is: Holiday Entertaining with Our Friends at Twine + Twig

For nearly 40 years, Caroline's Cakes have been honored to be a part of so many celebrations, traditions, and memories across the country, especially during the holiday season. Whether our cakes meet you at your doorstep or your destination, we hope to help you gift deliciously, entertaining tastefully, and love to the seventh layer. To inspire the festive spirit, we’re tapping some of our cake community to share their favorite holiday traditions and entertaining tips. We hope this series inspires beautiful and delicious celebrations all season long! 

Jacquelyn Tugwell and Elizabeth Stafford White, the founders and sisters behind Twine + Twig– the handmade jewelry and lifestyle brand focuses on naturally sourced materials and having a positive philanthropic impact–  answered our questions on holiday traditions and entertaining.

ELIZABETH 

What is one of your favorite holiday traditions when it comes to entertaining or celebrating with loved ones? 

My entertaining motto has always been the more the merrier. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday to host and it has grown over the years to be close to 50 people. We are so lucky with weather in the South this time of year, so we always kick off Thanksgiving day with an oyster roast and Bloody Mary bar in the backyard. My husband makes homemade chips and we always have a big charcuterie spread. We serve a late lunch and generally have a few different table scales set up which is one of my favorite parts of entertaining!

Please share a few tips for making a tablescape feel special?

Layers and layers and layers! Most of the time I do a very natural  table spread and layer textures and natural elements like shed antlers or pheasant feathers. I love using dried wheat and eucalyptus. 

What are 3 of your favorite songs to set the mood for a festive holiday/winter party? 

Mumford & Sons - Beneath My Feet 

Avett Brothers - Laundry Room 

Chris Stapleton - A Simple Song

It wouldn’t be the holidays without…

Family! Seems obvious, but truly there is nothing better than having everyone the most important to you in one room 

What is your favorite Caroline’s Cakes flavor for the holidays and why?

Obsessed with the Montana Gold. So good! 

Do you have a special way that you decorate layer cakes, have a favorite cake stand, or how you dress up a cake stand? 

Caroline’s Cakes are so easy to incorporate into a tablescape. I have a vintage African pedestal that is the perfect size for a cake and I normally grab some dried elements or fresh rosemary and do a simple center to the already beautifully simple cake design. 

JACQUELYN

What is one of your favorite holiday traditions when it comes to entertaining or celebrating with loved ones?

Christmas Eve is my favorite holiday and the one that I host at my house. Every year it keeps growing bigger with more kids and family. The Family Stone is my favorite movie, I just love the chaos of Christmas and family all coming together. We started a tradition with all of the young cousins playing White Elephant during happy hour - it's so fun to see the excitement and giggles coming from them opening and stealing. 

Please share a few tips for making a tablescape feel special?

That is absolutely not my specialty. My sister Elizabeth is the one with the tablescape skills...I'm usually way more focused on creating the perfect playlist for a party. Our dining room table is very reflective of our personalities...we have Grateful Dead Bear salt + pepper shakers, vinyl record plate chargers and lots of table topics - I love having people pass around questions and get good conversations going.

What are 3 of your favorite songs to set the mood for a festive holiday/winter party? 

William Bell - Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday is my favorite xmas song! 

White Christmas - Otis Redding

Blue Christmas - Elvis

I tend to have the Otis Redding Holiday station playing on Pandora from Thanksgiving on...it covers all of the good old soul Christmas songs.

It wouldn’t be the holidays without….

NOISE! I love how loud the holidays are...all of the kids running around squealing, grandparents telling stories, music blasting, cooking in the kitchen with cocktails - holiday cheer in full force. 

What is your favorite Caroline’s Cakes flavor for the holidays and why? 

The 7 Layer Caramel. There is nothing like that first bite of gooey caramel. 

Do you have a special way that you decorate layer cakes, have a favorite cake stand, or how you dress up a cake stand? 

Anthropologie always has amazing cake stands - they have glass ones in so many beautiful colors.