Mary Giuliani doesn’t believe in overcomplicating things. In fact, it’s this framework that she built her entire company, Mary Giuliani Catering & Events, on. She approaches entertaining with a laidback, playful attitude and has an impressive list of celebrity clientele to show for it. Oh, and did we mention she’s also a mom? Ahead, we got her to spill the bites and beverages every party should have (they’re refreshingly effortless), the lowdown on her brand new book, and more in this month’s People We Love.

I knew I wanted to be in catering when...
I accidentally took a temp job at an East Village Catering company to pay my bills between acting auditions. It took all of a month for me to realize that catering events combined all the things I loved. Theatrics, hospitality, food and cocktails!!!

I love my job because...
No two days are the same and I get to work with the most creative people on the planet.

The inspiration behind Tiny Hot Dogs was...
Pigs in a blanket are everyone’s favorite party food (no matter how fancy you are) and I wanted to dig into the simplicity of this catering staple and the joys of finding the big in the small moments of life.

A must-have at every get-together is...
Pigs in a blanket and martinis!

My go-to secret cocktail ingredient is...
Beer!! This summer I made a ton of Beer-Garitas and Beer-lomas.

My dream client...
Has a sense of humor and isn’t afraid to break entertaining norms.

One of the biggest challenges I encountered when starting my business was...
Not knowing how to say NO!

My favorite Laundress product is...
The Wool and Cashmere Shampoo. I have a big Lingua Franca sweater addiction and this product works great to keep my sweaters soft and I love the subtle but delicious scent.

When I have free time, I enjoy...
Every single second I can with my daughter and writing.

Our family loves...
Adventure days. We get in the car, crank up the tunes and just drive with no destination to find new towns, restaurants, parks. It’s creative escapism at its finest.