Inexpensive (but Thoughtful!) Wedding Favors

Favors are a great way to let guests know that you appreciate their love and support on your wedding day.  And let’s be honest about the other reason brides like to provide favors – they can make your tables look really cute!  But there is no need to spend a fortune on wedding favors.  I mean, you are already providing entertainment, feeding these people, and probably offering alcohol. 

The point of this post is to give the brides-to-be some suggestions for sweet favors that won't break the budget.  I have to preface this list by saying that FOOD is probably the most guest-preferred wedding favor.  You would think that people would get enough food at the reception, but no.  I work at weddings almost every weekend and everyone always consumes their edible favors practically the moment they sit down.  (And if for some reason they don’t eat their favors and leave them on the table, the catering staff pockets them after everyone leaves.)

Here's one of 200 cookies I made for a friend's wedding, featuring the couples' initials.  

They weren't "JK" about their love.  Photo by Sandy Chang

CHEAP, THOUGHTFUL, and CUTE WEDDING FAVORS

1. A small pack of recipe cards containing family recipes from the bride’s side and the groom’s side of the family. You only need to make one packet per family, instead of one per person.  Use your wedding colors in your paper choices, and maybe the same font you used for your invitations and/or place cards.

2. Homemade cookie or chocolate covered pretzel in a glassine bag, tied with a ribbon.  Label it if you want to: “How Sweet of you to come to our wedding.”  Note that personalized, individually iced cookies take A LOT more time and effort than making a batch of bar or ball cookies.  And iced cookies don’t freeze as well, so you probably need to make them no more than a few days before the wedding.  So, factor that into your decision about what type to make.  

3. A pack of seeds, and label it with a fitting verse and your wedding date.  I like this quotation: "All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today." - Chinese Proverb.  How appropriate for a wedding, right?

4. A Christmas ornament (if a late fall/December wedding).  If you have a long engagement, buy the ornaments right after Christmas for the best deals.

5. Make a donation in honor of your guests to a charity that is close to your heart.  Don’t pick a controversial charity, such as to a specific political party. 

6. A baggie of candy in your wedding colors, tied with a neat bow.

7. A glass votive holder with a candle.  You can get the votives and holders in bulk online inexpensively.  For personalization, get a pack of sticker labels from the office supply store.  Type a short note of thanks, along with your names and wedding date in a pretty font and print it on all the labels. Cut a length of ribbon in your wedding color and wrap it around the candle holder.  Hold the ribbon in place with one of the personalized sticker labels. 

8. Small potted plants – one for each couple/family.  BONUS – they double as the centerpiece.  You might include a tag that explains the meaning of the flower you chose. 

9. A gorgeous apple with a paper flag that says "You are the apple of my eye" attached to the stem.

10. Lip balm personalized to say "Always kiss me goodnight" or even just "XOXOXO"

Free/Cheap Halloween Decorations

Halloween Parties are alot of WORK. A LOT OF WORK. (Yes, I use "a lot" instead of "much" - grammer police, come get me!) But they don't have to cost a fortune. Most of the decorations you can come up with for Halloween can be homemade. You will have to weigh the value of you own time, of course, but in this economy, it doesn't make sense to pay a ton for things you will only use one weekend a year. And the thing about Halloween parties is that if you have another party next year, you don't want to bore your guests with all the same decorations two years in a row. There's nothing scary about seeing the same old ghoul year after year!
This year I made our bathroom into a BATroom. (Hahaha, chortle at the cleverness!) Superfluous number of guano jokes aside, it turned out great. The cost of decor for the entire room was $1.15. We were lucky enough to borrow the bat-shaped lights to place around the mirror, but any old Christmas lights would have been sufficient to set the scene. The idea was that bright, overhead lights wouldn't looked very bat-cave-like. If you have a strobe light, it looks cool flashing behind the shower curtain. Unplug before showering.
In the picture above you can see various black bats. I purchased one piece of black poster board for $1.15. Found a template on the interwebs for a creepy bat (try a Google Image search for "bat template" or "bat clip art".) Traced and cut out fifteen bats from the poster board. (Your hand will hurt if you cut those all out by yourself. Take frequent beer breaks or get a significant other to help you. You may actually have to bribe the significant other with beer to get them to help. Please note that the quality of cut out bats will decrease after three beers, so moderation is the key.) Hang up the bats around the room. Tape some, hang some from string for a more "flappy" look.
I also thought, if I were a bat, what would I have in my cave? The answer was a framed picture of my best friend - in a bat's case, the Count from Sesame Street - and a picture of the coolest car ever - the batmobile. Again Google Image search for the pictures, then printed them to the size I needed. I already had the frames, just replaced the pictures (Sorry, picure of Grandma, you can return after Halloween.)
So, put your mind to it and you can come up with creative Halloween decorations without the scary pricetag.

Here's a link to another of my posts with a DIY Halloween project. 

Scary Blood-Spatter Halloween Decoration

Looking for a NEW cheap and terrifying Decorating Idea for your Halloween Party? 

I am a huge fan of decorating for Halloween.  I am also a huge fan of NOT spending a ton of money.  This idea combines those two goals into one easy and fun DIY project.  Enjoy!

BLOODY TARPS

Someone (Dexter?  Freddy?) committed a horrible bloody murder in your basement, hallway, or garage!!! Basically these are red paint splattered lightweight plastic sheets.  This decorating idea has BIG impact. The tarps can instantly transform your charming country living room into a scary warehouse murder scene. Sweet! The other awesome thing is that you can hang the tarps in front of stuff to hide it.  For example, if you want to keep people out of one side of your basement (maybe so they don’t see all the junk you store down there), a tarp can be hung across the middle of the room, blocking your dirty secrets (and Christmas decorations) from sight.                         

Total cost: about $11.

Materials needed:

1 Quart of Blood Red Paint – go to your local hardware store and have them mix up the bloodiest red you can find.

3 large clear plastic painters’ tarps.  Also available in the paint aisle.  Get the cheapest quality you can find.  You don’t want these things to be heavy, or they will be difficult to hang. 

Paintbrush

A rubber glove – I just used an old one we had under the sink. Bonus!

Duct tape

How To

Hang up one tarp outside, or in your garage, or any appropriate painting area - well-ventilated with a lot of space.  (I held up my plastic tarp by tucking the top edge under heavy stuff on a high shelf, but you could also use duct tape.).  You want the tarp to be hung up while painted, and not flat on the ground, because you really want those awesome bloody drips to form.  Place one of the other tarps flat on the ground underneath the hung tarp.  You don’t want the ground to be covered in paint. 

Dip the paint brush in the red paint and flick red paint onto the hung tarp, creating a blood splatter effect.  Start in the middle of the tarp.  (If you get too close to the edge, the paint might spatter off the sides, getting your yard or garage paint-splattered.)  Randomly spatter paint and brush paint in a slashing motion all over the tarp.  You can also write “Help” or “Beware” or “Die” in messy brushstrokes. 

When it looks sufficiently bloodied, put on the rubber glove and dip your hand into the paint.  Make a few bloody handprints.  I liked the effect of dragging my hand across the tarp.  Like the victim was trying to escape or something.  (I like to think I am theatrical and not a sick, sick person.) 

After the paint drips down the tarp to your liking, lay it flat to dry.  Takes a few hours to dry.

Repeat the process for the other two tarps.  (One tarp could be enough, depending on your party needs, but a quart is enough paint to do three tarps, and since the tarps cost about $0.79 apiece, why not do more?  Go big or go home.)

Now it’s time to decorate your party space!  The plastic tarps I used were so light that I could hang them by duct tape, or in places, by tucking the tarp under something heavy on a high shelf, or by poking a preexisting nail through the plastic. 

When the party is over, fold the tarp gently, paint-side-in.  Note that a bit of the paint may chip off in places, so when you open it next year, maybe open it outside first so you don’t get red paint chips in the house.

Caution - bloody tarps may cause guests to pretend to stab each other.

 Check my post at this link for another cheap Halloween Decorating idea.

Check my post at this link for an invitation to go with the whole "Blood Spatter" theme.

Check my post at this link for a "how-to" on creating Halloween Party Atmosphere.

Wedding Colors - Tips, Trends, and Choices

Picking your wedding colors?  It's kind of a big thing, isn't it?  Color has to be decided for the bridesmaid dresses, the flowers, the napkins, cake, and the invitations, among other things.  Much has changed since your mother made your father wear a powder blue tuxedo to their 1976 wedding.  Read on.

The Basics of Wedding Color

Pick a color scheme and stick with it.  Receptions look amazing when things are coordinated.  (Note, coordinated is not the same as "matchy-matchy."  Don't go totally overboard making things match.)

There are NO rules on how many colors you can have for your wedding.  Go monochromatic, or have the whole rainbow.  It’s entirely up to you.  Also, color can be a focal point, or it can be completely understated.  Either option can be totally beautiful. 

The elusive "Understated Multi-color Look".  So beautiful!

I would advise that you keep some white or ivory or some muted color in the decoration scheme.  Some brides have brightly colored or black tablecloths and it ends up looking like a prom instead of a wedding. (Unless "Enchantment Under the Sea" is the wedding theme you are shooting for.) 

So, how to choose your wedding colors?  

Some brides just KNOW what colors they want, and others have a really difficult time making a decision.  I've come up with several ways to choose wedding colors.  Which one works for you?

1. Consider my post on choosing two wedding words and how your two words can impact your color choice.  Your color can really help the mood you are trying to create for your wedding.

2. Consult your bridesmaids on what color dress they would like, or alternatively, what they would HATE.  Or at least think about their skin tone/hair color when choosing a dress color.  With their preferences in mind, choose a dress.  Then use that dress color as the main color for the wedding, or pick one or more colors that coordinate with that color.  Those colors are your official wedding colors.  Good to Note: all the dresses don't have to be the same color.  I saw a stunning bridal store display with alternating bridesmaid dresses in green and yellow, surrounding a white clad bride.  Talk about a striking combination!  

3. Look at your venue for the ceremony or reception.  If the entire church is salmon colored, don’t pick bright orange for your flowers and bridesmaid dresses.  Talk about clashing!  Gross.  If your reception is at a college, and school colors dominate the room, choose colors that are the same as those, OR that coordinate with those, OR at least don’t clash with those.  The colors of your reception space could really help with the overall design of your reception, IF you work with it and not against it.  For example, if your reception site has navy chairs, go with a color scheme that incorporates navy.  Then there is zero need to buy chair covers and your decorations will really coordinate with the space.  Also, if you are having a destination wedding, such as at the beach, go with “beachy” colors like blue, white, and tan.  Or if your destination is New Orleans, think about the traditional Mardi Gras hues of purple and gold.

4. Consider the season.  Great choices for particular seasons are:

·         Winter 

o       Navy and silver

o       Icy blue and white

o       Crimson and green

o       Green and ivory

o       White and silver and ivory

o       Gold and red

o       Purple

o       Black and white

·         Spring

o       Yellow and green

o       Yellow and red – think tulips, not McDonald's

o       Green – different shades

o       Light blue and green

o       Pastels – think charming English garden bouquet

o       Pink

o       Light blue, yellow, white

·         Summer

o       Bright multi-color – all the brightest summer flowers

o       Red, orange, yellow, green

o       Blue

o       Pink and green

o       Yellow and ivory

o       Grey and any bright accent color

·         Fall

o       Brown and lime green

o       Brown, orange, red/yellow

o       Your football team’s colors

o       Wheat and green/cream/orange/brown

o       Sky blue

o       Purple

o       Red

If you have any more ideas on favorite color combos for a particular season, please leave them in the comments!

Good to Note - the Two-Color-Combo trend is kind of over.  When you want two dominant colors, like say, yellow and blue, don't stick with one bright yellow and one shade of blue for everything from flowers to dresses to bows.  Consider doing a mix of lemon yellow, pale yellow, navy, baby blue, beige, and white.  This really takes your pallette to the next level in terms of sophistication. 

5. Speak with a florist.  Talk to your florist about what kinds of flowers she recommends, especially for the time of year of the wedding.  If she can show you a must-have, fabulous bouquet for your wedding, just go with that color scheme for everything else.  They have bridesmaid dresses in every single color of the rainbow, so I’m sure you’ll be able to coordinate.

6. Is there a color that is meaningful to you and your spouse?  For example, the colors of the school where you met, or maybe your unique engagement rings has emeralds and you want to go with an emerald color scheme.  Which color makes you HAPPY?

7. Head to the paint store with your fiancé and choose a few colors that you both like.  It’s not rocket science!  Maybe you’ll think up some amazing combinations together.  Do you want to go with pale blue, midnight blue, a swampy green, or all three? 

8. Be practical.  Your best friend got married last year and is willing to give you all of her red, black, and white centerpieces, candles, and gorgeous table runners.  The money you will save on decorations might be enough to convince you that red, black, and white are your new favorite colors!

Charming DIY paper and cloth decorations by bride Shannon Reitz Nye gave her late

summer wedding a fun burst of color.  Photo by Eileen Magno Grubb.

Length of Baby and Bridal Showers... A Rant and Some Solutions

The Rant
Baby and Bridal Showers that last longer than 3 hours are unacceptable. Baby and Bridal Showers that last longer than 4 hours are torture. Long showers are tedious and boring. I can’t tell you how many showers I’ve been to where I’m had to force myself to suppress a cry of utter weariness when the hostess announces, “Okay, we have another game to play!”

I want to tell these hostesses, “Showers are not considered “better” than other showers if they last longer.” (They are considered better if the food is fantastic and you serve cocktails.) You don’t win any prizes for hosting the longest shower ever. So please, keep it short and sweet.

If you are planning a baby or bridal shower, please come up with a schedule that allows everything to get done in less than three hours. Actually, two hours seems to be the perfect baby/bridal shower length.

Showers are NOT like other parties. Why? Because there are no men. You can say what you want about the menfolk, but they can make a party more fun. Also, showers are typically held on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, not a “party all night” situation. Women have stuff to do/ errands to run/other parties to go to/kids to watch on their weekends. They don’t have time for a five hour bridal showers. (I attended a bridal shower of this length last weekend, thus igniting my desire to compose this post.) Therefore, shower timelines are not the same as other party timelines. Short is perfectly fine and much appreciated.

How to Shower the Bride in Three Hours or Less

1. Tell guests NOT to wrap presents. Sure people want to see all the gifts that the bride or mommy receives, and they want to see the look of joy when the guest of honor opens the present that was so lovingly selected for them. But, they don’t like to sit through two hours of gift opening! It's as boring as watching CSPAN through the congressional lunch hour. Plus, am I the only one who gets a little guilty watching all that wrapping paper waste go into bags of trash? Trees gave their lives for this cruel end? As a guest at these things, I would rather spend the $6 I spent on that sparkly gift bag and fancy tissue paper on a better gift (or on a mani/pedi for myself.)

So, how to make it clear that guests should NOT wrap? My girlfriends threw me a baby shower and this is poem they wrote on the invitations:

Please don’t wrap your gift,
We’re trying to be “green,”
And leave more time to socialize
With Kate and Poppyseed.

(We called my fetus/inside baby “Poppyseed.” Recognizing that is probably not very universal, you could substitute “With the Mom-to-Be”)

Can I tell you how many guests at the shower LOVED this!?!? One guest either couldn’t read or just loved wrapping paper, so I did receive one wrapped gift at the shower. It was no big deal. As the “showeree” I really enjoyed not unwrapping presents and having all that extra time to sit down and talk to my guests, many of whom traveled pretty far to be there.

So how does a no-wrap shower work, exactly? At my shower, all the guests put their unwrapped gifts on a table. Most had cards attached. Some guests even made cards out of recycled/repurposed items! After all the guests arrived, I went over to the table, picked up a gift, held it up, said whom it was from, said how cute the gift was and thank you, then put the gift back on the table. I went through all the gifts this way and it took ten minutes. TEN MINUTES!! Guests hung out by the gift table before and after to see all the gifts up close.

2. Serve dessert while presents are being opened. If your bride insists on wrapped presents and you want to save some time, serve dessert while she’s in the middle of opening presents. Guests may get pretty bored about halfway through the presents, and some cake and coffee service will give them the sugar and caffeine buzz they need to make it through ‘til the bitter end.

3. LIMIT THE DAMN GAMES. Sometimes it feels like the host is trying to make us play every shower game ever devised. Stop the madness. If you asked a random sample of women what they like least about going to showers, I bet the top two answers would be “watching someone open presents” and “the games.” Hey, I get it, playing games at showers is a tradition. Games can be fun, and they can be good ice-breakers. And let’s face it, people like winning prizes. But as a host, you need to limit the shower to ONE or TWO good games. I can hear you now, “Two games – what will the guests do with themselves?????” Umm, I don’t know, eat, drink, socialize with their friends, look at your charming décor, and enjoy themselves free from the stress of sampling various baby foods or pondering what candy bar is melted in that diaper?

And you thought telling your Mother-in-law that her son impregnanted you would be the most awkward moment of this pregnancy.

PS – DO NOT make guests play that baby shower game where guests have to cut a piece of ribbon to as long as they think the circumference of mom’s belly might be. I know lots of mommies-to-be who are sensitive about their weight while pregnant and just dread that game. And it’s the most awkward feeling in the universe when the guests have to try to wrap their arms around your baby bump to check if their guess was correct.

Advertising Slogans Game

My grandmother is turning 90 years old and we are celebrating this milestone with a big birthday bash. It's pretty amazing that a 90 year-old has presented us with a 70 person guest list! I hope I have that many friends when I'm 90. But my grandma is a very friendly, loving person and I'm not surprised so many people care about her.

My mom was worrying that there wouldn't be enough entertainment available. I mean, it's not like a water balloon toss or limbo contest are going to fly with the octogenarians and nonagenarians in attendance. This party will also be an open house format, so people will be coming and going all day - not really conducive to a structured game-time.

Of course we'll have the usual birthday party events like cutting the cake, singing "Happy Birthday," and opening presents - AND great food - which in my opinion is really entertainment enough. But, to engage people and spark conversation, I came up with the game below - "Match the Slogan with the Product". I will just have a stacks of the Matching Game on the various tables, and if people want to look at it, they can. No pressure, no organization. Just something to do and discuss while guests are chatting.

The good thing about a game like this is that it's multi-generational - older people will know answers that the younger crowd won't, and vice versa. Companies have done such a good job infiltrating our lives with these slogans, that most people will be able to do this game. I think this would be a fun activity or icebreaker for a 70th, 80th, 90th, or 100th birthday party.  Or even for a Mad Men theme cocktail party??

So, without further ado, here is the game I came up with. You should be able to click on the photos and get a google documents that you can print. The first photo is the front of the game and the answer key is the second photo below. (You should print the answer key on the back of the game.)

How to Set the Table - Memory Trick

I've set more tables than the average person. Working in the banquet service industry, it's typical to set 500 place settings in one weekend. Even with all those tables though, I still have to think hard to remember where all the glassware and silverware goes at a formal, proper party. So, here's a nursery rhyme I made up as a memory trick! (Yes, sometimes I do reflect on what a dork I can be.)

Shorty and Tall Fork were running late.
They were slowed down by a big china Plate.
Dinner Knife threatened the Plate with a blade.
But he was distracted by a Spoony maid.
Water glass cornered the Knife from above,
While Wino looked over sweet Spoony with love.
Dessert Spoon and Fork hovered over it all,
While five o'clock Coffee kept right of the brawl.

You set the table just as you read the lines of the poem, from left to right. There's some variation to place settings, but this is pretty standard from what I've seen. Notice that knife threatens plate with the blade, so the sharp side of the knife should be closest to the plate. It's "five o'clock coffee" because the handle of the coffee cup should point to the direction of five o'clock - that's the most convenient direction for a person to pick it up (sorry left-handed people!)

Also, it is optional to wait until dessert is served to bring out the dessert silverware and coffee cups.

TIP- silverware should be placed one inch from the edge of the table.

Okay, so cocktail fork, bread plate, and champagne glass are not in the poem. I didn't want the nursery rhyme to be too long or it would be impossible to remember. The poem gets you through the basics. Maybe I will make a second verse in the future. :)

What do you think? Will this help you set the table?

Please just pretend that I was able to work bread plate into the poem.

Recipe Link

One of my favorite blogs to follow, Cookies and Cups, posted a recipe for

Pretzel Crusted Key Lime Squares

O.M.G. I just had to share the link! They look ah-mazing.

Co-Host Post

Not all Co-Hosts are created equal. Just ask Seacrest
and Dunkleman from FOX's American Idol Season One

Reality check, my dear Hostess: you only have two arms, you only get 24 hours in a day, and you can’t be everywhere at once. Therefore, your party, and your sanity, might benefit from a co-host. This post was created to tell you everything you need to know about selecting a co-host and delegating tasks to them.

Should I have a co-host?
Co-hosts are generally wonderful sources of ideas and help. Many of the ways they can be helpful are detailed below. However, not every hostess has the temperament to deal with a co-host. I can admit that there are some parties where I get very “control-freak” and just can’t stand to let anyone else lift a finger! If you know you are the type of person who feels like life is easier when you just do everything yourself, rather than explain what you want to someone, then maybe you are better off hosting all by yourself. Or if you have a vision for an event, and you really don’t care to have anyone else’s input, by all means, go it alone. You might lose friends if you enlist co-hosts just to boss them around. However, if you are willing to give up a little control, a co-host can be a wonderful addition to your party strategy.

Additionally, you may not even need a co-host for some types of parties. If you are throwing a small birthday party for a child at an off-site location such as a Chuck E. Cheese, you can probably handle it by yourself. Additionally, if you have already hired help for the party, such as a caterer or party planner, a co-host might be superfluous.

Who to choose?
There is a certain etiquette to choosing the right co-host. Picture a bridal shower you are hosting for your sister. You may want to ask the bride’s best friend or future sister-in-law, or both to co-host. As to the best friend, well, her feelings might get hurt if you don’t want her help. As to the sister-in-law, it would be a nice sign that you consider her part of your family and that you are making an effort to get to know her before the wedding day. Just consider who you "should" invite to co-host.

Practically, you want someone who will work well with you and has some skills to contribute. Do you have a particular friend who always calms you down when you get stressed out? A friend who has hosted a ton of parties and will have great ideas? A friend that has a knack for just pitching in without complaint?

Finally, and very practically, you may choose a co-host because his or her name on the invitation will be enough to get more people to show up. Let’s face it – some people are more popular than others. We get all excited when one of these “cool” people invites us to their party and wouldn’t miss it for the world. This may be important for a fundraiser, a direct sales party, or a work party. If your feeling is “the more the merrier” you may want to choose a co-host who comes with their own extensive guest list.

The Benefits of a Co-Host
1. They can bring food. Work out the menu together and divide cooking responsibilities according to skill, kitchen space, and personal preference.


2. They arrive early. Do you hate that feeling of being at your house, waiting for guests to show up, and that awkward five minutes when only ONE guest is there for you to entertain? Having a co-host means never having to wait alone.


3. Help you set up and clean up. There are always a million last minute things to do from applying lipstick, to lighting candles, to opening wine, to making sure there is a spoon in the dip. Having a co-host means being able to pawn off some jobs on someone else!


4. Last minute errands. From picking up a stranded guest to running to the store for more dry ice, your co-host can leave the house while you have to stay and wait for people to arrive. Any little last-minute emergency becomes less frantic when you have someone to pitch in.


5. Take on real responsibility. Maybe all the guests call this person to RSVP. Maybe they are in charge of the drink menu. Maybe they will plan the play list. If they've agreed to be a co-host, they are willing to accept important tasks that will make the party great. So delegate already!


5. Brainstorming. Sometimes we party hostesses get a little carried away and our “vision” for the party is actually ridiculous. It’s nice to share ideas with someone. They may have a suggestion you didn’t think about. Consider the following scenario. (Use whatever voices you want for the characters.)

You: “Don’t you think a rental bounce house would be the perfect touch to the Easter party?”
Co-host: “Well, those power lines in your back yard are going to be a problem when some four-year-old bounces into one and gets electrocuted.”
You: “Oh yeah. Let’s do an Easter egg hunt instead!”

See how disaster has been averted by a co-host?

Alternatives to Co-Hosts
If you don't care to give up control of the party and don't feel like you need any suggestions about how things are done, just ask a friend for the little help you do need without labeling them a "co-host". A friend you enlist to bring a dessert to your party is not a co-host, but they are still providing valuable help. You may also consider hiring a caterer, wait staff, a bartender, or a maid to help with pre- or post-party clean up. What you should NOT do is is ask someone to be a co-host and then USE them like hired help. A person who agrees to be a co-host agrees to a partnership. That means that their name goes on the invitations, their ideas are respected, and they don't have to do all the crappy jobs!

And some Co-Host pairings make party history.

Hopefully this post has cleared up some of the murky waters of co-hosting! What do you think? Do you like having a co-host?

Party on,
Kate

The Tasteful Art of Fruit Carving

I was banquet serving as a temp for a wedding this weekend. It was a charming afternoon wedding at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio. Since the wedding started at noon, the bride chose to have a brunch with omlette and waffle stations, as well as many pastries and other delicious foods. (And plenty of mimosas!)

Placed on the fruit buffet table was this creation:

I was enchanted as were many guests. I was compelled to ask the chef about it. The chef informed me that he commissioned culinary students at the Bradford Culinary School to create the fruit scupture for the event, catered by "A Catered Event". (Clever name.) What a perfect centerpiece for an event at a botanical garden! I know I'm a nerd about all things "party," but I really could not stop looking at this intricate design. It's amazing what you can do with a couple melons and radishes. Sad that it will only last a couple days!

There's really no reason someone couldn't create this for a party at their own home. (I mean, you just need a boatload of free time and a willingness to waste fruit.) I looked into the art of fruit carving when I got home and found out that it is pretty popular around the world, especially in Thailand where it is a national art form. There, the fruit carving tradition dates back 700 years. I looked at a bunch of videos on youtube and this one CLICK THIS LINK (from some guy from Italy named Anthony) shows a watermelon being carved into a flower.

I have not attempted it yet, but it doesn't look too impossible to do. Anthony's design is less complicated than many others and might be a good start for a beginner. Grazie mille, Anthony! If anyone tries this, let me know.

DIY Flower Arrangements

Lilac, Dahlia, Violet, Aster, Tea Rose, Iris... All would look (and smell) GORGEOUS displayed on my dining room table!

Sure, you can buy a centerpiece display of flowers already perfectly arranged in a vase, but it's really not difficult to arrange your own floral centerpiece if you want to save a bit of money and give the bouquet your own personal touch.

I think it's really fun to pick out different stems of flowers from the local farmers' market in colors that match my tablecloth. (I am easily thrilled.) With spring coming, maybe you will have some daffodils and tulips to cut from your own garden very soon. Or, sometimes, a nice guest will bring a wrapped bouquet of flowers as a hostess gift. (We love those guests, don't we?) So, rather than just jam the flowers in a vase willy-nilly, here's a video tutorial on flower arranging that I found helpful. The lady in the video (Alexandra Lyons) explains everything pretty clearly. (Sorry they make you watch an ad before the video. I guess some people want to get paid.)

Click here for the video on flower arranging from videojug.com

She has some tips I found helpful:
1) Cut the stem of every flower at least an inch to make the flowers last longer.
2) Cut off all the leaves that would be underwater to prevent bacteria from growing.
3) Don't put all of one kind of flower together.

Here are some tips I've gleaned over the years that she didn't mention, but I've found helpful to make a beautiful bouquet. It makes it seem like you really know what you are doing!

1) It you don't have quite enough flower stems to fill your vase, use scotch tape to create a grid across the top of your vase. (Put some pieces of tape vertically across the top of the vase, and cross them horizontally with more pieces of tape.) It will keep the stems separated and make the bouquet look fuller and more orderly. The stems will stand upright instead of drooping over.

2) Cut some stems an inch or so shorter than other stems. Put the tallest flowers in the middle of the vase, and the shorter stems as a circle around the tallest flowers. It shouldn't look like a couple tall flowers poking out above a circle a short flowers - you need to cut them so the size difference is gradual. This creates a nice rounded shape for the centerpiece. This type of arrangement works in almost any type of vase.




Here is a bouquet from ftd.com that illustrates what I mean by cutting the flowers around the sides shorter than the stems in the middle.

Progressive Party - House Pub Crawl

You may have heard of Progressive Dinner Parties – this is a variation on that. A Progressive Dinner Party is when each course of a meal is served at a different home. Kind of like a traveling potluck dinner. On Wikipedia, I read about a more complicated Progressive Party where the guests also change from house to house, so you get to party with a whole new crowd at each stop. The overly complicated directions (and pretty diagrams!) for that are at this link. Good luck explaining that one in an invitation!

My friends threw a Progressive Party/House Pub Crawl that the group still talks about today. I wanted to impart this idea to you in hopes that you will have an equally epic night.

Once upon a time, in a college town not far away, there were four friends who lived within a two block radius of each other. Each friend was given the responsibility to come up with a Drink and a Food for the progressive party that represented the country/place of his/her choice. Hosts and guests would then go from house to house together to sample the food and drink.

About twenty guests converged on the first house. There, the host provided Bailey’s shots and green jello. This was supposed to be representative of Ireland. The guests appreciated that instead of going with the obvious food choices of corned beef or potatoes, the host chose to go with green jello, the national dish of the Emerald Isle.

After eating their fill of gelatin, the mob of guests walked to the second house. The host at the location provided Sangria and Tortilla Español so the guests could explore the tastes of Spain. She also “entertained” the guests with an album of photos taken during her recent Study Abroad experience in Toledo, Spain and played some Spanish pop music.

The third host home provided some much appreciated food from the tropics. Teriyaki chicken and pineapple skewers and piña coladas were served - and by this time the tipsy guests were willing to laugh at jokes about getting lai’ed. (Drunken guests may or may not have also devoured an entire box of Samoa Girl Scout cookies that was inadvertently placed in plain sight on top of the refrigerator.)

No one needed to drink or eat any more at this point, but motivated guests gamely traipsed to the fourth and final party house. There they courageously imbibed Hurricanes and Jambalaya made by the host, a native of New Orleans. After the Hurricanes, no one can actually recall what else happened that night. Legend has it that the guests walked to a local bar to sober up and tried to remember all the places they had been to that evening.

Green jello - synonymous with Irish Pride

If you are over the age of 24, you may want to tweak this party idea so your guests don’t die of alcohol poisoning. (Our livers seemed stronger back then, didn’t they?) But I think the basic concept still works.

1. Have a theme for the party to keep it cohesive. Each host provides food from their home state or ancestral home. Each host has to serve a vegetable that they’ve grown in the garden. Each host has to pair their favorite wine with an appetizer. Each host picks an awesome scene from a movie to watch, then serves a coordinating beverage and food. (“Mystic Pizza”, anyone? Anyone?)

2. The hosts must live near to each other. Either walking distance or short driving distance. (Designated drivers!)

3. Limit the number of host houses to three or four. Three is probably better. (See above cautionary tale.)

4. Each host can invite a few guests. Decide ahead of time how many guests that will be so each host knows how much food and drink to prepare. It’s a great way for guests and hosts to meet new people!

5. Since guests are only going to be at each house for less than an hour, you don’t need to plan on table seating for every guest. Thus, appetizer type foods work better than foods that you need to sit down to eat with a knife and fork.

6. As a host, choose food that can be prepared ahead of time to reduce the wait time when everyone shows up at your house. The idea is that each party stop flows into the next. Plus, you will be at the previous homes, enjoying yourself, and won’t be at home to do the last minute things you normally would before a party. Have all the plates and cups arranged and ready on the table. Something in a crock pot or that can be served cold are great choices.

Donate a Prom Dress

Kick off your Sunday shoes! And then donate them!

Ever skipped an event because you didn't have anything to wear? Can you imagine wanting to attend prom, but feeling like you had to miss out because you couldn't afford a dress to wear? Prom is the ultimate event for teenagers. So much more than a party, it's a rite of passage, an evening to remember forever. Some people feel like their prom was the highlight of their whole high school experience! It's a night to be with your friends, get your groove on, and feel like a princess. Unfortunately, prom also costs an exorbitant amount of money. And any woman who has ever been age seventeen knows the pressure to dress in style.

Disclaimer: I actually never attended prom, having been involved in a musical production the same night, but I've watched "Pretty in Pink" seven times, so I feel like I get it.

This is a really volcanic ensemble you're wearing, it's really marvelous!

There are alot of "Andie Walsh's" out there who want to experience prom, but don't have the financial means to purchase a beautiful dress. Here's where you can help!

Yes, YOU!

Donate My Dress is an organization that connects people who have dresses, with teenage girls who need dresses for prom. If you read some of the stories on their site, you will hear about girls who were homeless during high school but still attended their prom thanks to this organization.

DonateMyDress.org has links to local organizations in your state to find out where you can donate gently worn or new current style gowns (they don't want your 1982 taffeta monstrosity - sorry!), strappy evening shoes, purses, and jewelry. They want all sizes! I checked my local organization (Fairy Goodmothers of Central Ohio) and it looks like they are collecting these items at various Talbots stores and other locations from January 1 through March 30.

Help create magical and awkward moments like this.

So, check the back of your closet and see if you have a fancy dress you don't need. You could donate the dress and give a deserving girl the night of her life!!

Hosting a Direct Sales Party

The burp means it's fresh!

Lia Sophia, Thirty-One, Party-Lite, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay…. All are home sales companies and you probably know one or more people who sell their products. Every so often you will get the (slightly dreaded) request... "Will you host a party for me?"

As I’m sure your entrepreneurial friend has told you, there are benefits to hosting a direct sales party at your home. The free merchandise you can earn by being a host is the publicized draw, but if you are like me, the main reason you agree to host is to support your friend.

So, you want your friend to have a successful party and you want your guests to have a good time. How do you meet both of these goals?

Helping your friend have a successful party
1. The invitations. You need people to show up or this party will be a flop! Work with the seller to find out what kids of promises you can make to guests. For example, can the invitees get a bonus raffle ticket or free merchandise for every friend they bring to the event? Will they get to sample fantastic recipes featuring Pampered Chef dishware? If you are sending an email invitation, provide a link to the current catalog, so people can start getting excited about the products.

2. Have a table cleared off or some other space for the seller to display her wares. Find out how much room she needs. If you do not have appropriate space, ask the seller to bring her own table.

3. Lighting. If this is a jewelry, make-up, or bag party, it’s nice if there is bright lighting on the products. Mood lighting is great to create atmosphere, but this is a situation where people need to see stuff! (Unless it’s a candle party, then maybe low lights would be better!)

4. Offer to wear or display the products. The guests trust you because you are their friend. If you are wearing the Lia Sophia jewelry or using a Longaberger basket, they will probably comment on the item and then you can explain how much you like it. Even if it is a piece you haven’t bought yet, your seller friend would probably like you to model the merchandise.

5. CALL the invitees the day before the party. This is a good reminder and will force the non-committed to make a decision to come or not. Calls are more convincing than email; it’s really easy to ignore an email. If you feel a little uncomfortable making the call, come up with some pretext. “I am going to the store and was wondering if people would like to have ice tea or soda at the Tupperware party tomorrow. What do you think I should get?”

6. Don’t serve greasy finger foods. People will get grease and fingerprints all over the merchandise! Ew.

Making sure your guests have a good time
1. Serve food and beverages. No, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but you should have something to eat – it’s a party! Use this opportunity to try out a new dessert. Although you are not the star attraction of the party, you should still aim to impress as a hostess! I like having a simple, healthy appetizer (like fresh cut veggies and hummus), a yummy, impressive appetizer (like chicken salad in phyllo cups or meatballs), a dessert (cheesecake is always a winner), and a signature cocktail (you don’t have to serve alcohol, unless you have my friends over, then you do.)

2. Clean up the party room and the bathroom. Everyone feels more comfortable in a clean, uncluttered space.

3. Provide enough seating and places to write. Most of these parties involve catalogs and writing down orders and it’s always a pain in the butt when the only place you have to balance your beverage and your catalog is your lap.

4. Think about asking the host to donate a percent of the profits to the charity of your choice, instead of taking a hostess gift. I know that as a guest, I feel more ready to buy and just generally happier with the whole event when I know the host is doing this for a charity. My friend hosted a Pampered Chef party and made the seller give a percent of the day’s profits to cancer research, instead of taking a hostess gift/discount. Since her dad had just survived some cancer treatments, I thought it was a touching gesture. How do you say no to a party invitation like that!?! And I will admit that I bought more products knowing the proceeds were for a good cause (at least that’s what I told my husband when I came home with $100 worth of Pampered Chef gadgets.)

5. Alternatively, if you are really doing this to support your selling friend and could care less about getting free products (seriously, I’m just not a “basket” kind of person!!), ask your friend if she will waive all the shipping fees for your guests instead of giving you a gift/discount. As a guest, I HATE paying shipping charges on these products!!! It just seems unfair.

6. Prompt distribution. Once all the purchased products are delivered to your house, do your best to distribute the products to your friends quickly.

7. Don’t worry about entertainment. The seller should take care of the entire presentation.

And your obligation is complete!! That wasn’t so bad. (Hope your friend knows that she is getting the first call when you need someone to help you move… or your kid is selling Girl Scout Cookies…or you need to bring a guest to some other direct sales party…)

For the Love of China

When do you use your fine china? 1) Daily, 2) Often, 3) Special holidays only, 4) Never, 5) I don’t have china. 6) All of my daily nutrition comes in pill form. If you answered 3) or 4), this post is for you!

You can make a casual dinner a lot more fabulous just by setting the table with your nice dishes. Many of us received fine dinnerware wedding gifts, and the pieces sit in the china cabinet (or worse, in boxes in the basement) day after day.

China place settings look so beautiful and make your meal presentation instantly more glamorous. Why wait until Christmas to show it off?

The Arguments (and my scathing rebuttal!) –

China is a pain to clean. Umm, okay Monsignor McLazy. You are already going through the trouble of making a nice dinner, what are a few more minutes of washing dishes? You might even have a couple guests offer to help wash the dishes. (Those friends are definitely getting invited back!) Check your china – some brands are even dishwasher safe. (But use the “china” setting on your dishwasher if there is one.)

Everyone is going to be wearing jeans. China is too formal. Myth! You are totally allowed to use nice dishes even if your guests are not wearing ball gowns and tuxedos. (But be realistic. If you are hosting a pool party where everyone is wearing a bathing suit and eating burgers, china is going to be ridiculous.)

It will just be my family at the table. So are they chopped liver? If you make a nice Sunday dinner for your brood, serve it up on china to make the whole scene feel more special. Bringing out the nice dishes could lend a celebratory tone for such family events as good grade cards, promotions, reading ten books, snow days, or half-birthdays.

But my dishes look so nice displayed in the china cabinet. Seriously? They are dishes. Meant for eating. Give them the true place of honor for the evening – your dining room table.

My mom only used her china on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some traditions were meant to be trampled. And you can still use your china on the special holidays; using it more often will just make more days feel like holidays.

I only have four place settings. Even if you only received four place settings of china for your wedding, that’s not a problem if you are only having dinner for four people! There is no need to wait until you have a set of twelve to start hosting parties using your china.

TIP –
China dishware can scratch itself! Store your dishes with a cloth or paper napkin between each plate.

Will you be my Valentine, Kate Spade Gardner Street Platinum dinnerware?