Baby Shower Must-Take Photos

When you host a baby shower for a friend, make sure you enlist someone to document the big day through photography.  The mom-to-be is going to be too busy socializing to take her own photos, but you know she will want to remember this party! You don't need professional photography, but get a guest with a reliable camera who isn't shy about asking people to pose and smile.  Of course, you can do it yourself if you have time between all your hosting duties!

Food Photos

Pretend there is a comma between "Welcome" and "Simon".
Unless this cake is actually issuing a command for us to welcome Simon. Hmm...  

I'm not saying that Oreos covered with chocolate stamped with little ducks are
the cutest baby shower favor you will ever see in your life, but seriously, they've gotta be in the top 5.  

Yogurt bars are THE BEST for brunch time showers. And check out that low-cost and adorable flag banner!

 Special Gifts

This thoughtful guest made a banner for the new baby's room.  It's sweet to get a photo of the gift and the giver. 

Fun Group Shots

It's likely that the gang doesn't get together very often.  A group photo like this will be treasured by the new mom!  Try to think of a cute place to take the photo.  And take a few to make sure everyone has their eyes open. 

Guests Having Fun

Mix it up with candid and posed shots. 

 

Guests decorate wooden blocks with paint markers for the baby.
Hey, a shower activity that doesn't embarrass anyone! Awesome!

 With the Host

You hosted this amazing party!  Make sure you get a nice photo with the guest of honor. #friendsforever

 Next Step - Don't forget to give the mom-to-be copies of your photos!!

Prisoners of Love Bridal Shower

I recently had the honor of hosting a bridal shower for my friend.  She works as a Victim Advocate and is marrying an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.  So, these are two people who have dedicated their careers to catching criminals and getting justice for victims of crime.  I thought a law enforcement themed bridal shower would be pretty fun, especially since almost everyone attending the shower would be their co-workers.  The official theme of the shower was "Prisoners of Love".  We had a blast!

The Invitation-  As the followers of this blog know, I am a big fan of creating a PDF or image file and emailing the invitation to guests.  This saves paper and maintains the integrity of your design.  If this had been a more formal shower, I would have printed out the invitations and mailed them, but as we all work in the same office, email was the perfect way to get the word out.  The benefit of the image file was that I could also print a couple color copies to hang in the office as a reminder.

 

The Decor - To go along with the theme - basically a mix of love and crime - I incorporated the colors from the invite, turquoise and red, to come up with a centerpiece.  All the tables had red roses in a turquoise vase surrounded by handcuffs or shackles (that the probation department kindly let me borrow for the afternoon!) 

 

The Activity - The guest of honor wanted NO GAMES.  And, of course, I listened to the bride-to-be!  But we had to have something fun to pass the time and make this more than just a luncheon with presents.   It was decided to have a photo booth.  I'd seen photo booths at weddings, run by professionals, but as this was a lower-budget affair, the co-host and I created our own photo booth with a twist.  We made a WANTED poster out of a cardboard display board.  I found a bunch of crimes - some from the Ohio Revised Code that were actual crimes, and some that we just made up for fun.  The "crimes" people could choose from were: Assaulting a Police Horse, Running an Illegal Gambling Ring, Hoarding Fabulous Shoes, Doing the "Footloose" Dance in a Public Place, Swearing in Front of Women and Children, Public Intoxication, Misuse of a Public Transportation System, Driving Too Slowly, Stealing Doug's (the groom's) Heart, etc.  Actually, at the shower, the bride-to-be started looking through the crimes and assigned them to different people, which in itself was pretty funny.  Plenty of props were around so people could be as silly as they wanted to be.

 

The Bonus - I edited all the photos from the shower and put them in an album for the bride as a keepsake of the day.  I also posted all the photos on an online site so that all the guests could laugh at the photos.  I filtered some photos in sepia tone or black and white so they would look more old-timey. 

A Party at the End of the World

There has been a lot of speculation that the world will end on December 21, 2012.  This belief is based on the calculation that a calendar made by the Mayans literally ENDS on that date. 

So, what better way to spend the last day of our existence than to have a rocking party, surrounded by our friends?  It's the last day to confess our transgressions, tell our friends how much we love them, and drink one last glass of scotch before God knows what disaster will happen on the morrow.  

Note that December 21, 2012 is a Thursday, but most people probably won't mind attending a mid-week party.  Just start a little earlier than usual.  I mean, it's the LAST DAY OF THE WORLD, so it's not like anyone will have to go to work in the morning anyways. 

HOSTESS IDEAS

ATTIRE - If this really is the last day of your life, what do you want to wear?  I say, tell the guests to wear whatever clothes they want to wear once more before the END OF TIME.  For me, this is going to be a fabulous floor-length gown, probably a boa, and definitely my wedding tiara.  For my husband, it is going to be his jammies. 

FOOD - Well, for once in our lives, calories REALLY don't count.  So you might as well indulge.  I'm thinking cheesecake, and sausages wrapped in bacon, and caviar.  NO veggie trays in sight.  Is there a food you always thought you should try before you die?  Order some of that for the party.

BEVERAGES - You might as well drink whatever you want because the best thing about the world ending is that you don't have to worry about a hangover.  Yay!

ACTIVITIES - Maybe you could play the old party game "I Never".  It seems really poignant now doesn't it?  Thinking that if you have to drink because you "never" did something, you really will never get a chance to do it now?   (To think my life is over and I never got a tattoo in a naughty place.  Sigh.)  Or maybe everyone has to make an end of the world confession.  They can have the chance to get some secret off their chest before the earthquakes, meteor, floods, and/or lava destroy the earth tomorrow. 

PLAY LIST - Okay.   I worked a long time on this.  I think I have most of the Apocolypse-related music here.  Let me know if I missed any songs we should play before the world ends.

"Until the End of the World"- U2

"It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"- REM

"1999"- Prince

“Learn to Fly” - Foo Fighters

"Until the World Ends"- Britney Spears

"The End" - The Doors

"Five Feet High and Risin'” - Johnny Cash

"When the Levee Breaks" - Memphis Minnie/Led Zeppelin

"So Long It's Been Good to Know You" - Woody Guthrie

"Black Diamond Bay" - Bob Dylan

“Flirtin’ with Disaster” - Molly Hatchet

“Apocalypse Please” – Muse

“The Day the Whole World Went Away” – Nine Inch Nails

“London Calling” - The Clash

“99 Red Balloons” – Nena

“Bad Moon Rising” - Credence Clearwater Revival

“King of the World” - Steely Dan

“1812 Overture (Finale)” - Tchaikovsky

 “I Don’t Want to Wait (For our lives to be over)” - Paula Cole

“The Final Countdown” - Europe

“Death is Not the End” - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (by Bob Dylan)

“I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” – Aerosmith

“Highway to Hell” - AC/DC

“End of the Road” - Boyz 2 Men

“The End of the World” – Skeeter Davis

“Nothin’ But Flowers” – Talking Heads

“When the World Ends” - Dave Matthews Band

“Rapture” – Blondie

“Black Hole Sun” - Soundgarden

“Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” – Bob Dylan (but love the Edie Brickell version)

“Gimme Shelter” - Rolling Stones

“O Fortuna” – from Carmina Burana (Carl Orff)

 

These songs are more on the funny/ironic side -

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” – Eric Idle

“Get Happy” – Judy Garland

“Come Sail Away” – Styx

“Apocolypso” – Jimmy Buffett

“Tomorrow” – from Annie

“Let it Be” – the Beatles

“Adios and Vaya Con Dios” – Zac Brown Band

“I’ll Fly Away” – O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack

“Last Dance” - Donna Summer

“People Get Ready” – I love the Ziggy Marley version

“Wastin’ Time” – Kid Rock

“The End” – The Beatles

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.

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

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?

The Two Words You Need to Plan Your Wedding

Planning a wedding is a big responsibility. It’s arguably the most important day of your life, everyone you know will be there (watching, judging you – at least it might seem that way!), there is a lot of money being spent (possibly even your own money!), and you have to find a way to combine the tastes of both the bride and the groom (unless the groom is a big pushover).

Where to begin??

There are so many “major” decisions that go into a wedding – dress, location, food, entertainment, guest list, and ceremony, to name a few. And you are faced with dozens, maybe hundreds of options to consider for each decision! Wouldn't it be nice to be able to narrow down those options immediately, and consistently be on the same page as your betrothed throughout the wedding planning process?

Here is my tried and true tip - BEFORE making those decisions, I suggest that you and your sweetheart come up with two words that set the tone for every later decision you need to make. It’s incredibly helpful. Let me explain.

Every wedding has a different vibe. Choosing two words – at the outset of planning - to reflect what you want the day to be, advises every detail of the planning. After it’s all over, you will be left thinking, “This is exactly how we hoped our wedding day would feel!”

Here are some two word combination examples: “Classy and Fun,” “Luxurious and Elegant,” “Passionate and Wild,” “Cozy and Intimate,” “Charming and Homey,” “Magical and Traditional,” and “Retro Chic.” Picture each of those weddings in your mind – do you see how each wedding looks different, feels different than the others?

Your two words will help you in every step of the wedding planning process. Using the examples above, let’s consider some wedding choices. You will see that the tone you wish to set for your wedding can be clearly conveyed to the guests.

Stationery:


Is the above invitation from Jessica Meredith Designs an example of “Luxurious and Elegant” or “Cozy and Intimate”?


Is the above invitation from Wedding Paper Divas an example of “Luxurious and Elegant” or “Cozy and Intimate”?


Bands: (these are just to give you an idea – a harpist can be “Fun,” too!! It’s all about your interpretation of your two words.)
Passionate and Wild - A Latin Music group, complete with salsa lessons for the guests.
Classy and Fun – A live band that plays great swing music or rock and roll favorites.
Cozy and Intimate – A jazz quartet
Luxurious and Refined – A harpist
Magical and Traditional – A DJ to play all your family favorites and the best (Disney?) slow dance songs

The problem if you don’t settle on two words is that your overall wedding vibe could end up being “Confusing and Odd” or “Messy and Unplanned.” Such as having a black tie afternoon ceremony on the beach. To me, that scenario indicates a couple who couldn’t decide if they wanted “Carefree and Romantic” or “Formal and Traditional.” And who suffered? The guests who had to wear flip flops with their rental tux in the midday heat.

Alright, so how on earth do we choose our two words?

First, I would recommend that you sit down with a few bridal magazines and bridal idea books from the library. I know that many of you are thinking, “Duh, I have been doing that since our third date.” But this time, mark a few things you like and then…. SHOW THE IDEAS TO YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE. Yikes! Your fiancé might have very divergent ideas from yours and you need to know that going in. Believe it or not, this day is for both of you. Wouldn’t you hate to get your heart set on “Grand and Frilly” only to find out that he would rather have a really small wedding and can only think about the time he overdosed on Pepto-bismol every time he sees pink? So, get an idea of both your tastes before committing to your two words.

Second, I would say if there is a wedding detail you both know you have to have, that one detail might dictate your two words. For example, if you know of an amazing converted airplane hangar that you both desperately want for your reception venue, you might start thinking of words like Vintage, Unique, or Uplifting. It’s pretty obvious already that words such as Intimate and Traditional won’t fit your wedding.

Going with the airplane hangar idea, let’s say you decided to go with “Unique and Uplifting.” So, what kinds of wedding details would fit those two words? Maybe non-traditional invitations, such as making the invites look like boarding passes. Instead of traditional rice being thrown at the couple, have people throw paper airplanes. What’s more Uplifting and Unique than having a gospel choir sing at the church ceremony? Maybe the bride and groom could toast each other and the bridal party, instead of receiving toasts. Think of some Uplifting and Unique theme colors – maybe light blue, yellow, or gold. (Certainly not black.) Do you see how the two words help you make decisions and bring a focus to your planning?

http://www.magnetstreet.com/browse/market/517/categoryList/5139,5050,5361

Whether you are a “Sweet and Whimsical” or “Romantic and Sophisticated” couple, I hope your wedding day will be a shining memory throughout your lives.

Tropical Dinner Party

I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but we have gotten tons of snow and cold weather this winter – much worse than usual, it seems – and I am ready for some sunshine!
A cure for the winter blahs? Why not host a dinner party that evokes the tropics!? Warmth, beaches, rum.... Yes, please!

Here are a suggested menu and other party touches to add the right "island oasis" atmosphere.

Start with a Bob Marley, steel drum band, or Hawaiian music CD playing over the stereo system. Spread out your most cheerful tablecloth. Buy some fresh flowers or tropical fruit for a centerpiece. Get real crazy and turn up the thermostat an extra degree! Whoohoo!!

My mom made the Coconut Cheesecake (recipe below) - how cool is the star fruit on top? (Photo by Pat Hamilton.)

Menu: (click the links for recipes)
Appetizers – Sweet and sour meatballs or Coconut shrimp. You can totally get either one of these all prepared in a bag in your grocery store's frozen food aisle. I won’t tell! (Hey, this site is for PRACTICAL party tips. It's not Martha Stewart!)

Salad - Spinach and strawberry salad with poppyseed dressing

Main Course - Teriyaki chicken skewers on the grill. The grill still works when it’s below freezing outside, did you know? It will only take two minutes of actually standing outside to cook this food, and your guests will really appreciate the luxury of grilled food in the middle of winter. So, suck it up and turn on the grill! Toss a couple red peppers on the grill for extra color.

Side – Tropical Rice

Dessert – Coconut Cheesecake with Passion Fruit Glaze from Bon Appetit. This was a fabulous cheesecake. The best part was it didn’t crack due to the innovative cool down method in the recipe. NOTE: passion fruit was not available in my city – not fresh, not frozen, not canned, and not juiced. I substituted a can of Dole Tropical Fruit (it's pineapple and papaya in passion fruit juice) for the glaze. I also found a can of Goya Guava Nectar and added a little bit to the glaze. It worked great and tasted divine. TIP – I doubled the recipe for the glaze and it was a wise choice. You may want to add additional gelatin because the glaze was more of a syrup and didn’t quite gel for me. We did find fresh star fruit, mangos, and pineapple and they were all wonderful in the compote.

Drink ideas:
Mai Tai1 (1.5 ounce) jigger spiced rum
1 (1.5 ounce) jigger coconut-flavored rum
1 tsp grenadine syrup
5 ounces orange-pineapple juice (or you can buy the two juices separately, but who wants to
end up with extra pineapple juice?)
ice cubes
Shake and Strain into a glass of ice.
Piña ColadasStrawberry Daiquiris

Kids and Your Grown-up Party

If I were writing this post three years ago, it would be a different post. But I had a child two and a half years ago, and since then my views on this topic (and pretty much everything in my life) have changed.

Should you invite kids to your grown up party? It’s kind of a loaded question, isn’t it? So many feelings to consider. Will I offend childless people if there are kids running around the party? Will my friends with children skip the party entirely if they can’t bring their children? Do I really want a bunch of little hellions jumping on my sofa? Is it appropriate to have children around where the adults are consuming alcohol?

THE OPTIONS
1. Invite children. If your friends have little ones, the kids are a big part of their lives! Embrace it and make your party a family-friendly event.

2. Invite children, but segregate them from the rest of the guests. For example, have pizza and video games in the basement while the parents nosh fancy apps upstairs. Can’t completely prevent the little ones from trying to be right where there parents are, but an attractive enough distraction might help. Especially if a couple older kids are enlisted to watch the little ones. Or better yet, hire a couple teenage babysitters.
3. Don’t invite children and ensure that all your guests have a leisurely, grown-up time. If it’s a cool enough party, parents won’t mind hiring a babysitter for the night.

So, I will start with the parent perspective. If costs $6-$15 an hour for a babysitter. If I come to your party and hire a babysitter, it will cost me $40. Yikes. Sometimes, I’m willing to pay that kind of money to have a night out with my husband. But I can tell you, in this economy, we don’t splurge like that very often. Also, while I am at your party, I will be worried about what’s going on at home.

We had a couple options for New Year’s Eve this year. The one we said “yes” to stated in the invitation that “Children are invited and there are places for them to sleep upstairs when they tire out.” WOW. No babysitter to pay. I actually get to spend the holiday with my toddler. And I get to spend the holiday with my friends. I can stay as late as I want.

I figured my kiddo would wear an adorable New Year’s Eve hat, tucker out at 8:30, and my husband and I would be ready to rejoin the party before half of the guests even showed up. NO SUCH LUCK. We spent half the party trying to get her to stay in bed. Stories, begging, scolding… caving in and letting her come back to the party. The two-year old finally crashed at 11:45pm after dancing for thirty minutes straight. Arrghhh!!! And we were too tired after that trauma to stay at the party past 12:30.

Believe it or not, this toddler was being supervised by an adult at the time this photo was taken.

From the non-parent perspective (because I’m really not a fan of other people’s kids), I don’t mind seeing you child look cute for an hour or so, if they are well-behaved. If they are whining and crying though – please, just leave. I am at a party (and maybe even paid for a babysitter for my own kid) so that I could have a nice night out.

I really like the idea of the host accommodating the children, while keeping them separate from the adults. The kids get their own little party. This is especially true if guests are coming from out of town (Where the heck do you expect them to put their kids? Drop them off at McDonald’s Playland for five hours?), or if the event is a fundraiser (Don’t want guests to spend all their disposable income on a babysitter; you want them to spend money for the cause!)

SUGGESTIONS IF YOU WANT TO GO WITH OPTION 2

1. If you don’t have kids, but have friends who are bringing children to your party, hit up Goodwill, Toys R Us, or a garage sale and purchase a couple age-appropriate toys or movies. Kids LOVE playing with someone else’s toys. Your friends with kids will be overcome with your thoughtfulness of providing entertainment for their offspring. Bonus for you, you will get to have more uninterrupted time with your friends!

2. If this is a BIG event, like a wedding or a fundraiser, it would be great to have a room, away from the main party, where the kids could hang out. Hire a couple teenage babysitters to watch the young‘uns while their moms and dads have a great time at the adult party. Find a couple crafts or activities that will keep the kids busy for awhile. Bring in a puppy or hamster they can play with. Provide fun food such as pizza, pop, and cookies – things they might not normally get at home. Make it a movie party with a big screen TV and lots of pillows and popcorn. By the way, if the food in the kids’ room isn’t good, they’ll just sneak out to the adult party and eat all the maraschino cherries at the bar.

3. Four words: FENCED IN BACK YARD. And stay out, you little hoodlums! Mommy’s drinking. (Just kidding.) (Kind of.)

Don't let kids drink the beer. That stuff's expensive!


What do you think, readers? Should children stay home?

Creating Halloween Party Atmosphere

Have you ever been to a party where everyone is a little too polite and not really having fun? Odds are that the atmosphere for the party wasn't quite right. I mean, who wants to dance when the lighting is so bright and florescent that you don't know if you are at a party or visiting the dentist?
More than most any other type of party, Halloween especially needs a great mood to be set. People are dressed in ridiculous costumes, ready to let their inhibitions go, and as a host or hostess, you need to encourage the wild side of your guests.

Setting the Halloween mood requires three things - lighting, decorations, and sound.

LIGHTING:
This is the most important element of your Halloween scene-setting. No one wants bright lighting at a Halloween Party. Let me repeat: NO ONE WANTS BRIGHT LIGHTING AT A HALLOWEEN PARTY. So, how do you create a spooky mood while still ensuring that your guests can see their way to the food table?

• Gels - Theatrical gels can be found on Ebay from various vendors. They are pieces of thin, colored plastic that don't melt even when touching hot electric lights. I would recommend getting a few green ones and a few red ones and putting them over any light bulbs in your home. They will still let enough light through, but will cast a dramatic colored light in the party rooms. Maybe do green if you are recreating a bat cave, or use red for a freaky glow in the kitchen. Red light is actually really disturbing and makes people think about danger (or in Amsterdam, prostitutes), so it's perfect for Halloween.
• Candles - Be careful, because drunk guests + fire is not always the best equation. But candles placed in a low-traffic area create an unparalled ambience. If those candles are placed inside a creepy jack o' lantern, even better!
• Colored lightbulbs - These are great because they are easy to find in any home improvement store. Colored bulbs come in CFL now, which are much better because they don't get so deadly hot to the touch, use less energy, and especially the black lights create a brighter effect.
• Turn off the overhead lights - Even if you don't want crazy colored lighting at your party, turning on some lamps instead of the super bright overhead lights will create a cozier atmosphere.

Warnings - Don't put colored cloth over a hot light and don't try to paint lightbulbs. It could start a fire, and then your party would suck. Also, make sure there is sufficient lighting on stairways for safety.
DECORATIONS - You can make fun decorations for free or at least buy them pretty inexpensively. I'll do a post later this week on homemade deocrations. Decorations are a must at Halloween! Seriously, why even throw a Halloween party if you don't want to make your house spooky?
I like to do each room as a different theme. For example - arachnid living room, batroom or bloody Psycho scene in the bathroom, Zombie-attack food room, skeletons in the closet, kitchen = witch's potion room. Some people who throw Halloween parties have a whole house theme that is different every year. You can get great ideas at the Halloween Forum website. Your guests will be expecting alot from the decorations if they are invited to a Halloween party at your place - so don't disappoint!
There are a couple things to keep in mind when decorating your place for Halloween:

1. What age guests are you expecting? There are many levels of Halloween decor from "Autumn Festive" to "Terror Town". If this is a party for five year olds, let's stay on the tame end of the spectrum. No skeletons in electric chairs for the young 'uns, okay? However, if you have all ages, you might choose to make the basement or backyard really terrifying for the older guests, and keep other areas just a little spooky.
2. How overboard do you want to go with this? You can choose a couple rooms to decorate, and leave the rest normal. Saves time and money, and keeps guests out of the boring rooms (fewer rooms to clean later - bonus!) And, if your party this year rocks, people will want you to throw a party next year, so don't blow all your great ideas at once.
3. BORROW decorations from other people. Why buy or make a million things that you will just have to store in your garage? So many people have had a big party in the past, and would be happy to let you borrow their stuff. Ask around! (Don't ask people that you don't plan to invite - that's rude! "Dude, can I borrow your homemade coffin for my awesome party? But you can't come. I think it's creepy that you have a coffin and I don't want my friends to know that I know you.")

SOUND: Okay, so there are sound effects, Halloween theme music (think "Thriller" or "Devil Went Down to Georgia"), and regular party music. Sound effects are cool to put on the front porch or in your haunted basement, but nobody wants to stand around the punch bowl for three hours listening to nothing but ghost moans and witch cackling. Ummm...no. Just no. Halloween theme music is a good idea. Everyone REALLY, REALLY wants to hear Thriller on Halloween. But they only want to hear it once. If you have 15 songs on a Halloween mix tape, you can't just put it on repeat for the whole night. People will leave your party after the third time through. I'd suggest playing your mix once at the beginning of the party, and once at the tail end of the party, with regular party music in between. Or even better, create a three hour mix with regular songs (lemme put in a request for some 80's music!) and Halloween songs mixed together.
Have any more ideas about creating Halloween atmosphere? Post them in the comments!