Egg-cellent Easter Ideas

Easter is next Sunday, April 4.  My family will celebrate with an annual Egg Hunt at a friend's house on Saturday and then brunch with family on Sunday.  So, I've been doing a little research to see what I can make for these fun events.  I discovered three (3) easy ideas (photos above) that I'd like to share with you ... enjoy!

Easter Bunny Bread

This cute idea comes from Taste of Home via Maddycakes Muse.  I love it!

Chocolate Nest with Easter Eggs

Can you believe this edible nest is made from chow mein noodles coated with melted chocolated and marshmallows?  I can't remember which blog brought this clever recipe to my attention but I found a similar recipe in Womens Day.  My girls and I are going to have fun making these treats for friends!

New Leaf Napkin Fold

Give an old napkin a fresh look and your table with perk up, too.  Idea complements of BHG.com via Hostess with the Mostess.

What's your favorite Easter or spring decor idea or recipe?  Please leave a comment for everyone to enjoy.

April Showers Bring May Babies

Clever title?  Too cute, I think!   I can't take credit for it though.  I was inspired by a recent blog from the Birthday Girl, who created an inspiration board for an upcoming baby shower.  Check it out, it's nicely done - in a fresh, modern way!

I've come across quite a few blogs lately showcasing fabulous baby showers and they reminded me of a special baby gift that I gave to a friend last month and have been meaning to share - because people who like posh parties also like giving posh gifts, correct?  My special gift was the Tickle Monster Laughter Kit written by Josie Bisset (remember her from the original Melrose Place?).  It's a super cute book, nicely written with awesome graphics and fun tickle mitts to make baby squeal with laughter.  Heidi Kallet at The Dandelion Patch recommended it to her newsletter readers and I agree, it's a special baby gift.

One more baby thought.  Have you heard of a Baby Sprinkle?  I just learned about this; apparently its quite a popular trend ... for good reason.  It's a party to honor a mom who is having another baby.  The focus is celebrating motherhood, friendship and the pending arrival of the new baby, not on showering the mom with gifts.  As a mom with 3 girls, I really like this party idea!

Cocktail Challenge Inspires 'posh' Tip

Last week, I received a challenge on FaceBook from a friend who needed a cocktail inspiration for an upcoming college graduation party.  She wanted a blue and gold cocktail to complement the school's colors, and a recipe that was not too sweet and called for few ingredients.  I recommended Absolut Blues (photo below); click here for the recipe and other drink inspirations.

Her Cocktail Challenge reminds us to always think 'outside the box' on ways to incorporate the theme or color scheme into our party plans!  Give it try at your next party.  I promise you and your guests will have fun!

What are You Wearing to the Party?

Whether your hosting fancy cocktail party this spring or a backyard BBQ later in the summer, take the 'posh' route and offer your guests guidance on what to wear ... on the invitation.  Not quite sure what to say?  No worries!  How about ...

Smart Casual

Replaces Business Casual, which never made sense beyond a business function. Good for when you want your guests to really dress up ... blazer and nice pants for the men, pantsuit or skirt for the ladies.

Casual Chic

The new Dressy Casual.  Ideal for when you want your guests to dress up ... in their jeans.

Festive Attire

Appropriate for a holiday party. Think Smart Casual with a themed tie, sweater or scarf.

and of course, perennial favorites like Beach, Island or Tropical and Casual!

For additional dress attire guidance, please visit Emily Post's Everyday Etiquette for Entertaining.

Adorable Partyware in Playful Children's Themes

Have you seen the new "It's A Party" partyware line from Meri Meri?  It's ADORABLE and affordable!

If you're like me and try to avoid cartoon-character birthdays, you'll love these cute designs - pirates, princesses and teddy bears (shown below), as well as animal parade (perfect for a baby shower), racing cars, robots, fairies and more! 

The partyware collection includes invitations and thank you sets, banners, table centerpieces, cupcake kits, plates and napkins, and goodie bags.  For most themes, you can buy a complete party set or a la carte.

Do you agree - is this the best news for kids birthday parties?  Which theme do you like?

Edible Table Centerpiece

Recently, I was inspired by a Hostess with the Mostess blog on edible centerpieces.  When a client asked me for decor ideas for her  husband's "Let's Get Cooking" 50th birthday party, I knew exactly what to suggest - and ultimately create.  Tonight is the party.  Below is a photo of my [edible] veggie centerpiece.  What do you think?

I love flowers but they don't last, tend to overpower the aroma of food and sometimes make guests sneeze.  The vegetable centerpiece, on the otherhand, is just as colorful, edible and the perfect complement to a cooking party.

The display was easy to make.  I purchased broccoli, purple cauliflower, English cucumber, yellow and red cherry tomatoes and radishes.  I cleaned the produce and cut into pieces.  I inserted the vegetables into assorted lengths of bamboo skewers and inserted them into floral foam.  I filled in the gaps with rosemary.  For the finale, I filled the 5" square vase with dry black beans.  For the party, I'll put a small ramekin of dip out with the display and have extra vegetable skewers to replenish.

Are you ready to make your own edible centerpiece?  If so, send me photos to share with our readers!

Favorite Things Tea Party for 5th Birthday

Can I tell you something?  This party was HOT ... hot pink that is, accented with a little lime green and sapphire blue! 

Last weekend, we hosted a birthday party for my daughter, Amanda.  You may recall from a previous entry that Amanda wanted a Strawberry Shortcake - My Little Pony - Hello Kitty party.  It eventually evolved into a Favorite Things Tea Party for approximately 15 children and it was super fun!  I'll walk you through the festivities.

First, the girls had to get ready for the tea party.  They decorated purses with foamie stickers and crayons, and then, decorated cardboard vases, which we filled with pretty pink carnations (inexpensive and they last longer). 

Then, Miss Emily of Emily's Teas showed the girls how to set the table - plates, napkins, cups and demitasse spoons ... and vases.   Along the way, she shared etiquette tips, too, like how to shake hands and use a napkin.  With the table set, the girls enjoyed butterfly-shaped sandwiches, strawberries, sugar cookies and organic, caffeine-free pink tea.  It was a very girlie affair!

To bring this party to life, I relied on bright colors - initiated in the invitation and then, incorporated into my home with bright balloon bouquets (from Festive Effects), wrapping paper "table cloth" with faux grass and pink flowers, and little embellishments like a Happy Birthday banner on the fireplace (where we collect gifts); pink carnations and glitter paper cut-out flowers on the adult food buffet; pink, green and blue glitter containers ($1 each at Target) filled with matching jelly beans.

After tea, everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' and enjoyed dessert.  For simplicity and convenience, I ordered vanilla cupcakes for the kids and strawberry shortcake for the adults, both from Patisserie Lille.  The cupcakes were embellished with paper toppers made of cardstock and lollipop sticks and featured Amanda's favorite characters.  The cake incorporated the flowers from invitation and even had a non-edible gemstone!

One last detail - goodie bags!  In addition to the purse and vase of flowers, each guest received a good bag of Amanda's favorite things - Hello Kitty mirror, Strawberry Shortcake stickers, feather pen and My Little Pony fruit snacks!  Each bag had a "Thank you for coming to my party" tag with one of the characters on it.

I hope that I've inspired your next little girl party.  Please let me know by leaving a comment, sharing your ideas ...

Roll Out the Red Carpet for an Award-Winning Oscars Party

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards is this Sunday evening, March 7 (on ABC).  If you enjoy movies, fashion faux-pas and red carpet commentating, host an Oscars Party for family and friends.  Below are a few inspiring ideas to create an award-winning fete!

Pottery Barn's Party Planner has tips for a producing a fabulous Movie Night Party, including tabletop decor and bar set up.

Need more decor inspiration?  Turn to the Hostess with the Mostess' Oscar Party Ideas.

Martha Stewart has yummy popcorn and other snack recipes.

Want to ante up the fun?  Check out the Oscars Party Kit (ballots, bingo, crossword puzzles and more).

Last but not least, make a batch of cute Oscar cookies, created by Bakerella.  These are sure to be voted the Best Cookie of the Night!

Enjoy!

Mardi Gras & Casino Night

Mardi Gras Madness continued over the weekend!  My client hosted her annual neighborhood fete for approximately 30 guests.  There was no shortage of fun!  Guests were treated to strolling magic, a fortune teller and casino entertainment as well as incredibly good food and amazing bar! 

Thanks to my Dream Team of Vendors for another successful 'posh' party:

Catering - Fusions Cuisine

Beignets - Patisserie Lille

Casino - Always Fun Casino

Magic - Dick Steiner Magician

Fortune Teller - Bialek's Music

Rentals - Select Event Rentals

Balloon Decor: Festive Effects