{Invitation Showcase} Party Animals 4th Birthday

My daughter loves her stuffed bunny! Like most children, she sleeps with "Tushie" and takes him everywhere.  When thinking about her birthday party, I knew that I needed to incorporate bunny into her celebration but I didn't think a bunny theme was the best solution.  So I came up with a Party Animals theme, which is more appropriate since we're inviting her whole class (26 kids ... plus her sisters and cousins) to The Little Gym to celebrate; it's going to be a zoo!

Above is the cute invitation I created for her party.  I was inspired by the new Paper Source colors - peacock and sunshine, and my latest Cricut cartridge - EveryDay Paper Dolls.  The other printed paper is Citrus Stack (a 12x12 cardstock collection from Joann's).

The invite reads "Calling all Party Animals to come and play; It's time to Celebrate Kyra's 4th Birthday"!

Though we're not celebrating at home, I have a few ideas to enhance her celebration - party hats, cupcake wrappers and favors to name a few - that I will share with you soon.

{event showcase} Lina & Paul's Wedding at Woodend

This year, I had the pleasure of working with Lina and Paul to produce their wedding earlier this month at Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion in Chevy Chase.  It was a true partnership in planning; I coordinated the catering, decor, entertainment, photographer and overall logistics while they worked on invitations, floral and the ceremony.  The result was a beautiful event that reflected their individual cultures and their collective philosophies.  Below are some of the highlights, shared by Larry Glatt of Larry Glatt Photography.

L-R: Paul and Lina on the luminaria-lined path leading from The Grove to the Portico; Lina and Paul light the fire during the ceremony

L-R: Dinner under the tent included an American buffet provided by Ridgewells and an Indian buffet provided by Indique Heights ... so delicious!

L-R: Cheers to the bride and groom who cut into their Red Velvet tiered confection from Ridgewells (and embellished with flowers by a friend) and then danced the rest of the night away to a myriad of Bollywood, Salsa and Top 40 music.  The energy and excitement in the Main Room was amazing!

{in season} Back-to-School FREE Printables

My family is in back-to-school mode this week so I'm continuing the theme in today's post with FREE printables - cupcake toppers and banners for a back-to-school celebration as well as [super cute!]bookmarks, lunch notes, book name plates, teacher note cards and more - from a few A+ designers.  Good job!

{photo credit and download here}

{photo credit and download here}

{photo credit and download here}

{photo credit and download here}

{in season} Afternoon Snack

Going back to school or better, starting a new school, means new friends and more play dates. 

Get an A+ in Creativity with these new Afternoon Snack recipes from the Food Network magazine!

Here are some of my favorite recipes (photos, clockwise): Apple Quesadillas, Fruit Leathers, Jam Pockets, Nutty Pretzel Wands, Mango Salsa Cups and Pizza Pockets

I look forward to making fruit leathers to avoid the drama of running out of fruit roll-ups   Which recipe will you try?

{Invitation Showcase} 40th Birthday in the Berkshires this Fall

Last weekend, it looked like fall ... at least, in my office!  I was surrounded by hues of gold, orange, burgundy and copper as I assembled custom invitations designed for my client's 40th birthday - a girls' weekend in the Berkshires (MA) at peak fall foliage. [What a great idea!]

You may remember her Save the Date announcement back in February.  To complement, the invitation was made of the same soft white and copper papers (from my favorite store, Paper Source) and embellished with a shimmery copper ribbon and autumn leaves.  Since this is a destination party, more information was required; I used an A7 folder enclosure to hold the Itinerary and Travel inserts.  The invitation was tucked into an A7 copper envelope.  Assembled ... it looked lovely!

{giveaway} Martini Recipes for 'tikis 'n tinis' Summer Party

To kick-off August, I hosted a 'tikis 'n tinis' invitation giveaway.  To enter, I requested that everyone share their favorite martini recipe ... and I would give bonus points for pink or orange [posh-colored] cocktails.  I'm pleased to announce that we have a tie - two winners and therefore, two martini recipes to share.  Both look great and seem easy to make.  Which one would you serve?

{photo source}

French Martini

Shake 3 count Vodka, 1 count Chambord and 1 splash sours;

top with Champagne and twist...delicious!

{photo source}

Mango Passion Martini

1 cup mango puree, 1/2 cup vodka, 1/4 cup lime juice and sparkling white wine. Add vodka, lime juice and puree, blend well with ice. Pour this into a glass half way then top with the sparkling wine - enjoy!

Thanks for the martini inspiration, Lauryn and Stacy!  I will mail your invitations shortly.

{in season} Grilled Peaches!

Need extra inspiration for this morning's visit to the farmer's market?  How about grilled peaches?  Fresh ripe peaches taste great cooked on the grill; their natural juices caramelize to perfection and they pair well with other sweet ... and savory foods to make excellent salsas, salads and desserts.  Below are a few recipes to inspire you!

Clockwise, top to bottom:

Grilled Peaches with Ricotta Cheese

Grilled Peach and Buffalo Mozzarella

Chicken with Grilled Peaches and Arugula

Grilled Peaches 'n Berries (grill in foil!)

Grilled Peaches with Blackberry-Basil Butter

Chicken with Peach Salsa

Did this post inspire you to try a new recipe, visit your local farmer's market or just explore a new way to prepare familiar foods?  If so, let me know!

{giveaway} time for tikis 'n tinis invitation

I'm having so much fun with my posh promotions that I'm hosting another giveaway - invitations that are ideal for a summertime Girls Night Out!

GIVEWAY

set of (10) tikis n' tinis invitations

HOW TO ENTER

1) leave a comment below or on my Facebook wall

2) tell me your favorite martini recipe

*bonus points for suggesting a pink or orange posh-tini

Responses must be received by Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 10:00 pm ET.  Open to US shipping destinations only.

Thanks, in advance, for participating!