{Event Showcase} Dine in the Vines 40th Birthday Party

Recently, my husband and I celebrated our 40th birthday ... twice.  Once with a few close friends, then with family.  Below are highlights from the first party hosted at Pearmund Cellars, an award-winning Northern Virginia winery, where we sampled outstanding wine and enjoyed a relaxing dinner. 

I had a custom crossword puzzle created (by LoveSmartDesign) for guests to complete when they arrived.  They were stumped by a few clues but for the most part, our friends know us well!

Then, we had a wine tasting!  My new favorite white wine is Petit Manseng but most of our guests preferred red wine choosing Cabernet Franc or Ameritage.

The Barrel Room is quite impressive and an ideal spot for dinner.   To enhance the existing table, white linens and gold Chivari chairs, I rented purple table runners and napkins from Select Event Rentals and further embellished with bud vases of purplish-pinkish blue hydrangeas (from my garden!) and made cork place cards.

The napkin fold is called "Bird of Paradise".  Its an easy napkin fold and looks really nice.

And finally, we ate!  The menu, prepared by Fusions Cuisine, included:

Passed Hors d'oeuvres

Compressed Watermelon and Seared Sea Scallops

Minted Melon Balls with Mint Julip Pipette

Fruit and Cheese Skewers

Dinner Buffet

Hardwood Grilled Chicken Quarters

Short Smoked Salmon

Quinoa Salad

Tri Color Rotini

Grilled Asparagus

Poached New Potatoes

Dessert

Strawberry Shortcakes!

Last but not least, we enjoyed live music throughout the evening.  Damon Lomison, a regular performer at Pearmund Cellars, entertained us with his guitar, singing four decades of familiar rock tunes as well as the "Happy Birthday" song. 

Between the wine, food and David's music, we were pretty relaxed and definitely had a lot of fun!

{summer entertaining} 3 BBQ Food Safety Tips

The weather forecast for tomorrow - 4th of July - is Hot, Hot, Hot!  At least 95 degrees in the Nations Capital where I live.  Heat and humidity can wreak havoc on outdoor party plans.  Here are a few basic food safety tips for your BBQ:

Keep it Clean!  Start with clean hands, utensils/grill tools and platters.  Separate poultry and meat.  Use separate platters for raw and grilled food.  For more info, please visit the USDA 'Seasonal Food Safety' fact sheet.

Keep it Cold!  If you don't have the new insulated servers from Frontgate, it's easy to improvise!  Chill serving dishes before use and then, on the food buffet, nestle the dish on a platter or bowl of ice.  Replenish ice as needed.

Keep it Covered! with Covermates, stretch-to-fit plastic food covers.

Wishing you a n 'eventful' and safe 4th of July!

ISES DC Tabletop Design Challenge: The Magic Orange Tree

'O Magic Orange Tree, grow and grow and grow' begins the treasured Haitian forklore about a little girl saved by an orange tree.  This "fairytale" was the inspiration for my design in this year's Tabletop Design Challenge hosted by the DC Chapter of the International Special Events Society on Monday evening.  I collaborated with Blaise Thompson of Fusions Cuisine, and sponsors Devers Design Group and Select Event Rentals, to bring this story to life with a live tree growing from the center of the table and beautiful linens, mosaic base plates (that resembled the shattered life in Haiti), blue stemware and bamboo folding chairs which gave the display an island feel. 

My favorite part of the tree display was the 'Haitian' paper dolls scattered on the table.  They looked so sweet!

We didn't win, we were up against a live Sleeping Beauty napping above a glass canopy table and surrounded by 3000 flowers, as well as Thumbellina and the Grand Winner, 40 Thieves, but it was fantastic to participate and be included among such incredible talent!

{in season} Blueberries

Last night, I enjoyed the plumpest and sweetest blueberries (with homemade whipped cream) - yummy!  It reminded me of my favorite summertime blueberry recipe: grilled chicken with blueberry-basil salsa.  I discovered this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine years ago (August 2003) and make it every summer; it's easy to make, tastes great and it's super healthy!  Give it try - perhaps this weekend for your 4th of July BBQ!

{in season} Sparklers

Of all the clever 4th of July ideas circluating the web, I love this one from PrintYourParty: Printable Sparkler Holders.

Sparklers are an essential item for my family's celebration plans; we love writing our name (over and over) in the night sky!  I can't wait to make these printable holders and have some fun!  Hope you do, too!

Thanks to Simply Creative Insanity for sharing this clever idea this week!

{Invitation Showcase} My 40th Birthday Party X2

Next week I turn 40.  I'm fine with it and ready for it ... perhaps because my husband turns 40 seven days later.  Everything's better with a buddy, right?  Absolutely!

To make sure we get it right, we're celebrating twice - once with friends and a week later with family.  Below are the invitations I quickly designed.  What do you think - thumbs up or down?

Admittedly, I'm love the crabs and can't wait to bring this theme to life!

{Event Showcase} Post-Wedding Reception

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of helping a lovely couple produce a post-wedding reception in their home for approximately 70 guests.  Their son recently married in a small chapel out-of-town so the guest list was limited.  They decided to extend the celebration by hosting a small party after the honeymoon for close friends. The result was gorgeous and I'd like to share some photos with you in case your hosting a post-wedding reception or garden party or other summertime party in your home soon.

Based on this invitation ...

...I designed this casual but elegant garden party.

Lilac linens on the guest tables with white-folding chairs accented with purplish-blue and pink floral arrangements - on the tables, on the buffets and on the foyer 'gift table'.  Rentals provided by DC Rentals and floral created by Galleria Florist.

The food buffet included delicious items like Mojito Shrimp, Panang Chicken Skewers, Caramlized Pear and Emmanthal Torte with Pistacio filling, Melon with Toasted Coconut, Quinoa Salad and Grilled Pineapple and Brie Skewers dipped in Cinnamon Yogurt Dip.  Prepared by Fusions Cuisine.

On the bar, guests had the option of wine, microbrew beer, assorted soda, refreshing lemonade with sliced fruit (my favorite recipe!) or chilled water with blueberries (both served in large cookie jars with silver ladels).

The dessert table had a tower of yummy Georgetown Cupcakes (vanilla with white frosting and a purple "M" medallion) to mimic a tiered wedding cake, as well as bite-size brownies, chocolate chip cookies and lemon tarts.

My clients were quite pleased with the outcome and really enjoyed the stress-free approach to party planning!

{in season} Popsicles

Baby, it's hot outside!  Time for a popsicle - the homemade variety that incorporates fresh fruit from the farmer's market.  It's easy.  Pureed fruit, water and sugar ... or you could get fancy.  I found a few recipes for you, and cool popsicle molds to make it that much more fun!  Enjoy - and stay cool!

Clockwise: Creamy Mocha Popsicles, Pina Colada Pops, Banana Blueberry Swirl Popsicles and

Grown Up Popsicles (like Watermelon, Avocado and Thai recipes)

{Note - do you see how the watermelon popsicles are served?  In half of a watermelon.  Very clever!!}

Clockwide: Orka, Tovolo, Tovolo, Kinderville,

So, which recipe will you try?  I think I'll try the banana blueberry recipe and work my way up to Thai ...

Pineapple Daisy Flower Arrangement

Earlier this week, my daughter's Daisy [girl scout] troop hosted its last meeting with a [rescheduled] campfire dinner.  All families brought something to eat.  I chose Pineapple Daisies just like the ones from my local fruit arrangement store.  They were so super easy to make - and quite cute as an arrangement, ideal for a hostess gift and or food for a casual party this weekend!  Give it a try!

Directions

Slice pineapple into rings; press flower cookie cutter to make flower shape.

Scoop cantelope to make ball shapes.

Insert pineapple on a logn skewer followed by cantelope ball and red grape.

To make arrangement, place floral foam into vase and cover with black beans.

Insert skewers into foam.

{giveaway} Announcing the Winners

Thank you to everyone who responded to my first 'posh' promotion.  I sincerely appreciate your comments and love that you love my invitation designs!

Congratulations to these ladies who were randomly selected to receive party invitations from my new summer collection!  Please contact me right away so that I may mail the invitations to you.

Stacy Lepo Mcguigan

Victoria Mutarelli

Maureen Reilly

{in season} Hydrangea and Delphinium

Hydrangea and delphinium flowers are in bloom right now.  These gorgeous flowers make a spectacular floral presentation. Case in point, below are a few photos from a post-wedding reception hosted in my client's home yesterday.  Inspired by the pinkish-purple flowers on the invitation, my florist - Carol Beales of Galleria Florist in Falls Church, VA - created these stunning arrangements to adorn the foyer, food and dessert buffets, and guest tables.  It was lovely! [More on the party later this week!]

{event showcase} Hokie Luau Graduation Party

Some parties that I produce are truly a collaboration with the client.  For example, I recently helped a long-time client produce her son's HS graduation party, a Hokie Luau! I designed the invitation and coordinated food, drinks, cake and staff while she tackled decor and a surprise visit from Virginia Tech's mascot, the Hokie bird.  Below are the results of our teamwork, some photos to inspire you, especially if you are hosting a graduation party soon.  Enjoy!

{Photos - custom invitation; stuffed Hokie bird; surprise visit from the Hokie bird and VT cheerleader; cake}

{Photos - luau decor including coconut people, tiki signs, inflatible palm tree cooler and 2010 pinatas}

{Photos - many VT balloons; cocktail food display; and bartender}

{Photos - maroon and burnt orange floral arrangement on the food buffet}

{Photos - Hokie bird teaches guests how to do the 'Hokie Pokie'}

{summer entertaining} 3 Tips to Keep it Simple

Q: Help!  I'm having a party; what should I do?

A: This is a loaded question that I receive from friends and readers a lot!  My first response is always the same - whatever you "do", keep it simple!

• 
  
  Plan for a casual cocktail party.  Guests may be invited last minute; minimal seating is required; and food and drinks are easier to prepare.
• 
  
  Serve bite-size, no-untensils-needed foods - approximately 3-5 types.  Purchase prepared foods at the grocery store and assemble on your own serving dishes.
• 
  
  Skip the full bar and offer a signature drink - one drink that can be served with or without alcohol.  Want to show a little creativity?  Give your drink a clever name - like Sunset Surprise - and start the conversation!

Above all, remember the the objective of a party is to have fun, which is another good reason to 'keep it simple'!  Cheers!

{giveaway} Summer Party Invitations!

My first promotion ... a 'posh' promotion .... I'm so excited! 

 To introduce my new collection of summer party invitations, I'm giving away a set of each to three (3) lucky readers respectively.

ENTER TO WIN NOW!  Two ways to enter:

• Leave a comment below telling me which design you like
• Become a posh parties, LLC Fan on Facebook and write your favorite design on my wall

Entries must be received by Friday, June 11 at 10:00 pm EDT.  Only valid in the US. Three names will be randomly selected and announced next week.

READY TO BUY?  Invitations with envelopes (10/pk), $20.  Email me to discuss the details.

Thanks, in advance, for participating ... in my first 'posh' promotion!

{in season} strawberries

Strawberries are in season right now!  I bought a few pints at the grocery store this morning; the deal was incredible plus I can tell from the bright red color that these strawberries are delicious, naturally sweet and juicy.  But then I was perplexed on how to use them.  A quick Internet search revealed a Cooking Light article with 14 Favorite Strawberry Recipes! I selected a few below; which strawberry recipe is your favorite?

{L-R} Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake; Strawberries, Pistachios and Goat Cheese Pizza; Strawberry Agua Fresca; Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream; and Strawberry and Chicken Salad.

All these strawberries remind me of a local Virginia strawberry festival that my family went to 6 years ago.  They had a long line of tables with stacks of fresh strawberries in containers; it was mind-boggling.  My then 1 1/2 year daughter loved strawberries and easily polished off a pint; see photo below.  It was a fun day outdoors.  I encourage you and your family to explore a strawberry or pick your own celebration at a local orchard this season!  Cheers!

Party Planning Humor in the Comics

For party planners and mothers of teenagers everywhere, hope you enjoy this funny cartoon!

Which SATC character reflects your party planning personality?

{photo source}

The release of the much-anticipated Sex and the City 2 movie spurred my thinking this morning: Which character reflects my party planning personality?  I'm more 'Charlotte' than 'Carrie' but as a mom of 3 little girls, I'm sure I've had 'Miranda' moments. 

Here's what I came up with to help you determine your party planning personality.  Do you ...

Obsess about stylish decor?  Then, you might be Carrie.

Contemplate cosmo cupcakes for your child's birthday?  Then, you might be Miranda.

Set a prim and proper [Tiffanys] table?  Then, you might be Charlotte.

Lift your 'spirits' with beefy shirtless bartenders?  Then, you might be Samantha!

Whatever your personality, make sure you enjoy the party - good times with good friends!

Memorial Day Recipes

Saturday is the unofficial start of summer; are you ready to celebrate?  If not, I have a few recipes to share for a simple gathering of friends or picnic at the park!

Local caterer, Windows Catering, did a segment this week on NBC4 on Memorial Day picnics.  They suggested easy-to-make fare like Chicken Wraps, Granola Bars, FlutterNutter Sandwiches and Frozen Grapes.  See the video and then look at the easy recipes.

I received Wegman's Menu magazine yesterday.  It's chock full of summer recipes.  I'm going to make the Summer Tortelli Salad, Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Crab and Sliders.  To complement this menu, I will serve a refreshing glass of Lemonade (Ina Garten's recipe) garnished with fresh sliced fruit (oranges, blueberries and slivers of strawberries and apples) and Mixed Berry Trifle for dessert, recipe below.

Mixed Berry Trifle

I don't know where I learned to make this yummy dessert but I know that I've modified the recipe over time.

Ingredients

1 box of instant vanilla pudding, prepared

1 container of Cool Whip

Angel Food Cake, sliced

1 container each of strawberries (sliced), blueberries, raspberries 

Sprig of Mint (optional)

Instructions

Mix vanilla pudding with 1/2 container of Cool Whip

In trifle bowl, layer cake, pudding and most of the mixed berries (2 layers)

Cover with remaining Cool Whip and garnish with a few mixed berries and mint

Viola!  It's easy to make and so good! 

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

{Summer Entertaining} Got Jell-O?

Last Friday evening, I participated in Women Supporting Women, an informal showcase of local woman owned businesses, who support each other as well as less fortunate women in our community; a portion of the proceeds benefited NOVACO.  The event was successful!  I enjoyed talking about parties and celebrations, sharing 'posh in a pinch' tips for summer entertaining and learning how other women like to entertain.

Above is a photo of my display, including a raffle for handmade invitations and a custom event design (or game plan for producing the winner's party of choice).

Here are the 'posh in a pinch' ideas for summer entertaining:

Got gift wrap, tissue paper and scrapbook paper?  Then, you have a 'tablecloth', 'table runner' and 'placemat' for your tablescape or food buffet.  The design possibilities are endless - and affordable!

Lounge in comfort with beach towel "pillows". Roll towel and wrap with a lei.

Repurpose an old photo frame as a menu display.  Incorporate scrapbook paper and chipboard letters for stylish fun.

Garnish your margarita with a lime "marker"!  Carve your initial into the lime wedge.

*My Favorite!  Create a stylish centerpiece with white daisies submerged in Jell-O!  Inexpensive to make, and Jell-O comes in a wide variety of cheerful colors!  Let's Party!

These are my favorite 'posh' ideas for summer entertaining; what are yours?

Great Get-Togethers

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon hosted by The Dandelion Patch.  Held at the Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner, this fabulous luncheon featured a brief presentation by Anna Post of the Emily Post Institute.  Ms. Post spoke about her recently released book, Great Get-Togethers.  She offered sage advice, of which two items resonated with me:

Entertaining is about having a good time, being in good company, enjoying yourself.

Turn on the music about 30 minutes before the start of your party or celebration.  It will allow you to transition from a frenzy of last-minute preparations to a relaxed host or hostess. [An important tip for novice or seasoned hostesses alike].

I began reading the book over the weekend.  From the first page Ms. Post shares practical advice for successful entertaining like "Start simple and grow with experience".  It reminds me of my constant mantra "keep it simple" (though that's not always the final result).  I'd like to know "what is your mantra" when planning a party, how do you remain sane and enjoy yourself? 

Cake Pops to Congratulate the Graduate

I'm not a baker but I do enjoy experiementing with new ideas ... like two color cake pops!  Recently, I was inspired by this blog and thought 'what a great idea', perfect for graduation to show school spirit (or any occasion to incorporate color).

My neighbor's daughter just graduated from NCWC so my girls and I made her some yellow and blue cake pops dipped in melted vanilla candy chips and sprinkled with yellow and blue nonpareils.  The trick to two colors is dividing the cake batter and adding a few (or more) drops of food coloring.  Admittedly, it was challenging to roll the two cake colors into one neat ball but the result was the same - super sweet cake balls!

What color combination will you try?  For what occasion?

{Event Showcase} Mother's Day Lemonade Stand

Last Sunday afternoon, I hosted a Mother's Day Lemonade Stand for invited family and friends.  It was my gift to my little girls, especially my 7 year old who has always dreamed of a lemonade stand but doesn't understand that we live on a low-traffic cul de sac, which is bad for sales.  The party was fun and since I incorporated a lot of 'posh in a pinch' design elements, I thought I'd show you and perhaps inspire you.

As I blogged earlier, the invitation is a letterpress flat notecard from Paper Source.  I enhanced it with printed copy from the computer and added a 2.5" circle label for the mailing address. Voila!

My original idea was to create the citrus-theme party using thrift store items.  I've seen many other event professionals create outstanding parties with recycled items and felt confident that I could pull it off too.  Unfortunately, my visit to our local thrift stores was disappointing; no cute old fashioned beverage glasses or pitchers (though I did spot some unique shot glasses that would make excellent hors d'oeuvres dishes).  Ultimately, I found a gently-used bright yellow tablecloth and a relatively new (and cheerful) Crate and Barrel tablecloth with napkins.  So I splurged and felt better about my attempt.

Mother's Day in the suburbs of the Nation's Capital was sunny but breezy so we had our lemonade "stand" inside.  I used the bright yellow tablecloth and created a table runner with old fabric remnants!  To decorate, I filled a large margarita glass (who knew that I'd use that again?) with oranges, lemons and limes; incorporated new girl metal sculptures, one with a Mother's Day potted plant and the other straws; and used my fun orange stemless martini glasses to serve lemonade.  For the finishing touches, I made a playful 'lemonade stand' banner and tags for the pitchers using scrapbook paper, orange ribbon and yellow chipboard letters.

For fun, we served two pitchers of lemonade: freshly-squeezed and store-bought.  We asked guests to sample both and guess which ones my girls made.  [Hint:  Pitcher B, which was a little tart!]

After lemonade and snacks, we had dinner.  I'll save my menu for another time but above are photos of how I incorporated the look and feel of the lemonade stand into the dinner table.  A few 'posh' highlights of my colorful tablescape:

The table was covered in wrapping paper

Each place setting had a 12x12 scrapbook paper placemat; the plate was wrapped with ribbon; placecards made of scrapbook paper were attached to the ribbon; and a napkin was placed on the plate

[Deflated] DIY Balls of string in yellow, orange, lime green and white rounded out the citrus-inspired look

Summer is around the corner.  I hope that you can use some of my lemonade stand ideas to create your own citrus-inspired party!

Party Decor Disaster ... actually looks Delightful!

Yesterday, I thought to title this entry "Some Projects are Better Left to Martha" because my attempt to create tabletop decor with string, balloons and fabric stiffner failed (see photos below of deflated balls of string) but to my surprise, I received a lot of complements on my Mother's Day tabletop display.  So, this entry is actually  meant to encourage you to try a new project; it may not look like the web site instructions but you might create something better, or just as nice.

Have you ever had a delightful disaster?  Tell us about it - so that I don't feel like I'm the only one

Aside from the deflated balls of string, my Mother's Day Lemonade Stand and Dinner was awesome!  I'll post photos and share my event design later this week.  Click here to see to see the invitation.

{Invitation Showcase & Party Sneak Peek} Mother's Day Lemonade Stand

My 7 year-old daughter has wanted a lemonade stand since the time she could walk. She wants to squeeze lemons, make signs ... and start selling (yes, her future looks bright!) but we live on a dead-end cul-de-sac; there is virtually no traffic except for the occasional dogwalker ... until now. On sunday afternoon, I've invited family, as well as a few friends and neighbors to visit our Lemonade Stand, my Mother's Day gift to my girls. Below is the quick invitation I designed - a letterpress note card set from Paper Source (my home away from home!) with copy printed from my computer.

I look forward to sharing the party details with you next week!  Until then, I wish all of my mom readers a special Mother's Day!

We Heart Teachers

This week, May 2-8, is Teacher Appreciation Week!  In addition to being a professional party planner, I'm mom to three school-age girls and this year, I'm a PTA President.  Our parent-teacher community is very engaged and supportive so this is a big week for us.  Each day, on behalf of the children, the parents do something special for the teachers and staff.  For example, on Wednesday, we'll host a catered luncheon.  Teachers and staff will attend while parent volunteers watch their class and answer phones.  Below is a photo of the invitation I quickly put together last Thursday based on the coordinator's party design - a casual picnic with red and white checked linens and yellow flowers in bud vases.

If you want to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, it's not too late to come up with a thoughtful thank you gift from your child.  Here are a few quick and inexpensive ideas:

A collection of these items in a gift basket (idea from here):
Sponge - to soak up the overflow when your brain is too full
Candle - to light a small mind
Modeling Clay - for being a great model
Smarties Candy - to help stay smart
Highlighter Pen - for being a big highlight of my life
Glue - for holding everything together
Bubbles - to keep a bubbly personality
Cup - when yours is overflowing
Marbles - to replace those lost from time to time
Crayon - to color your day
Hanger - to hang in there -- summer vacation is almost here!

Each day, fill a bowl with these items (idea from here):
On Monday, Lifesavers with the sign "You are lifesaver to our kids! Thank you for all your hard work"
On Tuesday, Sunflower Seeds with the sign "You plant the seeds of knowledge in our children"
On Wednesday, Dum Dum suckers with the sign "Because of you our kids are not Dum Dums!"
On Thursday, Hersheys Hugs and Kisses candy with the sign "Hugs and Kisses for everything you do"
On Friday, Carefree gum with the sign "You deserve a "Carefree" weekend!"

Super cute (and free) Imprintables (and clever gift ideas) available from here

And my favorite - a ruler with a little note that says "Teachers Rule"