All Things For All Parties

Host an Olympics Watching Party

 
Just 9 more days until the kick-off of the Olympics!!  Throw a backyard event either on the day of the Opening Ceremony (July 27th) or any time during the Olympics!  I personally love the Opening Ceremonies because it is usually such an amazing show and it involves every athlete competing in the Games.  It's also when the final bearer of the Olympic Torch lights the cauldron that stays lit for the duration of th games.

Decorate your party space with lots of American Flags.  For your table settings, be sure and use accents of red, white and blue in honor of TEAM USA!!  Wrap your silverware in our red and white grosgrain napkin rings. 

Since the games are in London, serve up festive foods from the U.K., like fish & chips or mini cucumber & mayo sandwiches.  For your drinks, serve up traditional ales lik Newcastle or Boddingtons and for cocktails serve up Earl Grey Martinis. 

Let the games begin!  A trivia contest is always fun for this occasion or create your own Olympic games like balancing an egg on a spoon or see who can Limbo the lowest...Have fun with this one!  The more ridiculous the game the more fun everyone will have!!! 

Throw a Backyard Luau!

 

Break out the tiki torches and hula skirts because if there's one thing that brings out the Summer Fun in people...it's an island style Backyard Luau! 

Aloha!  Welcome your guests as they arrive with a lei...it's the signature way to say "hello" and "welcome to our home" in Hawaii plus it gets guests in the mood. 

Decorations are easy!!  Just add a grass skirt around your table and be sure to use colorful placemats and a rattan runner with island inspired tropical plates.  For a little something extra serve drinks from coconut cups and light a few coconut candles to create the perfect tropical tablescape.

Serve up casual platters of food either buffet or family style.  Start with some refreshing fruit salsa made with mango, pineapple and peaches and serve with some sweet potato chips.  For your main entree, bbq is definitely the way to go!  My husband loves grilled shrimp and I love pork and ham for this party.  You can also do burgers and add terriyaki sauce to the mix to give it that Hawaiian flavor.  If you want to make your own sauce, mix together soy sauce and pineapple juice for that perfect tropical blend.  For your side dish, you definitely have to do a Grilled Pineapple Rice. Yum!

Mai Tais and Pina Coladas are always a Luau favorite but why not try something new to wow your guests like this delicious Lava Flow. 

Ingredients:
•1 oz. light rum
•1 oz. Malibu® coconut rum
•2 oz. fresh or frozen strawberries
•1 small banana
•2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
•2 oz. coconut cream

Preparation:

Blend the 2 rums and the strawberries in a blender to form a smooth paste. Pour this mixture into a tall (Collins or Hurricane) glass. Rinse the blender. Blend the banana, the coconut cream, and the pineapple juice in blender with crushed ice until smooth. Pour this mixture into the glass with the rums very slowly and watch as the strawberry mixture oozes its way to the top along the sides of the glass creating the flowing lava effect. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and paper umbrella.

One more thing...Don't forget the music!!!  My Mother loves music by Elvis or Don Ho for a luau and I love the Beach Boys. 

Oh and if you want to add a little extra fun for your guests, hire a Hula dancer and have her teach your guests a hula step or two.  Maholo!

 

All Things Preppy: Grosgrain Napkin Rings

Check out our online shop to find more great Grosgrain Napkin Ring Colors!  Perfect for any occasion (I just bought a set for my Mom for Mother's Day!)

Baby Shower on a Budget

 

Do you have a friend who's expecting?  Here are some great tips for planning the perfect Baby Shower for her without spending a fortune.

1.  For the invitation send a sweet email invitation.  Paper invititations are gorgeous but very pricey.  These days electronic invites look more like fine stationery than emails!  PaperlessPost.com has some great invitations for as little as $5; you can send plenty of beautiful online invitations complete with gorgeous addressed envelopes that open virtually in the recipient's mailbox. Evite also has some great baby shower invitations. 

2.  For the decor, choose a chic color scheme.  If you pick one or two solid colors and stick to the scheme for everything you buy, the harmonious color palette will look gorgeous and expensive. You can purchase a lot of great items from the dollar store or borrow from what your kids have or what you have at home.  I think some of the cutest decorations can be found right in your own home. The decor items pictured above (cupie dolls) come straight from Social Couture and are very inexpensive but definitely make a "OMG that's so cute!" statement.

3.  Another great way to keep costs down is to purchase one type of flower that will make a big impact and do the arranging yourself (cuts labor costs); for example, we just did a huge birthday party for my mother (100 guests) and we purchased all white hydrangeas from the local grocer - we ordered in advance from the grocer's wholesale vendors and we were given additional discounts for ordering in bulk.  For 12 tables of bouquets are costs were less than $150 which is usually what 1 arrangement would cost.  If you don't have enough vases borrow from friends or use these adorable pales pictured above. 

4.  For the food, cut-up veggies for a crudites plate...DIY always cuts costs by about a third.  Add simple hors d'oeuvres, then focus on a dessert that will get you tons of oohs and aahs.  

5.  Focus on an incredible dessert table!!  So easy to do and definitely makes a huge impression.

Ok so just a few extra things to remember...

Set the date at least 4 weeks before the baby's due date so your Mommy to be isn't stressed.

Don't be afraid to ask a friend to host with you.

Keep the guest list to a manageable number and if you can seperate it out from work friends to friends and family...it's not a bad idea to suggest that she have a seperate "office" shower just for her co-workers.

 

 

Easy Easter Decorating Idea

Are you looking for a fun, simple idea to dress-up your Easter table?  If so, this is the perfect way to add a little something without a lot of fuss.  Even plain water bottles or glasses can be decorated for Easter!  How cute is this band with a friendly bunny face!

How to do it:
Draw and cut out the pattern, print the bunny stencils on pretty wrapping paper, then cut out. With a black marker draw eyes, nose, and a happy smiling mouth. Connect and secure the ends together with a transparent adhesive.
The ends can be of any length to fit for a vase, for example.

Hippity Hoppity Easter's On It's Way!

Here comes Peter Cottontail and his friends...hippity hopping all the way to your Easter table!  Anders Ruff has done it again with another one of their absolutely adorable "Easter" Printable Parties.

Universal Studios hired Anders Ruff to design a “HOP” themed Easter party for the release of the movie at Target!  All of the DVD and Blu-Ray discs at Target will have an insert inside with instructions on how you can download your FREE Anders Ruff printable Hoppy Easter party decor set! (For a LIMITED time so be sure to get to your local Target on 3.23.12!)

Throw a (Beginners) Poker Party

Phot

Photos by Kelly Lyden from the Party Dress.

What a great excuse to get the Girls together...Invite them over to learn Texas Hold'em, America's new favorite and easiest style of poker.

#1  Round up all your players...the more the merrier.  Gather round a table that will fit all your guests comfortably.  Be sure and let your guests know what the "stakes" will be...you can limit bets to whatever 25 cents for example or for the first night just use poker chips and have all the fun without the money.

#2  For the decor, give your space a casino vibe.  Use a black and white striped tablecloth and game inspired decorations.

#3  Serve up "winning" cocktails like club sandwiches and Royal Flush Martinis.  Use cookie cutters to cut snacks like cookies into hearts, clubs, spades ord diamonds.

#4  Review the rules and be sure to keep a cheat sheet out for guests so they are able to see what hand is higher than another one. 

Winner, winner chicken dinner.

Have fun!!

 

Spring Brunch

We're partnering with Rosanna this week to bring you some fun ideas on spring and Easter Entertaining! You definitely need to stop on by and read their post on simple Spring Décor ideas plus a very yummy Coconut Crème pie recipe. You don’t want to miss this one!!!

Spring is just around the corner so let’s shake off the winter blues and bound into spring’s warm and friendly social schedule. Spring parties are for celebrating any number of occasions: Easter, birthdays, spring break, graduations and more. Spring is a time of renewal and optimism; so now that you’ve begun to thaw out and warm-up, invite your friends over for an intimate spring brunch.

Start with the invitation. Choose a colorful, personalized invite with a simple floral motif. One clever idea is to combine a favor and an invitation all in one, especially if it is an intimate affair. Purchase paper butterflies then print the party information on colorful tags and tie them onto the butterflies. Your guests will be so impressed when you drop them off (or send them).

Choose an easy menu that celebrates the bounty of the season’s produce, decorate your table with fresh blooms, and serve fizzy fruity cocktails.

Design a sophisticated and fresh look with a spring palette made-up of vibrant greens, brilliant whites and sunny yellows. Start by covering a table with a white tablecloth and bright placemats then add a rattan runner (a patterned, spring scarf can also double as a runner). Top the runner with colorful vases like these great and inexpensive Blumeboxes (like the ones pictured above) filled with spring blooms (like tulips or hyacinths). Little bouquets are easy and less intimidating to make. When you are choosing your flowers: stay seasonal, and don’t be afraid to mix your bouquet. Cinch napkins with our preppy grosgrain napkin rings.

If you are entertaining on a budget then go for a simple but charming grass centerpiece and place white tea lights in clear glass votives in the grass.

Paper lanterns are a simple way to make your party feel intimate yet very festive. Add colorful nylon butterflies to your paper lanterns and you will instantly give these lanterns a lift.

The key to a great party - for any season - is appropriate coordination. With so many spring party themes to choose from, it can be challenging to limit the party to one cohesive focal point, but with proper planning a spring party can bloom magnificently into a splendid occasion.

Keep decorations subtle and let Mother Nature do the rest with fresh flowers, bright green grass and crisp blue sky.

Coordinate activities with the party theme, including party games and appetizers.

IT'S A DONUT THEMED BRIDAL SHOWER!

Photos by A Beautiful Mess
If there's one thing I love...it's DONUTS!! I absolutely LOVE this super fun donut themed bridal shower that blogger, Elsie of A Beautiful Mess hosted for her future sister-in-law. I love the festive colors and the giant chalkboard she used as a backdrop for the food table filled with descriptive doodles...so creative and fun! For all my followers, click here to save on your donuts-themed bridal shower, or party!

 

 

I HEART VALENTINE'S DAY!

If you're talking about something that's "hot" and "sexy" than you must be talking about our "NEW" Hot Pink Vase Corset...It's the perfect item for Valentine's day or that upcoming Bridal Shower your hosting or just having the girls over for some good catch-up.  Change the ribbon to spice things up or to match your decor.  Whatever the occasion...these Vase Corsets make the perfect centerpiece.