Create My Event - Event & Party Ideas Blog

The retro dinner party

After coming home from vacation, it's hard to get back into reality and sometimes we need a jolt of fun and energy to keep us going through the winter.  I received a great idea from one of my favorite websites that I just had to share - the Retro Dinner Party.  She Does the City is a funky, fresh, and hip website based on happenings and events in downtown Toronto that I read regularly.  Jen McNeely wrote a great article on how to throw a wildly hilarious Retro Dinner Party and I'm dying to try it out.  Jen is a funny and talented writer so instead of paraphrasing and taking all the fun out of her article, I will direct you to the website for you to discover and enjoy.

I am looking forward to having many dinner parties this winter, as it really is TOO cold to go outside much in January and February in Toronto, so I am looking for more ideas for themed dinner parties.  Does anyone have a recipe, theme, or music play list that is fail-proof in getting your parties started?  A funny story of past dinners with friends?  Let us know!

Tips for Apple Pies

As a citizen of Pennsylvania, one of the largest apple states in the nation, I'm happy to present a few tips for making your apple pie a main attraction at your event this autumn. While it's already difficult to pass up this gooey, cinnamon smothered, comfort food, here's a few resources to make your pie perfect.

1) Combine two different kinds of apples to get the most flavor. Try using tart and sweet apples together. If you can find local apples from a farmer's market, use those for the freshest results. Check this list for apples that do well in your area, or look for flavor combos that are appealing to you: Apple Varieties

2) Avoid apples that get mushy when cooked: MacIntosh and Courtland are two you should steer clear of for baking.

3) Mix just-sliced apples with a tablespoon of lemon juice to keep them from browning till you pour them into the pie.

4) Crust Lattice and edging can be very difficult to make. Try this easy-as-pie method of making faux lattice and edging from Martha Stewart.

5) Try dripping caramel sauce over your finished pie--it's more delicious than you can imagine!

Wee Itsy-Bitsy Halloween

Participating or throwing a Halloween party that include the wee ones? If you want everyone to have fun – you will need to think about your littlest members of your family. Though kids as young as 2 can enjoy dressing up, many a child gets freaked out at Halloween. Grasping what is “pretend” is a much older developmental skill. Here are a few ideas to get ready for the party, see more ideas at my blog-memorablegatherings.blogspot.com

Halloween Prep:
** Take some night-time walks in your neighborhood.
** Light a few candles the week before Halloween.
** Play games with turning lights on and off.
** Try costumes on and play in them.
** Try dressing up Fiddo in a fun costume- these always reveal the pet's face and can help kids start to understand fantasy and costumes... kids so identify with their beloved pets in powerful ways!
** Dress up a teddy bear for the holiday together, so that they can see a costume coming on and off beloved teddy.
** Read some books...non-scary books include:
- Dappled Apples, Froggy’s Halloween, Halloween Cats, Halloween Hats, It’s Pumpkin Time, Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin

Watch some non-scary holiday movies together:
- Monsters Inc., Incredibles, Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Monster Squad, House of Mouse Halloween, Veggie Tales

Throwing the party?
Learn from the experts! You can attend or borrow ideas from hosted kid-friendly Halloween activities. They are good role models about what works well. These can be found at:
** Public Libraries
** Zoos
** Nature Centers
** Botanical Gardens
** Nature Hiking areas
** Pumpkin Patches
** Farms

Other ways to get in the “spirit”? Choose for the first couple years to Trick-or-Treat only at friends and family's houses or attend Harvest Festivals at local churches, where they will know you and adjust for your wee ones.

Party image from: Carolyne Roehm

Best Pumpkin Carving Patterns on the Net

After years of carving goofy, toothy, triangle-eyed pumpkins as a kid, I've carried my love of jack-o-lanterns into adulthood. These days, my love of all things spooky often inspires creepier carvings. But if the internet is any indicator of how many ways a pumpkin can be carved, the possibilities are endless. This list of sites offers tutorials, creative ideas, and printable patterns you can use to recreate styles that range from classic to outrageously hilarious.

Seed of the Zombie Pumpkins! -My favorite Tim Burton inspired patterns! Check out the Rock Gods and the Freakish Freebies Collections. For $2 you gain immediate access to 2 patterns of your choice; paying $5-$20 earns unlimited access to all 138 and entry into a random prize drawing.

Pumpkin Carving 101 -Details every step of the process: choosing your pumpkin, pumpkin carving tools, traditional carving, pattern trace carving, and lighting your jack-o-lantern.
Advice on photographing your creations, growing your own pumpkin patch, and giving your spooky sidekicks a proper burial after they've rotted past their prime.

The Pumpkin Wizard -400 Free patterns as well as a Members Only section.

The Pumpkin Lady -Browse the free patterns section for some great classic pumpkin faces.

Carving Simulator -Not sure how your idea for a carving will turn out? Test it on this free simulator. Hand draw what you'd like to cut out with your mouse. When you're finished, press Done to illuminate your pumpkin for a preview of your carving.

Virtual Jack-O-Lantern -Want to share your spooky spirit with distant friends and family? This simulator allows you to send email greetings to your loved ones.

Extreme Pumpkins -Jack-o-lanterns like you've never seen them before.

Here They Come - Those Notorious Office Parties!

Office and company parties seem to start with Halloween and roll all the way through the New Year. Some of us have to assist with planning early when it is a gala or complex event.

Here are a few often-missed planning questions for those organizing office parties to ensure a smooth, enjoyable event.

Is a daytime or evening party more convenient for attendees?

Are you trying to schedule the party to make sure everyone can attend?

Are you providing lots of non-alcoholic alternatives that are attractive and inticing?

Are you suggesting a level of dress or dress code to assist people in making tasteful choices?

Are you including ways for people to mingle with people from other departments and meet the president, CEO or VPs?

Are you trying to include spouses and significant others and children?

Are you trying to make it comfortable for those who arrive a bit early or on-the-dot?

Do you have an organized time in the schedule to thank those hosting the party?

Are you envisioning an event that reflects well on the company? Included here are issues of appropriate location, alcohol flow and taking your employees' interests seriously.  

Can you provide a babysitting service or kid's activities for the event?

Is there a need to give guidence related to gifts? What's been done in previous years? What kinds of gifts were given, and to whom? How about suggesting a shift in the corporate culture toward making charitable donations?

Here's to the office party season!

Unusual People Have Events Too

Not everyone is traditional. When a non-traditional person starts musing over hosting an event, and when they are not pressured to conform to societal mandates - often something new, insired and exciting can evolve. As an event planner, this can be the most challenging, yet rewarding work there is out there.

Pressure them to conform to the pre-programmed expectations of traditionalists... and you have eliminated the possibility to get something new out into the world.

There are few resources to help non-traditionalists, partly because of the infinate complexity of the subject - and the fact that there is little opportunity for profitability for niche markets. I have located a few resources, and anyone is invited to add to the arsenal. Just send in your comments, and I will be sure to review and post them here.

www.uniquevenues.com hosts basic searchable info on non-traditional venues such as colleges, universities, conference centers, theaters, mansions, dining and entertainment venues, museums and castles among others.

At ethicalweddings.com they boast: ”Local, fair trade, organic, eco-friendly, recycled… these are a few of our favourite things at ethicalweddings.com, a searchable database of ethical wedding services and products which give you the chance to celebrate your wedding the way you want while giving others something to celebrate too.”

Offbeat Bride offers inspiration for the “aisles less traveled.” Author Ariel Meadow Stallings shares her own experiences that of dozens of nontraditional brides. Offbeatbride.com is the companion website for the book, with such unconventional categories as “Wedding Porn”... and it does not hold back. Reoccurring themes are: tattooed brides, red wedding gowns, groomsmen as bandmembers and veil alternatives. Warning: she drops the “f-bomb” on her site a few times.

To quote Ariel … " For me, the scariest part of getting engaged was feeling as if I were suddenly buying into an identity that wasn’t my own. I was having a bridentity crisis. Suddenly I was supposed to care about floral arrangements and classical quartets. Suddenly I was supposed to like poufy white dresses and showing off jewelry. Suddenly I was supposed to buy five-hundred-page glossy magazines and take a strong interest in decorative bows for the backs of rented chairs. I was a bride, but I wasn’t that kind of bride. I didn’t care about any of these things. I just loved my partner, Andreas, and I wanted to have a big party to share that love with our family and friends."

As planners, we can reduce pressure and try to buffer the stress for our client when resistance from family, society and traditional vendors arises. It is rewarding to assist people in realizing something new, something not experienced before, and somehing that truly reflects the wonderful person hosting the event.

SIMPLE HINTS ABOUT FLOWERS FROM THE FLOWER DISTRICT

Pictured: "prairie gentian"

Flower districts or flower marts in large cities are the premier resource for growers, shippers, suppliers, wholesalers, distributors, floral designers, and retail florists. Though primarily a wholesale operation, they are open to the public during certain hours for retail purchases.

This is not your normal shopping experience. Do not expect salesclerks and glamour or overstuffed chairs. It is cold (for the flowers) industrial, busy and intense! But, you can get some spectacular flowers for you party or event for amazing prices.

Bring cash. You'll get better prices. Say "Paying cash, how much?" Don't haggle with people like a shark. Flower people are some of the nicest folks you'll meet.

Be nice. The nicer you are (asking people's names, etc.), the more "flexible" they will be with you.

Go early. There will be no selection left if you are showing up at 9 am. They have likely been going since an ungodly hour like 4 am! The start of your day is the end of their day.

Only touch / pick up flowers that you are strongly considering - excessive and needless handling of flowers can damage their stock. They will observe this and not appreciate you.

Use care. If you pick up a flower and there is water dripping from the stem onto their container of flowers will damage their stock. They will observe this and not appreciate you. Amateur alert!

Gentle examination. If the blossom is closed on a loose petal variety of flower, you can blow one blossom open gently with your breath to see the inside.

To get organized when decorating for an event, make a dress rehearsal run down to the mart to determine parking, growers that you like and seasonal selection the week before your event.

Fortune Cookie Favors

I recently heard about the idea to use personalized fortune cookies as party favors and I thought it was a really fun way to add a personal touch to any kind of party or celebration.  After some investigation, I found there were many companies out there which will make these cookies for you and insert a personalized message.  I looked at Fancy Fortune Cookies and the prices seemed reasonable and the pictures made my sweet tooth ache!  If you were to throw a large party or use these cookies as wedding favors, I think buying bulk cookies and having them made and shipped to you would be the least time consuming choice.  I also thought it would be fun for a dinner party or smaller gathering to make my own cookies and insert original quotes or personalized predictions for each guest.  There are many recipies on-line and in chinese cookbooks you could use, but kitchen novices beware - this could be time consuming and frustrating without the proper tools and loads of patience!

The following recipie is courtesy of Rhonda Parkinson and includes many useful tips on how to make tasty, personalized fortune cookies.

Search the web for jokes, riddles or Cool Quotes that will suit your guests' personalities or sense of humor, then just make sure you give each person the fortune that was created for them!

Good Luck!

Fortune cookies can be tricky to make - it's important to make sure that the cookie batter is spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Instead of using the back of a wooden spoon to spread the batter, it's better to gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth as needed. Wearing cotton gloves makes it easier to handle and shape the hot cookies. This fortune cookie recipe makes about 10 cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons water

PREPARATION:

1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.

2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.

3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture.

4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.

5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter.

6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes).

7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of  a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.

Hospitality Overnight

WHEW! I just had a spate of overnight guests this summer, so I've been thinking about the art of hosting people from out-of-town. Each guest was different and the revolving door presented different joys and challenges. We hosted many kinds of relationships for overnight stays - from intimate to casual. Thinking ahead on this type of hospitality helps to smooth the waters and make the stay more fun for everyone. Otherwise, you are left exhausted!

Deanna Miller wrote on this topic on Nov 3, 06, entitled “Entertaining Out of Towner's” and it was a good write up. I would add these tips:

Provide a spare house key on fun LARGE keyring, so it is more likely to get returned instead of going with your guest back to Seattle! Or, have a place where the key is hidden.

Various amenities that make your guest comfortable:
Fan / space heater so they can “tune” the room
Extra blankets
Bedside lamp/ night light
Clothes hangers
Free drawer space
Ironing board / iron
Hamper / laundry bag
Trash can
Travel size non-scented liquid soap (hypoallergenic)
Guest water bottles
Extra toilet paper – easily located
Basket with snacks & paper napkins

ALMOST MORE IMPORTANT: from an interpersonal standpoint, here are some ways to make the visits more pleasurable:

Leave a welcome note on their pillow.
A handwritten note, mentioning something specific about how you look forward to their visit with you is sure to start your visit right.

Share your itinerary.
Guests may be with you for a myriad of reasons- from purely visiting you, having job interviews, professional conferences, or attending weddings, and so forth. If you, as the host, have scheduled appointments during their visit, tell your guests in advance (you may choose to invite them along.) Ask if they have schedules as well. If you can use a calendar posted in a common area during the visit, this may help with traffic in your home. If you have meals at certain times and want to include your guest, make sure this is clear.

Creature comforts- food.
If you can, extend free grazing to your guests, it will help them feel more comfortable. Give them an orientation to your pantry and fridge. If there are particular items that are off-limits either store them elsewhere, mark them or state clearly that the items are reserved for something special. A guest who eats all the strawberries will be embarrassed when they were to be a feature of tomorrow morning's breakfast! Ask if your guest has any special requirements, and try to provide options if you can.

You may choose to invite them out to dinner at a restaurant, or they may invite you. By convention, it is always the one inviting who pays. A polite protest can be met with the assurance that "You are our guest for dinner."

Creature comforts - pets.
Make sure your guests know it if you have pets. If they are allergic or have phobias, give them a graceful out to make other arrangements. If guests do not care for your animals, etiquette does not require you to exile important members of your household, but you can try to strike a reasonable compromise. Discussing what pets you have and their normal involvement in your lifestyle ahead of time should handle many of these issues.

The phone, TV, video games and the computer.
Figure out what your comfortable with and notify guests up front about what they can use, how much, and under what conditions. Many guests come with phones and laptops, but think about your items and how hospitable you can or cannot be with them. Providing tourist literature for your town and maps in a basket in their room might keep their Internet requirements at a more reasonable level.

Creature comforts- privacy and bedtime.
Some of us are early-to-bed types or are light sleepers. It is fully within your prerogative as a host to mention ahead of time that you have “quiet hours” in your home. You may ask guests to switch to low-key activities after a certain hour to respect the rhythm of your home.

You may want to provide your guest a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign. You may want one for your door too! Just be sure to let your guest know that if they need you that they can wake you.

Your kids, their kids, our kids!
Depending on the age and temperment of the kids, this potentially adds a dynamic that is only for the sophisticated. Many people find this too complex to manage, and if you are one - it is within your rights to give them a graceful out to make other arrangements.

You do not want to scold or babysit your visitor's kids. All of these types of communications are best discussed with the adults and the parent of the child should take responibility and "the lead." Make sure children are briefed on house rules (no running, jumping, or screaming; where snacking is allowed; what's off-limits; when quiet hours/bedtime is) as you give a rundown of what fun things there are to do. If something will upset you if it gets broken - best to put it away safely during the visit.

At best, you can have a slumber party-like atmosphere for the kids, and it will be fun for them.

One thing about hosting people in this way- it has potential for building lasting memories of an intimate nature, memories that cannot come from hotel stays. People are knit into your life in a meaningful and significant way that is uniquely YOU, because it is sharing in a most personal way.

Light of the Party

While it’s easy to spend months designing table decorations, invitations, and scouting out the perfect location for just the right ambience, lighting is something most people overlook when it comes to planning their party. Don’t assume that the lighting provided will be adequate—make sure you observe your location at its darkest if you plan to hold your event at night. Look for walkway lights, floodlights, and lamps that might be available. If it looks like you might need to bring additional light sources, take note of the number of electrical outlets and their locations.

If a dim glow is what you’re after, candles are an obvious choice. Buying them in bulk will save you money. If your location allows it, place them on every curtain free ledge you can find: windowsills, fireplace mantles, down the center of long tables and grouped together at the center of round tables. For a customized look, try wrapping cylindrical candle holders with paper, or collect a variety of glasses, jars, and vases from a thrift store for an eclectic impression.

Electric string lights provide an inexpensive solution, but can look wimpy if you don’t use enough. Don’t be afraid to cover every square inch of the ceiling or the walls instead of draping a few random strings. Here’s a great way to spruce them up a bit, from Real Simple magazine. Cut a small slot into the bottom of a plastic cup and slide it over the bulb of a string light. They’ve used clear plastic in this photo, but white paper, or printed Dixie cups might look nice too.

The difficulty with string lights is how to hide the ugly tangle of plugs that stem from the wall. Try twisting tulle around the string. You can create disguising drapes to cover the excess wire.

Or go wireless with battery operated push lights. Place them under tables with sheer tablecloths for a dramatic effect, or arrange them on the walls in a pattern.

For more of a backdrop, try setting up a slide projector to illuminate a wall near the entrance of your location, with a photo of the birthday girl or boy, the happy couple, or a company logo. An overhead projector might serve the same purpose. If you’re tech savvy, connecting your computer to a big screen TV can create lots of options. Try a slideshow of photos, or use the abstract art visuals of your music software to create the perfect scene for a cocktails or a dance party. You can download lots of different visuals with a quick internet search.

Check out the Martha Stewart website which has some great DIY luminary tutorials, using candles, string lights, jars, lamp oil, and colored vellum. Whether you focus on finding a location with adequate lighting, or opt for DIY charm, don’t keep you guests in the dark.