Party Invitations, Party Planning & Event Ideas

Delightfully Unique Thanksgiving Ideas

The leaves have changed their colors, the wool sweaters have come out of hibernation, and the sweet smell of cinnamon potpourri permeates throughout the department stores. This can only mean one thing- Thanksgiving's around the corner! Here are a few simple yet unique ideas that are sure to stand out with your guests!

1. Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Recipe

2. Thanksgiving Treat Boxes

3. Pumpkin Pie Cookie

4. Candy Corn Cupcake Recipe

More ideas at Sweet Cuddlecakes 

Thanksgiving Beverages

With the big day just around the corner, some libations are in order. Here are some great cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for all your guests. Not Just a Mommy!

Mocktails

Pilgrim's Punch - recipe courtesy of About.com

Create enough for any sized group by keeping the ratio at 3 parts each grape and cranberry juices and 4 parts water.

3 oz grape juice

3 oz cranberry juice

4 oz cold sparkling water

lemon twist for garnish

Pour the cranberry and grape juice into a highball glass with ice cubes. Add the sparkling water, stir well, garnish with the lemon twist.

Apple-Ginger Sparkler - recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Our all-time favorite drink, I made it last year for a party, and now it's a regular on the party circuit.

1/4 cup ginger syrup (recipe below)

4 1/2 cups sparkling apple cider

6 cinnamon sticks

6 pieces crystallized ginger

Ginger syrup - Allowing the ginger to sit in the syrup, refrigerated, overnight really makes it strong! Then it's perfect. This recipe makes 2 cups.

2 cups sugar

1 six-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, and finely diced

2 cups water

Place sugar, ginger, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook about 1 hour, until ginger flavor is quite strong. Let cool; strain before using. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to a week.

Place 2 tablespoons ginger syrup in each of six glasses. Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour in cider, and stir to combine. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and crystallized ginger and serve.

Cocktails

Gobble-tini - recipe courtesy of CocktailTimes.com

1 1/2 oz Smirnoff cranberry twist vodka

1/4 oz Chambord

1/2 oz cranberry juice

1 tsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with 3 cranberries on stick.

Cranberry Punch - recipe courtesy of CocktailTimes.com

2 cups red wine

1 cup vodka

1/4 cup spiced rum

1/2 cup Ocean Spray Ruby Tangerine Grapefruit Juice Drink, chilled

2 cups Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry Raspberry Cranberry Juice Drink, chilled

1/2 cup green or red grapes, sliced in half

1/4 cup fresh cranberries

1 lemon, lime, orange and apple, each sliced

1 cup sparkling water or club soda

Combine wine, vodka, spiced rum and juices in a punch bowl. Add fruit and chill. Add sparking water just before serving. Makes approximately 10 5-ounce servings.

Apple Cinnamon Toast - recipe courtesy of CocktailTimes.com

1 1/4 oz. Smirnoff Green Apple Twist vodka

1/2 oz. Goldschlager

Dash of Green Apple Jell-O

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with cinnamon. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple slice.

Pumpkin Pie - Recipe courtesy of NYMag.com

2 parts Absolut Vanilla vodka

1 part pumpkin schnapps

Splash of cream (or substitute a splash of orange juice)

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg and cherry.

Test your guest's Thanksgiving Trivia

Instead of letting Uncle Bill talk incessantly about football during Thanksgiving this holiday, ask everyone to participate in a little trivia discussion.  You can gather more information and create more questions at wikipedia.org. 

1. Who celebrated the first recorded Thanksgiving ceremony in 1565?
a. Spaniard settlers
b. British settlers
c. French settlers
d. Canadian settlers

2. Thanksgiving day was originally set aside as a day for______:
a. Plentiful food and drink
b. Celebrating the end of harvest
c. Prayer and fasting
d. Rest and relaxation

3. The First National Proclamation of Thanksgiving was given by the Continental Congress in what year?
a. 1590
b. 1650
c. 1777
d. 1910

4. Which United States President proclaimed a national Thanksgiving holiday to occur on the last Thursday of each November?
a. George Washington
b. John Adams
c. Franklin Roosevelt
d. Abraham Lincoln

5. Turkey has been the staple menu item since the inception of Thanksgiving?
a. True
b. False

Answers: 1.a., 2.c., 3.c., 4.d., 5.a.

It's a fun way to get everyone involved and to get Uncle Bill to talk about something other than the game.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

Best,

Meghann

www.urbanitystudios.com

Fabulous Thanksgiving Tabletops

Stumped on ideas for a dazzling Thanksgiving tabletop?  Here are a few easy and stunning ways to glorify your tabletop.

When I saw this absolutely fab table from cb2, I had to order the bark and orange comma plates, plus, they're on sale! I love the leaves and the runner on the table, so clean and mod, and easily duplicated.

Here are some other great tabletop ideas....what can be simpler than a candle surrounded by dry corn? Line up a set of appetizer plates intriguingly garnished with large sunflower heads. A white-pumpkin shell becomes the vase for a colorful arrangement of roses, daffodils, ranunculuses, and other flora in fall colors. Smaller pumpkins and votive candles in orange-glass holders fill out the centerpiece. This luscious table arrangement of wheat and other dried grasses can be made weeks ahead. A pine cone place card on a bed of leaves. Make a "Thankful Tree” - Insert a branch into a terracotta pot filled with stones or rice. Cut out leaf shapes and have guests write on them what they are thankful for, and hang onto the tree. Use magnolia leaves to create a series of glowing centerpieces with large white pillar candles in glass vases. Use your menu as decor. Set pears, mini pumpkins and other seasonal offerings as place settings, and group bread sticks in drinking glasses. Not Just A Mommy!

Keep the kiddies happy before the feast!

So, whether you are going to have a kid's table at your Thanksgiving feast or if you just have a few kids at the party, it is essential to help keep them entertained.  One idea is to use place mats made from paper that the kids can draw on to their heart's content. 

Here is a place mat that you can Download and use if you would like.  It features a silly turkey and some other fixin's that are traditional during a Thanksgiving dinner.   Just grab some white card stock and print.  The "place mat" measures 8.5 x 11.  All you need now is some crayons and you are ready to go.  This will hopefully keep the little ones focused long enough for you to enjoy your dinner and adult conversation.

Meghann
www.urbanitystudios.com