Create My Event - Event & Party Ideas Blog

Herbalicious Spring Party

We had an exceptionally mild winter here on Long Island and almost all my herbs, with the exception of basil, survived. That gave me an idea for my next bash. How about a herb-themed party?

I will decorate the table with small pots of different herbs: marjoram, oregano, thyme and sage, and tuck a few springs of lavender into the napkin rings.

Make name tags from brown paper and twine or buy these Garden Delight Gift Tags from etsy to tie around pretty jars of herbs that the guests can take home later as a memento of the evening.

Serve

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic; finely chopped
2 cups parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon basil, thyme, sage, oregano
4 tablespoons oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

Blend herbs and garlic in a food processor or blender until they form paste. Add the oil, a little at a time, and mix well. Add the lemon juice, and season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

and Lavender-Honey Ice Cream

with Mint Juleps or Mojitos to drink:

Mojito
Ingredients:
2 parts white rum
1 part fresh lime juice
10 mint leaves
4 teaspoons sugar or 2 tablespoons simple syrup
Club soda
Spring of mint

Muddle mint and sugar in highball glass, add everything else except club soda. Fill glass with crushed ice, add club soda. Garnish with sprig of mint.

The house should smell wonderful, too.

Blackboard Tags

Run, don't walk, to your local Pottery Barn! On sale now for $12.99, these mini chalkboard tags come in a set of six, chalk included. Available only in stores, grab a bunch of these sets and use them at your next dinner party. Hang them of wine bottles to let your guests know something about the wine your serving. Tie them around silverware and put your guests' names on the tag for a chic way to assign seats.

Go the extra mile and add more chalkboard details with chalkboard paint. For a shower, play a game of Jeopardy! Paint small 5X7 heavy paper boards (frame them in something pretty if you want - sans glass cover of course) and let guests use them to write out their answers.

For more chalkboard chic ideas, check out Modern Vintage.

Getting To Know You

Moving to a new neighborhood, means making new friends. I had clients who recently moved, that loved to throw parties. They wanted to know the best way to get to know all of their neighbors.  Fortunately, all of their neighbors had moved from other states and were in the same boat. Everyone was in need of an icebreaker.  Solution to the problem…”A Backyard Soirée”.  The backyard was converted to a cocktail setting with Japanese lanterns and fiery colored linens. There were two conditions given to the invited neighbors 1) was for them to bring their favorite libations and 2) was for them to pick a number out of a fishbowl that corresponded to where they would be seated.  Unbeknownst to the invited guests, the place seating was not in numerical order thus everyone sat next to someone with whom they were not familiar. The couples were seated across from each other as opposed to beside each other. Thus, the “getting to know you” factor was built in to the soirée.   The event was catered and the menu consists of:  shrimp cocktail, grilled vegetable salad, tomato mozzarella caprese, grilled filet mignon and chicken cordon bleu, and petite patisserie.

                                                                                                                                

            

It definitely turned out to be a beautiful evening; the neighbors have gotten to know each other, have become friends and look forward to the Annual Backyard Soirée.

The moral to the story; when in need of an icebreaker in the summer, a Backyard Soirée always fits the bill.

Lynette Barkley is Chief Events Officer (CEO) of  e² (elegant events), a Full-Service Event Production Boutique that produces spectacular events from Corporate to Weddings/Receptions

to Private Soirees. She can be reached via telephone at 410.428.6076 or online at www.e2events.net.

e²events...making Your Event Spectacular! *

When you care enough to hit send...

There are brilliant people over Some E Cards who have tapped a genuine hole in the market with their hilarious and comprehensive collection of unexpected e-cards.  If you fear being seen as a Kathy comic loving Hallmark-er, you will welcome a new generation of intelligent, dry, "what I'm really thinking" e-greetings that are worthy of your smart friends.  Browse through their enormous canon of situational cards over your morning coffee and you'll find yourself smirking happily all day long. 

By Kate Sinclair of Life In Style.

Cupcake Crawl

   

 

Our country's current cupcake craze shows no sign of slowing down - from New York's classic Magnolia Bakery  to Vegas's hard-to-beat Cupcakery and on to L.A.'s enterprising Sprinkles.  Recently, a friend in Brooklyn reported that she was partaking in a Cupcake Crawl across Manhattan. What better way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon than collecting your best girls for a sampling of the local bakery's finest?   One for me...one for the box...one for me...  Forget the coffee date.  Bring on the Cupcake Crawl. 

by Kate Sinclair of Life In Style.

Custom Kleenex

Calling all allergy sufferers, wedding criers, and creative minds.  If you can believe it, there is an innovative and totally personal way to keep Kleenex handy.  Who wants a generic Kleenex box taking up visual space when you can opt for a custom conversation starter like this?  For $4.99 each, you can add your own photo, logo, or artwork. It's perfect for the powder room at a wedding or seasonally for the holidays.  Hilarious.  Check it out at www.mykleenextissue.com. 

by Kate Sinclair of Life In Style.

Cool Drinks for a Hot Summer

Even here in beautiful Southern California, it can get hot in the summer. But yet, summer is the best time to be outside enjoying the beautiful sun and blue skies. One of the best ways to keep cool this time of year is to have one of these amazing drinks in-hand or close by.

ITALIAN LEMONADE:
2 cups lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons
2 cups Basil Simple Syrup, recipe follows
2 cups cold or sparkling water
Ice
Lemon twists, for garnish

Mix lemon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and water together in a pitcher. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour over ice filled glasses and garnish with a lemon twist. Basil Simple Syrup:
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

In a saucepan combine basil, sugar, and water and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes. Cool, strain the simple syrup, and store in the refrigerator.

MINT ICED TEA:
1 quart water
4 family size tea bags (recommended: Luzzienne)
2 cups sugar
1 bunch mint leaves
1 lemon, slices for garnish

In a large pot bring the water to a boil. Remove pot from heat, add the tea bags, cover with a lid, and allow tea to steep in water for 20 minutes. Take a 1 gallon jug and pour the sugar into the jug and cover with some hot tap water. Stir the sugar around to dissolve while the tea is steeping. Once the tea has steeped, remove the lid and the tea bags. Pour the tea into the jug with the sugar, stir, and place the tea bags back into the jug. Stir the tea well, making sure the sugar dissolves. Fill the jug with cold water to yield 1 gallon.

To serve, pour each glass of tea and garnish with a slice of lemon and mint leaves.

ORANGE CREAMEZCAL (alcoholic):
4 small scoops vanilla ice cream, about 2/3 cup
1 ounce mezcal
6 ounces orange soda, chilled

Drop the ice cream scoop into a chilled soda glass. Pour the mescal over the ice cream, and then the orange soda. Serve.

SUMMER WATERMELON SITUATION (alcoholic):
8 cups diced watermelon (about 1/2 of a small watermelon), plus slices for garnish
8 ounces lemon vodka, chilled
7 ounces simple syrup, recipe follows
1 (17.5-ounce) can coconut juice
1 lemon

Chill watermelon in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve very cold in a chilled glass, and garnish with watermelon or lemon slices.

Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. (Alternatively, heat in the microwave.) Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.


Thanks to The Food Network for these yummy drink recipes!

SUMMER ICE CREAM PARTY

An ice cream themed party is always a successful event - people of all ages LOVE ice cream!

PRE - PLANNING:
Is your party simple or elegant or something in-between? Indoor or out? If outdoors, plan for shade (see below for more ideas). If indoors- plan for a mess inside your home! Whether inside or out, keep travel wipes around for quick clean ups.

IDENTIFY YOUR ICE CREAMS:
Ice cream is the “star” of your party. Make homemade if you have a small gathering. For larger groups, determine a nice product to serve. Look for ice cream produced locally – this is a more environmentally sensitive choice to lower your carbon footprint. Select variety for all tastes. Have a non-dairy alternative available, like a sorbet or sherbet.

IMPORTANT- Think through your serving process. Having a bottle-neck while serving can make for a not-so-fun party. How many people you can you serve over a 10 minute time duration? Recruit servers or prepare portions ahead of time to keep the pace moving. Decide if you are serving cones, sundaes, build your own sundaes or something else.

INVITATIONS:
See sendomatic.com's Garden, Flower Pattern, Pink or Ice Cream - depending on your style of decor.

DECORATIONS:
Color palette: use pink, red & white stripes, checks or polka dots- they all scream ice cream! (you could throw in chocolate brown too)

Depending on the budget, include any of the following: tablecloths, tulip sundae, parfait or tall soda glasses, banana boats, long spoons or paper goods. A must: fun ice cream scoops for serving. Ice cream is a good annual theme for a party. Consider investing in materials to build an inventory. You can also rent at party rental supply vendors.

You can order paper “Soda Jerk” hats online- you would be surprised how many gentlemen guests are keen to wear one during your event!

MUSIC IDEAS:
Ragtime (focus on piano), 1950's crooner songs, sock hop, “juke box hits”. If you have guests that really like to chat- consider playing instrumental music only to support and not compete with conversation. Vocals can interfere with conversation.

CENTERPIECE IDEA:
Carnations as ice cream! White pink and red – look like luscious scoops of ice cream! Take small floral vials, fill with water and trim your carnations to fit in ice cream cones or in tulip sundae glasses. If your reception tables are in the shade forgo the floral vials – your carnations will look okay for about 2 hours.

SUMMERIME MEANS YELLOW JACKET PATROL:
Yellow jackets -don't be overly afraid or hate them. But, they can ruin parties with their persistence. And bees are hard to ID sometimes. Remove food sources for them in the area a week before your party. Hang traps that have a pheromone to attract them. Hang traps at the eating area three days before the event, empty and re-hang a bit farther away from the area on the day of your event. Use trash cans that fully close and continually remove finished dishes.

SERVING TIME:
Large tubs of ice cream thaw for 1-6 hours before showtime, small cartons need 5-15 minutes depending on your weather conditions. Do a “dress rehearsal” with one carton in similar conditions the day before to determine thawing time. Use dry ice around your large tubs if you are serving people over an extended time period.

Toppings can be used on cones as well as sundaes. Please plan for mess!!!

WATER:
I don't know why, but ice cream makes people thirsty. Create a pretty water service station with a large glass beverage dispenser. Old-fashioned paper cones for water dispensers add a nice touch.

Margarita Mix-Off!

Every year we have a Margarita Mix-Off at our house to determine which of our friends have the skills to take the gold medal each year.
This is one of those parties where all of our friends call throughout the year to ask 'when's the next party?'

Here's a sure way to have a blast at your next adults only party. Believe me with Tequila, things can get a bit messy, you don't want kids around at this party.
Use Sendomatic.com to find the perfect invitation. A good party has at least 4-6 couples so that there is a good range of margaritas to be made. Instruct each couple to bring fixin's for their best round of Margaritas.
**Don't forget to have your guest RSVP! You need to tell everyone how many margaritas they should be prepared to serve.
What makes this party fun is that presentation is just as important as flavor. Each couple will name their margarita for voting purposes. We enjoyed a great "squeeze my melons" margarita last year, which was a melon flavored margarita served in halves of hollowed honeydew melons. The creative ideas never cease to amaze us so encourage creativity and costumes!

Once your quest arrive, draw numbers to see who goes first, and get mixin!

Each couple takes a turn in the kitchen preparing their margarita while the rest of the guest chat and snack on the patio. After tasting the margarita each person votes individually on taste and presentation separately. (make pre-made voting cards before the party, it's much easier for everyone to use after a few margaritas).
Continue to taste and enjoy everyones creative margaritas. Vote at the end, tally the votes, and declare the best margarita maker in your hood. You can provide a nice prize for both taste and presentation!

You will want to also have on hand:
Lots of water
Lots of food
Taxi cab #'s
and don't forget the camera!

have fun!

Backyard Bashes

It might only be May, but who says it has to be blistering hot to enjoy the outdoors? This would actually be a great time to throw a backyard bash, which can be for really any occasion. I personally will be having at least two in the next month, one for my brother's graduation and one for my parents' housewarming party.

Here are some delicious recipes for any outdoors event!

      

Deviled Eggs
6 eggs, hard boiled, cooled, and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
Hot pepper sauce
Paprika
Salt and pepper
Variation: add 1 teaspoon chopped canned jalapeno peppers
Place the cooked egg yolks in a bowl. Using a fork, work the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, chives, and salt and pepper into the yolks to form a smooth paste. Taste. Place 1/2 of this mixture in a small pastry bag with a large star tip. To the remaining mixture, add the jalapenos and season with Hot pepper sauce. Fill 6 of the egg halves with the basic filling. Fill the pastry bag with the jalapeno filling. Fill the remaining egg white halves. Top with paprika.

Potato Salad
4 potatoes
4 eggs
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 cup sweet relish
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain and chop. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; peel and chop. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, sweet relish, garlic, mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Gently mix together and serve warm.

Baby Back Ribs
2 pounds pork baby back ribs
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil big enough to enclose each portion of ribs. Spray each piece of foil with vegetable cooking spray. Brush the ribs liberally with barbeque sauce and place each portion in its own piece of foil. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Bake ribs wrapped tightly in the foil at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 2 1/2 hours. Remove from foil and add more sauce, if desired.

Whatever foods you make, be sure to check the weather ahead of time, wear plenty of sunscreen, and most of all, enjoy each other's company - which is what any party is all about!