Party Invitations, Party Planning & Event Ideas

The "Winos" that I Know...

...would go crazy for this! How do you keep up-to-date on the hottest, most delicious recipes and snag the best bottles off the shelf every month? Why you simply join the Cookstr.com team and their brand new "bookclub"! Each month, not only will you receive the cookbook of the month but TWO...thats right TWO bottles (a red and a white) that complement the included recipes will also arrive on your doorstep. If this isn't the perfect inspiration for a monthly get-together, I don't know what is! I could see a monthly girls night of wine and trying new appetizers or even a very special date night once a month where the two of you bookmark your favorites and surprise each other with a dish to devour!

The Perfect Hostess Gift.

 

The perfect Hostess Gift...I LOVE these! Or, for any holiday or event for the person that loves to entertain. Melamine Sea Life Plates by Thomas Paul. Set of 4 - $28. Stock up at 2Modern.com.

Charming Glasses

Guests being able to keep track of their glass at a party spurred the wine accessories industry to provide a solution: wine glass charms. It is likely we all have a set that we have been given as a hostess gift.

NapaStyle has come to the rescue of those who aim to set rather than follow trends, charming mismatched glassware.

Giardino Etched Glasses, $68-98

Venetian - Style Flutes, $68

This And That, $58

Espresso Anyone?

Having a home espresso machine that can dutifully produce espresso drinks for a crowd is often very much appreciated by your guests. And Starbucks has nothing on a custom made latte a loving partner prepares each morning.

Illy has brought to market the latest evolution of the espresso machine with the stylish Francis Francis X7.  Illy seems to have inovated the coffee capsules we have seen for brands such as Nespresso, which I have found to be inferior. X7 promises to allow anyone to make a perfect smooth espresso with a velvety, long-lasting crema. It retails for $399.

Francis Francis may be more stylish and familar but the 'fully automatic" Gaggia Syncrony
is not to be overlooked for quality. This is the model I have at home. It retails for $699.

The new Fancy Flours catalog is here!

I recently received my fall Fancy Flours catalog, and as always, I am fully delighted! They are a fabulous cake and cookie decorating supply site, and you may have just seen them featured during the Martha Stewart's Show's Cupcake Week. They have everything you can imagine, from edible gold leaf and cake jewels to bling out your baked creations to cake stand and cupcake wrappers, like this spider web wrapper.  The catalog is chock-full of Halloween and fall ideas to wow your guests with at your next soiree.  They are offering my blog readers a 15% discount on purchases at their site.  Don't try and fight it, you know you have lots of holiday baking coming up! Not Just A Mommy!

my new favorite things

i stumbled across this website this morning, and i am just loving all this fun, funky melamine stuff!

as the mother of a very energetic and rambunctious almost 4 year old, we like love unbreakables. in my house, i don't get to break out the fine china as much as i'd like to, but we always have nice family dinners at the table every night. however, i always feel like my daughter isn't completely 100% included since she uses different dishes and glasses then my husband and me. i love my every day ceramic dinnerware patterns {i have so many to chose from, i never get tired of them!}, but our daughter has a few boring plain melamine dishes.

i guess my using different dishes always makes me feel a little incomplete. i doubt she cares, but maybe she does. now that i have found french bull melamine i really don't have to worry about excluding anyone. i love this stuff!!!!!

how much do you love this set? it's perfect for you and your kids, but you could even break this stuff out when you have a late summer backyard BBQ as a great alternative to boring, environmentally UN-friendly paper plates.

i just ordered this set to use for a little sweet girl's 5th birthday party. i can't wait to incorporate the pattern {which has served as my inspiration for this "sweet" party} into all the "sweet" design elements we're using for this. how cute will candy and cupcakes look on these adorable plates?

i think this one is my favorite! i love that the bohemian paisley is coming back. my neighbor's 10 year old little girl is such a little fashionista, i just know she is the next SJP, and she has given me her seal of approval on these fabulous plates.

she is having a back to school bash and has requested demanded that absolutely no pencils or apples be included in the decor, so these will be perfect for this little trend-setter.

i also think they'd be perfect for my 'say goodbye to summer' party as well.

and that is what is so great about these sets. you can use them for your kid's parties, your parties, and everyday dishes.

i also ordered this utensil set for myself as well as gifts fr 3 of my great friends. what a great gift to give the chef who has that funky, child-like spirit.

this last one is a bit more elegant. i think these would be perfect for those more grown up outdoor parties. maybe an evening garden cocktail party. i love the weight the pattern gives each plate. i can see my favorite 'fancy cocktail party' recipe!!!

slow-roasted beef tenderloin

1 beef tenderloin, between 5-8 pounds
1 bottle soy sauce
1 bottle worcestershire sauce

use a big ziplock bag and pour both bottles of sauce over the tenderloin in the bag. seal the bag and marinate for at least 24 hours.

slow roast at about 225 degrees until the meat reaches your preferred level of 'done-ness' i am a huge fan of very rare steaks, so i usually take this out when it reaches an internal temperature of about 140.

slice very thin and serve with artisan rolls. put out horseradish, dijon mustard, and an assortment of sliced cheeses for these delicious, gourmet cocktail sandwiches.

send me pictures of what you do with this stuff!!!!

have fun and happy eating!
allison@occasionsandstyle.com

Melemine Trays Perfect for Serving Summer Drinks

Love these trays from Atlier LZC! Elegant and durable. Availible at Bunny Maxwell.

S'mores the really easy way

If you are planning a beach barbecue or campfire at your 4th July celebrations you could make dessert easy with these SmorStix Marshmallow Roasting Sticks from Moose-R-Us.

The 30" long White Birch sticks save having to scour the undergrowth or sand dunes for suitable spears to toast those marshmallows and are even more convenient if you purchase the complete S'mores SmorPak that includes Stix, Marshmallows, Graham Crackers and Chocolate. $21 from Moose-R-Us, campfire not included.

In case there is anyone out there who doesn't know how to make their campfire Smores, you will need per person

1 large marshmallow
2 graham crackers
2 squares chocolate

Place the marshmallow on the stick and toast over campfire until golden brown.
Place the chocolate squares on top of a graham cracker. Place the marshmallow on top of the chocolate. Complete the sandwich with the remaining graham cracker. The heat of the marshmallow will melt the chocolate and result in a crunchy, gooey, irresistible summer treat. Enjoy.

At Your Service

We love to barbecue but by the time we've made several trips from the kitchen to the patio with tableware and food we are usually exhausted. What would make the outdoor eating experience more relaxing? A serving cart, or what my grandmother would have called a Hostess Trolley. Here are three of my favorites:

From Conran USA, this fun and fabulous Luxembourg Bar Cart. In apple green powder-coated steel it has 3 bottle holders and a removable tea-tray top. $650 plus delivery.

If wicker fits your patio decor better this traditional Smith & Hawken Marlton Tea Cart from Target has two deep-sided shelves and costs $189.99 online.

At the luxury end of the market comes this contemporary stainless steel and Ipe wood Modern Outdoor Talt Cart available from 2Modern. It's eco-friendly, low maintenance and manufactured in the USA. Priced at $2,399 as shown, the cart is also available in powder-coated steel and polyboard in various color combinations. Prices start at $1,399.

Napkin Rings

Often underused, napkin rings are a quick way to add decorative flair to the table. They are easy to make just by tying a colored ribbon around each napkin and adding a small flower or some glass beads, but even if you're not the crafty type there are so many different rings for sale you can make your table look unique for only a few dollars. Four of my favorites below: at these prices you could change them out each season, or even each event

Cute zinc Starfish Tied with Nautical Rope. $3.50 each from Crate and Barrel.

Whimsical Feathers and Grosgrain Ribbon. 4 for $20 by decorativeinstincts on etsy.

Stylish laser-cut Wood Veneer Rings by Sarah Finn, in mahogany or maple. 6 for $22 at A+R Store

Quirky Ant Napkin Ring Set, in black or white metal. 4 for $24 at 2modern