Create My Event - Event & Party Ideas Blog

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

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.

Parisian Sweets

Here's a dessert that's been around for a while now but has yet to get the attention it deserves. Yes, it's the Macaron! And no, we are not talking shredded coconut here.

These Parisian treats, two domed cakey-cookies sandwiching a sweet gooey filling, are made in a variety of flavor combinations. They can be as traditional as chocolate cake with chocolate ganache or as innovative as  coconut cake with passion fruit jam center. 

Colorful and sweetly charming like cupcakes, Macarons make for great party and wedding dessert. They look chic displayed on tea-stands and precious when packaged as favors.

Order them online at L'Espicerie. If you're in NYC, check out Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center and, if you're in Beverly Hills, stop by Paulette's Macarons.

Hungry for more? Please check out my daily blog, Modern Vintage's posting for more on this delicious treat. (Btw, I am thrilled to be one of Create My Event's guest bloggers! I hope you enjoy this posting and look forward for more to come!)

Customized...everything!

As I was looking for ideas for my own wedding celebration, I came across a company called Zazzle which is a cool company making one-of-a-kind, on demand products for shipment across the country.  They have tons of cool ideas and are able to print your own personal graphics on everything from T-shirts to glasses, to buttons, to cards and stickers.  One thing that caught my eye was the customizable postage stamps they can make using any graphic or picture you send them.  This is a fun, whimsical way to add that extra personal touch to cards and invitations you send to people.  I love the Sealed With A Kiss stamps for Valentine's Day and the Save The Date stamps for a beach wedding, among others.  If you are looking for fun party favors, party props, theme gifts or if you just want something unique for you next celebration, check out this website for ideas galore!

The Perfect Last Minute Gift

Etsy Small World!

I first learned about Etsy from Jesse, a new Kentuckian (sp?) girl by design, of course. Then I was cruising thru my blogosphere this morning and saw a post about the coolest labels, and the link took me straight to Etsy. It's like an e-bay express for cool creative craftspeople, so basically it totally rocks. Here are some things I've uncovered on Etsy that would add that personal touch to anything you have planned.

The top picture is a handmade gift tag from Digital Paperie, I will most likely use this in an upcoming wedding I'm planning, we'll tie them around the necks of the mini-champagne bottles being given as favors.

Above, totally unique wedding invitations and accessories by OhSoSuite.

If you wanna cop the Angelina Jolie gift-giving style, circa Billy Bob, you can surprise (or seduce) that special someone with these little stolen treasures of Parisian cemetery dirt... by aldetha.

Designer Gown Sales Event

 

If your idea of gown shopping doesn’t involve camping outside Filene’s Basement and strangling fellow brides over clearance designer tulle, you’re invited to a classy alternative to the chaos that is the New York City “Running of the Brides.”

In October Brides Magazine is hosting the “Something Pink Gown Sale” in collaboration with the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation. Half charity benefit, half designer gown sale, the event provides two ways to shop for your gown:

1) PREVIEW SALE

Where: 122 West 26th St
           New York, NY 10001

When:  October 4, 2007
           6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Pay $200 for tickets to the Preview Sale, which allows you first dibs on the goods, admission for one shopper and a guest, cocktails, and a swag bag with goodies from Ralph Lauren, Hanky Panky, Godiva, and Target worth $500. You’ll also be entered to win a $4,500 honeymoon to Maui.

2) GENERAL  SALE

     Where: Lotus Space
               122 West 26th St
               New York, NY 10001

When:  October 5 & 6, 2007
           9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Pay $20 for tickets to the General Sale, admitting you and a guest to two hours of shopping.

Proceeds go to the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, and you can purchase your tickets online at www.brides.com/somethingpink.

FOR OTHER CITIES:

You can find their schedule of sales throughout the country by clicking here.

DONATE YOUR GOWN:

“Calling all former brides! On October 4, you can appear live on Good Morning America and help support Breast Cancer Awareness. Brides magazine is teaming up with Good Morning America to kick off a national breast cancer fund-raising campaign that features donated wedding gowns. If you'd like to give your dress to the cause, e-mail donatemydress@bridesmag.com by September 29 for more details.” ~Brides.com

Invitations Go Green!

In trying to make our everyday life more environmentally friendly, we are reading more, investigating more and trying out more tips, ideas and products to help make our lifestyle more eco-friendly.  There are many, many products out there now and my favorite on-line/paper reference greenliving Magazine gives great suggestions for beauty, fashion, home, kids...just about everything!

The latest issue gave a number of 'green' party tips including a eco-friendly source for invitations, Botanical Paperworks.  This company manufactures and prints invites and stationary on handmade-to-order paper and they have many fabulous ideas for invitations, paper party favors and cards.  My favorite is the handmade paper embedded with wildflower seeds which, if planted and given proper water and sunlight, will grow in 6-8 weeks.  Not only is this paper used to make invitations and cards, but reply cards, place cards, hand-bound guest books, thank you cards and wedding/shower/party favors are also available.  They have great ideas for baby showers, graduations, Christmas cards (spruce tree seeds replace the wildflower seeds) wedding showers, garden parties, birthdays, tea parties Easter, and all other celebrations you can think of!  They even sell supplies to make your own paper and can help you to personalize your eco-friendly stationary to fit every occasion.  Long after the event, your guests can remember and enjoy a gift of flowers in their garden or home.  What an elegant way to help the environment!

Photos courtesy of Botanical Paperworks

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.