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.

fall into orange.

Orange has always been a tough color for me. I love the vibrant shades and contrast the color brings when paired with the right shades and tones. But when I think of orange and brown together, I immediately revert to the days of Halloween; pumpkins and scarecrows and candy corn [oh my!].

So is it possible to pair brown and orange together without making the palette so... Hallow?

Sarah Dennis, author of Toast and Tables, shows us how:

"For a warm and cozy look, pair rich orange elements and accessories with textiles
in varying shades of chocolate and espresso... A subtle range of nature infuses this scene with tranquility. Accent with elements from nature, such as pumpkins, to enhance the organic theme."

And she's so right. Judging by these pictures, I'd say orange and brown go swimmingly together. I think I've found my new favorite fall palette!

Thanks, Sarah!

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

Let's Go to the Hop...

Hands down, the BEST barbeque I've ever been to was an old college friend's summer BBQ. It was a hot and stick night in August and the food choices were limited to burgers, chips and Colas. The music was too loud, the heat was unbearable.

And that's exactly how my friends had wanted it.

See, this was a 50's diner party. A chance to gather with friends and cheap food, dancing to oldies and singing WAY off key. The planning was a piece of cake, thanks to Plum Party. My friends ordered the supplies, cooked some burgers and the atmosphere was set: an instant hit.

I learned that night that the best parties create an atmosphere of memories. We all (ok some of us) remember the 50's, or at least we've seen Back to the Future. So when we walked out to a decked out backyard with jukebox music playing, we knew exactly what to expect.

There wasn't a wallflower to be found. Whether it was the sockhop or the handjive, everyone contributed to our recollection of a time that we thought had been lost forever.

The best part? The root beer floats were TO DIE FOR.

A "Progressive" Halloween

Adults often get left behind at Halloween since they have to stay at home manning the door and doling out candy for all the little trick-o-treaters in the neighborhood.  If your neighborhood has few children or if you live in the city center, or in a condominium or townhouse complex,  you might not see many costumed children.  But Halloween is not over for you!  I suggest gathering some friends that live in your neighborhood or building and have a Progressive Halloween Dinner Party.

What you need is at least 3 homes within walking distance of each other and hosts with imagination - that's all!  Each host is assigned one course of the evening's meal and each house is to host the group for that course. Of course, costumes and decorations are mandatory!  Invitations should be sent in advance and can be designed like a menu with the location of each hosts house and any activities planned. One evening I heard about included 5 locations with the first serving cocktails and appetizers, the second serving soup and salad, the third was the main course and the fourth had coffee and dessert.  The fifth location hosted games and activities and was...

A few tips to help the evening run smoothly:

- Discuss with the hosts the number of guests invited and the timing of each course.  It is important that the whole group not spend too much time at one or two houses in order to allow enough time to enjoy each location.

- People can discuss their decorations and food with each other, or you can insist all ideas be kept a secret to ensure a big surprise at each stop.

- Choose locations that are no more than a 10 minute walk away from each other and encourage walking from house to house as people may be drinking and this lessens the need for a designated driver.

Some ideas include the use of candles and carved pumpkins for spooky lighting, using hay bales as seats in the back yard, tombstones and coffins for tables, costume contests and monster movie trivia games to keep people in the mood, even loot bags decorated with Halloween characters for everyone to take home...the list is endless.

Remember, nothing is too over-the-top for Halloween!  Using fog machines, "live" scarecrows and grim reapers as escorts, bubbling punch bowls, creepy music and outlandish costumes will only liven up the night and make this Halloween dinner party unforgettable!

Photos courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Kuler Your Party

For both the color obsessed and the color challenged, Adobe Labs has developed a web-based color wheel community called kuler. Designed to compliment the Adobe Creative Suite, it offers a public forum to cultivate and swap color schemes. The easy to use program is self-explanatory. Browse designs by Newest, Highest Rated, or Most Popular.

Click “Create” on the homepage to make your own. If you have a few colors in mind, but don’t know how to organize them, try creating a scheme according the one of the Rules provided. Analogous provides similar colors, Monochromatic will give you colors in the same family but in different hues, Triad will give you three harmonizing color families.

Complementary will provide you with opposites, while Compound will serve up opposites and similar but not-quite-opposites. Shades looks much like the paint sample strip you might pick up at the home improvement store, showcasing the same color in various tints. With any of these selected, you can change the location of flags on the color wheel, or move the spindles on the color levels below each color block to change your scheme, much like any Color Picker available in Desktop Publishing Programs and Adobe Software.
The Custom option is where you can make a truly unique scheme. If you discover something fantastic, save it MyKuler, the area designed for your own color schemes. If you’re especially fond of your scheme, and want to share it with the world, publish it, so site browsers can find your distinctive palate. I’ve used this site for several projects, and I’m always thrilled with the results.

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.

Animal Ambassadors

The next kid's birthday party you host could be an unusual, fun and educational experience for your guests! Instead of a clown or bounce house, consider inviting friends and family to party with unusual animals and have some edu-tainment!

Look to see if your area has an animal rescue program - these facilities often offer tours or visits or will send out wildlife presenters who bring mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and bugs for an up close and personal look. These rescue facilities try to rehabilitate the animals to go back to the wild, but sometimes the animal cannot be released successfully. If so, they then become an animal ambassador - if they possess the right temperament to travel, be around people and so forth. Presenters often have degrees in biology or wildlife education and have a lot of experience talking about animals in an interactive and fun way. Kids (and adults) learn about where the animals are from, what they eat, their favorite things to do, and the special ways they live their lives. Through the animals, a new appreciation for the natural world is fostered.

Planning:

-- This is a great idea for kids ages 3 and up (depending on the maturity of the kids.)

-- Ask if the organization is fully permitted, licensed and liability insured. 

-- Plan to donate to the organization- some donations are 100% tax deductible. What other birthday items are?!

-- Provide arriving presenters a close parking or unloading space and let them know about any stairs or difficult access.

-- Ask them how many kids can be present and how much total space the presenters will need.

-- People wrangling is important: withhold snacks for the kids during the presentation, and make sure that kids know to have indoor voices and to “stay on their bottoms” during the presentation unless invited up to be with the presenter.

-- Ask the presenters what their ground rules are so that you are prepared to help the kids comply.

-- Ask presenters if they can bring at least one "touch" animal. The highlight of our party was when the kids got to touch an armadillo!!!  

-- Plenty of adults should accompany children guests for the supervision and safety of the children and the animals.

-- Afterwards, all the children (and adults) should clean their hands with antibacterial hand soap or wipes.

If you want something different and special... and definately memorable - you can emphasize having fun while learning at the same time by inviting animal ambassadors to your kid's party! It is a great way to go!

Father's Day Builder's Party

Keeping kids engaged in Father's Day activities that suit Dad is a tough one sometimes. Teaching kids to be generous and patient about what is fun for someone else is a good thing, but sometimes you can hit everyone's interest equally - and that makes for a great experience.

Enter the Father's Day Builder's Party.

Most people would relegate Legos to only a children's birthday party, but if your man likes to have time with his kids, this might work well for you as a Father's Day celebration. I observed that my man loves to do Legos with the kids but seldom has the time to really devote to building something cool with them from start to finish. This Father's Day plan gives him ample time and space to bond with the kids and it engages the kids and dad fully with a simple, at home celebration.

Decorate in Lego colors.

Get all new Legos to have around according to age levels.

Create a Lego cake. Make a simple rectangular cake and "glue" 8 small cupcakes on top with frosting- then frost the entire cake a bright color.

Centerpiece idea: have your kids build a lego creation of their choice in secret according to their skill level. Display it on the table.

Look for Lego brick candy to use for favor bags.

The Lego website has great things- tees, lots of incidental items- and these ice cube trays- how fun is this:

They offer coasters for your beverages, melamine plates, tumblers and more on the Lego website under the Household Accessories section. The Coloring Packs under the stationery section that will keep the kids busy on their own for a few minutes so mom can give dad a smooch. Look at the Outdoor Play section of the Lego website if you'd like to send them outside with some toys for a while.

If you want to do something gross for a joke (my family is BIG into gross... sometimes this is VERY unfortunate!) in secret take a can of Spam and carve it into a Lego block. Announce that you are bringing out the "Main Course" and present your Lego spam block. If your family does not like Spam (mine does not!) then be prepared to follow up with a favorite meal.

My man loves to have time with the kids, and the kids love this too. And that makes for a great and memorable Father's Day!

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.