Create My Event - Event & Party Ideas Blog

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!

A Modern Luau

When you hear of a "Hawaiian Luau Party" images of fruit punch, hula skirts and colorful plastic flower lei's probably come to mind. However, a traditional Hawaiian luau couldn't be further from the truth. Culturally luau's are a large part of Hawaiian culture and entertaining is an essential part of life. Even if you aren't in the tropics, throwing a modern luau today doesn’t have to mean kitschy. Here are my tips for creating a more authentic, and infinetly more modern, Hawaiian Luau.

DECOR:
For the table décor, focus on clean, organic lines with a lot of natural elements and just a few tropical ones. Keep the floral print to one aspect of the table, we chose to highlight a colorful floral tablecloth and balance that out by using many wood elements and limiting the use of color. Instead of floral centerpieces, we chose to use two large Monstera leafs in a simple wood bowl. Other beautiful floral options include orchids, birds of paradise and red ginger flowers. Clear votives with white candles were placed on wooden trays and set along the table.

For the place settings; simple, off-white ceramic plates were placed on top of a woven grass charger. Sleek modern silverware and stemless wine glasses complete our place setting. Little wood salt and pepper cellars with matching spoons hold the Hawaiian red sea salt and organic pepper. We placed a real leaf on top of each plate and wrapped them around the menus to give the entire setting a splash of natural color. For our guest favors a tin of authentic red Hawaiian sea salt was placed at each setting.

MENU:
Pacific Rim inspired cuisine is not only an accurate, but upscale menu choice for your party. Start with a refreshing Edamame Mint Salad followed by Cedar-Planked Teriyaki Salmon and Pork and Pineapple Kebabs. For dessert, try a Banana Vanilla Haupia Pudding.

Thanks for having us guest post today Create Your Event! See more at Modern Living Hawaii.

5 senses of entertaining

It's summertime.  A time for outdoor barbecues, pool parties and soaking up the sun with friends and family.  I can picture it now...women sipping wine, little kids running and playing, men chatting by the grill.  These get togethers are fun, a great time to see friends, and even make the heat manageable.    

If you are hosting one of these events during this season of the sun, think about what will make your event shine and stand out from other parties.  The following gives you a structure to put in place every time you entertain and will certainly make your upcoming summer party a great event. 

I believe to make an event memorable, it needs to appeal to all Five Senses. When plan your event based on these senses, your party will definitely be one that will be different from the rest…

Sight

As soon as your guests walk through your front door or garden gate, set their sights on beautiful things. Fresh flowers, lit candles, or a beautifully set table create a welcome that captures more than a glance.

Sound

Whether guests hear ambient music, birds singing, or water falling, sound is an essential component of a successful party. It helps to set the mood, the pace, and the overall feeling of the celebration. No matter if you're hosting a backyard barbecue or a cocktail party, think about the atmosphere you desire and work to achieve that feeling through sound.

Smell

Smell has the power to remind us of our childhood, a moment in time, or a particular person. It has such a strong connection with our emotions, but is often ignored when planning an event.

Some easy and fairly inexpensive ways to create a wonderful smell that fits the occasion are through candles. Buy a candle that has been infused with the aroma that will delight your guests' noses. Fresh flowers are also a great way to fill the space with clean scents. Timing when you bake your dessert or hot appetizer also helps to create great smells when guests arrive.

Touch

Entice your guests to not only study your table and party decorations, but also make the party accessories either interesting or playful enough for guests to want to pick the items up. For instance, display photos of the guest of honor or strategically place memorabilia or items that enhance your theme all around your event space.

An unexpected way to appeal to your guests' touch is to send them home with a favor, a momento to thank them for coming.  Ideas include homemade lemonade in unique jars,  chocolate-dipped strawberries wrapped in cello bags, or a favorite recipe written on a pretty card.  Whatever compliments the event is a nice and gracious way to appeal to touch.   

Taste

Some may argue that food is the most important factor to a successful party. I would say that I agree. That is why I rely heavily on some key cookbooks to help me delight my guests' appetites. The Joy of Cooking and the Best New Recipe are some of my all-time favorite cookbooks. Generally, the recipes are easy and turn out wonderful, giving the perception that I know what I am doing in the kitchen.

By following the five senses rule every time you entertain, you will have all the bases covered.  Happy summertime and good luck with your next event! 

Meghann Kopecky

Meghann Kopecky is a new guest blogger for createmyevent.com.  She is also the President/Design Director of Urbanity, a company specializing in invitations, announcements and personal stationery. Urbanity inspires the connection of friends, family and new acquaintances through fun invitations, unique thank you notes, special announcements, or fresh entertaining ideas . Let the celebration begin.

Poster Programs and Invitations

For your next soiree why not design an invitation poster style?

photo by David Willems

Inspired by a Martha Stewart Weddings feature on unique wedding essentials, I asked a close designer friend to throw together a hip program for my wedding. I requested a jpg of a motif from my wedding invitation suite (it's a cute taxi cab image perfect for my NYC theme wedding) and together with a personalized monogram a hip poster program was created for a unique way to give my guests details about my wedding ceremony.

For your next event or for your wedding, create a gorgeous and one-of-a-kind look by thinking big - step out of your ordinary stock-card frame of mind and think 11X17!

photo by David Willems

Finish the look by folding your poster into thirds the long way and again in thirds until you have a small rectangle. Wrap it up with a ribbon and monogram sticker or use a colorful strip of paper featuring a personalized monogram like I did.

photo by David Willems

For more ideas please check out Modern Vintage and enjoy my latest Wedding special week-long feature.

Is that Edible?

Last week, I attended New York Magazine's Wedding event and the slew of participating caterers like Crave Catering + Events, R Cano Events and Sterling Affair put together fabulously inspiring presentations of treats and food so beautiful you wonder if they're edible!

For your next event, follow suit and forgo the normal cake and tea stand display. Instead,  "landscape" your buffet setup by blending your floral arrangement with hors d'oeuvres and sweets.  Use "natural resources" like banana leaves, a planter with some cut grass and nature-mimicking food items, like large sugar crystals that Crave Catering used to display their sugar-apples on.

For more on other inspirational wedding and party ideas I gathered from this event, please check out Modern Vintage Designs.

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.

Holiday Teacher Gifts

Gifts during the holidays are tricky, especially if you are on a budget.  Yet, we inevitably try to please everyone and everyone includes your children's teachers (co-workers, the mailman, etc.).  You, as the giver, want to say an extra special thanks for all that the teacher does during the school year with your child.  Or, if it happens to be the school bus driver, the baby-sitter, your secretary or co-workers, it's always nice to give a "Thanks for doing a great job" or simply, "Have a safe and Happy Holiday!" gift that displays this gesture but is not over the top or inappropriate.

I thought of this post after talking with my sister, a middle-school teacher herself, about the types of gifts she gets from her students at Christmastime.  Do not misunderstand - teachers love getting gifts and the gesture is welcomed and appreciated!  Sometimes, though, there are items that provoke a few laughs or a quizzical look/thought. 

Some guidelines:

Chocolate - This is a universal theme enjoyed by everyone.  During the holidays there are always many boxes of chocolates and treats floating around and although a few are a sweet indulgence, too many are a stomach ache.  My sister once received 15 boxes of chocolates from the kids in her class and so the rest of our family got, you guessed it, boxes of chocolate on Christmas morning!  If you would like to give chocolate, pick 3 or four handmade truffles and package them in an ornamental box or create an assortment of single serving gourmet hot chocolates.  Small gestures with big taste!

Candles - Candles are pretty and very seasonal with all of the cozy nights people spend relaxing with family.  If you have found a wonderful, eco-friendly and naturally scented column candle that is in a neutral color and could go with almost any decor (or something along those lines), please give.  But be careful when you are tempted to buy candles in bulk or candles with very strong scents or colors or in odd shapes and figures. If you would not use it as a center piece at a family dinner or as part of your seasonal decor, then chances are the teacher would not either ;)

Christmas themed decorations/goodies - In general this seems like a good idea, because it's the Holiday Season!  But, as a caution, if you wouldn't use the Rudolph the Reindeer themed napkins or the Disney Christmas tree ornament, it's likely your child's teacher might just pack it away, or give it to their Great Aunt Mabel.

Wine and Spirits - My sister thinks getting a bottle of wine or a little assortment of liquors is wonderful.  She says that after long days with the kids, and sometimes long nights with parents at Parent-Teacher interviews, she NEEDS a glass or two.  You do not have to choose an expensive bottle of wine to make a generous gesture and many stores do carry half bottles that are also good gifts for those on a budget.  Also, attaching a recipe for Mulled Wine or Hot Buttered Rum to the bottle you are giving adds a personal and seasonal touch.

Other ideas - Homemade cookies (made by the children themselves so Mom gets a little break), muffins, granola, goodie bags of old fashioned Holiday candies, or even gift certificates for a spa service, a favorite music or movie store or a gourmet food shop.

If these ideas don't work for you, remember, there's nothing wrong with giving an elegant card with a heartfelt Holiday greeting and your child's signature.

Happy Holiday Gift Giving!

Recipes courtesy of the LCBO, pictures courtesy of Martha Stewart and The Wine Enthusiast

The Local Hive

Always buy honey locally.  Honey carries bits and pieces of pollen from the surrounding area and can be very effective as an immune system builder.  With allergy season in full swing- take a teaspoon in your tea everyday. Plus it's sweet to support local farmers and native bees.

Image courtesy of lLOccitane.  By Kate Sinclair of Life in Style.

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

Music For Public Events

Picture - String Planet. They are a great concert band to work with and professional for any event or festival. Check them out at www.stringplanet.com! Photo credit - Jeanie Cunningham. The following story DOES NOT relate to String Planet, this is just a plug for these great musicians...

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I had an interesting situation arise the other day involving a non-profit fund raiser. There were plans for music at this event, both live performance and CD sales – by one of the non-profit's members - with CD sales as a part of fund-raising.

I am only marginally involved in project, so it was very late in the game when I finally became aware of the plans for music. I noticed that there were three kinds of music involved with the event - self-composed, public domain and copyrighted music.

I was fairly certain that the musician did not have a performance license and/or recording rights for the copyrighted music, because they are merely a well-meaning member of this organization and a hobbyist musician, not a professional musician. There were several indications that the copyrighted music was not covered legally.

Music gets used a lot in events both as signature moments and background. Music sets the mood and emphasizes a vibe at events. But event planners need to understand that music at events is, legally, considered a public performance of the work. Don't let the word performance throw you- here the word performance can be either live performance or played on transistor radio – it is the aural reception of music.

If it is music in public domain or self-authored, there is no issue. If it is copyrighted music- which most music nowadays is... then you are at risk for lawsuits and fines. The most famous case of this is the “Happy Birthday” song. A quick trip to Google will tell the tale: “The version as we know it was copyrighted in 1935...The company holding the copyright was purchased by Warner Chappell in 1990 for $15 million, with the value of "Happy Birthday" estimated at $5 million...Warner claims that unauthorized public performances of the song are technically illegal unless royalties are paid to them.”

ASCAP and BMI are initiating lawsuits in record numbers. People in the industry must be aware of this, and plan accordingly.

The definition of performing copyrighted music that is at issue includes playing music "any place where people gather," with the exception of small private groups. As long as it's played outside a direct circle of friends and family, it is considered a public performance. Music may be played through radio, television, CD or cassette player, computer, etc. or performed live. Party planners should also be asking their DJs about their performance license - because they absolutely should have one. It can put your organization at risk if they do not.

Back to my little non-profit's saga. Unfortunately, people associated with this fund raiser were not even aware of the potential concern. When it was brought to their attention, they mistakenly thought that the musician should be solely liable in the event that someone reported the infringement. This is not so. In the case of fines – which can be several grand per infringement- they will go after the organization that was planning the event. Whether you agree with this or it makes sense- it does not matter. And it does not matter that it is a fund raiser to help a little itsy-bitsy nonprofit. It would be a public embarrassment. Organizations like this need to be “above the letter of the law” and highly professional in order to keep credibility when they solicit support. Donors expect that.

Event planners need to protect the institutions and individuals that they work for. You should be reasonably aware of liability concerns for your client, because they probably have no idea. ALWAYS ask if the musician or DJ has performance license and/or recording rights for the music that they are presenting or selling. Always advise your client of the letter-of-the-law. If they chose to ignore you, you have given them fair indication of any risks they incur.

If you are a constant provider of musical entertainment, you should know of ASCAP and BMI and if you are an organization that requires a contract.

My suggestion for my little non- profit, which was well received, is that the music performed and sold at this fund raiser be limited to the musician's self-composed music.

Perhaps one of the byproducts of this litigation happy music industry will be that local grassroots musicians will have more opportunities for their original works to be performed as opposed to being begged to perform only covers of popular songs.