party plan

Well I've just about wrapped up the party plan for julieulie and Scott's engagement party (Julie: you still haven't told me the story of how you got engaged!). The event is being held later in the evening because it's a dessert party where sparkling wine will be poured freely and desserts will be decadently divine. The invitees have rsvped, the desserts - including the couples favorites - have been chosen, the drinks are waiting to be chilled, and the fiesta space is looking decorative. But before I give the green light to this party there is one more thing to worry about: the music! An elegant engagement party that sets the tone of the upcoming wedding must have an equally sophisticated soundtrack. To see my playlist, read more

Calling all brides-to-be! Wedding season has begun on the Sugar Network and I am here to help you plan every aspect of the big day. Wow, there I go again getting super excited and jumping ahead. What happens after you've just gotten engaged? You throw an engagement party! Ok, traditionally someone else will throw the engagement party for you, but it's 2007 and if you want to host it (or are hosting one for someone you know who was recently engaged) you've come to the right place because all week I'll be planning an engagement party. I'm helping lucky reader julieulie plan her big day. She got engaged a few months ago, and plans on getting married in May of 2008. Now is a wonderful time to announce her engagement, with plenty of time to spare before sending out her save the date cards. Your engagement party should be a small intimate affair for the families to get to know each other - if they don't already. Select your guests wisely because all those who attend your engagement party will expect to (and should) be invited to your wedding. To see the easy engagement party invitations I've designed for Julie, read more

This week I am putting together a tea party plan for you to follow when you want to host an afternoon tea sipping soirée. Contrary to popular belief, tea parties can be a great, contemporary way to celebrate the arrival of Spring (or a baby or a marriage). My fingers are crossed in hopes that this Saturday will be a glorious sunshine-y day and that we will be able to sit outside in my courtyard while we drink tea and nibble on finger foods. I invited a small group of girlfriends earlier this week with pretty little floral invites. The buffet will be set with a dazzling array of sweet and savory classic tea snacks and I'll pour several pots of freshly brewed tea as well as offer a green tea martini to those friends who are in the mood for a cocktail. To see how I'm turning my house into a spring haven, creating a lady-like look with lots of fresh flowers and tea inspired accents, read more

Spring has sprung! Well almost - the official first day is this Wednesday, but the weather has been so amazing here in California that it feels like it has already arrived. To celebrate, I'm hosting a tea party this weekend. This isn't going to be stuffy ladies in pastel suits at a formal table with antique china, it's going to be modern, fun, and fabulous. My fingers are crossed that the warm weather will last until Saturday so I can host the tea in my courtyard. I want everything about the party to scream spring, starting with the invitation. The invitation is an integral and essential tone setter for the party, so it should reflect the arrival of spring in the design and color scheme. To see the tea party invite I've made - that you can make too if you follow my step by step instructions - please read more

I've been a wild rover for many of year, and I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer. And now I'm returning with wealth in great store and I never will play the wild rover no more. And it's no nay, never... Yes, I know the lyrics to an Irish drinking song. Ok I confess I know the lyrics to more than one Irish drinking song: when I was little Al, my grandfather, taught me and my sister a whole bunch and we would sing them to our relatives. Tomorrow I'll sing them (with the help of a few beers) to my friends while I celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I've invited them to join me for an Irish inspired dinner followed by a pub crawl. I'm decorating my house with lots of shamrocks and serving green beer. Practically everything is all prepped and it's looking like one fabulous party. I just have to figure out what music will be playing softly in the background while we eat. To see the soundtrack to my dinner, read more

St. Patrick's Day is this Saturday night and I am excited. I love St. Patrick's Day for three simple reasons: (1) I am of Irish descent so I celebrate my heritage. (2) My dad's name is Patrick so I celebrate his Saint's Day. (3) My half birthday is March 16 (the day before St. Patrick's) so I celebrate being a half year older.

I also love St. Patrick's Day because its one of those rare occasions where everyone likes to go out and par-tee! This year it falls on a Saturday night which makes it an opportune moment to host a dinner. I'm going to invite over a group of friends for some food before we all head out to the bars together. I've get less than a week to throw this shenanigan together, so I can't waste another minute - I need to make the invitations. To see how I make my shamrock shaped green invites, read more

Congratulations! You've decided to host your first dinner party. Don't feel overwhelmed, you can do it if you read through my helpful five-step menu planning crash course. Planning ahead of time is key, so make that grocery list days before your scheduled event. Keep the dishes simple and steer clear from complex, multi-stepped meals. Choose beautiful colors and place importance on presentation. For the last of my helpful menu planning hints, read more

This week I'm all about planning the perfect menu. Surprisingly it's not hard to do if you keep in mind a few helpful tips. Presentation is essential; as we eat with our eyes first, so pay attention to the color of the ingredients in your dishes. Don't over use an ingredient or stick to one cooking technique; variety of tastes and textures will only enhance the taste experience. If you are interested in learning more valuable pointers, read more

This week I took the week off. I'm taking a quick and short break from partying so I have time to recover, rest, and rejuvenate. (Don't worry I'll be back in full force in the weeks to come-St. Patrick's Day, wedding ideas, Spring parties, etc.) Even the hardiest of party girls, like myself, need a few days to prepare themselves for a long haul of partying. That's why tonight I'm hosting a different (borderline crazy) kind of party - a party for one guest only: myself! Yes I'm worth a party devoted all to myself and so are you! I've been figuring out the details all week, first I canceled my Friday night plans, next I created a delectable dinner menu of my favorite dishes. Then I went out and bought an expensive mini bottle of Dom Perignon and the supplies to pamper myself with home spa treatments. All I have to do before the fun begins is to decide what soothing music will play in the background. For my playlist and movie ideas (in case you would rather watch a movie instead of listen to music), read more