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Tyler Florence Makes the Ultimate Dinner

partysugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:06:56 -0700

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Come Party With Me: Luau Dinner For 8 - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 07:11:31 -0700

I've been planning so many large bashes these past few weeks, that I decided to do something a little more intimate this week. Dinner parties are my favorite kind of party and they are even easier to host when you have a theme to plan everything around. There is no better theme for summer than a fabulous tropical soirée! Bright flowers, plush textures, soothing waves, and cool cocktails bring you and seven close friends together for a tasty dinner. This party can be held anywhere from a deck with an view of the Pacific, to a teeny apartment with no balcony, just adapt the theme to fit your needs. To get things started, I'm making a gorgeous invitation that will get guests in the mood the second it arrives in the mail. To see step by step instructions on how to make this invite, read more

To make an invitation similar to the one seen here you will need:

computer & printer
scissors
glue stick
envelope
orange cardstock
a fun Hawaiian image
printed or cut out images of tropical flowers (I found mine doing a google image search for tropical flowers, but get creative - you could even find them in a travel magazine!)

To assemble:

Start by dragging the fun Hawaiian cartoon image into a new Word document. Insert a text box as a border and change the color and size of the line to match your image. Write out the details of the dinner in a creative formation around the image. I used Papyrus in size 14 Bold to write:

Grab your leis and join me for a luau themed dinner!
Saturday, August 10, 2007
7:30 pm

PartySugar’s House
-San Francisco
415.555.5555

Tropical attire requested please

Print out a test copy and when satisfied cut down to size.

Mount on cardstock with the glue stick.

Glue your favorite flower image on the back of the invite.

Cut the invite down to size and set aside.

To make the envelope cut out a bunch of tropical flower images.

Glue to the envelope in a creative collage style until the entire envelope (including the inside) is covered in a tropical flower collage and cut down to shape of the envelope.

Write the name and address of each guest on a white sticky label and place on the back of the invite and send.

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No Fail Impromptu Party Menu

partysugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:01:38 -0700

I ended up throwing an impromptu dinner party last Wednesday. Instead of panicking, I took a deep breath, came up with an easy, manageable menu, and wrote out a grocery list. If you ever find yourself on the hosting end of an impromptu dinner party, be sure to check out my no fail planning tips.

For appetizers make one dip (I made a quick Sun Dried Tomato Dip that involved no chopping) and round it out with store bought goodies. Bowls of burst-in-your-mouth blueberries, salty black olives, crispy flatbread, and buttery french bread crisps can be plated in a matter of minutes. Chunk a few pieces of smoked gouda or other cheese and slice up some salami.

Choose a menu that is quick, easy and meat-free in case any vegetarians unexpectedly show up. Fresh Basil Pesto with pasta and a Green Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette is a simple meal that can be put together in under an hour.
For dessert, have everyone help out and make ice cream sandwiches.
Ask your guests to bring a bottle or two of wine.

What do you cook for your last-minute dinner parties?? Share your menus with me below!

To take a look at a gallery of images from my middle-of-the-week dinner, read more

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Passover Pics

partysugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:58:49 -0700

Although I wasn't lucky enough to attend this Seder dinner that one of GeekSugar's friend's hosted on Monday night to celebrate Passover, I was ecstatic when she sent me the beautiful pictures. Isn't the table setting absolutely gorgeous?? I love the alluring gold plates and the Moroccan inspired glasses. Do you have elegant table scape or cool centerpiece photos from your last party? Share them with me in my Super Special Occasions group on TeamSugar. I regularly post my party pics and would love to see what amazing looks you are putting together at your own events.

To check out the rest of the images from the Seder dinner join the Super Special Occasions group or read more.

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