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Summer Reading: Be My Guest

partysugar — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:01:18 -0700

When I first started hosting parties back in 2002, the glossy themed party planning book, Be My Guest: Theme Party Savoir-Faire by Rena Sindi was on my Christmas list. Luckily my mom always shops by my lists and on December 25th the shiny new book full of fabulous ideas was waiting for me under the tree. In the book, Rena invites readers to come party with her as she chronicles 14 of New York's high society themed parties - ones that she actually staged and planned herself. Not only are the photos of socialites - yes, that is a pre-famous Paris Hilton on the cover - and celebrities gorgeous to look at, but Sindi has plenty of amazing ideas. Similar to my party plans, she provides the details on all the major pieces of a theme party: the dress, invitations, venue, decor, menu, drinks, entertainment, and music. The food recipes - caviar on potato crisps with creme fraiche or goat cheese bundles with spring salad and yellow lentil vinaigrette - are not for novice cooks, but the cocktail recipes - white chocolate martinis or strawberry mojitos - are varied and exciting. Her musical selections are easy to enjoy and pair perfectly with each theme. This book has honestly inspired my career as a party planner!

Have you had a chance to flip through the pages? If so, what did you think?

Don't Lose Your Bottle Opener: Nail It

partysugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:31:18 -0700

I've spent many a wasted minute running around my parties in search of the bottle opener. It always gets lost, carried from one room to another, or absent mindedly pocketed by a guest. To ensure that you don't have to ask two thirds of your guests, have you seen the bottle opener?, hang it near the beer. With a hammer, nail a small nail at eye level above the beer cooler in an easy to spot place. Hang one or two bottle openers for guests to use to open their beer as they drink them.

Happy Hour: Signature Cocktails

partysugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:59:31 -0700

A great way to cut back the costs of a wedding reception is to offer guests wine, beer, champagne, and one signature cocktail instead of a full bar. Signature cocktails have become quite popular within the last few years and more and more couples have decided to create their very own specialty drink. There are several ways to go about creating your big day's cocktail. Start by either choosing a drink color (green, blue, red, clear, etc), a liquor base (vodka, rum, gin, etc), or a cocktail type (frozen, shaken, stirred, etc). Once you have made these decisions, build your drink from there. Like every other aspect of the party, consider the season and style of the event. If you are having a beach bash with orange and hot pink as your accent colors, a raspberry mojito is a great cocktail option.
Change the name to feature your personalities or particular place memorable to you as a couple (the park where you had your first kiss, the restaurant where he proposed, etc). After you've figured out the name and components of the drink, decide the best way to serve the signature. Will bartenders be mixing up fresh batches all night or is it easier for guests to serve themselves out of large pitchers set on the tables? Stay with the tone of your wedding - if it's more formal, waiters passing around the drinks on trays is chic and if it's more informal, large punch bowls on the tables would be fabulous. To help you create your signature cocktail, check out the wedding section at Stirrings - they have cool downloadable, personalized garnish labels. Oh and if you are a fabulous and single (!) girl like me, and are planning a party in the future, why not fashion your very own cocktail? Party-Sugartini anyone?

Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - The Look

partysugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 06:59:51 -0700

While a baby shower is generally held to celebrate the upcoming birth of an unborn child, they are also thrown to shower gifts on the baby. I consider a baby shower to be the child's "first" birthday. Much like a wedding, guests are asked to bring essential gifts that will aid the parents in their new life with baby. Diapers, bottles, blankets, clothes, and toys can all be incorporated into the look of the baby shower. The theme colors, pale pink and sky blue in my case, should be used as inspiration for the party decor. Although I included the colors in the invitations, I did not work them into the food or drinks, so I definitely want to use lots of pretty pinks and soft blues in the decorations. To see how I'll do it, and to get some cute baby shower ideas, read more

The baby shower I am planning for Naomi Watts is a sit down luncheon, so tables and chairs are a must. Usually you can rent them for the day cheaply at a local party supply store. I like round tables rather than square tables because you get to sit really close together. Make sure you have seating for all of your guests. For example if you have 25 girls coming get 5 five person round tables.
Dress the tables in blue table cloths or simple white ones with pink and blue details. Make centerpieces with vases filled with an arrangement of fresh pink flowers.

Make a diaper cake and place it festively on a table next to the hors d'oeurves. Or make several and use them as the centerpieces on the tables. Likewise make several baby sock bouquetsusing pink and blue socks and place on small tables around the party space.
Instead of using votive holders, place small candles in baby food jars.
Give a baby bath tub as a gift for the mommy-to-be and fill with the punch or with water and floating candles or blown up balloons.

Hang long strands of pink and blue ribbons, or streamers to curtains, mantles, banquets, or trees (if the party is outdoors).
Hang a clothesline across the room and with the pink/blue clothespins, pin baby clothes along the line.

Use pacifiers as napkin rings.
Use inexpensive baby bottles instead of glasses. Cut the tip off of the nipple and place a pink straw inside. Tape a piece of blue paper to the bottom of one bottle and give the guest who chooses this bottle a prize (Starbuck's card, Mac eye shadows, etc).

Tie pretty pink and blue bows using satin ribbon around the space.
Since you asked guests to wrap presents in either pink or blue paper, arrange them in a visible location decoratively to add to the look.
Fill bowls with pink and blue candies, m&m's, and jelly beans.
Don't forget a special throne/rocking chair for the pregnant guest of honor.

How would you decorate a baby shower for Naomi Watts? Share your awesome ideas below!

Come Party With Me: Easter - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 06:58:13 -0700

Easter is this weekend and I know some of you have been asking me to help you plan your Easter dinners and brunches, so let's get started right away with making an invitation to an Easter themed meal. When I was deciding what kind of party to host this year, I was torn between Easter dinner and Easter brunch. I have recipes for both roasted marinated lamb and breakfast bread pudding that I've been wanting to try out... so I'm planning one fabulous party and offering you two menu choices. If you want to make a dinner use the dinner menu, and if you prefer to host a brunch follow my brunch menu suggestions. But before we can even think about the menu we must invite our friends and family. Come party with me, it's my favorite time of the week: invitation making time so, read more

Eggs, bunnies, and the sunny colors of yellow and green come to mind whenever I think Easter, so I've incorporated all of these things into my invitation.

To make the invitation you will need:

pretty, glitter-y paper to be the front of the Easter egg invite (I found mine at a craft store in the scrap booking section)

bunny silhouette
green glitter, optional
computer and printer

To assemble this invitation:

Start on your computer by creating a new word document. Choose the insert shape icon and insert an oval shape the size of your choice. Change the settings so there is no fill and the oval is outlined in the color green instead of black. Inside the oval (egg), in the green text of your choice (I used Harrington, size 12, Bold), write out a friendly message along with the details of the party:

Spring has arrived!

Miss PartySugar would like you
to attend a brunch to celebrate
the refreshing season of rebirth.

Sunday, April 8 2007
11:30 am

PartySugar’s House
San Francisco
Rsvp 415.555.5555

If you are hosting a dinner rather than a brunch substitute the word dinner for brunch and 7:00 pm for 11:30 am.

Print a test copy of the information on plain white paper. Adjust as necessary to your liking.

When you are satisfied with the basis of the invitation print out on the yellow cardstock.

Cut the oval/egg out leaving a small border surrounding the green oval printed on the yellow paper.

Glue the back of the yellow egg onto the back of the decorative glitter paper.

With the yellow egg side as your guide cut the decorative paper down to size.

Voila! Your simple Easter invitation is finished. Prepare the invite to send by placing it in the middle of your green recycled paper. If desired sprinkle extra green glitter onto the invite.

Fold the green paper up around the invitation like you would wrap a present, taking care to ensure that the sprinkled glitter stays inside.

Tie shut with a yellow ribbon formed into a pretty bow. Slide into an envelope and send.

What kind of invitation would you use to invite your friends and families to a spring themed dinner or brunch? Share your ideas with us below. And if you are hosting an Easter event come back throughout the week to check out all of my inspiring Easter ideas.

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Better Know a Group: Super Special Occasions

partysugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:58:57 -0700

A little while ago as I was browsing through the groups on TeamSugar I was surprised to see that there was no group devoted to highlighting images of your fabulous parties. Sure there are groups that discuss wedding party plans, recipes, and wines but what about one devoted to all things party? That's why I started the Super Special Occasions group! When I host a party I love to take tons of pictures of everything from the decorations to the food spreads to the floral centerpieces and beautifully lit candles. Now we can share our pictures with each other and get inspirations and ideas from parties that you've hosted in the past. If you're anything like me and have tons of photos of events you've hosted, attended, or seen, please share them with us in the Super Special Occasions. How adorable is this table setting for lickety split's daughter's 8th birthday? To check out more images of her party (and mine!) and to share your events with us, join the Super Special Occasions group.

Come Party With Me: Wine Club's 1st Meeting - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:56:32 -0800

I've decided to start my own wine club! Think Oprah is to book club as PartySugar is to wine club. Since 34% of readers fall into the I'm learning about wine category (like myself), I thought it would be a great way to get us all to increase our wine knowledge. So not only am I starting my own wine club, but I am inviting and encouraging you readers to create a wine club as well!

I'll help you plan it so you'll have nothing to worry about. Here's how it's going to work: I'll gather a whole bunch of friends (the more the merrier) to discuss, taste, and develop a flavor for wine. Each month we'll focus on a different type of wine. I'll ask everyone to please bring a bottle of the specified wine (example: Cabernet Sauvignon, French champagne, Spanish Alboriño, etc.), we'll cover the labels and fill out tasting sheets so we can develop personal tastes of the wine with open minds. First thing is first, I have to make and send the invitations. To host this party with me, starting with the invitations, read more

As this party will be a monthly get together, I want the invites to be simple and easily changeable. The details of the party - the location and the wine type - will change with each month. The easiest way to do so is to create postcard invites. The image on the front of the postcard will stay the same and the information on the back will change.

To make this invitation you will need:

wine book
scissors
cardstock in the color of your choice (I chose red)
gluestick
computer & printer
wine label image(s)

To assemble this invitation:

Start by choosing an image that you really like. You could make a collage using actual wine labels or you could make a photoshopped collage like I did. I found a whole bunch of fun wine labels on the internet and made a collage in photoshop. This will be the back of the postcard.

Print out your image (or print out my image and cut down to size, 4x6 inches - the size of a standard postcard.

Next open up a new document in Microsoft Word and write the text of the invite. Remember that you want it to be on one side of the back of the postcard (the left side) so make the details concise and in a smaller font. On the right side you will write the addresses and place a stamp. Write a message with the information, along these lines:

PartySugar cordially invites you to be a member of her recently formed Wine Club, the Vinettes, a group that partakes in a taste journey discovering and discussing sip by sip new varietals of red, white, or sparkling wine

Meetings Once A Month
Every First Friday
Friday March 2, 8 o’clock

PartySugar’s House, San Francisco
RSVP 415.444.5555, friends welcome
Please bring a Spanish Rioja for the 1st tasting

I used my favorite font, Papyrus, in size 12.

Print the text on the colored cardstock of your choice.

Using a pencil outline the shape of the wine label image on the red cardstock. You want the text to be as close to the edge of the left side of the postcard.

With the pencil drawn line as your guide, cut out the red cardstock to a 4x6 standard post card shape.

Carefully glue the wine label collage to the back side of the red cardstock.

Your postcard invite is now done! Wasn't that fabulously easy? Don't forget to use your best handwriting to address the cards.

I hope that you plan and host this party with me! Come back for more on my first wine club meeting, all this week.

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Come Party With Me: Knitting Party - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:47:56 -0800

About every season or so, I enjoy throwing a party where I get all of my friends together to do something like compete in a pool tournament or partake in a pumpkin carving or contribute to a cookie swap (just standing around drinking and chatting does not count as "something"). I hate January and the cold darkness it brings, so to cheer myself up I'll host one of these types of parties.

I want to show my friends a fabulous time and a new skill, so I'm planning a knitting party for this Saturday afternoon. Yesterday I made booklet invitations complete with knitting instructions and today I'm figuring out what will be on the menu. To see what I'll be serving, read more

The party starts at 4 in the afternoon and will probably last between 3-5 hours. It's between lunch and dinner and I'll offer a snack for the girls to munch on while we discuss yarn, techniques, casting on and purling. Since I don't want to waste knitting time in the kitchen, an assortment of room temperature appetizers is the best option. All of the food must be cooked, plated, and ready to eat when the party begins. The snacks also must be uncomplicated, yet delicious, finger foods that require no usage of plates, forks, or knives. Hands need to be free to knit! With that said I'll make four savory treats and two sweet ones. To keep the food even more simple, all of my appetizers are vegetarian. I'll start with several plates full of Goat Cheese–Stuffed Roasted Figs. Next I'll pile Sicilian-Style Eggplant Caponata bruschetta. For a one bite delight, I'll whip up Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms and to finish up the savory side of the menu, a Parmesan Walnut Salad in Endive Leaves will be served. The sweet treats will be Jam Filled Cookies and a rich fudgy like Truffle Brownies.

Click on the image below for the recipe:

If you have an amazing appetizer recipe that is finger friendly tell me about it! I love to hear your fabulous ideas. Come back tomorrow for more of the Come Party With Me - I'll be discussing the drink I'll pair with this magnificent menu.

Source: Knitting Help

Come Party With Me: Winter Dinner - Music

partysugar — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 06:58:13 -0800

Lalalalala. (That's me attempting to sing.)

Everything is falling into place for my winter dinner and I am so excited I'm acting like my cocker spaniel. The invitations were sent (and everyone's already rsvped), the table and decorations are set, the vodka for my drinks is on ice, and I've begun to prep my make ahead dinner. There is only one thing left to do before my party begins (not including my before-party-beauty-regime of course) and that is figure out what tunes are going to be on rotation. To see the most divine dinner party music, read more

Remember that the dinner is the main event here so the music should be an after thought: light, jazzy, mood-enhancing, and soothing. I'll start with The Concretes, In Colour, which was a recommendation from my hip friend BuzzSugar.

It's easy listening that's an ideal backdrop for pre-dinner cocktails and tapas. During dinner I'll play a suggestion from my sister, Julio Pane Trio's lively tango music. I prefer to play music without lyrics while we are eating to keep the conversation flowing smoothly. After dinner I'll rotate in an acoustic girly singer songwriter, Rosie Thomas (she's BuzzSugar approved!) for the final soundtrack of the party. You can purchase all of these cds at the itunes store.

Know a rocking song that's just right for a winter dinner party? Let me know about it so I can put it on rotation.

Come Party With Me: Winter Dinner - Decorations

partysugar — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:36:11 -0800

My winter dinner party is only 2 short days away and I have kicked into prep mode. National Dinner Party day is next Thursday but I'm hosting a dinner for myself and nine others this Saturday to celebrate. I've been planning all week as I want everything to go as smoothly as possible. The invitations were mailed on Monday and the menu selected on Tuesday. Yesterday I purchased the drinks and today I have to design the decorating scheme. For this type of party to succeed, it's crucial to get the table set and ready as early as possible. This way there's plenty of time to complete all of the cooking. For more on the decorations for my blue and green winter themed dinner, read more

Since it is a dinner party, the table is the most important component of the decorations. I will dress my table in a forest green satin tablecloth. Next I will set the table with dark blue plates and green napkins. I follow the traditional way to set a table with the forks on the left and the knives and glasses on the right. Instead of having a centerpiece I'll arrange an assortment of white candles in all shapes and sizes. Small square vases will be filled with a green and white floral arrangement on each end of the table outside of the candles.

To emphasize the winter theme, I'll cut out paper snowflakes and dose them in sparkly white glitter. Using fishing wire and a needle I'll poke a tiny hole in each snowflake and pass the fishing wire through. I'll hang the snowflakes from my chandeliers in both the kitchen and dining room and then along the windows at varying lengths. All of my votive and candles will be lit and I'll light a fire in the fireplace.

Have an awesome decorating idea for a winter dinner party? Tell me about it. Tomorrow I'll finalize the part plans by figuring out a playlist.