Monthly Archives: August 2010

Patti’s Easter Party

August 30, 2010

Who: Patti Davis
Where: Her home
How many guests: 8
What time of year: April
Reason: Easter Dinner

When we spoke on the phone, Patti mentioned that her mom was a big party thrower, which led her to do it in college, and slowly evolved into what it is now.

She writes a great blog called Anatomy of a Dinner Party.

Patti says:

For the table we put together a wooden table from Ikea and a folding table. We first laid two white tablecloths as our base.

Next, we took the ice blue tulle leftover from the Christmas party and put that over the solid white tablecloths.

Our organdy tablecloth completed the look. I loved how the ice blue just barely peeks through.

The table was set with my heavy white plates, hammered silverware, buttery colored linen napkins and napkins rings I have had for years, purchased at Pier One.

Next component – paper flowers. I made these from Martha Stewart’s website, but somehow they didn’t look at all like her crafts. Ah, no worries, no one will notice.

Tulips purchased at the Farmers Market for $6 per ten were perhaps my most extravagant buy at $30. But you cannot fake fresh flowers and they bring immense joy to a table setting, don’t you think?

Let everyone help and you have got yourself a great time with a tiny price tag.

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Product Pick: Vintage Cake Stand

August 27, 2010

Don’t bake? No worries. Even yellow cake out of a box with chocolate frosting from a can will look elegant on one of these vintage cake stands. And, of course, no need to limit yourself to just “cake.” Cupcakes, cookies, mini pies, etc. would look amazing displayed on these stands.

Vintage Tiered Light Blue China Stand from Orange and Blossom

1950s Shell Pink Milk Glass Pedestal Cake Stand from FabFunkyFinds

Peacock Bouquet Vintage Dessert Pedestal from E.Isabella Designs

Vintage Glass Cake Stand from Barking Sands Vintage

Compiling this list has given me the itch to start collecting vintage cake stands! Do you collect anything vintage? Where do you find the best stuff?

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Read It: 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School

August 25, 2010

I’ve always wanted to go to culinary school. I had this romantic notion that somewhere after college and before settling down to get a “real job” I’d get a chance to go to culinary school, learn how to make the best food in the world, and become a culinary super star. But when it came down to it, I knew my passion was not really in being a chef (too stressful) but in eating food, writing about it and reading about it. And of course, feeding it to others.

So, how perfect is it that someone who did go to culinary school sat down and wrote this book? 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School is full of amazing tips for the professional and novice alike. You can read tips about things like properly calibrating your meat thermometer or the proper way to put out a grease fire (hint: don’t use water). It will not only help in entertaining your special guests, but in the day to day cooking you do for yourself and family.

I’d love to hear from those of you who did attend culinary school. What are three tips you learned that you can share with us? Who knows, maybe we can assemble our own list of 101.

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Berries and Bellinis

August 23, 2010

Who: Courtney Dial thrown for Joy Beth Bodie
Where: On the patio of a historic home in Nashville, TN
What time of year: Late July
Reason: Birthday Party

The following is from Courtney:

Joy Beth is known for her fabulous baking skills and love of desserts, so I knew I wanted to do something whimsical and unique for her birthday celebration. I decided on a “build your own berry cobbler” bar to go along with a “Berries & Bellinis” theme which perfectly fit the craving for fresh fruit and refreshing sips during this stifling summer heat.

Fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and peaches were served with a brown sugar crumble, whipped topping, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean ice cream. Instead of birthday cake, a homemade blueberry pie was served (complete with a birthday candle!). Small mini angel food cakes topped with a whipped vanilla cream and fresh berries were also served on small glass cake stands.

Lastly, I wanted to serve cupcakes but knew it had to be a fun twist on the original cupcake. I opted for “cupcake skewers” which were french vanilla cake served with vanilla-almond icing and topped with either a raspberry or blueberry. The mini cupcakes were skewered with a bamboo skewer and placed into a floral foam inside a whimsical vase. They were topped off with a small ribbon flag in berry colors. These were the HIT of the party!

Below is the recipe for the bellinis. They were so delightfully refreshing and a delicious accompaniment to our fruity desserts! Red and white was also served along with a fruit tea.

Raspberry Bellinis

1 bottle champagne
3/4 to 1 cup raspberries (or a berry of your choice!)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup club soda

Place raspberries or other berries in blender with sugar and club soda. Puree into a thick “smoothie-like” consistency. When ready to serve, mix with bottle of champagne! Add a drink stirrer (might I suggest a bamboo skewer with blueberries!). Enjoy!

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Product Pick: Fill-in Invitations

August 20, 2010

With all the beautiful paper options out there, you’d think it’d be fairly easy to find a classy, elegant fill-in invitation. Not so much.

In fact, I was searching for invitations the other day (for a surprise party my boyfriend and I are throwing–more on that later) and all I could find in the paper stores in Brooklyn were party invites for kid’s birthday parties and cheesy ballon/cake illustrations with generic messages.

I know that in general, most would like to get custom invites created for their special days, but sometimes it’s convenient and cheaper to go with the classic fill-in. Luckily, the Internet saved the day on this one.

Here are a few of my favorite fill-in invitations. (I’ll show you the one we chose for the party at the very end.)

Art deco bouquet from Ilee

Vittoriani Invites from Angela Luguori

Pink Floral with Bird from Ilee

Letterpress Celebration from Duet Letterpress

And what did I end up choosing? The Blue Dahlia style from ILee. They arrived yesterday and I’m ecstatic! Where do you normally order your invites? I’d love to hear about your favorite stationery stores.

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Read It: The Big Book of Appetizers

August 18, 2010

(Image via Chronicle Books)

If you’re tired of the chips & dip/pig-in-a-blanket routine, pick up the Big Book of Appetizers and discover that there’s more to life than tortilla vs. potato chips.

You’ll find recipes that range in complexity from a simple rosemary olive to a slightly more complicated but equally delicious beef loin with horseradish aioli.

What’s your favorite appetizer to eat or serve? Those who give me a recipe in the comments get extra brownie points!

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Aaron in Wonderland: From Concept to Party

August 16, 2010

When I first saw Aaron’s party submission, I knew instantly I’d have to feature it. The sketches he created were just as magical as the party itself. Exquisite.

I also loved Aaron’s party tip: “My party planning tips are take an idea you are passionate about and run with it to the very end! Pick a strong colour story, and always remember that all the food, decorations, lighting and drinks are there to lift people out of the everyday and give them an experience they will remember for years to come. I believe everyone can be creative and passionate when they entertain, but as with anything in life, you can achieve amazing things by bringing in a specialist or professional.”

Who: Aaron, a 27 year old interior designer working in New Zealand
What: Birthday Party
Venue: Aaron’s Home
Refreshments: Tea pot cocktails and tea time treats.

Design Theme: Alice in Wonderland. From Aaron: “My design inspiration came from the scene where Alice falls down the rabbit hole, and after drinking a shrinking potion arrives in a surreal garden. I have always wanted to do something clever with fake flowers. There is a real challenge in creating something beautiful out of something considered tacky and the ‘un-realness’ of a Wonderland garden seemed perfectly appropriate.”

From Aaron: “Some people would say that a 27th Birthday isn’t a significant occasion, I say any excuse will do to throw an over the top costume party. I have always been fascinated by the story of Alice in Wonderland since I picked up a 1913 edition for $1.00 at a garage sale. The surreal story line, fantastic characters and the enchanting illustrations open up so many opportunities for a creative mind.”

From Aaron: “Guests arrived at the front door and fell ‘down the rabbit hole’ created simply with fake mini rose vines intertwined with fairy lights and red and pink roses hung upside down from green ribbon enhancing the ‘which way is up’ feeling. The mirrored console held a tiny crystal glass and decanter filled with purple potion (cassis) and labeled ‘drink me’.”

From Aaron: “The final and most important design layer was of course the guests, who made a massive effort to dress up and indulge in fantasy for a night. All the major characters made an appearance, The Mad Hatter, White Queen, Tweedle dee, Tweddle Dum, Queen of Hearts, and of course I was the Cheshire Cat!”

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Beam Me Up

August 13, 2010

Our Creative Director Merv recently threw a birthday party for himself with a Star Trek twist. I wouldn’t really say “theme” because it ended up far less kitschy than you’d imagine (nothing wrong with kitsch–but you know how into it Trekkies can get). All in all, if one can do Star Trek elegantly, here’s how they would do it.

The Venue: Merv & Janet’s home, New York
The Invite & Design Theme: Star Trek with some funk

The wow factor: Merv had three DJs. Two music DJs (Redboy and Benny Blanco), and a Visual DJ (VJ Ariel Zolty) who “spun” images that were projected on to his wall.

The double wow factor: Merv has two kids, so the party was family friendly for all. He split the party into two levels: the first level as a playroom for all the kids, the second level and backyard as a playroom for the adults.

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Product Pick: Last Minute Summer Entertaining

August 11, 2010

Don’t let summer roar out of here without one last outdoor soiree for the season. Sometimes the best parties are those last minute, unexpected get-togethers that’s more about the company than the flash. To help you with your last minute summer entertaining, here are some of my product picks:

(Image via Spoon Sisters)

Big Cube Trays. Don’t let that pitcher of sangria (or punch!) get watered down. Freeze extra servings of your drink of choice, and plop these oversized ice cubes in with the serving bowl.

(Image via Spoon Sisters)

Floral Nesting Bowls. Presentation is everything. Throw whatever chips and finger food you have laying around in these bowls, and they’ll taste as good as this looks.

(Image via Spoon Sisters)

Silk Fans. Keep a few of these silk fans at the ready for your guests. Trust me, the topic of the weather will never come up.

And one last pick for the kids. Bubble Thing. Tiny bubbles? I think not. The bigger the better, we always say.

Do you have any great last-minute entertaining tips? Let me know!

(All images via)

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Hotel Parties are the New Black

August 9, 2010

Maybe the term “Hotel Parties” connotes awful, underage high school parties thrown at your local Motel 6, but haven’t you heard that hotels are now the new epicenter of the social universe? (And by “universe” I mean Manhattan).

Okay, quick, before hotels become “out” again, let’s talk about the latest (okay, only) hotel party I’ve thrown. It was for my birthday last November. Nope, not telling you how old I am unless you ask nicely.

The Venue: Ace Hotel, New York

Design Theme: Vintage Modern. We set the stage with the email invite my boyfriend designed for me:

I’m not much of a designer so the decor was mostly centered around these items:

Fabulous crystal candlesticks I bought from Fish’s Eddy with taper candles from Ikea (I loved how they looked by the end of the night when the wax had melted down to tiny nubs)

Blue and white stripey paper straws also from Fish’s Eddy.

Mini cupcakes from Nine Cakes in Brooklyn (LOVE them!) on a cake stand also from Fish’s Eddy (wow, didn’t realize how much I loved this store until I started making this list.)

Black and white paisley napkins and plates from Target with coordinating stripey candles in bold colors.

And the general look of the hotel itself.

Mostly, I relied heavily on the venue to give the vibe I wanted. It was a very fun, loud but relaxed party. The hotel suite came with its own set of turntables so the music ranged from great hits from Phil Spector to Camera Obscura to some fun, dance-y hip-hop.

Tell me, have you ever thrown a party in a hotel room? If so, what was the occasion and what hotel was it in?

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