Bacherlorette Party Wine Tasting Survival Bags

 

My friend Catie's bachelorette party wish was a day wine tasting in the valley with her friends and family. The details were planned. Lunch spot - check. Stretch Hummer Limo - check. Winery, private wine tour at a wine makers studio and a tasting - check. Great friends and family - check. The last thing we needed were survival bags or goody bags for the day of.

I found the reusable wine totes online at amazon.com. Perfect size bag to hold our goodies and double duty use for the bottles of wine everyone purchased along our trip.

I have just dipped my toe in the waters of free fun fonts. I used fonts I found HERE to create the tags. For those of you who haven't explored this awesome way to create great signage - get to it. It is easy and fun, not to mention how much more spice it add to your projects!

This was the must have item I wanted in the bags. Small, cute pink cans of champagne. Perfect! Finding them was not so easy. Most of the places I tried said they usually carry them but they were sold out. Whole Foods, Cost Plus World Market and Target were all a bust. I was about to order them directly from the Coppola winery when I found them at a local specialty grocery store. 4 cans per box for $16.

The Goods:

- mini can of champagne

- bottle of water

- sunscreen (it was mid August and really hot when we went)

- Granola bar

- almonds

- breath savers

- a funky straw for the champagne

- I HAVE A HEADACHE medicine for the next morning (found at Target)

 

Favor bags like these are great for lots of reasons. Everyone enjoys getting a small gift, especially when it is a surprise. This stuff is all small but useful items for a day trip. And you can add hints of color to your event with the bags. Pick tissue and or tags that coordinate with the theme of the day or even the wedding colors. Have fun with it and your guests will definitely appreciate it!

Pop of Color Bridal Shower

My fabulous friend Catie is getting married in Park City, Utah in September. We can hardly wait to arrive at the mountain and start celebrating this special couple. Her sister Lisa and mom Debbie threw a bridal shower for her. The party was filled with pops of color and hints of love. Every last detail was planned and perfected. Great job ladies and congrats to the soon to be Mrs. Nelson!

Bride to be - love this personalized hanger. Perfect for day of pictures and a great gift idea. Click HERE for similar styles.

Yummy colorful gumdrops in keeping with the theme.

Tower of sweet treats.

The signage and printables were adorable. All in bright, vibrant colors. This one listed the menu.

The food was amazing! And there was so much variety. Perfect for everyone to find something they liked - most people liked it all!

Succulents in small glasses wrapped in colored paper. They were tasteful, adorable centerpieces on the tables. Click HERE for a tutorial on making them.

Such an easy thing to do, but it makes such an impact. Add cucumber, lemon or lime slices to a pitcher of water. Takes standard water up a notch and is a perfect detail for any party.

Great idea for the mimosa bar. Pick your juice - mango, guava or mango passion fruit, then add your Brut (bubbly). Always a great idea to have an interactive drink and or food station to get people conversing at the party. Great icebreaker.

 

All in all the party was a hit. Catie really enjoyed herself. The shower flowed nicely and people really had fun. And the food was delicious. When done correctly the small details come together to make a perfect event!

 

Happy Shower Planning!

Mood Board Love

So . . . I have a new favorite app. It is called Moodboard and it is amazing. You can create vision boards for any project, event, remodel - anything you are doing. It is easy to use. You can upload pictures from your iPad or get images directly from the Internet. There are lots of finishing touches that can make your board look extra special. Borders, arrows, color swatches and more.

It is a little more expensive than most apps at $9.99 but if you do lots of projects or planning of events, it is well worth it. There is a Moodboard Lite app for free. I would recommend trying out the free version first to make sure you like it. I am sure you will!

See below for a few of the Mood boards I have created so far.

This board is for my friend Alissa's condo organization project. One great thing about the app - when you cut pictures from online, the app saves the source so you can get right back to the link.

This board is for my friend Cate. She is working on the details of her escort cards and display presentation for her wedding.

The final board is what I sent our nanny to let her know what I was planning for our 4th of July theme. Different food ideas for the little people and crafts for them to do. We do different themes every couple of weeks and this is such a simple (and fun) way for me to share the ideas with her.

Happy Creating!

Patriotic BBQ Planning

We cannot wait for 4th of July. We are going to be at my parents cabin in the mountains. There will be lots of family time, relaxing, BBQ's, patriotic parades, swimming and all things red, white and blue! I am so excited. Here are a few of the things I have planned for our celebration.

 From top left - Berry Parfait, Bright Blue Poms, Berry Salad, Red and Blue Lanterns, Patriotic Straws, Tin can craft, Fruit Pops.

We will have lanterns out on the deck with tea lights. We are planning to try the tin can craft this week and those will be on the deck too.  The bright blue poms add a great pop of color. Lots of fun, festive fruits to add color coupled with good old fashioned BBQ foods. I love the fourth more and more each year. Everyone is in a great mood and it is a fabulous time to celebrate the start of summer. Can't wait!

Happy Celebrating!

Artichoke Jalapeno Dip with a Twist

This is probably the easiest recipe in the world. I don't even think I can call it a recipe. Maybe a blend. My friend Vanessa had this dip at a party years ago and my husband and I fell in love with it. We make it for all of our parties, BBQ's, everything now. And EVERYONE loves it. We even get requests to bring "that awesome dip you guys make". So are you ready for it???

Mix (stir together) equal parts Artichoke Jalapeno dip (our favorite for this "blend" is the Costco version but you can find this at any grocery store) and Non Fat Plain Greek yogurt. If we are making it for a large group of people we will use about half of each container. And then adjust accordingly for smaller groups.

We always serve it with tortilla chips and a crusty bread for dipping. Yum!

Happy Dipping!

50 Shades of Grey Book Club

Our 50 Shades of Grey Book Club Party was so fun. Everyone was thrilled to talk about the book. Our conversations ranged from topics like the controversy surrounding the book from critics, how many strangers we have met because we have seen them reading the book and started talking about it, to the fact that even a few of the book club husbands have decided to read the book. It was such a fun night we decided we aren't done talking about the books yet. We are heading to the Heathman Hotel in a few weeks for some evening cocktails and more chatting about all things 50 shades! Fun! 

As guests arrived they picked up their name tags and favor bags and headed in for a cocktail.

Name tags and party favor bags. Click here for the details.

 I had a good time coming up with a few fun food items in keeping with the book. And there was a Greyhound station for everyone to make their own cocktail. Click here for decor vendors.

Salted almonds for the 'salty' item. Jalapeno chips for a 'spicy' touch.

 Godiva white chocolate vanilla bean squares and vanilla wafer cookies for our sweet items. This covered how Mr. Grey describes Miss Steele - very vanilla!

The Greyhound! Yum!

By chance (admittedly planned by a few) everyone wore grey to the party. It was very fitting!

Happy Book Clubbing!

50 Shades of Grey - Book Club Party Favors & Name Tags

I am the first to admit I have never been to a book club before. When I was planning our event I thought party favors were a must. Apparently that isn't the norm but I loved the idea and the guests all enjoyed them too!

I found nail polishes with 50 Shades themed names - All Tied Up, Sexy Divide, Sugar Daddy, Sexy Story and Smokin' Hot - at Target.

I wrapped them in tissue and put them in Chevron bags I purchased at Polka Dot Market. I completed each bag with a name tag. I chose the colors best suited for each guest. Easy and fun!

I loved how they called each other Mr. Grey and Miss. Steele all throughout the book. Of course my guests all needed name tags! I bought plain labels at Target and grey and white striped washi tape at the Etsy shop Pretty Tape.

I just added a few strips of grey tape to add a little 'grey' to our name tags.

50 Shades of Grey Book Club Inspirations

I am hosting our groups first ever book club next week and the book is . . . 50 Shades of Grey! It is everywhere you turn right now, on TV, the radio and people are talking about it . .  a lot. Definitely a hot topic! I have read all three books and cannot wait to chat with my girls about their take on the book. And of course one of the most important questions will be - who should play Mr. Grey and Miss Steele in the movie?! I have my picks! I will share with the actual party post. See below for my inspirations for the party.

Items I have purchased for the party - Starting at top left - Grey striped napkins (Polka Dot Market), Washi tape for some decorative touches (Etsy shop - Pretty Tape), THE BOOK (I purchased mine in digital form from iBooks), Hershey's kisses (candy in sticking with the silver/grey theme), Grey tissue poufs (Shop Sweet Lulu), Striped Straws (Shop Sweet Lulu), Grey plates (Polka Dot Market), Chevron Party bags in grey (Shop Sweet lulu).  

The theme is all things grey. Obviously. The drink will be the Greyhound - vodka and grapefruit juice. Food will be simple appetizers and of course candy wrapped in grey and silver packaging for a little sweet treat. I am looking forward to great time with friends, riveting conversations and lots of laughs! I will keep you posted on how it turns out. Until then - Laters Baby!

Happy Book Clubbing!

Cabo Bridal Shower

We just got home from a great trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where we spent 6 days celebrating our friend's wedding, relaxing and enjoying the warm sunshine. The shower went off without a hitch and most importantly - the bride had a fabulous time! Check out the details below.

Invitations from the Well Heeled Hostess. They set the tone for the orange, pink and grey theme. We went with a lingerie theme because we figured it was first and foremost fun and also the easiest thing for people to pack to an international destination.

We held the reception at the Sheraton Hacienda Del Mar Resort and Spa. The hotel was gorgeous. They seated us on a terrace overlooking the ocean. Perfect! It was a bit of a challenge planning an event in a location we had never seen. Our goal was to bring as much color, personality and fun to the shower all while not exceeding the 50 lb weight limit for our suitcases!!! Lots of paper products in fun colors brought the shower to life! We had pink and orange tissue pom poms to add color - they were from Polka Dot Market.

5 and 7 things they adore about each other was so fun. We contacted the bride and groom and asked them to send us 5 things they adore or love about the other one. The groom told us he couldn't limit it to just 5, he had too many things to say about her. How sweet! All of the guests loved this touch. It was personal and easy to bring to Mexico.

He Says . . . She Says was the shower game. We asked the bride and groom to send us ten funny things they had said in the time they were together. Five from him and five from her. The guests had to guess which one said each quote. We had the bride go through them and tell everyone the answers and explain the stories. It was a cute way to tell some fun stories about the couple. The bride and groom were both great sports about getting us the information. These prints were created by my friend Pete. Thanks Pete!

Hot pink cups with personalized stickers were on the table filled with bright colored jelly belly candies. It was a great pop of color and a sweet treat! Cups from Polka Dot Market, stickers from the Well Heeled Hostess.

I am loving polka dot and striped straws right now. They are whimsical and fun. These were from Polka Dot Market.

Large colored confetti was from the Etsy shop Misty and Me. The holders for the signs were from weddingfavors.com.

The game with painted pencils (click here for DIY instructions) were at each place setting. I didn't get any pics after the food and beverages arrive. We had chips, guacamole and salsa and margaritas. It was a perfect afternoon snack!

The beaming bride! Happy shower day Stace!

She received lots of pretty little lace things. In the end everything came together!

 

Happy Party Planning!

Pencil Project - Cabo Bridal Shower

I was looking for mini pink pencils for a game we are going to play at the bridal shower in Cabo. I couldn't find exactly what I wanted so I decided to make them. The shower colors are pink, orange and gray. We stuck with pink and grey for the pencils.

Supplies - Purchased at Michael's - Pink spray paint, floral foam, gray paint. Purchased at Office Max - Golf pencils. Purchased at Polka Dot Market - hot pink washi tape.

We (my husband helped on this project) poked the pencils into the foam just to the point where the exposed wood was completely covered.

We spray painted them, turning them and recoating until they were completely recovered.

Once they were completely covered we tipped them upside down to dry.

We waited one hour and then my husband hung them suspended by an opened coat hanger stretched out over a card board box.

We put the gray paint in a soda cap and I gently covered each pencil tip in the gray paint. We let them hang suspended over night to dry.

The next morning they were ready to go! I used a pencil sharpener to make sure the edges were completely pink.

I added a small pink washi flag to each pencil.

The pencils are secured with one glue dot at the top of each card. The game will be at each person's place setting.

Happy Crafting!