Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all had a Very Happy Holiday! Just when you think it's time to go back to work it seems there are still more parties to have and people to celebrate. This is such a fun little site to shop for all those little party details that make your setting sparkle. I love these adorable and unique butterfly place cards. You can find them and much more at http://www.plumparty.com
Tree Trimming Terrific!
Yay! My showroom is finally open! Thank you everyone for all your love and support! Miss Karla, I will post more photos soon! Thank you for your lovely comment! And thank you all who came out last weekend in the pouring rain to shop and show your support!!! I appreciate it more than you'll ever know!
OK, enough already about the showroom! Let's get on with the parties! So I finally moved all these boxes out of my dining room only to replace them with more boxes of...Christmas decorations! (I know, I'm a bit behind) None the less, I looked at all those boxes that my daughter's shredded into giggling with excitement and I felt the Christmas Magic wash over me... Now that I'm a working girl the tree will have to wait until this Friday. So we've decided to throw a little Tree Trimming party! Why not? So here's my Mari Tip of the day on the Tree Trimming party. Invite your friends, put out some treats and festive drinks, light the fire, and turn up the Christmas tunes. If you do it in the evening you may want to make a big pot of chilli and have some yummy appetizers like baked brie cheese or homemade mac and cheese for the kids. How about a big pot of cheesy fondue! Keep it simple. It's all about being together and creating a memory. What a beautiful gift to give your children...a memory of a Magical Holiday! I have found that hands-down the best website to find any kind of recipe is http://www.epicurious.com
Have fun, breathe deeply and throw yourself into the wonder of it all. Happy Holidays!!!
Countdown To Christmas!
Another day of wait, wait, wait....maybe if we all say a collective prayer this building will get a Final soon and I can open my showroom doors! :-) It's kind of like waiting for Christmas....I love this time of year and when I was little I would count down every day....(even though I already snooped through all the gifts and pretty much knew what I was getting). That was until my mom finally caught on one year and instead of putting names on the gifts she hid, she put numbers. The funny thing was that she forgot, (out of five of us kids) who got what number! Not so exciting opening up your brother's pajamas....she actually tried to do it again the next year with that same result. LOL!
But here is such a sweet site with another fun way to count down the days until Christmas. Kits come with 25 pyramids, 25 numbered tags, and 25 pieces of Midori rayon ribbon. You can fill these boxes with little gifts or candy and hang from a tree or line a mantel. This is also a great site to order party favors from. How magical! http://www.confettievent.com
Thanksgiving Tabletop!
I know I've been a bit sporadic with my entries lately. I apologize...it's crunch time with my showroom opening. The latest news on that is that we are still waiting for power to be turned on amongst a punch list of other must complete before receiving a final on the building...(hopefully completed by the beginning of December!!!) so I'm using the extra time to get organized and plan my Thanksgiving celebration...(the real trick will be how to make a beautiful atmosphere with stacks of UPS boxes all around!) One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is have my girls help make a centerpiece and table decorations. Children are great designers!!! Mine always surprise me in the most delightful way. I just put out the supplies and supervise a bit. This beautiful centerpiece comes with directions (how nice). http://interiordec.about.com I'd love to hear how you decorate for the holidays! Gobble! Gobble!
Couture Cleanliness!
One of my most favorite people, Miss Yanie, is always reminding me to protect my eyes and protect my hands. She's right, you know, these two body parts take a beating and should be protected by all means. So I was thrilled when my friend, The Queen Of Entertaining, Miss Julie, gave me these fabulous gloves as a hostess gift. How Divine! I can look good cleaning...hmmmm...well, if you have to, you may as well do so in style. By the way, this is a great site for little gifts...don't forget the holidays will be here before you know it! http://www.spoonsisters.com
Social Graces!
There's a sweet site called http://www.vintagejune.com that sells lovely and useful household products. What I was drawn to were the little tidbits of advice on more than a few pages. Tips on making your guests feel welcome in your home and simple advice on gracious living. Some of the side notes remind me of things my mother and grandmothers have told me all my life. "Sit up straight. Your posture tells people who you are and how you feel about yourself!"
These Parisian wallpaper desert and salad plates are so pretty and fun. I always make a point of bringing a hostess gift when invited to a gathering with friends therefore I am always hunting for unique little gifts. These dessert plates are perfect for just that...http://www.vintagejune.com
Party Pantry Must Have!
A few years ago my friend, the Queen of Entertaining, Miss Julie, gave us this as a house warming gift. I can not tell you how many times I have used this great drink dispenser! Available at http://www.ChefsCatalog.com. I have used it for baby showers, kids parties, any kind of large party I've had (and there have been a few) and I see it as a must have for entertaining. Here's why. First of all, it's very pretty. I always make a large colorful tag describing the contents and tie it with ribbon to the top. I make sure to write if the beverage of the day is with or without alcohol, obviously very important! Second of all I can pre-make my beverage which gives me more time to enjoy my guests.It's great for margaritas, ice tea, lemonade, and my favorite..."Fizzy Punch"....also a recipe from the Queen of E., Miss Julie:
2 cans of different tropical concentrated punch. Instead of filling emptied can with the 3 cans of water, use 7-Up and soda water to taste.I usually use 1 liter of 7-Up and 1 to 2 liters of soda water. Adults and kids alike, love this punch!
Before guest arrive, fill and seal a plastic bag with ice and drop inside to keep it cold. Switch out the bag of ice with fancy ice cubes right before everyone arrives. "Fancy Cubes"...take a muffin tin and fill with water. Slice a lemon and place one lemon slice into each opening of your muffin tin and freeze over night. Pop out right before party time and place lemon ice cubes into your dispenser! You can also do this with raspberries, strawberries, any kind of fruit you want to put with your drink. Simply magical!