Dec

28

Music under the Moonlight at Midnight

Filed Under Dinner Parties, Holidays | 10 Comments

Let the countdown begin… Champagne bubbles and corks popping, kissing under the moonlight at midnight, parades, pinatas, fireworks, sequined cocktail dresses, the ball drop, Dick Clark, Times Square, and celebrating everywhere. Glamour is in the air as we round the corner into 2010…

SET THE SCENE: Throw a soiree filled with metallics, mirrors shades of lavender and aqua (via The Society), hang glitzy pinatas and throw glittering confetti.

DIY: Make ornaments out of newspaper (there is no better way to celebrate entering 2010 than to leave a green footprint by recycling the news from 2009 into chic ornaments! Be green and celebrate the happy headlines of 2009!)

TO WEAR: Leave 2009 behind in a soft beige leather lavish blossom clutch and sparkling Mui Mui heels that look like they have been covered in confetti. Don an elegantly chic tie dye blouse or a whimsical, eco-friendly ivory hemp dress accented by a bib necklace constructed from vintage jewelry (as seen on Haarpers Baazar).

Nov

12

Fall into a Fabulous Frock & Fete…

Filed Under Dinner Parties, Holidays, Weddings | 9 Comments

Fall has arrived. Orange leaves, pumpkins, squash and crisp clean air. Translate the warm and fuzzy fireside feelings of Fall into your wedding and dinner parties. Start by wearing a gown accented by burnt oranges or a glittering sequined cocktail dress with a floral sash in a dark Autumn color palette.

Gowns via Fashion Rouge & Ada and Darcy

Don’t forget about your bridesmaids… Keep the dark palette of black layered with shades of oranges, peaches and grays. The layers and ruffles of the dresses are reminiscent of falling leaves and will flawlessly compliment your Fall inspired wedding gown. We love the unexpected accent of mustard colored shoes!

Willow dresses via Eat Drink Chic

FOOD BUFFET: Use a garden plant stand as your centerpiece and fill it with potted flowers, silverware, and holiday pies! Simple and sensational. (via Country Living)

DIY PRESTON BAILEY FALL TABLES: Set tables with simply stunning and easy to create placemats using silk Fall leaves and floral arrangements set in glass vases covered and layered in leaves (either silk or right from your backyard.) Lastly, opt for bouquet of berries and autumn leaves instead of conventional flowers. All the DIY instructions can be found via Preston Bailey!

KIDS TABLE: Set a large giving tree in the middle of your mini table and have the children write down what they are thankful for! Fill favor bags with stamps, pens and markers and let the kids draw on parchment table set on the table as they munch on fun Turkey shaped treats! (via Country Living)

How are you incorporating Fall into your Holiday tables?

Nov

10

The Art of the Party: Turn your Event into a Masterpiece

Filed Under Art, Dinner Parties | 3 Comments

There is a true “art” to throwing a memorable event. Serving great food and setting the appropriate ambiance and mood with music and lighting are just the first steps. Introducing guests to one another and ensuring that the entire night has an inviting and welcoming feel are also important for a successful party! Hosting a fabulous affair is truly an art form. But what about infusing actual art pieces into your event? Throwing a wedding or dinner party in an actual art gallery or even having painted and illustrated pieces of art as part your decor, from your chairs to your coasters. It not only provides added visual interest and intrigue for your guests, but is a flawless way to showcase a true reflection of you!

Even formal wear can be transformed into a sculptural masterpiece. All dressed up and nowhere to go? This tuxedo sculpture is the work of Greg Lauren, the nephew of Ralp Lauren. It is a meticulously hand-crafted garment made of painted paper!

Give guests artistic favors that they will re-use, “Kensington high street water bottle”, a printed image of an old London transport poster designed by Arthur Watts and seat them on reclaimed chairs with original picturesque oil paintings or hand covered in vintage maps! Create your own works of art by personalizing throws and lampshades with photos and illustrations. Serve food on bone china plates with nostalgic illustrations or illustrated melamine dinner plates.

Throw flowers into a bowl hand decoupaged with vintage stamps or prop mini bud vases on top of a cubes covered in vintage stamps! Drink from custom ceramic mugs with custom graphics and set them upon coasters that feature original artwork. Last, mix fun vintage mannequins and couches covered in playful, whimsical fabrics around the event. The best part is that all of the art from your event will transform into masterpieces for your home afterwards!

To really bring art into your affair hire a muralist to encase your space into a large life size drawing or hire a highly skilled artist to come to your party and do live painting and drawing on the spot! Not only can your guests watch the artist turn the event into a piece of art, but it will make a great colorful keepsake afterwards! Artist Marta is based in France and has painted everyone from Prince Albert II to Sir Elton John!

Nov

6

Charlotte Mann: Parties, Pens & Ink

Filed Under Art, Dinner Parties | 5 Comments

We discovered artist Charlotte Mann via 31 Everything, a spectacularly inspiring blog! This London based artist is known for her large murals and drawings. Most of her life size work is done in marker pen on white paper and mounted on wood. These life size images are mostly drawn free hand, the effect is truly astonishing and her attention to detail is absolutely astounding.

As we were perusing her portfolio (jaws on the floor of course) we couldn’t help but think how beautiful one of these murals would be at an event! What a statement this life size work would make, while also showcasing a true art masterpiece. When we reached the bottom of her portfolio we saw that Charlotte did in fact create a piece for an event!

“I was commissioned to decorate a space for a party and wanted to make it a drawing that you got inside of. A section of the drawing rolled up for the entrance and when I rolled it down everyone was enclosed in the drawing, which was of the views from all around the clients house”

The large party mural was done in marker pen, oil paint, gold in and glitter on white Colorama paper. How magical would this be to enclose a cocktail area in? Especially for us art lovers out there! It could even be put up in your home after the event, truly capturing the memories of the night!

Artist: Charlotte Mann

Nov

4

Real Party: A Foodie’s Farewell to her 20’s

Filed Under Birthday Party Ideas, Dinner Parties, Food and Drinks, Lollipop Events | 11 Comments

Recently we found a great excuse to have all of our best friends over to enjoy wine, amazing food, and each other. Vanessa, the youngin’ of the bunch, rounded the corner out of her 20’s and gave us another great reason to throw a party! As an avid foodie, getting a local chef to come and cook for us was a perfect way to celebrate her birthday.

We also used the party as a guinea pig for some great design ideas we had brewing for an recent wedding we had. The tic-tac-toe mirror design on the table, the gorgeous centerpiece (yes, we do a bit of floral design as well!) with white and blood red dahlias, and the use of vintage glassware lit up with soft candle light all passed the test! We can’t wait to show you how they transformed into the Great Gatsby/Hampton inspired wedding we just finished up.

Simple gold twine was tied around the napkins wrapped around the menus.

We made this vintage cake stand out of a lead cut crystal candy dish and glass platter! We have made quite a few of these this past year, but also have a great resource if you would like to buy them. We will be posting her products very soon! A perfect base for a gorgeous floral design.

The birthday girl herself with good friend (and possible model for our upcoming Jessica Claire workshop shoot!) Renn.

We know that in these tough times, going out to dinner can definitely be pricey. We discovered that having a private chef come to your home and cook a six course gourmet dinner was actually less expensive then going out, and SO much more fun! If you love wine like we do, we really saved on purchasing retail wine. Restaurants typically mark wine up 200-300%!