Navigating the Tablescape: Earth Day
How amazing would this be for Earth Day? Or any other day for that matter? You could do something similar with carrots and it would also look really cute.
Thank you to CasaSugar for pointing me to Re-Nest
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
everyone loves cupcakes!
What's hiding under this lovely plain cupcake-y exterior?
Pscyhedelic rainbow goodness!! Hooray for rainbow cupcakes! I called my cakes 'Psychedelicakes'. I had been reading about rainbow cakes all over the place for the past few weeks, originally here and since I generally prefer cupcakes [nothing against cake, I will gladly mow down on cake, cupcakes are just easier to handle] I decided I was going to turn my desire to make a rainbow cake into some delicious handheld treats. The occasion was a class 'party' to mark the final class of my Event Theory and Practice course. Here's how it turned out for me.
I started by preparing the batter in my mixer. I separated it into four bowls for each of the colours I was using in the cupcakes. I left a little bit in the mixer bowl in case I needed extra of a certain colour.
I used blue, yellow, red and green food colouring to colour the batter. I used about 8-12 drops of each and stirred it in with a whisk.
Here's how the batter looked as I was spooning it into the cups. Some of them I started with red on the bottom and some with blue.
I was quick to wash out my bowls, spoons and whisks so that the coloured batter didn't stick to them.
Here they are just out of the oven and on the cooling rack. Aren't they trippy even on the outside?
I iced them pretty thick so that the colour didn't show through. I hate icing so I ate one before I smeared the plain white icing on them. I think I did a pretty good job of concealing their secret!
Here's the boy holding a cupcake. Psychedelic!!
I also made little toothpick toppers for each one, but sadly I have no pictures. It was two embossed foil balloon confettis and a foil squiggly confetti glued on a toothpick.
Here is the table card I made for my treats.
Visit this site to get the full tutorial.
party phD: Earth Day
Photo Credit: Earth Day CanadaHappy Earth Day! Earth Day is a 39-year-old day of celebration for the Earth. The focus of Earth Day is on conservation, preservation, education, awareness and appreciation. The importance of ecology and Earth education had become a prominent topic in the 1960's and so in 1970, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson constructed an 'environmental teach-in' to be held on April 22. Over 20 million people participated that year, and Earth Day is now observed each year on April 22 by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.
The significance of April 22 has long been debated, but the truth seems to be that Sen. Nelson chose this date because he felt it would maximize participation on college campuses. Other theories surrounding the date of Earth Day include the birthday of Julius Sterling Morton, founder of Arbor Day, the birthday of John Muir, who founded the Sierra Club and the birthday of Vladmir Lenin [suspected by those who suggested the event was a Communist trick].
In many places, Earth Day has expanded to Earth Week and, in some cases, Earth Month. Events of every kind happen during Earth Day/Week/Month from galas to grassroots garbage clean ups. If you are looking to find an event in your area, click here for Earth Day Network listed events. Or, use this funky widget to find a Canadian event near you.
If you are around the GTA, I suggest this event. Alternatively, check out Disney's amazing new film, out today, called Earth. View the trailer below.
How will you be celebrating Earth Day? Read more...
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
2009 Spring wedding trends
Photo Credit: Conny LieglSmall luxurious weddings: a no-brainer here, really. We may be in a recession, but that doesn't mean people aren't still getting married! They are just doing it with less guests to trim costs since the average [American] wedding budget is down over 33% from 2007. Less guests means more intimacy and more creative license to really get the details you are lusting after without the price tag that comes attached to your 150 count guestlist.
Photo Credit: Diva by Design
Photo Credit: IampethBlack Flowers and Accessories: well, maybe not black flowers, that is a little too Goth for a Springtime wedding, but definitely black accessories! I'm thinking black table runners, black chargers, black vases or black calligraphic accents on the menu like the one above.
Photo Credit: Portobello
Vintage Fashion and Fascinators: Etsy is all the rage, especially with hip, in-the-know brides [there is so much Etsy love out there it's crazy!]. Etsy is an Ebay-like marketplace for people all over the world to buy and sell handmade goods. There are so many amazing pieces on Etsy for fashion forward [or backward? we are talking vintage here] brides-to-be. Combs, flowers, fascinators, birdcages, pillbox hats... the list goes on. Unique, one-of-a-kind items that are instant heirloom pieces are what's in for Spring.
Source, Source
Do you agree? What do you think the biggest trends are for weddings this season?
Source, Source
party pick: ELLE Fashion and Beauty Event
If you live in or around Toronto, the place to be on Saturday is The Carlu which will be playing host to the annual ELLE Fashion and Beauty Event.
The ELLE Show will feature clinics and seminars boasting the colors, tips and trends for the upcoming spring/summer season. Lunch and a gift bag are included with price of admission. The daytime event will run from 10:30am to 5:oopm. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased here.
The evening is a benefit/fundraiser for the Toronto Fashion Incubator, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and nurturing young business entrepreneurs. Guests have the opportunity of purchasing V.I.P. Cocktail/Dinner/Silent Auction & Show tickets [$255] or General Admission Cocktail/Silent Auction & Show tickets [$55]. The evening is dedicated to the Toronto Fashion Incubator New Labels Competition. After a rigorous six-month design competition, the runway show will unveil the four finalists from the competition: Faren, Jody Leigh, Gushueswim and Thieves, as they compete for an ELLE Canada prize package valued at over $25,000. Anne-Marie Mediwake of Global News will be the event emcee.
Will you be attending the ELLE show?
Monday, April 20, 2009
finding inspiration: best entertaining websites
Photo Credit: SergioMy list of websites and blogs to visit daily is about a mile long and consists mainly of entertaining, lifestyle, design and recipe sites. I love sites that are beautiful to look at and have quality content. I get so much inspiration from these blogs and websites everyday. When my boyfriend asks what I'm doing on the computer, my response is often 'checking my daily sites'.
Here are the all-stars in my bookmark tab:
YumSugar I started frequenting the Sugar Network a number of years ago and I've watched it blossom into one of the best online communities for women. I visit YumSugar everyday to get filled in on food and drink trends, party planning, recipes and food news from around the globe. For more inspiration on the Sugar Network, I also like to check out CasaSugar, their home décor blog, from time to time.
Hostess with the Mostess and Hostess Blog I actually prefer the Hostess Blog to the main Hostess site [the blog could easily stand alone as the main attraction] but together they are a duo of drool-worthy online pleasures for partygeeks like me!. The Hostess Blog is an invaluable resource for party planning inspiration. Jenn Sbranti, the founder of HWTM, pulls from all of her favourite blogs as well as her own experiences in the party planning world and reader submissions to churn out one of the most visually appealing and content-rich entertaining blogs around.
WeddingBee I don't remember how I stumbled upon WeddingBee, nor do I remember how I lived without it. Actually, I think I may have found it through a Google search of some random wedding term where I happened upon this wedding blog of a girl who was simultaneously blogging her wedding planning experience on WeddingBee. The bloggers on WeddingBee are brides-to-be from all over the US [and sometimes other places... like Canada!] who write about the process of planning their wedding and they are a veritable pantheon of wedding and party inspiration. Whenever I am at my computer I am checking WeddingBee for updates. They also have a 'Pro' website featuring wedding vendors and their own daily exploits which is inspirational to me in two ways: creatively and as a 'vendor' myself I can glimpse into the lives of other people who are in the industry. I also follow some of my favourite 'pros' on their personal blogs.
Roundup
I also frequent the following websites and blogs on a less-than-daily basis, but would like to send some love to them.
Etsy.com
Mix Mingle Glow
Alison Events
Cookie Mondays
Ready2Spark
Tastefully Entertaining
Totally Tabletops
100 Layer Cake
What websites inspire you to create what you do? Read more...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
free Earth Day e-cards
Photo Credit: Nasa, The Visible EarthEarth Day is fast approaching! I am a big eco-freak so I love Earth Day. I just received an email from World Wildlife Fund containing this year's batch of free e-cards. I am obsessed with e-cards! While I love love love real cards, e-cards can be sent out at any time, even the day-of the event or occasion and there are so many different holidays and milestones to be celebrated, it can get expensive to send out real cards all over the world to friends and family for each one.
So, without further ado, you can access the WWF e-cards here to send to your friends and family. Come back on APril 22nd for my Earth Day party phD!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
POGO Gala 2009
My sister is published! [well, sort of]. The picture above was taken at the 8th Annual POGO Gala which took place April 4th at the Liberty Grand in Toronto. My sister did the makeup for these lovely girls for this event and this picture was snapped as they walked down the leopard print carpet and posted on the Toronto Arts and Events website.The Gala is a fundraiser for POGO [Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario] and the girl on the right, Lauren, was a speaker at the event.
I was excited to see my sister's beautiful work featured on the event website and I'm sure there are many pictures floating around the interwebs of her two pretty clients from this event.
Let me know if you see any!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Create a Timeline to Stay on Track
If you are planning a party or event, the most important tool you can have in your arsenal is a detailed timeline. The timeline can help you foresee conflicts and serve as a schedule for everyone involved in putting the event together. My timelines always start from the day I begin to plan. The timeline will include everything I need to do to get me up to the day of the event and then I create a seperate timeline for the party date to give to everyone involved [though not guests, obviously!]
A good timeline will include everything necessary for each step along the way. For example, you may write that the guests will begin arriving at 1:00pm. At this time, you may also write on your timeline where everyone should be when guests arrive and what will be going on in terms of welcome activities, etc.
Be careful not to allow too much "buffer" time in between activities. Yes, it may take time for your guests to travel from one area to another, but once you start to factor in all this extra time, your timeline will be thrown off or you may end up with guests standing around. Though your timeline should be flexible, its purpose is to keep you on track so try to stick to it!
Have you ever used a timeline or agenda when planning an event?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
finding inspiration: yellow white and black
I am planning my sister's 20th birthday party in September. It's her 'champagne birthday' [when you are turning the age matching the day of your birthday, ie she is turning 20 on the 20th] so she really wants to do it up. I put together a preliminary inspiration board from her vision of white and yellow.
Credits:
Rock Candy and Rock Candy
Background Picture
Cake
Favour Boxes
Yellow Martini
White Carnations
Envelope/Calligraphy
Yellow Carnation
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