TV Theme Menus

Photo Credit: Romulo Yanes

I am all about theme parties. I love the careful planning and attention to detail required to tie everything in together and I eagerly look for creative ways to pull various party elements into my theme such as food, décor, music, drinks, dress.
Epicurious wrote a great feature about menus and party plans inspired by your favorite shows. Included are Mad Men, Lost, Gossip Girl, The Office and more. I'm excited to try some of these out!

Thank you YumSugar for pointing me to Epicurious.

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finding inspiration: Mother's Day gifts

Photo Credit: Rick Audet

Mother's Day is fast approaching and there may be many of you out there who haven't found a gift for your mom (or other mother figure) yet. Luckily, the internet is a wonderful place for last minute shoppers to find some creative inspirations!

Photo Credit: LoveLeeSoaps

LoveLeeSoaps is an Etsy shop specializing in colourful and adorable soaps in creative and quirky shapes and sizes. The Blue Bird Nest soap would be a perfect gift for mom! Look how the mama bird is bent down over her egg babies... so cute!!


The philosophy Best Sellers Collection (available only at Sephora) is a box of philosophy's 5 most-loved products: Purity Made Simple One Step Facial Cleanser, Amazing Grace Perfumed Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel, The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, Hope in a Jar and Hope in a Tube. A great introduction to the philosophy line of products.

Photo Credit: LCBO

Tempus Two Copper Wilde Chardonnay is a full-bodied wine with layers of citrus and apple, made by an all-female team at a boutique winery in New South Wales, Australia's Hunter Valley. If your mom is a wine lover, she is sure to appreciate this!

Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn's Pendleton Merino Wool Throw (currently marked down to half the original price!) is a beautiful and incredibly soft luxurious blanket for mom to curl up in.

What will you be giving your mom for Mother's Day?

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sitting down with... makeupbyjill

Jill Reid

Jill Reid of makeupbyjill is my younger sister. I've blogged about her before when she did makeup for the POGO Gala last month in Toronto. Since makeup is a hugely important part of many celebrations, I asked her to be a part of my sitting down with... series to get the inside scoop on life as an up-and-coming makeup artist.

How did you start your business?
I took an interest in makeup after my prom make-up didn't go so well. It wasn't badly done, just didn't match my color. Then my friend Taylor asked me to be a model for her make-up class, and after watching her do it, I thought... 'hey, I want to do this too!'. Since then, I've just been improving my skills, and getting my name out there!

How would you describe your work?
Well first, I am a perfectionist! I would never let any of my clients leave the chair in some ridiculous, garish make-up (unless of course it was what they asked for). I'm a huge fan of the natural look, so I always try to make at least the face make-up look as natural, yet flawless, as possible... the eyes you can go a little bit crazier with, because they are the attention getters! I am all over the place when I do make-up, sometimes I'll start with eyes, sometimes I'll start with the face, it's all about where I find inspiration first!

Photo Credit: 39 Photography

Who are your main customers?
It's mostly for formal events like galas and parties and proms. I do a lot of night-on-the-town make-up jobs, which are the most fun!

What information from your customers helps you best envision what they are looking for?
I like to do an assessment before the actual make-up application, of skin tone, eye color, what they're wearing for the event, what make-up they normally wear; this lets me know what colors to use and how I can make them feel comfortable (if I know they wear little make-up on a regular basis, I will use less products, and if they are no stranger to make-up, I know I can use a few more products or try different things).


What is your typical day like?
Being a student, and only 19 years old, my life doesn't revolve around the business just yet, but I hope to be there soon! Lately it's been all about school, and when I get time, I check out the counters at the drugstore and Sephora to snatch up any cool new products. To test out the products, I usually use my best friends Emma or Natalie as a canvas (they are absolutely beautiful to begin with, so it's an added bonus for me!). I hope that my customer base will grow and I can devote more and more time to my customers, because this is what I love to do!

What are your five must-have products?
Gosh primer, bareMinerals bronzer, Joe Fresh Beauty blush sticks, Revlon Beyond Natural mascara, Revlon eyelash curler (just the basic one).

What has your business helped you do that you couldn't/didn't before?
I've learned so many new things about how to advertise, who to know, what to do, not to mention I've met some great new people! Just a few weeks ago I was doing make-up for friends of mine, Lauren and Jess (plenty of pictures of them on my website, absolute stunners!), and I was working alongside a hairstylist from one of the best hair styling places in British Columbia, blo blowdry bar! That was a really fun time, and I think I may see how the fashion scene is out in British Columbia soon! It's been a great experience so far, and I'm definitely looking forward to my business growing!
What is the most difficult part of running your business?
Starting up is hard, and a little disheartening when the client base isn't that large. But, now that I think about it, it only makes me work harder on my clients, because I can take my time, and do the best job possible, knowing I don't have to rush around going from client to client.


What is the most rewarding part of running your business?
Seeing customers be truly happy with the product...I can tell if they don't like it, I've looked at their face for the past hour, so I'll know if they really do like it! That's the best part of it, for sure. Also, I'm a really social person, so I love talking and getting to know the people I'm making up as I'm going along. It's really interesting to hear about, for example, how they got into modelling, what their event is about, etc. I love everything about my job!

You can visit the makeupbyjill website here. Jill is based out of Brampton/Toronto but can travel so please inquire!

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Amazing Aprons

Photo Credit: Anthropolgie

Aprons have come a long way, baby! They are definitely more than 'Kiss the Cook' these days; fashion-forward hostesses are wearing chic cover-ups that are just as show-stopping as the outfit underneath! I have been reading all over the place about amazingly stylish aprons lately (namely here and here) and I actually meant to write this post last week but I just didn't have the time. Couture aprons are popping up everywhere and I am officially hooked! I need to get one asap!

The apron above is a surprisingly affordable piece ($34.51 CAD) from the delightful anthropologie. There are even matching oven mitts! Adorable! I can feel my devil horns poking out of my head as I type this.

Photo Credit: Smocks

This little beauty is from Smocks aprons. Smocks are 'inspired by contemporary designers, we created Smocks to protect a woman's wardrobe while also complementing it' and are designed to fit a woman's body. They even have different cuts and fits to ensure that your Smock is practical and flattering.*sigh*

Photo Credit: John Price Photo

Haute Hostess Aprons are an awesome product line by celebrity event planner and philathropist Elizabeth Scokin. There are three styles of apron, Glam it Up (like the one pictured above), Glam it Up Luxe and Give Me Sugar. I want every colour in every style, period. The Give Me Sugar aprons (like the one below) are especially exquisite though, and I think the bridal collection would make perfect bridal party gifts, bridal shower gifts or stagette/bachelorette party favours or gifts. There are tons of holiday themed patterns and colours available; something for every occasion including Christmas, Hallowe'en and homecoming parties! They are all 50% off right now (except the Haute Host and Bridal collections) so if I'm really good, I might get one!

Photo Credit: John Price Photo

Do you have a special apron that you wear for entertaining?

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Navigating the Tablescape: Cinco de Mayo

Photo Credit: Mix Mingle Glow

Last week, Mix Mingle Glow visited an outdoor flea market in San Antonio and found these adorable mini Mexican blankets that she used as napkins in her place settings. This would be absolutely perfect for your Cinco de Mayo tablescaping!

Photo Credit: YogaAccessories.com

Yoga Accessories also has these long skinny traditional Mexican yoga blankets that would be great as table runners for your fiesta! You can find them all over the internet and in yoga specialty stores.

Will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo? How will you decorate your table?

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party pick: Baskin Robbins 31 cent Scoop Night

Photo Credit: Eric E Yang

Tomorrow [Wednesday April 29th 2009] is 31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins and Baskin Robbins Canada. Bring your friends and family in to your local Baskin Robbins location and enjoy a scoop of your favourite BR ice cream for only 31 cents plus tax. Baskin Robbins Canada is donating $10,000 to the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation in celebration of this annual event. Since the boy is a firefighter, it is a cause that I personally find important, so I encourage you to get out there and get some ice cream!You can also make an individual donation to CFFF at your Baskin Robbins location. Baskin Robbins in the US will be making a $100,000 donation to the National Volunteer Fire Council National Junior Firefighter Program.

So head over to Baskin Robbins tomorrow night between 5pm and 10pm. There may even be a firetruck at your location and firemen on hand to serve your scoops! You can RSVP to the Canadian event on Facebook here. Follow the American event page here. For more information, visit the Baskin Robbins 31 cent Scoop Night home pages here and here.

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2009 Spring wedding trends: invitations

Photo Credit: Cynthia

According to my newsletter from The Knot, here are some trendy but classic ideas for your wedding invitations:

Vintage Flair
When it comes to invitation design, think Parisian soap label art, Givenchy couture, and swirl or damask patterns. To extend the design's shelf life, give your cake baker a copy of your invitation and ask him or her to decorate the cake using a similar design.

Modern Monograms
Monograms are becoming more thematic via stylistic elements, like elaborate ampersands. Rather than a simple font, consider using intertwined initials for an updated look.

Couture Envelopes
Invitation envelopes are your guests' first glimpse at your wedding style, so don't skimp on them. Beautiful liners in coordinating colors and patterns make this otherwise ordinary packaging a memorable wedding detail.

Says Cynthia from Bella Figura, here are some more trends from the wedding stationery front.

• Embellishments
• Bold colours
• Jewel Tones
• Green
• Nautical combinations

Hope that's enough to get you inspired for now!

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free greeting cards

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UPrinting.com's high quality printing services include Greeting Card Printing, Envelope Printing, brochures, canvas prints and more, all at the most affordable prices.

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How to Enter
1. Make a blog post on your own blog about the contest.
2. Then leave a comment at the end of this post, describing what you would use the free greeting cards for. Include the URL of your blog post along with your comment to be eligible to win.

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250 greeting cards for one winner

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Good luck!!

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sitting down with... ZEELICIOUS Confectionary Delights

Photo Credit: Zainab Saleem

I found Zainab of ZEELICIOUS Confectionary Delights through an ad she had posted on kijiji. I visited her Facebook page and browsed through her photos and suddenly I was seeing stars! I had to message her right away and ask her about her business. As a planner, I like to hear perspective from other people in the industry and I was so interested in ZEELICIOUS that Zainab and I began to message back and forth, learning about each other. I asked her the other day if she would give us a little glimpse into what goes into her cake and confectionery business.

How did you start your business?
Frankly, to tell you the truth, a friend was the one who inspired me to get into this. I have no formal training as a pastry chef, [but] I do have a Bachelors Degree in Design. I ordered my sons first birthday cake from my friend who has been in the business for about five years now. I looked at the cake and I thought 'I can do this. It's a little bit of sculpture, a little bit of design with some painting, a little architecture and boom , you have a piece of art.'
As far as baking itself was concerned, I started that really young, inspired by my mom's love of fresh loaves of bread and decadent desserts. A lot of the recipes she had were actually created by my grandmother and my mom together, so you could say they are a bit of a family secret :).

How would you describe your work?
The best way to describe my work would be 'art' I would like to think of myself as an artist rather than a pastry chef or baker. That is how I see every cake project: a piece of art. I put a lot of heart and love into [each cake] so that every single cake is its very own masterpiece; not just great to look at, but equally great to taste.


Who are your main customers?
I cant really say my work caters to one particular kind of customer . Lately I have been doing a lot of children's cakes, but I have wedding orders lined up for the summer. For me, each and every customer is important, be it a large order or small.

What information from your customers helps you best envision what they are looking for?
In terms of design, if it's a child's cake I would ask what the child's favourite cartoon character is? Favourite toy? Is there a theme to the party that the customer would like me to work with?
For weddings, again the theme is important. Colour scheme is another consideration and for brides that like it very customized, I like to incorporate the design or bead work on their dresses into the cake [design].


Describe your typical day.

I’m a stay at home mom, so my typical day revolves around my four-year-old daughter and my very energetic two-year-old son. And, during the somewhat chaotic day-to-day life that any stay at home mom has, I manage to attend a few phone calls and jot down a few emails to my clients.

What is the most difficult part of running your business?
The challenging part of running a business from home is trying to juggle your day-to-day life with all the little extras of running a business. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful support system of family, especially my husband, around me who look after my little darlings when mommy is "working". And, since my cakes are almost always due on weekends, it helps me to be a regular stay at home mom with a weekend job.

What is the most rewarding part of running your business?
The most rewarding part of my business would be when the clients actually see their cakes. I remember there was one time when a mom came to pick up her 2-year-old daughter's cake and stood there in front of the cake, just staring at it. I was very unsure as to what she thought because she just stood there for what seemed to me was a long time, until I finally asked her what she thought. She gave me the biggest smile and a big hug, [and] needless to say she loved her cake. But its always rewarding when a client really appreciates the time and effort and all the hard work you have put into their order.

Zainab donates a percentage of profit from every ZEELICIOUS order to SickKids Foundation.
Visit the ZEELICIOUS Confectionary Delights Facebook page for more information.

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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

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