We’ve Moved – Check Out Our New Blog Site

Elements of Entertaining has moved. Please check out our new web site at:

http://elementsofentertaining.com/

Also, if you have a link currently directed to us we would love to have you redirect it to our new site!

Thank you!

Andria Mullaney, EofE Owner & Event Consultant

Wonka Wonderland

One of my favorite photographers, Kadie Pangburn, who photographed the Wonka Bar Mitzvah also brought along another amazing talented photographer from Tucson, Leah Simmers. Leah took some great shots that I had to share with you!

Willy Wonka Bar Mitzvah

Here’s a sneak peak at some amazing pics from the Wonka themed bar mitzvah we had last Saturday at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, AZ. The event was a blast, full of lots of candy, imaginative decor, dancing and kid friendly activities. A huge thanks goes out to my vendors for making this event so wonderful. And most importantly, I’d like to thank the Toiber family for letting me plan this special day for them!

Vendors that worked on the Willy Wonka Bar Mitzvah….

Elements of Entertaining, Event Planners
Andria Mullaney, Michelle Harrington & Nicole Newton

Elements of Entertaining, Custom Prop Design & Fabrication
Jason Mullaney

Encore Creative, Kids Glow Bar
Jocelin Meesenburg

Amazing Airbrush Artist, Airbrush Tattoos
Mary Jean Galivan

Cake Boutique, Cake & Petit Fors
Cindy Barton

Cloth Connection, Linens
Lisa DeCelles

CE Entertainment, DJ &MC
Marc Summerset

Pangburn Photography, Photographer
Kadie Pangburn

Arizona Cine, Lighting & Drapes
Lee Jr

Party Concepts, Plates & Chairs
Ann Walling

Take One, Boogies Heads
Barbara Harrell

PhotoBooths.com, Photo Booth

Frostings, Furniture Rentals
Paloma Rodarte

Westin La Paloma, Event Manager
Sarah Sloyan

Feel free to contact me with questions or comments about any of these vendors, I’d be happy to put you in contact with them!

In Need of An Event Planner?

I’ve been getting a lot of inquires about my event planning services, which cities I’ll be servicing and when my party decor will be online. So here’s the update….

Elements of Entertaining event planning is based in Tucson, Arizona and also offers party planning services in Chicago, Dallas and Richmond. If you’re looking for an event planner in another city, we can either refer you to one of our preffered planning partners or you can inquire about our planning services for your desired city…as we LOVE to travel. 🙂

If you’re an event planner and you’re interested in becoming part of our preferred planner network, then please shoot me an email with your contact info so we can touchbase and obtain more information about your services to see if you fit our criteria.

In the meantime, we are still taking on new clients prior to our official launch, so feel free to inquire about what we have to offer.

Also, we hope to launch Elements of Entertaining Event Planning this month so stay tuned….

Invitations for the Stars

Need inspiration to create the perfect invitation for your party? Then check out the amazing designs from Lehr & Black. They have been designing invitations for high-profile and celebrity clients for over 25 years. Check out their gallery and view invitations for celebrities such as J-Lo, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and a bunch more! Even if you can’t afford to have Lehr & Black create an over-the-top invitation for your event, you can take away key design elements that are incorporated into all of their pieces….

• Experiment with a variety of fabrics & papers
• Embellish your design with luxury (lace, gems, fabric boxes, etc)
• Be bold, let your invitation make a statement and set the tone for your fabulous party
• Have fun with you invitation and let your imagination run wild

Favor the Kids at Your Next Event

Kids LOVE getting gifts, and these adorable favors from Brides.com are no exception. Find out what activity or interest the kids have who will be attending your event, and surprise them with an overflowing basket of goodies like you see below. If they’re into roller skating, purchase inexpensive skates and stuff them with candy and small toys. If they like soccer, purchase a soccer ball, cut off the top and stuff it with fun items like yo-yos, cards, etc. And I love the idea of having these all lined up on a welcome table for the kids when they arrive, this will really make them feel special.

Handmade Aisle Runners

I love the custom fabric isle runners from Event Bella Designs which can add a bold statement to your wedding. Choose the text, image or monogram you want and they’ll design a one-of-a-kind runner starting at $185.

Over-the-Top Parties That Offer Great Inspiration

You’ve probably heard of David Tutera from one of his many TV shows, books or celebrity events. His over-the-top parties can provide the inspiration for your next event…. and can be paired down to fit your budget and style. Here are some amazing Bar Mitzvah party pics that David put together….these kids must have been in heaven!!! I know I’m jealous! 🙂

Haute Couture for the Kitchen

Who wouldn’t LOVE getting one of these sexy, chic apron’s as a bridal shower or bachelorette gift. Elizabeth Scokin created these adorable Haute Hostess Aprons and offers them in a variety of styles, colors and prints starting at only $62.00 (sale price). Any of these aprons would add a bold pop to your little black dress when in the kitchen, and I guarantee all of the women at the party will be asking you where you got your apron! 🙂

Tropical Wedding Romance in the Desert

I’m excited to be working with a really fun-spirited couple and their families to plan a beautiful June wedding in Arizona. Our vision for the event is to create a sophisticated outdoor evening affair that embodies the lush colors of the tropics, paired with romance and lots of laughter. Their colors are: bright pinks, yellows and whites with the hint of orange. Check out some of the inspiration boards I created for them.

Celebrate with Bubbles

I’m in love with Lollia’s bath and body products. They are so elegant, pretty and make wonderful gifts. One of my favorite products (and Oprah’s too) is the “Relax Evening Bubble Bath” that comes in a beautiful champagne bottle and is topped with a silk rose. At only $32.00 this makes a great bridal shower gift!

Memory Journals…The Perfect Baby Shower Gift

I love the idea of giving baby journals as a shower gift to new moms. Although, it can often be hard to find ones that are modern, cute and practical. Which is why you have to check out the adorable journals from Essential Organizers available through the modern online baby store, Fawn & Forest.

Each book is only $19.95 which makes it an affordable and extremely thoughtful gift.

Above: 40 weeks + pregnancy organizer, would be great to give as a “we’re having a baby” gift.

Above: Birth to one year organizer, would be great to give as a shower or “we’ve had a baby” gift.

I also love the Binth Baby Book from Fawn & Forest priced at $110. The entire book is handcrafted and screen printed with beautiful woodland illustrations.

A Tasty Twist on the Diaper Cake

You’ve probably seen your fair share of diaper cakes which make their debut at almost every baby shower, and consist of layers of rolled diapers topped with colorful ribbon and toys.

As an alternative to ‘diaper cake tradition’, check out this adorable and unique “cupcake diaper cake”. The ‘frosting’ is a sweet handcrafted pink cupcake mini blankie from LuLusWoobies. The underside of the blanket consists of a delicious cupcake print, perfect for any sweet little girl. Also, check out the bright red felt cherry on top which can be a fun addition to a play food set in a few years. The cupcake wrapper is hand-folded vanilla cream paper and contains 20 premium diapers, size 1 (8-12 lbs). Very Cool!

This boutique-style handmade gift is practical (what new mom couldn’t use a few more diapers) and the cute blanket is sure to be a hit with the baby.

Interested? Elements of Entertaining will be carrying these baby shower gifts when we launch, so stay tuned.

Accent Your Next Party With Modern Decor

At a recent tradeshow in Dallas, I came across a brightly lit store called Accent Decor, with lots of modern vases, pots, candles and fun accent pieces that I thought would be great (and very versatile) for many of the parties I throw. Since I’m still in the process of building my inventory for Elements of Entertaining, I’d love to know which items on their site you’d like to see me carry!

Modern Cakes & Treats

I’ve spent the past 3 hours of my night watching the cake challenge shows on Food Network (love those)…some of these people amaze me with their creativity and talent. I told my husband one of these days (in my spare time…lol) I’d love to take some pastry classes and see what a few techniques and tips can do for my baking skills (or lack thereof). I can barely frost a cupcake!

All of which inspired me to share with you an extremely talented cake designer in Long Beach, California, Erica O’Brein. Erica’s designs are modern and full of bold, beautiful colors. Here are some of my favorite cakes that she’s made.

Also, if you haven’t checked out the blog, Bakerella, then you’re missing out on the most amazing cupcake cake bites you’ve ever seen. Now I’m just waiting for the day when she starts selling these(and many of her other adorable products) online for us to buy! I know the orders will come pouring in.

What Kid Doesn’t Love a Slumber Party?

After living overseas for many years in Paris & Japan (I know…how lucky am I) my family became a regular at the European based store, Habitat. They offer modern, clean-line products that are bold, fun and affordable…go figure! So you can image my delight when I came across Kim Vallee’s recent post about their new outdoor kids line. Check out their colorful tents, picnic benches and chairs which are perfect for a kids birthday or slumber party!

Stick It With Style

Stacy Claire Boyd has some of the cutest return address labels that I’ve seen. They’re modern, fun and will save your hand from cramping up after writing all of those thank you or miss you cards to your friends (Emily…this one’s for you)!

Party Animal…Sneak Peek

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the adorable party collections you’ll soon find at Elements of Entertaining. We’re featuring our “Party Animal” decor below….perfect for kids birthday parties!

The Invisible Hostess…To Your Party Rescue

I love entertaining & hosting parties in my home but one of the biggest challenges I often face (as I’m sure many of you do as well) is the struggle to maintain my hosting duties (cooking, cleaning, greeting family/friends, etc) while truly enjoying the company of my guests. There’s always just too much to do and it never feels relaxing. Which is why I LOVE the idea of hiring, The Invisible Hostess.

Sheena Kalso created the The Invisible Hostess two years ago, inspired by her own passion to throw intimate in-home parties. She recognized that others, just like herself, were faced with the challenge of not getting to spend quality time with their guests because there are so many details of entertaining that need to be tended to. The Invisible Hostess eliminates these factors by offering the ability to pass off your day of party burdens to an assistant, allowing you to sit back and enjoy your party along with your guests.

You can hire The Invisible Hostess for an affordable hourly or full day fee.

Many of the tasks The Invisible Hostess often performs is:

• Light Housework
• Errands
• Decor Selection & Setup
• Kitchen Prep
• Food & Drink Replenishment
• Post Party Cleanup

Pricing starts at $30/hr which is well worth the cost for you to enjoy spending time with family and friends.

A Modern Approach to the Photo Booth

Usnaps.com has come up with a truly modern & unqiue approach to the photo booth that’ll soon be available for rent in many cities across the U.S. Instead of the old-school mall photo booth that you have to climb inside and wait forever for your strip of photos to print…Usnaps created a small white (& tall) box that you’re able to pose in front of and with the click of your finger (on a really long cord) take your own photos.  You can then view your photos online (in digital quality) 24 hours later. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Plus you get to see everyone else’s photos…which I’m sure will be good for some laughs!  🙂  

Also, check out Usnaps in action on Access Hollywood:
http://video.accesshollywood.com/player/?id=82421