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

Cupcake Flair for Your Next Party

One of my daily reads is Jenn Sbranti’s Hostess with the Mostess blog. Jenn is an amazingly talented graphic/web designer who has an eye for modern entertaining products and shares her finds on her blog.

She recently posted about these adorable cupcake wrappers from Estilo Weddings. Each design comes in either a pack of 12 wrappers for $12 or 50 wrappers for $46. I love the idea of purchasing a few designs and having them in the house for your next party to pull out and jazz up your desserts.

Thanks for the great find Jenn!

Casting Call: “Rock the Reception” on TLC

TLC recently contacted us in search of engaged couples who would be interested in participating on a new show called “Rock the Reception”. Selected couples will be teamed up with choreographers to turn their first wedding dance into an unforgettable production number.

Couples who are interested in being considered must be getting married anytime between now and the first week of September 2008.

To see an example of what they’re looking for (and what you’ll be expected to do), check out this incredibly hilarious first dance on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiw-Kqtlr0

If you want to surprise your guests with an awesome performance that will make your wedding truly memorable, contact Elements of Entertaining and we’ll help you set up an interview with TLC.

Baby Shower Gifts…Sneak Peek

I’m excited to show you some of the adorable baby shower gifts Elements of Entertaining will be carrying on our site. Almost everything you see below comes in either another color, animal or print.

What are some of your favorite baby shower gifts to give or receive?

“Plan My Next Party” Contest

Elements of Entertaining is excited to announce the launch of our “Plan My Next Party” contest. We are offering one lucky winner our event consulting services, free! This includes assistance with all of your party planning details. How cool is that!

All you have to do is post a comment on our blog with a brief description of your next event and why you need our help. Be sure to include your event location and date.

We will be selecting a winner on May 17, 2008.

We can’t wait to see the fun events you all have planned!

Colorful Containers…Perfect for Your Next Party

Looking for creative party decor that can be customized to match the colors/style of your event and will serve a functional purpose post the event? Then check out this adorable collection of vases, storage containers, placemats, frames, other really cool decor from The MacBeth Collection. What I love most is that they offer a ton of pattern options to choose from and you can add your own text to any of their products.

Flip Flop the Night Away

Weddings are often an all night affair which include lots of dancing and sore feet, which is why I love the idea of offering your guests some comfortable and colorful flips flops at the reception. Elements of Entertaining will soon be offering Kate Parker’s adorable flip flop baskets in the following colors: white, black, brown, pink, green, orange, red, aqua and navy blue.

Designs to Drool Over…

Rebecca Thuss is one of the amazing talents behind the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings. Her work is breathtaking, colorful, bold and so inspiring. You have to check out her portfolio of table settings, flowers, favors, parties and so much more!

Welcome Your Guests in Style!

I am in love with Kate Parker’s welcome baskets for out-of-town guests. Kate’s design team creates these custom baskets, packed full of locally made products, tailored to your event and location. And if you don’t see something that fits your needs, Kate will create a custom basket specifically for your event. How cool is that?

Elements of Entertaining, will also be partnering with Kate Parker and will carry her full line of welcome baskets on our e-commerce site, launching this month. And you’ll be able to work directly with us to easily create a custom order.

Pose for Your Own Stationary

Pose Prints, has one of the most fun stationary design sites on the web. In just a few clicks, you can create a custom invitation for your next party that looks just like you (or the guest of honor). And you can easily view and send an e-card right from their site in minutes. Or place an order for printed invites which will run you about $50 for every 25 you purchase.

I can’t wait to design an invite for the next baby or bridal shower I throw!

And as a prelude to my weekly updates on “Soon to be Mrs. B”, I designed an adorable engagement card just for them. Check it out and see how I did…

Give Gifts That Give

So many brides are looking for unique gifts to give their guests as a token of their appreciation for attending their wedding. But…it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect gift that is cute, everyone will enjoy and fits within your budget (yikes)! Which is why when I stumbled across Truffles for a Cause, my eyes lit up with excitement. Truffles for a Cause, creates dessert-sized truffle favors which come individually packed in a solid white box and tied with satin colored ribbon. Inside the box they’ve included a tiny printed card, listing the name of the charity you selected to make a monetary donation to, in your guests honor. You’ll also receive a custom favor table card thanking guests for coming and offering a brief description of the charity you selected. How cool (and thoughtful) is that?

One of my favorite charities to donate to is The Humane Society, they perform some many amazing acts of kindness. I’m grateful to all of the people that work so hard to protect animals and keep them safe.

A Board of Pictures to Inspire Your Next Event

Style Me Pretty, a blog that features fun and unique ideas to help you plan a wedding, hosted an “inspiration board” contest. Readers had a chance to submit their collage of beautiful pictures, arranged to inspire and tell the story of the event they are envisioning. Very cool!

I love creating inspiration boards when working with clients to plan their next event, it’s a great kick-off tool and ensures we have a reference point to look back on, enabling us to keep the style and design on track.

I had a blast looking through all of the boards on Style Me Pretty, here’s one that I think is fun and sassy…check out more for yourself!

Pink (Inc) Is the New Black!

I am loving the flexible fabric structures Pink Inc., has available to rent or purchase. These amazing, over-the-top accents will definitely take your event to the next level. Imagine the design possibilities…add a dramatic, glowing tunnel entrance for guests to walk through…project a movie or slide show on a custom shaped fabric wall…add private corners to an expansive ballroom room with fabric dividers…create ceiling interest with colored fabric sails.

And you have to check out the really cool play areas for kids…they transport you into a fantasy land where your imagination can run wild.

A Tub Full of Ice Cream

If you haven’t seen the latest craze in at-home spa products for your bath or body, then you’re in a for a sweet treat! Me!Bath, created a yummy line of ice cream bath salts that are shockingly fragrant and beautiful to look at. When submergered in water, each scoop fizzes and melts around your body while creating a hydrating bathtime experince. I love that!

Me!Bath also offers Shower Sherbet, Body Icing, Body Wash and some adorable gift sets. There are so many flavors to choose from… my favorite has to be the pink “Gotta Have it Pomegranate” Sherbert and Mini Scoops.

Gift these unique bath products at your next party and see how your guests react…the WOWs and thank yous will totally make your day. And how cute would the Shower Sherbert be as baby or bridal shower favors!!!

You will also be able to purchase the entire Me!Bath collection through Elements of Entertaining when we launch at the end of April so stay tuned.