alstromeria

Flower Friday: Bling Blinging!

6:00 AM

A wonderful client of ours wanted a gold and white centerpiece that incorporated gold and looked lush  for their banquet dinner. I found these great gold cube vases and we used an all white palate for the flowers. In order to bring the gold in more and make it look a bit more corporate I placed gold tings across the top of each piece...they looked like orbs of gold.

I used hydrangea, stock, alstromeria, polar star roses, queen Anna's lace and dendro orchids for each piece.
The table had a gold vine overlay, gold square chargers and gold filigree votive holders.
Of course we had to bring in gold chivari chairs with ivory satin chair covers to complete the look.

DIY

Super Cool DIY Website

1:20 PM

I stumbled upon a great website today that offers a bevy of DIY projects that are easy, cute and clever for all kinds of events. The City Cradle is definitely a site to check out for awesome ideas.
Here a few of my favorites:

This one is both eco-friendly and chic! She took wine bottles and painted them white then painted chalk board paint squares in the center and wrote the letters. LOVES it!!


Look at this clever DIY photobooth. The signs in the right have different expressions written on them (on cutesy labels I might ad). As cute as the circle is I think a vintage frame would be cool as well.


"Welcome to the Nest" baby shower??? How clever is that? Check out her make your own nest cake stand pictured above. This theme is really fun, especially in the springtime.

house guests

Do's and Don'ts for Weekend Guests

8:18 AM

source of image

Nothing makes me happier than waking up in a house filled with people I love.  I always want my guests to feel comfortable in my home, with that "me casa, sous casa" vibe; so I spend a lot of time thinking of what will create that feeling. Here are some Do's and Don'ts on how to be the a great host to overnight guests…

Do start with a clean slate. A clean house may only last a moment when people are visiting, especially with kids but clean (or have it cleaned) anyway. It will be a calming welcome to your guests.

Don't go overboard. A tidy place is great but there is no need to scrub the floors. TRUST me, you will need to clean the floors when the weekend is over so let it wait.

Do be organized and prepared for your guests. It's always nice to ask your guests before hand how they take their coffee so you can have half and half on hand or if their children are allergic to anything so you can put it away. Also, do the shopping before hand so you are not leaving your guests.

Don't over-schedule. Its nice to show off your town, go to the local beach or sample local fare with your guests but the main reason they are visiting is (probably) to see you. So if you stay in the yard all day and get take out don't worry, a game of cards and a bottle of wine can make as much memories as any night on the town.

Do use a guest-room/bathroom beforehand. You may clean the rooms your guests are going to use upon their arrival but if you actually use them beforehand you will see exactly what they need. Toothpaste in the guest bathroom. An extra blanket in the spare room that gets chilly. These are things you may only realize if you actually use the rooms.

Don't forget the TP. Stock all bathrooms with ample toilet paper. Nothing spoils a stay more than getting stranded in a bathroom with no TP.

candles

A Simple Centerpiece

9:21 AM




I was talking to a friend who is also a bride to be and she was explaining to me her vision for a centerpiece…simple, elegant and candles…tons of candles. The image above is immediately what I saw…the clear candle holders are so delicate but not obtrusive (you know how I HATE centerpieces that block the view of other guests). Here are a few other candle centeperpiece ideas that are inexpensive but oh so pretty. Hint: add some floral buds on the bottom of the table 
or a bright linen to add a pop of color. Find an inexpensive candle holder here.


Candles in a bevy of wine bottles…genius. Start drinking!

Source

This centerpiece I have done in a variety of ways, with a round mirror, candles and flower buds mostly. The compenants make set up a little time consuming but it is super easy. If you do decide to use floral buds stay away from hydrangea or stock. Anything "puffy" will wilt super fast without water.





What a great use of a cake stand! Make sure of the height and sturdiness of this piece before you use them for an event, I hear that flaming linens is a buzz kill. This one seems safe.




potluck

Praise for the Potluck!

10:43 AM


Ahh the Potluck, such a wonderful idea, especially when you just don't have the energy to pull it together and throw a full on fiesta. Here are few ways to make your potluck positively fabulous!

1. Where's the beef?
The simplest way to host a potluck is to provide the protein and have everyone else bring a side. Try to write down what people offer to bring so you don't have too many duplicates.

2. Theme it.
Pick a type of cuisine, an ingredient or even a movie that everyone should use as their inspiration for their contribution. Guacamole for a Mexican themed fiesta, use Long Island local corn as the common ingredient or have a Red Velvet cake for a Twilight Party...get the idea? It will allow the creative juices to flow.

3. Around the World
Remember in elementary school when you had to bring a dish that represented your nationality? I always brought in Swedish meatballs which was strange because I am not Swedish and they had Concord grape jelly in them...the most American of all ingredients. Anyway, why not pick different cultures for each person to represent (or have them choose) and bring a dish that is representative of the region. Your taste buds may be introduced to something new.

4. Dessert and Drinks
For the non chefs (ahem, like me) ask everyone to bring either a dessert or a drink - store or bakery bought. It's easy and fun.

P.S. I figured out how to allow anyone to leave a comment so feel free to leave your two cents. I do prefer kind, polite words or those of praise. So "Wow, what an amazing blog, you rock my entertaining world" would be acceptable..."Your blog stinks" is not.

centerpiece

Flower Friday - Mum's the word

7:30 AM


Last week I did a post about Fall and mum's are the flower of that season. They are such an underrated flower. But like many of the inexpensive, hearty varieties who got a bad wrap (i.e, carnations, baby's breath), these blooms are getting a makeover in modern designs. In mass, these blooms are gorgeous. There are three varieties that are most popular. Shown above and below are the spider mum.


I love the texture of these trees. And being a sturdy bloom, mums can withstand being in a floral foam structure for up to a week. 


Kermit or Button mums are another popular variety. I love the simplicity of the picture above. 
It looks so natural and playful. 



if you have a few hours to kill make some of these mum spheres. They look like moss in this picture but wrap with a colorful ribbon and they can be hung from chairs along the aisle for pops of color. Or held by the flower girl…even suspended from an arch. FUN!


Football or China mums are the last variety - and these babies are my favorite! Their big, pouffy heads have the same texture and look as hydrangea or a peony. They really are gorgeous and not used enough in my opinion. 

They usually come in white or bright yellow so I think this bouquet was sprayed pink. It looks like cotton candy!! But can you see the beauty and elegance in this piece? I would love to see it in bright yellow with turquoise ribbon….bright, cheerful and simplistic. 

paper goods

Make them Laugh Party Supplies!

8:11 AM

Nothing makes a party memorable better than laughter, and these tableware goods from creative team Naughty Betty are guaranteed to get a few chuckles. Check out these hilarious coasters, 
napkins and plates...


If this were true my life would be set!




Would I be a bad mom if I thought this? If it's written on a coaster than it MUST be acceptable. 

If you go online to their site you can put in your area code and find a seller near you or one online. 

Event Recap Part 2

8:08 AM


If you read this blog before then you know I love my food! Usually big corporate picnic food is nothing to write home (or blog) about but I had to post pictures of the Event Kings buffet for a few reasons… 

1. It's pretty! We worked hard to make sure that the picnic buffet that goes to every location looks clean, neat and sophisticated. The tables are skirted and the chaffing dishes are covered with linens too! This is such a small detail that makes a HUGE visual difference. Now you will notice those ugly wire stands that hold the chaffing dishes and realize how unsightly it really is. 



2. It's clean! I took these pictures towards the end of the party, after about 100 people rummaged through the food and it still looks neat, cleaned and refreshed. 


Nothing upsets me more than a sad, lonely piece of watermelon begging for anyone to take him. Makes me cry. But not here! Those watermelons look happy, yummy, and refreshing.


3. The salads sit in ice. It was hot the day of the party…like super, sticky, icky hot. 
But those salads stayed cool as cucumbers on a bed of ice. 


On to the yummy snacks…fresh cotton candy anyone? There is something almost magical about freshly spun cotton candy…I thought to myself "how cool would these make as centerpieces? Little puffs of cotton candy on each table"…then I realized how impractical and messy that can be and moved on.


And for those salt lovers - freshly popped popcorn!!! The smell alone brings back memories of summer carnivals, festivals and movies. YUM!

carnival

Event Recap - Summer Teambuilding Part 1

7:40 AM


I guess you can say there are many companies who put corporate picnics on their resume. Sure, if you bring some food, tables and balloons you can call it a "picnic." But few, if any, create the experience we do. This picnic combined the popular teambuilding program. We used Olympic games, carnival games, high striker and event ping pong as ways for teams to wrack up points. The best part was the week before; teams showed their spirit by hanging banners, sending fun and creative e-mails and building excitement for the big day.  And excited they were! Despite the heat, everyone at this picnic was smiling ear to ear and getting into the spirit of the day.


Green team and yellow team competing in sack races and land skis. 


See the team spirit with the sign hanging from the side of the building? How cool is that? Pictured on the right is the high striker where guests came to test their strength.


Our Activities Director kept everything moving and grooving to great tunes - he also announced the Olympic games and gave the teams the rules. 

Carnival tents gave teams more chances to earn some points. Here this guy thought the Live Wire was easy…little did he know!


Fortune Tellers were there to give whimsical feel and nice break to the festivities. I'm not sure if they predicted who was going to win, but they did give some insight into the future. True to Event Kings style we had a coordinator there taking names so it was nice and organized.  

More to come about the food, winners and client response...

caramel apples

Waiting for Fall

9:26 AM

Ah, the muggy, steamy, sticky days of summer are making me long for the crisp cool days of Fall. Don't get me wrong, these past few months have been lovely but I can't help but think of light knit scarves, pumpkin picking and caramel apples!! Its no wonder more and more events from weddings to picnics are moving into fall months - the weather is much more stable and the turning leaves are picture-esque. 

I was looking back on some of our previous fall celebrations...

Pumpkin carving anyone? Start practicing!

This scarecrow hunt was a super hit and fun to recreate at home. You can even do this with pumpkins instead of scarecrows.


Who doesn't love to decorate a pumpkin? Much safer for kids than carving. We at Event Kings try to keep sharp objects away from children.


Pumpkin Patch

This may be m y favorite part of fall…caramel apples! And what can be better than a caramel apple PLUS chocolate and sprinkles?

If your inspired to host your event for this fall give us a ring and we'll do it all for you!

dinner party

Fun Dinner Decor

9:56 AM


We had friends over for dinner and my darling husband decided to cook a meal worthy of royalty. Since I contributed a lil' old salad (more on that later) I had to step it up when it came to the decor. It seemed only fair, plus I had to do something while he was slaving away in the kitchen. And yes, that is the face of our little girl below the mirror (not a ghost)…
she was my helper.

I went to where else but Home Goods for fun stuff to dress up the table. I started at the linen section for inspiration and found this tablecloth by Badley Mischka. I loved the purple and red pattern.
Here is a similar one from Ralph Lauren.


The centerpiece was made from purple and silver gilded candle holders (on sale for $4 per 3 - WOOHOO! Find similar ones here) and a shallow bowl with floating candles,
button mums and dahlia buds. 

The bowl was from Home Goods and had a similar leaf pattern as the linen. It was purple glass and around 15" in diameter. I found a similar one here. I loved this centerpiece for 3 reasons. 1. It's super low but is still gets noticed with the pops of color from the flowers and the glow of the candles. That makes it easy to see the people across from you and doesn't disrupt conversation. There is nothing I hate more than a centerpiece in your face while trying to talk to someone. (I am guilty of making a few). 2. It was super easy to make. 3. It has the elements of fire, earth and water which
 adds depth to this otherwise simple centerpiece.

There was 7 lanterns (from Cultural Intrigue) hung above the table to give a more intimate setting. The center one was 24" chocolate brown and the sides were 14" in cinnamon, teal and yellow. I used fishing line to hang them at various lengths and taped them to the ceiling. However, I don't recommend the tape - one fell on my friend's head while eating…I just filled her wine glass to the top and kept talking. Usually, at venues there is a drop ceiling with slats and cross bars that you can tie the line around.
Perhaps I should do an entire post on hanging lanterns.




The table in all it's dim-candle lit glory. The china is Lenox and the crystal is Vera Wang - 
both from our wedding.



This was my husband's time table - how awesome is that?
P.S. for anyone who read the watermelon salad post yesterday here is how it went. True to form I got nervous about doing the actual grilling so I made the Mr. do it. I totally threw a wrench in his schedule but he obliged. Also, last minute I realized I didn't have arugula so we used endive instead, which was bitter but balanced out with the watermelon and goat cheese. It was a total Top Chef moment but luckily it worked and hopefully in the next Top Chef scenario I get to be Padma. I recommend this salad - it was easy and yummy! (although it paled in comparison to the main entree. It was like a paint by numbers followed by a Picasso!)