I'm Featured!

I am pleased to announce that my last post, "Decoratiing With Scrapbook Paper" is being featured on a very good friend of mine's website. Dr. Yakini is a clinical psychologist in the New York City area. She is also a freelance lifestyle writer and Editor of the Girly Home Webzine which is an online web magazine geared towards women. The Girly Home Webzine touches on fashion, relationships, finances, and beauty & wellness to name a few.

Yakini enjoyed the ideas I shared in my Scrapbook Paper post so much, that she wanted to feature it on her site. How cool is that?! Check out my feature article here. While you're over there, be sure to check out the rest of her website for beauty tips, lessons on proper etiquette, yummy southern recipes and many, many more!

Decorating With Scrapbook Paper

Decorating with scrapbook paper is a quick and easy way to dress up a table setting for those last minute "get-togethers". It is also inexpensive and perfect when decorating on a budget. Scrapbook paper can be used as placemats, table runners, napkin rings and to cover vases.

Jenn from Hostess With The Mostess uses scrapbooking paper in a lot of her party theme designs.



In the above picture, Jenn uses a 12" sheet of scrapbook paper as a placemat.




Here she uses 1"-2" strips of scrapbook paper as napkin rings. Jenn also uses it to cover cylinder shaped vases for floral centerpieces. You can also use rhinestone stickers and other embellishments to decorate your scrapbook paper designs.

Scrapbook paper can be found at American Crafts, Luxe Designs as well as any craft store like Michael's.

Scrapbook paper can also be used to decorate around the house.





The above wall art can easily be created by using 12x12 inch Styrofoam Brand Foam Squares and covering it with scrapbook paper of your choice. At less than $5/sq, this is a really inexpensive way to transform a room in your house. They can be found at any craft store.

The Styrofoam Brand Foam also comes in 3" cubes that can be also be wrapped in scrapbook paper and used as vases.




As you can see, scrapbook paper can be used in a variety of ways. So head on over to your nearest craft store and stock up on loads of scrapbook paper. This way, when you have to entertain guests at the last minute, you will already have something at home to work with. The good thing about scrapbook paper is that it comes in hundreds of colors and designs. You can even use a particular scrapbook paper design as inspiration for a color scheme. Use it to decorate your entire event around.

My Love for Chandeliers

I absolutely love chandeliers. Chandeliers come in various colors, different sizes , and can add character to any room or space. They are no longer only being used as an ornament over the dining room table, chandeliers can now be found in living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and even used to decorate an event or party space.

These bright colored chandeliers from Incidence in Paris each make a bold statement without saying a word:



This French black glass chandelier from Black Orchid Interiors in the U.K. has a Vintage Glam feel to it.



This chandelier from Lamps Plus sets off a romantic, vintage charm:



This Water Fall styled pink mini chandelier from Kingdom Lighting is the perfect addition to a little girl's room or nursery:



This Spectrum chandelier from Urban Outfitters is a personal fave of mine and is only $36!



This would go SO well in my dining room to compliment this painting I have hanging up:



But unfortunately, my apartment has a track lighting system in the dining area:



And....well, I really can't do anything with that, lol!

And last but not least, some chandeliers come with lamp shades like this one from Murano Glass



The lamp shades on this chandelier add a modern, contemporary flair to it.

Chandelier use doesn't have to be restricted to inside the home. They can be used to decorate an event space. Chandeliers illuminate a room and can serve as a beautiful focal point. While some can be priced pretty high, they come in various price ranges to suit just about any budget. The key is to shop around and you are guaranteed to find one that suits your budget. There are multiple styles of chandeliers that can easily coordinate with any theme whether it be French, Vintage Glam, Modern, Romantic, Colorful, etc, etc. So, the next time you are planning an event and looking for that one added touch that will create a "wow" factor, consider hanging a chandelier.

A Reason to Celebrate

Birthdays, Anniversaries, New Baby, Just Because...these are all happy occasions that are cause for people to throw a big party or celebration. How about inviting all of your closest friends and family out to celebrate earning your Master's degree? Well, that's exactly what Susann did last night. Earning your Master's degree is a BIG accomplishment and definitely something worth celebrating. I teamed up with my good friend, Arnisca Wilson, owner of Li Se' Catering & Events, and came up with decorating ideas for the event. Together, Arnisca and I gathered our thoughts and ideas and put our creative minds to work.

The color scheme we used was Red, Black, and Silver. The event room was very "drab" to say the least. It's one of those spaces where a lot of work has to be put into it to actually transform it into something beautiful. Unfortunately, we weren't working with a large enough budget to completely transform the entire room. But, we made do with what we had, and in my opinion, it came out nice. Let me know what you think:

We used Blumebox centerpieces on the tables. Thanks so much to Michelle with Lemiga Events for coming through at the last minute with the Blumeboxes



We decorated the outside of the Blumebox with a black satin ribbon and a red, shimmery, sheer ribbon on top of that. We also made custom drink menus and sat them on each of the tables. Here are a couple of close ups of some of the different menus:






Each of the menus were decorated differently and added a nice "personal" touch to each of the tables. Special thanks goes out to Cindy, the bartender, for putting together these menus for us at the last minute. Arnisca and I were running behind schedule and Cindy came in and got right to work. Had it not been for her assistance, we probably would not have been able to display these cute little menus on the tables. So "thanks" again to Cindy, "You Rock!"

We even set up a "head table" in the back for Susann and her family to sit:






They ended up not sitting there because they were too busy mingling with all of the guests and having fun on the dance floor. They were definitely not the type of people to be secluded at a different table away from their guests. What were we thinking? Lol! That was alright because the table added a nice touch to the room.

Complimentary alcohol was flowing all night. Cindy did an awesome job behind the bar. She was friendly to everyone that came up to the bar. She was just a fun person to be around. And...she even showed me her "Thug Passion" tattoo on her lower back (No, seriously! She REALLY has one, lol!) in honor of her favorite rapper TuPac Shakur.







Here she is, having fun with her Martini shaker, lol!





Cindy was very attentive to everyone's drink requests and made sure she gave them exactly what they asked for and even added her own little special touch at times.

Susann's guests were a fun bunch of people. They really knew how to party.



Here is Susann (turquoise shirt) and her guests doing the "Cupid Shuffle"

And a party isn't a party without a Soul Train line!



Here is the "Guest of Honor" going down the Soul Train line.



A lot of people "let loose" on the dance floor going down the Soul Train line, lol!
*Please excuse the blurriness of the pictures, the smoke is coming from the DJ booth. He let loose this smoke on the dance floor to give the room a "smokey" effect



A guest doing the "Robot" down the line.



Susann and her friend CJ going down the Soul Train line together as they both had something in common to celebrate. CJ also earned her Master's degree and graduated with Susann. Congrats to both of you ladies!



And this guy just couldn't resist going down the Soul Train line a second time and I couldn't resist snapping another picture of him, lol!

Fun times indeed!

And here is a picture of the DJ, DJ Triple M, who was responsible for everyone dancing and having a good time.



He played all the hot tunes and provided a nice mixture of music that everyone could enjoy. He even took it back to the "Old School" with some of the most popular R&B hits from way back in the day. From Frankie Beverly and Maze to some early Michael Jackson (when he was black, lol!)everyone was reminiscing and just having a good time.

Barack The Vote!

With the 2008 Presidential Election around the corner, I'm sure many people have been throwing Debate Parties. If you are planning to host an Election 2008 Viewing Party in your home on November 4th, here are a few planning tips and decorating ideas:

A Patriotic/4th of July theme can be used for an Election Party



Patriotic Bunting Borders can be used to decorate edges of tables or as borders on the walls.

Other Patriotic decor that can be used are Red, White, and Blue streamers, Patriotic Confetti, and balloons.

Who to Invite:

If you are a Barack Obama supporter, make sure all of your guests are, too. This is to avoid any confrontations or heated political debates. Also, if guests are allowed to bring someone along with them, ask them to make sure their guests are also Barack Obama supporters.

Breaking the Ice

If you are inviting a diverse group of people, then chances are everyone might not be acquainted with one another. How about playing a game to "break the ice" amongst your guests prior to the start of the debate?

This Election Topics 2008 game from Plum Party is a great conversation starter.

What to serve?

Finger foods like hors d'oeuvre's and snacks are probably the easiest to serve at your Election 2008 Viewing Party.

You can also play off of the "patriotic" theme of the event by serving drinks and other treats in patriotic colors.



These Red, White, and Blue Cocktail Shooters are perfect for the occasion.
All you need is:

1 part grenadine

1 part peach schnappes

1 part blue curacao

Layer in this way:
1) Grenadine
2) Peach schnapps
3) Blue curacao
i.e. 1) on bottom

Or these Blue Yankee Doodles and Red Patriotic Punches:


Yankee Doodle
- 1 part UV Blue Raspberry-flavored vodka
- 2 parts sour
- 1 part tonic

Pour vodka, sour and tonic into a rocks glass over ice. Stir and serve.


Patriotic Punch
- 1 part UV Red Cherry-flavored vodka
- 3 parts lemonade

Pour the ingredients into a rocks glass over ice. Stir and serve.

Sweeten things up a bit and serve these Obama'08 Cupcakes from Mrs Beasley's:



Or these Obama'08 Cookies, also from Mrs Beasley's:



*Mrs Beasley's also sells these 2008 Election cupcakes and cookies for the Republican candidates. They can be found here

Or try these easy-to-make cupcakes:



And last but not least, try these Campaign Button Cookies




Encourage guests to wear Barack Obama gear or other Democratic paraphernalia.
Here are some cute t-shirts and hoodies from Barackthevote.com:




I LOVE the colors in this tee being rocked by America's favorite Top Model, Eva Pigford.




This one is for all of my Old School Hip Hop heads and Run DMC fans. It also comes in Men's sizes as well.




In anticipation of cooler weather come November, you can also Barack the Vote in a hoodie. (*side note: Ladies, isn't that model a nice piece of eye candy?)

If you are welcoming children to your event then they too can "Barack" their vote. Well not really since they can not legally vote, but they can show their support in this cool gear







Even your favorite pooch can participate in all the fun



How cute is this Doggy Tee? And furthermore, how adorable is that little doggy?

And why not invite the "Guest of Honor" to your event?



You can purchase this life-sized, 6'2" cut-out of Barack Obama at www.celebritygift.com

And that, my friends, should be enough to get you started on planning your Election 2008 Viewing Party. Feel free to email me pictures of your event and I will post them on my site after the election.

Fall Wedding Trends

The above picture is one of world renowned celebrity event designer Preston Bailey's creations. This was the ceremony area at a Fall Themed wedding/event. Isn't that just absolutely breathtaking?

The weather is cooling down and leaves are on the ground. These are clear indications that the Fall season is here. A lot of people get married during this time of the year and Fall colors are very popular for weddings. These colors consist of reds, browns, oranges, yellows, and even subtle hints of green. Let's take a look at some Fall wedding trends:

Reception:


*Photo courtesy of The Knot


*Photo courtesy of Project Wedding


*Photo courtesy of Project Wedding


The red, orange and yellow hues used in these centerpieces are very appropriate for a Fall themed wedding.



*Photo courtesy of Project Wedding

The Bride's bouquet shown above was placed in a cylinder vase and used to decorate the cake table at the reception. Aren't those Fall colors beautiful? I love how the various shades of brown adds a "pop" of color.



*Photo courtesy of Project Wedding

This Chivari styled chair is adorned with a beautiful sphere of peachy, orange colored roses. The closed rose buds scattered throughout the middle add a subtle hint of green.

Let Them Eat Cake!


*Photo courtesy of Wedding By Color

The bride's bouquet, or a replica of it, is often used as a wedding cake topper.


*Photo courtesy of Diane's Cakes and More

The use of Fall/Autumn leaves is a very popular Fall wedding trend. Here, they are used to decorate the wedding cake and the edges of the cake table.



*Photo courtesy of Diane's Cakes and More

Cupcake Towers are the new "cake" trend. Cupcake Towers are replacing the standard cake at not only weddings, but birthday parties and other events where cake is normally served to guests. These little cupcakes with autumn leaves on top are a cute alternative to cake for a Fall themed wedding.

Favors

Monogrammed Cookies: A lot of couples use personalized Monograms throughout their wedding.


Leaf Shaped Cookies: These yummy looking cookie favors tie in well with a Fall themed wedding.


*Both photos courtesy of Diane's Cakes and More


Favors are a nice way of simply telling your guests "Thank You" for sharing your special day. Edible favors are becoming more and more popular because, let's face it, most people leave "non-edible" favors on the table or either lose them or even throw them away. By giving your guests a token of your appreciation that they can eat, you can be certain that your favors will not go to waste. Most edible favors never make it to your guests' homes. They are usually devoured sometime during the reception.

And last but not least, here is an "Inspiration Board" with some more wonderful ideas for a Fall themed wedding:



If you are planning a Fall wedding, hopefully you were inspired by some of these ideas and designs.