A Modern Game Night with Veuve Clicquot

This spring has been BUSY!  I needed a night to spend with friends, sip some champagne and catch up so I decided to host a Modern Game Night.  

KSW in Altuzarra

To help me make the night just right, I teamed up with Veuve Clicquot and we had fun with their new  Say It With Clicquot Rosé ice bucket shaped like a megaphone.  It was a blast!  We all declared our wishes, goals, loves and, of course, the game night scores, though the megaphone over the balcony so that the entire city would know that we were "saying it with Clicquot!"  

The gals in my family are champagne lovers.  I mean LOVERS!  We LOVE it!  Can you relate?  

So, it doesn't take much of an occasion for us to pop a cork.  A simple game night is the perfect everyday occasion!

Want a go-to flower arrangement that you can make anytime?  I've got the solution that works in any kind of decor! I used this trick for our modern game night but I've stacked these cubes in traditional, ornate and classic homes and it wows every time!  But the best part is that you can do it on your own!  No need to hire a pro!

Step One: paint the edge of 6"x 6" glass cubes with a gold paint marker.  It is so simple to do and really finishes off these inexpensive vases.  

Step Two: Fill the vases about half way up and place flowers inside each vase - one per vase!  I like to mix the colors and varieties up a little bit.  In this case I used some pale pink peonies and dark rich and light pink hydrangea inspired by Veuve Clicquot Rosé.

Stack the vases randomly for a dramatic arrangement that will suit any space!

 Our playing card table runner was an easy and fun DIY!

Step One: Measure and cut a roll of paper to fit your table's width and length.  

Step Two: Lay out the playing cards face down a few rows at a time in a random pattern.

Step Three: Use a double sided adhesive roller to glue cards to the paper roll.

Valentino Pumps

Check back in Monday for many more photos, my husband's playlist and the menu - recipes and all!

ps. Did you know you should serve your Veuve Clicquot in white wine glasses instead of flutes?  

It's true! 

Cheers!

Photography by Kelsey Foster

TODAY Show: Memorial Day Entertaining

Good Morning!  TGIF!  Are you excited about the long weekend?  If you have plans for entertaining this Memorial Weekend, I hope you had a chance to catch me this morning when I shared my tips with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY.

Watch the full video here!

Keep it clean and put a small basket of Wheat Germ or Moss in a basket to catch the drippings from your drink dispenser.  We added flags to give it a patriotic look.  The Drink Dispenser is from Sur la Table and the Glass Dryer Rack is from Farm Housewares.

Invest in serving pieces that can go from the kitchen to the table.  I love the paddle from Chef Tim Love's collection for Sur la Table.  The rubs are amazing too!

Set the table using your favorite red, white and blue pieces.  I love John Robshaw's block print linens and this blue and white pattern took on a patriotic feel when we added a red plate.

The centerpieces were made by my talented and crafty friend Katherine.  She had them at her home and I asked her to loan them to me for the segment.  Aren't they brilliant!  They are simply old glass soda bottles and jam jars that she painted white. She had yellow flowers in them but I used red gerbera daisies to keep with our red, white and blue theme.

Set up a popcorn bar for your guests.  It is a fun treat for adults and kids alike!  Simply stack brown paper sacks full of plain popcorn and let your guests add condiments.  We had red and blue M&Ms, parmesan, bacon bits, various salts and pepper, and cranberries.  The three-tiered basket if from Southern Living's collection for Ballard Design and it can be used tiered or as separate baskets. Brilliant! I stamped the brown paper sacks to give them a bit of style and I labeled the condiments with ribbons and signs made by The Left Handed Calligrapher.

Add mood lighting in style with BHLDN's three blue and white lanterns.  I love the way they mix patterns!

Keep the kids entertained with a paper tablecloth and a centerpiece made with Crayola Colored Sand and red, white and blue crayons.  So easy!

Don't forget the music! I didn't get to the Rukus in the segment but I am crazy about it!  It is solar powered and you can connect your music to it by bluetooth or USB.  I think everyone needs one for summer!

Speaking of music, I snagged a picture with artist, Pitbull, before he performed his new song off of the Men in Black III soundtrack. 

New York looks wonderfully patriotic decked out with American flags to celebrate our veterans.

I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Superbowl Party Planning Time!

Can you believe how the Superbowl is sneaking up on us!  I can't believe it is that time of year again!

Get on your game now and send out some invitations for your very own Superbowl party.  Paperless Post and CoCoDot have wonderful options for a Football themed event.

Make a centerpiece out of cheerleader pom poms.  Be sure to squish them up so that they have volume and then use the handles so secure them at the base.  Simply arrange a few of them down the center of your table as you would flowers.

Serve finger food and little munchies.  Don't try to get fancy on this fun-filled day.  It is best to stick to foods that don't require utensils so that people can grab a plate and take a seat to cheer on their favorite team.

Bake cupcakes and split them into two teams....frost them in opposing team colors and top them with a plastic toy whistle.

Put the decor emphasis your coffee table.  Purchase Wheat Germ grass from your local florist and have some fun with it!  You could add flowers to it in your teams colors or serve the cupcakes from there.  You could also place a simple football in the center for a simple modern look.

Tabletop Charm

There is really nothing more charming for a holiday tabletop than Bernardaud's Grenadiers Pattern.  It so so sweet and brings back childhood memories of a home filled with Nutcrackers and Christmas greens.  It is a great pattern to add to any bridal registry list.  It is versatile and can be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Cover your table with a kelly green tablecloth and fill the center with Christmas garland wound in and around a collection of Nutcrackers.  Add in these charming nutcracker place card holders from Lillian Vernon and, Voila!, you will have the most charming Christmas table top in a snap.

Inspiration Board: Chickadee Sip and See

I love nothing more than when a friend has a new baby.  Is there any greater joy in the world?  I always want to rush to meet the baby and welcome it to the world but I also worry that I will be intruding on a very tired new mother!  Although we loved having well wishing visitors when our son was born, I often felt like we had a revolving door.  It wasn't easy for me to recover or to get our new born on a healthy sleep schedule.  That is why the Sip & See party is so clever!  Ladies in the south have been doing them for generations but my friends from up north seem to latch on to the idea when they hear about it!

Here are my ideas for the perfect Sip & See:

I think this chubby chick invitation is perfect for our party.  It even has corresponding Thank You Note cards that you can order at the same time!  If you are hosting for a friend, order her the Thank you Note suite when you order the invitations as a gift.

Of course, no Chickadee Sip & See would be complete with out a few Chenille Easter Chickies!  Set them on orange cupcakes or arrange them across your mantle!

Use yellow and orange Gerbera Daisies simply by cutting off the stems and placing them face up in small round dishes.  So simple and so dramatic! Check out FiftyFlowers.com to order!

A Sip & See Party should last for two to four hours and be scheduled around the baby's sleep schedule.  Typically, afternoon Champagne Teas are the best format. Setting up a small buffet of tea sandwiches and cupcakes is the perfect!   Check out What's New Cupcake? by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson for fun and fantastic recipies and ideas!

Also set up a drink station so that your guests may help themselves to Coffee, Tea, Champagne, Lemonade, Iced Tea and all of the condiments.  I love this Colin Cowie Flavor-Infusing 20-Cup Glass Beverage Server from HSN!  It holds enough of your drink of choice for 20 guests!  

A few more simple tips:

Set up a handwashing station or keep a bottle of anti-bacterial lotion near the baby.

Have a photographer take photos of your guests with your bambino.

Leave a guest book or small squares of paper out for the guests to write messages to the baby on the way out the door, after they have Sipped and Seen!

Chalkboard China!

Your next party will not be complete with out a few pieces of Chalkboard China.  This stuff is so cute!  I love the tray pictured here. It is perfect for serving anything that needs a bit of an explanation.  I would serve veggie burgers on one side and hamburgers on the other at my next grilling get-together.  A Chalkboard China vase would be great for a "game-watching" party! Each time someone scores you could write the score on the vase OR you could flank your centerpiece with two vases, one for each team!  As people go for food they can sign the vase that belongs to the team they are rooting for.  I am sure that you can come up with great ideas too!  Let me know what you are going to use your Chalkboard China for.

Party Packs!

If you want to make entertaining as easy as 1, 2, 3 then you must shop MeriMeri!  Their Party Packs are amazing!  Their "It's A Party" kits have everything you need for your child's party from the plates and napkins to the centerpiece.  The themes are adorable too!  They have Animal Parade, Princess, Pirate and many many more!  You can purchase the party packs for around $75 or purchase each element seperately.  I adore the cupcake kits!  They are perfect for a mom like me who really wants the cupcakes to look great but doesn't have the time, energy or skill to create a fancy one.  The kits have 24 cupcake wrappers and 24 toppers on a toothpick. They are precious!  The cupcake kits come in a theme suitable for any party.  They have Bridal, Dog Party, Baby Shower and Groovy theme packs.  Precious!

Christmas Entertaining on a Budget

I know you want to continue to entertain through out the holidays even though we are all on tight budgets so here are a few tips to help you shine this Christmas season with out breaking the bank. Here are a few of my tips:

1. Create a simply stunning centerpiece: Fill any glass bowl or open top vase with a favorite festive item such as simple solid ornaments or candy canes. They will last all season long. For a special occasion, top your cylinder vases that are filled with goodies with a sphere of flowers. Solid red carnations from the floral department at Tom Thumb are an affordable way to make a dramatic statement with your flowers (I can get you a photo of this if you like it).

2. Set the tone with tea lights: Candles are a great way to evoke nostalgic memories during the holidays. Purchase a bag of little tea lights. Wrap 1/2 wide ribbon that will match your decor (I like the warmth of velvet ribbons during the holiday season) around the edge of the tea lights and secure with double stick tape. Scatter them around your table top for or across your mantles for maximum impact at minimum expense.

3. Cook in Batches: Make a few breakfast or lunch casseroles that you can freeze and serve when needed. It will take the stress out of feeding out of town guests in the morning. Plus, buying in bulk can really stretch a budget. Tom Thumb offers value packs on all their O Organic products etc. Imagine how easy it will be to pull out your casserole, heat it up; add coffee and juice to your table and you have a breakfast feast in three steps! Be sure you let your casseroles cool completely before putting them in the freezer.

4. Be unique with your guest book: Set a bowl or basket of simple and inexpensive solid ornaments and a few paint pens out by the door. Ask your guests to decorate and sign an ornament and then hang it on your tree. It will give them something fun to do, get them in to your home to mingle and you will have a lasting memory of their visit to hang on your tree every year.

5. Make shopping a family affair: Include your kids on your trips to the store. Tom Thumb has thousands of new everyday low prices and great weekly Reward Card specials on items across the store! Their new yellow shelf tags show the old price crossed out and the new everyday low price. It is a great feeling to see your savings right before your eyes! If your kids are along, you can turn the tags into a fun math game.

6. Save Time and Money Shopping: One Stop shopping not only saves you time and money but also your sanity during the holidays. Tom Thumb not only has every thing you need but has reduced prices all across the store- it will save you both time and money. I love the peace of mind that comes along with knowing that I am getting the best price when I see what I am saving on their yellow price tags.

7. Stock up on your shopping trip: Every busy mom needs to make the most of their shopping trip. Stock up on all the everyday items you may need. For quick on the go meals, Tom Thumb has great O Organics products and an Eating Right line. Buying private label brands at Tom Thumb is a great way to save but not skip out on quality.

8. Host a Dessert Party: Hosting a Dessert Party is a great way to keep on your budget during the holidays. Start your party at 8:30 or 9, after your guest list has already been to the office Christmas party or had a family dinner, and you can host them for dessert. One quick trip to the bakery at Tom Thumb and all of your food is taken care of! A variety of the sweet treats in the bakery, a pre-cake, cookie trays, and pastries, are tasty and easy. Serve the treats on your best trays and cake plates. Tom Thumb has all of this in a one stop shop, including wine to pair with your pastries!

9. Decorate with Rosemary: Purchase two small Rosemary trees at Tom Thumb and cover their containers in a row of Candy Canes by using a glue stick and tying a green ribbon around them. Place them on each side of the mantle for a festive look and the aroma is amazing! Sprigs or rosemary and candy canes are also great accents on a serving tray, attached to the bow on a gift or at someone's place setting.

10. Gift wrap with ease: Wrap a few gifts every day instead of waiting until the last minute. Leave the ribbons off of the packages until you are ready to deliver or ship them. That you can stack up your gifts without messing up the bow! I love to keep the Christmas Cards that people send me. When I do my gift wrapping I use last year’s cards as gift tags by cutting out either a lovely message from the inside of the card or a pretty image from the front of the card. I punch a whole into it and tie it to my package. It is a great way to recycle last year’s cards!

Table for six....

I love it when you write to me with questions.  Some of them have obvious answers while others, like the one I am about to tell you about, need a little more thought.  Allison from Los Angeles wrote to me about a little problem that she is facing.  She has a dining table that seats 8 but is only going to need 6 seats for her next dinner.  Where should she seat the guests?  This question does not have an easy answer but leads me to another question instead:

Is the dinner going to be formal?

If it is a formal dinner, it might be nice to seat the host and hostess at the head of the table and the guests of honor to their left.  If it is less formal, you might leave the heads of the table empty and sit in the six seats along the sides.  If you do that, you might consider skipping a centerpiece and placing your decorations at the ends of the table instead.  In the middle of the table, place a long but low row of candles that will flatter all of the guests.  This way, all six of you will be able to see each other clearly.

There are so many other tricks to help you with seating arrangements in my new book, Tablescapes, so please order your copy today!

Big Table - Little Notice!

 

One of my favorite Texas Hostesses, Carla McDonald, sent me this fantastic photo of her New Years Eve table.  She did a fantastic job of whipping a breathtaking table together with inexpensive items from Hobby Lobby and Party City!  Here is what she writes:

Here's a picture of my very last-minute New Year's Eve party table, which I did all by myself!  We decided about a week before NYE to do this party so I scrambled!  I took all the Christmas ornaments off of the slim flocked trees and replaced them with New Year's Eve 2009 stuff: noisemakers, crowns and hats, 2009 glasses, streamers, etc.  On the table, I used a silver lame fabric for the tablecloth, Lucite candelabras and lots of votives.  I made a bunch of small arrangements of white cabbage flowers with glitter sprinkled on them to make them festive.  Cabbage is supposed to bring good luck and I didn't want to serve any!  I also put white boas on the backs of the girls chairs so that they could have fun with them all night and flirt with their dates, which they did.  After dinner and a champagne toast, we had the solarium cleared out and turned it into a disco with a microphone for singing along to classics like Car Wash.  It was such a hoot!!!  I always say, I'm never happy unless I'm planning a party!

Thanks so much for sharing, Carla!!!  Send us more of your fantastic celebrations!

Baby Shower Flowers

Here's a little tip for easy baby shower flowers:  Scour your local antique mall for adorable vintage baby vases.  I found these two little baby booties and could not resist filling them with white flowers.  Look for different heights and shapes and layer them or mix them with simple glass containers.  Remember to use a monochromatic color scheme with the flowers so that there is one cohesive color tying all of the different vases together.  Have Fun!

Tablescapes Launch Party

Neiman Marcus is a wonderful place!  I absolutely love their "Gift Galleries" selection of china and tabletop items so I was thrilled to celebrate the launch of Tablescapes: Setting the Table with Style at the Willow Bend store.  Neiman Marcus Willow Bend's PR Guru Chuck Steelman asked design genius and the lady behind the RSVPCalendar Collin County, Bag Snob Blogger Tina Craig and me to set a tabletop in the Gift Gallery using Neiman Marcus' china.  Tina used Raynaud's Cristobal pattern in sea blue, brown and coral with a centerpiece of simple calla lilies.  It was fresh and modern look with a colorful twist.  Susan did two tables.  The first was a re-creation of the table she set at Neiman Marcus for the book.  It was covered in Herend's Queen Victoria pattern which is covered in flowers and butterflies.  It is so sweet and so feminine.  In the center of the table she stuck silk butterflies into her floral arrangement.  Susan's second table featured informal dinnerware from Match.  Glassware was a mix of clear crystal, Jan Barbolio bronze and green glass and a golden hued blown glass.  In the center of the table she accented the Match plates with olive branches in vases that looked like silver bark.  It was like a dinner set for the chicest log cabin you could ever imagine!  I set my table with Mottehedah's Blue Lace Chargers and Tobacco Leaf plates.  In the center of the table, a revere bowl filled with pink hydrangeas was the perfect accent for the blue paper place cards with pink ink that I had made to go especially with this china.  If you have time and are in the area, stop by the store and check out our tabletops.  We will back there on the 16th of October to set holiday tabletops and sign more books!