I wanted to  do something totally different than last year event for my husband’s birthday. Doing an Amy Atlas-inspired dessert table seemed fun. But first, I had to convince my husband since his first reaction was: this is too girlie! He sent me a clear message: no apothecary jars, no feminine shape for the tableware. My challenge was to design a masculine dessert table. And I did!

My Design

His party had a two-fold theme. There was the “40 is the new 2.0″ tag line. For the bar station, my husband  bought several geek items at ThinkGeek. The most impressive gear was the LED Jellyfish Mood Lamp. Many people asked us if they were real jellyfishes.

On the other side, the dessert table was developed around a color scheme. I selected yellow and green with red acting as an accent color. I used some of my tableware collection and added new pieces. You may recognize the tablecloth from his previous birthday.

DIY Ideas for Serve ware

Finding masculine cake stands is almost impossible. I created my own footed serving ware instead. I wrapped a matching napkin on a bamboo storage box to raise big rectangular platters. A green glass square votive holder fit neatly under a square yellow salad plate. Trial and error is required: some plates do not stay in place on top of containers. The salad plates are the perfect size to serve chocolate pieces. Spreading your food across the buffet table makes them more accessible for your guests. This is why I used three plates for the chocolate.

What Was on the Dessert Table?

Hosting a dessert party could be an overwhelming task since you need 7 to 10 different desserts. This is why I relied on professionals for the food. For me, hosting a party has to be easy, delicious and stylish.

Until the last day, I thought of baking our famous dark chocolate torte but I realized that there was plenty of dessert already. Therefore, I planned to serve warm brie with Granny Smith apples and walnut, plus to put in small boat containers strips of Parmesan Reggiano with honey. As I was setting up the table, lack of space on my table meant that I had to wait. As the night evolved, it was clear that we had enough food on the table. I kept my cheese for another event. On average, account for 4 to 8 pieces by person. Then, add extra for take home. I estimated that 90% of the guests brought back home a little box.

Here is what I served. I got 4 flavors of fine chocolate plus delightful marshmallow lollipops and 36 macarons in 3 flavors each and a jar of spice cookies crafted by Kréavie. Everyone love their sweet treats. My friend Nathalie Rivard baked delicious date squares. I bought 2 packs of fruit mini verrines at Gastronomia and 3 dozens of mini cupcakes at Itsi Bitsi. Plus, I received another dozen of mini-cupcakes decorated with a geek theme from Muriel Ide. To balance the sweetness, I served walnuts, almonds and pistachios in my new chalkboard tag jars.

The next post will be about the fabulous floral arrangements created by O.xide Design.

SOURCING:
+ chocolate, marshmallows and cookies at Kréavie
+ mini verrines at Gastronomia
+ cupcakes at Itsi Bitsi
+ Social Media Pillows by Craftsquatch on etsy $19.99 USD each

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When I saw this store window yesterday decorated with corrugated cardboard rolls, I grabbed my iPhone to take pictures. This is something that you can reproduce at home.

I immediately imagined a twist for the hat making activity that is so popular in Alice in Wonderland theme party. After all, why not set the theme in a different environment? Your guests can paint, draw and glue decorations. You will set up a wall to exhibit their creations.

It can also form the backdrop of a tasting of Asian tea service. It is a creative decor that is simple to do.

Corrugated cardboard rolls are easy to find at packaging supply stores. You can use A, B or C flute sizes but look for 6-inch thick rolls.

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I featured Sunday Suppers on several quick link posts. From what I have seen this week, I am not going to stop soon. The concept behind their Market class can be resumed in building a seasonal menu based on what is available at the market.

Casey Solomon and Karen Mordechai propose more than cooking classes. They put attention to details of the tablescape. This is how they first grabbed my attention.

For the market class, they came up with a brilliant yet simple idea. They wrote the menu on brown paper bags. At the end of the night, the guests used their paper bag to bring home fresh peaches.

They filled a wood crate with local peaches and put it next to the door. Small details include placing a piece of jute underneath the crate. You could use potato bags. Tea towels were used as napkins and to make a bed for the peaches. I am sure that many of you will recycle their entertaining ideas.

If you are interested in taking their classes, they are held in Brooklyn, New York.

PHOTO CREDITS:
+ Sunday Suppers

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Yellow is the hot color of summer 2009. Inviting this cheerful color to your party puts everyone in a festive mood. If you are planning to devise a yellow party theme, take a look at these:

+ serve lemon mint granita from the smittenkitchen.com

+ Big sunflowers make a bold statement. As you can see, they can look stylish. I like how they transformed vintage suitcases in a green garden where you plant seating cards – via Snippet & Ink

+ go green and wrap your gift in a Mustard Yellow “GIVE LUCK” reusable Fabric Gift Wrap from chewingthecud available on etsy. It is $10 each. She explained on her blog how to wrap a single box and more wrapping techniques with fabric.

+ Release your thirst with the Citrus Thyme Water by Sunday Suppers

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This is a well-done Patriotic Bunting Banner Flags for the Fourth of July. springchick used the flag elements on a good taste manner. As you know, I am not a fan of displaying the flag at any party. This is a more subtle way to achieve the same result.

By changing a pattern or two, it could be harmonized with the DIY Fourth of July craft project from Twig & Thistle that I am shown you earlier today. It is not too late to go shopping for pieces of fabric and sew your own banner flags.

SOURCING:
+ Patriotic Bunting Banner Flags by spingchick $32 USD on etsy

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The super talented Kathleen of Twig & Thistle has designed the cutest party celebration kit for the Fourth of July. Her design is modern, festive and elegant. Build your party around these elements. You could print a second batch of sparkler cards to glue on handmade paper cones. Use the cones to serve cashews, popcorn or fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Kathleen provides the templates with easy to follow instructions on her blog. Basically, you simply print, cut, tape and you are ready to receive big Awe! from your guests. I absolutely adore it!

If you can remove the words “Fourth of July” with Photoshop or add a white rectangle on top to hide the unwanted words with MS-Word, you could print a second batch of the sparkler cards, matchbook covers and straw tag for when you host other summer parties.

MORE:
+ DIY 4th of July on Twig & Thistle

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A college graduate contacted me because he was looking for affordable and colorful party decorations and possibly a theme for their graduation party.

The graduates are multicultural so it may be a nice touch to add elements of several cultures. Instead of coming out with a party theme, I am sharing awesome DIY craft projects to decorate the party room. Each one can be reinterpreted to suit your style.

Chinese Lanterns

Lanterns create a festive mood instantly. If you host a party in at an hotel, the ceilings are high and the room are vast. You will need plenty of large lanterns to create a statement. You can attach battery-operated light or flashlight inside if you wish to lit them.

Flite Design showcased the nice mauve and lime at the 2009 Soolip Wedding, an event that happened in Los Angeles on March 29. You will find more inspirations on the blog Junebug Weddings.

DIY Mobile Ideas

A cool idea is to attach each lantern to a bamboo stick and spread them in a vase like flowers. I spotted that idea last year on Project Wedding.

Vary the sizes and colors of origami cranes. These origami mobiles were made for Yuli + Keith’s wedding. The Great Catch picture net is also from their wedding. Check out Oh, Hello friend for more stunning uses of origami cranes.

The bird mobile is a good symbol of the life transition that occurs after graduation. Spool Sewing offered the bird pattern for free. Look for the bins with fabric scraps at fabric stores; you will save a lot of money.

Message in a Bottle Game

You can ask everyone to answer the same question before the party. Print each answer on a piece of paper to create unique message in a bottle. Spread the messages in a bottle on each table. Let people freely open the message through the night and guess who is the author of each question.

Make sure the paper is easy to remove. The paper should be almost as high as the bottle and use 2 to 3 tapes to firmly keep the roll small. Get inspired by the Send Help Project invitations featured on NOTCOT.

The idea when you wish to design a party is to find your starting point and from that, to devise the whole theme. Have fun at your graduation party!

CREDITS:
+ mauve and lime lanterns by Flite Design – Via Junebug Wedding
+ Origami cranes and great catch images: Yuli + Keith’s wedding photographed by Robert Sukrachand – right reserved
+ Send Help Project invitations via NOTCOT
+ Lime Big Chinese Lanterns on Project Wedding
+ Three Little Birds by Spool Sewing – image on Flickr
+ Bird Mobile done by Homemade with Jill

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I have a thing for the glamour behind the world of advertising although I do not watch TV ads. And it is fun to watch the customs of the 60s. It reminds us how our customs have evolved for the better of everyone one in our society.

AMC describes the series in those words:

From Matthew Weiner, the Emmy award-winning executive producer and writer of “The Sopranos,” “MAD MEN” is the ground-breaking, daring series about the glamorous and ego-driven “Golden Age” of advertising, where everyone is selling something and nothing is ever what it seems.

I laughed when I saw Betty Draper, the wife of Don, preparing stuffed celery sticks for a party. Thank God that we are so beyond that now. Examine the typical details of office parties from the show. We see that drinking in Mason jars is nothing new. The prints on the paper cups look cool today.

The series also explores the first step of women taking their place in the workforce with the sweet Peggy Olsen moving from secretary to junior copywriter.

If you never catch the show on AMC, season 1 is available on DVD. You have to wait until summer 2009 for Season 2 on DVD.

Modern Office, version 1964

Lastly, I spot this cool 1964 dream office advertisement by Steelcase on a cool blog called The Mid-Century Modernist.

I had a few office chairs like the secretary chairs on the ad. I gave or sold them, except one, at the end of last year. I was said to let them go but we lacked the space. I think they are cool.

SOURCING:
+ Mad Men – Season One $23.99 USD
+ Mad Men – Season 1 Blu-Ray edition $24.99 USD
+ Mad Men – Music from the Series, Vol. 1 $13.99 USD
+ Images from the Mad Men official site on AMC

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+ I featured a real-life party with this impressive Chinese theme birthday party for a 8-year old girl. I like the idea of educating kids on another cultures while entertaining them. This unique party was put together by the mother with her daughter.

+ I am a fan of mingle plates. I showed you many models since I started writing this blog. I went to a party before Christmas where my friend had these clips. I think they are the best option since they fit on your salad plates. But there are more, I presented you 7 Plates Designed to Mingle at Cocktails Parties. Note that the Wine and Dine Oblong Appetizer Trays have slightly changed.

+ With photos from my favorite home décor magazine, UK-based Living etc I talked about Decorating with Gray.

A Blog is Born

The attention given to my post on Women Market Statistics on the Web last September led me to start a new blog on Women, Social Media and Technology called On the Web with Kim Vallee. I quietly started the blog in December, a week before Christmas.

If you are thinking about migrating to Wordpress, I started a series about why and how to migrate to Wordpress. I already published my Must-Have List Before Your Start Your Blog on Wordpress. Next, I will write a guide if you are migrating from Blogger.

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On a personal note, May 2008 marked a turning point. It will always have a special meaning since my ACL reconstruction surgery happened on May 1st. I expect my leg to be fully recovered in a couple of months. Let me tell me that I am thrilled to see the end of tunnel of a ski jump that turned into an accident.

+ This new beginning half explains why I selected First Birthday Party Ideas for a Girl as one of my favorite posts of May 2008. The second reason is many of you enjoyed this fun floral party theme.

+ As a blogger, I got more opportunities to discover amazing new products. I am still impressed by the unique Old meets New style of Cartolina Cards. These eco-friendly cards stand them apart from the crowd. Fiona Richards infuses a modern distinctive look to patterns from ancient cultures, especially India. Fiona’s blog, Café Cartolina is one my top 3 new blogs of 2008. This is a place to find lots of amazing eye candies.

+ Beside inspiring you, I try to give you shopping advices. I think the Web community appreciated since How to Select a Cookware Set was popular in 2008.

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I am glad that Wanwisa of Modern Vintage submitted her birthday party for my real-life party column. She planned an original party. She set the tone by hosting a Sunday brunch with 16 guests. A brunch is less predictable than a dinner party. And lunchtime is best for business meal or meeting your girlfriends.

Wanwisa selected Bouchon Bakery and Café in New York to host her event. It has the right amount of French bistro feel. This will be heaven for me since I cannot resist French pastries. The Bouchon French Toast sounds divine.

Her Macaron Croque en bouche is memorable. It took 110 macarons to do this montage. From her dessert menu, the Hibiscus macaron flavor with a dark chocolate ganache filling would be my first choice. The Milk and Cookie concept was presented with a side of ice cream parfait served in tiny mugs.

She designed not only a remarkable invitation but she extended the concept to the menu card. She even ordered her custom monogrammed labels at Pink Design on etsy. She used it to close the menu card. A very stylish idea!

Visit Modern Vintage for more about Wanwisa’s brunch birthday party and the making of her invites and menu cards. It is a coincidence that I booked a lunch for tomorrow at Olive and Gourmando in Old Montreal. It is just in time because I am craving now for fabulous breads and homemade soups.

• Get directions to Bouchon Bakery Café – p 212.823.9364
  10 Columbus Circle – Third Floor, New York, New York, United States, 10019
• Get directions to Olive and Gourmando – p 514.350.1083
  351 Saint-Paul St. West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2Y 2A7

+ Via Modern Vintage

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I found these pictures online on the Web site of Hallmark Magazine. You can throw an Alice in Wonderland Style tea party in a large backyard or rent a section of a city park.

The Tabletop

Create a long table with folding plastic table. The design calls for quirky elements. It looks even better with disparate chairs. Mix painted wooden chairs with garden chairs. Get a throne for Alice. Here, they use a wing-backed living room chair. You can use mismatched tableware.

Head to the flea market and find the classic style tea cup and teapots. Or ask a few friends, to bring their own set. You can borrow from the grandma style.

Having Fun

Organize some Alice in Wonderland inspired activities. A hat decoration craft session can be more for kids and moms. Ask the kids to read the book before the event. Then, put together a friendly book reading competition like a game show quiz with small prizes to the winners.

The Art of Making Tea

Count 3 to 4 guests per regular size teapot. You can serve a couple tea blends, if you wish to. It is time to stop at the tea house to get your tea. Opt for loose tea leaves. If you wish to follow the proper tea making technique, ask the tea house to write down the recommended water temperature and the number of minutes you need to infuse the tea blends you selected.

Remember that you must warm the teapot with hot water before making each run of tea. You should discard the water you used to warm the teapot.

On the menu

Stop at the bakery for freshly made bread. Tea party sandwiches are usually of triangular shaped, crust-less and made with thinly sliced bread.

Prepare tea sandwiches with flavored cream cheese and cucumber slices. Aim for two to three tea sandwich flavors. Making your own flavored cream cheese is fast and easy. Simply add finely minced garlic, freshly grounded pepper or spicy mustard with chopped fresh herbs or diced sun-dried tomatoes to 8 ounces of cream cheese. Adjust the quantity to taste. Smoked salmon and caper triangles are a favorite of mine. Chatelaine published twenty perfect tea party recipes.

Serve fresh baked scones or crumpets with homemade jams. Go whimsical by decorating cooking with King or Queen of Hearts illustrations.

You can do variations on the Mad Hatter tea party theme to create a lady like bridal shower party or a creative baby shower party.

SOURCING:
+Top and Bottom rows: Images from Hallmark magazine
+ Alice in Wonderland Tea Set by Shinzi Katoh – $32 USD
+ Grain De Couleur Couverts Tea Towel Fork – $39 USD

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