Pink Princess Birthday
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Sneak Peek!
It has been an incredibly busy week so far, and it's only Tuesday! I thought I'd post a quick sneak peek of the events I have this week. I hope it entices you to come back and see the final designs.
2011 Easter Tea Party
Pink Princess Birthday
Pink Princess Birthday
Thursday, March 24, 2011
{Tip} How to Address Wedding Invitations
Here's a post for all the brides questioning the proper etiquette in regards to their wedding invitations.
Outer Envelope
The outer envelope should always be addressed by hand. The address is typically centered neatly with the guest name(s) and address on the front. Your return address would be printed on the back side at the top center of the flap.
Abbreviations should be avoided. The words Apartment, Post Office Box, Street, etc. and East, West, North and South should be spelled out as well as the name of the city and state. Single digit street numbers should be spelled out (i.e. One, Two, etc.).
Formal first names should always be used (i.e. Daniel not Dan). Use a comma before Sr. or Jr. as Mr. John Smith, Jr. Do not use a comma before the roman numerals II or III when it follows a name. The name should read Mr. John Smith III. If the capital letter "I" doesn't look like the roman numeral one in the script typeface being used, write it out as Mr. John Smith the Third or eliminate the suffix all together.
Here is a helpful chart in determining the proper way to address your guests on the outer envelope:
Single Guests
Children
Couples
Professional Degree, such as Doctor
Military
Inner Envelope
Traditionally formal invitations used an outer envelope and an inner envelope. Today this is not a requirement for a formal invitation. The inner envelope with its invitation is placed in the mailing or "outer" envelope The guest name is placed in the center of the face side of the inner envelope.
It is also acceptable to use family or first names on the inside envelopes in cases where the recipients are close friends or family (i.e. "Uncle John and Aunt Emily", or "Emily and John Smith", or simply "Emily and John").
Here is a chart on determining how to list your guests on the inner envelope:
Single Guests
Children
Couples
Professional Degree, such as Doctor
Military
RSVP Envelope
The Response Card or RSVP is an item included with your invitation that is used by your guests to let you know if they will be attending your event. The response card envelope is usually pre-stamped with the appropriate postage. You can save little money by choosing a postcard style RSVP. You won't need to pay for envelopes and the postage will be cheaper.
The RSVP date should be one or two weeks prior to when you must notify your caterer of a head count. It is not uncommon for guests to forget to fill in the response card before returning it to you. It is a good idea to pencil in a small number on the reverse side of the card. This number would correspond to a number on your guest list, which in turn would enable you to identify who it is from should they have forgotten to fill it in. You can also pre-fill in the RSVP card with the Guests name which could also double as an indicator as to whom is invited -- "Mr. and Mrs. John Doe and Family", when an inside envelope is not being used.
It is acceptable to place a phone number or e-mail address on the RSVP card to receive responses via the telephone or internet.
Mailing Invitations
Four to eight weeks before the event is the general rule for mailing your invitations to ensure your guests receive their invitations and are able to respond with sufficient time.
Any envelope weighing over 1 oz., having an irregular shape (square, not flat because of adornments like bows, etc.), extremely large size, or smaller than 3 1/2"x5" will require extra postage, as well as invitations being sent out of the country. It is best to check with your postal service to determine the correct charges before mailing. Prior to shipping all of your invitations, consider putting a complete assembly together and having it weighed and sized at the post office to determine proper postage.
Outer Envelope
The outer envelope should always be addressed by hand. The address is typically centered neatly with the guest name(s) and address on the front. Your return address would be printed on the back side at the top center of the flap.
Abbreviations should be avoided. The words Apartment, Post Office Box, Street, etc. and East, West, North and South should be spelled out as well as the name of the city and state. Single digit street numbers should be spelled out (i.e. One, Two, etc.).
Formal first names should always be used (i.e. Daniel not Dan). Use a comma before Sr. or Jr. as Mr. John Smith, Jr. Do not use a comma before the roman numerals II or III when it follows a name. The name should read Mr. John Smith III. If the capital letter "I" doesn't look like the roman numeral one in the script typeface being used, write it out as Mr. John Smith the Third or eliminate the suffix all together.
Here is a helpful chart in determining the proper way to address your guests on the outer envelope:
Unmarried Female | "Miss Emily Smith" or "Ms. Emily Smith" |
Divorced Female, kept married name (Smith) | "Mrs. Emily Smith" or "Ms. Emily Smith" |
Divorced Female, back to married name (Smith) | "Ms. Emily Smith" |
Widowed Female | "Mrs. Emily Smith" or "Mrs. John Smith" |
Children
Children under 18 if using an inner envelope | *Do not list children under 18 on the outer envelope if using an inner envelope. Only list the parents. |
Children under 18 if using one envelope | "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Daniel Smith and Emily Smith" *List from oldest to youngest |
Children under 18 if using one envelope, more formal | "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Mr. Daniel Smith Miss Judy Smith" or "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Messrs. Daniel and Elliot Smith" or "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Misses Judy and Mary Smith" *List from oldest to youngest |
Child 18 and over | "Miss Emily Smith" *Children 18 and over should receive their own invitation. |
Couples
Unmarried couples who do not live together | "Miss Emily Smith" *Only list the guest living at the address |
Unmarried couples who live together | "Miss Emily Smith and Mr. John Jones" or "Miss Emily Smith Mr. John Jones" |
Married couples | "Mr. And Mrs. John Smith" |
Married Couple, kept maiden name | "Ms. Emily Smith and Mr. John Jones" |
Married Couple, with hyphenated last name | "Ms. Emily Smith-Jones and Mr. John Jones" |
Same sex Couples (list alphabetical) | "Mr. Fred Smith and Mr. John Jones" |
Professional Degree, such as Doctor
Married Couple, she has a professional title and he does not. | "Doctor Emily Smith and Mr. John Smith" |
Married Couple, he has a professional title and she does not. | "Doctor and Mrs. John Smith" |
Married Couple, both are doctors | "Doctor Emily Smith and Doctor John Smith" or "The Doctors Smith" |
Married Couple, both are doctors with different last names | "Doctor Emily Smith and Doctor John Jones" |
Married Couple, he is a doctor and she kept her maiden name | "Doctor John Jones and Ms. Emily Smith and Doctor John Jones" |
Non-medical PhD | *This title is not generally noted in formal addressing |
Judge | "The Honorable and Mrs. John Smith" |
Reverend (or Rabbi, etc) | "The Reverend and Mrs. John Smith" or "Reverend and Mrs. John Smith" |
Attorneys | *Esquire is not used after a name on formal invitations. |
Military
He is a commissioned officer (General) | "General and Mrs. John Smith" |
He is a non-commissioned officer or enlisted man | "Mr. And Mrs. John Smith" |
He is a retired commissioned officer (General) | "General (Ret.) and Mrs. John Smith" |
She is a commissioned officer, he is not | "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith" or "Captain Emily Smith and Mr. John Smith" |
Inner Envelope
Traditionally formal invitations used an outer envelope and an inner envelope. Today this is not a requirement for a formal invitation. The inner envelope with its invitation is placed in the mailing or "outer" envelope The guest name is placed in the center of the face side of the inner envelope.
It is also acceptable to use family or first names on the inside envelopes in cases where the recipients are close friends or family (i.e. "Uncle John and Aunt Emily", or "Emily and John Smith", or simply "Emily and John").
Here is a chart on determining how to list your guests on the inner envelope:
Unmarried Female | "Miss Smith and Guest" or "Ms. Smith and Guest" |
Divorced Female, kept married name (Smith) | "Mrs. Smith and Guest" or "Ms. Smith and Guest" |
Divorced Female, back to married name (Smith) | "Ms. Smith and Guest" |
Widowed Female, recently widowed | "Mrs. Smith" |
Widowed Female | "Mrs. Smith and Guest" |
Children
1 Child under 18 | "And Emily" |
Children under 18 | "Emily and John" *List from oldest to youngest |
Child 18 and over | "Miss Smith and Guest" |
Couples
Unmarried couples who do not live together | "Miss Smith Mr Jones" |
Unmarried couples who live together | "Miss Smith Mr Jones" |
Married couples | "Mr. And Mrs. Smith" or "Mr. and Mrs. Smith, John and Emily" |
Married Couple, kept maiden name | "Mrs. Smith and Mr. Jones" |
Married Couple, with hyphenated last name | "Mrs. Smith-Jones and Mr. John Jones" |
Same sex Couples (list alphabetical) | "Mr. Smith and Mr. John Jones" |
Professional Degree, such as Doctor
Married Couple-She has a professional title and he does not. | "Doctor Smith and Mr. Smith" |
Married Couple, both are doctors | "The Doctors Smith" |
Married Couple, both are doctors with different last names | "Doctor Smith and Doctor Jones" |
Judge | "Judge and Mrs. Smith" |
Reverend (or Rabbi, etc) | "Reverend and Mrs. Smith" |
Military
He is a commissioned officer (General) | "General and Mrs. Smith" |
He is a non-commissioned officer or enlisted man | "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" |
He is a retired commissioned officer (General) | "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" |
She is a commissioned officer, he is not | "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" or "Captain Smith and Mr. John Smith" |
RSVP Envelope
The Response Card or RSVP is an item included with your invitation that is used by your guests to let you know if they will be attending your event. The response card envelope is usually pre-stamped with the appropriate postage. You can save little money by choosing a postcard style RSVP. You won't need to pay for envelopes and the postage will be cheaper.
The RSVP date should be one or two weeks prior to when you must notify your caterer of a head count. It is not uncommon for guests to forget to fill in the response card before returning it to you. It is a good idea to pencil in a small number on the reverse side of the card. This number would correspond to a number on your guest list, which in turn would enable you to identify who it is from should they have forgotten to fill it in. You can also pre-fill in the RSVP card with the Guests name which could also double as an indicator as to whom is invited -- "Mr. and Mrs. John Doe and Family", when an inside envelope is not being used.
It is acceptable to place a phone number or e-mail address on the RSVP card to receive responses via the telephone or internet.
Mailing Invitations
Four to eight weeks before the event is the general rule for mailing your invitations to ensure your guests receive their invitations and are able to respond with sufficient time.
Any envelope weighing over 1 oz., having an irregular shape (square, not flat because of adornments like bows, etc.), extremely large size, or smaller than 3 1/2"x5" will require extra postage, as well as invitations being sent out of the country. It is best to check with your postal service to determine the correct charges before mailing. Prior to shipping all of your invitations, consider putting a complete assembly together and having it weighed and sized at the post office to determine proper postage.
Friday, March 11, 2011
{Tutorial} Zebra Cookie Pops
At last I have the tutorial that I promised all of you for the zebra pattern cookie pops from my Zzzebra Slumber Party. These were very easy and inexpensive to make and really pop on a dessert table. Of course the most important quality ... they're yummy! I received a ton of compliments and my husband kept asking me how many I really needed for the party so he could steal a few extra.
#1) Gather all of your ingredients.
-1 package of double stuff cream filled chocolate cookies, such as Oreo
(Don't use the single stuff because there isn't enough room for the lollipop stick)
- 2 packages white candy melts
- 1 tall thin glass
- 1 Styrofoam sheet
- 2 tubes of black colored decorating gel
- 4" lollipop sticks (if you'd like to decorate the stick with a ribbon, as I did, check out Hostess with the Mostess' tutorial, which is where I got the idea. I recommend doing this step first to prevent any glue from getting on your cookie)
#2) Prepare your cookies. Pull apart all of the cookies so they are lying open faced in front of you. Make sure to keep all the matching top and bottoms together.
#3) Melt your candy. I fill my glass up with candy melts and microwave it at 50% power for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. I then stir the mixture thoroughly. If your candy doesn't fully melt after stirring it for about 30 seconds, return it to the microwave for another 30 seconds.
#4) Create your cookie pop. Dip one end of a lollipop stick into the melted candy.
Place the end with the candy into the cream filling of one of the cookies and replace the top. Set the cookie aside so that the candy can cool. Do this for all the cookies.
#5) Candy coat your cookie. If you're making an entire package of cookies, by the time you finish inserting all the lollipop sticks, the cookies which have been sitting the longest will be ready for dipping. Pick up the cookie by the stick and dip it into the melted candy. Make sure the entire cookie is covered.
When you pull the cookie out tap it a few times on the edge of the glass to remove any excess melted candy. Then stick your cookie into the Styrofoam to dry.
If you candy level is too low to fully coat the cookie, stop and melt some more candy in your microwave.
Once all of your cookies are covered if you're not happy with the smoothness of the coating you can dip your cookies a second time to get a smoother look. White candy melts won't cover a chocolate cookie as nicely as another color. For my party I dipped each cookie twice. It also depends on your taste as well. Some people prefer not to have such a heavy candy coating and prefer the taste of the single dipped cookies.
#6) Zebra stripes! Now it's time to add the final touch to the cookie. Get out your black decorating gel and squeeze on zebra stripes. I recommend looking at some examples of zebra stripes to see how they look and what pattern you'd like to use on your cookie.
For fun you can swap up the colors! Try picking out a fun color of candy melt instead of white or pick out a different color of decorating gel to give your zebra cookie a bit of pop. I used a black decorating gel with some glitter in the Zzzebra party to give my cookies some glam. Have fun and enjoy!
#1) Gather all of your ingredients.
-1 package of double stuff cream filled chocolate cookies, such as Oreo
(Don't use the single stuff because there isn't enough room for the lollipop stick)
- 2 packages white candy melts
- 1 tall thin glass
- 1 Styrofoam sheet
- 2 tubes of black colored decorating gel
- 4" lollipop sticks (if you'd like to decorate the stick with a ribbon, as I did, check out Hostess with the Mostess' tutorial, which is where I got the idea. I recommend doing this step first to prevent any glue from getting on your cookie)
#2) Prepare your cookies. Pull apart all of the cookies so they are lying open faced in front of you. Make sure to keep all the matching top and bottoms together.
#3) Melt your candy. I fill my glass up with candy melts and microwave it at 50% power for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. I then stir the mixture thoroughly. If your candy doesn't fully melt after stirring it for about 30 seconds, return it to the microwave for another 30 seconds.
#4) Create your cookie pop. Dip one end of a lollipop stick into the melted candy.
Place the end with the candy into the cream filling of one of the cookies and replace the top. Set the cookie aside so that the candy can cool. Do this for all the cookies.
#5) Candy coat your cookie. If you're making an entire package of cookies, by the time you finish inserting all the lollipop sticks, the cookies which have been sitting the longest will be ready for dipping. Pick up the cookie by the stick and dip it into the melted candy. Make sure the entire cookie is covered.
When you pull the cookie out tap it a few times on the edge of the glass to remove any excess melted candy. Then stick your cookie into the Styrofoam to dry.
If you candy level is too low to fully coat the cookie, stop and melt some more candy in your microwave.
Once all of your cookies are covered if you're not happy with the smoothness of the coating you can dip your cookies a second time to get a smoother look. White candy melts won't cover a chocolate cookie as nicely as another color. For my party I dipped each cookie twice. It also depends on your taste as well. Some people prefer not to have such a heavy candy coating and prefer the taste of the single dipped cookies.
#6) Zebra stripes! Now it's time to add the final touch to the cookie. Get out your black decorating gel and squeeze on zebra stripes. I recommend looking at some examples of zebra stripes to see how they look and what pattern you'd like to use on your cookie.
For fun you can swap up the colors! Try picking out a fun color of candy melt instead of white or pick out a different color of decorating gel to give your zebra cookie a bit of pop. I used a black decorating gel with some glitter in the Zzzebra party to give my cookies some glam. Have fun and enjoy!
Monday, March 7, 2011
{Event Recap} Vegan Soup Club Dinner Party
My husband and I are part of a cooking group called "Soup Club." About once a month they meet and everyone who attends makes a dish that goes along with a selected theme. One person makes a soup and everyone else competes for the prettiest and tastiest dish.
Last night my husband and I offered to host. It was a vegan theme! This was quite a challenge since only one attendee was actually vegan. She had attended the previous gathering (make a dish using as many ingredients that start with the same letter as your first name) and thus inspired this month's theme.
I hadn't intended to do anything special for the decor. Of course the morning of the dinner I started eying my linen closet and I just couldn't help myself.
I wanted the table to represent the vegan theme. I latched on to this leaf and floral print I found hidden in my closet
I paired it with yellow and golden hues because ... well that's the color of my living room curtains and that was an easy place to set up the buffet table. Because it was a potluck event, I wanted to keep the table as simple as possible so that it wouldn't be too cluttered when all the different dishes arrived. I decided to go with simple, white, elevated serving dishes. I think the end result looked fairly cohesive despite the fact that each serving dish came from a different household.
After I set the dinning table, I realized it needed some of the green and lavender hues that were in the buffet table. I ventured into my yard to see what I could find. The majority of the centerpiece was all from one giant bush in my front yard. I latched on to it because of the little yellow flowers and the fact that it was huge and could easily cover the entire length of the table.
I didn't think I had any purple to add so I decided to look at the grocery store since I had to purchase a few more items for our dishes. I got lucky on my way to the car! I passed by my herb garden and found my rosemary and lavender in full purple bloom!
It was a great night of friends and yummy food. Now I just need to discover my husband's secret! He hates to cook and the only time he tries is for soup club. Yet, every time he gets either first or second place for tastiest dish! The only prize I won was best costume for the Halloween themed meal. I think I need to consult my husband more for my menus.
Last night my husband and I offered to host. It was a vegan theme! This was quite a challenge since only one attendee was actually vegan. She had attended the previous gathering (make a dish using as many ingredients that start with the same letter as your first name) and thus inspired this month's theme.
I hadn't intended to do anything special for the decor. Of course the morning of the dinner I started eying my linen closet and I just couldn't help myself.
I wanted the table to represent the vegan theme. I latched on to this leaf and floral print I found hidden in my closet
I paired it with yellow and golden hues because ... well that's the color of my living room curtains and that was an easy place to set up the buffet table. Because it was a potluck event, I wanted to keep the table as simple as possible so that it wouldn't be too cluttered when all the different dishes arrived. I decided to go with simple, white, elevated serving dishes. I think the end result looked fairly cohesive despite the fact that each serving dish came from a different household.
After I set the dinning table, I realized it needed some of the green and lavender hues that were in the buffet table. I ventured into my yard to see what I could find. The majority of the centerpiece was all from one giant bush in my front yard. I latched on to it because of the little yellow flowers and the fact that it was huge and could easily cover the entire length of the table.
I didn't think I had any purple to add so I decided to look at the grocery store since I had to purchase a few more items for our dishes. I got lucky on my way to the car! I passed by my herb garden and found my rosemary and lavender in full purple bloom!
It was a great night of friends and yummy food. Now I just need to discover my husband's secret! He hates to cook and the only time he tries is for soup club. Yet, every time he gets either first or second place for tastiest dish! The only prize I won was best costume for the Halloween themed meal. I think I need to consult my husband more for my menus.
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