Halloween 2011

So my Halloween is done and over with for 2011. No party for me tonight, but I had a great time this weekend at various gatherings and loved some of the outfits!! Below are some of the creative ideas that people had. Enjoy!!

Bag of Jelly Beans

Young Child Riding a Horse

Young Child

Goddess

Fairy

Garcia and Lattimore

Back of the Ghostbuster's Pack

Ghostbusters

Mummy

Rachel Zoe

Terrance Riding His Horse

Thriller

Happy Halloween

More pics to come soon!!

Cream Cheese Filled Strawberries

Ok let me start by saying that I am by NO means a chef. Everyone expects that since I was raised in the South, I should know how to "throw down" in the kitchen! WRONG! I can do enough to survive. I challenged myself this year to cook at least 3 times a week.  I was actually doing really well for about 3 months and then I just fell off hard. So I am on my quest again to become a better cook and prove some people wrong! 


Well I found a recipe online for Cream Cheese Filled Strawberries and LOVED it! You cut the tops and bottoms off of the strawberries and pipe in the filling. So not only is it really good, but presents very pretty too! And last but not least, it was SIMPLE!

Ingredients:
8 ounce package cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract (my favorite is Mexican Vanilla)

Using a mixer on medium speed, combine all of your ingredients together until fluffy.

Set aside.

Cut the tips off of the strawberries.

Cut the tops off of the strawberries.

Place the strawberries on their bottoms.

Take a small melon baller to scoop out the tops.

Fill a pastry bag with the cream cheese mixture.

Take a star tip and pipe filling into berries until the cream cheese mixture brims over the tops.

Voila!  Simple and delicious!

I Have A Thing For Paper

I LOVE paper products, especially invitations and have found that etsy.com has some of the most creative invitations out there at really good prices. I am a DIYer, so I like to view the invitations and see if I can recreate them. Here are some invitations that I came across on the net that Ithink are creative and really cute!

Planning a party for Vegas!

This is BEST kiddie invitation!!

These invitations could be used for a number of different occasions!

Maybe you are thinking about a destination wedding! I have a boarding pass template if anyone wants to create their own just email me uniquebydesignweddings@gmail.com.

This is VERY cute for a baby shower!

I love this invitation because of the colors. They are very rich and bold. And love the print on the inside of the envelope!

Halloween Costume?

So for the past week I have been pondering over what to be for Halloween. Isn't everyone? For me Halloween is taking something you would never think about and turning it into a costume! So my genius idea for this year is " Rock Paper Scissors", which I think is GREAT! However, I can't find any willing participants to complete this trio! Bummer. Sooooooo, my next idea was to be a test tube! My mother wants to know why I am always thinking about costumes in which I have to set inside some kind of container. She said can't you think of anything simpler. Soooo back to the drawing board AGAIN!! Ok so my next idea was being a box of crayons... but that still means me setting inside of a box. (So now I begin to question is my mother correct?) But the joy of this costume is I don't have to reshape the box, I just have to cover it with some paper and set inside of it. Unfortunately, I don't think this idea will have a chance to pan out. With the rest of my hectic week, I really don't have the time to "construct" a costume. Working full-time and then doing close to 4 hours of dance rehearsal at night doesn't leave much time for eating sleeping and CONSTRUCTING!! Gladly, I do have my fall back costume that I can pull out the drawer and just look super cute... a BLACK CAT!! So we will see what happens! I will be sure to post a pic next week of what the outcome is. 

This Should of Been My First Post

This should have been the first post, but clearly I am SLOW so here we go now. Hey everyone I am now a blogger! Who would of thought… definitely not me! Not going to bore you with my life story, but just a few facts you may want to know about me.  I LOVE unique things and always looking for ways to be creative. I also find that I want to jump from one thing to the next, but finally starting to hone in on one area that I am really passionate about… WEDDING/EVENT PLANNING!!  Not sure how consistent I will be with my post, but will try to be fairly consistent. Above all else I said I am a dance artist through and through! Dance started me in the world of creativity… I LOVE IT!! Well I hope that everyone enjoys this blog and invites friends to read!

Also I do have a wedding/event planning business, so for anyone looking for a coordinator feel free to check out my website dreambigweddings.com!

The New Type of Baby Shower - "Sip and See"

So ever since Phaedra from the Atlanta Housewives had her “Sip and See” I have been scouring the web looking for other such parties. I wanted to know did everyone where rose head dresses and have non-technical ballet dancers at their function.  Furthermore, my fascination came as this was the first time I had EVER heard of such a party.  

A Sip and See is basically a casual type of baby shower that’s held AFTER the baby arrives, typically 4-6 weeks after. (Preferably 6 weeks, as it gives your baby time to build up his/her immune system.) Friends and family are invited to drop by “open house style” within a certain time frame to meet the baby (see) and enjoy light food & drinks (sip).  This type of party is very efficient because you invite everyone over all at once to see the baby, so your home doesn't feel like a revolving door of visitors during those already stressful just-home-from-the-hospital weeks.

So strolling through the internet, I have found Sip and See’s that are on two totally different ends of the scale. 

The “adult” Sip and See.  This photo comes from the Hostess with the Mostess Blog. The host wanted to give the traditional party a little twist, so they planned a “Sparkling Sip and See”! They had a Sparkling Drinks & DIY Champagne Bar where they set out a variety of bubbly drinks-from Martinelli's Cider and Lorina's Sparkling Lemonade to bottles of sparkling water and Champagne. They offered a few different mixers for the Champagne such as Chambord, O.J., pomegranate juice, and pineapple juice, so that guests could stir up their own favorite Champagne-based cocktail. 

The yellow chosen for the party was is a great choice as it is gender neutral! But if you wanted to be more specific for a boy or girl you could definitely switch out the colors.  

Now for the modern Sip and See.  Hostess with the Mostess has some of the best party ideas on it. I LOVE THIS VERISON of Sip and See – Got Milk!

 

The color palette was black and white with a splash of color. And of course you have to have some cow print in there. The party favors are so cute! They are Starbucks-style milk bottles. 

Some helpful hints for any style of Sip and See is:

• Set up a hand washing station with anti-bacterial hand soap and plenty of guest towels. 
• Have a digital camera on hand to take a picture of each guest with the baby, and flat notecards available for them to write a little message to mom. These will come in handy for a scrapbook or memory album later!" 
• Time your party in the middle of the afternoon, so that you don't have to worry about serving a full meal. A few simple finger foods like veggie platters and artichoke dip are all that you'll need (and store-bought versions are fine!).

Keep the decorations stress-free without sacrificing style! 

Fall By the Numbers

Just thought I would share a few FALL facts about weddings....

• 14% of weddings take place in September, the most popular month for weddings
• 12% of weddings take place in October, the third most popular month
• 6% of weddings take place in November, which ranks ninth in popularity

By these numbers, you would find some of the best deals among vendors in November (off season) and be ready to pay a little more out of the pocket in September (peak season). Astonishing what a few months can do to the budget of a wedding!! 

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DIY Guest Book Alternatives

As you know I am BIG for DIY projects and bringing quirky elements into your wedding! One place to start is the GUEST BOOK… so everyone has signed it, now what!! For many newlyweds, after their wedding they find they have no use for it and it gets packed away to collect years of dust!! But with these guest book alternatives, you can remember the words of wisdom of family and friends for years to come!!

1. Photo books or Instant Photos… A picture says a 1000 words. Capture the moments with a Polaroid camera or pre-make a photo book for guests to sign.

2. World Atlas… I know that I want to travel the world with my significant other! Why not have family and friends sign where their favorite travel destination is and leave some ideas of things to do while there.

3. Artwork… After guests have signed it, the artwork can be displayed in your house for all to see.

4. Wine Bottles… Create blank wine labels for guest to sign and open one each year of your anniversary!!

5. Vintage Items… Have guest sign your favorite collectibles.

6. Envelope Guest Book…  Transform a store-bought album into a guest book that has a handmade feel. Use double-sided tape to affix envelopes in assorted sizes and colors to the pages of a plain-paper photo album or scrapbook. Leave cards and a pen on a table for guests to write wishes. When they're done, they can tuck their cards inside the envelopes for the bride and groom to enjoy later.

7.  Artistic Guest Book… Inspire guests to express themselves artistically as they write down their sentiments on your wedding day. At the reception, set up a table with craft and office supplies -- pretty card stock, colored pencils, an array of stickers -- and invite guests to embellish their notes with fun designs. Finished cards can be placed in a clear glass bowl and arranged in a scrapbook later.

8. Mail Anyone… So who doesn’t like a little mail? Rather than signing a traditional guest book, give guests a postcard with the bride and groom's address printed on the back to fill with good wishes during the reception and drop in a copper mailbox displayed in the lobby. The cards are to be mailed the next day by a friend of the couple, so that when the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, they return to a brimming mailbox of well wishes!!

9. Wrapped in Love… Have your guest sign fabric squares that will be sewn into a keepsake quilt. Not only does it make a FAB guest book, but can be passed down through the generations!