I am loving these graduation cupcakes that my hip sister had made for my niece’s high school graduation party. The adorable graduation caps and tassels match the school colors and theme for the party. Cupcakes are great for a party where guests will be stopping by at different times; no need to wait around until the cake is cut to enjoy dessert. Hats off to all the grads!
I love having pretty flowers on the table, but ordering arrangements from a floral shop gets expensive so I started making my own. I hit a corner flower stand (or two) to pick up my supplies and then arrange them myself. It’s fairly simple and isn’t as hard as it looks: About 15 minutes of shopping and 30 minutes of trimming/ arranging. For the flowers pictured here, it translated into a savings of about $85 (3 arrangements at $40 each from a local florist, compared to my $35 worth of flowers – I own the vases so those aren’t included in the cost savings equation). Here’s how I made these 3 flower arrangement for a fall party. (more…)
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I love the scent of really good coffee. That’s why I am loving these DIY coffee bean candles. Fill a small bowl or ramekin with flavored coffee beans (like hazelnut), nestle a tea candle into the center, light it and the warmth of the candle will send the smell of delicious coffee into the air. These candles are perfect for brunch.
As you can tell from my pictures, I’m big on solid serving pieces and plates. My everyday dishes are white and most of my serving pieces are too. I find that white doesn’t distract and keeps the focus on my food. To change things up, I add a few wooden and now some slate serving pieces, which have become my new favorites. Slate platters, like the one I have from Brooklyn Slate Company, are perfect serving pieces because they are simple, provide high contrast to light foods (like cheese), and are easy to clean (getting dried soft cheese off of a cutting board hours after a party isn’t fun – that doesn’t happen with slate). I love that you can write on slate with chalk, so no one needs to guess or ask what’s being served. Its’s also fun for a tasting, like the honey tasting I served (pictured above).
Brooklyn Slate Company’s slate platters ($25-32) are locally made (in NYS), super sturdy and they come perfect for gift giving. Each slate (choose black or red slate) comes with a burlap bag for storage and a little packet of chalk. I used the burlap bag to wrap the slate for gifting, and added a ribbon to complete the wrapping. It’s a great gift either for your own serving arsenal or for you favorite hostess.
I love all things mini. I also love pumpkins so this idea from BHG is a must for my fall table. Place mini pumpkins on pillar candle holders for a sophisticate fall centerpiece. They’ll take you from Halloween through Thanksgiving. It’s an inexpensive centerpiece and a cleaver use for pillar candle holders. I have a set of 3 glass candle holders from PB (like these) that will look great topped with mini pumpkins this fall.
Using apples as place card holders is an inexpensive and simple way to add some fall to your table. They’re perfect for any autumnal party, whether it’s a fall bridal showers, engagement party, dinner party or Thanksgiving. They also make great party favors for guests to take home and enjoy.
To make these DIY apple place cards, you’ll need:
Apples with stems intact (I used Macintosh but any variety will do)
Card stock (craft stores sell single sheets)
A printer
Twine or ribbon
Single-hole punch
Here’s how to put them together: Using a Word document, printed all of the names on the card stock (leave several lines between each name, and make two columns by tabbing over so you don’t waste any space/ paper). Make a rubber leaf template by printing it on a sheet of regular paper using this leaf template (you need Abobe Reader to download the template), or copying the shape onto a piece of paper with a pencil like I did for the place cards pictured (the rubber leaf shape is very simple to draw/ cut and they don’t need to be perfect). Cut the template out and trace it around each of the printed names, centering the names inside the leaf (you will be able to see the printed names through your template if it is made of regular paper). Cut the leaves out and punched a hole to the left of each name, near the end of the leaf using a single-hole punch. Used some inexpensive twine to tie the leaves to the apple stems. Happy fall!
I am loving these patriotic snack cones from Crate & Barrel. They’re meant for snowcones, but I plan to use them to serve all kinds of snacks (parmesan popcorn, spiced nuts, fruit, ice cream) during the summer. At $6.95 per package (50), they’re an inexpensive, cute and a relatively eco-friendly way to serve snacks at a backyard BBQ, beach spread or picnic in the park.
‘Tis the season for outdoor entertaining. When the sun sets, iluminate your nighttime fete with hip lighting options. From stylish hues to retro-inspired lanterns, there’s an option for every outdoor entertaining style.
Use leftover gift tags to hang a sweet note on a homemade Mother’s Day bouquet. Write a little note and tie it to one of the flowers in your arrangement for a pretty little detail that mom is sure to appreciate. Happy Mother’s Day!
Enliven your table with an arrangement of mini bouquets set in juice glasses or small mugs. These mini bouquets are adorable and economical: A few bunches of inexpensive spring flowers pepper your entire table. Pick a few small-budded flowers in similar hues, such as tulips, daisies and daffodils. Trim the stems short enough so the flowers will peek over the rims of the glasses or mugs. If using mugs, place a small round metal floral frog in each mug to help shape and hold down the arrangements (the frog will show through clear juice glasses, so rather than using the frog, just fill them a bit tighter to keep the stems in place).
This is a great idea for a spring shower or brunch. After your event is over, place one of the mini arrangements next to the sink in your bathroom and the rest on bedside or end tables around the house.
The Hip Hostess 