PRETTIE...VALENTINE INSPIRATION

Colors: Bold Red and White
Style: Sophisticated dinner party
Decor: Make the dining room glow with groupings of pillar candles, low profile table centerpieces of fresh red blooms, tie bows of red tulle on backs of chairs, scatter glittered red hearts and red table confetti, use bold red paper lanterns hanging from ceiling, have jazz playing in the background
Tableware: Best table settings (china, crystal and silver) white tablecloth with a shimmering red table runner with matching fabric napkins. Use votive candle place cards, print menu's and place on each plate setting
Food: Salad starter, Beef bourguignonne, Potato gratin, Roasted vegetables, berry torte with vanilla ice-cream, sparkling water and pomegranate juice, red wine, champagne and decaf coffee
Activities: Wine tasting or meal pairings
Favors: Iced red heart shaped cookies in cellophane bags tied with red satin ribbon

Colors: Shades of pastel pink and purple with red and white accents
Style: Dessert party
Decor: Pink or white tulle wreath centerpiece, pink and white blooms with vases lined with heart shaped sweet tarts, 3 or 5 large round pink or white balloons, hang a Valentines or Love garland in shades of pink and white, display paper cones in party colors filled with pink paper shred or candy samples
Tables: Buffett style - dessert bar, white table cloth with pink table runner, white plates, bundled pink linens/napkins wrapped with co-ordinating ribbon, quart sized milk bottle glasses, wine glasses, layered dessert plates, apothecary jars
Food: Cupcakes, color co-ordinated candy bar, savory and sweet finger sandwiches, strawberry shortcake, pink lemonade, strawberry milkshakes, champagne
Activities: Valentines bingo, Valentines trivia
Favors: Pink and white lollipops and candycanes - cello bags filled with cotton candy!

PRETTIE....INSPIRED #3 Golden Globes and Academy Awards

Now the holidays are officially over I am getting in gear for the "Awards Season" which is my not so secret guilty pleasure and a great opportunity to get together with the girls! These are 2 Inspiration Boards I put together and will use for planning each of the festivities!

For the Golden Globes (Jan 18th)

Colors Silver/White/Gold
Style Old Hollywood, Vintage Glamour - Elegant and Understated
Decor Balloons in theme colors, string lights, glittered garlands, flower bouquets, tinsel and glass ornaments, Hollywood inspired backdrop, framed pictures of Hollywood legends, paper lantern chandeliers
Tableware Set up as buffet style with movie inspired centerpieces (cut outs, vintage cameras/movie reels), linen table cloth or table runner, white cocktail plates, gold chargers for food presentation, shimmering gold or silver napkins, gold or silver utensils wrapped in tinsel or vintage white or ivory lace, vintage champagne glasses.
Food Finger-foods on served on white paper doilies or in silver cupcake liners, tiered plates of mini sandwiches, chicken skewers, mini quiches, fruit, petit fors, vanilla cupcakes, lemon bar bites, sparkling flavored water, white wine and champagne on ice.
Music Shuffled mix of old show tunes from movies and TV
Favors Rosettes, Movie Candy or caramel popcorn in glassine or cellophane bags embellished with tinsel and lace

For the Academy Awards (Feb 27)

Colors Black/Platinum/Red

Style Modern Movie Star - Simple and Sophisticated

Decor Balloons in theme colors, contemporary vases filled with fresh flowers in monochromatic colors, votive and perfumed candles, glass beaded garlands, sparkling ribbons and streamers

Tableware Set up buffet style with a movie inspired centerpiece or "oscar" replica, sleek fabric tablerunner, black and/or white cocktail plates, red chargers for food presentation, bundled black or red napkins, utensils wrapped together with satin or grossgrained ribbon, cocktail or martini glasses

Food Fingerfoods - filet of beef mini rolls, brushetta, antipasto plate, smoked salmon toasts, cheese plates, signature Hollywood cocktail mixes, sparkling red wine, red velvet cupcakes, rich chocolate cake bites or tarts and strawberries

Music Shuffled compilation of music from nominated movies

Activities Best Dressed, Oscar bingo and ballots

Favors Take home martini glasses with cocktail recipes, boxed chocolate truffles

PRETTIE...INSPIRED #1

I absolutely love to create unique pretty things and to celebrate important events, milestones, holidays and seasonal changes. The most fun for me is incorporating both of these loves in the planning and presentation of all celebration and/or design elements, decor and packaging. All of which is usually motivated by my addiction to the simplistic vintage style and nostalgia of the 1940's - 1960's! I am diving into blogging with the primary goal of sharing and hopefully not re-hashing information as well as learning new skills from the rest of the blogging world who share the same interests..

I put together this board for my own inspiration several months ago after drooling over some really lovely Inspiration Boards by The Birthday Girl and Style Me Pretty when I was feeling a little overwhelmed with being the only female in an all male household during the final days of winter during the Football playoffs. I thought pretty - pastel - pink - parties - packaging. One thing has lead to another and PrettieParties is the result!

I will do my best to provide the links to the above images - Peony Centerpieces from Frolic, Glitter Crown Holly Abstom, Cupcake Wrappers are from The Cupcake Wrapper Co. The Gift box by A Field Journal. Other images were obtained from links posted by The Hostess by the Mostess, Martha Stewart and Country Living Magazine