Party Gleek

If you're planning to host your own version of a Rachel Berry House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza for the upcoming season finale of Glee, read on.

The Menu

"Arti"choke Dip with "Breadstix" (make sure they're unlimited!)
Any artichoke dip will work, but I'm compelled to share this delicious yet light recipe with you. 

 Grilled "Cheesus" Pops
Regular grilled cheese sandwiches will do, but I fell in love with these. 

Mercedes Tater Tots

How cute would these be in Glee-themed paper cones?!

Rachel Berry & WMHS Cheerios "Mash Up"
This is a very simple and quick one. Strawberries, yogurt, cheerios, repeat. I have to admit, my 4-yr old loves Glee so I may whip this one up with her for the finale. She has the biggest crush on Mr. Shue but Rachel is her favorite. Brittany, Rachel, Beiste, and Blain are mine. I'd love to hear who your favorite character is!

 Slushee Cupcakes
Slushees are a must for any Glee party and this is a really creative way to incorporate them. I can't get over how cute these are.

And... you can't have a Rachel Berry House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza without the alcohol!

Drink Menu

Santana's Sassy Sangria

Rachel Berry Bellini

New Directions Champion

The best props for a Glee party are the guests so tell them to come dressed as their favorite Glee character. Track suits for Sue, Cheerleader costume, sweater vests (Artie), you get the idea. 

Wii has a great Glee karaoke game and there's also a board game. Or, you could just play spin the bottle!

Enjoy your party a la Rachel Berry!

Black Swan Inspired Oscar Party

I've gotten a few requests for ideas on an Oscar party and I've been trying to think of something that doesn't involve the typical elements of gold, red carpet, or bubbly. Then somewhere in between a very hectic day-- filled with a visit to the pediatrician, chasing a terrified pre-schooler running away from a throat culture and blood exam (and might I add, I was in heels), five hours in the office with nonstop emails and rush requests, fidgeting in an hour of traffic to get home, then come home to take care of my ill preschooler (who, by the way, is totally milking it!) -- it hit me, a Black Swan inspired Oscar Party!

I'll post an inspiration board soon.. but in the meantime, think black, white, and feathers!

And I'll leave you with this (because I could really use one of these cocktails after the day I had):

Black Swan Martini

Makes two drinks 

• ½ cup half and half 
• 4 oz. white chocolate, roughly chopped 
• 2 oz. vodka 
• 2 oz. simple syrup 
• 2 tsp. chocolate syrup 
• 1 tbs. black sugar crystals 
1. In a small saucepan, gently heat half and half. Off heat, gradually whisk in white chocolate until melted. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool. Stir in vodka and simple syrup.2. Dip rims of martini glasses in water, then dip in black sugar. Put 1 tsp. chocolate syrup in each martini glass. Tilt glass to form stripes. Pour in martini mixture and serve. 

Valetine's Day for 2

If you're staying in on Monday to avoid the crowded restaurants and don't feel like coming home from work to cook a romantic meal and are stuck because you don't know what to do to make Valentine's Day special... read on!

Location: Your Living Room

The Setting: Gather all your plants, blankets, pillows, and candles.

The Menu: Take-out from your favorite restaurant - or - a nice cheese platter (my personal choice: a board from The Cheese Course in Midtown Miami) and a nice bottle of wine/champagne. (You're probably thinking "why takeout?". Answer: Because you don't want to overwhelm yourself after a work day over dinner and kill the mood --and you want to keep your energy for your night of romance! Save the nice home-cooked meal for the weekend.)

Dessert: What else but chocolate, of course!

To read more, go here.

Enjoy!

Sweet Stuff

Here's one thing you should know about me: I have a major sweet tooth. My favorite thing about Valentine's Day is that I have an excuse to eat as much chocolates and cupcakes as I want.

So the sweet stuff is a must whether you're hosting a singles party or a romantic dinner for two on V-day. Here's a perfect cake for either occasion which is absolutely cute! Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake recipe

Here's another too-cute-to-pass-up V-day treat... especially for kids. They seem easy enough for me to want to bake for my daughter's class! Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies Recipe

If you are spending Valentine's with your children and need a fun dinner idea, you can't go wrong with a heart-shaped pizza. My daughter loves to cook with me in the kitchen, it's a great way to spend time together -- and it gives Daddy a little "me time" to play Madden.

Stay tuned for more Valentine's Day ideas.  In the meantime, tell me...what are your Valentine's Day plans?

Shortcakes & Slushies

I received a request today for ideas on Strawberry Shortcake party for a 5-year old with "more strawberries, less Strawberry Shortcake". Character themed parties are usually cheesy when you go overboard on the character of choice. Rather than focusing on the character, accent the color palette (plus, it's cheaper than those over priced character paper goods). 

This request took me back! The theme for my 5th birthday was Strawberry Shortcake. Looks like Shortcake has gone through a major transformation from then to now. 

I'm celebrating my birthday next month and was struggling with what to do and what theme to play with... until tonight. While watching Glee (one of my favorite shows), it came to me. I'm going to have a Glee party. 

Stay tuned for ideas and sneak peeks!

... and we're off!

Welcome to my blog! For years, I've been fascinated with party planning, cooking and entertaining but I never really knew what to do or where to begin.... until I became a mom and had birthdays, showers, baptisms, and all sorts of other parties to plan. That's when I truly fell in love with my lifetime hobby. 

Planning your party or next event shouldn't be stressful or expensive, if you know where to start and where to buy. Stop spending money decorating your party with generic decorated paper goods and balloons and spend your money wisely on chic, cute, and trendy one-of-a-kind decor. This blog will keep you up-to-date with DIY party tips and downloads.

Do you have an upcoming party and need ideas on decorations, games, goodies, food, etc? Leave a comment with the theme of your party.