Happy Saturday, guys!

This week seems to have flown by.  Last Friday was my baby's first birthday, and we've had friends and family staying with up until today.  Whew!  I really enjoy hosting people but I always feel like lose contact with the outside world when I do.  Maybe that's just the sign of a good visit. :)

The Bean's first birthday was...eventful.  We had far fewer people than we anticipated, so we had
LOTS of food.  We also had planned to have it outdoors at a nearby lake, and I had all of these games, decorations and plans for the tables and two marquees.  What I didn't expect was gale force winds when we got there - lol.  The best laid plans of mice and moms...

The truth is, I've never had an event that has gone exactly the way I wanted it to.  Food has burned or fallen; weather hasn't cooperated; decorations, outfits, arrangements, crafts haven't turned out properly and had to be scrapped last minute, my loving husband has put a stake through his foot the day of... basically, anything that could go wrong, has.  So, when something goes pear-shaped, what's a girl to do?

EG's 6 Tips for Dealing with Event Fails

1. Give yourself a minute to be frustrated, then regroup and move on.  Although I'm not in most things, I'm very type A when it comes to entertaining.  I put a lot of thought and effort into preparations and I want everything to be perfect.   But, when the proverbial poo does hit the fan (thankfully that has yet to be an actual problem at one of my events), I take a minute to let myself get frustrated or annoyed, I vent about it to someone that I'm close to (yay, good friends!) and then I do my best to let it go and work with the circumstances. 

2.  Prioritize - truthfully and practically.  Yeah, sure, you can say "that everyone has a great time" is the top priority.  But practically speaking, what do you feel brings about those results?  Is it a killer decor?  Lots of food?  Really impressive food?  Music?  Games?  A good space to sit and chat?  Once you've figured that out, focus on making those top pieces happen and let the others go.

For the Bee's party, the wind was the major issue.  It meant that I couldn't put up the marquees or the decorations.  This was tremendously frustrating as I'd spent time on them.  But the truth was, they weren't really important.  Instead, feeding the guests was far more essential to me.  So, the main task became trying to get the food out and anchored. 

3.  Recruit backup.  I tend to be a flying-solo kinda gal when it comes to planning and executing a party (at least for the big stuff).  But even I know my limits.  Forget your pride and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and grab a friend to help you get things back on track.

After about an hour at A's birthday party, the wind was, if anything, worse.  I absolutely hated to do it, but I finally made the call to pack everything up and move the party back to my apartment.  My amazing best friend, husband and family cheerfully hauled platters of sandwiches, presents and unused decorations to their cars for transport.  And when we got home?  They just as cheerfully bustled around with me making my apartment pink and froofy for the birthday girl (who thought the whole day was just grand!).


4.  Remember that most guests won't know the difference.  So, you painstakingly made a gorgeous cake sure to wow the masses and then proceeded to drop it on the floor twenty minutes before the party.  After a few creative expletives, have a friend grab some store bought cupcakes and do your best to forget it.  The guests can't miss what they didn't know was coming.

5. Work with it.  Some of the best event details I've seen have come from people making the most of something gone wrong.

When a special effect intended for our bathroom didn't come together well one Halloween, I scrapped it last minute.  Instead, I anchored two black lights, threw a highlighter in the tank of my toilet, and added left over glow sticks to every surface.  I was super bummed at my half-hearted decor, but it wound up being the hit of the party and people had a blast getting pictures in there all night  (because, who DOESN'T want a picture in the loo...?). 

One of the cutest wedding shoots I've seen occurred when it happened to pour on the big day and the bride and groom grabbed an umbrella, borrowed some sneakers and went for a jaunt in the puddles. 

Girl scout cookies out of girl scouts, my friends.

6.   Laugh about it.  Sometimes there's just no way around it - things just bombed.  But epic fails make great stories and life is far too ridiculous not to laugh at.  

The Bee's birthday didn't quite turn out the way I'd dreamt, but it certainly was memorable.  And, hey, on the upside, the bar for her second birthday has been set comfortably low!



I'd love to hear from you!  Do you have any amazing party failures?  How did you handle it at the time?  Is there anything you wish you'd done differently or advice that you can offer? 

Have a fab week guys!  Happy planning!

Party Tip #317: as long as a party includes cupcakes, it's a success.

The best laid plans of mice and men...

I had every intention of putting more work in on some beautiful but affordable throw pillow options, but, that, I'm afraid to say, didn't happen.  I had a super busy (but great!) week with extended visits from my mom and one of my best friends, along with appointments, auditions and day trips.  And, as everyone made their exit, I had a very short time to put together something special for my husband's birthday on Tuesday.  So...yeah.  Not so much on the pillow-talk, errr, work.   

BUT, I did put together a pretty cute birthday celebration for my handsome honey, and I thought I'd share that this week!

My husband is definitely not a birthdays-are-a-big-deal kind of person (like me!).  To him, it's just another day.  But for me, birthdays are about celebrating the person you love - a chance to say "You're awesome, and I'm glad you're in this world!!" 

I also love the opportunity to tailor a celebration to someone's personality.  As Scott is not a party-hat kind of guy, I decided to make a special dinner, with his favorite foods and a beautiful but masculine tablescape (You know how guys really love a good "tablescape"...) :-) 

As inspiration is wont to do, it randomly made its appearance in the form of an empty cigar box in the office.  I don't smoke, but there's something wonderfully classic about cigar boxes and I love the vintage look.  They remind me of low ball glasses, leaded glass decanters full of amber whiskey, big band music on a record player and all things World War 2.  This works well, because they're all things that also remind me of my husband.  

Spinning off these ideas, I decided to make the cigar box my centerpiece and filled the black, red and gold graphic container with large blooms in vibrant yellows, purples and reds.  I kept the arrangement itself fairly low to showcase the lid and relied on piles of vintage books and an old woven tray to add height to the table.

I spread the table with a red, textured tablecloth and then toned it down by layering some fabulous antique-style newsprint (actually a square of wrapping paper, from Home Goods!) over top. 

I added coffee tins from our hometown coffee roaster (they seriously sell The Best Coffee Ever), a bottle of high quality whiskey, a pair of amber hurricanes and an adorable wooden bi-plane from my husband's childhood (how stinkin' cute is that?!)


To brighten up the look, I used our gold rimmed bone china plates and then added angular glassware, and my favorite cobalt wine glasses (I love the way the blue pops against the red).  I know some people don't, but I really like the look of mixed metals, so I chose silver utensils instead of gold.  I topped it all off with graphic blue napkins and folded them into the shape of a tie (a nod to his very appreciated kickass work skills).  How absolutely adorable totally manly (and not at all cute or pretty) are they?!



I love the way it came together and it gave me just enough time to whip up dinner: prosciutto wrapped melon, filet mignon with a bleu cheese butter, vegetable melange and twice baked potatoes. 

I cheated on dessert by buying a variety frozen petit fours from Trader Joes (Chocolate and Coffee Opera Cake, Raspberry Macaron Aux Framboises Cake and Caramel and Chocolate Cake - seriously delicious!) and prepping some decaf coffee to go with it. 

And just before he got home, I threw on some Frank Sinatra and mixed us each a Moscow Mule (alas, sans copper mugs) - one of his favorite cocktails, and also appropriately from the 1940s.  Give me a hammer and call me Bob Vila, 'cause I totally nailed it. 


Though he's not exactly the most vocal guy, he really seemed to appreciate the ambiance and we had a pretty lovely evening in.  Success!

Next week I'll be back with some more pillow projects and maybe even a few other tasks I'm hoping to work on.  You know, with my extra time.  (Ha Ha! I'm hilarious.) 

Have a fantastic week!

My husband has never been one for personal fanfare.  He loves being with friends, he loves parties and festivities, but he would much prefer that they not be about him. I, on the other hand, would be very upset if the day passed without at least a LITTLE bit of flourish and a reminder of just how much he is loved.

So instead of an elegant soiree, I look to the quiet and simple ways to tell him that he's loved.



 Presents Aplenty... 

This year, our 1st trip to San Francisco calls for a gilded trolley car for the tree!

 Wrapping Tips:

- Choose 3-4 colors and then mix and match patterns to create a festive feel 

- Fabric ribbons immediately increase the class factor

 - Layer several ribbons of different widths, colors and textures for a full multi-dimensional look 





- Don't forget to embellish! A pretty tag, sticker, picture or ornament immediately turn your present into a special work of art! 

Scott and I have a tradition of getting a new Christmas ornament each year that represents a new experience we shared.  Often, they make a perfect Tie-On for gifts!