The Party Dress » Fall

The Party Dress Magazine – Issue 3

Kelly — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:00:28 +0000

It is with great excitement that I introduce you to the third edition of The Party Dress Magazine. Each issue is a true labor of love – with articles from amazingly talented contributors – so it’s a true thrill to see the final product. This edition of the magazine is full of delightful parties, simple ideas on how to make everyday a celebration, and Halloween style that you are sure to love.

As I am sure you can tell, producing this magazine quarterly takes a lot of work. So I am thrilled to announce…..The Party Dress Magazine has a new assistant editor! Our contributor and the fondant guru behind the uber-successful Two Sugar Babies, Charynn Olsheski, joined me this issue and I am so grateful. Her style, enthusiasm and ability to talk me down off a ledge has made her an invaluable addition to this team, and will help me take TPD Magazine to the next level.

Our amazing list of contributors this issue include some VERY talented chicks. Beth Beattie, Christi Bennett from P is for Party, Vana Chupp of Le Papier Studio, Chris Nease of Celebrations at Home, Maggie Hemsworth of Delish Catering Chicago, Jessica Kirkland of Pen ‘n Paperflowers, Kara Allen of Kara’s Party Ideas, Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio, Shannon Helliker & Rebecca Propes of Fresh Chick Designs, Glory Albin of Glorious Treats, and Jill of Modern Cupcake. We have an incredible list of advertisers in the book, and I encourage to check out each and every one of them!

I do hope you enjoy this issue!

You can purchase a luxe, glossy edition in our shop here.

Decorate to Welcome Fall

Kelly — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:00:27 +0000

I hope you all had a fabulous Labor Day weekend! I can’t believe how quickly the summer passed us by…..we have been so busy over here, I feel like I blinked and it was suddenly 60 degrees and Fall. Don’t get me wrong, Fall is my favorite season! And I am always looking for creative ways to decorate for the change of seasons.

Better Homes and Gardens has a fabulous collection of unique ideas that range from simple to extravagant. Perfect to welcome Fall into your home, or to serve as a centerpiece for a Fall party.

Mini pumpkins, gourds and foliage are my go-to items when creating Fall decor. These simple ideas can add a touch of warmth to your home. And if you are really looking to add a touch of drama, try hanging them from ribbons from the chandelier over your table!

{Pre-Order & Sneak Peek} The Party Dress Magazine

Kelly — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:47:45 +0000

It’s been a busy, busy month here in TPD-land. We have TONS of amazing parties we are working on and can’t wait to share with you soon. New party collections for Fall are being uploaded to the shop daily (check out the mod fish, baking party, preppy dino, and circus carnival collections….more to come very soon!), and we are finalizing the layout for the Fall TPD Magazine. Trust me when I say, you are all going to be blown away with the amazing contributions this issue: fabulous fall ideas for your home and parties, darling Halloween inspiration, and some real parties that will knock your socks off.

Be one of the first to see this issue! You can pre-order your luxe, glossy issue here.

Thanksgiving {the-night-before} Cocktail Party

Kelly — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:00:53 +0000

Today’s post is really fun! Do you remember our darling Woodland Forest Birthday Party post last week? Well, when Patrick’s mom hired us to do his birthday party, she also threw another request our way…..to plan a concept for a night-before-Thanksgiving cocktail party for friends and family. She wanted something that looked rustic, yet modern, and something that wouldn’t involve preparing a whole lot of food. Now here’s the kicker…..she wants to use the same items we used for Patrick’s birthday party for this party. Intrigued?! Read on to see how we re-vamped this child-friendly party to create a savvy adult-friendly cocktail party.

The first stop in my planning process was to head to my local fabric store to look for color and pattern inspiration. (always one of my favorite places!) I found a fabulous, fall-color, zig zag pattern reminiscent of a Missoni print. Our fiesta zig zag collection is one of my favorites and most popular….so once I saw this fabric, I knew we could update that collection for Fall. A mustard yellow, cranberry, brown and taupy-grey color palette emerged and off I went. The invitation and return address label is above…..and that was just the beginning!

To show the client our concept, I pulled together a quick “photo shoot”. Using the items I had purchased for her son’s birthday party, and a few other items bought locally, I staged these layouts using the same food that I had ordered for the birthday party (obviously, most of this is just a “stand-in” for placement).

The cocktail party was quickly given a “champagne & sweets” theme, and I focused on giving our hostess two unique table settings. The first being a champagne bar – using a runner of our inspirational zig zag fabric atop a crisp white tablecloth, I used a woven vase cover for the centerpiece of berries branches, a modern hurricane with wood base, and woven candlesticks in varying heights to create an elevated display of Nachtmann Vivendi Champagne Flute by Riedel Glassworks, Set of 6champagne glasses. A coordinating sign completed our look!

We also created coordinating wine bottle labels, not only to further brand the party but also for the hosts to place on wine bottles to give guests as party favors.

The dessert table concept takes on a similar look with the berry centerpiece, hurricanes, and zig zag fabric. I used the wood boxes from Patrick’s party to create stands to elevate the goodies. Coordinating candy jar tags, cupcake toppers, bite size sweets, fabulous designer cookies by Allyson Jane, and a couple jars of candy (see the woodland party post for the full candy line-up pictured here) completed the look.

Here are a few of our key concepts for this project:

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Decorating with Fall Leaves

Kelly — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:00:13 +0000

The leaves are starting to turn here and the colors are so magnificent, I just want to bring them inside! Better Homes and Gardens put out a fabulous collection of decoration ideas this season…..interesting ideas for bringing the beautiful fall leaves inside. My two favorites are this leaf garland strung across a painted frame, and these leaf-covered topiary balls. But for even more ideas, head over to BHG.

Statement Centerpiece

Kelly — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:10 +0000

I love the crisp, yet intricate style of this table setting from Pottery Barn. The combination of glass candlesticks, bottles and vases makes such an attractive, yet light-and-airy-feeling centerpiece. Perfect for transitioning into Fall…..

Details for your Thanksgiving Table

Kelly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:06 +0000

Images: napkin (bhg.com), wine glass placecards (potterybarn.com)

Purple + Orange: Stunning Thanksgiving Ideas

Kelly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:17 +0000

Images: candles (bhg.com), picture frame (theknot.com), mums (parents.com)

I am always looking for new table ideas, and my new obsession is the purple and orange color combination. It’s slightly modern, slightly rustic……for those of you that know me well, it’s my perfect combination! The rich tones of these purple centerpieces would be beautiful for Thanksgiving. I love the idea of taking a traditional flower, but arranging it in a modern vessel. The image shown above is one of my new favorites….traditional mums arranged in an old picture frame. It’s an idea that you could alter for so many different party themes, and it’s perfect for a dinner table since it is low (easy for people to talk over!).

Image via HGTV.com

This dinner table from HGTV is the perfect example of my purple and orange obsession! I love the use of orange accent plates with their traditional white china. Orange is a great pop color for Fall, and can be mixed with so many different colors. Chocolate brown, olive green, teal blue, mustard yellow, and of course plum. I think orange floral arrangements can take on a very classic Thanksgiving feel – so if you are looking to update your look, focus on berry branches, leaves, and try mixing in fruit. Mix different shapes and textures, and look for an interesting vessel.

Images: green urns (potterybarn.com), hurricanes (theknot.com), branches (southernliving.com)

Fall Birthday Dinner

Kelly — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:29 +0000

Fall is the perfect time to host a cozy dinner party at home. Whether you are celebrating someone’s birthday or just looking for an excuse to gather good friends….a dinner party at home is the perfect way to celebrate the weekend.

Fall food lends itself to comfort foods, almost Thanksgiving-like food. For this birthday dinner party, I have planned a menu that includes baked-stuffed chicken breasts with arugula and fontina cheese, acorn squash rings, and crisp potatoes with aioli sauce. For dessert, instead of serving a birthday cake – go for something decedent like a triple-chocolate mousse (looking oh, so elegant in champagne flutes!)

Images: girl (jcrew.com), placecard (myhomeideas.com), invitation (minted.com), candle centerpiece (bhg.com), table setting (dwellstudio.com)

Fall Centerpiece Idea

Kelly — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:27:58 +0000

Since I am on an artichoke kick today – I thought I would share this centerpiece idea, too! This centerpiece would be the perfect compliment to my artichoke place cards below!

Image via Better Homes and Gardens