The Party Dress » holiday parties

Mod Hanukkah Dreidel + Free Download!

Kelly — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:00:39 +0000

Our colorful paper dreidel placecards will dress up any Hanukkah dinner table. So simple to make with our free downloadable template, all it takes is a little cutting and gluing. Click on the image below for the free printables, and enjoy!

TPD Magazine: Mod Hanukkah

Kelly — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 10:00:07 +0000

Hanukkah is known in the Jewish religion as the Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication, and Feast of the Maccabees. It is a festive holiday of revived hope, faith and spiritual light. A special time of year for the Jewish community, Hanukkah it lasts for eight nights and is the perfect time to celebrate with family and friends. I created a festive holiday party full of ideas for the latest issue of The Party Dress Magazine.

Updating the traditional blue and white color palette with a bold blue, green and brown, I created a collection of paper goods that mixes a colorful chevron pattern with a mod clover pattern in blue and white. The patterns are playful and festive and really pop against a crisp white backdrop. Our ideas for a tablesetting include a textured white tablecloth, a navy blue charger plate, and a paper dreidel placecard. (make sure to download our free printable template!)

After lighting the Hanukkah Menorah, you might want to serve a variety of latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts). Cheesecake and blintzes are served as traditional desserts, but we always love a good dessert table! Keeping with the crisp blue color palette, we created a monochromatic display of blue candy. We carried our chevron pattern into the display with both candy jar tags and labels on old-fashioned salt water taffy sticks, and add a touch of the clover pattern in as tray liners on the plates that held cupcakes decked out with fondant Jewish stars from Two Sugar Babies. With eight nights to celebrate, Jewish families can plan a variety of celebrations to entertain family and friends. We hope you enjoy our modern spin on the holiday!

TPD Magazine: Mad for Plaid

Kelly — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:00:27 +0000

Some of you may remember my “Mad for Plaid” holiday party from last year. That was the start of my plaid obsession, and trust me, it has only grown throughout the year. I love incorporating this traditional pattern as simple accents in my home, as well as in tablesettings. I showed a few of these ideas in the holiday magazine…read on for some more details.

A simple plaid napkin can add a touch of preppy pattern to any table setting. For Christmas, I wrapped a metallic bough of holly around it as a festive napkin ring.
Source plaid accessories for your home. I came across this darling reindeer, covered in a black and white plaid fabric at my local Home Goods. He’s the perfect addition to my home this season!
A plaid runner is a great way to add just a touch of pattern to your table setting. I like mixing this plaid with my quatrefoil plates…the mix of patterns looks fresh to me.
You can recreate the plaid pattern in a monochromatic way by layering items atop one another. My example for this is the small table gift I placed at everyone’s placesetting. I wove a combination of wide and skinny satin ribbon in a plaid-like pattern to achieve the look, without the actual busy pattern.

TPD Magazine: Coastal Christmas

Kelly — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:00:32 +0000

I always know that when our contributor, Beth Beattie, signs on to do a party for the magazine, that I will be elated with what she comes up with. I was so obsessed with her “Coastal Christmas” submission to last year’s Holiday Table Challenge, that I asked her to do another one for the holiday magazine. Living in Florida, she has that fabulous “west palm beach” and “coastal charm” influence on her designs that I love oh, so much. Her design did not disappoint, and there are so many lovely details that you can incorporate into your own holiday dinner.

More details from Beth:

For a Coastal Christmas I wanted to use a traditional color but incorporate sea fans and sea urchins in the shape of Christmas trees. The sea urchin trees from Beautiful Details by the Seashore on Etsy and sea fans from Wonders of the Sea were the perfect start. I had a custom graphic created of a wreath with Christmas ornaments and assorted shells for the invitation and menu card.

The tablescape included silver chargers from Pier 1, assorted champagne and martini glasses from Crate and Barrel, silver ornaments from Martha Stewart at Macy’s, crystal votives from Z Gallerie, candlesticks, monogrammed napkins and napkin rings from Pottery Barn.

The create-your-own Berry Sparkle Bar consisted of a premade mixer in a punch bowl with raspberries and rosemary to garnish atop a mirror turned on its back. To enhance the sea fans I spray painted them red and to give the coral a dressier feel, I spray painted it with metallic silver spray paint. Guests ended the evening with cupcakes and a cake with chocolate starfish by Southern Belle’s Cakery.

Images by Leigh Miller Photography

TPD Magazine: Gumdrop Topiary

Kelly — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:22:03 +0000

You all know my LOVE (obsession, maybe?) with candy and all things sweet, so it is no wonder that I immediately fell in love with this DIY gumdrop topiary tree project that assistant editor, Charynn of Two Sugar Babies did for the holiday magazine. It’s cute, colorful, and although I absolutely love it made with gumdrops – it’s a project that you could tackle with just about any type of candy. Which gives you the opportunity to color coordinate it to your party theme….gotta love that.

This DIY project is simple: use a styrofoam ball as your base, and attach candy with toothpicks (and perhaps a little glue!). Depending on the type of candy, the ball will get heavy, so make sure you plan for a sturdy base. You can also preserve your topiary ball with a clear acrylic spray after you complete it, so that you can save it for years to come!

TPD Magazine: Winter Carnival

Kelly — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:00:15 +0000

Holiday parties don’t need to fall into the typical red and green holiday color palette….sometimes it’s fun to shake it up a bit! Fresh Chick Designs did just that with their take on a Winter Carnival party that we featured in the holiday issue of The Party Dress Magazine. With a fresh color palette of pink, red and turquoise, there are tons of darling ideas that you can incorporate into a winter birthday party, baby shower, or holiday gathering. Read on for more from Rebecca and Shannon…..

There is something so nostalgic about going to a carnival as a kid. One of our favorite treats that brings on the childhood memories and sparked our inspiration are the colors, smell, and taste of cotton candy. The oh-so familiar light watery blue and perfect pastel pink are the typical hues that can be associated this fanciful floss and thought it would be the perfect color palette for a Winter Carnival party.

This theme could be used for your next birthday party, baby shower, gender reveal party plus so many more! We started with an adorable pink & aqua argyle fabric that just has a touch of red. We wanted the overall color scheme to set the tone and keep it simple.

We opted for some pre-made Martha Stewart paper fans that complimented the colors perfectly. On the front of the table, we strung various types and styles of trim to add a touch of whimsy. Crystal cake stands were painted to match the colors. Since we already had a slew of sweets, we decided to construct a fake cake using Styrofoam cylinders, carnival tickets, ribbon, candies and a cake sign to resemble a real cake. A super cute and super easy DIY to add to your party decor. Lastly, party printables were used to tie it all together. A “concession stand” was the focal point of this party. We chose traditional treats you may see at a carnival / festival. Cotton candy, caramel apples, apple pie, candies and cookies. We threw in the pink “snowball” treats for the seasonal twist. Some other fun ideas for food could be setting up a hotdog & nacho station, popcorn bar, french fries, and funnel cakes…YUM!!

TPD Magazine: Wine & Dine Holiday Party

Kelly — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:32 +0000

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, it’s time to start planning your holiday dinner parties. This Wine & Dine winter dinner party from the recent issue of The Party Dress Magazine is styled to perfection and is chock full of inspiration for your upcoming holiday parties. Created by Jessica Wilcox of Modern Moments Design and styled by styled by Laura Grim & Lindsey Ter Har of Double Take Event Styling, read on for all of the wonderful ideas as told by the ladies, themselves.

When planning a dinner party, it’s always important to start with a theme and color palette. We selected a Vintage Winter Woodland theme because we didn’t want to do your traditional cookie-cutter Christmas dinner party. By using champagne, gold, and silver tones we were able to achieve a softer look, yet still very festive. The invitation sets the tone of the party, so make sure you select one that compliments the feel you are trying to achieve. Since our style is eclectic, we always try to incorporate vintage pieces. Try to repurpose decor you already have to create something new and fresh.

Here are some tips that we suggest when throwing your own dinner party. First, your table should always have a focal point that draws your guest in. Ours was the beautiful hand-crafted trees. Continue adding multiple layers with varying heights, textures. We incorporated a variety of candle sticks, snow covered branches, and feathers. Integrating multiple props adds dimension and heigh throughout. Bundles of books were used as a foundation for our design. Glittered deers, birds, vintage ornament clips were added as finishing touches. Personalize your party with custom designed graphics that compliment your theme and invitation. Your guests will be impressed with your attention to detail.

Companies like Starbucks have allowed us to create our own perfect drink. Why not include that same concept into your holiday dinner party? A hot cocoa bar is a fun and creative way for you to celebrate the holidays with your guests. Hot cocoa is not only delicious, but it can also double as an amazing dessert display too. Your goal is to impress your guest with creative elements that they will be raving about long after the party is over. By adding an assortment of beautifully styled toppings, your guest can easily customize their own hot cocoa. We took traditional marshmallow, caramel, and chocolate toppings, but added our own unique flare to them. Marshmallows dipped in chocolate become both beautiful and functional. By simply unwrapping store bough caramel squares and placing them in a beautiful bowl, you create a gourmet look for a low cost. By melting chocolate into a decorative mold, you can create a beautiful garnish. You can even create to-go cups like we did to send with your guest to keep them warm and cozy on their way home.

We hand crafted many of the key elements used throughout our dinner party and cocoa bar display. Including the Christmas trees, glittered deer, book bundles, sheet music wreath, and vintage ornament clips. Sheet music is an inexpensive way to give your party a vintage feel. Be sure to create your own personal touches, to make your party one of a kind. For step-by step tutorials, please visit www.doubletakeeventstyling.com. Most importantly, enjoy your dinner party! Though any party can have it’s stresses, remember this is suppose to be fun! Don’t worry if things don’t go exactly according to plan. You will be the only one who notices. Holidays are a time for celebrating.

TPD Magazine: Mix and Mingle

Kelly — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:00:57 +0000

I’m a sucker for a crisp black and white color palette, especially when accessorized with a pop of green and a touch of sparkle. When it came time to develop a new holiday party theme, I immediately drew inspiration from my Kate Spade china and her crisp, and preppy design aesthetic. An untraditional pairing for the holidays, our bold stripes and festive berry pattern make a stunning combination and are perfect for a cocktail or dinner party.

Designed around a party collection from WH Hostess, we set our table using a bold, green tablecloth. Black charger plates, our striped Kate Spade china, napkins made from our custom berry patterned fabric, and black-stemmed wine goblets are accessorized with striped paper goods – placecards and menu cards. Black urns ran down the center of the table holding floral pomander balls made of white carnations, very much resembling snowballs! Glass cloches held silver ornaments, and crystal compotes held glittering black beads and pearls.

When serving a fashionable crowd dessert, it is an absolute must to present it in a stunning manner. A dessert table that is crisp and festive is just the ticket! Carry over the color palette and patterns from your table- setting and paper goods, and have desserts made to coordinate. We suggest working closely with your sweets vendors to create designs that will compliment one another. Our table was set in a green tablecloth, and featured a tonal white patterned fabric backdrop. Silver, fluted-edge cake stands and a three-tier stand looked stunning paired with glass apothecary jars.

One of our FAVORITE desserts, were the striped mini cakes made out of fondant by Two Sugar Babies!

Desserts included a variety of bite size sweets so guests could try a few, and could also mix and mingle while enjoying them. Cupcakes were accessorized with coordinating cupcake toppers, Allyson Jane made bold-patterned cookies that matched our paper goods perfectly. Cake pops by Flour & Iced featured our black and white berry pattern with just a touch of green, and mini meringues melted in your mouth. Color-coordinated candy was placed in the apothecary jars, and each was embellished with a sweet candy jar tag. (our favorite were the “pearls”) The candy jar tags and food tent cards helped tie together the theme and made the table look very stylish!

A green cone-shaped tree sat atop a black urn (also seen on the dinner tablesetting). We added pearls into the center of each rosette on the tree for a touch of preppy elegance, and desserts were served on our black and white polka dot, Kate Spade tibit plates.

Guests were sent home with a small black box filled with cookies and sealed with a striped sticker.

TPD Magazine: Winter Confections

Kelly — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:22:21 +0000

Looking for some inspiring winter confections for your upcoming holiday events? Look no further than this sophisticated color palette and decorations ideas from Jill of Modern Cupcake. Debuted in the holiday issue of The Party Dress Magazine, use this chic color palette for your Christmas or seasonal soiree.

Dip store-bought sugar cookies in white chocolate & dust with glistening sprinkles or adorn a 3-tiered store-bought cake with satin ribbon & white chocolate trimmings.

photography by Jessica Downey Photo

TPD Magazine: Unlock the Spirit of the Holidays

Kelly — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:00:41 +0000

Jessica Kirkland of Pen ‘n Paperflowers put together a stunning winter white dessert table for the latest issue of The Party Dress Magazine. It’s warm and fuzzy, with vintage touches all over….jam-packed full of inspiration that you can use all winter long. Here are more of the details from Jessica…

Drawing inspiration from a blog entry I posted almost two years ago, I wanted to create a dessert table filled with an organic holiday warmth. Knowing the holidays tend to feel a bit chaotic, I wanted to convey a sense of a seasonal sanct- uary among all of the holiday hustle and bustle. It takes a concerted effort to actually reach that place of refuge we all long for during the preparations, celebrations and ultimat- ely the exacerbations of the holiday season. Therefore, I wanted to include a subtle reminder that if we are to reach that place refuge, we must be intentional in “unlocking” the spirit of the season; thus giving life to the theme “Unlock the Spirit of the Holidays”.

I decided on a French-Vintage theme using a tone-on-tone color palette of creamy whites, a little bit of burlap, tea- stained paper doilies, lace and yarn. The mix of textures was perfect for pulling off the sense of tranquility I was hoping for.

The vintage design elements used throughout the details were to illustrate the memories often stirred as we gather together with friends and family. Ornate keys were used as accent pieces on the dessert table in various forms, symbolic of “unlocking” the Spirit of the Holidays.

Some of my favorite design pieces came from the beautiful Etsy shoppe, Cloth & Patina. The vintage skeleton key place card holders, repurposed glass vintage bottles adorned with french vintage labels, small burlap favor bags and the unique repurposed funnel centerpiece were absolutely gorgeous and added an extra touch to make the entire table unique and beautiful. The stunning custom designed sugar cookies and matching petit fours created by Bee’s Knees Creative were exactly what I had envisioned for tone-on-tone confections. Not only were they charming, they were absolutely delicious.

Knowing I wanted The Pastry Pedestal™ to take center stage in order to showcase the various petite pastries that can be displayed on them, as well as debuting the brand-new Platform, I decided to use three different desserts. Using the petit fours from Bee’s Knees Creative, homemade mini and regular sized cupcakes topped with a cream cheese frosting. For the final touch on the cupcakes, I added a single mini white chocolate key I made from a candy mold. I love that The Pastry Pedestal can be customized or personalized for any event. For this occasion, I wrapped some of the rounds of The Pastry Pedestal™ with beaded ivory trim and others with a ribbon-like fabric. I also wrapped the rods with vintage shredded paper, thereby allowing the lucite rods to blend beautifully with the vintage-vibe of the table.

Fresh rosemary cuttings from a neighbor, were the finishing touch to the kraft paper wrapped gift boxes used as focal and accent pieces. I felt a real sense of peace and calm looking at how beautifully everything came together. I hope to carry this feeling throughout my home beyond the holidays and into the every day life.