Taking Inspiration From Weddings

Sometimes, when I am planning a party, I run out of inspiration! Yes, I know that sounds shocking, but it is true. So when I need to get my creative juices flowing, sometimes I check out wedding blogs or Martha Stewart Weddings.

One of my favorite things at MSW is her 'good things' section. I went through her 'spring' ideas and found a few that I think can work for a regular party- not just a wedding! Check these out:

Aren't these orchids gorgeous! I thought this would be a beautiful centerpiece for any dinner party. And the best part is, after the party is over you can just place the flowers around your home to enjoy for weeks to  come.

Can't you just smell these roses and peonies! I bet they fill the room with the sweet scent of heaven. These arrangements were made with latte cups. You can find these at Williams-Sonoma and other kitchen supply stores. Or you can troll your local Salvation Army and find used ones. Then fill the bowls with green floral foam, and stick large flowers into it.

These baskets of candies are supposed to be wedding favors, but wouldn't it make a fun centerpiece for the kid's table at Easter!

Talking about kid's tables, I like this idea of using butche paper as a placemat. Martha wrote the utentil names down, but I think it would look cool if you did an outline of the knife, fork, and spoon using a sharpie. Then you can write each kid's name above their place setting. Then, when they are done, all you have to do is throw everything away!

These are chocolate bars covered with photos of the happy bride and groom, but I thought this would be a perfect idea for an adult birthday party such as a 30th, or 40th birthday. You could also do the same thing as favors for a baby shower- just use pictures of the mommy to be when she was a baby! Wouldn't that be cute?

So the next time you need an idea for a party, just check out some weddings and I bet you will come up with a million ideas!

The Day Of The Party

So, your menu has been picked, your guests have RSVP'd, your table is set, your flowers are arranged, and you probably have at least one dish done (preferably dessert).

So now what?



First of all, you should make a list of everything you have left to do. This should include: kids food prep, finishing each course and what exactly must be done, setting out drinks including water and wine, and getting dressed/putting makeup on.

Then rewrite you list in the order you would like to accomplish it. Here are a few suggestions:



Get the kids food out of the way. I usually have a veggie with a dip platter, some pasta, and maybe some boiled eggs. Frankly, the kids don't each much because they are too busy playing. Also, do yourself a favor and use paper plates/cups/napkins/silverware here. I like to use my leftover paper from other dinners and/or birthday parties. Also, I like box drinks because that way you don't have to help the kids pour all night long.



Get dressed and put your makeup on 2 hours before dinner. I know most people want to finish everything and then get dressed, but I have found work tends to pile up at the end and I am often caught with stringy hair and sweatpants. Better yet, do your hair and makeup at the beginning of the day so all you have to do is throw a fresh frock on and touch up your makeup.



Have something for your guests (especially the women) to do in the kitchen. Everyone, and I mean everyone asks if there is anything they can do, and you probably tell them, "no, I have everything under control". Well dont. Save something easy like chopping lettuce, peeling eggs, or some other menial chore for them to do. It breaks the ice, gives your guest a feeling of empowerment because they are helping, and takes one more thing off your list.

One hour before you are supposed to eat, be sure your soup is DONE and just keep it warm on the stove top. Take anything out of the fridge that needs to come to room temperature, and put any casserole in the oven to bake. Your salad should be done by now, but if not, now is the time to do it. Just don't put the dressing on (unless it is a coleslaw) until it is time to serve. Oh, and if you are having whipped cream with dessert, whip it now and save it in the fridge. I have often found myself in the kitchen whipping cream when I should have been with my guests.



By now your guests are starting to arrive. Get your husband or partner to serve drinks. We just serve beer and wine. However, if you like hard alcohol, it is nice to mix up a pitcher of your 'signature' drink and have it on a table with some glasses for your guests to help themselves.



And finally, remember not to let them see you sweat. Souffle fall? Don't tell them. Meat overcooked? Don't say anything. Mashed potatoes gummy? Mums the word. Never tell your guests how hard you worked or how something didn't work. I find this to be very difficult, and I don't always succeed, but do your best NOT to point out the imperfections in your meal.

So, good luck! Please, let me know if any of you take any of this week's advice in throwing a dinner party. It would really make my day to know that my experience has helped someone.

Setting A Table 202

For those of you kittens who are looking for a little bit more on table settings, here is what I would purchase if I was starting out as a hostess (or getting married and needed to register for gifts).

First, I would start with 12 glass dinnerware sets.



Why glass and not white? I just prefer the look of glass. I think it is timeless, classic, and sparkly. It has no season and it is usually inexpensive. Plus, it looks amazing mixed with other place settings.

Next, I would get some table linens. I would start with a plain white cotton tablecloth and 13 plain white cotton napkins. Don't spend too much on these because they WILL get stained. But don't get cheep polyester. It feels gross and looks worse.



Remember these glass vases from flower arranging 101? Well go get two of them. I tried to find them online at Target, but they dont sell them. However, I have seen them in the stores for under $10. If you must, just go get two fishbowls. Or look in the floral section of your grocery store. I have seen them there as well.

Here are just a few of the things you can do with your round glass vases:






As for silverware, I say just use your everyday set. You don't really need a fancy set to start with.

For glasses, you probably already have a set of wine glasses and table glasses. Just use those! Or buy a nice set from Macys, Target, or Crate and Barrel. Don't do what I did and get a colored rim. I really regret getting silver on the rim of my wine glasses, because I feel it almost makes them too fancy.

And that my dears, is all you need to really get started! Just be careful, because once you start to entertain, it becomes addicting! You will start to drool over gorgeous china, and stunning serving dishes, and fine linens.

Setting A Table 101

I always try to set my table the day before my party. It makes the day of the party flow so much smoother. It also helps me get into the party spirit. And lastly, I like the way a fully set table looks, so I get to enjoy it for an extra day!

For this meal I knew I was going to start with a soup and then serve the salad and main course together, and then follow with dessert.

Here is a picture of the place setting:



I purchased these lovely dishes on EBay right before I moved, and then just kept them in their boxes for the past two years, so this was the first time I have ever used them! I placed the soup bowl on top of the plate, and then set the table.

The napkins are just plain white cotton napkins that I got for my wedding a hundred years ago, and the silverware is our everyday silver. I have a really nice set of silver that has been passed down in my husband's family for generations, but the meal was a fairly casual one and therefore I didn't want to break out the silver- or the silver polish!

The wine glasses and cut crystal glasses were also wedding gifts. I use the crystal as water glasses, but they are supposed to be low ball cocktail glasses. My next big purchase will be these or these. I just can't decide. Any opinions?

For those of you who are really just starting out, I would suggest using some paper plates. What?! Paper!! The horror! Except there are some really beautiful paper plates out there, especially at Target. I have been using paper for two years now because I never unpacked my fancy dishes when I was living in the rental home- plus I didn't want to do the dishes. And guess what? They looked great! So if you don't want to invest in a set of fine china, go ahead and use paper.

**Glamorous Housewife Time Tip**
You can always set the table days in advance of your party, just cover the table with a sheet after you have it set to keep the dust (and kids) out of your plates.

Flower Arranging 101

**Crap. This was supposed to be Wednesday's post but I accidentally posted it early. Sorry!**

Have you ever seen those mixed flower bouquets at the grocery store and wondered how anyone could make them look pretty in a vase? Well, I have a wonderful post today to teach you exactly how to make a generic bouquet look like something you bought at a florist!

First of all you need some flowers. I got mine at Trader Joes, but any grocery store will have them.

And from above:



Aren't those lovely?

Next we need a vase. I use a circle 'fishbowl' vase I got at Target for under 10 bucks. You can also use this method with a square vase. Make sure you have a bit of water in it, but not too full, because if you need to rearrange, things could get really messy very quickly.



Next take off the plastic wrappings from the bouquet and snip off any ribbon or rubber bands. If the flowers come with a package of flower food, add it to the vase water now.



Next, separate your bouquet by flowers:



Now, find the flowers in your bouquet that have many flowers on one stem such as daises, carnations, or mums. I used this funny chartreuse flower. Then cut them down so they are sticking out of the vase about 2 inches and place them around the inside of the rim of the vase as so:



From the top:


From the side:


The reason I start with these flowers is to create a natural base that will help support the other flowers. If you started with the roses, they would just fall to the sides of the vase- you could never get them to point up. But with a base of other flowers, you can weave the stem of larger flowers in the web created by these flowers to help give the arrangement structure.

Next I went with the hydrangea:



The hydrangea has a large head of flowers on it and should just rise above the top of the vase.

Next the roses:



To give the arrangement more of a casual feel, I placed all three roses together in a bunch. It looked odd, but I knew when I added the other flowers, it would all come together.

Next I added the fuchsia colored flowers- also in a bunch:



Then, to tie everything together, I added the carnations, in bunches, all over the rest of the arrangement:



As for the rest of the flowers that came with the bouquet, I just tossed the ones I didn't want to use, and put the others in their own vases grouped by flower.

Once you are satisfied with your arrangement, be sure to add more water. You can use the greens provided by the bouquet to hide the stems by stuffing them inside the vase, but it will dirty the water fairly quickly.

Here is the finished product on the table:



So the key is to cut the stems short, use one type of flower as the base to create a web on which the other flowers will use to help support them, and cluster your flowers within the arrangement. Oh, and remember, you DONT have to use the entire bouquet.

Good luck!

Be sure to send me pictures of your arrangements to : TheGlamorousHousewife@gmail.com

Day 2 Party Planning

On Tuesday I make my grocery list, and I try to do my grocery shopping- at least for stuff that wont perish, or for ingredients I need for the food I make on Wednesday and Thursday. I often have to go back to the store on Thursday or Friday for fresh ingredients, but that is a quick trip- 20 minutes max.

Here is a picture of my grocery list:



As you can see I list by recipe. Not sure why I do it that way, it would probably be easier to do it by produce, baked goods, canned goods, etc. But this works for me.

I also make a quick list of what I want to accomplish each day:



This is my list for this week, and I am busy volunteering on Friday afternoon, which really cuts into my cooking time, so I picked dishes (especially dessert)that can be made ahead of time. The lemon mousse is chilled and will still taste fine if I make it on Wednesday. I can also make the soup stock on Wednesday.

I was discussing this list with my friend who is making a lunch for 20 adults this Saturday (did I mention she has a 4 week old? She is the ultimate glamorous housewife!) and she was surprised I did my flowers on Wednesday. I told her it is just easier for me to get them out of the way, and it gives the roses a few days to open up. But you can always do them 1-2 days before the party instead of 3 if that is easier for you.

Of course you can always do your grocery shopping as late as Thursday, but I like to string it out over the week and do a little bit at a time.

Wednesday: Flowers, Thursday: tablesetting, Friday: cooking and last minute tips

How To Plan A Dinner Party 101

Here at Chez Glamour, I tend to throw a dinner party about once a week, usually on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons. After throwing so many parties, I thought I would show you how I can put together a fun dinner for 10 adults and 6 kids in 5 days. Each day this week I will post on what I do every day to prepare for the Friday night dinner.




On Mondays I go through my cookbooks and decide on a menu. Usually I cook seasonally, and I noticed some amazing mushrooms last week at the farmer's market, so I decided that I would feature them as a main course. I found a mushroom lasagna in my Greens cookbook that looked amazing so I started with that.

Then I decided I needed a salad to go with it. I found a wonderful looking winter salad(in the same cookbook)that had all of my favorite vegetables such as carrots, celery root, beets, and potatoes. It was then smothered in a tarragon mustard dressing. Because I was 2 for 2 with the this cookbook, I decided to find a soup to go with the salad and lasagna. I decided on a fennel and celeriac (celery root) soup.

Now, I just had to figure out what I wanted to make for dessert. I have been obsessed with fruit crisps and felt I have pretty much become an 'expert' with them and wanted to try something more challenging. So I thought a chocolate molten cake would be a delicious way to end the meal. I found the recipe in my Everyday Food Cookbook.

Here is a photo of the notebook I carry around with me that has all my menu notes and grocery lists with the decided menu and notes:



Once I knew what the menu would be, I started the invitations. I usually spend a long time preparing the perfect invite. NOT! I just text:



Or I call. I try to get the information out on Monday, but I have been known to put together a menu and invitations as late as Wednesday!

And that, kittens, is how I start my week! Tomorrow: pre-grocery shopping. Wednesday: Flower arranging 101. Thursday: Setting the table and starting to cook. Friday: Cooking and getting ready to PARTY!