Archive for the ‘Occasions’ Category

an afternoon Tea Party

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

there’s something about Tea Theme Party that is very appealing to me.  the kind of get together that encompasses the semblance of calmness, teaparty comfort, light-mood and tradition.  tea party as reminiscent of Victorian era  can set the mood of women to put-on some  unassuming gesture of being a lady.

i grew up surrounded with girl stuffs being the only lass of five brood.  my mother took pleasure in pampering me with dolls, stuffed toys, cookware toys, sanrio knickknacks and dresses… this is how i started my relationship with girly things! … and i still do!… no wonder i find it comforting to watch the movies that inspired by Jane Austen’s novel.   it depicts women in a feminine yet highly principled way, stimulating discussion either in group or between lady friends were always accompanied with a cup of freshly brewed tea and tiny pastries… oh! lovely.

what  draws me to Tea Party? … well… the hat, the dress, the china wares and of course the fine sandwiches and pastries often serve with tea.  i wouldn’t mind to have a ravishing  petite sandwiches made of pumpernickel or wheat bread, a sumptuous slice of pound cake or strawberry shortcake, an inviting scones and tarts or  a delectable blueberry and banana walnut muffin…  the inviting presentation of these bite-size sandwiches and pastries in a stack-up trays and colorful china teaware that is set in the garden, patio or simply in the comfort of your living room… that is what i call a simple yet grand comfort.

tea and the tiny bits of delicacies are the best companion of conversation, the tradition that passed vastly from Chinese as early as 2737 BC to  Japanese then Europe in 1652 then in America in 1690… presently, Tea Party is widely used as a simple way of entertaining guests at home,  hotels and some restaurants.

i recommend for you to experience the Tea Room of Huntington Botanical Garden located in San Marino, California.  it’s a very awesome place and the room is in the amidst of the luscious garden.

i hope one day i could host a tea party for my dear friends or i hope to receive an invite for this theme… i will gladly attend and enjoy my cup of tea!

“my super sweet 16″ cable show

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

i was browsing on cable channels recently, out of boredom obviously and I came across the show called “my super sweet 16″… oh, i finished the sixteenshow, by the way… to summarized it in one word!— it’s “crazy!”

you could see how bratty and demanding the celebrant was, well of course with the willing and tolerating parents, i may say.  her sweet 16 is far way more than an average wedding celebration.

from expensive gown, tiara, reception and of course a brand new BMW sweet 16 present, friends were howling with envy and eye popping moment from the teenagers when the car was presented to the sweet sixteen celebrant.  every teenager yearns to drive their own wheels and it doesn’t hurt if it’s a beamer or benz.  i’ve never seen a sweet 16 celebration as grand as this with an easy total damage of $200,000.00!

given this money, would you dare  throw it on something like this? I surely know… I wont!

shower party etiquette… don’t forget!

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

shower-party_001a day to shower with gifts!… no matter what kind of shower party it is, gift giving is a must.  i have attended numerous shower party, mostly bridal and indeed it is such a fun-filled event.  one thing i love about the shower party is its intimate gathering which means everyone who are  present in the party is a friend of the celebrant.

for those who want to throw a shower, the etiquette below will help a great deal to make a successful and non-awkward party.  there are three factors to make the event possible… 1st is the hostess, a person who will organize or initiate the party, 2nd is the guests, people who are friends of the guest of honor which is the 3rd factor of the event.  guest of honor is simply the person that the party is being given to.

here are the simple etiquette!

  • never give your own(guest of honor) shower… this must  be given by the hostess who is obviously your friend.
  • as a hostess, you are in-charge to choose where to hold it, sending out the invitations and shower favors are your responsibilities too…  as a hostess keep in mind that shower party is something informal so a friendly and pleasant atmosphere must be the goal.
  • the hostess should only invite guests that the guest of honor knows… sorry! but this is for friends and close friends only.
  • men and women are ok… don’t limit it for women’s gathering only.
  • the venue should be comfortable… usually being held at the place of the hostess or any place that everyone will feel at home.
  • must be a fun-filled celebration… that’s why the venue is important because of there are  games and activities involve.
  • as a guest of honor, you must send out a simple thank you note for the guests and hostess… a hand-written one is more personal and sincere.
  • foods are served… can be held at any time of the day, depending on the availability of the guest of honor.
  • 2-3 hour of celebration is enough… no need to prolong the celebration since the goal is mainly  to flourish the guests of honor with gifts by doing so dull moments can be avoided.

a great music to  indulge for a festive mood, why not?!… it’s not part of the etiquette but will surely make the party a blast!

Shower Parties not just for brides and babies

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

baby-shower the most common shower parties being thrown are for  baby and wedding events.    shower party as celebrated is derived from the idea of flourishing  or the word itself showering the celebrant with gifts so giving gift is  only but pertinent  and a sure sign of etiquette … i will expound in my future posting about the etiquette in shower party which is quite extensive.

i just want to focus now to the variety of shower parties being celebrated which are not familiar for others.  this may give you an idea to throw  one for your friend or better yet your close friend since this is an acceptable informal celebration initiated only by chums.

BABY SHOWER is celebrated before the baby is born, gifts may be for the use of the mother or the baby’s.  BRIDAL SHOWER is typically given for the bride but the gifts may be for the benefit of bride and groom. never equate this with stag party since gift giving is not required on this albeit this is given to the groom but stag party is merely focus on the get together of guys on the last day or days of bachelorhood.  ADOPTED BABY SHOWER, yes! adopting a baby can be celebrated but instead of the usual like ‘ the baby is brewing’, ‘welcome baby boy/girl’  use ‘for a chosen baby’ announcement.  celebrating this must be cleared with the adopting mother because others may not want the public to know about the scenario otherwise you may do so.  OFFICE SHOWER PARTY is given to a person who’s about to be promoted at the work setting by the closest office mate. this is usually held in the office per se and attended only from people at work.  HOUSE WARMING SHOWER is given to the couple or someone who just move to a new place,  gifts evolves for house decors, kitchen utensils, bedroom accessories… etc. GOING AWAY SHOWER is given to a friend who is migrating to other state or country, basically a shower for good wishes and gifts  are something  reminiscent of the place, friendship and shared experiences.  OFF TO SCHOOL SHOWER is given for someone who’s going to study in other state or country.  ANNIVERSARY SHOWER is given by the close friend of the couple who’s about to celebrate their wedding anniversary.  to guide you for the kind of gifts you may plan to give  check the list below…

1st year      paper                              20th year     china
2nd year    cotton                             25th year     silver
3rd year      leather                          30th year     pearl
4th year      books/flowers                35th year     coral/ jade
5th year      wood                             4oth year      ruby
6th year      iron                                45th year      sapphire
7th year      wool                               50th year      gold
8th year      bronze                            55th year     emerald
9th year      pottery                           60th year     diamond
10th year   tin                                   75th year      diamond jubilee
11th year    steel
12th year    linen/silk
13th year    lace
14th year    ivory
15th year    crystal

so if you have someone in mind who’s about to have a milestone in life… why don’t you throw one!





awesome kids’ party themes

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

party-theme_001 nothing else matters but the  birthday gifts and birthday parties!… the ultimate desire of chaste and absolute world of kids.  parent’s delightful satisfaction is to see their kid overflowing with happiness.  nothing beats that.  a year too soon, again to prepare for the birthday celebration?  a mom’s rigid task to make the day memorable for her kid.  were the last two years  the usual cake and games party? … i hope not.

live your imagination and fantasy through your kid’s party… make it as your own production and as a producer you get to choose the resources.  inculcate the themes that kids have an eye for, something they’re familiar with or someone they idolize.

to help you moms  avoid disquietude in finding  themes, here are some of my suggestions:

Teddy Bear Theme- most of the children’s books always showcase a huggable and lovable bear.  surely, all kids will love this.  having a theme means nothing is too much so you could have a bear shape cake, cups with bear , plates and balloons with bears.  for your favors, you can have bear figurine, plush bear or bear picture frames.

Painting/Coloring Theme- all kids have a bit  Picasso, Chagall and Dali in them.  coloring your floor, painting your wall… just name it!… they just know what to do when you hand them a crayola.  set your party venue as an art studio, have cheap canvasses, cover each table with paper where they can draw/paint anything, have someone show them how to paint or draw with subject that is identifiable with kids, give prizes to the creative ones!

Circus Theme- there’s a distinct festive aura when one goes to a circus, why not bring it home!… there are performers you can book to entertain the kids, have a candy cotton around, pop-corn maker & magic shows.

Fire Fighter Theme- dress them up! adorn the cake with fire truck,  maybe invite a real fireman and have him show some skills!

Zoo Theme- kids have the heart for animals.  let them wear animal costumes, serve foods in animal shapes, use party accessories with animal design… anything about animals!

Fairy Tale Theme-  my niece Kyra is a sucker for prince and princesses and indeed she’s our own princess.  all kids love to dress up like one.  browse on your kid’s fairy tale books and the answer is there.

Puppet Show Theme- kids want to be entertained in a very creative way.  they can get engrossed in reading their books but seeing what they read is surely an amazement for them.

Picnic Theme- have a picnic feel in the party venue.  tables and chairs are optional on this.  have them seat and eat in a picnic linen with their picnic foods!

Pajama Theme- i just love them with their pjs on!… colorful as they are, pajamas just makes them very embraceable! this will the most comfortable party ever!

Irish Theme- green, green and green!… let them wear a green cone hats,  leprechaun-like shoes, have clover shape cake, use mugs instead of cups (of course serve with juice not a booze!)

make your child’s day a memorable one!… someday, the theme is going be the subject of the  grown-up talks like…  ” hey mom/dad!, remember my fairy tale theme party?”…