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One of my favorite themes for a baby shower is “feathering the nest,” which is really the whole point of having a baby shower.  I actually threw my daughter-in-law Lina a “birds nest” themed shower when she was pregnant with my beautiful granddaughter Olivia Grace!  It was a no brainer because Lina already had a thing for birds!  There are so many ways that you can incorporate this theme into your gathering from the invitations, to the décor, and even the food.  Here are just a few decor ideas using flowers, nests, eggs, and bird cages that you might want to try too!

We knew that Lina was having a girl, and since purple is her favorite color I started simple with purple hydrangea in purple mason jars. Continue Reading…

Beach Inspired Decor for a Summer Soiree

Keep your floral varieties classic, such as roses and orchids, and use just one variety per arrangement and mass it out for maximum impact.

To design in a large shell simply place a piece of saturated floral foam in the opening of the shell, cut the floral stems short and insert into the floral foam until the entire opening is filled with flowers. Continue Reading…

Graduation Decorations That Go for the Gold

Graduation truly is a time to sparkle and shine—and using gold in your party décor will also put you right on trend. Gold is everywhere these days and in many different ways: foil, leaf, glitter, tassel, etc. Here are a few easy ways to make your graduation the one that outshines the rest!

Duct tape, you’ve come a long way! One of the simplest ways to customize and add some pizzazz to your centerpieces is to wrap a piece of gold duct tape around the vase and write a message on the tape. This gold duct tape is actually dry-erase as well—what could be easier! Continue Reading…

I’ve become a little obsessed with Galentine’s Day, now that I know what it’s all about.

I had no idea! I thought it was “a lonely-hearts club for single ladies” on Valentine’s Day! As it turns out, I have been celebrating Galentine’s Day basically my whole life!!

What is Galentine’s Day? In the words of the holiday’s creator, Parks and Recreations’ Leslie Knope, “Oh it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus, frittatas.”

If you haven’t started celebrating Galentine’s Day yet, I would say 2017 would be the year to start! As a matter of fact, I think we should declare February Galentine’s Month. And make it a monthly celebration the rest of the year!  Any day of the month that you want, just do it and keep doing it. Celebrate each other, learn from each other, support each other, and in honor of Leslie Knope, let’s start by laughing with each other!

Now Let’s Get This Party Started!

 “Ladies Celebrating Ladies”

For inspiration, look no further then reruns of Parks and Recreation or a quick Google search of Leslie Knope quotes. Pick a quote to be your main theme or use them all and incorporate them into your decorations and games.

Of course, this one spoke to me immediately! Just one more reason to fill my house with sunflowers! I think that the sunflower should be the official flower of Galentine’s Day, don’t you?!  Continue Reading…

You can make your “Ladies Celebrating Ladies” gatherings even more meaningful by adding an element of giving back. There are so many ways to do this, in big ways or small. It’s all up to you. If you are gathering with a group of friends monthly, set a dollar amount that each person will contribute per month and vote on an organization to donate to at the end of a year. In honor of the creator of Galentine’s Day, you could contribute to or get involved with Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls or another organization that is committed to supporting girls’ and women’s causes.

Or you and your friends could organize a larger special event. Each planning meeting is another excuse to get together with the girls! I recently helped organize a Paint & Wine event that raised money for Smile Farms, an organization that is near and dear to my family and me.

A larger scale event requires more work and attention to detail, but it is worth it. Here are some tips and ideas from this event if you are thinking of giving something like this a try.

Before hiring professional instructors, see if there are people within your circle who have the necessary skills and would be willing to volunteer their time or offer a deep discount off their regular fee. Continue Reading…

I’m a doer, a creator, a lover of learning!  So, I think having an activity planned for your Galentine’s party is a must.  You can have someone come and teach a class or you can set up an online class.  You can also take it as serious as you want or just have fun with it.

One of my passions is hand lettering, so I planned chalk lettering activities, as well as a bounce lettering online tutorial.

Chalk Lettering

I incorporated chalk lettering into my party décor, which provided lots of inspiration for my guests!  And, once again, I turned to Leslie Knope’s own words for inspiration!!  I used an oversized glass canister with chalkboard label to display this fresh and fabulous arrangement of sunflowers, free spirit roses, asters, and tulips.

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Setting up a Mimosa and/or Bloody Mary bar is a no-brainer, especially when serving breakfast food. That said, you have to try this waffle jello shot recipe that I found on the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen blog!

They have the classic recipe and a nice blueberry version on their site. I made the classic, and it was quite good.

The Wilton 12 Cavity Round Ice Cream Sandwich pan is the magic behind the waffle shape and look of the shots. I ordered mine from Bed Bath & Beyond.

The Recipe (with my shortcuts/substitutions)

Yield: 12 jelly shots

• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, strained to remove solids (I used store bought, no pulp)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup Grade B maple juice (I used Harry & David Maple Syrup)
• 2 envelopes plain Know gelatin
• 1 cup cake flavored vodka or vanilla vodka with 2 tsp amaretto (I used plain vodka, because that’s what I had in the house!)

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What’s on my menu for Galentine’s Day? Waffles, of course! But just because breakfast food is the official food of Galentine’s Day, that doesn’t mean you must have a brunch. Why not take your waffles in a different direction?

It’s so easy to make these fun chicken and waffle appetizers. Start with frozen mini waffles and fresh chicken tenders. You can make your own chicken tenders, but I bought these from my favorite neighborhood deli. I chose both regular tenders and buffalo style.

Heat the waffles according to package directions. Cut the pre-made tenders into smaller pieces that will fit onto the mini waffles and heat as well. Place one piece of chicken on each waffle, and drizzle with maple syrup.

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