08/31 CHEERS to August

Hello Glamourites,

I hope everyone has been having a fun-filled and relaxing summer! I know I sure have {hence being very MIA, sorry again} I figured it being the last day of August, sad I know, we should celebrate the month rather than being depressed it is leaving us. Here are some fun recipes and ideas to try before it’s too late!

Sip of this delicious {and easy} drink with friends and family talking about your favourite August memories. The Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco is bubbly and fresh. Thanks Damn Delicious for the inspiration!

Buy some peaches! The end of August is a perfect time to buy them as it is peek season for this fruit and you can use them in so many ways. Peach smoothies, peach pies, peach salad, peach glaze on pork, peach crumble or my fave peach jam. Credit to Buttered Side Up for the pic and click for her Peach Jam Recipe!

DEFINITELY have a BBQ. I know in a month from now we are all going to missing those nights when you throw a burger and corn on the cob on the barbie. Try these BBQ shrimp wrapped in prosciutto by the Sassy Kitchen!

Lastly, breathe. Enjoy these final moments of summer and soak it all in before that cold fall wind blows in. Be thankful for another summer of laughter and adventures. Happy August 31st!

xx Glamour Planner

Make Easter Easy!

Hello Glamourites,

I hope everyone has been enjoying the first two weeks of spring and been getting some warmer weather to enjoy. I have found some great Easter inspiration for baking and decorating ideas that are very quick to do with little cost. I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend! Happy Easter xx Glamour Planner

I love this bunny butt sugar cookie idea, it’s as easy as making different shaped ovals and adding icing!

If you are hosting an Easter dinner or brunch you can get creative with your place cards and add them to cute mini easter baskets like these with some chocolate eggs.

For a centrepiece take two sizes of vases and between the two add easter eggs, jellybeans, chocolate eggs or anything colourful  to add to the easter theme!

Another easy dessert or snack to try is making rice krispie treats but in the form of a carrot then covering them with icing or a candy orange glaze. Thanks to Frugal Coupon Living for the idea!

Adding a simple tulip to your guests plate makes a world of a difference and makes them feel special!

Grad some old birthday confetti and shape it into a nest and put an egg in the middle, voila, instant table decor done!

Party Touchdown

Hello Glamourites,

I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest football fan, not even a mediocre one but I will take any excuse to throw a party! Having a get together can be as easy as putting some chips and dip out or pulling out the fancy china…I’d say no fine china for the Superbowl Feb 1st… I found some fun decor ideas and snacks that are easy to throw together and will add that extra excitement on the big game day! Remember to start prepping now, it’ll make for no stress on the actual day and a greater chance of everything going smoothly.

xx Glamour Planner

Make these delicious chocolate cupcakes by using an pastry bag with a thin tip to draw the white lines, these desserts are winning!

An easy and DIY project is taking mason jars and adding white duck tape to the side for a perfect game day glass of soda….or beer! 

Transform your table in minutes with green construction paper (or any green material) and white duck tape to make the yard lines. 

Drag that old chalkboard from the basement and add it to the table for display, write your winning team or fun motto like “ready, set, eat”!

Make grilled cheese sandwiches with rye bread for the dark colouring and little mayonnaise for the white lines. You can never go wrong with this classic sandwich, it’s a score all round!

And finally, something as simple as making a funny joke with buying yellow napkins with a sign for “penalty flags”.

Cookie Stand

Hello Glamourites,

Today I decided to do something with my spare time as I have yet to be hired for a summer job….I hate applying for jobs! Anyways, I put my baking skills to a use and put them out for sale outside my house. We live on a trail and have many people walking, biking and running by which allows for some possible customers! I documented with photographs prepping my little stand and making labels for my cookies. If you did come by and buy some of my cookies, thank you and I hope you come back again! I will be experimenting with new flavours and possibly treats other than cookies this coming week. xx Glamour Planner

My little homemade stand setup! 

Wonderful Touches

Hello Glamourites,

I always keep a small folder of wedding inspiration ideas and styles that I would love to put into my own future event planning career and transform into my own creation. These are some gorgeous shots and tips to be done at an upcoming wedding! What is one of your favourite wedding touches? xx Glamour Planner

This shot {and dress} are to die for! I want one of these pictures where you get an overall view of the dress.  For a vintage touch add some lace ribbon to the table setting, or other types of ribbon depending on theme.

Groom and bride hold pictures of their own parents on there wedding day. Adorable.

Get lavender petals {or other flowers} in paper cups for guests to throw for your departure. Smells amazing!

Cute for wedding announcement or save the date card! 

A touch of GOLD

Hello Glamourites,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend and found time for some relaxation today! Grab some inspiration from this post and throw together a little gathering for this evening. My main inspiration when planning a party comes from having a theme of some sort to bring everything together, from the decor to the type of food served. However when you are having some people over for a casual dinner party or drinks on a Thursday, it’s a lot of effort to go all out last minute, but it’s still nice to have little touches to make the evening special and create flow. One example that is easy is to pick one colour to coordinate everything with: napkins, flowers, table decor ect… Now of course I love anything sparkly or bright so naturally I love the colour gold; it adds some shine to the room and makes your guest feel like they are being spoiled. These pictures are examples of some straightforward tips that can be done last minute! xx Glamour Planner

Take some streamers from your cupboard or run to the dollar store, cut the sides of the streamers and twist them as they hang. The simplest way to transform a wall for a party time! 

Serving up some champagne or sparkling wine? Dip the glasses in eatable gold glitter. 

Creating signs for a buffet table or snack table adds an extra level of sophistication, it shows you took the time. Take the sign and pop it in a little frame for a professional look. 

Take your old wooden candle holders or some cheapies and add some glitter, a quick DIY project! 

The simplicity of this table I adore. Adding two tone table cloths also adds interest and something as simple of a hanging feature above the table completes the table setup. 

I just enjoy this 🙂 

ALL blanc

Hello Glamourites,

Some of you have may already heard of an event called ‘Diner en blanc’ which originated 25 years ago in Paris. It is where people gather all dressed in white for a giant “chic picnic” where only the day before they have been advised of the secret location. Hundreds of people are invited and are expected to conduct themselves with the greatest decorum, elegance, and etiquette to enjoy this unique evening.

Dinner en Blanc ~ Paris

This event is held all over the world at different times and if you have a chance to attend, I would not turn it down! This all made me think of how fun it would be to hold your own “dinner en blanc” event or party (obviously not at that large scale). If you are wanting to throw a final summer party before August slips away, perhaps consider having an all white theme. Here are some more picture inspirations I found if this catches your eye. xx Glamour Planner

If you have a staircase like this or even a large lobby, tying balloons together into a tall tower gives a dramatic effect.  Simple flowers or leaves that have been sprayed can be used for centrepieces at low cost.
Can’t forget about the heels! These would be ideal for an en blanc evening.
For a larger centrepiece you can use tall vases and flowers such as roses and individual flowers at place settings. Chair covers make a world of difference to your atmosphere and aren’t overly expensive to rent.
You may think it’s hard to keep your theme going through the food but there’s more than you think…meringues, coconut and white chocolate are just a few of many!

The Triple Threat

Hi all Glamourites!

I figured after all this time I should finally post some of my own pictures from an event I recently held.  I must also give my Mom a lot of the credit (food & decor purchasing) for this particular party but we work well together throwing fun gatherings for friends and family! For this evening we went with the “Triple Treat” theme being WINE, CHEESE & CHOCOLATE. How can you go wrong with that? Here are some pictures of our food table and decorations. Hope you enjoy and are inspired to do some entertaining of your own  xx Glamour Planner

I have seen this done in magazine’s and on Pinterest of course…using wine bottles as individual vases for flowers. I wanted to spray paint them but ran out of time and in the end, I like the natural uniqueness of each bottle. It also suited our “Wine,Cheese & Chocolate” theme.
Loving the bling bling wine stopper <>
If you haven’t tried BRIX chocolate, I highly suggest it! IThis  specialty chocolate is made for pairing with wine… yum yum.
A party is not complete without matching theme serviettes.
Table close up ~finishing touches of the table with some strings of pearls and our many books on Chocolate & Cheeses.
The entrance: one of THE most important parts of an event. This is where your guests get the first impression of what they have to expect and also what will stick most in their mind. We found some adorable chocolate/dessert paintings, more books on chocolate and fun accent gift baskets to line the staircase as our guests entered the house.

Back in the day….

Back in the day when a tea break meant a major house production with fresh table linens, 5 piece cutlery, the finest of baked goods, and of course, your prettiest afternoon gown. While watching my new favourite show, Downton Abbey I am surprised how everything is taken very seriously and carried out with such perfection! That sort of formal attention to detail doesn’t seem to exist now-a-days and often the little things are not given the same consideration they used to.  For instance, when one of the gentlemen from the show wore the wrong dinner jacket for supper, it was evident that this was a faux pas. Sometimes I think I would enjoy that attention to detail; ensuring that every little piece was picture perfect when preparing a meal, setting the table, making a bed or even shining the silver. This show puts me in the mood to go back in time and experience it all first hand, which I realize is obviously not possible! However it does inspire me to try and accomplish the feel by throwing a Downton Abbey tea or dinner party! Here are some picture inspirations I found that may help to recreate a similar atmosphere.

Let me know if you give it a go. xx Glamour Planner

I only wish I could eat dinner like this every evening: silver candelabras, 4 different drinking glasses, individual salt and pepper, and of course, the delight of being served so graciously! I could go on!

Here is some fashion inspiration from Lissa Alexandra Photography on a shoot for vintage weddings but these dresses would also be adorable for an afternoon tea.

Making simple pretty additions, such as custom name coasters or name tags for place settings makes it feel that much more important.

I couldn’t resist posting theses adorable “Downton Abbey” style sugar cookies, I can’t image the time it took to make them but they would be ideal for an afternoon tea!

This elegant table display looks just perfect if you are thinking of hosting your own garden tea party. The floral runner down the centre of the table and draping over to hit the ground adds a unique piece.
Some more fashion inspiration from the Downton girls themselves! Nothing says classy more than white dresses, hats, gloves and of course, your pearls.
A dramatic and stunning place setting for a formal dinner party. Loving the gold and black with the white accents in the roses and initialed serviettes.
Downton Abbey Manor.

Party Necessities

Hi my Glamourites,

I thought  I should do a post on the TOP necessities that I think are crucial for a successful dinner party, cocktail party, afternoon tea or any other type of gathering. I owe a lot of credit to my mother for most of these inspirations and ideas! She is the one who has taught me everything there is to being a great hostess and throwing the perfect party!

1. CANDLES

I can’t think of a more simple thing than candles to completely change the ambience of a room just by dimming the lights to make it feel really feel special. You can buy candles just about anywhere at just about any price range and use them at almost any event.Just remember to leave a few extra minutes before the party to run around and light them all! As you will see from looking at the pictures, you can also get very creative and and make some extravagant pieces or keep it easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. TABLE SETTING

If you are having a dinner party, even if it’s not a sit-down affair, it is important to have your table looking pretty. People are always drawn to the table where food and drinks are located. Particularly if you are having dinner, this is where your main event is happening and taking some extra time to add some glitz and glamour makes your event memorable. For example, buy some fun serviettes or cloth ones, create name tags for seating arrangement and have some fun with the centrepiece like using pearls or ribbons!

3. FLOWERS

While you are out and about doing errands on the day of the party, or perhaps on the day before, grab a fresh bouquet of flowers (doesn’t need to be anything fancy) or even little individual flowers. Placing flowers around your home or on the dinner table just adds something that makes it feel pretty…because what girl doesn’t love flowers!

4. MUSIC

To finish the atmosphere of a party, choosing music helps create a special ambiance that is also important to the success of your party. Be sure to pick just the right kind of music for your particular event. For myself I always think that any classical or instrumental music will fit any party as it provides a great background as well as being enjoyable to listen to! Here is an 8track playlist that I often use for my events. Give it a listen. http://8tracks.com/suzie19/piano-music

5. DESSERT

If anyone knows me then you know that I am a total dessert girl, no matter how much I have eaten I ALWAYS have room for dessert…especially if it’s chocolate! So of course what is a party without dessert! Thank you Julia…