Business & Social Holiday Party Etiquette


Baron Christopher Hanson and his better half, Emilie Dulles are Twitter friends of mine. He recently  tweeted me the link to a business article he wrote. With spot-on accuracy, he guided and advised his readers on how to be "Rock Stars" at holiday parties this holiday season. As I read, I thought that these helpful tips and reminders shouldn't be confined to the boardroom, but should be followed by everyone attending a holiday event this season, whether it be an office party or a cozy, intimate gathering with close friends.
Hanson gives his definition of a Rock Star. These people are "the mindful, sharp, leadership-oriented people that everyone in the room would like to meet — or potentially work with." We've all seen them. No matter where the setting, whether it be an office party, private club, a gala or a family dinner, the Rock Stars truly stand out from the crowd. 
Here are six tips  that Hanson gives us for creating stellar holiday experiences everywhere you go:
Champagne
via Tumblr
Bring a bottle of something spectacular. If you don’t know your host’s personal favorite, work your magic to acquire the intel. Fine bottles of wine, champagne, or spirits are a memorable gift that set the tone for you as a guest attending any gathering. Exclusive bottles may cost a little more than everyday purchases, yet the sincerity and gesture, if you can afford such, are worth the splurge. 


love
via Kate Spade
Dress well for each occasion. Not only does dressing well honor your company, your host and yourself, but you will likely end up on Facebook one way or another. Rock stars always dress sharply, make society page editors proud and look impressive on social media.



Marry your best friend
via Tumblr
Speak positively at all times. Politics, religion, and taxes are topics that rarely lead to smiles. Keep your conversations positive, maintain a healthy subject matter, and steer conversations to focus on others. Mutual goals, new commitments, exciting travel and activity plans, a new business, or how well friends and family are doing are ideas usually lead to smiles. Everyone loves to smile!



mini appetizers
via Exquisite Wedding Magazine
Eat. Nothing hurts a host’s feelings more than having their guests not eat what they’ve served. Don’t be shy. Encourage everyone to enjoy. Low blood sugar is anti-rock star.




via Ritzybee.typepad
Be “that guy or gal” who works a last-minute miracle for the host. One secret every host keeps in reserve is a rock star backup — someone poised and ready to handle the inevitable last-minute contingency. Low on ice, two guests are vegan, Christmas lights burn out — you get the idea. Rock stars acquire and install solutions quickly and quietly.




Thank you notes are always the proper thing to do.
via Pinterest
Send thank-you notes. Everyone entertains, attends dinner parties and socializes via “old school” engraved or letterpress invitations. Old-school manners and etiquette are worth more to relationships than any gold, especially if coworker and associate families are involved. If you send a hand-written thank-you using fine stationery, you will be remembered as an elegant and mindful rock star this holiday season, and someone to connect with in 2013.


Baron Christopher Hanson is the principal of Goal Line PR, a boutique marketing, direct mail, and prepress management firm based in Charleston, S.C., and Washington, D.C. A former rugby player and a Harvard graduate, he can be reached via e-mail or at (843) 641-0331.

Emilie Dulles is the founder of Dulles Designs, an exquisite stationery company, located in Charleston, South Carolina. Her company caters to brides, hostesses and corporations in the US and abroad. 

The weekend will be here before we know... Are you ready to work your Rock Star?

XOXO,


Jessica


Host an Outdoor Movie Night!

I sometimes think that August may be my favorite summer month - Not for the long, hot, humid days that can suck the life out of you, but for the fact that it's the last month of summer. We're in school countdown mode. But we still have so much to take advantage of. August seems to be the month we get the most done around here. It seems to be the month we are busiest. We're making up for lost time. We're trying to fit in all that we said we'd do but haven't yet.

My kids have always talked about having an outdoor movie night where we can all sit outdoors (with plenty of bug spray!) and invite our friends over to watch a movie. I love the idea and I've been trying to think of how I can do this. I started a board on Pinterest where I could put all my outdoor movie night ideas in one place. I was completely inspired and I want to share these with you with the hopes of inspiring you to do the same before the summer is over. Whether you rent a fancy movie screen, have a large outdoor television or hang a white sheet up on the back of your house, you really can create a lovely, magical setting and have your own outdoor movie night!


ticket invite for party or event

If you have time, start with some ticket invites.

And then you'll need to set up your backyard to create the ultimate, inviting outdoor movie theater!

outdoor couches....movie night.
source unknown


via Tumblr

The outdoor couches are lovely, as are the blankets and pillows...
If your crowd is fairly small, you could provide blankets for your guests...
Either to borrow or to take home as souvenirs.

via Baby Center


back yard lighting
original source unknown

In terms of food you can have it as elaborate or as simple as you like. I love the table set up here with the lighting overhead. It's romantic and so very pretty. To keep costs down you may want to stick with simple movie fare foods...


Popcorn bar... So cute!  -- easy, unique, and it's something your guests will LOVE.

A flavor your own popcorn bar is such a great idea... Each guest, child or grown up can create popcorn his or her own way. We are huge Jiffy Pop fans and if you happen to have a charcoal grill or fire-pit you can invite your guests to help with the popping!

Of course you'll need your sweets too...
S'mores are delicious, fun and so easy to make and add another source of entertainment. This can be done either prior to the movie or during the movie, as long as a parent is present to supervise.


Gourmet s’mores table
via Oh Party!


via Tom Kat Studios

via Styled Eats

 Or maybe you would rather stick with something easier... You can't go wrong with a candy bar!

You can't forget your drinks!


via Southern Momentum

and I'd have a separate spot for the adult drinks, of course, with our favorite wine and beers!


If it happens to be a chilly evening perhaps a hot cocoa bar is the way to go!


Hot chocolate bar. Way cute.
via Fete Fanatic

I'm inspired! Are you? 
I think the hardest thing of all will be getting all three of my children to find a movie they agree on!


XOXO

Jessica

Pink and Green Party Prep

I worked on prep for Rebecca's party for a good 12 hours yesterday. I missed most of the opening ceremonies and my tootsies were too tired to tip toe through the house at midnight when I finally turned it. It was a long and semi stressful day yesterday. My husband hurt his back. Badly. It had been sore for a while and so I am thinking that letting the kids jump on him and roll on him out in the storm on Wednesday was not the smoothest of moves! In addition to taking care of the kids I had to take care of him and you know how men are! Ok, I'm exaggerating... I did have to pick up an Rx that CVS forgot to fill but that was it. He left me alone to tend to the children and work on Pinking and Greening my house. I am a bit worried about tonight. He had planned on taking the boys out of the house. I'm pretty sure that won't happen since he can barely get out of the bed... already picturing Alexander who won't leave the kids alone... panicking about this just slightly! Though Rebecca did tell him that she would allow him to stay upstairs as they paint their nails. We shall see.....

I am super thrilled with my work and Rebecca is too! Nothing better than that. She kept showering me with hugs yesterday as I added yet another pink and green touch. I was going to bake the cupcakes today but ended up baking them last night. I messed the frosting up on one of them so I brought it to my husband who declared it The BEST cupcake he had ever eaten! I guess I'll be posting that recipe!

Anyhow, without further ado, here is what I spent my day on yesterday.

 

Above: place setting -- decided to place the Lilly-wrapped Mentos on the table.
I also filled small pink boxes with the pink and green white chocolate dipped pretzels.


 

I found this fantastic (and I do mean fantastic!) self adhesive wrapping paper from Hallmark. I cut out each girls' first initial and applied it to their cup. 


  

 

Not only does this improve the look of a solid colored cup but it will eliminate wasting cups all night long as girls start a drink, put it down and become unsure as to which cup is theirs.
Now, they'll know! Fancy, frugal and environmentally sound!


 

And our matching water bottles! Rebecca peeled off the original labels and I cut the adhesive wrapping paper to fit. There are, admittedly, slight imperfections. I am sure the girls will not notice.
I would have been more precise for the adults.

 

Pinkalicious, white and green m&ms... a must have at any young girl's Pink & Green Party!


 

I just adore what I did to this chandelier!
It reminds me of a floating garden. It was created on a limited budget
and everything has been recycled or can be.


 

All the bows were purchased at the Hallmark store. I tied them on using green ribbon, leaving the sticky part intact so that these can be used for gift wrapping at a later date.


 

Green snowflake... a Target ornament from a few years ago. I had these in pink and green!

 

Star ornament, also from Target from a few years ago.
I had plenty of pink and green stars around!


 

My Happy Chandelier... I think I am leaving this up for a while!

 

"Tablescape"
I am thinking the table needs something... perhaps the white linen place mats.
I'll play around some more later on!


 

 

 

Lilly notebooks. Aren't these the cutest? We have 4 extra binders and Rebecca wants more for herself!
I cut out wrapping paper to fit inside the clear pocket on the front of these plain plastic binders!
Couldn't be easier!


 

I filled the binders with plain white paper, 3 hole punch lined paper, fashion plates (for the girls to design their own clothes) and some fun quizzes in the back. The only thing missing were the pastel colored pencils!


 

All packaged up with gift tags for each child!

 

Front table in the foyer... Don't these look wonderful?!

 

Oh, Bite Me!! ;)

  

 And, the best part of all, Dessert!
Daddy's Declared Best Cupcake Ever!
(Recipe on food blog)

So there we are!

Today I work on cleaning up the play room (nothing I am looking forward to!)
and decorating it with brightly colored streamers and a banner that I made.

I will prepare dinner prior to the girls arriving.
Rebecca's request:

Finger Sandwiches
Ham
Turkey
Cucumber

Black Olives

Baby carrots, celery sticks with Ranch Dressing
(I also picked up Russian Dressing because it is pink!)

Deviled Eggs
(Rebecca hates them but they are festive!)

Pink Lemonade garnished with a Lime Wedge
(I may toss some Vodka into mine ;) !!)

Dessert:

Pink & Green Cupcakes
Fresh Strawberries
Green grapes

Boy I wish I had some Lilly cookie cutters... perhaps I will run out and see if there are any left...
I just can't stop! I need help!

Planning a Party in Pink and Green!

The snow storm was lovely but it set me off schedule. Then, the children ended up having a delayed start yesterday. Two more hours lost. But we'll get there... before the party is over!

Rebecca requested pink and green cupcakes for her party after she saw my Red Velvet ones. Then everything became about being pink and green! (Except for the play room which in it's red and beige hues won't look so great in the bright, classic preppy colors!)

So I went party shopping with pink and green in mind...


 


My friend Kim told me that she had wrapped some Mentos as snowmen for a party favor for one of her children. Snowmen would not work, but how cute they look all decked out in their Lilly!


  

Some pink and green bows and ornaments will dress up the chandelier...

  

Pink and green plates, napkins and tablecloths...


  

I've found the green m&ms... but the pink seem to be sold out... everywhere! Help!


  

Mentos all dressed up!

  

Some party games!
I am also going to create a game of Pictionary for the girls!


  

Next time I will use the short, wide sticks (not the rods)
These pink and green white chocolate covered pretzels may not look professionally done but their taste
is outta this world!

  

Wait til you see what I'm going to do with these wonderful Lilly papers!


 

Mama Henley wanted a tutorial on how to make these preppy pencils. I tried wrapping them in Lilly paper first. While they looked lovely, as soon as you tried to sharpen them... well, let's say I jammed the electric sharpener! (I did fix my mess.) So then I decided paint. Perhaps an oil-based paint is the way to go. The acrylic peeled off as soon as it dried. Hours wasted. This was a big DON'T!

So we have some pink and green food planned and I have some more pink and errands planned and I am clearly wasting valuable time here... so I am logging off until I have more to report!

Au revoir mes amis!

Host an Autum Harvest Party!


(all images above courtesy Pottery Barn)


You want to have a party but you aren't sure you are really up to a Halloween party. While they are a lot of fun, they do require a good bit of time commitment in terms of planning and executing. But you have children and they really want to have a party. Or you want to have a Halloween party, but all the steps involved require more time or money than you have right now and you want to go all out with decorating, and cooking and all that other wonderfully spooky and festive stuff, but let's face it, we are not all Martha Stewart with a staff a plenty to haunt our houses!

A Fall Harvest Party would be the perfect solution... a celebration of all things autumn, and for those who wish, with Halloween elements!

You don't have to live in the Northeast to have this party. I know of friends in the south who do go pumpkin picking... granted they do it in their bathing suits! You don't even need that many pumpkins... Festive bowls of pears and apples placed strategically around lend an air of fall. As do Mums. I have found these scarlet orange mums with large petals that I adore. I keep them outside (as they need full sunshine) until I am ready to entertain. Then I place them on the front table in the Foyer.

If you are going to have a family friendly party you'll need to have some activities to keep the children entertained. Depending on the ages of the children attending, you may want to hire a local teenager or two to help with babysitting so that you and the other parents can enjoy yourselves.
Fun activities for all ages include potato sack races, three-legged-races, autumn related scavenger/treasure hunts, pumpkin decorating, pumpkin carving, pine cone hunt (much like an Easter egg hunt!) and mini pumpkin toss (in lieu of an egg toss).


I love a scarecrow making contest! You'll need a bale or two of hay and some old jeans or overalls, flannel shirts, hats, bandannas... If you have none of these items at home, you'll be able to pick up these items from your local Goodwill store for practically pennies! You'll divide all your guests into two or three teams (or as many as you'll need depending on the amount of guests and the ages of your guests) and make sure to have mixed ages on these teams. The goal is to stuff the hay into the clothes and create a scarecrow. The team that does it the fastest wins!

Or you could have a scarecrow relay race! Instead of hay team members dress in the overalls, shirts, bandannas, etc and race across the lawn, then disrobe and pass the clothes on to a team mate until all members have dressed, raced and undressed. This is loads of fun!

I still love the concept of apple bobbing. I know this worries some parents, and of course you'll really need to make sure that whoever is participating is free of any cold or other virus. Add a bit of Clorox to the water (as done in preschools and day cares) to remove potential germs. This will not harm the apples or the bobbers. Place the apples in a large, low bucket and let the fun begin!

Eating hanging donuts while suspending from a string is fun as well. You'll need some donuts (if you have access to some apple cider donuts, get them... they are so yummy and festive and lend themselves perfectly to an Autumn Harvest Party! You'll need some string to tie around the donuts, and something to hang them from so that they are dangling. The object of the game is to get your donut and eat it first!


If you want to invest a little money into this afternoon of fun you might want to hire a face painter. Kids love this. Or offer a pony ride.

You can host an apple pie or pumpkin pie contest. All contestants supply their own pies. Samples can be handed out for all who want to participate to judge. Home made or store bought.... can you tell the difference? There can be different categories within as well so that everyone can come out a winner!


Little children love to dress up. Have a Halloween Costume Contest for the younger set... or for anyone who wishes to get involved. Again, create different categories (cutest, prettiest, scariest, most creative, etc...) so that there is more than one winner. Perhaps everyone can be a winner!


Count the Candy Corns! Fill a large jar with candy corns. Count them as you put them in! Then have a candy corn guessing contest. The person with the correct number, or closest to the correct number, wins!
If you live in New England, Northwest or Midwest, you might need to have some warm beverages on hand. (Of course it's 70 and hot out as I write this!) For the cooler days have plenty of mulled cider, mulled wine and hot cocoa for the kids. Chili and cornbread and BBQ pulled pork sliders are fun foods to eat when it is cool out as well. Perhaps invite guests to bring their favorite chili and have a chili contest as well!

If you live in a warm climate then think along the lines of a BBQ with hamburgers, hot dogs or long submarine sandwiches and all sorts of cold salads. Food should be casual and fun.


What are some things you would do at your Fall Harvest Party?