Happy 2017 to you all. Hope your celebrations were fabulous and safe.
We threw a tiny party for 8. The menu:
Cheese & Salami Platter with Sea Salt Crackers & Holman & Finch Semolina Bread
Caviar Service with fresh buckwheat blini, sour cream and chives
Veggie lasagna
Salad filled with olives, artichokes, bermuda onions topped with a lemon basil dressing
Garlic Bread
Assorted Cupcakes
More than our share of Segura Viudas Cava
Table Decor provided by my friends at TLC Rents. I chose a purple and gold theme. Purple tablecloth with a gold sequined overlay. Purple napkins. Tons of votives. And for extra interest, small plastic dinosaurs were placed all around the table. Always opt for whimsy when you can. Look around the house – you will surprise yourself.
Since our party was so tiny, I decided not to post any photos of the guests. But – you can see the table below.
My dear friends at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead have planned a very exclusive New Year’s Eve for just 20 lucky couples. Why travel when you can enjoy a glorious evening filled with the finest wine, food and accommodations in town? If, by some chance, you are popping the question this December 31st, this will be the place to do it. It will be an unforgettable evening.
I trust you all had a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. Last year we stayed home but this year we attended two parties that blew the doors off. Couldn’t greet the new decade with a pizza and a coke, you know.
The first party was given by our friends Wesley and Mark at their loft, nicknamed “Remark Central”, because of Mark’s considerable dj skills. It was filled with interesting people, images and food. There is always a theme – last year being a masquerade. In anticipation of this year, I picked up several fabulous masks in New Orleans during our travels. But I didn’t consider that the theme changes every year. This year was “Red, White and Black”. And so we all dressed in the appropriate manner. Eric donned his tux with a red tie and I wore a black dress with fabulous new red shoes. And of course, my new red hair.
Sweet Stephanie from Deutsch Inc. clued me into some great tips from her friends over at Pat Glenn Productions on giving your best New Year’s Eve party ever. Trust me, even after years of giving my own parties, I can always learn something new and these handsome fellows from NYC have a few new tricks up their sleeves! Look at this gorgeous event they created – wouldn’t you just love to be a guest at this party?
Here’s some great tips from Event Gurus Pat James & Glenn Jacinto:
1. Know Your Space. Don’t over invite. There is nothing worse than having a space where your guests are crowded and can’t get a drink. (note: oops – I always overcrowd….)
2. Don’t Sweat It. You don’t want your house to feel stuffy and overheated. Turn down your heat well in advance of your guests’ arrival to ensure the temperature will be comfortable. It will also cut down on cost for your heating bill!
3. BYOB – Build Your Own Bar: You can create a bar by simply covering a six-foot table with a crisp, white floor length table cloth. Make sure to situate your bar in an accessible location so you don’t create a “traffic jam” in the corner of your living room.
4. Get Festive with Ice Cubes! Give your guests’ drinks a festive touch by freezing cherries or cranberries in your ice cubes! Any leaf from the mint family also freezes nicely.
5. Custom Cocktails: Don’t waste money on high-end champagnes. Instead create a signature cocktail for your event. It’s not only festive but will help monitor how much alcohol you’re serving.
6. Create a Coat Check: Clear out a hall closet or consider renting a coat rack, which are easy to assemble and can be placed in a spare room or hallway. It’s much nicer than having guests throw their coats on a bed with a sea of other jackets.
7. Kitschy Cocktail Napkins. Buy cocktail napkins with fun/seasonal sayings – they will becoming conversation pieces at your party.
8. Candle Couture. Instead of a large centerpiece at your dining table, decorate with pillar and votive candles. Votives come in virtually every color, so you can buy colors to match your other décor and line them down the center of the table to create a simple, clean warm ambiance.
9. Hello Espresso! Coffee, Espresso and Cappuccino Bar with whipped cream and shaved chocolate toppings are a special sweet treat for your guests. It’s also a great way to keep your guests awake until the New Years Eve countdown!
10. Forget Flowers: Save money by incorporating a common theme throughout your party and sprinkle the room with different objects that connect to the theme to tie it all together. Some great holiday touches are using pine cones, holly, mistle toe and wreaths to create an inexpensive yet elegant decor. Small personal touches really help make your guests feel the warmth of the season.
Or, you could just hire these two and they could turn your party into a once-in-a-lifetime event!
Party on, Dudes!
xoxo, Patti
Today blogging to Shop Boyz – Party Like A Rock Star
