Archives for: February 2007

My friend Tina is an artist and she sees the beauty in things that I often miss. She’s been known to turn an antique ripped tablecloth into a beautiful, one-of-a-kind lace shawl. And pieces of a ripped quilt and faded floral cloth napkins are easily transformed, through her creativity, into wonderful throw pillows that make her bed a soft, cozy haven. When she breaks a dish, instead of mourning the loss, she eagerly scoops up the shards and makes a lovely mosaic. She’s even been known to buy vintage china plates and break them on purpose to finish off one of her creations. And recently, she outdid herself, taking some leftover brocade fabric and with some simple stitches, turning it into a small sack to hold a special gift she made for my new daughter. When she presented this unusual offering to me, the fabric, which is a rich gold and rust-colored embossed print, felt heavy and elegant in my hands. I noticed then that she had even made the clasp from a broken pearl earring that was glued into place. I hated to open the perfect sack. It, alone, felt like a unique and wonderful gift. But at Tina’s encouragement, I reached into this hand-made bag and inside was a small, lovely painting she had done for my daughter Grace. The painting (one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen!) is of a little girl sitting on a bench wearing a big hat. It was the perfect finishing touch for Grace’s nursery. The bag, too, now has a special place in Grace’s room, tucked inside her dressing table drawer, where it holds her special barrettes, her first bracelet and some pretty ribbons for her hair. I bet that over the coming years, this little bag will continue to be a place where Grace will want to store her growing treasures. I feel so grateful to Tina for these great gifts, and also for teaching my family to look beyond the ordinariness of things to find unexpected ways to use them. I hope that the next time I rip a baby’s dress or break a plate, I will think of Tina and like she does, imagine it becoming something else special.

Tags: craft ideas, arts and crafts, handmade gifts

If you’re looking for a fun, casual way to entertain, host a Bunco party! Bunco, (also spelled Bunko) is an easy-to-learn game of dice, which is played in rounds. Players form groups of four, take turns rolling the dice, and try to accumulate as many points as possible. The group collecting the most points wins.

Bunco requires twelve players, and for casual entertaining purposes, that’s a very manageable number. Bunco has become extremely popular in the U.S., particularly among women. It’s a low-key, inexpensive way to have fun, relax, and socialize among friends. (The kids can stay with Dad or the sitter for the night!)

Your Bunco party can be as laid-back as you like. Serve drinks, chips, and dips or be more elaborate with hors d’oeuvres and finger foods. If you’re the hostess, it’s your call. Speaking of which, many Bunco enthusiasts take turns hosting the party, so every week or month, however often the group decides to meet, the gathering is held at a different location. Choose different themes for the parties, and give prizes accordingly, (you do win prizes in Bunco, you know.)

To learn more about playing Bunco, visit the following web site www.buncorules.com</a> or perform a Google search on Bunco; you’ll be amazed at the number of sites you’ll find. They have great ideas on throwing a Bunco party, from holding a regular neighborhood or family get-together to hosting a fundraiser. Give Bunco a try and have fun!

Tags: bunco, dice games, party games

A few months ago on the television show, A Modern Girl’s Guide to Life, there was an episode about starting a gift closet. The idea was to stock up on some generic gifts that will come in handy when you need something at the last minute. I loved this idea, and in fact, realized I had done something similar, although not consciously. But tucked inside my dining room hutch is a wide array of little gifts that I had found on sale at various times and thought would be perfect for someone, some time. All too often in the past, I’d been invited last minute to drop by someone’s home for an impromptu dinner or get-together, and had to stop at the store on the way to pick up a small hostess gift. With time constraints and limited selection to choose from, I’d struggle to find just the right item and often have to settle for something less than wonderful. But since I’ve started stocking up in advance, I’m much more prepared for the unexpected. I also am ready for when I realize, suddenly, that I’ve forgotten a birthday or other significant event. Instead of having to be embarrassed, I can quickly rifle through my gift stash and find just the right item to give without losing a beat. The trick, though, is thinking ahead about what types of things might be appropriate. Since lots of my friends have children, a selection of small toys and books are important staples in my gift closet. Pretty frames, notecards, photo albums and small collectibles, ornaments and pretty wine bags are also good bets to cover a range of situations. Having the gifts alone is not enough, though. I also keep on hand a supply of gift bags in various colors and sizes, along with tissue paper and plain cards that I can easily personalize. This way I am always prepared with just the right thing to give in any situation that arises.

Tags: giving gifts, last minute gifts, event planning

Chances are, you’ve been imagining your wedding since you were a young child. You may daydream about getting married on the beach, or perhaps your ideal wedding includes a horse and carriage and a rose-filled garden. No matter what your taste is, and what your fantasies are, a good first step in planning your wedding is to figure out what your “perfect” day would look like, and then start determining which elements are most important to you, and also which ones are most realistic. This will help you to make some of the most important early planning decisions, such as the time of year you want to hold your event, the type of venue you will choose, the style of the dress to look for, and the overall feel of the event. When you call on your dreams to help plan your wedding, it can also inspire your creative juices to kick into high gear. For instance, if you have your heart set on hosting a formal Cinderella-type ball but there is no room in your budget for a princess gown and glass slippers, look for an elegant wedding dress at a consignment store and use tall candles, panels of shimmery fabric and sparkly accessories to transform a simple, affordable event hall into a fairytale setting. On the other hand, if a Hawaiian luau is more your style but you can’t afford to travel to Hawaii to exchange vows, select bright exotic centerpieces, have your guests wear leis and pick casual wedding attire to bring Hawaii to your reception on the mainland. When you let your fantasies guide your planning, you can make the right decisions and overcome many obstacles to help turn your unique dreams into the day you’ve always desired!

Tags: wedding planning, wedding themes, dream weddings

Do you enjoy sitting down with friends to sip tea and eat tasty biscuits and use your best china and linens every once in a while? If so, perhaps hosting a formal tea party for your next event will be right up your alley. Tea parties are a refreshing option for a bridal party, baby shower and birthday celebration, or even a good way just to celebrate a change of season or special accomplishment. When I was pregnant with my daughter last year, my mother hosted a tea party in my home as a way to celebrate the baby’s impending arrival. While some people like to plan all of the aspects of their tea parties themselves, we were not as ambitious and really wanted help with the details. Therefore, we looked for someone to help us coordinate the planning and were lucky to find a local caterer who specializes in making all of the food and bringing the tea selection right to the client’s own home. Since I have a old Victorian home that boosts a large collection of elegant china and fancy serving dishes, this seemed like a wonderful way to pair these assets with the caterer’s cooking talents and knowledge of tea etiquette. The result was an event to remember! The caterer served a wide assortment of finger sandwiches, tea biscuits and decadent pastries, along with several flavors of teas. In addition, a rich cake of grand marnier and chocolate-covered strawberries (which happened to be a small replica of my wedding cake) was the perfect finishing touch. The caterer did a great job arranging, and serving, all of the food and making all of the guests feel welcome. Everyone seemed to truly enjoy the simple, but tasteful, alternative to a traditional baby shower. In addition, one of the guests liked the results so much that she even arranged with the caterer to host a similar event for her daughter-in-law’s upcoming baby shower.

Tags: tea parties, baby shower ideas, bridal showers