Home Again, Home Again

Well, I've been a little MIA since my last post. I went on my honeymoon and threw my St. Patrick's Day party the week I returned. Which hasn't left much time for blogging.

My honeymoon was wonderful! We took a week long cruise on the Carnival Dream and visited Costa Maya and Cozumel. I got to do snuba (a hybrid of snorkeling and scuba diving) and ride an ATV for the first time. Snuba is one of my new favorite things in the world and I can't wait to do it again. My husband and I ate, drank, and were very merry. Pictures to come (whenever I find my camera).

St. Patty's was a success this year. We had our baked potato bar, lime punch, green jello shots, DJ Pep spun for us, and it was broadcast live on Justin TV. Apparently, our party got over 4,500 hits.

The other big development for me is that I recently became a Pure Romance consultant. Pure Romance is a company that does in-home parties for adult woman offering lotions and bedroom accessories while providing sexual health education. I'm using this as an opportunity to reinvest the profits in launching a company of my own. I feel that I'm off to a strong start, so wish me luck! (If you are in the Atlanta area and are interested in hosting a party, let me know!)

This weekend is going to be really busy. I'm going to have a Pure Romance table set up at The Vagina Monologues on Thursday (Ask me for details if you want to attend. Proceeds are for charity), and I have a party on both Friday and Saturday nights. I need to give myself a slow week soon for some R&R so I can get ready to throw my first Wine & Cheese party!

Wedding Agendas

There are lots of mini-events that happen during a wedding and while we're planning the details of each one, brides often overlook how important the order of these events is to the energy of the evening.

Most brides end up with this more traditional order:

Ceremony
Appetizers/Cocktail Hour
Bridal Party Entrance
First dance: couple
First dance: Father of the bride & Mother of the groom
Dinner
Dancing
Toasts
Cake
Dancing
Bouquet/Garter toss
Dancing
Send off

Here is what Joel Rabe at Lethal Rhythms recommended to me:
Ceremony
Appetizers/Cocktail Hour
Bridal Party Entrance
First Dance: Couple
Dinner
Toasts (during dinner)
Cake Cutting
First Dance: Father of the bride & Mother of the groom
Dancing
Bouquet/Garter toss
Dancing
Send off

Notice the difference? It may be subtle, but most wedding guests say that their least favorite part of weddings are the first dances and toasts. Usually, this is because everyone is standing around and waiting to party. If the toasts and first dances happen while everyone is eating, then you are providing them with entertainment while they eat. Also, there will be guests at your wedding that will be eyeing that cake and will be ready for you to cut it right after dinner.

St. Patrick's Day Punch

One of the traditions of my St. Patrick's Day party is my lime sherbet punch. It is a nice alternative for the ladies at your party. Making it is very simple. Just mix lime sherbet, pineapple juice, ginger ale and vodka or rum to taste. If you have the space in your freezer, make pinapple juice ice cubes to go with it. Get really creative by putting cherries or other fruit in the ice cubes. Serve it festively by putting it in a plastic pot-of-gold style cauldron that you can find at your local party store. (Just make sure that you choose one without a hole in the bottom) This pot will also work nicely for Halloween! Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Costumes

This year will mark my third annual St. Patrick's day party. One thing that my husband and I like to do with our St. Patty's party is to take dressing up a couple of notches. I can wear a nice green blouse or dress anytime. Instead, I like to go to Party City and get some shamrock tights, earrings, fake tattoos, buttons, and props and match them with some mary jane's, catholic school girl skirt, and a white blouse or a cute checkered dress with and a green cardigan. My husband likes to wear checkered shorts, shamrock socks, a white shirt, a green vest, and a big leprechaun hat.

What will you wear this year?

St. Patrick's Day Party Food

March 17th is just around the corner! Which means it is time to pull out some gawdy green clothes and party like the Irish.

Need some carbs to soak up that green beer? Why not try having a baked potato bar at your party? Who doesn't like potatoes? It is a cheap and easy way to feed all of your guests and fits perfectly with the Irish theme without the food coloring.

Make sure to rinse and scrub your potatoes in cool water. Use a knife to remove any undesirable areas. Coat the potatoes in butter, olive oil, or vegetable and add some kosher salt. Wrap them in foil if you want a soft skin or go without for crispy skin. Bake them for 90 minutes at 325 degrees or 60 minute at 350. Make sure they give when you squeeze them to know that they are done.

Serve with butter, sour cream, bacon crumbles, chives, shredded cheese, nacho cheese, ranch dressing, and anything else your heart desires. Be creative! Have a roasting pan to keep the cooked potatoes in and cover it to keep them warm.

Allow me to introduce myself

Hello, party people! Welcome to my first attempt at blogging. I'm a little behind the curve here, so bear with me.

Recently, several of my friends and loved-ones have informed me that it is time for me to start blogging. I just got married last weekend, and now that all the planning, preparation, and pre-wedding parties are over, it is time for me to start a new project.

So, who am I, you may ask? (If you are one of the first people reading this, you already know, but I'll tell you anyway.) I'm a 26 year old graduate student living in Atlanta, Georgia. I have a passion for food, hosting parties, the arts, video-games, and Joss Whedon. Since I planned and executed my own wedding, I've seriously been considering getting into the party planning business. In this blog, I'm going to focus on weddings, bachelorette parties, seasonal parties, food, and anything else that catches my fancy that day.

Thanks for stopping by! Real posts to come!