Two Favorites!

Ok, ok, I admit it... I have an obsession with cupcakes AND with fruity adult beverages! Imagine my excitement when I discovered Hostess with the Mostess' blog post about Margarita Cupcakes. YUM!!! Click here for the cake and icing recipes. What a great way to kick off summer!

Cupcake love!!!!

WOW- I'm Speechless...

Everyday Celebrating recently featured a F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. Mad Hatter birthday party created by Eventology Weddings in Houston, TX.

I can have a terrible sweet tooth at times, and just looking at those photos... mmm, I want it ALL!

This adorable Mad Hatter party is featured here, so go check it out and prepare to be inspired!!

Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to all who signed up as followers of the Creative Entertaining blog!! I had fun putting this giveaway together and will be doing more giveaways in the future.


So, who's the winner??





The lucky winner drawn from the basket of entries is... KRISSA!!


Krissa, you have 48 hours to give me your contact information so I can mail you your patriotic party in a box!

If I don't hear from you by then, I'll have to select another winner... :-(


CONGRATULATIONS!!

Budget Friendly Ideas

The Ritzy Bee blog posted some great budget-friendly wedding details. Of course, they don't just apply to weddings... I think these are great ideas to use for any type of shindig you host! Click here to read the post!

P.S. How cute is that "Nuts for Each Other" pistachio pail??

Giveaway Update!

**UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Yay for free stuff!!! :-) And YAAAAY for a summer that's on its way!



What you are about to see is a preview of the first EVER Creative Entertaining blog giveaway...





The winner of this giveaway will receive a "party in a box" for a patriotic summer party! The box components pictured above are: a tablecloth, plates, napkins, star cookie cutter and star garland.



THAT'S NOT ALL!! This prize will also include patriotic must-haves for the fabulous cupcakes the winner will bake especially for her summer soiree. And if you know me, you know that I LOVE cupcakes or anything else that can be baked in a cupcake pan! :-)



I'm so excited that I want to have parties for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, AND Labor Day! See, I'm so thoughtful that I'm giving the lucky winner not one, not two, but THREE opportunities to use her party in a box.... so NO EXCUSES for not hosting a fabulous good ol' American shindig to celebrate the summer!!



So, how do you enter? Simply become a follower of this blog. EASY! If you don't see yourself listed in the "followers" box on the right side, then you haven't signed up yet and are not entered for this giveaway.



I'M UPPING THE ANTE! Each follower who ALSO posts this giveaway on her (or his) blog will get a second entry in the random drawing. If you blog about it, leave me a comment under this post with the URL to your blog post.



Deadline for entry is Saturday, May 16, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Winner will be announced A.S.A.P.!

Digital Bride Contest

Have you recently gotten married or will be getting married soon?? Create My Event is hosting a Digital Bride contest. Enter to win a pillow from 2Modern by sharing your comment about how you used digital media for your wedding (i.e., online invitations, etc.). June 20, 2009 at midnight (PST) is the deadline, so click here to go to the original post to leave your comment.

Good luck!

Inspiration: Playful Table Decor

I was browsing the Michael's store website and found their wedding inspiration section. I saw this pinwheel idea for wedding favors/table decor and fell in love! It's a fun, whimsical idea for a wedding or even for a summer soiree (just change the paper you use). Follow the link here for instructions on how to make this yourself!

Click here to view the Wedding Inspiration section!

Rock Candy, a new fav

My new favorite element to incorporate into an event is rock candy. It comes in so many colors that can match your color scheme and is instantly festive when displayed! Not to mention how delicious it is... :-)

The rock candy pictured above (sorry about the photo quality) was part of the "Beach Bliss" bridal shower theme I created recently. The handmade "ticket" tags say "Bliss" and "I Do" respectively, with the ticket number on the side being the date of the wedding (080109). They were embellished with tiny paper flowers and brads (found at any scrapbook supply store). I displayed them in a small apothecary jar (see below) for guests to take as favors.

You can read my article with full details on the "Beach Bliss Bridal Shower" theme here.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

How many of you actually know the history of Cinco de Mayo? After doing a little research to refresh my memory, I thought I would share the info with you! Might make for some good bar conversation tomorrow... :-)

May 5th signifies the day on which the Mexican militia conquered the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 (the French were trying to take control over Mexico). Today, Cinco de Mayo is largely celebrated in the state of Puebla, Mexico, and is an increasingly popular celebration north of the U.S.-Mexico border (albeit a popular commercialized celebration)...

Now that you have your history lesson, I thought I would share with you some easy ideas for an impromptu Mexican fiesta if you're in the mood...

1. Chips and salsa. For super delicious salsa, make your own by combining white/yellow onion, tomatoes, tomatillos, fresh cilantro, salt, lime juice and your choice of peppers. You can't go wrong with this, so have fun and experiment with the flavors.


2. Guacamole. Make easy guacamole by mixing some of this salsa into mashed avocados.


3. Margaritas! One of my favorite concoctions, you can take the traditional lime-flavored margarita and add a twist. Jazz it up with an assortment of fruit flavors by adding fresh strawberries or mangos.


4. Flautas. These are softer versions of rolled tacos (or taquitos). The difference between taquitos and flautas is that taquitos are made with corn tortillas and flautas are made with flour tortillas. Both are stuffed with your choice of filling (like shredded beef or chicken) then fried in oil to a crispy perfection.


5. Spanish rice. You can't have a good dish of Mexican food without tasty rice to compliment the meal. Click here for a yummy and easy recipe from Chelsie Kenyon.


6. Dessert. Cut flour tortillas into triangle pieces and cook pieces in hot oil until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Dust both sides with cinnamon and sugar. Mmm!


7. Decorations. Of course, you can't have a party without fun decor! Buy a pinata and fill it with candy. Fill glass vases with limes, lemons, oranges, or bright flowers to use as table centerpieces. Click here for instructions on how to make your own tissue paper flowers.

However you may choose to spend your Cinco de Mayo, please celebrate responsibly!

New Article & Giveaway!!

It's official! The Mermaids of the Lake e-zine is one year old today! I was so excited to be asked to write an article for their newest issue, and you can find it here. (Thanks, Mermaids, for a fun opportunity!) If you are hosting a bridal shower during the upcoming "wedding season," I hope you will find some inspiration with this "Beach Bliss" bridal shower theme, plus other easy DIY hostess tips!

YAY!

Oh, and do you remember my post awhile back that mentioned a fun giveaway coming up in May?? Well, it's May 1st, so I'm going to spill some of the beans now...

...To celebrate the publication of my first article, I've decided to have a FIRST-EVER Creative Entertaining giveaway!! The only catch is that this giveaway is only for FOLLOWERS of this blog (you can see a list of current followers on the right side of your screen). If you add yourself to the list, you'll be in the running to win this giveaway. You have until Saturday, May 16th, 11:59 p.m. PST to enter. So don't run the risk of forgetting... just follow now!

So, what am I giving away?

Well, those are the beans I'm not going to spill, YET. :-) (I'm on vacation and I feel like holding up the suspense just a little bit longer...) BUT, what I WILL tell you, is that this will be a fun gift pack for the ultimate summer hostess!

Thanks for your readership...or is it followership? :-)