Wedding Wednesday - Luxurious Red & Gold Wedding

Today marks a new wave for Wedding Wednesday. Unfortunately, Kati is no longer blogging for The Finer Things. She will be dearly missed as her boards were always fun, unique and ultra creative. I admire her sense of style and loved seeing what she came up with each week. Though it's sad that I will no longer collaborate on Wedding Wednesday with Kati, she has left us in capable hands. Jess, the new blogger for The Finer Things, is a classy girl with an eye for easy sophistication and an amazing way with words. I am eager to see her take on our weekly invitation choices. This week we selected this elegant red and gold wedding invitation from FineStationery.com. Accented with a red foil design and an actual Swarovski crystal, this invitation is sure to bring about a feeling of subtle sophistication.
- Place setting featuring golden napkins, fine white china and decorative silver-leafed cocoa pods resting on eucalyptus leaves (sounds weird but looks lovely!)
- View of the entire tabletop with vibrant red roses and trios of tall taper candles
- Fashionable red pointed toe pump with gold stiletto heel by Stuart Weitzman
- Champagne glasses with a unique red topping [via With This Ring]
- Red candles with speck of golden brown can color and glowing light to your decor
- Give a sweet favor such as these beautifully packaged cherries
- Dress your bridesmaids in this beautiful Calvin Klein matte red pleaded gown
- Avoid the traditional cake for dessert and provide a table full of color-coordinated treats such as these chocolate-dipped strawberries on gold picks
- Stunning red and gold ceremony decor by the talented Preston Bailey

That's it for my picks this week. Be sure to head over to The Finer Things and see what Jess put together for her first Wedding Wednesday! Below are two lovely elements she chose for her board - the red rose in the boutonniere looks so rich and luxurious!

Oh Baby! Modern Animal 1st Birthday Party

As part of my Oh Baby feature I ask readers to submit baby shower or party themes they need help planning. If you have the general theme idea, I'm happy to put together an inspiration board to help get you started. Today's post is in response to an email from Danielle who wants to plan a 1st birthday based on these modern animal flash cards from MoMa. She mentioned they would be great as tabletop decor but they would also function as unique place cards or even as the invitations if you print the details on card stock and attach to the back. Other fun elements to these them could include animal print balloons and animal-themed cupcakes. These animal nose cups are realistic and provide a bit of whimsical humor- kids in attendance will definitely get a kick out of these! Lastly, give out animal adorned favor bags to serve as a great reminder of the event.

November 4th - Election Day

Today is Election Day. Don't forget to go to your local polling place and cast your vote!

(Look for a regularly scheduled post later this afternoon.)

A Christmas Wedding

A Christmas wedding doesn't need to abandon the traditional combination of red and green. Instead spice up your color scheme with deep rich hues of red and vibrant lime green hues. Today's post showcases a modernized Christmas wedding.

- Lime laser cut curtain provides a great and unique way to display your place cards
- Lovely tabletop featuring red linens and stunning lime and red floral centerpieces
- Mini organza tote bags in red and green can hold whatever favor you have in mind
- Place setting made of layered red square plates
- 3 tier white square wedding cake with lime banding and red floral accents
- Bridal bouquet made of gorgeous red and lime green flowers [via Lucky Me]

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday today! I wanted to share some Halloween themed tabletops to inspire you for any ghoulish gatherings you may be hosting this weekend. Enjoy!

- Gothic Glam Tabletop [via HWTM]
- Elegant Green & Orange Table decor [via]
- Orange Pumpkin Table Settings [via]
- Vintage Halloween Tablescape [via Toasts and Tables]

A Thanksgiving Wedding

Today's post details a Thanksgiving wedding. Featuring rich autumn hues and the glow of warm light, this event scheme is perfect for any fan of Fall.

- Gorgeous reception tabletop and room decor amidst classic architectural columns [via SocialDesign]

- Unique cake design featuring roses in Fall shades

- Cream strapless satin knee-length bridesmaid dress with a chocolate brown sash

- Wheat and roses combine for an interesting autumnal chair decoration for the ceremony

- Decadent and delicious truffles serve as favors

- Copper and cream invitation with laser-cut leaf designs from FineStationery.com

- Stunning bridal bouquet made of roses, leonotis, cosmos and dahlias

Wedding Wednesday - Yellow & Brown Floral Wedding

Hello and welcome to this edition of Wedding Wednesday! This week, Kati of The Finer Things and I have selected this kate spade chocolate brown and yellow floral invitation from FineStationery.com. Perfect for a fall affair, this invitation is luxurious, classy and provides an interesting color pairing of bright yellow and dark brown.


- Chocolate brown 3-tier cake with yellow floral adornments
- Bright yellow napkins with a floral design that coordinates with the invitation
- Yellow bridal bouquet tied with yellow ribbon [via artfool]
- I love the brown satin bow on this bouquet as it would look perfect on the all yellow arrangement
- Tall clear cylinder vases filled with water and a variety of yellow flowers make a lovely centerpiece
- Texture-rich tabletop decor in hues of brown, white and yellow [via artfool]
- Triple shot espresso cocktail ties in our event colors nicely


You will love Kati's selections this week! Be sure to head over to The Finer Things to check them out. In the meantime, take a sneak peek at my favorites shown below.

Fairy Birthday Party

I received an email from Lenadri who is planning a fairy-themed 1st birthday for her daughter. She asked for some help with party inspiration so today's board shows a magical trip to a fairyland for child's birthday.

- No fairy party is complete without dressing each child (and adult if they're willing) with fairy wings, floral headpieces and puffy tulle skirts [image via]
- Invite guests with a pink invitation that features fairies and a mushroom stool (from FineStationery.com)
- Fairy wands are a must for party fun and as a favor. These are handmade wands that have flowers at the top as opposed to stars. It takes on more of an enchanted forest theme with flowers growing on the tips of wands. [image via flickr user zooloonaturals]
- Bright and fun tabletop decoration from Social Couture- star and globe-shaped lanterns create a bright and textured look above, while a centerpiece of grass and colorful butterflies decorates the table. (see close ups of the centerpiece and place setting below the main image)
- These adorable cupcakes each portray the details of a fairyland. [via flickr user gracescakes]

I hope this helps Lenadri! I certainly enjoyed putting this together for you! :)

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

It's been a while since I've put together a collection of dessert recipes so I thought I'd focus on cakes today! Cakes are often overlooked and seen as only a special occasion dessert but I disagree. Try out one of these delicious recipes for your everyday dinner or get-together.

- Angel Food Swirl Cake
- White Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Filling
- Coconut Cake
- Three-Layer Apple Cake (I think I'll try this over the weekend!)
- Genoise
- Silky Chocolate Cake

Modern Mama Baby Shower

Kati of The Finer Things created this fun and vibrant inspiration board for the more modern mom-to-be. She pairs red, black and white for a bold baby shower. Check out her selections below...I just love the invitation, the tabletop and the bag! Visit Kati's post for all the details.

My Interview in Stationery Trends!

The Fall 2008 issue of Stationery Trends magazine has just come out. Inside, you'll find an article about brides and blogs in which I was interviewed about Tastefully Entertaining! You'll also see scaled-down inspiration boards from 2 of my previous posts. It was a lot of fun being interviewed and I'm thrilled to be a part in this great new magazine for the stationery industry! Be sure to check out the Stationery Trends web site to preview other articles from their Fall 2008 issue.

Thanks so much Stationery Trends! I'm honored to be included! :)

Wedding Wednesday - Hunter & Gold Engagement Party

Welcome to another edition of Wedding Wednesday! This week, Kati of The Finer Things and I chose to do an engagement party based on this hunter green and gold invitation from FineStationery.com. The dark green and glimmering gold make this engagement party perfectly suited for the holidays.

- This pear tied with a golden bow and brown tag is both a favor and a place marker [via Snippet & Ink]

- 5-tier gold cake with ornate green swirling vine patterns [via Rebecca Thuss]

- Versace Arabesque Gold place setting

- Maggy London Deep Green Chiffon Cocktail dress for the bride-to-be

- Centerpiece made of golden roses and lush greenery [via Snippet & Ink]

Be sure to head over to The Finer Things to see Kati's version of the green and gold engagement party. I'm only giving you a sneak peek at one image today because I absolutely LOVE it! This dress is so unique, elegant and stylish. And look at the photo - don't you love the play with light and shadow on the balustrade.

An Election Party

I don't know about you but I will be watching the news all evening on November 4th to find out if my candidate has received the majority of votes. If you enjoy politics or are just concerned whether or not your favorite official gets elected, consider throwing an election party. Invite your friends and family for an enjoyable weeknight gathering with plenty of patriotic pride.

- Red, white and blue folded invitation with a customized ballot rsvp card [via]
- Obama and McCain themed cupcakes [via HWTM]
- Red cocktail with red, white and blue patterned umbrellas [via Martha Stewart]
- White pillow box favors can be decorated with this VOTE stamp from Paper Source
- Red and white stripe square plates and blue and white star square plates
- Democrat donkey and Republican elephant cocktail napkins [via Plum Party]

- Patriotic paper bunting (so neat that it's made of paper!) [via Target]

Please encourage everyone you know to get out and vote this November 4th. We have no greater civic duty than casting our vote in public elections. Never forget the men and women who fought so we have this unalienable right. We are privileged to take part in the democratic process.

5 Winners of Katie Brown Celebrates!

Thanks so much to all those who entered to win 1 of 5 copies of a great new entertaining book, Katie Brown Celebrates! It was a ton of fun reading about the best parties you've been to and the ones you can't wait to plan! Now, without further ado, here are the 5 lucky readers who have won:

1) beth who said: SO excited for the new book, looks lovely! Besides my own wedding :), the best wedding i have ever attended was definitely my brother's ... it was a small, intimate affair at a vineyard in Napa, the event was so filled with details that really remind me of who my brother and now sister-in-law are and what they love and it made all the guests feel included in their lives! from modern touches, to great wine and monograms everyone - you really got a sense of who they are. such good memories!

2) katie r who said: how super generous of you! The book looks wonderful. I am going to sound conceited and say the best wedding I ever attended was mine. It came off perfectly and was a perfect blend of traditional and SUPER FUN and was all totally us! It was also a ton of work and we did a lot ourselves, So I was pretty proud of how it turned out, on top of it being my happiest day ever!

3) Miranda Santiago who said: I would love to do a winter wonderland dinner party with tons of white christmas lights, large white feather centerpieces, DIY crystal beaded napkin rings, and peppermintinis garnished with mini candy canes. It's in the works... :)

4) rissa and jared who said: My favorite parties are the ones my mom has at her house with just some neighbors or friends. She always has great food and presentation. Plus, she is hilarious and can keep a party going all night!

5) Stacie Helm who said: I would love to host a fabulous baby or wedding shower. I have hosted a lot of events but have never hosted either of those. There are so many fun ideas I am dying to try!

Congrats to all the winners! Please email me at rebecca [at] tastefullyentertaining.com with your name and mailing address so I can get the books sent out to you. :)

If you didn't win, definitely consider heading to Amazon and ordering a copy for yourself. This book is a great entertaining resource and is packed with tons of creative and easy ideas to make your gatherings extra special!