Spring is almost here, but if showers have you stuck inside, use some flower power to bring spring indoors.

Ah, spring fever. It seems to be everywhere. I know Riley and I have it. We are so ready for sun, except, well, it is raining, again. No green, no spring flowers...yet. So, we cooked up an idea to bring spring indoors. With the help of our friends Courtney and Lydia, we made flower cookie bouquets. Yummy and fun.
Here is what you need:
An old fashioned sugar cookie recipe (make and refrigerate overnight)
Flower cookie cutters
I found some ceramic pots, half price, at Michaels Arts and Crafts store
Baking sticks
Roll out the dough, use the cookie mold, three or four large cookies fit on one baking tray. Place cut out cookies on baking sticks, which are on the tray.
To finish the bouquet, we added Mallomars, Oreo's and Graham cracker crumbs as soil.
This makes a great centerpiece for an upcoming birthday or spring party.

Happy spring and happy friends and family time.

And the Oscar goes to... Family

Maybe every year Oscar winners show overwhelming thanks for their family, but this year it really seemed like a theme. I was excited to hear how inspired each of the above actors were by their family support. If the best things in life really are free, these talented people were winners before the Acadamy granted them the award. Congratulations to all the winners and behind the scenes crew and talent for such a great show.

The Blind Side Party-To-Go from my Oscar Series as seen on E! (Part 4 of 4)

The Blind Side Party Suggestions as featured on E! News Wednesday, March 3rd 7:00PM EST and 11:30PM EST.

Décor Tips:
Mini footballs made from rice krispies and a rice krispy football field. I ordered from Lady Fortunes. It is not to late. The turn around time is next day to your home. Ask for Alex, tell her you saw it on E! News.

Serve food on wheat grass squares, to imitate the real feel of a football field.
Food on the field: skewers of meatballs, bow tie pasta and a cherry tomato.
And, you can't leave Ole Miss with out trying Shrimp and Cheese Grits. No really, it is great! And, totally a conversation sparker!

Duke on the Rocks Bulleit Bourbon Punch (It is like an Arnold Palmer with liquor- yummy)
I suggest a very southern style punch created by my talented friend and mixologist Elayne Duke. She plans parties for tons of celebrities, including some you’ll see Sunday on the red carpet. You can check out more drinks at www.dukeontherocks.com.

Make this in a punch bowl and serve in Mason Jars.
You need:
Bulleit Boubon
Iced tea
15 lemons quartered
Three to four times the amount of sugar for each lemon depending on how sweet you like it. Basically it is about 1/4- 1/2 lb of sugar
Muddle to squeeze the lemons in the base of the punch bowl. Add the sugar. Muddle some more. This is like making fresh lemonade.
Then, fill the rest of the punch bowl with equal parts bullet bourbon and iced tea. It is that simple.
For a fun party trick you can make an ice floater to top off the punch and keep it cold. Freeze water in a metal mixing bowl for about five hours. Remove from freezer and take the ice out of the bowl and gently float into your Duke on the Rocks Bulleit Bourbon Punch.

Up In The Air Party-To-Go from my Oscar Series (Part 3 of 4)

Here's a party even George Clooney would like to attend. Welcome to our Up In The Air eco-friendly party. Thank you for flying with us today. See video here.

The idea here is to create the "scene". Set up stations around your home that are signature items you would find when flying in first class (as George Clooney does) or coach (an area I'm very familiar with).

First, add a personalized touch to your Oscar party with custom made paper luggage tags to hang on your glass or mini Moet champagne party pleaser. These were created by my talented friend Valisa Tate at Valisa Tate Design. You can create your own with card stock or heavy copy paper and use an office program like Microsoft Word. We choose the Los Angeles airport code LAX and used all the folks from Up In The Air (hoping maybe they could attend), but you could type your friends names on each one.



Create stations of food around your home that resemble First Class food trays and Coach servings (you can seat your guests into these sections too, for fun)

Have Coach serving items as pictured below. Where everything is in individual serving packages, like terra chips (the official chip of Jet Blue airlines), Annie's bunnies, peanuts, crackers. Use a cardboard box found at the container store to place these items in. Use bamboo flatware and include a package disposable sani-hands wipes under the flatware. Again these can just be props around the house to create an environment.



Have a First Class section. This should be where your heavy hors d' oeuvres are. I served mini burgers (compliments of my friends at Prohibition in NYC) and a large cheese and fruit bowl on my first class trays from Verterra. Verterra produces dinnerware all made from fallen leaves, so very eco-friendly. Also in this area, have ramekins filled with warm nuts.

If you have great luggage use it as props around your home.

Have travel hotel soaps in the bathroom.

Instead of paper towels roll up napkins or washcloths on trays to pass around, like you would find on some flights.

Find a few mini bottles of liquor for your bar display. Here is a bit of trivia. Moet was the only champagne seen in the Up In The Air Movie. So I suggest buying their Mini Moet Oscar Pack, created just for Sunday! The top of the package is just like a film canister. This makes a genius gift also!


Give guests a gift to take away that even George Clooney would love, an environmentally friendly travel kit from Eco-Tools www.eco-tools.com. Green, Clean, Go!



Thank you for flying the Celebrate Everyday skies. Please visit again soon.

Avatar Oscar Party-To-Go Idea from my Oscar Series (Part 2 of 4)

The next few blogs will contain what I call "Party-to-go" info. All the resources and ideas you need to plan a fast, affordable, but FABULOUS Oscar bash at home.

If you love Avatar (as I did) this party is for you! See video here.

Every theme party needs a GREAT cocktail.
Are looking to shake things up with your own Oscar themed party this Sunday? Why not try an original Absolut Avatar Cocktail? District Bar in Chicago, IL teamed up with champion mixologist Bridget Albert, author of Market Fresh Mixology, to create an out of this world cocktail inspired by James Cameron’s masterpiece and Oscar nominee, Avatar. Serve in Champagne glass (rim in blue sugar).
1 oz Absolut Berri Acai
1/2 oz St Germaine
3/4 oz Pineapple juice
1/2 oz Fresh sour (Lemons, Limes, Simple Syrup)
Top with Moet Champagne or Prosecco
Add all ingredients, except champagne, into cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake. My friend and master mixologist Elayne Duke gave me this Party-to-go tip. Rim the glass in sugar with no mess. Here's how: cut a slice into a lemon just wide enough for the rim of your champagne glass to fit. Twist the lemon around the glass rim a few times. Then dip glass in sugar! 1, 2, 3 so EASY and no mess!

Food suggestions:
Terra Blue Potato and Stripes and Blues Vegetable Chips
An all green crudites- on a three tiered trey you can create your own tree of life from your favourite raw, green vegetables.
Organic salsa
Guacamole

Food and Decor
Suspend mini frozen potato puffs from miniature toy trees. I found this amazing acacia tree from Schleich at Moomah in NYC. It looks like Target carries them too. I used clam shells I found online at Delta Shells to rest the potato puffs and nestle in the tree branches.

I suggest serving Wolf Gang Puck’s Salmon Blinis on clear glass tray's covered with a blue stone, like these found at Michaels . The pirogues or blinis are from the freezer. I just make a sauce of sour cream, smoked salmon and topped with chopped chives.

Set the food a top glowing blue rope lights to set the scene. I used an old round vase that was about 21 inches high and wrapped this Hampton Bay Blue Rope Light found at Home Depot. You don't even need a vase, you could just rest your bowl right on top of the coiled lights.



For more every day ideas check out my new site www.celebrateeveryday.tv