I was a busy lady last week and could not have pulled off my super-human efforts without a ton of help. Thank you to my husband and my in-laws for watching Riley while I was in Los Angeles. My team who helped me design and lay out all of the decor for Hot Moms Charlie and Brooke Sheen's baby shower deserve a standing ovation. Sisi Soestrisno and Berly Ellis are two of the most talented, hard working women who I love dearly.
It was wonderful to work with Natalie Klein and Jessica Denay of the Hot Moms Club too. I also had the pleasure of meeting a top notch team of west-coast caterer's Paola and Craig Petrella from Two Peas and Samantha Barnes from the Kitchen Kid. Total Table and Classic Party Rentals also rock!
One of my dear friends had a baby girl, Sunday, while I was in town, so I got to meet Maximilliane! Congratulations Vic & Tom. And, a big shout out to Nick and Jerianne for their generous hospitality, too.
I had such a wonderful weekend in Los Angeles that was topped off by an unusually pleasant airport experience. I'd like to thank the Delta Airlines Staff, the porter, Kamal, who has a baby about 2-years-old, JP the manager and the wonderful woman behind the counter who found me a first class seat on the first flight back to NYC!
Photos from the event are coming soon! And, send me what you are grateful for in your life!
Craft project for Valentine's Day
One of the most creative people on earth, Darcy Miller, sent out a Valentine's day box last year that was the cutest thing I had ever seen. It inspired me to create my own little personalized box greeting. Here are the supplies you need.
Craft Scissors (I used the Majestic pattern), Elmer's Glue, a fine point red pen, 2 style of boxes from papermart.com; a 31/8x21/16x11/4 slide box and a 4x3x2 white tuck box, craft paper shred, $1.68 stamp, Hershey's kisses, shiny card stock or photo paper, velum and label paper. A paper cutter is a huge help also.
I'll confess for an over-achiever, time-stressed, business woman, with child this was a challenge to complete quickly. I would rate it a code red on the crafty time scale. I have to give a big THANK YOU to Julianne Austin, Laura Irizarry and Caitlin McGettigan. Without my co-workers I would have not pulled this off.
Print 2 different photos on glossy card stock, cut with craft scissors- the corners take a little work (thanks Julianne), glue on front and back of slide box. Create vellumn artwork - I just drew mine on plain paper- print on vellumn. I recommend using an inexpensive paper cutter to cut these sheets. Add Hershey's kisses and place vellum on top. Volia instant message Kisses from Cathy and family.
For the outer box, again, I did original artwork and made copies on label paper. Stuff with paper shred, I used red foil shred that I found at Lee's Art Supply in NYC for $3.99 a bag. You only need 1 or 2 bags - I sent out 75 boxes and 2 bags were perfect.
Add stamps and mail!!!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Connection through celebration
I would like to help guide people to become more connected to each other. I believe connection through celebration is one way to a better life, cultivating your relationships and connection to family and friends. A vital part of a healthy lifestyle is the act of celebrating the everyday rituals of life; meals, games, story time, relaxing on weekends, that we have pushed aside in recent years. Carving time out of our busy schedules is essential to our long term happiness, something that is not found through instant gratification. So the next time you sit down for breakfast, lunch or dinner make it a celebration. Create a fun theme or turn an idea upside down, like a a breakfast picnic in your living room, Involve your family to help prepare the meal, set the table, don't be afraid to ask for help or offer to teach a new skill and open your mind to a new way of doing things.
I teach a class "How to Become an Event Planner" and I often tell a story about how I got into party planning as a career. It was because of the sense of control and instant gratification I felt once a successful event was completed. Now that I have a young daughter, it has made me reflect on "instant gratification" a little more deeply. We are in an age where almost everything can be "On Demand" your music, your TV, your video games. Is having such easy access to these things eroding our sense of patience and perserverance? So for my belated New Year's resolution I'm dedicating a day every week to celebrate, in my own way, my family. I hope I can inspire you to do the same.
Alpine Creative Invitations
For the Engagement Party and my Mother's surprise 60th Birthday I went to one of the BEST invitation spots in the country. Alpine Creative, based in NYC. Here is what we created for the celebration. Its a 2-ply, square, two color invite. I ordered personalized stamps and extra postage was needed because I chose a square shaped card. They were a hit!
Surprise 60th Birthday Party Plan
Over the holiday's I also squeezed in a little surprise party for my mom's 60th birthday. It was also an engagement party for my cousin Tim and soon to be cousin-in-law Jamie. Here is my party plan and a few photos. You can check out my Riva Events facebook link too for more photos.
My mom has worked in the Mobile, Alabama school system for years. She was a teacher and now she is a media specialist. She is selfless and very giving, so I wanted the party to really honor that. Because she does not like too much attention thrown her way my aunt and cousin's devised the perfect cover plan -another party, an engagement- so she could also HELP me plan the bash.
The two things I think are most important in planning an event are knowing your audience, providing fabulous music and quality food. That's where I spend most of my budget. The rest goes to decor.
The time was set for a 3pm party so folks could just drop by and be home by dark. (Its also a money saver so you don't have to provide a full meal) I wanted it to be somewhat casual since folks would be coming from other holiday parties. We chose a great seafood spot on the bay called Blue Gill. The buffet menu was crafted from their favorite foods crab claws, boiled shrimp, catfish bites and grilled chicken.
I hired an old friend, Lonn Spencer, who owns a FANTASTIC DJ business Azalea City DJs. Seriously, if you are planning an event on the Gulf Coast his team is the best.
The cake was so DELICIOUS from Butter Cream Dreams. I always buy a cake to feed half the number of guests I have coming. Most folks don't eat huge pieces of cake. We had about 80 people attend this party and the sheet cake fed 40 and we still had leftovers.
We had about 12 young children, ages 15 months-6 -years-old so i created a kids station. I bought a roll of white butcher paper to create a paper table cloth kids could draw on. i went to the dollar store and purchased crayons, stickers, activity books and markers. the kids loved it!
The decor was simple. The restaurant had a very rustic outdoor deck that we turned into a nice red and white cafe. I rented 15 gingham clothes from Port City Rentals, what a great resource to have in Mobile. I bought 40 balloons from Party City. I used galvanized buckets as my centerpieces filled with napkins, flatware and condiments for the food. I made composition books as an homage to my mom's years as a teacher and from oriental trading we had a few engagement items.
The most loved element of this party was a slide show that ran continuously throughout the party filled with photos of Jane, Tim and Jamie from all eras in their life. It was a fun way to ring in 2009. If you'd like more tips please leave a comment and I'll be happy to send you the budget and other ideas!
Happy New Year!
A celebration of the history of cocktails
Last night I had the pleasure of a NYC night out on the town with my friend and mixologist Elayne Duke to celebrate the 75th year of the repeal of Prohibition, also our 21st amendment of the Constitution.
We began at Devin Tavern on Greenwich street. I had the honor of meeting Jill DeGroff, an amazing artist and wife of the legendary cocktail creator Dale DeGroff. Above are some images from her Cocktaillian Calendar. I was lucky to have my friend Simon Ford and new acquaintance, Brian Van Flanderan, autograph the libatious creation too. You can catch them on the new reality show "On the Rocks". And, if you have never been to Tales of the Cocktail, a week long festival, July 8-12th, in New Orleans, celebrating the history and culture of cocktails- don't miss it!
Handmade gifts can be the BEST!
Thank you to the students of the Fashion Institue of Technology! I was a guest speaker at Professor Karen Middleton's fashion club this week. It was such a pleasure to meet students with passion and excitement for their upcoming event in April. I really love this handmade card. And, I hope it can inspire you to do more homemade gifts this year, I know I will! Thank you.
Gift Wrap Ideas (on the cheap)
I find the easiest way to save money for is to plan in advance, be creative and re-use what you already own. Since most folks don't have a ton of time, I thought I'd help out with a few ideas for the holiday's that I hope save you stress. This week I'll show you some creative ways to wrap gifts. Thank you to Sisi Soestrisno for these great gifts used at the My Great Gatherings entertaining store.
Items you'll need:
Glue Gun
Newspaper
Dollar store wrapping paper
Old Christmas Ornaments
Packaging Paper
Scotch Tape
Pine Cones from your yard or Bed Bath and Beyond sells them for .99 a bag
Birch Bark or Tree bark from outdoors
Cinnamon Sticks also from Bed Bath and Beyond
NEWSPAPER CHIC-Wrapping gifts in newspaper can be cool. As a nod to our economic woe's, Sisi used the "Financial Times" a newspaper that has a nice pinkish hue. You can use your hometown newspaper too. They key with newspaper is to embrace it and make it look crafty. Once the package is wrapped instead of a traditional bow, add an accordion folded fan out of paper or cut snowflakes out of newspaper and add on top. You can also add pine cones with a glue gun for a few pennies more.
DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PAPER- Don't fret if you have swatch of paper that does not fit the gift, you can still use it. The present in the photo covered with a strip of birch bark is used to mask the two inches where the paper ran short. The present with the brown packaging material is also used to hide the lack of paper.
NEED RIBBON?- Use newspaper instead of ribbon this year. Strips of newspaper make for great decoration on your gift!
INSTEAD OF BOWS- Pine cones, Cinnamon sticks, newspaper, old ribbon from years past, old ornaments or dollar store ornaments look terrific on presents and your recipient will rave over how creative you are!
DOLLAR STORE DECOR- I love Jack's .99 store in NYC, but any Dollar Store has gift wrap, tissue paper and bags. So in a pinch you can always find inexpensive ideas right in your own home town!
If you have great money saving gift wrap ideas please comment on this blog for all to use!
Spinach and Artichoke Frittata Reciepe
On Saturday I hosted a holiday party at My Great Gatherings in Annapolis, MD. I shared my favorite tips for celebrating an economical Thanksgiving and a festive Christmas! The caterer was The Main Ingredient. They supplied terrific food, including a wonderful recipe for a Spinach and Artichoke Frittata. I've had a lot of requests for the recipe below. They also had a FANTASTIC server, Connie King, who was a great help and a wonderful person.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don't forget to take time to be grateful for the family, love and support you have in your life!
This makes enough for about 40 bite size triangles, hors d'oeuvres size.
Spinach and Artichoke Frittata
12 Eggs
6 cups of Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cups of Bread Crumbs
1 cup of melted Butter
3 #'s of Artichoke Hearts
3#'s of Spinach, frozen chopped is best
1-1 1/2 cups of chopped Onion
1 1/2 tsp. fresh Garlic
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 1/2 tsp. Tabasco
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grease a 9X13' baking pan. Bake at 375 until firm.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don't forget to take time to be grateful for the family, love and support you have in your life!
This makes enough for about 40 bite size triangles, hors d'oeuvres size.
Spinach and Artichoke Frittata
12 Eggs
6 cups of Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cups of Bread Crumbs
1 cup of melted Butter
3 #'s of Artichoke Hearts
3#'s of Spinach, frozen chopped is best
1-1 1/2 cups of chopped Onion
1 1/2 tsp. fresh Garlic
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 1/2 tsp. Tabasco
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grease a 9X13' baking pan. Bake at 375 until firm.
MY GREAT GATHERINGS Holiday Drink and Receipes
Yesterday I had the pleasure of hosting an event at My Great Gatherings. This is an amazing entertaining store with a location in Annapolis, MD. We had such a great time I wanted to share all of our holiday tips with you including my favorite holiday cocktail and my "Leftover Makeover" ideas for what to do with your delicious holiday food after the celebration ends.
My friend Elayne Duke, a fabulous NYC mixologist, created a special cocktail that we enjoyed. Its a fantastic drink made with clear ingredients that won't stain the rugs or carpet. And, an amazing catering company called the "THE MAIN INGREDIENT" helped me create all of the "Leftover" recipes below. I hope you enjoy for your upcoming celebrations
White Frost
1.5 oz Ciroc Vodka
1/2 oz Cantonne Ginger Liqueur (you could use Ginger Brandy also)
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz White Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Served chilled in a sugar rimmed martini glass
Garnish with Cranberries floating on top
Cathy's "Leftover Makeover"
compliments of the The Main Ingredient Caterer.
Mini turkey, cranberry, green leaf lettuce sandwiches served on a mini potato roll
Mini honey baked ham sandwiches served with honey mustard on The Main Ingredient's famous Pumpkin Rolls
Small baked Fingerling potato's stuffed with sour cream and chives
Sweet potato croquet's topped with a cinnamon and sugar dipping sauce
Artichoke and Spinach Frittata
Three easy, affordable, ideas for your holiday table
Below are three fun and inexpensive table ideas for your holiday entertaining.
Table one:
Here I have a simple, white plate on a sparkly gold place mat. I've rolled my napkin and wrapped it with raffia and cinnamon sticks, which smell amazing! For my name card I've taken a snow flake stencil and spray painted it gold to keep with the burgundy, brown and gold color scheme.
Table two:
The "oh wow" factor for this table is that my place card is on a pine cone. Use natural elements for your decor and save money!
Table three:
I've used a burgundy or red place mat or table runner. I have a bowl of pine cones and a beautiful apothecary jar filled with holiday ornaments. The place card is an old Christmas tag on a brown "pope folded" napkin with a few dried leaves.
Table one:
Here I have a simple, white plate on a sparkly gold place mat. I've rolled my napkin and wrapped it with raffia and cinnamon sticks, which smell amazing! For my name card I've taken a snow flake stencil and spray painted it gold to keep with the burgundy, brown and gold color scheme.
Table two:
The "oh wow" factor for this table is that my place card is on a pine cone. Use natural elements for your decor and save money!
Table three:
I've used a burgundy or red place mat or table runner. I have a bowl of pine cones and a beautiful apothecary jar filled with holiday ornaments. The place card is an old Christmas tag on a brown "pope folded" napkin with a few dried leaves.
Holiday Decor made Simple
This week, I created a big holiday presentation for a Live Webinar, my first ever. You can click on the link above to see part of it. I love sharing information that helps make people's entertaining lives easier. For your own celebrations this season here are a few tips; choose two colors, like burgundy and gold, and build from there. I made a centerpiece from Pomegranates, evergreens, leaves and cinnamon sticks. And, you can have your kids help make a centerpiece too, mold and bake chocolate chip cookies on a skewer add them to an arrangement of brown leaves. To make your own centerpiece you will need floral foam or oasis, floral sticks with wire (to attach leaves, which then get placed in the oasis) pomegranates and leaves from your yard. You could also use Christmas ornaments instead of pomegranates. Happy Holidays!
Fall Check List for Entertaining with Families
Hi guys! It's almost holiday time and I am so excited! I love celebrating Thanksgiving, Hannukah and Christmas with my family in New York and in Mobile. Actually my in-laws came up with a new holiday Thanks-annukah, which combines Thanksgiving and Hannukah together. Its the only time the entire family comes in to town and sits down at one big meal. This year will be especially exciting as it's the first year my 17 month old will join us for the feast. My Christmas celebrations take place down South, and that's a whole different world of entertaining. So since I was just preparing myself for the upcoming celebrations I thought I'd share my preparations with you!
First, I pack up all of my spring and summer items -ugh my least favorite thing. Then I start thinking about what I want to do for the next upcoming season of events. I think for fall I'm going to jazz up my traditional brown and orange theme with accents of gold. I'll probably also use gold and white this December too.
I turn to some trusty sources to refresh my staples like:
Mashed potato smasher- Sur la Table has a great one.
This year I'm trying out a new three tier oven trey (and this makes a great hostess gift if you are dining as a guest) -Sur la Table also.
Wilton's mini pumpkin mold is a great thing if you love pumpkin as much as I do!
Bed, Bath and Beyond has a good selection of chargers- I use the dollar plastic ones, this year in gold. They also carry a variety of table cloths.
I'm still working on my centerpiece ideas, but maybe fresh fruit crystallized with gold sugar or a bouquet of leaves.
I'm obsessed with cheese this month. Check out www.artisanalcheese.com for some great ideas on serving cheese, as with anything presentation is key!
For the kids table, find an age appropriate activity that everyone can enjoy. I personally like giving all the kids aprons and letting them make their own fun at the table. More details to follow.
Ok, I'll add more to the check list as I continue to plan my own holiday adventures!
Cathy Riva appearances for September, October, November
Hi if you are in New York City, Ulster, New York or Annapolis, Maryland please stop by:
"How to Become An Event Planner"
Learning Annex
New York City
www.learningannex.com
Monday, September 22, 2008
"Event Planning 101"
Suny Ulster
Ulster, New York
Sunday, October 5, 2008
"How to Become An Event Planner"
Learning Annex
New York City
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
"Last Minute Thanksgiving Tips and Creative ways to Entertain for the Holidays"
Great Gatherings
Annapolis, Maryland
http://www.mygreatgatherings.com/find/annapolis.aspx
Saturday, November 22, 2008
"How to Become An Event Planner"
Learning Annex
New York City
www.learningannex.com
Monday, September 22, 2008
"Event Planning 101"
Suny Ulster
Ulster, New York
Sunday, October 5, 2008
"How to Become An Event Planner"
Learning Annex
New York City
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
"Last Minute Thanksgiving Tips and Creative ways to Entertain for the Holidays"
Great Gatherings
Annapolis, Maryland
http://www.mygreatgatherings.com/find/annapolis.aspx
Saturday, November 22, 2008
CelebrateWithStyle.com
Check out tips from the experts on Celebrate with Style's website this month! I offer family friendly party planning advice for end of summer and the holidays!
http://www.celebratewithstyle.com/site/tips-from-the-experts-cathy-riva or click on the title link above!
http://www.celebratewithstyle.com/site/tips-from-the-experts-cathy-riva or click on the title link above!
Cathy Riva Plans for Everyday Celebrations
Happy end of summer everyone. I hope your time was filled with fun moments and celebrations. I find that it all goes by too fast. In fact, now that I have a little girl, Riley, I think time has gone into overdrive. So, one of my goals for 2009 is to give time back to busy families and working moms that, like me, are trying to balance it all. Wish me luck as I pitch a new television show that hopefully will help spark the imagination of every parent out there and give back time to celebrate everyday with your children.
Summer BBQ Tips from the Today Show
(CLICK ON THE TITLE TO SEE THE TODAY SHOW BBQ SEGMENT)
Here are all the tips you need to plan a fantastic, last minute barbeque. Save time and create a yummy, family friendly celebration with these summer entertaining ideas! Keep it simple. Stick with what you know- use seasonal foods, flowers and décor! Involve the family-delegate age appropriate responsibilities for the kids so they are involved in creating the party too.
Food:
Barbecues are the official past time of summer. Flavor is key to a good bbq, marinating and tenderizing are essential. I love a great marinade and I’ve found an instant easy way to throw together a last minute bbq. I use the VaccuVin Instant Marinater. It tenderizes and marinades any delicious recipe in less than 10 minutes! And, to keep your food from wilting in the summer heat use the Vacu Vin Barbeque Cooler Plate. You can find these online at sites like KitchenCoture.net.
Watermelon is a quintessential summer fruit- Use a melon scoop and create watermelon balls and freeze. Serve the frozen scooped Watermelon in paper cones and “voila” an iced watermelon snow cone treat that kids and adults will love! Serve these in an ice filled sand pail. Another fun way to serve this old summer stand by is to use it in a salsa;
You’ll need:
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh chopped scallions
• 1 clove fresh minced garlic
• 1 or 2 minced seeded jalapeño pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 1 cup minced watermelon
• 8 ounces light cream cheese
• Whole grain crisp flatbreads or crackers
1. Heat the oil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat
2. Sauté the scallions, garlic and jalapeños until toasted.
3. Reduce heat to low and add the raspberries and sugar to the pan.
4. Bring to a slow simmer and stir occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
5. Refrigerate until chilled.
6. Stir in watermelon.
Serve
1. Place the cream cheese on a platter.
2. Pour some salsa over the cream cheese.
3. Serve with flatbreads or crackers.
4. Serve chips with the remaining salsa.
5. Makes about 3 cups of salsa. Serve it in an eco friendly TruBamboo bowl.
Bring summer to your back yard with this fun cake that you and your kids can make together and decorate! Choose a sandcastle mold with a vanilla cake mix and use your imagination for your décor!
Beverage:
A summer drink is key for your bbq, always have plenty of water on hand, and serve lemonade infused with mint, strawberries or raspberries. Save calories and instead of sugar use a sweetener such as Splenda. Use a festive pitcher for a stylish presentation! Also, have a couple bottles of white wine and a few cases of beer on hand as well.
Décor:
Presentation is a key way to make a simple party look impressive. Summer is the best time for Yellows- Marigolds and sunflowers are gorgeous and inexpensive. You can pull a bunch from your garden or local nursery such as plantnj.com Place them in a homemade watermelon vase for an “oh-wow” factor.
Serve pineapple pieces on skewers toped with mint and balsamic vinegar. Insert skewers in carved out watermelon rinds, trays of wheat grass or sand buckets!
Environmentally friendly is chic and hot this summer. Bamboo is the big serving ware item. Use bamboo plates, bowls, serving platters and flatware. Mason jars or cups tied with raffia can be re-purposed and filled with napkins and flatware.
The key to a great bbq napkin is size. The bigger the better. And always have handy wipes available too. To find eco -friendly napkins you can personalize go foryourparty.com
Keep the bugs away with these attractive rope votive citronella candles found at UncommonGoods.com or amazing anti mosquito lavender scented incense sticks by Artcade found at generalhomestore.com.
When attending a summer bbq its always nice to bring a little something. Any of these gadgets help put the sizzle in your friend’s bbq…Here are my favorite summer gift suggestions:
OutSet Magnetic Light for BBQ Tools This great new gadget is perfect for those who like to barbecue well into the night, as it functions like a mini-flashlight, found at KitchenCoture.net.
Folding Grill Tongs- great for the grill prep master! You can find it online at surlatable.com
The Metrokane Vertical Rabbit opens wine in seconds. It is truly an amazing gift. Perfect to bring with a bottle of wine to your barbeque! You can find it online at KitchenCouture.net
You can never have enough trivets! The Table Talk Trivet inspires conversation at your table! Uncommon Goods online has a great selection of all kinds of quirky fun tabletop helpers!
Happy summer! For more entertaining tips please Visit on www.rivaevents.com
Here are all the tips you need to plan a fantastic, last minute barbeque. Save time and create a yummy, family friendly celebration with these summer entertaining ideas! Keep it simple. Stick with what you know- use seasonal foods, flowers and décor! Involve the family-delegate age appropriate responsibilities for the kids so they are involved in creating the party too.
Food:
Barbecues are the official past time of summer. Flavor is key to a good bbq, marinating and tenderizing are essential. I love a great marinade and I’ve found an instant easy way to throw together a last minute bbq. I use the VaccuVin Instant Marinater. It tenderizes and marinades any delicious recipe in less than 10 minutes! And, to keep your food from wilting in the summer heat use the Vacu Vin Barbeque Cooler Plate. You can find these online at sites like KitchenCoture.net.
Watermelon is a quintessential summer fruit- Use a melon scoop and create watermelon balls and freeze. Serve the frozen scooped Watermelon in paper cones and “voila” an iced watermelon snow cone treat that kids and adults will love! Serve these in an ice filled sand pail. Another fun way to serve this old summer stand by is to use it in a salsa;
You’ll need:
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh chopped scallions
• 1 clove fresh minced garlic
• 1 or 2 minced seeded jalapeño pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 1 cup minced watermelon
• 8 ounces light cream cheese
• Whole grain crisp flatbreads or crackers
1. Heat the oil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat
2. Sauté the scallions, garlic and jalapeños until toasted.
3. Reduce heat to low and add the raspberries and sugar to the pan.
4. Bring to a slow simmer and stir occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
5. Refrigerate until chilled.
6. Stir in watermelon.
Serve
1. Place the cream cheese on a platter.
2. Pour some salsa over the cream cheese.
3. Serve with flatbreads or crackers.
4. Serve chips with the remaining salsa.
5. Makes about 3 cups of salsa. Serve it in an eco friendly TruBamboo bowl.
Bring summer to your back yard with this fun cake that you and your kids can make together and decorate! Choose a sandcastle mold with a vanilla cake mix and use your imagination for your décor!
Beverage:
A summer drink is key for your bbq, always have plenty of water on hand, and serve lemonade infused with mint, strawberries or raspberries. Save calories and instead of sugar use a sweetener such as Splenda. Use a festive pitcher for a stylish presentation! Also, have a couple bottles of white wine and a few cases of beer on hand as well.
Décor:
Presentation is a key way to make a simple party look impressive. Summer is the best time for Yellows- Marigolds and sunflowers are gorgeous and inexpensive. You can pull a bunch from your garden or local nursery such as plantnj.com Place them in a homemade watermelon vase for an “oh-wow” factor.
Serve pineapple pieces on skewers toped with mint and balsamic vinegar. Insert skewers in carved out watermelon rinds, trays of wheat grass or sand buckets!
Environmentally friendly is chic and hot this summer. Bamboo is the big serving ware item. Use bamboo plates, bowls, serving platters and flatware. Mason jars or cups tied with raffia can be re-purposed and filled with napkins and flatware.
The key to a great bbq napkin is size. The bigger the better. And always have handy wipes available too. To find eco -friendly napkins you can personalize go foryourparty.com
Keep the bugs away with these attractive rope votive citronella candles found at UncommonGoods.com or amazing anti mosquito lavender scented incense sticks by Artcade found at generalhomestore.com.
When attending a summer bbq its always nice to bring a little something. Any of these gadgets help put the sizzle in your friend’s bbq…Here are my favorite summer gift suggestions:
OutSet Magnetic Light for BBQ Tools This great new gadget is perfect for those who like to barbecue well into the night, as it functions like a mini-flashlight, found at KitchenCoture.net.
Folding Grill Tongs- great for the grill prep master! You can find it online at surlatable.com
The Metrokane Vertical Rabbit opens wine in seconds. It is truly an amazing gift. Perfect to bring with a bottle of wine to your barbeque! You can find it online at KitchenCouture.net
You can never have enough trivets! The Table Talk Trivet inspires conversation at your table! Uncommon Goods online has a great selection of all kinds of quirky fun tabletop helpers!
Happy summer! For more entertaining tips please Visit on www.rivaevents.com
For my Learning Annex Class the Celb website you requested
Hi guys! Here is the link to the website that gives you a look at celbrity homes.
http://realestalker.blogspot.com/
http://realestalker.blogspot.com/
Summer BBQ tips on the Today Show this week
Hi! I'm excited to be back on the Today Show with some fun BBQ tips this Wednesday, July 16th in the 10am-11am (EST) hour.
Now that I have a one-year-old daughter I am including family friendly ideas with all of my event tips. For this upcoming segment I'm making a sand castle cake that your whole family can have fun decorating. And, I'm "late to the party" with my new favorite fresh multi purpose ingredient, but stay tuned on my summer citrus ideas!
Now that I have a one-year-old daughter I am including family friendly ideas with all of my event tips. For this upcoming segment I'm making a sand castle cake that your whole family can have fun decorating. And, I'm "late to the party" with my new favorite fresh multi purpose ingredient, but stay tuned on my summer citrus ideas!
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