What's New Here!

Hi friends!  Just a few news-worthy items I'd like to share with you all quickly:

I've taken on a new role as one of the Community Leaders for the Blog Frog Coffee Talk Community.  This is a fun and easy-going social site where you can chat with some new-found girl friends about parties, being a modern woman, motherhood, and just about ANYthing else!  I'd love to have you come visit and chat with us!

Also, I'll be contributing a couple of posts each month on the savvy, sassy site known as Savvy Sassy Moms!  Andrea Fellman is the sassy founder of the site and is giving it a facelift by incorporating a new look and design(still in the works), as well as adding several new contributors.  Visit Andrea's site for an entertaining read on subjects that relate to being a woman and a mom.   

Fun At Blissdom!

(above photo by Angie Arthur)

Well, it took me about a week to rest up and catch up after being at Blissdom but it was well worth it!  Blissdom is a 2 day blogger conference in Nashville that provides educational workshops and networking opportunities for both the newbie and the seasoned pro.  We stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, which is the size of a small town, and enjoyed entertainment by Michelle Branch, Mat Kearney, and Crystal Bowersox.  

I met party girls Kim of The Celebration Shoppe, and Courtney of Pizzazzerie, as well as Amy of Living Locurto and Laurie of Tip Junkie... 

My roommates below, are Kristi of Pink and Polka Dot (an old friend from Middle School) and Carrie of Sweet Faerie blog designs...

Above, are photos of us in the workshops, at the evening parties, with Michelle Branch and Matt Kearney, and of Kristi and me having some silly time in the Freschetta photo booth.

Below is what it's all about - making connections with other bloggers around the country.  You can see how creative some of the business cards are, and some even have small handmade gifts representing their site/business.   I have to say though, that the cards that Kori of Paper and Pigtails designed for me were a stand out for their chic design and pearl finish - everyone commented on the pearl finish!(thanks Kori!)

If you're a blogger put Blissdom on your radar and start thinking about next years conference.  It's a great experience and you'll get so much from it.  Cheers!

Announcement: Welcome Our New Contributors!

I'm so excited to share this news today.  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I've been hinting at some news regarding the blog.  I've decided to add a couple of contributors to Celebrations At Home in order to bring you more original content, a broader selection of ideas, and to free up some of my time so I can continue to create new designs as well.  In addition, I'll be working on a facelift to the site over the next couple of months to reflect our style a bit better.

I want to introduce you to our two new contributors, Kristi Delfino of Luna and Chloe Weddings, and Lisa Thiele of With Style & Grace.  I met both of these ladies on Twitter and adore there respective style, creative viewpoint, and sweet nature.  I'm so thrilled that they each agreed to be contributors here, and you can expect to see each of them 2-4 times per month.  Now without further ado, meet Kristi and Lisa....



Kristi is the styling genius behind Luna and Chloe Weddings and has an eye for amazing and interesting details.  She will be our Wedding Contributor and share with us her original designs, ideas, and other creative thoughts she has.  Her favorite phrase is "over the moon" which she uses to describe that moment when her vision comes to fruition and it's fabulous! 

I love her design philosophy that, "Ideas are everywhere...it's the details that you are looking for. I take the ordinary, and put a spin on it." 

You can see for yourself how true that is if you take a look at her "Homemade" section on her blog.

Stay tuned for Kristi's first post coming tonight, which will send us all "over the moon" with it's loveliness!

You can also find Kristi on Twitter/LunaandChloe and Facebook.

Lisa is the writer and creator of With Style & Grace where she dishes about entertaining, with an emphasis on food.  She will be our Foodie Contributor serving up ideas for food/drink-related gifts, crafting/styling, and recipes.  She loves baking and cooking and her food photography is wonderful!

Lisa's do-it-yourself approach is one of the things I appreciate about her.  As she says, "I have to teach myself, but with the help of youtube and step-by-step {picture} tutorials, I can usually figure it out. My plan is to keep practicing so someday, I’ll have a storefront for you to come visit and taste my delicious treats (including gluten-free)." 

You can see some of her delicious treats already on her blog in the food section. 

Lisa will be sharing her first contributor post later this week.  I can't wait!

See more of Lisa on Twitter/WithStyleGrace and Facebook.

 

Simple Thanksgiving Styling {Video}

Here's the video from my morning appearance!

Today I'm appearing on our local morning news show, Virginia This Morning.  I'm sharing simple Thanksgiving entertaining ideas exemplified here and here.  I'll also be discussing Operation Give Thanks and it's party printables sets. 

Another fun idea I'm sharing are these printable coloring pages from Parents.  You can download and print these at home for the kids to color while they're waiting for lunch/dinner.

I hope to have the video of my appearance up soon!

What's New At Celerations At Home Events

 If you've visited my website recently, you may have noticed a little tab called "Petite Celebrations."  Petite Celebrations is a new division of Celebrations At Home, that will specialize in children's themed birthday parties.   The party rental packages include a pre-determined theme with decor, activities, and favors.  They are designed to be easily transported and set up, but are upscale and stylish with eco-friendly dishes, linens, and quality favors.  

  While I'm still in the development stage for some of the themes, I've got some terrific vendors on board to help with custom printables and photography.  Until then, here are some inspiration boards to wet your appetite.

Pink Princess Party

Woodland Fairy Party

Enchanted Garden Party

Classic Tea Party

Princess: table, dress up table, crowns, frog, tulle pom, dress up area, little girl, crown cookies, place setting(?)

Woodland Fairy: table, invitation, costumes, craft house, moss rocks, gnome, fairy door, fairy dust, fairy, toadstools(?), toadstool cookie, mini terrarium, card holder

Enchanted Garden: daisy garland, decorative flowers, dessert table, decorative flowers, flower cookies, ring toss game, cake table, table, butterfly sandwiches, butterfly decor, pink punch

Classic Tea: table(?), feather boa(?), hat, dress up area, gloves, tea cup cookies, tea cupcake toppers, tutu, table

Featured On: How Does She?

This has been a great week for Celebrations At Home!  We've received much love for the Modern Safari party, and the Custom Inspiration Boards.  A HUGE Thank You!

We were also featured on an amazing site, How Does She?    This site is the product of 3 dynamic moms who have a passion for sharing all things crafting, cooking, entertaining, parenting, organizing, etc....you know, girl stuff!  You may remember the Baseball party I featured here, came from Shelley - one of the trio.  Spend some time on How Does She?...these are some fun ladies!

A Quick Shout-Out to Fab Sites Who Showed Us Love This Week:

The Cake Blog

Thoughtfully Simple

The Party Dress

Party Perfect

Accent The Party

Swank Sweets

Personally You Parties

Frosted Events Blog

A Blissful Nest

Kami Buchanan

Couture Parties

Entertain Exchange

  Maddycakes Muse

Exciting News To Share

I can now say that "I am Published!" ...Sounds so cool to say that. A few months ago I began working on an excerpt about 'Organizing Holiday Parties', for Carmen Cocker's newest book, The Clutterbugs' Guide to an Organized Christmas! In the book, Carmen, a professional organizer, offers so much advice on getting ready for the holidays without losing your mind! From shopping and gift giving, to house guests and travel, there are tools to help you stay focused.

For my contribution, I give tips on creating an easy-to-do holiday party based on 12 years of hosting my own Christmas Cocktail party and family gatherings. I will tell you how to do things on a budget, as well as how to add some extra pizazz. From a no-fail menu, to do-ahead tips, to easy decorating, I will guide you through your party planning experience.

Two other contributors will cover Holiday Meal Planning, and Decorating Your Home for the Holiday.

If you'd like to get your own copy of this book, you can purchase it through the link in the right side bar.

I'm Featured!--Last Minute 4th of July Tips

Today, our local paper the Richmond Times-Dispatch, featured me and my business on the front page of the Home & Garden section!! They were looking for quick and easy ideas to put together for the 4th, and found my blog post here featuring an inexpensive & simple outdoor tablescape. One thing led to another and here it is! Click here for the article, and here for the slideshow.

Here are a couple of my own photos I snapped from the photo shoot last week.

TV Segment Video

We finally got the tv segment up and running on YouTube. You can see my appearance on Virginia This Morning, above.