I hope everyone has some wonderful plans for the 4th even if you aren't using an event planner - I've got a few tips for making it fun and cheap!
I love to take the ordinary and use them in ways that make people go "What a cute idea"!
I love to entertain over the 4th of July, and it seems to be a weekend of fun with everyone getting together to enjoy the great weather and each other. What can be better? Although I send out invites weeks ahead inevitably more people get invited once we attend the Annual Horse Races. There always seems to be someone who has come to Flagstaff that we weren't expecting, but hey - the more the merrier.
One of my favorite ideas for summer is to decorate with Terra cotta pots. I can go to my local Michaels' store, pick up pots in various sizes, as well as themed wire ribbon, paints, sponges, flags, and of course trowels.
When you get all your goodies home, then lay them out and start the planning. If this is a 4th of July Party, get out your Red, White and Blue favors and have fun! I like to paint my Terra cotta pots on the outside only with stars and strips, or solid colors depending on decorating design. Always wash your pots before you start decorating. Try and paint a couple of days before you'll need them and if you want to seal them, be sure and use a sealant that is non-toxic.
I like to use the large pots for chips of every type - it looks nicer than chip bags all over the table and sometimes you need your larger bowls in the kitchen. Middle sized pots are great for salads and the smaller or quart size is perfect for dips. Always wash your pots before using and if you plan to put salad or dips into the pots, soak them overnight in icy water - Terra cotta retains the cold and will help your salads remain cold. Before I begin serving, I always take the ones that have been sitting in the ice water and let them dry out a bit and keep them cold in the fridge, this way they get an extra chill. Right before putting in the food, I line with plastic - just a barrier between the food and my pot and even though I've cleaned it before getting started, I just feel better. So, we've got the cold pot, lined in plastic with the salad displayed inside, now it's time to place the ribbon around the rim and top it off with a brand new clean trowel. I try and buy trowels that match my ribbons, so you've got a great "garden or summer" looking table with minimal effort.
Set up your table making sure to place your items at different heights, add flags, hats and confetti and you're ready to throw a party that will impress all who attend. The nice thing about Terra cotta pots, is that once you've used them, you can wrap them and store them for next year, or plant summer flowers.
Happy 4th of July everyone - we are truly lucky to live in this incredible country.
Deb
June 30, 2009
June 29, 2009
Summer Time
This is the front yard - beautiful mexican primrose flowers and pink roses! As you can see my pups greet anyone who comes to the house!
Here is an update on the garden!!! We had our first artichoke of the season last night - so much better than store bought ones!!
Just a view of the grass, trees and the massive amounts of MINT we have!
Here is an update on the garden!!! We had our first artichoke of the season last night - so much better than store bought ones!!
Our Artichoke Plant and the Tomatoes!
This is the Corn and lettuce and Peas and Beans
Just a view of the grass, trees and the massive amounts of MINT we have!
Bridal Happy Hour
Thank you to all who came out for the Bridal Happy Hour! We had a great time, and it was wonderful to meet some new people and see some familiar faces. Jen, Debbi and I met at Cuvee 928 and had some fabulous Pinot Noir and a yummy appetizer then headed over to the Happy Hour. Everything looked beautiful, all of the vendors were having a great time with such great displays of their work, Dana provided beautiful table centerpieces for each table, and David Brian was fabulous on the guitar!
We displayed some pictures from some of my past weddings and our wedding packages. We also featured Foxboro property. Thank you Melissa Dunstan, the pictures she took of Foxboro came out fabulous and really showed the beauty of Foxboro. The property was a big hit; everyone was interested in this beautiful venue. Most people had not heard of it yet and wanted to know more!
The vendor's were wonderful! Brenda Felsing of Traditions Catering had fantastic appetizers, her tomato soup was heavenly!! About Memories and More had a beautiful display, Kirstin Mead has wonderful talent! Melissa Dunstan's photographs were stunning; she really knows how to capture the emotion from a special day! Organic Beauty Lounge was there, they had some beautiful models walking around with great wedding day up-do looks. Caked bakery was also there with their yummy cupcakes, they were gone in an instant! Thank you to Gabriel for the great lighting and sound, it really gave the event that special ambiance! Flagstaff Ballroom Academy was there, Blair did a demonstration with Jen, WOW, and she did great - so light on her feet! Liz Margin also attended, she is such an amazing makeup artist. Thank you to everyone!
After the event Jen and I went over to Cuvee 928 (again) with a small group of friends to have their amazing macaroni and cheese dish, which is only served on Thursdays, thank you Taryn and Jen. We had a great time, great food and wine with fabulous friends!
This time of year is beautiful in Flagstaff! I am really enjoying it! Debbi and Jen had a garden party last week with homemade Sangria (that is to die for) and they made a delicious cucumber dip, and everyone who came brought a dish. What a great time to be with old and new friends! Although it rained on us... twice... it was so much fun! Debbi's garden is so stunning, and you should see her vegetable garden!!! WOW!!! I'm sure she will have more to come of this subject though, because it is something to talk about!
We are gearing up for Oktoberfest which is October 3rd at Wheeler Park, Rock the House September 12th at Foxglenn Park, NAU Golf Tournament, Habitat for Humanity Golf Tournament and Blues, Brews and BBQ's next June, two weddings this September, one next July and so much more! We are busy ladies this summer (oh how I love that)!
Christina
We displayed some pictures from some of my past weddings and our wedding packages. We also featured Foxboro property. Thank you Melissa Dunstan, the pictures she took of Foxboro came out fabulous and really showed the beauty of Foxboro. The property was a big hit; everyone was interested in this beautiful venue. Most people had not heard of it yet and wanted to know more!
The vendor's were wonderful! Brenda Felsing of Traditions Catering had fantastic appetizers, her tomato soup was heavenly!! About Memories and More had a beautiful display, Kirstin Mead has wonderful talent! Melissa Dunstan's photographs were stunning; she really knows how to capture the emotion from a special day! Organic Beauty Lounge was there, they had some beautiful models walking around with great wedding day up-do looks. Caked bakery was also there with their yummy cupcakes, they were gone in an instant! Thank you to Gabriel for the great lighting and sound, it really gave the event that special ambiance! Flagstaff Ballroom Academy was there, Blair did a demonstration with Jen, WOW, and she did great - so light on her feet! Liz Margin also attended, she is such an amazing makeup artist. Thank you to everyone!
After the event Jen and I went over to Cuvee 928 (again) with a small group of friends to have their amazing macaroni and cheese dish, which is only served on Thursdays, thank you Taryn and Jen. We had a great time, great food and wine with fabulous friends!
This time of year is beautiful in Flagstaff! I am really enjoying it! Debbi and Jen had a garden party last week with homemade Sangria (that is to die for) and they made a delicious cucumber dip, and everyone who came brought a dish. What a great time to be with old and new friends! Although it rained on us... twice... it was so much fun! Debbi's garden is so stunning, and you should see her vegetable garden!!! WOW!!! I'm sure she will have more to come of this subject though, because it is something to talk about!
We are gearing up for Oktoberfest which is October 3rd at Wheeler Park, Rock the House September 12th at Foxglenn Park, NAU Golf Tournament, Habitat for Humanity Golf Tournament and Blues, Brews and BBQ's next June, two weddings this September, one next July and so much more! We are busy ladies this summer (oh how I love that)!
Christina
June 11, 2009
Peak Events doing it all!
It's been awhile since I've blogged - so I thought I better get in gear and get going. Amazing how the week flies by and before you know it - all those deadlines you set for yourself are staring you in the face. I feel like that's been the case for the last few weeks - I plan to have things done by a certain time and then bam!!! It's that time.
I hope everyone has been following us on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. I honestly believe that although these are great social contacts and everyone in the event world has ways to "work it" it's one of the biggest drains on time known to mankind! I mean seriously, if I had the time to respond to every comment made on these sites - I'd spend every waking moment talk to people! so, if I don't respond to what you say - please don't take it personally - I'm just working on putting together festivals that will knock your socks off!
Speak of working - it's been crazy! Just finished up the Southwest Fest Tax Conference. Peak Events only worked on a few components - that's what's so great about hiring us only to do the work you can't find time to do! We didn't plan the entire event, just worked on the vendors, golfers and a few odds and ends it was a win/win for everyone! By the way - did you know, when this business was started, we actually specialized in Birthday parties, Anniversary parties, Corporate Events and Grand Openings. Over the years we've morphed into more, but we can still make any party, family reunion or corporate retreat the best in the northland. Speaking of morphing - Rock the House is coming up soon. What a fun event this will be for Flagstaff and a real benefit for Habitat for Humanity! Come out and support this wonderful even - you'll be making a difference in our community and will have a really fun time to boot! And don't forget - if you want to golf in one of the best tournaments around - sign up for the NAU Native American Programs Golf Tournament. A lot of fun for a really reasonable price! And, although I don't want the summer to leave - before we know it Oktoberfest will be upon us - of course the weather feels more like October than June!
WHAT IS UP WITH THE WEATHER???? I really want to know! Pat and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past week, by golfing at Forest Highlands and then hitting the new Star Trek movie - and we about froze while golfing! When we got married it was so warm and wonderful outside that all our friends wore shorts and spent the afternoon enjoying the great weather. And for the record - this weather isn't so wonderful for the garden - the peas and broccoli are doing super, but my corn and tomatoes are looking for some heat!
Well, back to those looming deadlines. I'll try and twitter, facebook and myspace more often and keep everyone updated on the garden and all the great events we're working on! Thanks so much for all your support.
Debbi
I hope everyone has been following us on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. I honestly believe that although these are great social contacts and everyone in the event world has ways to "work it" it's one of the biggest drains on time known to mankind! I mean seriously, if I had the time to respond to every comment made on these sites - I'd spend every waking moment talk to people! so, if I don't respond to what you say - please don't take it personally - I'm just working on putting together festivals that will knock your socks off!
Speak of working - it's been crazy! Just finished up the Southwest Fest Tax Conference. Peak Events only worked on a few components - that's what's so great about hiring us only to do the work you can't find time to do! We didn't plan the entire event, just worked on the vendors, golfers and a few odds and ends it was a win/win for everyone! By the way - did you know, when this business was started, we actually specialized in Birthday parties, Anniversary parties, Corporate Events and Grand Openings. Over the years we've morphed into more, but we can still make any party, family reunion or corporate retreat the best in the northland. Speaking of morphing - Rock the House is coming up soon. What a fun event this will be for Flagstaff and a real benefit for Habitat for Humanity! Come out and support this wonderful even - you'll be making a difference in our community and will have a really fun time to boot! And don't forget - if you want to golf in one of the best tournaments around - sign up for the NAU Native American Programs Golf Tournament. A lot of fun for a really reasonable price! And, although I don't want the summer to leave - before we know it Oktoberfest will be upon us - of course the weather feels more like October than June!
WHAT IS UP WITH THE WEATHER???? I really want to know! Pat and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past week, by golfing at Forest Highlands and then hitting the new Star Trek movie - and we about froze while golfing! When we got married it was so warm and wonderful outside that all our friends wore shorts and spent the afternoon enjoying the great weather. And for the record - this weather isn't so wonderful for the garden - the peas and broccoli are doing super, but my corn and tomatoes are looking for some heat!
Well, back to those looming deadlines. I'll try and twitter, facebook and myspace more often and keep everyone updated on the garden and all the great events we're working on! Thanks so much for all your support.
Debbi
June 7, 2009
Wedding Season
What a month this has been! My Fiance and I have moved into a new place. It was quite the process, but it sure does feel great to be moved in and settling in. Jen helped with a lot of the unpacking, decorating, and picking out of furniture, it looks FANTASTIC. My dogs Lucky and Penny are enjoying it so much!
I also wanted to post some fun and innovative ideas for some of you brides out there. We were recently talking about Thank You notes. A creative, fun and inexpensive way to say thank you to your guests and friends is to make it personal. The hand written classic thank you note is always a great idea, but make it fun and personal for yourself and your friends and family by adding a personal touch! A great way to do this is make a Thank you poster, create this poster with colorful paint pens to match your theme, and then have your photographer take a few shots with different positions. Have several of the various photos printed and include these in your thank you notes. This is a fun way to show your fun side! You may have seen various versions of this idea; another way to do this is to use a fancy umbrella instead of the poster. For those bride's who love rose petals this idea is for you! Talk to your florist about doing a Thank you written in rose petals, (weather permitting), this can be outside on grass, on the venue floor, etc... Your photographer can then take some creative shots with your thank you!
Lucky
Penny
So besides moving and adjusting to life in Flagstaff, we have been involved with Northern Arizona Bridal Specialist, which we are putting on a Bridal Happy Hour. This Bridal Happy hour is going to be a fantastic opportunity for local and destination brides and their families to come meet us, see what we may have to offer, and have some fun. We will be having the first Bridal Happy hour on June 18th at Pasto's located downtown at 6pm. We are so excited to have this event; we will have food, drinks, great information and raffles! Some of the proceeds from the raffle are going to benefit Habitat for Humanity. I am anxious to meet all the local and destination brides and have a glass of champagne with you.
Lately I was going through some of my pictures from some of my past weddings and events. I hope you enjoy them.
I also wanted to post some fun and innovative ideas for some of you brides out there. We were recently talking about Thank You notes. A creative, fun and inexpensive way to say thank you to your guests and friends is to make it personal. The hand written classic thank you note is always a great idea, but make it fun and personal for yourself and your friends and family by adding a personal touch! A great way to do this is make a Thank you poster, create this poster with colorful paint pens to match your theme, and then have your photographer take a few shots with different positions. Have several of the various photos printed and include these in your thank you notes. This is a fun way to show your fun side! You may have seen various versions of this idea; another way to do this is to use a fancy umbrella instead of the poster. For those bride's who love rose petals this idea is for you! Talk to your florist about doing a Thank you written in rose petals, (weather permitting), this can be outside on grass, on the venue floor, etc... Your photographer can then take some creative shots with your thank you!
I hope some of my ideas will get your creativity going! I look forward to sharing my creativity with you for your special day!
On a side not, Flagstaff's Thursday's on the square are in full swing. For you food lovers out there... Cuvee 928 has a special on Thursday's ts the there macaroni and cheese dish. MMMmmmmm so AMAZING! Paired with a fantastic glass of wine, and a delicious chocolate desert and this is a perfect evening! Jen and I tried the macaroni and cheese and are hooked!
I hope to see you at the Bridal Happy Hour!
Christina
June 4, 2009
Bridal Happy Hour - June 18, 2009
The Bridal Happy Hour is an exciting new concept in wedding planning, and it's coming to Flagstaff this summer. This event is a must-see for anyone planning a wedding or party in Flagstaf, Sedona, or any area of Northern Arizona. Several of the area's most talented wedding professionals have teamed together to offer this event as a way to simplify the wedding planning process for area birdes. We think planning your dream wedding should be easy and enjoyable. At Bridal Happy Hour, you will be able to mix and mingle with all of our event professionals in a casual setting. This is no Bridal Expo with hundreds of vendors, entrance fees, and an overwhelming amount of information; this is Bridal Happy Hour and you're invited. Come, bring your friends and family; see our work first hand, mingle with our vendors and sample all our services on-site. What could be better than planning your wedding and meeting with all your vendors in one location, over a glass of Champagne?
Spread the word, and join us on June 18, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at PASTO Restaurant in downtown Flagstaff, for the area's very first Bridal Happy Hour.
Plus, you can enter our raffle to win fabulous prizes. The raffle prize list is growing by the day. We now have over $1100 worth of great prizes up for grabs. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Bridal Happy Hour; $5 for 5 tickets, $10 for 12 tickets, $15 for 18 tickets, and $20 for 25 tickets. One-half of the raffle proceeds will benefit our cause of the month, Habitat for Humanity of Flagstaff.
Spread the word, and join us on June 18, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at PASTO Restaurant in downtown Flagstaff, for the area's very first Bridal Happy Hour.
Plus, you can enter our raffle to win fabulous prizes. The raffle prize list is growing by the day. We now have over $1100 worth of great prizes up for grabs. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Bridal Happy Hour; $5 for 5 tickets, $10 for 12 tickets, $15 for 18 tickets, and $20 for 25 tickets. One-half of the raffle proceeds will benefit our cause of the month, Habitat for Humanity of Flagstaff.
Engagement Photo Session & $50 Print Credit
Melissa Dunstan Photography
Bridal Makeup Trial
Liz Margin
Bridal Updo Trial
The Organic Beauty Lounge
Spa Basket and Membership
Planet Beach
Wine & Cheese Gift Basket
Thornager's on Kiltie Lane
10" Round Bridal Shower Cake
Caked Bakery
$100 Gift Certificate
Glamour Occasions
Mani/Pedi
The Organic Beauty Lounge
Swedish Massage
The Organic Beauty Lounge
Wine & Chocolate Basket
Peak Events
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