One day back when we were in Paris, we were sitting around with a few friends of ours and one of our male friends jokingly referring to his glass of rosé wine as "bro-sé" in an attempt to make the pink liquid seem more manly. We all thought this was hilarious and joked around about for a little bit until it occurred to me that this idea of "bro-sé" could make for a really fun party in the summer. Since alliteration makes everything sounds better, I thought a little outdoor get together of bocce + brosé would be the perfect party to throw once the weather warms up. Similar to the cocktails + croquet party inspiration from herethis party would be a simple set up of outdoor games, small fresh bites and lots of rosé (this bottle is one of my all time favorites and you can find it at Whole Foods!)
Ask all your guy friends to round up their most masculine bottle of rosé to share and you'll whip up a batch of these or these for guests to munch on. Since you will be outdoors, keep the decor simple with colorful blankets and a handful of signs like this one for the game area. Even though it's a simple outdoor party, I would still want to don a glamorous summer dresslike this one! Also this image would absolutely have to be used somewhere in relation to the party- perhaps on the invite?
Last year we hosted a little Kentucky Derby viewing party (it was actually my first time watching the race!) complete with mint juleps and custom drink stirrers. I loved how the drink flags turned out so I knew I would have to whip up a batch for the derby this year. The stirrer set for last year had each horse's name on it and their corresponding jockey's jersey. Guests selected a stirrer based on their pick for the race's winner which made for a little friendly competition (something that always makes a party a little more fun in my opinion!).
This year I created two options for you: one has only the jerseys on the flag with a corresponding key to what horse that jersey belongs and the other has both the jersey as well as the horse name. Unless your friends have memorized every jockey's jersey design then you can use the set that has no horse names on it to play a more random game where guests simply pick up a flag. Click the photo below for access to the free printable downloads. Simply cut out the flags, adhere them to a small bamboo stick or paper straw, pop it into your mint julep and enjoy!
Lately I have been daydreaming of warmer weather and all the fun outdoor activities it brings with it. Roaming along the historic Paris streets and soaking in all the beaux arts details is truly inspiring, but it has also made me long for the bright pops of color more present in America. After coming across a designer croquet set in a small boutique, I though what could be a more perfect party than throwing a "cocktails & croquet" themed get-together on a sunny spring afternoon!?! I have a mild obsession with croquet (and cocktails for that matter!), forcing our friends into a game every time we areout in Palm Springs plus we even had a croquet set up during cocktail hour at our wedding!
Throwing a "cocktails & croquet" party would be as simple as whipping up a few batches of cocktails, purchasinga fun croquet setand heading to your local park (unless you are lucky enough to have a fabulous backyard!). This email invitefrom Paperless Post would be perfect especially with a note asking guests to dress in "croquet whites" as well as requesting they bring along an easy snack dish to take some of the work off the hosts! I would also pick up some striped napkinsandtablecloths, this trophy vase for table decor, and of course a pack of lawn flamingos!
Here's a little inspiration board I put together for this event and hopefully I can make it a reality on a sunny weekend once we return from Europe!
This is the first time in years that I haven't been home to host an Oscars viewing party. I'm not even sure I'll be able to find a way to watch the awards ceremony in Paris which I realize is pretty ridiculous to be complaining about, but it's one of my favorite tv nights of the year! You can check out last year's Oscar party we had at our house as well as an inspiration board here. Since I can't gather my own party supplies for the event, I thought it would be fun to link to some of the perfect components to host your own party!
Printable Bingo: How About Orange's blog has been creating free printable bingo (as well as a matching ballot) forever and I love how much fun having a bingo card adds to watching the awards ceremony- plus it's a good activity for guests who don't really care as much about the show as others (ahem, my husband).
Festive Decor: Obviously my first choice for Oscars party decor would be to go all out gold & silver with sequin tablcloths, adorable printables, and festive garland, but a little packet of gold confettiis really all you need.
Gourmet Popcorn: Pick up a packet of these mini popcorn containers and fill with gourmet flavored popcorn like this or this. Another option is setting up a DIY popcorn toppings bar like this one to put the work on your guests!
Fancy Mini Bites: Tv viewing parties are never about sitting down to a full on meal, but your guests are going to need more than popcorn to get through the night. I love to serve fancy mini bites- especially recipes that can be made before guests arrive like crostiniorsliders. Signature Cocktail: No party of mine would complete without a special cocktail for the evening (I have really been wanting to makethis one for a party)- bonus points if you whip a batch ahead of time so you aren't mixing cocktails all night long. Lots of Champagne: No explanation needed here. This one is my favorites for under $15 a bottle!
Valentine's conveniently falls on a Friday this year which is great for those brave enough to venture out into the battlefield of restaurant reservations battles and fixed price menus, but it also allows the opportunity for a fun day after party on Saturday!! While we usually celebrate Valentine's with an intimate home-cooked dinner, I have always thought it would be fun to host a big Valentine's party for all our friends. If we were home I would definitely be throwing a boozy day after brunch complete with red/pink/purple decor, brightly colored flowers, an overflowing bloody mary bar, and a DIY waffle bar. This party would also be the perfect time to make two of my party wishlist items a reality: getting to wear the dream outfit of a glam sequin skirt/white t-shirt and snacking on a cake stand tower of delicious donuts!
The holidays are over and besides Valentine's day next month there doesn't seem to be much to celebrate other than cold winter weather (unless you are in California where it is currently 80 degrees!). Even though we are lucky to be missing the worst part of Chicago winter while living in Paris, the weather here is still chilly and a bit rainy on most days which prevents us from having any fabulous Parisian picnics under the Eiffel Tower. So why not host a cozy party to bring the outdoors in and combat the inevitable winter blues with a little indoor campout complete with spiked hot chocolate and tasty s'mores!?!? All you need to do is move your furniture back, toss out a few warm blankets, light a fire (or create a fake one!) and put out all the fixings for your guests to whip up a warm glass of hot chocolate (with adult mix-ins of course!). The best part is this party works just as well for both a larger party as it does for a intimate surprise date night!
If you haven't downloaded it already then you must go check out the newest edition of the Glam Style Ipad app- partly because it's full of inspiration for the holidays from fashion to food, but also because I have contributed three articles to this edition! One of which is this fabulous bohemian inspired DIY holiday garland. Check out some photos here and then download the app right here to get the full instructions as well as materials needed for this fun project!
Right now most people are centered on gift shopping, holiday parties and traveling home for Christmas, but you can't forget about planning a little New Year's Eve party or it will sneak right up on you while you are still enjoying your new Christmas presents! Using Target's new celebration glassware form Threshold as inspiration, I created this NYE party inspiration using a muted palette of classic white and gold mixed with dove grey and a dusty vintage peach/rose. For NYE last year, we went crazy with the color scheme (see photos from that party here and the inspiration here) so this time around I wanted to try a complete 180! Be sure to check back tomorrow as I have some very exciting news about where I will be spending this NYE! :)
A couple years ago, our friends hosted a super fun wine tasting party at their place that I have been dying to recreate. So when Target asked me to put together a little holiday party inspiration using some of their new products, I immediately thought the wine tasting idea would be perfect for a quick and easy holiday party!
The way this party works is you will ask each guest or couple to bring a bottle of wine under $25 - you can even specify a varietal like Pinot Noir. When the guests enter have them hand you the bottle so that you can wrap it in kraft paper or a brown bag and then assign their bottle a number without anyone else seeing (as the host you will be the only one who knows all the different bottles and their corresponding numbers). Ideally you will have one glass per bottle per guest so that guests can try the different wines and refer back to them rather than emptying out their glass. We have a shocking amount of wine glasses in our house, but if you don't own enough wine glasses to make this possible then you can easily rent some.
Serve appetizers as well as some sweets and let guests mingle while trying the different wines then reporting their thoughts on printed "notes" cards. Tally up the favorite bottle selections at the end of the night (this bottle of Pinot Noirwon the year we did this) and give the guest who brought the winning bottle a nice bottle of wine or another fun gift! Links to items used for this party are under each photo and the download links to the printables are at the bottom of this post!
{vintage black milk glass cake stands - find similar here}
{gold prism tray by Nate Berkus, gold/black wrapping paper from holiday dept at Target}
{I like the idea of setting up a spot for each guest to keep their glasses so that they aren't trying to roam your party holding 3 or 4 in one hand- I used simple place cards to designate an area for each person}
You might have seen on Instagram that last Sunday night we hosteda little grilled cheese soireeat our place and it might just be my new favorite party theme. We purchased a bunch of bread and butter then asked guests to B.Y.O.C. - bring their own cheese and desired toppings. Of course there ended up being a little friendly competition among guests to make the best grilled cheese combination- some of the front runners included jalapeño pesto pear with gruyere, baked beans with cheddar, and a surprising combo of american singles with hot dogs! This is such an easy inexpensive last minute party idea that requires minimal set up and it gets guests involved!
Remember thatlittle sneak peek I gave last weekof my trip to New York to shoot a fun video with four other fabulous bloggers? Well I'm back today to show the final video the team at Glam & Sauza put together starring Hallie, Ali, Mel, Devon & yours truly. The video is inspired by a fun girls night in showcasing the new ready to serve Sparkling Margaritas by Sauza (a classic cocktail made into a sparkling version?!? count. me. in!) Plus read on past the video as I share some of my favorite tips on entertaining for a girls night in!!
I just love watching that video! We had so much fun making it that I wish I could go to that fabulous beach house every weekend. I wish I could say the five of us single-handedly made all the dishes and decor, but while we were laughing (and drinking) there was a huge team behind us making everything look gorgeous (including some very talented food stylists!). While you might not have a glam team behind you next girls night, you can still put together a beautiful evening with some of my tips for a quick, easy, and girly entertaining set up....
{I like to scoop up cute wrapping paper whenever I come across it (most of these are from Home Goods!)- its great to have on hand for last minute gifts, but it can also double as a fun tablecloth or runner! I store all my gift wrap in this vase from Target}
{the same goes for dinner/cocktail napkins- whenever I see a fun design, I make sure to buy it. I can always find something fabulous at Home Goods or Ikea}
{Although I love to whip some mini appetizers (usually inspired by this pinterest board), I also make sure to keep our freezer stocked with tasty and quick frozen apps. While fresh dishes are always preferred, if you keep a good selection of bites in your freezer you will always be ready for impromptu guests or a great spread of food when you are short on time!}
{One of my go-to simple desserts are these cheesecake bites (seen previously here), using a regular frozen cheesecake, a few raspberries & fun appetizer picks this dessert looks like it took all day to assemble when really it takes only a couple minutes. The instructions on the frozen cheesecake will probably tell you to let it thaw in the fridge for a couple hours, but I prefer to let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes then cut it into the bite sized cubes while it is still slightly frozen as it makes it easier to cut. After you have the cubes, simply let them thaw at room temperature for about another hour then pop a raspberry one top of each one secured with a wood appetizer pick}
{Who doesn't love pita chips and tasty hummus?!?! I like to fancy this classic snack spread up a bit, by placing the pita chips in a vintage pedestal bowl and transferring the hummus from its store bought container into a simple rectangular bowl}
{the best part about the Sauza Sparkling Maragritas is that they are all ready to go out of the bottle! No prep or mixing needed, but that doesnt mean you can jazz them up just a bit more with fresh garnishes like mint sprigs or lime/lemon wedges!}
{I love to display fresh garnishes in vintage cocktails coupes (like atthis party) and allow guests to serve themselves as they desire}
{peach mango garnished with fresh lemons, wild berry with raspberries & original margarita with mint and a lime wheel}
{this simple spread does takes some planning ahead of time, but you can have almost all these ingredients on hand in your fridge or freezer so that your next girls night in takes minimal prep time on your part- which leaves you with more time to pick out a fun outfit and spend time with your friends!}
Sauza® Sparkling Margarita is our brand new, ready-to-serve sparkling margarita. It's available
in three delicious flavors: Original Lime, Mango Peach and Wild Berry. Now you can add a little
more sparkle to your ladies' night. Connect and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Sauza® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed
herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sauza®.
.JPG)
