Well Traveled Cakes

I didn't want to have a store bought menu for my cross country baby shower but I also didn't want to spend my time in Boston cooking or baking. I needed food that could be made ahead of time and travel well in a suitcase. Oh and I also wanted it to be pretty.

I decided to bake three bundt cakes because they freeze well and are dense enough to handle a bit of shaking. They can also sit on a counter for a few days without becoming stale if you keep them wrapped.You can also serve them with or without frosting, depending on if you need to hide any cracks.

 Mother helped me bake all three cakes a week before the baby shower. It took us all afternoon, but there is no way I could have been as efficient in my small kitchen. We had plenty of room to spread out at her house. Mom wrapped them in freezer paper after they were cooled and stored them in her freezer until right before I left for the airport. I transported them in individual cake carriers padded with shredded paper. Fortunately my cakes survived the flight in my checked bag without any issue!

The recipes I used are perfect if you need to bake ahead. They lived in the freezer for four days and then on a countertop in Boston for two days before the shower. None of the cakes dried out or crumbled. All three recipes turned out delicious, but the most popular was the apple cream cheese cake. The chocolate cherry cake had a funny texture on the outside, but still tasted good. I also mistakenly bought cherry juice infused dried cranberries instead of dried cherries. And the sour cream pumpkin cake is super easy to make and is perfect for any occasion this season.

We had plenty of food with the three cakes, two bags of grapes, and a double batch of brownies for the 25ish guests who attended. There was enough variety that everyone found something to enjoy, but not so much variety that I (or the food table) was overwhelmed.

What do y'all like to serve at showers? This isn't the first event at which we have served bundt cakes. They are just so pretty!

Hosting a Baby Shower Across the Country

I recently had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower with my sister-in-law for our cousin and her wife. However, this wasn't your typical baby shower; it took place in Boston, with most of the planning happening in New Hampshire and Florida. The theme of this baby shower was "easy going decor that travels well."

The mothers to be decided wait to find out the baby's gender, so we went with fall purple and green. I couldn't help myself so I threw in a bit of champagne glitter as well. Considering only one part of the shower was glittery, I think I showed great restraint. I doubt the carpet where all the excess glitter landed agrees.

Since the shower was being held in our cousin's apartment in Boston (which was actually quite spacious!), I knew space would be more limited than what I am used to when planning showers. I decided to stick to a festive food table and a paper banner for where the gifts would be opened. I didn't want to deal with buying craft supplies in Boston so everything had to fit into checked luggage without breaking.

The flowers were sent by a wonderful friend who couldn't make it, considering she had recently moved to Australia. I can't take credit for how beautiful the arrangement looks as my only contribution was sharing the color scheme of the table.

The cakes, chargers, napkins, forks, and plates traveled with me in my suitcase. My sister-in-law provided the brownies and the serving bowl and platter were part of our cousin's collection. I added in grapes at the last minute in case people wanted something slightly less sugary.

My sister-in-law organized the onesie decorating as a way to entertain the guests. She provided onesies of various sizes, paint pens, and cardboard rectangles to keep the paint from bleeding through. She also framed a cute sign explaining the project, but I forgot to get a picture of it! The was actually very popular with most of the guests, so I definitely recommend this idea for anyone hosting a shower with men and women.

The banner turned out really cute, if I do say so myself. It doesn't exactly go with the table decor, but the colors are complimentary and the rooms were somewhat separate. I almost went with a peacock feather and sparkly purple theme but changed my mind at the last minute. The nursery has a western theme and I wanted the banner to coordinate in case they wanted to keep it.

I have a few tips for anyone who finds themselves hosting an event across the country. First, ask for help! I could not have done it without my sister-in-law. She was able to take care of all the heavy beverages since she lives within driving distance of the city. And it made a huge difference in the planning that I could count on her to figure out all the details for the onesie decorating activity.

It is also more economical to host the event at someone's home; I don't think anyone thought our choice of location was odd or tacky due to out of town hosts. However, this is not the time to leave who is hosting off the invitation. The invitation clearly stated that we were hosting so nobody thought the mothers to be were having their own party.

I am so happy I decided to keep the decor and menu simple. I was able to do all the DIY in Florida, which made set up super easy. I think I worked for maybe three hours total setting everything up over the course of two days. That left a lot of time for visiting, which is far more important than Pinterest worthy tablescapes. Not having to place food orders over the phone and then either relying on delivery or trying to pick up the order in an unfamiliar location also kept the event low stress. And everyone loves homemade desserts! The theme of the week is baby shower, so stay tuned for more info.

How to Host: An Ice Cream Social

A couple of weekends ago, I threw an ice cream social for all of our friends to say goodbye to summer!  I thought this would be a great way to have an inexpensive party, but I didn't realize it would be so low stress!  We held the party from 2:00 - 4:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon.  This allowed Mr. 3 and I to go to church in the morning and also spend some time together post-party.  We had a great time visiting with our friends and enjoying our delicious ice cream.  I only spent about $65 for 10 or 12 people and it was by far the easiest party I've ever thrown.

The Decor

I went back and forth a lot with a whole bunch of ideas on how to dress up the apartment.  I debated everything from weaving streamers and attaching it to the ceiling to creating a whole backdrop like you see at those fancy pants weddings.  BUUUUT most of the ideas seemed way too ambitious and the backdrop would have been expensive to do up right.  So, I decided to work with what I had and focus on serving better quality ice cream instead.  I used my oh-so-perfect-for-my-red-and-gold-chairs table cloth and my existing mish mash of clear glass cake plates and glassware.  I lined each cake plate with a doily leftover from my wedding.  I already had the spoons leftover from Bible study and I had picked up the straws and napkins earlier in the summer from Home Goods (it's always a good idea to nab these things when you see them if you like them!).  I found Meri Meri ice cream cups at Sur la Table on clearance for $3.50 when I went to the cooking class with Mr. 3.

The Food

Ohhhhhh the ice cream!  A few years ago, Mr. 3 found this wonderful roadside ice cream shop called the Moo-Thru in the middle of nowhere Virginia.  If you are local, it's the big red barn looking thing on the side of 29 South in Remington, VA.  It is hands down, the best ice cream I've EVER had in my life.  I wish I could find stronger words to tell you how much I looooove this ice cream.  The Moo-Thru is owned by dairy farmers who live right down the street and all the milk for the ice cream comes from their own cows.  The whipped cream is REAL and they also sell milk in glass jugs (it's the way God and nature intended milk to be...where the cream rises to the top and you have to shake it to blend it in).  Everything there will put the fat on your butt.  HOWEVER, unlike other ice creams, this is worth the extra zumba time.

Now that you have a better understanding of the yumminess of the Moo-Thru, you can see why I would spend $35 on 4 quarts of ice cream - pumpkin, strawberry, cookies and cream, and cinnamon.

For toppings, I bought REAL whipped cream (sadly, in the can from Trader Joe's and not from the Moo-Thru), caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, Magic Shell (a must!) maraschino cherries, sprinkles, toasted coconut (leftover from another dish), mini Reese's, M&Ms and crushed Oreos, Heath Bar, and Snickers.  All of the candy, except for the M&Ms, came from fun-sized bags that are sold at Halloween.  The M&Ms were from a larger one pound bag because I knew I needed more M&Ms than the fun size bags or the regular sized bags they sell at check out and it was also cheaper.  I bought a six-pack of root beer for floats and I also made a batch of brownies for sundaes using a mix (which was the only thing I cooked for this party).

The Set Up

Mr. 3 picked up the ice cream on his way back from a business trip and I made the brownies the night before the party.  Mr. 3 also cut up all the chocolate candies while we took a break from cleaning the apartment.   We filled up the small bowls with the crushed candies and covered them with Press & Seal before throwing them in the fridge.  Everything else was set-up the day of the party.  Because we had to worry about the ice cream melting, I put out the toppings about 15 minutes before guests arrived and didn't put out the ice cream until we had 3-4 guests.  I kept the ice cream, soda, and whipped cream in a beverage bucket loaded with ice to keep these items cool.

Since this was a laid back Sunday afternoon party, I just let people hang out where they pleased.  We had plenty of room and seating (especially with the addition of my new chairs!).  I also made the ice cream self-serve.  I didn't want to scoop and I also didn't want anyone to feel awkward about asking for more scoops.

Tips & Ticks to Take Away

1. Serve high quality ice cream.  Unfortunately, not everyone has a Moo-Thru, but many towns have a local ice cream store of some kind.  Take advantage of it if they offer homemade.  The trick is to serve something that you aren't likely to find at a children's birthday party (I'm looking at you huge vat of store-brand Neapolitan in a bucket!).  I've also noticed at the grocery stores around here that there is a huge variety of ice cream from small, almost "craft" style brands.  Serve those instead of the generic or mainstream brands.

2.  Spice it up. Serve a couple of "safety" flavors with a few odd balls thrown in, but don't serve plain vanilla or chocolate.

3.  Check your candy prices, because this is where you can turn an inexpensive party into a pricey ordeal.  For me, chopping up the fun sized bags was the way to go.  Not only did I have enough for the party, but I saved the leftover crushed bits to throw into cookies for Bible study aaaaand I had enough wrapped candy leftover to hand out at Halloween.  Also, go to Target or Walmart.  The prices are so much better than the grocery store or drug store.

4.  Offer variations for people to make more than just a scoop of ice cream with some toppings thrown in.  My brownies and floats were a big hit!  Other options might be banana splits or cookies (who doesn't love a chipwich?).  Offering brownies or cookies also gives people who might have lactose intolerance something to eat while everyone else spoons up some ice cream.  If you want to turn it up a notch, why not serve boozy milkshakes?  You'll have to stand by the blender for the first few minutes, but people rarely eat more than one sundae, milkshake, split, etc. so you won't have to worry about manning the blender the whole time.

5. After the first round of ice cream gets served, put it back in your freezer so it doesn't melt.  Make sure to announce that people can go for seconds or thirds, but you just put it away to keep it cold.

6.  Borrow scoops from friends so no one has to wait for the one scoop in order to dish up their ice cream.

7.  If possible, send people home with an insulated bag with leftover ice cream.  Leftover ice cream is dangerous.  It only takes one bad day at work and a quick glance in the freezer for an ice cream binge to happen.  We sent one guest home with two flavors.

8.  Keep water on hand either in a pretty pitcher or small water bottles.  WHY does ice cream make people so thirsty?

This party was so fun and easy to plan.  Besides cleaning and shopping for toppings, we really only had to bake the brownies and chop up the candy.  Everyone had a great time and really enjoyed the ice cream.  I know this seems like its only good for a summer party and fall is definitely upon us, but have you ever gotten a craving for ice cream in the dead of winter?  It's so weird, but it does happen.  THEN, there are those people who will happily walk around with a double dipped cone while there is snow on the ground (the Chancellor of my undergrad was well-known for doing this).  With that in mind, I could totally see this being a very fun halfway to summer party!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

How to Host: An Office Baby Shower

At my regular 9-5, I was recently asked to help out with throwing a baby shower for a male co-worker.  In the past, the office has taken up a collection, given the parents-to-be a gift card, had some cake, and called it a day.  This time around, word on the street was that the couple needed a lot of help getting ready for the baby's arrival.  Sooooo, I put on on my party planning hat and suggested that we throw a real baby shower with some decorations and lots of  necessary, useful, and helpful gifts to open.  We usually invite the wives, so I figured if she was going to trek over in the nasty D.C. summer swamp-like conditions with only 2 weeks to go (eeks!), the least we could do was make it worthwhile.

The biggest consideration in planning an office baby shower is that your boss and male co-workers will be in attendance.  This is NOT the time for women to trade war stories about their birthing experiences.  Secondly, if you are hosting your office baby shower on company grounds/property, you probably won't be able to decorate quite as much...so scale way back from the bajillion shower ideas you've seen floating around Pinterest!  Otherwise, here are a few of the do's and don'ts for hosting a successful office baby shower!

Posh Purpose Do's and Don'ts for Office Baby Showers  

1. DON'T play shower games.  I hate shower games to begin with, but they are usually completely inappropriate for work.  Also, while your boss may be willing to take time from the work day to celebrate a co-worker's pending bundle of joy, he/she may view games as a waste of company time.  Or, like in my case, my boss would rather throw himself off the Key Bridge than play a shower game.

2. DO take up a collection for the gift (as long as company policy doesn't prohibit it) and make sure to buy items off the couple's registry or baby care items that you know they can use (diapers, shampoo, wipes, etc).  Let each employee make an individual decision on what they are comfortable contributing rather than saying each person they must contribute X number of dollars.  You don't want to alienate co-workers who can't afford to donate and to be honest, who would want to fork over a mandatory contribution for a co-worker they can't stand?  Also, try to pick a theme of gifts to buy so that they aren't getting a bunch of random junk.  For my co-worker, we knew they had been gifted a crib, but didn't have any other bedding items.  So, we purchased the crib mattress, mattress pad/cover, and two crib sheets.  We didn't have enough money left after those purchases to buy another big ticket item, so we used the last of the funds to buy diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream.

3. DON'T buy anything related to nursing (i.e. breast pumps, nipple cream, modesty covers, etc).  Chances are you will have at least one male in attendance and you don't want to make him squeamish.  In addition to an assortment of male co-workers, my boss and two of the three managers are male.  They most certainly do not want to think about a female co-worker or an employee's wife and her future lactation efforts.

4.  DO wrap each item separately so there is more to open.  Also, try to match the wrapping paper to the decor if you can manage it.  The overall presentation will be much better and the pile of gifts will add to the decor, especially if your decorating budget is small, your office space limits the amount of decorating you  can do, or your office space isn't worth decorating (hello nasty outdated fluorescent light bulbs and cube farms).

Aqua + Pink = OK!

5. DO make sure everyone signs a card to send the couple and baby best wishes.  Gifts are wonderful, but a card gives the employees who couldn't afford to contribute to the gift collection a chance to show their support and participate in the office event.

6. DO ask the bakers in your office to bring a baked good in to share at the shower rather than spending part of the gift donations on cake and other refreshments.  A baby is coming people!  Another set of diapers for the new parents is waaay more important than you eating fancy cake.  Depending on your office size, 5 types of treats should be plenty.  We have less than 20 people in our office, but 6 people provided a lemon pie, fresh fruit, mini cupcakes, an assortment of tea cookies, a homemade candy, and raspberry brownies (check back this afternoon for my super easy and inexpensive recipe!).

7. DON'T have a super feminine shower theme if your co-worker is expecting a girl.  Men tend to be uncomfortable around too much pink and lace.  I suggest brightly colored and coordinating tablecloths, plates, and napkins.  You can still use pink, but be sure to add in other colors like yellow, green, blue, aqua, or purple.  I recommend the Spritz line at Target - cheap and cute!  Polka dots, stripes, chevron, and plaid are all fun and festive without being too girly!

We went with multi-colored polka dots!

8. DO use what you already have in your party pantry.  Since we host a lot of shin digs, I'm always picking up paper napkins and plates.  I dug through my party pantry (i.e. the useless cabinet above my apartment refrigerator) and found paper goods to go with the event.  If you  have absolutely nothing to work with, find a coupon and head to Michael's craft store.  They usually have a variety of party wear to choose from for all sorts of occasions!

Plates are from HomeGoods and napkins are from Michael's

9. DO find flowers for the mother-to-be to enjoy at the shower and take home with her (if you can manage it).  This wasn't something I was able to accomplish for my shower.  I couldn't figure out how to transport the gifts, food, and flowers on the metro without having a nervous breakdown.  I think this is an especially lovely touch for any type shower, but especially for all the pretty mamas-to-be.  Not only will the flowers jazz up the shower, no one will feel the need to send flowers after the baby is born  (added bonus, the mama will likely enjoy the flowers much more before the baby is born than after when she is sleep deprived).  These do NOT have to be expensive blooms.  First, ask your co-workers if they have any flowers growing in their yards, as they would obviously be free.  I know when I worked at a bank in college, there were some very lovely ladies who had very lovely peonies and hydrangeas growing in their yards.  My next suggestion would be to look for the cheapest flowers in season.  If I had been able to transport flowers, I would have gone with sunflowers ($3.99 for 3 huge stems!) or carnations (always cheap!).  Don't bother spending money on a vase - wash out a pasta sauce jar!  If you are pressed for time, the Dollar Tree always, always has vases.  

10. DO play soft music in the background (if you have access to the appropriate music and a way to play it).  Invariably, you are going to have awkward pauses in conversation at an office event, so it's a good idea to have some type of noise to mask the awkwardness.  Playing upbeat music (softly!) is a way to distract and detract from any moments when the room goes dead silent (which usually happens right before someone says something completely inappropriate just to fill the silence!).  Find an elevator music or oldies radio station as they won't offend most people in the office. 

That's it for our Posh Purpose How to Host Tips!  Sorry I don't have more photos to share Posh Purpose readers!  I got sick the day of the shower and I had to leave before the party (blogger fail).  I can tell you that all my planning and the help of some wonderful co-workers made it a great success!  Not only was the father completely appreciative, but my boss dropped by my office to tell me it was the nicest office event he has attended!

Patio Party: Italian Twist

Mr. 3 and I decided to throw a Patio Party this pasty weekend for our two friends AnnaMarie and Max.  We've been out of town a lot of over the last month and we've missed out on seeing them!  I didn't want to spend a ton of time cooking, so I followed our easy formula for throwing a Patio Party that we outlined in our last Patio Party post: 

Posh Purpose Patio Party Formula

1 Cocktail

2 Savory Appetizers

1 Sweet Treat

I decided to do an Italian theme with a twist.  My menu included peach and mozzarella bruschetta, antipasti platter (consisting of kalamata olives, brie, and grape leaves all from Whole Foods), and mini cannolis and cookies (also from Whole Foods).  For the cocktail, I mixed tequila, limoncello, and blood orange soda together which were all items I had on hand.  While we were sitting around I went back to the fridge and grabbed some ranier cherries that I were afraid would go bad before I got a chance to eat them all.  While the cherries weren't in the original plan, they were a great addition that I needed to use up anyways.  Here are a few pics from our party:

Arthur Court Tray for $2!  Napkin from World Market

Yummmmm crostini!

Serving up the cherries in the berry colander

Notice my Georges Briard Cheese Tray - only $2!

The patio party was super easy to execute.  I used a french baguette to make crostini for the peach and mozzarella bruschetta (which just involved cutting and dousing with olive oil and vinegar).  I also made enough to have leftovers to take for lunch at work.  Everything else was purchased from Whole Foods  (leftover grape leaves also made a tasty work lunch this week!).  Soooo, I spent next to no time slaving in the kitchen, BUT I made a really interesting dish that probably hadn't been served before and I bought prepared foods from a tasty source.  Our friends came over around 2:30 and stayed for a few hours.  It was nice to catch up!  If you want to check out our first patio party, feel free to read up here.  Anyone else throwing a fun and small get together?  Share below!

Introducing Patio Parties!

I dearly love a good party, but sometimes it's nice to just have a small get together.  For the next How to Host Series, we're going to be introducing Patio Parties!  The idea behind a patio party is to have 4-6 people over to sit outside and enjoy the weather.  Briana and I have come up with a simple formula to keep costs down and the work to a minimum so you can enjoy your time hanging out with friends.  Let's get started!

Posh Purpose Patio Party Formula

1 Cocktail

2 Savory Appetizers

1 Sweet Treat

To start, pick out an easy to make cocktail with the alcohol you already have available.  For me, I had some boxed wine that I didn't care for and a bottle of sangria mix that I bought from Williams-Sonoma on clearance a few weeks ago (even though it was on clearance, it wasn't expired yet).  I also threw some frozen strawberries in to keep the drink cool and add some extra flavor.  

For food, pick two savory appetizers and one sweet treat.  To make it really easy on yourself, make two of the three from store bought goods and devote your time towards one really great dish.  Bonus points if you don't have to turn the oven on!  Mr. 3 found a great deal on baby back ribs so we served those with store bought mini cornbread loaves.  I also grabbed a bag of peanuts in the shell.  Finally, I made a slab pie with store bought crust, blueberry pie filling, and fresh blueberries.

Invite your guests over around 2 or 3 PM - you won't have to make a ton of food like would you for lunch or dinner which will keep costs down and the event casual.

I hosted my first patio party a few weeks ago and it was a big hit!  Here are a few snapshots from the patio party:

Rather than making a huge formal flower arrangement, I bought $9 worth of gerbera daisies and just plunked them down in a pitcher.  I used paper plates and napkins from Target and Home Goods and I topped off my table with a retro table square I bought a few weeks ago.

We'll be sharing more patio parties as the summer goes on!  Anyone else done any great entertaining lately?  If not, consider throwing an impromptu patio party this weekend!

Posh Purpose: Styling a Bud Vase

In yesterday's post on How to Host: Holiday Potluck, I told y'all I made five small flower arrangements using two thrift store bud vases, two promotional glasses that came with some lemoncello I purchased at Christmas, and an old candle jar.  Here's a tutorial on how I made my bud vase arrangements:

Supplies

- 4 bud vases and one smaller, short container for flowers that don't have very long stems or ones that are broken off.  An old jelly jar or candle jar would be perfect, just scrub off any non-attractive labeling (i.e. nutritional information).

- Scissors for cutting and trimming flowers (I just used some regular office scissors)

- 3 types of flowers - all small to medium sized blooms (one fluffy medium sized, one fluffy small sized, and one non-fluffy bloom)

For the flowers, I went over to Safeway and picked up one bunch of lavender pom poms (fluffy medium sized), pink and white mini-carnations (fluffy small sized), and yellow tulips (non-fluffy bloom).  The pom poms were the base for the flowers and the carnations and tulips were used as accents and fillers.  Although I love big flowers, you are going to have more trouble arranging large bloom flowers in a bud vase because (1) if it's a hydrangea for instance, it's going to take up the entire vase and (2) the weight of the flower might cause the vase to actually tip over.  

You can pick flowers that work with your color scheme in your dining or living room, the theme (i.e. pastels for spring), have lots of contrast (like my arrangements), and you can never go wrong with all white.  Also, look for flowers that will give you the most bang for your buck.  I believe the huge bunch of pom poms was $4.99.  Although I could have bought a ton of mini carnations at about $2 each, they don't have as much volume as the pom poms.  The tulips were the most expensive at 10 stems for $5.99, but they are my favorite flower and I love the contrast with the other two colors. 

Since our event wasn't until Sunday, I bought my flowers on a Friday and made sure to look for carnations and tulips that were still mostly closed.  I wanted to arrange them ahead of time because I found out that Safeway's last shipment of flowers for the week comes on Fridays and since it was Easter, I worried about them selling out of the best looking flowers if I waited until Saturday night.  Ask your florist when their shipments come in so you can always get the best selection, but try not to buy them more than 48 hours in advance of the event.  Also, make sure to arrange them immediately so that the flowers have time to open up and don't get dehydrated.

Beautiful blooms and my two lemoncello glasses to the right

I followed similar steps that I described in my post on styling low flower arrangements.  Start by putting some powdered plant food in each container (flowers usually have a packet attached to each bunch, but you can also ask the floral department for a packet or two if you don't see any attached), but hold off adding water until the end.  Water is much easier to put in than trying to sprinkle the food packet into a vase once the flowers are in it.

I cut the flowers down to fit the depth of the vases and stripped them of all their leaves (leaves below the water line make for short lived flowers and really yucky cloudy water).  For bud vases, it's nice for the flowers to have different heights, so don't cut everything the same length.  Start with your fluffiest flowers first, in my case - pom poms, and divvy them among your four bud vases so that they all appear to have the same amount of flowers.  Obviously some flowers will have bigger blooms, so just counting them out evenly won't work in this situation.  Next, layer in your smaller fluffy flower, I used mini carnations, to start filling in gaps.  Finally, use your non-fluffy flower to add pops of color or extra interest to your arrangement and fill in any final gaps, I used tulips.  Arrange the flowers so the center of the arrangement is the tallest point and it gradually gets shorter on the sides.  For example, you wouldn't want a really tall flower positioned on the wall of the bud vase because the arrangement will look lopsided.  Save tall blooms for the center.  You will probably wind up with flowers too short to fit in your bud vases, so arrange them in your small jelly jar or candle container for a really low arrangement.  This is a really easy way to get one more arrangement and since it is so small, it doesn't take any real skill to arrange it.  For our holiday potluck, I put mine in the bathroom.

Not only do I arrange flowers, I also fold laundry...and then leave it in the background of my styling posts as evidence.

Candle jar flower arrangement using leftover blooms

Bud vases are super easy to arrange, but there are a few things to keep in mind.  For the most part, bud vases look really bad with only a few scrawny flowers in them, so they still need lots of flowers to fill them in.  Second, make sure you have very little stem showing at the top of your bud vase.  It will look more like a professionally done flower arrangement when you place blooms to strategically cover up the stems at both the top of the bud vase and throughout the arrangement to cover up the taller stems in the center.  Also, don't make them too tall, you'll risk toppling them over and if you use them as a table centerpiece it may be hard to see around once everyone is seated.

View from the top...looks like loads of flowers!

After I finished arranging the flowers, I went back and added lukewarm water to the vases (just take your index finger and hold the stems to one side while the faucet is running.  You'll get water all over the vase, but it's much easier to dry it off than to try to find a spot to pour water into each vase.).  You don't want to shock the flowers with cold water, it would be like throwing yourself under a cold shower.   Post-party, keep an eye on your water levels to lengthen the life of your arrangements.  I refilled my vases twice over the past 11 days that I've had them and they are still going strong!

Bud vases are an extremely affordable way to put flowers on your table that still have a big impact.  I only spent $13.74 on these arrangements and I put them all over the apartment to really brighten up the space for our potluck.  I really think it's these small touches that really elevate your party...even if it is a potluck in a young married couples apartment.  It shows that you put time and thought into making a beautiful event for you and your guests to enjoy.  Creating your own arrangements using the containers you already have and using grocery store flowers makes this a super affordable upgrade for any party.  Anyone else tried a bud vase arrangement?  Let us in on any secret tips you have!

How to Host: Holiday Potluck

Mr. 3 and I hosted an Easter Potluck for our young married couples Bible study group.  I like the idea of a potluck for a holiday event so the pressure isn't on just one person or family to supply all the goods.  We invited fewer people to this event  because I wanted to have a place for everyone to sit and enjoy their Easter meal rather than stand around trying not to let deviled eggs roll off their plate.  We also scheduled it for 2 PM so that we all had time to get to church at 9:30 and then go home and finish cooking our dishes.  We had a great time visiting and eating with all our friends!  I think a potluck is great for any special holiday meal.

The Decor

We hosted 10 people so I busted out all the dishes in my cabinets for this shin dig, using my everyday white from Williams-Sonoma and Mr. 3's grandmother's china for the place settings and appetizer plates, my blue crystal from Villeroy and Boch, and some clear pressed glass plates for dessert.  We used navy blue (Williams Sonoma, but purchased at the Leesburg Outlet) and grey cloth napkins (World Market) and I had enough silverware to cover all our needs.  I used a tablecloth from Target in a pretty robin's blue and I used my table throw that I got during spring break to cover the coffee table. 

Mr. 3's Grandma's China

I don't like tons of Easter themed decorations, so I limited myself to one bunny shaped dip spreader and a pack of yellow paper napkins from Sur la Table for the appetizers.  

Mr. 3 and I dyed Easter eggs on Friday night, so I put down a layer of Easter grass in my crystal Tiffany bowl and arranged the eggs for a centerpiece on our dining room table.

I also spent a grand whopping total of $13.74 (!!!!) to make five flower arrangements using the bud vases I picked up from the Fort Myer Thrift Shop a few weekends ago, two promotional glasses I got with a Christmas time purchase of lemoncello, and an old candle jar that I was using to store my makeup brushes (stay tuned for a Posh Purpose tutorial on arranging bud vase flowers).  I place one on each table in the apartment and the candle jar arrangement in the bathroom.  I also lit a grapefruit scented candle and put some pink paper guest towels in the bathroom.

The only decor items I bought for the party were the eggs and food coloring, the Easter grass, the flowers, the napkins, and the bunny spreader.

The Food

Obviously, since this was a potluck there was a whole lot less cooking going on up in my kitchen for this party.  That said, I wanted to make sure that Mr. 3 and I got our favorite Easter foods, so I made a two key lime pies, lemon coconut cake with sour cream frosting, green salad or fluffy stuff (my mama's recipe...it's the Cool Whip and lime jello kind y'all....not the lettuce and carrots kind),  and deviled eggs.  I kept the appetizers simple, just picking up some pre-made pimento cheese for Ritz crackers and brie from Trader Joe's.

If you are going to host a potluck, I highly recommend that you prepare the meat and the bread.  I certainly wouldn't want to try to transport a turkey, chicken, pork tenderloin, or in our case, a spiral ham, if I were a guest at a potluck.  Spiral cut ham is one of my new favorite entertaining meats...it's already cooked so it only requires reheating and you can buy them pre-seasoned like I did so you literally wrap it in tin foil and throw it in the oven.  I would recommend purchasing a disposable aluminum pan no matter what meat you prepare.  You can put the carved meat on a serving platter so it looks nicer and pitch the pan.  We timed it so that the meat would be finished heating about 30 mins after everyone arrived.  Also, I like a nice warm biscuit over a room temp or cold one any day, so I threw some Grands canned biscuits in the oven after everyone had arrived so they would be nice and warm (my great Aunt Margaret who got up everyday on the farm to fix a meal for her family said she started sleeping later once Grands got invented...so I figure it's good enough for me too!).

Our wonderful friends brought green beans, asparagus, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, cornbread pudding, and some really cute cake pops in the shape of chicks.

As a final fun treat, I set up a mini candy bar on my bar cart with Peeps, rainbow Twizzlers, easter M&Ms, Sweetart jelly beans, mini Snickers, mini Reese's eggs, and mini Cadbury eggs.  I didn't buy anything for the candy bar besides the candy itself.  I used a bit of leftover Easter grass from my egg centerpiece, I already had the cellophane bags and ties, and the fuzzy chick was in my Easter basket. 

For drinks, I served Simply Lemonade (which is the best kind in my personal opinion), white wine, and beer.   Post-meal I made coffee using my Nespresso for anyone who wanted it.

The Set Up

Because we live in an apartment, I had to get creative with the seating.  I put some guests around the dining table and the rest around the coffee table in the living room.  I managed to put 5 people at each table using my dining chairs and the couch and bench in the living room.  I also put all the food in the kitchen for serving and I used my awesome, truly awesome food warmer trays for the first time (you can read about them here and here) for people to put their dishes on when they arrived.  They kept all the food warm for the whole party!  Like all my parties, I offered everyone a drink when they first arrived, but after that I kept it self service (minus the Nespresso) so I didn't have to play bartender all day.

After people had eaten, I immediately began portioning out the leftover food in some cheap disposable containers from Target and Ziplock baggies.  I loaded the dishwasher as I went.  There was far far less clean up involved with this potluck than our other parties.  Mr. 3 and I were able to clean up everything in about 45 minutes after everyone left.

Tips & Tricks to Take Away

1. Use what you have for decor and servingware.  If you find gaps, hit up Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Target, or World Market.  They have the best prices and the most diversified selection.  If you have time, check out your local thrift store.  My warming trays, table throw, bud vases, and a few pieces of servingware all came from the thrift store.  Also, a lot of stores start marking down their decor items a few days before the holiday, so you can pick up some themed items for much cheaper.  I bought my bunny spreader and yellow paper napkins for 50% off the day before Easter.  Finally, check  your closet for unused wedding gifts.  Now is the perfect time to break them out...didn't you register for them because you thought you might use them for a special occasion one day?  

2.  Use cloth napkins, tablecloths, china, and glassware.  Try to have a seat for everyone because it can be difficult to eat an entire meal standing up.

3.  Put fresh flowers out.  Bud vases are a very affordable way to add some fresh flowers to your table without breaking the bank  (I only spent $13.74!).  You can get creative like I did by repurposing drinking glasses and old candle jar containers to make small arrangements if you don't have bud vases.  I used cheerful spring blossoms that complimented my colors but didn't match anything 100%.  My flowers were still going strong over a week later!

3. Mix up your food.  Signature dishes should be made from scratch (i.e. my key lime pie...which is one of the reasons Mr. 3 fell in love with me), but appetizers and bread can definitely be store bought.  For holiday potlucks, it's important to make the dishes you enjoy and associate with family recipes or childhood memories.  Guests can bring dishes that you don't have an emotional attachment to like sides.  ALSO, be sure to let you guests know (via Evite or email) what dishes you will be making and offer a menu of suggestions so your guests aren't stumped by what to bring.  Be sure to request that they commit to which dish they will provide with their RSVP so that they won't bring the same dish as anyone else.

4. Divvy up your leftovers and send them home with people in plastic containers.  Get those extra calories out of your house as fast as possible!

Don't think this is just a guide for Easter...you can easily implement these ideas for other occasions.  I think Cinco de Mayo would be super fun or 4th of July.  Why not have a more formal potluck dinner party?  It doesn't always have to be tacos and margaritas or hot dogs and hamburgers served on a paper plate. Anyone else hosting a potluck anytime soon?  Let us know your tips below!

Posh Purpose DIY: Tea Party Favor

I hope you got a chance to read our How to Host: A Tea Party! and our tutorial on styling a low flower arrangement.  I wanted to share with you the super easy DIY favor I gave to the girls I invited over.  I wanted a cute tea party themed favor, but I also wanted to be something useful and also something that my friends probably didn't have.  I found these tea bag rests at World Market for $1.99 each and I had a 20% off coupon, so I got them for $1.59 each (plus tax) for a total of $7.95 (plus tax) for favors for 4 guests and myself.

I decided to glam them up a bit using some leftover Martha Stewart glass paint from my painted jewelry bowl project.  I laid down a bit of newspaper to protect my table and I cleaned up the tea rests with a bit of rubbing alcohol before washing them as well.  I drew the first initial for each girl in the center of the tea pot and then added gold details to the "pot."  I had a hard time getting some of the initials on and centered, but each time I just wiped the surface clean and started again (I waited until I had the letter placed perfected before decorating any other part of the tea rest).  I waited until the next day and then I put all the rests on a lined cookie sheet and baked them according the the Martha Stewart instructions to seal the paint.

I used the personalized tea rests to mark each girl's seat at her place setting.  Aren't they cute?

"A" is for my friend Amy!

Although I had a bit of difficulty getting the initials on straight and centered, it still only took me about 30 mins to decorate the 5 tea rests.  I'm extremely happy with how they turned out.  I'm even happier that my friends are actually using them!  I went over to one friend's house this weekend for dinner and saw that she was using it as a spoon rest on the coffee and tea station she has set up in her dining room.

Super easy, cheap, pretty, and useful...can't ask for more out of a favor!

Posh Purpose: Styling a Low Flower Arrangement

I hope y'all got a chance to check out our How to Host: Tea Party post last week.  I had a lot of fun hosting and planning for the party.  One of the "must do's" I mentioned in the article was putting out pretty fresh flowers.  As promised, here is a tutorial on how I pulled my arrangements together.

Supplies

Low, wide bowl

Tape

Scissors for cutting tape and trimming flowers

3 types of flowers - one with large blooms, one with small blooms, and one filler

You should make your arrangements the day before your event and then keep them cool (they don't need to go in the fridge, but don't set them near a heating vent or sunny window either), this will allow your flowers to open up the day of your event.  If you make the arrangement too far in advance, the flowers may start to die or wilt and if you wait to make it the day of, your flowers won't be fully blooming.  If you make your arrangement the night before, this will give the flowers time to open up and your arrangement will look super fluffy like the flowers you see in wedding magazines.  

I started out with a wide, low bowl.  Mine is from Tiffany and measures about 9.5 inches in diameter.

I then marked off the bowl with some painter's tape (shhhhh...don't tell Mr. 3, he hoards his paint tape) because I didn't like the idea of picking bits of scotch tape off the side of the bowl.  If I had to do it over again, I would probably use the scotch tape, but I would buy the cheaper frosted kind because I figure it will hold  up better than the painter's tape, but will be less likely to stick to my crystal.  I should also mention that I cut the painters tape strips in half to make them narrower.  The idea behind the tape is to prop up the flowers so you can shape your arrangement without having the stems flop all over the place.

After a quick trip to Safeway, I bought one bunch of hydrangeas (three stems - big blooms), one bunch of peach carnations (12 stems - small blooms), and one bunch of snap dragons (three stems - filler).  After you've trimmed all the stems down to fit the depth of the bowl, strip all the leaves from all the stems because if they get into the water, your arrangement gets yucky quick.  Then begin arranging by starting with your biggest blooms first.  This will help you better place your small blooms and filler.

After I had those arranged, I added in the small blooms peach carnations at various places around the bowl.  I didn't want them spread out individually all over, but I tried to group them in clusters.

Finally, I put the white snapdragons in the arrangement to fill in some of the holes and add interest to the arrangement.

Which was all fine and dandy until I realized that I hadn't purchased enough flowers and there was one hole in the arrangement.  So, I went back to the store and bought another batch of the same mix of flowers flowers.  I was just going to buy another hydrangea bunch, but then I realized I would have two extra stems just hanging out and I had one other smaller bowl that I could put flowers in for the coffee table.  After I filled in the hole with another hydrangea and a few more carnations, I poured lukewarm water into the bowl with a teapot so the petals didn't get wet or fall in the bowl (Despite what most people think, I read somewhere that lukewarm water is better for flowers.  Evidently, putting cold water on them is like pushing someone into a cold shower and it can shock them a bit.).  After I watered the arrangement, I noticed that the painter's tape had started to sag and it was hanging in the water in a few places, so I carefully snuck my hand around to pull all the tape off without disturbing the flowers.  If I had used scotch tape, I probably could have left it on the bowl and it probably wouldn't have drooped as much.

For the second arrangement (see the one on the right), I  had to use the leaves from the hydrangeas to add more filler because the second batch of carnations were much smaller and also hadn't opened up much.  Since this was a much smaller bowl, I was able to forgo taping off the grid.

I spent about $35 on making the two arrangements, but there were a lot of fun and really easy to make.  Each of the type of flowers I bought were close to the same price.  I went with hydrangeas since they gave the most bang for the buck (hydrangeas take up a lot of room in a vase or bowl!).  Carnations often get a bad rap...and they do look a little sad if you just have a few by themselves...but big bunches of carnations grouped together and packed in are a beautiful, fluffy, and cost effective alternative to roses or peonies.  Finally, the filler flower - snapdragons - were so pretty and the easiest to arrange.

I've had to remove some of the stems that died, but they are still going strong over a week later!  The flowers really made the party and I received many compliments, plus I got to enjoy them all week long.  I found it very relaxing to make the flowers and I love the results!  I wish I were one of those women who treats themselves to fresh flowers once a week, but that's a bit out of my budget.  However, we have a Easter potluck coming up and I think I will make another arrangement for that lunch.  I'm thinking I might try several small arrangements next time around.  Even though I can't have them every week, I can look forward to the times I can have fresh flowers for a special occasion.  Anyone else have any luck making flower arrangements?  Consider making your own for your next party, shower, or lunch!