Happy 4th!
Entertaining and need a last-minute munchie idea? Check this out.
Or cocktail idea? Check this out.
Have fun and be sure to check back on Sunday for the first installment of "I Love These Ideas." I'll be serving lemon drop martinis and Chex Mix (come anyway).
Planning to entertain on the Fourth? I've got a drink suggestion for you. It's a cocktail I created by modifying and combining a few other recipes.
Crush about a handful of blueberries in about a teaspoon of sugar (use a fork to mash them in a bowl).
Place them at the bottom of a glass.
Add crushed ice and pour some raspberry-flavored vodka over the ice. (Add a little fresh squeezed lemon to the vodka).
Top with crushed raspberries.
My friend Marianne and I consider ourselves connoisseurs of martinis
... because that's just a nicer word than some others we could come up with. And we like to experiment. Marianne bests me more often than not, mostly because she makes a really strong drink. And the speed at which your tongue becomes numb is one of the criteria we use in judging a cocktail.
But this was my invention and we thought it was quite tasty. We toyed with different names. The Firecracker...The Red, White, and Blue...The Patriot. In the end we settled for: Gimme a nuther of that little drinkie-poo, wouldja?
You can also make a non-alcohol version; just substitute Sprite or another clear soda (or pop, if you live in the South) for the vodka. Yummy!
It's the Fourth of July in just three days. You know what that means: It means today is the First of July.
And it means you better hurry up and break out your red, white and blue if you're going to be ready for the festivities.
Here are some folks who sell their wares on Etsy who can help:
Aren't these Fourth of July cupcake picks great? They're $2.50 for a set of six.
Fourth of July vintage glassware by George Briard. $29 for six. They'd look even better with lemonade in them.
If you are a size 7 you must, and I do mean must, buy these vintage 1950s De Liso red, white and blue pumps. Who'll be cuter than you if you wear these on the Fourth? Nobody, that's who. Only $45.
I'm loving this vintage style flag garland. It's $17.50 for 10.5 feet. Wouldn't that look great draped across a porch? Or your shoulders?
And finally...this bow and headband. It's $11.99. I don't think the kid is included, but you could always ask.
My cousin is adopting a baby boy from Vietnam and her shower was this weekend. She received a lot of lovely gifts both for her new baby and for children at the orphanage in Vietnam.
There are two things you should know about this shower: One is that I won first-place in the getting-to-know-the-guests game. It's some sort of point of pride with me to win and I often do...even if I have to trample, push or otherwise horrify complete strangers to do it.
(For example: You know that game where you get to steal clothespins or bracelets that guests have collected if you get them to say the bride or mom-to-be's name? Here's how to win: Walk up to a stranger, introduce yourself and then say nothing else.
In an attempt to fill the awkward silence, the woman will inevitably say: So, how do you know (insert bride or mom-to-be's name)? Then you rip the bracelets or clothespins off the person, scream "Loser!" and run away. It's a great way to win...and to get to know people.)
Anyway, the second thing you should know about this party: There were a few great baby shower ideas:
Embolden Design threw a big party last week, which was fitting because the web development, design and consulting firm in Pawtucket, RI, was celebrating a big anniversary (its 10th...which is like a century in the web world, considering how young the industry is), and it was celebrating in a big place.
Embolden lives in a brick mill building in Pawtucket that has attracted artists and small businesses. The wooden floors are scarred from the years of manufacturing work that was done there, the windows are upwards of 10 feet and the ceilings, 15 feet.
Embolden (which, in the interest of full disclosure, is owned by my sister Ann-Marie) occupies about 4,500 square feet of the mill. So, how to decorate such a large space for a party? The answer: Keep it simple. And keep the scale grand.
We hung about 40 16-inch white paper lanterns from the ceiling. We selected white so they'd pop against the orange walls of the space. The idea was to create drama and to visually lower the ceiling in such a tall space.
We also asked Flowerthyme in Wakefield, RI, (as it turns out, related to me in no way) to create several large arrangements - about four feet tall - so they wouldn't get lost in the space. Flowerthyme incorporated blooming branches, birds of paradise (for their orange) and white lilacs.
The result: An office space that looked elegant and festive.
Plus, there was booze and the food was terrific. It was catered by More Than a Meal Catering, which is run by Amos House, a social service agency that helps the poor and homeless of RI. The money the catering business makes is used to do good. I highly recommend using More Than a Meal, both for their professionalism and tasty treats.
Another neat thing about the party: Embolden, which primarily works with nonprofit organizations and community foundations, did a takeoff on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and instead gave away a prize of a "Radical Makeover: RI Nonprofit Edition" to a nonprofit whose name was drawn from a raffle. (Nothing beats doing well and doing good at the same time.)
The grand prize, worth more than $20,000, includes a new or redesigned website by Embolden and marketing, communications, and financial consultations contributed by various companies and an office makeover by At Home Redesigns (my business) and Consignments Ltd., a home furnishings consignments store in Wakefield, RI, that my friend Marianne owns.
The winner, Options Magazine, happens to be in the same mill building as Embolden and should be a lot of fun to redesign. I'll keep you posted.
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