And The Amazing Oscar Party Goes To...

In case you didn't know, this Sunday is the annual Academy Awards show aka the Oscars aka my personal Superbowl/ World Series/ World Cup.  I don't remember a time when I didn't watch the Oscars, it will always be the epitome of celebrity wonder & merriment for me.  Strangely enough, as obsessed as I am with the Oscars, I've never had a huge watching party.  The past couple of years I've been known to hang out with a bottle of pinot grigio and rapid fire text my friends who love this awards show as much as me.  This year I am doing an Oscar pool to select winners but still no party... maybe next year?  But if you are throwing a bash for 2012, I do have some ideas.  I did a post on Oscar party decor last year and this year I'm excited to showcase a few more options for the three main areas of a great party; food, drink and decor.  Enjoy!

#1. Food.  Just because our favorite celebs have been on a strict diet for weeks prepping for the Oscars, doesn't mean we can't enjoy some delicious indulgences!  A cute idea of making food named after the nominated movies and actors is always a party hit and this year served up a bunch of inspiration.  Try out a a fresh fruit spread (inspired by The Descendants), mini hot dogs (inspired by Moneyball), chocolate pie (inspired by The Help), and what movie awards show would be complete without popcorn?  Try this easy recipe for popcorn balls as a twist on breaking out the usual bucket of popcorn.

#2. Drink. Of course champagne is the standard drink for celebration.  But if you are looking for to toast the nominees in a flashier style, try out some fun cocktails.  Pizzazzerie posted some fun cocktail recipes, including the (Billy) Crystal Cosmo, Sweet Revenge (inspired by The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) and The Golden Era (inspired by Midnight In Paris).  Or try out the Silent Martini (inspired by The Artist) created by The Vancouver Sun.  Cheers!

#3. Decor.  Hostess With The Mostess blog never disappoints, here is this year's list of nominee printable decor.  You don't need to go all out to create a special atmosphere, as seen by Jackie Fogartie Events displayed with using popcorn buckets as flower vases or posting cute movie signs in cupcakes.  Have a great time and let the best nominee win!

Hostess With The Mostess

Jackie Fogartie Events

Things I'm Loving Right Now

#1. Polaroid Art.  Yes, you read that correctly: polaroid art.  Jersey Maids creates unique gifts from polaroids that are blowing my mind.  Such personal and creative items that have a real wow factor but are elegant enough to use again and again.  Total win. 

#2. Keeping up with non-wedding blogs.  If you are engaged, you most likely subscribe to some wedding blogs.  But, as I tell as my clients- do not allow your life to become wedding-centric.  Follow a few non-wedding blogs; a few of my favorite are The Glitter Guide (fashion/ beauty/ lifestyle), Tom and Lorenzo (celebrities/ fashion/ reality tv), A Cup of Jo (lifestyle) and my new discovery Brooklyn Fit Chick (health/ food/ fitness).  I'm putting this under my 'things I'm loving right now' post because I'm waist-deep in booking season and even as a planner my mind needs a break from weddings a few times a day.

#3. DIY that I actually want to try.  Self-admittedly non crafty as I am, it is very intimidated by seeing SO many DIY wedding posts.  These couples looked like professionals and had to have spent a lot of time perfecting so many ideas.  More recently I have seen 'easier' DIY projects that reflect the personalization aspect over the perfection aspect like this yarn chandelier from Hostess With The Mostess Blog.  My goal is to try some of these ideas and post about them on here, showcasing the good, the bad and the ugly.  If I can master a DIY project, anyone can so keep an eye out for upcoming crafty posts!

Knowing When To DIY

Personalized and cost effective are two words that come to mind when most brides decide to take on DIY projects.  In reality, "Do-ing It Yourself" can be overwhelming and stressful if you take on too much.  So how do you know what will be a great project and when should you leave it to professionals?  The main rule is to consider the actual amount of time/energy/money needed for the project.  Ask yourself if your bridesmaids available to help, can it be finished in a weekend, is this project really going to add to my wedding and are you really saving money by DIYing?  When DIY projects succeed, they are spectacular personal items with real sentiment.  On the down side, I did once see a reality tv bride stressed to the max scrambling to finish individually painting 200 mini pumpkins for her escort table the day before her wedding- who needs that hassle?

DIY items can range from decor to attire to favors to stationary.  The main areas brides should stay away from DIY are the vendors- especially forgoing professional photographers, caterers and rental companies. Any web savvy bride can find multiple DIY posts on wedding blogs each week.  Here are a few of my recent favorites.  The Wedding Chicks have a whole DIY section and frequently post on their blog DIY wedding details.  Like this post detailing how to make your own birdcage veil, this post giving instructions on how to make your own strawberry jam favors, or this post on how to create custom drop earrings.  Another one of my favorite blogs, Hostess With The Mostess, posted this floral DIY, making your own country chic decor.  This post on no sew bow ties is perfect for adding some prep from Style Me Pretty.  Last but not least, Ruffled blog showcased upcycling vases & lanterns.  Enjoy!

Source

 

Source

 

Source

Modern Take On A St Patty's Day Party

We're just about a week away from St Patrick's Day & it got me thinking about how people celebrate the Irish holiday.  The most obvious way is to head out to the bar for some green beer & Jameson (if you dare) dressed in as much green as possible.  The holiday falls on a Thursday this year and it will fall on a workday most years.  So what if you can't afford to get crazy when you have to work the next day or if you are like me and afraid to indulge since there will definitely be alcohol checkpoints set up across the country?  I have a solution for you.  I was inspired to create a modern take on SPD by Hostess with the Mostess blog's post on a SPD beer tasting happy hour.  My twist is to make it less of a happy hour tasting and more of a full-fledged party. 

The idea of a beer tasting is a great concept, but can get very pricey both with beer costs and based on the amount of guests.  Since the weekend is directly after SPD this year, why not have friends over to celebrate that Friday or Saturday?  For hosts looking to do a potluck, ask everyone to bring their favorite Irish food or drink.  There are so many great options; Irish soda bread, beer bread, cornbeef and cabbage, a mashed potato bar just to name a few and I would definitely have some Guinness & Jameson available.  Maybe even include Irish coffee.  The type of beer is up to you and don't feel obligated to dye all the beer green if you have a lot of light carpeting in the house.  Be sure to ask your guests to dress up in their Irish best and decorate your house in tons of green too.  The final touch is to put out tons of sweet treats with an Irish flair (shamrock cookies, cupcakes, etc).  Here are some pictures for inspiration.  Enjoy!

Source

Source

FCW's Favorite Finds: February 2011

I am happy to report that 2011 has been crazy, busy, and booming for Felicity C Weddings!  Already with one wedding down for the year, there is so much to be excited about.  However, the down side is that my schedule has left little time to blog.  So I wanted to do a quick & fun post featuring the details that have caught my eye in this blur of a month.  From inspiration comes great ideas and I hope you enjoy what has fueled my February.

 Big, fun, and sweet props. Source

Reusable wedding decor. Source

Proposals captured by a photographer. Source

Incorporating family photos into wedding decor. Source

Hostess with the Mostess blog AND the

abundance of incredible details that are begging to

be used in your next party! Source

Tux's are out! I heart groomsmen in black/gray/khaki suits with

pops of accent color. Hello affordable. Source