Jayme's Last Call

"There are no good girls gone wrong - just bad girls found out." - Mae West

This past weekend I, along with a group of fantastic ladies, had the pleasure of planning our friend Jayme's bachelorette. Months ago we unanimously decided the theme for the event would be wine and cheese; the bride's favorite things (aside from her fiance and puppy, of course).

For the main event, we hosted a DIY wine tasting which included 7 different varietals of wine from different countries. Each girl was greeted with a wine glass dipped in Martha Stewart Crafts Chalkboard Acrylic Paint to write their name on and keep for the night. We had each wine labelled with its name, date and region as well as a food pairing. We selected nuts, fruits, meats and cheeses to pair with the wines. We also created rating sheets for guests to rate each wine.  It was fun to have everyone score the wines and discuss their personal tastes and preferences.

Throughout the wine tasting, we had a cleansing palate station with water and bread, a selection of cheeses and served hor d'oeuvres prepared by Chef Angie MacRae.

As one of the activities for the night, I prepared a Mad Lib for the bride-to-be to help her write her wedding vows. We later asked her to read them aloud and were entertained by the thoughtful and ridiculous answers.

The logo used on all of the paper goods was created from the Wedding Chicks Free Printables.  I often use them because they are creative and useful when you don't have a graphic designer handy and you're working on a budget. The logo was used on custom water bottles, labels for the favors, menus and much more. Check out their site for inspiration for your next event.

For favors, we used kraft paper take-out boxes from Michaels and chose 4 different ribbons and our logo to spruce them up.  Inside, guests were given Wine Erase wipes, which remove any red wine stains for your lips and teeth, a heart shaped wine stopper and gold Hershey's kisses - a good combination of practical and cute, and perfectly suited to the theme.

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures from dinner but the meal that Chef Angie MacRae prepared was excellent and definitely worth mentioning.  On the menu was a Maple Pecan and Pear Salad with Parmesan and Arugula to start followed by the main entree of French Bistro Steak with Provencal Butter, Lemon French Beans and Sweet Potato Chipotle Gratin and was completed with a light and delicious dessert of Raspberry Sorbet with Vanilla Shortbread. Everything was beautifully prepared and enjoyed by all.  I have included a photo of the menu.

The rest of the night's festivities will stay between the bride-to-be and us ladies, but it was definitely a night to remember (hopefully) and a great tribute to Jayme before she ties the knot in 28 days!!

Jayme and her maids :)

All photos were taken by Janine Therese. 

Can't wait for the big day and for the celebrations to continue.

Yours Truly,

A

Holy Guacamole!

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

In honour of Mr. X's birthday, I decided to host a 'fiesta' cocktail party before we headed to Playa Cabana for the best Mexican food Toronto has to offer.  The theme was "Holy Guacamole" and I was excited for the opportunity to put together this spread. The party's main inspirations were sombreros, mustaches and well, tequila! The entire party was 100% DIY.  To start, we set up a bar which included a Champagne and Tequila Sangria (see below), a Lynchburg Lemonade (recipe below), an assortment of flavored San Pelligrino, and sparkling water with lime.  Beverages were served in mason jar glasses with red and white striped straws.  On the menu were apple and brie quesadillas served with jalepeno chutney, cheese quesadillas served with salsa, individual taco dip cups (my fave!), veggies, chips, salsa, and guacamole.  For dessert, we offered a confetti angel food cake served with whipped cream and berries accessorized by a DIY bunting and homemade vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese icing and mustache flags. It was a true fiesta and everyone had a great time celebrating the man of the hour.

all photos were taken by A

Lynchburg Lemonade
- 1 part Jack Daniels
- 1 part Triple Second
- 1 part Sweet and Sour Mix
- 4 parts Sprite soda

Champagne and Tequila Sangria
- 1 bottle dry white wine
- 1 bottle sparkling wine
- 1/2 cup agave nectar
- 2 cups lemon-lime soda
- 3 ounces Tequila (silver)
- 6 fresh mint leaves
- Sliced oranges

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate and to Mr. X for being my favourite hombre! Ole!

Yours Truly,

A