Must See Venue: Leal Vineyards

The thing I love the most about vineyards is that they are perfect for any occasion, whether it is for a wedding, wedding reception, or fun girls' trip weekend, you are sure to have a fabulous time drinking wine and simply having lots of fun.

Leal Vineyards in Hollister, CA is one venue in which I would absolutely LOVE to have an event at. The reviews on this place are so positive and the best thing about this vineyard is that if you would like to keep your wedding events all in one place, they have a house where your entire wedding party can stay at! This is a safe and great idea if you're planning on celebrating your Bachelorette/Bachelor party at the vineyard.

Talk about the most amazing views! Click here for a virtual tour of Leal Vineyards.

Recipe of the Day: Artichoke Dip

Appetizers are great and often quick food items to have at a random function or get together. My favorite appetizer is artichoke dip! It is easy and quick to make and it can be served hot or cold with pita bread, pita chips, crackers, or french bread.

To Make Artichoke Dip you will need the following:

INGREDIENTS

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

TO MAKE

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, cheese and green chilies. Mix well and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish with chopped green onions and chopped tomato if desired.

Recipe Taken from: All Recipes.com

Cake of the Day!

I found today's Cake of the Day off of Cake Italy and I immediately saw dollar signs!

Note to reader: If you need money please do not use this credit card cake, or you will be charged with Credit Card Cake Fraud ;-)

PARTY OF THE WEEK: Chandler Wolves Grad Party!!

This past weekend I put on my first party I was asked to do: A Chandler Wolves Graduation Party. I had so much fun helping the family prepare for their son's big high school graduation bash. Let's walk through the steps I took to make this party a success!

Decorations

Like I stated before in my blog entry, 'Plan your Graduation Party...QUICK!',you should choose the 2-3 main school colors from the school you're graduating from to incorporate in all of your decor which is what I did. Champion Party Supply in Seattle, WA was my one stop shop for most of the decor to be incorporated at the party.

I purchased everything from....
Paper lanterns...

to napkins, cups, & plates...

to unique graduation party favors...

to blue & white streamers and paper shreds...

to cute graduation signs and banners!

Display Boards
Brainstorming ideas in my head, I wanted to find a unique way to showcase the mascot of the school at the party (the Chandler Wolf) so I solicited an artist, my great friend, Lynn Sharpy, to draw the mascot on display boards. It turned out great!

Backyard Decor
As I stated in my latest blog entry, 'Backyard decorating', you must not forget about decorating the backyard. For this party we stuck to table cloth colors that matched the theme colors and designed balloon weights that served as centerpieces.

Minor Details
Minor details can really make a party standout, so here are just some of the Minor Details I incorporated at the party:

Personalized Graduation Cups

Streamers wrapped on railing

Handmade Personalized 'Chandler Wolf' & 'Congrats Graduate' Table pieces

I had such a fun time with this party! GO WOLVES!

Recipe of the Day

S'mores don't only have to be at your camping trips. At your next cocktail party bring out S'MORES MARTINIS! Using the same classic ingredients as your tasty treats at the campfire, these drinks will have your guests' saying "I want some more!"

S'mores Martini Recipe:

Ingredients
-32 oz. vanilla vodka
-16 oz. white chocolate liqueur
-64-oz. pitcher
-1 graham cracker
-Plastic bag
-Small bowl
-1 jar marshmallow creme
-Martini glasses
-1 bag of marshmallows (any size)

To Make:

* Pour the vodka and white chocolate liqueur into the pitcher and stir. Refrigerate several hours until the mixture is cold.
* Crush the graham cracker in a plastic bag, then pour the crumbs into a small bowl.
* Rub marshmallow creme around the rims of the martini glasses to lightly coat.
* Dip each martini glass into the bowl of graham cracker crumbs until the marshmallow creme is covered with crumbs.
* Pour about 3 oz. of the drink mixture into each of the prepared martini glasses and serve.

Recipe by: Group Recipes

Cake of the Day!

Today's Cake of the Day comes from Cupcake Royale, located in West Seattle, Capitol Hill, and Bellevue, Washington. What I love the most about this bakery is that you can order your cupcakes ONLINE! We're talking right down to each flavor and the quantities are all customizable.

I'm not prejudice, especially when it comes to cupcakes :-)

Birthday Party Places

So you're birthday is coming up and you are at a standstill as to what to do. Make planning your next birthday party a piece of cake by using Birthday Party Reservations.com.

Whether you are looking for birthday party places to go out to or just party planning ideas for your next birthday, they have birthday party places for you! You can browse their selection of Bars, Event Space, Live Music, Lounges, Nightclubs, Restaurants, Novelty Spaces, Outdoor Spaces and Rejuvenating Birthdays by heading over to their birthday party venues page and picking your birthday party places today!