THE HORS D'OEUVRES

Happy Monday, everyone!

I know...I used to hate Monday too when I worked 9 to 5. Now that I work at my home office, I can't tell you how grateful I am.

In any event, I survived! I wrote my blog almost everyday last week. But I've decided that I won't write my blog on Sat and Sun. Those days should be my days off too. Hey, it takes a lot of work to write a blog.

Now it's Monday and I don't know what to write....just yet...

Let's see....I love food and I love beautiful things. If I combine both in a small scale, it reminds me of the shooters hors d'oeuvres I saw at events or parties. That's it! I'm going to write about those pretty 'lil things that look good (but most of the time don't taste as good as they look) you saw at parties. They can be passed around by the servers, or they can be placed in a table with pretty displays.

My suggestion is, when you finally found the catering company for your event (meaning you love their food or you know their food is good), you should ask the catering company if they can customize their food presentation for you. Here are some ideas I found online today. Of course the ideas are endless, but to me it's important that the food must taste good too.

The below photo is from www.thebridescafe.com via www.weddingwire.com. Talking about serving a good amount of fries to your adult guests. Not too much and they were already dipped in ketchup. All your guests have to do is put these in their mouth and enjoy.

Another way of serving vegetable crudites is by making these vegetable crudites shooters. The same idea as above but seems healthier (except for the ranch dressing they put at the bottom of the shooters, I guess).

Image is from http://www.peacockwedding.wordpress.com/.

I'm not a big fan of tomato soup. It has to taste really good and doesn't taste like ketchup or I won't eat it. But the idea of putting a mini grilled cheese sandwich with these tomato soup shooters is great. And again for me, the tomato soup must be served warm and not cold. For a chilled shooter, serve gazpacho instead.

The below image is from http://www.peacockwedding.wordpress.com/.

Another cute way to put the mini grilled cheese sandwich on your tomato soup shooters as you can see below. I think I may also choose a roasted red pepper soup with mini grilled cheese sandwich instead of tomato soup.

The below image is from http://www.partywishesscv.blogspot.com/. The catering company is Bite Catering at http://www.bitecatering.net/.

Found the below photo on http://www.ridgewells.com/. It's a crisp rice paper cones filled with ahi tuna tartar topped with wasabi tobikko and creme fraiche.

At NAACP Awards After Party at SLS Hotel a few months ago, I had a cone (not sure what kind of cone it was) filled with caviar topped with creme fraiche. The best caviar I've ever had!! Told you the ideas are endless...

Love these pea and corn risotto appetizer from http://www.theknot.com/. Photographed by Sherrie Blondin Photography at http://www.sherrieblondinphotography.com/. For Asian food, use fried rice instead. Delish and pretty at the same time.

For the green organic wedding, the below display I found on http://www.theknot.com/ from "For a Season Catering" looks cool. It was photographed by Jose Villa at http://www.josevillaphoto.com/.

Just make sure the server can carry the tray carefully :-)

Want to create an adult Mac and Cheese? Put them in a martini glass like the one I found below from Blue Orchid Design on their website http://www.blueorchidblog.com/ via http://www.weddingwire.com/. Photographed by Mellisa Jill Photography http://www.mellisajill.com/. Not a bad idea...

Or, you can also serve a ceviche cocktail on these martini glass.

For a personalized hors d'oeuvres, you can put your monogram on it as you can see on the below images. Aren't they cute? My favorite is the caviar on the wooden ice cream spoons because it has no carb (no mini blintz or mini cones or mini crackers needed).

The below images are from i-Weddings.com.au via http://www.i-wedddings.blogspot.com/.

But of course a single serving shrimp cocktail will pleased the crowd. So here's the shrimp cocktail shooters.

The below yummy looking image is from Nichols Photography at http://www.thenicholsblog.com/ via http://www.stylemepretty.com/.

I will let you dwell on the ideas and the photos above while I enjoy my dinner now. To me, it is important that you serve the food that you want to eat too at your events or parties. And if you want your guests to remember your events or parties, the food is one way to do that. Conclusion, the food definitely must taste good and it helps if they also look good.

WEDDING INVITATIONS

Okay, I missed yesterday because I was too busy working. I almost couldn't make it today but then I found these cute wedding invitations, I just have to post them on my blog.

The below invitation was created by Kari Dyas at www.twouponten.com, while the idea and the photos were from the bride Jessica Claire. She purchased the books herself and made them onto the below beautiful, unique and classy invitations. I found the photos at www.elizabethannedesigns.com. Love these invitations!

While the below photos of invitation I found on www.greenweddingshoes.com. Invitations on handkerchiefs by Lucky Luxe Couture at http://www.lucky-luxe.com/.

They look very vintagey and I like them too, especially for a vintage theme wedding. Cute for a bridal shower high tea party too.

Another beautiful invitations printed on vintage hankies and postcards as you can see below also found on www.elizabetannedesigns.com. They were from Bird and Banner at www.birdandbanner.com.

Still from www.elizabethannedesigns.com, I found the below invitations made from cotton muslin stitched onto dark wood grain embossed paper. All also from Bird and Banner at www.birdandbanner.com.

For a custom luxury invitations, you may want to take a look at Invitations by Nilz at www.invitationsbynilz.com. They made the below custom made clear lucite or huge diamond style invitations. The huge diamond style invitations can also be used as wedding favors (paper weights). Speaking of a hybrid invitation + favor. I like...

It'll be cool for the clear lucite modern wedding theme. BTW, I met the lady who made these invitations at several bridal shows and she's so sweet and nice. I like her.

Hope you enjoy the wedding invitations I posted today and will get some inspirations for yours. Remember to take your time and don't rush when creating the Save the Date and the Invitations. Decide your wedding theme and color first. And then plan ahead so everything will come together. Creating your dream events (let it be wedding, birthday, anniversary, mitzvah, corporate party, and so forth) is easy with the help of a planner.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! See you back on Monday!

OX

LET'S TALK ENGAGEMENT

Nowadays, lots of couples make their engagement into something memorable by having a special photo shoot of their engagement. Some of them make their engagement photos into their Save the Dates, and the others will just keep the photos to commemorate their special engagement day.

Either way, I love seeing creative couples who made artsy, fun, playful and inventive engagement photos. So today I browse the internet and found some fun engagements photos I thought I can share with you.

The below photo shoot I found on http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/. They were photographed by Millie Holloman at http://www.milliehollomanblog.com/. I like these photos! It's a vintage inspired antique market engagement photo session. I kinda like the vintage feeling of it.

But my favorite so far is the below photo shoot. Very unique and probably a little bit over the top, but I still gave them credit for being original (I think). Just hope the wedding dress she wore wasn't the one she will wear on her wedding day. And as you can see below, they made their engagement photo shoot as their "Save the Date".

The below underwater engagement photos are from http://www.greenweddingshoes.com/ and they were photographed by Kelty as you can see on her webiste http://www.steepstreet.blogspot.com/.

Now, as you're enjoying the above photos, I shall get back to work. Let's see if I can come up with anything interesting to be posted on my blog tomorrow, or whether I should just continue to look for the same cool engagement photo sessions. We'll see....

WHAT A GIRL WANTS TODAY

I was reading Mindy Weiss' blog today and came across these great things.

Ladies, now you can all worry no more if you have to go to an outdoor garden party wearing your high heels. Let me introduce you to your solemates :-) Whoever invented these things, if these things really work, then I love them very much.
And BTW, you can purchase these solemates through Mindy Weiss' website www.shop.mindyweiss.com

Look at the below cute bracelet and ring hybrid you can also find on Mindy Weiss' shop www.shop.mindyweiss.com. I like 'em! Make a little statement when you wear this to a party.

And of course from http://www.etsy.com/ I found these cute ear cuffs. You won't need to pierce your ear to have a pretty thing on your ear. The below ear cuffs were made by Thyme2dream. How cute are they? They can actually go together with that bracelet and ring hybrid I found on Mindy Weiss' website.

And a little more....

Promise I will stop after this one since I need to go out to have dinner anyway.

For an easy DIY, I found the below photos at http://www.birthdaygirlblog.com/ and she apparently got them from http://www.glorioustreats.blogspot.com/. What an easy yet fun and cute "Candy Table" for your little ones.

Wait...! I still found more...

Hmmm....thought I almost done with my blog, but I stumbled across these gorgeous pictures on http://www.greenweddingshoes.com/ and I just gotta share it with you.

The below table was designed by Jackie of Merci New York at http://www.mercinewyork.blogspot.com/ and photographed by Oh, Darling! Photography at http://www.ohdarlingphotography.com/. Playful and whimsical, but classy at the same time.

While the below table was designed by the design team of Punch at http://www.punchportland.com/ and was photographed by Sara Gray at http://www.saragrayphotography.com/. So fun but tasteful!

My first time...

Yes, I finally decided to start blogging. Today is going to be my first day and my first time writing a blog. So please be gentle...

Basically, I'll just share my passion with all of you. And if I see things beautiful or chic or useful, I'll be happy to share them too. So keep reading and enjoy.

Today I came across these things for all of you with sweet teeth. You know how nowadays it's common to have a made-to-order "Candy Table" at your party instead of a fondue fountain, right? You can find a company that provides you with this specialty service such as http://www.amyatlas.com/ or you should also ask your event planner if they can create the "Candy Table" for you. I know I can!

Even though they call it "Candy Table", it's actually a dessert table with your choice of cakes, cookies, candies, chocolates, or anything you want to have at your party. And just so you know, I'm not a sweet person. I prefer salty to sweet, but still...I love beautiful things. But of course these photos of PURPLE CANDY TABLE IDEAS I found on http://www.weddingchicks.com/ caught my eyes because purple is my favorite color. Aren't they pretty?

While below are photos from http://www.amyatlas.com/ just because they're so lovely!

Now that you've enjoyed and drooled over the sweets above, I better stop. If I find anything interesting to be shared with all of you on my blog tomorrow , I will do so.