I just stumbled upon these graduated hanging lanterns on a recent shopping trip.  They are so beautiful and a nice change from the large Japanese paper lanterns being used like crazy at weddings for the past year or more.

They are made from a very lovely sheer fabric, available in a variety of colors (although I really like the white very much), are almost 3 feet in length and are lit from within by small rounded twinkle lights. 

I will definitely be using these in the very near future and am always happy to share something new and different with ya!

source

Finding outdoor venues with enough room for dining and dancing never ceases to be a huge challenge for event planners.  Here in Florida what little land is available almost always includes a lovely pool.  Even if there is enough room around the pool to set up tables and chairs, where will the dancing commence? 

More and more we are using a technique of covering the surface of the pool by installing a plexiglass top supported by a scaffolding-like base underwater.  The process takes some time and requires a crew of workers willing to get a little wet, but the end result is amazing.  You literally dance on water!  And when the event is over, there is no damage to the pool.

In these photos from a wedding reception where we created such an effect, the floor looks brown because we keep the protective covering on the plexi until right before the event (especially because in this specific case, we were hanging TEN disco balls over head!). 

The finished product

(click on photos for larger views)

OK, giving a bottle of wine as a gift, be it hostess, birthday or whatever, is sadly becoming so passe’.  But let’s face it, sometimes its either all you’ve got time to get or the only thing you can think of to give.  It happens to the best of us.  So if you’re going to go the standard bottle of wine route, at least jazz it up with one of these hilarious yet beautiful Poptags.  With sayings like “Regifted With Love” and “Don’t Ask Me About This Wine,  I Have No Idea.  But Enjoy!“, it will at least make YOUR gift of vino stand out amongst the others. 

Sold in sets of six, keep some on hand for a spur-of-the-moment dinner party invite.  Better yet, give the whole set ALONG WITH a bottle of wine and be the rockstar friend/party guest that you know you were born to be!  (I’m not even going to address how great these would be for wedding/party favors, ‘cuz that’s just plain OBVIOUS to all you genius readers, right??)

Poptags  $19.99/six different tags 

A lot of people have never heard of Destin, FL.  They have no idea about our little coastal towns called Seaside, Watercolor, Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, Seahaven, and Watersound. 

We locals know all about how so many celebs not only vacation here, but also call it their home away from home.  Here is just a smattering of the famous names and faces that are frequently seen on our beaches and in local shops and restaurants.  If I could find a published story tying the celeb to the area, I included the link (click on thier names to read more).

  Britney Spears  (Owns a home here.  OK, maybe not such a good example to start with….let’s keep going…)

  Sheryl Crow (Owns a home here.  Also, back in the days of Sheryl & Lance, our babysitter saw them shopping in Home Depot)

  Lance Armstrong(I don’t have a link for this but can give a first hand account of the day he gave my children Livestrong Bands while we were out on a morning walk!)

  Faith Hill (Owns a home here with Tim McGraw)

Tim McGraw

  Amy Grant (Owns a home here with Vince Gill)

  Vince Gill (along with the fact that he and wife Amy Grant own a home here, my friend also was on a treadmill right next to Vince one early morning at Gold’s Gym)

  Bette Midler (Owns a home here)

  Jessica Simpson

  Tony Romo

  Goldie Hawn (a friend saw her eating at Bistro Bijioux and shopping at Bark Avenue at Sandestin)

  Michael Jordan

  Rosie O’Donnell

  Tiger Woods

  Tim Allen

30A CELEB SIGHTINGS from the website www.30A.com:

• NEW: Jamie Lynn Spears @ Destin Commons (7/08)
• NEW: Jeff Foxworthy @ WaterColor (7/08)
• NEW: Carrie Underwood@ Destin Beaches (7/2/08)
• Kyle & Christopher Massey @ Seaside (7/08)
• Laurie Hickson-Smith @ WaterColor Workout (7/9/08)
• Jessica Simpson & Tony Romo @ WaterColor (7/6/08)
• Avery Johnson @ Alys Beach (7/5/08)
• Cortez Kennedy @ Bud & Alley’s (7/1/08)
• Sean Payton @ Bud & Alley’s (7/1/08)
• Archie Manning @ WaterColor (6/25/08)
• Jim Cantore @ Alys Beach (6/23/08)
• Jason Castro @ Red Bar (5/08)
• Jimmy Johnson @ Sandestin (5/08)
• Joe Theisman @ Destin Commons (5/26/08)
• Greg Kinnear @ Fish Out of Water (5/08)
• Faith Hill & Tim McGraw @ WaterSound (5/08)
• Chris Hanson @ Bud & Alley’s (5/08)
• Discovery Channel @ Alys Beach (4/08)
• Karl Rove @ Wild Olives (4/08)
• Sheryl Crow @ Red Bar (3/08)
• Emeril @ Chan’s Wine World (3/08)
• Victoria’s Secret @ Alys Beach (3/08)
• Bart Starr @ Stinky’s Fish Camp
• Sara Evans @ Cowgirl Kitchen
• Nicholas Cage @ The L2 Gallery
• Ben Stiller @ Seaside
• Alan Hunter @ Alys Beach
• All-American Rejects @ Grayton Starbucks
• Jane Seymour @ Seaside
• Emily Saliers @ Rosemary Beach

Both Nicole Richie & Joel Madden and Usher  have been rumored to plan their nuptials here, although to date, neither wedding has transpired on our beaches.

sources : DPA; stltoday.com; dailyceleb.com; unknown; timmcgrawlyrics.com; christianmusictimes.com; top40db.net; freshdames.com; askmen.com; thestarceleb.com; askmen.com; politics360.com; askmen.com; eonline.com

On a recent trip to NYC, a newly acquired friend insisted that she take me to one of the BEST little bakeries in the city.  Always up for a local secret and never one to turn down a baked-good, I was completely up for it.  So, after we finished our yoga class, we hopped on the subway for a quick jaunt down to the East Village, because let’s face it, pastries can assist in achieving a state of bliss that yoga can’t touch!!  I had no idea what I was in for….

Stop licking your screen and pay attention!

The Black Hound Bakery is quite frankly heaven on earth.  They make these little tiny cakes that COULD be shared amongst 2-3 friends, if you are friends with people who like to share their cake.  We met up with another friend and each of us ordered two apiece, so we could try as many as possible.  Did I mention each cake is like a piece of confectionery ART?  And the flavors…its not possible to describe in this post how deliciously different the variety of each cake is.  Did I also mention these cakes are very LITTLE, so you can (and I’m pretty sure are SUPPOSED TO OR YOU SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE BUILDING) order more than one????

I will not go into the ecstasy that followed, as 3 women in NYC sat together in a rain storm and gorged themselves on at least 6 varieties of cake bliss, but suffice it to say, a month later I still dream about those little pieces of heaven.

OH!  I completely forgot that the point of this post is to tell you that YOU TOO can enjoy the Black Hound Bakery!  Yep.  They have a website!!!  My friend told me that she actually discovered Black Hound when she had a dinner party and one of her guests (who should, in my opinion, now be the sole benefactor to whatever’s in her will!) brought a box of cakes as a hostess gift!  Ummm, I would call her my genius BEST friend!!! 

I just ordered some cakes to be delivered as a Thank You gift and can’t WAIT for them to be delivered!! (Is there anything better than sending a gift you KNOW is going to be a huge hit?!?!) 

To knock the socks of the hostess of the next dinner party you attend or just to serve the most delightful desserts at your own upcoming soiree, you MUST order something from Black Hound!

(Do you think they’ll send me free cakes for this post?) 

The inspiration board I designed for an upcoming wedding in Destin, FL:

The (lovely) bride is so excited, she actually ASKED me to post it on

my blog!  Happy girl!

 Keeping in the spirit of all things PARTY around here, I would, as a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue, fully-indoctrinated University of Florida alumni and Gator Fan, be remiss not to mention the latest news from The Princeton Review.  UF has been named the #1 Party School in the Nation.   

The Associated Press reports:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida can raise a glass to another national title - Best Party School in the country.The Gators, known for wild celebrations following national championships in football and basketball, wrestled the party title away from West Virginia University and beat out the University of Mississippi and Penn State University, in the Princeton Review survey of 120,000 students released Monday.(via The Huffington Post)

Obviously, news of this announcement causes UF alum everywhere to immediately respond with an air of defensiveness, as if to clutch our collective diplomas and indignantly declare our hard work and intelligence despite our knack for having a good time.  Anyone who is familiar with the current collegiate admissions programs in this country is fully aware that UF is NOT for dummies.

According to a report from CollegeAdmissionEssay.com:

Admission to the school is surprisingly competitive for the large student population; last year, over 22,973 students applied and 12,029 were admitted. Eventually, only 6,596 were admitted. The students had a combined average SAT score ranging from 1140 to 1340 and a comprehensive ACT score ranging 24 to 29. Over 79% of admitted students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about 3.9. These high statistics may be surprising for a large state school, however, U Florida has constantly been attempting to up their standards for admission and draw more out of state students, which has been remarkably successful.

That said, I am not the slightest bit defensive of this “award”.  In fact, I am thrilled!  I am still proud to be a graduate of the University of Florida, I am extremely relieved to not have to compete for admission today (pretty sure I wouldn’t get in!), and I even raise my glass to the Gator Nation with gratitude for helping me become what I am today:  A top-notch, rock star PARTY PLANNER!   Seriously, is there a better letter of recommendation than a copy of this report for someone with my job?? 

See the entire list below:

1. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.

2. University of Mississippi, University, Miss.

3. Penn State University, University Park, Pa.

4. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.

5. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.

6. Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va.

7. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.

8. University of Texas, Austin, Texas.

9. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.

10. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.

11. University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.

12. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

13. University of Colorado, Boulder, Co.

14. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.

15. Tulane University, New Orleans, La.

16. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Ill.

17. Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.

18. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.

19. University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

20. Loyola University-New Orleans, New Orleans, La.