Category Archives: Entertain

by | February 15, 2010 · 9:30 am

Elemental Parties & Water’s Eclectic Tapas Party

Back in October, the ever-fabulous Catherine Sheppard, a stylist and Fashion Feng Shui guru, walked us through determining our elemental essences and applying it to home decor. This week we’re returning the blog love by sharing entertaining ideas inspired by our Fashion Feng Shui elements over at Catherine’s blog, The Life Styled.

We’ll be giving you a sneak peek at our party inspiration boards and then sending you over to The Life Styled to check out the details, plus playlists, ideas for hostess outfits, and recipes for signature cocktails. We found it surprisingly easy to plan a party with our own essence in mind and would recommend considering it the next time you entertain. Enjoy!

Water:  An Eclectic Tapas Party

When a small group of foodies are getting together, an international tapas party is a great way to create a relaxed atmosphere and provide an intimate environment for personal conversation about food, politics, religion and a bunch of other topics you aren’t “supposed to talk about.” 

Water Eclectic Tapas Party

Incorporating dark hues, animal prints and decor with international flair will set the scene for the perfect water gathering. 

To read the full details to help you throw your own tapas party, click over to The Life Styled.

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by | February 4, 2010 · 9:15 am

Guest Blog: Easy, Affordable Entertaining

Today we’re over at the Allstate Goodhands Community doing another guest blog. With the economy what it is, many of us are giving up the little luxuries like going out to dinner.  Today Katie shares an affordable meal that’s perfect for entertaining friends or having a date night in.  Stuffed Chicken with Balsamic Reduction is a go-to recipe when you want to serve something that looks fancy but is deceptively easy to make.

Visit the GHC website to read more and get the recipe!  Plus last day to comment on the Christine Tavares pottery giveaway!

Stuffed Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

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by | January 15, 2010 · 9:10 am

Bird’s Nest Baby Shower

My sister and I have been blessed with sharing our first pregnancies together, due only two weeks apart from each other! Our family recently threw us a joint bird’s nest baby shower. All the details were too cute not to share!

All guests received the following invitation, designed by yours truly. Most of the invitations made to order for two babies were for twins. So we created the bird’s nest theme. My sister is having a girl and I am having a boy, which was represented by pink and blue eggs.

The nest theme was continued at the shower, with bird’s nest and bird house table decor placed throughout the room.

Bird’s nest cupcakes, inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe, were served for dessert. The vanilla cupcakes with my mom’s homemade buttercream frosting and toasted coconut were delicious and quite a hit!

Bakery cookies in blue and pink were given as favors, depending on the guests “mom of honor.”

My sister and I were both given egg timers as we began opening gifts. We set the timers and gifts were given when the timer rang to those whose gifts we were opening at that time. Gifts included bird candles and matches from The Home Market.

The party was a great success! Thank you to everyone who helped make the day so special!

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by | December 28, 2009 · 9:21 am

New Year’s Eve Cocktails!

The holidays are almost over and we hope you had a great time with friends, family and food. But there’s still a little more celebrating to be done before the resolutions kick in!  This week we’ll be serving up some tasty cocktail options to help you ring in 2010, no matter what your New Year’s Eve plans are.

If you’re looking to relax, try: Cucumber Lime Gin & Tonic
I fell in love with Hendrick’s gin one late night in Vegas last summer. I used to despise gin but have gradually come to love its fresh, clean taste.  Hendrick’s is a craft gin from Scotland with hints of rose, cucumber and of course, juniper.  It’s quirky taste fits perfectly with the quaint apothecary bottle it comes in.  It may not be for everyone but this G & T upgrade is a perfect spa-like splurge for a relaxing NYE at home.

Hendrick's Gin & Tonic

Cucumber Lime Gin & Tonic
2 oz Hendrick’s gin
splash tonic
splash ginger ale (*optional)
1 lime wedge
1 slice cucumber
ice

Fill a lowball glass half way with ice.  Add gin and a splash of tonic and/or ginger ale.  Squeeze in a lime wedge and garnish with lime wedge and cucumber slices.

PS: Hendrick’s web site has tons of tasty looking recipes that I can’t wait to try!

If you’re looking to liven up a party, try: Strip & Go Nakeds
Although the name sounds scandalous, this recipe originally came to me via my mother from my grandmother’s friend who is a nun! A staple among my friends at many a college party and summer BBQ, Strip & Go Nakeds are refreshing but pack a big punch. Alternate this one with a less boozy drink (or water!).

Lemonade Vodka Cocktail

Strip & Go Nakeds
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, partially thawed
1 concentrate can filled with vodka
2 light lager beers

In a large pitcher, pour one can of partially thawed lemonade concentrate.  Fill the concentrate can with vodka and add to pitcher.  Pour in two light lagers (this is one time when I would recommend a cheap light beer) and mix well.

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by | December 15, 2009 · 11:33 am

Ladies Night: A White & Gold Holiday

“Hosting ladies night” has been a social tradition among women for decades. What was once parlor games and tea became Bunco parties and quilting bees and has now morphed into book clubs and excuses for cosmopolitans.  Some groups have fun names, such as my mom’s Stitch ‘n Bitch Sisters, but our group of fab ladies simply calls it what it is:  Girls Night.

While impromptu get-togethers are great, what really makes a great ladies night is a little planning. Here are our tips:
– Choose a consistent night – our group of gets together on the second Thursday of each month
– Make a schedule – at the beginning of the year, assign each lady a month to host. She’s only responsible for her month and can plan the night however she wishes, from food to drinks to even an event
– Invite new friends – have a new neighbor or coworker? Help them meet people by inviting them to come
– Keep it casual – if you can make it great and if not, no big deal

And guys, you can do it too!  Although my husband’s “Man Night” is less frequent and a bit rowdier, it gives him an excuse to go to sporting events or hit up a new brewpub with friends he doesn’t see often.

Do you and your friends have a “Ladies/Man Night”?  Tell us about it!

White & Gold Holiday Theme
And now onto my recent White & Gold Holiday Ladies Night!  Because it was the holidays I got a bit fancier than I usually do.  I carried my metal & wood obsessions into my holiday decor this year and created a white & gold holiday party with touches of fresh greenery.

Green and gold christmas wreath

I fancied up an undecorated fresh wreath with leftover gold ball ornaments and discount gold wire ribbon to greet guests as they arrived.

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Cocktail

We sipped on a festive golden Pear Champagne cocktail dotted with pomegranate seeds.  I just mixed organic Pear Nectar and organic Pear Juice, found at Whole Foods with champagne or non-alcoholic pear sparkling cider for the two mom-to-bes.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

Fennel, Apple & Spinach Salad

I served homemade Giada de Laurentiis’ White Bean Dip with gold pita chips and carrots, along with an Apple, Fennel & Parmesan Spinach Salad.  I also made a hearty Rosemary-White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, which was such a crowd-pleaser that I forgot to take pictures!

Boxwood holiday decor

To add to the winter decor, I took my gold sprayed branches and combined them with some fresh boxwood.  I clipped a few branches of the boxwood into small sprigs and layered them with fake snow into hurricane glasses.

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting

I adorned my chandelier with a combo of sparkly gold ribbon, cheap gold ball ornaments and mercury glass gold balls. Dessert was Martha Stewart Gingerbread Cupcakes with my Eggnog Frosting.  Yum!

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by | November 18, 2009 · 9:27 am

Vintage-Inspired HAP Launch Party

Last Friday we hosted the official launch of Haute Apple Pie!  The party was held at The Home Market in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, a very fitting venue with its mix of vintage and modern home decorations that any modern homemaker would want to covet.

Many thanks to our family, friends and avid readers for making our launch party a huge success! Our gratitude goes to Kate Barrette, Owner of The Home Market, for providing us with a fabulous venue and showing our guests how to make their homes haute.

HAP Launch Party cocktail invite

Guests were invited via postcards created by HAP blogger, Katie, that set the tone for a casual cocktail party.

Vintage recipe card, flower paper punch

Vintage Martha Stewart-inspired flowers were made by punching a variety of different papers with paper punches and fastening them with a brass clip.  As parting gifts, guests were given Haute Apple pie recipe cards containing three of our favorite recipes of the night.

shabby chic holiday decor

Holiday decorations, from frosted pine scented candles to wooden ornaments, filled The Home Market giving guests a first glance at the season’s latest trends for the home.

shabby chic tablescapespiked apple cider

Cucumber Herb, Bruschetta, Sundried Tomato Twists

There was no shortage of food as the tables were filled with a mix of savory and sweet goodies, created by the HAP ladies.  Each dish was labeled with a rustic hand-made calligraphy tag nailed to a birch branch.  Guests snacked on Sun-dried Tomato Twists with fresh herbs, Creamy Goat Cheese Filled Cucumbers and Tomato Bruschetta with a Balsamic Reduction.  They sipped on Haute Apple Cider, a hot brandy concoction, and a wonderful selection of wines.

Haute Apple Pies, Pumpkin Cupcakes
They were also treated to seasonal goodies – mini Haute Apple Pies and Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Bourbon Frosting.

birch log stand, handwritten calligraphy

Guests also had the opportunity to win one of two raffle prizes sponsored by The Home Market by placing their information in a vintage apothecary jar.  A hard cover copy of Ideal Home: The Interior Design Bible and a fabulous ivory platter by Soule Studio complete with a dish towel a recipe card holder were given to two lucky Haute Apple Pie readers.

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by | November 17, 2009 · 9:29 am

And The Winners Are….

The Home Market & Haute Apple PieFirst off, a huge thanks to all our friends, family and readers who came to last Friday’s HAP Launch Party and made it such a success!

An even bigger thanks  to Kate & Amy at The Home Market for opening their fabulous store to us.

 

And now for the fun part…the winners of our giveaways!

Blog GiveawaysIdealhome Interior Design Bible

The winner of our first giveaway, a copy of Idealhome: The Interior Design Bible, is…….Annie Tower!

Soule Studio pottery, Vegetable Box recipes

Our second giveaway includes a Soule Studio serving platter, dish towel and The Vegetable Box crate, which holds 14 mini books and over 300 recipes. The winner is……..Katie Winn!

Party details will be featured later this week so be sure to check back.  For now, we’ll leave you with a few party photos:

Haute Apple Pie launch party

Haute Apple Pie Launch Party

Haute Apple Pie blog

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by | November 10, 2009 · 3:22 pm

HAP Launch Party ~ Friday, November 13

launchInviteJoin Katie, Anne and Stef for the Haute Apple Pie Launch Party at The Home Market in Milwaukee’s Third Ward this Friday, November 13th from 6 pm – 8 pm. Cocktails and appetizers, created by the HAP girls, will be served. Sign up for fabulous giveaways and receive an exclusive 20% off of all Home Market goods!

The Home Market is located on 222 E. Erie St. in Milwaukee. For more on The Home Market, visit www.thehomemarket.net.

Giveaway winners will be announced on Monday, November 16, right here on Haute Apple Pie.

Don’t miss your chance for good food, great deals and lots of fun. We hope to see you all there!

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by | September 30, 2009 · 7:58 am

Pinwheel Birthday Party

Our darling daughter, Isla, turned one last week and I knew I wanted to do something special for her first birthday party. Our neighbor has pinwheels in his yard and she loves to watch them spin around, so I decided a pinwheel themed birthday party would be perfect for our little girl!

first

The birthday girl wore a onesie created by sticheroos and a pinwheel headband from Kylala Boutique who also made her adorable birthday hat.

isla

I found these simply stated and adorable invitations from Jack and Izzy which set the tone of the party

pinwheel

As party gifts, guest received small pink bags filled with candy. The bags were adorned with a small “thank you” tag created by fellow HAP blogger, Katie, and fastened with a mini clothes pin.

Guests were greeted by a Happy Birthday banner when they entered the house. Pinwheels were also put on the front door and scattered throughout the house in glass vases filled with orange Jelly Bellies. The banner and pinwheels were created by the amazing shana from crossroads cottage.

sign

For lunch we snacked on sun dried tomato pasta salad, spinach salad with strawberries, blueberries and walnuts, sliced apples with homemade caramel dip, tea sandwiches, hot dogs and brats. The food was labeled with lovely orange name tags and pink handmade pinwheels.

food

Guests sipped peach slush, pink lemonade and soda from pink cups decorated with a pink pinwheel sticker from Jack and Izzy.

For dessert we had a 2 tiered pink cake that was created by Aly from Sweetness by Alice. It not only looked amazing, but tasted out of this world! The bottom layer was vanilla cake with cookies and cream filling and the top layer was lemon cake with lemon and raspberry filling. Isla also had her very own cake to dig into!

cake

All in all, Isla’s first birthday party was a success! She played, opened lots of wonderful gifts, ate tons of cake and then took a long nap!

balloonsHappy birthday baby girl!

anne

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by | September 25, 2009 · 8:43 am

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

These days, it seems there is always a wedding related activity to attend. So for any of you bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, Maids of Honor or friend or family member that will be in charge of throwing such an affair, this blog is for you.

My sister recently got married and I was lucky enough to be the Matron of Honor. This was my first stint as MOH and I wanted to make sure I did everything with a personal touch. I didn’t really have the “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” items at my wedding, so I decided Lindsay should get them in an unique way. With the help of my mom, family and other bridesmaids, Lindsay received her four bridal functions in the form of Old, New, Borrowed and Blue.

 Something New

 something newThe first party was Something New, an engagement party for the happy couple and family at my house. An Evite was sent to the invitees with the following wording:

Come and celebrate with the NEWly engaged couple, Lindsay and Doug! Lindsay can show off her brand NEW shiny ring at the NEW house of her sister and brother-in-law, the NEWly Wades. So let us all toast the couple as they start this NEW journey together and with each NEW day may there be infinitely happy memories!

As an engagement gift I focused on my sister’s soon to be new last name and gave her stationary with her new initial.

Something Blue

blueLindsay’s bachelorette party was Something Blue and blue it was. The party was held at “Blue’s Bar” with blue decorations and candy dishes filled with blue candy around the room. Smoking blue martinis were served along with blue cupcakes. All guests were asked to dress in blue, with the bride clad in all white.

Something Borrowed

borrowedThe Something Blue party was followed the next day by the Something Borrowed shower, where guests submitted “borrowed” recipes on recipe cards sent out with the invitations. The cooking theme was brought throughout with wooden spoons as name cards and “Love Beyond Measure” measuring spoons as gifts. Prior to the party, I collected “borrowed advice” from all the women in Lindsay’s life and put together a digital book using MyPublisher with letters and advice to Lindsay on life and love. This brought a tear or two to the room!

Something Old

oldThe final party was the bridal luncheon at my parent’s house the morning of the wedding. Sandwiches and desserts were placed on family china, with old wedding pictures of family members on display. My mom pulled her wedding dress out of storage and it was placed neatly out on display.

Creating a theme that lasted throughout the wedding planning process was fun and added an extra element and personal touch to each party. Lindsay had a great time at each event and was a beautiful bride!

If you have any creative wedding party ideas, please share with our Haute Apple Readers!

stef

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