Sweet Grass Dairy

One of the first things the hubby and I always do when arriving somewhere new is check out all the local specialties.  Barely upon arriving in any new city I search local cheese and charcuterie.  Georgia isn't flush with cheese but I believe they are gaining some ground.  It seems the easiest fromage to score in this area is Sweet Grass Dairy.  I have sampled the Thomasville Tomme which is smooth, rich and buttery and covered with truffle honey...addictive.  But that wasn't all, there was also a mild blue called Ascher Blue which is one of only 3 true blue's made in the U.S.  Both of these cheeses were definitely something worth using their mail order store called The Larder to get your hands on for your next event.  I haven't been very lucky as of yet with the charcuterie but I did see some Georgian made Guanciale that I have my eye on.

COOL ideas

So now I have my summer cocktail set and am starting to think about what other fun touches I can add to entertaining when the weather is 90 degrees plus.  You know I was considering cake when a memory from a few years back occurred to me.  We were at the US Open and the weather was hot and humid that day and the sun was beating down on us in the stands so we went in search of a cool treat...not like ice cream...like cocktails.  That's when I had a life changing lemon granita.  I can still remember the delicious lemony flavor and the tiny ice crystals and even though they were like $18 a piece, they were worth every penny.  That my fellow hip hostess' is going to be my go to dessert this year.  Here are a few ideas I'm kicking around.

Pineapple Granita
Looks lovely and shares an ingredient with my cocktails which is always pleasing to the palate.

Iced Coffee Popsicles
This would be a fun replacement to the normal coffee and dessert

Moonshine and Sweet Tea Granita
This is fun and when in Savannah you should always include sweet tea at some point.

Root Beer Float Granita
I like the kitsch and nostalgia this granita brings.  Awww A&W and drive in movies.

You'll never look at bubblegum the same

Check out this fantastic bubblegum party over at You are my Fave.  I think every girl no matter how old you are can totally relate to this event.  Who knew that bubblegum could be so chic?

Beer Mustard

If you are having a party of the male variety whether it be birthday, sporting event, retirement, etc. what could be more appreciated then homemade beer mustard.  The Beeroness did a fantastic job of walking you through different types of beer and the actual process looks pretty easy.  With mustard being the perfect accompaniment to many manly loves such as hot dogs, sausages and pretzels...why not.  Plus you get to put put in your touches such as a cute Weck or Mason jar to house the homemade goodness.

Nice and Easy

Lately, I've been hearing a lot of people talking about how they would like to have guests over but they are not a very good cook or they don't have time.  Excuses...Excuses.  Well how about this recipe from daily squeeze for steak tacos?  It has just a few fresh, key ingredients and it looks awesome and delicious.  Even if you are not a very confident cook or don't have access to a grill.  You can always sear the marinated steak in a cast iron skillet and then finish for a short time in the oven.  This is easy peasy and won't take much time, everything can be done ahead and pairs nicely with ice cold Coronita's.  You have the makings for a fun evening that everyone will enjoy.

Butterfly Cupcakes

Want to make a big impression but short on time?  How about picking up some vanilla cupcakes at your local supermarket and few bags of candy.  The candies placed strategically transform into butterflies in no time and voila you have a hit dessert for your summer soiree.

Individual Salads

How cute is this idea from  My Baking Addiction?  I especially love this idea for around the pool or for a backyard soiree.  It's a great way to set out a healthy snack that people can grab when they want and it looks adorable to boot.

Bar Beautiful

One of my favorite parts of setting up for an event is the bar.  I love all the beautiful bottles, glassware, fun little additions like bitters, fun alcohol, fruit peel twists.  Although it is fun to set up it is not always fun to find a space for everything.  I love this article from CasaSugar that shows some clever and ingenious ways to set up a makeshift or permanent bar in you home.

Party Hat Cupcake Toppers

How cute is this idea from Oh Happy Day.  You take your leftover cupcake liners and make little party hats for your cupcakes.  To cute and might I add....genius.

Summer Treats

Every once in awhile life gets in the way of the best laid plans.  That's when mail order treats can be a lifesaver.  Yes, you may have to pay a little more but sometimes the payoff of time is worth the dollars spent.  If you catch yourself in a situation where you had plans of bringing a fabulous dessert to a soiree or even making a fabulous dessert for your own party but couldn't quite get it done.  Here are a few of my favorite online treats...not only are they tasty but the packaging is super cute as well.

 Beachy Cream

Sucre

Jeni's splendid ice cream

Whimsy and Spice

Barnyard Birthday

Party Details.

Last weekend we had the pleasure helping a very special client throw an amazing birthday party for his adorable 3 year old. The dad is quite image conscious and wanted LOTS of special touches at his son's party, and we were happy to offer our crafting and cooking ways. Here are some of our favorite details.

Desserts were king at this party. These little pie pops anchored in mini gardens of grass were a perfect 3 bite treat for the parents and the kids.

Possibly our favorite detail, mini cheese-filled biscuits (I'll go through the details of how to do this in tomorrow's post) housed in little gable box barns.



One way to encourage two and tree year olds to eat fruits and veggies is to make them look this adorable. We cut out flower shapes out of watermelon and placed them atop skewers of green grapes to create a garden centerpiece on the tables.

And the veggies were not ignored. This little garden of goodies was a hit as well. And we must note that the father bought these beautiful floral and bird themed plates for each of the kids. Over the top and absolutely fabulous. If you are curious, there wasn't a single accident with these place settings and any of the 20 kids.


A take-away dessert! Individual banana puddings in mason jars. The parents were most excited by this.

Pigs, roosters, and sheep. Oh my! You can't have a barnyard theme without a slew of animals. These cakepops were absolutely adorable and delicious.

It's Magic!!

Party Details.

Last week Hip Hostess had a call from one of our corporate clients to create a cocktail party with a magic theme. They would provide the actual magician...we just needed to drive the theme home.

But with corporate events it is all about balance. This can't look like a kids birthday party with too many cutesy details...a little kitsch goes a long way. So here are the ways that we brought the magic to cocktail hour.

Every party needs some form of crudite. For our party, we served individual portions in mini magic hats. Each hat contained a plastic ramekin filled with dip and assorted veggies.




To add height on our buffet spread, we wanted to fill vases with an iconic magic flower...the red rose. To drive the theme even further, we covered our vases with special black and silver playing cards that we found at a local magic shop.

I find dessert to be magical no matter what, but these are especially magical. We Harry Pottered some pretzel rods with milk and white chocolate to create magic wands at the bar.

And so that every guest would have a take-away that reminds them of the party, we wrapped candy bars in custom labels so they would look like a deck of cards.

Magical, yes?

Raisin Rosemary Crisps

photo via TheKitchn

It’s almost holiday time and you know what that means…get-together’s galore. This season finds hip hostess busier than ever and the thing about being a hip hostess is you can’t very well show up to a party with average fare. So it’s always nice to have a couple of tricks up your sleeve.

One of those tricks is Raisin Rosemary Crisps. They are so delicious you wonder how they pack so many flavors into one itty bitty cracker. The cool things is they can be purchased at Trader Joe’s (this variety is smaller) or another popular brand is Raincoat Crisps that can be ordered online. If you find yourself with a little more time you could make your own via this recipe. My husband who is not really a big fan of cheese and crackers, cannot stop eating these when I put them out.

Any way you slice it with a couple of crispy, savory and sweet crackers all you need from there is a spreadable cheese and some dried fruit or berries for color. Voila a classy, delicious cheese course in no time and no worries about it spilling over in the car!

Watch out!

Are you asking yourself,”how are post it notes related to events?” Well say you are at your next party and a cute guy or girl asks for your number. You could pull out your post it note watch, sexily scroll down your number and put it around his/her wrist. I guarantee it would make an impression?

I know…good thing I’m married. But if you see this move being pulled at your next event, just remember who thought of it first.

Balloon Banner

Party Decor DIY.





Goodness, this balloon banner from Design Mom is such a wonderful backdrop for her toddler's first birthday!

And the easy DIY makes it totally doable for anyone to attempt on their own. For the low, low price of balloons, endless color possibilities, and the dramatic effect, this is a no-brainer. How fun!

Edible TeaCups

Party Idea.

If you are planning on having a little girl’s birthday party anytime soon, these cute edible tea cups may be just what you need to inspire a theme.



They would be perfect for Alice in Wonderland, garden party, afternoon tea or dress up day. In the photo they have used candy but I think I would use a scoop of strawberry ice cream for dessert. Check out the tutorial here.

Kids-Digs.com

Party Hats.

All my pictures of my birthday parties growing up have a bunch of kids sitting around a table wearing birthday hats and me at the head of the table wearing not only a birthday hat but a huge cheesy grin.
I loved those hats and probably still would if you sat one atop my head right now.

The thing about birthday hats is if you are not going for a Dora the Explorer theme or a Disney movie of some type then it is really hard to find a suitable hat. That is until I received an email from Dana Miller of kids-digs.com. Dana is a stay at home mom with three boys and has turned her love of special occasion hats into a business.



All of Dana’s hats are super cute and would definitely be a great place to start if you are searching for a theme for an upcoming party. Check them out…you won’t be disappointed.

Pop Goes Pumpkin

Party Game.

Martha Stewart and her team have come up with a great Halloween game called “pop goes the pumpkin.” It is easy, fun and doubles as décor.



She suggested it for kids but to tell you the truth I know I would have a great time playing a round of pop goes the pumpkin darts. Especially if it had nifty little gifts in each balloon. Just make sure to protect your wall, especially if drinks are involved. Either way, I think pop goes the pumpkin is a great Halloween game for all ages. You can see the tutorial here.

Having a Halloween Party?

Party Ideas.

While doing my usual internet perusal I couldn’t help but notice everything Halloween is really cute this year. Check out a few of my favorites.

Southern Living
What a great yet practical way to use pumpkins!



Etsy
Vintage Mini Alphabet Cards with endless possibilities.



Etsy
What’s scarier than a bloody hand print?



Better Homes and Garden
I love the chalkboard.



Sunset Magazine
Spooky yet delicious.