Inside the Studio

Here Comes the Bride!

Last Friday was the big Wedding Day for our officemate Trina and her fiancee Jason, so we closed up the CMH office early to attend the wedding (kind of).  Since the couple was getting married in Las Vegas, we didn't actually get to see the ceremony in person, but we DID watch it LIVE via the web, which was pretty cool.

In Trina's honor, we gathered around her desk and used her computer screen to watch the beautiful bride walk down the aisle at Madalay Bay.  We had a few refreshments of our own to watch the event, and Beverly made a hilarious grand entrace to the party as a beautiful bride herself with her plastic bag veil and packing tape gun bouquet.  Bev looked pretty good, but she paled in comparison to the real bride.  Trina was beaming with happiness, and she looked absolutely STUNNING in her wedding dress.

The ceremony was short but sweet, and I must admit that there were happy tears on BOTH sides of the computer screen (but I won't name names). 

Congratulations Trina and Jason!  Everyone at CMH is thrilled for you two!

TGIF Pool Party

Themed party, Great ideas, and Inspiration Fridays!  T.G.I.F.!

It's the first of August, so the kiddos are probably getting ready to go back to school...  Why not enjoy the last splash of this summer with a Pool Party?  You could use a few of these ideas and whip up a little get-together this weekend, or you could plan it out and mail your invitations next week!  Either way, Fridays are perfect for getting into the party spirit, and this Friday we're taking a plunge to beat the summer heat!

Today's theme:  Pool Party

Invitation ideas:

(shown here, 5137, 5138, and 5077)

Wording ideas:

A little festive wording makes for a really fun invitation... Here are a few suggestions:

"Splish!  Splash!  Join us for a Summer Bash!"

"Before the kids head back to school, let's celebrate summer... by the pool!"

"Are you ready to dive right in for a good time?  Join us for a Pool Party!"

"It's time to "suit-up" and be cool by the pool!"

The decorations:

A Pool Party doesn't need much atmosphere because a cool, enticing pool says it all- Jump in!  If you want to spruce things up, toss a few colorful beach balls in the pool and drape brightly colored beach towels over the back of each patio chair.

You can also get pool or swimming-themed party goods if you want to make a real splash!

The menu:

Light and refreshing snacks are a poolside staple- popsicles (frozen in a cooler or served straight out of the freezer of course), watermelon and other fresh fruit, or chips and dip. 

And if you want a heartier snack, try chicken strips (Suzanne suggests with Honey Mustard or Polynesian dipping sauce), an old fashioned hot dog, or tasty sliders (mini burgers)!

As a Party Favor:

Consider presenting your guests with a pair of big, goofy sunglasses or a pair of flip flops personalized to each guest's size.

Happy Friday, and happy party planning!

Themed party, Great ideas, and Inspiration Fridays!  T.G.I.F.!

It's the first of August, so the kiddos are probably getting ready to go back to school...  Why not enjoy the last splash of this summer with a Pool Party?  You could use a few of these ideas and whip up a little get-together this weekend, or you could plan it out and mail your invitations next week!  Either way, Fridays are perfect for getting into the party spirit, and this Friday we're taking a plunge to beat the summer heat!

Today's theme:  Pool Party

Invitation ideas:

(shown here, 5137, 5138, and 5077)

Wording ideas:

A little festive wording makes for a really fun invitation... Here are a few suggestions:

"Splish!  Splash!  Join us for a Summer Bash!"

"Before the kids head back to school, let's celebrate summer... by the pool!"

"Are you ready to dive right in for a good time?  Join us for a Pool Party!"

"It's time to "suit-up" and be cool by the pool!"

The decorations:

A Pool Party doesn't need much atmosphere because a cool, enticing pool says it all- Jump in!  If you want to spruce things up, toss a few colorful beach balls in the pool and drape brightly colored beach towels over the back of each patio chair.

You can also get pool or swimming-themed party goods if you want to make a real splash!

The menu:

Light and refreshing snacks are a poolside staple- popsicles (frozen in a cooler or served straight out of the freezer of course), watermelon and other fresh fruit, or chips and dip. 

And if you want a heartier snack, try chicken strips (Suzanne suggests with Honey Mustard or Polynesian dipping sauce), an old fashioned hot dog, or tasty sliders (mini burgers)!

As a Party Favor:

Consider presenting your guests with a pair of big, goofy sunglasses or a pair of flip flops personalized to each guest's size.

Happy Friday, and happy party planning!

Perfectly Polished.

Last night a couple of girlfriends and I went to a new nail salon in our area, Polished.  It was REALLY cool.  They are completely committed to hygeine (nice to know my feet won't fall off from a fungus), but they're also really committed to the environment.  They have their own custom brand of nail polish made that doesn't include any harmful chemicals-no Toluene, Formaldehyde or DBT! (I'll pretend that I know what all of that actually is.)

What I REALLY like is that when you pick out your nail polish color, you select from a little kiosk of display colors, then open the drawer below to grab a smaller version of the polish bottle (I chose "Yoga Mama" for my nails and "How Big?" for my toes!).  You give your miniature bottle of polish to your technician, and that's what they use to do your nails (so you're the only person to ever use it)... PLUS, when they're done, you get to take the bottle home for touch-ups or future use- how great is that?!  It's a Pedicure Party Favor!

The experience was so great that it totally inspired me to have a Spa Day Party in the future!  I would pick an invitation like this (E572) or this (7104) and reserve one of their "private rooms" for me and five other girlfriends.  What a great idea for a birthday or pre-wedding pampering for a bride and her bridesmaids!

This place really was different than a lot of nail salons I've been to- everything was super clean, it was quiet, the massage chairs were GREAT, and the employees were SO nice and talented.  I'll definitely be following up with another appointment soon!  {And if you live in the Dallas area, you should check it out!}

T.G.I.F. Recipe Shower

Themed party, Great ideas, and Inspiration Fridays!  T.G.I.F.!

This week's TGIF is for a special person in the office- Catrina!  She's getting married in a couple of weeks, so we decided to have a Recipe Shower and Luncheon for her at the office! Everyone brought Trina a few recipes to add to her cooking ammunition, and we also brought a dish to share for lunch.  She ended up with about 50 great new recipes to try, and the rest of us ended up with full tummies! 

Today's theme:  Kitchen and Recipe Shower

The Invitation (shown here:  68W25):

 

                 

Wording ideas:

A little festive wording makes for a really fun invitation... Here's the intro that we used for Trina's shower:  "  Trina and Jason are soon to be wed, and it's not dishes they need but recipes instead!"

You could also use something like:  "Let's help Trina find her way around the kitchen with a few of our favorite dishes!"

The details: 

To make a really fun buffet table, we purchased a brightly striped tablecloth and colorful napkins and plates.  Then we used a floral arrangment done inside a colander as the centerpiece (garnished with a few wooden utensils ).  All of the bright, cheerful flowers did a great job for setting the tone for the celebration- happy!

Everyone brought a few recipes to share with Trina (along with a little advice for marriage)!

The menu: 

Since everyone brought a dish to share, we had TONS of food!  And everything was just delicious!  Here are a few recipes that made their way to the table today:

Carol's Ham and Cheese Ball

38 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

35 oz. pkg Deli-Select Baked Ham, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 T. Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce

2 T. + 1/2 t.  Accent

Pecans, chopped

Combine all ingredients except pecans.  Shape into a ball and roll in pecans.  Serve with Ritz crackers.

Tarrah's Cauliflower Casserole

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small florets

1/2 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2/3 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 pinch salt

1 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add cauliflower, cov er, and cook for about 10 minutes.  Drain, and place in a 2 qt. casserole dish.

In a small bowl, mix together butter, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Sprinkle mixture over cauliflower, and top with cheddar cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Kandice's "Yummy Shower Punch"

3 oz. pkg strawberry jello (for color)

2 c. hot water; pour over jello and mix

2 c. sugar

3 c. hot water to dissolve sugar; add to jello

12 oz. can of frozen pink lemonade

46 oz. can of pineapple juice

1 large bottle of ginger ale

Chill, add ice, and serve!  (And if you're feeling super-ambitious, you can freeze lime slices in just a little bit of water to make a prettier presentation- much easier than an ice ring!)

Happy Friday and congratulations Trina!

This week's TGIF is for a special person in the office- Catrina!  She's getting married in a couple of weeks, so we decided to have a Recipe Shower and Luncheon for her at the office! Everyone brought Trina a few recipes to add to her cooking ammunition, and we also brought a dish to share for lunch.  She ended up with about 50 great new recipes to try, and the rest of us ended up with full tummies! 

Today's theme:  Kitchen and Recipe Shower

The Invitation (shown here:  68W25):

 

                 

Wording ideas:

A little festive wording makes for a really fun invitation... Here's the intro that we used for Trina's shower:  "  Trina and Jason are soon to be wed, and it's not dishes they need but recipes instead!"

You could also use something like:  "Let's help Trina find her way around the kitchen with a few of our favorite dishes!"

The details: 

To make a really fun buffet table, we purchased a brightly striped tablecloth and colorful napkins and plates.  Then we used a floral arrangment done inside a colander as the centerpiece (garnished with a few wooden utensils ).  All of the bright, cheerful flowers did a great job for setting the tone for the celebration- happy!

Everyone brought a few recipes to share with Trina (along with a little advice for marriage)!

The menu: 

Since everyone brought a dish to share, we had TONS of food!  And everything was just delicious!  Here are a few recipes that made their way to the table today:

Carol's Ham and Cheese Ball

38 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

35 oz. pkg Deli-Select Baked Ham, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 T. Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce

2 T. + 1/2 t.  Accent

Pecans, chopped

Combine all ingredients except pecans.  Shape into a ball and roll in pecans.  Serve with Ritz crackers.

Tarrah's Cauliflower Casserole

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small florets

1/2 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2/3 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 pinch salt

1 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add cauliflower, cov er, and cook for about 10 minutes.  Drain, and place in a 2 qt. casserole dish.

In a small bowl, mix together butter, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Sprinkle mixture over cauliflower, and top with cheddar cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Kandice's "Yummy Shower Punch"

3 oz. pkg strawberry jello (for color)

2 c. hot water; pour over jello and mix

2 c. sugar

3 c. hot water to dissolve sugar; add to jello

12 oz. can of frozen pink lemonade

46 oz. can of pineapple juice

1 large bottle of ginger ale

Chill, add ice, and serve!  (And if you're feeling super-ambitious, you can freeze lime slices in just a little bit of water to make a prettier presentation- much easier than an ice ring!)

Happy Friday and congratulations Trina!

Boy, Oh Boy!

My brother and his wife have a baby boy on the way! In their honor, Shane and I and my sister, Connie, threw them a Couples Baby Shower!  We really wanted a sophisticated look for the party, so we set the tone with this blue and brown square invitation with ribbon (R6-26).

Two Sisters Catering provided an excellent pearl pasta bar where guests could add their own toppings- sauteed mushrooms, beef tenderloin or chicken, garlic, grilled veggies, and add their choice of sauce too- yum! To carry on the blue and brown theme,  we served cupcakes for dessert with petite blue flowers on them- so simple and so cute!

The table decorations included floral arrangements with white, blue, and purple flowers with scattered beautiful stones and votive candles on the table to reflect light and add a little color.

It was a wonderful party, and Teresa and Angelo got lots of great goodies for their little guy on the way!

-Rosanne

T.G.I.F. Bowl-O-Rama

Themed party, Great ideas, and Inspiration Fridays!  T.G.I.F.!

Three strikes and... it's a turkey!  This week's TGIF pays homage to the good old-fashioned pastime of bowling!  You could use a few of the following ideas and whip up a little get-together this weekend, or you could plan a party for next weekend and mail your invitations on Monday!  Either way, Fridays are perfect for getting into the party spirit, and this Friday we're taking it to the lanes!  You don't have to be a pro bowler to enjoy a dark, air-conditioned bowling alley during these hot summer months- that's what bumpers are for!

Today's theme:  Bowl-O-Rama

Invitation ideas: 

 

(shown here:  68W88 and 6039)

                 

Wording ideas:

A little festive wording makes for a really fun invitation... Here are a few suggestions:

" It's time to head down to the bowling lanes, enjoy a few beers and bowl a few frames!"

"Can you SPARE the time to join us for a Bowl-a-riffic Party?"

"Let's have a ball for (Name's) Birthday!"

The details: 

There's plenty of activity at a bowling alley for atmosphere, but a few balloons might liven up your lane if you MUST decorate.  You should also check to see if your local alley does "blacklight bowling" (it's called something different everywhere you go).  Usually, an alley will have this time as something separate than regular bowling- with blacklights and glow-in-the-dark bowling balls and fast-paced music.  It's definitely NOT the bowling alley experience that your parents and granparents enjoyed.

If you're planning to take a group for a specific event (like a birthday), you could also spice things up by giving away bowling shirts as party favors, and letting everyone wear them during the party!  I found these fun "ready-made" shirts that you can purchase for your guests.  You might even inspire your guests to join you in creating a team to join a bowling league!  You could be the "Bowling Stones" (shown on the right), the "Dangerous Dames", the "Gutter Girls", or the "PinBusters".  Or you can come up with your own team name and have the shirts completely customized!

The menu:

Every bowling alley should have a snack bar where you can get the usual suspects- nachos, pizza, popcorn, burgers and fries, and pitchers of beer.   Even though these might not sound like what you will WANT to eat at your gathering, you might be surprised how you'll start craving an alley snack once you get to knocking down those pins! (Note, before you plan on bringing in outside food- like a cake or other snack, check with your local alley's policy.)

Here's to enjoying the summer (and the air-conditioning inside a bowling alley)!

Happy Friday!

Three strikes and... it's a turkey!  This week's TGIF pays homage to the good old-fashioned pastime of bowling!  You could use a few of the following ideas and whip up a little get-together this weekend, or you could plan a party for next weekend and mail your invitations on Monday!  Either way, Fridays are perfect for getting into the party spirit, and this Friday we're taking it to the lanes!  You don't have to be a pro bowler to enjoy a dark, air-conditioned bowling alley during these hot summer months- that's what bumpers are for!

Today's theme:  Bowl-O-Rama

Invitation ideas: 

 

(shown here:  68W88 and 6039)

                 

Wording ideas:

A little festive wording makes for a really fun invitation... Here are a few suggestions:

" It's time to head down to the bowling lanes, enjoy a few beers and bowl a few frames!"

"Can you SPARE the time to join us for a Bowl-a-riffic Party?"

"Let's have a ball for (Name's) Birthday!"

The details: 

There's plenty of activity at a bowling alley for atmosphere, but a few balloons might liven up your lane if you MUST decorate.  You should also check to see if your local alley does "blacklight bowling" (it's called something different everywhere you go).  Usually, an alley will have this time as something separate than regular bowling- with blacklights and glow-in-the-dark bowling balls and fast-paced music.  It's definitely NOT the bowling alley experience that your parents and granparents enjoyed.

If you're planning to take a group for a specific event (like a birthday), you could also spice things up by giving away bowling shirts as party favors, and letting everyone wear them during the party!  I found these fun "ready-made" shirts that you can purchase for your guests.  You might even inspire your guests to join you in creating a team to join a bowling league!  You could be the "Bowling Stones" (shown on the right), the "Dangerous Dames", the "Gutter Girls", or the "PinBusters".  Or you can come up with your own team name and have the shirts completely customized!

The menu:

Every bowling alley should have a snack bar where you can get the usual suspects- nachos, pizza, popcorn, burgers and fries, and pitchers of beer.   Even though these might not sound like what you will WANT to eat at your gathering, you might be surprised how you'll start craving an alley snack once you get to knocking down those pins! (Note, before you plan on bringing in outside food- like a cake or other snack, check with your local alley's policy.)

Here's to enjoying the summer (and the air-conditioning inside a bowling alley)!

Happy Friday!

Where Bare Feet Meet Sandy Floors

Where bare feet meet sandy floors, Now that is summer at it's finest!

We just returned from our family beach vacation and my new mantra is all about the sand between my toes! We had the best time ever! Building sand castles, flying kites in the beach winds, riding bikes, eating dinner with friends, reading books under the umbrella, playing card games... it's summer at its finest! You know you are finally relaxed when you lose track of the day and the only thing you have to worry about is where you are going to eat for dinner.

This is the 10th summer we’ve returned to the Emerald Coast to visit Seaside, Florida. We visit with friends, make memories and enjoy summer at it's finest!

Seaside links:
For cottage rentals: www.seasidefl.com
To stay at the Inn by the Sea: www.cottagerentalagency.com/InnByTheSea.asp
For stationery and gifts: www.hoochandhollys.com
For dining: www.criollas.com , www.cafethirtya.com , www.theredbar.com

Beach house entertaining is perfect with any of our beach invitations!   

       
5144 Beach Chair

5137 Swimsuit

5138 Swimtrunks

6032  Sanddollar

To prepare the perfect beach house meal at your own beach house, check out this great cook book!

Enjoy summer, find the sand, go barefoot!
Rosanne

InStyle for Independence Day

Check out this CMH product featured online for InStyle!  You can order these from Finestationery.com for your Fourth of July party (or for an Election party this November!)... Talk about kicking off a party with a BANG!

CMH Doggie Day

In case you missed it, last Friday was national Bring Your Dog to Work Day.  We were too busy preparing for the summer Markets last week, so we decided that it might be fun to have the pups around for awhile today instead. Therefore, today is declared the very First Annual CMH Doggie Day (well, half day technically, but that doesn't sound as glamorous in a booming voice)!

Aside from a few minor mishaps, the dogs have been pretty good, actually.  They've enjoyed making new friends, and it's been fun for us too (definitely a one of the perks of working in a casual office).

Now introducing the temporary CMH office members for the day:

The whole Mutt-ly Crew (and Sarah more interested in the treats than in the photo session)

Sarah and Sunny are fast friends

Java helps Lesa answer the phone and take orders

Minnie peruses the CMH catalog

Trina and her babies, Pebbles and Bruiser, even stopped by to say hello!

Every Flower has a Meaning...

When choosing the blooms for your event, you'll certainly consider the color, size, and shape of different flowers, but it's also nice to think of their significance.

According to Martha, the Calla Lily is a flower of "magnificent beauty"... not only in its looks, but also in what it stands for.

Our new Calla Lily invitation is perfect for a summer wedding celebration.  It's inviting for any occasion... bridal brunch, bridesmaids luncheon, tea, or wedding!

Consider these ideas for cupcakes or the wedding cake, a flower arrangement or centerpieces, and these adorable party tins for favors too!

Have fun planning!

Links:    Cupcakes

Wedding Cake

Floral Arrangement

Favor Pails