Let the Madness Begin!

Second to Christmas, this may just be my favorite time of the year.  St. Patrick's Day is upon us.  And so is March Madness!  This is a great time to get together with friends and family to watch all the big games, cheer on your alma mater, and talk some smack! But most of all, it's a great excuse to throw a party.

Selection Sunday is just over 48 hours away.  Why not invite the whole gang over for an impromtu gathering?  This would also be a great time to organize a basketball pool (if you're into that sort of thing).  For me, this week is all about cinderallas, bracket-busters, 12s vs 5s, and a whole lot of crazy prognosticating (my inner-voice sounds a lot like Dickie V). 

So you're throwing together a last-minute shin-dig for this weekend's Selection Show. What do you need?

Snacks
The show is on at 6 pm (est). Invite your friends over around 5 and do light hors d'oeuvres and drinks, and they'll be headed home to dinner when the show's over. Mini pigs in a blanket are always a big hit and super easy!  Baked sweet potato chips with dill dip and mini soft pretzels are also sure to be a success! For dessert, how about some basketball themed cakeballs?  With chocolate coating and a thin black icing gel, these would be darling for the party.

Drinks
It's Sunday, and after a long weekend of early St. Patrick's Day revelry, your guests will probably want to take it easy.  White wine citrus sangria is one of my favorite laid-back drinks. It's so easy and so pretty. Your guests will love it.  Of course, we also recommend having some beer on hand for the guys, who will probably scoff at drinking sangria.

Decor
While this is a last-minute gathering, you shouldn't shirk on decor.  As my mother always says, "Presentation is everything."  If your guests are all primarily fans of the same team, go for your school's colors as the motif.  Plates, napkins and cups can reflect this theme easily enough.  A few small vases of flowers or candles in the right colors, while subtle, can create a more welcoming atmosphere.  Mildly scented decor can also add a pick-me-up to any room that needs a bit of freshening up.  If you've got a party store nearby, stop in to pick up some pom-poms in your school's colors.  Arrange them in a vase just like flowers.  If you have a little extra time, make some of the infamous Martha Stewart pom poms to hang over your buffet table.

Who will you be rooting for this year in the NCAA tournament?  Are you planning any festivities to cheer on your team along the way?

Happy Friday!

We wanted to use today's post to tell everyone Happy Friday!  The weather in Chicago is beautiful; go outside and take advantage of your 40+ degree weekend!

Days 'til Spring: 15

Spring begins 3/20/10

'Outdoor Garden Party'

We were recently contacted to help plan a 1st birthday party. And we couldn't wait to get started putting our ideas down on paper!  We provided two idea boards with two pretty different themes and ended up meshing them together (final result is picture #3):

Theme #1: Elegance

1. centerpieces would be minimal, square vases with sand and white Japanese Mitsumata Branches

2. birthday girl's name attached to centerpiece for that extra touch

3. All white lanterns hung from ceiling mixed in with butterflies tied to fishing line. To give the impression the butterflies are flying through the clouds

4. ADORABLE favor tags found on etsy.com - these are such a fun way to add that special touch

5. Loose example of what the ceiling would look like

6. Lanterns sit on food and desert table, and possibly scattered throughout the room

7. centerpieces for children's tables would have bugs sitting in moss

Theme #2: The Hungry Caterpillar

1. centerpieces would house green and red apples with plastic bugs scattered inside

2. Seat cushions would add that extra pop of color where guests would least expect it

3. Yellow Gerber daisies would sit in 6'' square vases throughout the room on beds of moss

4. White chairs with seat cushions colors from pictures 2

5. Adorable favor tags let guests go home with a reminder of the theme

6. Cupcakes are so easy for children's parties. Less fuss, no cutting, each the same size!

With those two themes as our starting point, and given the feedback from our client, this is what we decided on:

Final Theme: Spring Color!

1. Centerpieces with more color. Instead of sand at bottom of square vase, yellow stones will be added. Colorful butterflies and bugs with sit in the Mitsumata branches

2. Desert table will be lined with moss for the opaque yellow vases/cake stands/plates to sit. Varying sized glass vases will also be filled with orange/yellow/pink candy. 6'' square vases will house brightly colored yellow Gerber daisies (see picture 5)

3. Lanterns will be yellow/pink/orange and will still hang from the ceiling along with white butterflies

4. Centerpieces of children’s tables will have foam board attached underneath for children to stick colored pencils and crayons for easy access (with little bugs glued to the tops for added detail, of course!)

5. Gerber daisies and other seasonal flowers in yellow and light orange will be spread throughout the room

So what do you think? What theme worked for your child's birthday party?

***And don't forget to enter our first Give-Away!***

Contest ends Monday, March 1st

CLICK HERE

Plantable Favors

Just discovered these great plantable favors on the Paper Source Blog. These could be used for both decorations at your next event and as a take-home favor for your guests. And bonus, Paper Source sells take-out containers (used for this project) that are made from recycled materials. They come in 8 great colors and prices start at just .40 a piece.

Throw a Party for Earth Day

Earth day is this Wednesday (April 22) and here at WGIC, we think that’s something to celebrate. This is a great opportunity to plan a fun party and put some of our best eco-friendly ideas to use. Here’s a few of our favorite ideas for celebrating Earth Day in an earth-friendly way.

Invitations
Instead of sending traditional invitations, why not send an invitation that can be planted? Using these templates, why not design a fun, festive invitation label and stuff it with a pack of your favorite wildflower seeds. After the party, the guests can plant the seeds as a reminder of the fun day you all shared. As a bonus, be sure to use recycled paper for your seed packet labels.


The Venue
We think Earth Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate out in nature, so take your party outdoors to a local park. Better yet, do double duty by hosting a volunteer effort to clean up your local park or plant a tree there. (Be sure to check with local authorities before planting anything.) Then celebrate your volunteerism with a special thank you picnic for all of the helpers.

Food
Organic, natural and wholesome recipes seem to fit best with an Earth Day celebration, but for an extra special treat, why not serve your guests a flowery dessert like this one ? Easy and delicious, these flower pot ice cream desserts will wow your guests while keeping with the natural theme of the earth.


Activities / Favors
Instead of typical party games, why not spend the afternoon creating something for your guests to use? Supply them with ceramic flower pots and an assortment of non-toxic paints and let each guest decorate a pot in which to grow their invitation seeds. Check out these pots on etsy.com for some groovy inspiration.


Or create rain barrels for guests to use, following simple directions found here. Or try a nature scavenger hunt. Give guests a list of items (on recycled paper, of course) and let them have fun running around finding everything. Be sure to give each team a reusable shopping bag to collect all their items. The winning team gets to go take home all of the shopping bags as a prize.

At the end of the party, just remember to leave the space clean and tidy just as you found it because the best way to celebrate the earth is by making a big impact on your guests and small impact on the planet.

How are you planning on celebrating Earth Day? Leave us a comment and let us know what fun and eco-friendly ideas you have for the day.

Spring is here!

It's official, Spring is here! And it's time to get organized...

Open your windows, shake off the cobwebs and fix yourself a drink because it is Sprint Time in Chicago. That distinct smell of rebirth has come once again. Congratulations, you've made it through another brutal winter and now it's time to celebrate. One great way to kick off this spring clensing is to rearrange. Pick a room, any room, and move stuff around. Move your couch to a different wall; you might end up with some extra, usable space. Get rid of the heavy, dingy blanket and add a simple centerpiece or picture. This novel placement is also great at providing some much needed mental stimulation. So take advantage of the lingering sunshine and reorganize your world this April with three easy steps: purge, repurpose, and recycle.
1. Purge
After you've changed things up you might find that you just had too much stuff. This is good! Now it's time to decide:
throw away
Some items have run their course: socks with tears, rugs with stains, or holiday decorations. Recharge this spring with a fresh, simple approach. Get rid of the unnecessary clutter, you'll thank yourself later.

donate
Gently used clothes and furniture can be dropped off at a nearby Goodwill. Many items can be given away for free on Craig's List. Perhaps a friend or relative could use picture frames or knick knacks you don't have space for anymore.
2. Repurpose
If, when you're done tossing and donating, you still find yourself with a few pieces that you're just not ready to part with don't worry, just repurpose! Sand and paint that nightstand that no longer works in the bedroom and use it as a new end table by the couch. With a quick trip to your local nursery you can repot and relocate your favorite household plant to spruce up the color scheme in any room.
3. Don't forget to RECYCLE! Even things that no one wants or needs can still be 'reused' by being reclycled. Check out Chicago Recycling Coalition's list of ways to reuse all sorts of household products.