GIRLS NIGHT IN: HOST A DIY CENTERPIECE PARTY!

The nice folks at Seagram's Escapes asked me for some Spring party ideas... here's one I think you'll love!

With Easter just weeks away, I've got a fun (and productive) party idea for your next Girls Night In get-together. Why not host a DIY centerpiece party? Each year, a few weeks before Easter, I get lots of emails and questions about Easter decorations and tablesettings. Here's a party theme that will not only allow you to spend time with your friends, you can go home with a beautiful centerpiece... just in time for your Easter Sunday celebration. It's also a great party plan for that DIY bride or class reunion, too!

 

THE SET UP

This is a very simple party to host. You provides the drinks, the food, and a large workspace with plenty of room. Guests will bring what they need for her own centerpiece plus tools like floral wire, floral sheers, ribbon, etc. You can all share supplies. Ask guests to email a list of what they are bringing- you may need to make a trip to Michael's, Hobby Lobby or a local floral supply store to pick up the basics if you don't have them. If you are planning this party for the week of Easter, you might also set up a station to dye Easter eggs. That way, you can have eggs already dyed for the kids to decorate.

I've been so in love with the purple hues of Spring... inspired by Radiant Orchid, the Pantone color of the year. I used that as the foundation for my color scheme with pretty plates, napkins, straws and flowers in those purple tones to anchor the look. I added a special dessert cocktail in the same color palette to make it really special!

Get annuals or herbs from the garden center in addition to cut flowers. Later you can plant them in the yard and enjoy them all summer long.

In the Spring, I always like to use herbs or flowers from the garden center for my centerpieces... that way, after the party is over, I can plant them in the yard and enjoy them all summer long. I picked up a few bunches of tulips at the store, too. I got a twig wreath and some bird nests at the craft store and found floral foam, wire and twine there also. If you want a rustic look, use Mason jars in several sizes. If you are using metal containers, they tend to leak. To avoid this, fit a small jar or plastic container into the bottom and fill that with water. 

Cover your work space with a plastic backed drop cloth from the home improvement store or use brown craft paper... I used did both to make clean up easy. It is important to use layers of newspaper if you will be dying eggs; they make a mess and the stain is virtually impossible to remove.

Cover your work station with brown craft paper. Twig wreaths, bird nests, and floral supplies can be found craft stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby.

FOOD & DRINKS

Girls Night is soooo about the cocktails and quality time catching up with friends but since this party is centered around an activity, I wanted to keep the menu very simple and did not want to have to fuss with the bar. Seagram's Escapes were not only the perfect colors for the party, the wide variety of flavors insured there would be something for everyone. Put them on ice and offer some fruit mix-ins; they come in 4-packs or you can find them at Sam's and the big stores in multi-flavor cases; perfect for a party.

Seagram's Escapes are light, fruity fun and the perfect colors for the party theme.

Keep the food simple as well. A cheese board with 3-4 cheeses plus crackers, fruit, honey, jam and other pairings is the perfect way to start the party. It is easy to assemble and there's no cooking required. Make one of your party favorites that is easy to eat standing up or while working. I made Puffy Party Squares because they are easy, fast and inexpensive but also because everyone loves them. Get the recipe... 

And because there has to be something sweet on the menu, I came up with these incredible Very Berry Ice Cream Floats for dessert... again, very simple, no cooking required and completely addictive.

Very Berry Grown Up Ice Cream Floats

Here's the how to:

VERY BERRY ICE CREAM FLOATS

1 small container fresh blackberries or raspberries

1 half gallon container vanilla ice cream

Chambord Liqueur

4 Seagram's Escapes, Black Cherry Fizz flavor, chilled

Chill the glasses in the freezer so they are cold.

Put 3 blackberries or raspberries in the bottom of a glass. Muddle slightly with a wooden spoon to break up the fruit. Add 2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Pour over 1 tablespoon of Chambord liqueur. Fill each glass with the Seagram's Escapes... add a straw and enjoy!

THE ACTIVITY

Making centerpieces and decorating eggs can be as easy or as complex as your time and patience allow. If you look at Pinterest, you can see a million different ideas for every taste and every budget. I'm a big fan of cheap that looks expensive so that's what I was aiming for with my flower arrangement. I also like the idea of repurposing the flowers in the garden or container after the party is over.

My own style is very relaxed and easy so my centerpieces tend to be rustic and take about 6 minutes to create. When making a centerpiece for a dinner table, I want it to be low so guests can see each other across the table. Here's what I came up with using annuals and one bunch of tulips. After Easter is over, I'll plant the annuals in containers to brighten up my deck this summer. 

Use garden center annuals to create a lasting flower arrangement. Carefully remove the annuals from their plastic container, keeping the root ball intact. Put it into a plastic bag and secure with a rubber band. Use one plastic sandwich bag for each plant. Make sure the soil is damp- but not too wet. Arrange the flowers in a platter, basket, wreath or other short container. Add some fresh cut flowers also for a little height. Done!

This could even be a wonderful family get-together with the cousins or a fun annual neighborhood party. The adults can make flower arrangements and the kids can decorate eggs at a craft station set up with stickers, glitter, glue and other supplies.

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND TO NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE. 

Visit SEAGRAMSESCAPES.COM to find drink recipes, store locations and more. 

Easy Easter Entertaining: Martie on Fox 6

I had such fun with our Easter ideas segment on Fox 6 today in Birmingham, Alabama! Using easy to find items like pretty pastel colored tea towels from Bromberg's as a placemat/napkin, colored Juliska glassware, pretty farm-style speckled eggs in wooden bowls and a twig table runner... this table is mix, match, and use what you have style. The clip shows simple these decorating ideas and a deviled egg bar with lots of toppings for a super affordable and relaxed Easter brunch or Good Friday luncheon. Here's the video clip for those of you who missed it.

FOR THE FULL POST AND HOW-TO:

HOW TO MAKE SPECKLED EASTER EGGS

MAKE A DEVILED EGG BAR FOR EASTER BRUNCH

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT HARD BOILED EGG

MARTIE'S CLASSIC SOUTHERN DEVILED EGG RECIPE

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Easy Easter Party Ideas: Make a Peeps Cake!

Photo: Arden PhotographyI walked through my favorite Target yesterday and the Peeps were there! No, not my "peeps"--- THE Peeps--- the little marshmallow birdies you can only find around Easter. And I could not believe all of the new Peeps items and colors available this year. With Easter just weeks away, it's time to start planning the big bunny's visit. This Peeps cake will easily be the hit of the party and it makes a great centerpiece, too.

There are several ways to do this cake. You can start with an iced cake and cover it with the Peeps. I thought it would be fun to stack the Peeps as high as I could and use skewers to keep them from toppling over. You can use icing to "glue" the Peeps together instead of skewers. This one is also fun for the kids to create. (Refrain from the "one for you, two for me" system of stacking like I used-- it's a real diet killer.) Have fun with this one and be creative. I used a ribbon to top our cake but you can use bubble gum tape, licorice whips or anything else you like.

See more Easter egg hunt decorating and party ideas in my Easter Egg Hunt slideshow. You'll find ideas for your Easter egg hunt, even if weather forces you inside. Find tips for a kid-friendly Easter egg hunt party buffet that include healthy choices that even the kids will love. A craft table is always a good idea to keep the kids occupied and busy between party activities. We had a bunny race with some of those wind-up bunnies that hop. Very fun. Hop on over to my Indoor Easter Egg Hunt article for more Easter party ideas.

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