Like any other kind of party, a bridal shower can be deadly boring—or a spirited, unforgettable bash! If your friends are like mine, they’d much prefer the latter. As the host, you’re in control. What’s the best way to up the ante on your party planning? I have the recipe, and here it is!

4 oz. Vodka
2 oz. Triple Sec
2 oz. Cranberry Juice
1 oz. Lime Juice
1 Orange Slice
A Twist of Lime

Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge on the rim, and serve.

That’s the basic recipe for a Cosmopolitan—one of the tastiest, little libations on the planet–and guaranteed to make those obligatory bridal shower games you’ll play ever so much more fun!

And since we’re here to talk about bridal shower favors, let’s see what favors are out there that will coordinate perfectly with a Cosmopolitan Bridal Bash! Here are my two favorites:

Every guest can go home with a bit of bright-pink beverage knowledge with the “Oh, So Cosmopolitan!” Reversible Recipe Coaster (left). Cute, right? On one side is the image of a glass filled to the brim with a tantalizing Cosmopolitan. Flip it over, and you’ve got the basic recipe for the luscious cosmo concoction. And on the right is a Cosmopolitan starter kit, so guests can continue the cosmo party when they get home. The “Bottoms Up!” Cosmopolitan Cocktail Mix comes adorably packaged (a great color scheme you might even consider for your event!) with a white-satin bow and a lime-slice accent.  Either one is a terrific way to fill your party with cheers!

No one knows fashion and fragrance like Coco Chanel.  She was a woman with impeccable style and taste.  Inspiring women for decades (and decades to come), her wit and fashion sense continue to elevate her to the epitome of elegance and class.  According to CoCo,“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” If that describes you or your fab friend, then let this birthday party idea from SchemeEvents.com inspire you.  It would be an excellent alternative to the typical bridal shower, wouldn’t it?

Most known for the fragrance Chanel No. 5, that was the idea behind the invitations, substituting the number five for her birthday.  Capturing the very essence of all that is CoCo, here’s what I think made it a totally fabulous event:

Custom Logo: Because Chanel’s logo uses the interlocking C’s, they used a “J” for Jacqueline in the design.  They then put it on the invitation, personalized water bottles, and even the cake!

Signature Drinks: One way to reflect your own signature style is with a custom beverage.  They created something wonderfully delicious that highlighted some of her favorite things–her favorite lipstick and nail polish.

Scent Station: Guests were able to design their own fragrance at the scent station.  Talk about an upgrade from the traditional candy buffet.  Taking home their signature scent was quite the party favor, indeed!

They even scattered some of Chanel’s famous quotes around to really tie in CoCo’s personality.  Kudos to the gang over at Scheme Events for doing such a wonderful job with the theme.  The only thing I might add is sending the girls home with one of our quilted Couture Cosmetic Bags as a bridal shower favor.  They’re so CoCo!

To see more of the party details, visit Scheme Events.

Having been to my share of bar-hopping bachelorette parties, I know how much fun they can be—except for the designated driver (who, at an added expense, may be a limo or cab driver.) Unless one of the women on the guest list doesn’t have a taste for alcohol, there’s always one (the designated driver) who spends the evening on the outside looking in as the others make champagne toasts, sample martinis and get a little crazier than usual.

I’m here with another bachelorette party option that lets every guest have a good time, and they’ll all feel better when they leave than they do when they arrive. Arrive where, you ask? It could be your home or a plush hotel suite booked for the night—either way, it’s a safe place for the night (or day). And you might also wonder how you’ll leave feeling better than when you walked in. Simple…

Ahhhhhh-mazing!

Have a Spaaahhhhhhhhhhhh Party using a mobile spa service—the latest in luxury! Instead of having to travel to a spa, where you might be limited to what you can do in terms of food, drink and fun, you can have a mobile spa come to your home or some other location (like a hotel suite) where the food, drink and fun is all up to you! No one has to leave until the next morning, so you and the other guests can party as hard as you’d like without worrying about anyone’s ability to drive themselves home.

All Your Wants and “Kneads!”

Mobile spas offer virtually everything available at brick-and-mortar spas, including facials, skin treatments, massage, manicures, pedicures, and more. All you need to provide is the food, drink, bachelorette party or bridal shower favors and some music. The mobile spa comes to your location and transforms it into a lovely oasis of tranquility, pampering each and every guest, who can sip champagne and nibble on a decadent array of delights while she waits for her turn on the massage table. For anyone who overindulges, a plush chair or comfy bed is close at hand.

It’s a win-win for everyone, who goes home looking and feeling fabulous (unless she had one too many pomegranate mohitos…)

Did you know you can purchase one wedding favor from Favors in the City to see if you like it before you order dozens of them? This goes for bridal shower favors and baby shower favors, too!

Seeing—and Touching—Is Believing…

I don’t know about you, but I always like to see, touch and evaluate what I’m buying before I plunk down my money. Of course, that’s often virtually impossible when I buy online, which is a super way to get things that might not be readily available in brick-and-mortar stores in my area. For the most part, I like and keep what I get about 97% of the time. It’s the 3% that disappoint and need to be returned—a small hassle, wouldn’t you say? And you’re back to square one searching for the product you still want/need.

Usually, the disappointment is in quality. It looked so good on TV/my computer screen/in the newspaper or magazine ad. Up close and personal—not so much. And when it comes to something uniquely important, like, oh, I don’t know, let’s say wedding favors, I would want to make absolutely sure I’m 100% thrilled with everything about it before I give it to even one guest.

Sample an Example of Your Favorite Favor!

With their no minimums* policy, Favors in the City lets you purchase single samples of one or several favors so you can get the full effect of each favor and make sure it’s the one for that once-in-a-lifetime day you’re planning. When a company is confident of their product quality, sending you a sample shouldn’t be a problem. You’ll be charged the unit price of the product sample(s) plus shipping and handling. Once you place your final order, Favors in the City refunds your original shipping cost. Meanwhile, you can sit back and relax, knowing that, when your wedding favors will arrive, they’ll be exactly what you envisioned!

Just another favor to you from Favors in the City! Gotta love ‘em!

* Except on personalized items, edible favors or items sold in a set.

Ah, the purse valet!

This nifty little invention has taken my attention as of late.  What’s not to love about them?  They’re sleek, stylish and help keep your purse off the floor.  While they’re not new to us since we’ve carried them for a while, we have introduced a brand new purse valet that is oh-so-chic, I just had to tell you about it.

The monogrammed purse valet comes in cool, classic black.  So striking, it’s almost decadent.  Just look at it sitting to the left of this page stealing the show!  Surrounded by silver, it’ personalized with a single initial in simple elegance.  Ladies everywhere will love them when you give them as a bridal shower favor.  And, even better, they’ll also see you as the cutting-edge, fashion-forward style maven you truly are.

Want to see some of our other styles?  Here they are!

GetMarried.com, like many other nationally recognized wedding media, just released its 2010 wedding trends, and I thought you’d like to see them. The first thing I noticed was the move to old Hollywood glam for the groom and groomsmen along with the high-tech gadgets brides are now adding to their registries. It’s true that everything old is new again—at some point in time.

Here are the 2010 wedding trends, as observed by GetMarried.com:

1. Non-linear aisle: Brides are personalizing the procession by altering the traditional aisle with a circle or a triangular double aisle, enabling the couple to enter from multiple spots with a central meeting point. Stephanie Davis, Get Married magazine editor-in-chief and new bride, wedded lake-side on a circular dock from which she and her groom entered. “Our family no longer has two sides, so everyone sat together and, as an added bonus, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house!”



2. Comfort foods with a kick: Chef Wolfgang Puck believes that comfort foods have become more popular in the current economy. Think burgers, pizza, ribs, pot pie, and risotto — but comfort does not have to mean pedestrian. “Upgrade ingredients and prepare them with great expertise. Serve hors d’oeuvres like Kobe burgers, wild mushroom risotto, smoked salmon pizzas, slow-braised short ribs or a simple chicken pot pie with lobster,” advises Puck.
3. Gifting techie gadgetry: Registries and wedding gifts have increasingly become more high tech. Brides want electronic recipe finders, books and charging plates, and matching his-and-hers PDA cases–all examples of great gadgets for the couple as well as thank-you gifts for parents and the wedding party.
4. Texture-inspired invitations: Top bridal designer Monique Lhuillier shares inspirations and details from her various collections: “A lot of fabric details from the dresses translate into the invitations. We use techniques of embossing to mimic textures and incorporate the same colors from the gowns into the invitations.” Look for details you would see on the runway on your wedding invitations.
5. Old, new, borrowed and cobalt blue: From hints of blue in bridal fashion to saturated color throughout the wedding decor, “blues will be the most requested color in 2010,” according to Shane Murray of The Wedding Report. Bright cobalt blue is a hot hue for 2010, offering fresh, bold and atmospheric twist on the bluesy tradition.



6. Wear-again bridesmaid dresses: The urban legend of wearing a bridesmaids dress by choice after the wedding is a reality with the new silhouettes that mirror what is happening on the runway. Gorgeous and glamorous dresses with drop waists, bubble skirts and ruffles add an additional sense of style for bridesmaids to wear — and wear again.
7. Three-dimensional save-the-dates: Inform your friends and family of your wedding day with a twist. Three-dimensional elements on the save-the-dates, like a paper umbrella (signifying a destination wedding), adds character, humor and relevance.
8. Old Hollywood glam, for men!: A return to Cary Grant’s sense of style is making a comeback this year for grooms, looking charming and dapper in a white tuxedo with black-rimmed lapels. This cool old-school look brings back the sharp-looking vest and nostalgic pocket watch.
9. Blogger brides abound: Now more than ever, we’re seeing brides enjoy sharing snippets of surprises, ideas and images throughout their wedding planning experience. Personal blogs offer a space for brides to share, gather inspirations and explore.
10. Personalized plus: From the decor designs and inspirational invites to a great gifts and super-fab wedding favors, we’re observing brides’ aspiration for distinctly personalized wedding details. Designing invitations, save-the-dates and thank-you cards and adding monograms to guest books, aisle runners and gifts (like cosmetic and travel bags) offers a hint of personal bridal style.

Which trend will be part of your wedding? Let us know!

I love everything about autumn—the stunning colors of changing leaves, crisp, cool air, cozy fires, football, Halloween, fall fashions, the warm glow of candles on a Thanksgiving table and the delicious anticipation of family and friends gathering for the holidays.

Of course, you may have family and friends gathering for another reason this fall. Is there a wedding on your autumn calendar? If there is, and it’s yours, you’ve probably planned everything but the favors by now. So I’m going to help you out in a hurry! While I show you these fantastic favor options, think about how many of them would work for a Thanksgiving table or fireside dinner party, too.

My Favorite Four!

What would you put in our “Autumn Elegance” Laser-Cut Fall Leaf Favor Box? Jelly Belly Jelly Beans in red, yellow and orange? How about candy corn or M&Ms coordinated to match your color scheme? Inside and out, this sweet, little favor box shows you have exceptional taste.

I love this “Lustrous Leaf” Copper-Finish Bottle Stopper in its Laser-Cut Leaf Gift Box. This is one of our Kate Aspen designs, which is why the gift-box presentation is outstanding. You can always recognize a Kate Aspen favor by the quality and creativity that go into the design of both the favor and the gift-ready packaging. No one else does it like Kate.

A moist and chewy brownie pop covered with gourmet chocolate, hand-crafted to look like a pumpkin, right down to the vines. Is your mouth watering yet? If you give your guests “Pumpkin Patch” Gourmet Brownie Pops, don’t be surprised if they eat them as soon as they get to the table. They’re hard to resist. I wish I had one right now.

Like the bottle stopper, the “Fall Impressions” Frosted-Glass Photo Coasters make an eye-popping, practical favor for any and every fall occasion. The coasters come in sets of two. A friend of mine who got married last fall gave her guests photo coasters. She and her groom had professionally taken engagement photos and, on the top coaster in each set, she had placed one of the engagement photos. Lovely photos! And when I got home, I filled the two coasters with favorite photos of my own.

I found this quote by George Eliot, and it reflects my feelings about fall perfectly…

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”