Happy Canada Day!

Since tomorrow is Canada Day and I will be sleeping in I figured I'd write my Canada Day post today! This weekend I have a lot of relaxing and hanging out with friends planned, what about you? Are you doing anything special for Canada Day?

Check out some of these cute Canada Day inspired pictures I found on Pinterest.

Strawberry Shortcakes via The Bakery Spot

Via Bloggin with Bobbi

Canada Day Cupcakes via Etsy

I hope you all have a safe and fun long weekend!

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Words to Live by!

I thought I'd make today's post short and sweet! With the long weekend coming up I have a lot on the go but don't want to neglect the blog.

Couldn't be more true! Via Simple Blueprint

Have a lovely day!

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Fancy Dessert Tables

I have a new love and interest in dessert tables. I love the idea of adding colour, candy and cupcakes to dessert tables. I stumbled upon these pictures that I think are super adorable and lovely for dessert tables.

I love the flowers! From Trendy Baby Shower Ideas

Looks too pretty to eat! From Cutest Food

Tiki Party from Guerrilla N.E.R.D

I adore this from My Sweet and Saucy



So what's your favourite?? Do you have a love for beautiful dessert tables too?

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Weekend Recap

Usually I'm not very good at posting on Monday's but I made sure to find some time so I can fill you in on how the party went on Saturday.
Let's begin with Friday night where I prepped some of the food I was taking care of for Saturday. I was incharge of the salads, veggies, four pizzas and dessert. I spent about four hours Friday night cutting lettuce and strawberries, rolling out dough and making pizza sauce. Thankfully I had some great help from Michael and my lovely grandparents so it ended up being a fun night!



Fresh Ontario strawberries - They were to die for!



Saturday went off without a hitch! Thankfully the rain held out and it ended up being a beautiful day. It seemed like all 160 people had a great time, in and out of the pool and enjoying the food and drinks!



The flowers were from Metro Florist in Markham




The food tent

 All in all a great day!

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Be happy :)

We are hosting a big event tomorrow. It's the second time we've worked with this lovely client and we couldn't be more excited. That said, I didn't have time for a recipe post today but didn't want to leave you hanging so I found some fun posters from the Keep Calm website that I thought you'd enjoy.

Kissing Checklist

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole

Neat finds on Pinterest

There is a good chance I may be one of the last people to hear about Pinterest. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the fabulous things you find online. I'm totally going to start using it for the wedding and house and I cannot wait. In the meantime, here are some neat wedding inspired things I've stumbled upon on Pinterest!

From http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2011/02/rose-cake-tutorial.html

From http://pink-milk.tumblr.com/

From http://www.stylemepretty.com/

From http://www.potluckstudios.com/

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Bedding Options

My eyes are always peeled for fabulous bedding. I want something warm and fun for our bed but haven't found the right comforter or duvet yet. Here are a few that I really love!

Alhambra Quilt from Anthropologie

Rosette Bedding from Anthropologie

Cirrus Bedding from Anthropologie

Fern Organic Duvert from Pottery Barn

Francoise Stripe Organix Duvet from Pottery Barn

So, which is your favourite??

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Wedding Song

With my wedding less than 6 months away I am in full wedding excited mode! Today I thought I'd tackle something I have yet to tackle for my wedding, the first dance song. I thought I'd post a few songs that I really love for a first dance. Let me know what your favourite is!

So which song is your favourite? What song did you use for your first dance or would you use?

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Recipe Friday.... Cool as a Cucumber

It's Friday! Today's recipe is coming at your from Rachel Ray's website. I am always looking for fun, new drinks to try and I think this one sounds delicious. It's the Cool-As-A-Cucumber-Sparkletini - doesn't that sound delicious?!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed

1/2 cup ice water

1/2 cup Skyy Infusions™ All Natural Ginger Vodka, chilled

1 cup Lipton® Sparkling Diet Green Tea with Strawberry Kiwi or Lipton® Sparkling Green Tea with Strawberry Kiwi, chilled.

Preparation:
Puree the cucumber with water in a blender. Line a strainer with a wet paper towel and strain the cucumber pulp over a bowl – about 20 minutes. Gently squeeze to reserve the cucumber liquid; discard the pulp.
Stir the vodka and Lipton® Sparkling Diet Green Tea with Strawberry Kiwi into the reserved cucumber liquid. Serve in a chilled martini glasses.
For a non-alcoholic version or this recipe, substitute 1/2 cup Lipton® Sparkling Diet Green Tea with Strawberry Kiwi for vodka and add 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Tonight I am prepping for a big event we have next weekend and tomorrow I have a wedding to go to.

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Margaritaville Party!

This past Saturday Lipstik helped host a 60th birthday and the theme was Margaritaville! There was a margarita station, Jimmy Buffet Music, bright clothes and lots of fabulous food! Check out pictures from the party below.

The host hired a street meat vendor to cook dinner right out front of their home!

Don't you love the blue granite?!

Preparing dinner

Margarita Station / Bar

They live right on the water which made for a fabulous view!

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole

Design Inspiration

I wish I could spend everyday finding images and ideas that inspires me for the decor of our new house. Unfortunately I need to spend everyday working to pay for the new house! I was recently browsing the May/June 2011 issue of Lonny Magazine and came across these great inspirational pictures.

What image is your favourite??

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole

DIY Wedding Idea

I am not the best DIY'er but I so wish I was. I do plan on attempting 1 DIY project for my wedding and I will definitely be reaching out to all of you when that time comes. In the mean time, how cute are these chalk table numbers. I'm a big fan of unique table number ideas and think these are super cute!

I found the image and instructions on Style at Home, one of my favourite sites!

Instructions
1 Set up your spray booth and drying areas.
In a well-ventilated area or outdoors, lay down newspaper or a drop cloth two to three times the size of your cardboard box. This will be your spray booth. If you’ve enlisted a friend to help, set up a second spray booth. In a separate area, cover a 3-×-3-foot work surface with newspaper. This will be your drying area.

2 Paint the vessels.
Wearing rubber gloves and a face mask, place a vessel in your cardboard box. Spray it with chalkboard paint, tilting and rotating the vessel as you go to get an even coat of paint. Set it aside to dry. Apply a second touch-up coat if needed. Repeat for all vessels.

3 Write the table numbers.
Condition the chalkboard paint on each vessel by rubbing chalk all over it, then rubbing it off with a damp sponge. Once dry, write the table numbers or names on each vessel using chalk

Variations
Colored chalkboard paint, available at select hardware stores, makes this project adaptable to many different styles and palettes. You can also make your own following the simple instructions below. You will need:

• Bucket or container, for mixing
• Unsanded tile grout
• Colored latex-based paint
• Paint stirrer
• Sandpaper

Mix 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout per 1 cup of paint, stirring with your paint stirrer. Once dry, sand with sandpaper.

• Girly Romantic Consider using pale pink paint. Or write your table numbers in script or calligraphy.

• Happy Graphic Use bright red, yellow, cobalt blue, or gray paint. If desired, use a different color for each table, and colour code the table numbers and escort cards, too.

• Found Use found and recycled vessels, such as recycled detergent bottles, olive oil cans, large jars, or milk jugs (cut a larger opening if needed with scissors or a can opener).

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole

The House

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! I thought today I'd share something very excited, OUR HOUSE! The construction began a couple weeks ago and we're thrilled. It is schedule to be ready 2 weeks before our wedding which is just under 6 months away!

Here are some pictures of the construction thus far. I know it's not much of anything but it's exciting to us.

I know, I know, a pile of dirt, but it excites me!

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole

Recipe Friday... Cilantro Citrus Grilled Chicken

Hi friends! Anyone else super glad it's Friday?!

Here's your recipe for the day from The Food Network - Cilantro Citrus Grilled Chicken.

Ingredients

Cilantro Citrus Grilled Chicken

• 2 boneless chicken breasts

Marinade

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped (basil will also do well)
• Juice of 1 orange, 1 lime and 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Marinade

1. In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients and add the chicken.
2. Marinate the chicken either for at least 2 hours (more is better, up to 24) in the fridge.
3. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking. Gently flatten the chicken breasts so that they are of even thickness. This allows for better cooking – you won’t get the "one half too dried out and the other side not quite done" effect that happens because the breast is thicker at one end than the other.
4. Of course, I choose barbecuing even in the winter, but you can pan grill, use an electric Griddler or your broiler. It usually takes 5 minutes or so per side depending on the thickness of your chicken. You can tell it’s done when the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink.

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)

Theme = Colour

Instead of coming up with a traditional theme for your party this weekend, why not make a certain colour or two the theme. Check out these pictures below, aren't they amazing?! I found them on Style at Home!

Hope you're as inspired as I am!

Enjoy the Party,
Nicole

Be safe when it comes to the SUN!

Everyone these days needs to be careful when in the sun. I myself, at 25 have noticed sun spots and it freaks me out! Here are some great sun blocks recommened by The Kit Magazine to help protect your body.

1) Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Daily Face Sunscreen SPF 60.
2) Clarins UV Plus SPF 40.
3) Nivea Sun SPF 30 Lip Balm.



Stay safe from the sun everyone!

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole

Entrance Ways

I have a big love for entrance ways and am constantly pondering what to do with mine. Side note, construction of our house has BEGUN! The hole is dug and the forming began yesterday! I'll be sure to give a picture update shortly. Ok, back to entrance ways.... I thought I'd show you some pictures from House and Home that I think are gorgeous.



Are these all not fabulous. Which is your favourite and why?

Enjoy the Party,

Nicole :)