Weekend Re-Cap

This past weekend was jam packed full of goodness and events! Yesterday, Lipstik helped host a First Communion / Birthday Celebration. The event started at 2pm and wound down around 7pm. The food was plentiful, the decor stunning and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves. It also helps that the clients home is breathtakingly beautiful!

Lipstik Events was in charge of the appetizers, floral arrangements and staff for the event. With some planning and organizing I was up at 7:30am yesterday to begin prepping the food I was preparing.

I hired Shannon & Robin from Hoopla Event Design & Styling to create six floral arrangements. The client asked for bright, fresh and spring like arrangements and boy did Hoopla deliver! The arrangements were stunning; everyone loved them. Shannon & Robin were fabulous to work with. They understood the vision and went with it. I can't wait for the chance to work with them again.

Now onto the food. The main course was taken care of by the host and Lipstik was to handle the appetizers. Here's what I served.

Chili Flakes, Parsley, Ginger & Garlic Shrimp

Smoked Salmon, Onion, Caper, Fresh Cream Cheese

Tomatoe & Peach Bruschetta

The two appetizers not photographed are rosemary lamb chops served with home-made tzatiki and white pizza with bocconcini cheese, black olives, onions and spices.

All in all a great Sunday!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Plate / Gallery Wall In My Kitchen

I have a big, empty wall in my kitchen that is dying to be loved. I'd love to find some fabulous plates and create a big plate / gallery wall. I think it will add character and flare to that half of the kitchen.

Here are some ideas of what I'm thinking about.

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I think this is too small for the size of wall I have but I love the plates and how they're placed.

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 This is what I think I'm leaning towards. The walls in our kitchen are yellow, not this yellow, but yellow. I think a couple splashes of red would look good in the kitchen.

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 This is amazing but I don't think I'll have the patience to wait until I have this many plates.

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Too formal for my space but I love it!

So, are you a plate person? Do you have a plate wall in your house? Would you do something like this?

Have a great weekend!!

Hot Chocolate Favours

I know it's spring and I should be writing about spring / summer related favours but I can't help myself. Unless it's 40 degrees outside, it's rare I'd turn down a hot chocolate. Pour a little Baileys in it and I'll be your friend forever!

I saw these and immediately fell in love. How great would these be for a winter wedding (too late for me, but maybe one of you??), a winter bridal shower or anything between the months of October - late March!

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Tell me, are you as in love with these fancy little guys as I am?

Balsamic Watermelon Cubes

I was working an event once and the host created this as one of the appetizers to serve. I never tried it but am very intrigued. Michael and his family sometimes put balsamic on their fruit which I find kind of odd, however, I think I'd be willing to have a bite if it looked as delicious as these do.

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Be sure to click here for the full how-to.

In other interesting news, I dropped my full, hot, unopened coffee while getting out of my car this morning and the lid didn't pop off. Thanking my lucky stars!

Have a great hump day :)

Happy Birthday.....

Happy Birthday, Michael!

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I love bar carts!

First off, how was your weekend? Ours was fabulous! Michael's birthday was fantastic. Everyone seemed to have fun, especially the birthday boy, which is what really matters. If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram you saw a few pictures of the set-up.

Now onto today's topic, bar carts. Do you have a bart cart in your house? I would love one but have yet to bite the bullet and buy one. I don't know exactly where we'd put it right now but I think having one would be great.

Here are a few of my favourites.

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So tell me, do you own a bar cart? Which one of these is your favourite?

Fun DIY's!

Yay, Friday! My week has felt weird and unproductive. I was at Oprah on Monday and I've been on the road for work the majority of the last two days and I feel like I've completed very little of my work... Monday should be fun. Not.

Sorry for that little rant! In the midst of my awkward week I came across these and love them.

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 These are amazing and would be perfect depending on the food and event.

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I love this wrapping. I'm not the most crafty of people but I think I could do this and have fun with it.


What's everyone up to this weekend? Tomorrow night we're having Michael's birthday party at our house and Sunday we're recovering from the night before :)

Individual Appetizers

As I mentioned earlier this week, we're having a fairly large party on Saturday at our house for Michael's birthday. I've been on the hunt for food options that are different than what I normally serve. Here are a couple that are super cute and easy to enjoy.

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I love this but you'd need to have an extra bowl of chips nearby because 1 chip clearly is not enough.

Tell me, would you enjoy something like this at a party?

Forgiveness

The evening class at Oprah on Monday was about Forgiveness.... If you ask me, that's a big word. A twitter poll was taken right off the bat and +70% of the people who responded have someone in their life they haven't forgiven.

The class has me thinking about Forgiveness, how to achieve it and how to move beyond an unpleasant situation.

This quote means a lot to me and I think something a lot of people (myself included) can learn from.

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Happy Hump Day!

Planning A Boy Party

I am loving that it's Tuesday. I had yesterday off work because I went to Oprah's Life Class at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. There were two classes yesterday and I attended the evening class. The line to get in was horrible and unnecessary if you ask me, but being in the event and apart of the whole experience made up for the torturous two hour line in 4 inch heels!

Oprah was bubbly, talking to the guests during commercial breaks, joking around and she looked beautiful in a green dress with matching earrings and eye makeup. All in all, a once in a lifetime experience!

Now onto what I'm focusing on this week.... Husbands 32nd birthday party. Michael and I love having people over and hosting parties so how could we not have a big bash for his birthday. I've invited 66 people to our 1970 sq ft house on Saturday night - I'm INSANE! That said, the food will be plentiful and the decor very manly. Sidenote, it's supposed to rain/snow on Saturday!

Here is what I'm thinking for decor. I'm hitting up Michael's tonight so if you have any suggestions or tips please pass them along!

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I'm making lots of boy food items - homemade slider's, lamb spiducci, homemade pizzas, perogies, etc!

What do you think?

Recipe Friday...Salt & Vinegar Potatoe Slices

Is everyone else as glad it's Friday as I am? Work is very busy right now which means from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday I'm running around like a chicken with no head. That said, I love my job and wouldn't have it any other way.

Now onto the fun and delicious.... Salt & Vinegar Potatoe Slices!

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How wonderful do these look?

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, June, 2009. Cooked in 2 cups of vinegar, the potatoes taste very tangy (which some people love). For a milder version, try one cup white or malt vinegar and one cup water.
-serves 4-
Ingredients
1 pound fingerling potatoes, sliced lengthwise to 1/4-inch thickness*
2 cups white or malt vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Method
1. In a small pot, combine the potato slices and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Let cool in liquid for 30 minutes. Then drain well and pat potatoes dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches below the heat source. Dump the potato slices onto a sheet pan, sprinkle very generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the potato slices in a single layer. Broil until lightly browned on top, about 7 minutes. Then flip the slices and broil until the underside is lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Serve warm.
*Please be careful with your own fingerlings when slicing. The potatoes can be a little slippery.

Do you think you'd like this? I think / know I would! We're having people for dinner tomorrow night and if the flavour went with the pork roast I'm making I'd for sure cook up some of these too.

Have a great weekend :)

Being A Lady

I'm sure a few of us could take something from this today....

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Guilt-Free Margarita!

Are you like me and enjoy the weekend glass or 3 of wine / your favourite cocktail but had how many calories they contain! I came across this and thought it was too fabulous to keep all to myself.

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Ingredients
Makes 1 serving: 90 calories
1 oz jalapeño tequila
1/2 oz pear nectar
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp orange zest

Directions
In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, add the four ingredients. Shake until the tin is frosted. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge on glass rim.

Voila! A delicious cocktail with only 90 calories!

Organizing Your Jewels

I hope you had a fabulous long weekend. Our weekend was lovey, filled with lots of family time and eating too much! Michael also cleaned my car yesterday and I don't think it's been that clean since I drove it off the lot 5.5 years ago.

Now onto more important things - organizing your jewels. Do you have a jewellery box that you throw all your favourite pieces in or are you as clever as these examples? I have a jewellery box where most of my pieces go, however, I also use an over-sized wine glass to drape my necklaces in and I have an earring holder for my long earrings.

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This one is made from old pop bottles.

Tell me, how do you organize your favourite jewels?

Last Easter Post...FASHION!

Since I've tackled Easter Floral Arrangments and Easter Tablescape Ideas I think it's only fitting to cover what we should all be wearing to our respective family dinners this weekend. My mom is Greek so we also celebrate Easter next Sunday too. Three Easter dinners equals three Easter outfits!

Tomorrow we're at my in-laws for dinner. Sunday we're at my aunt's for dinner and next Sunday we're at my uncle's for dinner.

Here are some pieces that I think would be perfect for your family dinners this weekend!

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So tell me, what spring fashion trend is your favourite? What fun outfits do you have planned for this weekend?

Have a great long weekend!

Spring Overhaul!

After work today I'm heading to the spa for a mani & pedi and then my lovely hubby is doing an overhaul on my hair. Have I mentioned how amazing it is having a husband who is one of the best stylists around?!
I'm trying to find the perfect spring colour for my hands and toes. Has anyone had a mani / pedi recently? What did you pick? Here are some of my contenders...

Has anyone does this? I'm thinking about it! What do you think?

Now for my hair! I'm growing it for my fabulous friends wedding in August but it needs a good cut and colour. I get bored easily and quickly and I'm both right now. Here's what I'm leaning towards right now. Let me know what you think.

I'm loving the ombre look and length of her hair in these two pictures. It's very fresh if you ask me!



I'm sorry to do this, I never do, but all the pictures are from Pinterest.

Easter / Spring Tablescape Ideas

Is anyone else thrilled it's a short week? I sure am!

I came across these adorable Easter / spring tablescape ideas and thought they were too cute not to share. I am a big fan of decorating our table according to seasons and the guests we're cooking for. It adds character and gives your guests something to chat about while you're prepping dinner!

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Do any of these catch your eye? Have you thought about your table and how you'll be adding flare to it this weekend?