A Bar Mitzvah Touchdown!

I always like to be able to design an event that is out of the box.  For that reason, I love Bar and Bat Mitzvahs since there is an extra degree of creativity that comes with designing the theme for the party.

Recently I had the chance to design such a Bar Mitzvah at the W New York Hotel.  With a very cool LED lighting system the ballroom was perfect for this football themed Bar Mitzvah and I had a lot of fun creating it.  

Guests entering the space were greeted by a stunning escort card table.  I combined green roses and orchids with more exotic greens such as bamboo to create the lush centerpiece. The centerpiece was then surrounded with football inspired escort cards for the adults and football pass lanyards for the kids.

As an accent on the kids cocktail tables I created these fun footballs covered with green button mums.  I added logos of the Bar Mitzvah Boy's favorite football teams to the containers for that extra little detail that rounded out the overall look and feel to the party.

As guests entered the ballroom they saw a large backdrop of a football stadium that gave the illusion the kids tables were on a football field.  This helped to create depth to the space while adding a "wow" factor to the room!

I brought the wall to life by adding two long tables where astroturf created the look and feel of a real football field on the table top.  Placed in the center of each table were large glass vases filled with footballs which helped to create height and drama by supporting two life size cutouts of football players that seemed to be running down the field from the stadium.  It was a great display that had real impact in the room.

There were other little touches I added to complete the theme.  For example, all of the napkins at the adult tables were wrapped with a napkin ring that resembled a football field.  For the adult arrangements I used  roses, orchids and other green floral to create a sleek and elegant centerpiece that rounded out the overall look to the party.

In the end it was a great Bar Mitzvah.  Everyone was thrilled with the result and we had a great time creating it!  While all of the vendors pulled together I want to send a special thanks to John Benke at the W New York and Jen from Fifth Avenue Digital for her great photography.

Until next time...

Cheers.

5 Reasons I find Fall entertaining fun and easy!

I love fall!  And with the first day of fall just around the corner I am excited to start cooking and decorating.  So I thought I would share five of my favorite things you can do to make Fall Entertaining fun and easy!

1. Fall decorating doesn't have to be time consuming. A quick trip to the produce section at your grocer and you can get everything you need to decorate for the Fall like apples, pears, and even gourds!  To keep decorating simple, use baskets, decorative bowls or vases you already have at home, fill them with a variety of gourds, apples and other seasonal fruits and veggies.  This makes decorating easy, quick and colorful!

Rabido Tip - 
Shop at home first for a variety of containers and baskets.  No need to purchase new items!

2. You can do almost anything with a pumpkin.  Carve out a large pumpkin, fill it with ice and chill your favorite beer and wine.  Carve and fill a small pumpkin with your favorite pumpkin dip, or decorate a small pumpkin with an old fish net stocking!  And my favorite idea is to carve a pumpkin, add a beer tap, fill with your favorite beer and, voila, you have a pumpkin keg! The possibilities are endless because there is so much more you can do with a pumpkin than just carving it!  Check out the photos below for some really fun ideas.

Rabidon't Tip - 
Don't over - think pumpkins.  Let them speak to you.  Paint them all one color like silver, gold or copper and they will make a beautiful and elegant addition to your decor that will last almost all season.

3. Apple cider cocktails are perhaps some of my favorite cocktails!  Hot or cold, there are countless drinks you can create using apple cider.  One of my favorites is this simple Salted Carmel Apple Cocktail. Mix 1/2 part vanilla vodka, 1 part salted carmel vodka, top off with apple cider.  Sip, enjoy!

Rabido Tip - 
Garnish with a cinnamon stick

4. Soups are the perfect fall comfort food.  So hearty and delicious and really easy to make!  I like to spend my Sunday's making tomato soup, fire roasted tomato chili, cauliflower soup and more.  And the best part is; they stretch into other meals and are quick when you're on the go.

Rabido Tip - 
Freeze your soups in 1 quart plastic freezer bags.  Lie them flat in your freezer and they will take up little space and they thaw quickly on those really cold nights when you need something warm!

5. Wine and cheese parties are easy to plan and relativity inexpensive.  Just pick-up your favorite wines, a variety of cheeses and a fresh baguette and you are ready to host family or friends for a great evening.  

Rabido Tip
Or, if you want to add to the fun, ask your guests to bring a variety of red and white wines from different regions from around the world.  You never know what new wines you're going to find!

All this talk of food, drink and entertaining have me wanting to rush off to the grocery store!  Wishing all a happy Fall!

Until next time...Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Hope these photos inspire you for your Thanksgiving entertaining!

Cheers!

Shawn

Shawn's End of the Week Treat!

It's the end of the week, so one of my Specialty Cocktails is in order! This week try my Key Lime Pie Martini! It is absolutely delicious and refreshing, and tastes just like a Key Lime Pie! To start, crush graham crackers on one plate, and pour honey onto another plate. Carefully dip the rim of the martini glass into the honey, and then into the graham crackers. Now you have a tasty graham cracker rim! Next, the most important ingredients!

Photo Courtesy of Bulldog Photography

3 parts Vanilla Vodka

1.5 parts Key Lime Juice

1.5 parts simple syrup (recipe to follow)

Pour liquid ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into the chilled cocktail glass that has been rimmed with crushed graham crackers. Sip and Enjoy!

To make your own simple syrup is quite easy as well! All you need is...

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

Dissolve in sauce pan on stove on the low heat setting

Do NOT boil

Stir continuously

Let cool

This batch of simple syrup should last you for up to two weeks if you keep refrigerated! You can use it to make more Key Lime Pie Martini's or other specialty cocktails!

Happy Friday! Cheers!