Entertaining Book Wish List

I've already got my summer beach reads ready: The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell and If You Have to Cry, Go Outside by Kelly Cutrone.

But what I'm really craving is fresh inspiration from some fabulous new entertaining / design books! Here, my summer wish list:

Flair by Joe Nye.

Everyone's got this on their wishlist, and why not, Mr. Nye certainly knows how to kick things up a notch! Just look at his gorgeous cover photo!

Recipes for Parties by Michael Leva and Nancy Parker

The cover photo definitely drew me in. But then, when I learned that this duo were in the fashion biz in London and they were offering up delicious recipes as well as fresh party tips...well, I'm in!

Table Style by Liz Belton and Rebecca Tanqueray

With its promise of 101 creative ideas for elegant and affordable entertaining...how could I not dive in?!

Well, stay tuned as I make my way through each of these lovely books this summer. First up...I'll be taking a look at Flair by Joe Nye!

Oscars Party Tips - Celebrity Style

Can you believe it is nearly time for the Oscars? Yep, they're THIS Sunday! With all of its glitz and glamour, the Oscars are a great excuse to throw a party.

Just ask Sir Elton John,who is once again throwing his post-Oscars bash and HIV/AIDS fundraiser this year. His amazing parties always draw the A-list as evident by this photo below of Elton (left) with Posh Spice, Elton's partner David Furnish and Eva Longoria Parker.

Photo via BizBash.com

This year, I did a little research on how these celebrities party post-Oscars. I gathered a ton of great tips from Elton's party and Madonna and Demi Moore's party too!

Then, for us normal folks, I put a budget-spin on them for us normal folks. You can check out my tips, including how to recreate the amazing tables at Elton John's 2009 party (below) over at Holidash.com.

Photo via Holidash.com (via Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Looking for recipes? Don't forget the classic Oscar party master, Wolfgang Puck. He's been catering the Governor's Ball in Hollywood for years. Last year I went crazy for his short rib recipe and included it in my 2009 Oscars Party article at Celebrations.com.

This year? I'm droooling over his announced plans to serve Prime Mini Burgers with Cheddar and Remoulade - YUM!

via abcnews.com

Me? I'll be watching with the hubby, rooting for George and Sandra, drinking a little champagne with my Oscar ballot in hand! :)

Holiday Inspiration...from me!

The holidays are here and I'm sure you're all busy planning, shopping, baking, cooking and crafting.Well, me too!

I wanted to share a few holiday projects that I worked on this past summer and fall that have just been published. Shameless self promotion? Ok, maybe a bit BUT I love to exchange ideas with all of you...here goes:

Country Living
Check out the December issue for my sweet little Cookie Tin Kits. I re-purposed old cookie tins into "kits" to give as gifts such as this sewing kit that they posted online (its #4 in the flipbook).

While you're there check out all of the holiday projects and recipes, they have such great ideas!

Holidash.com / AOL
Looking for great gift ideas for the ladies in your life? Check out my gift guide for women--everything is $100 and under!

Or maybe you need a really fun hostess gift? Check out my other gift guide...everything is around $40 and under.

Celebrations.com
Check out this fun little stocking stuffer round-up. And while you're there, pop on over to my desserts-only holiday open house party for some sweet entertaining ideas.

Finally, if you need a break from the holidays and need to switch gears for a little cozy winter decorating advice, check out my latest LI Pulse article here (or if you're on Long Island, pick up a copy at your local bookstore!)

Happy holidays!

Fresh Centerpieces

After drooling over the photos at Bedell Cellars earlier...I couldn't stop staring at this fresh, summery centerpiece.

Photo via bedellcellars.com

I love the white (stephanotis?) flowers but I could see this done with bright purple orchids too or even mint leaves cut from the garden. It's a great example of how easy it is to create a simple (and affordable) chic centerpiece anytime.

Here are two other examples of using found or unexpected objects:

Simple Summer. This is the current centerpiece adorning my table. I pulled together starfish and shells leftover from an old photo shoot, glassware, a candle and set them all on a braided placemat from Ikea.

Tray Chic. This photo is from a story I did for a client last year. I set a bunch of different containers including an old Ball jar and an antique Morrocan tea pot, on top of a wooden serving tray. Then I just added different flowers cut from a garden based on the heights of the objects.

Photo via sprig.com