Some fabulous Halloween Finds, order now!

Halloween is a fantastic holiday for kids and adults.  I love dressing up and heading out on the town but I also look forward to decorating my garden, buying a whole lot 'o candy and handing out candy on my stoop.  It is somewhat of a South End tradition for everyone to hang outside, enjoy wine and spoil the trick or treaters.  Great neighborhood bonding!  But if you are having a party, start planning now!  I found some cool stuff on ZGallerie.com that I definitely thought was worth sharing. I will continue keep my eye out for other fun Halloween finds.

Black crystal flower stems & Frankenstein cocktail napkins

 

Glitter skulls, these would be so fun to decorate with.

Glittered spiders and a cool hanging bat groom.

Hanging skeletons and bone chilling ice cube trays.

 

Black wall sconce and little skull candles.

 

West Elm Boston - Handmade Art Event - October 14th

I love West Elm. I love Etsy. And I certainly always love a good, unique find for my home.  These are all of the reasons I am attending this cool event at West Elm on October 14th between 6-9pm.  Be sure to RSVP. And did I mention, drinks too?

Wedding Series - A North Shore Wedding

This past June, one of my very close friends was married on her grandmother's property in Essex, Massachusetts.  I was honored to be a bridesmaid and I am even more excited to share photos of this gorgeous day.  Aimee has a creative flair like no other and she worked on all of the details without the help of a wedding planner.  Weddings at a home are very special but can also require more planning and more work but Aimee did an incredible job and wait until you see the tent, it will knock your socks off!  People are still talking about it.   

Last week's post from Newport Life Magazine inspired me to get some more information from Aimee about vendors, etc. so this can really be a useful tool for others.  Below you will find some photos taken by friends and then I need to showcase shots from Mike and Aimee's photographer, the husband and wife duo from Our Labor of Love Photography. At first I thought they were crazy to fly them in from Atlanta, but now that I have seen the photos, I can see why. These are some of the greatest wedding photos I have seen, they add a little artistic touch to each shot. 

Enjoy these photos from Mike & Aimee's wedding!

The location of the wedding on the property was extra special since Mike & Aimee will be breaking ground on a new home there.

Photographs from Labor of Love: 

Aimee looked stunning in her Valentino dress.

Name cards were hanging when you walked into the tent, very simple but this added a touch of country charm. Aimee had the cards professionally written and then we tied the names and table numbers together with twine.

I loved that the flowers were simple yet beautiful.  Aimee used hundreds of vases that varied in shape and size combined with small candles.

There were hundreds (literally!) of candles hanging from the tent, which was amazing as the night went on.  To note, these were fake candles to avoid any potential disasters. You could not tell.

They used long, rectangular tables. 

There were two tents, one for cocktails (on the left) which also served as a late night lounge and the main tent to the right.  You can see how stunning the tents were and the lights made all the difference at night. 

Event details: 

Wedding Dress:  By Valentino, purchased at L'Elite on Newbury Street in Boston. 

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Designers varied, we were all asked to buy long dresses in shades of gray. Also bought at L'Elite.

Tent Company: Sperry Tents

Catering Company: TSH Catering, Tim Hopkins 

Cake: Traditional white cake with Butter Cream frosting from Mirabella's Bakery Tewksbury, MA

Rentals: Chairs, tables, china, benches, etc.  came from Be Our Guest in Boston

Hair & Makeup: Makeup, Lauren Genarossio from Sarra Studios, Boston.  Hair: Bliss Salon in Marblehead

Photographer: Husband and Wife team, Whitney and Jesse Chamberlin -  Our Labor Of Love Photography

Lighting Company: Boston Uplights

Advise from Aimee: "I think just to remember that it's your (couple's) wedding, not your parents, your planner, your caterer... etc. (you get the drift)-   So make your decisions based on that.   Mike and I wanted clean, modern, natural and formal.  I think we accomplished that!  It was so fun! "

Win $500 to Towne Stove & Spirits in Boston

Visit Bloomspot to win a $500 food & bar tab to Towne, a new restaurant to the Boston scene.  While I was not super impressed during my one and only visit I really want to give this place another try and check out that great looking dining room.  I am also attempting to have a private event there, so I will be sure to let you know how that works out.  

Enter before October 14th, good luck!


http://www.bloomspot.com/boston/towne-stove-and-spirits/

Two private rooms to consider

I recently went to Noche for the first time, the restaurant that took over the old Icarus location in the South End. I am excited to see new restaurants opening up in the neighborhood.  We went during restaurant week and it was quite amusing because the entire crowd was women (note to men) which I am sure my date was secretly super excited about! I couldn't help notice the great private room as we were led to our table, another fantastic option for your next dinner party to celebrate something special.  The room holds 12 and includes a separate sound system so you can listen to your favorite tunes, and a TV in case you have a video to roll. 


If you like sushi, I was really surprised by the private room at Haru when we went for my friend Lyssa's "bachelorette" dinner.  With doors to shut off the room, I was able to introduce the ladies to Saki bombs which are sure to get any party started. In all seriousness, it was a great space and I would highly recommend dinner there. It is also an easy walk from the Back Bay or South End. 

Room at Noche:

Room at Haru:

Girls night out at Haru:

A Newport Wedding - The Wedding Series

I went to six weddings this Spring/Summer and I plan on featuring one per week to help you come up with ideas for your own events.  I am going in chronological order, starting with a special day in Newport, Rhode Island. 


My close friend Genevieve and her husband were married this past April and their wedding was featured in the most recent issue of Newport Life Magazine, so be sure to grab a copy!  The weekend started out with dinner at Perro Salado on Friday night, just a short walk from the Viking Hotel. A few pitchers of margs and sangria are always a good way to get the party started.  On Saturday they were married at one of the most beautiful churches I have been to and the reception followed at the White Horse Tavern.  The after party was at Sky Bar and Genevieve so slyly brought a Philadelphia tradition to town - the oh so famous hats from the Charity Ball, customized for their special day.  Personal touches like that are always the most memorable.  It was an intimate weekend of celebrations and it does not surprise me in the least that they are featured in Newport Life Magazine.

Photos and spread from Newport Life Magazine.

Saturday, September 25th - Boston Esplanade Centennial Gala

Join in on the centennial celebration of the Charles River Esplanade on Saturday, September 25th. Enjoy dinner, cocktails and dancing. This is also a great reason to get dressed up now that everyone is starting to trickle back into town. $125 for members and $150 for non-members. The Esplanade is such a special place in Boston, you will be supporting an organization to keep it looking beautiful.