The Hip Hostess

Menus, tips and ideas for hosting with style!

Celebrity Baby Shower Game August 31, 2009

Filed under: Baby Shower,Party Planning — hiphostess @ 9:00 am
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Baby shower games are often boring, annoying or downright gross (guessing what candy bar was mushed up in a diaper – no thanks!).  The celebrity baby name matching game is an exception and perfect for a pop-culture-loving crowd.  Picked the most up-to-date list of celebrity babies to make the game more challenging.  List celebrity parents in one column and the names of their babies in another column, scrambling the order of each so the names of the parents and babies are not on the same line.  Make a key for yourself to make ”grading” easier.  Be sure to provide pens or pencils for the players.  Give a fun shower prize for the winner, such a gift card to a movie theater or Fendengo, a DVD or CD featuring one of the celebrity parents or an itunes gift card.    

 

 Did you know there’s a blog dedicated exclusively to tracking celebrity baby naming news?  It’s a great resource for making this fun baby shower game.  Check it out:  www.celebritybabynamesblog.com.

 

Seashell Place Card Holders August 26, 2009

Filed under: Beach party,Bridal Shower,Decorations,Miscellaneous,Party Favors,Party Planning,Theme Parties — hiphostess @ 9:00 am
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I’ve found that most shell place card holders look cheap or kitchy, until I saw these Neptune Shell Place Card Holders from Two’s Company.  They’re perfect for a beach theme party, whether it be a rehearsal dinner, dinner party or beachy bridal luncheon.  Even if you don’t use formal place cards, these can be used for marking food on a buffet table (i.e. writing the name of the dish on a place card so guests know what each dish is without having to ask).  They can also be used to display pictures on a guest table at the party, or at home after the party is over. 

 

Neptune Seashell Place Card Holders (set of 6), $18.50 – http://www.shopatron.com/product/part_number=2111/1657.0.57238.56866.0.0.0

 

Modern Baby Shower Banner August 24, 2009

Filed under: Baby Shower,Decorations,Party Planning — hiphostess @ 9:00 am
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Forget the “It’s a Boy/ Girl” banners and make your own modern personalized banner for your next baby shower.  It’s a fairly simple project that can be done in advance, and makes a nice keepsake for the parents-to-be.

 

Here’s what you’ll need:

Scrapbooking paper in various patterns
Precut card stock (available in the invitations section in a craft store)
Stencils (purchased or made from a site like http://www.alphabet-soup.net/ttools/stencil.html)
Scissors
Glue, double sided tape or scrapbooking dots
Hole punch
String, ribbon or rafia

 

Before you start cutting, plan which letters will be cut from which pieces of scrapbooking paper, alternating patterns so each letter has a different pattern next to it.  Trace stencil letters onto the back of scrapbooking paper and cut them out using sharp scissors.  If you are writing more than one word you may want to use the scraps of paper to make a circle or star to put between the two words (as shown above). 

 

Paste each letter onto a piece of precut card stock, leaving enough room at the top to punch a hole without punching through the letters.  Punch two holes at the top of each piece of card stock.  A trick for making evenly spaced holes: Measure the first one you do, then put the next piece of card stock under the first and mark the holes with a pencil so you know where to punch the holes, repeating with each pieces of card stock. 

 

Thread a ribbon through the back of the first hole and the front of the second hole.  Hang the banner using pushpins/ thin nails, or by tying each end to a sturdy object on a bookshelf.

 

Hip Tip – Dress Your Table in Seersucker August 12, 2009

Filed under: Backyard BBQ,Beach party,Decorations,Hip Tips,Party Planning,Theme Parties — hiphostess @ 6:00 pm
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Give your table a beachy look with seersucker.  This preppy fabric invokes the feeling of being beachside in New England.  Use this look for a lobster bake, pool party, backyard BBQ or summer dinner party.  Play up the theme with starfish, shells, anchors, buoys or hurricanes filled with sand and pillar candles.  Now your table will be dressed to impress.

 

Tuscan White Bean Salad August 1, 2009

Filed under: Appetizers,Backyard BBQ,Gluten-Free,Main Course,Mediterrannean,Recipes,Salads,Sides,Vegetarian,healthy recipes,party food — hiphostess @ 11:15 am
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Serve this simple yet hearty summer salad at a picnic, bridal or baby shower luncheon or serve over mixed greens for a light supper.
 

This salad is best prepared several hour (or up to 3 days) in advance so the flavors have time to merry.  I used navy beans, but cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans) are more traditional in Tuscan cooking.   Canned beans are a fine substitute, but fresh cooked will have a sturdier texture.

 

Tuscan White Bean Salad

 

1 cup dried white beans (or 2 cans white beans)

½ lb. (8oz) fresh mozzarella, cut into ½” cubes

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1.5 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1.5 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 Tbs. fresh oregano, chopped

2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped

½ tsp. salt

fresh-ground black pepper

 

1.            Soak beans in cold water overnight.  Rinse beans and cover with water.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce to simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until tender but not mushy.  Drain and cool to room temperature.

 

2.            Combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano and basil in large bowl and whisk until fully combined.  Add mozzarella, tomatoes and beans and toss until well coated.  Chill for several hours and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6