Beaujolais Nouveau Party, Ooh la la!

Photo via Google Image Search

Are you looking for an excuse to get together with your pals this week? Oui, oui! Look no further because Beaujolais Nouveau Day is upon us! Invite the gals over for an inexpensive, wine-themed girl’s night with a little French flair. Ooh la la!

Photo via Georges Duboeuf

The cause of much revelry in France and among Francophiles in other countries, Beaujolais Nouveau wines are traditionally released the third Thursday of November. (This year, November 21. 2013) They are the first wines out of harvest each year and are drunk to celebrate life and hard work. They’re also a perfect accompaniment for a girlfriend get-together—fresh, cheap, fruity and fun to drink. The informal, frivolous spirit surrounding their release around the world is a great excuse to get the girls together and celebrate!

If you’d like more background on Beaujolais Nouveau, there’s a nice little history from the IntoWine website here.

Setting and setup

For Beaujolais Nouveau Day 2013, the timing is a bit last-minute, so clean up the kitchen and the party room and be done with it. Adding twinkle lights or plenty of candles is always a festive touch. You will, of course, need to be outfitted with wine glasses and a corkscrew. Chill the wine beforehand; because Beaujolais Nouveau is served chilled–half an hour in the fridge is perfect according to the Georges DuBeoef website.

Invitations

Evite is the speediest way to create an electronic or mobile-friendly invite.  It has lots of fun wine design and girl’s night out options.  It even lets you search flickr or Google image search for cool photos (I searched “beaujolais nouveau” and came up with many good choices) or insert a photo of your own.  

Photo via Google Image Search

Run out on Thursday and buy some Beaujolais Nouveau, (Bojo Nouveau wines can not be purchased before the 3rd Thursday of November, so you will have to buy them the day of!) and chill it down. Your local wine merchant should be able to help you find some. Georges DuBeouf is a commonly seen brand in the U.S., with a price average of $10.00 per bottle. The company even offers Beaujolais Nouveau party planning tips and a calculator to help you figure out how much wine to buy. There are other brands too, so be adventurous and try a few. Maybe you will even want to have a mini tasting with your gal pals. The Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau, pictured at right is one of my favorites. I would describe it as light and juicy and perfect for entertaining. It is priced around $12 – $13 per bottle.

Serve a selection of French cheeses to try with your Beaujolais Nouveau. Your wine merchant, local TraderJoes or Whole Foods should be able to help you select some within your budget. If you’d like to explore further, there’s an About.com article about pairing wine and cheese here. Slice up a baguette, arrange on a cheese board or pretty serving tray, and voila!

You could also serve some tapas-style appetizers if you are inclined to spend just a bit more time in the kitchen. 

Connecting Activities

-Toast your girlfriends with this special girlfriend salute:

A Toast to our Girlfriends

Here’s to our girlfriends

They keep us strong

They make us laugh the whole night long

They give us shoulders to cry on

And shoes to try on

They see our true selves

Even when we look like hell

So raise a glass to our female friends

May the fun we share never end!

• It would be fun to share some Wine and/or French trivia, learn some French phrases, or watch some French films during your Bojo Day soiree.
• You can also print this ‘What Kind of Wine areYou?’ quiz for a fun diversion.
• Or, keep the girls occupied making their own beaded wine charms. You’ll find an awesome how-to for “Ridiculously Easy” beaded wine charms on NotMartha.

Favors

If you don’t make your own wine charms at the party, buy some as favors to give your friends. Pretty wine charms are a lovely and useful favor, and you can find them at many discount stores or check out Etsy.com for lots of super cute options.

If nothing else, buy some bottles of Bojo Nouveau this Thursday, Friday or Saturday, and invite some friends over to share a little girlfriend spirit. It’s such an easy excuse for a girlfriend get-together.

Do you have some wine-related girls night ideas to share? I would love to hear them, please leave them below. 

Merci beaucoup!

Angee

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How to Host a Women's Fantasy Football League!!

Photo Source: Angee's Eventions Pinterest

Only a few more days before football season officially begins for all of you fantasy football widows out there! Don’t miss out on the fun: Plan your own fantasy football league with the best of your girlfriends.

Remember the saying “If you can’t beat them, you may as well join them”? Well, why not?  Not only will it give you the perfect excuse to meet up with the girls more often, it may give you something to talk about with your other half besides kids, money, and what’s for dinner.

To start the season off in style, I’ve designed a party plan just for the occasion. A Fantasy Football Draft party can bring together players that are experienced, inexperienced and even clueless for some fun, friendship and laughter.

Setting and setup

There are only a few requirements for a football fantasy draft:  A big-screen TV if you actually plan on watching the games, a laptop for everyone to join the league on, wi-fi, which makes it a whole lot easier for your girlfriends to bring their laptops (the more laptops you have, the quicker the draft will go), a league name, a commissioner (person to be in charge of the league), and a team name. 

When talking to your girlfriends about the draft, you may want to encourage them to think of a league name for your whole group as well a team name for their individual team. It’s not always easy to come up with identity names on the fly.

There are two types of drafts to choose from, depending on your level of skill. For the girlfriends who are football pros, try the CBSSports Fantasy Football. After the commissioner creates the league, each of the teams can draft their picks. For the rookie girlfriends, try the CBS SportsGame Pick’em. In this draft, you decide which teams will win on a particular day. The more teams you pick to win correctly the more you points get in the season.

Invitations

There are many types of paper invitations out there in the shape of a football. For a more hands-on invitation, try a small rubber football from your local dollar store or like the one here from Oriental Trading. On the football you can write something like this in permanent ink:

We’re getting our game on

Thursday, September 9th

Please come join our

Fantasy Football League

7:30pm

RSVP:   Angee

You can easily mail the football in a large manila envelope.

Food and Drink

With all the drafting your hands will most likely be busy, so be sure to keep the food at a minimum. Short and sweet is always best. Start with a couple of fine brews to offer your guests. We suggest Sam Adams Cherry Wheat with a hint of tart cherry or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale with a hint of caramel.  Pair it with a chili bar with all the fixings. Some topping ideas include several different types of cheeses, shredded or cubed (Gruyere, mozzarella, sharp cheddar), cooked pasta (rotini or macaroni), chopped onions, sour cream, and tortilla chips. For the sweet tooth and a nice pairing to the beer and chili, add an assortment of chocolates ranging in dark to light.

Connecting Activities

If the girls are truly interested in watching a football game, start a football pool to add a little excitement and fun. In many places this is considered gambling if you play for money, so as an alternative you could play for scrumptious chocolates or bragging rights.

Football 101 – While the game is going on, have the football pro girlfriend

Photo Source: titansonline.com

explain the calls and what is going on. Don’t let football be a foreign language! Most NFL teams have a Women's Association and host a Football 101 crash course. If you are lucky enough (like I am) to live in a FOOTBALL CITY you and your girlfriends should consider taking this course. Just being knowledgeable about whats going on can make it more interesting. If the girls truly couldn’t care less about watching the game, but just want to hang out and do something fun, here are a few ideas:

Famous Football Movie Charades - Divide into teams and act out the names of these famous football movies, the team with the most points wins. See a complete list of movies here.

Football Word-Sense – On strips of paper, write football words and their definitions.  Each player draws a strip of paper and reads the word along with either the definition on the paper or the player’s made-up definition. Each player decides whether the definition is true or false and points are scored for the most correct. The one with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.  Here is a list of some  football lingo and definitions.

Party Favors

A football draft party truly requires no party favors. However if you must, send the girls home with a printed schedule of games to watch together; be sure to include date, time, and place in case someone else is hosting. You can easily add pictures of your group, laminate; add a magnet to the back. Voila! A picture- perfect favor. If time is of the essence, buy small cloth bags at your local dollar store and throw in some football-shaped chocolates, such as the ones featured here in the Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine. Every girl needs some chocolate.

I hope you take the time to get together with your friends for some girl time, whether it’s to watch football, start your own fantasy league together or just hang out.

For more fun ideas, football inspired foods and activities check out my Pinterest board "Are You Ready For Some Football!"

If you’ve started your own Fantasy Football League or just have your own team, I would love to hear your thoughts about what makes it fun for you. Kick things off by leaving a comment!

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Got Glitter? 50 DIY Projects That Sparkle!

Got glitter? Or should I ask- Got enough glitter? I don’t think so. And if you know me, you know that having glitter isn’t enough…YOU HAVE TO USE IT!

I’m a sucker for glitter.  It just makes everything so much prettier!

There’s so much glitter goodness out there that it would be selfish of me not to share some glitter inspiration. Here are 50 DIY projects that are sure to add a bit of sparkle to your desk, outfit, party, and home.

Glitter Party Decor (clockwise from the top left)

1. Glitter Party Hat: Hats off to these easy colorful party hat! (via Studio DIY)
2. Glitter Table Setting: Using temporary card tables at your next dinner party or holiday event, spruce them up with gold posterboard instead of a table cloth. (via Elizabeth Ann Designs)
3. Glitter Cake: Fine, this one is more an image for cooking inspiration, but it’s still an impressive use of glitter, the edible kind. (via Polkadots)
4. Glittered Wooden Flatware: Such a cute idea for a big party or outdoor picnic! You could even use nail polish with a fast-dry coat if you’re working on a tight timeline. (via Oh Happy Day)
5. Glitter Disco Lantern: A paper lantern transformed into a disco ball? Love it. (via Oh Happy Day)
6. Blush + Gold Backdrop: For a glittery backdrop in your DIY photo booth, add strands of sequins and glittered circles in front of a romantic blush fabric. (via Style Me Pretty)

 Glitter Accents

7. Glitter Watch: Got an old watch band from middle school that could use an update? Glitter it up! (via Adventures in Fashion)
8. Glitter Camera Strap: Speaking of boring straps for useful items, take your camera strap to the next level by getting glitter involved. (via Funkytime)
9. Tubular Statement Necklaces: For this pile of gorgeous necklaces, Brit + Co took a cue from the ladies at Pepper Cotton and filled plastic tubing with glitter, sprinkles, and beads, oh my! 
10. Gold Glitter Clutch: Looking to customize a clutch? Nothing says shiny chic like a bit of gold glitter. (I Am Style-ish)
11. Glitter Bobby Pins: Everyone’s got a pile of bobby pins on their dresser or nightstand. Breathe some new sparkly life into them by adding all sorts of shapes. (via Giant Dwarf on Etsy)
12. Glitter Heart Pins: On the same note, a great stocking stuffer or Valentine’s gift for your girls would be these sweet heart pins. (via Life and Art of Andrea Rodgers)
13. Glitter Shades: Glitter nail polish plus your dollar-store Wayfarer wannabes? Done. (via Brit + Co.)

Glitter Holiday

14. Glitter Pine Cones: Pine cones get a serious makeover with help from gold paint and glitter tips. Wait… frosted tips? (via The Garden Gates)
15. Acorn Ornaments: Acornaments? So cute. (via Curious and Catcat)
16. Glitter Wrap: Grab a roll of craft paper, a few brown boxes, and get after it with glitter and glue. (via Brit + Co.)
17. Glitter Ornaments: For a chic Christmas look, add a bit of gold glitter to clear ornaments. It’s just the right amount of crafty and classy. (via Henry Happened)
18. Glitter Stickers: Similar to the glitter stickers in our recent wrapping tutorial, these circular sparklies add a touch of loveliness to any gift. (via Ambrosia Creative)
19. Glitter Christmas Lights: Totally in love with these glittery Christmas lights! (via Lovelies in my Life)

 

Glitter Cocktail Cart

20. Glitter Glassware: Nothing lifts one’s spirits while drinking spirits like a glitter-dipped wine glass. (via Inspire, Design, & Create)
21. Gold Star Glasses: Such a fun way to spruce up a set of inexpensive glasses. (via Sugar & Cloth)
22. Glitter Hearts: Add a bit of love to your  drinks with glittery heart swizzle sticks. (via Pinterest)
23. Glitter Champagne Flutes: Cheers. (Something Turquoise)
24. Glitter Dot Swizzle Sticks: So cute! (via The Sweetest Occasion)
25. Glitter Champagne Bottle: Sparkly… sparkly? Win. (via Style Me Pretty)

Glitter Your Home

26. Striped Glitter Votives: Grab the painter’s tape and glitter paint, and get stripey with it. (via Skruben)
27. Glitter Gardening Tools: Brighten up weekly chores by glittering the handles of your mops, brooms, and gardening tools. (via Brit + Co.)
28. Glitter Votives: Give your votives a touch of King Midas. (via 100 Layer Cake)
29. Glitter Vases: Paint the inside or the outside of your vases with glitter for a new look. (via The Sweetest Occasion)
30. Ombre Glitter Seashells: Recent beach vacation? Glam up all those beachy collectibles. (via Martha Stewart)
31. Glitter Reindeer: This wall art is so much simpler than it looks! Simply print out a shape or silhouette you like, cut out, cover with glitter, and glue to a piece of cardstock or even canvas. (via Daisy Dreaming)
32. Glitter Chevron Canvas: Our old friend Chevron! You could also do this with sparkly duct tape.
33. Gold-Dipped Feathers: Boho chic with a tinge of glamour. Love it. (via Ryan, Michelle, and Ellie Mae)

Glitter Style

34. Glitter Heels: Add some sparkle to your step! (via Restyle.Restore.Rejoice)
35. Glitter Button-Down Shirts: A great way to add a little zing to an old button down is to glitter the cuffs, collars, or button seams. (via The Zoe Report)
36. Glitter Oxfords: Glitter stripes and trim are a simple and quick way to jazz up a pair of boring old oxfords. (via Brit + Co.)
37. Glitter Toms: While we love the shiny varieties of Tom’s already out there, who can resist a vibrant DIY? (via Lil Blue Boo)
38. Glitter Tights: I definitely have to try these to believe their awesomeness – but they look great! (via Moustachic)
39. Glitter Sweatshirt: For cozying up over the holidays, stay fancy while you get comfy. (via Glitter and Grace)
 

Glitter Your Desk

40. Glitter iPhone Case: If you’re bored of your old iPhone case, go for the glitter. (via Desire and Inspire)
41. Glittered Deer: Need a friendly face on your desk? Or some glittery fauna? (via Seni with Love)
42. Glitter Thumbtacks: Love this move for a bulletin board, especially for display holiday cards and photo booth prints. (via Lovely Indeed)
43. Glitter Mousepads: That mouse of yours is essential. Pimp out his pad, MTV cribs-style. (via Brit + Co.)
44. Glitter Magnets: Another option for displaying cards, photos, and wedding invitations on your fridge. (via Pugly Pixel)

Glitter Garlands

45. Glitter Circle Garland: Punch out a bunch of circles out of glitter paper and sew together. Quick and easy! (via Honey and Fitz)
46. Glitter Letter Banner: Print and cut letters out to string your favorite words together on your wall. (via Creature Comforts)
47. Gold Garland: So. Much. Glitter! (via Glitter and Grain)
48. Glitter Is For Life: Hear, hear! (via Supermarket Sarah)
49. Scalloped Party Garland: Like the circles but need a different shape? Fold ‘em in half and create a scalloped border. (via Wine Country Weddings)
50. Lyrics Banner: And finally, words to live by. Let Your (Glittery) Heart Be Light! (via Katie’s Pencil Box)

Need more SPARKLE? Check out my Pinterest board Keep Calm & Sparkle for lots of glittery fun, DIY projects and much more!

What are your favorite glitter DIY projects? Talk to us in the comments below.

Cheers!
Angee 


 

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