I had so many pics from my party I decided it merited two posts! (Go To Part 1) Here are photos and recipes from the food and beverage part of the party. More after the jump!

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Last week I entered a giveaway to win bar ingredients from Stirrings at one of my favorite entertaining blogs, Celebrations at Home. I can’t believe it but, I won! Just wanted to give a quick shout out to Chris and encourage my readers to check out her blog!

I held my Fat Tuesday party on Saturday! I hope these pictures and ideas can help you in putting together your own Mardi gras celebration! Lots more after the jump!

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I am throwing an impromptu Mardi Gras cocktail party and I need your help! (See the pretty evite I selected above!) I have got some great decorations but am struggling with how to arrange them. I was thinking that I would use my dining table for food (king cake and other Cajun themed appetizers) and the area beside the kitchen sink for the cocktail/bar area. I also have a nice large coffee table I could use for something if I want. Here is a picture of my apartment so you can get a feel for where everything is:

I purchased some green, yellow and purple paper lanterns and have hung them at different heights over my dining room table  off the track lighting. I am struggling with how to do a centerpiece or table decorations with these low hanging balls. (They hang about half way down) I have bought and decorated several mardi gras masks with sequins, feathers, etc. and I have made a Bourbon street sign out of a wooden plaque.

Please post any ideas you have in the comments or email me through my new contact form!  Things I could also use help with:

• Cocktails – I’m debating how to best make bulk hurricanes. I found several recipes for individual cocktails but I am not looking to buy a million different ingredients.
• Centerpiece or table set up for food table
• Easy appetizer recipes (preferably with a Cajun theme)
• Playlist

Post links, ideas, or whatever you want…and remember, I’m on a budget!  Thank you!!!!

See photos of how this party turned out:

• Mardi Gras Party Flickr Album

Earlier today I posted pictures from the Valentines Day Dinner for Fourteen that my mom and her friends hosted last weekend. In the post, Mom mentioned that they played the Newlywed game to wrap up the evening. Her friend Veta came up with the questions which produced some fun and interesting moments! See below to  use the questions for your next party!

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My first guest blogger is none other than my favorite hostess with the mostess, my mom, D.Ann! Here are some pictures from her latest dinner party, a Valentines dinner for fourteen! Enjoy!

At my house, any occasion can be a special occasion, especially when it comes to getting our friends together. Recently, our informal “dinner group” of friends has been running crazy, each of us stressed with job, health, family and other issues — moreso than the norm. So right after the first of the year, we all decided we wanted to do a big deal on Valentines Day.

To prevent the dinner party from being a huge problem and alot of work for just one couple, all seven couples pitched in. We started for appetizers and a specialty champagne drink at one house in the neighborhood. Three of the couples helped with this portion of the evening, bringing potluck appetizers and sharing red and white dishes, centerpieces and decor.

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One of my Pi Phi Alumni Club friends, Camille Jacobie, works at Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School in Dallas, Texas. Please see her message below and take a minute to help these young women win a prom!

“Our school, Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School has our first graduating class this year! We are so excited about this, and one of the big things that goes along with Senior Year is Senior Prom! Our girls have been doing their best to raise money, but it has been a struggle. While they are continuing to raise money, there is a chance this might not happen, but there is a possibility.

One of the prom distributers is offering a free prom for one high school in each state. I don’t usually ask for favors, but I would appreciate it if you could vote for this…our girls would appreciate it too!”

Thank you,
Camille

To vote, go to the Stumps Proms Across America contest page. Scroll down to the bottom right and click “Vote Now.” Scroll down to Texas and select Irma Lerma YWLS – Dallas. Vote! The contest ends March 13 so please vote now and pass this along to your friends!

I love sending E-Cards but I find myself spending hours looking for cards that look and say the exact thing I want. This year, instead of searching tirelessly for the perfect e-valentine, I decided to create my own!  To send one of these simply right click and choose “Save Picture As”. Insert in an email to a friend or loved one and send! I’ve also included them for download as a PDF. I’m working on a few more to post before the big day so check back soon!

Download “I like you a Latte” as a PDF. {Photo courtesy of: Will}

Download “We Make a Great Pear” as a PDF. {Pear photo courtesy of: Mark}

Nothing makes me more deliriously happy than spending an afternoon exploring at Hobby Lobby. Whether I’m there with a specific purchase in mind, or just killing time, it is an experience so exciting it rates up there with getting my Real Simple magazine in the mail. I could spend forever browsing the aisles while humming along to my favorite church songs.

Shopping at Hobby Lobby is much like going to see a chick-flick; you know what to expect and the basic elements are always in place, but there is always a new an unexpected twist or surprise. Sometimes you go in expecting great things (what you’ve seen in movie trailers or store ads), but it ends up being just a little too cheesy. Others, it hits the mark with indescribable cuteness. While shopping (or watching the flick), you find yourself saying “awww” and “I want that.” And no matter what, even if it a load of cheese, you walk away with a smile on your face.

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Still new to the blogging community, I have quickly realized that I cannot possibly host enough parties to supply daily posts. I’ve been brainstorming new feature articles and posts that I can write to make posting regularly easier.

In my new blog series, I’m Sold, I will be writing about inspiring home décor and entertaining stores that I love. Please feel free to post comments telling me your favorite stores and why you’re sold on them!

Note: None of these posts are sponsored by or solicited by the retailers I write about or their suppliers. These posts state my personal opinion about and experiences with each of these stores. If in the future, if any retailer is interested in advertising via this blog, I promise to make it clear to my readers which posts are sponsored.