Beautiful things can be simple and simple can be so beautiful. That’s true for form and function. In this particular case, I’m thinking of the wonderful paper shades by The Paper Table.
Diahann Potter is the entrepreneur who launched the Paper Table Collection. She started her career in the banking and IT fields and then did a left brain to right brain career shift and went into design. The Paper Table is the happy result of her transition.
Launched just a few months ago, The Paper Table offers ornamental paper goods to create elegant candle shades, plate chargers and decorative candle bands, [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
As we all know, Easter celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection and it is considered to be one of the most important Christian holidays. But what we may not all know (I did not) is that Easter falls on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox (when there is exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness), which was March 21st. Thus, Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th. This year, Easter is on Sunday, April 8th. And after 40 days of Lent – the time [...]

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife
So, about a year ago, foodie experts predicted that 2011 would be the year of the pie and that cupcakes would be retired in favor of the tarte. I didn’t see much evidence of this, did you? My measurement? Cupcake shops are still flour-ishing (you get it) but there is nary a pie shop – much less a mini-pie shop – in sight. But, now a year later, trend or no trend, I am somewhat suffering from cupcake fatigue and I’m definitely ready to embrace another handheld alternative in the form of the mini-pie, aka the [...]

I have several (unfortunate) pet peeves. Many of them are creeping up right around this time of year because they mostly revolve around the theme of entertaining and food service… For one, the idea of mistakenly drinking from someone else’s glass is extremely disturbing (eww, cooties) and second – but way more peeving: I CAN’T stand the thought of the nearly full soda cans or water bottles being tossed simply because their owners have abandoned them and yet merrily go on opening yet another drink – that they will also lose track of… Kids and adults are equally guilty. It’s [...]

We have our three winners for the 5-pack set of Galeos Miso Dressings. Congratulations to Vita, Sandra and Cristin!
The winners were selected at random using the Random Integer Generator (chronological order). This giveaway CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED but do subscribe via RSS or email to get updates on new giveaways as they get posted. Thank you all for playing!
***********************************************************************
Just in time for the start of the festive season of parties, entertaining and overindulgence, Galeos is offering three giveaways of their 5-pack of great tasting, low calorie miso-based dressings. All this because they want you to try all their flavors, but [...]

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife
Are you entertaining this Thanksgiving? Are feeling the anxiety of the season creeping up on you yet? I am. I need a nap, being completely exhausted just thinking about my To Do list. So, in looking to simplify my life, I’m on the lookout for clever shortcuts. Thought you’d appreciate some of these ideas and tips I found in my search for simplifying the entertaining process:

Have a good planning checklist: Friends have made fun of me for years because of my lists. Called me the List Girl. They also call me organized. So there. This year, [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor
Little did I know that October is Women’s Small Business month until Dove Chocolate Discoveries offered to send me (through Mom Central Consulting) a starter kit to host a Chocolate tasting party for my gal pals.
Dove Chocolate Discoveries has taken the home-based business plan to a whole new level with one of the biggest (and healthiest, after red wine!) indulgences. The Chocolate Tasting kit comes with six boxes of Chef-Series Chocolate (three dark and three milk), four packages of Chocolate Mouse, a box of Chocolate Chai Tea, Chocolate Cover Nuts, Chocolate Martini Mix, Chocolate Fondue [...]

By Tara Riceberg, Guest Contributor – Party Planning & Entertaining
Throwing a Halloween party doesn’t have to be spooky. With these tricks, your guests will be treated to a frightfully fun time!

Pre-shop the stores for inspiration and for budgeting your money. It only gets expensive when you don’t have a plan and buy things spontaneously or last minute.
Create a subtheme to really focus your party and planning. Imagine “Halloween Party” becoming “Antebellum Gothic” (what would have become of Scarlett had Rhett not returned?) – Replete with moss covered columns, dead roses, faux silver platters and tons of candlelight. Decorate with three [...]

Need a great hostess gift that will not only say “thank you for the invitation” but that is also something truly original (that your hostess most probably will never have seen before) AND is practical. AND is something that she will want to use immediately. AND that is fun for guests too?
We’re thinking that the Coasterica™ Coasters are perhaps the only hostess gift that can meet all those requirements and then some… Because the Coasterica all-in-one coasters not only protect furniture, they also serve as drink charms. Simply slip the silicone coasters onto the stemware and the coasters will travel [...]

We all like Evite. We really do. They coined the term. But us creative souls often need more choices, flexibility and functionality. And sometimes, we want to go ad-free.
So, with the party season just around the corner, I thought that you’d like to know of some other choices…
 

 
pingg Online Invitations and Announcements
 
This company will send digital invites as well as postal cards (like, with real stamps!). It offers stylish, designer-created invitations and announcements. Part of the service is free, but upgrading to the paid service, called pingg Plus, allows for your events to be ad-free, plus it offers LOTS of [...]