Hostess with the Mostess™

Add a splash of unexpected humor to your next get-together with beverage napkins that are witty, clever, and even a bit saucy! A few favorites are pictured here…find all of these and more fun designs at broadwaypaper.com . (The cappuccino beverage napkins would be great for a baby shower, and cook for you is a perfect choice for a much needed moms’ night out!)

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This crafty home decor idea from Martha Stewart arrived in my inbox yesterday - and it immediately looked like the perfect concept for a graduation party centerpiece! You could even recover the stacked books with cool, modern gift wrap in various prints & colors to coordinate with your party’s color scheme - and then decorate the sides with designs and the guest of honor’s name using rubber stamps like they’ve shown here. If you really want to get into the "school" theme - try recovering the books "high school style" with brown paper bags or kraft paper and ink-pen doodles (you know - the kind you used to draw when you were really supposed to be paying attention in class!).

For a thoughtful touch, designate one special keepsake book and ask party guests to sign messages to the graduate on it "yearbook-style" (on the outside and inside covers). If you use a photo album as the covered keepsake "book" - you can even fill the album at a later date with actual pictures from the party!

{image from marthastewart.com}

Removeable decals are such a fun way to dress up your glasses - especially when they’re as super-cute as these “glass stiks” decals from blik. You can choose from several different, modern designs (each available in a variety of colors) - or order the mix pack and use the decals as drink markers! {available at blik: $4.50/pack of 12-20, (varies by design) - or $12 for a mix pack}

tons of fun patterns to choose from:

Quick Tip: You don’t have to limit yourself to just drinking glasses to have fun with glass sticks! Glass vases, pitchers, carafes - and even windows make great canvases as well!
{images from
Quick Tip: You don’t have to limit yourself to just drinking glasses to have fun with glass sticks! Glass vases, pitchers, carafes - and even windows make great canvases as well!
{images from blik}

Here’s another fun way to adorn your drinks…Clingy Thingy Labels is a woman-owned company that just recently launched with the motto of "making everyday things easier" – which is exactly what they accomplish with their new drink and wine labels.

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These bold, graphic map serving plates by notNeutral have been on my wish list for a while. They’d look so great mounted on a wall - or would make a great gift idea for a travel connoisseur, modern design lover, or resident of one of these featured cities. Available designs include: Cairo, Los Angeles, Berlin, Shanghai, and a the limited edition Los Angeles 2006. 12″ diameter/porcelain. $48 each at notNeutral.com.

I stumbled upon a blog called “life by candlelight” this morning and was so happy to see today’s post, called “Paid Forward”. In a nutshell, Malady (the author) was going through the Starbucks drive-thru this morning and randomly decided to pay for the order of the woman behind her. The Starbucks employee asked if she knew the woman, and she said “No. Just tell her to have a nice day and pay it forward.” Such a simple act, but honestly I’m sure it made the woman’s day to receive an unexpected, kind gesture from a stranger for no reason other than to be nice - when does that actually happen?!

Amidst all the tragedies and heartache we constantly see in the media, even little things like this remind us that there is also still good in the world - and we have the power make more of it. So I’m going to try to follow Malady’s lead and look for ways to pay it forward myself - starting with this post telling hwtm readers about Malady. Hope you’ll pay her blog a visit…and be inspired to do a random act of kindness yourself

Brides.com is a wealth of inspiration - whether you’re planning a wedding or not! Check out these gorgeous cocktail/mocktail presentations - just a few images & ideas from a stunning online drinks & cocktails gallery that features lots of differenty artsy drink displays and garnishes. (Those cool cube-things in the 2nd row of the image below are actually jello shots!)

There’s also a really great article from Modern Bride called “Create Cool Cocktails” that features more cocktail inspiration {shown below} from mixologist David Wondrich, author of Killer Cocktails and consultant to 5 Ninth restaurant in NYC. Yep…I’m ready for a party!

{all images from brides.com}

Went exploring on flickr for some centerpiece inspiration yesterday, and boy did I find it! These unique creations - which feature simple florals and greenery encased in minimalist glass displays - are both ultra-modern and gracefully elegant at the same time. This idea would look gorgeous at your own dinner party or Mother’s Day brunch, don’t you think? {Photos from Wedding photo set by Renataaaaaaa}

Daily Candy Deals announced a great discount today for everyone out there that’s planning a bridal shower or looking for a cute congrats gift for your favorite bride-to-be! They’re offering a special discount code for 30% off Eleni’s wedding themed cookies - which include this adorable “I Do” gift tin and tons of great designs for wedding or shower favor cookies. DC Deals discount codes typically last for one month. If you’re not already signed up to receive them (you get new deals in your inbox every Tuesday), click here to sign up!

I’m in love with this innovative salad serving set by renowned Italian design company Alessi…the all-in-one, modern minimalist design is truly genious! Set includes 1 stainless-steel tray, 1 stoneware salad bowl, 2 sleek serving spoons and a condiment set for oil, vinegar, salt & pepper - all of which stack & fit neatly together. At $334 a pop, it’s not exactly in my personal price range (sigh)…but you can’t blame a girl for dreaming! If you’ve got money to burn or are feeling generous, this would make for one show-stopper of a wedding gift! {Available at hivemodern.com}