Today over at RealSimple.com- check out my review of Simply Elegant Flowers with Michael George… a truly fabulous book and a great gift idea for party lovers, hostesses, and brides-to-be. Added bonus – lots of eye candy!

{Photos by Brie Williams}

Winner Update: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much for all the great recommendations! I’m going to compile a list for everyone from them soon!  And the 3 random winners of the drawing are… Commenters #94 – Grace, #15 – April, and #116 – Barb. Congrats, ladies! We’ll be contacting you via email to coordinate your prize =)

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I’ve been on a bit of a party/entertaining book kick lately, and am already bracing for the exasperated looks I’m going to get when my husband sees the multiple Amazon shipments start rolling in later this week… =)

And for those of you that can feel me on this obsession, here’s a fun new giveaway just for you… we’ve got THREE author-signed copies of a truly fabulous entertaining book – the creative DIY read by Maria McBride called Party Basics for New Nesters – up for grabs! Want one?

A few projects from this book are featured above; click here for even more info & images from an earlier post. And really, the projects in this book should appeal to anyone that loves to entertain at home, not necessarily just “new nesters”!

How to Enter:

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• Post a comment here and mention a party or entertaining-related book that you especially love/would recommend to others. It can be about food, decorations, weddings, flowers, tablescapes, party favors… basically anything to do with entertaining. (And it’s fine if you want to recommend something that’s already been suggested… it will actually be interesting to see which books are the most popular!)

• Giveaway ends Thursday, October 15 at midnight PST. Winners will be announced Friday. Thanks in advance for your recommendations – and good luck!

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Well, today is officially the first day of Spring! I thought it would be fun to celebrate the imminent arrival of warmer weather with some spring-and-summer-appropriate decorating inspiration from one of my favorite entertaining books: The Perfect Wedding Details by Maria McBride.

Regardless of whether or not you actually have a wedding to plan – wedding books are always great places to draw creative inspiration for all sorts of occasions! For example, don’t you think the birdcage garden centerpiece pictured above would be gorgeous for an Easter table or Mother’s Day brunch?!

And this adorable strawberry & wheatgrass topiary below would be lovely for a bridal shower or strawberry shortcake themed baby shower…

Cocktails are great for any time of year, of course… but there’s something about warm weather and a sunny outdoor party that really makes me want to punch up the color! The Perfect Wedding Details has some great ideas for fun garnishes too…

Want to put a unique spin on your bridal bouquet? Go green with a funky, chic arrangement of button mums & tropical leaves…

A few more of my favorite crafty ideas from this book include: fun ideas for dressing up simple glass cylinders…

…and brightly colored, duo-tone chair bows (for those of you with sewing skills and the proper amount of motiviation/patience!).

Check out The Perfect Wedding Details for a step-by-step breakdown of all of these ideas and many, many more!  Author Maria McBride also penned another one of my favorite “crafy entertaining” books called Party Ideas for New Nesters. Click here for more details on this fabulous read!

If you’re looking for a creative way to say thank you to your wedding guests - especially those that have traveled far and wide to help celebrate your big day – try surprising them with a “Welcome!” treat in their hotel room or a parting gift as they head home from reception.

Jo Gartin’s Weddings has an entire chapter devoted to clever & thoughtful ways to say thank you… just a few of which are pictured here. I absolutely adore the “Midnight Snack” idea pictured above – which features mini bottles of milk and individually wrapped donuts in a takeout box personalized with a custom label. (Boxes and labels available at myownlabels.com).

I actually think this same concept would work well as a party favor for all sorts of occasions – from birthday parties to coroporate events – and just imagine all the different possibilities for the treat combo it holds: bagels & cream cheese with mini bottles of o.j. or chilled Starbucks Frappuccinos, cookies & milk, energy drinks & trail mix or energy bars… the list goes on!

More ideas: Greet guests with a gift basket of old-fashioned treats like kettle chips, lemonade, and cherry sours (above)…or with a goodie-filled “welcome pouch” that hangs from the hotel room door or bedpost (below).

Candy buffets are always a welcome sight at any party! Set out little takeout boxes or other small containers that guests can use to make a take-home treat filled with their own favorite treats.

Check out Jo Gartin’s Weddings – An Inspiring Guide for the Stylish Bride – for more fun “thank you” ideas like these… plus tons of contemporary & inspiring wedding ideas on everything from the invitation to the reception!

This week over at Simply Stated – check out the details on Karen Tack & Alan Richardson’s super creative Hello, Cupcake! book – featuring some of the most clever & adorable cupcakes you ever will see! (Great price too)

Hello everyone! This is Mel Lim, the founder of BACE – Business & Creative exchange, a blog for JOYBYMELLIM.com.

I am thrilled to be part of HWTM blog today. Though my blog is normally about business and design, I have money-saving tips to share on hosting super fun parties for both personal and corporate events.

This idea came about when a great friend of mine Cindy Ng of Origami Bijou told me her first book on origami which just came out! Since we both started our business with limited budgets, Cindy and I discovered we are quite resourceful, very creative and produce results when we have our thrifty-thinking-hats on. Despite some people thinking we are “cheap”, I insist that we are able to make beautiful things out of nothing, learn something valuable and have oodles fun!

This is when Cindy’s origami book comes in handy, with 20 origami models and 96 pages of origami paper, you’ll be the host to the most creative and entertaining party! Girligami is packed with the coolest ideas for both adults and kids. Ask her why she has all these crazy ideas, she will tell you it’s because when she can’t afford a pair of Manolo, she just imagines she can fold one of her own instead!

Girligami is now available in stores (as of the end of October). If you love this look and have a jewelry  budget, Cindy also produces the most adorable HANDMADE gold and silver origami earrings and necklaces.

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On the note of hosting, we at JOY recently launched our technologically advanced placemats, made from uncoated paper that is water, tear and grease resistant. The material is acid-free paper and contains 20% PCW, with designs printed in soy- based inks.

Many moms have bought them for their kids to color in during parties. Because of their durability and versatility, many have reused the placemats over and over again!

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While planning for our yearly tradition at JOY of sending gifts to our clients, we thought we would offer our personal ideas to our fans and their businesses, so we recently launched our very first CREATIVE GIFTING sets on our website.

Each set is packaged with cool gifts ranging from notepads to business card holders, letterpress goods and much more. All for $24, including free gift wrapping service and gift tags. (Bulk pricing and shipping services also available.) Now you can still make an impact during the holidays for your businesses and friends without sacrificing taste and quality at affordable prices!

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Happy Holidays, everyone!

This visually appealing book might be called Party Basics for New Nesters – but it’s full of great ideas and entertaining inspiration that should apply to pretty much anyone…even if you’ve already been a “nester” for quite a while! Author Maria McBride offers tips and instructions for creative, yet doable party decorations, crafty projects, and clever food & drink ideas.

A few favorites pictured below: Crudités served in votive holders, Canned Daisies, Origami Parasols, and Egg Salad served in eggshell cups…

I’m also loving all these wonderful ideas for personalizing & dressing up basic glass votives; the transparent vinyl stickers (2nd row, far right) are an easy, yet elegant look for weddings and bridal showers…

Click here for more details & reader reviews at Amazon.com. Great gift idea for bridal showers, weddings, and housewarming parties!

Today on GlamDish: get the details for a delicious Rich Risotto Rice Pudding recipe from the fabulous Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey cookbook by Jill O’Connor!

An entire book dedicated to desserts that are "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, & Gooey "? Sounds like heaven on paper! Recipes include: Chocolate Caramel-Pecan Soufflé Cake, Cinnamon-Donut Bread Pudding, Double-Crumble Hot Apple Pies, Giant Coconut Cream Puffs…hmmm… did I say heaven on paper or hell for swimsuit season? We all have to indulge once in a while though, right? And what better excuse than a celebration!

Pictured above: All-Grown-Up Smores . Pictured below: Banana Bread Pudding with Hot Fudge and Toasted Walnuts and Quicky Sticky Buns , and more…

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by Jill O’Connor – $15.61 at Amazon.com

"The Last-Minute Party Girl puts the FUN back into FUNctions. It’s a lively resource for those who like to entertain with style, but don’t have the time (not to mention the pocketbook) to turn a simple soiree into their raison d’etre for a month."
- Glynis Costin , Party Girl, Mother of Two, and West Coast Bureau Chief, In Style Magazine

"Erika Lenkert’s recipes for tossing fabulous parties are equal parts sexy, sweet, spicy, and sassy. With hilarious stories and an insider’s approach, The Last-Minute Party Girl is the ultimate handbook for hosting the perfect party."
- Peter Davis , Editor at Large, Paper Magazine

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The book’s 10 chapters include things like Party Girl Etiquette, Vibe by Design (setting the scene), Painless Party Planning, A-List Appetizers, and The Party-Girl Pantry (survival supplies & shortcuts that will keep you stocked & prepared for even unexpected gatherings).

And speaking of supplies , you’re going to need something to help you stock up on some party girl must-haves of your own… so how does a $100 gift card to cb2 or Crate&Barrel sound?!

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY PRIZES INCLUDE:

FIRST PRIZE : Author-signed copy of The Last Minute Party Girl + a $100 gift card to your choice of cb2 or Crate&Barrel

SECOND PRIZE : Author-signed copies of The Last Minute Party Girl for 4 more lucky readers

HOW TO ENTER:
• Post a comment here. Tell us what you’d spend your winnings on, share your own favorite party advice, or just say anything!
• Enter by Thursday, April 17th at midnight PST. Be sure to login or include your email address (won’t be published) so that we can contact you if you win. Good luck!