Hostess with the Mostess®

I’m constantly impressed by the level of creativity out there when it comes to working with flowers!  Here are a few inspiring ideas for your fall table…

This first idea (pictured above), comes from a fantastic book called Party Basics for New Nesters and was created using 1″ wide orange masking tape in vertical strips on a simple glass vase filled with burnt-orange dahlias.

Pictured below: a few gorgeous ideas from the brides.com “Flowers of Fall” photo gallery…

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. Read More »

cb2’s contemporary, cast-iron elf candleholders look super cute all lined up in the “snow” amidst fuzzy snowballs and modern glass snowmen.

Today over at Simply Stated: check out a list of 10 tempting Pumpkin Cocktails and Desserts for Thanksgiving!

Shopping for an entertaining guru that already seems to have everything? Chances are good that you’ll still be able to surprise them with one of these clever, outside-the-box gift ideas from A+R Store:

Pictured above: Pewter & Glass Animal Shot Glasses designed to balance on their nose and antlers/ears when flipped upside down!

Pictured above:
• Pasta Bowl & Server - comes with a creative serving spoon that flips back and forth between a 3-leaf shape perfect for grabbing noodles and a 6-leaf shape perfect for smaller pasta and sauce. ($125)
• Ice Orb - vertical ice tray that chills, serves, and stores! ($16)
• Mr. & Mrs. Jones Citrus Juicers - teatime whimsy + modern minimalist flair! ($90/set of 2 hand dipped pieces)
• “I Am Not A Paper Cup“ - white porcelain cup with silicon lid… perfect for the eco-chic coffee lover! ($20)

Read More »

Looking for a fun way to warm up this season? This super easy - and super yummy - spiked cider recipe tastes like Hot Apple Pie…and is even better with whipped cream!

{Full recipe after the jump} Read More »

Photos of the decor from Alison Sweeney’s baby shower are now up on the HWTM Facebook page! All the details for how to recreate the theme will be up in the baby shower themes section by the end of the month, but in the meantime, feel free to ask questions either here or in the photo gallery!

For more info on Alison’s shower (hosted by Hot Mom’s Club & benefitting St. Jude Children’s Hospital), check out the Celebrity Baby Blog recap, or the previous posts here at hwtm: Shower Sneak Peek & Diaper Cake details.