Pamper My Holiday Party

To piggy back off of our recent Pamper My Party post (as seen below), we are going to talk today about how to pamper a holiday party!  I am having 30 of my nearest and dearest over tomorrow night for cocktails, hors devours and festivities and I wanted to share with you my tips for making your party stand a part from the rest!  

☆ Pamper My Holiday Party! ☆

First off, then entrance.  Be sure to use a beautiful arrangement right up front, it's important to make a statement when your guests walk in the door.  I am using my favorite florist over at Harlem Flo and asked for an arrangement with an architectural feel to compliment the modern lines in my apartment.  Try to be specific with your florist, while still giving them creative license.  Don't be shy about asking for what you want!  

Here is my inspirational bouquet, taken from the Harlem Flo website.  

Next up, drinks!  For those of you who read every week, you know I love my cocktails.  My crew is not a beer swigging kind of bunch, so I worked with my caterer, Sam Kim of Skim Kim to come up with some wonderful holiday cocktails.  More on that later - wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for my guests!  Having trouble thinking of fun holiday refreshments?  

Check out this wonderful recipe from We Are Not Martha, for a Cranberry Mojito.  

Next up, the food!  

Always remember to be thematic.  Holiday parties can have a LOT of alcohol!  So, use comfort food to soak some of it up.  I worked with Sam to come up with a truly incredible menu for tomorrow night.  (Again, no spoilers here, but I will post the menu after the party!)  

It won't be bikini season again for a few months, so indulge a little and offer the goodies that everyone is too shy to eat the rest of the year.  I like to serve comfort food favorites in bite size portions, so you get the goodness without all the grief.  Also, have healthy options for the health conscious.  If nothing else, a plate of fruit and vegetables arranged beautifully is a wonderful go-to.  Lastly, don't forget about dietary restrictions.  Without fail, you WILL have a vegetarian/celiac/kosher/vegan at your party, so have option of two for them.  This way everyone feels pampered!

Be sure to read down and view all my tips on how to throw a pampered party.  I'll be sharing pics of my little soiree, and maybe even some video!  

So check back soon, have a wonderful week and don't forget to pamper yourself! 

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At Pamper My Style, my luxury gift set company - we are preparing our sets for 2013 already!  We are working hard to curate sets like Pamper My Valentine, Pamper My Mom, Pamper My Garden and Pamper My Party.  

So, on this windy Monday I thought it might be a nice time to sit down and plan a party or two.  There are many ways to throw a pampered party and here are some of my favorites!  (Check out our Pinterest board for even more pictures and inspiration :) 

1) Throw a Spa Soiree!

A few years ago I decided to have a Pampered Pool Party!  I invited over some of family members and my best girlfriends.  It was absolutely wonderful!  We had such a great time that everyone is always asking when I am going to throw another.  Soon ladies, I promise! 

Here are a few pictures from that wonderful day:

A Professional Masseuse was there to lend a hand! 

The weather certainly agreed with us.

My Nannie enjoyed the day so much!  Such a special memory.

My tricks for throwing such a successful party, like with anything else, is attention to detail! 

Serve up these Ginger Fizz's from Yum Sugar.  Click here for the recipe.  

Photography courtesy of Yum Sugar

The medicinal benefits of ginger compliment the health focus of the party.  So, think through the goal of the party you are throwing to make the experience all it can be for your guests!

I also found this clever idea for a snack on Pinterest.  The dip is made out of avocado, with cucmbers for eye masks and a red pepper cut into the shape of lips!  The hair wrap looks like some kind of fondant...any other guesses??

One thing to never forget for small get togethers like this is the take-away bag.  Loved this idea I found on Etsy.  The item is no longer available, but it's easy a great DIY project!  

Pamper your party with little surprises.  Like put a gold token in one of your guests goodie bags and give them a special prize, like a gift-card to a mani/pedi at a local salon!

2) Afternoon Tea

Next up, we are getting a little more sophisticated (just a little) and putting together a Proper Pampered Tea Party!!

Pinterest is overloaded with cute decorative ideas for this one.  Encourage your guests to wear hats and their most beautiful Chanel inspired suits and pearls and have fun with it!  

We all know a tea party is really all about the snacks, but don't skimp on the tea.  Be sure to have a wonderful selection of teas for your guests.  You can highlight different regions, tea types and flavor profiles to make the experience both beautiful and educational.  

My favorite local tea spot is Sullivan St Tea and Spice Company in NYC's Greenwich Village.  You just can't get more adorable than this little shop tucked away on one of the sweetest blocks in Manhattan.  

Can't make it downtown?  Check out David's Tea, the Canadian company taking the tea world by storm with their inventive flavors like Forever Nuts (with Almonds, Apples and Beetroot) and Red Velvet Cake Tea (5 calories per serving!).  Check out their website to order online. 

The snacks for tea time are light, lady-like and sophisticated.  Food Network has this extensive list of 50 Tea Sandwiches.  There are just so many, I don't know which to choose!

3) Wine and Cheese Tasting

While purusing Pinterest I also found great ideas for a wine and cheese party.  

This Chalkboard Contact Paper can be turned into a table runner.  This great idea is from Jackie Fogartie's blog and is available on Amazon.com.  

Pamper everyone's pallete by having great snacks.  This spread from Natasha In Oz shows some great ideas, and the set-up is just gorgeous! 

Even make it a pot-luck and have everyone bring a bottle and a dish to compliment.  

A few more helpful sites:

Squidoo has a huge list of party ideas for grown-ups.  No kid's craft parties here!  So check it out and get creative!

Don't skimp on decorations!  Check out these great guide to the best NYC based florists from Gotham Magazine.  

OK, that's all for today my Pampered Party Planning Proteges.  Have a wonderful time and don't forget to pamper yourself!