Wednesday, May 6, 2009
5 Ways to Plan a Mother's Day Brunch
Have you waited until the last minute and don't have any ideas for your mother or for some your mother-n-law. A mother's day brunch is a fun and cost effective way to say how much your mother mean to you.
1) Pick a theme or color - When doing a mothers day brunch I like to work with colors. With colors they symbolize the season and also make you think about how to incorporate your mother's favorite colors for one lovely afternoon.
2) Gathering - Decide the type of gathering mom would want to have. Would it be small and intimate or on a larger scale with aunts, grandparents, close friends.
3) Food - You must have food. A perfectly planned brunch will include teas, pastries (danishes, scones, etc), and tea sandwiches.
4) Ambiance - Set the tone of the afternoon with fresh flowers, candles, and soft music.
5) Punch - A brunch is not a brunch without a great punch. Here is my favorite punch recipe, simple and taste great.
1 (6 oz.) can Tropicana orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 (6 oz.) can lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 qt. cranberry juice, chilled
1 qt. ginger ale, chilled
1 fresh orange, sliced
Mix thawed orange juice, lemonade, cranberry juice and chill until party time. Then add ginger ale and oranges. Makes 10 3/4 cups.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Power of Image
Monday, April 6, 2009
Play That Funky Music
*Experience - how long have they been singing or DJing.
*Are the band/dj familiar with the venue?
*Are the band/dj properly insured?
*Make sure the band/dj is properly dressed.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Beauty Essence
I had an opportunity to meet a fabulous woman, Mrs. Susan L. Taylor. Susan Taylor is the former editor of Essence Magazine. She spent over 27 years publishing with Essence. She visited San Antonio to speak on The Power of Healing and Empowering for the Sistas in Business Power speaking series. Mrs. Taylor spoke on taking care of yourself, and body, before you can take care of others. Mrs. Taylor is now pursuing her passion for her foundation National Cares Mentoring Movement. She has a passion for helping African American children. I was privileged to assist her with the signing of her latest book All About Love.
Friday, January 30, 2009
The New Bridal Budget
We are so excited to have been featured in the Jan/Feb issue of San Antonio Weddings Magazine. ADE had an opportunity to chat about The New Bridal Budget. For over the past ten years the wedding industry has seen a shift from the traditional planning of the wedding were the brides parents and/or family pays for majority of the wedding. Now you see that couples tend to split the budget between the two of them. Reason being I have seen more brides getting married in there mid 30's and are settled in
their careers.
A few tidbits from the article:
- The bride and groom pay for the entire wedding themselves
- The cost are divided equally between both families
- Each family is responsible for covering the cost associated with the number of guest they invite.
Budgeting is very crucial to not only planning your wedding, but also in your marriage.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Real Weddings
Congratulations to Gary and Shulanda
Highlights of the evening:
Bridal Colors: Wine & Sky Blue
Theme: Feathers
Vendors:
Photographer: HTown Photography
Flowers & Linen: Darryl & Co and Linens n Decor
Cake: Bavarian Cake
Ice Sculpture: Ice Designs
Band: Austin Lydia & Company
DJ: DJ Unlimited
Venue: Ashton Gardens
Menu consisted of: Cocktail hour - Mini crab cakes, Smoked chicken quesadillas, cheese and fruit display, Signature drink
Dinner - Southwest Caesar Salad, Cilantro Adobo Marinated Flank Steak, Herb Garlic and Lemon Crusted Roast Chicken, Shrimp Etouffee, Green Beans, and Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Networking
The menu consisted of:
Hors d' oeuvre
Buttermilk Fried Oysters w/Achiote Aoili
Lemon Chive Crab Cakes w/Smoked Bacon
Mini Lobster Sliders w/White Chocolate Blue Cheese (I could not get enough of those)
Salad
Heirloom tomato Bibb salad w/country croutons and a creamy gorgonzola Dijon dressing
Main Course
Grilled Beef Tenderloin w/port wine cream
Crispy Ricotta English Pea Ravioli (Favorite)
Dessert
Pecan Crusted Banana pudding w/spiced rum caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream
I had a wonderful time, can't wait for the next event at Granberry Hills.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Put A Ring On It
A little something for my grooms to be. Over the next few weeks a lot of women across the country will be blasting Beyonce's single to her new album "Put a Ring on It" to allure there mates to the jeweler for Valentines Day. Those of you who made the cut for Christmas ...Congratulations to you. The others will be shooting for Valentines Day. A few things to know about buying a ring for your mate.
- What style of jewelry do she wear? (Gold, Platinum, White gold)
- Does she like diamonds? Some women may prefer an emerald, or sapphire ring.
- Know her ring size.
- What type of stone not only does she like, but what look good on her finger.
Happy Hunting!!
Friday, January 2, 2009
After the Proposal...Now What
He ask and you said "Yes!" After the proposal you have called your mother, and your bestfriend. What do you do, Where do you go? For those of us who has gotten over the shock that the person you have been dating and fell in love with has finally ask for your hand in marriage, what do you do first? I have compiled a list of things that should take place within the first 30 days of your proposal:
- Days 1-7: Contact close family and friends.
- Days 7-14: Research wedding consultants in your area. A wedding professional will guide you through step by step planning to get you through the planning process for your wedding.
- Days14-21: Decide on a starting budget. Sit down with your fiance and parents to decide on how much you are willing to spend on the wedding.
- Days 21-28: Contact the wedding consultant you would like to hire to discuss your budget and begin the wedding planning process. With the help of your consultant the planning process will allow you various ways to allocate your dollars. The beginning stages of planning is crucial because you are constructing the blueprint of the wedding planning process.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Something Old, Something New
Something Old... 2008
- Old Habits
- The Economy
- Increase in Oil Prices
The exciting thing is we have a brand New Year and a brand new day to look forward to.
Something New ...2009
- New President - Barack Obama
- New Resolutions
- New Goals
- New Engagements
- So, as we prepare for 2009 Get Ready, Get Ready for this marvelous ride.