The Final Touch

Spice it up!

" Once you take a spice in your home, you have it forever. Women never throw out spices. The Egyptians were buried with their spices. I know which ones I am taking with me when I go " Erma Bombeck

Well, I think which ones I am taking too. Would you laugh if I were to say I get high on spices? No wonder the Spice Girls called themselves this way ( or maybe, their success is due to their name? Hum, this will remain a mistery! )

Whenever I go the the Jean Talon market, I feel a fatal attraction to the store Olive et Epices. It is just an uncontrollable feeling, I try to resist every time, knowing I will just waste another hour sniffing, smelling, dreaming. But I can't. 

The infinite number of color shades, all warm, all vibrant, are a teaser to inpiration. Running out of ideas for a party colour scheme? Well think of a few spices you love, and there you go, you've got yourself  a colour scheme. They make perfect centerpieces. If you take big clear vases filled with alternating rows of cinnamon stick, cloves, sugar cubes, you just made the perfect brunch centerpiece.

I love spice just everywhere. And especially in chocolate. Have you tried it before? If not, I highly suggest to visit Genevieve Grandbois' store on St Viateur, and indulge in some of her Safran or Piment chocolate squares. Mmmm. 

Mariages Freres has some very good teas. I am not a fan of flavoured teas, but "Yuzu Temple" is so delicate with its citrus, peppery and spicy aromas. Camelia Sinensis has a marvelous vanilla flavoured tea. 

I discovered two soap companies, that make exquisite spicy soaps. This one and that one.

And if you are a spice lover, or know of one, Purpose Design makes beautiful spice kits. The packaging is sharp, and they're such an original gift. Pair the spice kit with a matching cooking book, and you know your friend will be in spice heaven. Hot gift, happy friend. 

Have a nice week-end!

Real Party: Noah's Baptism

When my friend called me asking for my help for her son's baptism, I was thrilled. She had decided to have it at MB mange. boire restaurant in little Italy, a place I particularly enjoy. Not only because Matteo the owner is a family friend, but also because the chef Tommy ( which happens to be a good friend of mine and my husband ), is awesome!

I knew the food would be great, and it was. 

For the decor, we started with invitations. Since it was a baptism, Noah's mother wanted to keep it serene, without it beeing too classic. The chocolate brown and mint green duo not only brought that feeling to life, but also reminded me of my beloved after eights :)

I designed a simple monogram with Noah's initials, and this graphic element was used on the invitations, menu, cake, and cookies that were given out to guests as a favor.

Eva did a great job on the flowers, it was original and fit perfectly the sleek look of the restaurant, as well as our colour scheme. The guests were wowed. She used some inexpensive stainless steel plaster containers from the hardware store. The shape was perfect, the look impeccable, and very affordable.

The cake and cookies were created by Montreal Confections. I love this girl, she absolutely masters her art. I packaged the cookies to match the whole look and feel of the party with tranparent cellophane bags to reveal the design of the cookie, and a fairly wide gros grain chocolate brown ribbon to make a cute bow.

It was a fun project. I enjoyed it. Congratulations Noah!

Zina's Getting Married - Announcing The Engagement

Office Party

I was in a different kind of mood today. A friend of mine owns a software development company, and is about to launch a new web application. He called me for ideas on how to finalise some details for his launch party. I laughed when he said: " Lorena, please don't kill the budget! "

I took a trip down to Staples, with one goal in mind, finding all the supplies I need from there.

Sometimes inspiration comes on its own, and sometimes, you just look for it. Today, I waited for the inspiration to come to me, while walking down the aisles of the store.

I am pretty happy with the outcome:

1. I bought a business card box to display and organise the escort cards. It's an easy practical and original way for the guests to find their seats.
2. I covered some slide boxes with black paper, wrapped some twine around it, made a loose bow and attached those shipping tags. The words " Thank You!" I just wrote by hand.  
3. Another idea for the escord cards was a plain foam core board ( they come in all shades of colour, with "@" push pins. And I printed the names and table number on plain card stock.
4. The invitation has a modern, clean look to it. Adding a touch of red with the envelope brings some colour ( you can use your corporate colour envelopes )  

Mission accomplished. I came out of Staples, with a light bill, and a light heart. 

This look will work well for trendy agencies, hi tech companies, any business that is not taking itself too seriously. It is all about fun!

Love Birds

Nature is an inspiration. All these colors, smells, and textures, it just can't leave me indifferent.

I've decided to include an element of nature in this post. I just couldn't make up my mind. What would it be? I love butterflies, and clown fishes, I love horses, leaves, and grass, I also love flowers, especially tulips. Humm, the choice was too vast. I decided to make my son decide for me, he just answered with a wise voice :" Why don't you flip a coin?"

Kids are too wise nowadays, but I am going off topic. So I decided to take my wise son's advice. I wrote all things I loved in nature on small pieces of paper. I then, looked at them, stared at them, tried to cheat a bit, but didn't. I closed my eyes, and picked  " BIRDS".

I was happy with my luck. Birds, Birds, which bird? the answer was clear : LOVE BIRDS

Love birds are active birds ( just like me ) , they love water ( just like me ) , they love raspberries ( just like me !! ), they're social and love the others of their kind ( just like me, maybe I was a love bird in a previous life). I was happy with my choice, and here is the result of some research and inspiration.

The Love Bird wall stickers are a perfect way to turn any boring space into an exciting one. I found these at Ferm-living

I fell in love whith that necklace. I can just picture the maid of honor wearing a plain turquoise, red, or chocolate brown dress and that necklace as an accent. Erm Originals has beautiful necklace designs with birds.

The cake is a piece of art. Lovin Sullivan Cakes reproduced the Lenox Chirp Design China drawing on the cake. They did a fantastic job, and the idea is awesome. 

For favors, I thought of two ideas. First the bird's nest , it fits perfectly within the whole theme. Or to be more subtle, a simple box with ribbon and label, that can be filled with raspberry candies. This box I have designed last year for a couple, I found the colours to fit well within the whole theme. Favors could be alternated for a more ecclectic look and feel.

And this absolutely adorable love bird felt embellishment, I couldn't resist. it was so cute I had to include it. What to do with it, I am not sure. But what I'm sure of, is that you will find tons of ways to use it. Get it at Tessa Ann

I added the last picture, cos I can just picture that party to be very vintage / rustic, and the long bare wood table is something I always dreamt of having. I thought for someone that is crafty ( of has a crafty entourage) these tables could be built for a special event, for not much money. I wouldn't put any tablecloth. I would live it raw, just like nature.

Zina's Getting Married - The Proposal

Zina's now engaged. And now, all the wedding preparations are yet to start! What is the first thing she wil do next?? Stay tuned :)

Edith Piaf Dinner Party

I am very emotional while writing this post. Edith Piaf played such a big role in my life. Whenever I am running low on creativity, I play her music, and the sound of her voice full of truth and strengh inspires me. So the least I could do is pay her tribute. 

I designed these invitation postcards thinking of how great it would be to spend a whole evening in her company listening to La vie en rose, Milord, or l'Hymne a l'amour.

Now that I had the postcards, I felt like organising that party. I saw myself finding my computer searching and browsing, and here is the result. A french dinner inspiration board to share with all of you. I will be having this dinner party in three weeks with some of my close friends that are in love with Edith Piaf too.

Her favorite meal was " Coq au vin " , and I am anxious as to how it will turn out. I've never made it before. But it just sounds delicious. Good wine, aromatic cheeses from Hamel la Fromagerie,  fresh figs,  and the best baguette from Mamie Clafoutis will be on the menu.

For the table setting I got inspired from the picture of Bistro Les Petits Carreaux. Forest green, ivory, and butter yellow. 

When saying Paris, you cannot forget those delicious macarons, that literally first crunch and then melt in your mouth. An explosion of taste, that invade your whole being! So I decided to package some pistachio macarons with some almond macarons in small green boxes and tie a buttery yellow ribbon around to give my guests as a thank you favor. 

I will be playing " La Vie en Rose" movie. If you haven't seen it (or if you don't now Edith Piaf ) I highly recommend you rent it. It is a jewel.

I am really looking forward to it. A whole evening with Edith Piaf! What else to ask for?

If you live in Montreal, they play her music at Pois Penché, a fairly new french bistro downtown. If you're craving Paris, go for a lunch there. It will do you good :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine is so close, and I am starting to be somewhat smooshy / mooshy ( don't ask me what that means, I couldn't explain! ) . So first of all, let me tell you how much I love you all. All of you that support me, and read me everyday. For your encouragements, and very touchy messages, for your patience and tolerance, for just beeing there, cos without you, I wouldn't be here. 

Ok. Enough smooshy / mooshy ??

Well, writing a blog is about opening up yourself to the world, and letting that world come into you. So, this Valentine's day I decided to open up to all of you and share a few of my secret favorite things this Valentine's day:

L ingerie ( the one featured is from La Senza )

O ysters ( aphrodisiac, they say! I am buying some tomorrow from Nouveau Falero )

V odka Cranberry Martini ( for the colour red, here is a recipe )

E tro Ties for him ( hum, he'd better wear one! You can get Etro @ Michel Brisson)

And finally, my favorite L.O.V.E Song.

Happy Valentine's Day to ALL OF YOU! And I send special wishes to all the amazing couples planning a wedding this year that I am working with, I am sure you will be celebrating  your love in all kind of different ways. 

If you've got things you absolutely love this Valentine's share them with me. Just write a comment. Love you all!

Polka Dot Theme Party

Let's be realistic. This is no theme attractive to men ( I do love polka dotted ties though! ). But if you're thinking bridal shower, baby shower or even your little girl's birthday party then think polka dots. Polka dots are fun. Seeing them always makes me smile, maybe because it reminds me of that song. I am sure all of you have heard at least once. Doesn't make you happy just listening to it? So if happiness, joy and smiles is what you're looking for at your next event, then think of giving the polka dot theme a try.

You can try different color combinations for a different feel. Yellow and white is very refreshing, and black and white a bit more edgy.

These invitations and favor boxes I created for a client's bridal shower. And from what I heard, happiness was in the air.

Marshmallows - Puffy Little Forgotten Treasures

These are not the marshmallows you used to have when you were a kid. These are the gourmet version. If you're running out of ideas on how to treat your guests at your next event or party, try to consider those little bites of heaven. And when I say heaven, I mean it! When biting into them, you feel you're biting into clouds. They're fluffy, soft, and they melt in your mouth. You can find them in so many flavors: cardamom, flower salt caramel, lavender, whisky, and even wasabi! You name it.

Different shapes are also available, the heart one is a cute one for a Valentine party favor, and the suckers perfect for a baby shower, or birthday. My personal favorites are the square ones, I just love the texture on the sides.
 

Marshmallows are colourful, and when packaged in clear bags, with a nice personallized tag or label, colourful matching ribbons, make an original, fun, and beautiful favor.

Adding them to your sweet table or candy bar will make your guests talk. They enhance the overall look of a table, add colour, and some lightness into your decor. Why take ourselves so seriously? Let's eat some marshmallows, and treat the kid inside each and every one of us :)

Here are some stores that make great marshmallows:

• Whimsy and Spice
• Suzie's Confections  
• Laura's Candy    

And if you are in the mood of making your own, here is Martha's recipe. You can then get in touch with me to package them for you. I will match your theme and colours, and of course use food safe packaging.