Surviving the Company Holiday Party (while making sure you don't get fired!)

Tonight we kicked off the show with a cocktail that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit -

Mistletoe Martini

Ingredients

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1/2 oz. melon liqueur
• 1 shot pineapple juice
• Splash of grenadine

Directions
Add vodka and melon liquor into a martini shaker. Strain into a martini glass. Add grenadine, and watch as it floats to the bottom to make a red and green martini.

We've all witnessed it at one time or another.  You know that one co-worker who’s had a tad too much to drink that decides he wants to try his hand as a stand up comedian at his bosses expense. Or what about the other co-worker who is dressed a little too provocative for an “office” celebration? You now who I’m talking about. So with the holiday’s right around the corner, we thought we would take this time to offer our take on how to survive the company holiday party and have fun without losing your job.

Just as each company is unique, so is its holiday party. If this is the first time at your company’s holiday party we suggest that you properly prepare for it by finding out a few things such as:

What is the normal atmosphere at the party?
Are dates allowed?
What is the normal dress code? Is it dressy or business casual? (There is nothing like walking into the party under dressed or worse yet dresses inappropriately).

Once you’re at the party keep in mind the following:

1. Keep everything in moderation – that goes for both food and especially drink! Remember you are there to socialize and network not pig out and get sloppy drunk.

2. Try to avoid socializing all night with the same group of people you hang out with during regular business hours. Take advantage of the holiday celebration and branch out and network with others that you may not be familiar with. You never know, that new person you meet may hold the key to your next promotion!

3. Pay attention to the time. As a general rule of thumb don’t stay at the holiday party less than 30 minutes (you don’t want to give the impression that you’ve got better things to do…even if it’s true) but on the same token make sure you aren’t the last one to close the door! No one wants to hold the title of office “party animal”.

4. But our biggest piece of advice is this – no matter how festive the occasion is, remember it’s still all about business. Keep in mind that your boss, your boss’s boss, and your boss’s boss’s boss will be there and they may (in fact we know they are) be watching you, to see how you (along with their other employees) are interacting with each other.

That’s it…4 simple rules that are sure to guarantee that you’ll have a job waiting for you on that Monday following the office party!

Thanksgiving Entertaining 2009 Diva/Divo Style

In celebration of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday out featured cocktail tonight is the Pumpkin Pie Martini.  To make this drink you will need:

• 2 parts Absolut Vanila Vodka
• 1 part pumpkin schnapps
• Splash of cream
• Sprinkle of nutmeg

Directions: shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with nutmeg and a dollop of whipped cream.
 
In an effort to having a stress-free Thanksgiving holiday this year, we thought we would share some strategies/tips to planning a wonderful holiday that can be enjoyed by all. The key to having a stress-free Thanksgiving is pre-planning. Below we have provided you with some guidelines to ensure your holiday goes smoothly.


One Week Before Thanksgiving

• Stock up on your holiday decor. Now is the time to purchase extra pumpkins, gourds, potted mums and holiday decorations left over from Halloween. Great places to check out for some super good deals would be Michaels, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's and lets not forget the ever so popular Dollar Stores. Check the Sunday paper for coupons so you can take advantage of extra savings when shopping.
• Confirm your guest list. Call friends and family members that you have invited to ensure that they are coming over. If you would like them to bring something special for the day now would be a good time to confirm that as well.
• Take an inventory of table and kitchen supplies. Make arrangements to borrow or rent any items that you will need including:

               o tables
               o chairs
               o dinnerware
               o linen
               o glassware
               o flatware
               o serving platters and bowls
               o serving spoons and ladles

• Clean the house thoroughly so you can focus on other projects for the next few days. Survey your surfaces. If there are any visible stains on your chairs or carpets, either schedule to have a cleaning service come out or schedule some time to do the cleaning yourself.
• Start planning your menu.

          o Are you planning on serving turkey or a ham or maybe both? Will you be preparing the food or are  
             you going to have it prepared by a specialty store? (i.e. Honey Baked Ham) If getting your main 
            dish from a specialty store, make sure you order it early and make plans to pick it up one to two
            days prior to your event.


          oStart gathering all of your recipes of the dishes that you are planning to make now. Next go through
            your cabinets to make sure you have all of the necessary ingredients prior to making the dish. Any
            miss ingredients go on your grocery list.

          o Check your spices. Toss out any spices that are past their prime and add tem to your shopping list.

          o Go shopping early for all of your non-perishable items.

• Order your centerpiece from your local florist or if making your own centerpiece this year starts shopping for supplies.
• Iron you table linens and polish all your silver.
• Purchase wine, beer, spirits (for your cocktails) and soft drinks.
• Select your music(check out http://www.pandora.com/)
• If using a frozen turkey, plan the day that you will begin to defrost it in the refrigerator. The rule of thumb is to allow one day of thawing for every five pounds of turkey.

Three Days Before:

• Purchase all your perishable items.
• Bake and freeze any pies and other desserts that can be frozen.

Two Days Before:

• Begin cleaning and chopping any vegetables for the stuffing/dressing and side dishes and refrigerate.
• Take out your roasting pan, meat thermometer and any specialty kitchen equipment that you keep tucked away during the rest of the year.
• Prepare recipes that can be refrigerated for two days such as dips, soups and cranberry sauce.
• Make a written plan for cooking your meat and other dishes for Thanksgiving.

One Day Before:

• Clean the guest powder room.
• Give your house a once over making sure to dust and vacuum all rooms guests.
• Clean and season your turkey, then refrigerate it.
• Finish preparing and bake your pies.
• Prepare and refrigerate your stuffing/dressing.
• Pick up your centerpiece if it's not being delivered. If you’re making your centerpiece do it today.
• Set up your drink station/dessert station (buy ice if needed)

Thanksgiving Day:

• Roast turkey and stuffing/dressing.
• Ask someone to pick up any bread or rolls you'll need for your dinner.
• Finish preparing appetizers, first courses, and/or side dishes.
• Make the gravy.
• Turn on your music. (don't forget to check out Pandora)
• Light the candles.
• Take a few minutes before your guests arrive to freshen yourself and relax.
• Welcome your guests, set out the food, and count your blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Meet the Divas behind Cocktails and Conversations

Tonight’s cocktail is the Envy

To make this yummy drink gathers the following ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz. tequila
• ½ oz. blue curaçao
• Pineapple juice
• Maraschino cherry for garnish (Robin likes to use pineapple in stead)

Directions: Pour the tequila into a glass of your choice. Fill the glass with ice cubes, add the pineapple juice and mix well. Top with the blue curaçao and stir lightly again. Garnish with the cherry or with a slice of pineapple.

Enjoy!

Wow it’s hard to believe that it’s been about 2 months since our last broadcast. So much has gone on during that time. Football games cheer practice, tournaments, school, work, life and the list goes on and on. But Robin and I are back from our short hiatus and boy does it feel good to be back.

This show, we decided to take this opportunity to formally introduce ourselves to all of our wonderful listeners.

Erika Beckwith (The Event Diva) – is the Owner/Creative Director of Beckwith & Associates, LLC a boutique event planning and Design Company located in Metro Atlanta. Erika has been in the special events industry for over 10 years and has planned events ranging from intimate gatherings to large expos and everything in between. Erika takes pride in designing and producing events that are innovative, sophisticated and timeless. In addition to running an event firm, Erika also produces “Congratulations You’re Engaged…Now What?”™ a wedding planning workshop for couples. Erika is also the Wedding Advice Examiner on Examiner.com and also writes a blog on the Art and Science of Elegant Entertaining which can be found at www.beckwithevents.blogspot.com. For more information check out Beckwith & Associates website here.

Robin Hunt (The Detroit Style Diva) - Robin Hunt is the owner and Creative Director of FAVOR Event Management in Farmington Hills, MI. She has planned events with small and large budgets and believes the client’s vision is the top priority. Please visit http://www.favoreventmgt.com/ to view some of the celebrations she has planned and for information on events in the Detroit area.

Studio Guest - Joyce Schlanger, Your Dream Image Photography

Tonight's our signature cocktail for the evening is...

Sour Apple Martini

1 1/2 oz. Sour Apple Pucker

1/2 oz. Triple Sec

1/2 oz. Vodka

1 1/2 oz. Sour Mix

Directions: Add all ingredients in a shaker with a small amount of ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry at the bottom of the glass.

And Enjoy!

Tonight Joyce Schlanger, owner of Your Dream Image Photography stopped by the studio to chat with us. (we think Joyce is awesome) Your Dream Image Photography provides all of their clients with a fresh, distinctive approach to wedding photography. Joyce and her team of photographers take great pride in offering affordable quality images that their clients will enjoy for many years after their wedding. Providing clients with a mix of traditional, artistic and photojournalistic styles, Joyce works personally with her clients to ensure that the final product is exactly what they want.

Here is just a sampling of Joyce's work

Check out the Detroit Style Diva on August 19th

Our very own Detroit Style Diva (Robin L. Hunt) who is also the Chief Event Manager of FAVOR Event Management is hosting "Martinis & Manuscripts Workshop" on August 19, 2009 @ the Renaissance Club in Detroit, Michigan. Check out her website for more information www.favoreventmgt.com

In the studio with Joy Pittman Sales and Event Manager @ LOFT at Castleberry Hill

Tonight was another great show. We started the show with our signature drink for the evening – the Watermelon Martini

WATERMELON MARTINI

3 parts vodka

1 ½ parts sour watermelon Schnapps

½ part sour mix

Watermelon ball or wedge (for garnish)

Directions: Add the vodka, watermelon Schnapps and sour mix into your chilled martini shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a watermelon ball or wedge of watermelon.

~CHEERS!~

A very good friend of mine, Joy Pittman, Sales and Event Manager of LOFT at Castleberry Hill stopped by the studio to tell us about her fabulous facility. LOFT at Castleberry Hill is one of Atlanta’s premiere event venues nestled in the historic Castleberry Hill Arts District. This 4400 sq. foot contemporary space offers its clients sleek custom bars, a chic lounge area, built in stage and dance floor, and in-house catering. It is definitely a MUST see if you’re planning an event soon.

Contact Joy Pittman, Sales and Event Manager @ (404) 522-5678 to set up an appointment.

<

~Finding the Perfect Wedding Photographer~

As you all know I am a RHOA (Real Housewife of Atlanta) fan and tonight is the season premiere of season 2 of RHOA. I am so excited! I am looking forward to seeing what Nene, Lisa, Kim, Sheree and newcomer Kandi are up to and what drama they will bring us this season. You adn check them out at 10 pm EST on BRAVO.

Sooooooooo......

In honor of my favorite reality show, tonight's signature cocktail is champagne!

{{CHEERS!!!}}

Tonight we had a very special guest with us in the studio, our good friend and one of Detroit's premiere photographers, Robyn Robinson owner of Robyn Robinson Photography (check out her website here). Robyn has enjoyed the art of photography for most of her life and began taking photographs professionally over the past 3 years. With a keen eye and photojournalistic flair, Robyn seeks to bring out that which is seldom seen and often overlooked.


Robyn offered our listeners some great tips to remember when looking for a photographer for your next event:

• Make sure that they have a professional apprearance. If they come to the initial meeting in jeans and gym shoes it may give the impression that they don't take their business seriously.
• Look out for anyone who wants all the money up front (this is a major red flag). Most professional photographers will require a deposit to secure the date of your event, with staggered payments until the final products is delivered.
• A good photographer will be able to show you samples of his/her work. If they have no samples to show you then walk away.
• Also a look for certifications and memberships in professional organizations - this is a sign that they take their profession seriously. To professional organizations that they may belong to are Professional Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and Wedding & Portriat Photographers International (WPPI).

If you are in the Detroit area feel free to contact Robyn @ (248) 794-7010 or you can email her here.

Robyn thank you again for chatting with us tonight and we invite you to come back anytime to chat with us.

Location, Location, Location

Week 3 of our wedding planning series and we’re moving along with the planning process. But as always before I begin, let me provide you with the drink for the evening – this one comes courtesy of the Detroit Style Diva (my stylish co-host Robin)

Summertime Cosmo

1 ounce vodka; (omit for mocktail)
1 ounce Cointreau or orange juice concentrate
2 ounces cranberry juice

Suggested Garnish: sugar rimmed glass and curled orange zest

Directions: Place ingredients in shaker with ice; shake well. Pour into sugar rimmed martini glass.

{{CHEERS!}}

Tonight on the show we discussed selecting the perfect location for wedding and reception. There are many things to consider when selecting a wedding venue. Are you looking for a traditional space (i.e. church, hotel, banquet facility) or are you looking for something that is a bit more non-traditional (i.e. beach, museum, park)? The thing to keep in mind is that the more traditional venues offer couples the experience, security and convenience of having hosted hundreds of weddings. By going with a more non-traditional venue, additional work may be required to transform the space to achieve your vision.

Some things to consider when deciding between a traditional and non-traditional venue;

Advantage of Non-Traditional Venue

• May be easier to get your desired date – less competition with other couples on your wedding date
• Lower price to rent – venues that only host a few weddings a year may be more willing to negotiate on the price
• A unique venue will enhance the guest experience – makes a more memorable experience
  

Disadvantages of Non-Traditional Venue

• Less experience in hosting weddings thus may provide less support during the planning
• May require additional costs for rentals (i.e. tables, chairs, lighting, sound systems, dance floor, security, etc)

If you’re one of those couples that like to think “out of the box” then consider the following venues for your wedding:

Museums
Historic Sites
Farms, Ranches, Barns
Bars/Restaurants
Theaters
Parks
Beach
Art Gallery
Library
Zoo
Mansion and private homes
Yachts
Public Gardens

The thing to remember that when selecting any venue, whether traditional or non-traditional, couples need to consider not only what represents their style, but that they can also afford it. (yes, check that budget!)

With a little imagination almost anywhere has the potential to be a unique wedding venue.

The Wedding Budget

Tonight was segment #2 of our “Congratulations You’re Engaged…Now What?” wedding planning series and it was all about setting priorities and creating the wedding budget.

Our signature drink for this evening is Oprah’s “Legends Lemon Drop Martini” – this is the same drink that Oprah served at her Legends Ball and it’s also one of her favorites.

Oprah's "Lemon Drop Martini"

http://www.oprah.com/

Ingredients:

Juice of 6 lemons
4 tablespoons of sugar
6 fresh mint leaves
4 shots of vodka
Ice in shaker
Sugar-rimmed martini glass

**this recipe serves 2**

Directions: mix the lemon juice, vodka, and sugar in an ice filled martini shaker. Shake well, strain and pour into your sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with mint and enjoy!

{{CHEERS!}}

So now that you’ve determined your wedding style it’s now time to move on to the next step which is creating the wedding BUDGET. But before we do that…the first thing I suggest to brides that I’m working with is to start prioritizing the elements of their wedding. Identifying what’s most important first will help you determine how much money you are willing to spend within each category. So first let’s identify the most common elements of a wedding:

Priorities List

You have the:

Ceremony
# of guest
Location (destination weddings)
Season
Time of day
Food and drinks
Ceremony music
Reception music
Flowers
Tabletop décor and linens
Lighting and mood
Invitations and printing
Fashion (attire)
Photography/Videography

You can also add some additional elements that we may have forgotten or that are unique to your wedding.

So now that you have created you list with the elements of your wedding the next step is to start prioritizing that list. Look at your priorities list - next to those items that are “most important” place the letter “A”. After you’ve marked all of your A’s now it time to move on to the items that are of medium importance – and put the letter “B” next to it. Then identify all of the other items that are of least importance with the letter “C”

After you've marked all of the A’s B’s and C’s next go through and prioritize each group. So looking at the A’s which one is the most important to you and put #1 next to it...then a 2 next to the second most important item in that group and so on. You will follow the process for the B’s and finally the C’s.

Now that you have prioritized the elements its time to move on to creating your budget.

I think the first mistake couples make when planning their wedding is that they don’t create a budget or their budget isn’t a realistic one.

The thing to remember when creating your budget is this….

Just like every wedding is unique, every wedding budget is unique. The truth is - it’s possible to create a beautiful wedding on any budget. Keep in mind that there is no direct correlation between the amount of money you spend and the beauty of the day. That means you can plan a beautiful wedding on any budget.

The percentages that we have provided below should be considered loose guidelines – remember every wedding is different, so just make sure that your overall costs and your priorities are in line when determining how much you will spend in a certain area.

Note: the average cost for a 150 person wedding is about $25,000 – in some areas this number can be lower or higher.

Here is a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay:

Ceremony: 2-3%
Reception: 48-50%
Attire: 8-10%
Flowers: 8-10%
Entertainment/Music: 8-10%
Photography/Videography: 10-12%
Stationery: 2-3%
Parking/Transportation: 2-3%
Wedding Consultant: 10-15%
Gifts: 2-3%
Miscellaneous: 8%

Some things to keep in mind when creating your budget:

• Establishing a budget is the most important step in the planning process.


• Assign a budget amount to your most important priorities first (go back and revisit your priority list – assign a dollar amount to all of your “A’s” items first, then your “B’s” and finally “C’s”.


• To avoid stress allot 5% of your budget for a “just in case” fund – you know just in case!


• When talking to vendors give them your budget parameters and request estimates in writing.


• Keep track of your estimated and actual costs throughout the planning process.


• Refer back to your priorities list when making decisions.


• Consider creating a joint wedding account at a central bank to fund your wedding expenses.

~Congratulations You're Engaged...Now What?~

Tonight show was another good one. Robin and I kicked off our 12 week segment series, “Congratulations You’re Engaged…Now What?” where each week you we will step you through the wedding planning process. Tonight’s show we focused on determining your wedding style and creating your inspiration board.

Our signature cocktail for the evening is the…

French Martini

To make this cocktail you will need:
1 ½ oz Vodka (the vodka of your choice)
¼ oz Chambord® raspberry liqueur
¼ oz fresh pineapple juice
1 twist lemon peel

Glass to use: Cocktail Glass

Mixing Instructions: Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Now toast to your fabulousness!

Cheers!

{{clink clink!}}

Starting the wedding planning process….

First determine your wedding style. To get some insight on your particular style try answering the following questions:

1. When envisioning your wedding, do you see a celebration that is modern/contemporary or classic/traditional?

2. Do you imaging a part of your wedding (ceremony or reception) taking place outside?

3. You envision your wedding taking place in the spring, summer, fall or winter?

4. What would be your ideal number of guest at your wedding?

5. Your wedding colors should be:

• deep and passionate
• soft and subtle
• natural and organic
• contemporary and chic
• romantic and bridal
• unusual and fresh

6. Your ideal wedding meal would be:
• buffet dinner
• seated formal dinner
• seated family-style
• cocktail party
• brunch
• lunch
• other

7. At your wedding you want your guests to feel - (fill in the blank)

8. If you had to describe your wedding in a sentence or two, it would be -

9. You don't want your wedding to be - (fill in the blank)

10. Other words that you might use to describe your wedding would be:


The Diva’s suggest…..

This exercise works best if you and your fiancé answer the questions independently and then come together and share your answers with each other. This starts the dialogue on how you both envision your wedding which should aid you when talking to potential vendors and making decisions on the types of products and services you will need in order to make your “dream” wedding a reality.

Taking it to the next level….

To take this exercise one step further, I recommend that you also create an idea/inspiration board. So grab all of bridal magazines that you’ve collected, grab a pair of scissors and start cutting! Cut out dresses you like, cars that you think it would be cool to ride in and centerpieces that inspire you…cut out everything. After you have gathered all of your clippings, start adhering them to a poster board/foam core board. If you’re not into the cutting and gluing thing, then turn to technology. Scour the internet for images that match your wedding style. There are some great tools available to help you create your idea/inspiration board on your computer.

Some of our fav’s are:

Polyvore – http://www.polyvore.com/
Picas – http://picasa.google.com/
MS Word
MS Power Point

You can also check out one of my favorite sites to visit to get “inspired” is Style Me Pretty. Abby has created some amazing inspiration boards that I know will help get your creative energy flowing.

http://www.stylemepretty.com/

Tonight was another great show! Again, I want to welcome Robin AKA “The Detroit Style Diva” aboard. I know we are going to have a BLAST together and can’t wait to see what kind of trouble we are going to get into. {{big smile}}

For some strange reason I have been watching old “Sex in the City” episodes. I just can’t get enough of that show. So in honor of my girls, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte tonight’s featured drink was the Cosmopolitan.

Cosmopolitan

To make this cocktail you will need:

¼ oz Cointrequ
1 ½ oz Lemon Vodka
1 ½ oz Cranberry Juice
1 splash Lime Juice
1 orange twist

Glass to use: Cocktail Glass

Mixing Instructions: Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist.

Now toast to your fabulousness!

Cheers!

{{clink clink!}}

As many of you know June marks the beginning of the “wedding season” and 2009 must be the year that many of my friends are either getting married – part 2 (their second marriage) or they are renewing their marriage vows {{awwwww!}}. So what is a girl to do in regards to a gift?

Tonight, Robin invited Kymm from Travelution Bridal Registry to the studio to talk about her bridal registry service.

If you missed the show, you can listen here:



Next week, we are kicking off our 12 week segment series “Congratulations You’re Engaged…Now What?” Each week we will step you through the planning process to help you create the wedding of your dreams. We will also have some special guests dropping in to keep you up on the latest trends, from cakes to linen and everything in between. So you’re planning your wedding or if you’re helping someone plan their wedding you won’t want to miss this series.

Our 1st Show for 2009!

Well tonight was our first show for 2009 and boy did we have a blast. First lets welcome Robin Peppers-Hunt aka "Detroit Style Diva" as my new co-host! I am sooooo happy to have Robin as the newest member of the Cocktails and Conversations Team! I have known Robin for well over 20 years and I know you're going to love her just as much as I do! With all that Detroit flava'...tell me how could you NOT love her! :-)


To kick off tonight's show we started with our signature cocktail for the evening...

Mixed Berry Bellini

Place 8 champagne glasses in freezer for 20 minutes. Combine 6 oz. frozen mixed berries (thawed), 1/4 cup orange juice and 1 Tbsp. sugar in blender; blend until mixture is pureed, about 20 seconds. Strain berry mixture and discard seeds. Add 1 Tbsp. berry puree to each glass and pour enough chilled sparkling wine to almost fill glass. Garnish with fresh mint. Serves 8.

To make this drink "kid friendly" or for folks who don't drink, you can easily substitute the sparkling wine with Sprite. Which is what I did and boy was that a good drink! Cheers!

Well it’s been a while since our last live broadcast and so much has been going on. My wonderful co-host Jonetta AKA “The Paper Diva” has left the show to go off and do bigger and better things with her company. We are sad to see her go and we wish her much success with her new business venture. Maybe we can get her to drop by the studio one day to tell us how things are going and fill us in on what she’s working on. Now we have Robin "Detroit Style Diva" with us and she will be adding her Detroit flava to the show. Oooh wee! We are all in for a treat.

As you know March 20th marked the first official day of spring and for those of you who know me, I absolutely LOVE the spring time. Georgia's springs are absolutely beautiful...lots of sunshine and warm weather! So in celebration of spring we decided to share some fun springtime entertaining ideas you can use.

While surfing the internet, I stumbled across this great website The Nest which is the sister site to The Knot. On the site they had some great ideas for parties that I decided to share. As we all know the economy sucks right now. Unemployment is at an all time high and GM is looking at possible bankruptcy. Needless to say many folks you know may not be in the partying mood. However on the site there were two party ideas that caught my eye.

Pink Slip Soiree - Economist say that we are in a depression...so why not party like it's 1929! The goal of this party is to encourage your laid-off friends to bring a "personal" calling card (i.e. their name, number and email address) so they can network with the other guests. Remember the saying, "it's not what you know but WHO you know". Invitations to the party can be actual "pink slips" giving them they who, what, when, where, and why about the event. For food, why not create your own "stimulus package" by using Chinese take-out boxes filled with yummy goodies. And ofcourse a party would be a party without a signature drink. In keeping with the theme why not serve "Pink Slip Slammers" made with vodka , pink grapefruit juice, and a splash of simple syrup.

Rolodex Bash - With everyone no on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, its time to actually friend/follow people up close and in person! The fun part of this party is that each guest has bring one of their favorite people to the party with them. The goal is to build a larger network. Invitations for this bash can actually be printed on a Rolodex Card...or you can do a simple Evite. For food, think bulk...remember the goal is to increase your network so there will be lots of people there. Serve items like chips, nuts, and popcorn. For drinks, think about beer and shots.

For more information on these parties and for additional ideas, check out The Nest at http://www.thenest.com/.

If you missed the live broadcast of the show don't worry...you can check it our here!






Happy Planning!

It's been a long time but I'm happy to say....

WE'RE BACK!!!!!

On Thursday, May 28, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST, we will be hitting the airwaves once again with our first live broadcast of "Cocktails and Conversations" for 2009. You can check us out at www.blogtalkradio.com/cocktailsandconversations.

I've got a new co-host that I can't wait for you to meet...you're just going to LOVE her!!!!

Each Thursday, you will find us serving up a fabulous signature cocktail for the evening and catch us discussing the art and science of social entertaining. From cocktail parties to weddings and everything in between - you can best believe we'll talk about it!

Got a question for the Event Diva (that's me)? Well you can call your question in during our live broadcast at (347) 838-9795 and we'll try our best to answer it. You can also subscribe to our pod casts via iTunes our you can listen to any of our archived shows by visiting our website - www.blogtalkradio.com/cocktailsandconversations.

So mark your calendars for Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST.

See you then!