What to do when you're throwing a party at someone else's house...

My life is a little ca-ray-zee these days. I got engaged at the end of January. Just (literally...yesterday) confirmed wedding plans which will happen to take place around July 30th...of 2011. Yeah...like a little over 3 months from now. And we're doing our own DYI wedding reception in our (soon to be our) backyard for about 150 people or so. Insert calm Heidi smiling here.

When one of my best friends Kauri asked me to throw a Pampered Chef party for her (www.pamperedchef.biz/kaurithecook) I said...Absolutely. That's what friends are for. :-)


Problem one - My kitchen in the house I rent is like wee big. We decided that this would be an easy problem to solve, however. Just have the party at my hubster to be's home. It is a nice open kitchen area but still a little half-finished.

Problem 2 - Since I don't live there yet, all my entertaining paraphernalia would not be available unless I transported it all over there.

Side Note: The love of my life had 2 dining chairs,  3 plates, 3 bowls and 3 small dessert plates. :-) See what I had to work with. :p

Here is how it all turned out -

These were some appetizers to go along with the PC meal Kauri cooked us. I did some bread, fruits, veggies, hummus, cheese slices & the most heavenly pastry wrapped brie with apricot jam & almond round! 

Oh my goodness...I am so in love with the Brie. I do have to say that for sake of time, I picked it up from our local Fresh Market. It was not cheap...$10.99. Almost worth every cent. Do you have any ideas of how to make a cheaper version of this? I would imagine you could use crescent rolls but once you add the price of the brie, apricot jam & almonds, I'm sure it would add up. Let me know if you have any ideas! 

For the flowers, I just used two old mason jars. 

See the runner in the pic above? Can I let you in on a secret? 1) It was free 2) I think this is what I'm going to do for runners for my wedding reception 

That is an old coffee bean bag that I got from a local coffee house here in Atlanta. I asked them what they did with the old coffee bags & they said, "nada...you want them?" I only took a few, but I'll be back! ;p I cut one back down the middle & along the seam & voila - a free table runner in less than 5 minutes. 

I forgot to take a picture of what I wrapped the silverware in. Remember the post about outsmarting Pottery Barn? Well, the rug came tied at two ends with this really cool fabric-like ribbon. Since it was just chillin at the future hubsters house, I used it for a napkin ring. Sorry...shame on me for forgetting.

Above is something I didn't forget. 

I wanted my guests to have a way to tell their glasses apart. I didn't have any of my fun scrapbook paper or craft supplies at Mike's house. I did find 

1) A Trader Joes Bag

2) A black sharpie marker & a pencil

3) Scissors

4) An espresso cup

So, I used the espresso cup to trace circles on the trader joe bag. I cut the circles out then cut a slit up one side of the circle until the middle. I wish I had had my hole puncher b/c I think it may have been easier but it didn't take me much time at all to cut a circle in the middle of the circle where I cut the slit.

Then I wrote a different letter on each "wine glass jewel" to spell out P.A.M.P.E.R.E.D C.H.E.F. It was really fun, free & the guests had fun trying to figure out what it said & if their initial was represented.

Overall, I survived having a party at someone else's house & picked up some good penny-pinching ideas along the way. Plus, my old roommate surprised me! That is her to the left. I think she has pretty cool hair. :p Love & miss her already. 

Here are a few more snapshots of the day...

Have a great week...and coming next week, or the next...how to party with Trader Joes bags! :-)