Specialty Bottle

Favor Supply Source.

One of the benefits of being an event planner is that I have an excuse to look at Bridal magazines over 2 years after my own wedding has passed. When I was flipping through the Martha Stewart Wedding Spring issue, I kept dog-earring pages that featured glass bottles from Specialty Bottle.



Specialty bottle is one of those sources that I love for event favors. They have a ton of different bottles in all shapes and sizes that are just begging for a little creativity and customization.

And that's the secret to creating something interesting and unique of your own for an event. Instead of spending hours upon hours trying to find a beverage company that's labeling works with your theme, just create your own label and slap in on one of these bottles. All of the control and a lot less research.

So what kind of projects would you do with these fun bottles???

Please take the cake.

Favor.

There is nothing quite as elegant as a beautiful cake sitting on a cake stand. It makes a great display and is a special treat, but let’s face it…who has time to bake cakes from scratch nowadays. That’s why special occasions are the perfect time to break out the yellowed and tattered cake recipes that you been saving and get to work.



One thing about cake is that it is a serious dessert, there is nothing light and airy about a slice. I find that a lot of times people decline cake for this reason, because they are full from their meal and the couple of cocktails. That’s why I love these little take away boxes especially designed for cake slices. They are cute and convenient and who would turn down a nice little treat with the following morning’s coffee?

Bulb Favors

DIY.

I love a fresh new idea for wedding favors and Once Wed has a great idea that would be perfect for a spring wedding - Wedding Bulb Planters made with vintage tin cans.



And the bright colors are making me so excited for spring events!!

Hangover Help

Favor Idea.

Though we may love the holidays, we don't always love the morning after. All it takes is one or three too many glasses of champagne to put a cramp in your plans.

So if you are hosting a New Year's Party at your pad this year, consider giving out little Hangover Kits for your guests to take home with them. We created the one below using a little Altoid-like tin, patterned paper that coordinated with our party as a belly band, and a funny little label to add some charm. Fill it up with individual packets of advil, tums, alka seltzer, chasers...whatever you think best cures the ails of ale.

Make sure your guests each grab one on their way home (in a taxi of course). Believe me, your guests will be ever so grateful the next morning when they don't have to make a run to the store for supplies. Now all they need to do is order take-out, stake claim on the couch, and prepare for a trash tv marathon. It works every time...

Contest by Favor Affair

Giveaway.

Hip Hostess loves to start the month off with a new contest for our readers, and we have a fantastic one to bring to you for November! Our friends at Favor Affair are offering one of our readers a $25 gift certificate towards any of their many fabulous products.

What I love about Favor Affair is that while they have a lovely selection of items appropriate for weddings, they also have a vast amount of options for the other celebrations in your life. Baby showers. Birthday parties. Thanksgiving. You name it, and they have it. In fact, here are some of my favorites to show you just some of the potential the Favor Affair has to offer...


Chinese Takeout Tealight Holders
Weddings, parties, bookclubs

Mini Piggy Bank
Baby showers, children's birthday parties

Park Bench Placecard holder
Weddings, outdoor garden parties/showers.

Two Peas In A Pod Salt and Pepper Shakers
Baby showers for twins, wedding showers, weddings.

Mini Maple Syrup
Thanksgiving/Fall Party, wedding showers, brunch party

Now it's your turn to tell us what you like. Take a trip over to Favor Affair and browse their selection. Leave us a comment with what tickles your fancy and why. And for a second entry to win, you can also head over to Favor Affair's Facebook page and sign up as a fan ...just leave them a comment letting them know you came over from HH. You have until November 30th to enter. Good luck!!

Sponsor: Moments of Elegance

Favors.

We are always excited to get a new sponsor. We especially love it when the sponsor offers so many creative products to enhance any event. Moments of Elegance was created to provide a one stop shop for your wedding, shower and special event needs.

Moments of Elegance is a huge fan of “practical favors,” favors you can eat or use. They have recently added plantable seed favors to the list. There is something special about a favor that is eco friendly and a continual reminder of the event.

Many times favors are one of the last things to be purchased for an event. At Hip Hostess we often like to work backwards. If you can find a great favor or source of inspiration it is easier to get the ball rolling on the overall event. You can create a theme, color scheme, invitation, etc using the favor as a guideline. It really helps in creating one-of-a-kind unique events.

Be sure to check out the vast array that Moments of Elegance has to offer and let the creative juices flow.

Personalized glass favor jars (set of 12)
With a large variety of labels to choose from this is an excellent way to gain inspiration. The jars hold 3.78 oz which will still provide a nice favor but allow you to stretch your dollar farther.


Palm Tree Favor with Multi dimensional Feature
These favor boxes would be great at a luau or shower for a destination wedding. They could also double as place cards at each setting.


Nothing is sweeter than love personalized lemonade
If you are having a wedding where many people are staying at the same B&B or hotel this is a great way to encourage an afternoon get together while sipping lemonade on the porch.

Parker's Crazy Cookies

Fun Food Find.

While perusing the web I am always amazed and surprised by the talent and the creative ideas people come up with. Having said that, I believe this post may take the cake...or cookie in this situation.

Dave Parker can take a photo of you and turn it into a cookie. But wait it gets better…it is not the sugar cookie with photo film on it you are thinking. I would describe it as an animal cookie that very realistically captures your likeness.


All cookies come 6 to a bag with personalized labels. Parker’s has a 3-4 week lead time and cookies can be purchased in a small bag for $4.99 or large bag for $5.99. There is a $20 design fee and a minimum purchase.

I love this fresh, fun, unique concept.

Contest by Beau-Coup

Contest.

What a month this is shaping up to be! We are thrilled to announce that Beau-coup has joined the Hip Hostess group of sponsors.

And to kick off this new relationship with us they are giving one of our lucky readers a $25 gift certificates to use on any of their products! To enter, just go to their site and pick out some of your favorite products, tell us about them in our comment section before July 1st, when we will select a winner at random.

Because the Hip Hostess gals have long been fans of Beau-coup's amazing products, I've taken the liberty to pick some of our favorites below.

Mini Topiary Place Card Holders

a classic choice that would go with so many different event themes

Mini Gumball Favors

who doesn't love old fashioned candy themes?

Mini Piggy Bank Favor

seriously...this is just cute

Mini Candy Jar Favor
a great take on the every popular candy bar

Embossed Favor Box
cute and inexpensive favor boxes are very hard to find. these are just lovely and the price is right.

Miniature Antique Chair Place Card Holders
these charming little guys would look fantastic in traditional, old-world type venue

A New Twist on an Old Favorite

Food & Favors.

Over the last year there has been a huge craze for candy buffets but the time has come to consider an alternative. October is the perfect time for this since it is official “National Popcorn Poppin” month.

That’s right, why not replace the candy with different flavors and colors of popcorn. You can get really crazy with this idea because you are not limited to only sugary flavors. For instance, you could throw in some Jalapeno-Cheddar or Hot Wing Popcorn for those who prefer salty over sweet.

Popcorn also allows you to have control over your budget and time management. If time is of the essence, then you can choose from an array of ready made popcorn. If budget is a priority, Make Your Own Popcorn night could be a fun way to spend some time with your girlfriends, family or significant other. --b

It's in the bag.

Favors.

I don't think I'm alone in the world when I say that I love snacks. There isn't a potato chip or candy that I have come across that I don't like. In fact, the mere thought of chocolate covered pretzels will give me the strength to power through another 10 minutes on the eliptical machine in the morning to cancel out a potential afternoon splurge.

Now I believe that most casual parties that I have gone to in recent past - be they football party or game night - have included some sort of snack table. Usually what can be found next to the smorgas board o' chips and candies is a pile of lack-luster plastic bowls...because who wants to wash 20 bowls at midnight after the party has dispersed? Or who even has 20 spare bowls??

Here is an alternative to the ugly plastic bowl. Personalized glassine bags. They are cheap and easy to create. Take up little room in your cupboard. And you can have a different "theme" for each party. Here's what you need:

1. Glassine bags

2. Unmounted repositionable stamps (you can get complete alphabet sets for about $10)

3. An acrylic block for the stamps (between $5 -$10, depending on size)

4. Stamp pad (I used Brilliance Archival Pigment Ink because it works best on glossy surfaces)

Look how simple and fun these be..and you don't have to do dishes. --a

Nothing against patchouli, but…

Favors.

Thankfully many people are embracing the “green movement” in creative and innovative ways. But for all of the strides that we have made in fabulous environmentally-friendly materials, the word “sustainable” still illicits the mental images of hemp necklaces, tie-dye, and peace symbols in a lot of people. Not the most attractive visual for an event unless you are in college and paying homage to Jerry Garcia.

You don’t have to throw away style to be sustainable. We came across Matchstick Garden recently and think it is an extremely cool concept…and super cute as well. Each matchstick actually contains tiny seeds within the tip that when planted will soon yield you a lovely flower or herb garden. Who wouldn’t love this as a favor at a party? It’s tiny enough to fit in your pocket or purse. And it doesn’t smell a thing like patchouli. --a