CasaSugar

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

CasaSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:00:52 -0800

Would you install a private screening room in your home with comfy chairs, recessed lighting, and a projection screen for watching movies?

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How-To: Be the Hostess With the Eco Mostess

CasaSugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:00:38 -0700

Want to learn how to make your Summer soirees a little more eco friendly? Elizabeth Rogers, the best-selling author of The Green Book, recently gave me some tips for throwing parties that won't negatively impact the planet. So many times when we're busy organizing a backyard bash or a big dinner party, we forget the impact that all of our disposable cups and plastic party favors can have on the environment. But not to fear! Just because you're keeping the earth in mind doesn't mean that your party has to be any less fun. In fact, it can be even more so - and these tips are even budget friendly! Elizabeth recommends that, "While preparing for your party, stop by a local swap meet or thrift store for fun vintage items you can reuse all summer long."

Want to hear Elizabeth's smart entertaining tips? Then read more.

Instead of running through dozens of plastic cups and paper plates, vintage glass-wear and dishes found at swap meets, will add a unique touch to your dinner party. Using dishes already in existence instead of buying brand new ones or disposable is 100% eco friendly. Plus they can be reused all summer long, saving you upwards of $100 in disposable paper, plastic and Styrofoam products.
Approximately 70 million bottles of water are drunk in America everyday and, because petroleum is used to manufacture these bottles, the impact on the environment is significant. For your party use vintage glass pitchers filled with filtered water. My favorite is PUR because it adds an extra level of filtration, so it has a crisp taste. Your guests will love the vintage feel, and you’ll be saving yourself the cost of buying all those plastic water bottles.
Vintage tablecloths and napkins, found on your swap meet excursion, are a more fashionable way to set your table than paper or plastic throw-away table covers. Antique lace will lend a summery elegance to your party, and after a quick spin through the washing machine it will be ready for your next soiree. Paper napkins and paper towels are two of the reasons paper waste in the US has jumped from 30 million tons to 84 million tons a year since the '60s. So, as well as being more durable, cloth napkins will prevent your party from ending in the trash.
Centerpieces are a sophisticated finishing touch, when decorating for your party. Instead of buying cut flowers that travel in gas-guzzling cooler trucks, and will be wilted and gone before the end of the week, potted plants are a beautiful alternative. Potted orchids require little care and will look stunning in your home after the party has ended. The cost of purchasing several potted plants for your table tends to be less than purchasing bouquets of cut flowers from a florist or the grocery store, plus the flowers will be ready to shine again at your next party.
Light your party with soy candles in Mason jars. You’ll save on electricity, plus soy candles don’t emit carbon or smoke as they burn and purchasing soy candles supports soy farmers. Mason jars, have been used for canning since the 1850’s and these antique glass jars can be purchased for a few dollars at local flee markets. The soft candlelight will lend a charming Midsummer Night’s Eve quality to the evening.

For more excellent tips, as well as to learn more about Elizabeth and The Green Book, check out her website.

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Setting the Stage For Your Party

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:06:19 -0800

Instead of glaring outdoor lights that usher your guests into your home, try taking the brightness factor down a notch. Simple votive candles dropped in multicolored glasses look beautiful lined up in a glowing row, as do multicolored candles in clear-glass holders. Just ensure that the candles are protected from the wind. Find the perfect color combination that reflects your home or party's theme, and make sure to provide enough to illuminate the path of travel.

Liquid Soap For Home Entertaining

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:32:53 -0800

Last week, I shared with you iVillage's list of items that are essential to throwing a good home-based party. One of them was soaps: According to iVillage, "fancy soaps, whether molded or French milled, will make your guests feel pampered." At my recent Feuerzangenbowle extravaganza party, my fancy bar soaps, I have to admit, were pretty icky by the end of the night. This leads me to the conclusion that the best solution is liquid soap. There are plenty of fancy liquid soaps out there now to choose from. Crabtree & Evelyn has a great selection, and I love love love their Gardeners Hand Therapy Caddy Set ($32). The set comes with liquid hand wash and shea butter hand cream in a charming rust-proof sink caddy. The green clover, lavender, sage rosemary and thyme scents keep all of your guests smelling fresh, and more importantly, clean. You can always go back to the bar soaps when your party is over. But in the interest of keeping things looking nice, entertain with non-icky liquid soaps.

Primer: Maximizing Space For a Party Part III

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:33:17 -0800

If you read Maximizing Space For a Party Part I and Part II, you're almost an expert on rearranging furniture and maximizing space for a party, but not quite. So get the most of Home Entertainment month when you read more.

At any house party, it is highly unlikely that all of the guests will remain in one room. So make sure there is ample seating, lighting, tabletop space, food, drink, and general appeal in each room. For example, some people like to chat with the hostess while she cooks, so put some bar stools or arm chairs there—but obviously not anywhere in the way. Others want a place to play an impromptu card game, so put the coffee table in a smaller room.
If the weather is nice, and you have outdoor furniture, all of tips above should apply to your patio or deck as well.
If you're throwing a dinner party, make sure there are enough chairs to go around, and keep spare chairs nearby in case of a crasher. Break out the table leaf if necessary. Keep a buffet or console table in the dining room, so that guests can serve themselves seconds.
This probably goes without saying, but if you're going to be turning on Mark Ronson, make sure you have ample floorspace for dancing and chairs for guests who lose their breath.
Last but not least, unless you're throwing a movie night or Super+Bowl party, keep the TV off. Better yet, completely move it out of the way if possible, to make room for more drinks, etc., and nix the red-blooded temptation to turn it on.

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Primer: Maximizing Space For a Party Part II

CasaSugar — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:00:28 -0800

If you read Maximizing Space For a Party Part I, you're well on your way to the perfect party during Home Entertainment month. But, you still have more to learn about rearranging furniture and maximizing space, so read more.

Top your tables with trays, so when they fill up with empty glasses and plates, you can easily lift them away to make room for new glasses and plates.
Set up extra tables for the bar and buffet, and arrange them at opposite ends of the room with different food and drink on each end to avoid traffic jams and keep people circulating.
In the same sense, make sure you have enough waste baskets in each room, and place them on opposite ends.
If there is something of particular interest in the room, like a fireplace or a TV for a Super Bowl party, make sure the majority of the seating is facing the focal point. Make a nook of separate seating for people who just want to talk or escape the focus for whatever reason.
If you have a big, bulky coffee table, so long as you have ample side tables and something of interest on each side of the coffee table (i.e. couch on one side, bar on the other), you can completely remove it to make room for more feet.

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Primer: Maximizing Space For a Party Part I

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:03:38 -0800

Considering that it is Home Entertainment month and the holiday parties are nonstop, I thought it fitting to arm you with some tips for rearranging your furniture, in case you are throwing a party.

If your party is on the weekend, decorate and rearrange your home during the week before the party. That way you'll get it out of the way, leaving you time to deal with cooking, shopping, etc. This will also leave you time to make changes, in case you notice that something is off.
Clean the house first, and put all of your knick-knacks away. That means anything on tables or sitting on the floor, unless it's an essential like a lamp.
Count the number of affirmative R.S.V.P.s, and then add about five crashers onto that number. Now, walk around the main party room and try to imagine all of those guests in it.
If necessary, add chairs to accommodate more people, or add two side chairs in place of a larger arm chair. Stash fold-out chairs in a nearby closet, for emergency seating.
Make sure there are enough side, buffet, or console tables to accommodate glasses, hors d'oeuvre plates, and other odds and ends (cameras, purses, etc.). If you have overhead lighting (that can be dimmed), you can completely remove any lamps you have in the room to make for more table space.

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Post Pictures of Your Holiday Su Casa!

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:00:21 -0800

Since you're spending so much time decorating your home this holiday season, why don't you show Casa readers your pretty holiday digs? Post all those happy-holiday visions on a group on TeamSugar called Su Casa, where readers can share snapshots and stories related to home decorating, crafts, organizing, and gardening.

A Su Casa post could be anything from a photo of your favorite room to a tiny nook you're tickled by. Think of it as a Look Book for home style. If I see something I like in Su Casa, I might end up featuring it on CasaSugar, so don't be surprised if you get an email from me!

To learn how to join and post in the group, read more

To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "subscribe" beneath the photo on the left-hand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click Share in the upper left-hand menu of any TeamSugar page and choose what type of post you want to create. If you have just one photo and some text, create a blog; if you have a gallery you want to share, select photos.

TeamSugar has a great primer on how to create a blog post, so check that out if you've never posted one before. Here's a rundown of the basic process:

Add a Title and the Body (content for your post). Don't forget to click Check Spelling link and Upload an Image to make your post stand out!
Post this to a group? Click on the drop-down menu and select the Su Casa group. You will only be able to see groups you're subscribed to, so if you haven't joined Su Casa yet, you will need to.
Click on the drop down menu and choose the Home and Garden Channel and add some keywords (use a comma, if needed!) in the Tags text box. Then click "I'm done" to view your post!

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DIY: CD/DVD Storage Book

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 06:30:06 -0800

Since it is Home Entertainment month, I'm all about finding ways to make my film and music collections more organized and aesthetically pleasing. This Disc Storage Book DIY that I spotted on MAKE is just the thing to perk up my collections, not to mention a simple way to kick those unsightly, generic CD cases. The great thing about this project is that it allows you to store your CD, DVD, and video game collections unnoticed on your bookshelves.

Supplies:

A book
Double-sided tape
CD/DVD disc sleeves
A pair of scissors

To learn the steps, read more.

Here's how:

Choose a hardback book that will fit two CD sleeves one on top of the other.
Plan how to mount the sleeves. You have to accommodate the thickness of two CDs and the sleeve when mounting the sleeves, so determine how many pages is equal to that thickness. Take the total number of pages your book has and divide it by the number of pages that equal the thickness of your sleeve and two CDs to determine how many sets of sleeves you'll have.
Cut away the pages to accommodate the CD sleeves so that the edge of the cut pages meets up with the inside of the CD sleeve 'hinge' and allows the outside edge of the CD sleeve to go to where the outside edge of the page used to be. Leave some pages at the beginning and end for trickery.
Put double-sided tape on all of the CD sleeves on the 'hinge' area. Keep the non-adhesive covering on until it's time to mount each one.
Trim down the excess tape from the sleeve.
Remove the non-adhesive covering, and mount the sleeves into the cut pages.
This is what the book should look like open:
This is what it should look like closed:

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Holiday Entertaining Essentials

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:00:51 -0800

Since this month's theme is Home Entertainment, I thought you might be interested in iVillage's list of items that are essential to throwing a good home-based party. I've excerpted part of the list below, and while I don't agree that disposable hand towels are a party essential (setting out several hand towels next to the sink is a more economical and environmental option), most of these tips are definite party musts. Since I have a party coming up this weekend - a traditional German Christmas party called a Feuerzangenbowle that my fiancé throws every year - I know that I'm going to take iVillage's advice and stock up on many of these supplies.

Invitations. Set the tone for your holiday gathering with an invitation that reflects your party style - casual or formal, trendy or traditional.
Fresh flowers. Flowers are a lovely and welcoming addition to a table or a guest bedroom. Buy a bunch and use them for decoration.
Party favors. Send guests home with a small favor to help them remember your gathering. Candles, photographs, and cookies are fun and festive options.
Centerpiece. Assemble a holiday-themed centerpiece. For Christmas, find pine garlands, holly, mistletoe, and pine cones. For Hanukkah, purchase dreidels and chocolate gelt.
Firewood. A roaring fire will make your guests feel cozy and warm on a cold night. An even better option is using a Duraflame log. If you don't have a fireplace, and add a soft glow with candles.
Wreaths. Create an inviting entrance to your home with a seasonal wreath. Eucalyptus or pine will evoke the spirit of the holidays.
Soap. Fancy soaps, whether molded or French milled, will make your guests feel pampered.

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