Chic Hostess Gifts under $50

It's that time of year! Red starbucks cups filled with pumpkin lattes are everywhere and the salvation army bells are ringing on everycorner here in NYC. Start thinking about what to get that hostess in your life - here are some of my favorite gifts! {plus for the next two days, gifts from Horchow.com are 30% off with code "friends"}.

First up - gifts from Pottery Barn

For the caffeine fiend - a chic "Great White Coffee Condiment Set" $39

For the tablescape artist and baker - let her display her tasty creations in gorgeous "Glass Pedestal Stand and Dome" $14 each (buy a few)

Second - gifts from Horchow

For the writer - a chic All Occassion Card Set by Kate Spade $35 before 30% discount

For the sweet tooth entertainer - a gorgeous dessert serving set $44.90 before a 30% discount

Last but not least - gifts from Napa Style

For the wine enthusiast - a unique wine bottle candle holder $29-39 and a wildly useful by-the-glass decanter $49

Stay tuned for more on all things Holiday related! Xoxo, WKP

Beau Coup coupon code for fabulous Holdiay favors and gift packaging!

Chic Holiday Greetings for Savvy Bargian Shoppers!!!

Wow - two of my favorite papergoods designers are having some ridiculous deals on some ridiculously stylish greetings cards AND wedding invitations!

First up - check out Hello Lucky and use code HELLODC (thank you Daily Candy!) for 30% off everything.

Then make sure to check out Delphine for 25% off Letterpress (compliments of The Brightside Project) - use code SUNSHINE25 for discount until the end of the year! woohoo!

Birthday Bash 09

Here it is! Finally - all the little bits and pieces behind creating a fun look for a small and intimate Birthday celebration!

My theme this year was loosely based on the movie - Where The Wild Things Are. I loved the cinematography, the music, and that sort of nostalgic over-wash married to a dash of hipster aesthetics.

The Breakdown:

Invitations - where it all began: I found some delicious tree brushes {free at Brusheezy.com} and a wonderful font called "Love By The King" (how appropriate for this theme) at Da Font. I knew I wanted to incorporate the look of the growing word poster (one of the movie's main adverstisements) which reads: "within all of us is ... Adventure." So I found a sweet quote and thought that it would be perfect to use that growing design element on the words "GROWING UP." As for the paper itself, I love stock cards and envelopes from Kates Paperie's paper by the piece selection they're affordable and come in a wonderful array of colors. As always, cream and kraft tan is a wining combination!

Let's not forget ZAZZLE of course - I think creating custom stamps is the funnest part of it all!

The Menu:

I did the reverse of the invitation color combo and printed the text itself on kraft paper and used a cream standing stock frame to house them. If you're a big foodie - check out the actual list of food itself (I had great feedback from my guests about the food! Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill is a great spot for a small dinner gathering). My favorite dish? The oxtail garlic fried rice with bone marrow - delish!

The Favors:

A wonderful and talented pastry chef - Katherine Yang {stay tuned for a full feature on her}, made these delicious couture Ding Dongs. So divine that I can honestly say - if I had to choose one dessert - the only one that I would be able to eat for the rest of my life - THIS is it! SERIOUSLY!

To house these lovely treats, I used kraft-tan 3"x3"x3" boxes {from Kates Paperie and only $1 a box}. I printed out my guests' names on gray stock paper and cut them out with a scallop-edge square punch, ran them through a Xyron sticker machine and placed them atop each box. The favors also worked as place cards!

The Cake:

A party for me is not complete without something from my favorite bakery - Bouchon Bakery. This year we went for a Fall-theme Pumpkin Spiced Cake with walnuts and cream cheese frosting - DIVINE! I went for a more casual look - the cake was blanketed with cream cheese frosting and topped off with a circular design of silvery dark gray and white lettering that read "Make a ferocious wish."

Have a peek!

Antique Flair with Napa Style

This year, look to old school antique and vintage items from Napa Style that'll surely create the perfect ambiance for all your holiday entertaining - from chic antique bells by the pound (they make lovely seat card holders) to toasting bells and venetian style Champagne flutes: everything is divine!