Fête Fashion Friday

For the next few Fridays here at The Finer Things I'll be presenting you with great attire to wear to every kind of party. Today's fashion focus: cocktail dresses.

From sophisticated to sassy, these dresses will help you shine this Holiday season.

Glamorous Emerald
David Meister at Saks Fifth Avenue

Simple Sophistication
Pamella Roland

Red Hot
Hervé Léger at Bloomingdales

Blissful Blueberry

Engagement parties are a wonderful way to celebrate your upcoming nuptials. Try a palette of silver and navy blue for a classy affair that is sure to impress, and make things a little sweeter with a subtle blueberry theme.

• Serve blueberry tarts -- Queen Bees Have Sweet Dreams Blog
  

• Use frozen blueberries to garnish everything, including the celebratory champagne -- Whisk Food Blog

• Set each table with a navy cloth and crisp white dishes -- The Knot

• Dress the bride-to-be in a sophisticated blueberry colored frock -- Ann Taylor

• Invite guests with this lovely blue-on-blue invitation -- FineStationery.com

English Lodge Holiday: Stag Decor

Lodge decor seems to be big this winter, especially for the Holiday season. To replicate the look and feel of a traditional English lodge, consider decorating your home with majestic stag accents.

• Needlepoint pillow -- Kevins Catalog

• Highland whiskey by The Dalmore Distillery -- Pops Pop

• Stag bookends -- The Old Pioneer Store

• Stag salt and pepper shakers -- Gift Monger

• Stag ice bucket -- Ralph Lauren

• Antler bar utensils -- Pottery Barn

• Majestic stag note card -- FineStationery.com

Hostess Gift Ideas

If you have been invited to someone's home for Thanksgiving dinner, you won't want to arrive empty handed. Here are a few hostess gift ideas that are sure to convey your appreciation of the hospitality:

• Personalized stationery always makes a good impression -- FineStationery.com

• These personalized leather coasters will be ultra helpful for future entertaining opportunities -- FineStationery.com

• Present your hostess with this set of monogrammed silver napkin rings to help her keep a stylish table -- Pottery Barn

• Williams Sonoma has a lovely selection of spices and rubs -- my personal favorite is this selection of sea salts from around the globe -- Williams Sonoma

• This fossilized marble cheese board comes complete with a slicer and it is only $24.99! -- Crate and Barrel

• Treat the host and your fellow guests with a gift of food or drink. This hot chocolate mix has received rave reviews and is perfect for the Holiday season -- Williams Sonoma

Special Delivery: A Stork Sip-and-See

Invite friends and family to meet your special delivery at a stork-inspired sip-and-see party. Decorate your home with white feathers and a mix of modern and vintage stork details for a festive party that will honor your newest arrival in style.

• Light up your space with a few of these feathered lamps -- Moss Online

• Decorate a feature wall with this modern white stork decal -- Paintless Design

• Invite guests with a pink or blue invitation featuring a stork and its precious bundle -- FineStationery.com

• Hang a feathered wreath on the front door with a sign that reads "Special Delivery Inside..." -- Target

• Opt for simple table decor like a blue or pink runner with feather and candle centerpieces -- Papertini Blog

• Present each guest with a vintage inspired favor bag filled with a favorite candy -- Favor Studio

• Keep track of nap times with this adorable stork wall clock -- Piece Makers

Happy Friday...

Golden Oak Thanksgiving

For a naturally elegant Thanksgiving spread, mimic the outdoors with golden oak leaf decor.

• Send guests this autumn leaves invitation -- FineStationery.com

• Bake a pie with oak leaf cut-outs for dessert -- Sur la Table

• Arrange your dining space with a golden oak tablescape -- Martha Stewart

• Ask guests to write what they are thankful for on pieces of paper then have them hang them on a "give thanks" tree set up within your party space -- Better Homes and Gardens

• Add a golden leaf ornament to each place setting as your guest favor -- Best American Arts

Peace, Joy and Stylish Savings

You still have time to save 10% on Holiday items at FineStationery.com. And now, for a limited time, receive $3 shipping! Sale ends October 31, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Gingerbread Card with Cookie Cutter

Elegant Menorah Invitation

Glamorous Family Christmas Card

Statement Stemware

I have a bit of an obsession with glassware. In fact, my husband has restricted my glassware purchases to an as-needed basis-- for example, if one of our glasses break, only then am I allowed to purchase another. Yes, this may sound harsh, but if you saw our overflowing glassware cabinet you would understand his strict rules.

While I normally purchase clear glassware in curvy shapes and elegant forms, lately I have been loving colored crystal and glass stemware, particularly in vintage styles.

Colored glassware makes a stylish statement on any table top, especially when it comes to Holiday entertaining. Replacing your everyday clear-crystal with dramatically colored stemware will help to set the stage for an extraordinary event that leaves your guests feeling extra special.

• Green and amber tumblers -- Pier 1
• Champagne glasses in amethyst, moss and aquamarine -- Replacements.com
• Renaissance stemware -- Gracious Style

The Frog Prince

With Disney's The Princess and the Frog movie set to be released in December, I predict that a frog prince/princess theme will become rather popular for children's parties in the spring. Here is an inspiration board for a magical frog themed party:

• These frog prince candles would look adorable scattered down the center of your table -- HotRef

• Provide each party guest with a golden crown or tiara -- Amazon.com

• Decorate your party space with pink and green pom poms -- Etsy seller PomLove

• This frog prince cake is a great accent for your party space and sounds rather tasty, too -- Sedona Wedding Cakes

• Send guests this pink striped frog prince invitation -- FineStationery.com

• Set up a candy buffet filled with pink and green candy including gummy frogs -- Inspire the Bride and The Popcorn Factory

• Fold pink napkins into the shape of water lilies and place one at each place setting -- Better Homes and Gardens

Fête Fashion Friday

For the next few Fridays here at The Finer Things I'll be presenting you with great attire to wear to every kind of party. Today's fashion focus: formal evening gowns.

Whether you are attending a corporate gala, a red carpet event or a black-tie wedding, these gowns are sure to dazzle.

Gorgeous Grecian Gown
Lazaro

Plum Elegance
Jim Hjelm

Sophisticated Crimson
Jim Hjelm

Winter White Wonder

Pamella Roland

For men's style tips, you must visit The Black Tie Guide, a invaluable resource for the dapper gentleman which details proper evening dress by decade, style, and occasion. I love the vintage advertisement samples. This is possibly one of my favorite Web sites of all time.
Have a lovely weekend!

Ice Blue Wedding

If you are planning a winter wedding, consider making your color palette a simple combination of silvery ice blue and winter white to reflect the season.

• This white floral bouquet is wrapped with silvery blue ribbon and contains tiny pinecones to go with the winter theme -- The Knot

• These beautiful snowflake bookmarks can double as table decor and guest favors -- Favors in the City

• The lucite pedestal and ice blue colored ribbon on this cake add a wintery feel to the confection -- Brides

• Present each bridesmaid with a beautiful winter white wrap -- The Knot

• Send guests this lovely ice blue and white invitation -- FineStationery.com

• Consider ordering patterned tablecloths to add texture to your party space -- Neiman Marcus

It's beginning to look a lot like...

I have been in such a Christmas mood here as of late. Don't misunderstand, I do love autumn and would never wish to rush it-- but every now and then the jingle bell chorus runs through my mind and I get the urge to put up our Christmas tree-- two months early!

When it comes down to it, two months is really not all that long of a time to get in all of your decorating, shopping and Holiday party planning. So on a rather festive note, I'd like to kick off our Holiday party planning here at The Finer Things with a moss green and red inspiration board. Enjoy!

(By the way, FineStationery.com is currently offering 10% off all Holiday purchases-- but hurry--offer ends October 31!)

• Decorate your entryway in timeless style with a moss green garland and wreath -- Martha Stewart

• These red glass dishes paired with moss green goblets will help to make for a colorful tablescape -- Neiman Marcus and Michael C. Fina

• As hostess, don this moss green frock and wear a red satin hair accessory -- JCrew and Etsy Seller BeSomethingNew

• These glamorous moss green and red ornament trees will add the perfect amount of glitz to your party space -- Neiman Marcus

• For a festive centerpiece, pair moss with candles accented by red ribbon -- Naturally Inclined Blog

• Invite guests with this gorgeous moss green invitation by William Arthur -- FineStationery.com

Natural Autumn Decor

Decorating your entertaining space for Thanksgiving or another autumn event can be as easy and inexpensive as walking out to your yard and gathering a variety of natural accents. Here are a few of my favorite natural decor ideas from around the Web:

Pine Cone Ribbon Wreath
Country Living


Birch Branch Centerpiece
KurtCYR

Acorn Filled Hurricanes
Pink Roses & Teacups

Cabana Stripes for Babies

Wide cabana stripes in shades of pink and blue make for an attractive addition to nurseries and announcements alike.

• Blue striped photo birth announcement -- FineStationery.com

• Pink striped romper -- ArteBebe.com

• Striped plush animal blanket in pink or blue -- Giggle.com

• Blue and white striped wallpaper -- Windlost Blog

• Painted cabana stripe crib -- Pearle Kids

• Pink striped french chair -- French Dressing

• Blue striped lamp -- Target