Archive for February, 2008
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
I just came across this beautiful image via TasteSpotting. I love, love, love this idea created by Cuisine de saison. I imagine this would be so easy to evolve into a custom centerpiece idea. Instead of using herbs to create the design on the eggs, imprint a logo or initials. Click here for instructions. Warning: they are in French (for my English translation and revisions, see below – please feel free to correct me if I’ve made any mistakes). In order to create the negative image before dying, you’d need a flexible, non porous material. I’ll have to experiment with this one, but I would think that a wax paper or parchment paper (instead of herbs & flowers) would do. You’d probably need an exacto knife to cut the details into the paper.
Materials / Ingredients:
White hen eggs, vinegar, peels of approximately 2 kg of brown or red onions, 1 tsp of salt, sieve, large pot, herbs, flowers, egg white, twine or thread, oil, pair of old panty hose, egg white brush, large spoon.
Directions:
Cook eggs in boiling vinegar water for approximately 8-10 min; the pot must be large enough to contain all eggs on the surface of the water (i.e. don’t overcrowd the pot). Withdraw them, cool them in cold water, then wipe them with a soft rag.
Boil 2-3 litres of water with onion peels (or 30-40 g of black tea leaves) and salt. Let brew 20 min, then let cool. Test the intensity of the resulting color with a sheet of paper. If necessary, top up peels and boil again.
Using an old pair of nylon panty hose, cut a rectangle twice as big as the eggs. Paint the back of select herbs, leaves or flowers with egg white. Apply them delicately to eggs, then press down with your fingers.
Place the egg herb-side-up on the rectangle of panty hose. Gather the corners of the panty hose and tie with the thread as close as possible to the egg.
Using a sieve, remove the onion peels. Lower the hard eggs into the liquid with a spoon, allowing them to develop a coat of the dye (approximately 1-2 hrs). Move eggs from time to time to ensure an even coating. Remove them and briefly rinse. The dye can be used over and over.
Remove the panty hose, then detach the herb. Rinse eggs again under cold water and gently pat dry. Place them in a cardboard egg carton to dry. Rub them then with a rag lightly soaked in oil to polish.
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Just had to share this unique presentation alternative for hors d’oeurves fresh from my parent’s trip in the Seychelles. I’d love to hear what you think. I have to admit that I’m not crazy about the idea of my food just sitting out (and it’s all over if someone sneezes in front of the display). I’m also not a big fan of waiting in line for my hors d’oeurves.
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Truthfully, lavender or any iteration of purple has never really inspired me…until now. I first came across the photograph below (top left) on the blog Girl Meets Glamour. I really love the appeal of a muted, almost dirty lavender combined with silver. It feels romantic and nostalgic (relevant to certain types of events).
This color trend has been indirectly referenced a number of times in the past few days on some of my favorite blogs. And, it’s not hard to see why. Even when paired with a dark gunmetal grey, it still feels calm and fresh (top right image via Designer’s Block). Antique urns in various shades of silver add a bit of complexity to the palette when paired with lavender (image via Weddingbee). A table setting feels more strong and masculine when lavender is dialed down (image via The Peak of Chic). And the last image (bottom) sums it all up. Don’t you just want to jump into those pseudo-lounge chairs and curl up with a book? (image via Design Sponge).
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Tags: Design Inspiration
So delighted to share Michelle Rago’s recently launched 
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Tags: Blog Strategy
An event, no matter the occasion, is something special…
A grand opening, a union, a launch, a celebration. Planners work tirelessly, grinding their creative juices, to invent and orchestrate something that feels both unique and relevant. The prelude to the event is often what sets the tone, generates excitement and communicates a message (or two). What I love about CDG & Co., a designer and manufacturer of hand-made invitations, is:
Corporate Events
Weddings
Click here for more about the company.
Click here for their ready-made design gallery & pricing.
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BizBash.TO wrapped up its annual tradeshow last week with its Event Style Awards. Although I’m still reeling from their decision to remove tenting from the award categories, I have to give kudos to the many great companies who stepped it up for this year’s awards (a full list of recipients can be found here).
I was especially impressed by McNabb Roick’s Doctor Zhivago-themed event. They created a holiday party for 3,000 CTVglobemedia employees – a space befitting glamour icons Julie Christie and Omar Sharif…I could almost hear Lara’s Theme playing in the background as I flipped through the pictures of the event. As per BizBash, “McNabb Roick transformed six rooms at the Guvernment and Kool Haus into Russian-themed social spaces, including the Red Square cocktail lounge (featuring a replica of St. Basil’s Cathedral) and the Russian Tea Room, adorned with birch-tree images and extensive floral arrangements”.
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Have you ever asked yourself: how do they do that? Well, giving the answer to this very question is the objective of Howcast. From ‘how to get into a nightclub‘ to ‘how to write a thank you letter‘ (and everything in between), Howcast is full of how-to suggestions. I would love to see some of you very talented event professionals upload some how-to tips of your own on this site!
Click on the image above to learn how to arrange flowers in a shallow vase.
Thank you to decor8 for introducing me to this site.
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Tags: just for fun
