5 Tips for 'posh in a pinch' Summer Entertaining

Have you ever been to a party where the food was delicious, the décor was fabulous and the hostess was having as much fun as her guests? Believe it or not, you too can enjoy throwing a party like this.


These parties are called posh parties. Ashleigh Dorfman, special event professional and owner of posh parties, LLC, produces posh parties … and you can too! Today, she is sharing 5 ‘posh in a pinch’ tips for Summer Entertaining.

• Got gift wrap, tissue paper and scrapbook paper? Then, you have a 'tablecloth', 'table runner' and 'placemat' for your tablescape or food buffet. The design possibilities are endless - and affordable!

• Lounge in comfort with beach towel "pillows". Roll towel and wrap with a lei.

• Repurpose an old photo frame as a menu display. Incorporate scrapbook paper and chipboard letters for stylish fun.

• Garnish your margarita with a lime "marker"! Carve your initial into the lime wedge.

• My Favorite! Create a stylish centerpiece with white daisies submerged in Jell-O! It’s inexpensive to make and Jell-O comes in a wide variety of cheerful colors!

Thank you Ashleigh for sharing your great posh party tips with us, can't wait for the next party! For more party tips, sign up for posh parties Party Possibilities newsletter at www.poshpartiesllc.com/newsletter.htm. To celebrate it forward, don’t forget to include Celebrate In Pink’s socially responsible party ware for all of your entertaining needs. Let's Party!

Tips For an Easy Walk Day Celebration

June 5th will be my fourth Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure in Washington DC. I am accompanied by family and friends and we turn it into a wonderful day of celebration and fellowship. The walk starts at 8:30am and usually has over 50,000 participants. It is the most energizing event we have ever participated in, it’s absolutely fabulous, I highly recommend it to everyone.


When the walk is over, we head back to my house for a celebration luncheon. Last year was the first year we celebrated with Celebrate In Pink partyware and it was one of the most happiest days of my life. To make your walk day celebrations memorable, easy and fun for everyone, here are a few of my tips:

• Keep the menu simple. Since the walk starts early, everyone is starving when we get back to the house. Plan on items that can be put out and served immediately or items that can be set to low in a crock pot right before leaving the house.

• Some of the menus that I have found to be a hit and easy to do are picnic salads such as potato and pasta, fruit salad, served with subs or a sandwich platter. If you prefer a hot lunch, make either sloppy joes or pork barbeque the day before. Put it in a crock pot before leaving for the walk, set it to low and it will be ready when you get home. Serve this with salads and you are good to go!

• I always get a cake for dessert and mention our team. The cake is done in pink and white, has the pink ribbon on it and says something like “Way to go Team 4 2 go”. Our team name has changed each year because we have been counting down to my 5 year milestone. This year we are 5 & Done, We Won!

• I can’t tell you how special the Celebrate In Pink partyware made the event last year. It really reinforced the sentiment of the day and reason for the celebration. I highly recommend the partyware (wink wink) A pink plastic tablecloth and plastic ware completes the table and sets the spirit for the occasion.

I look forward to this celebration every year, it has become a tradition for us and I hope it becomes one of yours. Please share your walk day pictures with us so we can show others how much fun, meaning and importance these walks are to us. To all of our walk angels….here’s to a great walk!

Meet Pinky!

I’m happy to introduce the newest team member at Celebrate In Pink, her name is Pinky! Even in this very tough job market, she had lots of offers and I’m thrilled she chose us. She will be our roving at-large contributor bringing her view to different topics, covering events for us and sharing whatever she feels like (sort of ;).

Pinky’s getting ready for the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure on June 5 in Washington DC so she has her walking shoes on, she’s ready to hit the trail and start her training. Pinky isn’t concerned about how long it takes her to walk, she wants to enjoy her walks throughout the neighborhood. She loves walking with Zeppelin, her dog (yes, she has a dog), and talking with neighbors along the way. Today she walked a mile and had a great time.

Pinky wants everyone to find a walk in your city and participate in it; the energy you will experience will be amazing. It will benefit you and a great cause all at the same time. Stay tuned for updates on Pinky’s training program and please feel free to leave her tips and share your experiences with her…she would love that!

Look for more Pinky adventures in the next several weeks, Pinky, we’re happy to have you!

To Do List - Throw a Party

Until this week I never really thought about how lucky we are when we get to throw parties, especially when they are for others. Given this new outlook of mine, I am one very lucky lady since I get to throw three parties in one month. I think this is a new personal record for me and I think the old me would’ve been perhaps complaining about the timing and the three party thing.


You see every time we have a party, we are bringing people together and celebrating something. At least that’s the way it usually goes. I think we need to have parties for absolutely no reason, just to get peeps together and have a good time. They should be thrown on a somewhat regular basis and should be a group effort, this way more parties will be given. Start the trend of asking your guests to bring something to share; whether its beverages, appetizers, or desserts and once they see how easy it is to have a party, there will be many more parties.

As for my three parties, this past Saturday we hosted a going away party for dear friends, this Saturday we are hosting a graduation party for our son’s college graduation and in three weeks we get to host the post walk luncheon for our Komen Walk for the Cure Team. Yes, I am so very lucky to be able to throw parties and have peeps we love around us celebrating.

So have your parties now while you can still enjoy them, don’t wait for when you have more time, the party may never come. There’s no time like the present to throw a party and be with your friends. And oh by the way, don’t forget your Celebrate In Pink partyware to make it even extra special (couldn't resist putting the plug in).

Party on!
Kathy

The Best Walk You Will Ever Take On Mother's Day

This Sunday, Mother’s Day, the Network of Strength will be holding their annual Mother’s Day Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk takes place across the country in most of the major cities and they always take place on Mother’s Day. For more information and to register go to http://www.networkofstrength.org/


As many of you know, I have always participated in the Komen Walk for the Cure and will do so again this year. This year’s Komen walk will be a milestone for me and my team as this is my five years from diagnosis and our team name has reflected a countdown each year. Our team name this year is “WE WON!” So, this will be a very special walk for us. I have also done other walks but have never participated in the Mother’s Day Walk and I think it is a great way to start any Mother’s Day. I plan to start this tradition next year due to the fact that my son is graduating from college that weekend and we will be in a town that won’t be holding the walk. I am looking forward to it next year though and can’t wait! If any of my readers have participated in this walk, please share your experience with us, we would love to hear all about it.

We are all affected by breast cancer in some way. Why not use Mother’s Day as day to honor the special women in our lives who have been touched by breast cancer. If there isn’t an organized walk near you, you can register for a virtual walk, why not start your Mother’s Day with a walk for our girl friends?

If a Mother's Day Walk isn't for you, I do encourage you to find a walk and participate in it, it is the greatest walk you will ever take...Kathy

Friends Helping Through Breast Cancer

Do you have a friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and don’t know how to help? Sometimes we feel awkward and helpless when one of our friends announces that she now belongs to a new club that none of the rest of her friends belongs to. Being a breast cancer survivor myself, I know how that feels. I was the first and thankfully, still only one of my friends to go through cancer. Being in the club, you speak a whole different lingo, go places you’ve never been before, meet all sorts of new people and endure things you never thought you would. All of which are off the radar with everyone else except your immediate family.

Even though your friends don’t belong to the club, they want to help I any way they can. Being the strong person that you are, you want to put on a happy face every day and be the friend that you were prior to joining the club. You don’t want this beast to be an inconvenience for anyone else except you (and maybe your hubby) so you turn down offers for help. Thankfully one of my dear friends who routinely asked to take me to treatment, I of course said I was fine, was strong enough to look me in the eye and let me know that I was denying her of quality time with me and of preventing her from doing something that she really wanted to do. I didn’t realize that by not allowing others to do for me when they so wanted to, I was being selfish and only thinking of me. Your friends who offer to help, they really do want to, they are not only doing it for you but for them too. So, let them! This was one of the most valuable life lessons I learned on my journey, graciously allow others to give of themselves, it makes them feel a part of it and gives them a feeling of joy.

Lesson for the day…when your friends offer help, please let them, you are denying them of their God given right to feel good about helping others and why not let the ‘others’ be you? Hope this helps make your journey better, it did mine…Kathy

Girl Friend Tuesdays

Starting today, we will double our charitable donation on any product purchased on Tuesday from CelebrateInPink.com. It's our hope that you will share Girl Friend Tuesdays with your girl friends and they with theirs. We call it Girl Friend Tuesdays since through your purchase you will be supporting someone's girl friend.

We provide financial assistance to women undergoing breast cancer treatment and help with expenses such as transportation for treatment, co-pays, utilities, wigs, etc. Each Tuesday we will endeavor to provide funds to assist a breast cancer survivor with a specific item. For example, today, we hope to raise enough money to provide four co-pays for chemotherapy.

Girl Friend Tuesdays is a way to ‘connect’ to the girl friends we haven’t yet met. Let Celebrate In Pink be your mutual friend. The best part about Girl Friend Tuesdays is the awesome pink ribbon partyware, stationery or chic t-shirt you get to sport while providing families with financial relief.

So, what will be your favorite item today??? The Full Monty gift set, beautiful note cards or a chic t-shirt that says it all with three little words “Save the Girls”. Did I mention that if you use the promo code SAVEME10 at checkout you get 10% off your entire order? What more can one ask for…great items on sale that directly support our girl friends…spread the word, its Girl Friend Tuesday!!!

Thanks for your support…Kathy

It's Time to Put Your Walking Shoes On!

Get your walking shoes and friends ready for another great walk season. If you’ve never participated in a breast cancer walk, now is the time to do it. It is one of the most inspiring, encouraging and energetic events that you will ever be blessed to be a part of. The vibe in the crowd is awesome and you will meet amazing survivors who have been through hell and back. They are our real inspiration and make every step easier to take.

Breast cancer walks occur in every major city in this country from April to November. You can choose a 5K walk or 2-3 day walks to show your support. The walks take place in many small communities throughout this wonderful country too. Many women form teams to competitively raise money while others walk to honor loved ones and to show solidarity. As many of you know, I participated in my first Komen Walk for the Cure in Washington DC in 2007. It was this very walk that inspired me to design our beautiful line of partyware. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t pink ribbon partyware for our post walk luncheon and thought women deserved it, so I created it! The partyware makes great fundraising items and are perfect for walk day celebrations and all occasions where friends and family gather.

I really encourage you to participate in a walk near you to experience one of the most awesome feelings you’ll ever have and to support a great cause. I’m including a link ow.ly/d/2xG to all of the major walks for 2010, but be sure to look for ones in your community too. I would love to see pictures and hear stories about your walk experience so please share! Let me know if you need any fundraising items or ideas…happy walking!

Today Show MakeOver

Wow! I still can't believe it happened to me...I was chosen to receive the most fantatic makeover from the Today Show! It was part of the Ambush Makeover segment for the Hoda and Kathie Lee show. It was truely amazing and you can view it at http://bit.ly/a2hCGQ.

I can't say enough nice things about the team at Today. They made me feel very special as if I were a celebrity. I love my new hair style and color, the makeup was awesome and I love the dress. I got to keep it and it will be put into action for my niece Melissa's wedding...wish I had the makeover team primping for that too.

I will never forget how I felt in my celebrity moment. A special thanks to my sissy Peggy for being my biggest cheerleader, without her I wouldn't be there.

Now its back to reality doing my own hair and makeup but the memory lives on!

Back From The Mountains

Its been a long time since my last post, no I wasn't in the moutains all this time (but would've loved it if I were ;-)...am picking back up with the blog...on with the updates...

I was on tamoxifen for three years and decided to stop taking it. The side effects were too much for me to endure any longer. It's been a year now that I have been off it and the difference is night and day. It was the right decision for me but everyone has to do thier own research and make thier own decison.

I started my staging business and it was a huge success. My timing was perfect, I was one of the first in my area to offer this type of service and was very reasonably priced. I had so much fun doing this, I was never happier in a job. The business became overwhelming and I wanted home staging and the love for it to remain a dream, I didn't want to have any regrets.

During this same time, I decided to participate in my first breast cancer walk. Little did I know that it would change my life forever and I would get yet another dream to follow...I will say that I eased out of my staging dream to make way for a new one...stay tuned for details in the next post on my next great adventure!