food, friends, Lifestyle, Party, Recipes, women

Easy-Peasy Hosting Tips

September 13, 2017

Looking ahead to fall and the holidays its crazy to think that 2017 is wrapping up and my calendar is already booked! Still when the holidays come around, I get the bug to get my friends and family together over food and fun. Growing up, my Mother taught me a lot about how happiness and memories can become attached to things like eating together. Every effort put forth to make a meal ‘special’ was always acknowledged. Along the way, I picked up a few quick and effortless tips that I use time and time again. These tips are meant to show my guests how much I appreciate them. So with the help of some old school tricks from my Mom paired with the genius hacks of Pinterest (check out our Party Board), here are some dinner party secrets that will make hosting a breeze.

Keep your Liquor Bottles, ALL of them
Piggy backing on the mason jar trend, old bourbon, tequila, and scotch bottles make for great variety and décor on a table top.

Keep it Simple and and Natural
There is nothing like the fragrance of fresh flowers and greenery from the yard. Yep, even if you don’t think you have pretty bushes, you do! With the help of some candles, ALL (yes, all) greenery livens up a table top. Bring the outdoors inside whenever you can. Setting the tone with earthy additions to your décor is trendy and familiar.

Don’t get Overwhelmed
I love either stocking up on readymade family dinner items from the grocery store or catering for a get-together. I have found that catering from a restaurant that you may think is expensive can often times be cheaper than eating there. Make a budget and get a few quotes, I think you will be surprised. Bear in mind that by outsourcing the cooking you stay focused on the decorating and presentation of the meal. Hosting a potluck is another great way to use food as an excuse to bring people together — and cut down the effort you need to put in!

Borrow Don’t Buy
I have made the mistake for years of buying decor for my dinner and cocktail parties, but now I have done away with a stash of decor that I have used over and over again. I borrow items like chargers, runners, and vases from friends and even scoped out a local antique shop that was cool with me renting a few trays for centerpieces (it can’t hurt to ask…right?)

Going the Extra Mile Without Losing your Mind
For a dinner party, I take the extra 5 minutes (literally 5 minutes) to print out the menu onto paper. Then cut the printed paper into narrow sheets, and tape them around the napkin to create a more formal feeling to the evening. Labeling the food is a quick way to feel fancier and show your guests you made an effort.

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The combination of glass bottles, earthy accents from the yard, a proper table setting, and relaxed atmosphere is truly the backbone for a perfect evening. Sometimes, I will hire a bartender and created a signature drink for the evening. Speaking of, if you have not tried a French 75 yet, I highly recommend ordering it on your next date night. We used the recipe from Epicuious to get the party started.

I know hosting can seem overwhelming when you decide to do it. Making a list of things to do and crossing one thing off a day, you won’t need more than two weeks to comfortably throw a fun dinner party where you can focus on the most important thing of all: time with loved ones.

Cheers,
Rina

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Forget Boat Ownership – Why Boat Sharing is Perfect for Me!

September 6, 2017

I’m a Chicago gal….well mostly. Though I was born in Missouri, I’ve spent most of my life in the Chicagoland area. I moved to downtown when I started my undergraduate career at Depaul University in 2001. It wasn’t long before I realized the beauty of living in this not-so-hidden Midwestern gem of a city!

From quaint storefronts, to cute coffee shops, and culinary excellence; I knew what would make this glorious city even more amazing is having or renting a boat. Lake Michigan sits on the shorelines of, arguably, one of the most beautiful skylines in the US. After getting married and doing a brief stint in the suburbs, my husband, two children and I decided to move back to Chicago. Despite awkward questions and wonder of doing what most people don’t, it was one of the best decisions for our family.

One of the things we love the most about this city is all the green spaces, the family friendly events and the accessibility to Lake Michigan and it’s beautiful beaches. We couldn’t help but question the possibility of boat ownership. I feel like it rung in our ears every time we thought of it….the comments of the best days of boat ownership are the “day you buy” it and the “day you sell it.” That’s when we discovered boat shares.

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One thing was certain, we wanted to share our love for the city and Lake Michigan with our children. We chose to work with Pinnacle Yachts as our first boat share. Kudos to my husband who took all the coursework to get certified to get “behind the wheel” of the boat.

Personally speaking, some of the pros of boat sharing are:

-Lifelong memories

-Hosting

-Jumping in the Great Lake Michigan

-The Play Pen

-Being directly under the fireworks as they take off from Navy Pier

-Seeing the beauty of our city from the water day or night

-Cruising the Chicago river

-Tying up to a restaurant for some yummies to share on the boat

-Sleeping on the boat after a long day in the sun

-Joining the likes of others with shared interest of the great outdoors

-Having the option to hire a captain should the driver want to enjoy a cocktail or two with friends and family

-No Mortgage

-No Maintenance

Here are some of the cons:

-Opening and closing the boat

-Scrubbing it down

-Not having first pick on popular dates on the boat

Clearly the pros outweigh the cons and though it’s a luxury, it’s a one to look into for Summer 2018 indeed. The costs for boat sharing vary greatly based on the type of boat, days you would like to spend on the water and amenities you need when you are out there. If you have any more questions or would like to learn more about my experience, email me at [email protected]

See you on the water! Check out our Boat Party for Savvy Chick Vlog here.

Your Party Chick,

Sonia

Beauty, Fashion, girl talk, Lifestyle, Party, trending, women

What does it look like “Behind The Scenes”

August 23, 2017

Whenever I post images or “bts” images on my social media pages, I get flooded with text messages from “hey, how can I become one of your models” or “what really happens behind the scenes?” I thought for my next blog post it would be fun to share some of my experiences.

For the past four years I have worked with a client helping create the looks for their spring and fall bridal campaigns. When I think back to our first campaign together, I can’t help but be reminded just how far we have come as a team. I can’t emphasize the word “team” enough because it truly is a group effort.

There are so many preparations that go into executing a successful shoot. A lot of creative energy and communication goes into. One of our first steps is our creative team will send emails and photographs of inspiration. After several meetings and inputs from everyone, they will usually confirm the mood and the process of building our sets start to take place.

While our set is starting to slowly be brought to life, the photographer will usually send his/her inspiration for lighting. I can’t tell you how important lighting is. It’s everything. You can have the most beautiful model, on a perfect set, wearing a gorgeous gown. If the lighting is off then everything is off! No pressure, right?!

Once we have all agreed on a lighting that is appropriate for our inspiration, we start brainstorming hair, makeup and styling looks. This can be from choosing a model with the right hair color, down to the color of their natural lips. Does she have freckles? How will they photograph? Does she have a birth mark on her back? Can our team of editors get rid of it and will it be expensive to do so.

From there we start our search for the perfect models. This process can be a long and draining process. They not only have to fit the image the creative team desires but they need to be the exact height and measurements as the sample sizes as they will not alter them.

These are really just a few but most important steps in bringing a vision to life. As I mentioned it’s truly a team effort. I always look forward to these shoots because they allow me the opportunity to work with such creative people whose passion for art and excellence is contagious.

Love,

Deanna-Your Beauty Chick

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Party Like A Chick!

July 19, 2017

We all enjoy a girl’s night, right? But what does that even mean? A girls night to the chicks means time spent with friends in a space that is comfortable and filled with love and laughter (oh, and then there is good food and drinks, too!). Some of my favorite girls’ nights have been those where we can compare notes with friends on life, marriage, motherhood and the newest reality shows! Girls nights can be as few as 2 friends or as many as 10, but no matter what, the main goal is to make it a special way to get together and have fun!

There is a rotation among the chicks where we take turns having each other over — that way we all have the opportunity to get together often without the pressure of hosting all the time. This also means that we each take that opportunity to host seriously and try to find a way to make the most intimate gatherings just a little “extra” special. To help, party chicks have made planning a little easier — by making affordable and adorable party boxes. With the craze of selfies and dessert tables, everyone is looking for the Instagram-perfect picture to share with friends and family. We are excited to announce our first party box themes: the Fiesta Box and the Bollywood Box!

As women in our thirties we pay attention to all the details that go into hosting a girls’ night. The Party Chicks have hand picked these specialty items to make your get together a little different with everything you will need (even the command hooks!) and ten minutes. You can create the perfect atmosphere to make your friends lay back, relax, and enjoy the time you all have set aside for each other.

Check out our introductory boxes in our Etsy Shop here.