A Long Awaited Post…

Wow! Things have been so hectic at The Loft lately, I haven’t touched this blog in ages.

I’m starting back up, but don’t expect daily posts anymore. Or at least until the busy season starts to slow down!

You can expect for the honeymoon destination to continue every week as usual, though.

What do you want to see? Let me know what trends or decor ideas/projects you want to see on here, and I’ll do it! I love to hear ideas from the minds of others, there is always stuff I never would have thought of doing myself.

What’s been your favorite post/posts so far?

 

Brooke

Wakefield Country Inn and Winery

This location is snuggled away in Gerty, Oklahoma. This place is sure to keep your bank account happy with no expense on destination or options. With several packages to choose from you will be sure to get everything you ever wanted from your getaway! This is the perfect place for a local honeymoon or a girls/guys weekend out.

 

 

Who wouldn’t want to sit here with a glass of wine and your sweetheart, over looking the vineyard at sunset?

This is one of their cozy rooms. You can request a bouquet of flowers and bottle of wine in your room!

 

Their lovely porch for meals all set for the guests.

This room is just so cozy, you want to sink into the picture…

 

Their tasting room, where you can try out their wines and meet other people staying there. Cool!

 

And the vineyard… I can just see the romantic strolls through the aromatic rows of vines!

What makes them unique!

• 5 Course Dinners

• Large Country Breakfasts

• Wine Tasting

• 4 acre Vineyard

• Wildlife Refuge

• Hot Tub

• Swimming Pool

• Massage Therapist

The owners are so friendly, and we’ve found wonderful reviews. This is an unusual destination being hid away and so romantic. Go for a weekend and tell us how much you love it!

You MUST check out their 360 degree viewer of their grounds and rooms. It’s like you’re really there, it’s pretty neat!

Check for more information and availability at http://wakefieldcountryinn.com/home.html

Photos courtesy of Pam Wakefield, of Wakefield Country Inn and Winery. Planning to visit them? Tell them The Party Loft Blog sent you!

~Angela @ The Party Loft~

NOTE: So sorry about posting late! We’ve had our computers down so we haven’t been posting as normal this week. Thanks for your patience!

 

Peach and Mint Cocktail Party

Whether you may be throwing a party for a specific reason like a housewarming, or just as a get-together for your friends, you no doubt want it to be original. To do that though, you must have a starting point of your overall feel of the gathering. I’ll be showing you how to throw a sophisticated, modern, and chic cocktail party that is comfortable and fun. A description that doesn’t generally go with those descriptive terms! This is a trend that is easily adaptable to any sort of event, may it be a wedding, housewarming, shower, or just a party for the fun of it.

First off, you need something to make your cocktail party unique. You may choose to be the mixologist for the evening, or have a talented friend do the job if you don’t hire a professional cocktail caterer. Once you make that decision and get your bar arranged for, choose your signature drink. It will be the one you have out and the mixologist will ask” would you like a ~signature drink name here~ or to place an order?” This drink will set the tone. For my example cocktail party the signature drink will be a Peach Whiskey Smash, a fitting drink to pull together this cocktail party.

A peach whiskey smash consists of:

 1/2 peach, cut into thick slices. 3 or 4 fresh mint leaves. 1 lemon wedge. 1 ounce water. 1/2 ounce simple syrup. 2 ounces whiskey. 1 sprig mint. 1 thin peach slice for garnish. muddle all ingredients except whiskey in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and whiskey. Shake and strain into an ice-filled old fashioned glass and garnish with a peach slice and a sprig of mint.

Here is where I got this specific recipe: http://mixandserve.com/category/drinkreceipes/

You want to have food that goes with the theme your drink creates.

For a cocktail party, it’s good to keep with easy to eat to foods, like hors d’oeuvres and bite-sized desserts to keep people circulating.This is a recipe for the bruschetta with peach salsa and brie shown above: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/bruschetta-with-peach-salsa-melted-brie-10000001634755/

Set out a spot of sweet and unsweet tea in pitchers with a glass of mint sprigs for ones interested in a non-alcoholic beverage. I suggest checking out buying actual mint plants versus sprigs in the grocery aisle. It’s quite generally considerably cheaper, if you don’t already have one in your yard to supply it. Just cut the stems and wash the leaves gently before using. You don’t want potting soil in your drinks!

Arrange vases of peach colored flowers about (tulips are lovely) with sprigs of mint as the greenery to release a pleasant aroma to set the mood for your cocktail party.

You can continue on with the theme past this to have bite-sized peach cobblers (it’s trendy to take comfort foods and put a modern spin on them), eggplant and mint dip, cucumbers with yogurt mint dressing, even make finger cucumber sandwiches with pickled peaches! A recipe for pickled peaches: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/nanas-southern-pickled-peaches/detail.aspx

A cocktail party is a great way to assert your individuality and have a laid back party with your friends. I hope you enjoyed this post. Have you thrown a cocktail party before? What did you do for it? Our other readers would love to hear about it!

Brooke

Things to do in your life together #28

Go to a murder mystery restaurant. Not one near you? You can get a kit to have a murder mystery party at home.

Family Reunion

Family reunions are one of the most fun parties to be a part of. With all the different activities and all the generations in one place, it really is fun. If you’re planning on doing a family reunion soon, here is a specific family reunion to get you going on the planning of yours to take place during the lovely weather Spring promises.

This is The Classic Picnic-

  

This Eagle Spings, TX Park Pavillion is a typical one you’ll find.They’re perfectly suited for family reunions as they’ve got plenty of seating, shade, electic hook ups, bathrooms nearby, and generally a playground for the kids in addition to room for activities.

Next, add in serving tables for lemonade, tea, and condiments for the food with red gingham cloths. String up a banner (try http://www.bannergrams.com/scripts/browsebanners.asp?cat_code=FAMR for some templates that you just fill in your name. This company usually ships out within 24 hours.)

Then, string up some pretty lights, put up balloons to guide the familia in, and put on some music that’s fun. The little ones may want to dance, and cuties shaking their diapers is a subject everyone loves talking about, which is a nice ice breaker to use until everyone finished filtering in!

Below are some activies to consider. Some parks have the set up for some of these, some don’t. Have some fun with the ideas, and make up some of your own!

 

Games reunions play
Capture the flag
Charades
Duck, Duck, Goose
Find the Leader
Follow the Leader
Hopscotch
Hot Potato
Jump Rope/Double Dutch
London Bridge
Mother, May I?
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Red Light, Green Light
Red Rover
Ring around the Rosy
Ring Toss
Scavenger Hunt
Simon Says
Steal the Bacon
Tag
Treasure Hunt
Tug of War
Water Balloons
Wolf & Sheep

 

Races
Egg Carry
Sack Race
Three-legged Race

Team sports
Basketball
Bowling
Dodgeball
Football
Kickball
Soccer
Softball
Volleyball
Wiffleball

 

 

This family reunion plan was made to optimize time for planning, to have minimal prep and clean up, and to do it all on a modest budget. I hope your family reunion is fabulous and your whole family has a blast.

 

Don’t forget the extension cords and ice!

 

Brooke

 

Things to do in your life together #27

Go gem digging!

(If you live in the Arkansas/Oklahoma area, take a trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, AR. Only park in the world where you can keep the dimaonds you found! No other gem would be more memorable as her new ring.)

Florist Speak

Have you ever thumbed through a bridal magazine and felt like you needed an on-site translator to decode some of the floral wordage you see?  Those of us that work in the floral industry tend to forget that not everyone speaks our language.

If you’re not certain if a “corsage” is meant for a man or a woman, or exactly how to refer to those cute balls you’ve seen hanging from shepherd’s hooks, don’t despair — there are a million other brides wondering the same thing!

There are a number of terms used to describe various aspects of wedding floral design that are helpful to know during the consultation process, and while you can find wedding glossaries all over the internet, many focus on out-of-date or rarely used design styles which can often lead to confusion and information-overload.  In order to combat this, I thought I’d provide a quick overview of some frequently used terms that are specific to floral design and common in our Oklahoma wedding industry. My hope is that this list will help you in your efforts to plan for your event’s needs, and ultimately, better communicate with your floral vendor.

Walking flowers:  The flowers worn by those associated with the wedding party (i.e., bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages)  Also referred to as bridal party flowers, personal flowers, wedding party flowers.

Bridal party:   The individuals that are an integral part of the wedding ceremony.  Depending on the location, religion, and style of the wedding, this group may include the bride, groom, maids of honor, bridesmaids, best men, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers, and in Oklahoma, immediate family members.  Also referred to as the wedding party.

Corsage:  Flowers worn by the important women in a bridal party.  Either pinned on the woman’s dress, or worn on her wrist (wristlet).

Boutonniere:  Flower worn by men in a bridal party, pinned to the lapel.

Pomander:  A compact ball of flowers, either hung by ribbon or positioned on top of an object.  May be constructed in a variety of sizes.  Often carried by flower girls or hung from hooks to enhance a wedding’s décor.  Also referred to as a kissing ball.

Halo:  Ring of flowers worn on the head.

Hand-tied bouquet:  The process of arranging bouquet flowers by hand and securing the bouquet at the stems with ribbon, lace, twine, or a variety of other materials.

Cascade bouquet:  The process of arranging blooms in a foam bouquet holder.  This style typically has a variety of cascading greenery or flowers at the base of the bouquet.

Wrap:  The material used to bind the stems of a hand-tied bouquet.

Clutch:  Extra-small-sized, hand-tied bundle of flowers.

Focal piece:  Large arrangement of flowers usually placed in a very prominent spot such as on a buffet table or at the front of a ceremony.

Pavé:  A contemporary style of arranging flowers where the blooms of the flowers appear to be sitting atop the mouth of the vessel in a grid-fashion.

Monochromatic:  Colors found in an arrangement are all (tints, tones and shades) of a single hue.

Monobotanical:  An arrangement that contains only one variety of flowers.

Deconstructed:  The practice of using the varieties of flowers found in the bridal bouquet to create a different monobotanical bouquet for each attendant.

Centerpiece:  Floral arrangements placed on the eating tables to decorate a reception venue.

Toss bouquet:  An alternate bouquet used during the tradition of “tossing the bouquet” to unmarried women.  Allows the bride to preserve her wedding bouquet.

Chuppah:  Also spelled, huppah.  A canopy decorated with flowers that is part of the traditional Jewish ceremony.

Topiary:  A miniature tree made from flowers and greenery.

Garland:  A rope or strand of flowers and greenery used to adorn a variety of surfaces (i.e., pews, arches, staircases, etc.)

Wreath:  Usually hung on doors, a wreath may be a variety of shapes and may be decorated with flowers or greenery.

Event Breakdown or Strike:  Time appointed for a vendor to return to the venue at the close of the event to clean up and retrieve rental items used during the wedding.

Draping:  The term used to describe the use of materials/linens/decorative fabric to decorate or dress a table, arbor, or other structure.

…Are there any florists reading who would like to add to this list in the comments section?

 

Brooke

 

Things to do in your life together # 26

Visit places special to each of you and share your stories.

Upper Mountain Fork Getaway, Smithville Oklahoma

One thing many people don’t realize about Oklahoma is its breathtaking scenery. But us locals sure know it! This weeks destination will give a glimpse of what it has to offer for those of you that aren’t from around here. Upper Mountain Fork Getaway is near Smithville, Oklahoma. We’ve chosen this location as most of our Brides are currently planning fall weddings. I can’t imagine a better place to be when the leaves start to turn!

 

     

 

 Just to the north of Upper Mountain Fork Getaway is the Talimena Scenic Drive. This magnificent stretch of mountain top highway offers views so incredible it has been named a National Scenic Byway; the only one in Oklahoma! The Talimena Scenic Drive makes for a fantastic day trip any time of year and is just a short drive north from this getaway.

 

 

              

      

Fall is an ideal time to visit these lovely little cabins! The view is truly breathtaking of the mountains.

 

     

 A quaint kitchen to stay cozy in your cabin and never have to leave! 

 

   

           A peaceful balcony to watch the wildlife with a cup of coffee and your sweetie.

 

Below the cabins is the Broken Bow Lake for those fishermen out there. There is also a river running through the property that’s great for kayaking and canoeing for an adventurous day out.

Whether you take your street bike, bicycles, or just your car, there is a lot of exploring to do out there, and the Talimena drive is a must! For a fun day trip, go to Queen Wilhelmina State Park, just about 1 hour away, and enjoy their restaurant after a hike, then go for a train ride to see the park while having an ice cream cone from the shop. Don’t forget your camera!

Aside from all the outdoor activities to do, with the spectacular views of the Quachita National Forest out your window, and the sound of the river as a soundtrack to the crackling of your wood burning stove, you’re guaranteed to have a memorable stay.

The Talimena Drive is 55 miles long. It goes from Mena, Arkansas, to Talihina, Oklahoma.

Find more information about this weeks Honeymoon Destination at: http://www.uppermountainforkgetaway.com/index.html 

To learn more about the Talimena Drive and find out when the leaves change visit: http://www.talimenascenicdrive.com/

And to plan your day trip to Queen Wilhelmina State Park go to: http://www.queenwilhelmina.com/things/default.aspx

 

 

Brooke

 

Things to do in your life together #25

Visit a Museum.

Lighting as Your Decor

There are a lot of ways to accentuate your decor fundementals, but none as original and mood-setting as they are inexpensive and easy to do as lighting effects. A few of those lighting effects we’ll look at at are: candlelight, lanterns, twinkle lights, and natural light.

Classic Candlelight

 Show above is a line of tea lights on a simple black cloth to spotlight the subtle romantic glow. They’re a surprisingly cheap way to decorate. This is a link to Amazon showing a bag of 100 unscented candles as you see here for $14.69. Can’t beat that!  http://www.amazon.com/Unscented-Tealights-Bag-of-100/dp/B000JM6VPC

Lighted Lanterns

These are twig lanterns entwined with LED string lights, hanging from a tree. It creates such a beautiful atmosphere, with the lights playing off of the natural wood of the lanterns. These are a great DIY project. Twine in a good alternative to twigs.

Twinkle Lights

 

 I love the idea of hanging twinkle lights straight down from a tree to create a weeping willow effect for a lovely backdrop. The daintier the lights the better here, as they’ll sway with the wind giving it an organic look in the spirit of a true weeping willow.

Natural Lighting

 

 A sunset is the best form of natural light to use a backdrop. Holding your event near the water during sunset is a perfect way to see the colors lighting up the sky amplified by reflecting off the water.

Want to see some other lighting effect ideas? Have some you want to share? That’s what the comment section below is for! I LOVE heaing from my readers, don’t be shy.

Brooke

Things to do in your life together #24

Just go for a drive.

Neons!

This trend of the week is all about neons. There are a lot of fun ways to incorporate them into your event, and they’re great because they give a youthful and playful air. Here’s an idea for a wedding I like:

 

The trick to neons in your wedding is ensuring it’s used as an accent. Like ribbons, bouquets, bridemaids belts and shoes, small things that will really pop without overloading the eyes.

And for a kids party, you can have a lot of fun with neons. An 80′s themed bash is the obvious choice for neon colors! This party has cassettes spray painted bright colors with guests names written on them for the “place cards”.

 You can get pretty creative with a little paint!

And for a party to remember, have a paint “ball” party with a neon dress code! For our local readers, there is a paintball facility right outside Fort Smith that has the guns and gear for rent and paintballs to buy in colors of your choice if you want the real deal, as well as some pretty awesome courses. But we suggest some paint/water filled balloons for all the fun and none of the bruises! Just call ahead and reserve the time slot and gear.

 

Beforehand (or after paint”ball”, if you’re brave enough to have painted people in your house!) have your guests over to fill their tanks. Serve some fun bright drinks (pink punk cosmo, anyone?) and throw up some black lights in front of a curtain and set up a camera for an awesome photobooth your friends will love! For some extra fun, have each guest bring a few props, like feather boas and big sunglasses, to throw in a box by the camera.

A fun way to express yourself and be sure to have a good time!

 This is Brooke bringing you the Trend of the Week.

Things to do in your life together #23

Go berry picking.

 

Grown-up Inflatables Par-tay!

We see inflatables everywhere. Every kid wants them. Every adult secretly wants to play on them. Whether a slide, bounce castle, obstacle course, or a combo inflatable strikes your fancy, there are sure a lot of fun options for them! You see these bad boys at kid parties ’round the block, rain or shine. But when do adults get to have them? When do we get to don our bathing suits and splash and waller and have water balloon fights? Here is a perfectly acceptable excuses to embrace your inner child, and for my local followers, pricing and pictures of inflatables our shop carries.

After-Hours Block Party-

This is an idea we’ve cooked up and would just love to give it a whirl! We envision an 18+ block party that starts at dark with almost a disco theme! Lots of fun lights, inflatables, cotton candy and popcorn machines, and a karaoke machine and a dance floor for the karaokers to be the music for the dancers (and it has a hook up for your iPod or laptop if you just want music)

These are the products we offer at The Loft that we would recommend for this neighborly shindig.

Karaoke Machine-$69.00 a day. Includes two cordless microphones, speakers, screen, and music.

20×20 tent- $175 a day. Perfect for setting up your dance floor and karaoke machine under! Looks beautiful with color up lights ~that change with the beat of the music!~ displayed inside with twinkle lights for a gorgeous ambiance. (Upshot shown filled with balloons inside)

Cotton Candy Machine and Popcorn Maker-Each are $35. We have the sugar, cones, popcorn bags, popcorn, and all the flavors and bells and whistles you need!

 

And now…. THE INFLATABLES!

This obstacle course would be so fun to have a battle of the sexes race in. Even though we know the girls would win! It rents for $165.00 a day.

So this one has an amazingly tall slide ( that you can race your next door neighbor for who gets custody of that hammer!) that will just wow everyone. We’ve just ordered this one in and haven’t set a price yet. (But it’s just too cool and awesome to not include in this post!)

If you want a traditional castle bounce, we’ve got those! $99.00 a day.

This one is really fun because it’s got a bit of everything to it. It has a basketball goal, wet/dry slide, and a nice big area to bounce in! It rents for $165.00 a day.

And to occupy those guys while the girls are dancing the night away, we have a 5 sided “mini” sports area. Basketball, baseball, soccer, football, and dart and frisbee! 2 players per side is standard. We just bought this and haven’t gotten it in yet, so we haven’t got a rental rate for it yet. We do know it’s going to be the cheapest inflatable that can be used by adults, though.

And what fun is a party without balloons?? You can get bags of balloons cheaper here than most anywhere else. We also have a helium tank customers are free to rent the tank for a few bucks, and you just pay for the helium used. One tank uses about 60 dollars worth of helium, and does 900 balloons. So go crazy with the colors!

Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did coming up with it. And now I really want to have that party, so somebody better want to throw one I can plan and make fabulous for you and all your friends!

Brooke

Things to do in your life together #22

Make a snow fort.

1884 Wildwood Bed and Breakfast Inn

We’re bringing you back close to home this time. This Bed and Breakfast is located in Hot Springs, AR. Just three hours from our very own Sallisaw, you will save money and time on this honeymoon destination. Located centrally in Hot Springs, you’re just a hop, skip, and a jump from all the hot spots in town, including the wonderful spas and restaurants the town in known for. With it’s Victorian charm, and modern amenities, this Bed and Breakfast is sure to be the perfect vacation.

The Rose Room is furnished with a truly lovely 3-piece antique Bombay bedroom set. The spacious room features a queen bed, private bath with shower, and fireplace with tea-light logs. This room also has a twin bed for a third person and a quaint private porch with bistro set for your enjoyment.

The Barrett Browning Room

 It was the original master bedroom; therefore it is very spacious and has a hidden safe in the wall. The beautiful white iron bed is king-sized. This room has a private bath with tub and shower. It is decorated in lace and silk and also has the fireplace tea-light logs to set the mood for romance.

The Rudyard Kipling Room

This room is often requested for honeymoons as it is separated from the other rooms. It is tastefully decorated in lush animal prints. The king-sized bed has satin sheets, and an overhead canopy that can be pulled around the bed. This room has a rainforest water fountain, fireplace with tea-light logs. The bathroom has a 2-person corner whirlpool tub with shower. This room also features a private entrance from the outside that has its own private sitting area.

The King David Room

This room is regal with the high-back, half-canopy bed, which is part of a 3-piece set. The bed is queen size. The large bedroom gives you plenty of room to relax. Enjoy a candlelit bubble bath in the antique claw-foot tub.  They supply the candles and the bubble bath.

The Blue Parlor Room

This cozy room, decorated in blue floral was originally an upstairs parlor.  It is furnished in an intricately carved 3-piece French bedroom set.  We’ve added an electric fireplace that can be used with or without the heat, year ’round!  The bed is queen-size. The flat panel TV has cable and built-in CD/DVD.  The Blue Parlor Room has a private bath with a shower and a private porch with a porch swing. If you spend any time relaxing on the porch swing you may catch a glimpse of the resident raccoon!

 

The Safari Suite

Outside of the lovely B&B, they have cottages available. Set up as a home away from home with a small kitchen they stock for you for your breakfasts and snacks, it’s a perfect getaway.

 

The Moroccan Suite

Enjoy a romantic stay with a Moroccan theme. Silk saris on the wall and stained glass lanterns. Fireplace has a candelabra, they supply the candles. Suite has a living area with flat panel TV and DVD/Cable, Wi-Fi available in the main house. Kitchen includes microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and fridge stocked with sodas, bottled water, orange juice and milk. Freezer stocked with breakfast foods. There will be a plate of homemade cookies and brownies waiting for you, as well. Sleep as late as you want, have breakfast on your timetable. Breakfast at the main house is not included in the cottages . Designed for privacy, we stock the suite with plenty of towels. This suite is not serviced for two to three night stays unless requested. Bedroom has king size bed with satin sheets, TV and DVD in bedroom as well as living area. Bath has whirlpool tub for two and separate shower. Romantic, cozy, inviting!

This is a wonderful Bed and Breakfast. They have all the amenities you would expect, but they go above and beyond. You’ll find they have a complete library of movies for you to watch on the big screen in the living area, or on your personal TV located in your room equipped with cable and a VCR/DVD player free of charge.

They have an amazing tour of the home you just can’t miss!

We hope you’ll enjoy your stay, and let them know we sent you!

For more information, availability and pricing please visit their website at www.wildwood1884.com

~Angela @ The Party Loft~