Bash On A Budget

a guide to modest entertainingThe Cocktail Party

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Bash On A Budget

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01. The Bashers Meet the creators of Modest Affairs

02. Hosting the Perfect Cocktail Party Make you party the talk of the town

05. Party with Style Entertaining with Style

06.10 Essential Tips for Entertaining at Home

07. SpotLight Reasonable Linens

The key to any great party is for the host to have as much fun as the guests.

This guide will help you in planning & budgeting your special events and make the experience

easy and stress-free

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Bash On A Budget

Melissa Ambers is extraordinary as a paperless expert and project manager with over fifteen years of experience in corporate and meeting event planning. Melissa truly has passion for what she does and believes in producing top quality work. This passion ignited the flame for Mrs. Ambers starting her virtual assistant and event planning company Melissa Ambers, Paperless Expert in 2010.

Melissa is founder and CEO of Melissa Ambers, Paperless Expert. Melissa offers tools and advice on using and embracing technology for a paperless business. Using these tools is a tremendous help with Time Management. Melissa Ambers, Paperless Expert hold workshops to teach small groups. We stay with small groups because I can be more personable and it gives time to work closely with my Clients so they can be successful in their venture to go paperless. Melissa is also a Certified Event Planner & Certified Project Manager.

www.melissaambers.org

Perfectly Planned Soirees is a full service wedding and event planning firm based in Houston, TX. We specialize in all things beautiful, fabulous and affordable. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible experience and to create a memorable event that your guests will talk about for years to come. We offer full service planning that includes budget preparations and contract negotiations to day of services that include coordinating and executing your plan. Whatever level of service is needed, Perfectly Planned Soirees is here to assist you. "As Chief Event Engineer, my job is to ensure that your event is a spectacular occasion. Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or any special occasion deserves to attention you will get when you become a client of mine. From inception to execution, our goal is to provide you with the best possible service you can imagine. Signature weddings and stylish events is our motto."

www.perfectlyplannedsoirees.com

“I grew up having art, design, fashion and architecture influences all around me. With a structural engineer and entrepreneur for a father, a crafty mother and a very stylish grandmother, I was continuously exposed to design. I new design would be a part of my life.”

Shandra’s instinctive eye for design, brings sophisticated, creative and detailed planning to all types of interiors and events. Her diverse design background includes interior design, event design & graphic design.

Shandra has traveled to such places as Africa, Europe to study and explore art and design in other cultures. Traveling is an important asset to Shandra’s design education. It helps her to better understand design and the role it plays in various cultures.

Having an extensive background in art, design, plus two degrees in Interior Design, prompted her to start her own design firm, Signature Designs Interiors, Events & Custom Decor. She shares her design experiences and expertise on her blog, Signature Style Interior Design & Lifestyle.

www.signaturestylemagazine.com

The Bashers

MELISSA.ambers

LAKISHA.mosley

SHANDRA.ward

Premier Issue / Spring 2014 / www.modestaffairs.org / Page 2

MODESTAffairs

HostingThe Perfect CocktailParty

the classic ‘Champagne Cocktail’ was all the rage at Cocktail parties during the 50”s.

The ingredients to throwing a fab cocktail party is delicious food, great friends, lively atmosphere and plenty of drinks. If you want to throw a cocktail party that is the talk of the town, use these 5 simple tips and we can guarantee your cocktail party will be unforgettable.

The Plan: So you want to throw a cocktail party and invite a few friends, the �rst step is to create a plan. Write down your thoughts and organize them. Decide on the date, time or theme. After that, the fun begins.

The Guest List: If you have great friends, your party will be a success. A successful cocktail party must have the right people. Invite people who will vibe well together and who will make the party conversations fun and interesting. Leave the drama at home!

The Bar: Make sure you have enough cocktails on hand--no one wants to make a beer run once the party gets started. A fun idea to avoid empty drinks is to create a "signature" drink. This cocktail can be made in advance and served in a pitcher, such as sangria, mojitos, or margaritas.

Survey your home, and place the bar in a location with ample room for people to move around. Make yourself a drink, and then retreat. Place your seating and food away from the bar area to alleviate congestion. Freeze some fruit for creative garnishes -- white grapes and strawberries look beautiful dropped into champagne. Cocktails can be served in a plethora of options. Mixing up styles and colors of drink-ware can add to the decor at your party.

The Atmosphere: Pickup some mismatched glassware and decor at thrift stores or you can gather a few items fromaround the house. Be creative! Set the mood for your party with the right decor and music. Create a playlist of good tunes to set the mood. Candles and simple �oral arrangements are a great ways to decorate. Nine times out of nine, you have these items at home...no charge!

Try a Tasting Party Theme

The Elements

Party With Style

Laminate DinnerwareColored Glassware

Acrylic Stemware

hor’s douerve Plates

Savvy Bar Service

Fabulous Hostess Gifts

Stylish Decor

Give your cocktail party some PIZZAZZ! Get creative and letyou imagination run wild.

Check out our picks for designingan unforgettable party!

10 E

SSEN

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IPS 1. Invitations

The most important part of planning a party is the invitation. The invite sets the tone of the gathering. Make them fun and stylish. Depending on how many guest, create your own. Use pre-cut cardstock paper and clipart and you are good to go.

2. Color SplashAdd bold color as an element of fun. Use atypical drinking glasses. These colorful Sorgento glasses are our new obsession. They are perfect for cocktail parties and they add brightness to any table setting.

3. Mix it upUse an assortment of printed paper napkins. Plus, it adds color to the party decor.4. Fashion PlatesPull out your most fashionable plates and platters to display your hors d'oeuvres and savory bites. Catwalk style.

5. Raising the BarCreate a spectacular bar where guests can serve themselves. Have recipe cards on display and all the ingredients. Want to add a little savvy, create a signature cocktail that's already mixed and ready to pour.

6. Set the MoodCreate a environment that says party, yet laid-back. Use lots of candlelight and soft lighting. No bright lights. To save money and time, shop your home for decorations. Place tea-lights in glass jars layered with rocks or glass stones.

7. Savory & SimpleGo bu�et-style. Plan a savory menu where you can make some items ahead of time. refer to the online food sites like Food Network and My Recipes.com. You don’t have to cook everything from scratch, purchase one or more menu items already preparedand dress them up.

8. Sweets for my SweetVisit your local bakery and pick up a variety of sweets and create a small dessert bu�et.

9. EntertainmentTurn on your favorite playlist.

10. Get a head startSet up the party the night before to cut down on stress.

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Reasonable Linens was founded in late 2013 by owner Kadene Smith. Over the years my �ance and I have been doing a lot of marketing, promotion and entertainment....with that came with lots of decorating. We would rent linens and party supplies for unreasonable prices. After going back and forth deciding if we should open a phlebotomy school something else came to mind I know I would enjoy more because of my promotion background. I decided to open a linens business. ...the name Reasonable Linens fell in place, I had to come up with a strategy on how I would go about operations. We talked about how we would go about marketing and who our target audience would be. Then it was supplies; having every color possible making available to every customer. I reached out to two large manufacturer overseas that provides everything I need for the business. I made contact with a seamstress for any special fabric order.

My �rst client was for a baby shower followed by a baby Christening and the Nzuri award ceremony at Hess club. After all business started booming, the name got out there and people fell in love with the prices..."table cloth as low as $9". Here we are with a great team of four, over eight weddings booked for 2014, baby showers, birthday parties, and other special events for linens rental.

We provide Table cloth, chair covers, sashes, runners, overlays, chargers. It wouldn't be right to not be on top of things like my other competitors carrying specialty linens but at a reasonable price, such as Damask, Ta�eta, Rosetta, Pintuck and more.

We also rent vases of all size for centerpiece. Soon we will begin carrying uplighting, Red Carpet, and Chairs.

We strive to keep our customers happy and #1 at all times.

Web: www.reasonablelinens.comEmail: reasonablelinens@gmail.comPhone:(832) 483-2559Facebook: Reasonable Linens

for entertaining at home

Reasonable Linens...."reasonable prices"

SpotLight

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