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Archive for December, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 25th, 2010
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

In this spectacular section of ‘The Joy of Stats’, Hans Rosling tells the story of the world in 200 countries over 200 years using 120,000 numbers – in just four minutes. Plotting life expectancy against income for every country since 1810, Hans shows how the world we live in is radically different from the world most of us imagine.

How To Convincingly Show Your Kids Santa Came to Visit

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
Up the Chimney Christmas Invitations

Up the Chimney Christmas Invitations

The moment when children realize that Santa isn’t real is often a difficult one. Most of us remember with no small amount of embarrassment – but also a sense that that moment was when we lost our innocence.

Part of the magic of Christmas as a child is to look wonderingly at a Christmas Eve night, hoping and praying that Santa is going to visit and that you’re on the Good list. It’s an innocence and magic we wish to preserve in our children for as long as possible, and to that end, here’s a quick list of things to do to make Santa’s visit appear all the more convincing:

1. Take a bite out of the cookie!

It’s so simple, but so often forgotten. If your children leave food out for Santa, make sure you take a convincing bite. The same goes for any drinks left out – take a swig. Your kids will be delighted that Santa enjoyed their offering, and you’ll get something tasty too.

2. Leave icing sugar footprints.

All you need is a sieve and a white powder – icing sugar pre-mix is best for the job – and you’ve got the tools to make some convincing Santa footprints. Pour the powder into the sieve and sprinkle a route from the chimney to beneath the tree, just like Santa would walk in his snow-covered boots.

3. Sign a couple of gifts “From Santa”

A small touch but a nice one. While the majority of your gifts can say “from Mom and Dad”, add in a couple that are signed by the man himself.

We Showed You our Invitations, Now Show us Your Party!

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

Show us your partyWe thank you for ordering  invitations from Announcingit.com and now, we want to see your perfect party pictures!

We love kid’s birthday party pictures and adult bashes are so much fun! Send us a short note about the party’s guest of honor, your Announcingit invitation order number, and your single images with perfect lighting (about 600 pixels wide) to sales(at)announcingit(dot)com. We do a lot of invitations and get a lot of requests, so the better your photos, the better your chances of us considering your exclusive photos or article (not posted on any other blogs or party sites please) for posting. 

Party on, thanks for sharing and we can’t wait to see you!

Appetizers and Hors d’oeuvres for New Years Eve Party

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

New Years Eve CelebrationFabulous appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and champagne are a hit for a New Year’s Eve party. By starting your party around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m., after the dinner hour, you can skip a full meal and let guests enjoy a buffet of appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, mini sandwiches and a mini dessert bar at midnight with champagne.

What’s the difference between appetizers and hors d’oeuvres? Hors d’oeuvres are associated with finger foods and do not require utensils to eat such as a pate or caviar on a cracker. If your New Year’s Eve party invitations say “heavy hors d’oeuvres”, it usually means there is no meal to follow, the hors d’oeuvres “are” the meal. Appetizers can require utensils and are usually served during a meal as a first course.

When deciding on what to serve, if you are not having a dinner and because of the duration of a New Year’s Eve party and the alcohol consumption, you should allow 12-15 hors d’oeuvres/appetizers per person.

If you are providing tables and chairs for guests, including appetizers that require a fork can be appropriate. If seating is limited, it is more appropriate to only include hors d’oeuvres that can be easily eaten with the hands. If your New Year’s Eve party invitations requested quests to dress in “holiday festive” or “holiday chic”, your elegantly dressed guests might not enjoy elaborate dipping sauces or messy hors d’oeuvres. Sticking to items which are easy to eat and do not result in a great deal of mess will be greatly appreciated by all of the guests.

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Are you Dreaming of a White Christmas?

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Snowman and Wife Winter InvitationsChristmas cards, Christmas specials, or Christmas carols, one thing that  seems to be a universal message is the presence of snow. Glistening snowflakes and snowy white lawns have become as much a part of the Christmas message as anything. Perhaps it is because it looks so bright and pure or because it makes the scene immediately identifiable as a winter one, and therefore links it to Christmas. But there are many people in the English-speaking world who have never seen a White Christmas, and wonder if they will.

The chance of a white Christmas depends, of course, on where you live.  Here in Southern California, our home is high enough in the Saddleback Mountain foothills that we have had snow three times since we’ve lived here. While it was short lived and only once did we have enough snow for a mini snowball fight, it wasn’t at Christmas.  This year, we’ve just had days of rain which while needed, isn’t what we or tourists expect in Southern California at Christmas.

Snow Surfer Winter InvitationIn the Southern Hemisphere, Australia has Christmas in the middle of its climatic summer. Australia is a temperate country anyway, so the chances of snow at Christmas are roughly equivalent to those of a 100-degree heatwave in New York in January. Even in the United Kingdom, which is known for its cold winters, snow tends to hold off until January for whatever reason. Though cold enough, the snow just doesn’t seem to have that sense of timing. 

Nonetheless, whether you live somewhere that gets snow reliably at Christmas or somewhere where it is unlikely to ever happen, the fact remains that snow is something that is inextricably linked with Christmas. This holds true wherever you are, and is why we all know what Bing Crosby was singing about.

Shop Winter Party Invitations

Super Bowl is an Invitation to Food, Fun & Football

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Tackled Super Bowl Party InvitationHow do you get guests to come to your party? You send them an awesome Super Bowl party invitation they can’t resist. 

There are Super Bowl party invitations to suit every taste. You will find invitations with humorous referees, football players, cheerleaders, football fields and of course, food and drinks.

The Super Bowl game is usually held the first week or so in February. So, if you didn’t think of having a party until Christmas was over, for a good turnout, order your invitations the first week of January and get them in the mail as soon as possible. Be sure to include an RSVP date with your phone number and email address so you can stick to your budget or know how many people to plan for.

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How do you add a Personal Touch to Your Party?

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Black Filigree Gift Party InvitationHow do you make it personal? Party planners and hosts want the same thing when making plans for one-of-a-kind parties such as a bridal shower, baby shower or a milestone birthday party. Adding a personal touch may be easier than you had imagined.

Party invitations set the tone for your event. What are you celebrating? Is it a casual or formal event? The perfect invitation lets guests know what to expect and entices them to attend your party. Make sure you choose an invitation that builds excitement for your party and guests can’t say “no” to.

If your invitation has a theme or favorite color, continue it through the decorations. For a bridal shower, use the bride’s chosen wedding colors. For a baby shower, pink and blue with touches of brown or green are popular.

Make your centerpiece a stand out. Centerpieces can consist of anything that fits into the theme of the event. Flowers in your chosen colors are always beautiful. Clear jars or bottles filled with candies or chocolates are a visual and mouthwatering delight. Seasonal or delicious fruits such as whole cranberries, grapes, sliced lemons, oranges or limes with floating votives in water add splashes of color.

Party favors in the same theme or colors as the rest of the party-such as candles for a party that relies on them for decoration, bags or small decorative glasses filled with candy and individually tied with ribbons and a “thank you” tag. For any party, how about passing out lottery tickets?

How do you Set a Budget for Your New Year’s Eve Party?

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

Champagne and Fireworks InvitationsIf you’ve decided to have a New Year’s Eve party, you’ve probably already given some thought to a budget for your party. Not having a budget or going over budget on your party can cause significant financial strain and stress and put a damper on your festivities.

Your goal is to throw a great New Year’s Eve party but you do not want to go into considerable debt to do so. The best way to have a successful New Year’s Eve party is to set a budget based on the amount of cash or credit you have available and work within that budget to create the most spectacular New Year’s Eve party possible. Once you have set your overall budget, you can set individual budgets for each element of your party.

Some individual elements to consider when planning your New Year’s Eve party are invitations, location, decorations, entertainment, food, beverages and incidental items. Prioritize your list to determine which elements are most important to you so you will have an idea of how to distribute your available funds.

For example, you may consider the New Year’s Eve invitations to be important as they set the tone for your event and a fabulous invitation entices guests to attend your party. If your invitation doesn’t impress your guests, your turnout could be less than spectacular.

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Are there Advantages to Planning a New Year’s Eve Party in Your Home?

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

Hello Goodbye New Year's Eve InvitationsThere are both advantages and disadvantages to planning a New Year’s Eve party in your home.

The advantages to planning a New Year’s Eve party in your home is that you have a greater amount of freedom in terms of food and beverage choices, decoration options and even the type of entertainment you are able to offer.

The disadvantages to hosting a New Year’s Eve party in your home is that your property or possessions may be damaged by the guests, you are responsible for the cleanup of the party and it can be difficult to control when guests leave the party.

The advantages to hosting a New Year’s Eve party in a restaurant and catering hall is that you will have assistance in preparing and serving the food, you don’t have to worry about cleanup and you have very few obligations during the party. The disadvantages to hosting your New Year’s Eve party at a restaurant or catering hall is you will be limited in the hours of the party, there may be some restrictions placed on the entertainment and their will also likely be limitation on the food and beverages you can offer your guests.

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