The Winner is: #114 Wehaf! Congrats!
I recently got the opportunity to host a Girls’ Night In party, so I asked my friend Tracey if she would like to help me out by having the party at her house. She has a beautiful dining room, and she was more than ready to get it spruced up for spring
The party was just the ticket to inspire her to bring out her spring accessories. She happened to be hosting her women’s group that night, too, so we made a party of it.
I went to the grocery and picked up some really good cheeses, crackers, and assorted other party foods. Girls generally love to nibble on cheese and crackers, dips and chips, and with a little sweet thrown in for good measure, it’s a perfect meal.
My kind of nibbling. I love girlie food, don’t you? 
Tracey has a beautiful dining room and when I told her I wanted to throw a party, she was more than ready to set a pretty spring table. She has some gorgeous silver pieces and by adding some birds, nests, and eggs, as well as a few fresh flowers from the yard, the table was picture perfect. That glass float was picked up on our shopping trip to Asheville earlier this year and came from Screen Door. I love it! 
White dogwoods and hot pink azaleas are hard to beat for a centerpiece. Simple and elegant.
Tracey added these cute birds’ nests with eggs on top of glasses, along with beautiful thrifty plates she picked up at Scott Antiques. 
A large glass bottle holds more dogwood branches. This time of year is perfect for clipping outdoors and bringing them inside to enjoy. 
As part of this Girls’ Night In party, we were asked to try out a brand new product, Simply Cranberry Cocktail, made with not-from-concentrate cranberry juice. 
I filled a pretty glass pitcher with plenty of crushed ice and filled it with Simply Cranberry Cocktail. The girls all loved it and remarked on how delicious it tasted. It was a refreshing accompaniment to our girlie food fare. 
I brought along some pink dogwoods to add to another vase on the kitchen island, and that’s where we set up all the food. 
Strawberries and cheesecake, a winning combo every time. 
Happy flowers make a girl party special. 
Plenty of hummus and delish dips along with chips and crackers, and we were all smacking our lips. 
Cheese and crackers are definitely on my short list of snack foods to enjoy. 
That’s the hostess, Tracey, at the sink and her friends enjoyed all the food, too. 
We all went through and filled our plates with plenty of yummy food. 
A perfect girls’ night in.
Can’t get enough of those flowers, as there is nothing prettier than a pink dogwood. It was a fun evening with the girls, talking and chatting about life issues, and the food and drinks brought us all together for the night and a fun time was had by all.
Simply Cranberry Cocktail is refreshing and delicious, and I would definitely try it again. It’s gently pasteurized with no added preservatives to bring you a taste unlike other cranberry cocktails you may have tried. You can find both the 59oz and 13.5oz single serve carafes in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, as the beverage is kept chilled from the time it’s blended.
What is your favorite way to make a party or get-together in your home more festive? Tell me about it in the comments for a chance to win a $100 gift card.
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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
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“Simply Cranberryâ„¢” is a trademark of Simply Orange Juice Company.
Good music, good food and fresh flowers make party more festive
https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/199671409549643776
Just being together is really all you need to do!
We really like the simply cranberry cocktail in our house for when we go running, we water it down just a little bit and it is really crisp tasting and great for refreshing your mouth feel while running!
To make a party more festive I really like to cook stuff from my mom’s native home (South Africa) It always makes things a bit more exotic!
No matter how formal the party is, I always lighten the mood with a funny napkin. Everyone has to have a napkin!
I think fresh flowers always make a party more festive. And a special dessert!
I generally have lots of delicious food that’s usually made from scratch… (at least all of the important items, like bread!) Candles and fresh flowers always set the mood along with a beatifully set table. I have LOTS of dishes, antique, vintage and modern, which I think really adds to the ambience. And let’s not forget the role of appropriate linens, both colorful or classic depending on the time of year ,time of day and the occasion. Lastly, I always try to pick music that jives with whatever mood I’m going for.
CTD
CTD
Flowers, fun plates, flatware and good wine are my favorites!!
Good food, music in the background, and great friends.
I’m having a luncheon with my family this month and it will be about good food, and a pretty table setting. Fresh flowers always makes things more festive to me. Love the dogwoods at Tracy’s.
I love Cranberry juice…no vodka in that pretty pitcher??
Pretty dishes, glasses, fresh flowers and buying Cheesecake Factory cheesecake at Sam’s Club. I also recently ordered vanilla bread pudding from a friend in the catering business. It was so good and it took the stress off knowing a delicious dessert was awaiting us.
I love the use of candles and flowers. I had a get together in March when the Forsythia were in full bloom and brought those gorgeous flowers in for some color. Everyone was so impressed with my free arrangements that really made such an impact.
Your party looks like fun! I like to keep things informal, so a help yourself evening is my kind of party. A few flowers and pretty napkins, yummy food, and I’m good to go. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway, Rhoda.
Flowers and lots of pretty little finger foods!
I like mixing cranberry juice, vodka and Fresca for a nice wine cooler. People seem to prefer appitizers to “regular” food at parties. It works for me.
I like to have different types of finger food, and cranberry juice with red wine, and other types of fruit drinks. Festive decorations and soothing music completes the ambiance.
twitted:
https://twitter.com/#!/roso1946/status/199832260646666240
Everyone loves to leave with a little something so I always had a small take home of some kind at the door. Also, I never forgot to “dress” the bathroom as well usually with fresh flowers.
I love the use of candles and fresh flowers and finger foods. I loved the way you and your friend used the dogwood and the food looked outstanding. I am not a baby boomer but please call me a girl.
I like to add handmade touches to my parties, and flowers are a must!
And I think girls are girls at any age! 🙂