As the holidays are inching closer, the anticipation of
those final days of the semester is kicking in and you can’t help but look forward
to the freedom of enjoying a stress-free break from school – not to mention
sugar cookies and eggnog. It’s almost time for the season of festive
celebrations, but with all the parties, people and delicious food comes a lot
of planning. Although it may seem a bit overwhelming sometimes, don’t worry; all you need are some simple ideas and the energy to make it happen.
Colin Cowie, celebrity party planner extraordinaire, was in town a couple weeks ago and I was able to attend a special event at The Thompson Hotel, where he gave a suite a festive makeover and welcomed us with food, drinks, and tips for our own holiday soirees.
Here is some of his awesome advice:
Music – Make a
playlist of 80-85% of your favourite, non-Christmas songs, and then take 15-20%
of your best Christmas songs and fit them in between. “I think when you listen to holiday music all the time, you want
to treat yourself.”
Food – “When it
comes to what we eat, what we taste, no one has the time today to start cooking
things by yourself.” Use store-bought gourmet food that you can put out for
your guests. If you don’t have a lot of room, a great way to save space is by
making a big dish, such as a turkey stew, and place coffee cups around it so
the guests can help themselves. “That way, you don’t have to have a plate and a
fork and a spoon for everyone, because sometimes when you’re young, you don’t
exactly have a big two-bedroom apartment, you might be in studio.”
Décor – Start
from the front door and work your way throughout the rest of the house. Choose
a theme and stick with it. Mixed metals are popular this season, bringing
together silvers, sparkles and even mirror panels. Red and gold are also
perfect colours to incorporate into everything, from the invitations to
decorations. “Dream with one big idea.”
Smell – “There is
no such thing as too many candles.” Avoid placing fragrances near the food by
spreading them throughout other areas of the house. Small candles also make
great stocking stuffers that are easy to personalize. Colin suggests the
limited edition Febreze Cranberries & Frost scented candles, that you can write
someone’s name on and wrap as thoughtful party favours.
Colin’s Golden Rule
– “Do as much as you can in advance. There’s nothing fun about running around
when your guests arrive, thinking you’re left behind. Do it all the night
before so it allows you to be a gracious host. Twenty minutes before your
guests come, go put on a fresh outfit, lipstick, throw on a pair of heels, take
10 deep breaths and go enjoy yourself.”
Colin is such a charming man; he's classy, friendly and has a great eye for creating the perfect atmosphere for a fantastic party.
We even got to go home with gifts! Hooray for cleaning supplies (these are actually so handy).
I was definitely inspired after meeting Colin and seeing his beautiful holiday decorations!
- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28
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