Sweet Holiday Party

Mélangerie hosted the sweetest holiday party and trunk show. It was great to see many of my wedding friends and enjoy some of the flavors of the season.

These savory pretzels were by Sigmund Pretzels.



The gingerbread cupcakes were one of the best cupcakes I have ever had and the frosting reminded me of an inverted Santa hat. Do the cupcakes look familiar? They were created by our friend Betsy of Nine Cakes.

The sparkling Shiraz punch was both beautiful and delicious.

Here's the recipe:

* 15 mint sprigs
* 1 ounce whipping-quality pasteurized egg white, lightly beaten
* 1 cup superfine sugar
* 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
* 2 bottles sparkling Shiraz
* 3 liters club soda
* 11/2 cups St. Germain Elderflower liqueur

Brush mint with egg white. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar, and let dry on a wire rack. Mix lemon juice and remaining sugar in a large punch bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add Shiraz, club soda, and liqueur. Serve with ice, and garnish with sugared mint sprigs.

Courtesy of Martha Stewart


Thanks to Elana, Leslie and the whole
Mélangerie team for a fun night. If you couldn't make it, you can browse their products here. holiday sale on the shop from today through Dec 3: 10% off all items with code "THANKS" entered at checkout. Happy shopping!

They put a creative spin on the photo booth, check back tomorrow to see what they did and to see who captured my heart!

Photos Courtesy of: George Massim Photography

Party Etiquette

It's party season or at least I have been invited to my share of events lately. The lovely shower I attended last Saturday was the inspiration behind this post.

Ten tips on how to be a good guest:

1. Haven't gotten your spring pedicure yet? Tuck a pair of socks in your bag. If the hostess prefers you to leave your shoes at the door, you won't be uncomfortable to obey. (Elise, I forgot to return your socks, I am sorry, they are going to be washed and returned, I promise--with the internet as my witness!)

2. Confirm the address and directions before you leave the house. Don't rely on your memory or hand held device to get you where you are going. Apparently evite and the iPhone aren't compatible. I tried to click on the link and got an error message. Fortunately, my dear friend was available to hack into my gmail account (thanks Gabrielle!) and retrieved the information for me. This technical difficulty delayed my arrival.

3. Sometimes it's not what you give, but how you give it. My friend is having twin girls (how lucky is she!) I found adorable dresses with matching hats and shoes but instead of wrapping them in a box and tying it with a ribbon, I was inspired by the season. I got two Easter baskets. I filled them with pink grass, candy eggs, and put pink m&m's and pacifiers in plastic eggs and jelly beans in clear plastic baby bottles. The gift was complete with chick peeps. In the card, I wrote that I was looking forward to meeting her baby chicks!

4. I am invited to my friend's sister's husband's retirement party. It's fancy, I am excited to wear a dress and not be working. I love a party and they are a great family. I admittedly don't know the guest of honor well enough to personalize a gift for him. I was going to bake him cookies and wrap them in a lovely box. My friend tells me he is not into sweets. (I clearly don't understand, but...) Instead a mutual friend said she was going to bring wine. You can certainly personalize it with a wine bag, wrapping paper or a custom label... instead I am going to get lottery tickets, just a few to wrap around the wine bottle.

5. RSVP. My mom recently told me that she let my cousin know on the day-of that she wasn't coming to her daughter's birthday party. I sarcastically said that, that was kind of her to let her know, as now she can plan her food purchasing and preparing accordingly. Many people do put much thought into making sure they have enough seats, plates, food, party favors, goody bags, space, etc. The courtesy of a reply can save your hostess time, money and effort.

6.) Someone recently asked me, do I need to bring a gift? NEED to? no. But if you're stumped, gift cards, a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of liquor or chocolates are perfectly acceptable last minute and little effort gifts that are often appreciated.

7.) The only blackberries (or iPhones) at the party should be in the fruit salad or on top of the cupcakes. There are of course exceptions, depending on the circumstances.

8.) One of the lovely things I took from this shower, was from the gift giving. The hosts had each guest take the gift she brought and hand it to the guest of honor. After the mom-to-be opened it, the host photographed the mom-to-be with her friend and the gift. How nice is this for thank you card writing time! I love this modern twist on the hand written list of gifts received and who gave them.

9.) In New York it's common to have a doorman. Know the hosts last name or the apartment number. Hosts: Is the name the doorman knows you buy the same name on the invitation? Be sure to let your doorman know you're expecting company.

10.) Growing up in my family, parties were always a more the merrier, casual type of affair. We overcooked and rarely started gatherings on time. When I first moved to New York, I was invited to an engagement party, and that in itself should have made me take notice (engagement parties are less common in Wisconsin) Because the party was outside of the city and I wasn't yet comfortable navigating the outer boroughs, I brought a friend. The hosts were gracious and my guest and I had a great time, but it was a seated dinner and initially I was embarrassed for not having realized this. Check with the host before bringing uninvited guests.


Do you have a stash of gifts to pull from when you need something in a crunch? What has been your favorite gift recently? What was the worst gift you remember getting? What are your party pet peeves?

Happy April Fool's Day! Did anyone get you good this year?


Photo credit: Elan Artists

A New York Cocktail Party

It's party season for the event industry in New York City and they can certainly run the gamut from fine to fabulous. Recently I've been to Celsius, a new event space adjacent to The Pond at Bryant Park. The space is clean, white and has beautiful chandeliers.


David Tutera's book party at the W Hotel at Union Square was a great opportunity to meet new vendors and catch up with some old industry friends.

The event that took the cake for me in January was the event called Wedding Inspiration 2010. It was at Glass Houses
and was hosted by a selection of first rate wedding vendors in New York City and planned by Sofia Crokos. Why was the party so fabulous? Upon arrival, I was immediately welcomed by genuinely friendly women who were prepared to take my coat and told me exactly where I had to go. Excellent service, sincerity and first rate hospitality mean everything to me. I had time to warm up and compose myself on the elevator ride up. As the elevator doors opened I was greeted by another lovely host who handed me a beautiful letter pressed program designed by Lesley at A Day in May Design.


She explained that all the vendors hosting the evening's event were listed in there and if I wanted to meet anyone specially, just let her know and she'd be happy to introduce me. I appreciated this offer. My first impression of the room was stunning! Lewis Miller Design did a magnificent job, the décor was absolutely gorgeous. I will elaborate more on his designs in a post of its own.



Great conversations with magazine editors and popular bloggers were accompanied by strong cocktails and delicious bites.


My night ended with a miniature strawberry milk shake thanks to Diane Gordon Catering. The Treat Truck was outside waiting to send guests home in a sweet way. From start to finish it was a sophisticated and lovely affair.



Big thanks to Abby Ross for capturing these beautiful pictures and allowing me to share them with you. Cheers to the quintessential New York cocktail party!

40th Birthday Party

"Tammy Golson Events is exactly what I needed to plan my husband's 40th Birthday Party. I have always dreamed of having an event planner and after my experience with Tammy, I will never do a party without her again! I love to throw parties and for the first time in my life, I actually got to have conversations with my guests, I was not constantly worried about replenishing food or getting my guests drinks. Tammy was so easy going and just handled it all with a very professional yet stress free manner. She is classy, creative and very detail oriented. Our guests are still talking about the party!" -Nel Shelby

Wedding Photographer Christopher Duggan, of Threshold Visions enlisted my services for creating his 40th Birthday celebration. I was, of course, thrilled to help his wife plan this party.

Gallery Bar on Manhattan's lower east side was the place and Christopher said,

"My party Friday was one of the best nights of my life! I had so much fun. The food music and atmosphere were all perfect. We have had so many compliments! Everyone had a great time. You brought so much to the party: your expertise, your kindness, your creativity, your think-it-all-the-way-through know how. You turned a good party into a great one. You did a fantastic job and we are grateful. Thank you for EVERYTHING!"

A personalized message was projected on to a white wall, the artistic atmosphere was a perfect setting for this gathering. Guests were treated to delicious cupcakes by How Sweet It Is, great music by Matt Bonavita of Rhythm In Motion and a special photo opportunity. Christopher set up his camera using a remote control so friends and family members were able to pose with the guest of honor all evening long.

Christopher with friends and fellow photographers: Parris Whittingham and Robert Wagner.

Christopher's cousin Jim wrote an excellent roast and tailored it specially to Christopher poking fun at his recent weight loss, his bald head, acknowledging his wife, celebrating his role of dad and noting his comforting personality. The same cousin has the unique talent of twisting balloons and shaped balloons to replicate Christopher.



The feedback has been great, I was thrilled to be a part of this wonderful celebration.



Happy Birthday Christopher. Cheers to the next 40!

Best Bridal Shower of 2009

During these final weeks of the year, I am sharing some of the wonderful events I have worked on over the course of 2009.

Citrus and Sunshine


Avivit Fisher, the bride's friend and shower co-hosts designed this logo for the event.


This summer loving bride was showered on a private city rooftop terrace under the bright sunshine, sipping sparkling lemonade.


The guest of honor is a savvy vegetarian with excellent culinary skills. The bridal shower menu was planned using local and seasonal ingredients and carefully reflected her taste and personality.



The bride and groom are wine enthusiasts. There were four different white wines and four different red wines available for a tasting activity. Each bottle was disguised and labeled using photographs of the bride and groom from childhood. Burlap bags were not available at the last minute, brown bags were a suitable alternative. Guests were given a fill-in-the-blank sheet and challenged to guess what each wine was. If they needed a second sip, they'd ask for a Gabrielle at age three or Michael at age one. The activity got progressively entertaining.



The brides family and friends were asked to e-mail their favorite recipes and stories to the hosts. The turnout was excellent and this book was the end result. A recipe book is an excellent personalized favor for each guest to leave with. Avivit did an amazing job with the design of Our Culinary Collaboration.


The groom's sisters and nieces could not attend this shower but sent many family recipes including this one. This book is a great opportunity to acknowledge those who are far away and can only celebrate in spirit.


These cake like lemon flavored cookies were affixed with yellow raffia and a coordinating label with the shower design. They accompanied the book as a favor for each guest.



Personalized M&M's are still one of my favorite personalized details. While we've been writing messages on chocolate candies for years, photos on candy is relatively new option. What will M&M's come up with next?

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Thanks to Gabrielle and her friends for allowing me to share the details of this bridal shower. Huge thanks to Christopher Duggan of Threshold Visions Photography for capturing the details of this event in images.

Tell me about the most original shower you've ever been to? Have fun planning your next shower.

Best Kid's Party of 2009

As I look back on 2009 with enormous pride and joy, I am grateful for the abundance of professional opportunities I have had in the last twelve months. I also realize while I have offered bits and pieces of some of my most memorable events, I have not thoroughly shared the beautiful images and details of them. As we begin to bid farewell to the year, please join me as I showcase some of the best events I have had the privilege to plan and coordinate in 2009.

Andrew’s Third Birthday Train Party

There was never a question of what the theme of this party would be, as this three year old boy is deeply committed to his train tracks, engines and play regime. While Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite, his mom wanted the party to be personal, creative and thoughtful.


The information on the invitation was thorough, yet presented in a creative verse. This set the tone for the party and gave guests an idea of what to expect.


The wooden train glued to the loot bag was purchased pre-cut at a craft store (they have many other non train options) and gives the bag a clean and natural look. Painting them at the party was an activity on my rain plan alternative in the case of inclement weather. Each bag had a pin stripped conductor hat, a red bandanna, a wooden train whistle (sorry parents!) an individual box of train shaped cookies and candy.


The play list of train themed songs we created for the party was burned to blank CDs for guests to take home. This is an inexpensive favor or filler for any type of party. The CD cover was customized to coordinate with the invites, loot bags and over all concept of the party.


This activity book was made special for Andrew. It featured trains and his birthday. It was filled with pages to color, mazes, puzzles and photos.


I used Martha Stewart's train punch to make the cardboard trains resting on each miniature cupcake. The cupcakes sat on wooden train tracks surrounding the cookie bouquet. They took main stage so no traditional cake was needed. The birthday candles rested in a deep glass of m&m's. Train lollipops and railroad gum adorned the table. When entertaining in a client's home, I try to use their service pieces when it's appropriate. It seems fitting, but in this case the client's beautiful crystal vases would have been a classic contradiction to this casual kid's birthday party. Instead I found Pellegrino bottles in their recycling. The colors coordinated perfectly!


These are Brigadeiros, traditional Brazilian candies. The young guest of honor is half Brazilian so in honoring his culture these were served with dessert. Made with sweetened condensed milk, they are beyond delicious!

The activities were a train pinata, Put the Conductor in the Train Game and swimming.

Good luck planning your next birthday party!


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Thanks to Andrew and his family for allowing me to help them celebrate this special day. Thank you to fabulous Michigan photographer, Jen Kroll for capturing the details of this birthday party.


What are the fondest birthday memories from your childhood?

Celebrating Christmas

(Scratch and Sniff Christmas Cards)

It's beginning to look, feel, sound, taste and smell a lot like Christmas... I love this time of year leading up to the holidays. Let the shopping, eating, baking, drinking, entertaining, celebrating with friends and visiting with family begin.

Tonight I am thrilled to be attending a preview of Martha Stewart's Holiday Craft Sale. Employees of the company are talented and creative. They are selling handmade items which includes: jewelry, scarves, accessories and home décor items. The sale is open to the public tomorrow from 12-6.

Another unique shopping opportunity is the Brooklyn Flea.

Sunday is Christmas tree time! Trimming the tree is one of my favorite holiday rituals. I traditionally host a party inviting my friends to decorate my tree. This year, I am helping a friend deck his halls.

Another friend hosts a cookie exchange party annually. This year I have been invited to a cookie decorating party and a cooking contest party. Prizes will be awarded for: Best Presentation, Best Taste, Looks Store Bought, and Nice Try...Better Luck Next Year. Love that my friends are getting so creative and what a fun way to entertain in a recession.

How do you acknowledge the holidays and what is your favorite part(y) of the season?

Looking to celebrate with limited budget or time to invest? Celebrate Melangerie style with this fun and easy template for a fast and reasonable decor and tablescape alternative. Purchase the PDF here.


Want something more personalized or elaborate, we can still Make It Merry. Contact me for last minute holiday specials and host a creative, thoughtful and original party for 2-200 that your guests will cheer!

Unforgettable Desserts with The Party Goddess

Last week was a book party celebrating Dede Wilson's "Unforgettable Desserts"! How sweet it was! It was hosted at a precious room in Magnolia Bakery's new Upper West Side location.


Such a classic New York City storefront.




The Nutella sandwich cookies were a huge hit!


Thanks for Laura Baddish (r) of The Baddish Group for inviting me to this delightful party. She introduced me to Marley Majcher (l), THE Party Goddess who was in town planning a celebrity event. She was so lovely and gracious!

Photo Credit: Peter Doyle

Angel Food Cake

I love to entertain and that is truly why I started planning events professionally. Ironically, as business gets busier, the less I entertain. Tonight was the exception. We celebrated a friend's belated birthday. It was a small, but significant crowd. Taking inspiration from Julie and Julia (bought the soundtrack today) and too many hours of Top Chef, I had fun creating a menu tailored to the birthday girl. Our guest of honor's favorite cake is Angel Food. I borrowed a recipe from this blog. I made a few changes, was excited to use the vanilla a friend brought me back from Mexico, and I certainly recommend this recipe. It was very good, but should not be made while on the telephone.

The Best Angel Food Cake

adapted slightly from The Best Recipe

1 1/2 cups egg whites (10-12 large), room temperature
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and the cake flour. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until frothy, the add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until fully incorporated then begin to add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When sugar has been added, beat egg whites to soft peaks. You will know when you have soft peaks because the egg whites will look like soft waves and when you lift the beaters, the peaks will droop back down into the batter. If your batter is falling in ribbons, it is not quite down. Don’t be afraid to slow down the mixer and check a few times as you get close. Do not beat all the way to stiff peaks. Once you have soft peaks, add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat for a few seconds to evenly distribute.

Sift the flour/sugar mixture over the egg whites in 6-8 additions (depending on your proficiency with folding flour into egg whites) and gently fold it in after each addition. It is better to take your time and do it gently than to rush and deflate the egg whites.

Spoon batter into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan on the counter once or twice to ensure that there are no large bubbles lurking beneath the surface.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Mine took 55 minutes.

Remove from oven an invert pan over a bottle. Allow to cool completely or overnight.

Gently run a thin knife around the sides, then around the bottom, of the pan to release the cake when you are ready to serve it.

I topped with whipped cream and served fresh strawberry slices in a sweet sauce on the side.

Colin Notes

This gorgeous new book is an excellent addition to my event planning library.

My favorite Colin Cowie bits from this book are:

1.) Invitation envelope liners #4 on page 205. Find inspiration in the most beautiful
paper and plan your party around it.

2.) Good-night wishes on page 207. When planning a destination wedding, for turndown service, it is nice to have the staff place a prewritten card on your guests' pillows with a heartfelt thank you for their attendance. This is especially appropriate when your guests have traveled long distances.

3.) Handheld hearts on page 272. When guests arrive, they are invited to draw, from a designated bowl, heart-shaped crystals or stones, along with a set of printed instructions that ask the guests to hold the heart during the ceremony, to put their love and support and best wishes into this heart, and after the ceremony, to deposit the hearts in a box, for the bride and groom to keep. In this way, guests become even more emotionally vested in the ceremony- they are putting their own hearts, their love, wishes and energy, into these symbolic hearts.

Rob Rocks the 70's, 80's,90's and Today!

Happy 40th Birthday Rob! I am so glad to hear the party was a huge success. What a great group shot! Glad I could help Denise make your celebration special!