Mothers Day

During my life, I have held many roles. By far one of the most treasured roles I have played in this world, is a mother. My girls have been such a blessing from day one. Seeing them grow into amazing young women, has been worth every sleepless night when they were babies, all the tears, and skinned knees. Celebrating mothers is a time of year that I love because I love being a mom, it is such a large part of who I am.

Since I love celebrating Mother’s Day, I wanted to take time out of this week to help anyone still needing ideas for celebrating their mothers this week. Often it is just the acknowledgement and effort that makes all the difference and impact. There are many things that can still be done that will make the amazing women in your life feel appreciated.

For me, it isn’t about the grand gestures but the small meaningful details that I’ll never forgot. It is the handwritten card or the small bouquet of my favorite flowers. It is about a meal shared together. There is still time to create a personal card –pro tip if you are not crafty, you can have someone turn your ideas into something you can give. You can even just write personal notes in the card. Recently, I was writing a birthday card and I wrote in a memory in a few places in the card where it mentioned things I loved about my family member. For example, it said “where we laugh together,” and I wrote in a specific memory about a time we laughed together.

If you have a home garden, you can make a beautiful flower arrangement for your table. Or you can take a few flowers from a farmer’s market and create a small arrangement to show your love and appreciation. Flowers can help make any table feel fresh and welcoming. There is a certain type of happiness that flowers can bring to any space.

No matter what you choose to do for the women in your life to celebrate them this week, make sure that you do something that will make them feel appreciated and loved.

Bridal Week

April showers bring May flowers. And flowers make me think of weddings. We are officially entering the Bridal Season. Yes, there are bridal events and weddings happen year-round, but it seems like Spring and Summer are usually very heavy in all things Bridal. Even the Hallmark Channels shows wedding movies throughout the month of June because it is known to be the bridal month. Bring on the engagements, bridal showers, bridesmaid proposals, bachelorette parties and weddings!

As an event planner, I enjoy all things bridal. It is just a happy time and it brings such joy. It is such an honor to be trusted to work alongside you and your bridal party to help put together some of the events during your joyous celebrations. I love all the details that help to create your special day.

Being an event planner is only one side of who I am, I am also an avid crafter. There are so many things that I enjoy creating. Often these interests intersect. Brides and weddings, is an area that my interests run together. Recently, I have been crafting and curating boxes that Brides can use to ask their friends and family to share on their special day. These boxes can be used to ask members of your wedding party to be a part of your special day, or they can be used as gifts to give to your wedding party.

There are so many details that you must remember leading up to your wedding day. I’m here to help make those details be easy for you. Allow me to help you ask your loved ones to be a part of your special day. I can also help your friends and family as they shower you with love. Even beyond that, I can help take the stress off you the day of your wedding.

Don’t let the details and tasks spoil this exciting time in your life. Having someone involved in every aspect, will allow you to focus on enjoying each and every moment. Reach out today, to see how I can help relieve the stress of the details

Movie Nights

As the warmer weather is upon us, I don’t know about you but I am so excited for it. I find any excuse to be outside and enjoy the spring weather. One of my favorite type of events to do in the spring and early summer are backyard parties. Last year I introduced a new backyard party that I now offer, Movie Nights. I’ll handle the theme, the snacks and setup; you provide the backyard, the movie and anything extra you want to add.

Movie nights can be for celebrations such as birthdays, graduations, end of school…you name it, we can celebrate it! We can also throw a random movie night, just because. There are no limits when we put our imaginations together, and plan the perfect party for you. They can be family friendly, for the kids or just for the adults.

Last year, we did movie nights for Harry Potter, Tangled, Indiana Jones, Red and the Sandlot. Once you decide what movie you will be playing at your party, I will work out a theme and intertwine it throughout the snacks and décor. We’ll turn your backyard into a fun cinema experience for an evening.

I’ve also done themed parties that would be great movies nights, the one the comes to mind, is the Hocus Pocus party I did. This would be a great fall evening activity. The options are nearly limitless to put together a one of kind backyard event, in your own back yard.

Some of the setup items that I provide are blankets, pillows and the movie screen and projector. The snack bar includes drinks and snacks that are movie themed, variety and amount depend on your budget. I can work within your budget, to make this event one for the books.

Black and White with a Pop of Blue

This week Fall officially begins, and after the crazy heat we’ve had in California recently, boy am I ready. The crisp weather is welcome, where there are many outdoor parties and events to be had. Luckily, the weather cooled down for a gender reveal party that I helped to planned.

The gender reveal party was outside, and I was worried about the poor Mom-to-be, if the heat wave would have continued. However, we thanked our lucky stars that the heat broke, and we were able to have a beautiful party celebrating the First-time Mom and her baby.

I was really excited when the mom shared her ideas with me. While I had heard of her theme of Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star, I had never seen a black and white themed gender reveal. It always excited me when there is something new, I can create from. It helps to make the party or event, standout from what is typically done for that type of party.

The deeper I got into the party planning, the more in love with the Black and White theme, I was. The only color in the party was the confetti that would come from the cannon shot by the mom-to-be. It felt like we got an early start in celebrating the baby, as they were the only pop of color in the party.

The wait is over, and after being trusted with the top-secret info from the doctor, we now know…. IT’S A BOY!!! The blue confetti blanketed the space. It was amazing to be a part of celebrating this beautiful new life.

I hope you have a fantastic start to Fall this week. There are so many fun things in the works for this Fall over here. I can’t wait to take you along on the journey! 

Party in a Pinch

Labor Day Weekend is upon us. I hope that you all can find time to enjoy it however you want to enjoy it; maybe relaxing by the pool, a barbeque with friends and family, or getting things done around the house. My family will be spending it low-key and just a relaxing get together.

Summer may be ending as we celebrate Labor Day, but that does not mean that barbeque season is over. There is always a reason to have a get together and share a meal. However, sometimes life gets in the way, and you are scrambling to find the right dish to bring. Maybe you got a late invite, or you totally forgot that the barbeque is today. No worries, we have a few ideas that will be crowd pleasers and make it look like you’re on your game.

Below I wanted to share a few recipes that only take a few ingredients but are definitely crowd pleasers! Some of these ingredients you may keep in your fridge or pantry, or maybe just a quick run to the grocery store. Sometimes you need to be ready in a pinch, and don’t worry these will help you be ready on the spot.

I hope that however you spend your Labor Day weekend, it is a great weekend!

Crock Pot BBQ Meatball Recipe

This Easy Crock Pot BBQ Meatball Recipe is the perfect party appetizer!  Delicious and just 3 ingredients!

26 oz. Fully Cooked Frozen Meatballs

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce

1 cup Welch’s Concord Grape Jam

Add 1 cup Barbecue Sauce and 1 cup Grape Jam to medium bowl and combine thoroughly.

Place frozen Meatballs in 5-6 Quart Slow Cooker, covering Meatballs with contents from medium bowl.

Place lid on your Slow Cooker and heat Meatball mixture on Low for 4 hours or High for 2 hours, or until done. Stir mixture occasionally.

Once done, set your Slow Cooker to the ‘WARM’ setting. Enjoy your delicious meatballs right away or enjoy them slowly during your Party or Football Game.

Optional: try serving as sliders with a slice of Swiss or Cheddar Cheese

Cucumber Tomato Salad

This Cucumber Tomato Salad is a classic summer staple that is a potluck favorite. Enjoy all on its own or serve it with fish, chicken, pork, or grilled steak!

2 whole English cucumbers, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 small Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 whole red onion, halved, sliced thin

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Feta cheese, optional

Place cucumbers, tomato, and onion in a large bowl.

Put water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tightly fitted lid. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds to incorporate.

Pour dressing over the cucumbers and tomatoes. Mix to coat.

Cover bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors blend. 

Drain off the liquid; sprinkle with fresh dill and serve.

It all Starts with an Invitation

Happy August! I hope everyone is surviving this crazy heat that has been happening everywhere. The movie night that closed out July went amazing.  Other than that, there has been a lot of pool time with friends and family, and spending time inside in the nice cool air.

While inside, I have been working on so many projects. Something that you may not know about me, is that I am a huge crafter. My happy place is in my craft space. I’ve been using my Cricut to make cups. However, my creative juices went in a different direction this month and I have been creating digital party invites.

The invite is one of the small touches that can set the tone for any party. The invite can tell you a lot more than just the words written on it. It can be easy to see if the party will be formal or have a specific theme. It is also something that adds personalization to your party.

Themes can be subtle or over the top. An invitation can be as simple as tying in the color scheme of the party or truly giving the party a life of its own. I’ve been enjoying making invites for kid’s birthday parties. Tying in the various themes.

A good play on words can become the whole theme, like One S’more Year, or Ready Four the Stars. These now become the theme and truly provide direction for planning the party. I love being a part of all of your parties, in all ways big or small.

I am so excited to share with you some new recipes, party planning tips and take you along as we close out summer and begin prepping for fall. For those who have already started back at school, I hope the year is off to a great start. And to those who school hasn’t started back yet, enjoy the last of summer. I know I am!

Summer at the Movies

Can you believe July is almost over?! We were just talking about the Fourth of July, and now the month is almost over. July I’ve been focusing on Movie Nights. Last Sunday Scoop we talked about the movie night at the Moose Lodge watching The Sandlot. And now, I have been planning a new movie night that will be happening soon.

Back in May, I put a 4-person movie night into a school auction. It is very important to me to give back to our community. This seemed like a great way to give back and to allow a family to enjoy a fun evening. I’ve been excited to work with the auction winner to plan a unique movie night.

The auction winner turned client decided to turn the event into a 15-person party to watch Indiana Jones. We discussed the snacks, and from there I’ve come up with a themed concession stand for the guests to enjoy. I can’t wait to see this movie night play out.

It is small attention to details that can take a party up a level. Themes can be as subtle or over the top, as you want it to be. I’ll cover more of the details about all the ways we used them movie theme in the concession stand in my August Newsletter, after the movie night happens. I don’t want to ruin the surprise before the party!

I hope everyone enjoys their last week of July and stays cool in this heat. There is so many fun things in the works here at Raven Events. Make sure you are following along on Instagram and subscribed to the newsletter. I’ll be sharing recipes, party tips and taking you behind the scenes in party planning.

Celebrating the 4th of July

Happy July Everyone! I am not sure how we are already in July, but here we are. The start of July means time to celebrate July 4th. This year, I had such a great time celebrating with the local Moose Lodge. The entire weekend was jammed backed with fun activities.

First up on the weekend itinerary decorating the float for the annual Fourth of July Parade, covering it in all things red, white and blue. Parades provide a great way to support the community, either participating or watching. It was a great way to celebrate the nation and all the organizations and people in the community.

We also hosted a family movie night at the Moose Lodge, watching a family summer classic, The Sandlot. We filled the movie night concession stand with hotdogs, chips, Baby Ruth candy bars, Big Chew bubble gum, cookies and cupcakes. Both the movie and the concession stand was a hit with parents and the kids.

 I loved hearing them laugh, play and just enjoy the evening! One of the moms kept telling me how much she loved the idea of a family movie night. In fact, I think we are going to make it a quarterly event at the Moose Lodge. I am so excited to be able to continue sharing family movies nights with the Moose Lodge family.

 They rounded out the weekend at the Moose Lodge with an open house. They served up free hamburgers, hotdogs and macaroni salad. The adults enjoyed a nice game of pool, while the kids were running around playing tag. It wouldn’t be the Fourth of July without a magnificent firework display, and they did not disappoint. The fireworks were a spectacular way to end a beautiful Fourth of July weekend.

 All in all, great fun was had with great people. I hope you had a great Fourth of July, however you celebrated. I am looking forward to all of the fun thing’s summer has holds.

Summer Travels

Summer Travels 

Happy summer everyone, I started off my summer full of travels. My husband and I took a cruise to Alaska, it was amazing. We traveled through the princess cruise line. The cruise ship was clean, very Covid Cautious, great size state rooms, they have movie nights out on the deck, bingo, a beautiful library where you can sit and read a book, they also offer a large list of excursions while at port. They offer five-star dining, delicious coffee, yummy treats and the best cocktails. If you're looking for an all-inclusive vacation this is a perfect option and I highly recommend it!! 

Excursion Fun 

Our first stop was in Juneau, and It’s known for its seafood, so what better way to try some of their famous foods and go on a foodie tour. We had some lobster bisque, crab cakes, seafood sushi and some delicious ice cave blue tea to name a few. Our last stop was a local favorite bar, where we enjoyed a beer flight. Next up was Skagway where we took a beautiful train ride on the white pass railroad up the mountain, so much history behind the railroad and the most scenic views. Our cruise ship had a scenic day, and we went through the glaciers, and we got to see it all from our stateroom balcony. It was some of the most beautiful scenery ever seen. The water and glaciers were so blue, like a blue you’ve never seen before. One of my favorite stops was Ketchikan. It seemed a little bit more modern, with more shops and restaurants but still had the feel of a slower pace town. We saw the lumberjack show and it was just the funniest thing ever. They were cracking jokes, seeing who could cut the lumber the fastest and also talking about the history of a lumberjack. I found it very interesting and if you’re ever in Ketchikan I highly recommend you see it. We also enjoyed some delish crab legs; I’m going to say the best crab legs I’ve ever had!! Our last stop was Prince Ruppert. It didn't seem like a lot was going on in that town, but I did get some good donuts and some coffee at Tim Hortons.

Winery Wedding

 This last weekend my family and I attended the most beautiful wedding for a perfect couple. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing the bride since she was a baby and her and my daughter have been best friends ever since.

The venue was absolutely beautiful in Elk Grove, CA at Wolfe Heights Winery, with a beautiful gazebo for the ceremony, a peaceful creek through the lashing gardens and a cute fountain. 

They added such lovely details from the welcome sign to the seating chart and beautiful bouquets.

 The weather was gorgeous. We gathered with family and friends and we danced the night away.

Birthday Movie Night

What better way to kick off the summer than with this backyard movie night birthday party. They wanted a fun and cozy atmosphere. This party was so much fun to put together and the smile on the little girls and moms faces are the reason I love being an event planner. The movie choice was Turning Red and it’s about a little girl who is stuck in between childhood and adolescence. This movie was perfect for ten 11 year-old girls. They wanted something fun and cozy for the girls to enjoy outside underneath the evening stars. I set up a big white tent with twinkle lights, lots of blankets and pillows to snuggle in and enjoy the movie. The concession stand was set up with chips, candies and drinks and each stand is customized to your favorites. They also added a yummy popcorn bar with lots of sweet toppings and I made some cute little popcorn tubs for favors, all customizable with the names of the guest and movie title. The best part was when the birthday girl came up and asked if she could help me set up the concession stand. That just made my heart so happy.

Celebration of Life

These past few months have been really hard. My mother-in-law passed away in February. She had Covid and got very sick, went to the hospital and never got to come home. While in the hospital she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma which is blood cancer The cancer and Covid were just fighting each other. She was in the hospital for 15 days by herself due to Covid restrictions. Her body was tired, and she passed away on February 8th. 

I got the pleasure of planning her celebration of life and to be able to honor her and set up something so beautiful I know she would’ve enjoyed it. From a personal point of view I felt such grief, sadness and wondered how things would ever be the same and from a business point of view I saw how helpful an event planner could be for such a sad time in someone’s life and take the stress off the family when planning such an event You’re planning a party for someone that means so much to you and in the back of your mind you think that they’re going to walk in the door and celebrate with you. During these times you have to remember to give yourself grace with the venue, vendors, caterers and rentals. Know that things are not always going to go as planned. With this event I had the caterer cancel two weeks before the event and had to look for another caterer and it was all still perfect.  It was a blessing in disguises. 

My mother-in-law had so much life to live. She loved her family so much, lived for her grandkids, loved to vacation, was a great cook and she really liked to shop! 

Our lives will be forever changed. 

Lavender Fields Bridal Shower

It was such a beautiful day for a shower, to celebrate this beautiful bride to be. The theme of this bridal shower was a surprise for the bride. When deciding on the theme I thought about what I knew about the bride. I went with a rustic theme with rustic and wood elements to complement the sage and lavender colors. This combination of colors is so beautiful and with the slight breeze the lavender filled the air. 

I always love working on the menu with my clients. For the bridal shower we decide on a charcuterie board with a great section of cheese, meats, fruits and a wonderful pumpkin spread. The salami roses added such a beautiful touch to the board. The parfait bar was perfect with the most colorful and tasty berries, nuts, granola and whipped cream topping. The chicken sandwiches were so good. I’m telling you these ladies need to start a catering business, everything was so delicious. Let me be the one to tell you these cupcakes not only looked pretty but tasted amazing! 

You can’t have a bridal brunch without mimosas. They were so refreshing and hit the spot on this beautiful day. The mimosas sign added a little glam to the table. You can never go wrong with teas, water and lemonade for a beverage bar.

Cheers to 26

This young lady just got her first place and wanted to invite her closest friends over to celebrate her birthday.

She wanted simple and elegant party with a little bit of pop. What better way to celebrate then with a champagne brunch! Adding frozen grapes to the mimosa bar was a frozen treat that melted in your mouth along with the delicious cheese perfectly arranged on the giant charcuterie board! For the glasses I put some gummy bears, cotton candy and rock candy, just to add a little sparkle. Not far from the bubbles of champagne was a gold and white balloon arch that hung over the dessert table.

The fun and colorful photo backdrop was a place where guests could take a quick memory with the birthday girl.

She wanted a small dessert bar, so I did a white cake with cute little candy pearls, chocolate cover Oreos and fun festive cookies.

Party like a Pineapple

Who’s ready for summer? I am and what a way to kick of the season with this fun pineapple party. I love how this small girl’s night turned out. These Fushia chargers bring so much color to this table. I love these cylinder vases filled with water, flowers and a floating candle, it gives some beautiful lighting. This fruit bar was a hit with assorted fruits with caramel, chocolate and marshmallows for toppings. This pineapple cake was to die for! Along with cake pops covered marshmallows and pretzels.

Safari Sprinkle

What better way to welcome baby boy then this beautiful Safari Sprinkle. This party is very gender-neutral with cream, greens, burlap and natural accents. All tables start with a simple white tablecloth, burlap runner and palm leaves. The tablescape centerpieces are large mason jars, vases. tree bark slices and arrangements are hydrangeas and palm leaves.

The dessert table is set with a beautiful backdrop, with a white drape, balloons and welcome sign. On the dessert table I used natural platters, gold safari figurines and confetti.

Beverage bars are a simple and nice add on to any event.

Luck of the Irish

This was such a fun little party I set up just for my family. It was so simple and fast to put together. I stated off with a shamrock tablecloth, with gold chargers, festive napkins and green napkin rings. I used clear goblets and I filled with glitter shamrocks for a little splash of color. The gold glitter vases and colorful flowers added a nice touch. For desserts we had some pot of gold cupcakes and cake pops

Pretty in Pink

This was such a beautiful bridal shower in November. The tablescape was started with a cream tablecloth and I used rose taffeta for the middle of the tables. Place settings were wood grain charger, topped with white plates and rose napkins. I used 2 different vases a pink and clear one with gold around the bottom. They were filled with a variety of pink and white flowers. The simple pink candles on top of platted mirrors add a little glam to the tables.

Outside they had a mimosa bar served with orange, pineapple, cranberry juices and fruits.

Galentines Brunch

Galantines brunch is always fun with your favorite gals. Galantines must always start with a mimosa. Then serve a yummy yogurt parfait to start. Next up a waffle bar with all the fixings, Nutella, whip cream, peanut butter and your choose of bacon or sausage. All set with a pink table runner and a lovely centerpiece with flowers in pink, white and red. Place setting are clear chargers with rose gold beads and a white plate on top. The pink champagne glass is a nice add of color.

Adventure Awaits

You can’t say buffalo and not think trail mix. I used a black tablecloth, with burlap and plaid cloth pieces. Add tree bark pieces, tin buckets and fill with all your favorite snacks. I use pretzels, popcorn, dried fruit and of course some sweet candies. This charcuterie board is such a crowd pleasure for any party, and you can add almost anything. Somethings I like to add are meats, cheeses, fruit and cookies. If you are looking for a super easy favor these are it. Just a mason jar with honey, add some ribbon and a sticker and call it a favor!