so i hope i have whet your appetite and you are ready to plan your own fabulous mardi gras inspired soiree. remember, we only need two people to have a party and let’s be honest, how many of us haven’t had a party just for ourselves anyway?!! i believe we should put a little fabulous-ness into every ordinary moment…so go for it!

here a few tips to get you started:

color palette – festive, festive and festive!

traditional mardi gras is purple, green and gold, but as you may have seen from my previous posts i like to mix things up a bit, and give a little of the unexpected. to me what’s important, is the spirit, so I suggest you choose any color combo that moves you! but, including a little glitz with the gold is always nice!

music – jazz and blues

you can’t have mardi gras without some jazz. oh how i love those sultry tunes.

some of my favorite artists are miles davis, billie holiday and nina simone. for modern flavor indulge in these compilations, modern jazz for rock fans and 2009 really raw honey underground mix.

tastings – hot, spicy and of the sea!

a shrimp or chicken gumbo is a great one-pot meal that is quick and easy to prepare, and even easier to eat! a shrimp boil, or a jamaican version of that, pepper shrimp, goes perfectly with our theme. oysters would also be a lovely addition.

and because we must give in to our sweet tooth, a simple southern dessert, such as banana’s fosters in filo dough served with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of carmelized rum is just yummy. (one of my personal favorites, courtesy of my one of my dearest friends and favorite chefs!)

glamour puss tip: ditch the shells and serve oysters from shooter glasses instead. stack glasses in a large galvanised bowl packed with ice.

cocktails

a traditional mardi gras beverage is the hurricane. beer is also a must for mardi gras, and it always goes well with seafood too. but why not add a little chic by serving a colorful and delicious passion fruit caipirinha. and, if you don’t want to lose the southern charm, serve in old-fashioned glass tumblers.

source - www.gourmet.com

i think you’re ready to go now!

remember, feel free to email me for any of these recipes which you may be interested in trying, and please let me know how it goes

cheers,

aiesha

cheers,

aiesha

on friday i did the decor for a mardi gras themed party. it was very fun to do!

i wanted to share it with you because its one of those themes that is fairly easy to put something great together because of the oodles of decor and novelty items available! and the best part is, that if you are in the DIY mood, there is lots you can do to put your own fabulous touch on it, as well save on costs! isn’t that what we all love  to hear? fab and affordable in the same sentence!!

this is a three-part post where i will show you some of the prep pictures – all the decor you will see, with the exception of the beaded curtains, i made, and even the curtains my team and i sprayed with a custom colour! part 2 will display the actual installation at the party and part 3 will give you some other cool tips and ideas.

here are the the prep pics!

please let me know if you have any questions at all.

cheers,

aiesha