Lacey and Andrea are not only coworkers here at Kate Aspen, but they are roommates too! Inspired by our Vineyard themed petite gifts & favors, they hosted a wine party. Here are a few tips for hosting a party like Lacey and Andrea’s:

At your wine party, supply a wine glass for each guest and small bites to eat while everyone is sampling and tasting. Lacey and Andrea chose a few different cheeses that paired well with the wines they selected, along with crackers, sliced bread, fruit, and olives. They labeled the cheese with our “Maison du Vin” Wine Cork Place Card Holders and used our coordinating “Vintage Reserve” Stainless-Steel Spreaders. Kate Aspen’s “Olive You” Olive Dish and Spreader was the perfect dish to hold olives for the party and they definitely added some pizzazz to the wine tasting spread.

For a blind wine tasting, you will need bottle labels to hide the identity of each bottle of wine.  Lacey used her graphic design expertise to make wine labels that compliment the packaging of the Kate Aspen Vineyard favors that used for the party. Click here to download our Wine Tasting Party Labels that you can cut out and tape to your wine bottles.

Use simple score cards and ask guests to score the wines on appearance, aroma, body, taste, and finish. After everyone has finished scoring, make sure to cork all of the bottles using Kate Aspen’s “Vineyard Select” Enamel and Chrome Bottle Stopper and then reveal the identity of all of the wine labels.

Lastly, what good Wine Party Hostess would let their guests leave without presenting them with a wine party favor? Lacey and Andrea gave their guests the “Bordeaux Vineyards” Stainless-Steel Corkscrew favor for coming to their wine party – everyone loved them!

Throwing a wine tasting party is so much fun and pretty easy!  Gather some wine, bottle labels, good food, good friends, Kate Aspen Vineyard themed favors and you’re guaranteed a fabulous time!

Happy planning!

A drum roll, please!

Stocking stuffers! Christmas is just a little more than a month away, so it’s time to think about rocking the stocking with a small, personal gift you know will bring a smile to someone’s face! Why favors?

So glad you asked! Favors fit perfectly into virtually every stocking size, and it’s easy to find a favor to suit almost anyone. Pick a different favor for everyone on your list or find one favor with special meaning and buy a bunch to get the price break!

Here’s a personal example—I not only love to read, I also do everything I can to encourage reading for both kids and adults. My stocking stuffer last year was the lovely, winter themed “Snowflake” bookmark with stunning ice-blue tassels. As you’ll see when you head to Kate Aspen’s site, we feature bookmark favors in several styles! Buy one or two—or more than a few!

Getting together with lots of girlfriends over the next few weeks? How about stuffing their stockings with a manicure kit favor or a trendy luggage tag?

And who among us doesn’t have a few family and friends who are exceedingly fond of tea? Toss one of our terrific tea favors in each fabric footie, and their cups will runneth over with delight!

When beverage preferences include beer and wine, we’ve got you covered—stuffer-wise—there, too! Drink in these bottle stoppers and bottle openers; they’re just a few of the choices we have in our collection!

Well, now that you’re stuffed with useful information—specifically, why Kate Aspen favors make “little gift” shopping a piece of fruitcake, I’ll be on my way to find more bright ideas for your holiday!

Happy HOLIDAY Planning!

So glad to see you back! We’re still having the time of our lives giving you the low-down on high times—Cosmo-style. Let’s jump right into it—

Mushy Movie Night
Here’s another get-together that can take place at home or away. The only rule is that it has to be a mushy movie—no horror, action or war movies. Two-tissues or more movies only! Order pizza for delivery, have everyone bring a dish or, after the movie, head to a favorite restaurant to eat and enjoy—what else? Cosmos! Wrap up the evening by giving your guests a girls’ night out favor that keeps the party going when they get home—“Bottoms Up!” Cosmopolitan Cocktail Mix. All they’ll need is a mushy movie and a box of tissues.

“Vive la France” Night
Hey, if you’ve got the money to transport your party to Paris, don’t let us stop you. In fact, we’d love an invitation! If you’re like us, you’ll have to bring the Eiffel Tower to your own town. It’s easy! Wear berets. Eat at a French restaurant—go for the snails, the frog legs and the croissants. (French fries are not an option.) See a French movie. You might even want to treat yourselves to a bottle French champagne at dinner (and end the night with Cosmos at a good ol’ American bar or night club.) Oh, and French-themed favors are perfectly acceptable as a reminder for your tres magnifque soiree (totally magnificent evening!) Yes, we’ve got those, too!

“Far Out” Food-Tasting Night
Well, we find ourselves with another night that can be just as much fun home or away. And we’re talking really far-out food—exotic foods you’ve never tasted before. This might sound a little like “Vive la France” night, with the snails and frog legs. Look for a Peruvian restaurant, an Ethiopian restaurant, a Bulgarian restaurant or a place equally as different from your typical girls’ night out fare. If you host the night at home, ask each guest to make an unusual (but yummy-sounding) dish from another country. (Tacos and lasagna don’t count.) Add a few interesting side dishes of your own, and don’t forget the Cosmos—which go with foods of all nations!

Having fun, ladies? Welcome to the club!

Happy Planning!

A bunch of us girls are sitting here listening to some outstanding music (Hotel California by Eagles followed by some REM and Justin Beiber’s Favorite Girl—we’re a pretty eclectic group!), exchanging hilarious “girls’ night out stories” (some of which are pretty crazy) and laughing a lot. We’re also sipping luscious Cosmopolitans, which seem to be an element of most of the narratives we’re hearing. There’s a reason for that.

When you’re out to have fun, a little loosening up never hurts, and nothing does it in better taste than a perky, pink Cosmopolitan—the cocktail made famous by the TV show Sex and the City. It’s definitely a girly drink, but hey, we’re girls—and we do have excellent taste. We’re pretty sure you do, too, so our little group gathering is dedicated to growing our membership (including you!) and sharing a few of our cool ideas for a cosmo-fueled girls’ night out!

“Girls’ Night In” Spa Party

Okay, you got us. A spa party is as cliché as bar hopping for a girls’ night out. We do it with a bit of a twist. We make it a “girls’ night in”, and bring the spa to us. Check with your local spas to see which ones will come to your home for manis, pedis, facials, massages, etc. Have each guest bring an appetizer, and be sure to have plenty of Cosmopolitan components on hand! You’ll send everyone home relaxed, refreshed and ready to make their own Cosmopolitans with this handy “Oh, So Cosmopolitan!” Reversible Recipe Coaster! Speaking of recipes, here’s the basic recipe for a Cosmopolitan, which you’ll find on one side of the coaster:

4 oz. Vodka
2 oz. Triple Sec
2 oz. Cranberry Juice
1 oz. Lime Juice
1 Orange Slice
A Twist of Lime

Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge on the rim, serve, sit back and unwind.

Belly Dancing Bash

Here’s an evening that will leave you breathless—in more ways than one. Take a belly-dancing class and shake what you’ve got for a couple of hours—long enough to work up a thirst. Then head to a favorite watering hole to cap off the evening with cosmopolitans, nourishment and a few belly laughs!

“Go Directly to Jail” Game Night

The beauty of a girls’ game night is that you can stay in and play board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Apples to Apples (a fabulous game!), Trivial Pursuit or whatever you love to play. Combine it with Cosmos and canapés and go for the win! Or, if you live near a casino, hit the gaming tables—blackjack, roulette, poker, the slots. The Cosmos will come to you. However, please do make it a point not to do anything that will cause you to “go directly to jail!”

On that cautionary note, we’ll save a few more Cosmo-cool ideas for girls’ night out until next time. Meanwhile, think film, France and far-out food!

Happy Planning!