The Ultimate Mardi Gras Cocktail Party

Mardi Gras Party Recipes and Ideas

The ultimate Mardi Gras cocktail party requires the ultimate selection of Mardi Gras cocktails and appetizers, served in an environment totally decked out in the ultimate Mardi Gras theme. Purple, green and gold are traditional background colors for this carnival of carnivals. However, Mardi Gras cocktail recipes tempt pallets with bourbon, rum and fruit juice, while popular appetizers are made with spicy, New Orleans essence.

Festive Mardi Gras Cocktail Party Recipes

Hurricane

Classic Mardi Gras Hurricanes are made with 1 part rum (equal portions of dark and light), 2 parts fruit juice (orange, pineapple and passion preferred), a dash of grenadine syrup and a hint of fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, squeeze fresh lime juice over the top, add the rest of the ingredients and shake thoroughly. Pour hurricane cocktail into festive Fat Tuesday tableware cocktail glasses, garnished with an orange slice and topped with a cherry to serve.

Tiger Paw

Mix equal parts Southern Comfort, pineapple juice and raspberry wine over a shaker filled with ice. Strain cocktail into a martini glass garnished with fruit and serve on personalized Mardi Gras coasters.

New Orleans Hand Grenade

Mix equal parts gin, grain alcohol, melon liquor, rum and vodka over ice. Add water and sugar to taste and stir well. Guests drinking these powerful cocktails are likely to enjoy wearing festive Mardi Gras glitter masks, and lots of Mardi Gras beads, celebrating the true spirit of Mardi Gras well into the evening.

Easy Crabmeat Spread

 Combine 6 ounces of flaky crabmeat (fresh or canned) with 8 ounces of soft cream cheese and ¼ Cup salsa. Heat mixture in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until warm, but not hot. Serve with an assortment of crackers.

Golden Triangles

 12 sheets frozen phyllo dough

½ cup melted butter

Cajun Pork Filling

Apricot Dipping Sauce (optional)

Lightly brush one sheet of phyllo dough with some melted butter. Place another sheet on top of first sheet and brush with butter. Cover remaining phyllo dough and set aside. Cut buttered phyllo dough into six equal, horizontal strips. Place 1 tablespoon Cajun pork filling approximately 1 inch from end of strip. Fold one corner over, diagonally, lining it up with edge of strip to create triangle. Continue folding up the strip, until phyllo dough has many layers and is a single triangle appetizer. Repeat for remaining strips. Use rest of phyllo dough to make many more appetizers. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for approximately 10 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with Apricot Dipping Sauce if desired.

Cajun Pork Filling

Thoroughly cook 8 ounces ground pork in a medium skillet. Add 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and cook for another minute. Stir in ½ Cup soft cream cheese, 1/3 Cup grated carrot and a few dashes hot pepper sauce to taste. Mix well.

Apricot Dipping Sauce

Combine ½ Cup apricot preserves and 1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce in a 1-Cup glass measuring cup. Stir in 1 Tablespoon thinly sliced green onion and ½ teaspoon finely grated orange peel. Microwave on high for approximately 1 minute, until bubbly and warm.

Anniversary Ideas For Guys

Simple Anniversary Ideas to Impress Her

Recreate your honeymoon. Click to beach party supplies.

Okay, men you’re thinking this anniversary planning stuff is just not a “guy” thing and you may be so right; but, she doesn’t have to know how easy it is to implement these creative anniversary ideas. Just a few clicks here and there and you’ve created an anniversary party she won’t forget.

Take Her To The City of Lights

How about a romantic night in Paris without the transatlantic flight? It can be done with Parisian props and the Goldlights of Paris Kit, which includes the Arc De Triumphe Arch and Eiffel Tower to simulate the romance of the Parisian skyline. Create anniversary invitations with lots of personalized choices to get the word out about the special event.

Rock Around The Clock

The party will be peachy keen with a trip to Mel’s Drive-In. Why, party-goers will almost smell the burgers and fries with the 50’s diner photo background. She will look groovy in her poodle skirt and scarf – 50′s costumes. Choose hot pink tableware for the diner. And, don’t forget the stacks of wax and mounds of sounds with your At the Hop Party 50′s Party Music CD. Everyone will be lip-syncing all night long.

Go West Young Man

All the buckaroos will have a great time at your western party theme anniversary. Western party favors include Sheriff’s badges with personalized labels. All will have fun at the party and no one will want to “get out of Dodge.”

It’s Not A Gamble

Hit the jackpot with a casino night party. Wheelers and dealers are greeted with casino theme banners and you can bet the photo poker chips with the anniversary couple’s photo on each chip is a sure party winner.

Don’t Forget The Food

Any of the anniversary party theme ideas should include catered party supplies to help create the theme atmosphere and make set-up, serving and clean-up easy.

Party essentials include plastic champagne glasses for the toast, stay put table covers, squiggle straws, and snap apart plates What a novel idea!

See sir, you did great in planning your next anniversary party. She knew you could do it.

Shep & Wendy Moyle’s 20th Anniversary Best Party List

Shep and Wendy Moyle celebrate their 20th Wedding Anniversary, September 8, 2010

September 8, 2010 marks the 20th wedding anniversary of Shindigz owners, Shep and Wendy Moyle.

From Wendy: As party of our 20th anniversary celebration, here are the 20 most exciting parties that have happened in the Moyle family the past 20 years:

1. Wedding party – great band (Dr. Bop and the Headliners), friends from all over, family, yummy food (or so I was told since I didn’t have time to eat), beautiful room at the IU Memorial Union and an awesome date!

2. My 40th surprise party – I had no idea. Luau party theme around the pool, more dancing, fabulous decor and loads of chocolate.

3. Madison’s Sweet 16 – white out party. Wonderful group of teens, the set up amazing with lights, white balloons and a bit of neon.

4. Max’s Harry Potter party with a backyard full of boys running/flying around on brooms, dressed as Harry Potter looking for the golden snitch.

5. Chase’s construction party with mini construction cars everywhere, a “dirt” cookie crumb cake, boys in hard hats and a visit from our friend who works in construction with a real Bobcat.

6. Shep’s birthday golf surprise party. Where we all played a 9-hole scramble. He too was surprised. The golf decor so much fun with each table a different hole design.

7. My parent’s 50th anniversary where we all took a trip together complete with color coordinating T-shirts by family.

8. My 49th birthday (hard to believe it was this year) the triathlon scavenger hunt that sent me all over the 1000 islands in Ontario by bike, foot and water. Followed by a surprise party with family (like a mini reunion) I’m not sure if the Wendy candy bars, wendy mini standees or the banners were the biggest hit with old and young alike. I did eat at this party and it was delicious.

9. 50s Sock hop at School – the ShindigZ team did a great job with the help of the 9th grade class to transform the school cafeteria into a 50′s diner. The hot dogs and root beer floats never tasted better. And I think I could get used to the poodle skirt!

10. Grand Mary’s 70th was a wonderful surprise party. With the Swing Band theme everyone was up dancing old and young alike.

11. Euchre parties quarterly – it is hard to select one exact euchre party, but we have been getting together 4 times a year to play cards with a great group of friends. Through the years we get fewer rounds in but the laughs have increased. Always a favorite.

12. Third Grade Christmas party – western theme. It was a hoot. The kids all decorated red cowboy hats with garland and bells, we played a bit of country christmas music and laughed as the teacher attempted to pop the balloon by sitting on it in the balloon/pop/christmas charades relay race.

13. 8th grade graduation – so far we have celebrated two 8th grade graduations. With banners tied to the trolley and large banners with photos from kindergarten on up. A happy passing of time. This year, we will celebrate a high school graduation.

14. Fall hay rides/bonfires – although I prefer the warm weather, there is nothing like a cool fall afternoon/evening around the bonfire. My friend Carol fills Sunday’s in October with fun around the fire, great food and a hay ride with much song singing. I have been to so many, I’ve lost count. My favorite is when our friend Richard from South Africa joined us – we still laugh about the “why do we ride around in the woods in a wagon filled with hay?”. Not a common activity in SA.

15. Annual Christmas Cookie exchange- my calm in the December holiday storm of events. Fabulous girlfriends, yummy food, book exchange, laughter and much girl talk. And perhaps a glass of wine or two. This past year I gave personalized cookie tins filled with delicious Brownstone cookies as a party gift.

16. Chase and Max’s basketball parties. Basketball is a much loved sport around our home so each of the boys has had at least one basketball party. The sports theme that never gets old.

17. Madison pochantas birthday party – it was a scorcher of a day and temperatures were high inside the tee pee. I’m not sure our tribe noticed!

18. New Year’s Eve – we’ve spent many years bringing in the new year with just our family. We bang pots and pans, watch the fireworks and don our best party hats, leis and horns.

19. Annual Halloween trolley – our kids may never stop trick-or-treating. Our simple neighborhood Halloween party has turned into a family and teenage affair. We all still dress and there is much candy being exchanged once collected. The trolley is filled to capacity, but no one seems to mind. I love Halloween.

20. 20th anniversary – party for 2. Just underway!

Throw a Surprise Anniversary Party for a Lucky Couple

Timeless Anniversary Flute

Do you know a couple who is about to celebrate an anniversary, but who are too busy to plan their own event? Why not give them the ultimate present and throw them a surprise anniversary party?

You’ll need to find a good way to get the word out, so make the best of some party invitations. Be sure to include all of the essential details, and urge guests to be on time so that they won’t ruin the surprise.

To decorate, you can choose to have fun and wild decor, such as mylar balloons, confetti or party curtains. Or you can opt for something more stylish by putting out candles and elegant party centerpieces.

A large personalized banner congratulating the couple on making their love last is sure to bring a smile to their face, especially when they see that all of their closest friends and family have gathered to help them celebrate.

Speaking of the guests, be sure that they don’t leave the party empty-handed. Have some great party favors, such as personalized mint tins or dollar party favors on hand to help them commemorate this important occasion.

Customers Share Their Personalized Standee Stories

Our Life Size Standees and Personalized Photo Standees make great decorations for your parties, whether they’re for weddings, anniversary parties, milestone birthdays, or graduations, there’s so many ways you can turn a favorite photo of a loved one into a life size photo standee, making a fun photo prom and a great keepsake.

ShindigZ customers have found a ton of uses for photo standees and have shared some of the ways these personalized decorations have been a hit at their special events.

Some customers have used Life Size Standees in big birthday parties, to celebrate important moments in the guest of honor’s life. For example, Penelope from Michigan ordered a standee for her husband’s birthday. She commented, “I did a life size of my husband running his first marathon…It was a great decoration for his 40th birthday several weeks later.”

Carol from Ft. Wayne, IN had several Photo Standees made for her father’s 75th birthday. She wrote to us, “What an impact these photos were at my dad’s 75th birthday party in Chicago! I wish we would have ordered even more of them. We staged them around the house. All of his friends, children, and grandchildren loved them!”

Standees have also been a popular item for anniversary parties. We can make Photo Standees and Life Size Standees out of older photos too, so they make really impressive decorations when customers have used old wedding photos. Lori from International Falls, MN ordered a standee for her parents’ anniversary party: “I recently purchased one of my parents for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The standee will be next to the kneeler they had knelt at on their wedding day. A wonderful additon to the decor.”

Another customer from Palmetto, FL used a wedding photo from 1944 to make a Life Size Standee: “[I] wanted a special prop for a 65th Anniversary party and ordered a life-size standee, scanned a colorized 1944 wedding photo and uploaded to ShindigZ. I was astounded at the quality and attention to detail. The end product was so good that we’re giving photos of the guests with the standees and the anniversary couple as mementos.”

Lori also used a standee for her son’s graduation party. She commented that many guests wanted to take her son’s picture with “himself” in the standee. Our standees make great props for commemorative photos and are definitely fun decorations for kids and graduates.

One customer from Memphis, TN used some Life Size Standees in a send-off party for a soldier. She wrote to us, “The two life-size standees of my godson, who is returning to service in Iraq soon, were fabulous! They absolutely MADE his send-off party, and we sent them home with his fiancée and his mom, so they could have “him” there while he’s away overseas!” This touching use of Photo Standees is just one of many ways standees can be used to enhance special moments.

We love to hear from our customers. Tell us how you’re using our products or how you make your big days and special events more memorable!

Gather Family and Friends with Anniversary Party Invitations

Celebrating an anniversary is a fun and exciting time! Whether it is the first anniversary or the 75th anniversary, this day is a very special event. Start your planning by selecting a theme. Use your imagination! Once the theme is selected, the invitations, decorations, food, and other details are much easier to plan.

Themes can be the number of years (for a 50th Anniversary the theme would be 50th with traditional gold colors) or the theme can be more specific like a western theme, Fifties theme or something similar. If the couple has special interests, the theme can be focused on these interests. For example, if the couple got married in Las Vegas, you might have a casino theme, or if the couple loves to spend vacations at the beach, have a beach theme.

Invitations:

Once you’ve decided a theme, you want to choose the invitations. Wonderful personalized invitations that would be perfect to send out for a formal or informal anniversary party.

If you prefer to use your own handmade invitations, a simple idea is to gather an old wedding picture of the guests of honor and scan the picture into your computer. Print off the invitations in black and white with the picture on the front. Lightly add some color to the photo with colored pencils for an elegant yet simple look. Print out the details of the party on the inside of the invitation.