Hunger Games Party Inspiration

Since everyone and their mother (Yes, moms are included in this trend) is obsessed with The Hunger Games, I thought I'd look into some fun ways to bring the book to life through a party. I was just invited to a Hunger Games book club meeting and, since I don't do anything small, I have been looking into some recipes and treats inspired by my favorite citizens of Panem. With the movie premier a little over a week away, I thought this was the perfect time to start planning a Hunger Games party.

Cupcakes on Fire from Fictional Food were the first thing that came up when I googled "Hunger Games inspired recipes." These carefully crafted cakes are setting the bar pretty high. I will in no way try to attempt making fondant Mockingjay pins. But if you can, or know someone who can, call me.  There are some easy directions on making the actual cake look like it is on fire that I think we can all agree is worth a shot at attempting.

Cupcakes on Fire {via}

Poisonous Nightlock Berries were the start the revolution against the Captiol and got Katniss into a bit of hot water at the start of the second book. I think they deserve a special shout out in the form of a berry cocktail. Nightlock Berries are fictional (I googled that, too,) so you can make any type of berry cocktail and get away with it. I always pictured those berries were red and this Berry Little Cocktail from Martha Stewart is a funny little way for guests to honor Katniss and Peeta's attempted double suicide. Cheers!

Martha Stewart's Berry Little Cocktail {via} 

 Last but not least, it ain't a Hunger Games party without bread! Peeta and Katniss had their first connection over two loaves of burnt bread and bread continues to play a major role in the story as the pair compete in the games. Each District is known for a different type of roll, like the crescent rolls sprinkled with seeds that Katniss is gifted from District 11 after Rue dies. And did you know that Pamen is Latin for bread? The name is derived from the Latin phrase panem et circenses which describes entertainment used to distract public attention from more important matters. AKA the Hunger Games.  

If you've got enough time to make your own bread, this version of burnt raisin nut bread looks perfect. But you can also buy a nice loaf at your local bakery. Nothing wrong with that. 

 Burnt Nut and Rasin Bread {via}

 

I am really looking forward to this Hunger Games party and can't wait to see the movie! I might even skip my usual Wild Cherry Pepsi and try to sneak a Nightlock Berry cocktails into the show. 

Have you read The Hunger Games? What are your thoughts? And what is my party menu missing?

Weekend Rewind: A Tough Loss and Registry Essentials

Can I get a weekend do-over? I need one more day and I’d like to give the New England Patriots a do-over, too. I’d like to jump in a time machine and help Wes Welker catch that pass. Well maybe I wouldn’t personally be much help in the pass catching department, but let’s just go with this.

On the bright side: I won the pool and my Boston Cream Cupcakes were a hit!

 Boston Cream cupcakes and Sam Adams beer. I was so prepared for this game! 

It was a great game and we filled our table with too much pizza, wings, mini hot dogs and everything else you could imagine being served during the Super Bowl game. And all football loyalties aside, I was really excited to bust out some of our new entertaining equipment. Some of my favorites:

The slate cheese board. 

 I identified the cheese selection with chalk. 

The Mikasa Cheers ice bucket. (Yup. I’m honest to goodness excited about ice buckets!)

And these pretty tall pilsner glasses. They make beer drinking so sophisticated.

Earlier this week, I also bought this beverage tub at Target for serving beer and I love it! I think it’s going to play a major role in our future entertaining adventures. I like it because every time we’ve invited guests over they come with beer, which usually finds its way into our fridge. I really don’t like having company stick their head in my fridge—it’s kind of like letting people open my underwear drawer.

Now I can throw some ice in this pretty tub and no one has to see which condiments I’ve been hoarding since 2008.

Tell me about your Super Bowl experience. Did you attend a party, throw a party or not watch the game at all? And what are your favorite registry items for entertaining?

Problem: Wrong bra size. Solution: An Intimate Affair in NYC

Let’s get to know each other a little better, shall we? If you’ve stopped by this here blog more than once you probably know that I’m not a full time blogger, but that I make a living as a magazine writer and editor. Which magazine? Well The Lingerie Journal to be exact. It’s an online trade publication for professionals in the intimate apparel industry. It gives me the chance to talk with retailers and manufacturers and learn a thing or two about how they run their businesses and it also lets me spend some time drooling over the latest lingerie styles. I love fashion to pieces, but I think I love intimate apparel more. Lace, ruffles and chiffon all make me melt a little whenever I see them. And then I usually buy them. There are several drawers dedicated to my underwear in our house.

{via}

 

Now that we’re a bit more acquainted, let’s talk a little bit about intimates. I feel like we’re close enough to talk about this stuff now, don’t you? My good friend Moira of Bra La Mode just told me about a bra fitting event she’s hosting at Bra*Tenders in New York City on January 29. I’m really excited about this event because not enough brides give wedding day intimates their due credit and I think this is just the thing to make people realize how very important they are. The reporter in me needed to know more so I picked up the phone and called Lori Kaplan, the owner of Bra*Tenders to learn about what she’s doing for women. She had this to say: “A lot of seamstresses will tell a bride to come to her first fitting with the undergarments she is going to wear with the dress. The dress will fit a completely different way without them and this is sometimes a huge awakening for a bride.”

What’s really shocking is that it’s not only brides who don’t consider intimates enough. Most women are wearing the wrong bra size, Lori says. “The right bra can make you look ten pound thinner and ten years younger in one minute. It makes a woman feel more confident and a woman who feels good about herself will go out and do good things in the world.”

Whoa.

Will the right size bra help you find the cure to cancer? Maybe. Lori mentioned one customer, a makeup artist, who was wearing the wrong size bra. “The back was riding up and the straps were falling down and she ended up spending the whole day fidgeting with her bra.” So if you’re a cancer research doctor, I suggest you book an appointment with Lori right away.

Here’s how you’ll know if your bra is the wrong size:
-You have side-boob.
-Your boobs are spilling out the side.
-You have four boobs instead of two.
-Your boobs bounce A LOT when you move.

If you’ve experienced any of these boob symptoms, it might mean you’re wearing a bra that’s too big or too small. But don’t let me be the judge of that—speak to the expert.

ATTEND: Bra La Mode’s Intimate Affair at Bra*Tenders 630 Ninth Avenue at 44th street in NYC. January 29, 2012 @ 12:00. 

RSVP here. Then tell me, are you wearing the right size bra?