We’re moving..

We our blog is moving. We are making some changes and our new blog will be on its own doman (YAY!) so we will soon be located at http://www.lexuseventsnews.info

See you over there!

M

Tips for Good Toasting

From GrandWeddingCakes.com

Don’t let your toasts get out of hand, meaning they’re so long that they’re worse for your guests than reading War and Peace. Traditionally, the best man is the only one who gives the toast–
although others may do so. Here’s the rules:

• The toast should last no more than five minutes.
• It should never embarrass anyone.
• The person giving it should be prepared.
• For good luck, toast with only wine or champagne.

Pear Cardamom Flip

Todays drink came to me via Cocktailtimes.com and I love fruity drinks. Enjoy!

1 tsp Clear Creek Pear Brandy

1 ripe USA Pear, divided

8 medium sized mint leaves

1 tsp huckleberry liqueur

2 dashes orange bitters

3/4 oz pear-cardamom syrup

11/2 oz light rum

3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 oz fresh ginger juice

1 large egg white

Dice 1/4 of the pear into 1/4″ cubes. Place in rocks glass with huckleberry liqueur, mint and brandy. Stir. Cut another 1/4 of the pear into large chunks. Place in mixing tin. Add bitters and syrup. Muddle to completely break down pear. Add ice, rum, lemon juice, ginger juice and egg white. Shake for 30 seconds. Add ice cubes to rocks glass. Strain cocktail into rocks glass. Garnish with a paper thin slice of pear atop froth.Pear-Cardamom Syrup:- 1 cup granulated sugar- 1 cup water- 1/2 USA Pear, shaved with vegetable peeler- 1 tsp ground cardamomBring sugar and water to boil in small pot. Remove from heat and add pear and cardamom. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Strain and chill. (Created by Daniel Braun, Chef/Owner, OliverÕs Twist Seattle, WA)

LE Buzz:Historic Sweets Ballroom in Oakland

I love my city. I’m a child of Oakland. And we have some wonderful place to hold your events and meetings. One of the oldest in the city is Sweet’s Ballroom in Downtown.

Sweets Ballroom has been around since the Big Band days. The building’s birth began in 1923 and was built by Mr and Mrs J.E. Hassler for the small investment of $8,000. WOW! But it had four other sisters sites that have long since passed into history.

This ballroom has had many names:

From 1924-1933 it was “Sweet’s.”
From 1933-1943 it was “McFadden’s.”
From 1943-1953 it was “Linn’s.”
From 1954-1979 it was “Sands.”

During its heyday, it has seen the likes of Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy & Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Harry James and many others. Can you imagine being in this spot listening to the greats back in the day? Check out this pic from Sweets Ballroom circa 1930

The ballroom today

But then it went quite until February 1998 when it was reborn. And this place is HUGE. It holds up to 900 people standing and around 600 or so for sit down dinner. Check out the slide show here http://www.historicsweetsballroom.com/venue.html

I have an event coming up and I think that I want to use this space and I’m sure that some of my clients will want to do the same.

Just wanted to share a lil bit about my city and some of its treasures.

Crocheted Bridal Gown

Its me again….

OK I have a sista friend who love to crochet. I’m totally jealous cause she does great work and I’m ready for her to move back to the Bay and teach me but that’s another story LOL.

Anywho…..

She crocheted this dress that is available, size 7 or so and its beautifully done. Check out the pics. This is the front.

And this is the back…

She says there is a blemish somewhere but I don’t see it. The dress is gorgeous. If your interested in this dress, you can contact Joede at Black Pearl Creations, email admin@blackpearlstyle.com

Just a gorgeous dress!

Bridesmaids Contract..Are they really necessary?

OK I hear about this from a recent Bride who is a friend of a friend. She was telling the group about how she made her brides sign a contract once they agreed to be in her wedding.

(Insert look of shock here) Is she for real?

But what I’m hearing is that several brides are getting their bridesmaids to do this and they have requirements that they want their brides to keep such as:

* hair length and color
* weight restrictions
* nail length/color
* to attend all meetings/fittings
* not to bring “negative energy”
* deadline for dress purchase etc.

I’m thinking has it really gotten to this point? What is going on with the folks that have been chosen that makes this even necessary? I want to hear your thoughts? Is this a good or bad thing?

Oh wait, I have even found a website where you can send the contract to your bridesmaids electronically and you get your own personal website where they can respond. Check out http://bridesmaidcontract.com/

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

From TheBreastCancerSite.com

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second leading cause of cancer death (exceeded by lung cancer in 1985). Breast cancer is three times more common than all gynecologic malignancies put together. The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing steadily from an incidence of 1:20 in 1960 to 1:7 women today.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that each year over 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed and over 40,000 patients will die from the disease. Breast cancer is truly an epidemic among women and we don’t know why.

“When breast cancer is found early, the five-year survival rate is 96%.” —National Breast Cancer Foundation

Breast cancer is not exclusively a disease of women. For every 100 women with breast cancer, 1 male will develop the disease. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that approximately 1,700 men will develop the disease and 450 will die each year. The evaluation of men with breast masses is similar to that in women, including mammography.

The incidence of breast cancer is very low in a person’s twenties, gradually increases and plateaus at the age of forty-five, and increases dramatically after age fifty. Fifty percent of breast cancer is diagnosed in women over sixty-five, indicating the ongoing necessity of yearly screening throughout a woman’s life.

Breast cancer is considered a heterogeneous disease, meaning that it is a different disease in different women, a different disease in different age groups, and has different cell populations within the tumor itself. Generally, breast cancer is a much more aggressive disease in younger women. Autopsy studies show that 2% of the population has undiagnosed breast cancer at the time of death. Older women typically have much less aggressive disease than younger women.

Facts
Every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

One woman in eight who lives to age 85 will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55.

Seventy percent of all breast cancers are found through breast self-exams. Not all lumps are detectable by touch. We recommend regular mammograms and monthly breast self-exams.
Eight out of ten breast lumps are not cancerous. If you find a lump, don’t panic-call your doctor for an appointment.

Mammography is a low-dose X-ray examination that can detect breast cancer up to two years before it is large enough to be felt.

When breast cancer is found early, the five-year survival rate is 96%. This is good news! Over 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today.

For more information, go to http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/ and while your there, click to give mammograms. Oh and make sure to see your doctor about getting a mammogram yourself. Protect your health.

California Love..the drink

Ok Im a big fan of cute drinks even though Im always looking for the non alcohol version. But this one caught my eye. One, because I love my state and two its just looks cute.

Its California Peach Sangria

Dont that look yummy?!? Try this for your end of summer parties

Ingredients: (Makes 6 Servings)
1 (750ml) bottle Sauvignon Blanc, chilled
1 cup peach puree (about 2 medium peaches)
1/2 cup Marie Brizard Peach liqueur
1 tbsp sugar
1 peach, pitted and thinly sliced
4 lime slices
Garnish: mint sprigs

Stir together the wine, peach puree and peach liqueur in a large pitcher. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add fruit slices, pressing against the side of the pitcher with a large spoon to release some of the juices. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Serve in tall glasses over ice, garnished with mint sprigs.

The ABC’s of Weddings & Special Events

Well Lexus Events is going to take you thru the alphabet of Weddings & Special Events as we see it. And of course we want your input on each letter so make sure that you comment. Ready to start? OK here we go:

A = Appetizers

ap·pe·tiz·er [ áppə tzər ] (plural ap·pe·tiz·ers)
noun

Definition:

1. food served before main course: a small dish of food served at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the appetite
2. stimulating sample: a sample of something that is meant to stimulate an interest

They are a great way to start off a meal or just the right snack when folks are just mingling and chatting away. Are you a DIY kinda person and want to try something new? Check out the recipes on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ or http://www.allrecipes.com/ This picture is of Antipasto Squares…Yummy!

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 pound thinly sliced boiled ham
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni sausage
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into thin strips
3 eggs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

Unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Layer the ham, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, salami, pepperoni, and red peppers, on top of the dough.

In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the peppers. Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

What would be your “A”?

October Signature Drink … Jack O Tini

October…the month of Halloween. Dont know if you partake in the Halloween festivities but if your throwing an adult party, try this months signature drink for all your Halloween guests. Taken from the Cocktail Times

Jack 0 Tini

Ingredients:

2 oz Stoli vodka

1/4 oz pumpkin puree

1 tsp lemon juice

2 oz orange juice

Place a large soup pot filled with water on the stove to boil. Carve the tops from the pumpkins and set aside. Scope out the interior and seeds, leaving a think shell. Discard the seeds and flesh, or use in another recipe. Place the pumpkins in the boiling water and boil for about a minute. Remove and drain. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into the pumpkin. Serve with a black straw.