Straight from the Horse's Mouth

So what I hadn't realized in attempting to plan a Surprise Party is how many years could be taken off my life in spinning lies to keep it a surprise! Poor Paul (my fantastic colorist at the salon), he's going to have to cover up about 8 new white hairs!! 

I've been planning a Surprise Birthday/Retirement Party for my father for about 2-3 months now and if you knew my father you'd know he is very thorough & perceptive -NOT THE EASIEST PERSON TO THROW A SURPRISE PARTY FOR. So we convinced him the party was for my little cousin's birthday.  

One of my father's great loves is horse racing. So it seemed ideal to make the party Kentucky Derby themed.  

The invitation I designed for the party is by far one of my favs! I love making interactive cards and with this particular card I made it so when you pulled the tab to reveal the invitation it made the horses race to the other side!

To purchase this invitation, check out the design at

www.Luxe9Designs.Etsy.com

THE BIG REVEAL...

he was totally shocked! 

Gorgeous girls in hats! Really getting into the theme! I Loved it!

This picture doesn't justify how beautiful this tent from L.I. Tent Rentals was!

L.I. Tent Rentals gets an A++ for FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE & great Summer Deals! 

Their men came two days early to set up the tent & were so nice. Then they came back the day after the party and promptly took it down. The tent came with nice white standard chairs - THEY WERE SO NICE NOT LIKE THE UGLY TAN KIND YOU SEE IN A SCHOOL CAFETERIA- THANK GOD! It also came with lights so we would able to hang out early into the morning. I had such a great experience with them & will definitely use them in the future!

My Aunt found Derby Flags at Cedarhurst Paper & they really added that extra something to the party!

The Boys played poker into the wee morning hours with their lovely dealer & poker pro Miss Brandy!

The Birthday Cake I made for my dad. 

There was a sign that said "Happy Birthday & Retirement" but I forgot to take a picture of it LOL

It was a dee-lish White Velvet Cake with Bananas & Homemade Toffee Filling! 

The crowd seemed pleased :)

Our handy "lucky" little favors! 

I decided at the very last minute (Exactly 6 hours before the party) that it just wasn't a party without favors! LOL

I found these PERFECT Playing Cards Tumbler at -GET THIS... the local 99 Cent Store!!

Can you believe it?!?

This is an example of those miraculous little finds that I love!

...And because Life is Sweet we figured we'd make it sweeter with a bit of candy :)

All in all the party was a hit!

We enjoyed ourselves eating, drinking, and gambling!

Last call was 2 a.m. - My cousin was the first one to go...

.....Umm Yeaaa he might kill me for this one LOL

It was a great time with family, friends, and of course my Loving Daddy Dukes<3

Happy Birthday Daddy! xoxo

50 Shades of Filthy Fabulous-ness

So I'm not much of a bibliophile because I honestly can never find books that interest me. Lately there has been a craze over the 50 Shades of Grey Series. Once I heard the synopsis I had to admit my curiosity was piqued. I bought the first book and needless to say I GOT HOOKED! I could not put them down and read all 3 books in 5 days ( and i probably would have finished them even sooner if I hadn't had to tend to that little thing called SLEEP)  This book really has you thinking, is BDSM so taboo or are we all just a bunch of prudes?? lol  Aside from the lustful nature of the book, the romance and mystery is also very intriguing and they are definitely a must read!

So on a rainy night in New York, I sat down with a nice glass of wine and finished the last chapter of the book and WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! So naturally, now that its over I did what any other neurotic fan would do... mentally cast who I would like to play the significant characters in the movie adaptation! Ha! So here are my suggestions... I'd love to hear what you guys & dolls think! Comment below!

Christian Grey

Ian Somerhalder  vs.   Henry Cavill

Both of these boys definitely have the sex appeal and brooding stare down pat! Christian needs to be played by a man who can command the screen not only by looks but by the emotion of the character. And let's be serious, to perform some of that dirty dialogue and acts, we need someone who can really deliver and make all the little housewives blush!

Anastasia Steele

Emilia Clarke vs. Felicity Jones

 Both ladies have that sweet doe eyed baby face. Anastasia's character has such a transformation from meek virgin to a strong willed & stubborn force that manages to subdue the likes of Christian Grey. I have to admit I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan and Emilia's character on the show. I feel her character on the show mirrors Ana in some ways so I'm leaning a little more towards her.

Elena Lincoln

Michelle Pfeiffer

She is HANDS DOWN the only person I can feel can play Elena. She is stunning and seems to have only gotten more beautiful with age. We have seen her play every type of role under the sun! Just a stare from those insanely captivating cat eyes could intimidate the likes of Ana Steele. I'm pretty sure a lot of men would let her be their "Mrs. Robinson"

Kate Kavanagh & Elliot Grey

Holland Roden & Chris Hemsworth

Holland is no doubt beautiful but I think she can also bring that feisty attitude of Kate to life. A lot of people have suggested Chris to play Christian but the reality is I don't think he has that dark, mysterious side. I think he fits much better as Elliot the good looking "teddy bear".

It's a small list because these are really the people I envisioned while reading the books. Which actors did you imagine???