FFF - Free love tags template, J. Crew annual bridal/party sample sale, NYC Beer and cheese tasting

Woohoo, another week, another Friday!

Everywhere
So whether or not you celebrate Valentine's Day, it's still fun to send a little love note or stick a little love tag on a goodie for that special someone in your life.  So why not slip in a sweet treat (store-bought is fine too, no one's judging if it's delicious) and attach this cute note.  I think it's kinda perfect for favor bags too if anyone's thinking of that. 

 

As seen on 100 layer cake

NYC

Shopping

Because cocktail and wedding dresses on sale are awesome and a girl can never have too many party dresses.  

Wouldn't be bad if something like the Taryn was there (it's $215 reg. price so a sale could be as low as $80) because it's so cute and I could even wear this to work under a jacket.

Feb. 18 - 21, Flatotel Hotel - 135 W. 52nd bw 6th and 7th Ave (RSVP required to preview@skylarelliot.com if you go Feb. 18)

Eating
What, there are places in NYC that give you free quality beer and snacks if you bring your own cup?  Yep at Bierkraft in Park Slope - 1 of the top 10 beer shops in the city according to Imbiber magazine.  I love these little awesome jewels of culinary randomness (because nachos and chocolate are awesome) back home.  Drink on starting 7 pm on Tuesdays. Details here.

Have a fab weekend darlings!

Blue Moon Cupcakes or Hazelnut chocolate whisky cookies?

A fine port and some chocolate torte.  A coffee with a shot of Bailey's and your favorite crumb cake.

Sometimes dessert and alcohol just go together.

I can also imagine that these touches of alcohol give just the right kicking balance to a sometimes too sweet dessert.  I don't always have a big sweet tooth but am super intrigued by these Blue Moon cupcakes - my sista from another mista LOVES Blue Moon and can't partake because she's pregnant.  This may be a good way to enjoy Blue Moon and some yummy cupcakes too.

 

$30for 12 from Etsy seller Cacao Bakery

For a (slightly) lighter treat, I love a good cookie.  These cookies remind me of a grown-up's Milano cookie with a kicked up Nutella spiked with whisky.  Yum!

 

$9 for 6  online at Whimsy & Spice in Brooklyn!

Sigh it's a good thing that it's still winter and I get to wear big sweaters all day.  Though I gotta figure something out when I move to a tropical climate, darn...Till then, enjoy the sweets sweeties!

Open bar vs. bar on consumption

I got sticker shock when we got our venue bill today. The alcohol tab was significantly more than we had estimated. I admit I left out the 30% service/tax in our original total estimate so it was always going to be higher.

When do you choose open bar vs. bar on consumption?
Here is what we did:

• we worked out the math on open bar (remember this is per person including grandma!)
• we worked on a drink estimate per person

We decided to do the bar on consumption because we thought that this would still work out well given the makeup of our guests. Our guests ended up having about 794 drinks according to the bill. We estimated about 300ish. But, this price still ended up being about the open bar package we would have chosen. I'm also still not sure if this is correct as well so we'll see.

But lesson is, be warned that alcohol may still end up costing more than you imagine. Sigh from a non-drinker.

Additional tips when considering bar on consumption (based on newfound experience):

• Waiters may pick up half empty drinks
• Bottles that may not be entirely consumed may still count as a full bottle
• Guests themselves may get more drinks than usual just to try different ones

So the reception wasn't as low budget as we originally thought. But it was still pretty low for NYC and we had a rocking party.