Behind the Scenes of Dina’s Party

Here are two videos from our favorite DJ, DJ Paul Knox.  http://soundconnectdj.com/team/paul/

The video below is a compilation of behind the scenes photos of the Moroccan Party we threw for Alyssa and Mark.

This second video is some behind the scenes photos from the premiere of Dina’s Party, and it’s Cookie’s Birthday too! Check it out!

DIY-Moroccan Camels

One of my favorite decor pieces from the Moroccan party, that wasn’t on the episode, were these fabulous camels. When we purchased them at HomeGoods these were bright orange and frankly, we thought they were a bit too much. So, we decided to jazz them up a bit with some gold spray paint and a beautiful bright glitter.

We started by laying newspaper down to control the mess. We used an inexpensive spray paint from Michaels Craft Store and generously sprayed the whole camel, even under the belly. We then painted glue around the hump of the camel with a half-an-inch brush. Lastly, we rolled the camel in a beautiful rainbow glitter we also purchased at Michaels.

The finished product- these beautiful blinged out Moroccan camels perfect for any middle eastern inspired party!!

A Night In Morocco

We have traveled to so many wonderful places in the first season of Dina’s Party: Vegas, San Francisco and even the Wild West; but nothing quite compared to the colors and culture of Morocco!

For  Alyssa and Mark Hall’s 6th Anniversary we took them on a magic carpet ride right into a Moroccan dream with beautiful tents, illuminating lanterns and all the tastes, sounds and traditions of Morocco’s rich culture.

The vibrant colored tents were a special delivery from Raj Tents in California. The tents created an automatic flow for the party and housed the main elements to the event: the dance floor, the hookah bar, and the sweetheart lounge. The detail on these tents were beautiful and they authenticated our Moroccan excursion. Visit www.rajtents.com to view all their Moroccan inspired tents.

The oversized circle chairs acted not only as additional seating for guests, but two great focal points around the bar area. The bamboo bar blended in so nicely with the organic backdrop of trees and hanging lanterns. Rentquest provided all these elements as well as the colorful umbrellas that helped in creating a cohesive moroccan paradise. Rentquest has so many exclusive rentals, find them online at www.rentquestnyc.com.

We had so many great accessories for this party. From hand-painted wood tables to hand-stitched carpets, bright colored poofs, pillows and brass table tops, we had so much fun recreating the sights of Morocco. Both rental companies, Moroccan Prestige of Jersey City, NJ and Imports from Marrakesh from Hoboken, NJ, had wonderful assortments of authentic Moroccan decor. There was so much to choose from, so we were particular on what we selected based on the Hall’s backyard space and the scenes we were looking to create. Imports from Marrakesh, www.importsfrommarrakesh.com, and Moroccan Prestige,www.moroccanprestige.com, were two key vendors to bringing my vision to life. Believe it or not most of the smaller accessories came from my favorite place to escape… HOMEGOODS!

The hookah bar had actual, functional hookahs for guests to enjoy while partying, offering them real tastes of Morocco and the eastern culture. Benny and his crew at Moroccan Prestige were on hand to assist and even educate the guests on how to correctly smoke a hookah. There were so many delicious flavors, everyone was tempted to try. A hookah bar is such a unique element to the evening and can easily be arrange for your next affair by visiting Benny at www.moroccanprestige.com.

As I’ve mentioned throughout the blog, color is such an important part of the Moroccan culture, so we just couldn’t get enough. To bring new life to the tents and sitting areas we placed these luxurious pink and blue linens throughout by way of draping, hanging, and laying. These linens from Amita at International Mercantile, added the perfect pops of color throughout the party. Check out more of this company’s product at www.brass4u.com.

Rose water has such an important place in Moroccan culture, offered to guests as a symbol of hospitality, so roses for the event’s flower was the perfect choice. We created bunches of the orange roses, red roses and yellow roses we purchased at Morningside Florist in Haledon, NJ, and placed sporadically amongst the decorated areas. I got creative with vases, using large colorful glass pieces and even lanterns, both of which we purchased at Home Goods for an amazing price. Find Morningside at www.morningsidegreenhouse.com.

Amira Mor’s seductive belly dancing was the perfect entertainment for the guests. The original middle eastern music she brought, got the guests excited to dance and just let loose. She engaged the audience and was an awesome surprise for the Halls. Amira was so beautiful inside and out. Book her through www.amiramor.com.

Henna Artist, Ambreen Rab was on hand to treat guests to a little wearable art. The women were so excited to take part and kept them coming back for more. Ambreen was so talented, search her on facebook.

When selecting the menu for this party, it was important for Cookie to not only touch on the many flavors that exist in Middle Eastern cultures, but the foods that have now transitioned into American Culture. The Brownstone’s culinary range made them the obvious choice, from hummus to figs, to baba ganoush and kefta, guests were partying and dining in true Moroccan fashion. The Brownstone always gets it right, no matter the affair, visit them at www.thebrownstone.com.

Maureen at Stuffed Cupcake always impresses us with her creative cupcake interpretation of our events. The cupcakes had a bite of Moroccan spices and were decorated with bright colored icing and edible accents. Stuffed Cupcakes are always the perfect treat for guests. Contact Maureen at www.stuffedcupcakes.com.

The guests were partying into the wee hours of the morning, thanks to DJ Paul Knox. They were breaking it down on the dance floor all evening and took breaks here and there just to eat or stop of at the hookah bar. This crowd was so fun and really embraced the excitement of Morocco, making this one-trip we’ll never forget! Contact DJ Paul at www.sceeventgroup.com

My dress for the event was purchased at Calypso in the Hamptons! Speaking of Hamptons, tune in to next weeks Dina’s Party to see my Hamptons!

Vintage Jewelry Party

Stay-at-home moms, Denise and Pam started their collection of handmade jewelry and accessories, Oak Lane Designs, earlier in the year and we were honored to help them throw a launch party to celebrate their joint venture. The key to the parties decor was pulling from the beautiful, vintage elements of the collection and enhancing the room with the rich hues of fresh flowers and antiques.This party was not only the first episode we shot of Dina’s Party it happens to be my favorite. I adore the vintage feel and the ladies were so grateful for our help. Be sure to visit them at www.oaklanedesigns.com to check out their line.

To create an old world feeling we rented amazing furniture and props from Props for Today and Olde Good Things, both located in NYC. The mirrors, tables, couches, and chairs created the perfect ambiance we needed to change the room and create a great flowing party. Find them at www.propsfortoday.com and www.ogtstore.com. I could spend hours a day in both, prop houses are a perfect place to get inspired for just about any event.

My good friend and Florist extraordinaire Grayson from Prudence Designs created the amazing flower arrangements throughout the room, we share a love of that worn weathered vintage feel so I knew he would be perfect for this event. How gorgeous is his line of gowns by the way? Find Grayson and his team at www.prudencedesigns.net.

How incredible were those invitations? Don’t forget that invitations set the tone for your event. The small oak trees that held the hand made invitations were created by the very talented florist, Michelle from MDS Floral Designs, located in Manahawkin, NJ. Visit her at www.mdsfloraldesigns.com.

The printed invites were from an awesome paper store, Parcel in Montclair www.shopparcel.com. We personalized them by burning the edges to give them that antique feel, attached them to our recycled screen door oak leaves and once in the mini oak tree we had them hand delivered to their guest. Can you imagine the surprise when not only are you invited to such a special event but you have this wonderful arrangement too!

The wow factor in the entrance was so fun to create. The large oak tree was the perfect element to welcome guests into the party. We found a great assortment of real and artificial foliage from American Foliage and Design Group of NY. Visit them online www.Americanfoliagedesign.com. I then added gilded oak leaves, purple uplighting and crystals to make it really magical. Add some gorgeous models in amazing vintage inspired gowns modeling the jewelry who is our guest of honor for this event and you’re all set!! We hired models from Axis Models and Talent. They also walked amidst the guest, wearing Oak Lanes jewelry and hair accessories. A perfect way to show potential buyers how the pieces look on. Learn more about Axis at www.axismodels.com.

The beautiful textured linens that created an eye-catching table-scapes were from Wildflower Linens and Cloth Connection, two of our favorite linen rental companies. Visit Wildflower at www.wildflowerlinens.com  and CC at www.clothconnection.com. I chose burlap mixed with lush satin and delicate lace to create that vintage feel. We even had some custom made out of antique fabric finds, everything from old napkins to a wedding gown. I added vintage broaches to add that extra special focal point to wow the guests.

We chose to display some of their accessories WITH the food which I normally don’t like to do but I really wanted the guest to see every detail! The food was pretty good looking too! Palermo’s Bakery created the delicious and equally appealing cupcakes, which were decorated to mimic the broaches in the Oak Lane collection. Check out their talents at www.palermobakery.com.

The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ never leaves our guests hungry and always tantalizes the taste-buds with their delicious menu. Contact them to cater your next event at www.thebrownstone.com.

Musician Robin Filippone set the mood with her smooth jazz sounds. Explore her musical talents at www.robinfilippone.com.We always like to add interactive element to their evening, so we called on Smash Entertainment for the retro cigarette girls and Charlie Chaplin impersonator. Find them at www.smashpartyentertainment.com.

I had so much fun building the work room for these ladies, I couldn’t see them make this beautiful jewelry off of their sons ping pong table for one more second!! Our Carpenter Dave did an amazing job using recycled oak wood to create this space. It was actually therapeutic for me to organize all of their antique finds and fabric. Terry Fisher from Closet Gallery in Medford, NJ helped find some of the vintage finds that accessorized the ladies new work space. What better to organize vintage finds than an antique sewing box? The rest of the accessories I found at good ol Homegoods! Most of my clothes on the field trips were from Coco Boutique, check them out here www.cocoanexperience.com. The military jacket that everyone went gaga over was by Yoana Baraschi. The Jeans were Joe’s Jeans and my boots were by Tori Burch. The gorgeous vintage inspired dress I wore for the party was by the amazing Angel Sanchez. The necklace was by Juicy and the shoes were Jimmy choo.  Till next week xoxo

Co-Ed Baby Shower

Alexis and Kevin’s baby shower was no normal celebratory affair with games, balloon arches and diaper cakes. This shower was one of a kind event and we were challenged to not only bring in unexpected elements, but equally appeal to both men and women, as this was a gender-neutral shower.

My team and I thought it was important to still incorporate some of the traditional elements of a baby shower, but showcase them in a new innovative way, which meant lots of sparkle and tons of beautiful fabrics and linens.

When guests stepped into the main party room, I wanted them to feel like they were stepping into a big blue cloud. The crew at Jersey Street Furniture had this wonderful lustrous fabric that they draped all along the walls and ceiling of the space. We draped the ceiling fabric and strategically pinned the Fabric to create a tufted, pillow look. The JSF crew always seems to share our vision and they really made us feel like we were partying in the sky. Jersey Street also provided all the furniture for our relaxing lounge area outside and the big K and J letters. Find Jersey Street at www.jerseystreetfurniture.com.

With the linens for our cocktail tables we wanted to show how you can have fun with just one color by using different hues, patterns and textures to show dimension and make the room pop! We found all these different linen choices at Moon Tex in NYC. You can find a plethora of fabric choices with just a quick trip to the fabric district. Find Moon Tex by visiting www.moontex.com.

Kenny created the most amazing building blocks that stacked around the pillars and under the glass table tops. Each block was so intricate and the glitter on each one caught the eye of every guest. We don’t call him Kenny Sparkle for nothing. He really out did himself.

The carpet squares we laid down under the pack and play were from Flor. We choose to alternate the squares to create a checkered look, however being that they are individual pieces, you can create your own pattern. This company also has amazing printed squares. You need to check them out at www.flor.com.

We had a number of food options for this party. We had all of Kevin’s favorites in our buffet from The Brownstone, but also pulled from Alexis’ Latin roots with a full spread from Granada in Hawthorne NJ. The food was delicious! They didn’t show it but I built up that beautiful food Latin food display with paint cans and milk crates from the home owners garage! I covered them up with our gorgeous fabric. No one knew what was going on under that beautiful display!!

Keeping the block theme throughout, the team at Palermo’s Bakery created an amazing building cake, that was actually made up of smaller, individual blocks. It was difficult for my team to understand my vision for this, but Palermo’s did an incredible job as always. Check out their talents at www.palermobakery.com.

The cigars were the perfect treat for the male guests and the perfect accent to our lounge area and whiskey bar. The expert, Tony Santana, rolled the cigars right on site and even made personalized cigar tabs. A cigar roller is an interactive way to get your guests involved in the party’s action. Tony can attend your next party and can be contacted through www.tonysantanacigarcompany.com.

My team and I had so much fun creating a new take on the traditional baby shower for Alexis and Kevin. And we congratulate them on the birth of their baby boy, KJ!

By popular demand I will be listing my clothes and jewelry from each episode. The basement scene with the boys I wore J brand Jeans with a LaRock leopard top.

The boots were by Fendi, (got them at Woodbury Commons outlets!) Love that place. My blue dress for the party was by Trina Trunk. In my interviews I had on

beautiful butterfly necklace & earring set by Carreraycarrera. Visit them here! http://es-es.facebook.com/carreraycarrera

http://www.carreraycarrera.com/

“Recessionista Fashionista”

The Designer Affair team and I are no strangers to shopping and we love making old items new again, so we found this “recessionista fashionista” event to be right up our alley.

In these economic times it’s important to get creative when it comes to looking and feeling fabulous and in this episode you saw how this is not only possible but actually not that hard! My challenge for this event was to give Lisa a beautiful event for her and her girlfriends AND give her living room a facelift for no more than $1000.

Lots of the decor used for this event were items pulled from the host own home. It was important that we used all the resources available to us to create a working store for the party, without breaking the bank!  I started by giving the wishy washy green already on her wall a new life with a brighter more vibrant paint. Paint is the #1 way to transform a space WITHOUT spending a lot of money, and guess what if you hate it, it’s pretty easy to fix too! If you’re trying something drastic, try painting a small section of the wall and live with it for a few days, look at it at all times of the day & night and be sure you love it before you go for the whole space. Trust me a small paint swatch just doesn’t cut it, they usually look nothing like the final product. Buying a small can of paint will save you tons of time and work in the end.

I peeked around the house and found some great black sofa’s in another room and in the theme of our event, I “swapped” out the brown boring sofa’s which instantly gave this room a dramatic contemporary feel that the homeowner loves. The brown sofa’s actually worked so much better in the other room too so no worries there!

I have to say one of my favorite places to shop on a budget is Homegoods, I had only one day to shop so I hit my local Homegoods and found some perfect pieces for the space. The large patterned ottoman and the two smaller ottoman pieces acted not only as seating areas for guests, but also helped tie in the new bold accent color in the room and I add in that punch of red that represents the homeowners sassy personality. Your home should be a reflection of who lives there and this after space certainly does. I added in some great pillows & lamps and there you go, a complete makeover & I still have money to spend for the party!

I love thinking outside the box, so that means THINK about the event & get creative with your decor. We’re talking fashion here so we incorporated handbags we found at a second hand store as our very fashionable containers for our flowers. Flowers by the way that we purchased at a supermarket! Yes you don’t have to spend a fortune to make something look amazing. We got so many ideas from visiting the vintage store where we bought the purses and can’t wait to return to do more shopping! My beautiful dress I wore for the event was from there as well! Another Man’s Treasure is right in Jersey City and you can find them at www.amtvintage.com

After an intense round of “Clothes Swap”, the guests snacked on crudite, finger foods and sushi. For an informal event, we like to keep the food the same way and throw in a specialty cocktail. The Brownstone catered the event and can put together a perfect menu for your next event. Contact them at  www.thebrownstone.com

To A Special Ladybug

Last Friday, we honored a special little ladybug, who had previously missed her 16th birthday due to her intense battle with cancer. Though she went into remission earlier this year, it was just a few months ago she received the news that the cancer was back.

Knowing this beautiful girl and her story, the Designer Affair team and I were dedicated to giving her a spectacular Sweet 16 party. So, with a little insight from her mother on what decor she would like we called on some help from our friends. What came to be was a zebra and purple extravaganza and an overwhelming response from contributors that all donated their time to making this a beautiful evening for the birthday girl.

Our birthday princess was so excited for her surprise birthday party and the look on her face made it all worth it for everyone. Check out some of the pictures from this amazing evening and see below for the wonderful people and companies who donated their services and time.

With a heavy heart I’m sad to say that our beautiful birthday princess lost her battle with Cancer only 5 days after this celebration of her life. It was truly an honor to know such a beautiful young lady who touched all of our lives in such a profound way. My team and I are so blessed to have been a part of such a special night that her family will hold dear to their hearts forever.

A special thanks to everyone who was a part of this special night~

 Project Ladybug for sponsoring any costs for the event, for more details on the wonderful work that we do please visit www.projectladybug.org and please support in any way that you can so we can continue with our mission. Thank you!

• My Husband Tommy for offering us a beautiful room at The Brownstone to host our event
• Father Marc Giordano for his gracious offer to hold the event at St. Johns Cathedral, due to the extent of our decor we moved location to the Brownstone
• Paul and his Team from DTM Productions for his high-energy Deejaying talents
• Gil and his PBG events team for some of fabulous event decor lighting, panels, chairs, lounge furniture and lit tables
• Mike at Balloons NJ for the Balloon dance floor arches and balloon accents
• Vince Harris from The Art of Air for creating awesome airbrush t-shirts for the kids
• Christine at Design Cakes for the beautiful and delicious cake
• Maureen Jarrett from Stuffed Cupcakes for her zebra cupcakes
• Party Rentals for providing the zebra chair cushions
• Taylor Rental for the cocktail tables
• Helen Saraiva from Cloth Connection for donating the purple and zebra linens
• 
Alex Herrero, from Unique video Productions for capturing real time moments.
• Rose and Deanna, the Photographers for getting the perfect snap shots of the evening
• Nina Briganti from Ciro’s Hair Pavillion, for donating her hair and makeup talents to make our birthday girl and her Mom look beautiful for the party.
• Paula for the personalized cotton candy bags.
• Jennifer Freeman for the Chocolate Lollipop Favors.
• Jonna Privett for the kids glow bracelets
• Lori For the delicious ladybug chocolate covered Oreos
• Robin of GirlFriday for the i-Carly perfume
• Sweet Jane Lane for the beautiful pink and green cake balls
• Lori Lafaro of LoriMar Designs for her 16 Candle board and Pink Ostrich plumes centerpieces
• Henry from Paul Miller Bentley for allowing the guest of honor and her family to arrive to the event in style

Take A Trip To The Copa

At the Copa, Copa Cabana…..

After Eva approached my team and I with the idea of an Old Hollywood soiree, we all enthusiastically starting throwing out ideas. Some mentioned the speak-easys, others said the sounds of Frank Sinatra, and some said lots of glitz and colors.  What came to be with all these fabulous inspirations was the ultimate Old Hollywood party- The Copa Cabana!!

Second Time’s A Charm

The San Pietro’s first trip to San Francisco was shaken not only by an earthquake, but by a case of food poisoning, which unfortunately left the bride to enjoy her nuptial celebration without her groom. In re-creating their wedding reception, my team and I researched the Palace of Fine Arts and pulled a number of different influences that we strategically placed throughout the party. I not only wanted to recreate the decor of their venue, but the romanticism that exists within and beyond the organic walls of the Palace.

The San Pietro’s were set to be married under the famous dome inside the Palace, but when the earthquake hit-the dome was damaged and they had to move the couple to another area for their nuptials. Our very own Kenny sparkle created a beautiful rendition of the dome that literally brought the couple back to where they originally were to say I Do!

Our Palace of Fine Arts inspired Living Statues were brought to life by Ten31 Productions. They have over 300 original living statues and are fun interactive decor elements. Check out their website at www.ten31productions.com.

The food for this re-do wedding was so important to the decor. The Palace of Fine Arts has heavy Roman influence, so we wanted to bring the tastes of this culture to the guests. We called on Chef Anthony Pino of AD Catering/Events  to cater the event complete a beautiful cheese and wine area. The outcome, delicioso! Check out his catering menu at anthonydavids.com 

How beautiful were the centerpieces?! Michelle of MDS Floral Designs created the over-the-top floral arrangements with flowers supplied by Hillcrest Gardens in Paramus NJ. They sat on top of stunning silver candelabra’s we found at International Merchantile. Together they brought the organic and roman influence together wonderfully. Find Michelle at www.mdsfloraldesigns.com and browse International Merchantile’s merchandise catalog at www.brass4u.com.

The table linens were inspired by the colors of the outdoors. The green underlay really popped under the pintuck brown overlay, which we ordered from Cloth Connection, they have an amazing assortment of linens that can help tie together any party theme. Browse their site atwww.clothconnection.com

The focal point of the tent was definitely the “organic inspired” cake, which we decided to strip of its icing outer layer. Christine at Design Cakes, understood our vision for this dessert centerpiece and wowed us with the final product. Whatever vision you have, Christine can make it a reality, you can reach her at www.designcakes.com

The colorful mood lighting placed around the tent illuminated the decor. Brian and his crew at Lounge it Up did it once again. His website,www.loungeitup.com.

My brown “roman” inspired dress for this event was by Susana Monaco, Roz at Co Co an experience boutique knew it would be perfect for this re-do wedding reception. Dressy and comfortable!! Learn more about Co Co an experience boutique at www.cocoanexperience.com.

I did want to mimic the ceiling of the dome with my jewelry so I know it was a bit over the top but I couldn’t help but to match the decor. All of my jewelry was by Richrocks.com

Bringing Vegas to Jersey

Normally, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but in the case of Ben’s 41st birthday party, my team and I brought Vegas here to New Jersey.  There were so many magical moments in creating what Ben referred to as “New Vegas”, from hanging crystal to the Chihuly glass, it felt as though we were transported to the lobby of the Bellagio. The bright colors of the faux glass and sparkle of the crystal put a glimmer in the eyes of Ben and Kerry Matlosz, and I believe for the guests too, I can bet on it!

As I mentioned in tonight’s episode, you too can create your own casino by renting game tables and professional dealers. We had such a wonderful experience with Poker Parties Inc, who helped in creating the ambiance and excitement of being on the floor of a real casino. What ever your game is, poker, black jack or roulette, visit www.pokerpartiesinc.com  to create your own gaming party.

The lucite tables we daringly filled with water and beautiful goldfish (who later became new pets for Joe our carpenter) were product of Luxe Event Rentals. The tables, ghost chairs and waterfall bar are just a few of this company’s unique furniture pieces. Browse their catalog online at www.luxeeventrentals.com. *And of course we were sure no goldfish were harmed in the making of this event!!

The lights on the Vegas strip were apparent in our casino room with the perfect mood lighting, courtesy of Lounge it Up. The stretch illuminated tables were also provided by this talented team. You can find Brian and his crew at www.loungeitup.com .

Our field trip for this party was one of my favorites, and obviously Kenny Sparkle as well, did you see how excited he was!! Thank you to the team at Hot Sand Glass Blowing Studio in Asbury Park for giving us a hands on demonstration. Kerry created such a beautiful centerpiece for Ben, you too can create your own masterpiece, visit them at www.hotsandap.com.

Continuing with the black and white theme in the casino room, we placed black and white patterned carpet squares under the poker tables. The ones we used were from FLOR.com.  Visit their website to view all their wonderful designs that are extremely easy to install!

My dress for the party was from one of my favorite NJ boutiques, Co Co an experience in Upper Montclair.  They always have the latest looks and have knowledgeable stylists on hand to help you re-vamp your wardrobe.  Find them at www.cocoanexperience.com!

The beautiful Vegas Showgirls really brought the Vegas decor to life. The added entertainment element welcomed guests into the vegas nightlife. Check out all the amazing costumes and personalities created by Alex at Screaming Queens, www.screamingqueens.com

The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ is always so accommodating when it comes to catering any style event. The vegas buffet was a great way to showcase their culinary range. And the food was delish! Check out their services online at www.thebrownstone.com.

Thanks for attending Dina’s Vegas Party, we’ll see you all at the next big soiree. Thank you, thank you very much!!