I hope everyone has a nice base tan and a fruity cocktail because now it’s time to pack for your trip! Here are 10 tips to stress free packing. Why should you listen to me you ask? Oh – maybe because upon checking my bag on my last trip, I hit the 50.0lbs mark on the scale. Yes, 50.0 exactly. That, my friends, is good packing. Much to my disappointment, balloons did not fall from the sky and I did not receive a free upgrade to first class. Obviously the system is flawed, but that’s no reason to give up on the perfect pack job.

1. Lay out everything you’re going to bring on your trip before you start packing

2. Roll your clothes to allow more room in your suitcase and to prevent wrinkles. Roll more than one item together to create extra space

3. Get creative – stuff shoes with phone chargers, cords, socks, belts, etc.

4. Place your shoes on the bottom. Pair your shoes so that the heel of one aligns with the toe of another

5. Always place heavier items such as jeans on the top to help keep all other items in place

6. Never place breakable items in the outside pockets of your suitcase since your bag will be thrown around like a hot potato by airline employees

7. If you have rolling luggage, lay your liquid contents (in a ziplock bag) so that when you are pulling your bag, the bottles are sitting upright

8. Pack essentials like toothbrush, toothpaste, makeup, medication and documents in your carry-on bag. You never know where you could end up!

9. Leave some room – who knows what you may need to bring home with you…

10. Because each airline is different, please go online and check your airline’s bag policy. Thank you.

Bon voyage!

xx,

WhyDon’tYouActLikeALady

So, part of my job as an event planner is to put out hypothetical “fires” when and if they arise. When I overheard two gentleman at one of my events last night discussing taking the floral arrangements home to their wives, I knew I had to step in. So, after I explained that NOTHING good can come out of bringing your wife or girlfriend secondhand flowers, the conversation took a turn toward gift town. We started talking anniversary and these lovely gentleman didn’t know that there are traditional themes to inspire a gift for each year you’re married.

Here are the main years you need to know:

• 1st – Paper – I’m going with plane tickets to a fab vacation.
• 2nd – Cotton – Pratesi linens for the bedroom.
• 3rd – Leather – I believe a handbag is leather, no?
• 4th – Silk – gorge nightgown or beautiful silk robe with her monogram
• 5th – Wood -  Yikes! Perhaps a ski trip in a “rustic” resort? By rustic I mean 5 star…
• 10th – Tin or Aluminum – maybe a new car?!
• 15th – Crystal
• 20th – China – yes…a trip to China counts.
• 25th – Silver
• 30th – Pearls
• 35th – Coral – might I suggest snorkeling someplace amazing?
• 40th – Ruby
• 45th – Sapphire
• 50th - Gold
• 55th – Emerald
• 60th+ – DIAMOND

Ladies – send this link to your man immediately!! If sending a print screen of a Tiffany’s add with my engagement ring to my bf didn’t work wonders…I wouldn’t be here today!

Lady Malkin’s Tip of the Week: Ladies, there’s nothing wrong with being explicit. Tell your mate exactly what it is that you’d like. Gentlemen, listen to your lady. She’s probably dropping hints left and right!

xx,

WhyDon’tYouActLikeALady

So, thanks to my magnificent colleagues we now know a lot more about cupcakes. We know where to buy them, we know where to go to have them double as a cocktail, and we absolutely know what to do with them if they become a gift gone horribly wrong…eat them. Now, I have to do my part and help you decorate these delicious treats.

First, you have to think about why you’re making the cupcakes in the first place. Are they for a party? Does the party have a theme? Does the party have a guest of honor? If there is a theme, what is it and how can you add to it? If there is a guest of honor, how can you honor them with your baked goods?

Examples:

If I were going to bake cupcakes for WhyInGayHell, they would without a doubt be rainbow. He’s gay, people – it makes sense.

Think about the person that you’re baking for and their personality. Try to capture them with your cupcakes!

For a baby shower, keep it simple and sweet. No need to over do it with “baby stuff.” They’re cupcakes – they’re cute enough as is. I love the idea of keeping  it monochromatic and clean.

Another super cute and super easy way to personalized cupcakes is with sprinkles.  All you have to do is go to Michaels, grab some stencils and go to town.

I will leave you with some words of wisdom. When in doubt – spell it out.

Thanks, Martha.

Now I am a sap and this is actually how one of my friends proposed. Sorry Marc…

Here are a few more creative ways to decorate your cupcakes. The key is to think outside the box (or pan).

Now go make your own creative cupcake conctions and send me pictures!!

Lady Malkin’s Tip of the Week: To keep cupcakes moist, the freezer is your friend. The refrigerator is not! Freeze cupcakes and let thaw 20 minutes before serving.

xx,
WhyDon’tYouActLikeALady

What does a lady do best? Entertain, of course. Entertaining has been something I’ve been doing since childhood, albeit not for human beings, but stuffed animals count when you’re five. What I love most about the traditions of hosting a party is the bar (relax – I don’t have a problem). There is something nostalgic about a bar that brings me back to Christmas Eve dinners with all of the men crowded around laughing and mixing their gin and tonics. It is a timeless addition to any party and one that I think is often overlooked, especially living in NYC where we don’t exactly have the space to host a complete bar.

So to help all of you out there that miss a good bar, I’ve listed everything that one needs to create their own saloon. Keep in mind that this is the FULL deal. Take what you want from it and go make your bar but remember to get creative – if you don’t have the space, use a butler tray or throw a linen over a bookshelf. It’s your bar; we’re just drinking from it!

Tools

• bar strainer
• can opener, bottle opener, corkscrew
• jigger measure
• ice bucket and tongs or scoop
• mixing glass or metal cocktail shaker
• lemon/lime squeezer (you know those mini tongs that you use to pick out one ice cube at a time until you just stick your glass right into the ice bucket? That’s a squeezer, folks!)
• shot measurer
• muddler or mortar and pestle

Mixers

• club soda or soda water
• regular Pepsi or Coke
• Ginger Ale
• juices (orange, pineapple, tomato, and cranberry)
• tonic water
• triple sec

Alcohol

• Beer
• Whiskey
• Bourbon
• Champagne
• Gin
• liquers
• Rum
• Scotch
• Tequila
• Vermouth (sweet and dry)
• Vodka
• Wine (red and white)

Garnishes

• bitters
• olives and onions
• lemons and limes
• maraschino cherries
• syrup (grenadine, simple syrup, etc.)
• Tabasco
• Worcestershire sauce

Okay, now I want a Bloody Mary. Cheers!

xx,

WhyDon’tYouActLikeALady

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget you guys.

Sending our love.

xx,

WhyDidYouWearThat, WhyInGayHell, WhyDon’tYouActLikeALady, WhyDon’tYouEatMe, VintageVixen

xx,

WhyDid

(Photos by: Kellie Silwa Nuernberg- www.kelliesliwaphoto.com)

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