The Evolution of a Blog

Like my profile says, I have a real Renaissance soul, and am passionate about many things.  While I may have started out wanting this blog to be about my business, I find myself always thinking of things I could be blogging about, but they are not always necessarily about events or event planning.  I think my business may evolve into a business more about "Inspired Living" with branches that deal with parties, style, healthy living, travel, and general lifestyle branding, so why not start with my blog.  At least I'll find it more interesting, too!  So here are some new tags you can expect from me:

Style
 - Obviously dealing with fashions, but could also be hairstyles, shopping tips, makeup finds, random pictures of outfits I love.  This is one that spills out into a lot of places in my life, because I like pretty. 

Healthy Living
 - This is what inspired me write this post.  I was running and thought of the things that I wish I knew when I started running. That made me think I should post that somewhere for people to know, which lead me to this post.  Healthy Living could be healthy recipes, workout tips, inspiration, updates on my training, anything!

Gluten Free
- I could have put this with Healthy Living, but I'm thinking it needs it's own tag.  You see, I have autoimmune disease and it's effected directly with consumption of Gluten.  Since I've been gluten free (January 1, 2012), I have felt better than I have in years.  I'm always learning about new recipes, finding new products (wait till I post about GF beer), and learning tips about managing this lifestyle.

Home Decorating
 - See Style, I like pretty.  I love filling my surrounding with pretty things.  Even though I don't love my house, I do love my home.  I'm constantly making changes to it.  Updating room and collecting inspiration for upcoming projects around my home. 

Cocktails
 - Part of Events, for sure, but I've been on a kick for seasonal cocktails.  I'll post some for you.

Overheard at the Dinner Party
 - Okay, so this is a catch all for all of the things I find interesting in life.  Stuff I would talk about at a dinner party.  It could be politics (though not political), news events, interesting articles I've read, a conversation to start, anything!

Travel
 - This is already a tag, but I'll be able to do more with it now.  We travel a lot and I've already got a blog  devoted to our families bigger vacations but I thought I could elaborate more here, especially when it comes to travel tips, or plans I'm making for upcoming trips.

Entertainment
 - I love art, film, books, music, and great television.  I'll share some of my favorites, including the books I'm currently reading for my book club!  You might get turned onto a movie that you've never heard of, or a killer running playlist of music, or find the next book you have to read!

I hope you enjoy this journey with me!

Love,
Sue
the muse of
a.muse inspired living

The Sweetest 16

So my daughter turns 16 next month.  She and her best friend have decided they would like us to take them on a vacation together as a 16th birthday celebration rather than throw an elaborate Sweet 16 party.  Works for me!  (Ever hear the story of the Shoemaker's Son?) But of course we will have a party for her at home... and of course because she's turning 16, I expect a full house; and of course because I'm an event planner, I have some ideas.  Now remember, the we're paying for a trip so the real money is being spent there, so my budget party for about 40 people looks like this:

Since her real gift is the trip to the Caribbean, we thought we would do a Caribbean theme, and since she originally wanted something at a planetarium (if we did a real Sweet 16), we're doing a "Caribbean  Under the Stars" backyard barbecue.  We will borrow a few grills from family members so we can cook all of the food at once.  The menu will include some Caribbean favorites like crab dip and coconut shrimp appetizers, jerk chicken and fish taco main dishes, and rice and beans and mixed greens with tropical fruit salad.  To drink there will be buckets of beer and soda and of course, rum punch!  I plan to borrow chalk boards from family members to create menus all over so guests can help themselves, saving us from having to serve or hire servers.

We'll make a playlist of Caribbean music to start with and switch to a list of popular dance songs for later in the night.  My daughter has requested that the attire be Caribbean Chic (khakis and a shirt for men, sundresses for women) because she wants to wear a dress.  We'll find some appropriately Caribbean favors for guests, perhaps shell necklaces or small bottles of hot sauce, and other small touches that add to the theme like invitations, etc.  Now for the decor.  We will transform my backyard into a Caribbean party under the stars with a few tricks. 

Fist, I plan to camouflage some trouble spots with ribbon.  I have a part of my yard with trees that just don't let anything grow underneath, so it's a bare spot along the edge of my property.  I plan to hang spools and spools of ribbon from the trees to make a little curtain, add some festive color, and create some privacy.  I think it will make for a very pretty addition for the cost of some sale ribbon, and it may be a great spot for some pictures!

There will also be a dance floor (surprisingly inexpensive to rent) on the opposite side of the yard with a little "roof" over it of strung lights and matching ribbon.

I plan to fill the yard in between with some basic round tables dressed in white linen with white chairs, very Caribbean, and simple and also inexpensive to rent.  I will probably dot a few high top tables around, also draped in a white table cloth, to add some visual interest and give people a place to lean on while talking, too.  


And because inspiration hits me everywhere I am, I saw this centerpiece at Neiman Marcus and snapped a picture, I think I'll top the tables with this, so cheap and easy to recreate at home with various glass vases I have lying around.

The back of the yard will be reserved for some games, cornhole, croquet, badminton.... games guests can play before the food comes out. 

Finally, the part of the decor that will add the flair and the effect of "Caribbean Under the Stars" is the lights.  I plan to string lights over our patio, around the shed, on the trunks of trees, over the dance floor and along the edge of the deck.  all of those Christmas lights will come out in April and decorate our yard for our little girl, creating the magic of a fun party that will last into the night.

So you see, you can have a party on a budget that is still special.  Now I've got to go so I can rake up the leaves and plant some annuals!

How can we do it all?

Ah, the age old question...  How can we do it all?

A friend and I were having lunch Thursday and talking about our kids, our careers, our goals.  She is the breadwinner in her family and needs to be working, which suits her perfectly because she's is a brilliant, ambitious, hard working and well educated woman.  She recently left a high profile executive job to launch her own website (we'll see her on the cover of Forbes one day), and has been at home with her kids while working hard at getting her brilliant idea off the ground.  She's securing investors, writing the code for the site, hiring the right people...  busy.

Even though her husband is super supportive, and has been the model of a true partner shuttling the kids around and making dinners, she's found that her presence at home has really made a difference for her children.  They are happier, getting better grades, benefiting from her advice more.  She really loves how calm her household is with her at home, but she's feeling the financial burden of not bringing home the money she once was.

Bring in the twist.  She was just offered another high-profile, high paying executive position.  Knowing that it may be years before her website affords her the salary her family is accustomed to, and knowing that in her lies this ambition to do something with herself that makes a mark in the business world, she's torn.  This new position would have her commuting into the city again, but would give her an opportunity to be CEO in just a few years.  She will not be able to make all of her son's wrestling matches anymore, but she can afford to send him to that expensive science camp he wants to attend int he summer.  She will not be able to sit with her girls after school and hear all about their day, but she can continue to send them to the private all girl school they love so much.

It's the age old question... How can you do it all?  If I had the answer, I would be rich enough to retire and be home with my daughter!