The Blue Leaf Filipinas: A Venue Like No Other + The Big Banquet 2

A few weeks back, I had a fun lunch with my friend Karrots, her friends from way back, Trisha, Michelle and Eugene Sandejas of The Blue Leaf, and the New Media Factory ladies Kaye and Miko Olfindo at The Wholesome Table in Fort. 

 Our wholesome group at The Wholesome Table

Apart from the bulgaran of high school/college, and fairly recent escapades of Tita K care of Tricia (heeheehee), we also ended up taking about The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion in Fort, because it's a popular venue for my friends' kids' birthday parties. When you meet the owners of a party venue, you just can't help but inquire na din diba, for future reference! Heehee.

Anyway, they told us about their new events place in Manila, Blue Leaf Filipinas in Aseana City and my oh my, it's worth considering if you are looking for a place to hold a big event at - be it a wedding, a corporate function, a debut, a kiddie party, or kahit prom!

Outdoor or indoor, the place is picture pretty.

The ballrooms are huge, and needs minimal events stylist intervention.

Even the powder rooms are pretty enough to take pictures at, or escape to when the party gets too loud for your liking.

To see more photos of Blue Leaf Filipinas, click HERE.

And FYI, since we're at it, the rates and packages are reasonable, for a place this nice:

Of course, to see is the believe, and in fact, you can get a taste of The Blue Leaf Filipinas partner caterers/food service providers at their upcoming event, The Big Banquet 2, happening this October 12 at The Blue Leaf Filipinas!

If you are shopping around for a venue, or you just want to be able to do a taste test of Manila's best caterers, who also happen to be The Blue Leaf's partner caterers, this is your chance to get a taste of everything in one roof!

Albergus, Bizu, Hizon's, Josiah's Catering, Juan Carlo, K by Cunanan, Mesclun, The Red Chef, and TJIOE will each be serving four-course meals highlighting their best appetizers, main courses, desserts, and signature drinks. As a special treat, each caterer will also present one surprise dish which guests can rate, commend or critique!

For more about The Big Banquet 2, and how you can attend this event, click HERE.

For more about The Blue Leaf events venues, visit their website, www.theblueleaf.com.ph and Like their Facebook Page, The Blue Leaf. 

To contact The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion in Fort, click HERE. To contact The Blue Leaf Filipinas, click HERE.

An Afternoon with Karen at KARIMADON

While my friend Karen Wu was in town, she invited me and the SoMoms to her mom's store KARIMADON. 

When I told my mommy friends about it, they all started reminiscing about their high school years, when they shopped at Karimadon for party dresses. 

Michelle aka My Mom Friday remembers buying her party clothes at their store in Virra Mall, when Karimadon had square pants and cropped tops that were so right on trend (actually, cropped tops are back!), and Carmina Villaroel was the It Girl at the time, when the term "It Girl" was still unheard of, heehee!

Carmina with Ruffa & Aiko, via FashionPulis.com

Karen's parents started Karimadon in 1980, which is actually an acronym of their children's first names. So yes, Karen is the Kar in Karimadon!

Today it has grown into 16 boutiques in malls, with 4 department store locations. Admittedly, most of us moms haven't been inside Karimadon in years, associating it with special occasion clothes for younger girls with great figures, but we were in for a pleasant surprise.

I spotted chic cocktail dresses at unbelievably affordable price points. Nothing above Php3,000. Most of their cocktail dresses are in the Php1,500 to Php2,000 range.

 

This particular one had pretty crystal embellishments.

I especially loved this structured dress. Very Roland Mouret/Victoria Beckham. If I only knew that they would take photos of me in this dress, I would have put on makeup haha! Thanks for lending your YSL wooden heel pumps for dress-up, Karen!

There's a red version too, and it's unbelievable how this dress retails for Php2,500. I'll wear it with really great accessories, get my hair and makeup done, and it can easily look like a million bucks. Or Php20,000 heehee.

They also had jersey jumpsuits that are very Studio54, just like what Kris aka OC Mom in Manila is wearing (it's very party in the back aka backless!), and Grecian style gowns that are flattering for all body types. Apart from special occasion clothing, they have sheath dresses for work, tops & bottoms for everyday wear, and accessories.

Karen shares that 34 years later, her mom continues to work with the in-house design team and is very much involved in design up to now.  It was also great to know that apart from being locally designed, Karimadon clothes are made right here in the Philippines, which allows them to also take care of alterations, so customers are ensured of a great fit!

Thanks so much for having us over, Karen! We had such a great time re-discovering Karimadon!

For more on Karimadon check out www.karimadonfashion.com, Like them on Facebook, and follow @KarimadonPH on Twitter & Instagram.

Visit KARIMADON at Glorietta 5, Ayala Trinoma Mall, Ayala Center Cebu, Ayala Marquee Mall, Ayala Terraces Mall, Fairview, SM Megamall/North Edsa/Centerpoint/Fairview/Bacoor/Marilao/Pampanga/Cebu, Robinsons Galleria/Metro-East/Ermita and Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall and inside LANDMARK Makati, LANDMARK Trinoma, La Casa Grand in Laoag and Houseware Plaza Department Store in Daet. 

The Nestle Ice Cream Party Package

 

Because of Berry and Xavi's parties, I just learned through Marianne Matic of Nuffnang that Nestle offers an Ice Cream Party Package for parties. Which is a fun treat for both the young, and young at heart.

All you have to do is order online via IceCreamParty.ph or call their mobile hotline to get the Nestle Ice Cream Man to come to your party, like so:

I never realized how a simple pleasure such as ice cream could make a celebration so much more fun until I saw how Berry's classmates perk up at the sight of this:

Actually, my takeaway from Berry's party at school was that a parent need only spend for cupcakes, ice cream, chicken nuggets, corn dogs and fruit juice and the kids will just love, love, love you. 

Have I shown you Berry's cupcakes by Cat del Rosario of Tazzy Cakes for her Snow White party in school? OMG. Adorbs!

The kids were all waiting for Berry to blow her cupcake so they can get their hands on their own cupcake.

Snow White Berry's non-poisonous apples for her dear classmates

Cute right? Email cats@tazzycakes.com if you need a pretty cake or two dozen cupcakes for your family milestones. She won't disappoint ;)

Anyhoo, back to ice cream. Ordering is so easy! Just go to the website:

Choose from any of the packages, starting at Php950 only:

You may opt to go for the pre-picked flavors or choose your flavors as you please:

Decide if you want it in an ice box (which I chose for Berry's party of 20) or a party cart with vendor (minimum of Php1,500) which we had for Xavi's party of 150 guests:

Complete your form, et voila! Ice cream pops for your party, just like that.

Actually, the adults at Xavi's party probably had more ice cream than the kids. It was that big of a hit. If you get this for your own bash, for sure, you'll get the same results too!

Nestle Party Package

Website: http://icecreamparty.ph 

Tel: +632 898 6260

Mobile: +63 920 691 8007 

Social Media Social-an with Print Social

One of the buzz words during Xavi's party was "Print Social".

As our guests entered Xavi's Seussland, they received a card with the hashtag #XavisFirstBirthday and the instruction that when they Instagram their photos of the party with the hashtag #XavisFirstBirthday, they will get to bring home a print of those photos.

Cool no? So high tech!

Print Social's Instagram Photobooth only works for those with public profiles, FYI

Still fuzzy between the ears? Here's how it works:

There was a TV set-up at the party, as below, where guests could see a slideshow of the photos being uploaded using #XavisFirstBirthday.

The same photos you see on screen are printed and clipped ala laundry line against a small step and repeat banner, like what you see behind Luis of Print Social.

Thanks so much Luis for celebrating Xavi's first birthday with us!

Here's a sample of the Print Social print-outs from their website:

Now here are some of the Print Social printouts from #XavisFirstBirthday:

True enough, Print Social's tagline "cover more ground" allowed us to do just that.

I loved how I got a perspective of what our guests were doing, and what they liked about the party just by looking at their photos.

Some guests took photos of themselves, some took photos of their food and the decor, a few took photos of us candidly, which were all such cute souvenirs of Xavi's special day. Granted that we only had 1 "official photographer" going around, everyone still had photos of their own to help in documenting Xavi's party.

 

And I think our guests also loved the fact that they could choose their own background and subject, angle their own photos, and did not have to line up to have their photos taken at a photo booth. 

You want to get them for your own party, or a corporate event? Here are the Instagram Photo packages. You may even bundle this with a traditional photo booth, starting at Php10,999 if you like:

All three packages include a personalized printout design, personalized photowall, a CD copy of all photos taken, an online photo album and an on-site attendant. It all boils down to how long your event will be and if you will be getting the add-ons.

Is it worth it? Oh yes! Print Social's Instagram Photobooth is just so fun, very convenient, doesn't take up too much space and is just a completely novel and brilliant concept.

It really is like seeing your party through the eyes of your guests!

For more about Print Social, check out their website and Like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrintSocial

Print Social
Email: hello.printsocial@gmail.com
Telephone: +632 211 6002
Mobile: +63 917 584 6632

Xavi's Party Souvenirs from Booths Republic

the photo balloon from Booths Republic

For Xavi's 1st birthday party, we sent our guests home with personalized souvenirs from Booths Republic. Yep, personalized with the guest's name, even a photo in the case of the photo balloon, right there on the spot, thanks to their Instaprint booths.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it's not, I assure you. I just told Sarah Chan of Booths Republic that we were having a Cat in The Hat/Dr. Seuss inspired party and she recommended the Craft Camp, Photo Balloon and their latest Cartoon Keychain booths.

Just a few weeks before the party, we talked about images that we could use for the personalized keychains, and they came up with these four.

Cute no? 

During the party, our guests could just choose among these four designs, advise the name they want on their keychain, and by the time they got their cotton candy, could pick up their finished keychain at the booth.

Apart from the personalized keychains, the guests enjoyed the photo balloon booth too. They would go and get their photo taken, and it would be printed on the other side of this balloon. Very cute!

I think the most popular booth of all would be Craft Camp. From 2 year old toddlers to 7 year old kids, they all had a blast coloring and decorating their own masks.

It also took care of entertaining the kids prior to the party proper. It was nice and also a relief seeing the kids congregating at the Craft Camp booth, because for sure, there were no bored kids in our party!

Even the big kids gave Booths Republic a thumbs up!

More than just party or event booths, you may order stickers and printed products as giveaways, or for personal use from Booths Republic.

We love these waterproof stickers that we use to label Berry's books, sippy cups, lunch boxes and snack containers for school. These withstand washing and don't peel off even if they've gotten wet countless times.

Booths Republic offers practical, personalized products that your guests will love. As for you, it is so easy to work with them. Just advise them of the day of your event, and if it's available they can then block it off for you. Just tell them your theme too, so they can recommend the most complementary products and designs. They can customize stickers, balloons, keychains and more just for you and your guests.

Thank you Lala, Sarah and the Booths Republic team for being a part of Xavi's birthday bash! The kids, even the mommies, loved their Booths Republic goodies!

Booths Republic 
Sarah Chan / Lala Tsai
+63917 800 3323, +63922 888 3427
boothsrepublic@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Booths-Republic/173717795978422

A Magical Party with Party Magic

There are party supplies stores, and then, there ARE party stores where you get a sense that they make magic happen.

I got that when I first stepped inside Party Magic on Wilson Street in San Juan.

It is so Pinterest pretty.

It is a far cry from typical party stores where all you see are cheesy styrofoam characters on the window, and cartoon character everything all over. This place is subdued and tasteful. Not to mention, it has everything you'd ever need if you decide to throw an impromptu party in a day or two.

From balloons (they can do both stick and real helium balloons, not those fire prone hydrogen ones),

to pre-packaged souvenirs like these bottles of jelly beans,

Princess, fairy, animal and Minnie Mouse headbands,

birthday crowns,

and all other party sundries like cups, napkins, disposable cupcake towers, and such.

I really only meant to order balloons for Xavi's party. I had felt Cat in The Hat hats that I ordered from Ant's Pocket and character cut-outs from The Candy Shop. I was also filled with the illusion that I could pull off decorating Xavi's party all by myself.

But when Michell started sketching on her notebook and showing me balloon walls and such, I was like, "Wow, we can do that?"

Turned out, she could. Easily. Perfectly.

The balloon wall at the entrance looked fantastic.

The inside was equally fun as well. I just asked my caterer, M Catering, to use red and blue table cloths and Michell took care of the rest - adding striped runners, and using the felt hats and buckets to ground the balloons. She also had mini frames to show well-loved covers of Dr. Seuss books:

Like I mentioned, the stage was sooo cute. Normally, guests don't really go to the stage. It was usually just an expensive backdrop, but this one was a hit with the kids, who all wanted to go up and have their photos taken there:

Berry and The Cat in The Hat (standee printed by The Candy Shop)

my godson Andres and his brother Anton

Oh, and here are more details from the most delightful dessert/candy buffet, also prepared by Michell:

The sugar cookies are by Joanne's Kitchen. I bought the marshmallows from Chocolate Lovers in QC, and then packaged in these candy containers from Party Magic. 

The Oreo pops are also by Joanne's Kitchen. Wafer sticks and candies were sourced by Michell:

I bought these red lollipops from Made in Candy in Rockwell. The Cat in The Hat mugs were souvenirs that Dada and I bought in Universal Studios Florida back in 2008.

These mini red velvet cupcakes with blue frosting are also by Joanne's Kitchen.

Check out my friend Tammy's dessert plate. "The Fat in The Hat" daw, LOLZ.

w/ a cupcake from Tazzy Cakes and chocolate chip cookies & milk shot by M Catering

Our guests loved everything, from the entrance to the decor, to the stage to the dessert buffet. And I have to give all the credit to Michell. Party Magic really does Magic. I promise.

Thanks so much also of course to Michell's supportive hubby Patrick! I can't thank you two enough for making Xavi's party look so fun and festive! I don't know how the party would have looked like if I did everything myself as I had planned, haha.

Thank you also to my friend Cathy, for introducing me to Patrick and Michelle! Mwah!

For your party supplies, balloon needs and event styling inquiries, feel free to drop by Party Magic on Wilson Street, beside JASH Mart and across McDonald's, or contact them via phone or email.

Party Magic
215 Wilson Street
Greenhills, San Juan
Tel: +632 955 5906
Mobile: +63917 344 8881
Email: partymagicph@gmail.com
Website: http://partymagic.ph/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/partymagicph