With Summer BBQ's winding down, try a new kind of party.... Roaring 1920's Style!

As summer faces into fall, the backyard BBQ's come to a close. But just because the grill is hibernating, doesn't mean you have to! Try hosting a 1920's themed party to jazz up your nights!

Roaring Refreshments
Bee's Knees
6 Tbsp Gin
1 Tsp Honey
1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Add with ice to a shaker, then strain into a glass!

Mint Julep
1/4 oz Water
3 Mint Leaves.
1 Tsp Sugar
3 oz Bourbon

Mix these 3 gently and pour into a cocktail glass with crushed ice. Add 2 sprigs of mint to garnish.

Elderflower Collins
1.5 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz Gin
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake these 3 ingredients and pour into an ice filled glass. Top it with a splash of soda and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Setting the Mood - Music Playlist
A Tisket, A Tasket- Ella Fitzgerald
Dead Man Rolls- Jelly Roll Morton
My Man- Billie Holiday
Now's The Time- Charlie Parker
Hello Dolly- Louis Armstrong
Summertime- Sarah Vaughan
Let's Get Lost- Chet Baker
Tuxedo Junction- Glenn Miller
Ain't Misbehavin'- Fats Waller
Takin' the "A" Train - Duke Ellington

Elegant Ensembles
Now, with such a lovely list of music and drinks, you and your guests must certainly look the part. Here are some photos to get your fringed and feathered selves inspired!














Hair accessories are essential..... Check out this head pieces made of red netting, feathers, and beads (above)! Also, the ladies on the right have on their cloche hats and headbands.
For exciting hair options, check out www.etsy.com and search for "feather hair piece" and you'll
see oodles of options









Check out these beaus (left) as they serve cocktails amongst a croquet playing crowd! With vests, ties, umbrellas, hats, feather, canes, and fringe gallore, this group was set to inspire!


To host your own Roaring 1920's Party, keep in mind that's it's all about the attitude. Be thankful that Prohibition ended decades ago and look for fun ways to dress up both your home and yourself!

Eat, Drink, and Dance the night away to some Jazz Age inspired ideas!

Happy Hosting,

Lori


Photos: Aug 29, 2010 at Governor's Island, NY for the annual Jazz Age Lawn Party

HELLO AGAIN!!!

Hey Party People!

I am SO happy to say "Hello Again" to all of our loyal Artsy Readers! As you all know, our little blog has changed quite a bit over the last couple of months unfortunately. We were sad to see Ashley go but hope that she is happy in her endeavors.

BUT I wanted to let you all know that Artsy Maqnolias is currently under construction for something even BETTER! We will be back in full force with a NEW set of guest editors who are so excited to share their thoughts and ideas with you. We will be changing the set-up and branching out into new areas of art, fashion, and CREATIVITY in every sense of the word. **We will even have an inside scoop to what's going on around the country!

Be patient with us for just a little while longer and you will not be sorry. Miss Meg here will be sure to keep you all in the loop. Start getting excited for what is to come. You won't be sorry! Hugs and Kisses to everyone and a promise that what is to come will be better than ever!

best,

Meg.

A. Says Au Revoir

Today is a bittersweet post for me. I'm sad to say that I will no longer be writing for MAQ, tears, yes i know. But don't cry too much, I'm excited to announce that I am launching a new blog for my personal business, AB Graham Arts. Yes, that's right you can join me on my journey to discovery in the art world! Please continue to enjoy the interesting posts from M&Q, but then click on over to AB Graham Art's and see what's going on in my crazy world. 


Au Revoir, 
A.

Please check out my blog: http://abgrahamarts.wordpress.com/

Summer Freshness

M.

Ok, y'all...so this is kind of silly, but since we're all kinda takin' it easy with the blog this summer....I wanted to tell you guys about something I'm loving this week- The AirWick Fresh Matic!!! For starters, I need to begin with telling you all that I recently rescued a little baby kitty cat and he has quickly become the newest addition to our family. Say hello to Sir Severus Snape.





If any of you have had cats...you know with cats, comes litter boxes! With litter boxes, comes an odor of CAT. We have invested in some fantastic litter box deodorizer...but have fallen in love with our AirWick Fresh Matic! It holds an aerosol can of air-freshener and dispenses it periodically. We set a timer for it to dispense the freshener every ten minutes and the house smells wonderful always. It smells better now than it did before Sev!






So that's all...I'm just in love with this little fresh-maker. Invest in one...you won't be sorry!

Have a nice week guys!

peace out,

M.

__________________________

Firecracker, Firecracker, Boom, Boom, BOOM!

Holiday Treasury Treat! Check it out! 
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c2e145e75d38eef9a342ddc/firecracker-firecracker-boom-boom-boom

Whatever Friday 7/2

photo by: steven klein 

Proud to be an American...and stylish!

Have a great 4th of july weekend! If you are unsure about what to wear this holiday weekend, be sure to check out this great article from Vogue: http://www.vogue.com/voguedaily/2010/06/top-ten-fourth-of-july/


Enjoy Yourself! 
A. 

A Collection of DIYs for July 4th

So today Ladies, I'm sorry to say that there will not be a showcase.  Instead, I have a collection of the best Do-It-Yourself  Projects for the 4th of July! I promise any of these projects will make your friends impressed and jealous at the same time, (now top that)! 

1. TWIG & THISTLE BLOG - 4th of July Decorations

Directions: 

http://www.twigandthistle.com/blog/2009/07/diy-4th-of-july/

2. DESIGN SPONGE- Erica's 4th of July bbq brooch

Directions:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/06/diy-project-ericas-july-4th-bbq-brooch.html

3. A BEAUTIFUL  MESS- Sidewalk Chalk 

Directions: 

http://weloveiowa.blogspot.com/2010/06/not-so-wordless-wednesday-diy-4th-of.html

4. MIX MINGLE GLOW- Oilcloth Placemats 

Directions: 

http://mixmingleglow.com/blog/?p=1145 

5. Lanzallamas Blog- FLAG CRAFT PROJECT 

Directions: 

http://www.lanzallamas.com/4th-of-july-craft-project/

But when all else fails...

Turn to Martha! Here are just some of her amazing ideas. Those napkins are darling! 

You can see all these images and more at 

www.marthastewart.com

Basically, You can't go wrong with Martha! 

I hope enjoy yourself making one of these awesome dyi's! (please send us photos, of any of your own dyi's for the 4th)

A. 

HELLO MAQNOLIAS!

I'm being a Mega-Slacker and starting my fourth of July weekend early!

HAVE A GOOD SAFE 4th MAQNOLIAS!

Bonjour!

BONJOUR! 

Hello Readers, I know you missed me something awful last week, but I'm back now! Today I wanted to share with you some Fantastic Frenchie Finds from Anthropologie! 

Their New China Patterns are Perfection! 

For the walls: 

Yes, that is wallpaper, sick- i know! 

Gorgeous, but for the rich & famous, it's way out of my budget! 

I love this canister, its soooo cute! Or this chic book for a coffee table, both good choices! 

oooooooohhhhhh, ahhhhhhhhhh! 

Last for your wardrobe, stay chic!

All of these great finds are available at Anthropologie, just search the word paris or french and open your computer to a world of style! 

merci beaucoup!

A.

The Ultimate Summer Playlist.

Hello Maqnolias!

We all have songs that take us back to a particular moment in time. The song that was playing when you got your first kiss, (Britney Spears- From the Bottom of my Broken Heart...yeah yeah terrible I know) the song you had on repeat that one summer, the song you blared when you went through a break-up.

The summer is the most crucial time to have an awesome playlist. Almost every summer activity you do is better with music, laying out, boating, playing on the beach, etc. Having a variety of new/old, Rock, Hip-Hop, country, oldies, alternative, and pop will make your playlist the ideal playlist for any occasion. So a year or so from now when you here these songs on "ThrowBack Thursdays" it will remind you of the most unforgettable summer ever...2010.

Summer 2010 Songs you won't be able to escape.

Tik Tok- Ke$ha

California Girls- Katy Perry

OMG- Usher

Airplanes- B.o.B. (feat. Hayley Williams)

Alejandro- Lady GaGa

Party in the USA- Miley Cyrus

New Fun Summer Songs!

Fashion- Lady Gaga

Beautiful, dirty rich- Lady Gaga

Real Life- The Tanlines

Bang Pop- Free Energy

Two Points for Honesty- Guster

SleepyHead- Passion Pit

Little Secrets- Passion Pit

Daylight- Matt and Kim

Drop it Low- Ester Dean & Chris Brown

Always Delicious Summer Artists.

Bob Marley

Van Morrison

Kenny Chesney

Akon

Bob Dylan

Shaggy

Eric Hutchinson

Jack Johnson

Ben Harper

Harry Belafonte

I hope some of these songs help with creating your ultimate summer playlist!

XOXO

Q

Perfect Carry-On

Summer Travels Made Simple

During the summer, a lot of people use the good weather and children's time off of school to plan their vacations. Whether you're traveling by plane, train, or automobile, my new little find might be just the thing to lighten the load in your suit case, especially if you're planning on passing through any security check-points!

As I was reading the July 2010 issue of In Style magazine, I came across a nifty little website that caught my attention. It was in an article about making your travel experience as easy as possible. If you have ever flown on an airplane, especially in the last several years, you know how strict airline security has become. A person can barely enter a terminal without a full body search/scan and that's not even getting into the crazy restrictions that airlines now have on luggage. The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, has literally laid down the law as far as restrictions on all of your allowed luggage. However, the point I am focusing on is the restrictions on liquids in your carry-on's!
For all of us who like to bring our own products along on trips, then this site is for you.

http://www.3floz.com/default.aspx

3floz offers beloved beauty, skin, and hair care products in perfect TSA approved travel sizes. No more worries with checking luggage just so you can pack your full size bottles of product and NO MORE decanting your fav products into little travel bottles. Purchase the products online and have them shipped to the hotel at your travel destination or to your home. I'm telling you though, this is a great website! So smart and perfect for the beauty queen and king jetsetters!peace out,

M.

Whatever Friday 6/17

M.

For me, summer living is supposed to be light, easy, and carefree. It's so hot in the summer that we all just want to relax and not worry with things, especially fixing a lunch when you're a girl or guy on the run. This past week I was introduced to a low-carb meal that you can grab in a jiff. I had previously heard about "low-carb burgers" but never thought I could find one...a good one...in Alma. Well, I was wrong!




Tuesday I tried my first Low-Carb Thickburger from Hardees! It was delicious! It's your basic thickburger sans bready bun. The burger and "fixins" come packaged in a lettuce wrap. Now don't think this is exactly and low-calorie option because it does come with the traditional condiments like ketchup and cheese, etc. which could of course be ditched and it would still be delish.






It was hearty and filling and I didn't even crave a french-fry! Yay! I recommend you all try one because I am a fan. Let me know what y'all think!

http://www.hardees.com/

Happy Weekend Friends!

peace out,

M.

Showcase Thursday- June 17

Every Thursday of our weekly blog we present a showcase. The showcase is of a particular someone or company that is playing an active part in the world of art, fashion, and all around creativity. We hope that this segment of our blog serves as a platform for some of the people and businesses we find interesting.

We want to show off people who are making lasting footprints in our fascinating little world.

What is BIG CARTEL? 

 Finally, a shop for the little guy.

Big Cartel is where artists set up shop. We provide clothing designers, bands, jewelry makers, crafters, and other artists with their own customizable store to sell their stuff online.

SO EASY

1. START UP 

Use your store admin to setup your store, add your products, and customize your design.

2.SELL OUT

When orders come in, the money and order info are sent directly to your PayPal account.

3. SHIP IT

You package up your products and ship them off to your eagerly awaiting customer.

Click here to learn more about setting up your on E-Store

Examples, of some Favorite Big Cartel Stores: 

http://shop.boompa.ca/

http://merch.hypem.com/

http://www.ligatureloopandstem.com/

IF you are an artist, designer, band, or lover of making, try

big cartel

click here to learn about pricing & where to sign up

BE SURE TO WATCH THE BUZZ VIDEOS!