This morning we joined the fabulous ladies and gents at Fox Chicago to showcase fun ideas and party tips for hosting your own Oscars viewing party at home. Inspired by Deborah’s favorite Best Picture nominee, American Hustle, we featured glitz, glam and all things retro! From swedish meatballs to long island ice teas, you guests will crossing their fingers along with Deborah and making American Hustle their favorite pick to win!

Special Thanks to The Caterist in Evanston and Juliet Tan Floral Design

Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

Pics from Deborah’s Instagram:

Deborah loves the lovely ladies at WCIU’s You & Me In the Morning, Melissa Forman and Jeanne Sparrow! We were so excited to join them this morning to talk about all things Oscars!!! For this home-party idea, we were inspired by three of this year’s Best Picture nominees: Gravity, American Hustle and Wolf of Wall Street. We let our inspiration guide us in decor, menu items and even at the bar.

Special thanks to The Caterist in Evanston!
Check out more of the cocktail recipes inspired by this year’s top movies here!

From Behind The Scenes:

From Deborah’s Instagram:

The Oscars are the perfect occasion to host a black tie cocktail party with your closest friends and family. Set the mood by offering a menu of drinks inspired by the movies nominated.

We recently met up with our friend, Andrea Metcalf to discuss What to Serve at Your Oscars Party! You can see more from that segment on her website, WomensForum.com

Here are a few of our favorite concoctions inspired by this year’s Best Picture nominees:

Gravitational Pull

– Powdered Tang mix, to rim cocktail glasses
– Fresh squeezed lime juice
– 4 oz russian vodka
– 1 oz of blue curacao liqueur
– 1 oz prepared Tang

Use wedge of fresh lime to moisten the rim of two martini glasses. Then roll the rims in tang mix to coat. In a cocktail shaker, shake remaining ingredients with ice. Strain and serve in prepared cocktail glasses.

Royal Constellation

– 4 oz of Champagne of your choice
– 2 oz of elderberry liquer w splash of soda

Add the ingredients together. Voila! Once you add the splash of soda, try adding some crushed dry ice chips and watch the fun begin. Also illuminate with blue LED ice cubes.

Alexander (Brandy)

– 1 ounce Gin or Brandy
– 1 ounce Dark Crème de Cacao
– 2 ounces Heavy Cream
– Grated Nutmeg Garnish

Combine first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg.

The Pittsfield Building is a brand new venue in the heart of Chicago. The building was built in 1927 and has since been recognized as an architectural marvel.

To showcase the venue in all it’s beauty, we were asked to join a team of Chicago vendors for a full day photo shoot. From vintage hair accessories from The Left Bank to handwritten wedding paperie from Courtney Callahan. Every detail came together beautifully for this Roaring 20s themed affair with the planning and coordination efforts of Chicago Vintage Weddings.

Our team at Art of Imagination brought together a special sweetheart lounge for the bride and groom to enjoy throughout their reception. The area was draped with luxurious ivory fabrics and included vintage furniture and accents.  To complete the look, soft amber lighting enhanced the romance in the air. Hope you enjoy the photos and the montage video too!

Vendors include: The Pittsfield Building // Art of Imagination // DwJohnson Studio // Chicago Vintage Weddings // The Left Bank Bridal Beauty and Accessories // Elysia Root Cakes // BHLDN // Fab Flora // Karen Marie Salon // Private Label Linens // Factor Women Models (Rachel W, Evie,and Adem) // Courtney Callahan // Hall’s Rental // Formally Modern Tuxedo

Pittsfield Wedding Film from 25 West Weddings on Vimeo.

So many of our brides at Art of Imagination have a whimsical yet earthy wishlist for their wedding day. The ideal style for them would be a Rustic Elegance, the perfect combination of strong neutrals, worn metals, and flowing florals.

Everything starts with the dress! Jenny Yoo’s 2014 bridal collection includes many dresses that we absolutely love, yet the Vionnet dress couldn’t be more perfect for our Rustic Elegance theme. With lace cap sleeves, the dress features a V-neckline and a V-back in a unique Ivory lace with gold threading for a romantic and vintage look. A gold ribbon and detachable brooch pin sits at the natural waist adding detail to the dress. The skirt is fitted though the hips and then leads to a full skirt made of Tulle and Organza adding volume.

Adding to the ethereal theme, a crown of sweet flowers with an abundant bouquet of greens and ivories were provided by Juliet Tan Florals. Our bride is standing in front of a unique wedding structure designed by Deborah and her team. The woodsy arch features mini white lights and a small window pane hanging just behind. The picture perfect setting transforms from ceremony to reception as a place for photo ops (including a rustic bench from Tablescapes Party Rental) or a background setting for an intimate sweetheart table.

As we mentioned earlier, rustic and worn metals compliment the theme and our designers created these beautiful moss-filled votives as accent pieces than could be placed throughout your event. Floral linen is another big trend for 2014. If a full table linen is too much for you, accent a place card table or gift table with a table runner in a muted tone-on-tone pattern.

Bling, glitter, and poofy dresses do not make a princess. Today’s princess bride is fashioned in a more regal way, as opposed to diva. The look of royalty starts with the dress! Our friends at Jenny Yoo recently debuted their 2014 line and this Magnolia dress immediately caught our attention. The winter white color and crystal embroidered tulle flowing over the chiffon was breathtaking. It was as if our fairy Godmother herself picked it out.

For our recent segment on WGN Midday News where we showcased our 2014 Wedding Trends, we used fishline to display the magical dress as if butterflies were brining it to the beautiful bride on her wedding day. Next to the dress, we displayed our princess’ beautiful bouquet. Juliet Tan Florals created the floral spectacle with a touch of crystal and pearls amongst beautiful ivory flowers. Juliet even created an embellishment on the bouquet’s handle, which could easily be swapped out for personal family heirloom.

Deborah, and her Art of Imagination designers teamed up with Tablescapes Party Rental to create a sparkling table setting, ideal for a royal event. The golden chairs with the ivory and metallic linen add a warm romance to a room due to the soft color palette. The team also added height by placing enchanted candelabras to anchor the tabletop, and a delicate yet bountiful centerpiece by Juliet Tan Florals.

The regal setting and fairytale gown is a perfect fit for our princess bride and her guests.  Chicago has many event venues to accent this look, including The Stan Mansion located in the The Historical Logan Square. If this bridal style is just what you are looking for, reach out to our designers and venue specialists today to begin planning your own royal wedding.

While the Super Bowl has ended, we have a new reason to celebrate and host a party… the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics begin Thursday!!! Andrea Metcalf from WomensForum.com stopped by Loft on Lake and chatted with Deborah about hosting an Olympics watch party. To watch the full segment, visit WomensForum.com/Olympic-Parties.

Here’s a few photos that our friends at Lofty Weddings took of the Team USA table. Our designers included a mixture of icy bling with a few Russian figurines in celebration of the host city.

Some of our treats included caviar with vodka served over crushed ice. Strawberry Romanoff and Beef Stroganoff completed our Russian spread, including cured meats with condiments. For cocktails, you can celebrate Team USA by using a denser corn syrup base with pomegranate liquor and a top layer of blue curaçao.