Greetings from Posh Party Box!

Every year, kids look forward to summer with such enthusiasm.  And it’s contagious – even I have the fever this year! 

Let me tell you why!  I LOVE the weather, the extra time that families spend together and, this summer, I have even more to be excited about... One of my daughters and her children are moving back to my hometown and I have new grandchild!  I feel very blessed this season. 

Whether you want to celebrate an occasion or need a party to cheer someone up, Posh Party Box has just what you need.  We not only create some of the most creative, elegant parties around – our parties are virtually filled with gifts for your guests.  And, with our Posh Tips newsletter, we have some great recipes and ideas to get you going.  Enjoy!

Best wishes,

Sue Pierce

Owner, Posh Party Box

Graduation Party Ideas

Each year there seem to be more graduations!  Preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, college…  Some of my friends celebrate graduation with each school year! 

No matter the child’s age (or adult’s!), graduation is the perfect excuse for a celebration!  There are so many ideal settings and ideas for graduation.  For a formal affair, you can book a private room or area at a restaurant.  For something more intimate, consider a back yard barbeque.

No matter the venue, elegance and special touches are key:

Autograph boards are great for commemorating both the graduation and your graduation party. Buy a large piece of poster board, glue a photo of your grad in the center and attach glitter pens and markers to it with string. Hang your poster on the wall or an easel and let guests sign it with good wishes. After the party, attach a matching frame on the poster and it becomes a great gift to your grad.

School photos can are not only the perfect décor but a real conversation piece as well.  Enlarge their annual school photographs and hang them in order to show how much they’ve changed – and how awkward they may have looked some years!

Yard Signage

To let the world know just how proud you are of your grad, put a sign in the front yard! 

The Complete Package

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you all about the Posh Party Box graduation package!  If you want to be certain your grad is honored in style – and cut out the legwork – order or Pomp and Circumstance party box!  The invitations, decorations, and memory book will speak volumes about how you feel for the graduate. Show him or her how proud you are with bold décor and by not skipping a single detail.

Backyard Parties

If you don’t have a graduate in the house this summer, don’t let that hold you back!  There’s no better time for a backyard party!  From a luau or barbeque to a pool party or campout, we have the party box you need! 

Here are some ideas to make the event even more special:

Groom your yard.  Start by hiring a lawn service.  Make sure your greenery is freshly trimmed, pruned, cut, edged, blown, swept and sprayed down.  Add mulch and seasonal flowers to gardens.  Clean and shine everything, from your grill to the windows overlooking your backyard. 

Let there be light.  Line up tiki torches and scatter tea lights over tables.  Where you can, hang twinkling white Christmas lights. 

Fresh flowers.  In addition to the seasonal flowers you plant in your beds, cut flowers from your garden or wildflowers and placed in vases.  (If you don ‘t have any, you can buy some!)

Posh Party Recipe

Crispy Asparagus & Prosciutto Phyllo Straws    

24 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed

6 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed if frozen

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

12 thin slices prosciutto cut in half crosswise

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

Place the asparagus in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water.  Cover tightly and steam until just al dente and bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander to cool.

Preheat oven to 450 F with the rack in the center.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a dry surface.  Keep the remaining sheets covered with a clean, slightly damp towel.  Brush lightly with melted butter and cust into 4 rectangular pieces, each 5 x 7 inches.

Place 1 piece of prosciutto on the phyllo, lining it up along 1 short edge of the rectangle.  Arrange an asparagus spear on top of the prosciutto along the same short edge of the rectangle, letting the tip lay exposed beyond the top edge of the dough by ¾ inch or so.  Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon Parmesan.  Roll up and secure the edge of the dough with the additional butter. 

Repeat with the remaining ingredients, transferring the straws onto the prepared baking sheet.  The straws may be  made 1 to 2 hours ahead up to this point, covered with plastic and refrigerated.

Before baking, sprinkle the top of the straws with the remaining cheese.  Cover the asparagus tips with foil to protect them from the heat.  Bake until golden brown, 5 – 8 minutes.  Serve warm, either whole or sliced into bite-size pieces.

Featured Posh Party: Tweens Luau

It doesn’t matter if you live in Hawaii or Iowa; the Posh Party Tween Luau Party Box will bring the beach party to your house, but without the sand).

We recommend the Luau Party for any size party and for both boys and girls. In fact, the Luau Party is a sweet party theme for a tween co-ed party. This party kit is designed for parties with eight guests, but if you are planning a large party, don’t overlook this Party Box. You can add additional guests for just $28.50 each or we can customize a box for you.

Every item in your 12-piece Party Box includes: 

• 8 luau invitations
• 8 luau thank you notes
• 8 flower leis
• 8 authentic coconut cups with flower and straw
• 8 colorful plates
• 1, 20 piece package of matching napkins
• 1 set of 12 acrylic orange cutlery in basket with salt and pepper shaker
• 8 paddle ball sets
• 8 fold-up beach mats
• Shells for table decoration
• 2 pairs of flip flop candles
• 4 5-foot tiki torches

Outdoor Movie Party

One of the hottest new trends is actually quite nostalgic…  A backyard movie party!  Whether for a birthday party or as a special touch to your luau or pool party, a backyard movie is sure to be a hit. 

For birthdays, you can really blow out the movie theme.  Simply follow these steps:

Design your invite.  You can use any number of homemade invites, ranging from a note pinned to a potato inviting friend to be a “couch potato” to a movie ticket design. 

Rent or buy a DVD projector.  You can rent a projector for about $40 or, if you plan to have more than one back yard screening, consider buying a projector for about $299.  For the screen, you can use a light colored sheet or research ideas online for making a screen.     

Rent a popcorn machine.  If you or one of your friends don’t own an old fashioned popcorn machine, consider renting one.  This will be one of the key elements for conveying your theme.  A snow cone or icy machine adds flavor too.

Outdoor furniture, blankets or pillows.  With so many people investing in outdoor living areas, you may have couches and other comfy furniture to place in front of the screen.  If not, blankets and pillows spread across the lawn are fun too.

Pick your movie.  While most any new release or blockbuster will do, my favorite ideas are the classics.  Consider “Little Mermaid” or “Lady and the Tramp” for girls or “101 Dalmations”, “Sandlot” or “Bad News Bears” for boys.  If it’s an adult birthday, “Gidget” or “Beach Blanket Bingo” are FUN!

Enjoy!  When the party starts, most of the hard work is behind you.  The movie does the entertaining, and you make sure the popcorn and drinks are handy!

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Another wonderful activity for a birthday or most any other party, is a photo scavenger hunt.  This is especially fun if you invested in the projector! 

Divide your guests into teams, each equipped with a digital camera and a list of silly/obscure items that must appear in a photograph with at least one person from the team.  For example: a riding lawnmower, climbing a tree, an ice cream truck, etc.  Everybody returns at a certain time to upload photos to a laptop. Guests can dine on cake and ice cream during a fabulous slide show featuring the hunt!

Featured Posh Party: Stars and Stripes

Do you feel like all Fourth of July parties are the same? Are you looking for a way to celebrate a Veteran or welcome home a soldier? If yes, then this kit is for you.

Inside the Stars and Stripes Party Box you'll find everything you need to decorate and host a patriotic party for eight or more if you choose to add guests ($13 each additional guest). Start with official Stars and Stripes party invitations and decorate your home or backyard with the included red, white, and blue tea light holders, basket, party light, and 4th of July themed candles.

Everything included in the kit will make it look like you've gone to a lot of trouble to make things just right.

Your 17 piece Party Box includes:

• 8 stars and stripes invitations
• 8 stars and stripes luncheon plates
• 8 stars and stripes cocktail plates
• 20 stars and stripes luncheon napkins
• 20 stars and stripes cocktail napkins
• 1 red 4.6' x 7' table cover
• 1 set of 6, 4th of July hat candle holders
• 1 38 piece red and blue cutlery set contained in it’s own basket with -salt and pepper shakers
• 1 red, white, and blue serving tray-
• 1 red, white, and blue square sectional basket
• 1 red, white, and blue striped party light
• 3 red, white, and blue tea light holders
• 8 acrylic red and blue cups
• Patriotic confetti
• Red, white, and blue balloons
• 8 patriotic potato sacks

Posh Party Recipe

1 lb. roasted unsalted cashews

2 Tbl minced fresh rosemary leaves

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. Light brown sugar

1 Tbl kosher salt

1 Tbl unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spread the cashews out on a sheet pan.  Toast in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and butter.  Thoroughly toss the warm cashews with the spiced butter and serve warm in individual shot glasses or plate adorned with flowers.