Bridal Showers are a special time for showering the future bride with love and best wishes from family and friends. If a bridal shower is taking place during the holiday season, than the event will have a special twist, as it will portray the spirit of the season. Christmas bridal showers during the month of December are romantic, joyful, and filled with glee. Creations by Leslie carries Christmas bridal shower invitations that are sophisticated, bold and chic. They are perfect for celebrating the bride and for celebrating the beauty of the season!

Here are the top 10 reasons for hosting a bridal shower during the holiday season:

10.       Everyone’s mood is merry and bright!

9.         Homes and restaurants are decorated with glistening lights.

8.         It’s a perfect time to celebrate new beginnings.

7.         The theme can reflect the spirit and beauty of the season.

6.         The holidays provide a perfect atmosphere for bubbly toasts of best wishes.

5.         The holidays are a time of reflection and a time of good cheer

4.         Guests are in a cheerful spirit during this special time of year.

3.         Colors of red, white, and winter blue portray a since of peace, love and joy.

2.         Blankets of snow create a stage that is picturesque and mood setting.

1.         Guests can bring a Christmas ornament for the couple’s first Christmas tree.

Wow, next week is Thanksgiving! How time flies during these months of holidays, school, activities and football! The Thanksgiving invitations have been mailed out and everyone has responded. Now is the time to start organizing the menu, the food shopping list, and all of the details that go into planning a Thanksgiving dinner. And who is the star of the party? Tom theTurkey, of course! Nothing is more symbolic of Thanksgiving than a beautifully roasted turkey with a homemade chestnut stuffing. And of course, don’t forget all of the favorite side dishes such as the gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Michael Ciriaco is the co-owner of Creations by Leslie. He was a former executive chef inNew York Cityfor over 2 decades and he loves to share his expertise when it comes to food. (and of course, the staff of Creations by Leslie is lucky enough to enjoy his cooking!)

Here are some helpful tips for preparing the turkey:

1. Fresh turkey is preferred, but if it is not available, a partially thawed or frozen turkey will be fine.
2. It is best to season the turkey 2 – 3 days in advance
3. Before seasoning, make sure the turkey is washed and dried.
4. On Thanksgiving morning, remove the turkey from the refrigerator so that it becomes room temperature before placing in the oven (this will cut down the time in the oven and create a more moist turkey)
5. Most important, baste, baste, and baste some more!

How do you know when Tom theTurkeyis finished cooking in the oven? Of course, you can wait for the internal thermometer to pop . . . or you can check the temperature with a meat thermometer – 160 degrees should be fine. (Remember, the recommended temperature of the oven is 325 degrees) The best place to check if the turkey is done is in the middle of the thigh. (where the thigh bone meets the body) Make sure to let the turkey rest for as many hours as it is roasted. Keep it covered and warm until ready to carve!

Pumpkin invitations are perfect for celebrating the season of pumpkins… the beautiful season of autumn. Pumpkin invitations can be used for fall carnivals, harvest parties, wedding events or birthday celebrations.

Halloween is over and we are in the month of November. We may ask ourselves what to do with so many pumpkins that have been collected during the pumpkin picking season. Mostly likely, a good number of pumpkins were used for jack-o-lanterns, both cute and scary. However, most of us have plenty of pumpkins that are left un-carved. If you are planning a party, you may utilize the pumpkins to create a unique focus and theme. The pumpkins may be used for decorations as well as for cooking.

Here are the top 10 ideas for utilizing your pumpkins:

(these ideas also make great favors and gifts for guests to take home and enjoy)

1. pumpkin table centerpieces
2. pumpkin place card holders
3. pumpkin pies
4. pumpkin seeds
5. pumpkin soup
6. pumpkin muffins
7. pumpkin bread
8. pumpkin cookies
9. pumpkin candy
10. pumpkin beer

November is here! The leaves are falling and there is a crisp chill in the air. Orange, red, and yellow leaves blanket the roads and side walks. November provides a beautiful landscape for autumn gatherings. November is the last chance to celebrate the beauty of the harvest season before winter arrives. November is a perfect time to celebrate an engagement or wedding before the arrival of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. November is also a perfect time for churches, schools and communities to get together and enjoy the festivities of fall. Let the spirit of the autumn season inspire the decorations with pumpkins, apples, leaves, cornucopias, and gourds. Create a fall festival and provide fun activities for the whole family such as pumpkin decorating, bobbing for apples, face painting and more!  So celebrate the autumn harvest and invite family and friends to savor the season of fall.

Okay, you asked…. We are very excited to reveal our top selling holiday cards for 2011! These designs have been such huge sellers that the manufacturers had to run a print, not just once, but three times! We are thrilled to carry and work with such amazing designers. These cards are sure to bring on a holiday party with lots of festivity and cheer! So here they are . . . from #5 to #1:

#5 – Holiday Welcome by Inviting Company

#4 – Festive Bow by Paper So Pretty

#3 – Festive Flourish by Doc Milo

#2 – Martinis and Mistletoe by Paper So Pretty

#1 – Claus Cocktails by Doc Milo

It’s just past Halloween and it’s snowing outside! It’s cold. The temperature is dropping. The roads are covered with a white blanket of snow. The trees, still having their colored leaves, are covered with ice. It is still autumn and we have just broken records of snowfall here on the East coast. It is not yet even mid-November and we have just had an early blast of Old Man Winter! So now is the perfect time to embrace the cold and think about winter parties! Winter party invitations are not just for celebrating the holidays. Winter parties are perfect for gathering family and friends and sharing the warmth of your home. You may host a dinner party, or you may keep it simple and offer cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as guests mingle by the crackling fire place.  The snow also provides a perfect stage for birthday parties. Kids will love making snowen, having snow ball fights, ice skating, riding a sleigh, frolicking in the snow, drinking hot chocolate or making s’mores. So take advantage of the snowy landscape and plan a party to keep warm and make winter a bit easier to bear!

Can you believe that the fall is here and it is in full swing now. Once the leaves officially start falling from the trees it is time to thing of those fall gathers which makes this Harvest Placesetting invitation the perfect thing to mail out to your guests. And it is great for the thanksgiving holiday too!