A treat for all drinking connoisseurs in attendance, we brought in a professional mixologist from one of the city’s most acclaimed cocktail spots. These sharply-dressed bartenders used fresh, inventive ingredients to craft beverages from your personal tastes. Like your drink sweet? Bitter? Sour? These fellows made something amazing, just for you. They’d then go the extra mile of chipping out custom ice cubes for every drink, because the size and shape of your cube makes a big difference in taste.

An elegant layer on top of an already great event, this expert touch took things to a whole new level… It was as if everyone snuck by a bouncer and into the coolest bar in town.

For a recent 60th birthday party, we came up with lot of fun ideas but one of my favorite details was suspending contemporary silver light fixtures over each white plexi top farm table. On each fixture, we wrote quotes and copy on each that had great meaning for the birthday boy.

With that, I offer you my TOP TEN (well, TOP ELEVEN!) list of inspirational finds from my trip, in no particular order.

1. These driftwood mushroom stools stand about 18 inches tall, each are individually carved so they’re all different, and they offer a whimsical yet functional option for outdoor seating. (And hey, if you get hungry…)

2. There’s never a shortage of cheeky glamour at Louis Vuitton’s store on the Champs-Elysees—from their polished gold steps to this super chic window display. Who couldn’t fall in love with this zebra? And that gold, red, and black beading creates a dazzling desert effect that I’ll be borrowing someday in the future.

3. This image shows an incredible photograph that I’d love to have… It’s actually two mirror images put together to look like a V-wall, creating this effect that there’s a window into another gallery.

4. Stylish scooters and bicycles are essential elements of all great European cities. This classic dusty-red leather will just get better looking as time goes on, and the leather bike is more chic an accessory than any handbag.

5: I’ve had this Tim Burton, “Alice in Wonderland” card house effect in my head for a long time.

6: I already adore and collect nickel-plated lanterns. These oversized version are done up with chic brown leather straps, given even more style to an already timeless piece.

7: We forget how clean and cool a simple pegboard can be! This board is similar to any you’d find in an old garage, and the lettering is created with very simple yarn. But the font and the spirit in which it’s crafted is incredibly special.

8: We’ve all been in rooms that appear much larger than they are, thanks to a great mirror effect. Well these cubes are actually half-cubes, made to look like a full cube by mirror and shadow. Look closely and see this brilliant technique.

9: Rustic effects can be so elegant when done well. This simple concept—wooden pallets in lieu of a boxspring—would be perfect for a very chic, simple Americana farmhouse event.

10. That he blows! Josh’s favorite. This guy just sums up the beauty of life for me. A rose and its thorns, exemplifying that constant push-and-pull of tension that gives life its substance. Ain’t he cute?

11. We’ve all heard of ice packs for our eyes. So why not for our Pinot Gris? At this incredible restaurant/wine store, these rapid-ice wine chillers—sort of a frozen life jacket for your white wine—are a great notion for a fun, friendly event.  In Paris, they are quickly replacing the wine chiller filled with ice.

I can’t wait to do a fun mac and cheese based food station for one of my events.  Always look at your immediate environment for inspiration.

http://www.macbar.net/

http://www.hudsonfurnitureinc.com/2007/

http://feteny.com/services/fete-paper/