Friday, May 23, 2014

Amber's 25th Birthday




I decided to organize a small surprise party for my sister's 25th birthday. I didn't invite too many people and some weren't able to make it. We were about 15 people altogether (including the birthday girl and myself).

Want to know what I wore? Check out my blog post: OOTN: Amber's Birthday Dinner
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RSVP


I normally create a Facebook event page but since it was a surprise, I couldn't take the chance of my sister finding out because it usually comes up on newsfeed. 

That's when I searched online and found splash. I created a page listing all the information and people were able to RSVP there as well. You can password protect the page and then simply send out the link to the guests along with password. 

Header of the page
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VENUE


I'm so happy that we did it at Zyara. The restaurant itself is very nicely decorated but their private room is a hidden gem. Aside from its beautiful decor, it's a perfect space for private dining.

Menu was fixed for everyone. However, their Lebanese Menu had a variety of items that pleased everyone. I was also happy to know that everything except lamb shank was halal. The food was overall very good and the presentation was well done.


Their service was fast and impeccable. The waiters were very nice and helpful. Click here to read my full review on the private room. 

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CAKE


I ordered the cake from Les Glaceurs (Quartier Dix30):
  • 6" cake (12-15 portions)
  • Small LV Bag & Christian Louboutin shoe
  • Golden LV logo around the cake
I originally wanted the cake to be in shape of LV handbag but they said that aside from the LV logo, the rest of the design would have to be done manually and cost more. I wasn't sure if they would have done a great job, so I asked them to make mini bag and shoe.



I actually wanted golden pearls around it but I guess there was some miscommunication and she put golden pearls on the bottom.  

I've never had a problem with any of my orders from downtown or old port Les Glaceurs but for some reason, Dix 30 one just doesn't live up to my expectations. However, I haven't really had a terrible experience either.

Nonetheless, the cake still turned out nice. The mini LV bag was so cute! It was perfect for the present my dad and I got for my sister: Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette Accessoires. 


I actually thought it would be too small for everyone, so my bestie brought assorted mini cupcakes from Les Glaceurs but surprisingly no one ate the mini cupcakes and there was a lot of cake left. Well, better to have more than less! We gave some mini cupcakes to the staff (least we can do for the amazing job they've done) and took home the rest. 

Click here to read my review of Les Glaceurs and see pictures of some of the cakes that my friends and I have ordered in the past.

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FAVORS

Each guest received a favor box and a plastic bag filled with goodies.


Plastic Bag

The plastic bag had the following items: 
    • Perfume Postcard: I actually got these from my online purchases. There was a promotion going on and I got about 15 postcards in total (5 different perfume brands per order). I had no clue I was going to get these while I was ordering and I got lucky because I got enough for all my guests.

      List of perfume samples received per order:

    • Urban Decay Sample: For orders of $25 USD and more (about $35 CAD), you get to choose a deluxe sample, so I got 2 deluxe samples of Urban Decay. Each of them included 7 different eyeshadow and primer samples, so 16 samples in total. The people who got a primer got Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder sample.

      Click here to check out their current beauty deals.
Sephora.com, Inc.
    • Samples: Samples of primers, cleansers, moisturizers and more from various brands (Too Faced, Make Up For Ever, Sephora Collection, Algenist, etc).  
    • Crossword Puzzle & Pen  

How did I get all these samples? 
I have VIB Rouge, so one of the advantages is that I get free shipping on each order, so I made about 3 orders and got a bunch of samples (including deluxe samples). I also stocked up on several samples especially during Sephora Chic Week Sale.
I would suggest you to join their Beauty Insider program if you live in Canada/USA. 
It's free and has few advantages: 
  • Each year around your birthday, you get a little present (deluxe samples). 
  • Earn points on each purchase that can be redeemed for deluxe samples.
  • Have access to their yearly sales (usually 2 sales where you can get 15 to 20% off).  
Click here to read my blog post about how their Beauty Insider program works.  

BI-Relaunch 

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Favor Box
The favor boxes had following items: 
    • Chocolates (Ferrero Rocher, Lindt) 
    • Thank You cards with the Louis Vuitton pattern
    • Keep Calm and Carry on Buying Shoes with a picture of Christian Louboutin Shoe



I simple used photo editor program for the Thank You cards, while the "Keep Calm" photo, I found it on google. I simply printed them out and used a paper trimmer, which is much easier and faster to cut paper.


I placed the favors on the table before most of the guests arrived. Everyone loved it! 




CROSSWORD PUZZLE


Each guest received a crossword puzzle about my sister. I used a free online tool that generates it for you: Edtools. It was so easy to make! I used to make them manually and then make copies for birthday parties when I was 13-14 years old. I wish this tool was available back then. 

Yes, I made a mistake in the title. In my defence, I worked on it very late and I was sleepy lol

While we waited for my sister to arrive, all the girls completed the crossword puzzles and wrote their names before folding them. I collected them and made someone draw one out with their eyes closed of course. The winner got to go first to choose a prize...


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PRIZES

After the winner of the crossword puzzle draw had chosen her prize, each person got to draw a number out of a bag (1 to 13). The person who got number 1 got to go first and 13 last but each person got at least one prize. I had a variety of prizes...



Sephora Deluxe Samples
I redeemed some deluxe samples using my points:
During the VIB Early Access Event, I got several samples and the following deluxe sample:




Sephora Samples

Various samples I got from Sephora during my last month's purchases.



Accessories
I also got few items from the stores...



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Final Thoughts

I was so happy that everything turned out well! The hardest part was to choose a date but luckily many of our friends were able to make it. I wanted to do more things but I ran out of time. I'll save those ideas for future event. Hopefully, my sister's bridal shower! I've already got few things in mind... 




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