Hot one day, cold the next….This Houston Holiday weather is reminding me all too much of a theme we executed this past September. Say hello to “Fire and Ice!”

We wanted to throw a dual birthday that centered on our client’s favorite color, orange. With a little AFE creativity and our amazing team of vendors, it evolved into this full-on concept. No detail left untouched.

Amazing tenting and lighting transformed the yard.

The cabana quickly became a sleek ice lounge.

A fire-breathing bartender lit up the sky behind her custom ice bar.

It was an unforgettable night that wrote yet another page in our team’s book of unique styling. Tune in to my next blog to see the small touches that set the event aflame with their big impact…

How does Anthropologie always manage to fill their stores with items as equally funky and eclectic as they are sophisticated and chic? Well sister-store, BHLDN, takes this phenomenon and cranks it up yet another notch.

 BHLDN (pronounced beholden) opened last week in Highland Village as the very first of its kind. Soon to spread across the US, we were glad to be part of the launch of this vintage bridal boutique. The opening kicked off with a press event that got critics raving. Check out what CultureMap had to say! 

Then doors opened to bridal vendors, with this daytime A Fare Extraordinaire brunch. Yum!

Then finally Wednesday evening they opened to the public with champagne, passed hors d’ oeuvres and jaw dropping gowns galore! And don’t get me started on the accessories or shoes…

Welcome to Houston BHLDN! Want to see more? Check out this video.

Our office, if this wasn’t already obvious, is filled with people who love a good party, which is why this in-house baby shower made for such a great Friday!

Since we heard we were welcoming a tomboy (NOT a pink-loving girly-girl) into this world, we delved into the purple and green color scheme.

Our transformed conference room…

The culprit of our afternoon sugar high: brownie pops. 

And an awesome wardrobe to boot…

As happy as we were to celebrate Sabrina’s fabulous little girl to be, the event had undertones of sadness, as she was about to depart for her new, full-time job as mommy. We miss you already!

A Fare Extraordinaire announces the launch of our first retail product,
Farely Sweet. The snack-size bags of our signature sweet potato chips just hit the Houston food market, and we could not be more thrilled!

Since 1985, we’ve produced thousands of hand-crafted menu items, but few have been as frequently requested and absolutely addicting as these all-natural, sweet and savory chips.

You can find Farely Sweet at Revival Market, a specialty market located in the Houston Heights that offers fresh products sourced from local food artisans (like us).

Now you can bring home a little taste of AFE any time you desire. Support us and pick up a bag today!

Well, it may not be Kate and William, but it might as well have been! This wedding was truly made for royalty. A gorgeous bride and groom brought to us by Belle of the Ball, we were happy to be a part of the imperial planning!

Off with a bang, the bride pulled up in style! 

And a romantic, sunset wedding commenced against the backdrop of a spewing fountain (I won’t say spewing with love, though it was hard to refrain myself).  

After the vows had been said, the guests picked up their first glass of cold white wine (and their first hint at the evening’s theme color). 

And after cocktails, a traditional mariachi band lined up to introduce the happy couple. From there, it was apparent the party was in play.   

Colorful, fresh food galore! Then a cake that towered above the guests. 

As the lights dimmed (thanks to Bright Star), our second (of three) live bands got us grooving. Events in Bloom’s elegant touch created the perfect corner to escape to as necessary breaks were taken from the dance floor. It was a perfect night, only suited for a King.

Photographs provided by Amy Vogel.

In February, Latina magazine, L’ Oreal and CoverGirl teamed up to take on Houston Galleria with an all day makeover event. While we weren’t the ones making the magic happen with curling irons and makeup brushes, we were ecstatic to work alongside some of our favorite vendors to transform both the Galleria and the looks of some highly satisfied customers!

Let It Fly put together a pretty impressive arena for the action to take place.

Guests would enter and grab an A Fare Extraordinaire “Red Carpetini…”

Enjoy their makeover…

Snap a picture of the transformation (by the oh-so-talented Amy Vogel)…

 Then leave with a goodie bag of awesome free products…including one of my favorite makeup addictions (Lash Blast mascara)!

Thanks Latina, L’ Oreal and CoverGirl for including AFE and for glamming up some very lucky ladies just in time for their Valentine’s Day dates!

Yesterday marked my one-year anniversary with A Fare Extraordinaire, making it a great time to reflect on the parties and people that catalyzed it into such an exciting blur!

A corporate luncheon Monday, benefit Tuesday, sip n’ see breakfast Wednesday and a weekend filled with milestone occasions and non-profit galas, there’s hardly time to eat (oddly enough). Luckily, AFE has cast a wide net over the years that’s pulled in a dedicated group of employees that make it all possible…without them, our wildest event dreams could never become such visionary realities!

We said thank you to part of our team with a group bowling outing last month, but it never hurts to say it again…thank you for one unforgettable year (though it was just one chapter in the AFE novel)!

On another note, our bowling event promoted the message of “friendly competition” (ahem, until I annihilated everyone with my 160-something score…) But anyhow, during the event, we pushed the importance of personal challenge and improvement by announcing the start of a recognition program for staff that go above and beyond at our events. All I have to say is I am excited to see the next level of excellence if we’re already operating at this caliber of dedication.

Anything we can do to continually rack in the spares and strikes with our clients!

Last weekend we were honored with the opportunity to plan a 25th birthday celebration for one of our favorite Houston-born bloggers, Bailey McCarthy (a.k.a. Peppermint Bliss)! You can read all about it from Bailey’s perspective here or, from mine, right here!

Since Bailey is well-known in the online community as an interior designer with nothing but fabulous taste, the pressure was on. Luckily, we were able to help create a magical night and a delicious seated dinner for 20 of her closest friends.

A bright and funky place setting was the name of the game for Bailey…

But let me tell you, this girl also knows good food. Having one of AFE’s own chefs as an invited guest at the table, made building the menu and selecting the ingredients that much more important! I’ve never seen a fresher tomato salad or juicier tenderloin! But if you truly want to hear the icing on the cake, read here…

Happy Birthday, Bailey! Until next year (when there will be one more guest at the table and you can rejoin your guests with a glass of champagne)!