Lighting a candle – whether for a private vigil or a lively party – can change the energy in a room.  With a candle in a glassybaby votive , the gesture can contribute to improving a person’s life.  Created by Lee Rhodes, a cancer survivor who wanted to find a way to give back to the care centers that cured her and to the community of patients that needed her support, glassybaby is a collection of beautifully colored votives that benefits charity.

Every year, glassybaby selects a group of colors to benefit local and national cancer organizations such as the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the Martha Stewart Center for Living.  Handmade by glassblowers in a Seattle studio, the votives, which can be used as vases or drinking glasses, come in a wide range of delicious colors from pastel pinks and greens to deep blues and burgundies.  With over 70 shades, there is a color to match every tabletop setting or room aesthetic.

Available at their retail stores in Seattle and New York (opening October 29, 2009) and online, glassybaby votives are sold for $40 each with 10% of sales going to charity.   The sturdy and sophisticated votives can also be rented for weddings and events for $5 each.

PHOTO CREDIT:  Courtesy of glassybaby

Then the sight of the pale yellow, vintage Van Leeuwen step van serving cones of Sicilian Pistachio, Piedmont Hazelnut and Hudson Valley Red Current is sure to make your heart go aflutter.

Unlike the additive filled and artificially tasting Mister Softee, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream crafts their gourmet product using only high quality natural ingredients including, fresh hormone free milk and cream (from farmers that they know personally in Lewis County, New York) as well as fresh egg yolks and pure cane sugar.

Their dense and rich ice cream (made with 18% butterfat) can be topped with caramel or hot fudge sauce made from decadent Michel Cluizel Chocolate, organic cream and exclusive, oak barrel-aged organic vanilla.

“I started Van Leeuwen Ice Cream as a way to apply my passion for fine food to a product that everybody loves,” explains founder Ben Van Leeuwen.

His classically redesigned ice cream trucks can be found around New York selling up to 10 delicious flavors. Check the web site for exact times but locations include, Soho (Prince and Greene), the Village (University and 12th Street) and the Upper West Side (Broadway and 75th Street). Scoops, which are served in cups made from biodegradable sugar cane, range in price from $3.95 for a small to $7.00 for a large. This Fall, look for Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in the freezer sections of select Whole Foods stores and Murray’s Cheese.

To hire the Van Leeuwen truck for events, contact Laura O’Neill at laura@vanleeuwenicecream.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

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Now, you can cast the wait staff of your dreams by perusing a gallery of model head shots on ModelBartenders.com, which is a service that provides trained male and female bartenders, waiters, cocktail servers, coat check attendants and street teams for both corporate and private parties.

Model Bartenders has done all kinds of events for high profile companies including Martha Stewart, Mercedes Benz and Christie’s auction house. According to founder Marc Levine, his company often works with private clients with outrageous requests. For a 50th birthday party in Connecticut, Model Bartenders had to secure a team of synchronized swimmers to perform in the pool.

Whether you are looking for one attractive and competent bartender for cocktails at your house, a bevy of shirtless men in turbans for an over-the-top theme party or a team of blond spokesmodels for your product launch, Model Bartenders can help you find the staff you need.

Pricing starts at $45/hour for basic wait staff and goes up to $200/hour for special requests with a minimum of 5 hours. The service is currently available in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Washington D.C.

To book Model Bartenders for your event, contact 212-499-0886 or email modelbartenders@aol.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of ModelBartenders.com