Wednesday, July 29, 2009

DIY Idea: Cute Tropical Beer Koozies

Aloha from Hawaii! We've been getting in a lot of beach time, eating yummy seafood, and relaxing. We are also preparing for the wedding of some good friends this weekend.

The bride is a very crafty gal. She made these little beer koozies for all her girls arriving from out of town. Perfect for keeping my drink cool while lounging by the pool... How cute is the flip flop ribbon for a Hawaiian gathering?


Saturday, July 25, 2009

Early tomorrow morning...

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...we are heading to paradise! And we'll be attending a wedding, which makes it even more fun!
I'm bringing the computer along, so I'm sure I will have some tidbits to share next week.

Aloha, for now!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Baseball Party Inspiration

After attending my husband's softball team bbq today, I was thinking about how fun it would be to do a baseball-themed party. I did some research, there are a lot of cute ideas out there!

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I love these vintage baseball invites!

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Appetizer cones would be perfect for this kind of party. Guests can grab one can move around with ease while they chomp on..what else? Peanuts and Cracker Jacks! :)

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The main course is a no-brainer. Hot dogs on the grill! I would have several other grilled options also available (for non-hot-do-eaters, like myself). But, a baseball party menu MUST include hot dogs.

And some corn on the cob on the grill too, a summer favorite!

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A baseball-pendant-inspired banner is a must-have, regardless of the purpose for the party: "Happy Birthday", "Welcome Baby", "Congratulations Team!", "Happy Father's Day"...the possibilities are endless. :)

How perfect are these centerpieces? Wheat grass with baseballs? So simple and so appropriate!

And of course, baseball cookies wrapped up in little cellphane bags would make perfect party favors.


Cake: Baseball

Tonight was my husband's softball team end of the season bbq. I made a cute little cake for the event.

To make my "baseball" I cooked the cake in my pyrex bowl to get the rounded shape. I cut a little bit off the top to flatten it. I used a yellow cake mix, and added a very ripe banana. This is the easiest way to make a very yummy, especially moist cake.

This is a tip that every cake-decorator needs to know. If you are using filling that is different from your outside icing, pipe a line of icing around the edge of the cake before filling it. The icing will help hold things together, and keep your filling from leaking out when you are icing your cake. You can see how this would be especially important for this cake. I covered it with white icing, and filled it with Nutella -- again, since this weekend's cupcakes were such a hit. :) And it was excellent with the yellow banana cake.

A trick I learned while making Martha Stewart's monkey cake: place three thin sheets of wax paper on the decorating surface as shown here.

After frosting, pull away the wax paper to leave a clean surface. Then pipe the bottom border around the cake.
Martha is a genius. But you already knew that. :)

I am little embarrassed to show the finished product. I was in a bit of a hurry, and didn't have time to smooth the icing. I also ended up using store-bought red icing from the little tube. I normally would tint my frosting to pipe on the design, which would give crisper lines.
But, the team LOVED it, and that is what really matters.
They loved the cake, and the fact that it displayed their undefeated record going into the play-offs! :)

2 layers of filling made it extra yummy!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Cupcakes: Filled Up!

My husband definitely has a sweet tooth.
I wanted to make something extra special for his birthday dessert this past weekend.
I decided to make 2 different kinds of cupcakes:
Yellow cake, cream cheese frosting, Nutella filling, with mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top, and
Yellow cake, cream cheese frosting, raspberry jam filling, with red candy crystals and pecans sprinkled on top

When I have made filled cupcakes previously, I piped the filling in with a standard piping bag and icing tip. This time, I followed these instructions with the goal of getting a greater volume of filling inside. My theory is that you can’t have too much Nutella. :)

This method involves cutting a cone shape out of the top of the cupcake.

And then cutting the pointy part of the cone off, to get a disc shaped top piece.

I piped in the two different fillings. I used a ziploc bag with a medium-sized corner cut off.

Then I replaced the cupcake “disc” top, and frosted like normal.

Viola! The finished product(s), were truly a labor of love.

Here's a little peak at the center with it's yummy surprise.
Happy Birthday Danny!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Flower Arrangements

We hosted a little bbq in our backyard today. My lemon tree has been recently pruned, and doesn't have much fruit on it. But, my baby orange tree is absolutely covered. So, I used baby oranges instead of the lemons I had mentioned earlier this week.

I was happy with how it turned out.
(By the way, I have absolutely no idea about the correct name for this fruit. Satsumas? Clementines? Mandarins? We just call them "baby oranges" at our house.)

And one more arrangement to complete the color scheme.
I love doing flower arrangements in pitchers. It is so cute, and more interesting than just a vase. Now I just need to get more pitchers. And more kitchen cupboards. :)


PS The cupcakes I made for the bbq were quite popular. Check back tomorrow for pictures and a great cupcake "recipe" that you can "steal" for your next party. :)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

I am Loving: Lemons

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Lemons are the perfect, bright touch to add to summer decor.
Whether its for a wedding, a shower, birthday party, or just your kitchen table!
I love them tucked into flower arrangements.

I love them whole in a vase.
I love them sliced in a vase.

Or even as a placecard.

And with lemon decor, there are so many possibilities for coordinating a yummy dessert. Or tasty lemon-y party favors; wrapped up to go with yellow ribbon, of course!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

I am Loving: Water Dispensers

I have owned one in the past, but sadly, it broke. I feel like I need a new ASAP, especially with the bbq we are hosting this weekend for my husband's birthday. Don't you think they are essential for a summer party? I do.

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With the HOT weather we are having here, I am dreaming of cool lemonade.

Or maybe cucumber water, my personal favorite.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Real Party: Backyard Baby Shower

I wanted to share some highlights of a backyard baby shower luncheon thrown by some friends of mine. They had numerous simple touches which combined to make a very nice party for the Mom-to-be.
The Mom-to-be was waiting to learn the baby's gender, so the color scheme of the party was pastel pink, blue and yellow. Tables were adorned with blue and pink, and centerpieces were made with yellow and white flowers.


Here's a close-up of the centerpieces. Each vase had yellow, blue, and pink ribbons around it.


Buffet lunch was served on a sweet embroidered table cloth. On the menu?
Roll-ups (with veggie and meat options)
Fruit salad
Chicken salad
Green salad

The roll-ups were a perfect main course for this casual luncheon. They were prepared the night before, which allowed for a low stress morning preparations and didn't require use of the oven or stove on a hot summer day. They also make an impressive display. Isn’t it fun to use a cake stand for a course beside dessert?


The strawberry topiary was definitely a stand out at the buffet table. Not only are strawberries a delicious summer treat, but the display is stunning and adds another height dimension to the table. This site has some DIY instructions for making a topiary for your next bash.

Pink lemonade punch and water in jugs were lined up over striped fabric squares that tied in the display with the day's color scheme.

Chocolate cupcakes, frosted in pink and blue, and adorned with little “diaper pins.” Too cute!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Cupcakes: It's All About Presentation!

A good party always has a good dessert.
And a great party always has a great dessert display.
Let’s face it: part of the allure of cupcakes is how they are presented.

Kim at TomKat studios did post about how she decorates her cute cupcake stand, read it here.
I love how she adds patterned paper to the white stand. Simple, adaptable, and CUTE!


How cute is this idea, from Amy Atlas?
Endless possibilities for lettering with different types of parties.

This site shows how to build your own cupcake stand.
With this method, you can truly customize your size and colors.


Or this one: Check out the blog for instructions.


I have 3 white cake stands from Martha Stewart.
I love these, as they are stackable, but can also be used for a regular cake.
Here’s two of them, with a white ramekin turned upside-down to make the top layer. This picture is from a baby shower that I recently helped to host.


Rather than the decorating the stand, what about fancy-ing up the actual cupcake?

I love these adorable wrappers for a very special occasion.
Bella Cupcake Couture offers these beauties online and in some stores. Check out her site. I love the story of starting up her little company after being laid off in this down economy.

Here's another way to wrap up cupcakes:
They have white ones available too. So cute!

Phew, after all that, I need a cupcake!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Real Party: Wedding among the Redwoods (Part 2)

Thanks for coming back! Make sure to check out yesterday's post for all the details on the ceremony and cocktail hour of this amazing wedding. There were just too many great details to share in one post.

Dinner took place in a meadow on the property.


Centerpieces with flowers and earthy elements, appropriate to the setting.


Tables around the periphery had tall centerpieces, with flowers clustered at the top and bottom of a birch log.

The table setting. I love the khaki textured linens, the green napkin, menu mounted on purple, and colored stemware.

Dinner was served buffet style.

The flower arrangements on the buffet were stunning.

I love the use of the green champagne flutes to match the event's color palate. Two blogs that I love are written by women who have companies who specialize in renting tableware with color and design. What a fun way to personalize an event.

After dinner and toasts the party moved into the barn, where lanterns were hung by purple ribbon. I love how several different sizes of lanterns were used.

The cake was cut...

...and the couple danced the night away.

Congratulations Katie & Casey! Thanks for the fun party!