Cupcake and Cocoa Party

I absolutely love this time of year!

The little ladies of the house wanted

to celebrate the season with a few friends.

They chose to decorate cupcakes and have some yummy cocoa!

Perfect combination if you ask me!

I found these Meri Meri cupcake stands at Homegoods!

They were perfect for displaying the undecorated cupcakes.

It was also the inspiration to use reindeer throughout the table decor.

  

I took some simple white aprons and added

the ruffles for a more festive look.

They added a decorative touch to the chairs as well.

  

Reindeer place settings and Christmas Tree

photo stands made a great place card holder.

Before the cupcake decorating began,

the girls made these festive Christmas trees

out of card stock and cupcake liners!

Simple and inexpensive craft!

 

 I decorated Starbucks coffee bottles with a little felt

to make a scarf and some buttons!

The kids loved drinking their strawberry milk out of these.

They enjoyed snowmen white chocolate covered oreos 

and chocolate peppermint cake balls.

 Marshmallow Cocoa Bites were the hit of the party!

These were made by dipping the marshmallow in chocolate,

breaking off the stick of a

mini peppermint stick and inserting into the side.

Top them off with mini marshmallows!

 To top it all off...as if there hasn't been enough sugar...

they enjoyed a little hot cocoa too!

 The Cupcake Ladies had a blast decorating with different frosting,

sprinkles and candy decor.

 

They were all sugared up and ready to head home with their 

cupcake creations in these reindeer cupcake boxes!

We had so much creating this simple and fun party!

I hope you can spend a little time with the ones you 

love this holiday season!

Vendor Credits:

Printables: Simply Creative Printables

Plates:  Target

Cupcake Boxes: World Market

Reindeer Cupcake Stands:  Meri Meri

Aprons:  Hobby Lobby

Meow....At the Moon

I had to share this with all of you!

My mom was visiting this weekend and we were planning to attend

a Halloween Party!

It just happened to be here birthday as well!

I have used so many professional bakeries over the years and

had my eye on one weekly for about a year...

and you will never guess where!

Albertson's Grocery store!

I have paid big bucks for specialty cakes!

I could see that this store was different and wanted to give it a shot!

Well, I am so glad I did!

The cake was exactly like I wanted and she did it all for $50!

 

So, check with you local grocery stores...You never know!

 

Here is the beautiful cake!

 

 



Easy and Spooky Cake Pops!

Looking for a fun and easy way to serve up your

Halloween Cake Pops?

I have the solution!

All you need is:

Bone Favors

Plastic Teeth

Basic Cake Pop recipe

First, trim off one end of a bone favor to make

the end more like a stick.

Next, make your basic cake pops in any flavor.

Using the bone favor, dip into the chocolate candy coating

and insert into the cake pop.

Continue by dipping the entire cake pop in the chocolate

candy coating.

Once you have the amount you want,

 store them in the refrigerator.

Next, fill your platter with the plastic teeth 

in any design you want.

I alternated the purple and lime green on a white platter

to add color.  

White teeth would be great as well on a black platter.

Under the black light....

Finally place a cake pop in the opening of the teeth!

Happy Halloween!

Summer Grilling Pizza Party

Are you planning a summer barbecue?

Why not try something a little different this summer.....

Grilled Pizza!

 

 I have everything you need to host the coolest

summer party of the year!

This is one of those parties that is easy on the hostess!

This would be a fun night for couples or a girls night in!

This time around I hosted a Girl's Night In!

We had a fabulous night with great wine and yummy pizzas!

I recently shared my summer party tips with Kleenex brands .
I used those tips when planning this grilling party!

Once I had my party theme in place,

it was time to plan my shopping list.

I would plan on having 1 medium sized flat bread

per person.

These are a great size because your guest can make

two different types of pizzas on one flat bread!

Look how yummy these look
before they even hit the grill!

Make the ingredients for several different kinds of pizzas

ahead of time.  Chopped the vegetables, grill the chicken, shrimp

or other toppings the day before.

Plan for a few appetizers to snack on before the grilling

starts.  This will allow all of your guests to arrive.

I made two appetizer pizzas.
The first was a Spinach and Onion pizza with a white pizza dip.

Second was a Flatbread topped with Brie

Muddled blackberries and basil

Sliced strawberries

Topped with a Balsamic Honey Glaze
It was amazing!
I will post the recipe soon...

Once the grill is fried up and hot,

grab a flat bread and start assembling!

This is when the magic happens....

Nothing better than gathering great friends, fresh food,

and fabulous wines!

Check out some of these creations!

I offered lots of fresh vegetables, fresh herbs,

grilled meats, and fabulous sauces.

I think it is nice to offer up to 3 sauces.

So we had Pesto, Marinara, and

Artichoke Garlic Sauce.

Vegetables could include

Artichokes, Mushrooms, Sun Dried Tomatoes

Fresh Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Onions

Olives and More!

Meats could include

Grilled Chicken, Pepperoni, Canadian Bacon,

and Shrimp.

Fresh Herbs in glass containers that I had on hand

not only serve as toppings but

become part of the table decor.

 

Love the chalk labels?

I will have those for you in a free download

coming soon.

So you already have the grill hot so why not plan

for something a little different!

Grilled dessert pizzas!

Dark Chocolate, Fresh Cherry and

Sweetened Ricotta

 This is just silly.....

I am pretty sure my eyes rolled in the back

of my head! 

 It is so easy to make too!

BONUS!

Looking to lightened it up...

Try this Sugar Cookie Pizza (made ahead)

Top with a Lemon Cream Cheese

Blueberry Reduction Glaze

Fresh Blueberries

After enjoying the last of the desserts I sent my friends home

with a little something to enjoy with their families!

Homemade Pizza Sauce in fun jars

with chalkboard labels!

 As you can imagine, all of this pizza building

can make quite a mess!

Luckily I have a bathroom off of the patio for

easy access to cleaning your hands.

I was offered by Kleenex Hand Towels *
to become a brand Ambassador.

I was very excited to plan this

girls night in and introduce my friends

to these fabulous towels!

I have known about them for a while and use them in my bathrooms.

You don't really think about wiping your hands on a towel

after they have been washed.

Your hands are clean, so they the towel is clean right?

Not necessarily!

Your hands are only as clean as the towel you dry them on.

Did you know that in the U.S. alone,

people dry their hands on cloth towels about

200 billion times per year!  WOW!

That is a lot of hand wiping!

 Can you imagine the germs that are left on

a damp and overused hand towel

especially during parties and holidays?

What did my girls think?

They loved them!

Everyone tried them out and

loved the feeling of a dry, clean and fresh towel

with each hand wash.

Join the 14 million people who have made the commitment

to cleaning up their bathroom towel situation.

Visit Kleenex Hand Towels and

make the commitment and get a $1 off a box.

Try them out....They will rock your world!

So, for your next summer soriee,
be creative and try something different on the grill
and in the bathroom!

Disclaimer:
I received free product samples and other goodies from
Kleenex Hand Towels to do this review but, the opinions are 100%
my own.

Summer Entertaining Tips

With summer entertaining in full swing,

 I thought I would share some tips

for your next Summer party!

All of these tips will make your life much easier
and make entertaining a breeze!

I am planning a summer Pizza Grilling Party soon
and I will be following these easy tips.

As you can imagine, grilling pizzas can be quite messy so,
 I was thrilled when I was asked to be a
 Kleenex Hand Towel Ambassador.

1.  Keep it simple and cohesive with a theme. 

I have hosted many parties and weather it is formal, casual, kids or adults,

having a theme helps tie the party together.

2.  Use what you have.

Be creative with items you already own. 

Turn a cup and a plate into a treat stand or cheese platter.

Homegrown herbs and flowers arranged in jars
or even soup cans serve as centerpieces.

3.  Prepare as much as food as possible a day or two in advance.

Sounds easy enough but you will not realize how much of a time saver this is.

Your day will run smooth with less stress and the dishes will be bursting flavor.

4.  For hands on occasions, like outdoor BBQ's,
have plenty of  Kleenex Hand Towels available.

 The Pop-Up delivery system is a cleaner option for guests
instead of using a damp and overused towel.

.

5.  Enjoy the Party!

When you are enjoying the party it puts your guests at ease.

They will have a sense that everything has been taken care of.

A room full of happy guests equals a very happy hostess!


Disclaimer:
I received free product samples and other goodies from
Kleenex Hand Towels to do this review but, the opinions are 100%
my own.

Surf Shack Ice Cream Social Party

Who is ready for Summer?

School is out this week and we will be

hitting the pool and of course having our favorite treat...

ICE CREAM!

Last year....um...yes, I said last year

my daughter celebrated her 5th birthday

with Surfing ice Cream Themed Party.

I am that behind on posting parties!

Well, summer is here so it is the perfect time for some

hot weather party inspiration!

I designed a little Surf Shack Ice Cream invite

to tempt your taste buds!

Grab a cup and monogrammed spoon! 

 

The purchased a tiki hut for my ice cream set up and decorated

with burlap and coconut cups for the toppings.

Decorative Accents completed the look....

 

There were plenty of Toppings for the kids ice cream sundaes...

M & M's....

Gummy Bears....

Oreos....

More Toppings included...

Sprinkles, Marshmallows, Strawberries,

 Cherries, and Whipped Cream Too!

And Of Course you can't forget

Hot Fudge and Caramel Sauce!

My daughter opted for a sprinkles cone for her treat!

Cake Pops Served in Mini Ice Cream Cones as an extra little treat!

Drink Station:

Pink Lemonade was served in these Precious Palm Tree Cups

That the kids took home!

These adorable shimmery cookies

were designed to match the color palette!

Others Treats included Colorful Sixlets and Gumballs!

My favorite Cake Designer made this adorable cake!

Complete with full size Ice cream Cone Topper!

Amazing....

 Do you have any birthday traditions?

My daughters and I are huge fans of
Modern Frills Birthday Shirts!

We have 9 of these shirts between my 2 girls!

Love...Love them!

The guests took home a sand castle bucket

filled with summer time fun.

Sunglasses, water guns, beach balls...and more!

Aw...Summer is Here!

Hope you can enjoy a little Ice Cream

with friends this summer!



Vendor Credits:
Invites and Printables:  Simply Creative Printables
Birthday Shirt:  Modern Frills
Cookies: A Cookie Jar
Cake:  Margarita Rios
Ice Cream Cups and Wooden Spoons: In the Clear