image found here
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Our Inner Mexican
image found here
Etsy Find of the Week: Sweet Lydia's
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! In honor of this day of love, I thought I'd share something sweet for this week's Etsy Find. Enter Sweet Lydia's and her delicious gourmet s'mores. These aren't just any old campfire s'mores. With tasty flavors like carmel, peanut butter, and raspberry, these are a chic version of the comfort food classic. They would be such a cute and unexpected favor at any wedding. The perfect late night treat for your guests to take home. Cause who wouldn't love to end the night with a gooey gourmet s'more?
I hope you and your Valentine have the sweetest of days today!
Steal Worthy Idea
Here is great way to hit two birds with one stone. You will probably need escort cards to tell people where to go, and you will also probably serve bread. Why not combine the two as a delicious and chic place setting? These loaf name cards are easy to DIY and make a simple and sweet addition to the table. Everyone knows where they are sitting and get a yummy surprise awaiting them too!
[ Once Wed ]
DIY WEEK: Food and Favors
I hope you all have been enjoying DIY Week for far! Today we are finally getting to the good stuff: food and favors! DIYing food for your wedding might need a little more skill than some other DIYs out there, but these are still pretty simple and definitely worth the effort!
[A little guide for the DIYs: Those marked with ** come with downloadable content!]
1. My Sweet and Saucy | Ruffle Cake *video tutorial
2. Our Best Bites | Pie in a Jar
3. Bridal Buzz | Sweetie Pies **
4. Bubble and Sweet | Ribbon Candy
5. Blush Ink | Chocolate Spoons
6. Austin Wedding Blog | Marshmallow Fondant
7. Wedding Chicks | Strawberry Jam
DIY favors are one of my favorite DIY touches. It is personal and sweet and lets guest know that you really care and took time to give them something special! Here are some of the cutest and unique favors I've seen!
1. Grey Likes Weddings | Tea Envelopes
2. Style Me Pretty | Ice Cream in a Jar**
3. Elizabeth Anne Designs | S'more Love
4. Style Me Pretty | Sugar Packets
5. Style Me Pretty | Coasters
6. Style Me Pretty | Lemon Drop Favors
7. Style Me Pretty | Apple Roasting Favors**
So which ones are your favorites? What DIYs will you be doing for your wedding?
Be sure to check back tomorrow for the last day of DIY Week! I'm going to overload you with the best DIY stationary and TONS of free downloads!
Steal Worthy Idea
One of my favorite things about weddings are the sweet personal details. When I saw this simple and beautiful menu card, I knew it was a keeper. The couple attached old photos of their parents and grandparents with an adorable love clothespin. So cute! The end result is something so chic and lovely, yet completely personal and touching.
[ Style Me Pretty ]
excuses.
In the past week (where I have been woefully absent), the following things have happened:
*We hosted 8 extra people at our house for a toddler filled weekend of fun.
*I made dinner for 12 on Saturday night.
*I had the flu.
*My husband had the flu.
*Niko had the flu.
*Niko had Croup (not recommended)
*Our beloved babysitter got a great job and is off for greener pastures.
*We had to track down new long term daycare for Niko.
SO. For this reason, I am posting about caramels, because this is about all I can wrap my brain around right now. To be fair, they do look exceptional. From Fusion Sweets. Taro Butter Caramel? Rose Orange Blossom Vanilla Butter Caramels? Come on! I'm not sure candy could melt away a bad week but this something else entirely!
Real Wedding: Chris and JD
Today's wedding is totally cool because it is all about the bride and groom! Chris and J.D. took a lot of time and effort into making a wedding that was truly "them". Plus, it is shot by one of my favorite photography teams, White Rabbit Studios! Ashley and Stephanie are totally awesome and crazy talented (you may also know Ashley from a must read blog, Hi-Fi Weddings!) I will let Chris take it away because she has so much good advice for couples planning a wedding and don't know where to start!
Here's a little bit from Chris, the bride:
Planning the wedding was a challenge. I looked at beautiful pictures of slim, cool couples who both loved the 1940s and had a great retro vibe, at the black dressed goth couples with beautiful red roses and matching nose rings, at preppy cuties with their yellow plaid accents, at sci-fi Dr. Who love birds. And then I looked at us. We didn't have a style or shared aesthetic. He loves sad indie boy songs. I love booty electronica songs. I thought soft peach and ivory were lovely, he was taken by bright orange and yellow. What were we to do? What did we have in common (besides love of course)? What makes us, us?
The most important factor in actually pulling off the event was the vendors who brought unique ideas to the table and held our hands as we stared at them open-mouthed, shrugging our shoulders. I still do not know how we got to be so lucky to have crazy delicious catering, gorgeous flowers and reception decorations, fun and beautiful photography, and the funnest dance party ever for our wedding day, but we did. In the end we didn't have a theme, but man did we have an awesome time! Oh, and did I mention our doughnut cake?!
Like many couples we were on a budget. We decided early that we would like to use professionals for food, photography, hair/make-up and music. But everything else was up to us. We made our own invitations by hand that were designed using a combination of his illustrations and my cardmaking skills. We used elements from the invitations in our website, in decor elements used to decorate the reception and in the gift favor bags which we all made ourselves (and with the help of some very kind friends). Luckily we were saved from doing our own flowers and reception decorating thanks to a generous gift from a talented friend who's a pro.
There's a home decorating show I saw once called Save or Splurge that decorated rooms by choosing which items you should spend on and which items you should save on. This is a great way to think about the planning process. For us, we decided that we didn't like cake enough to spend $1000 dollars on it. But we had to have the local DJ who puts on the cool events around town. Seeing our dads go down the soul train line--priceless. Since we both have graphic design skills, doing anything involving paper ourselves was a no brainer, but caterering ourselves--I don't think so. When it was all said in done, my favorite things about the wedding day were not the expensive things, it was the fun things--the doughnut tower, Photo Booth pictures of my friends in silly dollar store props, the comfort of my $23 clearance reception dress, little girls dancing with grandmas, the crazy sounding delicious tasting spicy tofu omelette, our warm, personal church service led by someone who actually knew us.
By the time the day rolled around I was so happy. I had a motto that if I didn't get to it by now, I didn't have to worry about it. We were two people who loved each other a lot and were about to start a new chapter in our lives and have a big party to start it off right. Our ceremony was sweet and lovely--nothing out of the ordinary but it was finally us exchanging those promises in front of so many of our friends and family members. There were some glitches like we didn't take any photos with family because we forgot that we were supposed to have dropped off soda to our bartender so we stopped at the grocery store on the way to our reception and by the time we got there everyone was already eating and helping themselves to drinks :). But I learned that my new husband's family is really fun, that my girlfriends' dance style hasn't changed to much since our middle school dance days, that everyone loves waffles and that me and the hubs are off to a great life together!
Church | St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Madison, Alabama
Reception | Lowe Mill
DJ | Kandy at Your Perfect Party
Catering | Happy Tummy
Flowers | In Bloom
Photography | White Rabbit Studios
Here's a little bit from Chris, the bride:
Planning the wedding was a challenge. I looked at beautiful pictures of slim, cool couples who both loved the 1940s and had a great retro vibe, at the black dressed goth couples with beautiful red roses and matching nose rings, at preppy cuties with their yellow plaid accents, at sci-fi Dr. Who love birds. And then I looked at us. We didn't have a style or shared aesthetic. He loves sad indie boy songs. I love booty electronica songs. I thought soft peach and ivory were lovely, he was taken by bright orange and yellow. What were we to do? What did we have in common (besides love of course)? What makes us, us?
Over many conversations and little decisions things bubbled to the surface about what we loved in our life together. Some great late night breakfast parties with friends made it seem logical to serve breakfast for our reception dinner. My love of paper and glue plus his love for graphic design led to DIY invitations, decorations and favors. His involvement in a local art community led to our reception location. And probably the most important factor that shaped our wishes for the event was the people we wanted to be there and the fun we wanted to have with them. We didn't want to exclude kids. We didn't want to tell people who to sit by. We wanted to dance and play with all of the people that make our life so great.
The most important factor in actually pulling off the event was the vendors who brought unique ideas to the table and held our hands as we stared at them open-mouthed, shrugging our shoulders. I still do not know how we got to be so lucky to have crazy delicious catering, gorgeous flowers and reception decorations, fun and beautiful photography, and the funnest dance party ever for our wedding day, but we did. In the end we didn't have a theme, but man did we have an awesome time! Oh, and did I mention our doughnut cake?!
There's a home decorating show I saw once called Save or Splurge that decorated rooms by choosing which items you should spend on and which items you should save on. This is a great way to think about the planning process. For us, we decided that we didn't like cake enough to spend $1000 dollars on it. But we had to have the local DJ who puts on the cool events around town. Seeing our dads go down the soul train line--priceless. Since we both have graphic design skills, doing anything involving paper ourselves was a no brainer, but caterering ourselves--I don't think so. When it was all said in done, my favorite things about the wedding day were not the expensive things, it was the fun things--the doughnut tower, Photo Booth pictures of my friends in silly dollar store props, the comfort of my $23 clearance reception dress, little girls dancing with grandmas, the crazy sounding delicious tasting spicy tofu omelette, our warm, personal church service led by someone who actually knew us.
Church | St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Madison, Alabama
Reception | Lowe Mill
DJ | Kandy at Your Perfect Party
Catering | Happy Tummy
Flowers | In Bloom
Photography | White Rabbit Studios
Huge thanks and congrats to Chris and J.D. for sharing their day with us!
More thanks to the fab team at White Rabbit Studios for sharing your awesomeness!
Inspiration Board: French Country Chic
Mmm, macarons! There is no other dessert quite as classy and fabulous as the macaron. This lovely tray of pastel treats inspired today's French country chic board. The creams, pinks, and purples keep everything so fresh and light. I love this family style table setting, especially the pops of turquoise in the glasses! Mixing patterns like in the favors and paper goods adds interest and texture. I'm way in love these striped favor boxes! And if you want to make sure your gals look great, this Amsale bridesmaid dress is so effortlessly chic! But don't worry, I've got your look covered with this flowy Jenny Packham stunner and a perfect pair of pearls!
[ Credits ]
pies in a jar
Fantastic favor idea from All Jarred Up - single serving pies in a jar! YUM!
Have a great weekend everyone!
eye candy
So (as you may have guessed), it turns out that I am not allowed to share my news. Suffice to say that I was very busy last week traveling for some exciting press coming out on Kenzie Kate this fall. I know, that was such a tease. You'll be the first to know when it hits the news stands.
In the mean time, please allow me to make it up to you with some Monday morning eye candy, perfect little treats to beat these summer heats.
Peruvian Chocolate Caramellows
Nutty French Nougat
Vanilla Fleur de Sel Caramels
and Assorted Macarons
Etsy Find of the Week: Memorial Day Picks
Since its Memorial Day, instead of my Etsy Find of the Week, I thought I'd pull together some great Memorial Day Picks! So here are all the fix-in's you need for a classic Americana picnic!
Start the party off right with Sunday Girls Design's Barbeque Invitation and
Go vintage with Carmen and Ginger's Tote and Tumbler Set and One Cozy Nest's Adorable Apron
Be picnic ready with Buckaroo Bear's Fun Napkins and Fort and Field's Striped Straws
A barbeque can't be complete without some treats like some Howling Wolf BBQ Sauce or KE Cookie's Red, White and Blueberry Cookies
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful mothers out there!
I am not yet a mom myself (maybe in a few years) but for now I am quite happy just loving the amazing mother I have! I know everyone says that they have the best mom, but I really think I win! My mom is extremely compassionate and loving, has always supported me in everything I do, has a great sense of humor, and is so amazingly strong that I am in such awe of her. As an intelligent, independent, grounded woman, she is the perfect role model for a young girl. If I end up a fourth of the woman she is, I will have lived a successful life. I love you Mom!
I am not yet a mom myself (maybe in a few years) but for now I am quite happy just loving the amazing mother I have! I know everyone says that they have the best mom, but I really think I win! My mom is extremely compassionate and loving, has always supported me in everything I do, has a great sense of humor, and is so amazingly strong that I am in such awe of her. As an intelligent, independent, grounded woman, she is the perfect role model for a young girl. If I end up a fourth of the woman she is, I will have lived a successful life. I love you Mom!
Photo by Tina Sargeant
Looking for a delicious brunch idea? I'm drooling over this
Or try these amazing sounding Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins from Eat Drink Pretty!
I hope you all have a fabulous Mother's Day and show all those great moms some love!
Inspiration Board: Cinco de Mayo!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! I thought I'd create a fun Latin inspired board in honor of this (mostly for drinking margaritas!) holiday!
When I started this board, I noticed I kept pulling a bunch of food images, which I think is perfect because the latin culture is so infused with food. You can't have a Mexican fest without fresh pico de gallo and chips, a make your own taco station, and churros for dessert! And don't forget the sangria! A cigar roller, some domino games, and a mariachi band are perfect entertainment through the night! For the attire, you must have this Spanish stunner by Rosa Clara! All these blended together make for one fabulous fiesta!
When I started this board, I noticed I kept pulling a bunch of food images, which I think is perfect because the latin culture is so infused with food. You can't have a Mexican fest without fresh pico de gallo and chips, a make your own taco station, and churros for dessert! And don't forget the sangria! A cigar roller, some domino games, and a mariachi band are perfect entertainment through the night! For the attire, you must have this Spanish stunner by Rosa Clara! All these blended together make for one fabulous fiesta!
Credits:
Shawna Herring via Ruffled, Allison Events via Style Me Pretty,
Books and sign by Shawna Herring via Ruffled
Food for Thought
Maybe its the Southern girl in me, but I love the idea of jarred goods as favors! It is a great DIY project that all of your guests will love! Pick an item that will really compliment the colors and feel of your wedding. Plus, you can get creative with cute ribbons and custom tags! I pulled all of these off of myrecipes.com, where you can find the recipes to make all of these delicious jams and sauces.
Having a Southern affair? Warm your guests with this great apple butter or some peachy barbecue sauce!
Having an ice cream bar? Send your guests off with some fudge sauce or homemade carmel sauce to continue the fun at home!
Going more Italian? Try this Sun-Dried Tomato Jam or some Lemon Verbena Vinegar (these would even be beautiful as decorations)!
Or try some twists on classic preserves like ginger-pear or raspberry almond!
sweet!
Check out the literal eye candy over at Amy Atlas! Complete with behind the scenes glimpses at the making of three amazing dessert tables. Photography by Andrew McCaul.
Food for Thought
A great way to end the night is with a nice cold glass of milk and warm chocolate chip cookies. So, why not bring this treat into your wedding menu? I am loving this idea of giving your guests an extra little snack at the end of the night!
Milk and cookies are such a classic and delicious comfort dessert. You can class it up by serving the milk in a martini glass or coordinate with your colors by using chocolate or strawberry milk. Or, serve the milk in small jars and send them home as favors. Any way your guests will be sure to love this comfort classic!
Milk and cookies are such a classic and delicious comfort dessert. You can class it up by serving the milk in a martini glass or coordinate with your colors by using chocolate or strawberry milk. Or, serve the milk in small jars and send them home as favors. Any way your guests will be sure to love this comfort classic!
Strawberry milk designed by Amy Atlas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)