Summer is here!

I know we are just about to start June, but here in DC it feels like we are in the throws of summer.  It's awfully hot today!  But when I start to complain, I think of the winter we had and how it wouldn't end and just get over it.  Here's to the the start of a great summer and all the excitement  it brings!

Happy Memorial Day!

Hope your weekend is full of sunshine, friends and lots of tasty treats!  We're invited to a few BBQs this weekend and, surprise, we're bringing dessert.  We'll be making these.....

via Lady Behind the Curtain

and these....

And I just loved this picture, so I thought I'd leave you with a little bit of beauty I found on Pinterest.  

Have a great weekend!

Casual Elegance

Today's wedding feature caught my eye with this picture.....

And so of course, I had to find out more.  This wedding was held at Martha Stewart's Bedford, NY farm for her nephew and his partner.  I should have known.... this wedding had Martha Stewart written all over it. 

 I love the casual elegance of this wedding; from the decor down to the blankets that we're laid out for guests to sit on while they munch on their food.  Take a look at these pictures and I think you'll be swooning over it too!

And that casual elegance was also carried out in the food..... 

Look at the cakes...one vanilla, one chocolate, and one marbled symbolizing their union....sweet!

Here's a look at that farm, incredible!   

and how cute is this little flower girl.....

Keep The Moisture In!

I saw this last week on Pinterest and it piqued my interest.  I traced it back to bakedbree.com ; a super-cool website with some mouth watering recipes that are not complicated at all.

So I decided to try it before passing it on to you, my lovely readers, to make sure it worked.  Well, it did!  The cakes were still moist when I frosted them!  

What in the world are these bread slices doing on the cake????  Well, read on!

You bake the cake layers the night before, then leave out on counter with slice of bread on top so that the cake will not become stale. You can use this same trick with muffins and cupcakes.  I baked this carrot cake the night before and used the bread on them.  

I have to say the bread was indeed brick hard, but my cake was still super moist!

Ice cream Cupcakes!!!

Can you believe Memorial Day Weekend is literally around the corner?  FInally, it seems like summer is actually here.  This weekend we are throwing a BBQ filled with our family favorites.  The girls get in on the action also and bake their favorites desserts: mini pies and ice cream cupcakes!  Here's a quick tutorial from Oh Cupckaes on how we make them !  Super easy!

A little pink and green.......

Thinking summer again, what fun colors for a baby shower, wedding or birthday party!  You can get more details over at Style Me Pretty.  I'm loving the little pink rose cake and the bubble necklace.

Happy Friday!

Spring Green Wedding Inspiration

A few weeks ago, I styled a spring inspired table for the Rooftop at Rockville Town Center Wedding Gala.  I designed this inspiration board and created this table! I wanted a clean and very elegant feel that was simple and chic.  Since I was inspired by the green apples, I went with the color palette of green, white and some silver.    Using natural elements like the green apples can really make your design pop.  I also went with apple green linen that was covered by the  most exquisite lace I found at Jo-Anne's fabric.  You can't tell from the picture but the the beading was sparkly.

Those beautiful rosettes I used on the cake came from a lovely little shop called Little Bits. They do not have a website but it is a gem of a store if you live in this area and are a baker or event designer. The apples were dipped in white chocolate that I also got from Little Bits.  I worked with Blue Snail Stationary to design the menu cards and invites.

Excuse the quality of the pictures, my photographer was not able to make it so I took them myself.

DIY Flower Domes

I love flower domes, pomanders, or whatever you choose to call them.  They make such a statement and you can use almost any type of flower to make them.  I found these over at Country Living and they gave a great tutorial on how to make them.

Cut the bottom of a foam ball so it sits flat.  Soak it for 30 minutes and then insert your flowers.  Doesn't get any easier!!!!  Put them on a super-cute cake stand and you've got a fabulous centerpiece!

Summer Living

May is flying by, and I have so much to post!!!!  I thought I'd start by getting you in the mood for summer and all that it brings: lemonade, pool, get togethers and lots of BBQs.  With Memorial Day weekend around the corner, you've got the perfect excuse to throw a BBQ.

Hostess with the Mostess shared a super-cool BBQ with a hot dog station to drool over!.  Even better they are sharing the printables that you see.  The whole collection.  So get yours for free here!

Summer Party Inspiration

Ooohhh! That's what I said out loud when I saw this inspiration board from Tiny Prints and had to share it with you.  It is so versatile...from wedding, to bridal luncheon to baby shower, or even birthday party.  You can't go wrong with the colors either.  At this time of the year there are lots of entertaining pieces in these colors too.  So go ahead,  plan a spring or summer soirée and don't forget my invite!

L to R:  Tiny Prints Spring Swirls invitation, Table decor, Floral Arrangement, Napkins, Striped Straws, Tissue Paper Poms, Green tea macha cupcakes, Swirl Lollipops, Personalized Mini Glass Candy Jars

Classic Blue Wedding Inspiration

I know it's Cinco de Mayo but I couldn't help posting this lovely inspiration board from Wedding Paper Divas.  I love the cool blue with white, perfect for a tradional bride.  If you want to glam it up a bit, add a some silver.

It's Teacher Appreciation Week!

Our teachers deserve to be celebrated every day for the job that they do!  But this week has been dedicated as Teacher Appreciation Week and provides the perfect opportunity to take the time to say "thank you"!

Check out The Savvy Mom's Guide for a round-up of fantastic ideas for this week.  You won't be disappointed and there is something for everyone that everyone can do, crafty or not, and lots of free printable tags to go with your craft or gift!

Loving this one and making it for my first grader's teacher who loves coffee!

If your teacher loves cupcakes, how about cupcake in a jar:

or Push Pop Cupcakes...I made these for the Teacher's Luncheon

SO what are you waiting for...click over to The Savvy Mom's Guide and celebrate your teacher!  While you are there, checkout their site....loaded with ideas and inspiration!

**all pics courtesy of The Savvy Mom's Guide

Stylish Parties: Hello Kitty Inspired Birthday!

This post is long overdo!

I am finally getting around to posting my daughter's birthday party.  Because I am styling a gala that takes place this Saturday, my girl's party took a back seat. I had three weeks to pull something together.  The fabulous ladies at Anders Ruff came to the rescue though, with some beautiful party printables inspired by the Hello Kitty t-shirt I got for my daughter from Modern Frills!

I dressed up the invites with the polka dot ribbon and Hello Kitty pics from  Courtney over at Blue Snail Stationary...

And when I found this piece of fabric at WalMart for $7, things quickly came together!  It was the perfect table runner.

I planned a simple party around her love of Hello Kitty and donuts.  We had 8 girls from her preschool class join us to color and decorate their own donuts.   They had pink, purple, and yellow glaze and different color sprinkles to put on their donuts.  I also made strawberry milk and orange creamsicle milk to go with the donuts.

I found these little bags at Michaels months ago on clearance for 50 cents each.  I used pink and purple glitter glue to write each girl's initial and glued these cute flowers to the bag, also from Michael's.  The favor bags were filled with Hello Kitty erasers, Hello Kitty Cake Pop, and a Hello Kitty ponytail holder made by For My Girls.  I hung them with ribbon on the back of the chairs so each little girl could easily find her seat.

The girls got to color and use stickers on their Hello Kitty coloring pages......

 and decorate their donuts...

those cute cookies under the domes are from Bee's Knees Creative!  On the right hand side of the table 

The super cute cookies in the domes are from Bee's Knees Creative and I made the little favor bags using a clear bag, doilies and pink ribbon. Super easy! I so wish I had a close-up pic to show how cute they turned out.  The tags read...

the moms had their own beignets to munch on.....

one happy birthday girl....i love how you can see where she swiped a taste of the frosting!

That was one delicious cake!!  Thanks, Tiffany;)!  It was such a sweet and simple party.

The stylish vendors who helped make this party as awesome as it was:

Hello Kitty t-shirt:   Modern Frills

Paper Products:  Anders Ruff Custom Design

Cake: Tiffany Boerner Cakes

Hello Kitty Cake Pops: Cake Pop Bake Shop

Kello Kitty Cookie Collection: Bee's Knees Creative

Hello Kitty Ponytail Holders:  For My Girls