Showing posts with label Entertaining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertaining. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

DIY Project ~ Recycled Cake/Cupcake Stands

I just love this idea I found on Design Sponge for recycling an eclectic mix of old vases and
cake plates to combine something new ~ a one of a kind cake plate or cupcake stand!

The bases can be made out of anything from milk glass bottles, to brass candlesticks,
to whatever treasure you have around the house or happen to find during a thrift
store shopping spree.

As with the bases, the cake plates themselves can be found at thrift stores, garage sales and probably around Grandma's house if she is willing to part with them.

What's fun about this idea is you are creating something unique. Your stands, whether they are used to serve cake and cupcakes for a birthday party; or pastries, muffins and quiche for a special brunch, you are sure to have the most thoughtful and unique food presentation for your celebration. You can use bases of varying heights as well as textures to create an even more eclectic and vintage feel. And the best part is they can be used over and over again!

What you'll need:
*old plates (any size)
*old candlesticks or vases (look for anything that is wider at the bottom, with a sturdy base and a flat top)
*epoxy (from a hardware store)
*masking tape
*popsicle sticks or q-tip without the fluffy end (something to apply the epoxy with)
*paper plate or scrap cardboard (something to mix the epoxy on that you can throw out)
*rags and cleaning solution

Directions:
1. pick out which pieces you want to put together and test it out. They should be able to balance on each other without the glue. If not, you may want to rethink your choices...is your plate too uneven or does your base have a flat enough top?

2. clean all plates and vases/candlesticks thoroughly. Dry completely.

3. measure the back of the plate and mark a dot in the center with a pen or marker.

4. squeeze out a little epoxy and follow its directions for use. After it's mixed, apply it to the top of the candlestick/vase and gently place your base upside down on the plate, using your dot as a guide to help you center it.

5. let it sit for a few minutes, then gently press down on it to hold it in place and get rid of any excess epoxy with a q-tip. Apply tape on four sides to anchor it while it dries.

6. let it dry overnight.

Note: while these are studier than you would expect, they are not dishwasher safe; therefore hand washing is recommended.

Tutorial, post and photos adapted from Design Sponge

Dessert Table by Delicious Desserts

Such a beautiful display of girly goodness on Style Me Pretty!

Lisa at Delicious Dessets and Desiree Spinner Events came up with this pink-themed baby shower, but would be perfect as a delightfully feminine addition to any bridal shower, engagement party, reception or luncheon.

Photography by: Bello Photography
As always, please see the original post on Style Me Pretty for lots more photos of this gorgeous dessert table, as well as a list of credits and links to all the vendors who participated in this shoot.

DIY Flower & Teacup Centerpieces

I love these DIY flower and teacup centerpieces, and the beautifully styled shoot
found on The Wedding Chicks. The photography is by Andrea Dozier and you can see the entire shoot and more of Andrea's talented work on Andrea Dozier's blog.

This would be a beautiful concept for a birthday party, baby shower or spring luncheon!

As always, please see the entire post on The Wedding Chicks for a credit list and links to all the talented vendors who participated in this shoot.

Alice in Wonderland Photo Shoot + FREE DIY Printables!

I love Alice in Wonderland and anything with that theme! It may be because
I have watched the Disney movie so many times this summer with my daughter; and I'm thinking she is going to be Alice in Wonderland for Halloween; and we love having tea
parties. But whatever the reason, I seem to keep stumbling upon these adorable Alice
in Wonderland themed photo shoots and parties.

This darling shoot was submitted by Julie Gallagher and Alex Royston from In Good Company was featured on Amy Atlas' blog and is full of creative ideas!
In Good Company was even kind enough to share the entire party in Free DIY printable
pdf format! Thank you!

Head over to Amy Atlas' blog to begin your FREE download HERE!

As always, please see the original post on Amy Atlas' blog to see all the talented vendors who participated in this event!


Monday, July 5, 2010

Tequila Soaked Sorbet

I'm loving this concept of Tequila Soaked Sorbet I found on

As the last stop {the dessert stop} on a Mexican themed progressive dinner,
this was the perfect way to wrap the evening with good friends!

Tequila Soaked Sorbet
1 pink lemon sorbet ~ {Trader Joes was used for this party} see *note below
{*note: mango is not the best option but raspberry & lemon worked well!}
1/4 cup best~quality tequila {Senor Patron was used for this party}
Finely grated zest of 2 limes

{Real Party} Lemonade & Sunshine

This is truly one of the most adorable parties to hit the blogosphere in a long time.

Jess at Pen n' Paper Flowers came up with a darling idea to do a combined celebration for her 2 daughters. It all started with this color palette of pink and yellows, and the creation of the invitation which can be found in her Etsy store.

From there the details are just amazing, and so creative...
...read on for some amazing inspiration!


I love just the simplicity of tin cans and fresh cut flowers from the garden ~
makes an darling adornment.

a well~worn tablecloth, dishes and crates...

all the neighbors and friends gathered for the party in the backyard...under the shade...

to enjoy some cold lemonade...

and {my personal favorite} a cupboard full of old fashioned desserts.
This is truly one of the most creative ideas ever to use a vintage kitchen hutch for the
food presentation in an outdoor setting.

empty bottles dangling from tree branches...

the use of wooden crates, galvanized buckets and old milk bottles...

the use of lemons randomly places throughout the scene for added pops of yellow...

fabric pieces were wrapped around just about everything...

vintage glass jars and milk glass service pieces...

mason jars were used for sipping on lemonade...

mason jars were also used for displaying fresh cut flowers...

Another one {of my personal favorites} ~ an old bird bath used to display frozen treats...
(lemon sugar cookie ice cream & strawberry/lemon swirled italian ice)

more sweet treats included mini lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting...

Yummy pink lemonade cake!

and homemade lemonade lollipops nestled in a vintage drawer ~ so cute!

favor buckets of yellow & pink gumballs, a cute custom packet of lemonade, a personalize monogrammed glass drinking bottle with a white paper straw, and a fabric covered repurposed jar filled with lemon drops. Adorable!

I just love the tin can banner Jess created using an old window ~

As always, I encourage you to go to the original post on Pen n' Paper Flowers to read all the behind the scenes tips and to see all of the inspiration resources that Jess gives a personal thank you too!

"Eco-Chic" Bridal Shoot

I love the concept behind this styled bridal shoot for Utterly Engaged. It's "eco-chic"
...designing in a sustainable way that is easy on the wallet and easy on the environment
without sacrificing style.

Here are some of the amazing sustainable and cost saving tips that the talented Carissa with
JL Designs incorporated into the overall design and we can all learn from!
*for the tablescape, use vintage vases and milkglass (see KEC's post on DIY milkglass) at local thrift stores
*buy flowers as local and domestic as possible, which helps lesson the gas and emmisions used in transporting the flowers from where they are grown.
*by arranging flowers in vases with only water, it reduces the need for floral foam, which is not bio-degradable
*incorporating the cake, desserts and sparkling lemonade bottles into the actual tablescape lessens the amount of florals needed, saving on cost
*buy vintage sheets (in this case $1.00/pc at a salvation army) and then top the linen with an adorable eyelet lace border
*serve a light brunch or dessert reception in the late morning or early afternoon helps cut down on overall food and beverage costs, as well as lighting
*print your own invitations and stationary on recycled paper

Head over to JL Designs' blog to see more from the photo shoot tips and resources!


Style, Design and Photo Credits:
Publication: Utterly Engaged
Floral Design, bouquets and tablescape: JL Designs
Photography: Stephanie Williams
Cake and Desserts: Sweet & Saucy