tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82657685419291600462024-03-13T03:43:53.754-07:00Creative EntertainingIdeas, tips, and tricks for your entertaining needs.Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-78908233661902787532011-09-02T15:29:00.000-07:002011-09-02T15:29:51.115-07:00Colorful Labor Day BBQ IdeasHi there, Creative Entertaining readers!<br />
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Yes, I know, it has been a LONG TIME since I last posted to CE. Life has a habit of getting in the way of blogging sometimes... The past year has been one of some big changes for me: moving to a new city, getting a new job, and navigating all things new during that transition. With that being said, I'm ready to get back to posting Creative Entertaining blogs for you on a more regular basis!<br />
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To celebrate the end of summer-- wait, what's to celebrate?? Boo! To <em>mourn</em> the end of summer on Labor Day weekend, check out my <a href="http://mermaidsofthelake.com/news.asp?id=617">"Color Your Summer BBQ"</a> article that I wrote for the <a href="http://www.mermaidsofthelake.com/">Mermaids of the Lake</a> summer issue. Although I want to mourn the end of summer, it's just too hard to want to don black, so enjoy my colorful tips for creating a low-key, high-impact, color-filled summer BBQ!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0kKY3mbytoI/TmFYmzTmhjI/AAAAAAAAAdc/GbWc9MeHwds/s1600/SummerBBQTable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0kKY3mbytoI/TmFYmzTmhjI/AAAAAAAAAdc/GbWc9MeHwds/s320/SummerBBQTable.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-75052701019963936522010-11-25T11:46:00.000-08:002010-11-25T11:46:53.266-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I just want to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! And remember, if you have any turkey questions, you can ask Butterball via @Butterball on Twitter or 1-800-BUTTERBALL or e-mail at </span><a href="mailto:talkline@butterball.com"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">talkline@butterball.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">. You can meet the Turkey Talk Line experts <a href="http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/turkey-experts/overview">here</a>. The talk line will be open through December, so keep this information handy! :-)</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-19280414366584110312010-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:002010-11-22T07:00:04.448-08:00Holiday Hostess Gifts<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">'Tis the season for parties! As you gather with family, friends, and co-workers to celebrate the holiday season, you no doubt have quite a few gatherings on your calendar. We all know how much work goes into hosting a get-together, and we all know just how stressful they can be on top of the holiday madness.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TOm7hWE-UcI/AAAAAAAAAdE/2ccaQqqxQqY/s1600/jaimequickbread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TOm7hWE-UcI/AAAAAAAAAdE/2ccaQqqxQqY/s320/jaimequickbread.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Quick Bread</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Photo from MarthaStewart.com (link below)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I believe it's important to acknowledge the host's and hostess's hospitality, so consider bringing along a hostess gift to each of your holiday soirees this season. I particularly like to share handmade gifts, so if your schedule allows, handmade gifts add a special touch to the gift.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TOm723TmY1I/AAAAAAAAAdI/UM_pn0cnKsk/s1600/jaimedrinkmixers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TOm723TmY1I/AAAAAAAAAdI/UM_pn0cnKsk/s320/jaimedrinkmixers.jpg" width="256" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cocktail Mixers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Photo from MarthaStewart.com (link below)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As usual, </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Martha Stewart</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> and crew provide some great homemade ideas that make great hostess gifts. They also make it easy for you to make enough for multiple gifts, thus stretching your budget further (love it!). AND, you could even give these as small tokens to neighbors, co-workers, and your children's teachers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here are a couple of my favorite </span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/hostess-gift-ideas"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hostess Gift Ideas</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> from Martha Stewart:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/quick-breads-easy-presents?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/hostess-gift-ideas#slide_1"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Quick Breads</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> - I love to bake!</span><br />
<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/cocktail-mixers-and-bottle-wrap?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/hostess-gift-ideas#slide_6"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cocktail Mixers</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> - Mmm!</span><br />
<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/mothers-day-tea-sachets-and-gift-box?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/hostess-gift-ideas#slide_11"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tea Sachets</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> - Get crafty!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As you kick off this week with Thanksgiving, don't forget to share your gratitude with your dinner hosts! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you want more inspiration, please check out a previous Creative Entertaining blog post for Homemade Candy Gift ideas. These also work great as hostess gifts or even holiday party favors.</span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Do you have any great hostess gift ideas? Share them in a comment below!</span></em>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-12875092271756242162010-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:002010-10-22T07:00:02.045-07:00Pumpkin Carving and Fall Decor<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Halloween is only a week and a half away (yikes, why is fall moving so quickly??) so I'm here to help you with the oh-so-important task of pumpkin carving. If you're anything like me, you may have a love/hate relationship with the task of carving pumpkins. I love the experience of going to pick out my own pumpkin (or two), and I relish the end product of whatever design I chose to carve. But I get lost around the part of trying not to lose any fingers while using sharp objects on a slippery and gooey pumpkin... and then having to clean up my mess. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">But I digress...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Pumpkin carving is an integral part of the fall season. And while some may attribute this tradition specifically to Halloween, there's no reason to not include carved pumpkins as part of your general fall/harvest or Thanksgiving decor as well.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDFioicTEI/AAAAAAAAAcw/LEVDxzE_ei0/s1600/msl_witch_pumpkin_carving_template.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDFioicTEI/AAAAAAAAAcw/LEVDxzE_ei0/s320/msl_witch_pumpkin_carving_template.jpg" width="256" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Witch Silhouette by MarthaStewart.com</em></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As always, the crew over at <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/">Martha Stewart</a> has some great ideas for your carved pumpkins. They've even provided <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/pumpkin-templates#slide_1">templates</a> for you to help make the job a bit easier. And for those who are not so comfortable with carving a pumpkin (or for the little kids), browse through the templates and you'll find some that have been adapted for painting an image onto a pumpkin.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDFvJH-2sI/AAAAAAAAAc0/eYoLMiWzIqg/s1600/msl_haunted+house_pumpkin_carving_templates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDFvJH-2sI/AAAAAAAAAc0/eYoLMiWzIqg/s320/msl_haunted+house_pumpkin_carving_templates.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Haunted House by MarthaStewart.com</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Some of the templates will serve you well as a centerpiece for a dinner or dessert table. The one pictured below is the <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/pumpkin-templates#slide_6">Vine and Leaf Centerpiece</a>. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDF4HnNwEI/AAAAAAAAAc4/AL3N2OihaU0/s1600/msl_vine&leaf_pumpkin_carving_templates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDF4HnNwEI/AAAAAAAAAc4/AL3N2OihaU0/s320/msl_vine&leaf_pumpkin_carving_templates.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Vine and Leaf Centerpiece by MarthaStewart.com</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">For those who are brave enough hosts, consider inviting others over to a pumpkin carving party. It doesn't have to be an affair just for the kids; it could also be a family party or an adults-only soiree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.createmyevent.com/">Create My Event</a> has a wonderful DIY project that I'm going to try myself, <a href="http://www.createmyevent.com/2010/10/haunting-halloween-hurricane-candles-diy.html">Haunting Halloween Hurricane Candles</a>. I may have to adapt the project for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I do want to attempt this project soon. See the photo below...</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDJaMWnW5I/AAAAAAAAAc8/TTgWYbVKrPA/s1600/DIY+Halloween+Candleholders" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" nx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TMDJaMWnW5I/AAAAAAAAAc8/TTgWYbVKrPA/s320/DIY+Halloween+Candleholders" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Photo by Create My Event</em></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Best wishes for a wonderful Halloween celebration! </span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-71841755672529789422010-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:002010-10-20T07:00:12.486-07:00Puppy Pawty<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Thanks to Amy of <a href="http://stemparties.blogspot.com/">Stem Parties</a> for sharing this party from <a href="http://www.dinner-bells.com/2010/10/jacks-birthday-pawty.html">Dinner Bells</a> (click on the Dinner Bells link to go to the original "pawty" post).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I thought this party was so creative that I wanted to share it with you as well. What I love most about it is that a pet's birthday is yet another great reason to throw a party! :) Like you <em><strong>need</strong></em> a reason to throw a party...</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TL4RM5c8DtI/AAAAAAAAAcg/TDrd5fZJBDU/s1600/jack+puppy+pawty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TL4RM5c8DtI/AAAAAAAAAcg/TDrd5fZJBDU/s320/jack+puppy+pawty.png" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Photos by Dinner Bells; collage by Stem Parties</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Pictured above is Jack, the birthday puppy, along with some features of his party. The theme was tennis balls because that is Jack's all-time favorite toy.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TL4RyPenoOI/AAAAAAAAAco/7fmU9jxipVE/s1600/Puppy+Pawty+table" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TL4RyPenoOI/AAAAAAAAAco/7fmU9jxipVE/s1600/Puppy+Pawty+table" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Photo by Dinner Bells</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I really love how Jack's mom incorporated party treats for both canines and humans, making this a fun occasion for all who attended. Check out the Dinner Bells link above to read a first-hand account of Jack's party and to see more photos and details of the pawty.</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-76741814264927081992010-10-19T16:07:00.000-07:002010-10-19T16:08:36.290-07:00Punchbowl Halloween Contest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TL4klKnVvEI/AAAAAAAAAcs/uhJSDu0lU9Y/s1600/Punchbowl_logo_232x48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="64" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TL4klKnVvEI/AAAAAAAAAcs/uhJSDu0lU9Y/s320/Punchbowl_logo_232x48.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ok, you creative entertainers! I'm here to tell you about <a href="http://www.punchbowl.com/">Punchbowl's</a> Halloween recipe contest. It's super-easy to enter, and they are looking for FIVE winning entries to feature on Punchbowl! If you don't know what Punchbowl is, it's a party-planning website that let's you take care of all the details of your event in one place. Click the link above to head to their home page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Here's how the contest works:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">- Submit your most creative, scary, imaginative Halloween recipe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">- You have until 11:59 PM EST on October 25, 2010 to enter the contest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">- Recipes must include a list of ingredients and directions of how to make the recipe. You may also submit a link to a blog post about the dish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">- Winners will be recognized in a special pre-Halloween e-mail newsletter, and they will also win a free Platinum Punchbowl membership.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">If you're interested in learning more or entering the contest, please click <a href="http://www.punchbowl.com/blog/2010/10/08/punchbowl-kicks-off-halloween-recipe-contest/?utm_source=All+Users+-+A+list&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Halloween+Party+Planning+-+A">here</a>. This will take you to Punchbowl's blog with the official details of the contest and how to submit your entries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Good luck! :-) And if you are a winner, be sure to let me know!!</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-12610198357508030282010-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:002010-09-30T07:00:01.334-07:00Tasting Parties<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was out of town two weeks ago and to kill some time one afternoon, I stopped by the local Pier 1 Imports store. I love this store because I always walk in and feel so inspired to entertain, and without fail, this visit created the same reaction. Or maybe it was worse this time. I. WANTED. IT. ALL. :-) In the words of Rachel Zoe, "I DIE!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What's the big deal? See photo below. Pier 1 has a new line of tableware for tasting parties! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TKQoWLsAJeI/AAAAAAAAAbs/Xflmxv5D85s/s1600/Pier1Tasting+Party+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TKQoWLsAJeI/AAAAAAAAAbs/Xflmxv5D85s/s320/Pier1Tasting+Party+copy.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What is a tasting party? This concept comes from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas">tapas</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_plates">small plate</a> trends in restaurants. I would personally host a tasting party and either a) have an excuse to make a bunch of different recipes that I love, or b) invite others to bring along their favorite dish to share with the rest of the party guests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What makes this a fun concept is that a tasting party is meant to taste... so the portions are smaller, unluck a traditional potluck event. So if I love food so much, why would I want to eat less?? Hello, annual holiday season weight gain! :-) I love the tasting party concept especially for holiday celebrations for a few reasons...</span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We all tend to groan at yet "another" holiday party.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It will enable you to provide food for your guests without stressing over the party budget.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">It provides a variety of options for every palate.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Since you will not be providing a full meal, you can host a tasting party at alternate time (like afternoon) which will help ease the stress for guests who have multiple holiday party invitations for the same evening.</span> </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">You can elect to pair the food tasting with a beverage tasting as well. Try out some new concoctions or wines you've been wanting to try. Or, invite your guests to bring their favorite beverage to share since you'll be providing the food.</span></li>
</ol><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TKQol-jhhaI/AAAAAAAAAb4/E6FqSM2aE64/s1600/sampler+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TKQol-jhhaI/AAAAAAAAAb4/E6FqSM2aE64/s200/sampler+set.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of Pier1.com</span></em> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">What might possibly be the most fun part about a tasting party is the miniture dishware that Pier 1 Imports now offers for your convenience.... and just how CUTE are those mini spoons?? Click <a href="http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/Dining/Dining/tabid/493/CategoryID/113/List/0/Level/a/Default.aspx?SortField=UnitCost,">here</a> to browse through Pier 1's online store to check them out for yourself.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TKQolgOCqkI/AAAAAAAAAb0/1adcIsSkNV0/s1600/mini+spoons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TKQolgOCqkI/AAAAAAAAAb0/1adcIsSkNV0/s200/mini+spoons.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Photo courtesy of Pier1.com</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">You don't need to limit yourself to hosting a tasting party solely during the holiday season. Use this concept for a chocolate tasting, a night with the girls (or guys), a child's birthday party, or a viewing party for the big game.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-50402589976365008952010-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:002010-09-04T07:00:01.910-07:00Masquerade Party Inspiration<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have some party inspiration to share with you! I was scrolling through some previous Hostess with the Mostess blog posts and came across this wonderful <a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/07/real-parties-festival-du-bebe-part-2-sparkling-drinks-station/">Sparkling Drink Station</a> concept as part of a "Festival du Bebe" celebration. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH3lPCbN0FI/AAAAAAAAAbc/IQzVE6hTrqU/s1600/festival_carnival_babyshower_33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH3lPCbN0FI/AAAAAAAAAbc/IQzVE6hTrqU/s320/festival_carnival_babyshower_33.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo from Hostess with the Mostess</span></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The sparkling drink station is a great concept in that guests can select from provided ingredients to mix their own beverages. This is a great way to satisfy many different tastes and also provide an interactive activity for your guests. The whimsy of the masquerade-inspired theme you'll see in the original post (click the link above) makes this concept a fun one to try for your own special occasion!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The link to the sparkling drink station above is Part 2 of the Festival du Bebe overview. Click <a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/07/real-parties-festival-du-bebe-baby-shower-part-1-party-decor/">here</a> for Part 1 which shows the party decor (shown below). </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH6aAg-vCPI/AAAAAAAAAbk/hMtXkzqJMtw/s1600/festival+baby+boy+decor.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH6aAg-vCPI/AAAAAAAAAbk/hMtXkzqJMtw/s320/festival+baby+boy+decor.bmp" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><em>Photo from Hostess with the Mostess</em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Also, you can purchase the printable party accents <a href="http://www.polkadotdesign.com/index.php/hostess-with-the-mostess-collection/hwtm-festival-du-bebe-party-collection/">here</a>. Yay! </span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-4841810173774459322010-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:002010-09-02T07:00:03.563-07:00Planning Ahead: Hostess Gifts<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH3QUfZE9DI/AAAAAAAAAbU/F2SLUi5Xdi4/s1600/soul+of+the+rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH3QUfZE9DI/AAAAAAAAAbU/F2SLUi5Xdi4/s320/soul+of+the+rose.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo from Soul of the Rose</span></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I want to share with you a new discovery: <a href="http://souloftherose.blogspot.com/">Soul of the Rose Gifts</a>. The photo above is of some gift items I received from them recently. The photo below is the super cute and fragrant packaging those gifts came in (they included a beautiful sachet that I could smell before I even got the box open!).</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH3QQWRTI7I/AAAAAAAAAbM/7go6yF8Uoas/s1600/Soul+of+the+Rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TH3QQWRTI7I/AAAAAAAAAbM/7go6yF8Uoas/s320/Soul+of+the+Rose.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I highly encourage you to check out the link above to the Soul of the Rose blog. From there, you can visit the online shop, become a fan on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter. When you visit the shop, click on "Gift Boutique," then select "Hostess Gifts" from the left hand sidebar. They have a variety of unique hostess treats that will surely be appreciated by any hostess. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Bookmark <strong>Soul of the Rose</strong> on your web browser. As you get into the busy holiday season, you'll appreciate having a go-to shop for your hostess (and holiday!) gift needs. :-)</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-80024268579018714452010-08-31T07:00:00.000-07:002010-08-31T07:00:06.558-07:00Margarita Cupcakes- Tasted and Approved!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In a recent post, I shared with you some birthday inspiration in the form of margarita-flavored cupcakes. Well, my friend and I got together to make some of these treats, and LET ME TELL YOU... they are DIVINE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We used a recipe found on the <a href="http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/">Homemade by Holman</a> blog. Click <a href="http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/03/margarita-cupcakes.html">here</a> for her Margarita Cupcake post. We didn't follow the icing recipe exactly because we experimented with some other icing options, but the end result was delicious. We topped off the icing with yellow and green sugar crystals and a lime wedge... ole!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Here are some photos of the end result...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/THyUoN0n0fI/AAAAAAAAAa0/yUh9jROOyPU/s1600/100_6653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/THyUoN0n0fI/AAAAAAAAAa0/yUh9jROOyPU/s320/100_6653.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/THyVya7x_mI/AAAAAAAAAbE/kTo0RNMFpss/s1600/100_6659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/THyVya7x_mI/AAAAAAAAAbE/kTo0RNMFpss/s320/100_6659.JPG" /></a></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-11163431581352168892010-08-22T16:21:00.000-07:002010-08-22T16:21:09.406-07:00Twitter, what?<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've been on a mission to make some updates to this blog recently, and I hope you've noticed! Please feel free to leave comments/ideas/suggestions if there's anything you would like to see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">One new addition is your ability to share this blog and specific postings you like on various social media outlets (over to the right). Also added on the right side of your screen is a link to follow my personal Twitter account (@jaime_events). If you have a Twitter account, please leave me a comment, and I would love to follow you too!</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-82725990904433764692010-08-21T07:30:00.000-07:002010-08-21T07:30:00.948-07:00Ode to Cupcakes<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Today is my birthday, and I'm taking three whole days to celebrate this year! Why? Well, because I feel like it. :-)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I started the celebration yesterday with my best friend. There is a new cupcake boutique in town called "Celebrations." Isn't that a cute name? Here's a photo of our cupcake selections. </span></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG95OVJeSWI/AAAAAAAAAak/GZDGt9Z1gwU/s1600/Celebrations+Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG95OVJeSWI/AAAAAAAAAak/GZDGt9Z1gwU/s320/Celebrations+Cupcakes.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">On the left is the lemon cake with raspberry filling and lemon buttercream frosting, and on the right is a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and a little chunk of a Reese's on top.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">If you've followed my blog for awhile now you know that I ADORE cupcakes. Seriously adore them, and I'm convinced that cupcakes make every problem better. The world will eventually be a better place because of delicious and CUTE cupcakes.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So, I set out on a quest to find my ultimate birthday "must-have." I searched through blogs for anything that might inspire me and trigger the "aha!" response. Well, I finally found two birthday must-haves... and they are both cupcakes. :-) I'd like to share them with you.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG95CAts75I/AAAAAAAAAaU/pgbAJEuuZQk/s1600/margarita_cupcake_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG95CAts75I/AAAAAAAAAaU/pgbAJEuuZQk/s320/margarita_cupcake_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>(Photo courtesy of Hostess with the Mostess)</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The first must-have is <a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/2009/05/margarita-cupcakes-lime-frosting/">margarita cupcakes with lime frosting</a>. This inspiration came from <a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/">Hostess with the Mostess</a>. I'm so curious if a cupcake can truly taste like one of my favorite blended beverages.... I'm very lucky to have a best friend who will be making me her own version of margarita cupcakes today. Mmmmmm, I can't wait to taste them!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG95E9P9tiI/AAAAAAAAAac/ZdJdYgyd4xY/s1600/Aloha+Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG95E9P9tiI/AAAAAAAAAac/ZdJdYgyd4xY/s320/Aloha+Cupcakes.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>(Photo courtesy of Bakerella)</em></span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The second must-have is <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/lei-time/">Aloha Cupcakes</a> by <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/">Bakerella</a>. Just by looking at them, I want to stop and have a luau on the spot! And, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, the pineapple cake with mango frosting? I'll be lucky if each of them even makes it out of the mixing bowl!</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I definitely have a fruity cupcake theme going on here, but hey, we've gotta get our "fruits" and vegetables somehow, right? ;-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Well, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my day. Enjoy those cupcakes!</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-39428427474901980732010-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:002010-08-20T09:50:39.514-07:00End of Summer Celebration<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Did I just say that? The END of summer? Well, try as I might to deny it, the end of summer is quickly approaching... so, what is there to do about it?? Throw a party, of course!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG6x-nxk5fI/AAAAAAAAAaM/kCHp9np5XGA/s1600/shrimp-boil-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TG6x-nxk5fI/AAAAAAAAAaM/kCHp9np5XGA/s320/shrimp-boil-008.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo from Skip to My Lou)</span></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I came across this awesome and very easy idea from <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/">Skip to My Lou</a> that I wanted to share with you. I just love the simplicity of the <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/08/20/how-to-host-a-shrimp-boil-2/">Shrimp Boil</a> concept! Click on the link to read about it. If you must, add a few decorative elements, but I like the fact that this concept is so laid-back, just like summer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So, take a look, pick a date, and gather a group of family and friends to celebrate another fantastic summer.</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-73672276231523796082010-08-17T20:34:00.000-07:002010-08-17T20:34:39.256-07:00Wedding Theme Idea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TGtUL4Qw68I/AAAAAAAAAZg/xWKlEKK0z3I/s1600/10Year_SaveTheDate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TGtUL4Qw68I/AAAAAAAAAZg/xWKlEKK0z3I/s320/10Year_SaveTheDate.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo from Hostess with the Mostess)</span></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I. LOVE. THIS. IDEA! Check out a recent post from <a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/">Hostess with the Mostess</a>. She shares her concept for her upcoming 10th wedding anniversary, a <a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/08/our-wedding-hangover-a-milestone-anniversary-celebration/">"Wedding Hangover"</a> theme. Click on the link to find out the details.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I also think this could be a fun concept for a "morning after" brunch after the wedding, as a way to relax with family and close friends while reliving the memories of the big day. Or, for the adventurous folks who will have a Vegas wedding, this theme could be incorporated all in the name of fun!</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-85166185494227023382010-06-03T20:49:00.000-07:002010-06-03T20:52:07.965-07:00Paper Pans<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Uh-oh. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I need an excuse to bake. Well, I guess I have one since it's been raining here for what seems like AGES. And it's supposed to keep on raining, for DAYS, so maybe firing up the oven would do a soul some good! :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So why do I have the urge to bake? It's <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/">Bakerella's</a> fault! She shared a new discovery with the world, paper baking pans!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TAh3C4juCII/AAAAAAAAAZQ/gN9sYito67Q/s1600/Bakerella+paper+pans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TAh3C4juCII/AAAAAAAAAZQ/gN9sYito67Q/s320/Bakerella+paper+pans.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo by Bakerella)</span></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">They are so pretty... and FUN. What's almost more fun is her Yummy Bananaberry Muffin recipe.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TAh3Ef1aoGI/AAAAAAAAAZY/6N8Z0mmtgVQ/s1600/Bakerella+bananaberry+muffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/TAh3Ef1aoGI/AAAAAAAAAZY/6N8Z0mmtgVQ/s320/Bakerella+bananaberry+muffins.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Photo by Bakerella)</span></em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Check out her blog post <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/paper-pans/">here</a> for more information about the paper baking pans and to get her Yummy Bananaberry Muffin recipe.</span></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-58520757823026943762010-05-23T22:14:00.000-07:002010-05-23T22:14:46.618-07:00"What Will It Be?" Baby Gender Reveal Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S_oLGAg49KI/AAAAAAAAAZI/DHCk2qWlhcI/s1600/Bee+design+board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S_oLGAg49KI/AAAAAAAAAZI/DHCk2qWlhcI/s400/Bee+design+board.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Photo by The Nature of Grace)</span></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How CUTE is this party?? Check out <a href="http://www.thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/">The Nature of Grace</a> blog for a bee-utiful baby gender reveal party concept. Click <a href="http://thenatureofgrace.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post.html?showComment=1274677060532_AIe9_BHPd8kjuJziiCMsRadBkuNGoXN5y3uonQwfTh28i4E8bHXA9xT5b-mvFN5kXXk_uVtDCUMo5tegULbPOoWlnf7lTbSxsWwgKizoYv44EDNgebUylaXkQ_XajZXU4uVRZg4X3FlF9fZNSwo98sR4A-m_rQ3nnD1I7rvMJTtUiNZii8fDBHY2MZEyhOvsR-24I831sBopfZKMCoofbqfgtfsC9c6wyzocYJSvHgHwDSJPYMObL5Y#c3623106189642350787">here</a> to go directly to the blog post and read about the wonderful DIY projects that brought this concept together.</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-88725557647774087992010-05-18T21:30:00.000-07:002010-05-18T21:30:54.105-07:00Fun Giveaway from Hostess with the Mostess<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hostess with the Mostess posted a fun giveaway. Hurry, enter to win on her </span><a href="http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/05/surpise-giveaway-persona-gift-pails/comment-page-1/#comment-73793"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">blog</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">! These fun Persona gift pail kits make great gifts, party favors or take-home party favors. Check out Persona Gift Pails <a href="http://www.personagiftpail.com/">here</a>.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S_No8FxPN1I/AAAAAAAAAZA/SZdSZuYplL0/s1600/gw_personagiftpails_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S_No8FxPN1I/AAAAAAAAAZA/SZdSZuYplL0/s320/gw_personagiftpails_1.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-70927538908625563392010-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:002010-05-10T07:00:06.708-07:00Eco-Friendly Grad Party Inspiration<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was browsing through <a href="http://marthastewart.com/">MarthaStewart.com</a> to find inspiration for spring and summer celebrations. I came across an Eco-Friendly Graduation Party concept from Martha Stewart Living's editorial food director Lucinda Scala Quinn, who coordinated this party to celebrate her son's graduation from the University of Vermont. Below are some photos (credits: MarthaStewart.com) to pique your interest. Click <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/eco-friendly-graduation-party">here</a> to see the party details and more enticing photos of this event!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhJzSpczI/AAAAAAAAAYg/FGww0P3hZG4/s1600/barnparty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhJzSpczI/AAAAAAAAAYg/FGww0P3hZG4/s320/barnparty.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhLZQbz5I/AAAAAAAAAYo/Z0oIF8Nq9xo/s1600/burgers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhLZQbz5I/AAAAAAAAAYo/Z0oIF8Nq9xo/s320/burgers.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhMnjPh8I/AAAAAAAAAYw/vGlVAmwrVGI/s1600/meat%26cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhMnjPh8I/AAAAAAAAAYw/vGlVAmwrVGI/s320/meat%26cheese.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhN6p7NqI/AAAAAAAAAY4/ajfcalPiyIc/s1600/popcornbags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S-YhN6p7NqI/AAAAAAAAAY4/ajfcalPiyIc/s320/popcornbags.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-70591353141206885742010-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:002010-05-06T10:00:00.369-07:00Inspiration to the 50th Degree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9x9hL3EWxI/AAAAAAAAAYA/uGWYS2U4zpI/s1600/100_6167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9x9hL3EWxI/AAAAAAAAAYA/uGWYS2U4zpI/s320/100_6167.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I recently completed a fundraising auction/dinner for a non-profit organization. It was a fun event because the organization was celebrating a significant milestone of 50 years of service to the community. I thought I would share with you some of the elements of this event.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Concept</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">This year was the organization's 29th annual auction, but since they were celebrating the 50th anniversary, we decided to ditch the traditional Irish theme of the event (it is held in March every year) in lieu of incorporating elements of a "golden" anniversary. We traded the green decor for black, gold, and cranberry. The whimsical was elevated to classy, and party beads were exchanged for gold and glitz. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9oDUMS3v8I/AAAAAAAAAX4/GyTz6sNKZJo/s1600/DSC_0035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9oDUMS3v8I/AAAAAAAAAX4/GyTz6sNKZJo/s320/DSC_0035.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Champagne flutes featured a custom 50th anniversary logo; guests who purchased a glass were entered into a drawing to win a beautiful diamond bracelet. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9nq3mvIMeI/AAAAAAAAAXY/wDrKGZSKjhk/s1600/DSC_0126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9nq3mvIMeI/AAAAAAAAAXY/wDrKGZSKjhk/s320/DSC_0126.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We also had chocolates on the tables and gorgeous rose centerpieces with gold floral accents.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9x-AENc7oI/AAAAAAAAAYI/zJeSBUBDRKo/s1600/100_6159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9x-AENc7oI/AAAAAAAAAYI/zJeSBUBDRKo/s320/100_6159.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In a fun twist, the desserts even color-coordinated with the colors of our event!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9nrSiAubTI/AAAAAAAAAXg/J4xuY-PQAJs/s1600/DSC_0116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9nrSiAubTI/AAAAAAAAAXg/J4xuY-PQAJs/s320/DSC_0116.jpg" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This was an all-around inspirational event that reconnected donors to the mission of the organization. The hard work of dozens upon dozens of volunteers helped make this event possible!</span></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-56336961375075585902010-05-03T09:00:00.000-07:002010-05-03T09:00:01.750-07:00Oh! The Places You'll Go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9yBWyQ7fKI/AAAAAAAAAYY/6axp4udWBiM/s1600/100_6342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S9yBWyQ7fKI/AAAAAAAAAYY/6axp4udWBiM/s320/100_6342.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My favorite Mermaids recently asked if I would write another article for their e-zine, <a href="http://www.mermaidsofthelake.com/">Mermaids of the Lake</a>. This time they asked for a graduation party concept. My inspiration came from Dr. Seuss' book, <em>Oh! The Places You'll Go!</em>. Check out the article <a href="http://www.mermaidsofthelake.com/news.asp?id=396">here</a>. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Happy 2nd birthday to the Mermaids on the Lake! :-)</span></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-34692080200765249232010-04-04T11:12:00.000-07:002010-04-04T11:12:04.181-07:00Have an Egg-cellent Easter!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This post is just a quickie today to wish all of my readers a wonderful Easter!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7jVP2F-ieI/AAAAAAAAAXA/EVQTpPzZZ-Y/s1600/100_6238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7jVP2F-ieI/AAAAAAAAAXA/EVQTpPzZZ-Y/s320/100_6238.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Annnnnnnnd, since I can't wait to share this with you, here's a peek at what I made to bring to a potluck Easter dinner tonight. These Rice Krispies egg-treats are fun for kids and adults alike. They were super-easy and fun to make! Check out the <a href="http://www.ricekrispies.com/#/Default">Rice Krispies website</a> for fun and creative ideas.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Before:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7jVWm1acLI/AAAAAAAAAXI/2Cmmb4tPcJc/s1600/100_6242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7jVWm1acLI/AAAAAAAAAXI/2Cmmb4tPcJc/s320/100_6242.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7jVbcBIb1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/VEwWjApcOjI/s1600/100_6243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7jVbcBIb1I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/VEwWjApcOjI/s320/100_6243.JPG" /></a></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-86963069901609682302010-03-29T16:47:00.000-07:002010-03-30T15:21:33.559-07:00Spring Update<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oh, where have I been??</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> The first four months of the year are usually difficult for me to maintain regular blog postings because that is my busiest season of the year at my day job. One major event down, two more to go! I recently completed a successful fundraising auction/anniversary celebration dinner, so I will post a recap of that event and pictures about in the coming weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">In addition, I'm working on getting some real life wedding stories to recap for you as well. I'll keep you posted on those.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Seeing as Easter is RIGHT around the corner, and if you're as busy as I am, it might have snuck up on you! I will be posting a couple of creative Easter ideas as well as some Spring </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">decor and entertaining ideas for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>First up: </strong><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.0e0eb51a2e6b5ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=468b2e912b11f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true&backtourl=%2Fphotogallery%2Feaster-crafts-and-treats"><strong>Eggshell Votives</strong></a><strong>!</strong></span><strong> </strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7E3fent6XI/AAAAAAAAAWo/J9-LkdlaQnk/s1600/egg+votive+candles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7E3fent6XI/AAAAAAAAAWo/J9-LkdlaQnk/s320/egg+votive+candles.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><em>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://marthastewart.com/">MarthaStewart.com</a></em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I saw the above photo and thought this was a festive idea as yet another way to incorporate eggs into our Easter celebration. Follow the link <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.0e0eb51a2e6b5ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=468b2e912b11f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true&backtourl=%2Fphotogallery%2Feaster-crafts-and-treats">here</a> to get instructions on how to make these votive candles. Quick tip: hot glue your wick to the bottom of the shell before filling the shell with wax (this will prevent the wick from floating in the wax).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Next Up: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=3f65ce908332f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true&backtourl=%2Fphotogallery%2Feaster-crafts-and-treats">Chocolate Eggs</a>!</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7E5ATthC2I/AAAAAAAAAWw/EdwVUxhabeI/s1600/chocolate+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S7E5ATthC2I/AAAAAAAAAWw/EdwVUxhabeI/s320/chocolate+eggs.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://marthastewart.com/">MarthaStewart.com</a></em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This one's for the die-hard chocoholic! Warning: this project is somewhat labor- and time-intensive... but HOW can you resist the charm and beauty of your own chocolate eggs inside a REAL egg shell?? Follow this <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.3a0656639de62ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=3f65ce908332f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&backto=true&backtourl=%2Fphotogallery%2Feaster-crafts-and-treats">link</a> to get the how-to from Martha. The instructions tell you how to create a chocolate shell within the egg shell so you can fill the shell with ganache (recipe provided). Be sure to read the comments for the instructions to get some good feedback and tips on how to make this project a little bit smoother the first time around.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>**Both of these ideas can pull double-duty as table decor and favors. Consider making these as nice take-home gifts for family and friends by wrapping each in colored cellophane and a brightly colored ribbon.**</strong></span><br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">More ideas to come!</span></em></strong>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-74602403613039221352010-03-14T21:35:00.000-07:002010-03-14T21:35:35.684-07:00Photofetti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S524n0eqtMI/AAAAAAAAAWg/vIYOghpA5h0/s1600-h/photofetti+pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S524n0eqtMI/AAAAAAAAAWg/vIYOghpA5h0/s320/photofetti+pieces.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Image from </span><a href="http://www.photofetti.com/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photofetti.com</span></a></em></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">CHECK.THIS.OUT! What a fun addition to your child's birthday, a wedding, anniversary, graduation, or other celebration... Photofetti is photo confetti that you can customize with your own photo(s). They will mix your Photofetti with colored accent pieces to match your event and voila, you've got a party!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Visit Photofetti <a href="http://www.photofetti.com/">here</a>.</span>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-76103101594607358152010-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:002010-02-12T06:00:02.811-08:00Valentine's Food Fun<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whatever your plans are for Valentine's Day, here are a couple of quick and super-easy ideas involving festive food for the occasion. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3T-szZri4I/AAAAAAAAAV4/aa7c-yljwr4/s1600-h/0214090857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3T-szZri4I/AAAAAAAAAV4/aa7c-yljwr4/s320/0214090857.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pick up a metal heart cookie cutter at your local store and use it to make a heart-shaped breakfast for your sweeties. This works well for pancakes and eggs. You can also use the cookie cutter to cut hearts out of slices of toast. Don't forget to spray the inside of the cookie cutter with a little bit of cooking spray so the food doesn't stick to it. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3T-wmJQUOI/AAAAAAAAAWA/H77HMPSWJqA/s1600-h/0211002220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3T-wmJQUOI/AAAAAAAAAWA/H77HMPSWJqA/s320/0211002220.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Another fun food idea is cutting shapes from brownies and putting a dollap of frosting on top. Wilton has combo cutters in two shapes, "minis" and hearts. I used the minis cutter for these Valentine treats for my co-workers. You can find the minis combo cutter <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=AF368E7B-1E0B-C910-EAF086E8F2C3EE85&killnav=1">here</a> and the hearts combo cutter <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=AF34FDF7-1E0B-C910-EAAAC1DA2BA4AEA7&killnav=1">here</a> at the Wilton website (see photos below). These cutters are so easy to use, and the three...yes, THREE... batches of brownies I made were cut up in a snap!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3UYzs01iRI/AAAAAAAAAWI/pNzItehYaAM/s1600-h/brownie+heart+combo+cutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3UYzs01iRI/AAAAAAAAAWI/pNzItehYaAM/s320/brownie+heart+combo+cutter.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3UaJtwzl8I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/OcfNfMdR04E/s1600-h/brownie+minis+combo+cutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SoIQjjY5m-4/S3UaJtwzl8I/AAAAAAAAAWQ/OcfNfMdR04E/s320/brownie+minis+combo+cutter.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>(Hearts combo cutter and minis combo cutter. Photos courtesy of Wilton. Links to photos are above.)</em></div>Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8265768541929160046.post-6810624888531306342010-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:002010-02-04T15:00:01.851-08:00Last Minute Super Bowl IdeaI was shopping at Cabela's a few weeks ago (it's an outdoor sportsman's store) and saw a display that they had set up for the Super Bowl. I really liked the "football field" they created, so I grabbed a quick shot of it on my cell phone (sorry for the photo quality).<br />
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You can recreate this same idea on a green table cloth or table runner to make it a fun tablescape. Use your creativity to add goalposts and team spirit. Don't forget to leave room for the yummy finger foods! If you are still in need of some ideas for your game-time eats, check out my previous Super Bowl post <a href="http://creativeentertaining.blogspot.com/2010/01/super-bowl-xliv.html">here</a>.Jaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00509123764065705071noreply@blogger.com0