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{tutorial} homemade lollipops

Tuesday, June 29

let's make some of these together...


just follow along with me on this super-easy "homemade lollipop" tutorial.
now before we get started, here's my disclaimer:
- i'm no expert on this process.
- there may be BETTER ways to achieve the same outcome. (feel free to share them)
- but this is the process i experimented with & the results were great. *wink*


1. GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES:
cookie sheet (for placing the lollipop mold on when baking)
lollipop mold (i used THIS ONE from Bake It Pretty)
non-stick spray or vegetable oil (use this to wipe down your candy mold prior to use).
4" lollipop sticks (like these - available at any craft store)
ziploc bags (if your hard candy isn't individually packaged)
mallet or rolling pin (for crushing candy)
packaging supplies (small cellophane bags, ribbon or fabric - available at any craft store)


2. PREPARE CANDY FOR MELTING
since my candies were already individually packaged...
it was SUPER easy to just give each piece of candy
a couple of soft whacks with the mallet.
the candy doesn't have to be finely crushed...
just small enough chunks to fill the candy mold.
(if you use candy that's NOT individually packaged,
you could always put them in a ziploc bag and crush them all at the same time).

when your candy is all crushed...



3. POUR INTO CANDY MOLD
see how easy those individual packages make it for pouring?
use a spoon if you don't have cute individual packaging!!
VERY IMPORTANT!
(make sure the mold has been prepared
with a light application of non-stick cooking spray or something similar FIRST).


4. PILE HIGH & ADD LOLLIPOP STICK
be sure to pile on the candy nice and high and slide your lollipop stick into the middle.
(i've tried it two ways...adding the stick AFTER it melts and BEFORE...i think i prefer AFTER).


5. BAKE AT 300 DEGREES (place on cookie sheet first for easier handling)
This process takes approx. 3-7 minutes for candy to melt completely.
(Here's why I prefer adding the lollipop stick AFTER. The candy melts down and isn't really touching the stick anyway by the time you finish this first "melt down"?) Hmm?


6. ADD MORE CANDY
this helps to cover the stick and ensure it's secure when we're done -
what's a lollipop without a stick? right?! *wink*


7. BACK INTO OVEN (another 2-3 minutes or so)
MUCH better results...
I even push down on the lollipop stick - WATCH OUT...it's hot...
and rotate it a little JUST TO MAKE SURE it's snug in the melted candy.
(just another reason why i think i prefer adding the stick AFTER the melting has been completely done...those sticks get hot). *wink*


8. LET COOL COMPLETELY AND POP'EM OUT
"ta dah"!!! easy...right?!


9. PACKAGE'EM UP PRETTY
they're now ready to give out as favors or treats
OR you could keep them all to yourself...depending on how you feel that day! *smile*


and let me just say...
if you happen to be so overly excited to make these and you forget to spray your lollipop mold...

here's what you'll get:


BUT...all is not lost...
just put the pieces back in your candy mold...

just like I did...
reheat and you are "good-to-go"!


i hope you enjoyed the tutorial.
if you have any questions or need clarification on anything...let me know.
and if you try this out...i'd LOVE to see the results.

have a fantastic Tuesday!

KEEPING IT REAL:
On my first attempt at making these, I didn't KNOW to use a non-stick cooking spray (frustrated)
AND so...i threw my ruined lollipops & perfectly wasted lollipop sticks into the trash! (not good)
On my 2nd attempt, I knew to use the non-stick spray but was so overzealous with excitement to try again, I completely forgot to add it. (just plain silliness)
BUT...that's when it dawned on me I didn't have to throw the lollipops away...
By remelting them...I was back in business!! brilliant & beaming! *wink*

some fun for the fourth...

Monday, June 28

while i'm working on a "homemade lollipop" tutorial for you,
i thought i'd keep you busy by sharing a FREE 4th of July printable with you...


these "sparkler tags" are SUCH a super-easy way to personalize your 4th of July sparklers!
(i cannot take credit for the idea...it originated from this 4th of July digital package I purchased last year from my one of my FAVE digital designers: rhonna farrer).
i created my own in order to give you something EASY to make and get you in a festive mood...
your guests will appreciate the clever packaging when it's time to hand them out.

here they are assembled

and what could get better than an adorable sparkler tag?
well...
brace yourself...this is SO smart...

you can also use a circle punch to create these...

the circles can be added to any party element to add further cuteness to your holiday celebration!


for instance...i finally tried my hand at making these "jarfaits" posted by nesting newbies...

the labels fit perfectly on top for some added pizzazz!!
i used vanilla pudding, blueberries & strawberries
(i think using whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream would be WAY cuter - but the pudding is what i had on hand).

so there you have it.
you could really do so much with this FREE printable.
and couldn't you totally see the sparkler tag used at an evening wedding reception?!
(who knows...perhaps it's already been done?!)

i hope you all have a fantastic monday!
i'm looking forward to a productive week!

Keeping It Real
The circle punches were a complete afterthought...so I'm not as clever as you might think! *wink*
It just so happened, after finishing the design and printing them out, I realized they worked perfectly with a circle punch too...love it when things like that happen!
AND...the "jarfaits" were a last minute idea to add to this post. I whipped these out in less than TEN minutes people!! Seriously super easy. I can't wait to try different versions using angel food cake, pound cake, cookies...etc. Oh the possibilities!!

{recipes} lemonade cake, cookies & icing

Thursday, June 24

good morning...
i've had SUCH an amazing response to the recent party i hosted...
i just wanted to say thank you to all of the readers who've taken the time to leave comments.
i mentioned the comments are like little gifts i love opening...and they are.
so i wanted to give everyone else a gift too!

there have been many inquiries about the recipes from the party...
specifically the cake & cookies.
i decided to create little recipe cards and share them with you.

let me reiterate...
the CAKE...


it was absolutely fabulous - i substituted a lemon cream cheese frosting from my baking addiction. i received comments at the party - both from kids AND adults - it was the best cake they'd ever eaten! WOW!


UPDATED: many have inquired about the type of drink mix I used in the cake. It was pink powdered Country Time Lemonade.






the COOKIES...


not so much.
i felt like they were a lot of work and they weren't all that impressive.
BUT...the icing was VERY yummy. (i DID add food coloring to achieve pink & yellow)
you could always use your favorite sugar cookie recipe and then add this delicious frosting?
(here's MY favorite sugar cookies recipe if you don't have one of your own...)
the cookies were NOT meant to be "sandwich" cookies either...
which may have been the problem...too much cookie & not enough icing?
since i wasn't sure if the icing would harden up enough to actually stack them without making a mess...
i sandwiched them together for ease of displaying them.
AND i saved myself some time by only having to frost 1/2 the batch! *wink*
this recipe makes A LOT of cookies - you could completely cut the recipe in 1/2.
SO...despite not LOVING the cookies...
i decided to share the recipe ANYWAY since so many of you have asked.
and who knows...
perhaps you'll come up with better results?



i hope you enjoy the free recipe cards as much as i've enjoyed reading all of your wonderful comments!

have a super thursday - hugs to everyone!

Keeping It Real
For those of you who are tired of hearing about the lemonade & sunshine party...
and are missing the "thirsty thursday" posts...
i've got one in the works already for next week...*wink*

{tutorial} glass etching

Wednesday, June 23

so who's up for learning how to do some glass etching today?
don't worry...
it sounds SO much more intimidating than it actually is.
in fact...
it's SO easy and quick...
don't go crazy doing every glass object you come across...*wink*

I'm going to teach you how i created the personalized glass "milk bottles" I included in this party bucket
I used as party favors for the Lemonade and Sunshine Party I hosted for my girls.



here's what you'll need:
paint brush
plain cardstock
2" hole punch
scissors
glass object for etching
(i used Starbucks frappucino bottles after discovering this post from Celebrations At Home)

i found my etching cream at Michael's


here are the martha stewart stickers i picked up - also from Michael's
(these worked great because they were made of felt - I'll explain why later)


punch a hole with your decorative punch of choice & using the leftover "frame",
create a square "template" using scissors. apply adhesive to template & position as desired on your glass bottle.
next, apply your letter sticker of choice in the center of your "frame/template".
as seen above, on this first attempt i decided to use a square scallop punch and a sheet of notebook paper.
i figured the notebook paper would be easy to work with but after experimenting some more, I prefer to use either cardstock or leftover scrapbooking paper.



now you are ready to apply the glass etching cream.
using a paint brush, just carefully dab on the etching cream...
remembering that any part of the glass touched with the cream will result in a "cloudy" or "etched" finish.


now wait 60 seconds - as the instructions suggest
(the etching cream is thick enough to stand your glass bottle upright during the drying process without it running).


after the 60 seconds, rinse the entire area under running water until all of the etching cream has been washed away.
next, use your thumb to remove/scrape off the frame & any leftover adhesive and then carefully peel off the sticker for reuse. (the felt stickers from martha stewart worked perfectly and were thick enough to withstand the water as well as being peeled off - allowing for use again in the future).

here's the finished bottle...
(notice the imperfections in the scallop)

i then decided to try just a regular 2" circle punch to see if i could get a "cleaner" result

i also applied a lot more etching cream...

and here are the two bottles side-by-side
(the plain circle still had tiny imperfections)


i concluded that i needed a thicker cardstock and that i needed to make sure i was applying adhesive right up to the very edges of the template.
so i decided to try again - this time using a 2" scallop punch


after applying the adhesive, hold your template up to the light to unveil "glue hair".
(you want to remove these because they're the culprit of imperfections)
i found that by just taking my finger and lightly rubbing/patting the "hairs"
they disappeared quite easily.


i was much happier with the result...
and i also found the cardstock was easier to peel off vs. the notebook paper
AND the heavier amount of etching cream did NOT effect the outcome

now you have an adorable personalized glass bottle...
it makes for a GREAT gift.

tuck it into a favor bucket like i did for the recent party i hosted

OR
fill it with candy & give it as an individual gift/favor...
OR...
you can do what i'm going to do...
use these around your home to help identify everyone's drinks.
the possibilities are endless really...
change up your template for different looks...
there are plastic templates available in craft stores, specifically for glass etching.
spell out words or entire names instead of just using a single letter.
get creative...
i'm already thinking of doing an entire set of glasses with numbers - how cute would that be for entertaining?!

i hope you enjoyed the tutorial...
if you try it out, you'll have to come back and share!
happy wednesday everyone!

Keeping It Real
Although my original intentions were to have the girls use the starbucks "milk bottles" on the table to drink from during the party & then send them home as favors too...after I etched them, I just couldn't get past the fact that mason jars were much more appropriate for the "feel" I was trying to create. BUT, I had a hard time finding any mason jars that I could actually etch because they all have the "trademark" impressions all over them. I know it wouldn't have REALLY mattered in the end...but it was a detail I couldn't get past so I just used the milk bottles as part of the favor buckets. Silly.

{lemonade & sunshine party} party day

Monday, June 21



when i began dreaming up a combined birthday party for my two oldest daughters...
the biggest hurdle was trying to come up with a theme...
a theme that would be appropriate for both of their ages.

i knew I wanted something different...
something that would bridge the gap between "little girl" and "young woman".
it needed to be "fun" but it couldn't be too childish.
i needed to make sure it felt more "grown up" without it being TOO grown up.

with it being summer, i couldn't help but think of two things...
from there a color palette of pinks & yellows was born -
which led me to the creation of the invite...

(invite available here)

i wanted the party "pretty" and "soft" to honor the young women my daughter's are becoming...
but i knew there had to be a little "magic" thrown in there too to keep it young and fresh.

although i'm continuously inspired by my go-to sources for amazing ideas...amy atlas & martha...
my BIGGEST source of inspiration for this party came directly from this post from design*sponge...
remember the pancake breakfast i posted about awhile back?
well, as i continued to gather creative ideas i put them together in an inspiration board & kept referring to it throughout the party planning process.


i knew almost immediately...
this party HAD to be outside under some trees.
it needed to be rustic & charming...
pretty & organic.
i wanted to avoid having the party feel completely "put-to-gether".
i felt it should convey the feeling that we live in an old farmhouse...
that we decided to have an afternoon celebration with family & friends...
and that we quickly gathered up some things to take outside for decorating.

like tin cans & fresh cut flowers from the garden...

a well-worn tablecloth, dishes & crates...


& that we had neighbors and friends
meet us in the backyard...under the shade...

to enjoy some cold lemonade...

& a cupboard full of old fashioned desserts.

i LOVE how everything came together...

flowers hanging from the backs of old wrought iron chairs...



flowers hanging from fence posts...

empty bottles dangling from tree branches...

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



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

fabric pieces were wrapped around just about everything...

vintage glass jars & milk glass serving pieces

mason jars used for sipping on lemonade...

& mason jars used for displaying fresh cut flowers...

an old bird bath used to display frozen treats...
(lemon sugar cookie ice cream & strawberry/lemon swirled italian ice)

speaking of treats...
mini lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting anyone?

they are as tasty as they are adorable...

how about a slice of pink lemonade cake?

i LOVE that it's actually "pink" inside when you cut it...
(and EVERYONE said it was the best cake they've EVER eaten...it was seriously that.good.)

and then there were lemonade sugar cookie sandwiches

along with homemade lemonade lollipops nestled in a vintage drawer.

the lollipops were later used to fill these favor buckets

the favor buckets contained yellow and pink gumballs...
a cute custom packet of lemonade...
a personalized monogramed glass drinking bottle with a white paper straw - (etched glass tutorial coming soon)
and these fabric covered repurposed jars filled with lemon drops...


the tin can banner i created using an old window was the perfect way to bring recognition to the birthday girls...without breaking the ambiance of the party...


the day couldn't have been more perfect...

i skipped the usual food labels for this party to avoid the "put-together" vibe...
by having each of my daughter's invite only ONE of their closest friends...
i was able to keep the cost of the party down & keep it "intimate" & "meaningful".
since the party was at 4 o'clock we were able to avoid a little bit of the heat & it was actually quite pleasant under the shade of the trees.
the girls spent their time on a make-shift water slide to keep cool until it was time for celebrating.
all-in-all, i was able to pull off hosting a party with a soft, charming feel...
a party fit for the ages of both of my daughter's...
a party theme that could be turned into a bridal shower, baby shower or other special event...
and one that offered a little magic to keep things fresh & young.

for those of you planning your own party using this color scheme...i hope you feel inspired!
and i hope you love the results as much i adore them!

a special thanks to:
Southern Lady Magazine - for the DELICIOUS pink lemonade cake recipe (instead of the buttercream frosting they recommended, i used the lemon cream cheese frosting from my baking addiction - one batch was enough to ice an entire 3 layer cake and almost all of the mini cupcakes). nice.
Michael's - for the adorable glass jars used for the frozen treats...

Keeping It Real
the cookies weren't all that spectacular - they looked much better than they tasted.
all of the food was brought out at the very last minute because of the heat.
hauling the furniture and props outside was a lot of work - BUT SO WORTH IT!
there was also a lemon cheesecake but i forgot to take pictures of that...*wink*
i kept having to rethink things because i started to get too matchy-match...
my youngest daughter was MUCH more appreciative of the theme than my oldest...
...my oldest scrapped the many ideas i had for different crafts/activities...reminding me she's getting older and that themed parties are NOT all that cool for her...*grumbling because i guess i don't want to accept that she's actually growing up*

and though they are both getting older...they still know how to have fun...*wink*

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