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tutorial | Painted Paper Flowers for Cake Decorating

Friday, April 29

The world has been glued to the television today...
Getting lost in the magnificent details and grandeur of Prince William + Kate's wedding ceremony.
One of my favorite details of the historical ceremony were the live maple trees used inside the cathedral instead of traditional flowers.
From what I understand, the trees will later be planted to honor the couple as well as in memory of the beautiful day.
(how sweet is that)!?

Since we all can't be royalty though and spend endless amounts of money on pomp and circumstance...
Check out the DiY on how I turned an $8 grocery store bakery cake...
into a gorgeous cake fit for a princess...
or queen...
or duchess...*wink*
(Go here for the full tutorial on HWTM)
paintedcakeflowers1271



Enjoy your weekend everyone!!
And congratulations William and Kate!!


KEEPiNG iT REAL
I'll be busy wrapping up the website...
and tying up all of the loose ends for the launch of... "The Pastry Pedestal"

real parties | April Showers 3rd Birthday Party - Jenny Dixon

Wednesday, April 27

Party girl: Jenny
Celebration Type: 3rd Birthday Party
Color Palette: rainbow and raindrop blue & wellie red
Theme: April Showers

I love when customers contact me to create invitations with a unique party vision in mind.
Jenny told me she wanted to create a party around the fact that her son's birthday is in April...
...the month for Spring Showers.
She mentioned umbrellas, wellies, and rainbow colors.
I was smitten with the idea and went right to work!
The invitation set the stage for all of the creative planning Jenny had already started on:

aprilshowersFiNAL



With the invitation and party printables finished...
Jenny took over and sprinkled the most adorable details throughout every aspect of the party.

Grab your goulashes and umbrellas everyone...

This party is pouring with adorable inspiration...You're about to be drenched in some cuteness!!
aprilshowerscollage3

buffet

rain and umbrella

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cupcake257

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aprilshowerscollage2

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birthdayboy

Can you believe all of the cuteness?
Especially the cuteness of her handsome little birthday boy!!

My favorite party elements:
• the stitched party accessories Jenny created to match the invitation
• the personalized favor umbrellas Jenny created for each little guest to take home. (see the DiY tutorial here)
• the different pieces of rain-related art Jenny had hanging on the walls
• the hanging circle raindrops and clear umbrellas
• the super cute "rain puddle" cupcakes Jenny created
• the garland made from striped straws displayed on the dessert table backdrop
• the wellies used as the centerpiece on the table
• the craft station where the kids were able to make rainbows

This party would EASiLY translate into an adorable baby shower too - don't you agree?

You did SUCH a fun job with everything Jenny.
I love how it all turned out!!
You completely poured your heart into Noah's party and the turnout couldn't have been more perfect!!!
Thanks for coming back and sharing all of the fabulous details with us!!
For more information and to check out Jenny's super cute blog...go right here!!!

promise ME | #33 - mailboxes for the girls' rooms

Tuesday, April 26

I've been trying to get these mailboxes painted for the girls for some time now...
And I finally finished them up...

mailboxesWM1351


I saw this idea somewhere a LONG time ago and loved the concept behind it:
Place a mailbox in your child's room to leave little notes, surprises, etc.
I've seen them used strictly for Valentine's Day too. (see this post from How Does She?)

But I wanted something I could use year-round...
to keep the lines of communication open...
especially as children get older and social calendars begin to develop.
as is the case with my two older daughters - Clara (14) and Ema (12).

There have been many times when I've left little notes on their mirrors, dressers
or pillows after a disagreement or even when I'm just feeling sentimental.
I decided I wanted to add a designated location in each of their rooms especially for those moments.
So I finally tackled the project by adding it to my "promise ME" list.

With Easter approaching...
I quickly realized I could present these to the girls for Easter...
since they don't really need baskets anymore for egg hunting. *sniffle* 


I filled them with a few little things I knew they'd appreciate...
(an adorable chocolate Lindt carrot, a bottle of nail polish and nail art stickers, lip gloss, 
mini reese cups, mini robin's eggs and one of the mini fractures I shared with you last week.)
mailboxesWM1353

I kept the mailboxes creamy white and just added a ribbon so that we can change up the color schemes easily
for each time the girls decide to redecorate their rooms...*wink*
mailboxesWM1350
(I also added a painted paper flower to this one and I think I'll go ahead and do the same for the other two mailboxes as well).




The girls were excited to get their mailboxes...
I'm excited to start this fun little tradition with them...
And I'm also feeling a sense of accomplishment since I can now cross this off my "promise ME" list! *wink*
numberthirtythree


I hope you all enjoyed your Easter holiday with your family and loved ones...

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Busy...busy...busy around here.
The launch of the patent-pending party product I invented, the Pastry Pedestal, is fast approaching.
You may have noticed my shoppe is still closed.
I decided to extend the temporary closing until the end of April...
I've run into one hurdle after another while trying to finalize one final detail so we can officially make these available!!
Thanks for your patience everyone!!!
I've been loving the enthusiastic emails I keep receiving inquiring about how and when to purchase them.
I promise they are coming soon!!!

Psst...I squeezed in some crafting time I'd been longing for and came up with THEE most adorable DiY ever!
It'll be posted on HWTM on Friday but I may have to give you a sneak peek before then.
It turned out even more adorable than I had imagined in my head! *wink*

freebie | Easter mini peanut butter cup labels

Friday, April 22

Hello everyone!!

I hope you all are looking forward to the Easter holiday weekend!
For those of you looking for a last-minute way to personalize some Easter candies...
I created some FREE Easter printables for you...
because I love ya!!! *wink

easterpbcuplabels1306

easterpbcuplabels1299



Print • Trim • Punch 
(Supplies needed: 1" circle punch & double stick tape - unless you have label paper)
easterpeanutbuttercuplabels


Happy Easter everyone!!
Enjoy!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
My printer stinks!
(Notice my colors don't match my .pdf?)*grumbling*

And the new Epson R1900 printer I just purchased?
After major headaches...
poor print quality...
and wasting $100 in printer cartridges...
I just returned it!!
And just threw away another $60 to ship it back! *grumbling louder*

Lesson learned:
Never purchase a printer online.
unless you can return it in-store somewhere to avoid paying shipping costs. *wink*

find | Fracture

Wednesday, April 20


In a world of incompetent manufacturers and business owners...
(I've unfortunately encountered numerous ones over the course of the last 8 months while developing the Pastry Pedestal)...

It's SO completely refreshing when I come across a company that offers a fabulous quality product...
at a reasonable price...
with customer service that is out of this world.

Although I've mentioned Fracture before...
I'd like to take the opportunity to formally introduce you...

a cutting-edge company offering a new, unique way to print and frame 
your favorite digital photos, digital art and so much more!!
fracture3x31192

As described on the company website:
"A fracture is a one-piece picture frame made from printed glass that mounts directly to your wall - quickly and easily."

My Favorite Fracture features:
• shatter-resistant glass
• images won't fade
• money-back lifetime guarantee
• the super-cool, clever packaging that makes unwrapping super easy.
• no sharp edges...
• a variety of sizes...
• ordering is piece of cake...
• arrive ready-to-hang...
• affordable...
I was first introduced to Fracture by Theresa of Lauren McKinsey and have been in love eversince. (see this post)
And remember the goodies I recently sent out to all of the "promise ME peeps"? (see this post)

Well...
I decided to have some fractures made using the digital art I recently created and shared in this post.


I just LOVED this quote taken straight out of Martha Stewart's book "The Martha Rules" and wanted a simple reminder.
Even the color inspiration for the design was based on the beautiful egg colors produced by Martha's chickens. *wink*
writethebookyouwanttoread425
I decided to have two different sizes made...
3x3 and a 10x10
fracturegrouping1210

The hanging fractures come with a screw in the packaging that fits perfectly with the precut hole...
fracturebackings1209
And the coaster-backing is water-resistant...
fracture3x31185

Fractures offer so many different creative possibilities...
fracture3x31178

In fact, their products were just featured in Lucky Kids Magazine as a way to "immortalize" your children's art...(go here).

Mother's Day is coming up....
These would make a beautiful gift...don't you think?

In love with this concept?
Become a fan of Fracture on Facebook and tell them I sent you...
Follow them on Twitter... (@fractureme)
and order directly from their website today: www.fractureme.com

You'll have to let me know if you end up ordering something from them...
I'd love to know the creative things you'll end up doing with these!

Tips:
If you'd like to order the 3x3 size you'll need to contact the company directly since it's not offered on the website yet.
And you'll also need to specify whether or not you want the coaster backing if you plan on using them for coasters.


Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!!!
KEEPiNG iT REAL
I sent one of these as a "thank you" gift to Caitlin at Martha Stewart headquarters for
the goodies she sent for our "Sunshine State" Martha Stewart Dreamers into Doers meeting.
(I included an extra one for Martha... I'm certain she's using it on her desk right now. *wink*)

On a different note...I am coming across so many hurdles related to the launch of the Pastry Pedestal...
it's been SUCH a learning experience.
I'm frustrated and grateful at the same time.
Would that be considered "frustrateful"?  *wink*

crafting | wooden mailboxes

Monday, April 18

I absolutely LOVE to paint.
And it really doesn't matter what it is I'm painting...
furniture
walls
canvas
objects
frames
fingernails & toes...

There's just something therapeutic about it for me.
So...
Ella and I took some time on Friday to get a little crafty together by doing some painting:

mailboxpainting1055


It felt tremendously good to spend quality time with Ella doing something fun...
all while working towards accomplishing something I've been excited about...


Since these aren't finished, I don't want to give away all of the details just yet.
I'll be back later this week to fill you in on my thoughts behind this project...
and ultimately the finished details.

I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed your weekend...
Mine was "gorgeous"...


KEEPiNG iT REAL
I didn't say my gorgeous weekend was perfect.
I dealt with major attitude from my two older girls while at the neighborhood family picnic.
It was torture for them to be there...*rolling my eyes*

But I tried REALLY hard to maintain my gorgeous attitude and focus on having fun and being social.
(which I admit is not something we do often enough around here lately). *wink*

hello gorgeous weekend...

Friday, April 15

"Gorgeous"...
the inspiration word for today's post!
At two years old, "gorgeous" is Ella's new word - thanks to Ema - and so now we are all feeling exceptionally gorgeous every time Ella tells each of us we are gorgeous...and we are finding ourselves using the term for everything now.) *wink*

With that said...
before we all head off into our gorgeous weekend...
(in this case, gorgeous is indicative of a fabulous attitude - not weather conditions)...

I wanted to share a few "gorgeous" photos depicting the various "gorgeous" projects going on around here...

The first official gorgeous shipment of pastry pedestals has arrived!!!
1stshipmentcollage

gorgeous chocolate truffles for a photoshoot...(thank you Mount Dora Confectionary)
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gorgeous petit fours for the same photoshoot...(thank you Publix bakery).
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the gorgeous magazines I'm itchin' to read...
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and we of course can't forget to include Ella's gorgeous project she created yesterday in the 1/2 bath...
toiletpaper1021


I'm REALLY looking forward to a gorgeous weekend...

• Date night tonight
• Neighborhood family picnic on Saturday...
• downtime with my family...

It's going to be absolutely gorgeous...
because I have a gorgeous atttitude...
and therefore I'm going to "will" it to be gorgeous! *wink*

Wishing you a gorgeous weekend as well...
Here's hoping we all take the time to find the "gorgeous" in the everyday details! *wink*


KEEPiNG iT REAL
See how fun it can be to use the word "gorgeous" in a repetitive manner?
Try it...you may become addicted.
(although it sounds MUCH cuter when Ella says it - "Gore-juice"). *wink*

For some odd reason I really find the creative detail in Ella's toilet paper art to be quite gorgeous.
I'm not sure how she created so many long strands but regardless...
it's gorgeous.
And what's the harm in it?
We all know she won't be doing things like that forever...
I'm glad I took a gorgeous photo of it. *wink*

By the way...I'm really loving my freshly washed rug from Homegoods in this bathroom...it's very shabby chic...
I wish I would've gotten two others for my own bathroom. *wink*

life | time out

Thursday, April 14

I need a serious "time out"!

Not because I need to be punished...*wink*

I just need some quiet time.
Time to collect my thoughts...
time to do nothing...
time to read...
time to rest...
time to be surrounded by silence...
and time to listen to that silence.
Time.
That's all I'm asking for.

I know.
I get it.
It's actually quite a lot to ask for.
Especially when you share your life with other people who happen to live in the same house you do. *wink*

Regardless...
time to yourself is important.
I think that's why I'm craving it so very deeply right now.
I realize how sacred it is.
And I haven't seen...
touched...
smelled...
tasted...
or felt that sacred place in awhile.
It's about time.

While I work on the logistics of it all...
(because let's face it...that's going to take time)...
Here's a little teaser for what's to come.

The beginnings of an adorable diy project I can't wait to share with you.
paintedpaperflower1008

It's just so clever...
I know you are going to love it!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Don't mistake my request for a little time out as complaining.
Not at all.
I'm grateful for everything going on in my life right now - as busy as it is.
I merely recognize when my battery needs some recharging...
and it's time. *wink*

I'd love to know what you all do to keep a full charge?

real parties | Rough & Tumble Puppy Party - April Pyle

Wednesday, April 13

Good Morning everyone!
In my ongoing search for simplicity among the craziness/chaos and exciting things going on in my world...

I've got another "SiMPLE" party to share with you today.
Proving that with just a few "key" party elements...
you can host a personalized party without breaking the bank...
and you can still capture pieces of the party perfectly...
without "professional photography".


party girl: April
celebration type: 2nd birthday party
theme: puppy
color palette: brown, red and white
inspiration: her son's love for puppies and soccer balls

When April reached out to me about her son's upcoming 2nd birthday party...
she mentioned three specific things:
• she wanted a puppy and a soccer ball included on the invite
• the party would be held at Empire Gymnastics Academy - a gym April is the owner of.
• she envisioned the invitation having a red background


Taking that information...here's what I came up with...
inviteFINAL

April then had an adorable puppy cake created to match the invitation...how cute is that?!
(By taking a close-up photo of the cake, April captured the details perfectly).
puupycake

She also used the cupcake toppers I created to tie in the theme...
a very simple and inexpensive way to make an ordinary cupcake "extraordinary"!
(again, a close-up photo captures the details of the special day)
 puppycupcake

After an afternoon filled with "ruff" and "tumble" April sent little guests home with a simple "doggie bag"...
filled with birthday treats neatly tied off with an adorable dog bone tag. 
collage1
here's the adorable birthday boy (left) "hangin" with his best bud Cohen (right)...

That's it...
• An invitation setting the stage and theme of the party.
• Coordinating cupcake toppers to help personalize the desserts
• A matching birthday cake
• some simple favors to thank everyone for coming
• an age-appropriate location
• and some key snapshots to capture the details of the day.
That's all it REALLY takes to make a birthday memorable...


My favorite party details:
• the creative puppy cupcakes April created using cookies to mimic dog ears. (look at the background in the cake photo).
• the location of the party - the gym allows kids to run wild and free with their friends.
the cake - it couldn't have been more perfect!

Thanks for sending in your post-party photos April - they were absolutely perfect in showcasing David's special day!


Here's the invitation with a white background as well...
(You'll find both versions of the invitation available in the shoppe at the end of April)
inviteFINAL


I hope that through all you have going on in your own busy world...
you can manage to find the beauty in the simple things!
Afterall...life is what happens while we are busy doing other things.

If you've got a party/event coming up...
remember to take the time to actually "be" at the celebration...
and enjoy it!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Although the tidbits of advice I often throw out here on my blog seem to be directed towards you...
They are really intended to remind, lift or inspire ME! *wink*

behind the scenes | the Pastry Pedestal logo

Monday, April 11


logoFINALwithframe

Among finalizing the logo design and tagline for the upcoming release and launch of the Pastry Pedestal...
I've also been consumed with product styling, photo shoots, packaging, website design, pricing, etc...

It's hard to believe we are quickly approaching the actual launch date...I am SO excited.
And I'm even more excited about the inquiries from so many people interested in snatching these up as soon as they are available! 

pinkflower956

Thank you SO much for your positive feedback and support all along the way!
As you might expect it's all a bit intimidating...
putting myself out there with an idea I'm hoping everyone will love as much as I do.
However, it's also completely rewarding to watch it come to life.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend - our weather was BEAUTiFUL here in Florida.

By the way...today is the LAST day to get your final votes in for me!
Your support has been AMAZiNG...like seriously amazing!
Thank you SO very much as always for being such a wonderful group of readers/friends.
VOTE RiGHT HERE!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
As much as I'm loving being super busy with all of the AMAZiNG things going on right now...
I'm also REALLY craving some down-time to bake and do the things I've been missing for awhile.
I have managed to squeeze in an adorable diy I'll be sharing soon...it's SO cute! *squeal*

real parties | Simply Teal & Red First Birthday Party - Candice Boekweg

Friday, April 8

I'm in need of simplicity around here...
So when I received these party photos from a reader named Candice...
I knew TODAY would be the perfect day to share this simply fabulous REAL PARTY!

candiceparty2


Party girl: Candice
Celebration Type: First Birthday
Color Palette: Teal & Red

As a lover of the ever-popular teal & red color combination...
as well as lover of simple, clean designs...
I couldn't help but adore the simple diy's Candice created to help personalize Greyson's 1st birthday party
• mini cake bunting
• cupcake toppers
• and a simple bunting backdrop.

They add to the simple charm of the simple homemade desserts Candice baked
and then displayed on a simply gorgeous piece of furniture.

This fabulous mom proves you can host a "simply" adorable party...
all on a very simple budget!!!

candiceparty7

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candiceparty3

candiceparty8

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The birthday boy is SIMPLY adorable too...is he not!!!???
Thanks for sharing your creative talents with us Candice...
I know there will also be LOTS of people appreciative of you keeping it simple!!

In Candice's own words...

I went with an aqua/teal and red theme, complete with paper staws, bunting (the mini cake bunting freebie from the TomKat site), oreo truffles, chocolate fudge cupcakes, and a rasberry filled white cake.  It was really simple and shows that you can still throw a cute little party on a budget. Most of the party decor I made, such as the accordian folded rosette cupcake toppers, bunting over the buffet, oreo truffle pops, cupcakes, milk glasses, etc. I used my own version of the mini cake bunting freebie on the TomKat site.  I also purchased the red and white paper straws and bakers twine from ebay seller twocrazyladies.




I hope this simple inspiration helps to kick start your weekend...
a reminder to all of us to keep things simple and that often less is more!!!
Hugs!!

inspiration | SHE paperie

Wednesday, April 6

I've said it before...

One of my very favorite things about blogging is...
meeting fabulous people along the way.

I'm SO beyond excited to introduce you to Suzanne of SHE paperie!!

about page


I met Suzanne when she reached out to me back in December 2010.
She was in the middle of preparations for an ultimately amazing "Beatles-themed" birthday party she later hosted...

It was a first birthday party for her TWiN babies...Elle & Liam...
balloons


Yes...
I said twin babies...
And Yes...

"THEE" Beatles-themed party recently featured on HWTM
(See all of the wonderful details here and here)
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(photo via HWTM)

record dessert stand
(photo via HWTM)


Suzanne was merely reaching out to me via email with a simple inquiry...
a simple question about the frosting used on some cupcakes I'd recently showcased in a baby shower.

It was through our correspondence I happened upon Suzanne's fabulousness!
You may recall seeing these GORGEOUS images featured on Amy Atlas Events here and here...

dessert table

table setting

cupcake

 table setting2


COMPLETELY head-over-heels with the design and details of this photo shoot she was part of.
Seriously beautiful...
and SO my style!

She's been featured other places too...
and has been mentioned on these sites as well.
With her talent and keen eye for design...
I anticipate her continuing to pop up in places all over the web!

Suzanne and I have been keeping in touch and I was thrilled, yet again...
with another email she recently sent announcing the launch of her LOVELY new blog!!

blog header


I absolutely love her design style...
her amazing creativity...
her individuality...
and especially the energy I feel when I'm reading her emails...
or now...

Check out the beautiful new business cards she designed and posted about HERE!
business cards


If you aren't already a blog follower of hers...you certainly should be.
"SHE" is a fabulous mom to two gorgeous little twins...
and "SHE" still manages to find the time to get creative!
Wow!!

Thanks for the inspiration Suzanne!
I'm SO glad you initiated the friendship/connection neither one of us really expected...
all through a simple email!


KEEPiNG iT REAL
Suzanne has no idea I'm posting this today...
nor does she know I woke up at 3:30 a.m. rehearsing this post in my mind...
that's how excited I am to share her talents with you!

On a completely different note...
Please take a second to vote for me today...VOTE right here!
I keep teetering between 6th & 9th place...
So thank you so very much for your ongoing daily votes!!!
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