Remember this Spiders + Spirits themed Halloween party I styled and shared for Tuesday Morning a few years ago? 

Well I got to thinking about the fact that I've never shared all of the photos here on the blog and since it's still one of my very favorite themes for a Halloween party...well...it's just time the details were no longer kept under wraps..."mummy" wraps in this case since it's a Halloween party.  *wink*

Besides, I wanted to make sure you had access to the FREE "Spiders + Spirits" sign and matching food labels in order to make hosting your own party easy peasy lemon squeezy.

And let me just say, I'm not even a drinker and yet these Pumpkin Bourbon Milkshakes slay me. ("slay" is the current trendy term used to imply you are impressed or amused by something - my kids keep me on point folks). 

Links to the FREE "Spiders + Spirits" sign and food labels along with the recipes for the milkshakes and pumpkin bars are all at the bottom of the post!!  

Did you love all of the details?

Sure hope you're feeling inspired to host your own Spiders + Spirits themed party?

Or at least try out the spooktacular recipes for some added Halloween fun! *wink*

xoxo my sweet friends!!

Jessica

LINKS I KNOW YOU'LL WANT:

Pumpkin Bourbon Milkshakes Recipe <-------click

Whiskey Caramel Glazed Pumpkin Bars <----click

Spiders + Spirits Dessert Bar 12x24 Sign  <---click to download

Spiders + Spirits Dessert Bar food labels <----click to download

KEEPiNG iT REAL

Aside from wanting to provide you with the free printables from this party, the main reason I decided to post this on my blog is because the links to the original post on the Tuesday Morning site don't work anymore and although I was able to finally find it, who wants to have to do all of that digging around every time you want to see it again? *hand raised*

RECIPE | Pumpkin Bourbon Milkshakes

Hello Pen + Paper Flowers friends!!
Did you go all weekend anxiously awaiting the recipe for those Pumpkin Bourbon Milkshakes I made for the Spiders + Spirits spiked desserts table for Tuesday Morning?

Okay, so here's the deal.
I don't drink alcohol.
So, as I stepped blindly into the unknown when prepping my "spiked" desserts table for the clever "Spiders + Spirits" themed photoshoot I came up with, I didn't prepare ANY of my desserts using alcohol at all because....

#1: I REALLY wanted to be able to eat the desserts.
#2: I certainly didn't want to spend the money on something I needed very little of and would never use again.

That being said, this recipe is delicious as a non-alcoholic drink making it something kids will love too! AND for those of you who want the bourbon included, it's a recipe with a 5 star rating on the www.my recipes.com website!! 

Besides, can you really go wrong when you mix vanilla ice cream, pumpkin, fall spices and whipped cream together - bourbon or not? No, you really can't! *wink*

So here you go....

PUMPKIN BOURBON MILKSHAKES
recipe adapted from Sunset Magazine

Makes 6-8 large milkshakes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 gallon + 1 cup vanilla ice cream (I used Breyer's Natural Vanilla)
2 - 15oz. cans of canned pumpkin (I used 1 and 1/2 cans which is more than the original recipe calls for but I wanted mine to have a more pronounced pumpkin flavor - so feel free to adjust it to your liking).
1 cup milk
1/2 cup bourbon (can be omitted, which I did for mine since I don't drink alcohol).
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger

For garnish:
whipped cream
fresh ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
You will be blending the main ingredients in 3 different batches - it won't all fit in your blender at once.

1. Blend together 1/3 of the ice cream, pumpkin, milk and bourbon in blender. Once combined, empty blender into a large bowl and do a second batch exactly the same way. For your third and final batch, add sugar and spices this time. Pour last batch into large bowl with the other two batches and stir everything together to combine well.

2. Fill 6-8 tall glasses with milkshake mixture using a ladle or a pourable measuring cup.

3. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Don't forget the cute party straw!!

TIP FOR THICKER SHAKES
I didn't do this but the original recipe mentioned it so I wanted to share it -especially because I believe adding the bourbon may result in milkshakes with a thinner consistency.

Do everything in step one and use an airtight container instead of a bowl to hold the prepared milkshake mixture. Add lid and store in freezer for up to an hour. Stir and then fill glasses.

I sure hope you will try out the recipe!
I'll definitely be making them again!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I'll be making them again because although I got to sample them while I made them and J downed a couple on his own, my girls really didn't even get to try them. *frown*
They were all skeptical knowing they had been sitting out for quite awhile during the photoshoot...in and out of the refrigerator as I took and re-took photos. They ended up sitting in the refrigerator, on a pretty tray no less, for 3 days before I finally decided to dump them. #partystylingcasualties

STYLING | Spiders + Spirits Halloween Dessert Table (for adults)

BOO! Have I got a "treat" for you today!!
I was recently approached by one of my favorite retail stores, Tuesday Morning, to come up with a blog post for the Tuesday Morning site. All I had to do was pick and use some things from their high-quality designer products, (at close-out prices, by the way), using the theme they'd chosen: Halloween-inspired adult treats.

I literally had TEN days to put this all together but I was completely up for the challenge.
Although I don't drink alcohol, my mind went immediately to creating a "spiked" desserts table for adults, thus inspiring the "Spiders + SPIRITS" theme. Pretty clever, right?

I hope you'll hop on over to the Tuesday Morning Blog and check out the full details on the set up as well as to get the scoop on the wonderful products I found and used as part of the dessert table. (Like these realistic-looking old doors that are really just two beautiful canvases I used as the backdrop). LOVE them!!

Feeling inspired for Halloween now?
I've also been pinning some fantastic Halloween ideas to the "Haunted Halloween" Tuesday Morning Pinterest Board so definitely check it out for more inspiration.

Stay tuned to the Pen + Paper Flowers blog because I'll be posting more about the Pumpkin Bourbon Milkshakes, Kahlua + Cream cupcakes and the Whiskey Caramel Glazed Pumpkin Bars that were used on the table.

And...for anyone interested in recreating this, I'll be posting the Chalkboard Signage + labels too!!

Do you love Tuesday Morning too and need to find a location close to you?
Use the Tuesday Morning Store Locator !

Keep up with Tuesday Morning and their fabulous home decor products by following them on their social media platforms:
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Want to receive Tuesday Morning emails? Just sign up!

Now...are you ready to throw that Halloween party you've been talking about?
I hope you've been inspired, friends!!!

xoxo

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THIS IS A SPONSORED POST BY TUESDAY MORNING STORES.

PEN + PAPER FLOWERS HAS RECEIVED COMPENSATION AND/OR PRODUCTS 

IN EXCHANGE FOR CREATING CONTENT AND SHARING PRODUCTS.
  AS ALWAYS, FRIENDS + READERS, I ONLY WORK WITH BRANDS 
AND SHARE CONTENT I'M INSPIRED BY AND THINK WILL INSPIRE YOU TOO!

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KEEPiNG iT REAL

The 10 day turnaround was crazy to meet but working with Tuesday Morning products was a blast.
My daughter Ema (16), actually did some shopping and brainstorming with me and I think we nailed it!! My studio is an absolute disaster - I'm not even kidding!! Just ask my family!! *wink*

STYLING | Simple Frozen Themed Dessert Table

Most simple dessert table EVER in the history of dessert tables…I'm certain of it…and I'm lovin' it!

You all probably knew I wouldn't let Ella's 6th birthday go by without SOME sort of pretty dessert display…but I was completely in the dark because I had myself convinced there wouldn't be anything of the sort. #sillyme

You see when Ella decided she would rather go to Fun Spot with a few of her friends vs. having a birthday party at the house I fully expected to just forgo the usual party styling and just revel in the simplicity of the day at the local amusement park.

BUT...then I NEEDED to create some invitations for Ella to hand out. So...I asked Ella what kind of party she WOULD have if she were having an actual birthday celebration at the house and she said "Frozen". Which I'm sure is the wish of every little girl these days

 So…I kept things simple and used the Frozen themed snowflake invitation in my shoppe, had four printed at Office Depot and then added some glitter to the edges to "fancy + fun" them all up.

Horrible pic from my phone…boo! But at least you get the idea.

Then I got to thinking…"I could have Cupcake Delights make up a dozen of their adorable Frozen themed cupcakes to help tie in the invitation theme since it literally has NOTHING to do with Fun Spot at all. So I did just that.

And then I ordered an oversized chocolate Elsa cupcake too for the chocolate cake-lovin' birthday girl - the mini tiara on top does double duty as a hair comb for after the party too! 

And I had regular cupcakes with even tinier tiaras for Ella's BFF's!

Aren't they cute!!??

So…the night before the party…
I found myself throwing together a super simple something to make the start of the day special and more "birthday-esque" for Ella and her guests before we headed out for the day.

HERE'S WHAT I DID
1. I chose an old window I already had to use as the backdrop.
2. I sprayed the backside of the window panes with a can of fake snow I already had. (took me a couple of tries - it was either too much or not enough and in the end I still think it wasn't enough).
3. I used my Cricut Explore® to cut out the snowflakes I'd designed for the invitation to be used on the window. (can't believe how perfectly the machine cut them).
4. I made a "Happy Birthday Ella" banner out of white card stock using my Cricut Explore® and added some white and blue glitter. (I applied the glitter old-school-style using Elmer's glue - had to let that dry overnight and then put it together the next morning using hot glue and white yarn).
5. I used my favorite Rosanna Decor Bon Bon Cake Stand as the centerpiece.
6. I used the tiny Rosanna Decor Bon Bon Cupcake Pedestal in the middle of the large cake stand to hold the oversized cupcake.
7. I added fake snowflakes to the large cake plate for added whimsy.
8. I removed the labels from 8 mini water bottles and then wrapped a piece of plain white card stock around each one - securing with double stick tape. I tied each with either a blue or pink ribbon I had.
9. I used the blue and pink paper snowflakes I still had from the Cookie Exchange I styled a couple of years ago. I sprayed the tips with the can of white snow as well but it didn't make a significant difference. I could've skipped that step altogether.

So there you have it...
Birthday cupcakes and coordinating water bottles…that's it.

The birthday guests (3 little girls) showed up to our house at 10:30am on party day - all wearing Frozen shirts which was completely unplanned but oh so perfect!

We sang Happy Birthday to Ella.
Ate cupcakes.
Opened presents.
Then did a quick clean-up and caravanned to Fun Spot for the day!

Kyndal, Ella, Elise & Camille

Yep! That's my finger to the left in this picture - but it was too cute not to share!

Easiest birthday ever.
We had a clean house when the party started.
We had a clean house when the party was over since there really was no clean-up at all.
J said he LOVED it. (of course he did). *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL
The regular cupcakes with tiaras?
I couldn't actually display those for the party because I ordered two - thinking there were only two of Ella's friends coming. We ended up with three little girls so I just kept the tiara cupcakes hidden in the fridge. Olaf wasn't on display either since he's not Ella's favorite.
But since he's MY favorite I requested one be made especially for me. Ha!!

And with that said…I'm back on another Whole30 as of yesterday...with my friend Katina.
I went 107 days straight…took a 2 week break and I'm back on the train.
I just feel like crap eating any other way. It's just not worth it.
And because I know you are curious...I've lost close to 30lbs doing Whole30.
Gotta keep going.

CUTE IDEA | Cupcake Liners = Clever Dessert Packaging

Want a REALLY cute idea for wrapping up treats for celebrations, picnics, or food gifts?

I'm just loving how easy it is to take a cupcake liner (or cupcake wrapper - whatever you want to call it) and add a little bit of creative fun to any dessert presentation.

The liners provide an easy way to add a quick splash of color AND they make it convenient to "grab and go" - so they are perfect for dessert tables, bake sales and

STYLING | Cupcake Delights Cupcake Challenge Table

If you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I spent some time over the last couple of weeks knee-deep in preparations for a table I was styling for my favorite Cupcakery around: Cupcake Delights!

Judy, from Cupcake Delights participated in the annual cupcake competition charity event sponsored by Dress for Success of Greater Orlando.

I was lucky enough to be have been asked by Judy to help make her cupcake table presentation pretty.
Despite the not-so-great lighting/photo conditions...
I managed to salvage a few of the photos with intense editing and I wanted to share the turn out with you...(as long as you pinky promise not to grade me on photo quality and look past some of the graininess on some of these images)! *wink*

It was a really cool experience having Jillycakes, (featured twice on The Food Network's Cupcake Wars and Season 6 Winner), on our right and a delightful group of ladies from Serendipity Sweets on on our left.

Overall it was a fun experience and although we didn't win BEST OVERALL and BEST FLAVOR like last year, we still had a great time participating in this event for a good cause!

And, of course,  I think the table design turned out pretty fab too! *wink*

The colors of the table matched the pink and green in the Cupcake Delights logo and I added splashes of gold to compliment the gold sugar sprinkled on the "Feeling Tipsy Caketini" cupcake Judy submitted for the judging part of the cupcake challenge. It was the perfect cupcake to submit since this year's theme for the charity event was "Cupcakes and Cocktails"!

Again, playing off of the theme of "Cupcakes and Cocktails" I used mini glass dessert cups throughout the table because they look like mini martini glasses. You'll see them on the front of the table holding some cupcakes, on the tops of the 2 stacks of cake pedestals, in the front row on The Pastry Pedestal Platforms and then I also used them to support The Pastry Pedestal Platforms by placing 4 underneath each platform so that I could add beading around the edges and have them dangle off! Pretty! Pretty!

I made the fabric banner you see hung on the front of the table and will be sharing the easy DIY next week! I also made the gold sparkle accent picks used on the "Feeling Tipsy Caketini" cupcakes which turned out to be exactly the right touch for these "Tres Leches" center-filled chocolate cupcakes topped with a Tres Leches frosting.

Thanks for the invitation to assist you with your table, Judy!
I loved helping out!!

TWO IMPORTANT THINGS as you are enjoying your weekend...
1. Don't forget to snatch up the brand-new Pastry Pedestal Platforms at the Pre-Sale price!
2. Enter to win the FABULOUS French Macarons book by Mindy Cone! (the winner gets a set of Pretty Party Skewers too!!) Oh yeah!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Since Ella (my 4 year old) was such a big helper with the table preparations leading up to the Cupcake Challenge...

Photo from my Instagram Feed of Ella helping add the Cake Pedestal Ribbon

I thought it would be fun to have J bring her to the event to see what it was all about as well as for her to see how the table came together.

You'd think that being in a large room filled with 10+ cupcake vendors Ella (& any kid for that matter) would've been excited to sample everyone's cupcakes! Right?

Well...as J and I walked Ella around to the different cupcake tables asking her which ones she'd like to try she kept saying she just wanted to go get Judy's cupcakes. We kept encouraging her to try other people's cupcakes, reassuring her she'd still get to have Judy's cupcakes too. She finally broke down in tears...passionately stating, "Please! don't want anyone else's cupcakes. I really only want Judy's cupcakes!"

I couldn't believe it!? I knew right then and there Ella is a die-hard Cupcake Delights fan...
and who could blame her! Once she's had the best - why would she want anything different? Ha! *wink*

STYLE IT | Pretty Picnic Packaging

Hello Pen N' Paperflowers Friends!!

I'm over at The TomKat Studio today sharing this adorable Pint-Sized Picnic Packaging idea!
I've also included one of my favorite recipes for a crowd-pleasing snack you'll want to take along with you on your next picnic! (or for your next BBQ, Potluck or even for your family movie night!!)

Find all of the details right HERE!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I'm addicted to these white pint-size containers! They are SO easy to personalize and make cute with very little effort and the options for what they can be used for are endless!

On a different note, I'm ecstatic over the release of The Pastry Pedestal Platforms - just in time for the holiday season!! They are flying like hotcakes and I'm thrilled to know so many people are excited and crazy about them like I am!!

ANNOUNCING | The Pastry Pedestal Platform - PRE-SALE Launch

It's time to celebrate a day I thought might never happen…

and yet here we are!!!

I'm am so thrilled to announce pre-sales for The Pastry Pedestal Platforms!!

The PP Platform is a clear, lucite stand for displaying The Pastry Pedestal in an upright manner. 

This versatile platform is a fun way to showcase your petite pastries on dessert tables, at parties and