My Ella Pie turned eight years old on November 14th and this is what's left of the cake she requested.
And although right now we are all busy focusing on our Thanksgiving pies for tomorrow, (myself included), sharing this chocolate cake recipe with you RIGHT NOW just could not wait any longer. It's really THAT good. Besides that, I promised everyone on Facebook and Instagram that I'd post the recipe this week...so there! *wink*

If you've been following along my blog for awhile, you know it's a family tradition to allow the person celebrating a birthday to choose their birthday dinner and birthday dessert - usually homemade by mom. Clara typically chooses cheesecake, Ema has chosen a fresh fruit cake for the last five years and Ella has been known to pick ice cream cakes - not homemade.

As you can see...no one ever really chooses a traditional cake - myself included.
So I was really surprised this year when Ella said you wanted a "chocolate cake with blue frosting and a dolphin on top".

The only photo I love of the cake is the mangled cake in the first photo because it was taken 5 days post-party as I was eating the last remaining MOIST bits of it alone in the house one afternoon with gorgeous natural light pouring in from the kitchen window. All of these other cake photos were taken at night because as those of you who saw my Instagram stories know...I finished the cake just barely shy of Ella walking in the door from gymnastics at 6:30 on the night of her birthday.*phew*

Regardless of the funky lighting...I just LOVE how it turned out.
I used Sweetapolita sprinkles , (a mix of New Jersey Shore + A Cherry on Top),  for me to add some fun to the sides and top of the cake. I then used my Cricut Explore Air 2 to create the glittered dolphin and waves cake topper! (also shown on my Instastories)

I'm not a huge fan of cake...even though I love cupcakes.
I've only baked a few "cake" cakes in my life so I'm certainly no expert but I am familiar with lining the pans, greasing the pans, dusting the pans and frosting a layer cake.

As my wheels started turning to figure out which chocolate cake recipe to go with, I remembered my friend, Allison, had recently made a chocolate cake for her daughter's birthday and raved about the recipe she used from someone at church.

I went with it and BAM! It's a winner!!
It's moist for DAYS...and it's oh so chocolatey!!
Which is why I'm sure it's original name is "Too Much Chocolate Cake".
The original recipe called for this to be a bundt cake but I turned it into a 3 layer 6" inch cake with buttercream frosting. I swapped out the regular chocolate chips for miniatures and I've renamed it "The Best Chocolate Birthday Cake EVER"!

I've even created cute recipe cards for you to download and print if you'd like because I love it that much!

DOWNLOAD THE RECIPE CARDS NOW

Do you love it?
Ella loved it...

Told you she'd just got home from gymnastics practice!
She's still in her leotard.

Anyway...the Sweetapolita sprinkles really make it extra adorable.
AND...if you aren't a cake baker or decorator...the sprinkles let you skip all those fancy piping details. BONUS!!

This cake is SO easy...especially if you do the bundt-cake version.
You could totally make this to surprise your family at Thanksgiving.

Hope you'll try it you guys!
You will NOT be disappointed.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!!
I am so grateful for your love and support and the stories you guys share with me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so genuine and real.
The world could use more YOU in it!!

xoxo,
Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I should clarify that Ella loved the way her birthday cake LOOKED on the night of her birthday because she never even ate any of her birthday cake that night. *gasp* She'd had a fever for three days previously and was okay...but not 100% percent and just didn't want any cake. I was SO disappointed my little birthday girl wasn't even eating her own requested special chocolate cake with blue frosting and dolphins on top birthday cake.

P.S. I still have her American Girl Doll themed birthday party details to share with you too.
But let's kick back and enjoy the Thanksgiving holidays for right now my friends.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a little girl named Ella who's home with me today...waiting to do something fun together. *wink*

STYLING | Kisses + Confetti Baby Gender Reveal Party :: Hershey's

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I've been working behind the scenes on some exciting projects for a fabulous company...Hershey's!!  This brand has been a long-time favorite of mine...as I'm sure it has been for most of you as well!!

I'm not sure what your Hershey's favorites are but my love of peanut butter and chocolate developed early on as a kid thanks to my first two-pack of original Reese's cups. They are still a favorite of mine to this day. 

I've since developed an addiction for those delicious Hershey's Nuggets - specifically the toffee and almond combination. Oh my YUM!! I use them as part of my entertaining or celebrations whenever I can. Remember the custom watercolor wrapped nuggets I created for Clara's graduation party a couple of years ago?

With all of that said, you might say when Hershey's approached me about coming up with a few creative party ideas to help promote their newly released line of color foiled chocolates, I was ecstatic. I was obviously excited about working with one of my favorite candy companies, but even more excited about all of the color foil options now available to make party planning and dessert table styling even more fun!!

Today, I'm  happy to be sharing the first of three party ideas...

Kisses and Confetti Baby Gender Reveal

Baby Gender Reveal Parties have become really popular over the last few years with more and more expectant parents choosing to find out the sex of their baby in front of an intimate gathering of friends and family. (or expectant parents that already know the sex of the baby who then choose to turn the big announcement into an interactive, suspense-filled celebration for close family members and friends, again, using a creative reveal).

The "Kisses and Confetti" theme I chose for this gender reveal made the desserts, styling and reveal ideas extra fun since I was able to integrate Hershey's Chocolate Kisses and confetti thoughout all of the party details.

I decided on a Pink + Mint Green color scheme versus the traditional pink and blue, and incorporated some touches of gold.

I whipped up a simple invitation to highlight the confetti and balloon reveal idea of the party. (I'll talk more about the balloon in a bit).

I chose to do a simple dessert table/voting station combination.  The extent of the desserts were chocolate kisses, of course, as well as yellow cake cupcakes with a classic buttercream frosting. I topped the cupcakes with pink and green sprinkles and finished them off with a single wrapped Hershey's kiss, in pink or light green foil. I think they're adorable and tie beautifully into the theme!

For the dessert table, I filled the front drawers of a dresser with pink, gold and green foiled Hershey's kisses!

I created a centerpiece on the table using a beautiful cake plate and some KISSES + CONFETTI POPPERS!

These actually have three potential purposes.
1. A darling centerpiece on the table....as shown.
2. Favors for guests to take home.
3. A fun interactive "reveal" - guests pop them open simultaneously to reveal candy and confetti that corresponds to the sex of the baby.

See the full DIY Kisses + Confetti Poppers to see how easy they are to put together!!

As part of the simple dessert table, I included a "voting station" for each guest to cast his/her vote as to what they believe the sex of the baby to be. (just pick a mint green or pink hershey kiss and drop it into the corresponding glass carafe at the back edge of the table).   I created a quick DIY label holder using an individual Hershey's kiss. I just attached my label to a wooden skewer using a glue dot and stuck it right into the chocolate kiss. It worked beautifully and it's really cute...and simple.

I decided it would be fun to fill a giant black balloon with confetti and kisses to be used as part of the party decor, but also, to pop in front of guests to reveal the sex of the baby.

See the DIY for the Kisses + Confetti Balloon right here and to see a video of the balloon popping!

Such a cute idea, right? I just love it!!  I especially love that this theme can be used for a variety of celebrations - not just a baby gender reveal. Think bridal showers, Sweet Sixteen, graduations, birthday parties, baby showers and more.

Grab these FREE Kisses and Confetti Tags + Labels to use at YOUR "Kisses + Confetti" themed baby gender reveal!!

All of the cute party decor you see in this post came from Paper Crush!

My friend, Holly, owner of Paper Crush, has an online party store and just recently opened a brick + mortar as well! I'm so excited for her and hope you'll show her some love and support by using her pretty party products for your next celebration!

LINKS TO SOURCES
FREE Kisses + Confetti Tags + Labels - Pen + Paper Flowers
Kisses + Confetti Invitation - Pen + Paper Flowers
Blush Pink Paper Fans - Paper Crush
Gold Paper Fans - Paper Crush
Mint Paper Fans - Paper Crush
36" Black Balloon - Paper Crush mine was empty and I filled it with confetti + kisses *wink*
Balloon Tissue Tassels - Coral, Mint, Ivory + Gold - Paper Crush
Rectangle Confetti - Blush, Mint + Ivory- Paper Crush
Large Ivory Ruffle Cake Stand - Paper Crush - couldn't find the direct link to this one
2 Small Ivory Ruffle Cupcake Stands - Paper Crush
Light Green Foil Hershey's  Kisses - Hershey's
Pink Foil Hershey's Kisses - Hershey's
Gold Foiled Hershey's Kisses - Hershey's
Cupcakes - Cupcake Delights
Plastic Push Pops with Lids - Hobby Lobby
Gold Polka Dot Tissue Paper - Hobby Lobby - couldn't find it online to provide you with a link. *boo*

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THIS IS A SPONSORED POST BY HERSHEY'S.

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
I wasn't kidding when I said the original Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were what kicked off my addiction for peanut butter and chocolate. You would've never known that in 9th grade, at 14 years old and barely 97lbs, my daily school lunches consisted of a pack of Reese's Cups, a bag of Cheetos and a carton of chocolate milk. *blushing*

SHOPPE | Pink + Gold Baby Love Collection

I really love when I'm able to work incorporate a new design concept into two totally different party themes and that's exactly what happened when I created this new Baby Love Collection.

I was in the middle of graduation party preparations when...

PARTY STYLING | Orange Sherbet + Pink + Gold Graduation Party

My oldest daughter graduated from High School this year…and so did three of my sweet cousins - two of which are sisters. My two aunts and I decided to host a combined graduation party for all of them and I naturally volunteered to do the invitation, decor and desserts. With my two aunts focused on the food, paper goods, and drinks I was able to dive right into all of the sweet details I wanted this party to have.

We decided on a lakeside celebration at my aunt's second home here in Florida. We knew the girls would enjoy an afternoon of barbecue and boating vs. hosting a stuffy, fancy party but at the same time…I had it stuck in my head that I would not allow this to be just ANOTHER barbecue. This had to have a few simple elements to make it memorable and special…after all...these girls had just accomplished the first of the THREE major milestones in one's life: (graduation, marriage, motherhood).

We sent out the invitations and I began the task of...

FREE | Monthly Printables Blog Hop :: Happy Birthday

There's been a whole lot of happy going on around here lately!!
Just in case you haven't noticed...there have been a lot of back-to-back celebrations including
Ema's Birthday, Clara's Senior Prom, Ella's Pre-K Graduation, Clara's Birthday and Clara's High School graduation. (not to mention all of the celebrating over the delicious peaches from our peach tree).*wink*

I'm now in the midst of planning…

SHARE | Ella's Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Party :: Recipes

Have you been anxiously awaiting the recipes I've been promising you from the Rainbow Unicorn Party?  The first one I want to share is for these...

Chocolate Sprinkles Cookies

I was inspired to make these after seeing THIS POST from Rosie at Sweetapolita.
These are SUPER chocolaty but oh so delicious! They weren't hard to make at all but you'll need to double the recipe if you are looking to feed a crowd. (and yet for me, the batter got a bit dry pretty quickly, so if you make a big batch you'll need to keep the dough covered while you've got your first batch in the oven).

I opted to use the pastel colored round sprinkles - to keep with the party theme a little better. (Not that the other ones wouldn't work just fine). BUT…I did have to pick out every purple sprinkle so they matched the party color palette perfectly. Ha!! GET THE RECIPE HERE.

Next up…the recipe for this...

Rainbow Sprinkles Popcorn

This is actually considered "Cake Batter Popcorn". It looked adorable sprinkled with the same candy sprinkles used on the Chocolate Cookies. It's SUPER sweet and it keeps the popcorn soft…not crunchy. (I personally prefer crunch). But the kids loved it and it looked cute on the dessert table. I'm honestly not a huge fan of boxed cake mix, which is what the recipe calls for, but it sure makes things simple.

The recipe came from my Popcorn Flavor Round-Up Post - 9th flavor down in the post. 
Really easy to make and since you can change out the colors of the sprinkles this treat works for ANY celebration you are having. I just filled up some white party cups and popped the clear lucite table labels (coming to the shop soon) in front and called it done!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Had you noticed there was no purple in the party scheme until I mentioned having picked out the purple sprinkles from the bottle I used for the cookies? (and popcorn too).

I'm not a big fan of purple in the first place. (cringing when I say that because I have so many friends/fans that love it and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings - *wink*). I'm trying to warm up to it again. My room was painted lavender when I was in middle school so I'm not sure what happened between now and then? I think you either love pink or purple. And I just happen to prefer pink.

Anyway…not only did I have to sort through the sprinkles, I also sifted through the shimmer sixlets and candy pearls from Sweetworks too - removing all of the lavender pastel pieces. I created my own custom mix of colors I call the "Ella Collection" - Ha! The tedious behind-the-scenes tasks that no one ever really knows about…until now.

SUGAR | Rainbow Sprinkle Surprise Pops

I'm excited to announce I'm one of the newest members of the The TomKat Studio Design Team!!
I couldn't be more thrilled to be able to share fun, creative ideas using the darling party supplies in the TKS Shop.

I'm sharing my first official post today, Rainbow Sprinkle Surprise Pops, over on The TomKat Studio Blog.  

Join me there to find out what the surprise is hidden inside each of these adorable frozen treats and what you'll need to recreate these simple desserts!

I really love how the Rainbow Dot wood spoons I shared earlier really finish these off!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I'm happy about joining the TKS Team.
Not only have I been working with Kim in different capacities over the years from designing custom silhouettes,  hosting Pinterest Parties and contributing to her Holiday Gift Guide...

I've also been using the cute party products and craft supplies from Kim's shop for some time and I love sharing what I create with them. This new collaboration was a no-brainer for me. Ha!!

Here's a quick round-up of just a few of the other TKS Party Supplies and ideas I've shared here:
Cupcake Sprinkles
Hot Cocoa Bar Preparations
Styled Hot Cocoa Bar
Sweet Treats
Valentine's Day Inspiration
Mini Banana Pudding Dessert Shooters
Simple Shirley Temples
Game Day Banner
Cookie Exchange/Bake Sale

SNAPSHOTS | Summer Ice Cream Cones

Making time for Ice Cream is top priority during the Summer...

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

After Ella's playdate with her Build-A-Bears the other day...

my three girls and I headed out for some cones...

1. Ella with her upside-down chocolate ice cream cone in-a-cup (with sprinkles) - the only way for her to enjoy an ice cream cone without ending up wearing an "ice cream shirt"

2. Ema and Ella - a sweet "sister picture"

3. Clara with her usual chocolate swirl waffle cone - giving me the look of an irritated teenager that says "hurry and take the picture before it melts, MOM!"

4. Ella chowing down

5. Pretty Ice Cream Sprinkles

6. Clara can't keep up with the heat - it's dripping faster than she can lick

7. Ella finishing up.

8. Ema and Ella - all done with their frozen treats and ready to get out of the heat!

9. Ema's standard vanilla/chocolate swirl on a standard cone. (we thought it looked cool licked all the way down like that)!

Make some time this weekend to grab a frozen treat...

in any of these forms you love best...

Frozen Custard

Gelato 

Ice cream

Frozen Yogurt (fro yo)

Slurpie

Sorbet

Milkshake

Popsicles

Italian Ice

You get the idea...

Photograph your favorite, a new flavor you've tried or your even the "usual"picks of your loved ones.

KEEPiNG iT REAL

It's been soooo hot...

the girls were zapped of energy by the time their cones were finished!!

And for those of you who were wondering...

I did NOT partake of the ice cream...

on THIS particular day anyway! *wink*

GiVE | Sprinkles on my Sundae - Chalk Art Gift Idea

I've got a whammy of a post for you today!
Do you by chance remember the adorable "Sprinkles to my Cupcake" Chalkboard Valentine's Day Cards I created back in February for +Skip to my Lou? (Go Here to take a peek)

I received such wonderful feedback I decided to whip up another version...
specifically for Teacher Appreciation or Mother's Day!

"You are the Sprinkles on my SUNDAE" Gift Idea

There are several ways to present this gift to your child's favorite teacher or your sweet mom...

I'm going to start with the basics and then move up a couple of notches.

You pick the option that works for you and go with it!!

SHARE | FREE Valentine's Day Cards • Chalkboard Style

If you missed the buzz about these yesterday on my Facebook Fan Page or on my Instagram feed...

You've still got time to print and use these FREE printables I designed before the big day tomorrow...

"You are the Sprinkles to my Cupcake" Valentine's Day Cards

I think they turned out adorable and I hope you do too!
Download these adorable Valentine's Day cards HERE!

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UPDATED MAY 7TH 2013 TO INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS FROM MY ORIGINAL POST ON SKIP TO MY LOU 

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Here's the VISUAL How-To

Here’s the VERBAL How-To:


1. Print Cards onto white card stock.

2. Trim to size using scissors or a paper trimmer.

3. Fold in half.

4. Use a 1.5″ Round Craft Punch to create a circle through the middle of the 
folded card.

5. Unfold card and have your child (or yourself) fill it out with a fine-tip sharpie or pen.

6. Fill a mini ziploc bag a little more than 1/2 full with sprinkles of your choice.

7. Refold card and slide the mini ziploc bag filled with sprinkles in between both sides of the card.

8. Staple the card closed – being sure the staple penetrates through the top of the mini ziploc bag.

Check out all of the other creative ideas submitted by so many other talented designers over on Skip to My Lou!
If you've already got your Valentine's Day Cards finished...
you can always "pin" all of the ideas you love for next year! *wink*

A super huge thanks to Cindy over at Skip to My Lou for inviting me to participate!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Ella started her first day of preschool yesterday.
I'm totally using these for the classroom Valentine's Party tomorrow.
I'm a little hesitant since it'll only be her 3rd day there and I'm not sure I'm ready to be labeled as "THAT mom" - if you know what I mean?

But I did get to send one home with her sweet little friend, Elise, after their "Friendship Party" we had at our house yesterday. All of the sweet details coming soon.

SUGAR | Cupcake Sprinkles from The TomKat Studio

Looking for those vintage pink cupcake sprinkles from my post the other day?
They are now officially available in The TomKat Studio Party Shop.

My sweet little cupcakes and The Pastry Pedestal™ were featured on The TomKat Studio's blog on Monday...
along with the announcement of some new pretty sprinkles in three different colors...

Vintage Pink Sprinkles

Mint Green Sprinkles

Yellow Sprinkles

Adorable, right?
Are you loving those hard-to-find sprinkle colors?

Sending a huge thanks to Kim for the feature - I'm thrilled you love how the cupcakes turned out!

Watch for some pretty Valentine's Day treats...coming up!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I seriously think I'm developing an addiction to Kim's shop.
Just when I think I've seen everything she has to offer...
BAM!
She has to go and add NEW cute stuff!
Like, ALL of the time... *wink*