Tips & Tricks Tuesday! - Cake Pops!

Thanks for all your support during my cake pop challenges lol... I am so glad to know I am not alone! So today I figured I would share what I have learned through trial and error and some helpful followers along the way....

...So here goes...

1. Don't give up!
2. Be careful... not always a whole can of icing! this was my problem this time, yellow cake is more moist then chocolate - too much icing, they won't stay on the stick as well.
3. Dip the sticks in a little chocolate and stick in the pop and let set before dipping the whole pop
4. Freeze the mix for a few min before cutting with cutter to form
5. Freeze for a few min before putting sticks (with chocolate tips)
6. Freeze for a few min after dipping in chocolate
7. After dipping in chocolate, tap slightly to help chocolate fall, but not too aggressive or you'll break the seal of the stick to the pop! You can spin a bit and let it drip.
8. Add some canola oil to the melted chocolate (people have said shortening too)
9. Make sure you pre-plan the freezer! you need flat and you need room - no bumping!

p.s. a few people asked about the piping - I used the tiniest piping tip I had on the icing you can buy right in the plastic tubes and then just piped very tiny and very slowly and my hand was WAY shaking hard!!! 


...what tips do you have!? or horror stories ;o)


inspired by: source

Miscellaneous Monday!

I have to say that the hurricane sure left behind some beautiful weather! Here are a few miscellaneous items from my stash! enjoy...

Donuts are SO in this year (or in any year in my book!) Here is a donut box template! Wrap up for a favor or the perfect gift. Source and tutorial










Stacked spools of ribbon make a colorful and playful plate stand! Source

 Add a little touch of whimsy with party coordinating stickers to your fresh fruit!  Source

Round 2 - Kim beat Cake Pops! woot!

Been weathering the hurricane - hope everyone is ok! ...and I gave those dang cake pops a round 2 go... and I won! Woot! Thanks for all your comments! hugs!


...here's my bad phone pic ;o)

inspired by: source

Hurricane! ...and a drink ;o)

We get hurricane warnings all the time, but it's Delaware! nothing happens here! ...but then we had an earthquake this week! So now we are really taking this hurricane thing serious! We are preparing for possible loss of power and things of that nature.  All of this after two hard days of my real job :o(   so in celebration of my hard week... here is a great drink idea!  hope everyone stays safe! hugs!

Ice straws! I bet these would be great for shots! wink ;o)   Ice straw trays here

grrrr.... cake pops

3 words for you: cake pop disaster... who's with me!? I KNOW you have horror stories too!

I got home SUPER late from my "real" job and D had made me a cake in preparation of me whippin up some cake pops that look like bday cakes for work tomorrow... well, I didn't have time for them to freeze enough before dipping... and ugh... just horrible! trashed most and ate a few of the messy ones heehee... be back tomorrow! hugs!

Book Club party ideas/inspiration

Hope all of you guys stay safe as the hurricane is threatening to come to the States! We had an earthquake here yesterday! OMG! We NEVER have anything in DE, serious. We are borrrinnnggg. So it really shook (pun intended heehee) us up!

I love book club parties or just a book themed party! D and I read a lot and we are even taking a small bedroom downstairs and turning it into a library! WOOT! Also, here is some older, but still fresh!, Frosting for a book theme (here).

I love this idea! Blown up pages of a book on the wall! If you don't have access to a photocopier... why not make a collage of pages on a piece of cardboard! Source

Rolled up pages pinned to form a wreath would be a great themed welcome for your guests.  Source

Fanned pages placed under dinner plates can add that little touch of whimsy to your dinner! Use a photocopied page and a button to make a fantastic wrap around napkins. Source

Use pages to to trim out cake plates, line trays or a little strip around a cup, etc.  Source

A great dessert item are these little "books".  Source and tutorial

Miscellaneous Monday!

Usually I dump a few pics from my stash here that don't really fit in a category that well... but today I HAD to share this pic I just found from my 1st birthday... today, we all have these elaborate pics of themes and tablescapes and dessert tables and paper flags...

...but in 1977, my 1st birthday - a milestone for us party throwers today...look like this! p.s. AND my mom was crafty!

Love the 2 flowers from garden and homemade cake right on the cutting board... and generic chips still in the box! That's how we used to roll people!!! 

Post your old Bday pics and put your link in the comments below!

I wanna see!!!

Shopping Saturday - kinda continued!

...of course today the skies opened up and what a fury did it bring! It was like a monsoon here! I thought out trees were going to snap in half! So let's just say, I love to shop, but sometimes you got to know when to stay home! Looks like it was working against me to shop this weekend grrr....

Here are a few things I did find this week that may help you stash away from your next event from local (but national chain) stores.

I try not to post from some of the discount stores because it's kind of hit or miss across the country, but this carriage would be great to score for a Princess party or Baby shower.

Found: Ross
Section: Decorative
Price: $14.99

I bought this ;o)  Pancake warmer dish for Brunch...  I always have them on a plate with tinfoil, hopefully this will work better! (and looks better ;o)

Found: Target
Section: Kitchen
Price: $10.94 (clearance!)

I love looking at scrapbooking supplies to see what's new! These Bingo pieces are perfect for a Game night! Glue them to square toothpicks for toppers or cheese pics, put a glue dot on the back and adhere to glasses, get creative!

Found: Hobby Lobby
Section: Scrapbooking
Price: $9.99

Pre-finished wood pieces have some great items... These Space and Robot pieces can be glued on to bags for favors, add magnets or create scene on covered cardboard as your display!

Found: Hobby Lobby
Section: Wood
Price: $.67


...oh and my *#&$&  toaster oven died at the end of cooking dinner today grrr.... we love having one - great for cooking small items if you are just having a few friends over and don't want to put the whole oven on... our old one was kinda a cheapie... so my shopping Saturday was to buy a new good one :o(

Found: Amazon.com (here)
Section: Kitchen
Price: $140 (yeah, we splurged!)

Shopping Saturday... finish tomorrow!

I am not sure about you guys but OMG what was going on with the traffic today?! is it back-to-school mania?! We spent hours fighting traffic up North while shopping for work clothes and didn't get much of our normal stopping ground covered... so I'll be back with full inspiration tomorrow when I can hit up my craft shops! Here is one thing we did buy today!

...if you follow my personal stuff, you know we heart wine - we feel in love with this vintage inspired stand wine opener at Pottery Barn and splurged on it! ... cya tomorrow for party shopping Saturday stuff!

Unique food displays

First... thanks for all your well wishes! Being sick sucks! ...and I still needed to go to my "day" job because it's a very important week of stuff going on (ew!). At least the weather has been a few degrees cooler!

Wine riddling racks make the perfect cone holders! Source

Use nature elements, like plants, to create a very beautiful way to present things that may look like bar food if you stuff them all on a buffet plate! Serve items on beds of rice, dry beans - think coffee beans, m&ms, etc for sweet items! Source

A spool display would be adorable to display donuts, icecream cones, cannolis (fill your own shell station)... source

How fun is a cookie tree?!? I love how whimsical this display idea is - you could use for more themes than just woodland - just accessorize! Source

Feeling yucky :o(

Feeling yucky... hopefully be back tomorrow! ...party on!

Miscellaneous Monday!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We are recovering from all the painting fumes ;o) but our new library is coming together! woot!

Below are a few miscellaneous items from my inspiration stash... enjoy!

This yarn charger idea could work for just about any party, not just a craft one! just change the color! Hint - wait for some hideous color charger to go on clearance and then snag 'em up! Source and tutorial

This tutorial makes me actually believe I could get chocolate to look like this! This would not only be a beautiful (and yummy!) decoration, but it would be a beautiful gift, as well! Source and tutorial

Great tutorial on how to turn any plastic toy into a candle holder! Can you imagine - you could do a bigger toy and have multiple candles! Source and tutorial

Shopping Saturday!

The skies opened up and the rain came down today! We sure needed it but it definitely cut my shopping short! ...but today was my FIRST time EVER at a Hobby Lobby! WOOT! They finally opened one close enough - 1 hour away!


...here are the items I found at local stores (but national chains) to help you stash away for your future bash!

These might be tree toppers... but they would be perfect for a Princess/Prince or Cinderella party!

Found: Hobby Lobby
Section: Christmas
Price: $14.99

For your Woodland or Owl themed parties, pick up a few of their many themed products...

Found: Hobby Lobby
Section: Fall/Seasonal
Price: varies

I love finding ornaments that can be used in themes... who would have thought to find Pink Poodle/Parisian themed ones! Cut off tops and use as cupcake toppers or string them for a unique garland!

Found: Hobby Lobby
Section: Christmas
Price: $5.99

Same ideas for these Dinosaur ornaments... or use them to put inside homemade dinosaur eggs/dig (here)

Found: Hobby Lobby
Section: Christmas
Price: $3.99

Stash these mirrors away for a great art activity at your Spa, Alice in Wonderland, Princess and Snow White parties!

Found: Hobby Lobby
Section: Unfinished
Price: $2.99

These trucks would make great decorations or favors for just a buck at your Monster Truck party!

Found: Dollar Tree 
Section: Toys
Price: $1.00

Football party ideas/inspiration

I am not a football fan, but the buzz is everywhere about the season starting! as for me... I am watching HGTV thank you lol...

Here is some inspiration for a Football themed night... don't forget older, but still fresh!, Frosting for a football party here.

Super cute setup - Love the pompoms and the shirt cookies! Source

I love these mini "burgers" and "fries" desserts displayed to look like bleachers - very cute! Source

How fun is this?!? Football cakeball/truffle setup! Would take a lot to pull off but would be a stunning centerpiece! Source

Rice crispy footballs! Source and recipe