My Weekend Project

This weekend I found this wood crate. I decided to paint it and use it as a tray on my dining table. Wood crates have so many purposes.



Things I Love

Anything with Birds!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter

Cool Cupcakes

An Amazing Craft  Room

Lace

A Beautiful Heel

Everything Wedding

Ruffles

Vintage

Yellow & Gray Combination



Hummingbird Cupcakes

These cupcakes will make a great addition to any Luau or your next party.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
Makes 24
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 large pineapples, peeled (for the flowers)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350º. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, vanilla and sugar and beat until blended and smooth. On low speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix in the mashed banana, then the dry ingredients. Beat just until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the pineapple, walnuts (if using) and coconut.
Fill each prepared liner about 3/4 full of batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until combined and smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the sugar until completely incorporated. Increase the speed and continue beating until the frosting is smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Note: Annie recommends increasing the frosting by 50% if you like higher frosted cupcakes. I have always liked cake more than frosting and actually prefer mine frosted lower. However, if you love frosting, your best bet is to make a little extra.

To make the pineapple flowers, preheat oven to 225º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Using a melon baller or measuring spoon, remove the “eyes” from the pineapple. Slice as thinly as possible (we used an electric knife) and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 30 minutes, then flip and continue baking until the pineapple is completely dried, anywhere from 30 minutes up to an hour more. Place in cupcake pans to cool to form the flower shape. If you want to speed up the process, you can increase the heat to 300º, which will result in a deeper color. If you do this, make sure to frequently check the pineapple so that it doesn’t burn. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

As seen on Annie’s Eats, cake from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, frosting adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Current Flag Bunting Project & A Favor Tray Find

Here is the current flag bunting project I am working on for a vintage shower.

I also, found this great find. A box in the most beautiful colors. I am going to use it as a serving tray for favors. Macarons inside stamped small brown bags.





Shop Sweet Lulu

Do you have a party coming up? Are you looking for something SWEET for your party. I want to share one of my favorite websites. It is http://shopsweetlulu.com/, here you will find everything from Berry Baskets to cake stands. Check out some of the things this SWEET website offers.
 

1950's and 60's Wedding Songs

If you are and your betrothed are fans of the golden oldies, and want the dancing portion of your reception to reflect that, here are some songs for you. The “Favorites” are also included in a previous post, which has the top songs from 1950′s to today, guaranteed to get people on the dance floor. The “+ More” section includes songs that aren’t on that list, but are great tunes from the 50′s and 60′s that people will be sure to enjoy. I’ve also included songs for slow dancing, which are always good to play intermittently throughout the evening. A lot of these songs are also great for dinner music, and even for the ceremony, if you are going the non-classical route.

Favorites

Twist And Shout – The Beatles

Do You Love Me – The Contours

The Twist – Chubby Checker

I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown

Shout – The Isley Brothers

Respect – Aretha Franklin

ABC – Jackson 5

All Shook Up – Elvis Presley

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – Rolling Stones

California Girls – The Beach Boys

Dancing In The Street – Martha & The Vandellas

Louie Louie – The Kingsmen

Wild Thing – The Troggs

Gimme Some Lovin’ The Spencer Davis Group

Great Balls Of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis

Dance To The Music – Sly & The Family Stone

Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley

I Want You Back – The Jackson Five

+ More!

All You Need Is Love – The Beatles

Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations

Kokomo – The Beach Boys

Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haley & His Comets

I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) – The Four Tops

When I’m Sixty-Four – The Beatles

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond

Runaround Sue – Dion

Do Wah Diddy Diddy – Herman’s Hermits

Cecilia – Simon & Garfunkel

God Only Knows – The Beach Boys

Eight Days A Week – The Beatles

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – The Temptations

Duke Of Earl – Gene Chandler

Let’s Twist Again – Chubby Checker

I’m A Believer – The Monkees

I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles

Peppermint Twist – Joey Dee & The Starliters

Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison

My Girl – The Temptations

Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys

Oh, Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison

In My Life – The Beatles

I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Frank Sinatra

It’s My Party – Lesley Gore

Sugar, Sugar – The Archies

Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

L-O-V-E – Nat King Cole

Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles

At The Hop – Danny & The Juniors

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – Marvin Gaye

Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding

Tutti Frutti – Little Richard

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Frankie Valli

Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin

Surfin’ U.S.A. – The Beach Boys

I Want To Hold Your Hand – The Beatles

Lollipop – The Chordettes

Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett

For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder

Hey Jude – The Beatles

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ – The Righteous Brothers

Rockin’ Robin – Bobby Day

Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley

Barbara Ann – The Beach Boys

La Bamba – Ritchie Valens

Love Me Do – The Beatles

Happy Together – The Turtles

I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher

Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Hang On Sloopy – The McCoys

Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry

With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles

You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You – Dean Martin

Let The Good Times Roll – Shirley & Lee

You Can’t Hurry Love – Diana Ross

Fun, Fun, Fun – The Beach Boys

Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Baby I Need Your Loving – The Four Tops

Son Of A Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield

Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles

Chantilly Lace – The Big Bopper

Chapel Of Love – The Dixie Cups

Honky Tonk Women – The Rolling Stones

Under The Boardwalk – The Drifters

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – The Beatles

I Heard It Through The Grape Vine – Marvin Gaye

Stay – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones

Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf

Twistin’ The Night Away – Sam Cooke

The Way You Do The Things You Do – The Temptations

Baby Love – Diana Ross & The Supremes

Yakety Yak – The Coasters

My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder

Strangers In The Night – Frank Sinatra

I Want You Back – Jackson 5

Jumpin’ Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones

Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag – James Brown

A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles

Save The Last Dance For Me – The Drifters

Sugar, Sugar – The Archies

Stop! In The Name Of Love – The Supremes

You Really Got Me – The Kinks

Let’s Fall In Love – Frank Sinatra

Slow Dance Songs

At Last – Etta James

The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra

Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley

Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers

When A Man Loves A Woman – Percy Sledge

Stand By Me – Ben E. King

Crazy – Patsy Cline

Something – The Beatles

Georgia On My Mind – Ray Charles

These Arms Of Mine – Otis Redding

What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Everybody Loves Somebody – Dean Martin

If you’d like to give these songs a listen, go check out the “Listen” page – the playlist is called Oldies

Article By: Colleen at http://www.soundtracktoido.com/

Owen's Jungle Themed Baby Shower

 The Food

My First Monkey Cake

The Decor

 The Games & Gifts

                                                                 The Mommy To Be..

                                                                             Big Brother

How Do Little Children View Love?

I loved this!! Children are so sweet and innocent.



When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love. 

Rebecca- age 8
————————————————————————
 “When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
Billy – age 4
————————————————————————
“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”
Karl – age 5
————————————————————————
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”
Chrissy – age 6

 
 “Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”
Terri – age 4
————————————————————————
“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.”
Danny – age 7
————————————————————————
 “Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss”
Emily – age 8
————————————————————————
“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”
Bobby – age 7 (Wow!)
————————————————————————
 “If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,”
Nikka – age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)
———————————————————————–
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”
Noelle – age 7

 “During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.”
Cindy – age 8
————————————————————————
 “My mommy loves me more than anybody . You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.”
Clare – age 6
————————————————————————
 “Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”
Elaine-age 5
————————————————————————
 “Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.”
Chris – age 7
————————————————————————
 “Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.”
Mary Ann – age 4
————————————————————————
 “I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.”
Lauren – age 4
————————————————————————
 “When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.” (what an image)
Karen – age 7
————————————————————————
 “Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross.”
Mark – age 6
————————————————————————
“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”
Jessica – age 8

Found on things about love.

Quote on "Love" by C.S.Lewis

"Love as distant from "being in love" is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be "in love" with someone else. "Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marraige is run: being in love was the explosion that started it."

Pretty Party Desserts

Recipe Rundown
Taste: Sweet, tangy, chocolatey.
Texture: The contrasting textures are the very best part of this recipe. The graham cracker crust is buttery yet crunchy, the cheesecake is lusciously rich and the chocolate coating is smooth with a snap.
Appearance: The chocolate is perfectly smooth and when you bite inside you see the layers of cheesecake and crust. 
Ease: Even with the extra step of dipping in chocolate, this recipe is still easier than a regular, full-size cheesecake (no needing to worry about cracks). 
Pros: Such a wonderful array of flavors and textures, plus anything bite-sized is adorable.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Oh, I most definitely will. Even though my boyfriend told me to never make these again, but that was only because they're so addicting.   

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites
Loosely Adapted from Taste of Home
Makes about 36 squares
For the crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from 1 sleeve or 9 crackers)
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For chocolate coating:

• 15 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (about two heaping cups of chocolate chips)
• 4 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

 To make crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 square baking dish with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until light golden and fragrant. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F.

To make filling:
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add in sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and beat until just combined. Pour mixture over crust and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cheesecake is slightly puffed and center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled, at least two hours. Freeze 8 hours or overnight.

To coat:
Once frozen, lift cheesecake out of pan and gently peel away foil. Using a sharp knife, cut cheesecake into bite-size squares. If squares become too soft, freeze until chilled again.

Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted and smooth. Place parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet. Dip cheesecake squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate mixture. Let excess drip off and place on prepared sheet. Repeat for all the squares then refrigerate or freeze until chocolate is set. Store squares in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Recipe : Please refer to Adriano Zumbo's Recipe on Masterchef Website for instructions.

225g     Almond meal
225g     Icing sugar
50g       Cocoa Powder
82.5g    Egg White

225g     Castor sugar
55.5g    Water
82.5g    Old egg white
1.5g      Powdered egg white


Chocolate Ganache Filling :
240g     Dark chocolate
250g     35% Fresh cream

1. Heat cream in a saucepan until it boils.
2. Remove from heat and boil the boiling cream into a bowl that holds the chocolate.
3. Let it infuse for 3 mins. Stir the chocolate gently until it is totally melted.
4. Cool down to pipe-able consistency.

DIY Lemonaide stand

Lemonaide stand found on Amy Moss.com