Jackie Fo

Elmo Treat Bags

2012-01-30T21:30:00.001-05:00

So along with Valentine's Day and the Superbowl my little niece Brooke is turning 2 this month! I'm helping plan her Elmo birthday party. There was really no other choice for her birthday theme...the girl loves her some Elmo! I can't believe this cutie pie is turning 2!

Her mama (my fab sister-in-law Drew) and I have already begun full planning mode, as per usual. We wanted to make some cute bags for the litle Elmo goodies all the kiddos will get, so I came up with this super simple idea. It involves 4 items: red paper bags, googly eyes, orange stiffened felt and hot glue. All things you can find at Michaels. Plus, you get to buy googly eyes...which is just fun in itself :) We taught Brooke to say "googly eyes" but it sounds more like "Goo Goo Dolls." Apparently she's a fan of them too.

Trace out Elmo's nose in the felt. Be sure to get the stiff felt, it's easier to cut. A McCormick spice top is the perfect size for Elmo's nose :)

Using a hot glue gun, glue on the googly eyes and nose and you're done! You've got Elmo's cute little face on the goody bags.

If you're interested in more Elmo cuteness, you can look at my Elmo Pinterest page. Or if you want to go back in time to check out Brooke's first birthday party, you can do that here.

I'll be featuring the full party in all its glory in a few weeks. Hooray for Elmo!

Creative Valentines Treat Ideas

2012-01-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

After the holidays it always feels a little blah...no more Christmas trees, no festive music and less merriment overall.

...until about January 2nd when the Valentines Day decorations go up, that is. I must say, with the Valentine's Day holiday upon us and the Super Bowl coming even sooner, I feel quite merry. Here are some adorable ideas for Valentines from my always trusty Better Homes and Garden Magazine.

Here's the link to print out the cards yourself!

If you're looking for a Valentine that's appropriate for adults, you might want to try this. I made these tags for an upcoming Tablespoon.com article I wrote about beer. I can think of plenty of men (and women) who would be touched by this sentiment!

More fun stuff coming up on the blog this week, so check back soon!

Meatball Sliders

2012-01-25T22:04:00.002-05:00

Thanks to everyone who gave such a positive response to my "everything in moderation" blog. I appreciate the comments and emails. My favorite feedback was from my mom who called and said "You're just so adorable!" As if me waxing on about my desire to balance wine and cheese with exercise is adorable.

Only my mom thinks that's adorable :) Love you mom!

On the topic of moderation, let's talk about meatballs. HA! But seriously, let's talk about a great idea for your Super Bowl party... these adorable meatball sliders from BHG.com. Everyone will love them, and you can make them in the crockpot, which is a "touchdown" in my book. Hee-hee.

If you want to make them healthier, you can always make them turkey meatballs. But as we all know, turkey really doesn't hold a candle to it's beefier brother, ground beef. Mmmm. Live a little, it's the Super Bowl!

Make these mini treats even cuter with with free football printables from Living Locurto!

Or check out your Party City for these adorable football picks:

Off to bed to dream of sugarplums and meatballs :)

Getting personal on the blog today...

2012-01-23T20:56:00.001-05:00

It's not often that I get super personal on this blog...besides sharing pictures of my precious niece, or highlights from our weekend trips, it's usually parties, food and prettiness. But since I've been working on a big overhaul of myself, I wanted to keep you all in the loop. Plus give myself some accountability...which is slightly scary! Going into this new year, I have plenty of goals. Honestly it's overwhelming to think about them all. But here's the one I'm focusing on the most.

Without going into explicit detail... Over the past few years, I've truly discovered my love for cooking, baking, cheese, wine and all things decadent. As one would expect, my body has well...how should we put it...responded accordingly.

Just FYI - I'm not the mom in Gilbert Grape who needed to be cut out of her house. But I'm not "happy" with my 5'2 frame right now, and I haven't been for awhile. Besides that, as much as I love bad-for- you, processed food, I heart farmers markets and the whole local food movement. Maybe it's turning 30 this year (shudder), but living a healthier, more balanced life is becoming very important to me. After all, I want to have the energy to conquer my crazy life and its sometimes crazy hours, and be the best wife, daughter, friend, event planner, fundraiser/marketing person I can be. It's hard to give your all if you're not at your healthiest, so that's what I'm going for.

To quote Joey from friends, I'm never going to be the person that's going to "eat half a power bar and save the rest for later." Let's be clear, I'm an eater. I could probably eat most people under the table. I freaking love food, in fact, you might call me a foodie (Side note: Mr. Fo despises that term...hence why I use it frequently). Carbs are my friend, pasta is my soulmate, cheese is in my blood. Basically I'm looking at a lifestyle change, with a variation of healthy foods, consistent exercise and my beloved not so healthy foods still fitting in my life, just maybe less. This is not an extreme diet where I'll lose 10 lbs in 2 weeks, it's a slow process, and I'm okay with it. I'm following this tried and true mantra:

So no judgement when you see my post after our Superbowl party where I plan to eat a lot of this...

and plan to make these...

Because I am not eating a freaking salad on Superbowl Sunday.That's not what this is all about. It's about enjoying life in moderation, and moderation includes plenty of beer and football food on the the super-est of all football days. Maybe I'll work out a little harder that week, but I'm not depriving myself because I know that won't get me anywhere

Am I still going to enjoy a piece of to-go wedding cake at 1 a.m. after I busted my arse all day making sure every detail was taken care of? No doubt. Am I going to have cheese plates and red wine with my girlfriends? If not, life would be pretty sad.

So, one step to this grand goal of healthy living? Consistent exercise. I've always been someone who goes to the gym for a few months and then get outs of the routine due to a trip, or some other life interruptus. Consistency with my workouts is not my forte, so I decided to set a goal to conquer this continuing pattern:

This a big deal because I'm not really a runner. I played soccer ages 5 through 18, but I always hated running, and frankly...I'm slow and have a funny looking run. Seriously, I hold my arms weird. But I needed a goal, and honestly, I needed some variation at the gym besides the elliptical machine. Plus, I think runners are cool. So even though I always thought I couldn't be a runner, maybe that's not true! Maybe I could be a runner? So I signed up for the race with some girls, bought myself the fancy new kicks and started training. It's interval walk/run training; it's not hard, but I've been enjoying it. I'm not just saying that, I really have been enjoying it. Will I be able to run 3.1 miles in March? I don't know. But I'm damn sure going to try.

So, to sum it up...is my goal to look like this?

Um that would be a big fat no. (Not only is it not my goal, it's not even possible. Gisele is like 7 feet tall.)

My goal is more about feeling better about myself, taking better care of myself and completing a goal that I NEVER thought I could do. And always making sure I can fit in the red wine, cheese and pasta when I can.

So, that's a little insight into my life right now. I hope you weren't creeped out or bored. Back to my regularly scheduled yummy food and party inspiration pics after this. I'll update you after my 5k! And if anyone has advice about running for a "beginner," I'd love to hear it. Hope everyone has a happy week!

Wedding Trends for 2012!

2012-01-18T21:43:00.001-05:00

Continuing on the 2012 party trends, let's talk about the Wedding Trends the pros are expecting to see this year! I picked up a few ideas from this Yahoo article, and I think the trends are awesome!

Wedding Dresses

You might have heard of this girl, Kate Middleton?

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Because of the fabulous Kate, sleeves are BACK! Personally, I loved her dress. I thought it was perfect for her and could work on other tall skinny beautiful people... like this model below :)

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Natural

I love the natural trend! It's perfect for people that don't want a super formal wedding. We saw some of this in 2011, in fact, one of my brides Katie did a great natural/rustic theme. See her wedding in the first two photos below:

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Here are some other natural tablescapes:

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Mix and Match Centerpieces

Using smaller, different sized vases with varieties of flowers is a such a cool look! I've seen it a lot, and even done if for some of my own events, but I'm glad it's sticking around!

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Food Trucks

Food trucks are SO huge right now..taco trucks, Asian food trucks, whatever you can cook on a truck, people are loving it! Imagine having a food truck pull up to your wedding for late night munchies...what a fabulous idea!

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Tangerine

For those of you that haven't heard, the color of 2012 is tangerine!

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A tangerine wedding would be gorgeous for spring or summer. Tangerine is such a fresh color, I love it!

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Let's see if the predicted trends come true in wedding world this year! Do you think there will be any new party trends or wedding trends? Do tell :)

Party Food Trends for 2012

2012-01-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

Now that we are well on our way through January, it's time to explore 2012 party food trends! I want to make sure my peeps are always in the know :) I found many articles online that predict food trends for 2012, here are a few:

ABC NEWS

Every Little Thing Blog

These are the most delectable looking trends! WARNING - If you're on a New Years Resolution diet, these trends at not for you! You've been warned :)

French Fries!

French Fry Bars take the classic junk food to the next level! Take a look at this awesome French Fry Bar blog post from all you need is love events! A French Fry Bar is the perfect late night snack!

Grilled Cheese!

Grilled Cheese is another hot trend for 2012! How about a Grilled Cheese Bar at your next house party? Maybe for the football playoffs or even the Superbowl? YUM.

These beautiful photos are from an event on Southern Spotting's website! And it's official...I'm drooling.

Infused Cocktails!

The final party trend I spotted has to do with booze...and what's a party without booze! Sick of the plain old beer and wine? The latest thing is Infused Liquor drinks...YUM!

Try this marshmallow infused vodka from Tablespoon.com for your next winter get together!

Use the leftovers for smores :)

Herb infused drinks from Serious Eats are not only delicious but gorgeous looking as well!

Here's the full slideshow!

Be on trend for your 2012 parties and serve any of these ideas to keep up with the Joneses!

Your guests with thank you, but your New Years Resolution may not!

Champagne, Blush and Gold Wedding Inspiration

2012-01-11T22:41:00.001-05:00

My beautiful cousin Theresa is getting married in 2013. You can see her below with her fiance Mike :)

Ter, as she is affectionately known, wants a "vintage romantic" look with champagne, light pink and gold for the colors. I'm helping her research ideas. Here is some vintage romance inspiration for Ter's big day!

For invites, you could do a simple champagne and cream card:

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Or choose a fancier invite like this light pink damask invite with a brooch!

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I think these gold chivari chairs are a must.

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I'm also loving this gold mercury glass. The soft light is perfect for the "romantic" theme.

These blush pink shoes with a little bling would be perfect with a dreamy dress.

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...like one of these...these dresses are not for everyone, but the ethereal look is perfect for the theme!

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I also love these beautiful bridesmaid dresses!

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These cakes are gorgeous!

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I love all these beautiful pink and cream flowers.

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This is my favorite tablescape I've seen lately. I wish I could live at this table :) Don't you?

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These inspiration boards are so beautiful and really capture the vintage romance theme.

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Congratulations to Ter, and I can't wait to help you bring all your ideas to life. Just as long as I get to party at your reception ... wink wink :)

Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Arugula Pizza

2012-01-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

So I'm pretty tired this Sunday eve (what else is new) but I wanted to whip up an easy yet delicious dinner. Mr. Fo requested pizza (his food of choice), so homemade pizza it was. Full disclaimer: By homemade, I mean pre-made dough and pizza sauce. Between you and me, I don't make a great pizza dough...every time I make it from scratch it turns out "eh." So I don't feel too guilty about using pre-made dough. But I must feel guilty enough to give the topic a few sentences. Moving on.

So, back to the pizza. I knew I wanted to use prosciutto, because I had it on the brain. (Totally normal to have prosciutto on the brain, isn't it?) I knew it paired well with arugula so I searched for the combo on the Internet. The recipes I found didn't have enough cheese, which was clearly a problem.

Here's what I came up with!

Roll out your pizza dough as thin as it gets on a baking sheet or pizza stone covered with olive oil and flour. Sprinkle the crust with flour and cornmeal to get the floury, crunchy crust you'd find in at a pizza joint. Yes, I just said pizza joint. Spread a light layer of pizza sauce on the crust. Don't over saturate with sauce, the thin pizza crust can't handle it!

Using fresh mozzarella, (I used a ball about 8oz. in size) break up the cheese into pieces and scatter evenly around the pizza. Don't skimp on the cheese. More cheese to come.

Put the pizza in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese looks like the below picture. Don't be afraid to cook your pizza for awhile, the longer you cook it, the crispier the crust will be.

Take your pizza out of the oven when it's reached the appropriate awesomeness and pile on the toppings in this order:

1) Proscuitto slices ( I used about 4 think slices, torn apart) -

Put these directly on the pizza so they get warm

2) Shredded Parmiggiano cheese...it will get melty and delicious

3) Arugula

4) Fresh ground pepper

5) Few drizzles of olive oil

And you'll have this deliciousness:

Now take a bite and say OMG!

This is a great pizza to serve for an easy weeknight dinner. Better yet, cut it into smaller pieces and use it as an appetizer for a party. It's so freaking good. Enjoy! Have a great week!

A Veggie Table

2012-01-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again...time to undo the damage that was done during the partying craziness that is known as the holiday season. If you're going to have to look at vegetables, it might as well look pretty, right?

Thank goodness for Martha Stewart then...I ripped these pages out of her November MS Living issue and said, I will save these fab ideas for a more vegetable friendly time. And that I did! Check out this beautiful, rustic table that uses winter vegetables as table decor.

I love the idea of using purple cabbage for the arrangements! It's so naturally pretty...who knew?

I love these crudite holders using simple glass cups and leaves.

This is kind of like mini pumpkin carving - here's a how to to make these natural looking turnip candles.

If you have to end with a sweet treat (no judgement here!), try making these chocolate shells using cabbage leaves for a pretty shape. How fantabulous are these?! These would impress even your snobbiest friends. If you choose to have snobby friends...which sounds terrible.

Looking for more ways to make your "get healthy" resolution fun? My latest tablespoon article has tips and recipes for hosting a "Skinny Party" that isn't skinny on the fun :)

Hope you're having a great week and sticking to your resolutions...at least for a few more days ;)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T07:53:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year and welcome to 2012! A new year is always daunting to me, but exciting as well. I just picked up my new 2012 planner from Paper Source...I LOVE it and can't wait to fill it up with meetings, events and fun things for the next year :) One thing on my agenda for the year? BLOG MORE! I have a million resolutions, just like everyone else ... but blogging on a more consistent basis is up at the top of my list.

We celebrated New Years with family and friends and a delicious chili dinner capped off with glittery champagne cupcakes. The table was super cost effective because I used dishes we already had, tinsel I'd saved from last year (dork!) and blow-y horn thingies. What's the proper term for those? Pretty sure it's not blow-y horn thingies.

I made stir sticks by gluing pieces of sparkly garland to bamboo skewers, I think they turned out super cute! Hope you enjoy the sparkle this morning!

A few notes: 1) Want to thank Chris from the awesome Celebrations at Home blog for her NYE downloads...I used the clocks for the place settings and the circle tags for the guys cigars.

2) First time using my new camera...between the aperture and the ISO, I really have a lot to learn! This lighting was a bit hard to shoot in, but I think the pics turned out okay for my first go around :)

Have a great week and come back to see a fun way to use vegetables at your next dinner party. I think we could all use more veggies right now!

Sparkles and Glitter: New Years Eve!

2011-12-29T09:01:00.002-05:00

While New Years Eve can definitely be overrated and crowded, it also has it perks. For example - for what other occasion can you wear an abundance of sparkles, glitter and sequins and no one blinks an eye?

Yup - on New Years Eve, all things sparkly and bubbly rule, and I think that's sparkle-tastic. Put on your blinders, because I'm going to show you some blinging blanging sparkles for your New Years celebration.

All images from the great Pinterest!

These drink stir sticks are made from tinsel garland...which as you know will be marked down to 75% off at the stores. Love these!

Loooove these napkin rings. Love. Amore.

This beautiful cocktail is called a French 75. I love the bubbles.

The sparkly Christian Louboutins are perfect if you have a lot of extra $$$ laying around. Seriously though, how gorge. I think I'll run out and buy me a pair (of sparkly knockoffs from Tarjay).

I LOVE this gold glitter! Have you ever seen such a glittery marshmallow?

I'm seriously considering getting some uber-glittery nail polish for the occasion. Why not, right?

I mean, this just looks like confetti in a bottle. Obsessed.

Glittery pillar and taper candles.

Rim your champagne glasses with sparkles!

Love these starry stir sticks.

Ice cream with sparklers makes a spectacular photo!

And finally, if you follow the below mantra, you are guaranteed to have a sparkly good time. Although I can't guarantee how you'll feel the next morning ;)

Hope your eve is filled with sparkles and cocktails and your 2012 is full of health and happiness.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

An awesome Christmas and looking forward to NYE 2011!

2011-12-26T21:10:00.000-05:00

Ho Ho Ho and hi to all! I am properly stuffed, spoiled and tuckered out - from Christmas, of course. Isn't it crazy how all the hustle and bustle is over in a day...

Besides the wonderful food and family time, my best Christmas gift HAD to be my brand new Nikon camera from my thoughtful hubby, Mr. Fo. Now I can take blog-worthy and article-worthy photos...as soon as I figure out how the heck to use the thing!

Here's an i-Phone pic of of my camera...isn't it ironic that I can't use my awesome new camera to take a pic of my awesome new camera?

Per my last post, I did a silver/white table for Christmas. No silver pinecones this year, alas, I didn't have the time to spray paint .... shame. But the table turned out great and I was able to take pics of it using my NEW camera! (Did I mention I got a new camera? I might be slightly excited about it. Also, don't judge the photography. I'm sure even Ansel Adams needed a little practice.)

Another great part of the day was hanging out with my niece Brooke. I've mentioned her only about couple thousand times on the blog...She is such a Panthers fan at almost 2 years old - check out her Cam Newton t-shirt! She was wearing an adorable dress, but she had MAJOR Cam fever and demanded to put on her new Christmas gift. Personally, I love how she is straight up chilling with her Elmo slippers and playing with a noisy new toy, Elmo Rocks. She didn't get any toys at all. (Sense the sarcasm peeps - it was like FAO Shwartz up in here!)

Now that the big day has come and gone, it's time to look forward to New Years Eve! As in recent years, we will be spending the night with family/friends, pretty low key but still fun! (Also known as: We are too old to really go out and party but will still booze it in a semi- responsible manner.)

If you are hosting New Years, don't forget about this awesome clock dessert I made last year from Martha:

Here are some other NYE inspiration pics ....

I know you think I've had too much eggnog and I must be talking crazy...but check out my New Years Eve Tablespoon article and it will all make sense...I promise!

If anyone has any advice on how to start on a Nikon D300, send it my way!

I'll be back later this week, so stay tuned!

Silver and White Holiday Table Decor

2011-12-21T21:52:00.000-05:00

You can't go wrong with the classic red and green color scheme, but if you are looking for a less Christmas-y color pallet for your dinner table, try Silver and White! I love this wintery look! It's so fancy and you can often use items you already have around the house. In fact, my mom and I will be going the silver and white route for our Christmas table. These ideas rock:

Love the simplicity of this with the white pillar candles! Check out the silver ribbon going down the center of the table:

Found via Pinterest

Obsessed with the "bow-like" napkins!

Found via Pinterest

Love these paper flowers and ornament combos!

Martha Stewart Weddings

Obsessed with these silver branches and pinecones. Methinks I'll be spray painting pinecones this weekend.

Found via Pinterest

And these place cards... OMG... may have to steal this idea too...

Censational Girl

Clearly I can't get enough of these silver pinecones...

Found via Pinterest

Love this silver ornament ball wreath...if someone was really ambitious, you could tie mini versions of these wreaths to chairs and send them home with your guests as party favors...

Found via Pinterest

Using silver mercury glass, silver candlesticks and white flowers would be other way to incorporate this wintery theme. Don't forget the silver glitter and sparkles...the sparklier the better I say!

I've got one more day of work and then I'm baking, cooking and fa-la-la-ing my way into Christmas!!

Hope you're enjoying this holiday week :)

2011-12-18T22:12:00.001-05:00

Our 3rd annual cookie party theme was "Go Whimsy or Go home!" It was all about glitter, sparkles and of course, cookies. I must have been having too whimsical of a time because I barely took any pictures! Most importantly, the cookies were delicious and everyone felt the whimsy spirit!

Awesome invites from Party Box Design, my go-to gal!

A whimsy entrance...

I used glittery sticks I found at Tarjay instead of flowers. And see the wreath below - my most favorite holiday purchase ever, a hot pink feather wreath. It just screams whimsy :)

I picked up a bunch of glitter paper to use for the table at one of my favorite stores, Paper Source....side note, have you checked out their stocking stuffers this year? Fabulous!

Let's check out the award winning cookies, shall we? Yes, we gave awards.

Top prize was the Caramel Heavenlies - these were SO good. These cookies won the baker the Martha Stewart Cookies book.

Some other delectable treats from the day...

Peppermint-Chocolate Wafers...

Fun sugar cookies...

These adorable Santa cookies won the prize for Most Whimsy...they were delicious too!

We served Whimsy Wine....

... and milk shots with sprinkles around the edges! Can't have cookies without milk, right?

If you want any of these cookie recipes, just leave me a comment! Here are a few more Christmas ideas from my recent Tablespoon articles....

10 Make Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast Treats

Cookies on a Stick

Hope you have a great start to your week and finish all your baking, shopping and baking!

Give the gift of Wine!

2011-12-12T07:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday!! (I say that sarcastically as I am so tired from the weekend....NEED SLEEPY!)

Perhaps I'm so tired from the 3rd annual cookie party we had yesterday...so many cookies!! I will post pictures of the party later this week...let's just say it was "whimsical!"

If you are heading to a holiday party this year, bring the gift of wine. Here's why:

1) Wine is delicious

2) It lasts forever (I mean, until you open it)

3) It comes in all price ranges

4) Did I mention it's delicious?

Skip the typical wine bag and try one of these printable labels and tags... make your gift stand out in the sea of wine bottle gifts!

Happy Vino Gifting!

Geographical Save The Date!

2011-12-06T07:44:00.001-05:00

Are you Christmas-ed out yet? Not me! I'm loving my pretty tree, Christmas tunes and parties galore.

Just in case you aren't feeling the holiday love, here's a non-holiday post for you!

My March 2012 bride Malone (love her name!) found the cutest save the dates for her wedding from this wonderful etsy shop, JPressDesigns.

These simple postcards have all the important info, and they're adorable! I love the little heart in the city where the wedding will be held.

I like these Save the Dates too ...again, represent your state!

Since I heart etsy so much, I had to check out the rest of JPress's shop - and it did NOT dissappoint!

Monogrammed stationary

Floral Desk Calendar - Gorgeous!

Love these business card designs!

She's got kiddie birthday party invites!

How cute is this little baby for the New Year?? I love this "New Year, New Baby" announcement!

And because I couldn't resist, let's just take a quick peek at the holiday cards!

I hope this pretty paper brightened your morning!

It's that time again - Christmas Cookie Party Ideas :)

2011-12-01T22:06:00.001-05:00

The Christmas Cookie party really embodies everything the holidays are all about. Don't believe me? Let me spell it out for you:

1) Gathering with friends

2) Unnecessary amounts of cookies

3) Some sort of holiday drink, most likely with marshmallows

4) Silly amounts of glitter and other holiday decorations

If that doesn't scream "holidays" to you, I don't know what does. Bah-humbug to YOU!

In preparation for the annual cookie party I throw with my fab sis-in-law Drew and the Mickster (that would be my mom, Mickey), I'm scouring the web for some inspiration. First thing I came upon? It's weird, but it's our cookie party from last year? How did that happen? (#SHAMELESS PLUG)

If you want to check it out in it's entirety, I won't stop you :) LINK HERE!

More cookie ideas!

From Kara's Party Ideas

Cookie Party Paper - Printable Tags and Invitations to make your cookie party SWEET!

From Living Locurto

Invitations - from my favorite party gal - Party Box Design!

(The below are the ones I picked...it was love at first sight for these invites and me...instant connection)

Too busy to throw a cookie party? Just invite your best friends kids over to decorate cookies like I did for an upcoming article. Sneak preview of cutie pie Pearce being a cutie pie :)

Well, that's enough sugar shock for me. Going to hit the sack now...have to rest up for a mini bday celebration Friday night (yes, the birthday continues), and tree trimming this weekend. Happy December!!

A Jumble of Random Things

2011-11-29T21:51:00.003-05:00

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Delicious? Fun? More deliciousness? Yes, that's what I thought! You know how your body is 80% water (or something like that) on a regular, non-holiday season basis? My body is currently made of 80% wine and turkey. Don't make me prove it.

Did I mention it was my birthday Monday of this week? Must of slipped my mind. Yup, 29. So I added to the wine and turkey coma by drowning the last year of my 20s in more wonderful treats. Once a year though, right? Speaking of my birthday, I got some fabulous gifts. Some from others and some purchased by yours truly...hee hee. Check out some of my faves - my in-laws gave me these!

Is it dorky to use a clipboard? Maybe...but when you are walking around commanding (ha!) an event, you need something hard to write on. It's just a fact. Since my old clipboard looks like it's been run over by a tractor trailer, I asked for a new one for my b-day... I LOVE! Plus it says my name so I'll never forget it :)

Next up in the monogram family is this awesome tray. Wouldn't this be perfect for entertaining or storing magazines or books on the coffee table? Something doesn't look right, though...

Oh right, it's missing my glass of wine accessory. Hee-hee.

On to the next random thing... my latest Tablespoon article about Books and Food. I can't speak to Book Club lately since I have been ...let's just call it... a non-attendee. But if I WERE going to host Book Club, I would look into these ideas :)

Article Link HERE

Next up, you might have noticed that my blog looks a little different... a little cleaner and a little more...awesome. I'm working on a brand rehaul for 2012, and the FABULOUS Jessi Connolly from Naptime Diaries is giving me a hand. A huge hand. Jessi is a best friend to my best friend...does that make sense? So I think that makes us friends. And she has 3 kids and still manages to have the best hair ever. (Please note that I have zero kids and my hair goes up in a ponytail at about 8:45 a.m. each day.)

Check out Jessi's Etsy Shop where you can buy custom printed everything and have your blogged worked on.

Oh, and did I mention that Jessi created my fabulous holiday e-ad below? Email me if you are stuck on ideas for your last minute holiday parties...I do email consulting, in person consulting, menu planning and of course full event planning.

So, to sum it up:

1) I have 1 year until the big 3-0. Yikes.

2) I got some sweet monogrammed items for my b-day.

3) Entertaining with books and food is fun.

4) Jessi from Naptime Diaries is awesome and I'm slightly obsessed with her.

5) I can make your holiday party fa-la-la-fantastic.

Capish?

Thanks for those of you that are still reading to the end of this random mumbo jumbo. Love you :)

Last Minute Thanksgiving Centerpieces...and a trip to Texas!

2011-11-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

Happy ALMOST Thanksgiving! If you are looking for a last minute centerpiece for your holiday table, these gems from Better Homes and Garden's website are easy and beautiful. You can find most of these items at the grocery store or around your house, so don't fret!

These stacked teacups make an impact!

Use branches and mini pumpkins hung with twine to achieve this look!

Use butternut squash shells as vases...then use the butternut squash for a casserole for Thanksgiving - efficiency at its best!

Same thing with the pumpkin vase - Use the pumpkin for pie and the shell for displaying autumn flowers.

Mr. Fo and I are are spending Thanksgiving in....

That's right. I consider myself fairly well traveled (within the U.S. at least) but I've never been to Texas! Good thing my dad moved there earlier this year so I could find out if everything is in fact bigger in Texas. And also good for me because you know I'm getting some authentic cowboy boots. My dad lives in Houston, more specifically in the Memorial area of Houston. For all my Houston friends - if you know of any good restaurants, shops or activities in the Memorial area of Houston - do tell!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Eating! I'll be back next week :)

DERN GOOD PIES!

2011-11-15T19:47:00.001-05:00

This past weekend when I was enjoying the Sunday paper and a nap, I stumbled along Parade Magazine's "In Pie We Trust" article. The article had droolworthy pictures and recipes, as well as a little pie history. If it's about food, I'm definitely in, so I devoured the article...the whole time realizing I don't think I've ever made a pie. I mean, I've used pre-made pie crust before, and made little tarts and quiches, but I've never made a pie crust from scratch.

Shame! If anyone has a good, fool-proof pie crust recipe, please send it over asap so I can remedy this immediately. Here are some of the delicious pies from Parade. You can find all of the recipes and pie history HERE.

(Note: If you dont take the time to read your Sunday paper, you should. It's fun and interesting and has wonderful articles. Plus it has Parade magazine which is awesome and provides celebrity gossip.)

CHERRY!

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT - OMG THIS LOOKS AMAZING

PECAN - MR. FO'S FAVORITE :)

If you're in the mood for pie, but you're new to pie world, I suggest making these. Easy and absolutely adorable - these mini pumpkin pie bites from the amazing Bakerella are the perfect treat. Make them for Thanksgiving if you don't want to fuss with the real stuff.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter

Optional
1/2 cup chocolate morsels
vegetable oil
re-sealable plastic bags

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box. Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)

Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.

Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use. Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.

To decorate, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave on medium. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Add a little vegetable oil to make the chocolate more fluid. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle or draw faces on pies.

Note: The cutter I used was 3 3/4 inches wide, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Just use a round cutter around that size or slightly smaller to cut circle shapes out of the dough. Then make stems with the scraps.

Press each stem over the edge and down the side of the dough before filling.

Pumpkin pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.

Enjoy!

Yum Yum Yum! I can just see myself popping a few...or 10... of these in my mouth! I think i will make these for Thanksgiving and/or for my birthday in a few week

But seriously guys - send me your pie crust recipes or leave a comment. I want to at least make an attempt before I surrender to a life of pre-made pie crust. Whether you go pre-made or homemade, pie is just dern good. And no, I didn't misspell it, I meant to say dern.

Have a great week!

Misty and Jared Wedding Photos!

2011-11-11T08:14:00.001-05:00

Yea, it's Friday! And I have a free weekend...and I plan to be straight up chillin' yo... Awesome!

Let's talk a little about how lucky I've been to have such sweet brides/grooms/families to work with on my marathon of wedding coordination I handled this fall. Misty and Jared were no exception - they are seriously so SWEET and were so excited to marry each other. Loved them!

Misty claims she's not good at this type of "planning" stuff, but she seriously rocked! She was so organized and had these great ideas that came to life beautifully. I'd hire her ANY time!

The theme was romantic and rustic, with tons of candles, white flowers and that awesome burlap I have seen so much lately. Their wedding was at the Trolley Museum, where I do a lot of my events. Let's take a look, shall we?

Guests were welcomed by this cute chalkboard sign:

How cute are they? Check out their photos below.

Their new last name will be Taft, so Misty made these awesome burlap covered letters she hung from inside the trolley.

I loved their favors so much. One of their friends took this really neat picture of the Charlotte skyline and they made them in to postcards for everyone to take home.

Let's talk flowers and glass jars. Misty had a vision in her head that involved all white flowers, greenery, tons of candles and many, MANY different sized glass bottles and jars. We did several mock-ups of the table, and I think they turned out so pretty! They looked so great at night. If you like this idea and are planning a wedding or event, start collecting glass jars! Wine bottles, peanut butter jars, everything that's glass works!

They used Plate Perfect catering, and if you are in Charlotte, definitely check them out. They are awesome! They own restaurants Mama Ricottas, Cantina, Big Daddy's, Midwood Smokehouse and more!

Their food displays are always pretty and they are great to work with!

Misty and Jared's friends were so helpful, it was really sweet. They made her entire dessert table, and it was wiped out by the end of the night! People LOOOOVED these desserts.

I loved the simple white cake.

The cake pops were displayed in bowls filled with sand. Very clever!

A final shot I took from above.

Misty and Jared, you guys were such a pleasure to work with! Congratulations and Best Wishes!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Pink, White and Gray Birthday Bash!

2011-11-07T22:08:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated my sister-in-law Drew's 30th birthday with a Wine and Cake Party! I tried to plan a simple yet chic evening, at a wine bar in Charlotte's South End called Vinmaster.
I think it turned out really great!

Check out the Vinmaster's cool decor!

The underlying theme was based off Drew's favorite store of all time: J. Crew...aptly re-named for the evening, J. Drew. The colors were pink, white and gray.

Party time!

I ordered invites from my fav party girl - Jess at Party Box Design. Thanks Jess!! How cute are these invites? You can order these at her shop :)

Jess also made me these fantastic cocktail tags!

I made this simple bunting using gray and pink scrabpook paper. I love the look of bunting!

I made pink and white flower arrangements using white hydrangeas and pink flowers. I used mercury glass vases and votives. I really loved the way the flower arrangements turned out (if I do say so myself)!

For the J. Drew elements, I had Blis (a fabulous gift store in Charlotte) create a personalized wine glass.

My friend Hillary created these cool J. Drew frames:

Finally, the fabulous, amazing J. Drew cake that looks like a J. Crew shopping bag! How awesome is this cake! If you are in Charlotte and want the contact info for this fabulous cake maker, shoot me an email. Check out more of Wendy's cakes here!

Happy Birthday Drew - Love you!

Katie & Scott - Pictures are here!

2011-11-03T09:22:00.002-04:00

I have a treat for you on this Thursday morning - beautiful photos from a wedding I coordinated back in September. I showed you my sub-par photos of Katie and Scott's adorable wedding HERE. I've already gushed about Katie and Scott and how sweet and fun they are, but these pictures really show it.

Enough chatting - check out the photos that really capture the fun elements of Katie and Scott's big day.

PHOTO CREDIT: All of these photos were taken by
Lauren Jackson Photography,

and they are truly gorgeous.

I love love love the invites. They were done by Morgan, who happens to be Katie's sister-in-law. Find her blog HERE, her company is called Miss Wyolene!

Love love love the cake and the whimsical "Let them eat cake" sign...

I may have to borrow this idea :)

This is probably my favorite picture! Love Katie's navy shoes :)

Seriously, how CUTE are they?! They are just as nice as they look :)

This picture just shows how fun they are - seriously, they're awesome!

Thanks Katie and Scott for being so fun to work with! Hope to see you kids around town :)

BOO!

2011-10-31T07:31:00.000-04:00

I made these Ghastly Meringues last night that I mentioned on the blog earlier this month. They turned out super cute and were VERY easy! Allow about 2.5 hours for the entire process (it only takes about a half hour to make, the rest is cooking and cooling time.) These would be GREAT cupcake toppers too.

Hope everyone has a safe and a little bit spooky Halloween!

Apple Mania!

2011-10-27T14:25:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday Mr. Fo and I went apple picking with Drew (sis-in-law, Mr. Fo's sis), Michael (Drew's husband) and Brooke (their 20 month old daughter and love of my life...I mean my niece). For those of you that know me personally, this is not normally something I would do, but Mr. Fo's family did it when their kids were young and I ended being VERY excited about it! More details about our apple picking adventure later in the post, but for now...what the heck are we going to do with all these apples? I found a bunch of mouthwatering apple recipes for your apple abundance:

Apple Desserts:

Apple desserts have gone way beyond apple pie these days!

Smitten Kitchen made these adorable apple pie cookies - how cute are they?!

Apple Pie Cookies Recipe: HERE

Pioneer Woman makes a beautiful and simple apple tart using pre-made puff pastry.

Apple Tart Recipe: Here

YumSugar showcased a bunch of apple recipes, including this Caramel Apple Bar/Brownie concoction..YUM.

Caramel Apple Bar Recipe: HERE

Whoops...I think I talked about dessert first :) How about some savory apple dishes?

Savory Apple Dishes:

This apple, potato and onion au gratin from Bon Appetit would make a perfect fall side dish!

Apple au Gratin Recipe: HERE

Apple on a Pizza? Why not...Pair sweet apple with bacon for a salty and sweet combination!

Apple and Bacon Pizza Recipe: HERE

Now this is something I'm going to have to try: Apple Cheddar Squash Soup from the Food Network - how yummy does that sound?

Apple Cheddar Squash Soup Recipe: HERE

Now for that apple picking adventure I was talking about. We went to Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, NC. The scenery was beautiful, but we might have gone a little too late in the season because the orchards were pretty picked over. We did manage to find some apples though. Ahem...I was up in a freaking tree picking apples and it was AWESOME. Basically I'm a complete outdoorswoman now. (I could totally survive in the wilderness with only a swiss army knife.) In addition to picking apples, we ate fresh apple cider donuts (yum), played on the playground with Brooke, checked out the animals and just enjoyed the beautiful trees. I also picked up some pumpkin butter for yours truly, and apple butter for my mom. It was a lovely day in nature and I had a great first-time apple picking experience! Some photos for your enjoyment....

Mr. Fo found the first apple of the day!

Gorgeous scenery at the duck pond!

Brooke quacking at the ducks (this was hilarious and she's way advanced as she knows many animal sounds.)

Playing on the slide :)

Sky Top Orchard rules...we abided by these religiously (sort of)

Picked over apple trees :(

Cute apple signs that indicate what types of apples on each row!

This was a great fall activity, and I really think that aplesp you pick with your bare hands (while up in a tree) taste fresher and sweeter.

I'm going to end with a quote from one of my favorite movies, Good Will Hunting:

"How about them apples?"

Tablespoon Articles

2011-10-24T07:53:00.000-04:00

Good Monday Morning to you out there! I'm in a surprisingly fantastic mood for a Monday, I must say.

I want to apologize for being a bit slack on the blog lately. Between coordinating events, regular work and writing a marathon of articles, it's been hard to get a free moment. Basically, I have blog ideas floating around in my head at all times. If someone could invent a device that could transmit blog ideas from my head to the computer, that would be great. :)

Here are a few of my articles that recently went "live" on the fab foodie site Tablespoon.com. There are tons of great Halloween treat ideas on the site right now, so check it out!

Candy Apple Bites - While candy apples are pretty to look at, I've always found them difficult to eat. I created these candy apple bites so you can just pop them in your mouth! These would be perfect for a Halloween party. Keep your apples fresh by tossing in Fruit Fresh, or any fruit preserving powder (found in the canning section). Check out the recipe and more deets HERE!

Use Fall Foliage for decorating! - I really do love this idea of fall place cards. Using a paint pen or a metallic sharpie marker, write guests names on a leaf for a FREE and festive addition to your fall table! Send your kids outside to find the perfect leaves! Smaller leaves would also make perfect wine glass charms. Check out more fall leaves ideas HERE.

Greek Salsa - The nice folks at Tablespoon were participating in the roll out of the new Betty Crocker Big Red Cookbook. They asked their bloggers to create a new twist on some of Betty's classic recipes. I was assigned Salsa and decided to put a Greek spin on the classic. Check out my Greek Salsa recipe HERE!

I'm excited to say I am writing for another site now, Celebrations.com. My first articles went "live" last week...they're all about CHRISTMAS! Yes, it's coming early this year! More on that later this week, and I hope to post some pictures from the weddings I've coordinated this month as well.

Have a great Monday!

Ghastly Meringues

2011-10-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

Whoops! Long time no blog ... sorry friends :) Combine planning a rehearsal dinner with a wedding, and planning a festival, plus writing articles galore and my head is spinning! I miss all my blog friends and plan to catch up on my blog stalking later this week. Forgive me?

SO...I have a quick blog post for tonight. I saw these ghostly treats in the Food Network magazine and thought they were so cute and easy! I plan to make them for Halloween if I have time! I love meringues and these are definitely the cutest ghosts ever. Not scary at all...maybe scary delicious...muah-ha-ha.

Ghastly Meringues

Ingredients

3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Beat in the sugar; increase the mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.

Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 8 to 10 swirls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until dry, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let cool completely.

Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on 50 percent power until melted, about 1 minute, stirring halfway. Transfer the melted chocolate to a zip-top bag and snip a corner. Pipe the chocolate on the meringues to look like eyes.

BOO!

Parmesean Crisps

2011-10-07T09:09:00.000-04:00

I've been going through my neglected stack of magazines and have stumbled across some fabulous Halloween decorations. recipes and articles. You will see I am seriously behind because a lot of these are from August. Whoops...can't really do those "late summer recipes" in October!

I did stumble across a great recipe from Food & Wine magazine. The photography in Food & Wine is so gorgeous, I just love flipping through this magazine. Even though some of the recipes are probably too difficult for me and use ingredients that frankly, I've barely heard of, I still love it and pretend like I am fancy enough for it! BUT, I know I can handle making these Paremesean Tuiles (aka Parmesean Crisps.) Check these out:

These would be so great in a salad, as a soup topper, or simply as a stylish appetizer for a cocktail party or dinner party. Food & Wine pairs these with an heirloom tomato salad, but I think you could do a variety of toppings. A caprese salad would be delicious, as would some roasted fall vegetables. Plus you can make these crisps a week ahead and store them until serving. Check out the recipe HERE.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! I'm working this weekend - on a rehearsal dinner tonight and coordinating a wedding tomorrow! I can't wait to see how everything turns out, and am so happy the bride and groom gets beautiful weather! Have a great weekend!

Throw a Pasta Party!

2011-10-04T07:46:00.000-04:00

It's no secret how much I love pasta. Spaghetti, ravioli, gnocchi, rigatoni - you name it, I love it. Yum. It's 7:20 a.m. and I think I could go for a big bowl o' pasta for brekkie. So, when Tablespoon.com wanted me to write a post about a "Pasta Party," I invited over some friends and prepared for a carb fest. My favorite kind of fest!

I made 3 different dishes for this party. For ease, I boiled one type of pasta, and made three different sauces to go with it. I chose penne pasta because it goes with everything; it's kind of like the little black dress of pasta.

Sauces:

1) My Family Gravy Recipe with Meatballs (aka regular marinara for you non-Italians)

2) Vodka Sauce - I love Rachel Ray's recipe

3) Tomato-Caprese Sauce - I created this sauce recipe for the Tablespoon post, it's quite good!

I think this is the easiest way to throw a pasta party, because you can prepare the sauces in advance, plus everyone has options! Make a great salad and serve some bread for a complete meal. Don't forget the red wine, of course! Keep it simple and serve all the food out of the kitchen - let people serve themselves!

Pasta Decorations!

Give your guests a "pasta-cation" by displaying various types of pasta so people can learn a little bit! I set out dried pasta on a construction paper Italian flag. !

Use a red and white checkered tablecloth for that old Italian restaurant feel.

I used breadsticks, tomatoes and garlic as decor. I also used diced tomato cans as vases. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse out your cans, I don't know how good "tomato water" is for flowers!

Check out my Tablespoon article for more details! Throw your own carb fest this fall!

Your friends will love you for it.

Pumpkin is here!

2011-09-28T07:55:00.000-04:00

I know it's officially fall, because I'm turning orange. Not really, but I might as well be. I've already baked 2 pumpkin treats and have had several Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes (no whip of course) in the span of about 1 week.

Here are my go-to pumpkin recipes I've used for years:

Spiced Pumpkin Bread from Epicurious

This fabulous recipe makes two loaves and is perfect warmed up for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Preferably pumpkin flavored coffee. Another decadent option? Make this a dessert treat by frosting with cream cheese frosting. Yumm! I add in a few teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, just to make sure it's extra pumpkiny, and I leave out the nuts.

Image Credit

Ingredients

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in walnuts, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using sharp knife, cut around edge of loaves. Turn loaves out onto racks and cool completely.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I ripped this little treasure out of Real Simple Magazine a while back and have held on to it ever since. You could use the Epicurious bread recipe for cupcakes, but this Real Simple Cupcake recipe is so much lighter and fluffier. In my opinion, I like fluffy cupcakes, and dense bread. So this is worth making on its own. Plus you use a box cake mix as a base, so there is really nothing to complain about. Decorate these however your heart desires!

Ingredients

1 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
24 pieces candy corn

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin puree for the water called for in the package directions.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

In the mood for another fall treat? Read up on my latest Tablespoon article - it's all about Butternut Squash!

Happy Eating!

Baked Bries - Mini!

2011-09-22T08:14:00.000-04:00

Gouda, Cheddar, Fontina and more...Oh cheese, oh cheese it's you I adore!

Do you like my cheesy jingle? I hope it truly displays my love for cheese. If that didn't get the point across, check out one of my previous posts: Ode to Brie.

I think it's pretty clear that cheese and I are tight. Especially the delightfully creamy Brie varieties. So you can imagine my happiness when I discovered this treasure at the grocery store a few months ago:

No, your eyes are NOT tricking you, those are MINI Bries! You see, brie cheese is not a health food. So, when Mr. Fo and I split a wheel of Brie, I feel guilty. And large. Portion controlled Brie at 70 calories a pop? Yes please. Plus, they are just so adorable. I knew I had to try something - Mini Baked Bries! A girls night last weekend was the perfect opportunity to showcase my new find. Individual Baked Bries for each guest? Coming right up!

Look for this packaging in the specialty cheese section. It comes with 5 mini Bries per package.

To scale...doesn't my hand look giant compared to these miniature cheeses?!

I decided to do a version of Paula Deen's Brie en Croute. The combination of nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar is perfect for fall and makes a pretty presentation.

First step: Toast your walnuts in melted butter until golden brown, add cinnamon to the nuts and mix.

You can use phyllo dough, or you can use Pillsbury Crescent rolls. I prefer the Crescent rolls because they are so easy to work with. One tube of Crescent rolls is the perfect amount for the package of 5 Bries. Tear off a piece of Crescent (doesn't have to be a perfect square) and place your brie in the middle. Layer the nuts and brown sugar, plus extra cinnamon if you like. There are no exact measurements here because let's face it, everyone needs more brown sugar in their lives.

Close it up and gather it at the top, sealing the edges at the top so your delicious filling doesn't escape during baking! The horrors....

Brush the dough with a beaten egg before baking so it gets that pretty golden brown color. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. 15 minutes gives you a gooey center, but it's not spilling out and greasy like the brie can sometimes get. How gorgeous are these?!

Decorate your plate with nuts and brown sugar and serve immediately! You can serve with crackers, or honestly, this can be eaten with a fork!

The possibilities for these mini Bries are endless. Having a dinner party? Serve your guests their own baked brie. Impress your guests with this incredibly easy and fabulous appetizer. Or, just buy the mini brie and eat them as a snack. 70 calories never hurt anyone.

Thanks to mini brie cheeses for making me ridiculously happy!

Beer and Flowers - Perfect Birthday Combination

2011-09-20T07:58:00.000-04:00

Last week was Mr. Fo's 32nd bday. I think all birthdays should be celebrated with enthusiasm, friends and cake. Let's take a quick look back at Mr. Fo's last two birthday celebrations, so you know how I throw down:

30th Birthday Suprise Party of the Century

31st Beer Dinner at Home

Note the common denominator of these celebrations.... that would be the hoppy, frothy, malty beverage of Ice Cold Beer. If Mr. Fo had to choose between me and beer, it would be a tough decision, and if I'm being honest, I think beer has a pretty good shot. But let's be serious, if I had the same choice with wine instead of beer....well, let's just leave it at that. Love you honey!

To celebrate number 32, we headed to Taco Mac. If you are unfamiliar with Taco Mac, that's unfortunate. It's the ultimate guy's place - with a million TVs and even more draft beers on tap. Check it out HERE! They even have an esteemed Brewniversity program, whereby if you drink various kinds of draft beers, you get prizes. Eventually, you get a plaque on the wall with your name. It was a proud day at the Fo house when Mr. Fo finally received his plaque. I'm sure you can relate. As a result, I have crowned him the "Taco Mac King."

Let's check out his tablescape. Yes, those are beer cans with flowers. See how versatile beer is? And talk about recycling!

Party favors were Fall flavored Blue Moon with a custom label from the fabulous Bottle Your Brand. The labels said: "I partied with the Taco Mac King." I thought Mr. Fo's guests should know how important he is. I cannot say enough good things about Bottle Your Brand - the labels look fantastic and are so easy to apply! Plus they are water resistant. It's like magic.

Finally, a classic birthday cake made by Mr. Fo's sister. This is the pain in the arse to make, but well worth it, Oreo Cookie Dessert. Made famous by Mr. Fo's mom, this cake is delectable. Sometimes nothing can beat a childhood favorite. We even gave some to the neighboring table since they were drooling over it. We're generous.

Happy Birthday to my hubby! Love you ...more than wine :)

How to make Soft Pretzels!

2011-09-16T16:40:00.000-04:00

Happy Weekend everyone! I'm so pumped to have a weekend "off" with no plans except major magazine reading, attending a Carolina Panthers game, and a fabulously relaxing girls night this evening. We celebrated Mr. Fo's bday last night with a fun dinner, and I will post pictures of that next week. For now I want to show you some beautiful photos of soft pretzels. You heard me right - soft pretzels are beautiful. I've discovered that anything can be beautiful if you have a great photographer. My friend Michael Flanagan took some pictures from me for a Tablespoon Blogging assignment where I was forced to make soft pretzels. I use the word "forced" sarcastically, because what an awesome assignment!

I used Pillsbury breadstick dough for the pretzels, which made them incredibly easy. And delicious. I created a Salty and Sweet dipping station to best showcase my creation.

Links:

Learn all about making soft pretzels HERE at my Tablespoon article.

Check out Michael's Flickr photostream HERE to view his talent for yourself. Note that he is available to shoot weddings and events in Charlotte and surrounding areas.

Without further ado, let's check out some gorgeous pretzel pics!

For more delicious party eats, check out my Tablespoon article on Fried Ravioli.

Have a GREAT weekend!

A Rustic, Elegant and FUN Wedding!

2011-09-13T07:23:00.000-04:00

Hello!! Still catching my breath here and wish I could sleep for days! But since I can't (who can, I would like to shake their hand), I will share with you a few pictures from this wedding I coordinated over the weekend.

First off, a few words about the bride and groom and their amazing families. Scott and Katie are SO stinking sweet and after meeting their families, I can totally see why. Both families are so lovely and nice and funny...it was an absolute blast spending a few days with them.

I also want to say that although I WISH I could take credit for these fabulous DIY decorations, it was all Katie's brainchild. I handled day-of coordination and made sure everything at the reception went swimmingly. Which I must say, it did! Fun was had by all and now Katie and Scott are off in marital bliss.

Mission accomplished!

Let's take a look at this rustic and elegant wedding, shall we? For now I only have my little pictures and Instagrams, but I hope to get my hands on the professional photos and share those with you later.

The cake says it all and might be my favorite part. I love the simple icing and the flowers, handmade by the crafty bride herself! And the unique cake stand had special meaning, as the trees stumps were made from fallen trees at the family's mountain home. Plus, they served little milk cartons with straws.

Cake and milk - fabulous idea!

The rustic tree stump theme was carried out through the reception. Bright and cheery flowers were arranged on burlap runners made by the brides mom!

Colored burlap squares were used outside. I had never seen colored burlap before!

Colorful Izze sodas were served. They were a HIT! They look pretty and taste good, what more could you ask for?

Scott and Katie had several unique touches throughout their reception. Below is a canvas print for the popular thumbprint guestbook idea. Next to it are scraps of paper and jars that say "Honeymoon" and "1st Anniversary," for guests write the couple notes to be read on these days. How fun is that?!

I am saving the best for last. The father of the bride is an engineer and took great precision (and about a million hours) to hang these twinkle lights for his daughter. Using an 18 foot (I think ... ) ladder and a ton of elbow grease, the desired effect was achieved. How beautiful is this!

Bottom line? 14 hour day? Pretty tiring. Happy bride and family? Priceless. I love seeing it all come together, it's the absolute best part. Have a fabulous week!

Blogger Meet up and Football Dips ands Tricks!

2011-09-08T07:23:00.000-04:00

Just coming up for air here...busy short week with work and a wedding I'm coordinating this weekend, but I did want to do a quick post about my very first face-to-face Blogger meet-up!

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the big, mysterious blogging world, I want to share a little secret. There is no doubt that blogging is "brave." Putting yourself out there on the world wide web, with your thoughts, grammatical errors and photos for all to see can be scary. In fact, that first time you hit "Publish Post," is downright frightening. Here's the secret though...I'm sort of hiding behind my computer. I can email and tweet and Facebook and Blog until I'm blue in the face, but I'm still behind my protective laptop shield! Not that I am afraid to talk to people in person, in fact, it's quite the opposite. BUT. My overall rambling and slightly over thought point is that while blogging is brave, meeting one of your blog friends is even braver. Because seriously, what if he/she hates me when I am NOT behind said protective shield! What if our funny email banter doesn't translate to the real world?

So you be the judge...did Jess from Party Box Design and I get along?

Uh yea.......... I think we did! Jess is awesome! We got along like peas and carrots, or my personal favorite, wine and cheese. She is just a sweet as you might imagine, and one helluva good time! Her husband is so nice - and has an impressive head of hair on him, just thought you should know that. And her sweet daughter? OMG! What a hilarious, adorable child!

First blogger meet up = success!

To celebrate tonight's first official NFL game, why don't you check out my Football Dips & Tricks article posted on Tablespoon. It's full of fatty, cheesy dips and decor ideas for making your football party the absolute cutest and unhealthiest it can be.

Are you ready for some football? And pumpkin flavored everything? And cooler weather? This gal is. Hope you're having a GREAT week!

Bumble Bee Shower Feature

2011-09-01T07:49:00.000-04:00

Wellllllll helloooooooooooo! Hope everyone is having a fantastic week! I want to show you guys one of the cutest showers I have seen in awhile! Thanks to my friend Ashley for sending it, she found it on her wedding photographers blog. The vendors are Ohio businesses. I wanted to give a little shout out to the great state of Ohio where I spent my college years...Go Miami Redhawks!

How cute is this "Honeybee" shower! I absolutely LOVE the color scheme and the beehive cake is too cute!

Credits - These are all amazing vendors! Check them out if you are in the Ohio area or just want something pretty to look at!

Planner: MMJ Events

Photographer: Henry Photography

Cake: Enticing Icings

I am so excited to take my last trip of the summer to the beach in South Carolina. My fall is crazy with events and work, so you can be sure I will be relaxing on the beach with some crisp white. White Wine that is. I am also excited to meet the fabulous Jess from Party Box Design who is in the area. Mr. Fo thinks it's weird of course...he doesn't understand the blog world. What do you think...is it weird to meet a blog friend in person?

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

BEST.CHOCOLATE.CHIP.COOKIES.EVER.

2011-08-25T09:30:00.002-04:00

You just can't go wrong with a classic chocolate chip cookie. I would have to say it's my favorite dessert of all time. When it comes to the classic dessert, I've always been a Tollhouse girl. UNTIL NOW! Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy as a clam if Tollhouse was the only chocolate chip cookie I was ever able to consume again. BUT, when my best friend Kalle introduced me to a different chocolate chip recipe that simply blew me away, my world was opened up. There's life beyond Tollhouse...you have to make it to believe it!

Kalle found this HERE from Tender Crumb's blog. It comes from famous chocolatier Jacque Torres and it's supposed to be a secret. Whoops! Guess the secret's out!

Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies

Ingredients
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
- Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.
- Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Few notes from my personal experience of making these cookies:

Per Tender Crumb's recommendation, we put the dough in the fridge for 24 hours before baking. The cookies came out so freaking delicious that I am afraid to NOT put the dough in the fridge for 24 hours. Plan ahead and DO IT!
We used Ghiardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and almost 2 bags. The more chocolate the better.
This recipe makes a TON of cookie dough. In fact, it was almost comical to see it swishing around the mixer considering it definitely didn't fit in all at once. Yes, you can cut the recipe in half, but you might as well just make the whole batch and freeze the rest for later. The cookies are also pretty large. So one or two (or 7) will be enough to satisfy you at a time.
Yes, you have to buy pastry flour and bread flour for this recipe. I'm going to need you to just do it. It's worth it.

A few mouthwatering pics (the first three are from Tender Crumb):

Now that I've figured out my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, I wish I had my grandmothers skills for making her cookies rise! Grandma's chocolate chip cookie rise was legendary, and only my Aunt Ro can come close to replicating it. Does anyone have any tips for helping cookies rise instead of turning out "flat?" Try out these cookies to make everyone in your household happy :)

Be safe everyone on the East Coast - Hurricane Irene is on the way!

Sweeter Than The Tea

2011-08-23T07:15:00.002-04:00

Happy Tuesday all! I have a quick post here to start off your day with a dose of cuteness...

When I was in Asheville recently (you can read about my fabulous trip HERE), I bumped into an adorable little kiosk called "Sweet Tea Clothing Co." The kiosk sells a line of clothing called: Sweeter than the Tea and fabulous mason jar garland lights! Let's take a look:

I LOVE these mason jar garland lights. You can buy a string of 12 jars for $34.00, or they can make you a custom strand! These would be absolutely perfect for a backyard wedding. I hope I get a chance to use these in the near future! You can buy them HERE.

They also sell a line of clothes for babies and adults with their signature tagline, "Sweeter than the Tea." You can personalize it by state. Between you and me, I am not usually a big fan of "Southern themed" taglines...(i.e. G.R.I.T.S. - Girls Raised in the South...just not cool)... BUT, this "sweet tea" line is just too cute! I can just picture a cute little baby wearing one of these shirts :)

Order some sweetness for yourself or a friend HERE! Have a great day!

Asheville - 2011 Version

2011-08-15T23:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday all! I have so much to share with you about my fabulous long weekend in Asheville, North Carolina. The main topic of this post? That would be FOOD. You've been warned.

You might remember from this post that we take a trip to Asheville, North Carolina almost every year. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I am going to plagiarize myself and just copy my description from last years post:

This past weekend, Mr. Fo and I took a trip to Asheville, NC. Asheville is a wonderful town filled with the following: 1) The famous Biltmore Estate 2) 9 different Beer Breweries 3) Hippies. Tons of hippies. 4) Amazing natural and organic food. 5) Mountains. 6) Independent coffee houses (i.e. coffee houses that have signs in the window that say "Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks.")

Mr. Fo and his family have a special connection to Asheville as they lived there for several years while Mr. Fo was in elementary school. They still go back every summer to play golf at the GORGEOUS Biltmore Forest Country Club.

I tagged along this time, and I am so glad I did.

Okay, enough plagiarizing myself, it's time for some new material:

While Mr. Fo and Mr. Fo Senior (my father in law, who might be upset I am referring to him as the "Senior") spent the daytime playing golf, I found several ways to occupy myself.

I spent a good chunk of time perusing the Screen Door, a funky antique furniture mall with so many cool knick nacks and decor items. I found a bunch of cool glass bottles I will be using for my picnic photo shoot this weekend.

They had an entire wall of cool signs, like this lovely one:

I also spent some time at an excellent local Farmers Market, Asheville City Market.

I tasted fresh goat cheese, had a watermelon mojito popsicle and met the author of this book:

This cookbook is loaded with beautiful photos and simple recipes using fresh ingredients. The author, Sheri Castle, was so sweet and chatted with me for awhile. Sheri has been a recipe developer for years and has worked with many magazines and other publications - cool job, right?! Check her out here!

Asheville has some excellent shopping. I love how they support their local artists and vendors.

I was also delighted to find that one of my favorite bake shops, Bake It Pretty, had its storefront in Asheville! The store was just adorable, and I highly suggest visiting if you are in the area! If you can't make it to Asheville, check out their darling baking accessories online.

I broke up my day of exploring with a mid day snack at Curate, a delicious Spanish tapas place in downtown Asheville. I sat at the bar watching the open kitchen work their culinary magic.

I had a mini snack of freshly baked bread, tomato preserves and manchego cheese. I don't understand how something this simple, could be this flavorful, but it absolutely was. It's proof that good, fresh ingredients are essential. I wish I could have tasted more on the menu, but I'll be back!

I also spotted a celeb:

That would be Mr. Woody Harrelson, who is in NC shooting a movie. I could tell by his quick gait and his staring directly at the ground that he didn't want to be recognized. Good thing I always have my trusty celebrity identifying radar that allows me to spot celebs under any circumstances. Did anyone else ever find Woody Harrelson kind of cute? Just me? Please advise.

Let's fast forward to dinnertime (why not, right?). Mr. Fo and I enjoyed an amazing meal at Corner Kitchen, another restaurant where fresh, seasonal ingredients reign supreme. The restaurant is located in a charming old house, which just adds to the experience.

Each night they serve a different mini appetizer, or an "amuse-bouche," as they say in France. (Amuse-bouche is defined as: Similar to but not to be confused with hors d'oeuvre. This is a tidbit, often tiny, served as a free extra to keep you happy while you are waiting for your first course to come. It gives you an idea of the chef's approach to cooking and the restaurant's attention to your appetite.)

Our amuse-bouche (a phrase that I will now use as often as possible), was a plantain chip with fresh black bean curd and a ____ sauce. (I can't remember what kind of sauce.) Let's just say this little bite of heaven was so good that we kissed up to the waiter to get a few rounds....YUM!

I had basil pesto salmon with soft Parmesan polenta. Delectable.

I was smitten to find out that the restaurant had recently hosted some famous guests.

I wonder if the president and his lady enjoyed their amuse-bouche as much as I did. (Please note: Despite the tense state of our economic times, please keep all mean-spirited comments to yourself. This is a FUN blog with no room for political drivel. Thanks friends :) )

The next evening we celebrated the close of the golf tournament. Biltmore Forest Country Club threw an amazing New York City themed reception and completely outdid themselves! The reception was chock full of interesting food presentations...it was an event planners dream! I am pretty sure everyone thought I was crazy because I took about a million pictures - I claimed it was "research."

Check out the mini appetizers presentation with the lit displays:

There was a "Little Italy" station that was so authentic it had hanging cured meats!

Chinatown was represented with its own station complete with a Chinese dragon. You will never guess what the dragon was carved from...MARGARINE. The back of the dragon is cardboard, and the front with the designs is made from margarine. I can't make this up. Maybe margarine carving is a thing, but I was unaware of it!

NYC's famed skyline was also represented. This was hand cut using foam board. The windows were cut out individually and backed with tracing paper. Shine a light through the back of the skyline and boom - you've got city lights!

Have you ever seen so much shrimp? Mr. Fo and Mr. Fo Sr. about about half of this...

Let's talk desserts, shall we? In addition to mini cannolis (swoon), mini tiramisu, and mini mousse, there were mini ice cream cones with your choice of homemade hazelnut or vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was scooped with a melon ball scooper and was pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen.

The flower centerpieces were all lit up which was very chic:

The mantel decoration was unique as well:

Hello Statue of Liberty ice sculpture!

And Helloooo liquor luge carved in the shape of the club's logo!

There was even a throwback vintage candy display inspired by Coca-Cola. The inspiration came from an old picture found from the club's early days:

After all that, are you tired? Hungry? I know I am. I hope enjoyed my obsessive photos and culinary tour through Asheville. I certainly did! If you haven't been to this divine city, I suggest you go asap! It has so much more to offer than just the Biltmore Estate (which is absolutely wonderful in its own right - a must see).

I guess it's back to the real world for me! Have a great week!

Cork Mania!

2011-08-11T11:42:00.001-04:00

Todays post is all about corks, corks and more corks! To help make my May bride's wedding more unique, we are using wine corks in all aspects of the decor. I did a Pinterest search for "corks weddings" (OMG Pinterest, btw), and here are some ideas. We also have a super cool idea for a guest book using corks, but I'll surprise you with that after the wedding :)

All images from Pinterest. Sources as follows: alavishaffair.com, elephantstrunkllb.com, inmyownstyle.com, twotwenty-one.blogspot.com, bowtiesandbliss.com, hgtv.com, stylemepretty.com, Source unknown, weddings.theknot.com

Hosting a wine and cheese party? Use corks for decor like I did for my Wine and Cheese Tablescape.

This afternoon I am headed to Asheville, in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. I am tagging along on my husbands golf tournament. I plan to relax, take in the beautiful mountain air and bum around Asheville, a great city jam-packed with funky shops, interesting people and fantastic food.

Image Source

Have a great rest of the week and weekend!

Sparklers!

2011-08-08T22:47:00.000-04:00

Hope you all had a sparkly Monday :)

Before I hit the hay, I wanted to show you a really cool website I found today that's all about ...

SPARKLERS!

I have several brides this fall and next year who plan to use sparklers for their big "send off", and while they are beautiful on their own, the extra details make them even sparklier (not an actual word, I know)...

All photos pulled from Sparklers Online

I hope you have a sparkly good nights rest! (I just can't help it.)

An ode to Maine...

2011-08-06T09:39:00.000-04:00

I. LOVE. MAINE. That's really all there is to say on the matter. In fact, Mr. Fo and my friend Hillary will soon be making fun of me for professing my love of Maine in such a public forum. I've been talking about it non-stop. But I don't care, I refuse to hide my love.

Without further adieu, here is why I love Maine:

Unbelievably gorgeous natural scenery...

Beautiful harbors and boats...

Lobster and other Maine delicacies...

Colorful lobster buoys were everywhere!

Almost every store had its own lobster tank...you can literally pick out your dinner!

We made lobster fra diavolo one night...

I had about 5 lobster rolls on my trip. I heart lobster rolls - there are no words.

Maine is also known for its blueberries...below are the best blueberry pancakes I've ever eaten.

In addition to enjoying the beautiful scenery and local food, I spent lots of time relaxing...

In honor of my trip, I bought this new book...it was really good! A perfect summer beach read!

I spent lots of lovely quality time with my dad and brother...

Oh Maine...I said goodbye, but I will see you again!!!

Sick of Maine talk? Check out my 2 new Tablespoon articles!

Summer Fondue Ideas!

Icebreaker Parties!

Have a great weekend!

Guest Post! Truly Chic Inspirations

2011-07-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Melissa from Truly Chic Inspirations for filling in as I take a short vacation. Do check out Melissa's blog for wonderful inspiration. The best part? She is a total sweetheart! Take it away Melissa!

Ienjoy finding inspiration in all areas! Using items that you wouldn'texpect as decor, as a centerpiece, or even display stands are just afew things I spend my time searching for. I came across a few luggagephotos and my mind went racing with inspiration.

Set up luggage to display items in, setthem up as display stands for food trays and desserts, or stack them upfor a more simple display (perfect for a going away party orcelebrating for those who love to travel). The possibilities seem endless. Bright colored luggage and luggage that gives a vintage feeling...LOVE!

Stay Chic,
Melissa C.

Luggage Decor source- http://decorology.blogspot.com/2011/06/little-eye-candy-for-all-you.html
Outside Luggage source- http://anaskadhim.tumblr.com/
Pink Luggage source- http://shoutourconfessions.tumblr.com/page/9
Stunning luggage display source- http://www.weddingchicks.com/2011/07/19/elegantdiywedding/
Vintage Luggage- source unknown

Melissa C.
Blog {Truly Chic Inspirations}
Etsy {Tag Me Chic}
Personal Blog {Chic Likes}

Thanks for the inspiration Melissa!

Maine!

2011-07-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

I am SO excited to say that I am headed to Maine tomorrow to join my brother and my dad for a mini-vacay that is desperately needed! I have never been to Maine, and am DEFINITELY looking forward to some cooler weather! Here are a few other items I am looking forward to (Clock on the photos for larger images):

As always, I am excited about the FOOD! I have been lucky enough to have plenty of lobster in my life, but I've never had a lobster roll! So excited to put on my bib and break right into those fresh lobsters.

MAINE FOOD

Image Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4

I had to be prepared with the proper style...so I packed my best preppy items, and even bought a thing or two! Like the red, white and blue linen dress below from Urban Outfitters. Ahem, clearance rack - $29.99 thank you very much! If Jackie O went to Maine, I know this is what she would have worn.

("Jackie Fo goes to Maine" sounds like a GREAT book, don't you agree?!)

MAINE STYLE

Image Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4

Finally, I am looking forward to unplugging, reading, relaxing, and getting some sun on my sadly pale skin. Below is the view my brother took from the house we are staying in. I think I could relax here, what do you think?!

MAINE VIEW

I am going to Brunswick, ME, about 40 minutes from Portland. If anyone has any great sights to see or restaurants to visit in the area, please let me know! In the meantime, I have lined up a guest post from one of my blog friends, Melissa from Truly Chic Inspirations, so be sure to look for that on Thursday! I'll be back next week! Have a great rest of your week and weekend!

Vintage Picnic Inspiration

2011-07-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

Hello all! Are you experiencing the sweltering heat like I am? My sunglasses fog up as soon as I get in my car and my hair is NOT a pretty sight. But that's a Charlotte summer for you!

It's no wonder I am dreaming of a breezy picnic under a tree...seriously, I have been dying to go on a picnic with Mr. Fo, but we really aren't the picnic type. If you know us, you are probably laughing right now at the thought of us having a picnic. Ha! Since a true picnic isn't in my future, I've decided to pair up with a photographer friend of mine and do a picnic photo shoot in August. I've been searching for some inspiration, and there is plenty of it to be found. Here's to faux picnics!

One of my fave sites, Truly Chic Inspirations dedicated an entire post to picnic inspiration. Check out her post HERE for tons more photos, but in the meantime, enjoy the two below.

I love the artfully arranged books in this shoot, and those fabulous red shoes!

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The lighting in this shoot is so beautiful.

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I love the old wooden crate in this shoot, I'm hoping to find one for my shoot as well.

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These glass bottles are so cool looking.

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The sunflowers, vintage camera and setting of this shoot are gorgeous. Check out the moss in the second picture. This might be my favorite picnic out of all of these!

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The couple below is SO cute, but it's the exact reason Mr. Fo and I can't ever have a picnic. We are so not this couple ha!

Image Credit

I can't wait to keep researching ideas and show you guys the finished product when we do the shoot in August! Hope everyone is having happy productive weeks. Off to bed!

OREO BALLS!

2011-07-14T10:37:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week...mine has been long but very productive! I hope this post makes your week even better.

Everyone is familiar with the delcious chocolate and vanilla sandwiches known as Oreos. I used to love them as a kid whenever my mom would let us buy them. I would dunk them in milk until they got to that soft consistency. I also credit Oreos for making me drink milk, because otherwise I probably wouldn't. But milk with chunks of Oreo? Yes, I'll drink to that.

So when a coworker at Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center introduced me to Oreo Balls, I knew things were about to get Oreo-tastic.Thank you Charlotte Speech and Hearing for giving me a great place to work and having such a great mission. But mostly, thanks for Rhian, the hilarious Speech therapist who gave me the gift of Oreo Balls.

Without further ado, here is the recipe in Rhian's words:

OREO BALLS

What you need:

1 package of regular oreos

1 package of cream cheese

2 packages of white chocolate chip morsels

To make:

Empty all of the oreos into a foodprocessor and crush.

Next, add in the cream cheese and blendtogether until it is one big ball of chocolate goodiness.

Take a mini ice cream scooper and rollinto little balls and place on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator for an hour.

Melt the white chocolate and dip the oreoballs, placing back into the refrigerator until they harden.

That's it! An easy, 3 ingredient process that will make you the belle of the ball for any event you bring these to. Some tips I have learned:

1) Ghiardelli Chocolate Chips melt the most smoothly. I use the double boiler method.

2) The recipe calls for white chocolate, but I have also used milk chocolate - this is a chocoholic's dream.

3) These are super easy to decorate. Right after the you coat the balls in chocolate, you can decorate with sprinkles (i.e. as I did with red, white and blue for the 4th). Or wait until the chocolate is hardened and drizzle different colored icing on top. You can even put them on a stick! The possibilities are endless!

4) These are clearly horrible for you, even if you use low fat versions of things. My opinion? Use the full fat Oreos and cream cheese because the Oreo Balls are so rich, 1 or 2 is the perfect amount to satisfy you.

5) Bring these into your office and they will be gone in a millisecond.

Here are some pictures to entice you...as if you aren't already enticed. (All photos from Google Image because I always eat mine before taking photos.)

Flanagan, if you are reading this, I promise I'll make you some Oreo Balls this weekend!

WEEK IN REVIEW

2011-07-10T22:08:00.000-04:00

I know, I know...I've been slack this past week with my posting.
As I mentioned in my last post, my cousins were here for the July 4th weekend...and beyond. They were here for 5 days chock full of fun, eating and drinking...man it's hard to catch up after all that fun.

Here's a little week in review so you can catch up on what I've been doing while on "hiatus" from the blog:

4th of July weekend and visit from my New Jersey cousins:

We ate a lot of fried pickles...Introducing my cousins to the fine delicacies of North Carolina...

We attended a fabulous BBQ...

I made Red Velvet American flag cupcakes:

My niece Brookie was the picture of patriotism on her little red tricycle :) Check out her star spangled tutu!

Fully inspired by Celebrations at Home's 4th of July's tablescape, I made a backdrop of pinwheels from Party City and the Dollar Store.

This backdrop idea would be great for any color scheme or event. Ruffled Blog has a great tutorial. Here's a great example of the paper pinwheels used at a wedding:

Image Credit

In other news that happened in my world this week, I booked another wedding for next year! My new bride wants a Southern style vintage wedding. One interesting twist? We will be using vintage coke bottles that hold a significant meaning in the bride's family. I've started my research and have found some beautiful images!

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I am looking forward to planning the several weddings I have next year...it's so exciting to see my dream become a reality!

Coming up on the blog this week....A ridiculously decadent recipe for Oreo Balls...YUMMMM!

Have a great week!