DIY String Art: Bright Red Balloon

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Let It Go.

Those are three short words that make up a powerful phrase. There are so many different things that come to mind when we hear or say those words;

Disney’s Frozen
parenting
grieving a loved one
holding on to the past
living a life of fear
anger/resentment for a person (or people)
holding on to what could have been
expectations that others put on us
trying to control situations and outcomes
our plan for our lives (because God has a better one)

Oh my goodness, we could go on and on. One thing we know for sure is that it’s easier to say Let It Go than to actually do it, but we’re working on it. Now that we have our own DIY string art with a bright red balloon and those three little words under it, it’s top of mind. If we can practice letting go a little bit everyday, my will we soar!

Read the tutorial at Momtastic. It’s awesome DIY art because you don’t need a hammer or nails!

Look…It’s Ice Cream Shaped Like an Avocado for Dessert!

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Avocado + ice cream.

It’s not an everyday pairing. At first thought, it sounds creamy, slightly odd and interesting.

Well, after experimenting a bit in the kitchen, we can tell you that the combination of an avocado + ice cream dessert is delicious.

We wish we could take total credit for this idea. However, if there are any Triple D {Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives} fans out there like Jessica’s hubby, you may have seen an episode where a Mexican restaurant made an exact replica of an avocado for dessert; except instead of an avocado, it was homemade avocado ice cream in a chocolate shell, and a homemade caramel and chocolate ball inside. Yum!

We would have attempted actual avocado ice cream, but we went with something easier to make {just buy and scoop}, and sweeter {not as healthy}. Plus, the gelato had the word Sicilian in it, and being of Sicilian heritage, it was a no-brainer.

At your next party, surprise guests with an avocado dessert…or at least Avocado shaped ice cream for dessert. It will be a hit!

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You’ll Need:

Directions:

Make the Chocolate Avocado Shell

  • Step 1: Melt the chocolate wafers. We melted it via microwave in 30-second intervals until it was melted. Stir until smooth.
  • Step 2: Blow up a balloon about the size of an avocado.

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  • Step 3: Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
  • Step 4: Make sure the chocolate is slightly cool.
  • Step 5: Gently dip the balloon in the chocolate, coating the bottom half of the balloon.

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  • Step 6: Place on the baking sheet. Repeat for as many bowls as you want to make. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

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  • Step 7: To release the air from the balloon, pinch the balloon and use a tack or knife to puncture a small hole.

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  • Step 8: Release the air gradually. If the air is released too fast, the bowl will be more likely to break.
  • Step 9: Carefully peel the deflated balloons from the bowl, trying not to press down or squeezing the bowl.

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Add Ice Cream to the Shell

  • Step 1: Remove the ice cream from the freezer, and let it thaw slightly so it’s easier to mold without breaking the shell.
  • Step 2: Gently add spoonful’s of ice cream into the chocolate ‘avocado shell’ until it’s full.
  • Step 3: Press a Lindt chocolate truffle into the ice cream so it looks just like the nut inside an avocado.

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  • Step 4: Place the sweet DIY ice cream avocados into the freezer until you are ready to serve.

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last minute

…it’s my style. No matter how much I try to prepare, I am always doing things at the last-minute. So Halloween is no different this year for me. Here’s some last-minute Halloween ideas that you can easily do, and still impress your guests, or kids. Some can even lengthen the ‘fall’ holidays {Halloween and Thanksgiving}, because the idea may be relevant for both occasions.

Pumpkin Punch, Honestly Yum

Fang Napkin Holders, Food Network

Pumpkin and Ghost Sharpie Balloons, Pinterest

Spider Ice Cubes, Love This Pic

Pumpkin Cooler, Southern Living

Mummy Door, Honey and Fitz

In the Fun Lane, Ravens and Driftwood
I love the idea of using branches or driftwood with Halloween decor…and I love the candles too 

{images via Southern Living, Honestly YumPinterest, Food Network, Love This Pic, Honey and Fitz and In the Fun Lane}

party like it’s 2012

Reflection of 2011 and resolutions for 2012 is upon us with the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration. It’s been a wonderful year for my family and me and I can only hope 2012 is filled with as much laughter, joy and good memories as 2011 blessed us with.

Start the year off with a fabulous party…with shades of pink and gold. Here are some fun ideas to add to your New Year’s Eve shindig. Now you just have to decide…who’s the lucky lad {or lady} you’re gonna kiss at midnight?

DIY Gold Mason Jars: We have serious mason jar love. These DIY spray painted gold mason jars are the perfect vase for pink flowers or pink-and-white-striped straw holder for your New Year’s Eve bash. Directions for how to spray paint can be found at 100 Layer Cake.

Strawberry Champagne Sparkler Cupcakes: When I saw these on Oprah several years ago, I just knew I had to include them on my next New Year’s Eve menu. So festive with the indoor-safe sparkler candle, and who doesn’t love the combination of cupcakes, champagne, strawberries and chocolate! Sign me up for one {or two of these}. Recipe and directions found here.

2012 Sign: Love the idea of adding a 2012 sign at your party made of wooden numbers covered in gold or pink coins or sequins like the LOVE sign above. It can be a DIY project that is sure to impress. 

Shiny Centerpiece: Crate a glimmering centerpiece by sprinkling pink or gold oversized sequins between two cylinders and nestle a votive candle inside. Visit Martha Stewart to see where her team found the products to create this shimmering look. Or, add gold ornaments to glass vases and flutes in varying styles, and cluster them on a cake stand to craft a truly stunning and effortless centerpiece just like Martha Stewart did here.

Wall Decor: Use shimmering gold paper {leftover from Christmas would make this a budget-friendly project} to make streamers like this. Or, hang pink accordion circles above your dessert table and modify them by turning them into New Year’s Eve clocks. This great idea and how-to details can be found at Fiskars. For champagne-like wall decor, add different sized gold and clear balloons to the wall above the champagne table to create the bubbly effect on the wall.

Champagne: You must have champagne when you throw a New Year’s Eve party, but spruce it up a bit this year with fun and cold {just like the air outside} popsicles to serve up fancy frozen fruit pops. Don’t forget a splash of Prosecco for a colorful and unique drink display. Add sticker numbers to each glass for an official countdown beginning with 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1!

Dessert: In addition to the Strawberry Champagne Sparkler Cupcakes, make smore’s with a dusting of gold edible sprinkles. More gold inspiration found at The Cake Blog. And, you will really wow your guests with homemade fortunes. Give your guests something to talk about and look forward to with homemade fortunes {all positive of course} using your favorite quotes. For directions on how to make the fortune cookies and how to insert the fortune, visit Alisa Burke.

Favors: Give your guests a mini bottle of champagne in a bucket with a straw so it can be iced all night and passed out before midnight. Chris from Celebrations at Home has some great ideas to decorate the bucket.

I gotta feeling…2012 is gonna be a good, good year.

 {images via 100 Layer Cake, TLC, Justine Smith, Martha Stewart, Southern Living, Alisa Burke, Fiskars, The Cake Blog and Celebrations at Home}