bake sale

I LOVE to bake…and I LOVE to eat baked goods. I could easily be extremely overweight I love them so much. Thankfully, I have some self-control. So, knowing all that, it’s no surprise I love BAKE SALES.

I remember baking cookies and cupcakes with my mom to raise money for my school and sports teams…and now the tables have turned and just this summer, I was baking for my son’s school fundraiser {the first of many, I’m sure}.

With these delicious treats, you will be the queen of the bake sale…and rake in the big bucks!!

Pencil Push Pops, Bakerella

Apple Cupcakes, Martha Stewart


Cupcake Cones
, Taste of Home


Rice Krispies Dipper Treats
, Rice Krispies


Glazed Doughnut Muffins
, My Baking Addiction


Slutty Brownies
…definitely RENAME before arriving at school, The Londoner


Mini Berry Pie
, Martha Stewart

Once you’ve made your delicious treats, don’t forget to spend the time on presentation! View these tips from the super talented Amy Atlas and if your making cupcakes {not on a cone}, and want cute and easy packaging, be sure to visit Lisa Storms site here.

{images via BakerellaMartha Stewart, Taste of Home, Rice Krispies, My Baking Addiction, The Londoner}

dinosaurs and divas

Dinosaur and Diva – two simple d-words that sum up my children’s interests at this point in their lives PERFECTLY. My son does not do anything throughout the day without a dinosaur in hand, and my daughter has a purse hung on her shoulder, glasses on her head and sparkly shoes on her feet all hours of the day.

Being 9 months preggo made this year’s party planning more exhausting than most years, but I LOVE parties, details and DIY projects, and swollen feet and Braxton Hicks contractions weren’t going to stop me from throwing a cute and fun party.

I was on a budget as always, but with some creativity, the help of good ole’ Pinterest, hot glue, friends and family and food and drink, the party was a success.

ON THE MENU
Apps
Mexican 7 layer dip
Artichoke dip with chips and veggies
Queso and chips

Dinner
Taco bar
Fruit skewers
Smothered burritos

Dessert
Homemade dinosaur and flower shortbread cookies partly covered with Ghiradelli chocolate
Candy bar with my kids favorite candy: Red vines, Cinnamon bears, DumDum suckers, Starburst and Ring Pops
Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes topped off with toy dinosaurs and tiaras

DIY PROJECTS
{All DIY tutorials to follow in the coming weeks}

Turquoise-dyed Coffee filter #2
I wanted to create a fun background for the dessert table. Something different, affordable and eye-catching. I’ve seen coffee filters added to lamp shades, and they looked great with their ruffly effect. So, I tried color dying coffee filters for the first time, and creating an ombre, floral-esque #2 for my daughter}. Check back in for the DIY tutorial…

{p.s. if your interested in purchasing the #2 made of coffee filters or the #4 made of twigs below, please email me at trejsorelle@gmail.com…I no longer need and will sell for cheap}.

Tree branch #4
While playing outside with the kiddos and noticing a lot of dead branches on a nearby bush, I broke off about 50 branches from the bush with the creation of a #4 in mind. With a foam board, burlap, wire and hot glue, here’s how my #4 turned out.  

Dinosaur eggs made of yarn
I saw a lot of yarn eggs around Easter time, so I decided to use the same idea, only to create dinosaur eggs in green and orange. Stay tuned for a DIY tutorial…

Paint chip place cards
I gathered paint chips that coordinated with party colors from my local Home Depot, and within 10 minutes, I had place cards. I used Microsoft Word to type the names of the kids friends, and manually fed the paint chips into the printer. Once all names were printed, I used a blade to cut a slit above and below the names to create the perfect napkin holder.

Plate and utensil place setting
I used Kraft paper as a table linen, and used a sharpie marker to trace the kids’ place settings. This was a great linen for the kids table because they could get it dirty and once they were done with it I could throw it away, they could draw on it and it was affordable. 
For the rest of the kids table, I spray painted terra-cotta pots orange and filled with plants made to look like trees, and I spray painted olive oil glass containers pink for the white hydrangeas….something for the boys, and something for the girls! Each child had a mason jar with a curly and colorful straw too!

For the adults table, I kept it simple. I bought tiny twig wreaths {to appear like a dino nest} from Wal-Mart for $2, and put a mason jar and hydrangea in it. Then, for a more rustic touch, I lined up the three mason jars along a 6 ft antique piece of wood.

Another notably cute table setting was Jameson’s drink and volcano table because for a unique and free table setting, I used extra grass turf sitting in the garage from my parents putting green in their backyard.

Dumdum tree for candy bar
Living in the mountains, my staples for DIY projects, like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby are not an option, so good ole’ Walmart had to do. But….no styrafoam balls! What? Who doesn’t carry those? So, my dreams and love for a Dum Dum topiary will be made a reality at the next party maybe.

Plan B…a Dum Dum tree. Walmart had adorable turquoise and pink striped buckets and a florists green tree-shaped Styrofoam, so I went with it…

Volcano
I remember building a volcano for a grade school science project, so my mom, Jameson and I went to work on creating one for his big party. Stay tuned for a tutorial…


D
uct tape water bottle label
My sister {also my own personal graphic designer} just had a baby, so instead of adding another thing to her already busy plate of running an adorable boutique and being an awesome momma, I tried to find another creative water bottle labels not requiring graphic design}. I removed the labels and added pink and orange duct tape around the water bottles. Then, while playing outside with the kiddos I found small twigs that were damp and easy to bend, which made for the perfect J for Jameson’s initial, then I found .29 cents turquoise necklaces from Party City that I cut and shaped into a G, and glued to water bottle.


Dinosaur and girl footprints
I found online photos of dinosaur footprints and toddler size footprints, print copies on color paper on my computer, printed and tape to the floor.

ACTIVITIES
Dino-fabulous egg hunt: the boys hunted for eggs in  the backyard filled with dinosaurs and the girls hunted for eggs filled with rings, bracelets and candy. The kids used their Ikea favor bags as baskets for their hunt.

Erupting volcano

Manicure and pedicure station and Dress-Up Station
The girls could dress like divas from head to toe, and get their nails painted to match their dress-up outfits.

FAVORS
Ikea bags {orange for boys and pink for girls…75 cents each} at each place setting with custom thank you labels filled with: dinosaur noses, dinosaur egg gumballs and dinosaur figurines for the boys and comb and mirror set, white sunglasses, mini-size nail polish and chapstick rings for the girls.
 
Invites and Labels
Done by none other than my fabulous sister at Fleur de Lis, a paperie, Jenna.
The invite is now available in our etsy shop, click here.
VENDOR LOVE

Cupcakes: Mountain Cupcakes, Vail, Colorado
Photography: Meredith Moran Photography
Frames: Ikea
Favor Bags: Ikea
Invitation and paper accessories: Fleur de Lis, a paperie {online Etsy store available here}

surf’s up, dude

Looking at this Tiki Surfer party makes me wish I was in Hawaii, or at least a guest at the tropical paradise Sheena {talented party planning mom} created in her backyard for her son’s 1st birthday!

Sheena and her husband went above and beyond to make their son’s birthday memorable and fun! And, a bonus for them, they get to keep the Tiki bar! Keshia of Photos by Keshia captures all the lei’s and tiki’s in action.

With great enthusiasm, Sheena shares more of the party details below…

Sheena used her husband’s handy skills {she said he can build or make just about anything…you lucky lady} for party props. He made the realistic life-size surfboards {10 of them} they placed around the party, 2 tiki totem poles that greeted guests on both sides of the driveway, and he built the fantastic Tiki Bar.


I had 2 signature cocktails that I had served from the Tiki Bar in plastic tiki cocktail glasses that I found at the dollar store. For the kids I had them drinking out of plastic coconut cups.

We found an antique wood highchair and painted it to match the party so we would have an awesome cake smash setting!

For a more tropical setting, we bought many fake tropical flowers and placed them in existing greenery and plants. I made a dress-up station located at the entrance where party goers could pick various items to complete their luau look! There were beachcomber hats, tiki masks, flower hair clips, sunglasses, flower anklets/bracelets, and of course grass skirts for the girls.

I found tiki head pots and used them for my centerpieces with tropical flowers placed in them. I hot glued more of the flowers around the tabletop tiki torches to add more color. Different color tablecloths on all the tables really brightened everything up too. For the chairs I simply put a lei on the back of each and told the guests as they got there to make sure they picked one to put on.

As far as food, no luau would be complete without a pig with hat and sunglasses! We simply ordered that from a local town. We also had chicken and shrimp kabobs with pineapple, small ears of corn, coconut rice, and lots of veggies. For dessert, I put blue jello in individual cups with spoon and a gummy shark in it and called it shark infested water. Those were a big hit. I made cake balls to look like a pina colada drink in coconuts. I also made pretzel totem poles by using icing to glue tiki head sugar dec-ons to a pretzel rods and standing  them in crushed graham crackers. I had made surfboard cookies also, but that was the one thing I forgot unfortunately. I had the cake and cupcakes done by a local baker but I did design them all.

As far as activities, in the pool I got shark and surfboard inflatables and the kids absolutely loved them. I had music from the beach boys and any other surfer songs playing throughout the party. And, we had a limbo set that the kids had a lot of fun playing.

You thought of everything adorable for this party Sheena. And, from the looks of it…you had one happy boy!

We can’t wait to see what you come up with when Ryker turns 2!

{images via Photos by Keshia}

slug bug style

Our friend and talented photographer, Meredith Moran, worked her first styled shoot in May at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park. Her dad’s refurbished slug bug served as the inspiration behind the shoot. Of course, we love the red slug bug…and all the details to go along with. The pop of red. Vintage white dresser. Old school desk sprinkled with buttons. Antique china. Mason jar floral arrangements on antique books. And who doesn’t love a Radio flyer? For all you brides out there…you can rent those items and more for your wedding from Jessica at A Vintage Affair Rentals. If I could re-do anything from my wedding, I would rent Jessica’s entire warehouse.

Kudos to Meredith and Tiny Bubbles Event Design. We can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

For more lovely photos from the shoot, visit here.











VENDOR LOVE

Photography/Design:  Meredith Moran Photography
Planning/Coordination:  Tiny Bubbles Event Design
Vintage Furniture & Accessories:  A Vintage Affair Rentals
Paperware/Invitations: Fleur de Lis {a paperie}
Flowers:  The Ruffly Rose
Cake & Cupcakes: Goblin City Bakery
Dress: Kathy Ireland Weddings by 2 Be (get it at The Bridal Collection)\
Hair & Make up: Cory Bryant, Make Up By Cory
Flatware/Glassware/Chairs: All Well Rents
Lace Tablecloth: Linen Hero
Venue: The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park
Models:  Jim & Kelli Goodwin

{images via Meredith Moran Photography}

antonia + reggie

When Jessica Strong, owner of  A Vintage Affair Rentals, and Emily of Emily Elizabeth Photo sent these ‘backyard wedding celebration’ photos to us, we were smitten. We love the simplicity of the celebration and its uniqueness filled with DIY details by the bride and groom. They really made it ‘their day’ in every way. Oh, and the fabulous food truck…we absolutely love!
Here’s all the wonderful details from the blissful bride:
September 23, 2011 was the day of my wedding celebration.  I was married to my Love, Reggie Lafaye on May 5, 2011 at the Starhouse near Boulder, Colorado with under 10 guests in attendance. This was exactly what we wished for – a small, sacred ceremony and then a super fun, happy party with all of our friends and family with us to celebrate our love.
My vision was one of celebration basked in the aesthetic of myself and my husband which is very earth connected, but still elegant and creative. Originally I wanted a bohemian carnival feel, like gypsies running through the night celebrating being alive! Had we a farm with tons of land, I think with my amazing wedding coordinator, Paige Domiano of Peekay Soiree, we could have achieved that. But since we chose to have our celebration at our home in the city, we had to tone it down a bit.
We still kept an undertone of carnival to the party. Paige made beautiful, mini hot air balloons that sat atop of the pillars as you entered our home. Our guest book, which people left finger prints instead of signatures, was a hot air balloon illustration done by Bluedetoi, a custom artist on Etsy. Several other ‘carnival’ touches were achieved through custom pieces. We have a local godsend in Denver, a company called A Vintage Affair Rentals, I choose to rent an old gumball machine that we filled with chocolate-covered peanuts. Also our bar was an old lemonade stand, which reminded me of an early 20th century carnival or fair. I also made a numbered checkered board for people to put their drinks on while dancing. That was a HUGE project! It took twice as long as I thought to stencil in all the numbers and paint them opposite colors.
We had home-made caramel corn served in old school pop corn bags, and of
course the FOOD TRUCK! Nothing says carnival more to me than a food truck. And Steuben’s Food Truck did an outstanding job serving over 100 people amazing food.

That aesthetic was balanced by the more refined elegant Bohemian touches, which is my essence. I love the creativity of what a bohemian lifestyle is with a touch of old Hollywood glamour thrown in for good measure. My dress was made by Two birds. Since I wore a white dress to our ceremony I wanted something in color for the celebration. And I wanted that color to be a dark teal. The fabric was so soft and did not wrinkle! Also, it photographed beautifully and I was comfortable all night long. My husband wore a vintage suit of my grandfathers as an homage to him. He recently passed and was a very big influence in my life. 
My best friend Mia and I made my bouquet out of peacock feathers. I wanted something that I could have forever, and have a rich and luscious feel (old Hollywood). It turned out so beautiful, especially since we made it the day of the celebration while we were getting our hair done! Thank God we are both good under pressure. We also made my husband’s boutonniere out of feathers as well.

The flowers were made by another one of my best girlfriends who is a genius when it comes to arranging. We used wild flowers with twigs and feathers. I wanted it to look like someone took a walk in the forest and collected these, and that is exactly how they came across. I found all different shapes of vases and spray painted them. Mostly in black, brown but a few white to give it contrast. They sat upon wood slices, some of which has tiny birdhouses next to them.

The lighting was mostly twinkle and gas lights with a lot of lanterns. I love the feel of lanterns especially when they have that gypsy quality to them. We hung the vintage lanterns from our oak tree and them randomly places the others around the yard. My husband and his father hung a ton of the twinkle lights above the dance floor. It looked amazing! That is where everyone gathered after we ate dinner, underneath the “stars” of the dance floor.
We did a lot of things ourselves but two of my favorite pieces I made were the photo booth backdrop and the party favors. The backdrop was totally tongue in cheek. It was a two wolves howling at the night sky that had a full moon and some extraterrestrial activity happening. Everyone, even my grandmother, was howling’ at the moon! And for the party favors, I wanted something that would be a keepsake, and that would not be thrown away. So I made stainless steel and leather key chains. They were all slightly different but very beautiful. I made a handful of them with fur and leather fringe for some of my girlfriends who like that look. They were made from recycled leather and fur I bought from Ebay and the stainless steel rings I bought at home depot.

Right after dinner and all of the toasts, we went to the front of the house for a group photo. Paige handed out sparklers to everyone and this is where the night turned up a notch. We took photos with all of the sparklers, and then headed to the back for a full-on dance party! I was on the dance floor all night long. It was once of the most incredible nights of my life. I was literally high off of all the happiness and love that everyone felt. It is a night I will never forget. I love and thank everyone who made this such a success.
VENDOR LOVE
Photography: Emily Elizabeth Photo
Catering: Steuben’s Food Truck
Desserts: Watercourse Bakery {mini ho ho’s, Happy Cakes – mini pies, homemade S’mores sticks}
Libations: Mondo Vino
Event coordinators: Peekay Soiree, Paige Domiano
Vintage Decor Rentals: A Vintage Affair rentals
Dress: Two Birds
Makeup by Angela Alonzo:  angela.marie.alonzo@gmail.com
Hair: Love, a Hair Studio by artist  Orleana Lynch
DJ: Eric Halborg of  The Swayback