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All Sparkled Up

~ Like dew hanging from the tip of a leaf, a single bead or word adds sparkle where there was none.

All Sparkled Up

Category Archives: party

Dessert Buffet

30 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by juliamonroe in baking, food, party

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

banana pudding, coconut cupcakes, dessert buffet, desserts, key lime pie bars, peach melba, peach melba shortcake, pecan pie, pecan tarts, petit fours, strawberry trifle

Several weeks ago I catered a wedding rehearsal event – Individual size Southern-style desserts for 85. I was quite busy with the preparation so these are all the photos I took. It was my first non-wedding cake event. I will say, making individual size servings of seven different desserts for 85 people is much more complicated than making a wedding cake for 250! Whew! I was thrilled that it turned out so well. Three of my sons did a fantastic job helping the day of the event. So very thankful for their help.

I prepared 24 separate recipes for all the components. I didn’t have time to make the Silk Buttercream for the Pecan Tarts so I had to use a simple buttercream instead but everything else went according to plan. Not seen well in the photos: bowls of Peanut Brittle, Spiced Pecans, Fresh Strawberries. Also: Pink Lemonade, Strawberry and Orange stick candy.

Dessert Buffet

Dessert Buffet

One of the beautiful bouquets from the buffet table, given to me by my dear friend after the event. I was not able to get a photo of the table with the bouquets but it looked lovely!

Banana Puddings, garnished with a mini Banana Spice Cookie with Lemon Frosting.

Banana Pudding

Half-size Toasted Coconut Cupcakes, garnished with unsweetened Toasted Coconut and large Coconut Flakes.

Coconut Cupcake

Key Lime Pie Bars, garnished with a thin slice of Key lime.

Key Lime Pie Bars

Peach Melba Shortcake, served with Fresh Raspberry Mousse, a Cinnamon Biscuit and Vanilla Bean Cream.

Pecan Tarts – one sweet bite of Pecan Pie.

Petit Fours – Lemon Sponge Cake with raspberry jam and Almond Poured Fondant.

Petit Fours

Strawberry Trifle – layers of sherry-soaked Vanilla Bean cake with Italian Custard and strawberries.

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Ballerina Cake Pops!

09 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by juliamonroe in baking, birthday, crafts, family, food, party, projects, tutorial

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

ballerina, ballerina banner, ballerina cake pops, birthday, birthday party ideas, cake pops, decorated cake, girl's party, honeycomb, honeycomb banner

Here are more photos from my granddaughter’s 4th birthday party. This is a long post with many photos. Please click on a photo to see a larger version if you wish. I made Ballerina Cake Pops for her in her favorite colors, purple and pink.

Ballerina Cake Pops

I drew little ballerinas on white plastic cut from clean buttermilk jugs. Then I carefully cut them out using embroidery scissors. The cake balls were made and chilled and then I inserted the ballerina into the cake ball. You can see the feet of the ballerinas sticking out of the bottom of several of the cake balls. It would have been easier to just make picks but I wanted my Granddaughter to have a little plastic ballerina to play with when she was done eating the cake pop, so of course they had to have legs.

Since there was a ballerina in the cake pop, I could not dip it as usual. I spread the melted white chocolate around the ball with an offset spatula. These were placed in styrofoam and then placed in the refrigerator to chill.

The prepared cake pops were allowed to come to room temperature before piping rows of sugar ruffles using a small rose tip.

All the cake pops were placed on a stage made of styrofoam around which I pinned crepe paper streamers and gilded trim.

She loved the Ballerina Cake Pops. I was so happy!

Enjoying rows of sugar ruffles.

Little one year old grandson enjoys a Ballerina Cake pop too.

I made a banner of ballerinas but forgot to take a photo of them hanging at the party. Here are photos of the construction.

Honeycomb Ballerina Banner

The ballerinas were drawn in Photoshop, based on a similar project in Marie Claire Idees magazine. I had to modify the Marie Claire version since it was flat, not with a full honeycomb skirt. Here you can see the honeycomb bridal shower garland from which I cut the skirts.

The ballerinas are drying after I applied glue and glitter to the shoes, bodices and tiaras.

The ballerinas are prepared for hanging. A single thin wire will be attached through a pinhole at the top of each ballerina and strung with crystal beads.

The ballerinas are hung temporarily in my dining room as I work on the hanging wires on each one They looked lovely at the party and I’m sorry I forgot to get a photo.

I just adore my granddaughter and there is no project too tedious or complicated that I wouldn’t do for her.


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She’s almost Four!

19 Saturday May 2012

Posted by juliamonroe in birthday, family, party

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

birthday

We celebrated the fourth birthday of my precious granddaughter today. There are more photos but I just had to post a few to commemorate the wonderful day.

We were busy watching her blow out the candles so none of us noticed her hand daintily holding her dress until we saw this photo.


She nibbled bites from the side of her sweet little cake.


Of course we must blow bubbles.


I adore her little cake with all the bites taken out of it!


Happiness wears curly pig tails.


Days like this have warmth that lingers long after the day is over. Love.

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Valentine Candy Bouquet

21 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by juliamonroe in candy, crafts, food, party, projects, tutorial, Valentine's Day

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

bouquet, candy, candy bouquet, centerpiece, crafts, project, styrofoam ball, sweet, table decor, tutorial, valentine candy bouquet, Valentine's Day

We are still nibbling at the Valentine Candy Bouquet. It is delicious but very, very sweet. At this rate, it may hang on till Easter! Oh my! I do love the sparkling look of it though.

Valentine Candy Bouquet – 2012

Granddaughter Chloe nibbles a cake pop from the Valentine Candy Bouquet.

For directions on making the bouquet, continue reading.
Continue reading »

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Miniature Birthday Fiesta

07 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by juliamonroe in crafts, miniature, party, tutorial

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

American Girl dolls, crafts, doll-size, fiesta, miniature, miniature pinata, tutorial

Host a doll-size Birthday Fiesta! This is one of the chapters that didn’t make the cut in Tiny Treats, a book I wrote in 2004. The centerpiece is a sweet little palm-sized pinata filled with real candy and plenty of delicious treats. Try the Three Teeny Quesadillas if you please or the Spicy Sombreros for a tiny treat. Use mini pinatas as place card holders or decorations on the table.

Miniature Birthday Fiesta!

For simple directions, see below. see more

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Birthday!

03 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by juliamonroe in birthday, party

≈ Leave a Comment

The day was splendid with brightness. First in the smiles of my family gathered around, then in the candles on the cake. I am grateful to have reached the beginning of my 54th year. I am joyful that one of my sons shares my birthday and is beginning his 30th year on the same day.

I’ve never understood why people hide their age. Every year is a gift from God and I’m glad for every one of them. Life is very, very good.

Candles on my 53rd Birthday Cake

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Recent Posts

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