CupKate's Event Design

{Flash Sale Friday} Paper Straws!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:14:00 +0000

There is another fun deal on Flash Sale this weekend in my shop! Paper Straws, in 13 colors, are available through Sunday, July 1st at 6pm(est) for just $2.50 per package of 25!

No party is complete without coordinating Paper Straws! Grab yours before they're gone!

Happy Friday!

Party In A Flash!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:25:00 +0000

Party in a Flash Fridays have arrived at Cupkateseventdesign.com! I couldn't help but think that some of the Flash Deal sites were a little silly- offering many of the same products I carry for more than my regular retail! So, I decided I would throw my own Flash Sales to include really superb products at a true sale price.

Today is the first day and the product I am featuring is Japanese Masking Tape, also known as Washi tape for $1.95 a roll! The possibilities are endless for Washi Tape and I am so happy to have this product as part of my shop for just a few short days. The deal ends on Sunday at Midnight!

Tell me what you think... Are you happy about this deal? What other products would you like to see? I hope you'll come back for more each Friday!

An Ice Cream for Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:19:00 +0000

I have just sent my babes off to preschool with a small token for their Teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. The top label says, "Here's the scoop, I think you're really cool!" Inside was a gift card to our favorite ice cream shop, Bruster's. Mmm Mmm.

The hardest part of this project was ordering the labels from Paper in the Park and tying it all up. So easy! ... I love when easy is adorable.

The Ice Cream Tubs and Wooden Utensils will be available in my shop within the next day or two. Wahhoo!

What would use these Pint Sized Ice Cream Tubs for?

Peep Popcorn

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:05:00 +0000

When Christi from Love From The Oven announced her "Easter Recipe Contest" I started wracking my brain for ideas. Peeps and Company happens to be sponsoring the contest and my Mom is the greatest lover of Peeps known to man. If I win this, I will be her favorite, forevermore. And as the youngest of five daughters, that's a title I wouldn't mind having... And flaunting.

So here's my entry. A true ode to my beloved Madre. Peep Popcorn.

Recipe:
-1-2 Tablespoons butter
-1 Package of Peeps (The package that has 4 rows of Peeps) of your choosing, divided.
-1 bag of Microwave Popcorn. Look for the "Tender White" or "Crispy White" varieties. Using the "Buttered" flavors will result in a mushy mess.

First, pop your popcorn and seperate all of the unpopped kernels from your bowl. Melt your butter in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Once your butter has melted, add 3 of the rows of Peeps to the pan. Stir until the marshmallow melts and the sugar has dissolved. Pour your melted marshmallow mixture over your popcorn and stir to coat. Once coated, spread your popcorn onto a cookie sheet to dry. Chop up the remaining row of peeps and sprinkle on top of the popcorn as it sets.

You could also alter this recipe and use melted white chocolate to cover your popcorn and then sprinkle on the chopped up peeps. Festive, silly and seriously delish... It will be a Happy Easter, indeed!

Chocolate Covered Oreo Nonpareils!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:39:00 +0000

The other day I needed a little something to take to a girlfriend. Nothing major or expensive, just a little treat to lift her spirits. I was kind of stuck on what to bring, until I remembered my Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Mold!

With the mold, melted chocolate, Oreos and nonpareils in hand, I made these Chocolate Covered Oreo Nonpareils in approximately 5 minutes. Seriously, the easiest things I've ever homemade in my life! They're perfect for a dessert table, as a party favor, teacher gift, etc. And with all the fun color options you can find nonpareils in now, {Target has some cute Easter sprinkles in their dollar section!} you could easily customize it to fit any theme.

So, since I had such great success, I thought I'd share. You can find the Cookie Molds in my shop, here.

Push Pop Cupcake Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:36:00 +0000

From time to time I hear that Push Pop Cupcakes are hard or messy to make. I happen to be the least crafty girl in all the world, so I can assure you this is not true. If I can do it, anyone can do it. But, there is a secret weapon in Push Pop Cupcake success... read on.

First, we start with the parts of our Push Pops. The Container, Stick, Lid and Pedestal.

Assemble the stick to the pedestal first.

Drop it through the container.

Enter, the secret weapon. The kabob skewer.

If time wasn't on your side and you "made" store bought cupcakes, no problem. Skewer your cupcake.

Take off the wrapper and gently place it into the container. The skewer gives you pretty amazing control over where the cupcake actually ends up.

You may want to use a second skewer to help get the cupcake off of the first one.

Repeat the process.

Success!

The process is much the same if you were a little ambitious and homemade your cupcakes. Skewer the cupcake at an angle this time for optimal placement.

Ice.

Repeat.

Success!

To purchase your Push Pop Containers, visit the CupKate's Shop, here. ; )

CupKatesEventDesign.Com!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:54:00 +0000

Yesterday the new Cupkateseventdesign.com website went live! I can't tell you in words how excited I am to have the opportunity to buy and sell the party products that I LOVE.

{You may have noticed that I'm not extremely active on this page, if you haven't already, find me on Facebook for product updates, coupon codes and more!}

Pinkalicious Princess Party

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Two years ago, I gave birth to one firecracker of a little girl. She's sassy and bossy. She lives for the color pink and princesses. Before her feet even hit the ground in the morning, she puts on a fancy little necklace. Many of our trips out to run errands include her sunglasses and a tutu. She's everything I ever hoped to be as a little girl. ; )

I really think birthday parties should be a reflection of your child. And with so many interests in everything frou frou and girly, I threw her an Adelynn themed party. This was all about her and the things she loves, with an emphasis on her true love of Princesses.

Each little girl went home with a shiny pink purse. Inside was a hair bow, princess lip gloss and a candy necklace. Truly Adelynn's every day "must haves". When planning out the details of her party, I knew that although adorable, a paper cone shaped party hat simply wasn't what a true glamour girl would wear. So I made feather boa headbands for the girls to wear instead.

These little pearl bracelets served as napkin rings and another take home gift for the girls.

I decided to use my fireplace mantle as the dessert table. I thought this way the parents had a little more discretion over what their children ate at the party and I did not use any additional space in the room.

If you didn't already know, Allyson Jane is amazing.

A big thanks to Starbucks for launching their mini line of sweets just in time for Addy's party!

A custom made cookie necklace by Allyson Jane. Yes, that necklace is totally (and deliciously) edible!

Tutu tights, really? I'd be lying if I said I didn't totally want some for myself! : P

Baby Kate modeling the "party hats".

We happen to belong to a large playgroup which is obviously made up of boys and girls. I didn't want to exclude the boys from the day, so they became our Knights in Shining Armour.

The stick on mustache's don't necessarily have anything to do with being a knight... But, they're hysterical.

Oh. My. Mercy! Erin from Whip it Good Cookies made these. They're adorable, right? Well, they taste even better than they look! Erin hand cut each dragon... What?? I seriously couldn't cut out a dragon with scissors and paper this well! Love, love! The cookies made it just in time to be placed at each boys seat.

So there we have it. Last year I speculated that I would be throwing her a Sock Hop this year. It cracks me up every time I think about it. WHO knew a 2 year old would be so certain about what kind of party they wanted? I'm going to speculate on next year, just for fun... I'll say, it will be Barbie. : P

A special thanks to the superb vendors who helped make Adelynn's day so special..

Photography by,
Destinee Thurston at Cellar Door Photography
http://www.cellardoorphoto.com/

Paper Products by,
Susie and Kassy from Paper in the Park
http://www.mypaperinthepark.com/

Princess & Necklace Cookies by,
Ally from Allyson Jane
http://www.allysonjane.com/

Dragon Cookies by,
Erin from Whip it Good Cookies
http://www.whipitgoodcookies.com/

Party Dress by,
Rissabella
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rissabella

P.S. Did you notice what her party does not include?? Push Pops! By the time the party came, I had sold through every single container!

Push Pop Containers Now Available For Purchase!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:23:00 +0000

I'm happy to announce that I now sell Push Pop Containers! If you would like to purchase Push Pop Containers for your next event, visit my Party Shop, HERE.

And we all thought Cupcakes couldn't be any cuter...

A New Look!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:42:00 +0000

I know nothing when it comes to blogs. Even the simple task of including my own logo on this page escaped me. Give me a theme and a budget and I will happily whip up a party... But give me a computer and a blog and I'm a lost cause.

Until... Do Do Dooo! Kristin at Simply Klassic Blog Design came to my rescue! If you're looking to spruce up your own page, I highly recommend Kristin's work. I gave her a few simple words of things I like (pink and polka dots) and less than 1 week later she nailed my dream aesthetic. When we started working together she quoted me up to 2 weeks for completion of the blog... And then went live in 6 days!

Thank you, Kristin! I love what you've done with this place.

Happy Presidents Day! Hope you're enjoying the day.

Push Pop Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:11:00 +0000

These are the little Valentine's I put together for my Son's preschool class. If you would like to reserve your Push Pop Cupcakes for an upcoming birthday or celebration, email me at Contact me at CupKatesEventDesign@yahoo.com.

Valentine's Day Is So Much Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:37:00 +0000

Maybe this is too much information about myself, BUT... Growing up our Family had a little Valentine's Day song that goes a little something like... "Valentine's Day is so much fun. Sending cards to everyone. Big red hearts, so bright and gay, I love you, I LOVE you, that's what they say!". This is the tune my Mom woke us up with each Valentine's morning and once our eyes finished blurring we would find our Sees Chocolate candy Valentine's boxes, complete with a chocolate marshmallow, left for us by our dearest Valentine of all, our Dad.

Here are the current front runners for Valentine's my little guy Jackson might take to school with him. However... Before we start... Let it be known that I am no great photographer. I also lack graphic design skills. And finally, I nearly pulled my hair out trying to get these three "prototypes" made and photographed while my kids pulled every single naughty trick in the book. With that being said...

I spotted these Valentine's when I google searched "ice cream cone candy". So stinkin' cute! But in keeping with the tradition of the day, I thought it isn't really completed without a catchy heart felt phrase. I give you...

You Make Me Melt!

Then, as we were browsing through Wal-Mart one day, I came across these mini water painting sets. Everything mini is adorable, as far as I'm concerned. And in this case, a cute alternative to candy. I give you...

Our Friendship is a MasterPiece!

Last, but not least...

You PUSH my buttons and make my heart POP!

So there are our homemade Valentine options for this year. I'm leaning toward the Push Pop Cupcakes. With a different label for his teachers that reads, "Thank you for PUSHING me to learn." Whadda think?

I'm in full fledged planning mode for my Daughter's 2nd birthday on April 1st. I wrote last year that I thought I might do a Sock Hop this year. If only I knew then how wildly opinionated she would be at the tender age of 2...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kate

My Insanity's Party Party

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

I entered two of my parties from last year into My Insanity's Party Party, which will name the Top 5 Parties of the Year! Both were selected as finalists, but now I need your help making my way to placing a spot in the top 5. With 2 days left to vote, Jackson's Under the Sea Bash is in 4th place, but I would obviously love love LOVE to improve that number (and keep myself from falling off the list!).

Will you help a fellow party girl out and vote for your top 3 parties? (Hopefully Under the Sea and Pinkies Out are included in your list.) Hehe. I will repay you with some pretty adorable Valentine ideas to send your kids to school with tomorrow. ; )

Thanks for supporting CupKate's Event Design!

Click here to vote!

10 Must Have Stocking Stuffers For The Party Girl

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:49:00 +0000

One of my favorite things to shop for at the holidays are stocking stuffers. (I figure, it's only fair to help the big man out with an item or two.) I think stocking stuffers are so fun and many times more personal than the main attraction gifts. So after Jennifer at Passion for Parties wrote a post about the 10 Things that Every Party Girl Should Have On Her Christmas List, I decided to make my own list to compliment hers.

Below is my list of 10 Must Have Stocking Stuffers For The Party Girl.

10. Believe by Dan Zadra & Kobi Yamada- $12.95
I love being able to flip open a book and read an encouraging word. I keep this in my kitchen and thumb through many times a week.

9. Proctor Silex 33015 1-1/2-Quart Round Slow Cooker- $19.35
Please form a single file line when you all arrive to my house to kiss me on my face. : P A crock pot on the warm setting is the EASIEST and quickest way to melt chocolate (again, use the warm setting!). It stays at the perfect temperature for the entire time you dip and the smaller size of the mini crock pot makes your dipping well deeper. Plus, this is also handy when serving a warm dip (think Superbowl parties, ladies).

8. Himalayan pink salt truffles, 15 pc. by Vintage Confections on Etsy- $17
I don't think this needs much explanation. The combination of the sweet and the salty is so totally out of this world. Include these on a dessert table for a sophisticated treat, or keep them as a secret stash for after your party guests go. ; )

7. OPI Pretty and Privileged Nail Lacquer- $6.99
I don't really enjoy getting a manicure. Isn't that terrible? But I do LOVE having my nails painted for a special event. I think it's the final touch on putting a party and yourself together. This bright red is always a fav of mine and perfect for the holidays.

6. Ellia C. Naturals One Lump Or Two Sugar Scrub- $10
I'm feeling relaxed and pampered just reading about this sugar scrub! I would love to see anything from the Ellia C. Naturals product line in my stocking, but the idea of a single serving of body scrub tickles my fancy.

5. Curly Girl Design Iphone Skin- $6
My phone has basically become a part of my body. What sweet and simple reminder to carry around with you where ever you may go.

4. PSA Essentials Personalized Stamp- $40

Why spend all of the time and money on a beautiful invitation or card only to add a sloppy return address? (I won't lie, I'm guilty of this.) For you local Marylanders, you can purchase one at my favorite spot, Paper in the Park.

3. Wild Hibiscus in Syrup- $11
What a beautiful way to dress up champagne! You'll love these at your New Years Eve Soiree or any fancy pants party.

2. Dainty Paper Flower Ring by Blush Envy- $25
Well, this is just adorable. This would be fun to wear while hostessing a party, but I love this enough to wear it every day.

1. Wish Lanterns- $27.99 for a set of 10
I saw these in action at a rehearsal dinner recently. What fun! And the perfect way to start off the New Year.

I'm a little late on this post, but I hope it benefits someone, somewhere. Happy Shopping to one and all!

Pink and Red Holiday Dessert Table

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:55:00 +0000

I recently put together a dessert table for a tasting event held by our local Chamber of Commerce. Below are the pictures, I hope you enjoy!

The Paisley Cookies were done by Ally of Allyson Jane.

Those Goregous Oreos are thanks to Kim at Sweeties.

The classic holiday cookies made by Rory at the Cookie Diva.

Beautiful Paper Products thanks to Paper in the Park.

And as always, amazing photography courtesy of Destinee at Cellar Door Photography!

Paper Nook Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:07:00 +0000

Have you found me on facebook yet? If not, become a fan today and enter to win a set of EIGHT super adorable holiday favor bags from Paper Nook! These little favor bags are my new favorite party item, I can't imagine doing another children's party without them! You can read all about my (some what obsessive) love for these bags on my facebook page under the "notes" section.

You have until Friday, December 3rd at Midnight to enter and as it stands now, your chances are good with only 4 entries so far. What the heck?! 4 enteries?? Come enter!!

Happy 1st Day of Adventing to you all. : )

Kate

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 01:14:00 +0000

I have to be honest, I'm a traditions girl. Even the thought of a Family Tradition feels warm and cozy to me.

One of my favorites as a child was when my mom would start an advent calendar with us. Oh heavens, is there anything more exciting than opening that little window and finding a sweet piece of chocolate inside?? Well, it turns out, yes there is. My (much) older sister (hehehehe), started an advent calendar with her children many years ago. Instead of including sweets or special treat, she wrote an activity for the family to do together that day. So for everyday in the month of December, the family all participated in some spirited event. When I married my husband, Becky gifted us with our very own Advent calendar. The. Most. Fun. Thing. Ever!! Holy smokes, we now have 24 days of traditions leading up to the main event!

The activities you choose to do with your family are totally up to you. Extravagant or simple. Here is the calendar I've put together for our family this year. Since Jackson and Adelynn are really getting into the years of understanding and loving the Christmas magic, I can't wait to get started! Ahem... Please note that I wrote all of these to be read to my 3 and 1 year old. Please don't judge my over excitement and/or goofy wording. ; )

Wednesday, December 1st- Hooray! Only 24 more days until Christmas. To kick off the season, choose your favorite Christmas carol and sing it for the family after dinner.

Thursday, December 2nd- Let's snuggle up with hot chocolate and watch ELF.

Friday, December 3rd- Severna Park is lighting the community Christmas tree tonight. We will be there!

Saturday, December 4th- Santa is flying in from the North Pole!
http://www.collegeparkaviationmuseum.com/Add_Events/Santa_Fly-In.htm

Sunday, December 5th- Let's all go help Dad cut down our Christmas tree. Maybe we'll even see Reindeer today!
http://www.applewoodfarm.org/applewoodchristmas.htm

Monday, December 6th- Take a minute to remember how blessed we are this Holiday. Pick a toy out at the store and donate it to Toys For Tots.
http://www.toysfortots.org/

Tuesday, December 7th- It's Jack's special day. Pick your favorite thing for Mom to make for dinner tonight.

Wednesday, December 8th- Today is Adelynn's lucky day! Pick your favorite thing for Mom to make for dinner tonight.

Thursday, December 9th- Get out the flour and sprinkles galore, it's time to bake some Christmas cookies!

Friday, December 10th- It's our Playgroup Cookie Exchange!

Saturday, December 11th- Bundle up! Tonight is the Parade of Lights in Annapolis!
http://www.eastportyc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=243&Itemid=32

Sunday, December 12th- Toot! Toot! All aboard the Santa Train!
http://www.wsrr.org/events.htm

Monday, December 13th- Could that be Santa whizzing by on the Fire Truck? Listen close all day so we don't miss the big man in red!

Tuesday, December 14th- Mom's turn to pick her favorite! Mmm, what will I make??

Wednesday, December 15th- Hop in the car, we're off to see the Lights on the Bay!
http://www.annapolis.com/events/lights-bay-illumination/

Thursday, December 16th- Jackson is a super star! Let's go see our boy perform at his preschool show!

Friday, December 17th- Another awesome Christmas light display! Let's go check out the "Christmas Street"!
http://www.christmasstreet.com/

Saturday, December 18th- Can you hear the jingle bells ringing? Let's go see the Polar Express in 4D!
http://www.aqua.org/4d-nowplaying.html

Sunday, December 19th- Today is the big day! I hope you've been nice... We will go tell Santa our wish list this year.

Monday, December 20th- Our town looks so beautiful for the holidays! Get in the car and drive around to look at the lights. When you see something spectacular, leave the family a thank you note!

Tuesday, December 21st- Invite your friends over to decorate gingerbread houses. Try not to eat all the gumdrops, please.

Wednesday, December 22nd- What would Dad like for dinner tonight? It's his turn to pick his favorite!

Thursday, December 23rd- A special day with Grandpa, Didi, Carly and Kyle!

Friday, December 24th- Merry Christmas, to our little Family! Enjoy the day and be good to one another. Wait to see if the Jammie Fairy will come tonight, then ask Daddy to read you "Twas the Night Before Christmas" before bed.

However you celebrate the holiday season with your family, I sincerely hope it's a magical one!

Kate

Under the Sea Birthday Bash!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:16:00 +0000

My little boy Jackson turned three last month and to celebrate I put together an Under the Sea party that I hope he won't soon forget. Since the beginning of time, Jack has loved everything that involves the water. In fact, his first birthday was a rubber ducky themed party since he loved bath time so much! I guess his obsession with ocean life was then a natural progression. : )

The Dessert Table doubled as the Party Favor Bar. I wanted to cut down on the amount of sweets at the party since my "clients" were only three ; ), so I did the favor bar in conjunction with the desserts. The kids took a bucket and were able to pick and choose prizes to take home. Since we live in Maryland, home of the blue crab, I obviously HAD to use a crab basket as a cake stand and centerpiece.

Cupcake Cookie Toppers by The Cookie Jar

"Shark Attack Snack Mix. Includes Sharks, Fish and Life Preservers. Don't swim too far from the shore!"

Cookies to match the Cupcake Toppers, also by The Cookie Jar!

Fresh Sushi

Many of the children had a younger sibling that came to the party. A beanie baby and a book were for our youngest guests.

And then our Menu:

Sand Dollars, also known as Pop Chips.

Sparkling Octopus Ink

A re-purposed Halloween Trick or Treat bag from PBKids became our napkin & utensil holder

And of course, nothing better to wash your lunch down with than "Freshly Bottled Ocean Water"

The Party Space, Game & Craft:

Jelly Fish floating above the table.

"GOLD FISH BAR: Take a box and make a mix, Sea creatures are the perfect hunger fix!"

The kids each made their own "mini" ocean to take home.

So there you have it, we all had fun and I am now the very proud Mommy of a THREE year old!! Oh my gosh, how is he three already??... Look out for A Super Jackson Saves The Day Party... in another 11 or so months. : )

All photographs courtesy of Destinee Thurston, Cellar Door Photography!

Under The Paper Stars

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:34:00 +0000

On Thursday, I had the distinct honor of creating a dessert table for Paper in the Park's holiday Sip and See. Susie and Kassy run the most gorgeous little paper boutique you've ever seen. Every time I go in, I barely make eye contact with the ladies since I'm continuously scanning the store for more adorable items. Even better than the fabulous things that they carry, they create THE most adorable invitations and stationary you've ever seen. All in all, they're a dream store come true. : )

The ladies asked for an all white table with touches of silver. The all white desserts included; Marshmallows that I painted with glitter dust to give shimmer, Malted milk balls (not pictured), Chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (okay, so chocolate is not white, but I wanted to add an additional taste and thought the cream cheese frosting would handle the white part), Meringues, Raffaello Almond Coconut Candies, beautiful logo Sugar Cookies by Allyson Jane and Miniature White Cotton Candy. Delicious!

I worked with a vendor that happened to work with organic sugar (all white) to create these miniature cotton candy clouds. These were so adorable and unique to the event... I will definitely work with cotton candy in again!!

We are celebrating my little boy's 3rd birthday on the 15th. I'm in full swing turning our house into an Under Water Wonderland.

Enjoy the weekend!

Details of the Tea Party

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:49:00 +0000

I cannot tell you in words how excited I have been to gain blog followers and fans on Facebook as a result of the features on the Tea Party I put together. (23 followers is big news for little ole me!) I would like you all to think that it was nearly impossible to put together and I spent thousands getting it perfect. Neither of those things are true, however, so here are the do it yourself details!

First up, the butterfly lollipops. Did you know it's totally easy to make your own?? I had no idea either, until Jessica of Pen N Paperflowers posted a tutorial. (If ever there was a brilliant blogger/creative mind on this planet, it's Jessica of Pen N PaperFlowers.) The best part is, you don't have to scour the candy aisle looking for something to match your theme... Lollipop molds are made in hundreds (if not thousands) of shapes and sizes. I did learn a few things of my own after 3 failed attempts, so take these hints with you when you check her tutorial out... First, make sure you pile the candy up REALLY high, especially in fragile places. For the butterfly mold, it was the tips of the wings. If there isn't enough candy piled on, it will burn and turn the candy an ugly brown color.

Also, I found that by spraying a paper towel with non-stick spray and then lightly greasing the mold, I had better results than just directly spraying from the canister onto the mold. It takes only a very little amount of non-stick spray to get the lollipops to come out easily.

I won't lie. I thought the table cloth was adorable. The pink polka dots with the floral vintage fabric on top was perfect. And, I had good intentions of spending a long time sewing a nice table cloth together. But, I actually don't know how to sew and when my Mother In Law came to help me, we were unable to get the machine working. So, I simply placed the fabrics on top of the table. No cutting, no sewing. With coupons, fabric is many times just as affordable as a plastic tablecloth but with a much prettier result.

The chocolate tea cup, saucer and spoon was also a homemade detail. With another candy mold! This is also, totally easy! I did figure out another helpful little trick, though. If you just pour the chocolate into the mold, you will have air bubbles and the surface won't be smooth. I combated this by first painting on a layer of chocolate and then pouring the rest in. Yes, with a paintbrush... Just make sure your brush is high quality enough that bristles won't come off the brush and onto your mold. I'm not very crafty, so I bought edible flowers and using more chocolate, "glued" it right onto the side of the cup. Easy, peasy!

For the cupcake pedestals I followed the Executive Homemaker tutorial for making a cake plate. I cannot re-find the tutorial for the life of me! Here's basically what the tutorial says... Buy some kind of base, buy some kind of a plate and glue them both together with E6000. In my case, I bought candlesticks from Michael's and tea saucers from Goodwill. Total cost of the project, $20 including spray paint and the glue! (And that made 6 of them!) Click for an alternative and just as good tutorial, here.

The cupcake bouquet was painless considering the finished product. I cut a styrofoam ball in half, placed it inside of the tea pot, added my cupcakes on kabob skewers and filled in the empty places with hydrangea from my friend's yard.

Are you ready for the details on the tutu bench?? I bought about 10 yards of fabric, cut the tulle into 6" wide by 36" long strips and tied it directly onto the bench. Since tulle is stiff, that's all you have to do. Tie it on and it will poof out like a tutu. This would be especially cute for dressing up little girl's chairs for a princess party, or to make the birthday girl's seat extra special.
I also used a tutorial for making korker hair bows to figure out how to get ribbon to perfectly curl and then used the ribbon to tie up my lollipops. The flower pomander hanging from the tree was a find at a local model home clearance center for $5 and the white paper lantern came from the dollar store. I just glued on the butterfly to "cute" it up a bit.

So, there it is. Nothing too fancy about it and yet, it did turn out beautiful, if I do say so myself. : )

Next week I'm making my dessert table debut for a girlfriend's paper shop boutique and a week after that my little man turns 3. I hope you stick around to see the results!

Kate

Time for Tea!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:46:00 +0000

When I read about Ava's Tea Party after finding the link via Pen N Paper Flowers, I knew it would be the perfect event to help launch CupKate's Event Design. A meaningful, happy day to celebrate the little spirits that we love so dearly. Using the artwork from the Ava's Tea Party website and many of the fabulous details from Pen N Paper Flowers' "Sunshine and Lemonade" party as my inspiration, below is my take on a beautiful tea at the park. You'll see many of my favorite personal touches including the Tutu Bench, cupcakes tied with ribbon, homemade chocolate tea cup, saucer and spoon as a party favor, personalized straw flags made with ribbon to remind everyone to drink with their "pinkies out", and best of all, the adorable children who celebrated with us. I hope you enjoy looking into our day as much as we enjoyed celebrating it!

Spoooky Spider Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:30:00 +0000

While I was out shopping last weekend I came across Crate and Barrel's Halloween collection. Very cute! I especially loved these spider cupcake holders. Adorable. But I thought there had to be a way to make these more usable for the preschool/playgroup scene... A trip to Dollar Tree, Joann Fabrics and a grand total of $1.89 later, I had 12 of them!

Much easier for small, clumsy hands to handle, right?? And all you need are black paper cups, black pipe cleaners and some cupcakes.

Recognize those cupcake toppers? They're a FREE printable from PaperGlitter! Find them, here.

I've Been Featured!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:09:00 +0000

This is such a super fun day for me. Laurie of TipJunkie included me in her birthday bash this morning with a feature on Sweet Shop themed parties! Oh my gosh, do you know how great her site is?? Not only does she provide awesome information and lots of free printables, she also encourages and promotes other Moms like crazy.

So happy, so fun. : )

A Super Sweet 1st Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:35:00 +0000

These are the pictures from my Daughter's 1st birthday party. I had SO much fun putting this together. It all started when I Googled "birthday party themes for girls" and found the super adorable lollipop party Kim did for her daughter at the TomKat Studio. It was so exciting to see what she was able to create! With her party as my inspiration, I was off and running.

First up was finding a cake. Back to google I went where I found this amazing cake! I did my best to re-create it at home. This was my first cake making experience ever. And I'm not a very skilled artist, so the fact that this didn't turn out totally terrible thrilled me like you wouldn't believe!

Then there was the "Candy Shop". My wonderful husband made this for me and my amazing Mother In Law custom made the table skirt and canopy. It rocked!

Next came decorating and the Birthday Girl's outfit. I ordered her little outfit on Etsy, of course. The lollipops up the walk way were a hybrid of the lollipops TomKat made and Christmas decorations our family used when I was a kid. I won't lie, they took me approximately 75 years to make. But, I was happy when they were done!

I made the centerpieces using candy buttons and some old floral vases. The utensils were tied up with the same ribbons used throughout the party and adorned with mini lollipops. The birthday banner and all of the labels used in the party were made by a local paper shop and coordinated with her sticky sweet invitation. (I saw the wording on another blog and now can't find the source. Does anyone know who??) It says, "Oh how she's grown, no longer a baby. Sweet mixed with sassy, she's our little lady." I still get a little misty when I re-read it, I can't believe she's already one! I also made the lollipop cookies which weren't perfect, but did the job.

And, after months of planning this party I thought it was only fitting to serve a cocktail. (Mostly because by the time the party came, I needed one!) I filled glass bottles I found at HomeGoods with the "Sour Lolly" and labeled them "Candy is Dandy but Liquor is Quicker", the famous quote attributed to Ogden Nash. With a rock candy swizzle stick, the Sour Lolly was to die for.

With T-minus 10 months before my Baby Girl turns 2, I'm thinking "Sock Hop" for next year. Stay tuned!

We have lift off!

noreply@blogger.com (CupKate's Event Design) — Thu, 13 May 2010 22:58:00 +0000

Many people have hobbies. I have a hobby too. But on the scale of devotion to your hobby, I'm caught up in a wild love affair. Children's Party Planning is it for me. Parties excite like I can't describe. It's just so fun! And, it's a limitless hobby. Your only boundaries are those that you and your budget create! What's even better? Parties create some of your life's happiest memories. Darling details, fabulous friends, lots of laughter and crave worthy cakes... Really, what isn't there to love about a party?

I can't promise that this blog will feature ONLY party planning tips and ideas, however. Because I'm a mom to two very darling children and occasionally a product, tip or recipe that serves our family might serve someone else too. And I plan on sharing.

So what I hope to create here is a daily dose of happy. I hope you will join me by sharing your finds, ideas and comments!