Entertain Exchange

Chocolate Drizzles - Dress Up The Dessert

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:17:00 +0000

If you're like me, the minute I saw these chocolate drizzles, I knew I was going to make them the next time I entertain. I just love how simple this is and the "wow" factor they have...sure to dress up the simplest of desserts. Get the DIY from Delia Creates!

New Year's Eve With Homespun Glitter And Gold Style

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:48:00 +0000

This is a georgous glitter and gold New Year's Eve party with a homespun style. I found this party inspiration at The Sweetest Occasion. It was created by Kate Martin of Beautiful Days! This New Year's Party has plenty of sparkle from gold paper garland, mercury glass, and glitter! The pictures say it all - Happy New Year!

Simply Red - The Color Of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Red paired with the starkness of white - don't you just want to surround yourself with it this time of year! I have a red patent leather jacket, red boots and just bought a pair of red suede shoes! All are fun to put on for a pop of color during the Holidays! {Not all at once!} I fell in love with the red cardinals, you see on the cake below, a few years back. They have found their way onto white branches, that decorate my home! Hope you are inspired to see red this Holiday Season!

Images from here and here.

DIY Holiday Ice Lanterns

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:49:00 +0000

As the night of our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party approached, I realized that the temperature was to go below freezing. I had always wanted to make these beautiful Ice Lanterns for a winter party...so this was my chance! They turned out to be beautiful and welcoming on a crisp, cold night!

I used a 2 liter plastic soda bottle and a 24 oz plastic bottle for the inside - cut tops off.

1. Fill the 2 liter bottle with about 1 1/2 inches of water and freeze.

2. Remove from freezer and place 24 oz bottle inside resting on the ice. Center the 24 oz bottle in the 2 liter bottle and use masking tape to secure in place. Make sure space between bottles is even all the way around.

3. Cut greens from the yard (I used Boxwood) and cranberries to fill the sides. Cranberries float, so place some in the bottom first and then add green on top. Add a few additional cranberries on the sides. When you fill the container with water the cranberries will rise to the top.

Fill with water leaving at least 1 in of space from the top for the water to rise as it freezes.

When frozen, remove from freezer. Lift tape and add hot water into the center of the bottle. As the ice melts a little, pull out center bottle. This gets a little tricky as the plastic bottles have larger bottoms than the sides. You have to work it! Run hot water over the outside of the bottle to loosen the large bottle. I had great difficulty pulling the ice lantern out of the 2 liter bottle due to the larger bottom. I recommend cutting it down the sides to remove it. Be careful - the plastic can be sharp! I also recommend having a set of bottles for each ice lantern you wish to make.

I highly recommend using a battery operated candle inside - the flame melts the ice! Make a couple of days ahead and store in the freezer.

In the end I was pleased at how the ice lanterns turned out. I also made smaller ones to line the walk with as guest approached the door! For these I use cottage cheese containers and small disposable food storage containers. These were so much easier to separate as the cottage cheese containers had a smaller bottom and the ice slid right out.

Linking to: Between Naps On The Porch, Free Pretty Things For You, Someday Crafts, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Shanty2Chic, Fireflies and Jellybeans, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Just a Girl, The Girl Creative, Design Dazzle,

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:21:00 +0000

I recently hosted an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. We have all seen the hilarious photos of guys wearing dated ladies Christmas Sweaters with accessories. Well, this party theme is sure to be a big hit with your friends...it was so much fun! Our party was an office party hosted in our home. The talk around the office for the past couple of weeks was..."did you get your sweater yet!" Prizes were awarded to the guy and girl with the best sweaters!

Because it was an office party all the food was provided by a caterer...I was happy not to have to make a thing! I still felt the need to create a fun "theme" tablescape for the buffet table! I just couldn't help myself...this is what I came up with!

I was really at a loss on what to create for the centerpiece, until I came across these very cute sweater wine bottle covers! I just couldn't believe how perfect they were. I have these large glass candle holders that I keep on my dinning room table and I knew they would be perfect to fit over them. I found mine at Marshalls, but I have seen them (in the store) at pier 1 and Bed Bath & Beyond. They could easily be placed on any large size candle holders or even used as intended...on wine bottles!

I bought these craft pom poms to fill my glass candle holders and then decided to sprinkle them around the center of the table. I covered the table with a red tablecloth and bought a couple of yards of quilting fabric. I chose this argyle print fabric...it looked sweater like and trimmed the edges using pinking shears. This is an easy way to trim fabric when you don't want to sew the edges! I place three of these panels down the table over the red tablecloth.

I did decide to make a couple dozen Ugly Sweater Cookies. I can't say they turned out great, but I did put them out and people ate them!

Linking to: Between Naps On The Porch, Free Pretty Things For You, Someday Crafts, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Shanty2Chic, Fireflies and Jellybeans, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Just a Girl, The Girl Creative, Stone Gable, All Thingz Related, Design Dazzle, Bird's Party,

Perfect Christmas Party Signature Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:17:00 +0000

I have been looking for the perfect Holiday Cocktail for an upcoming party I am hosting. There is going to be a crowd, so besides wine and beer, I wanted to have a signature cocktail. This White Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Martini is just perfect! It looks festive and sounds yummy! The other great thing is it is not a red drink...in case of a spill!

INGREDIENTS
Marshmallow sundae topping
2 peppermint candies,
crushed ice
1/4 cup vanilla vodka
1 tablespoon peppermint schnapps
1/4 cup white chocolate liqueur

Makes 1 drink

DIRECTIONS
1. Dip the rim of a martini glass in marshmallow topping then crushed peppermint candies. Drizzle some marshmallow topping on inside of glass; place glass in freezer.

2. In a shaker with ice, add vodka, schnapps, and the liqueur. Shake until mixed; pour into prepared glass. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint. .The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Make up desired amount of martini glasses and freeze ahead of time. Use a pitcher to mix drink ingredients. If you prefer to measure alcohol in ounces, 1 oz equals 2 tablespoons.

From Pillsbury!

Handmade Thanksgiving Place Cards And Table Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Here are a few fabulous handmade ways to decorate your Thanksgiving table. Don't you just love the Book Page Turkey Place Card and the 3-D Turkey Menu card! These ideas are by Lisa Storms and the instructions can be found at Fiskars.

I think we all have something to be Grateful for!

Very clever ideas for the kids table. Notice the Pilgrim Hat napkin ring!

Gorgeous Rustic And Whimsical Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:36:00 +0000

So many beautiful elements in this Rustic/Whimsical Wedding we can all take inspiration from! I love all the neutral rustic and vintage piece played against the refreshing turquoise and green accents! Somehow, it all works and is so fabulous! Just look at the cakes with the burlap flowers - gorgeous! The bride and grooms chairs are magnificent with the rustic table - what perfect contrast the collection of turquoise vases add. Who says you have to spend a fortune on centerpieces...at a wedding or in your home. For more information and and additional photos visit Charm Event Design! Photography Luminaire Images.

Fabric Patterned Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:46:00 +0000

Feel the chill in the air today! I love these pattern fabric pumpkins from Country Living. They are a perfect way to decorate through the Thanksgiving Holiday! Find the easy DIY at Country Living!

A Modern Neutral Halloween Party

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:32:00 +0000

This Mock Halloween Party is a great example that you don't need to go out and spend tons of money on extra decorations! I love the neutral color palette as well as the simple styling that makes this party modern and chic! I am a huge fan of owning all white dishes - both for the table and for serving. They go with everything and every event. Somehow, the sparkle we usually see around the December holidays fits right in with the small white pumpkins used in this centerpiece. This fabulous inspiration was a collaboration from Ali of Hooray and Andrea Dozier!

Glitter Pumpkin Accents

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:51:00 +0000

What is not to love about these incredible glitter pumpkin pops - not to be eaten, of course. Simple to make - glue cookie sticks to the base of small craft pumpkins and coat with glitter. What I love about them is the nontraditional Halloween colors! With extra embellishments they look "year round" usable! Love the additional touches of ribbons, charms and papers of different textures...maybe a feather or two. Perfect for decorating a table or accenting a wreath. Created by {OC Cottage}

Hardware Decorated Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Maybe you have a tool box full of unused hardware...or you have a little guy who wants to "build" everything, then these Hardware Decorated Pumpkins may inspire you. They are a little silly, but a great way to use up a few old parts! The "13" pumpkin is very stylish...made using house numbers. Sometimes I just like the idea of not having to carve a pumpkin anymore. These great ideas are from Lowe's Creative Ideas!

Hope For A Cure - Breast Cancer Party Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:47:00 +0000

What a beautiful "Hope for a Cure" display created by Paula at Frog Prince Paperie! We all know someone who has been touch by breast cancer. Paula created these printables to help a friend out who was planning an event to raise awareness of breast cancer. She has generously made all these printables free for anyone else doing the same! Follow this link to the free printables.

Styling & Printable Papers - Frog Prince Paperie
Photography - Rayna Houvouras
Pomettes - Pom Flair
Gable Boxes - Party Starters

Take Flight With This Pan Am Party

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:53:00 +0000

If you enjoyed the new show Pan Am this past Sunday night, you will surely love this clever Pan Am Birthday Party created by Lynlee at Lynlee's Petite Cakes. So many great details - I am amazed how she found all the party accessories all in the same shade of blue. I love the Keep Calm and Carry On sign on the cupcake stand - very clever. See all great details about how Lynlee created this party on her blog!

Edible Eyeball Halloween Snack - Creepy Peepers

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:34:00 +0000

I can't believe how easy and healthy this is - the kids will love it! {And adults too!}

Ingredients: Carrots, Cream Cheese, Pitted Black Olives.

Simply slice carrots into 1-inch-thick chunks, top each with a blob of cream cheese and one half of a pitted black olive, and serve.

Love this idea from Family Fun!

The Eclectic Dinner Party

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 23:30:00 +0000

Matchy matchy is out...I do love Project Runway! Well, if our shoes and purse don't need to match - why our table and chairs. Don't you occasionally wish your table chairs didn't match? When I see a beautiful space so wonderfully styled, I can't help but to image how great it would be to host a dinner party, with great friends, there - it could be nothing short of fabulous! I am a firm believer that life is really about the experiences and not the things we have. Hope you all have some mismatched chairs! Styling by Lo Bjurulf.

Crab Shack Summer Party

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0000

I couldn't let summer end without a fun little party with friends...50 of them! Sometimes I think I'm crazy! What was really crazy was that I had the party the day after I took my daughter to college! So along with getting a college freshman ready to go, I was preparing for my Crab Shack Party! I couldn't do my usual level of party details...just didn't have it in me, but I did do a few fun things to make the party special.

For the bar area I made this fishnet sign - it was the "Sandbar" The sign was made using cardboard letters, paint and real sand. A final touch of starfish and shells were added to all the letters. It turned out very cute. I will post a tutorial on how I made it soon.

I hung a few nautical themed items around to set the mood! A quick and easy thing to do is to tie pretty ribbon around your glassware. I used a striped blue, cream and red ribbon from a dollar bin at Michael's. Many of the nautical accents came from TJ Maxx home decorating depatment.

One of my favorite things I made were these adorable cupcakes. These are chocolate candy crabs I made using an ice cube tray and chocolate candy melts. They sit pretty on top of a little brown sugar...oh I mean sand! See the DIY here on how I made the chocolate candy crabs. For the tablecloth I bought a few yards of burlap and a yard of red and cream checked quilting fabric. I trimmed the checked fabric with pinking shears and layered it over the burlap. (I didn't get and pictures of this) It all came together having a nautical, weather washed feel.

Linking to: Someday Crafts, Between Naps on the Porch, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Shanty2Chic, Fireflies and Jellybeans, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Just a Girl, The Girl Creative, Stone Gable, Simply Sweet Home,

All Thingz Related, Foodie Friday,

Candy Crab Cupcake Toppers - Beach/Nautical Party Theme

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:36:00 +0000

I recently had a Crab Shack Party. I made these adorable crab themed cupcakes using a crab ice cube tray I found at a dollar store. Great for any nautical or beach theme party! They were easy to make and so cute! When pressed for time, I find it easier to decorate store bought cupcakes.

I used red candy melts and a silicone ice cube tray.

Simply melt the candy melts in the microwave and spoon into the tray. Give the tray a shake to settle the chocolate in the mold. Then place the ice cube tray in the freezer. I left the trays in for a couple of hours, but they just need to be hardened. I then removed them from the freezer and let the ice cube trays warm to room temperature. Turn the tray over and the chocolates pop out - you may need to work it a little!

I kept the chocolate crabs in the refrigerator until I was ready to server the cupcakes. They became a little soft with the warm temperatures. A tube of Wilton black icing worked well for creating the eyes. Brown sugar, sprinkled on top of the icing, made perfect "sand."

All Thingz Related, Foodie Friday,

Birthday Cake Brownie Pops

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:43:00 +0000

These are just the cutest Brownie Cake Pops...just adorable! Even though I am a little tired of planning parties this summer - I am thinking, who can I make these for?!

The top brownie pops were made by Munchkin Munchies. You can find tips on making them here. The second brownie pops were made by Strawberry Chic with a lot of great DIY photos.

I'm feeling Groovy {Cake}

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 12:05:00 +0000

This is a very cool Tye Dye Cake from Bright Ideas. Fun to make even if you're not having a 70's party. Great for a circus, rainbow or any brightly colored kids party!

Rainbow Paint Chip Garland

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Love this Rainbow Paint Chip Garland from Little Bit Funky! So cheerful and easy to make!

4th Of July Party On The Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:00:00 +0000

This is a wonderful 4Th of July Celebration by the lake! I love the vintage buckets filled with red, white and blue goodies - don't forget the sparklers! What a great party favor! The watermelon lemonade looks delicious and I love the clever watermelon cupcakes. Everything is so inviting! See more details at Home is Where the boat is.

Layered Sundried Tomato and Artichoke Appetizer

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +0000

This is now one of my favorite go to appetizers - easy, pretty and yummy! What I really loved about it was that I could chop and prepare most of the ingredients the night before and assemble it a few hours before my party. I also liked the fact that because I was expecting a larger crowd it worked well to make two and place them on a platter together instead of worrying about replenishing it during the party. I served it with a variety of crackers.

• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, well chilled
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, well drained
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped and drained canned artichoke hearts
• 2 Tbsp. pesto
• 2 Tbsp. chopped smoked almonds (I used mixed nuts as a substitute)
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley (I forgot to add this)
•assorted crackers

1. Cut cream cheese horizontally into 3 slices using dental floss.

2. Place 1 slice on a large sheet of plastic wrap: top with tomatoes and second slice of cream cheese.

3. Combine artichokes and pesto; spoon over second cream cheese layer. Top with remaining cream cheese slice.

4. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Before serving, top with nuts and parsley. Press lightly into cream cheese to secure. Serve with assorted crackers.

Linking to: Foodie Friday,

Stone Gable

Daisy Graduation Party

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:13:00 +0000

I created this sweet daisy theme Graduation Party for my daughter. Our school colors are green and white and I thought it would look pretty to use daisies for the flowers - that became my theme! I then added a splash of yellow to the party palette. Knowing my theme and colors several months in advance helped tremendously in preparing for the party. As I was doing my daily shopping I would come across great items to make every detail special. I found so many of my items at Michaels in the dollar bins including tons of pretty ribbon and these super cute green frames.

I also wanted the party to have a soft shabby chic feel. I bought several yards of quilting fabrics in a variety of prints and a good pair of pinking shears using this for many of the decorations. My favorite was a pretty ribbon garland made out of Jute string, a variety of ribbons and strips of the quilting fabric. It hung between the columns of our pavilion and look lovely blowing in breeze. My centerpieces were made from small galvanized pots, strips of fabric and ribbons. I used green flower sticky notes and self adhesive paper daisies to decorate the front of the pots. The pots were filled with daisies and greens from my yard. Each centerpiece was place on circles of quilting fabric that had been cut with the pinking shears and placed on white tablecloths.

Since my party did not have a traditional graduation theme, I felt like the cake should not look like the traditional graduation cake. I wanted it to be sweet and pretty. I can’t say enough that I love how it turned out. I ordered a two tiered cake from my local grocery store requesting it to just have a pale yellow frosting with no decoration or piping. I then made my cake topper and banner from scrapbook paper and this beautiful ring of daisies found in the Martha Stewart Crafts collection. I bought Wilton sugar daisies that I attached around the cake with a little icing and added a row of ribbon to the bottom of each layer. The great thing about decorating the cake this way was that I could make everything a few weeks ahead of time and assemble it the day of the party.
I also made a few additional store bought desserts look custom. I took packaged cookies and dipped them in white chocolate and into green sprinkles and bought white yogurt pretzels and drizzled them with green chocolate. These were a big hit! Following with the cupcake trend, I also purchased 40 of these from the grocery store. I customized them by making white chocolate daisy candies to top them off. At Easter I found Wilton grass cupcake liners…perfect for my daisy cupcakes! Before placing the chocolate daisy on top, I gave them a dash of green sprinkles. Due to the hot sun I could not set up my dessert table ahead of time. The guests were taking the desserts as I was putting them out and a few are missing from my photos!

At most graduation parties you see a collage of photos of the graduate. I decided to make mine the backdrop for the dessert table. First, I covered foam core board with quilting fabric. I had three unused white frames that I replaced the glass with green gingham scrapbook paper. Each frame contained a collage of photos from my daughter’s life – the early years, middle years and the high school years. Each white frame was attached with green gingham ribbon and the individual green frames, with a paper daisy accent, were velcroed to the board.

I had the meal catered, but wanted to create great tasting appetizers that would feed a crowd. I chose recipes that I could partially make the day before and assemble right before the party. I always love to have a signature drink. One of my favorites is lemonade and blueberry vodka – the guests love it! I created blueberry skewers with ribbon to top off the drinks. I also bought green paper straws and added a paper daisy to each one – so cute! The wine glass markers were made from Martha Stewart tags, felt green and yellow embellishments that were tied with a thin multi strand green yarn.

Party styled and craft details created by Susan at Entertain Exchange.
Straws from Sweet LuLu
Invitations from Tiny Prints
Paper Daisies from Martha Stewart Crafts

Linking to: Between Naps on the Porch, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Shanty2Chic, Fireflies and Jellybeans, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Skip to my Lou, Under the Table and Dreaming, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Just a Girl, The Girl Creative, Stone Gable,
All Thingz Related,

Daisy Graduation Party Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Susan @ Oh My! Creative) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:12:00 +0000

I want to thank Courtney at Pizzazerie for featuring my daughter's Daisy Graduation Party today! Here is a look at the cake I decorated - it was so cute! I promise to share my pictures soon!